1. Account suspended
    Joined
    10 Dec '11
    Moves
    143494
    11 Oct '14 12:16
    I might (finally!) take part in a OTB tournament soon (November maybe), and I am preparing more psychologically than on the table.
    Though, I am looking for the traps I had been stepped in in my corr. games during last years. And I am preparing a kind of repertoire that should minimize a quick catastrophe in the opening phase.

    But, when I looked back to many patzerish endings, it crossed my mind that it's better to be check-mated in 3rd move (Queen h4 or h5) than to ruin won ending or lose dead draw ending...

    What do you prefer?
    Quick check-mate or shameful ignorance in an ending?
  2. e4
    Joined
    06 May '08
    Moves
    42492
    11 Oct '14 12:311 edit
    Go for the poor ending - chances are your opponent will be just as bad
    in that phase of the game as the rest of us. 🙂

    It's sounds like you are looking at and thinking about what mistakes
    YOU might make and getting a wee bit worried about it.

    Look forward to exploiting the mistakes your opponents will make,
    and they will make them. All you have to do is spot it when it happens
    and if you miss it be assured that blunders come in two's.
    So you will get them on their next move.

    Good Luck.
  3. Standard memberpatrickrutgers
    Pale Yellow Star!
    Minneapolis
    Joined
    29 Sep '08
    Moves
    38345
    11 Oct '14 14:27
    Originally posted by vandervelde


    But, when I looked back to many patzerish endings, it crossed my mind that it's better to be check-mated in 3rd move (Queen h4 or h5) than to ruin won ending or lose dead draw ending...

    What do you prefer?
    Quick check-mate or shameful ignorance in an ending?
    Was it Lasker: "The hardest game to win is a won game."

    Been there and hate it. A won game is a terrible thing to waste.

    I have heard some on this site slow their moves to a crawl when they are losing, perhaps hoping to pull out a win by timeout. My move making really slows down when I think I'm winning.

    Losing a 3 move game, I console myself by saying, "Essentially, my opponent knows some little parlor trick, something I never learned by studying 'real' chess. Had we gotten to the meat of the game, I'm sure I would have won." Ok, I still lost, but if I convince myself it wasn't 'real' then I everything's OK!

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