Backup Options: A Practical Chess Skill Most Players Ignore
Hey Impressive Chessers!
In this blog, we are going to go over my Round 2 game from the last OTB tournament I played in at the beginning of the month because:
“Plenty of authors expound on the advantages of going over their own games i.e. they can explain their thought processes and any environmental factors, but my reason is pure vanity”
*if anyone can find the exact quote, I thought it was GM Raymond Keene but I couldn’t find it, so I’m putting it up to the chess.com sleuths now 
Today’s blog is going to focus on two important practical chess concepts:
- Having backup options
- Knowing when to end a line
Many of you are making chess even harder than it has to be!
Take the following position as an example:
I hope that you all would be delighted to have such a nice material advantage and a simplified one at that!
However, when I asked one of my students to evaluate whether or not the finesse 28. Qd4+ was worth looking into, I noticed something very instructive about the way they approached the position.
I’ll ask you the same question:
Was 28. Qd4+ a worthwhile finesse?
My student began calculating a long mating line and, to be fair, I was impressed by their visualization skills. The calculation itself was not bad. In fact, it was quite impressive.
The problem was practicality. We spent around 10–15 minutes analyzing that one variation. Now, if that were the only line that needed to be calculated, maybe that would be acceptable. But obviously this wasn't the only variation that needed to be calculated because this wasn’t even the move that was played in the game!
That is when I introduced the concept of backup options. A backup option is a move you are willing to play if your opponent responds with the move you are most worried about. Instead of trying to calculate every possible branch to absolute perfection, you simplify your thought process:
“If my opponent does the scary thing, I already know I have a move that keeps me at least okay.” That alone removes an enormous amount of mental pressure. Then, if your opponent actually plays that move, you can reevaluate the position and see whether you have something even stronger than your backup option. But the important thing is that you already have a safety net prepared.
The best part? Most of the time, your opponent doesn’t even play the move you were most worried about! That means you save huge amounts of time and energy by not overcalculating lines that never happen.
Strong practical players understand this instinctively. They know when to stop calculating and trust that their position is good enough. Many improving players, on the other hand, fall into the trap of trying to “solve chess” at the board. They search endlessly for perfection in positions where a simple, strong move would do the job just fine.
Sometimes the best move is not the fanciest move. Sometimes the best move is simply the move that keeps control while preserving your clock, your energy, and your sanity.
Backup Option Example
Let’s take a look at the whole game and maybe the concept of backup options will make even more sense!
The Opening
What is my favorite move in this position (below)?
Why couldn't Black have done the fork trick one move before (see diagram below)?
The Middlegame
What is White's Most Effective Plan in These Dragon Positions?
When I played the move 15. h5 I thought that the critical response from my opponent was the move 15...a4. Before thinking too deeply about what to do if Black played 15...a4, I saw that my position should be pleasant after the move (backup option) 16. Bd5. This saved me a lot of time and energy because my opponent instead played the move 15...Bxh6. If my opponent had played 15...a4 I would've had 16. Bd5 in my back pocket but thought about whether or not I had a stronger move, would I have had a stronger move than my backup option?
My Opponent Cracks Under the Pressure
The Endgame
While not totally necessary to play these moves, I want to see if you'd play the same moves to finish off the win:
Conclusion
One of the biggest differences between improving players and experienced tournament players is not calculation ability alone; it is practical decision making.
Many players believe they are losing games because they “miss tactics,” but in reality they are often exhausting themselves trying to calculate every possible variation to perfection. Chess is simply too complicated for that approach to work consistently. Strong players understand that calculation must have limits.
That is where backup options become incredibly powerful. Having a reliable fallback move allows you to:
- Save time on the clock
- Reduce mental fatigue
- Avoid panic during critical moments
- Play with greater confidence
- Focus your energy on the positions that truly require deep calculation
This does not mean you should stop calculating. It means you should calculate with purpose. If your position is already strategically superior, sometimes the best practical decision is not to hunt endlessly for the “perfect” move, but to choose a strong move that maintains control and keeps your position easy to play.
Many chess players are unknowingly making the game harder than it has to be. Learning when to stop calculating is just as important as learning how to calculate in the first place. Making this complicated (that's what makes it fun!) game easier in any way is the key to...
…Staying impressive!
OLM/NM Craig C.
linktr.ee/ChessToImpress
If you want to improve your practical chess skills, calculation process, time management, and tournament performance, consider booking a lesson with me, National Master/Online Life Master (NM/OLM) Craig Clawitter.
My lessons focus on helping students think for themselves at the board instead of memorizing endless lines or relying on gimmicks. Whether you are preparing for your first OTB tournament or trying to break through a rating plateau, I can help you build practical habits that actually translate into better results.
Feel free to reach out if you are interested in lessons, game analysis, or tournament preparation coaching!
