Thinking outside the box - Chess Forums

McHenry

Oct 3, 2013

0

#1

After several hundred games chess players develop a feeling for teir openings, and often they know which moves belong to an opening and which do not (e.g. every player would agree that ...a6, ...b5 and ...Bb7 are normal moves in the sicilian). We have schemes in our heads, and very often "automatic play" takes over and we do not really check the position for more or less hidden moves outside the box, that are possible because of mistakes or blunders the opponent made.

I want to show a game here to demonstrate that idea. Ok, the rating difference between me and my opponent is substantial, you might say, and therefore it is not a miracle i won the game. that is not the point. it is one of my last games to demonstrate that point: i possibly would have won the game also in the "automatic mode", keeping on making normal moves. but my opponent made a few mistakes in the opening giving me a very comfortable position, and then he made a blunder allowing me to end the game before the opening was really over.

Go through the comments in the game to read more details, but the interesting message is this: in the position before my last move I didnt immediately see that possibility of Qa7. At first I was checking "normal" moves as Rhe1 and so on. Sure, a "really good player" would have noticed Qa7 in a microsecond. But since most of us are not really good players no offense! we have to take that kind of possible chess blindness due to "automatic play" into account. My rating is relatively stable around 2000, so I think I can say that "thinking outside the box" is a topic for all amateurs in order to not miss too many of such opportunities as Qa7 in my game.

trackdad

Oct 3, 2013

0

#2

Very nice article! Before Be4, I was focused on the obvious d6 square as an outpost for the white pieces, so I was also guilty of automatic ideas.

McHenry

Oct 3, 2013

0

#3

hi trackdad, thanx for your nice comment! yep, the d6-square definitely is a candidate for what i mean here. especially since blacks dark-squared bishop is gone. a white knight on d6, protected by a rook behind, and black almost cannot move anymore.