Would a more experienced player have missed this?

It seems climbing the rating ladder is very much a 'one step forward, half a step back' affair. Since March I'd clawed my way up to a comparitively unimpressive 1276, but nevertheless was pleased with my small achievement as a novice, picking Chess back up again after more than a decade out. (I wasn't very good back then either). I don't really care for ratings like that, I just want to be better at Chess, to learn about it and to understand it.

Given some of the wins I've had this past month, I really thought I was flying.

But yesterday, I was sent hurtling back down to Earth by this:



I'm playing black, my rating 1276, opponent white @ 1336. It's my move. I decide to play Ng4xe3, to apply pressure to my opponent's Queen with my King's Knight.

I made the move, and immediately lost the game.

Two questions: Who can spot why? and how obvious is it to more dedicated players than myself? At the time I thought his move was well spotted, and cunning, but with hindsight, it looks pretty damn obvious I was running the gauntlet of mate in one.

So now I'm thinking of taking a step back, and challenging some 1100 players, but for the past month have stuck mostly to playing those better than me.

Originally posted by Reeves2668
Two questions: Who can spot why? and how obvious is it to more dedicated players than myself? At the time I thought his move was well spotted, and cunning, but with hindsight, it looks pretty damn obvious I was running the gauntlet of mate in one.

So now I'm thinking of taking a step back, and challenging some 1100 players, but for the past month have stuck mostly to playing those better than me.

It's instantly obvious to higher rated players, who have the pattern burned into the pattern recognition part of their brains. Don't worry about it, though. The more you play, the more of these patterns you'll pick up. Also, tactics training will help. Or at least, that's what they tell me. 🙂

Qxg7#

Try to look at your opponent's move first. It always bites me in the butt when I don't do that. It is normal but learn from your mistakes.

[greenpawn]Check all checks[/greenpawn]. I would miss this if I'd been drinking, as OTB I was defeated by this pattern about a year ago. Otherwise the rook/queen battery staring at my kingwould not be somethign I'd ignore. (That being said, I'm sure I've made this error on RHP)

As a plan in the position you've shown, I see qxh4+ as a great possibility once the f3 knight is gone. I might play bd5 or maybe even be5.

Also, when you attack your opponent's queen, it's often useful to consider where your opponent might move his queen as a response. Sometimes you'll catch yourself forcing your opponent to make a good move.

kramnik missed a similar move. 🙂

Yup,in below position Kramnik played 34....,Qe3??



So you,and I and probably all of us,are in good company 🙂

Poor Kramnik...That is all he going to be remembered for...
If you google it you will Kramnik's name everywhere.

Loads of GM's have missed mate in one for and against them.

Anyway the OP's game.

Playing over the game you most likely had the win chalked up in your mind.
His play did not inspire confidence and you are cruising.

Him to play.


He played 18.d3, a trap offering the e-pawn in two ways.
You took with Knight and it was 'Good Night'.

But before you pressed 'send' you had this postion in front of you.


You said you played Nxe3 to pressure his Queen.
You had to look at where his attacked Queen might go.

Put it down to a game lost but experienced gained.

Thanks for all the input, particularly nice to hear from greenpawn34 whose blog has become something of a bible of mine, alongside 'Bobby Fischer teaches chess'. I think I've learned two things from this - a) Avoid complacent attacking for the sake of attacking, and b) 'check all checks' as the poster mentioned above. I guess on RHP we have the benefit of seeing the board "post move" before we press send, perhaps I should study harder before hitting the confirm button.

If the Q is the rear piece of a battery (Q+R or Q+B), be aware that her partner can go out raising hell. If the Q is the front piece of the battery, let your eye follow the line the two sit on. Is your King anywhere near that line? If so, be afraid, be very afraid.

Also ask yourself as you consider a move. "What will be my opponent's reply?"