How To Win Down Material!

What should you do when you blunder material? Should you resign? Definitely not! In this article, we will look at things you should do when you are down material.

Step 1: Desperado

The idea of Desperado is to get the most value out of a lost piece. For example, if you have a piece that is going to be trapped, try to get the most value out of it! Try to force pawn or king weaknesses, which can gain you a positional advantage.

Step 2: Look for counterplay!

When you lose material, you should look for counterplay. Make it as difficult as possible to progress in the position. Attack their king ruthlessly, and you might even get a checkmate! Some of my games where I did this are shown below.

Step 3: Flagging

Flagging is a controversial method in which you try to win on time by making scary looking sacrifices in hopes that your opponent will use up all their time. While this method is mainly used in bullet, it can sometimes be used in other time controls, especially those without increment.

SUMMARY:

Don't ever resign! No one ever one a game by resigning. Chess players often let their guard down, and become complacent. This is a mistake, since complacency can be your biggest enemy.