Tigran Petrosian
Over the course of the 2013-14 season I had an epiphany over what drives me as a chess-player, and I continue to be troubled by it - enough to have collected all the games where I discuss this issue. This is mainly for my own reference, but perhaps it will be of interest to others too: surely I am not the only one with this problem.
The most succint description I have come up with is that I am a 'chessical Javert' - as I understand it, chess is a very logical game and has at its heart a set of fixed principles we usually think of as rules. It seems only natural that breaking them should be the surest route to perdition; this sounds like something from Steinitz or Botvinnik and indeed they are both invoked often enough on this blog. But Petrosian captured what I am driving at better than either. Whether you think my chess is strong or weak, you'll rarely see me playing unaesthetic moves by choice - for good or ill.
So far, so good. But here's where it makes sense to invoke that most tragic of characters from Les Miserables - not all of my opponents share my high regard for the rules of chess, and it is often beyond my power to bring them to justice. And that is the crux of the problem. I tend to lose sight of my own game and get hooked up on showing them the error of their ways. When I fail, it is very difficult for me to deal with - after all, their success represents a challenge to my entire understanding of chess! It is a horrifying thing to be weak enough to make many bad moves, but strong enough to understand that this is so. Or, to frame it more elegantly as a favourite line of mine, "the stronger you become, the more you realise how weak everyone really is."
In the following games then, the reader should be prepared for some pretty horrible chess. Both from my opponents, who run ragshod over those principles I hold so dear, and from yours truly in trying to make them pay. There is the occasional triumph on my part, but for the most part it is a legacy of failure. They are not pretty games, but I hope they are insightful.
Index created 27th July 2014. Last updated 22nd August 2018.
Andreev, P 0-1 Young, D (London Junior U-21/18 Open, December 2012) - The game that somehow sneaks into all of my indices, and here it is again! I didn't dwell on it at the time but perhaps my policeman dilemma is why I still regard it as my best ever game: white's overconfidence leads to some very questionable play but for once I meet the challenge and win in style.
Young, D 0-1 Porter, S (Jessie Gilbert Festival U-2000, August 2013) - It was in response to this game that I started to form the idea of the 'chessboard policeman'. On this occasion it was not anti-positional play that annoyed me, but a close friend playing on and on trying to win a completely drawn endgame - and succeeding when I blundered horribly in time trouble.
Zhou, Y ½–½ Young, D (Jessie Gilbert Festival U-2000, August 2013) - From the same event as the above. After allowing white to play into just the sort of position I knew he dislikes, it wasn't a surprise when he lashed out against the flow of the position. Yet he escapes the axe thanks to my inept, lazy calculation.
Young, D 0-1 Lewis, C (Bristol University vs. Shropshire [4NCL], November 2013) - This was the half-season for which I was playing openings that weren't 1. e4 - but for reasons that are still hard to explain I played it here nevertheless. Anyhow, I got dominant position in the face of black's improvisation, but missed the kills, drifted into an inferior ending and then blundered the exchange. Even worse, it cost our team an easy match point.
Young, D 0-1 Porter, S (Jessie Gilbert Festival U-2000, August 2013) - It was in response to this game that I started to form the idea of the 'chessboard policeman'. On this occasion it was not anti-positional play that annoyed me, but a close friend playing on and on trying to win a completely drawn endgame - and succeeding when I blundered horribly in time trouble.
Zhou, Y ½–½ Young, D (Jessie Gilbert Festival U-2000, August 2013) - From the same event as the above. After allowing white to play into just the sort of position I knew he dislikes, it wasn't a surprise when he lashed out against the flow of the position. Yet he escapes the axe thanks to my inept, lazy calculation.
Young, D 0-1 Lewis, C (Bristol University vs. Shropshire [4NCL], November 2013) - This was the half-season for which I was playing openings that weren't 1. e4 - but for reasons that are still hard to explain I played it here nevertheless. Anyhow, I got dominant position in the face of black's improvisation, but missed the kills, drifted into an inferior ending and then blundered the exchange. Even worse, it cost our team an easy match point.
Purvis, A 0-1 Young, D (Sandhurst Scorpions vs. Bristol University [4NCL], February 2014) - A rare success, but it is telling that I have an attachment to this game quite out of proportion to its quality. White plays an aggressive opening line, but singularly fails to develop any pieces and is brutally wiped out.
Johnson, J ½–½ Young, D (Clifton vs. Bristol University, February 2014) - Alas, only a few days later I was back to normal. White's opening is artificial, and though my reaction is not the best it still suffices for a clear advantage. It takes him an age to realise just how badly things have gone, and by then I have a winning position - but a string of missed wins and my misjudgement of the endgame in the final position leads to a strange draw offer.
Kay, J ½–½ Young, D (Fermented Sharks vs. Bristol University [4NCL], May 2014) - In some ways, very similar to the previous game. White dodges a theoretical battle and gets a suspicious position which I soon take over. The haymaker is on the board, but I blank it out, the critical moment passes and my natural cowardice takes over.
Williams, M ½–½ Young, D (Coulsdon Summer Cup, June 2014) - Again echoing the previous two games: white tries to get out of book and gets an even worse position than his predecessors. So unprincipled is his play that by move 11 black is already looking for forced wins, but yet again my inadequate calculation lets white off with a split point.
Anilkumar, A 1-0 Young, D (Coulsdon Summer Cup, July 2014) - And now the disaster that made me sit and think about this subject seriously. If I had won then I could have played for the title in the next, final, round, and all goes well - better preparation and more experience in the line hand me an absolutely dominating position. But even when playing computer-perfect chess I am vulnerable: white's whole game of naive moves means nothing whereas one tactical oversight costs me a Rook, the game and the tournament.
Young, D 0-1 Kalavannan, K (London U-21/18 Open, December 2015) - The return of this unhappy disease, or just a blip? As is his wont, black plays a solid opening quite out of keeping with his grading advantage and then decides that he wants to win after all and lashes out. Overtaken by the red mist, I go straight for a mate that isn't there and soon have to face up to the crumbling position I left behind.
Young, D 0-1 Hackett, D (Kidlington Open, February 2018) - My psychological calling card has lain low in recent years, but it is still there: this was a very frustrating game to lose. Black insists that his opening choice is fine despite all evidence to the contrary, but I let him escape, outplay him but get hypnotised into thinking that his tactical get-out works and then butcher the endgame.
Hughes, A 1-0 Young, D (Wimbledon vs. Wallington, April 2018) - Perhaps this game doesn't fully align with my original motive for this index, but it's definitely related and is arguably more relevant to me now. My scorn for the anodyne costs me dearly, and the desire to punish costs me any objectivity.
Healey, G 1-0 Young, D (Cornwall vs. Surrey, May 2018) - White's hope of avoiding preparation was in vain, but despite getting every chance I just couldn't kill him off! He somehow gets out of jail and then pounces on my time trouble demons.
Young, D 1-0 Krzyzanowski, P (British Championship, July 2018) - I don't need to return to this list very often now because I have started playing games like this. Black is desperate to randomise the game, but instead of getting angry I just play sensible chess and am soon rewarded with a pretty combination that kick-started the tournament of my life.
Johnson, J ½–½ Young, D (Clifton vs. Bristol University, February 2014) - Alas, only a few days later I was back to normal. White's opening is artificial, and though my reaction is not the best it still suffices for a clear advantage. It takes him an age to realise just how badly things have gone, and by then I have a winning position - but a string of missed wins and my misjudgement of the endgame in the final position leads to a strange draw offer.
Kay, J ½–½ Young, D (Fermented Sharks vs. Bristol University [4NCL], May 2014) - In some ways, very similar to the previous game. White dodges a theoretical battle and gets a suspicious position which I soon take over. The haymaker is on the board, but I blank it out, the critical moment passes and my natural cowardice takes over.
Williams, M ½–½ Young, D (Coulsdon Summer Cup, June 2014) - Again echoing the previous two games: white tries to get out of book and gets an even worse position than his predecessors. So unprincipled is his play that by move 11 black is already looking for forced wins, but yet again my inadequate calculation lets white off with a split point.
Anilkumar, A 1-0 Young, D (Coulsdon Summer Cup, July 2014) - And now the disaster that made me sit and think about this subject seriously. If I had won then I could have played for the title in the next, final, round, and all goes well - better preparation and more experience in the line hand me an absolutely dominating position. But even when playing computer-perfect chess I am vulnerable: white's whole game of naive moves means nothing whereas one tactical oversight costs me a Rook, the game and the tournament.
Young, D 0-1 Kalavannan, K (London U-21/18 Open, December 2015) - The return of this unhappy disease, or just a blip? As is his wont, black plays a solid opening quite out of keeping with his grading advantage and then decides that he wants to win after all and lashes out. Overtaken by the red mist, I go straight for a mate that isn't there and soon have to face up to the crumbling position I left behind.
Young, D 0-1 Hackett, D (Kidlington Open, February 2018) - My psychological calling card has lain low in recent years, but it is still there: this was a very frustrating game to lose. Black insists that his opening choice is fine despite all evidence to the contrary, but I let him escape, outplay him but get hypnotised into thinking that his tactical get-out works and then butcher the endgame.
Hughes, A 1-0 Young, D (Wimbledon vs. Wallington, April 2018) - Perhaps this game doesn't fully align with my original motive for this index, but it's definitely related and is arguably more relevant to me now. My scorn for the anodyne costs me dearly, and the desire to punish costs me any objectivity.
Healey, G 1-0 Young, D (Cornwall vs. Surrey, May 2018) - White's hope of avoiding preparation was in vain, but despite getting every chance I just couldn't kill him off! He somehow gets out of jail and then pounces on my time trouble demons.
Young, D 1-0 Krzyzanowski, P (British Championship, July 2018) - I don't need to return to this list very often now because I have started playing games like this. Black is desperate to randomise the game, but instead of getting angry I just play sensible chess and am soon rewarded with a pretty combination that kick-started the tournament of my life.
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