Tag Archives: chess blunders

Chess Trivia: To err is human even if both are GMs!

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Are you still smarting from the blunder that made you lose your game against another amateur in your chess club? You would surely wish that you got to play against Nimzovitch or Rubinstein, two of the stalwart Grandmasters in the field of chess, as you might fare better if the following position is any indication!

more missed opportunities

Both the players made moves before and after this position was reached, oblivious of the fact that a mate in two existed (1. Qxf7+ Kh8 2. Qxg7#)!

The occurrence of these blunders is all the more startling in view of the fact that the players were competing for the first position in a tournament and this game would decide the winner!

Chess tactics: Some days are really not yours!

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In a previous article on chess tactics, you saw how a GM (Tartakover) transferred his vision to reality by adopting sacrificial tactics. In the game below, see how the same GM displayed a surprising lack of vision to succumb to the brilliance of another GM (Reti) in only 11 moves!

Here is how it happened.

1. e4 c6
2. d4 d5
3. Nc3 dxe4
4. Nxe4 Nf6
5. Qd3 e5
6. dxe5 Qa5+
7. Bd2 Qxe5
8. 0-0-0 Nxe4

Position after Black’s move 8

mysterious oversight

Even as a beginner, you would surely try to guess White’s motives behind his castling, even surrendering his Knight when he could easily provide additional support for it (the Knight of course could not move as it was pinned). Black on his part must have seen that White Rook could pin his Queen on the next move, but he might have banked on 8. … Be7 to take care of it. Was it a false sense of security or was the
temptation of gobbling a Knight too irresistible?

9. Qd8+ Kxd8
10. Bg5+ Kc7
11. Bd8#

 

Chess Trivia: To err is human even if he is a GM!

Filed under Beginner Chess Tips, Chess lessons, Chess Strategy, Chess Tutorials, General Chess
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Even when you lose a game due to some blunders on your part, do not lose your heart because you may take consolation from the fact that there are Grandmasters and World Champions to give you company!

missed opportunity

In the above position, Alekhine (I am sure you now know about him!) as Black played Qxf4, without realizing that White could now play Nh5+ with a Knight fork to capture the Black Queen! But White, a relatively unknown player, also missed this golden opportunity thrown his way which would have won him the game then and there! Instead, he replied with Nxe4! This game earned its place in chess history not because White ultimately prevailed against Alekhine but because of the absolutely incredible double blunders!