I hope you enjoy the game and narrations, it is pretty good...honest. Would I swindle you?
Please do not misunderstand me, my opponent played admirably, he just fell prey to some of the oldest tricks in the book. And I got lucky!
PS. also please forgive my spelling in the game's notes. I hurry because sometimes I go through a lot of work only to have the post not work, I guess because it was idle too long.
Most definitely an elegant game Knightlite. I think that we all have that sneaky side. I most definitely use process of elimination (mainly because I reach positions and I have no idea what move to play!). And the other 4 steps are also grandmaster strategy. Some people believed that Emanuel Lasker played inferior moves simply to confuse his opponent!
Thnx knightlife..this type of games are sure good examples for amateurs like me to understand the sneaky tactics of swindling :)
It has become abundantly clear to me lately that making the best chess moves in a game is not what is winning the games for me. It seems that my opponents oftentimes have a winning game over me but fail to capture the King. If anyone has followed or viewed my games lately (you are welcome to do so) you will see that what I am saying is true.
I am starting to believe that my talent at swindling is better than my talent at chess. In his book "Chess for Tigers" Simon Webb provides five components that make up a successful swindler.
1- Be objective, 2- Don't be afraid of losing, 3- Play actively, 4- Use the process of elimination, 5- Star Quality
The list is pretty self-explanatory, except for maybe the last component, 5- Star quality . Star quality, Webb says, is "Play-acting". Being able to understand your opponent's nature and playing them into your position instead of allowing your opponent to play you into theirs.
For example, some things to look for when playing your opponent is whether they like to exchange pieces; if this is apparent then make sure they do not get the opportunity to do so. Many players exchange pieces because they cannot play well in complex positions, or prefer not to take the risk. Conversely, your opponent may be afraid to exchange pieces. This fear oftentimes causes them to retreat pieces when they need to exchange, providing you with the better position or opportunity to attack.
Is your opponent reactive to your moves or do they force you to react to theirs? If it is the first, then try to make your moves force them to position their pieces badly. If it is the second, get them to think you are reacting, as best you can, without really doing so, while you are actually setting up your own plan (preferably in another area of the board). And then when they pulls the trigger, which usually leaves a weakness in their position somewhere, instead of reacting this time totally ignore his threat (as much as possible) and start your own attack.
And lastly, whenever you blunder during an attack, never, never, ever let them think that it was not intentional and you are finished (unless of course it is evident). Provided with what appears to be a straightforward win, your opponent (I find) will very likely provide you with an opportunity to take the game back.
This forum is dedicated to those games that can illustrate these qualities. Please see the following game, my most recent swindle, for the first example.