Overconfidence problems, attack and counterattack

Chess improvement is enjoyable, eerily too enjoyable too me. At best chess is enriching and challenging, at its worst I am no more no less than a kid who goes home from school and plays video games all day. The paradox I can't get find a solution to is this: for the amount of time I've spent at chess I'm rather good, but objectively speaking I have nothing near thea bility of a professional and very likely never will.

When I loose a game I can feel grumpy, stupid, and have a sort of mental pain, when I win a game there is a feeling of real strength. That feeling is nice. My win/loss ratio is about 50/50 ... at this level of chess I'm playing at (1400-1500) victory is often determined either by exploiting blunders or whoever goes into the match with more energy and motivation to win - couldn't that be said for chess at any level though?

My games get better, at least the games when I'm in a sharp mental state. My strategy for chess improvement is tactical improvement, which means looking at tactical puzzles and solving them. Solving the same problem in 30 seconds compared to 90 seconds is a huge improvement, I think ... speed of calculation matters. I play games at 15, 20, or 30 minutes for each side ... and the 30 minute games I definitely have the freedom to play better moves. How can I put it for the possible readers of this chess blog that are much better than me? A 10 minute game must be what a 1 minute game is to expert class or strong tournament player. The fast games are fun but consumptive and probably don't do much to improve chess ability. Feels like I improve most when I have a lengthy time to think, when I make my move with a certainty that it is a good decision, solid reasons behind the moves.

Here is a game I played on chesscube, 30 minutes each, my rating 1417, my opponents 1469 ... well matched opponnents. Purpose here is not so much to show off or boast but to provide an interesting inside to readers how my mind works at chess at this level of ability. I am white, opponent black.


1. d4 d5

At this level of play kings pawn openings are far more common. Advantage of queens pawn openings is that opponents are less comfortable with them. All else being equal I do feel like I play better chess accumulating positional advantages than making an aggressive attack - but I have started to play kings gambit!


2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3

Queens gambit accepted, rather comfortable with this oppening though I like to play QGD much more.


b5

A bad move. I've exploited the error succesfully in several games before and gain confidence I can make a winning position from his mistake.

4. a4 b4 5. e4 e6 6. Bxc4

Is there a better move than to take the pawn back immediately? Qc2 or Nd2 perhaps? Feeling crude, but perhaps playing correctly (?) I take the pawn back and breathe a sigh of relief having (at least) equalized correctly.


6. ... a5 7. O-O Nf6 8. Bg5

Very confident in the position at this point. Opponent is behind in development and I think of attacking the pinned Knight.

8. ... h6

Decision time. 9. Bxf6 Qxf6 10 e5 leaves me with iniative and control of the center. This would have been better than the decision I made to retreat the bishop. If opponent attacks bishop with g5 then the king has no pawn safety if it castles on either side ... and if he doesn't advance to attack bishop the pin is maintained and I can attack the pinned piece with e5. ... Typical mistake I made here that must occur at all levels, instead of moving based on a concrete calculation I make decisions or more abstract judgement.



9. Bh4 g5 10. Bg3 Nxe4

Ouch. That nf6 attacked the e4 pawn never came to my mind! Regular mistake, not taking time to think of opponents plans. Down a center pawn now I begin fearing I have just lost the game. Stronger player than I would have understood in a flash that the knight attacked the e pawn.


11. Be5 f6 12. Qc2

Feeling desparate in the following moves, I try to create a difficult position. A good plan I believe, if in a losing position try to create a difficult position where opponent has more reasonable chance of making mistake.

12 ... Nxf2


My opponenent perhaps afflicted with the most human overconfidence captures pawn, and probably expects I'll capture back, then he'll take my bishop and come out ahead in material ... but checking queen allows gain of tempo and attack

13. Qg6+ Kd7

14. Qf7+ Better would have been Bf6 attacking the queen, Ne5+


Kc6 15. Bb5+ Kb7 16. Rc1? fxe5

Adding a new attacker, but allowing opponent to remove another, much better would have been to attack queen with Bf7


17. Nxe5 Qe7

Probably seeing no concrete continuation black hopes to exchange queens - the general principle being attacks on the king usually fail without the queen


18. Qf3+ c6

Which is best to continue attack? Also possible to be satisfied with gain in material by taking the Knight or winning the exchange, but dissolving attack and back to "normal" play with difficulty activating queenside rook.

19. Bxc6+ Nxc6 20. Qxc6+ Ka7 21. Ng6 ?

Perhaps overconfident and relaxed I satisfy myself winning a questionable exchange - giving my opponent huge counterattack. Hasn't my opponent been thinking all this time about a counterattack if he had the chance? Much better would have been Qb5 and Nc6 continuing the attack and leading to material gain.


Qf6 22. Nxh8 Qxd4 23. Qc7+ Bb7 24. Qc2?

Computer analyses shows this gives opponent forced mate. Was blind to the simple check and capture on a5

Nd3+ 25. Kh1 Nxc1 26. Qxc1 Qxh8


With Black ahead in material, unable to activate the rook and back rank problem I am accepting that I am going to loose this game. Checking merely hoping something might come up.

27. Qe3+ Kb8 28. Ra2 Opponenet has no easy victory from the position


Bd5 29. Qb6+ Kc8 30. b3 Rb8?

Again, overconfidence probably explains move like this, blind to how it enables me to activate my rook.


31. Rc2+ I have a forced mate suddenly

Kd7 32. Rc7+ Kd8 33. Qxb8# 1-0

1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 b5 4. a4 b4 5. e4 e6 6. Bxc4 a5 7. O-O Nf6 8. Bg5 h6 9. Bh4 g5 10. Bg3 Nxe4 11. Be5 f6 12. Qc2 Nxf2 13. Qg6+ Kd7 14. Qf7+ Kc6 15. Bb5+ Kb7 16. Rc1 fxe5 17. Nxe5 Qe7 18. Qf3+ c6 19. Bxc6+ Nxc6 20. Qxc6+ Ka7 21. Ng6 Qf6 22. Nxh8 Qxd4 23. Qc7+ Bb7 24. Qc2 Nd3+ 25. Kh1 Nxc1 26. Qxc1 Qxh8
27. Qe3+ Kb8 28. Ra2 Bd5 29. Qb6+ Kc8 30. b3 Rb8 31. Rc2+ Kd7 32. Rc7+ Kd8 33. Qxb8# 1-0