Everyone loses chess games occasionally, but all too often we lose a game due to moves that, deep down, we knew were flawed. Why do we commit these chess-board sins? Are they the result of general misconceptions about chess and how it should be played? And how can we recognize the warning signs better?
In this thought-provoking and entertaining book, Jonathan Rowson investigates, in his inimitable style, the main reasons why chess-players sometimes go horribly astray, focusing on the underlying psychological pitfalls:
* Thinking (unnecessary or erroneous)
* Blinking (missing opportunities; lack of resolution)
* Wanting (too much concern with the result of the game)
* Materialism (lack of attention to non-material factors)
* Egoism (insufficient awareness of the opponent and his ideas)
* Perfectionism (running short of time; trying too hard)
* Looseness (“losing the plot”; drifting; poor concentration)
Everyone loses chess games occasionally, but all too often we lose a game due to moves that, deep down, we knew were flawed. Why do we commit these chess-board sins? Are they the result of general misconceptions about chess and how it should be played? And how can we recognize the warning signs better?In this thought-provoking and entertaining book, Jonathan Rowson investigates, in his inimitable style, the main reasons why chess-players sometimes go horribly astray, focusing on the underlying psychological pitfalls:* Thinking (unnecessary or erroneous)* Blinking (missing opportunities; lack of resolution)* Wanting (too much concern with the result of the game)* Materialism (lack of attention to non-material factors)* Egoism (insufficient awareness of the opponent and his ideas)* Perfectionism (running short of time; trying too hard)* Looseness (losing the plot; drifting; poor concentration)Jonathan Rowson became Scotlands third grandmaster in late 1999, within months of graduating from l³+