A breakthrough of my mind

Today I got a really nice chess puzzle that makes me review all of my knowledge, or even more important - the way I should think strategically. 🤔

chess puzzle 1

via chess.com

The puzzle starts with black makes Na5, white to move.

To this day, what I have learned about chess strategies could be shortened into: seek to prevail. There are many shapes of prevail, that is:

  • checkmate the opposite king
  • gain the advantage in trading pieces (sacrifice)
  • take the advantage of space (suppress, narrow the opponent’s scope of activity)
  • promotion

Apply to the current situation, white wins one piece (a pawn which means 1 point but it’s just a gambit), a little bit advantage of space (a pawn in d5 followed by Bishop at c4), a bad move of black pawn f7. And on top of that, white has a strong Bishop - Bc4 which makes a threat to Kg8 indirectly.

For the next 15 minutes, I tried to simulate every possible trading cases and after all, I realized that white will always lose the advantage in cases of trading pieces. The only thing left in my hand is to avoid trading - which sometimes in my past, I learned that we should avoid trading if we have the advantage of space. I never do a backward move before, all I did up until today is fighting back, not backward, so that was very hard to make decision.

All of my logical thinking leads me to only one logical decision, and I choose to believe my thoughts, not the old way come from my feels. Take a deep breath and I started moving piece…

If it costs you time (as me), this is your solution

chess puzzle 2

via chess.com

A really simple solution with just a single move. But it’s beatiful!😊

Costs 16 minutes and 58 seconds to change my rigid mind for the first time. But I really think it’s worth it!!!

To myself (and readers who think it was fun to read)

  • Threatening is sometimes more frightening than causing damage.
  • Keep your advantage, inaccurate responses to a false threat can cost you your advantage.
  • Old but good - sometimes we need to go backward before we can move forward.

I learned today, hope it works for you too 🤣