If the lethal eyes of a grandmaster are not immune to such tactical oversights, how can we, the aspiring professionals, club players and beginners of the game, stay away from such mistakes?

This blog post highlights three psychological phenomenons to watch out for!

Aronian isn’t alone here. The scythe of the grim reaper hasn’t forgotten other elite players.  Here’s a famous example.

And another one…

1. Decision Fatigue:

A grandmaster playing a typical tournament makes a variety of decisions each day. Right from what to eat for breakfast to the more complex move-by-move decisions at the chessboard. Decision fatigue refers to the deteriorating quality of decisions due to weariness after a long and continuous session of making decisions.

Famous personalities like Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs, and Barack Obama are said to limit the number of decisions they make each day to escape Decision Fatigue. One famous example is Zuckerberg and his grey t-shirt.

2. Inattentional blindness & Tunnel Vision

I like this famous test by Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris.
All you have to do is count how many times the players in white pass the ball.

Ready? (Check the video below)

Did you get the answer right? Here are two scenarios (below) where Inattentional blindness & Tunnel Vision play a sneaky role in toppling strong players.

Failure to notice an unexpected object right in front of your eyes. Petrosian played Ng5 here and lost his queen (Against Bronstein).

Constricted peripheral vision when you focus too much on something. Kramnik played Qe3 and fell into a mate in #1 elsewhere on the board.

3. The Einstellung effect:

Another unforgiving phenomenon that affects chess players, even grandmasters is The Einstellung Effect.

“Einstellung” is a German word meaning “setting”, meaning your mind is fixated on a known pattern. The Einstellung effect can also trick a doctor into misdiagnosing a disease by inducing cognitive bias towards a particular ‘known’ pattern.

Here is an example. White to play and checkmate the black king in both the positions below. The pattern is also highlighted. But one of them is designed to trick your mind.

Einstellung Effect in a real game: Carlsen Vs Topalov, Linares, 2007.

Topalov resigned here. An Einstellung Effect?

Black could have played Qd5+ but after f3 Qd2 Kh3, there are no more checks and hence he resigned here. White’s idea of sneaking into black’s position with Ng5 – Qh7 – Qh8 is a common trick except there’s usually a pawn on g7 instead of a knight.

What did Topalov miss here? Can you spot the hidden resource?

Many of the games have been hard fought, with at least one big surprise: the resignation of Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria, No. 1 in the world, to Carlsen in Round 5 in a position that could have been a draw. Topalov overlooked a simple resource that Carlsen was kind enough, or perhaps cruel enough, to point out immediately afterward. In the final position, Topalov should have played 64 … Qd5, when 65 f3 e5 66 Qh7 Kf8 67 Qh8 Qg8 68 Nh7 Kf7 69 Ng5 Kf8 is a draw because of perpetual check.

~ The New York Times 

Awareness & Practice:
An awareness of our own state of mind (during the game) and alertness to possibilities of psychological errors is the first step to ensure that such tragedy does not befall us.

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Before you can learn to think, you have to learn to see.

And it’s not enough to see, one must observe!

Observation:

One of the most important tools when it comes to effective problem solving is Observation. Paying attention to tiny tactical fragments inside a position helps us paint the bigger picture. The problem solving mind requires data to churn and come up with suggestions which you can use. It’s just like the different pieces of a jig saw puzzle. The more pieces you are able to recognize, the quicker you’ll be able to put everything together.

“I can protect the f4 pawn with the natural looking Qf6. But what will happen if I let white capture the pawn?”

“oh, look a pin! King on c1, Knight on f4 and my queen on g5”

” But he seems to have Qd2. Doesn’t seem to work”

A momentary observation can change the whole course of a game. Every little detail you notice, like a detective at the board, is a clue, a data for your imaginative mind.

Here’s another example, where a punch from your intuition can be a good thing.

I (white) was consider castling on the king side and e6 (!?) in this position. But a little deeper observation pointed out a few facts…

The pawn on d5 is a critical point ( number of defenders = number of attackers) after exchanging on c5 and giving a bishop check on b5. This observation was a turning point. Instead of having to fight a long three or four hours game, a simple observation helped me finish my game in an hour and grab a hot cup of cappuccino in a nearby Cafe.

And answer? I’ll leave it to the reader to figure it out! I’ll be eagerly checking the comment section for your answers

Happy solving

It is wrong to use a hammer for a job that requires a wrench. It is the same with problems, from the ones we face in our hardbound puzzle books to the business or financial ones we solve from our cubicles. There are different problem-solving techniques, tools, and methods to solve them effectively and efficiently.  In the second blog of our series Getting Better at Problem Solving, we will explore a fun and useful technique called “Backward Thinking.”

Now put your thinking caps on. Let’s get started!

Starting with the end goal in mind:

Let us begin with this simple mate in two position. It is a slightly modified version of a famous position composed by the American Chess composer Sam Loyd.

The traditional method of finding candidate moves is going to be difficult because of the sheer number of possible candidate moves as the Rook and Queen are on the open board. This calls for a different approach to problem-solving – Backward Thinking. It involves finding possible goals (Mating Patterns as in this case) and working backward to reach a solution. Simple.

1. Set your Goals: The first step in the process is to let your mind wander in a creative search for possible mating patterns.

[Hint: If it’s a mate in two, black has a one-move king radius. That is, you have to extend your search for mating patterns to include the adjacent squares next to the King. Also, if the position is a three mover, the king has two possible moves, and therefore a large search area]

After a little exploration, we stumble across the following positions.

1. With King on b3

2. With King on b5

3. With King on d5

2. Think backward: Figure out if the mating patterns can be achieved within the stipulated rules of the puzzle (Mate in two, three, etc).

3. Does it work out? a. YES! If it’s possible to find a variation leading to the mating pattern, voila, you’ve found your answer. b. IF NOT, REPEAT the process with the next patterns or other candidate moves for a specific mating pattern.

Answer below:

Here’s a slightly complex position to understand all the dynamics of the thinking process in motion.

Possible Mating Patterns:

	Possible candidate moves:  Bf4 or Bh6, Qb2 or a2,	If I play Bf4 or Bh6 in the hope of black playing Bf2, then g6-g5 can be played. If I play Qb2 or Qa2, black will play Kd1.
	Three possible candidate moves to achieve this pattern: Qb3, Qc3, Qc5.	1. Qc3 Kd1  1. Qb3 Bf2  1. Qc5 Kd1
	Impossible pattern.	1. Qf5 is not possible because of the g6 pawn
	Related patterns: Queen on c4, b5 or a6. Candidate moves: Queen along the c-file. Qb1 Qb2, Qa2	Works only for Qb1  Other moves: It does not work because Kd1 is possible.
	Impossible to bring this position within the given position rules (mate in 2)
	Only possible candidate move: Qb1	Works!
	Possible candidate moves: Via Qb1 Qc4, Qa4, Qc6	Qc4, Qc6 gives way for Kd1  Qa4 Kd3  Works via Qb1

After all this analysis, it is now clear what the solution is! With conscious practice, it becomes easier to imagine different mating patterns and speed up our process of thinking.

Here are a few more tricky mate in two positions to practice your problem-solving skills. Remember to follow the procedure outlined above.

Puzzle 1:

All the positions above were taken from the book 222 problemas con solución, a collection of fantastic puzzles. It’s a Spanish book, but it also speaks the universal Chess notation language which would help us understand who is to play, what needs to be done and the solution. A sample can be viewed by clicking the image below.

Another interesting puzzle collection is the single piece finale collection The King Saves the Day, The Queen Saves the Day, One Bishop Saves the Day, One Knight Saves the day, One Rook Saves the Day, One Pawn Saves the Day and Bishop & Knight Saves the Day by Elk and Ruby Publishing.

Bonus video: Working Backwards to Solving Problems – A TED Talk by GM Maurice Ashley

Challenge:

The following position is taken from the book The Chess Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes by Raymond Smullyan. It’s called a Retrograde puzzle. Your challenge is to figure out how this position arose in the game. It is white’s turn in the below position. Clearly Ka8 was the last move but the problem is how did white get such a position?

I had a memorable evening alone with Holmes, during which I learned more about retro-analysis than perhaps on any other occasion. “Here, let me set up a little exercise to illustrate the more normal type of situation,” he said.“I call this an ‘exercise’, Watson, since it is really too simple to dignify by the word ‘problem’. As you see neither side is mated — nor even in check. The question now is this: Given that Black moved last, what was his last move, and White’s last move?”

Thank you all for reading! Share your thoughts and answers in the comment section below. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Best,

Arun from Forward Chess Team.

In this little piece of writing, you will find a reason to postpone such reactions and punishments just long enough to find what we call a swindle, or a counter-tactics or counterplay, in what seems like a terribly lost position.

Swindle is the art of finding resources that while objectively insufficient, may work due to opponent’s human errors ( like Overconfidence, Impatience, fear etc.)

We begin with a simple question – DO you have what it takes to swindle?

The advantage of playing with humans is knowing there’s always a chance, a human error, the susceptibility to making mistakes, of an oversight, or a blind spot saving your computer screen from that fatal blow. But it takes a few extra ingredients to make use of those mistakes when they do show up – The courage to persist even in a dire position, the sharp intuition of a tactical ninja, and the cunning nature of a fox to trick your opponents!

Below are a few positions to test your capacity to become a swindler.

Position #1 Black just played Rd2 and it looks like white will either lose his queen or get checkmated. If you take a minute to examine the position one more time, you’ll realize a hidden resource at white’s disposal.

Position #2 It looks like white can lose in a million ways, but there’s a hidden draw like a bolt from the blue! (This position was inspired by a game from one of our weekend blitz tournaments).

Here’s the actual unedited version of the combination from the actual game: (Thanks Flamingo!)

Position #3: Time to out-smart your smart opponent!

Position #4

White is losing, there’s no doubt about it. It’s only a matter of time before he pauses the clock and extends his hand to announce resignation. Most of us would have seen the inevitable and given up to save us from the shame of having everyone watch us suffer through this.

But in this position, white comes up with a bit of creativity and finishes the game in style!

A fun explanation below

Position #5: Tal played white in the below position. It was his birthday and he was playing in a blitz event at the Leipzig Olympiad 1960 when this interesting gem was played against him.

The concept of “Swindle” and the last two positions are from the book The Complete Chess Swindler by GM David Smerdon (published by New in Chess). Check out this link for purchase or to read the book sample.

We hope you enjoyed reading this blog

So, you think the first Rook move that pops into your mind is winning? No? Did you find the pin that pins the pin? Well done! But if you look closely, you’ll figure out there’s another pin in this position.

In chess one move denotes one white move and one black move, which means that in the above position, your evaluation of the position changes like a pendulum every half move!

Got it?

In practical play, it makes a lot of difference, even in higher levels of professional chess. In the 2006 Chess Olympiad at Turin, Italy, the following position appeared between India’s GM Adhiban and Netherland’s Erwin L’Ami. After a bit of thinking Erwin player Rd1. Now, what do you think is the problem with this move? How will you continue?

[Take a few minutes to calculate this position. Black to play.
Spoiler below! ]

I drew what chess players call an analysis tree for the variation. If you look closely, you’ll notice that Erwin’s hasty calculation missed out on the move highlighted in blue. After realizing his mistake, he played Bf3 (move highlighted in green).

In the 2016 World Candidates chess tournament, the same error in judgment occurred in the game Nakamura Vs Karjakin. Black (Nakamura) had a comfortable but slightly complicated position (below). He decided to sacrifice his knight on g3 and win material after several moves. It’s an error that eventually helped Karjakin win the tournament and become the World Championship challenger. If Nakamura had managed to win this game, it would have been a three-way tie between Karjakin, Caruana & Anand at the end of the tournament.

Will you play Nxg3? Serious players can take a few minutes to calculate this position before scrolling below.

[Spoiler below! Watch out]

Nakamura calculated a five-move variation and figured that taking on g3 could be worth the risk, but Karjakin calculated a little deeper, say half-a-move more than Nakamura, and refuted the sacrifice!

The lesson that we should be taking from this blog post is this… Never miss out on your opponent’s ideas. Try to calculate half-a-move ahead of your opponent! And it makes all the difference 

Here’s a great book to get you started on the concept of finding your opponent’s idea:

Recognizing Your Opponent’s Resources: Developing Preventive Thinking by Mark Dvoretsky (Published by Russell Enterprises). For Purchase & Free book sample, click the link below.

We hope you enjoyed reading this blog!

See you next time,

Arun, from Forward Chess team.

How did you figure out what went wrong? It was easy for me to find this out the last time I made such a mistake, even my neighbor knew it and my pet cat. Good that no one called the Fire department.

You don’t need any contemplative thinking to figure out the obvious, but many times, what happens in our games remain a mystery and stays hidden forever.

Take this position for example:

I find that all chess games have some stories to tell. But are we trying to listen to them?

Well,., if you want to dig a hole, you’ll need a shovel. Similarly, analysis is a tool, just like how a shovel helps you dig a hole in the ground, the process of analysis can help you dig deeper into your games and find out the story there is to be found.

What am I trying to say? Am I suggesting we all hit that shiny “Analyze” button after every game?

No, not so soon! And there’s a reason why I’m saying this. You’ll also come to the same conclusion as you continue reading this blog.

The by-products of analysis:

Well, it’s obvious what the first benefit is – You get to learn about your mistakes; What I call “Self-awareness” about your decision-making process. This is something only analysis can teach you.

If you’re going to dig a hole in the ground, you not only get a hole in the ground, but also a truckload of sand, dust, and whatnot, then you get water out of nowhere, some lucky peeps get random treasures. But we didn’t start digging for those, we only wanted a hole to start the construction of our house, right?

Similarly, The second interesting “by-product” of analysis is the development of your capacity for logical, structural thinking, or I could simply say “Your calculation skills”

Here’s an example:

My opponent played a3 and missed the opportunity. You’ll find the full game below. Try this out as a simple analysis training task and see if you can find the two turning points – 1. The initial position, where there’s another move which could have changed the fate of the game. 2. Missed draws by my opponent.  (I’ll wait till you find the answers. You can always post in the comment section below )

Now, how was the experience? Did it feel like unearthing a treasure?

Tell me, who plays your tournament games, is it you or your computer? I’m sure most of us will answer “Me, of course, what does this guy want?”. The problem is when we run computer analysis to find mistakes, we miss these amazing “treasure hunting” opportunities, the feeling of discovering something new by researching deep into your own games. And we also miss out on the learning that this process has to offer if we hit the shiny “Analyze” button.

It’s not to say that computer analysis is useless, but we need to learn to use it as a tool to help us and amplify our learning efforts. What I would suggest is to use computer analysis after performing your own analysis of your games. That way, you will also understand the level of accuracy your calculation has.

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Happy analyzing your games! We hope you found this blog useful. Do share it with your friends if you like it.

At Forward Chess, we are committed to providing the best learning experience through our interactive e-books from the best chess publishers out there. There’s a little trick on our website which I don’t think many know. You can see all the books from our library sorted by the most sold over the years. This helps you narrow down your next fantastic tool to sharpen your calculation! Happy hunting.

Instructions in the screenshot below, or I copied the link to that page, which you can find by clicking on this icon.

Breaking down the Chess combination soup! 

Take a minute to think about the position below. What do you notice? Are you able to spot the tactical ideas that are hidden inside the position?

There are three tactical ideas hiding in the combination above – A Pin, a deflection and a double attack,

A Pin is when a piece cannot move away without exposing a more valuable piece to an attack. In the given example, based on the alignment of pieces, it is possible to imagine a pin in the following way.

 Double Attack: A double attack is said to happen when an enemy pieces attack two targets or create two threats at the same time.

Deflection: Forcing an enemy piece to leave its defending position thereby leaving a target vulnerable.

Answer:

Before we jump into more action, let’s review one more tactical idea – The Decoy.

Decoy: Let’s quickly grab one more veggie for our soup – the decoy! Decoy originally means the toy duck (Or pigeons) used by hunters to attract other ducks.

[Notice what’s wrong with this duck?]

In Chess terms, it denotes the sacrifice of some piece or pawn in order to bring a piece of larger value (King or Queen) into a trap (Checkmate or Loss of material).

Here’s a quick example:

Exercises: It’s your turn now! Time for solving

PIN + DECOY:

DECOY + FORK (Double attack by a knight):

DECOY + DEFLECTION:

Improve Your Chess Tactics by Yakov Neishtadt  ( New In Chess) is a fantastic book to study Tactics based on the different ideas and their combinations.

Thank you for reading! If you like this blog, feel free to share your comments below or share this blog with your friends.

Until next time,

Arun, from Team Forward Chess.