Don't Stop Your Opponent From Blundering
Hey, Impressive Chessers!
Let’s set the stage. You’re playing a game you’re sure your coach will be proud of. You’re not only looking at all the cool moves you can play but also countering everything your opponent throws at you. The game ends, and you win. Filled with pride, you present the game to your coach, expecting a cascade of praise for your brilliance.
Instead, you get:
“Why did you play here? Surely your opponent couldn’t have taken your pawn, as you had this elementary skewer afterward.”
Yep, that’s the moment I was knocked off my high horse. Ok, ok, fine—this story was about me. 😣 [Click here to skip to the game and make fun of me.]
But this mistake made me think. I’ve seen this same pattern in my students’ games countless times. Maybe my slightly embarrassing moment can help you avoid your own!
What Happened Here?
In the heat of the moment, I’d made a common error: I didn’t stop to challenge my assumptions. I’d convinced myself my opponent could capture my pawn without looking for what I might have in response. My coach pointed out a simple skewer tactic I could have exploited—one that, under normal circumstances, I would’ve seen with ease. Which leads to…
Get “Can’t” Out of Your Chess Vocabulary
Replace “can’t” with the actual move that makes your move, supposedly, impossible. When you say (or think) “can’t” it turns your brain off and it will no longer even consider the move that you want to play. For example:
How to Stop Stopping😅Your Opponents From Blundering
Ask the Right Questions
Before making a move, ask yourself:
- “What will my opponent’s response be?”
- “Do they have to take this?”
- “What happens if they do?”
Pause Before Resigning Ideas
Even if you think a piece is hanging or a tactic won’t work, pause to check if there’s a hidden resource. Chess is full of surprises!
Practice Tactical Vision
Solving puzzles, doing vision and/or solo chess regularly are some of the best ways to sharpen your ability to spot skewers, forks, and other tactics during games.
The Game in Mention
Takeaways
Embarrassing as it was, this experience reminded me—and I hope it reminds you—to double-check your assumptions and always keep an eye out for tactical opportunities. Missing one might not lose the game, but spotting it could make your victory all the sweeter.
So the next time you’re in a position where you think your opponent has the upper hand, don’t panic. Instead, take a deep breath and see if there’s a way to turn the tables.
Happy chessing, may your skewers be sharp and may you...
Stay impressive!
NM Craig C.
linktr.ee/ChessToImpress
Plug:
A great, fellow top blogger, I’ve learned a lot from just wrote about the "BlogChamps" here on chess.com. If you’re interested in joining a community trying to improve their blog writing skills, you could do a lot worse than to check it out!-->www.chess.com/blog/TheKiwiHobbit/my-experience-running-a-chess-blogging-competition
Shameless Plug:
If you’d like to see if we’re a good match, try booking a lesson here: nmcraigclawitter.weebly.com/book-a-lesson Your first lesson is always 20% off! You can also find out more about me here: nmcraigclawitter.weebly.com/about-me
