Into the wild
During the fall, I played in a club tournament. This time, I faced off against another 2000+ player. I had actually checked out a few of his games, and done some (basic) preparation. I had seen that he liked openings with Nf3 and d4. I figured I'd give the Grunfeld a try, if given the opportunity. And lo and behold, the opportunity presented itself.
In hindsight, I see that it was not such a good idea. Let me show you why.
Ok. So my preparation allowed me to transpose into the opening I wanted. For a brief time, at least. But then my opponent quickly took me into the wilderness, way out of my book knowledge.
After having to navigate in difficult terrain, I suddenly found myself in a very passive and restricted position. And then my opponent blundered a pawn — or so I thought.
A blunder?
- Don't engage in a theory battle against a much higher rated player.
- Watch out for the Grunfeld (and other super-theoretical openings).
- If your opponent appears to give you material for free, don't trust them. Double check and check again before making your move.
- Don't give up!