Traps, Tricks & Mistakes: Blitzing Backfire

Because in chess games, players are confronted with complicated positions, they need time for thinking and evaluating alternative variations. Because chess games have an established time control, time spent in one part affects inevitably the endgame.

In cases of severe time trouble, the opponent can take advantage of the situation and play his/her moves quickly in order to exert extra pressure on the rival.

But on occasions, that strategy backfires in the form of overlooking moves.

That is what happened to Armenian WGM Anna M. Sargsyan in her game against Russian WGM Natalija Pogonina.

Pogonina was dominating the endgame but went into time trouble. Sargsyan tried to put pressure on her opponent and started blitzing but with misfortune because suffered a case of chess blindness. She didn’t notice that when moving her rook out of Pogonina’s threat, the rook blocked the defence of her own bishop.

The following position appeared after Sargsyan’s 29th move.

At that moment, Pogonina had 12 minutes left against 13 minutes for Sargsyan.

A similar case of chess blindness happened in the game Steinitz-Chigorin, rematch 1892, which was tragic for Chigorin.

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