Chess and takebacks

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zes0460

I want to talk about a psychological concept of chess, takebacks. Well, i know chess.com doesn't provide such a feature but not all other online platforms are the same. I want to focus on some points about this phenomenon;

What would you think when your opponent requests a takeback after a move?

  • This is a real blunder, they simply want to take it back.
  • This is a fake move, they want you to think this was a blunder

If the first one is the case;

What will happen if you allow it? You give a pardon and then how will this change your psychology for the rest of the game? Will you expect a low profile gameplay from them? Because you forgive them. Will this cause you to blunder more often than before, because you expect more passive play from them after that? Will you take your guard down a little and be less cautios than before?

And there is more. What if you refuse it? Will you feel more pressure on you? what if they would still win this after you refused. Would they talk to you after? and tease you? You didn't even allow it and look what happen, they still beat you.. 

In either case this action will manipulate your play.

 

Here is a sample, in this very played game i received a request right after 6. ... g5. I gave a 30s tought and refused it. Then it caused some sort of pressure on me and missed a tactic (18. Bxh6 Rxh6 19. Qxh6 wins a knight) And i felt something like an "obligation" on me like i had to win this.. On the otherhand i was very suspicious when it first was requested, if that was a legit or a fake request, maybe they wanted me to focus on there, with "there is something wrong here and i need to use it" mindset..

Whole these things wasted some of my time. Maybe i was just overthinking? I had accepted a request and lost a game before.

tygxc

"What would you think when your opponent requests a takeback after a move?"
Nothing at all, as takeback is against the Laws of Chess, just ignore the request.