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November 29, 2005
Why We Lose at Chess
Just last week, at the local Starbucks here in New Haven, I was on a roll at "high-transit" chess. I was thinking maybe either my opponents were tired, had a little too much turkey, or I had simply gotten lucky. If you lose a game you have to give up your seat to the next player in line, and at one point my butt was feeling numb.
Until....John showed up -- a superb blitz player who exhibits a rare and almost villainous fighting spirit. In our game he managed to loosen the positional knots in a dubious bishop sacrifice for my two pawns. I kept calm, fully concentrated in my defense, and not being bothered by the kibitzers who were rooting for me to beat John. He was starting to breathe a little hard -- while my heart was beating fast. I maintained the advantage and I could see his nostrils flaring in disgust over his uncomfortable position, and beginning to hate my guts. We entered the endgame and it was completely hopeless: down in material and :15 seconds left to my 1:20 on the clock.
For reasons uncertain to myself I begain to feel too self-assured, and -- bang! -- just like that -- my position suddently collapsed. Forget about my winning advantage in both time and material, the board was turned, and there was no turning back to undoing my brazen mistake.
So, how did I lose the game? Simple: I lost concentration, or I decided that the game was in my pocket or that there was no sense in thinking any longer. And what was most bizarre was that John at this point had somehow managed to bring my king in great peril so that checkmate was inevitable. Forget about a cheapo win on time! It was such a blow to my ego, a shameful exhibit, a textbook display of why we lose at chess.
Dr. Siegbert Tarrasch, a prominent German player from the 19th century, once remarked: "When you have your opponent by the ropes, don't loosen the knots until the very end, when it's checkmate by hanging!"
The 5th world chess champion, Max Euwe, puts my dilemma in perfect context: "Never lose concentration when you are playing a game. One quick, thoughtless move can turn a brilliantly played game into a disaster."
Yes, master. I'll keep that in mind next time.
Posted by rene on November 29, 2005 10:23 AM
Comments
If concentration if so vital to the success of the chess game that could we create a chess game booster that would gurantee a winning game?
Is it possible to create a potion for an intensified chess performance? We can call it the "Checkmate Potion" and the ingridients would be:
Donepzil (used by flight pilots, which increases concentration and alertness)
Modafinil (increase motor control-gotta develop your pieces, and vigilance)
Dilantin (usually used for epileptic patients, but in this case will use it for clarity and calmness) Serenity now!
Some rosemary oil to boost the alerteness
And a touch ! of Propranolol to reduce the traumatic memories of previous losses and bollixed moves, hence avoiding anxiety and blows into one's ego.
Of course Ritalin or even Adderall wouldn't hurt either (usually used in ADD and ADHD patients) enhances your focus and attention.
Now, it is going to be important to have just the right proportion in order to avoid the detrimental side effects, since there has been established a correlation between cognition and mood.
Can drugs replace openings and endgame analysis, and middlegame tactics? Could this be the Brave New World of chess?
What if Fischer has discovered these drugs in 1972 and has been taking them ever since?
What would happen if Susuan Polgar, for instance, had a child with Kasparov? And what if it continued through the generations, would you create a nation of brilliant chess players?
Posted by: YEA at November 30, 2005 11:43 AM
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