Blunders in Chess and How to Avoid Them
Every chess player, from beginners to grandmasters, knows the feeling of blundering. You may have developed an excellent position only to hang your queen or made an error in the opening and managed to get checkmated in just a few moves. Whatever the case, a blunder is a decisive moment and difficult to deal with.
As a chess game progresses into the middlegame, the number of possible moves increases and the number of good moves decreases. Winning means finding those few accurate moves, which also means avoiding the traps, miscalculations, and oversights that constitute blunders.
Let’s discover what chess blunders are and some of the best ways to avoid them.
What is a Blunder in Chess?
For those of you who play online on Chess.com, you will be familiar with the dreaded double red question mark that signifies a blunder. But what defines a blunder? And what makes it different from other mistakes?
A blunder in chess is a significant mistake that could lose you the entire game. This might mean failing to predict an opponent's tactics, hanging one of your pieces, or simply missing a checkmate threat and losing the game.
The difference between a blunder and a mistake is the impact it has on the game. Blunders are decisive errors that leave you with a significant positional or material disadvantage. Unlike suboptimal moves, they are often easily avoidable. Whether it is a loss of material or a positional disadvantage, one blunder against a good player is often one too many.
Let’s look at a few examples.
Examples of Blunders
In this position, black is seemingly offered a free knight on g4. Should they take it?
The position is close to equal, but taking the knight would be an enormous blunder for black. The queen and the bishop are connected and pointing at the king. The black knight is defending h7, but if it leaves its square, white can play Qxh7 with checkmate.
Here is an example that requires a little more calculation.
It’s black’s turn to move – what should they do in this position?
Playing a normal developing move like Nc6 would be a blunder. White is allowed to play the Greek Gift trap by sacrificing the bishop on h7. After the king recaptures, black will either get checkmated or lose their queen.
There are many variations but here is one example of how white gets a winning advantage: 1. Bxh7 KxBh7 2. Ng5+ Kg8 3. Qh5 QxNg5 4. BxQg5. To prevent checkmate, black is forced to give up their Queen.
How to Stop Blundering
Chess beginners blunder a lot. As you get better at the game, your board awareness improves. You start to recognize pieces that might be vulnerable and watch out for weaknesses in your position.
Nevertheless, we all still blunder – grandmasters still blunder, especially under time pressure. Here are some key ways to avoid blundering and minimize mistakes.
Scan for Threats
One of the most common mistakes beginners make is focusing too much on their moves and ignoring their opponent's. You have a plan in mind and you are excited to execute it. But a game of chess is an ever-changing landscape – a single move can force you to completely reevaluate your strategy.
This is why you should always scan the board for threats. At first glance, this means looking for checks, captures, and weaknesses. Ask yourself questions like:
- Are any of my pieces hanging?
- Can my opponent deliver any checks?
- Could this move weaken my pawn structure?
At a higher level, scanning for threats will include looking for tactical combinations, sacrifices, and positional advantages your opponent could gain.
Related: What You Can Do To Improve Your Chess Training
Learn Common Tactics
Tactics are often hard to spot. The threat your opponent poses will often not be immediate but executed in a combination of moves.
Learning to spot tactical motifs like pins, forks, and discovered attacks will enable you to quickly pick up on warning signs and figure out your opponent's next moves. A good practice is solving tactical problems or puzzles – you can also give yourself a time limit to increase the difficulty.
Related: How To Get Better At Chess
Look Out for Unexpected Moves
Too often, as a beginner, I saw a seemingly bad move by my opponent and snapped up a free pawn or piece, only to fall into their trap.
While many players make mistakes, if a position seems too good to be true, examine it carefully. Have they made a mistake or is there something you’ve missed?
Predict Sacrifices
Sacrifices are common type of unexpected move, in which a player gives up a piece in favor of a tactical advantage. If your opponent seems to be offering you a piece, ask yourself why. What will their following moves be?
That said, don’t be too cautious! Your opponent can blunder as well and they may simply have missed one of your threats.
Related: How To Know When It Is Time For A Queen Sacrifice
Positional Awareness
Blunders in chess aren’t always tactical, they can be positional as well. Creating a weakness in your position can be enough to lose the game. For example, simply allowing your pawn structure to be broken can lead to a lost endgame.
Develop to Safe Squares and Coordinate Pieces
When it comes to developing your pieces, try to find protected positions for them. Create a solid pawn structure to support your pieces and learn to recognize when they are vulnerable.
Try not to look at each piece independently but see how they coordinates to create your position.
Look for Future Threats
Understanding your opponent's long term threats may prevent you from blundering later in the game. A fianchettoed bishop is easy to forget about, but they are exceptionally dangerous. Similarly, giving your opponent open files can allow them to control many squares making it easier for you to blunder.
Chess Blindness and Psychology
Whether you're playing chess online or over the board, you are more likely to blunder when you are panicked or stressed. Staying calm and focusing on the position can reduce the amount of mistakes you make.
A phenomenon called chess blindness refers to overlooking blunders or winning moves. It can happen to any level of player due to a lack of familiarity with common patterns in the game or from psychological factors like tiredness or stress.
Overconfidence
Beware of feeling too comfortable in your position. Chess games can change very suddenly and it doesn’t take much to turn a winning position into a losing one.
It is best to consider each position independently and try to forget any preconceptions about whether you should win the game.
Time Pressure
Time pressure refers to the increased difficulty in making accurate moves in time-controlled games. Top players often blunder simply because they have no time to think or they lose focus at a crucial moment.
To prevent this, learn time management techniques to limit the stress of a low clock. Playing blitz games with a focus on quickly scanning for threats can help you limit blunders under time pressure.
Final Thoughts Develop Your Own System to Prevent Blunders
Every chess player is different. Your system for spotting blunders may differ drastically from someone else’s. The important thing is to consciously consider each of your moves and to develop the depth and speed of your calculations.
Many chess coaches advise a checklist to prevent blunders. A simple example could be:
- Look for threats: scan for hanging pieces and checks.
- Evaluate the intended move: Does it weaken your position? Or remove protection from a piece? Does it create a significant threat or positional improvement?
- Calculate your opponent’s response: which moves will likely follow?
A simple checklist like this can be an excellent tool to help you stop blundering.
We’ve looked at some of the best ways to make accurate moves and avoid blunders in chess. Why not try creating your own checklist to avoid blunders?