(Sidenote: Yes tempo, the plan is to let the opponent make the plan. You worded it perfectly.)
The last time Ive talked about keeping the balance in chess. However, sometimes this actually runs contrary to the well known advice "Play the board, not the man".
To give an example, suppose there are two good moves. The first move is the absolute good move that the board dictates. No matter what the opponent plays next, its still a good move. The second move is a kind of gamble. You sense your opponent will play something and if do this move, his position will crumble. Of course he might not, and that will mean trouble for your own position. So what are you gonna do?
The last time Ive talked about keeping the balance in chess. However, sometimes this actually runs contrary to the well known advice "Play the board, not the man".
To give an example, suppose there are two good moves. The first move is the absolute good move that the board dictates. No matter what the opponent plays next, its still a good move. The second move is a kind of gamble. You sense your opponent will play something and if do this move, his position will crumble. Of course he might not, and that will mean trouble for your own position. So what are you gonna do?
1. Play The Man
I hear GM's say this all the time. Find the truth in the position. Never mind the opponent. A very good advice perhaps. however -
2. Play The Board
I think I'm somewhat like this. But it depends on what I sense. If I think the probability is above 60% or so. I play the move designed to take advantage of my opponents next move. Of course, the problem with this is that usually when I am playing 1800++ players, I would lay this deep trap and smile satisfied to myself, only my opponent will see it and now I'm "in deep shit".
I hear GM's say this all the time. Find the truth in the position. Never mind the opponent. A very good advice perhaps. however -
2. Play The Board
I think I'm somewhat like this. But it depends on what I sense. If I think the probability is above 60% or so. I play the move designed to take advantage of my opponents next move. Of course, the problem with this is that usually when I am playing 1800++ players, I would lay this deep trap and smile satisfied to myself, only my opponent will see it and now I'm "in deep shit".
That's the problem with playing people with higher rating (Say about 100+ points differential). My traps does not work simply because all I see, they can see too. They certainly didn't get such high rating by being a worse player than I am. If that was the case, I'd be the one with the high rating wouldn't I.
But I just couldn't help myself. If I find a trap, i feel this deep satisfaction. "Yes, yes, my precioussss!!!" - thoughts like this flickers on my mind. So I play the move because it makes me "happy".
Nezha you fool! I Hate you!!
I played this game yesterday evening. This game is full of blunders for both sides, the +- graph would look like a sine wave. It was a very wild game. My opponent tried the center fork trick on me. Then the position got into a "gambit" mode, I sacrificed the exchange for an attack, and was down material for most of the game. However, during the middle game - I was very happy with my position. Looking at the board, I realized excepting for queen moves "What the?! He is in zugzwang!". Well not really, but for the longest time he was paralyzed. Then we got into the endgame, and then reached this position.
Nezha (1766) vs. macamaran (1861)
(White to move)
I should have won here. I was fully intending to do the deflection-promotion trick, but then completely forgot about it the very next move. Remembering this position caused me to twist and turn last night. Oh my lamentations... these kind of blunders haunt me.. Dang nezha, how stupid can you get. You should have won.. you, you.. fool.. you... (and yes, I'm still not over it)
Full game text
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. Bc4 Nxe4
5. Nxe4 d5 6. Bb5 dxe47. Bxc6+ bxc6 8. Nxe5 Qg5
9. d4 Qxg2 10. Rf1 Ba6 11. c4 Bb4+ 12. Bd2 Bxd2+
13. Qxd2 O-O 14. O-O-O f6 15. Rg1 Qh3 16. Nxc6 Bxc4
17. b3 Bf7 18. Rg3 Qe6 19. d5 Qd6 20. Qh6 Qa3+
21. Kb1 Bg6 22. Rxg6 hxg6 23. Qxg6 Rf7 24. Rg1 Qd6
25. Qxe4 f5 26. Qd4 Qxh2 27. Re1 f4 28. Re6 Qg1+
29. Kb2 Qg5 30. Qe4 Raf8 31. Ne7+ Rxe7 32. Rxe7 Qf6+
33. Kc1 Qa1+ 34. Qb1 Qxb1+ 35. Kxb1 Rf7 36. Re8+ Kh7
37. Ra8 c6 38. dxc6 g5 39. Rd8 Kg6 40. Rd7 Rf6
41. c7 Rc6 42. b4 g4 43. a4 g3 44. fxg3 fxg3
45. b5 g2 46. Rd1 Rxc7 47. Rg1 Rc4 48. Rxg2+ Kf5
49. Ra2 Ke5 50. Kb2 Kd5 51. Ka3 Kc5 52. Rb2 Rc3+
53. Ka2 Kb6 54. Rb3 Rc4 55. Ka3 Ka5 56. Rb2 Rxa4+
57. Kb3 Kxb5 58. Kc2+ Kc4 59. Kb1 a5 60. Ra2 Rb4+
61. Ka1 a4 62. Rb2 Rb3 63. Rc2+ Kd3 64. Rb2 Kc3
65. Rh2 Kb4 66. Rh4+ Ka3 67. Rh2 Rf3 68. Ra2+ Kb3
69. Rb2+ Kc3 70. Ka2 Rf1
1/2-1/2
5. Nxe4 d5 6. Bb5 dxe47. Bxc6+ bxc6 8. Nxe5 Qg5
9. d4 Qxg2 10. Rf1 Ba6 11. c4 Bb4+ 12. Bd2 Bxd2+
13. Qxd2 O-O 14. O-O-O f6 15. Rg1 Qh3 16. Nxc6 Bxc4
17. b3 Bf7 18. Rg3 Qe6 19. d5 Qd6 20. Qh6 Qa3+
21. Kb1 Bg6 22. Rxg6 hxg6 23. Qxg6 Rf7 24. Rg1 Qd6
25. Qxe4 f5 26. Qd4 Qxh2 27. Re1 f4 28. Re6 Qg1+
29. Kb2 Qg5 30. Qe4 Raf8 31. Ne7+ Rxe7 32. Rxe7 Qf6+
33. Kc1 Qa1+ 34. Qb1 Qxb1+ 35. Kxb1 Rf7 36. Re8+ Kh7
37. Ra8 c6 38. dxc6 g5 39. Rd8 Kg6 40. Rd7 Rf6
41. c7 Rc6 42. b4 g4 43. a4 g3 44. fxg3 fxg3
45. b5 g2 46. Rd1 Rxc7 47. Rg1 Rc4 48. Rxg2+ Kf5
49. Ra2 Ke5 50. Kb2 Kd5 51. Ka3 Kc5 52. Rb2 Rc3+
53. Ka2 Kb6 54. Rb3 Rc4 55. Ka3 Ka5 56. Rb2 Rxa4+
57. Kb3 Kxb5 58. Kc2+ Kc4 59. Kb1 a5 60. Ra2 Rb4+
61. Ka1 a4 62. Rb2 Rb3 63. Rc2+ Kd3 64. Rb2 Kc3
65. Rh2 Kb4 66. Rh4+ Ka3 67. Rh2 Rf3 68. Ra2+ Kb3
69. Rb2+ Kc3 70. Ka2 Rf1
1/2-1/2
Paste here Lutanho
I console myself in thinking that even Kramnik blunders. I am now convinced that he just threw us a bone. Maybe he was telling himself "If I draw here it will be just another draw, But if i lose in a blaze of glory, then people will remember by name. Wait, chalk that. There! - a mate-in-1. If I seemingly allow myself to fall for that, then people everywhere will sing praises in my name and offer virgins as sacrifice. Haha! Take this fritzy! A useless queen move. Drawnik eh!? How do you like me now Kasparov!" - I'm sure this is what he's thinking. There couldn't possibly be anything else.
-- Ah, but will the blunders always be with us? --
-- Ah, but will the blunders always be with us? --
You sense your opponent will play something and if do this move, his position will crumble
In OTB play there is another factor. I'm to a certain degree para-abnormal gifted. Sometimes I just now what my opponent is going to move. Only when I'm in the (twilight) zone.