zondag 2 juli 2017

Call for help: how to get out of passive play?

Recently I was wondering, trying to find out, why I am not already a 2000+ player. If I may believe my friends, also chess players, I have the capacity and knowlegde to easy get to 2000+. There are two things holding me back according those who can know. Namely that I play to fast and that I play to passivly.

Playing to fast was, and is, always my problem. Don't ask me why, maybe because I grew up in chess by playing blitz and rapid? Only at age 16 I joined a chess club and came into contact with long time control games. That my first rating was 1683 elo (and still my lowest rating until this day) and my highest 1969 elo could also be a stumbling block, I got there with my fast play, so why ... ?

Personally I think the real reason is that I am to scared, that I play to passivly at long time control games. I dont dare to go all out, full steam ahead, attack or die.

My ex-teacher, IM Yelena Dembo, always made comments that I didn't dare to play forward. That I made my calculation short by the first sign of trouble instead of calculate a little bit deeper so that I saw the line was still good for me. That each of my moves must have some attack instead of defending against threats that weren't there.

Anyhow, I noticed that it was more fun to play active during my club's blitz- and rapid championship. My opponents talked about how good I played and spectators talked about interesting and wonderfull games to watch. I won both tournaments. I was very pleased with my performance.

Helas, in long time control games I refall in my old habbits. I dont know what to do anymore. Anybody of you, dear readers, have good tips to help me out of this bad habit? Please help!

Have fun while playing!


5 opmerkingen:

  1. If you want opinions on how you play, then you should post annotated games of yours played at long time controls.

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  2. I have had this same criticism by coaches of mine as well.

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  3. So I give up! CAN A CHESSPATZER REACH 2000 CHESS RATING?

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  4. What you are describing is purely psychological, rather than having to do with your chess skills. IM Dembo's observation is excellent, now you need to address it. You can't fear losing (or losing rating points), otherwise you won't play at a good level. You can successfully dare more at fast time controls, so that means you already have what it takes to succeed at longer time controls. Just free your mind...

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  5. How to get out of passive play?

    Maybe don't play the French Defense!

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