Another one that got away #11

This one isn't for the feint-hearted. Sit back and enjoy black throw away a great opportunity yet again after somehow getting into a winning position. There are bound to be dozens of missed tactics. I think this game is worth posting up because it's against a stronger opponent (a good friend of mine from Manchester) and I actually created a kingside attack pushing kingside pawns which is something I am very reluctant to do. I think I played fairly well overall, some awful moves at the end, and as so often happens... I messed up. Enjoy!!

I actually disagree 100%. This notion that shorter time controls make you a worse player is antiquated, and, in my opinion, an excuse for poor play.

The problem with playing shorter time controls is that you don't practice careful evaluation and calculation, that doesn't make you worse, unless you start blitzing out moves in longer time controls, it just doesn't help you improve.

If you play rapid, and want to improve off it, you simply have to carefully comb over the game afterwords, and I don't mean with an engine. Go through, move by move, and think about the position as if you had al the time in the world. Evaluate. Come up with candidate moves. Calculate. Figure out why you didn't play those moves and challenge your intuition. It's great for finding flaws in ones predispositions.

The problems commonly associated with short time controls come from when payers just spam out game after game after game. THAT will cripple your progress, but you can still learn plenty from short games. After all, you learn most from mistakes!

That being said, long time controls help you improve too!

EDIT: No disrespect to DS, he's very insightful. I simply respectfully disagree.

You were destroying him! He was on the run! Your attack was sharp, principled, and deadly! You played really well!

...Then you blundered it all away! That seems like a common theme here. Your positional play is much higher than your rating, but your tactics are lower. I'll suggest the same thing as I did before. STARE AT THOSE POSITIONS, and I don't mean play through them once! Go over the moves in your head over and over and over. You should see blood!

Edit: I know most of what I covered were tactical shots, and that's not exactly why you post these on the forums, but they are the important thing to work on for you. Whether you like it or not.

Thanks Areliae and DS. Both of you have mentioned similar tactics during this game. I enjoyed your positive spin on the analysis Areliae, gives me some encouragement to keep trying I suppose. DS was a bit more harsh on me lol!!!

OK it wasn't difficult to spot the missed mate in one, however I didn't see the mate in 3 either which saddens me, Also I didn't see that I could win a pawn around moves 8 and 9 either. My brain doesn't seem to consider a knight taking a pawn as a candidate move, as you can tell. I can see it now that you have both mentioned it, but I didn't see it AT ALL in the game. The opportunity was there not once not twice but several times. Perhaps I struggle with any kind of sacrifice, even though this tactic isn't really a sacrifice as I recover the material don't I?

Never in a million years would I consider 43... Qxg7, even now having played through the variation I don't understand how this would emerge as a candidate move for me during the game.

How was I meant to hold for a draw, what was the plan? Just keep moving my king about near the rooks?