But yesterday something happened that caught you thinking hard. You lost a very important game due to a blunder. You could not understand it. You had to do some soul-searching to find the answer.
So, what is a Blunder and why does it happen? In order to answer that question, you must start with understanding the human mind and how it works. Chess involves the part of the mind that deals with spatial and logical thinking. Even though we live in a three-dimensional world, the chess world is two-dimensional.
Chess is a science as well as an art. It is a science because it has laws governing the moves and the tactical manouvers. It is an art because you can construct (compose) long term strategy and short term tactical blows.
A blunder is very bad move that can cause you to either lose materials or to be checkmated. Let us examine some of the causes of a blunder.
- Tiredness
- Overconfidence
- Getting emotional
- Underestimating opponent's counterattacks
- Lost focus
- Lack of concrete plans
- Time-trouble
- Too engrossed with a single line of play
Some steps to avoid and eliminate blunders are:
- Be vigilant at all time. Never regard any position as easy and re-examine it on your turn to move. A little change in position can lead to big trouble.
- When you see a good move to play, beware! Never move on impulse. It could be a blunder. Study all possible consequences first.
- Make sure you had enough rest and fresh air before the game starts.
- Read more books and other publications on the game. Watch training videos. With enough knowledge, you will come up with the right plan and the tendency to blunder will diminish.
To get more tips on how to avoid blunders, visit this webpage: http://www.squidoo.com/how-to-avoid-blunders-in-chess
So wishing you all the best in your next game!
