Traps, Tricks & Mistakes: Draw Resource

If you are an ambitious player and eager to know the secrets of this game, then you are studying openings theory. There are hundreds of openings and the tree of variations and secondary lines is enormous. Knowing one opening is good but what if your opponent is a fan of a different one?

Or maybe your opponent enters the same opening as yourself but chooses a line that you do not know.

Titled masters are experienced players because they have played thousands of games and studied all parts of chess. It does not mean that they perfectly know any opening. They are aware of key concepts helping them to evaluate positions. In case they face a new opening or a new line, they would be able (with enough time) to find at least the most reasonable moves.

In case they confront a less frequent line, feel not comfortable with an unknown setup, or even have trouble remembering their own preparation, they will try to maintain a level game and go for a quick draw.

GM Sergey Karjakin used that option and drew his game against GM Anish Giri in just 14 moves.

After the game, Giri explained his feelings saying: “I thought he wouldn’t do it this way, but it’s possible. I was really preparing myself for a dangerous game, for a battle. I thought he would definitely give it a shot. I guess I surprised him with the Grunfeld, and he didn’t have anything ready.”

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