Dan Heisman

Dan Heisman's

Hall of Shame Example

In my Novice Nook The Case for Time Management, I had a postscript suggesting students make their own study book, and I called it the punsy Hall of Shame:

"Here is a suggestion from which almost everyone can benefit: Make a puzzle book out of your biggest mistakes. Get a three-ring binder. Every time you make a big mistake, print out the accompanying position and put it in your binder, with written analysis/discussion including both what you did wrong and what you should have done. Even if you played too slowly on a move and got into time trouble, that is a good candidate for your folder...

"Once you create a notebook of “My most famous mistakes” you can use it like a study book. Hopefully you will get so sick of looking over and over again at your most common mistakes that you will recognize similar patterns in the future and not make the same mistakes. And if you can cut down on your biggest and most common mistakes, you are definitely going to improve!"

The following is a fictitious example (I did not really play this game!):

Mistake #17:

John Doe - Heisman Aug 2004 (not a real game, just a phony example!)

Black to play

What I did: 15...Qe2?? thinking that after 16.Rxe2 Rd1+ would mate for me.

What I did wrong: I did not fully analyze the line before committing myself to the Queen sacrifice. I forgot that the Rook on e2 is not out of play and in fact two pieces are guarding e1. In fact, after 16.Rxe2 Rd1+ White is not in danger of a back-rank mate and has two ways to save himself:

17.Re1 Bxg2+ 18.Kxg2! (18.Qxg2?? Rxe1+ wins the Queen) 18...Rxe1 and now a 19.b3 followed by 20.Bb2 and I am up a Queen for a Rook, or

17.Ne1! Bf1 (The only try) 18.Qc2! (Not 18.Rd2?? Rxe1 and Black wins, e.g. 19.Qg4 Be2+ 20.Qg1 Bf3#) and White is up almost an entire Queen and can slowly extricate himself with an easy win.

What I should have done: Take my time and be more accurate before making such a commital move! I was winning so I should have avoided complication, not inviting them. Instead of the unnecessary 15...Qe2?? I should just play 15...Rd1! when White has nothing better than 16.Bd2 Rxd2 with an easy win for me. If instead 16.Rg1 then 16...Rxg1+ 17.Kxg1 Qd1+ 18.Ne1 Qxe1#. Besides, even if White just has to trade Rooks, that is good for me, since I am ahead.

Next time I will take more time and analyze all critical lines more carefully. If I am going to sacrifice my Queen, I better make 100% sure that I am getting it all back and more in all the lines before committing myself to such drastic (and in this case unnecessary) action!