Lets Take A Look...

Nigel Davies





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Lets take a look...
Coping with a Loss
Reader Larry Peterson recently asked me for some advice on how to overcome a painful
defeat, especially in a weekend Swiss. This is actually a very interesting question and one
which can have a profound effect on a players overall results. How do we cope with
losses?
First of all, Im not sure that grandmasters have all the answers, in fact some of them react
very badly to defeat. The example which comes most quickly to mind is that of Vlastimil
Jansa, who often plays superbly in a tournament until he loses a game. Ive heard that
some Russian trainers recommend just making a draw after a couple of defeats, just to
settle the stomach. The implication is that after a single loss one should continue as if
nothing particularly untoward has happened.
Perhaps there is something to be said for this strategy, but I have several issues with it. In
the first place it fails to take into account a players expected results after losing one or
two games. It could be that some players perform very well after two defeats, in which
case they will hobble their results by heading for draws. So perhaps the first step is to
analyse ones own results, looking at ones overall percentages or rating performance and
then compiling separate performance tables after one or two losses. Is there a significant
difference? If not, then you probably dont need to worry too much.
Of course most people will not be this scientific, instead relying on experience and
drawing up a personal rulebook. Experienced chess players often develop a sensitivity
towards their mood and psychological well being and have strategies for improving things
when they dont feel quite right. Now I dont know what other players do about losses, but
I have few ideas of my own which Ill try to enumerate. I cant guarantee that these will
work for everyone, but you might get some ideas that will help your own game.
First of all, you need to forget about a loss as quickly as possible, so dont dwell on it. I
personally tend to avoid post mortems during Swiss events as theres precious little time
before the next round begins. Ideally Ill get out of the building for a while and get some
fresh air.
If theres just one game a day or its the last game of the day, you have the opportunity to
be especially kind to yourself. Go out to eat or see a movie. Dont beat yourself up over a
defeat as this tends to make matters worse.
A good habit Ive learned is to congratulate the opponent who has just beaten you, perhaps
saying well played even if he didnt play that well. Ive noticed that graceful losers seem
to keep their composure much better during tournaments, which brings to mind Bjorn
Borgs approach of not querying line calls. Getting worked up about things just doesnt
help.
A loss can indicate a flaw in your openings or game as a whole that has perhaps crept in
because of a lapse in ones studies. If this is the case make a written note (and not a mental
one) to schedule in some much needed maintenance. Dont try to fix the problem during a
hectic tournament schedule as youll just tire yourself out.
I personally dont prepare much for my games these days and find that this keeps my head
clearer when the actual shooting begins. I believe that this approach makes it easier to
cope with losses as tournaments are then played in a more relaxed frame of mind. On the
other hand, a state of ongoing tension is likely to become much worse with a loss.
Im a great believer in having a routine during tournaments and think that this can also
help. If, from the outset, you see a chess game as another day in the office, then one is
better prepared for having a bad day. When chess games become a matter of life or death,
then defeat can be very hard to cope with. And I speak from experience on this matter.
What are the donts? Well Ive seen all kinds of self-destructive behaviour after losses,
from storming out of the tournament hall to turning to drinking between games. There are
those who try to take revenge during their next game, ignoring what the position
requires. Others will completely lose their self-confidence, as if the loss confirmed their
worthlessness as a chess player. To some extent these actions will be an extension of
someones personality, and as such it may be difficult for them to cure themselves
altogether. Having said that I believe that discipline can go a long way.
The following game features a line that would have appeared in Gambiteer I had I known
about it! 5 g4!? is a dangerous move, not at all the kind of thing you hope to meet when
playing a solid opening like the Philidor.
I dont know how Black managed after the drubbing he received here, at least with league
games you dont have to play again the very next day.
Josse,M - Davies,J
London Commercial League, 2007
Philidor Defence [C41]
1 e4 d6 2 d4 Nd7
This isnt a bad move order if youre also willing to play either an Old Indian or Kings
Indian with your knight committed to d7 already. White can reach such lines with 3 c4.
3 Nc3 e5 4 Nf3 Ngf6 5 g4!?
Wow! This really is a bolt from the blue, and
patronage by Alexei Shirov gives it respectability
into the bargain.
5...Nxg4
Had I personally been faced with Whites last
thunderbolt, I would probably have been tempted
to duck with 5...g6. A high level game Lastin -
Azmaiparashvili, Tripoli 2004 continued 6 g5
Nh5 7 Be3 Bg7 8 Qd2 0-0 9 0-0-0 f5!? (9...c6
doesnt look too bad to me) 10 exf5 Rxf5 11 dxe5
Nxe5 12 Nxe5 Bxe5 13 Bc4+ Kh8 14 Kb1 Bd7
15 Rhe1 Bc6 16 Be6 Rf3 17 Bg4 Rxe3 18 Qxe3
Nf4 19 Bf3 Qxg5 20 Nd5 Bxd5 21 Bxd5 c6 and Black probably had enough for the
exchange.
6 Rg1 exd4
Black has a major alternative here in 6...Ngf6; for example, 7 Bc4 h6 8 Be3 c6 9 Qd3 Qc7
10 0-0-0 b5 11 Bxb5 cxb5 12 dxe5 dxe5 13 Nxb5 Qa5 14 Qc4 Rb8 15 a4 Qb4 16 Nxe5
Qxc4 17 Nxc4 a6 18 Nbd6+ Bxd6 19 Nxd6+ Kf8 20 f4 Bb7 21 e5 Ne8 22 Nxe8 Kxe8 was
wild and eventually drawn in Shirov - Azmaiparashvili, Plovdiv 2003.
Its noteworthy that Azmai chose to take the pawn in this later game (as opposed to his 5...
g6 against Lastin), though whether this was because he thought this was a better way to
play it is not as clear as some might believe. He could simply have varied to avoid any
home preparation and then theres the possibility that he forgot about the earlier game. I
do that all the time myself.
7 Bg5
Pouring gasoline onto the fire, though this is probably asking a bit too much of the
position. In previous games White has just played 7 Nxd4; for example, 7...Nde5 (7...Ngf6
8 Be3 g6 9 Qd2 Ne5 10 Be2 Bg7 11 0-0-0 0-0 12 Bg5 Kh8 13 Qf4 gave White good
attacking chances for the pawn in Vujic - Appel, Germany 2004) 8 h3 Nf6 9 f4 Ng6 10
Be3 c6 11 Qd2 Qc7 12 0-0-0 Bd7 13 Qf2 0-0-0 14 Bg2 Be7 15 Nf5 Bxf5 16 exf5 Nf8 17
Bxa7 N8d7 18 Bd4 Rhe8 - was Kanovsky - Neuman, Havlickuv Brod 2006. The final
position looks fine for Black, not that I think this is the last word on this line.
7...f6 8 Nxd4 Nde5
Fritz 10 is quick to point out 8...Nxf2; for example, 9 Qh5+ g6 10 Qe2 Ne5 11 Qxf2 fxg5
12 Nd5 c6 13 Nf6+ Ke7 14 Rxg5 and now 14...Bh6 looks strong. This looks like a strong
argument in favour of 7 Nxd4 rather than 7 Bg5.
9 Bf4 g5 10 Be3
White has another interesting possibility in 10.
Bb5+, when Blacks best might be the immediate
10...Kf7 (10...c6 11 Bxe5 Nxe5 12 f4 gxf4 13 Qh5
+ Ke7 14 0-0-0 looks very dangerous to me).
Even so this looks good for White after 11 Bc1!,
intending 12 Be2, when Blacks king remains in
an unenviable position.
10...c6 11 h3
White might have been trying too hard to force
things here. Just 11 Qe2 looks good; for example,
11...Nxe3 12 Qxe3 leaves Black with long-term
problems such as the weak f5-square.
11...Nh6??
But this is a really bad move. Just 11...Nxe3 12 Qh5+ Kd7 13 fxe3 Kc7 gets Blacks king
safe, and without f2-f4 to prise open the f-file it wont be easy to breach Blacks position.
12 Qh5+ Nhf7 13 0-0-0 Qc7 14 f4
14 h4 looks even stronger as after 14...h6 15.f4 youve got a bonus g6-square to come in
on.
14...gxf4 15 Bxf4 Ng6
This should come in for some rough treatment,
but its getting difficult to find good moves for
Black. After 15...Bd7, White can simply play 16.
Bxe5 fxe5 17.Bc4 0-0-0 18.Ne6 winning material.
16 Bh2
In any case this looks nice for White, but here it
looks like he missed a chance for stardom via 16
Ndb5! Qd7 (Or 16...cxb5 17 Nd5 Qd8 18 Bxb5+
Bd7 19 Bxd7+ Kxd7 20 Qf5+ Kc6 21 Rg3, etc)
17 Rxg6 hxg6 18 Qxg6 Kd8 19 Nxd6 Bxd6 20
Bxd6 Nxd6 21 Qxf6+, etc.
16...Bd7
This loses, but its not easy to give Black good advice. After 16...Bh6+ 17 Kb1 Be3
(trying to eliminate the knight on d4), White has 18 Ndb5 cxb5 19 Nd5 Qc5 20 b4 Qc6 21
Bxb5 winning Blacks queen. And 16...Nfe5 17 Bxe5 dxe5 18 Nf5 Qf7 19 Nb5! is none
too pleasant either.
17 Bc4 Nfe5 18 Bxe5 dxe5
18...fxe5 19 Rxg6 0-0-0 20 Ne6 is similar and similarly hopeless.
19 Rxg6 0-0-0 20 Ne6
After all the fireworks, White is coming out a
piece ahead. And he makes no mistake during the
mopping up operations.
20...Bxe6 21 Bxe6+ Kb8 22 Rxf6 Bc5 23 Rf7
Rxd1+ 24 Qxd1 Qb6 25 Kb1 Bd4 26 Qf3
26 Na4 Qd8 27 c3 is also good.
26...Qb4 27 a3 Qd6 28 Bb3 a5 29 Qf6 1-0
Recommended Reading
Gambiteer I by Nigel Davies (Everyman, 2007)
Learn from your Defeats by Anatoly Karpov (Batsford, 1985)
2007 Nigel Davies. All rights reserved.


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