Reducing Losses Using Blunder Warning Signs

[IanCalvert]

This short post outlines one successful approach to reducing losses in ECF standard games. I have applied it in my 22 ECF rated standard games from June to November 2025 scoring Won 5 Drawn 15 and Lost 2 against a median opponent grade of 1974.

This approach merges, a selection of, ideas on chess blunders from two very different sources: Nunn’s Secrets of Practical Chess (2007, pp. 50-56) and Hartston’s The Psychology of Chess (1984,pp. 86-90).

It entails enhancing normal play with supplementary move checking whenever warning signs , of potential blunders or oversights, are detected. Pragmatic player time management is also required!

The blunder warning signs I selected are:
1. Previous, non-catastrophic, oversights in game (Nunn)
2. Tactical weaknesses in position (Nunn)
3. Loss of Concentration (Hartston)

Hartston notes “ two other most common causes of loss of concentration both occur after the game has passed a crisis”. He also comments on a remarkable 1928 article by Ilyin-Zhenevsky .

Comments and criticisms are very welcome.

[Roger de Coverly]

It entails enhancing normal play with supplementary move checking whenever warning signs , of potential blunders or oversights, are detected.

The move when you offer a draw can often be a mistake as can the move after you declined one. There again perhaps draw offers by the opponent should be treated with suspicion.

Here's one I mistakenly accepted.

[SetUp "1"] [FEN "r2r2k1/p4pp1/7p/2Qq4/8/P2b1P2/5BPP/R3R1K1 w - - 2 28"]

Black's last move had been Qb3-d5

[Geoff Chandler]

The 1928 article by Ilyin-Zhenevsky

https://www.chess.com/blog/Spektrowski/ ... -zhenevsky

[John Townsend]

Post withdrawn. (I misread Roger's move).

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Re8+ is cute. Only works because the rook on a8 ends up unprotected.

[John Clarke]

Yes, an example of the rare rook-on-rook pin. (See Abrahams-Golombek 1947 and Nunn-Raicevic 1982 for other notable examples.)

[Ian Cross]

À major culprit for blunders is time pressure. I have found that leaving myself ahead on the clock in a tricky ending adds pressure to my opponent. Against a higher rated opponent, avoiding time pressure is not always possible but it should always be an aim to avoid getting too far behind on the clock. Weaker opponents usually move faster than myself, so the aim is to play the percentage and keep parity on the clock if practical.

I have learnt from bitter experience to avoid too many deep thoughts during a league match where the increment is only 10 seconds. For FIDE rated events with a 30 second increment then avoiding a blunder should be more manageable. Managing the clock well versus trying to find the best move is something that comes with experience.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

I always fall into the trap of investing time to find a winning plan. And end up with no plan and no time...