Tactics Time Chess Newsletter: Winning Attitude

Published: Tue, 06/10/14

Newsletter Issue Winning Attitude

Tactics Time

Winning Attitude

We cannot win this World Cup" ~ US Soccer Coach Jurgen Klinsmann


T

his position comes from my game against Katie Wise played this past weekend, at the Colorado Springs Chess Center June 2014 tournament run by Lee Simmons.

In the position on the right it is White to move.

Answer below.

Today, I would like to talk about the above quote from the coach of the US Soccer team Jurgen Klinsmann.

This quote appeared in a New York Times interview, and caused a bit of outrage last week. You can read the full article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/08/magazine/how-jurgen-klinsmann-plans-to-make-us-soccer-better-and-less-american.html?smid=tw-share&_r=1

Although I watch and follow a lot of sports, I know very little about the US Soccer team.

However I was also somewhat outraged by this comment.

I have no idea how good the soccer team is, or what their realistic chances are, but I do know a "limiting belief" and a "self fulfilling prophecy" when I see one.

Do you think coach Herb Brooks told the 1980s "Miracle on Ice" US Olympic Hockey team "We cannot win"?

Did Buster Douglas (a 42-1 underdog) tell himself "I cannot win", before fighting Mike Tyson in Toyko Japan in 1990?

Did Eli Manning say "We cannot win" when faced against the undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII (2008)?

No, of course not!

Upsets happen all the time. The best team doesn't always win. If they did, sports and games would not be interesting. As Chris Berman says "That's why they play the game".

Same is true with chess. If you go into the game with the mental attitude "I cannot win", the game is already half over.

I am not saying you need to be delusional, and you need to respect your opponent's skills, but also realize that everyone makes mistakes, has a bad game, has a bad day, etc. If you play your best every move, and have confidence in yourself, you might just be surprised at how well you can play, and the players you can beat!

Here is the complete game

[Event "C.S. Chess Center June Tournament"]
[Site "Colorado Springs, CO"]
[Date "2014.06.07"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Wise, Katie"]
[Black "Brennan, Tim"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A11"]
[WhiteElo "1987"]
[BlackElo "1871"]
[PlyCount "92"]
[EventDate "2014.??.??"]

1. c4 Nf6 2. g3 c6 3. Bg2 d5 4. e3 Bf5 5. Qb3 Qc7 6. Ne2 e6 7. O-O Nbd7 8. d4
dxc4 9. Qxc4 Nb6 10. Qb3 h5 11. h4 Be4 12. f3 Bd5 13. Qc2 Be7 14. Nd2 e5 15. e4
Be6 16. Nb3 Bd6 17. dxe5 Bxb3 18. Qxb3 Bc5+ 19. Kh1 Qxe5 20. f4 Qe7 21. Qf3 Rd8
22. b3 Ng4 23. Bh3 Nf6 24. e5 Nfd5 25. Bd2 g6 26. Rae1 O-O 27. a4 Nb4 28. Qc3
Rd3 29. Qb2 Rfd8 30. Bc1 N6d5 31. Kh2 Ne3 32. Bxe3 Rxe3 33. Nc1 Bd4 34. Qg2 Qc5
35. e6 f5 36. Ne2 Bf6 37. Rc1 Qe7 38. Ng1 Qxe6 39. Rc4 Rxb3 40. Rcc1 Rb2 41.
Rf2 Rxf2 42. Qxf2 Nd3 43. Qc2 Nxc1 44. Qxc1 Qa2+ 45. Bg2 Rd2 46. Qf1 Rf2 0-1

You can play through this game here: http://www.viewchess.com/cbreader/2014/6/8/Game1608563109.html

Answer:

I pulled out my own "miracle on squares" here.

Katie could have won a piece with:

17.dxe5 Bxe5 18.f4 Bd6 19.e5 with a pawn fork (which has always been my achilles heel of tactics!)

After she played 17.dxe5 I threw in 17...Bxb3 hoping for 18. Qxb3, which allows me to escape the fork with the check 18...Bc5+, which is what happened in the game. If she had recaptured with axb3, then the Queen would guard against Bc5+ and the whole thing doesn't work.

I got lucky, and survived this near disaster, and went on to win the game.

Happy Tactics!

Your Friend,