The most useless advice to give new players

Ah...that's what it was I was trying figure what Colle was up to with Nh4
and I got the twinge. (wish I'd stayed longer I would have spotted the f2 sac).

Not saying I would have played it though, it's purely done on OTB intuition
and judgement. Quite a game.

I see Colle got to play Bxh7+ in that game 😉



So Kmoch and Hardin like getting a Knight to d4.
(that's Nimzovitch talking, locking up the criminal).
Still think it must be classed as equal. Has this appeared again or
is this the mainline given in some Colle book?

Bet Colle thought it was panning out to equality so went for Nh4.
He's gone up a notch, so has Kashdan. (they will be pleased) 🙂

Remembered another one.In some book Donner said you must despise your opponent,you must think he's an idiot without any skills.Psycho tricks.Right up my alley!So I was all too willing and eager to try this.
But every time I lost due to some horrible oversight.He's an idiot after all,why bother figuring out what he might be up to.

I now try to pretend my opponents are all of GM class,carefully trying to spot their subtle,yet venomous,tricks and traps.
I find that works far better.

In Donner's defense,I'm sure the way I did it is not quite what he meant.

Originally posted by Eladar
Just goes to show that people think that what's good advice for 1800's is good advice for 800's. That's the point I was trying to make with this thread.

You've got to deal with people where they are. Any good educator knows this for a fact.

Some advice is universal to 1800s or 800s.

Don't drop pieces, don't forget to check the bank rank.

Originally posted by nimzo5
Some advice is universal to 1800s or 800s.

Don't drop pieces, don't forget to check the bank rank.

Definitely. I don't think you'll find too many 1800's consistantly dropping pieces, although 800's will be giving away pieces in pretty much every game.

1800s drop pieces quite often, but usually because they are under tremendous tactical pressure.

Originally posted by nimzo5
1800s drop pieces quite often, but usually because they are under tremendous tactical pressure.

How often is quite often? Once or twice a game?

At 1800 a player should resign down a piece unless there is some compensation for it.

So if they are dropping pieces every game they will not stay 1800 for very long. Eventually they'll hit about 800-1000.

Eladar-
I didn't say every game, my point is that you never stop dropping pieces, just that whereas a 1200 will hang a piece to a tactic, an 1800 will drop a piece as the result of combination or a strategic factor that they have misplayed.

Plus if the 1800 is only playing 1800+ they will never get to 1000 because at some point they either hit their rating floor, or they stop losing points from their losses.

By advice I mean what is useful for improvement. If you are giving away pieces in pretty much every game you play, then if you can learn to look at the board and avoid such blunders your rating will go up. You will have improved!

Although it is good advice for all, simply concentrating on holding on to your pieces will not help you to improve once you've stopped doing it in pretty much all of your games. Once you learn to hold on to your pieces, then you have other things to learn.

You are both correct.

Eladar:
"... 800's will be giving away pieces in pretty much every game."

Nimzo:

"...1800 will drop a piece as the result of combination "

olunga is currently 800 and Black in this game. Pieces are simply given away.
(look out for White missing a mate in one).



filligrana is currently 1800 and Black in this game.
Much sounder play but falls for two over loading combinations.

White to play...


The Black Queen is holding both the b-pawn and e6 Bishop.

Later on Black snatched the b-pawn and got into this mess.
White to play.


The e8 Rook is holding both the e7 Bishop and the a8 Rook.

Originally posted by torten
Remembered another one.In some book Donner said you must despise your opponent,you must think he's an idiot without any skills.Psycho tricks.Right up my alley!So I was all too willing and eager to try this.
But every time I lost due to some horrible oversight.He's an idiot after all,why bother figuring out what he might be up to.

I now try to pretend my o ...[text shortened]... rks far better.

In Donner's defense,I'm sure the way I did it is not quite what he meant.

Mind you, if one book I've read is to be believed (and it gives some games, so...), Donner himself was prone to the same kind of error.

Richard

"Sure I know that the US Amateur Team Championship is on Valentine's Day weekend, but c'mon, you gotta take one for the team! This is chess! Buy her some roses and tell her you'll make it up to her."