Pressure - A Double Edged Sword

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WSama

I played a game earlier today, which I gave away right at the end due to what now seems like a silly mistake. Might seem that way now, but the story goes a little differently when you've been applying pressure for almost an hour. 

I can't really annotate the game on this device, but watch out for move 34.Qh3... move 34 was the deciding moment, for better or worse.

Did you see that? Slap yourself if you missed it lol.

Anyway, that's what I meant by a double edged sword - it takes effort to apply pressure, a lot of mental energy, and in the end you just might crumble on yourself if you're not fit enough. So... more tactics, puzzles, and endgames for this player to learn some Pressure Endurance.

KeSetoKaiba

Interesting game and moment. I think it is a good example to highlight that a chess game can potentially turn around very quickly and that it really isn't easy - no computer can simulate the psychology and pressure that REAL chess brings. Of course, gxf5 missed kind of hurt White, but finding something in an actual game is always tougher than a simple puzzle or tactics problem. I think 35.Qf1 was a more stubborn defensive try, but it is still obvious that Black is better there (which is tough because White was clearly winning just a few moves ago). 

Chess games can turn really quickly around can't they? *sigh* Even GMs deal with the same problems - chess is chess (although a GM definition for "turning around" is probably different from that of the common chess player: GM games have much more subtle things that build over time, but nevertheless mistakes happen there too). 

WSama

Yes, that's true.  😀 Whoa, I can definitely imagine Seto Kaiba saying that.

WSama

There was a lot of mistakes throughout the game (I think), but white managed to keep the advantage from A till X. At one point the position dropped from a 7.0 to a draw. 

 

KeSetoKaiba
WSama wrote:

Yes, that's true.  😀 Whoa, I can definitely imagine Seto Kaiba saying that.

Not my initial thought when I said that, but I guess it is possible wink.png

KeSetoKaiba
WSama wrote:

There was a lot of mistakes throughout the game (I think), but white managed to keep the advantage from A till X. At one point the position dropped from a 7.0 to a draw. 

 

Look at any King and pawn endgames where one side snags a draw or win; often times the evaluation erratically jumps from plus or minus 50 to either 0 (an equal position) or 50 the other way (one side completely winning to completely losing)! With these delicate endings, something as simple as King opposition or pushing the correct pawn can be the difference among any of the three potential game results.

WSama
KeSetoKaiba wrote:
WSama wrote:

There was a lot of mistakes throughout the game (I think), but white managed to keep the advantage from A till X. At one point the position dropped from a 7.0 to a draw. 

 

Look at any King and pawn endgames where one side snags a draw or win; often times the evaluation erratically jumps from plus or minus 50 to either 0 (an equal position) or 50 the other way (one side completely winning to completely losing)! With these delicate endings, something as simple as King opposition or pushing the correct pawn can be the difference among any of the three potential game results.

 

Well put. I'm going to play a live game now with those  words in mind. I'll post the results... perhaps.

K_Brown

34.gxf5 and you are absolutely winning. It's a knight for a pawn unless I'm missing something. 

 

I think that, like me in a lot of my games, you got overconfident.