Originally posted by SwissGambit
I've seen a similar tactic in online blitz: the shock move. Something like:
[pgn]
[FEN "1R3n2/3pkp2/8/4q3/2Q5/8/8/7K w - - 0 1"]
[SetUp "1"]
1. Qe6+
[/pgn]
Black has to take the Q, and he usually wastes a critical second or two deciding which piece should capture. The move is usually timed so that those seconds are Black's last.
A move like that (cheap hehe - Relax, I do it too.) is good strategy (clock strategy that is) when an opponent is short of time.
The more random the check, the better it is in severe time trouble. A lot of people just can't adjust, and it also throws there premove down the drain.
The reverse effect (or playing the other side of that) :
When down to just a king or so and both sides are short of time, you have to make wild moves with the king to avoid the most possible checks. If you have a few seconds on him, and he is about to flag, premove an illegal move that looks like it would capture the spite check. Be prepared to make a real move in a flash if that one isn't accepted. I've done this before. They never expect you to factor the wild man sac in.
Generally, just play the king as far away from any pieces as you can. Don't even chase down queening pawns in time scrambles (under 5 seconds or maybe worse). Go the opposite way and try to stay in the center of the board.
This alone will get you a few seconds or so.
Edit: I have a lot more little tricks like this that I've learned from experience at 1 minute at FICS. Believe it or not, a second here and there makes all the difference a lot of the time.
I did make 2200 one time, but funnily enough, I blew the rating quite stupidly. It was late at night, and I didn't even have any business playing. I was seeking 1 0 u games, and I must have left the u out of one of my challenges. I'd been sacking like crazy all night (unrated=pure fun), and I did likewise in this game. My opponent was rated about 1500 or so, and it wasn't until after I lost that I found out it was rated! The really funny thing is that it was total nonsense. A loss cost me a ton of points, but a win didn't even gain a point I think. After that, I went on the regain my points binge and wiped out my rating.
The lesson I guess is that you shouldn't play chess tired.
If you do, you better make sure that u is on your seek!