HOW TO WIN AGAINST MUCH STRONGER OPPONENTS !
Hello all
In this blog entry, I will write about my experience playing -and winning against- stronger players, and how the underdog can create the upset. You can do it too!
I am a titled player, specifically a Candidate Master (CM). You can find the exact definition here (https://www.chess.com/terms/candidate-master-chess)
My rating in blitz online is around 2500, same for bullet. My online profile is here
https://www.chess.com/member/newchesscorner64
Due to changes in chesscom policy, I created this new account 3 months ago. I will use games from my former account https://www.chess.com/member/thechesscorner64
This entry will feature many games against players rated much higher than me and with more prestigious titles such as IM,WGM and GM. Did someone mention @Gothamchess ? Many of the players I faced are considered famous by most standards, but I will let you be the judge !
All games will be provided with a hyperlink so that you can replay the moves with timestamps and see entire game. By stronger player, you can think of any player who is rated much higher than you. If I were 1800 rated, beating a 2200 or a titled player would make my day. Making a draw would also count. Finally, I am an amateur who loves the game and I play anonymously after work.
I will refer to specific practical tips which helped me and could be useful to you !
Game index table
Do I need to introduce the "FFL" Gata Kamsky ? We have here a Grandmaster, a GM with his own Wikipedia page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gata_Kamsky
He was #4 in the world in 1995 and was the FIDE World Chess Challenger in 1996 playing against Anatoly Karpov. Kamsky won the Chess World Cup 2007. This earned him a Candidates Match against Veselin Topalov, which he lost.
He is still very active in chess, and you can catch him live here igmgatakamsky - Twitch
GM Kamsky https://www.chess.com/member/tigrvshlyape, had 2888 online blitz rating (385 points higher than me!) and we played in “Arena Kings” a rated blitz competition on chess.com
The game link : https://www.chess.com/game/live/74195613387?username=thechesscorner64
How did it go ? Here's the opening where I had the White pieces against Gata
Black plays the flexible Hippopotamus Defense. Gata is the one trying to surprise in the opening. Here I went with h3-h4, postponing castling and playing on the flank
By no means it is the best plan for White. But I am using tip #3, making it harder for my opponent to navigate. Gata was probably expecting 0-0, Rad1 and Rfe1.
Then we reached a position where I put pressure on the d-file
Black just played f7-f6 attacking my bishop. Maybe Gata Kamsky was expecting me to retreat it to e3. I am sure he saw Rxe6+ but Black can play ..Kf7. the move Kf7 attacks the rook on e6 and my bishop on g5.
This is where tip #2 “never give up” comes handy. Am I really lost after 1.Re6+ Kf7 ? lets put in on the board
White to play !
In the game we reached this position and this is where the decisive phase took place
Yes I played Rxc6!!, followed by Rxd7+. If Black continues with ..Ke8 I will take on g7.
The game went 1.Rc6!! Rxc6 2.Rd7+ Kg8 3 Nd5!! (Threatening Ne7+) 1-0
Aleksandra Goryachkina is a GM from Russia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleksandra_Goryachkina
She is a super talent , #4 classical rating for women’s leaderboard by FIDE. I played her in 2021 and she was already famous then, she had 2611 FIDE classical rating and the men’s GM Title.
This game was played in the Titled Tuesday event held on chess.com; This is a prized event, rated, with time control 3 minutes + 1 second.
Aleksandra Goryachkina
Game link : https://www.chess.com/game/live/12072232125?username=thechesscorner64
I played with the white pieces and things started poorly...
With my last move e4-e5, I thought her knight would move to d5, which I would then attack with c2-c4. My opponent takes on e5 with the knight. Is she dropping a piece ? let’s see.
How embarrassing ! If I played Nxe5, Black will give a check on a5 and pick up my knight on e5. I just lost a pawn against a GM on move 7. therefore I decided to castle and applied tip #2.
Later in the game, this is Black to play and my opponent missed a golden opportunity
Black to play
First you can notice I am still a pawn down. Second, my opponent has the bishop pair and a safer king. But here if Goryaschkina had found f7-f6, my knight on e5 would move and then e6-e5 would attack my knight on d4 and bishop on f4. I woud lose a piece after f7-f6 and e6-e5 giving evaluation of -3.5 pawns in favor of Black. White can’t prevent it, this position would be DEAD Lost.
But this is where my tip#2 and #3 apply, the battle goes on and lets make it difficult for Black to wrap up the game by providing resistance everywhere possible.
Later on, this is White to play
I was certainly lucky but in the end I was the underdog yet I prevailed on the board. You could say "luck favors the prepared" as I really fought hard until the end with Nh6!!.
By now I don’t know if I need to present https://www.chess.com/member/gothamchess
IM Levy Rozman who has a huge following on youtube , posted a recent video here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tXe1gT2oYE
the so called "internet chess teacher" was featured in a top news article where his win against GM Nepomniachtchi was highlighted. Levy is an IM who has aspirations to become GM.
Here the game link, which was played in Titled Tuesday (official competition) played in 2022 where he had 2701 rating at start of the game
https://www.chess.com/game/live/44750391503?username=thechesscorner64
I had the black pieces. What a fight this was !
Levy Rozman is extremely well prepared in the opening. Here he plays 1e4 c5 2 a3!?, his favorite line against the Sicilian Defense. Not only did he analyze this, he offers paid courses on it. I decided to go with 2..e6, less known as 2..g6 which would prepare 3..Bg7
Same idea here. White offers a pawn with 3.b4!?. Levy would gets lots of play for the gambit. I used tip #1, and played 3..b6 with idea 4..Bb7, trying to escape Levy's opening prep.
This game was a very sharp battle. I remember I wasn't home so I played from my Apple Ipad. Definitely something I rarely do. Please see the detailed analysis of the full game, where I had chances to topple the mighty content creator.
And this is how the game ended in a draw via perpetual check. I let the readers opine whether Black or White had more chances to win in the middle-game. This was a tense game for sure.
CONCLUSION
I think it takes a lot of energy for the underdog to prevail, and I hope I inspired you with my examples. No matter how high your opponent’s rating is, you still have to believe in your chances.
Try to surprise titled players in openings they are unfamiliar with. Do not worry if your position is lost, play on. "No one ever won a game by resigning."
Also make it extra hard for your opponent to win. Create chaos in the position, or simply put up stiff resistance and he/she may be struggling. You have to create positions where titled players could make mistakes. Your opponent is human, even if she has a GM title, even if he has a 2900 online rating. Chess is after all a game and anything can happen.
To be clear, I am just getting started on this topic. I am happy to showcase more games in a future installment. Did I hear someone mention @Hikaru ? That’s for another time...
