One thing that I think is important to remember when working on chess is that while things like accuracy do matter, it’s also important to take them with the occasional grain of salt.
For instance, look at this puzzle.
It’s white to move and it’s mate in two.
Now, the correct answer is at the bottom of the page below the Patreon info. Scroll down when you would like to see it.
Now, when I initially solve the puzzle I solved it as 1.Rb3 g3 2.Rd3 (or lots of other third rank squares) g2 3.Rh3# (For some unknown reason my brain was saying this was a mate in four, not three…who knows why…)
So here’s the thing…technically my answer was “wrong” and would be considered a fail on any tactics app, etc. But in reality since the entire line was forced it’s important to remember that this solution would work from a practical standpoint in a game.
Til Next Time,
Chris Wainscott
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1.Rb4 g3 2.Kf5#
I dislike these kinds of puzzles, unless they involve stalemate. Aside from somehow theoretically aiding your vision, they do nothing from a practical standpoint. There are no patterns to learn in such a one-sided position. Chances are that you won’t even be paying attention in a real game to anything other than avoiding stalemate and making ANY checkmate.