What do you get when you mix blunders and the ThunderCats? BlunderCats!
(In part inspired by the Blunderstanding post from BDK and by the old/new ThunderCats series)
Symptom: Player makes his/her move and as the fingers leave the piece, he/she immediately sees the crushing move their opponent can make.
Remedy: Sit on your hands before making your move. Sometimes literally. (The technical term is "falsifying" your move.)
Symptom: Player makes rapid-fire moves confidently, hoping to cheat their opponent into trusting they are all correct.
Remedy: If you're their opponent, don't let them cheat you into believing they're right, calculate and make your moves normally. If you're the one being Cheat-ara, maybe it is in fact the best way to try to swindle someone.
Symptom: Takes all material possible, especially pawns. What could be better? And what could be wrong about it?
Remedy: The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal.
Symptom: Underperforming. Don't have that competitive fire I need.
Remedy: Chess for Tigers by Simon Webb
Symptom: Your toughest opponents are half your size and/or a third of your age. Dag-nab-it!
Remedy: How to Beat Younger Players by GM Nigel Davies. (My two cents: if you have tried-and-true openings, play them and also aim for middlegame and endgame structures that you're experienced with.)
Symptom: There's absolutely no way I can take this guy. Nooo wayyyy.
Remedy: Don't Panic. Higher ratings aren't everything. Enjoy the thrill of getting in the ring with the Big Bad. Play your best game - you might even win.
Haha! Very good. I used to watch this show when I was a kid. I wasn't sure if anyone had even watched it besides my wife and I. I haven't seen it anywhere! Honestly, I think I could be several of these characters at different times,dpending on how I am feeling on any given day.
ReplyDeleteThis is brilliant chess admin! Very funny but also thoughtful. Blundercats reminds me that, years ago, my colleagues and i at university coined the term "sacriblunder" which referred to a terrible move that turned out have some unwitting benefits that were not at first apparent. Thunder cats ho!
ReplyDeleteAh yes, the ever popular unintentional sacrifice...it's not a blunder if you end up winning!
ReplyDelete