Me vs. Max

On Saturday, I played Max Zinski, one of Benet's strongest players. The game was very close, but in the end I blundered while in time trouble. Here is the game. 

Let's take a look at that last position. There is a move that essentially wins me the game. 

Takeaways

• In chess, you must impose your will on your opponent. Never make purely reactive moves; you should have plans and ideas of your own!
• Always be aware of what your opponent is doing. Every move your opponent makes was made for a reason; you need to know what that reason is. If you know what your opponent wants to do, you can play the game on your own terms.
• Finally, and most importantly, don't ever doubt yourself. Max is a 2100 and I'm probably around a 1600-1700 level, but I got myself into a winning position against him! Especially when we get to state, we'll be playing people who think they're better than us. However, it's always possible to win the game. Play the board, not your opponent.

Here's to a strong perfomance at state guys! Let's do this.