Why Do Grandmasters Lose? - Chess and Board Game Strategy

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Why Do Grandmasters Lose?

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12-06-2015 , 10:45 PM

Al Mirpuri

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 5,485

I would think grandmasters lose because:

1. they 'overpress'
2. they miscalculate combinational lines
3. they have theoretical novelties played against them
4. they get into time trouble

The above is what I could think of. What else is there?

A wood pusher asks.

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12-06-2015 , 10:59 PM

coon74

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 10,684

5. they eat or sleep poorly prior to the game
6. they're chased by the biological mother or another abusive relative
7. they write things other than the actual moves of the game during it
8. they castle with both hands in a FIDE game and are less lucky than Nakamura
9. their opponent is 250-300 points higher rated and plays 'like a boa constrictor' giving them no counterplay and being precise in the endgame

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12-06-2015 , 11:04 PM

Judit Bowlgar

centurion

Join Date: Aug 2014 Posts: 104

it's a common misconception that grandmasters are infallible. they are just less bad than average players. i'm 2800+ fide and i still blunder all the time.

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12-06-2015 , 11:14 PM

coon74

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 10,684

^

http://i.imgur.com/OS3B1qM.gif

Kasparov's historic blunder (thanks to Sholar for spotting the article and linking to it in the LC thread!)

Carlsen's BIG blunder (watch with Mato's commentary instead if you'd like to see all the moves of the game)

Edit: and of course don't forget the historic double blunder in game 6 of the 2014 world championship (alas the facial reactions of the players weren't captured even in the official stream, only their hand movement tells):

Last edited by coon74; 12-06-2015 at 11:31 PM.

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12-07-2015 , 02:04 PM

The Yugoslavian

STTF HUC II Winner

Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 25,040

It's all game-fixing at that level.

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