Through the past week, I have been playing less blitz. More importantly, I have been analyzing my games after playing them. It is humbling to observe elementary mistakes.
After botching the opening (the Black side of an English), I was let back into the game through my opponent's errors. I reached a clearly won position.
Black to move
Over the course of the next three moves, I repeatedly failed to make the winning move. Then, my position became worse and I lost.
Missing the same correct move three moves in a row suggests there was an oversight that might be addressed through training. Perhaps I can work some tactics exercises that incorporate this pattern.
Rxf1 and Re1 ?
ReplyDeleteOr Ree1 immediately. Three moves in a row, I missed this simple build up. I suspect that a vague notion that the rook on e8 was defending my king was somehow the cause of my blindness.
DeleteRxf1 followed by Re1 seemed instantly obvious. While Ree1 also wins, it looks slightly more "computery" from a blitz standpoint. I follow the Seirawan method of keeping the win as simple as possible.
ReplyDeleteI played 22...Bd4 and after 23.Qc7 Rxf1 24.Bxf1 blundered away the game with 24...Qg6. Rxf1 had been on my radar, but I completely overlooked bringing the other rook into play. That rook does nothing for my defense and was critical to the attack.
ReplyDeleteI think that the reason the rook on e8 is superfluous for the black King's defense is the position of the black Queen and Bishop; the Bishop can interpose a check by the white Queen on the 8th rank at d8 while being protected by the black Queen. Otherwise, I think that white could have held off a black mating attack, traded pieces, and pushed the passed pawn on the a-file.
ReplyDelete