How To Beat Weaker Players (Yes, you read that right!)

  Some of you might be wondering why I even write this post. Most of us defeat lower rated players consistently but some people (like me and maybe even you!) have trouble beating them all the time. Call me greedy if you want to, but I would like to win every single game I play against guys who don't even know who Fischer is. So, let's get started.

   My first tip is to keep it simple. Of course, you already knew about this, but you are just not enough of a positional player to outplay that guy at your local chess club who regularly fails in tournaments but beats you every single time. You might want to change your approach slightly to start winning. I am aware that there is no way I can suddenly transform you into Karpov but bear with me.

  Most often, the reason you are higher rated is because you make fewer mistakes. Playing in a simple, non-forcing position increases your chances of winning as your opponent has ample opportunity to go wrong. Allow me to illustrate my point. (By the way, studying books like "How to reassess your chess" and "The Amateur's Mind" improves your positional play greatly.)

  OK, that isn't really a crushing advantage, but I am clearly on the better side of equality. By doing nothing complicated you encourage positional errors and blunders from your opponent. This clearly works in your favor. The game eventually reached the following position and I won easily.

  My second tip is to just play normally. Tons of games have been lost because the stronger side over-pressed and lost. As I said above, the wait-and-see approach works wonders. Forget you are playing a lower rated player and just play your best game. 

  My last and final tip is to play against weaker players occasionally. After all, practice makes perfect. There have been several chess greats who specialized in destroying weaker opposition. Studying their games may also help. Beating weaker players is no mean feat, as each time you clash he/she has nothing to lose while you have a lot to.

   Happy hunting!