English Chess Forum

Michael, I disagree. After all I survived 5 moves more than I remembered.
But I'm on a roll, now.
Finchley Schools League about 1955. I had white.
1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 Nc3 Nd7? 4 cxd5 cxd5 5 Nxd5 e5 6 dxe5 Qg5??? 7 Bxg5 Nxe5?! 8 Nc7#. 3 blunders in 7 moves. Why ?! for his 7th? Well, it put him out of his misery and the mate was quite original.
Why was I embarassed?
It took me an hour to get there and an hour to get home. I spent about 15 minutes consoling him, saying, 'I realise you don't always play that badly'.

Years ago I came second in a tournament with 4/5. The one loss was in 9 moves round 3 graveyard shift

8/3Q4/1k6/3K4/8/3P3P/3r3r/8 w - -

White to play and lose.

Gavin Hughes wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 10, 2018 2:47 pm

8/3Q4/1k6/3K4/8/3P3P/3r3r/8 w - -

White to play and lose.

1.d4??

Can't remember the moves, but in the 3rd round of the st albans congress a few years ago, I was on 2 points going into the third round (3 rounds on the Saturday, which as I'm sure some of you know is a long day!) After a long think in the middle game my opponent brought his queen next to my king and announced "CHECK!" with authority. Flustered, as this was a move I'd not considered, I panicked and moved my king away (right into mate in 3) only after I had taken my hand off the king, I realised I missed the slightly better option of KxQ and the reason I had not considered the move became clear - it wasn't possible!

Ian Thompson wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 10, 2018 2:51 pm

Gavin Hughes wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 10, 2018 2:47 pm

8/3Q4/1k6/3K4/8/3P3P/3r3r/8 w - -

White to play and lose.

1.d4??

Hah, yes - surprisingly easy to miss that too