So why did that happen? You may have noticed that all of the previous games in this tournament ended in draws for me - some rightly so, others due to my squandering or simply not pursuing an existing advantage. I was determined not to have a draw in the last round, which while understandable was simply the wrong mental attitude to adopt going into the game. One cannot just impose one's will on the chessboard. Your opponent always gets a vote and focusing on your desired outcome (a win) simply wastes mental energy and distracts you from what the goal should be, which is to play well and thoughtfully in every position. Point taken.
27 September 2017
Annotated Game #180: At least it wasn't a draw (?)
This last-round tournament game is a thankfully rare example of how poor attitude can lead directly to an otherwise undeserved loss. I get a small advantage out of the English Opening versus a King's Indian Defense setup, getting two open files on the queenside that my pieces should have done more with. Instead, I miss a great tactic on the long diagonal on moves 19 and 20, then play too passively in response to an unexpected central pawn advance. This leads almost immediately to unwarranted panic on my part, due to lazy (or nonexistent) calcuation, and a rapid implosion. The turnaround is sharp and totally psychological.
So why did that happen? You may have noticed that all of the previous games in this tournament ended in draws for me - some rightly so, others due to my squandering or simply not pursuing an existing advantage. I was determined not to have a draw in the last round, which while understandable was simply the wrong mental attitude to adopt going into the game. One cannot just impose one's will on the chessboard. Your opponent always gets a vote and focusing on your desired outcome (a win) simply wastes mental energy and distracts you from what the goal should be, which is to play well and thoughtfully in every position. Point taken.
So why did that happen? You may have noticed that all of the previous games in this tournament ended in draws for me - some rightly so, others due to my squandering or simply not pursuing an existing advantage. I was determined not to have a draw in the last round, which while understandable was simply the wrong mental attitude to adopt going into the game. One cannot just impose one's will on the chessboard. Your opponent always gets a vote and focusing on your desired outcome (a win) simply wastes mental energy and distracts you from what the goal should be, which is to play well and thoughtfully in every position. Point taken.
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