Exeter Chess Club

Playing for three results

29th_June_2010: Three results

Charlie suffered a bit in the last round and wondered if he could fight harder when he was losing.  IM Douglas Bryson once said that in every game he wins there is one point where he loses control and the likely result of the game wobbles for a moment.  That should tell us that in our games there may be opportunities to strike back: we can still hope for a draw or even a win when we are losing.  This is part of a more general problem of getting the right result for you in a game.  Jonathan Rowson talks about playing for two results as opposed to three, or even one...  If you aim at a win and miss, you might draw, but if you aim for a draw and miss?

We often talk about winning a won game, or indeed losing one.  I thought about making some notes on

Winning...		...won
Drawing...	a	...drawn	...game.
Losing...		...lost

Things are rarely so identifiable: I know when I'm worse, but the transitions between worse and losing and lost may pass me by.

Let's consider:

	Winning	Drawing	Losing
Won
Better
Drawn
Worse
Lost

And putting a bit of meat on the bones, some advice, some good examples, some horrible examples, some master games, some club games:

	Winning	Drawing	Losing
Won	EG: Botvinnik - Szilagyi [A07] Botvinnik-Szilyagi EG: Regis D. - Dale H. [A18] Regis-Dale EG: Regis D. - Anderson P. [A14] Regis-Anderson Control the game Vigilance at all times Keep your eye on the ball Strike when necessary	EG: Regis D. - Knox S. [D33] Regis-Knox Faint heart Fear of losing Fear of opponent Vagueness Letting critical moment pass Lack of technique	EG: Regis D. - Walton E. [A08] Regis-Walton EG: Regis D. - Paulden T. [A40] Regis-Paulden EG: Royle J. - Marsh B. [C42] Royle-Marsh Losing control Losing concentration Losing interest Not in the moment Your opponent changes gear and you don't react properly Hope Chess
Better	EG: Botvinnik - Kann [E21] Botvinnik-Kann EG: Ditmas H. - Regis D. [C07] Ditmas-Regis EG: Brusey A. - Regis D. [C02] Brusey-Regis As above Keep up pressure Cashing in One wobble (Bryson)	EG: Regis D. - Greet A. [A08] Regis-Greet EG: Blackmore - Isaac [C48] Blackmore-Isaac EG: Morgan (As above)	EG: Regis D. - Lubrook M. [A26] Regis-Lubrook EG: Brusey A. - Regis D. [C02] Brusey-Regis As above; also: Carrying on in the hope that your better position reappears
Drawn	EG: Miles A. - Webb S. Miles-Webb EG: Regis D. - Hewson B. [A20] Regis-Hewson EG: Gurevich M. - Short N. [C01] Gurevich-Short Persistence Patience Suitable modesty Accumulation of advantages	EG: Richmond J. - Regis D. [C12] Richmond-Regis Patience/Stubbornness Don't make concessions Keep active Exchange with caution	EG: Regis D. - Jamieson I. [A00] Regis-Jamieson EG: Menchik V. - Capablanca J. [A47] Capablanca-Menchik Trying too hard to win! Trying too hard to draw! Making unnecessary concessions  Not making necessary concessions Going passive Trying to force the issue Wanting the game over Panicking
Worse	EG: Gosling B. - Regis D. [A48] Gosling-Regis EG: Pope S. - Regis D. [C02] Pope-Regis Avoid concessions Avoid exchanges Keep active Don't lose Keep going Create threats See The Swindle	EG: Regis D. - Sedgwick D. [A28] Regis-Sedgwick EG: Waley J. - Keen C. [A55] Waley-Keen Be realistic Recognise trouble Do something before it's too late Don't panic Keep going Don't lose!	EG: Waley J. - Keen C. [A55] Waley-Keen EG: Regis D. - Anderson P. [A14] Regis-Anderson Sleepwalking to the graveyard Losing interest Lashing out Lack of technique
Lost	EG: Annetts I. - Regis D. [C02] Annetts-Regis EG: Stean M. - Webb S. [D44] Stean-Webb The Swindle: You need an accident to happen to your opponent Eliminate losing options quickly Force game out of usual channels Randomising moves (chaos) Keep enough pieces on Keep enough pieces active Make threats	EG: Regis D. - Greet A. [A26] Regis-Greet EG: Waters S. - Regis D. [A85] Waters-Regis Perpetual check Bluff Sieze the carp Elimination method	EG: Brusey A. - Regis D. [C02] Brusey-Regis Let events take their course Leave flaws in your position unmended Let game proceed normally Haste Blunder in a bad position

Several of these squares complement each other (highlighted): if you are trying to win a better game, your opponent should be at least trying to avoid losing!

Let's start with Charlie's initial bleat: how to avoid losing. EG:

• Waley J. - Keen C. [A55]

Waley-Keen. 

Well, there was certainly the moment when White lost control, right at the end, and perhaps the way to find the best line for Black was the process of elimination (41...Kb5?? loses to two fairly obvious checks, so that's a hint to play 41...Kb7).

Working backwards, and with the help of Fritz, we can find some improvements for Black. 

However, I can't find a move that gives Black any counterplay.  In fact, Black's attempts at getting some play (22...f5? and 36...b5) just make things worse! 

So this was one of those unpleasant games where Black just has to avoid making the situation worse, and find small ways to make things better (22...f6 and 23...Kf7 doesn't save the game for Black, but improves the position a little).  Karpov was the master at this sort of thing, whether he was better or worse!

However, that is a pretty miserable way to play chess, so I'm going to point the finger at 8...exd4?!, making a concession for no good reason, and also 3...Be7, which rather says that Black is making things up as they go along -- which I had a lot to say about last time.