Instructive Games II: Prevent Blunders — Don't miss your Opponent´s
Hi! Have you ever blundered in a game ? Or have you missed a winning move after an opponent's blunder? I bet you have, so I guess this post might be of interest to you!
How can we avoid making such bad moves in our games? By not overlooking forcing moves—and the best way to do that is by consistently applying the "Checks, Captures, and Threats" (CCT) rule. This rule saves time and effort, since you don’t need to consider every legal move—just the most forcing ones.
Note: You will hear, depending on the author, about the CCA rule (for "Checks, Captures and Attacks") which is the same
I will show three examples from my own speed games where I either blundered or missed a win, and how easy it would have been to prevent them if I had applied the CCT rule!
Let´s see case by case: Checks, Captures and Threats
Checks
Black´s position was worse but White just played 33. Qc2 - e4??. It was my turn to make a mistake and miss the win with 33...Nf4?? It is clear that applying the CCT rule would have saved my day! After 33...Nd2 +, then 34...Ne4 comes next winning the Queen.
Captures
The game is almost level but still a bit more difficult for Black to play due to the situation of its king and less active pieces. According to the engine 20...Qh6 21.f4, Rae8 would have held the position, since now Black´s rook and queen come into play. Instead I played 20...Ne4 ??
Perhaps I considered that the capture 21. Qe4?? was ineffective due to 21... Rg1! 22. Qh7, Kd6 23. Rg1, Qf6 and still there is a fight. But I missed the in-between capture 21. Rg8! then after 21. ...Qg8 22. Qe4 simply wins the Knight.
Threats (or Attacks)
Black was not doing very well, but 14...c5 would have given some chances for a fight. Instead I played the move 14...0-0-0 ?? Now the simple threat to the trapped Queen 15. Bf4! wins material (15...e5, 16 fe6).
Conclusion:
In all the cases, if the CCT rule had been applied effectively, blunders or missing wins would have been avoided. So my recommendation is to apply the CCT rule when considering your own moves or your opponent's, and be alert all the time in games!
If you’d like guidance reducing blunders or improving your overall decision‑making, feel free to message me privately. I’m always glad to help players who are serious about improving.
Good luck!
maafernan
Chess.com Coach
