News & Updates
by guest author Greg Delaney for Wholesale Chess
Let’s state the obvious right from the beginning: losing chess games is not fun! Okay, now that we are past that, we can now move along to the real subject of this article – how to handle losses and make them work for us. I recall reading somewhere long ago a statement by a tennis coach that went something like this: “Tennis must be a great game, because half the players who play it lose – and they keep coming back.” I think our wonderful game of chess is no less “great.” Everyone who plays chess loses sometimes, but we keep playing anyway. Two important aspects of chess learning that have taken me awhile to accept (albeit grudgingly) are that losing chess games is okay, and that it can help us become stronger players.
One of the strongest roadblocks in my own path to chess progress has been the thinking error that my worth as a person rides on the result of every chess game I play. This irrational belief has led me to do the following: 1) put tremendous pressure on myself to win or, barring that, not losing, 2) play cautiously and passively – “not to lose” rather than trying to win, 3) avoid playing at times so as not to risk a loss, 4) feel so ashamed of my losses as to avoid post-mortems and replaying the games for understanding, 5) criticize myself unmercifully for errors and blunders, and, 6) fail to share losses with strong players who could point out patterns of mistakes and thinking so change could happen.
I know that I cannot be the only chess player who has done some or all of these things, so I’d like to share a few tips about losing that I’ve learned the hard way. First and foremost, there is no connection whatsoever between our level of chess strength and our value as people. This sounds self-evident, but I have witnessed numerous times tantrums and unsportsmanlike behavior from players who have lost a game. Some people have a hard time losing any competition because they tie their self-worth to winning. Secondly, all that self-criticism does is to undermine confidence, which is a vital characteristic of a good chess player.
The third one took me awhile to understand: playing passive chess and thereby forfeiting the initiative is effective – only if you wish to lose! Chess is a war game and the object is to “kill” the opponent’s king. I have learned that the opponent will gladly take the initiative if we kindly hand it over. Making threats is what chess is about, and if we don’t make them, our opponents will. My fourth idea is tied to the tennis coach’s statement above: the possibility of losing is not a reason to not play chess. Personally, I have not yet died from a loss, and I imagine no one reading this has, either.
Finally, we need to look over our games with players stronger than ourselves – not just to learn from our mistakes, but to have pointed out to us all of the errors and blunders our opponents make. It is reassuring to see that our opponents are not perfect and that we may have simply not seen and taken advantage of the mistakes they make. Moreover, Mikhail Botvinnik was insistent that objective, thorough, and critical evaluation of one’s play in each game is essential to improvement. How else to not keep making the same mistakes over and over? I have begun to let go of my shame and fear about losses by sharing them with my chess coach, IM Yelena Dembo, and listening – really listening – to her constructive feedback. By viewing our losses in these ways, we can use them for improvement, rather than feeling bad about them and ourselves.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the views of Wholesale Chess. We welcome open discussion on all aspects of chess on the Wholesale Chess Blog. If you would like to be a guest author on our blog, please contact us at marketing@wholesalechess.com.
Review by Guest Author Greg Delaney
England’s Andrew Martin, International Master and Senior FIDE Trainer, is in my mind, one of the foremost teachers of chess in the world at this time. I have watched numerous DVD’s featuring IM Martin, and have had the occasion to witness in person his edifying and entertaining presentations. Martin’s personality, presentation style, and material are engaging and always interesting. So when I saw this three volume series of DVD’s produced by ChessDVDs.com, I knew I would get Volume Two (which targets players of about my strength) and possibly Volume Three. I asked Andrew if the first volume would be of value to me, and all he would say is that there are some new ideas and new games presented. So, thus intrigued, I obtained all three.
Logic suggested that I begin with Volume 1, which I was able to watch in two sittings, as it contains a little less than two hours’ worth of material. The content of the DVD seems to be suited for someone who is beyond the basics of chess (how pieces move, how checkmate is administered, etc.), but who is still learning fundamentals of strategy, tactics, and principles. The DVD has a brief introduction by IM Martin, and then quickly moves into his ten suggestions for improvement, each presented with an illustrative game. Martin selects as examples games ranging from players at Grandmaster level to those of his students, and goes through them each in some depth, highlighting the application of his suggestion. Andrew Martin repeatedly demonstrates his ability to keep ideas simple and concrete – a necessity for the improving player.
Some of IM Martin’s “suggestions” for improvement are to be found in any chess improvement book, while others are a bit unique – but valuable nonetheless. Personally, I could have used ideas like “not being afraid to lose” and “not ignoring the endgame” while I was learning chess in my early teens. It is in the presentations of the games where Andrew really shines. While much of the material was review, I could not help but get energized and enthusiastic about playing chess while watching this DVD. Clarity, simplicity, and a smattering of humor make this DVD a good buy from the standpoint of content.
Unfortunately, the production quality of the DVD falls quite short of the standard achieved by its presenter. At the beginning one finds the familiar fire + chess pieces + orchestral music of the “Foxy” series of DVD’s, a clip that appears to have been copied numerous times. The level of audio between “suggestions” varies quite a bit, and I found myself often needing to use the “volume” control of my remote from section to section. Some of the sections begin abruptly following the end of the previous clip, as though careful editing was not done. Nearly the entire DVD is only a full-screen chess board with the audio of IM Martin playing, so if the viewer is interested in “getting acquainted” with the presenter, s/he will be disappointed.
I know that chess players can be quite fastidious and critical, so some may be unhappy with the DVD’s production problems, but if one can look beyond this and focus on what Andrew Martin is sharing, 10 Easy Ways to get Better at Chess Volume 1 is a useful and edifying bit of work.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the views of Wholesale Chess. We welcome open discussion on all aspects of chess on the Wholesale Chess Blog. If you would like to be a guest author on our blog, please contact us at marketing@wholesalechess.com.
Written by guest author Greg Delaney for Wholesale Chess.
Let’s take a closer look at the process of change and how it plays out in the improvement of a chess player. There’s an old saying about change that goes like this: “the only person who likes change is a wet baby.” Most people find uncomfortable the experience of making a change or being subjected to one. Once we have established a “routine” and have become comfortable with it, our tendency is to remain in this “normal” (for us) pattern of thinking, feeling, or behaving. This being said, it’s clear that the only way to improve at chess is to somehow change our current method of playing the game.
The first “stage” of a change process, ironically, is Read more �
Written by guest author Greg Delaney for Wholesale Chess.
It’s really not enough to simply know that a problem of any sort exists in any aspect of our lives. Awareness by itself will not solve a problem. This being said, a problem cannot be solved without it. Because of our “blind areas” as chess players, we may lack awareness of personality traits that cause our skills at chess to be less than they might otherwise be. Everyone has denial mechanisms – psychological methods by which we avoid painful thoughts and feelings – and this denial plays a role in being “unaware” of personality factors that hinder our chess development. Chess at any level is a very personal game. We place ourselves “on the line” during each game. Our knowledge, skills, stamina, intellect, and even our self-esteem are there for our opponents to see. Think about it: how many times have you made a weak move and then had your opponent look at you with a pitying smile before capturing an unprotected piece or setting up an unavoidable mate? How does that feel?
In order to preserve some dignity, we normally will find some reason “why” a mistake was made and “why” we lost the game. Read more �
Written by guest author Greg Delaney for Wholesale Chess.
The word “humility,” according to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, means “the quality or state of being humble.” It is difficult to think of another human endeavor besides parenting children that has the power to humble us as thoroughly as the game of chess. So many times I have read in popular culture quips like, “chess: easy to learn, but impossible to master.” We who play this game know how extremely difficult chess is and how it challenges our minds and our spirits beyond most anything else in life. How many times have we approached a game against our opponent with plenty of confidence, only to end up tipping our king in dismay?
By using the word “humility,” I do not mean “pathetic and abject defeat” or “lacking in self-confidence.” My use of “humility” Read more �
Written by guest author Greg Delaney for Wholesale Chess.
I would like to share some of my experiences and insights from an over-the-board chess tournament in which I participated recently. These tend to support my belief that our personality traits, both strong and weak, have profound impact on how we play the game of chess. In the following examples, some of my weaknesses of character showed up very distinctly in this event.
Reacting vs. Acting
I think I can safely and accurately describe myself as a person who tends to react to circumstances rather than as someone who initiates action. This showed itself several times in the games I played during the event. In each game I had at least equality out of the opening, but in two of the three failed to utilize the positive aspects of my position on the chess board by making a clear plan and acting upon it. The result in both cases was predictable: I forfeited the initiative to Read more �
Written by guest author Greg Delaney for Wholesale Chess.
One thing I have come to learn about chess is that every game, first and foremost, provides each player a series of problems to solve. In the broadest sense, every single position during a game is a problem solving opportunity. The winner of the game is the player who more successfully deals with the difficulties created during the contest. Challenges during a chess game range from general (“how can I get my queenside pieces out?”) to very specific (“How can I prevent my opponent from placing his knight at d5?”). There may be great urgency (“she threatens mate in one – what should I do?”) or a lull in the action (“no threats in his last move – how can I better my position?”). I think that chess is like life in this regard. Each day brings a new set of challenges and problems to overcome, with some being minor, some major, and some needing immediate attention.
It makes sense, I think, to look at how we solve problems in “real life” as a way Read more �
Written by guest author Greg Delaney for Wholesale Chess.
A basic concept in psychology is often illustrated by a graphic called the “Johari Window.” Simply put, the four “panes” of the “window” represent various states of self-awareness of who we are and what parts of ourselves we share with the world. The “subconscious” is that part of us about which neither we nor other people know. The “open” pane is the part of us we know and allow to be known by others. The “secret” pane is the part of us we know about but do not share with the world. The fourth and final pane is the “blind” area – the parts of ourselves that we cannot see but others can. I believe that these “panes” exist in our chess playing as well. We prepare openings and plans in secret, we show ourselves and our opponents our tendencies during play (open), and psychologists have long consider those who play chess to be acting out subconscious conflicts when they play. Do we have “blind spots” in chess? Are there things about our play that others can see but we cannot? Could knowing these things help us improve? The answer Read more �
Copyright 2012 Wholesale Chess. All rights reserved.
