Time Out

Mistakes are there…

DR. S. Tartakower once said that mistakes wait for the unwary player to make them. That is really true, and a huge number of games are won or lost because of silly mistakes or blunders (in chess players' parlance!).

Why do the mistakes occur? Well, if you lose concentration even for a moment, the result will be a fatal slip. Then there are highly complex positions where a player can lose his way and end up committing a gross blunder. Finally, players could really see nothing during time scrambles. Experts suggest that players concentrate on their physical fitness to avoid losing games due to oversights. In fact, physical fitness is needed for playing at almost any level. Top players regularly spend some time for keeping themselves in good running condition. True, it's a cerebral warfare, but it can be extremely taxing in terms of your health. Players often lose a few pounds after a crucial tournament or match. And the slightest health disorder can affect your game to a great extent. It's a question of finding the right move all the time, and you know the player across the table is always ready to create as many problems for you as possible. So you must be strong enough both mentally and physically to absorb the pressure.

Chess at the professional level is relatively mistake-free. But then even at the highest level mistakes are not uncommon. And some players are more susceptible to mistakes than others. For example, Akiba Rubenstein had the misfortune of making silly mistakes many times in his chess career. There is no clear explanation as to why such a great master made so many mistakes. Rubenstein learned the game rather late, maybe in his late teens. So experts believe that chess might not have been so ingrained in his thought process as is the case with the players who learn the game very early. Today kids are learning the moves even before they learn their language. So they develop a natural style of play-- smooth and effortless.

Today let's watch a game played by one of the most natural players in the history of chess. Yes, JR Capablanca had the unique ability to make it look easy!

White-Jose Raul Capablanca
Black- Max Euwe [D17]
Amsterdam 1931

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.c4 c6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.Ne5 Nbd7 7.Nxc4 Qc7 8.g3 e5 9.dxe5 Nxe5 10.Bf4 Nfd7 11.Bg2 Be6 12.Nxe5 Nxe5 13.00 Qa5 14.Ne4 Rd8 15.Qc2 Be7 16.b4 Bxb4 17.Qb2 f6 18.Rfb1 00 19.Bxe5 fxe5 20.Ng5 Bc3 21.Qc2 Bf5 22.Be4 g6 23.Qa2+ Kg7 24.Rxb7+ Rd7 25.Rab1 Qa6 26.Qb3 Rxb7 27.Qxb7+ Qxb7 28.Rxb7+ Kg8 29.Bxc6 Rd8 30.Rxa7 Rd6 31.Be4 Bd7 32.h4 Bd4 33.Ra8+ Kg7 34.e3 Bc3 35.Bf3 1-0

Position after 16.b4!

-PATZER

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