-Tee greasly
I played the white pieces here in MGC tournament in 2019
Ahead of Friday's Hive chess event, I want to take a look at some of my tournament games and explain the importance of decision making in chess. How one move can determine the outcome of a game.
I've been playing chess for a long time now and during my chess career, I've faced a lot of tough opponents and many games came down to my decision to either attack or defend.
Temptation To Attack
In chess, I have this feeling almost everytime and sometimes it can be very tempting to attack or start a game with the attacking mindset. However,the temptation can lead to a wrong attack. It is very easy to fall into positions where without the right attacking plan, the position crumbles.
Most times, you can decide to go into a game with the attacking mindset. Let's take a look at a game of mine that I went with that mindset.
Richard Vs Myself
I play terrible against 1.d4 if I try to play solid. So going into this game, I wanted to attack or complicate the position as quickly as possible. So after 1.d4 d5 2.c4, I went for 2.c5!... what this does is open the game giving black a little chance to find counter play and develop as quickly as possible. My opponent exchanged in such a way that he left me with the typical isolate pawn in the center. After few moves we get to this position below.
Black just played 10.Bc5 and white had only one move to save his already difficult position. Instead, he played the move 11.Nxc6?? Which looks like only move but loses instantly. After 11.Bxc6 and 12.Qf4. Tye move 12. d4! Wins instantly for black. White resigns.
This game could have lasted longer if I responded to 1.d4 with my traditional 1.Nf6 or if I played the quiet Queens gambit decline. My decision to attack and open the position paid off.
The Fear of Defending
On the flip side, many players hate to defend. It's probably how the brain is wired to feel it's wrong to allow your opponent control the initiative. I tell my students that it is okay to panic, but don't be afraid to defend! I tell them about the Grandmaster Sergey Karjakin The minister of defense. How he became popular with him being known as a great defender.
In another tournament, I found myself in a cramp position against a really strong opponent. I told myself worse case scenario, I'd lose but I didn't stop defending. The game ended in a draw after hours of play. I didn't win the game but I stopped panicking when my positions are bad. I just try to find defensive moves.
Conclusion
Deciding when to attack or defend can be tricky and is the hardest part of chess. Over the years, I've gone with my instincts and sometimes the knowledge of my opponents. For example in Hive chess, there are certain openings I avoid against certain players. Also when in beserk mode, there are people I avoid making sacrifices against. These decisions help me and sometimes cost me. Above all, chess is all about making them.
I am @samostically,I love to talk and write about chess because i benefited alot from playing chess and I love writing about chess.
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Excellent!
How could I play in the tournaments you guys run through #hive?
Follow @stayoutoftherz. He hosts the event and puts a reminder every week. We play on lichess.org. are you familiar with lichess?
Thanks!
Yes, my username on lichess.org is Roswel
How can I see the event hosts?
Check @stayoutoftherz posts. Comment your username. He'd tag you for the reminder posts so you don't miss any
Thanks!