Traps, Tricks & Mistakes: Simul Tricks

A simultaneous exhibition is always a great chance for every chess player to meet a GM.

A club player has few to do against a GM but sometimes there are chances and in any case, you always learn something useful.

Can you imagine the embarrassing situation when a GM is in trouble playing a simul against club players?

When a GM face some trouble, usually he/she will offer a draw. This is a sign that he/she is losing. (It was said that Capablanca always offered a draw when he was playing a woman) But there are other tricks. The smartest I have read is the following one:

These are the first moves of one game which a GM played in a simultaneous exhibition

After GM’s last move, the amateur immersed himself in deep thought. When the GM came again at the board, his opponent was still shaking his head.

“You don’t like your position?” asked politely the GM

“Of course not, I am losing in all the variations!” the amateur replied, and quickly showed the lines he had calculated:

The GM listened very attentively to his opponent’s reasoning.

Then, to the amateur’s astonishment, the GM proposed: “If you hate your position so much, would you like to switch colours?”

The amateur was very happy listening to that offer and he instantly agreed to it. Then the game resumed:

Oops!!!