Advice when playing higher ranked players

Originally posted by ChessPraxis
Play good moves.

Dang, why didn't I think of that. The secret of chess. Wow.

Originally posted by adramforall
Play your normal game.

In the middle/end game make several conditional moves.

OK it may be a pain setting up 30 or more potential moves but second guessing the higher rated player may make them doubt their strategy, especially if they are looking several moves deep and don't expect you to be doing so.

Oh and once you beat them, add the games to your profile as a permanent reminder of how well you did.

🙂

I feel stupid asking this considering I am in the high 16's, but what exactly is the conditional move? I never used them and don't understand what they are all about.
Are they moves that you in effect say, if you play X, I will play Y. If you play Z, I will play Q? I don't see what it buys you.

Originally posted by Paul Leggett
Here's a game that will help refute the myth of the error-free higher rated player. My opponent (who shall remain nameless, but who has been over 2050 on the site, and is better than me) and I saw the same thing at move 24, but we were both wrong!

I quickly noticed a shot at trapping the black queen, so set a tactic in motion. He saw the same thing ...[text shortened]... Bf6 23. Be7 Rd7 24. Qb8+ Kg7 25. Bf8+ Kg8 26. Be7+ Kg7 27. Qf8# 1-0[/pgn]

Yes, this is a good example. I had Black in this game and was twice guilty of missing mate in one. My rating is still over 1800 and I'm still blundering just like I did in this game. I recently missed mate in one against a 1500 player. I wish I could say it bothered me, but I seem to have misplaced my sense of shame.

It was a fitting end to a game in which I missed tactic after tactic. I had Black.

Originally posted by Paul Leggett
With lots of pieces on the board (and with me having too many games going), I may miss a shot and lose an upset. With fewer pieces on the board, I can have a pretty clear endgame plan in place and actually play easier and quicker. And lower rated players often play less than optimal endgame moves, so the win comes quicker than I work out ahead of time.

Up against tough opponents, I sometimes fall into the habit of exchanging pieces. Having read your post I reconsidered the strategy, and have already seen some resulting improvement.

To anyone in a similar situation I would like to add that confidence plays into this discussion. Play confidently, but carefully, and you might be surprised at the good results. But if you're diffident and eager to trade then you will probably fall into the negative attitude of waiting for an opportunity rather than creating one.

I'm pretty much repeating what everyone else is saying, but once again, it's important that you play the board, not the opponent. Personally, I'd say stick to your usual style and openings; you will know them best. If you try something new, chances are your opponent will know what he's doing better than you do. If you ask me, trading off in an attempt for a draw endgame is a pretty silly strategy. You'll lose in the endgame 90% of the time, and you also may end up exposing yourself to tactics in your attempts to trade off.

Thanks to everyone for your insights (including the guy that said "Play good moves"😉.

I appreciate the thoughts about not trading pieces because it actually gets you into the endgame faster, and it's true a better player is more likely to win the endgame. My most recent match vs. HarpKnight is a good example. I had the advantage but let it slip away in the end game.

I think the big take-away for me is to start working on the endgame.

Originally posted by sonhouse
Dang, why didn't I think of that. The secret of chess. Wow.

Fine, play bad moves, see how you do.

Originally posted by SwissGambit
Yes, this is a good example. I had Black in this game and was twice guilty of missing mate in one. My rating is still over 1800 and I'm still blundering just like I did in this game. I recently missed mate in one against a 1500 player. I wish I could say it bothered me, but I seem to have misplaced my sense of shame.

It was a fitting end to a game in ...[text shortened]... 30. Qg5g3 Qf7xa2 31. bxc6 Qa2xa3
32. Rb1xb7 Qa3xc3 33. Qg3xg7[/pgn]

Hey SG, I was only going to "out" myself! I think you'll appreciate this one, as my lower rated opponent lets me headbutt his fist, and I pay it forward.

Funny backstory- I had a bunch of games in queue waiting for moves, and I was breezing through them a little too quickly, when suddenly I notice that my rating had dropped a substantial number of points.

Immediately I thought "#$^&@, I must have walked into something somewhere" so I go back to the games list to see where I lost.

This is what I found:



I laughed in spite of myself!

Originally posted by choochoo2247
Thanks to everyone for your insights (including the guy that said "Play good moves"😉.

I appreciate the thoughts about not trading pieces because it actually gets you into the endgame faster, and it's true a better player is more likely to win the endgame. My most recent match vs. HarpKnight is a good example. I had the advantage but let it slip away in the end game.

I think the big take-away for me is to start working on the endgame.

They all gave you good sound advice, and it sounds like you are on the right track. Endings are the soul of chess.
(Ok the quote is, "Pawns are the soul of chess," but it still works.)

Originally posted by Tigerhouse
Up against tough opponents, I sometimes fall into the habit of exchanging pieces. Having read your post I reconsidered the strategy, and have already seen some resulting improvement.

To anyone in a similar situation I would like to add that confidence plays into this discussion. Play confidently, but carefully, and you might be surprised at the good r robably fall into the negative attitude of waiting for an opportunity rather than creating one.

I'm glad it was helpful! I think just like others have also posted- you have to play the board first, and use information intrinsic to the position on the board, but sometimes you just have to make a decision about what kinds of positions you play best, both as an absolute and also relative to what you think your opponent may play best or play more comfortably.

There is another link where a discussion of Silman's How to Reassess Your Chess, and I made the remark that his endgame section alone can raise one's rating.

Many of the endgames I get into probably should be drawn, but players don't know the basics such as king and pawn vs king, and the Lucena and Philidor positions in rook and pawn vs rook endings. The result is that I have won something in the neighborhood of 50 games from drawn endings that my opponents didn't know how to draw.

Silman's endgame section really only covers the above topics, and just reading that chapter would have saved my opponents from losing otherwise well-played games that they simply tossed away at the end.

I love playing stronger opponents, especially friends.
(Although, I don't do it that often with strangers or new people.)

There is little risk, but the returns are immeasurable.
I wish the stock market was like that!
Not only are you getting a free chess lesson, but an opportunity for an upset.

Recently, I played a friend that was 600-700 points higher, and I pulled out a draw. 🙂



IMHO, I believe playing stronger players is alot of fun, and it helps us ALL become better players - in the long run.

Thank you
dhdenbow Game 5154995,
Old Eagle,
and
SapanRinpoche Game 7345659

Originally posted by sonhouse
Dang, why didn't I think of that. The secret of chess. Wow.

I didn`t know World of Warcraft was the secret of chess.

Odd that the first suggestion was trading pieces. I remember I liked doing that as a junior. I probably improved a lot when I realised that mostly if I simply trade a piece I am swapping a developed piece and probably not interferring with his development costin me two tempos or so. I also realised that at later stages in a game, when pieces were offered for exchange it was because my opponenet wanted it and this again made my position worse.

Originally posted by Habeascorp
Odd that the first suggestion was trading pieces. I remember I liked doing that as a junior. I probably improved a lot when I realised that mostly if I simply trade a piece I am swapping a developed piece and probably not interferring with his development costin me two tempos or so. I also realised that at later stages in a game, when pieces were offered for exchange it was because my opponenet wanted it and this again made my position worse.

Why is it odd?

I kinda assume that trading pieces is done to avoid disaster being inflicted upon you from the enemy with such a huge army the enemy is probably going to inflict terrible things.

I don`t see how this will really help you since you won`t be inflicting terrible things on thy opponent either.

I figure if you try to confuse yourself you might accidentally confuse your opponent simultaneously and hence accidentally defeat a strong player.