Blunder Avoidance

Yesterday evening, I went to our local chess club and entered the first tournament of the new year: a three-round quad. In last night's first round, I played against Peter T. and won. I was pleased with my play, mainly because I didn't commit any fatal blunders, as so often I do. I played carefully and got an advantage in the middle game when I was able to pounce on a mistake by Peter that allowed me to skewer his Queen and Rook with my Bishop. I held firm after that and was able to carry that advantage to the end for the point.

In fact, last night's game was the first time in which I tried a new technique to help avoid blunders on my part. Here's how it came about:

A couple of months ago, I was playing a lunch hour game of chess with Afsar, a friend at work. I had a slight advantage and should have been able to win the game. But then I made a bozo move allowing his Bishop to skewer my Rook and King. I should have seen it, but didn't.

This problem happens too frequently with me. And nothing is more frustrating! Manners required that I confine myself to a polite but wan smile as I toppled my King and offered Afsar a congratulatory handshake. But inside of me, there was weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth!

After that game, I went back to my office and vowed that I was going to find some way of reducing my blunders. I googled online for phrases like "avoiding blunders" and "blunder avoidance" and the like. (The results from searches like those will keep you busy for quite awhile.) A lot of the search results were someone trying to sell me a book, to which normally I'm quite open. However, what I was looking for was a habit, or a routine, or a way of thinking that would keep me from making those damnable blunders.

And finally, I came across some notes from a player who was trying to accomplish the same thing as me. His solution was this:

Once you have analyzed the position and decided on your best move, then reach over to the scoresheet and mark a dot down for your move. In your mind, say: "That dot is my move, and now the chessboard reflects that move." Make the move in your mind; see it on the board. Then put yourself in your opponent's position. What will he do? What are his immediate options? What pieces can he take? What checks can he make? What, if anything, have you missed?

If, after this mental exercise, you still like your move, then make it on the board and write it down on the scoresheet next to the dot.

I really liked this idea. It was simple, but I could see how it performed a lot of useful things.

First, by its very nature, it would slow down my play and keep me from rushing into moves. Rushed moves from the excitement of immediate ideas often seem to be my downfall.

Second, it solves the problem arising from the USCF's recent rule change requiring that the move be made before being recorded on the scoresheet. In the past, many people have been taught to write the move down before making it. Those players will have to change their routine. This "dot" routine is a safe substitution.

Third and, I think, most important, by using the "dot" as the mental equivalent of the move upon which I have decided, I can concentrate on what are the immediate replies my opponent can make. After making the dot, I shouldn't be thinking about what this move does for me two or three moves down the line, but what immediate replies are available to my opponent. There's where the blunders should be caught!

Anyway, last night's game against Peter was the first time I tried this routine. I truly believe it helped.