Just sit down!

One of the things I observed while playing in the last 3 Excel chess tournaments at OUG is that the kids never can sit down at the chess board for long. 

Like most adults I hate playing kids because of the high possibility of suffering a humiliating defeat. It is very disconcerting to see them spend only a few seconds making their moves and jump off to watch other games or chat with their friends. Obviously the young ones lack the discipline or patience to study the position on their opponent’s time.

I had one complete losing endgame but saved it just because the kid got off his chair after making his moves when the position was complicated. I had a long think and found a small tactic to sacrifice my knight for a pawn and draw. Strangely, only when it became apparent that the win was gone the kid started to think long and hard even though the position has clarified into a drawn position.

My advice to kids is just to sit down and think the position through especially when the position is critical.

In the recent Excel First Saturday event, I won at least two games against kids in drawn positions taking advantage of just this particular “weakness” of opponents who cannot sit down and think.

Anyway I have to thank them as they contributed to my 5th position in the tourney – my first ever prize win in more than a year :)

Unless the younger ones learn to be more disciplined and patient enough to sit down longer at the board, this is a useful caveat for older players to gain advantages against playing kids in long time control games.

GilaChess