About 80% of the time when we lose we blame our opening choice.When we win it's often due to the opponent's opening choice,especially if he plays something we think is unsound.Reality is something like this.
CP = chessplayer
CP: "Oh man!That dude tried the Latvian against me.I totally blew him off the board!"
Realitycheck: after both sides made some mistakes in the opening an equal position was reached at move 11.Then,after some minor middlegame inaccuracies from both sides,at move 23 the black player overlooked a mate in 2. 1-0
CP: "Hey dude,look at my latest game!This fool plays the Alekhine.I totally obliterated him!"
Realitycheck: the game left theory at move 9,White hung a pawn at move 12 but Black missed it,Black hung a piece at move 19 but White missed it(he's excused for this,it was a difficult to spot combo),at move 25 Black initiates a nice looking but flawed attack leaving his king vulnerable,White correctly counters and mates Black 1-0
CP: "I played X yesterday.He doesn't know how to handle the Ruy,I beat him with ease."
Realitycheck: an equal position was reached at move 15,it went back and forth with both sides missing good chances for an advantage,at move 30 a drawn rook ending was reached,both sides handle it rather poor and eventually White happened to come out on top 1-0
CP: "Awww man,I lost my 3rd White game in a row.I'm done with the Scotch,it stinks.I'm going back to playing the King's Gambit."
Realitycheck: both sides play the opening well,at move 14 Black makes a very agressive but bad move giving White a winning attack but White,afraid of Black's ghost threat,missed it and instead hangs a pawn,in an attempt to quickly recover his lost material White gets overly agressive but only manages to destroy his own position after which Black won the endgame 0-1
Etcetera etcetera
Sound familiar?Why do so many think like this?Why are our openingchoices our favorite scapegoats?
For the record,I'm not trying to mock anyone,I've been guilty of this myself 😳
Originally posted by ouwe belgI'm sure gangsters play chess doofus. Watched "Searching for Bobby Fischer" lately?
About 80% of the time when we lose we blame our opening choice.When we win it's often due to the opponent's opening choice,especially if he plays something we think is unsound.Reality is something like this.
CP = chessplayer
CP: "Oh man!That dude tried the Latvian against me.I totally blew him off the board!"
Realitycheck: after both sides made some m or the record,I'm not trying to mock anyone,I've been guilty of this myself 😳
For the record, I generally lose for two reasons:
1. I blitz moves and miss simple captures (and more complex tactics too).
2. I'm worse than my opponent.
I ask for opening help if
1. I get blitzed off the board in under 20 moves.
2. I get bored with a particular middlegame type and want to shake things up.
Originally posted by AkashicOh!Well,I'm not english,I just copy the words I see players use in online chess.Guess there are indeed a lot of gangsters playing chess then.
I think he`s referring to the fact that only real gangsters use words like "man", "dude", and "blew".
Originally posted by ouwe belgOh man, California surfers are more likely to use "dude" and "man" and "blew" than gangsters are. These heinous attributions totally blow, dude!
Oh!Well,I'm not english,I just copy the words I see players use in online chess.Guess there are indeed a lot of gangsters playing chess then.
Party on, ouwe belg.
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Originally posted by ouwe belgGood point, ouwe belg!
Sound familiar?Why do so many think like this?Why are our openingchoices our favorite scapegoats?
For the record,I'm not trying to mock anyone,I've been guilty of this myself 😳[/b]
I think it's an emotional decision to suddenly change openings-- we don't want to admit to bad play, so that $#%!@ opening must be defective. Sad to say, it probably never is the opening itself (unless it is some horrid unorthodox mess someone tries to play).
We probably just make it worse when we change, because a whole new set of middlegame problems must be confronted with a new opening. Plus, any years of experience in an opening and familiarity with the associated opening moves, middlegames, traps, etc. are then lost when one abandons an old favorite.
Maybe players are looking for a perfect solution when choosing a new opening -- "THIS will be the one I win with!" -- then, a few setbacks, a few crushing defeats, and the cycle is ready to start all over again!
I've been thru this chaotic situation just this week-- trying to go from the London System back to 1. b3 -- not really a good choice, I must admit.
But you ask an excellent question when wondering why players do this.
Seems to be a mystery.
