Bad Habits

When I’m analyzing my OTB games, I often see myself playing what I think are normal, sensible developing moves in the opening, but later in the game these turn out to be severe positional errors, so I’m always struggling to get back on level terms in the middlegame or desperately trying to hold a bad ending, because of decisions I made in good faith 30 or 40 moves previously.

What’s the best way to practise which will help me break a bad habit like this?

lonelypeanut

Can you show us examples?

PureProgressionFTW

That's pretty normal.

When you're watching analysis of a game between two GM's for instance their moves often appear quite natural but then when you try to recreate such 'natural' moves they're often bad. It's a matter of familiarity & practice.

That's pretty normal. When you're watching analysis of a game between two GM's for instance their moves often appear quite natural but then when you try to recreate such 'natural' moves they're often bad. It's a matter of familiarity & practice.

TheBounder

@lonelypeanut said ^

Can you show us examples?

General themes. For example:

Grabbing space with a pawn push, which leaves a hole my opponent exploits later.
1(a) ...or finding I can barely move anything without losing material, so in frustration I push a pawn which turns out to be important defensively left where it is.
Chasing a bishop with h3 or ...h6 to try to break a pin on f3 or f6, and getting mated in a kingside attack because I've weakened my king's pawn cover.
Pawn breaks which look superficially like they free my position, but where my opponent later invades via the open- or semi-open file that results.
Releasing the central tension too early to the advantage of my opponent because I can't see anything else that works for me in the position.

@lonelypeanut said [^](/forum/redirect/post/N6YC5Tim) > Can you show us examples? General themes. For example: 1. Grabbing space with a pawn push, which leaves a hole my opponent exploits later. 1(a) ...or finding I can barely move anything without losing material, so in frustration I push a pawn which turns out to be important defensively left where it is. 2. Chasing a bishop with h3 or ...h6 to try to break a pin on f3 or f6, and getting mated in a kingside attack because I've weakened my king's pawn cover. 3. Pawn breaks which look superficially like they free my position, but where my opponent later invades via the open- or semi-open file that results. 4. Releasing the central tension too early to the advantage of my opponent because I can't see anything else that works for me in the position.

ChessPriyome

@TheBounder said ^

When I’m analyzing my OTB games, I often see myself playing what I think are normal, sensible developing moves in the opening, but later in the game these turn out to be severe positional errors, so I’m always struggling to get back on level terms in the middlegame or desperately trying to hold a bad ending, because of decisions I made in good faith 30 or 40 moves previously.

What’s the best way ...

Stop playing bullet. Play rapid or classical and use your time.

@TheBounder said [^](/forum/redirect/post/Jt6UrVYZ) > When I’m analyzing my OTB games, I often see myself playing what I think are normal, sensible developing moves in the opening, but later in the game these turn out to be severe positional errors, so I’m always struggling to get back on level terms in the middlegame or desperately trying to hold a bad ending, because of decisions I made in good faith 30 or 40 moves previously. > > What’s the best way ... Stop playing bullet. Play rapid or classical and use your time.

kindaspongey edited

@TheBounder said in #4:

@lonelypeanut said ^

Can you show us examples?

General themes. For example:

Grabbing space with ...

The discussion would probably be helped by identification of a specific game and move number.

@TheBounder said in #4: > @lonelypeanut said ^ > > Can you show us examples? > > General themes. For example: > 1. Grabbing space with ... The discussion would probably be helped by identification of a specific game and move number.

kindaspongey edited

@TheBounder said in #1:

When I’m analyzing my OTB games, I often see myself playing what I think are normal, sensible developing moves in the opening, but later in the game these turn out to be severe positional errors, so I’m always struggling to get back on level terms in the middlegame or desperately trying to hold a bad ending, because of decisions I made in good faith 30 or 40 moves previously.

What’s the best way to practise which will help me break a bad habit like this?

Here is an example (from https://lichess.org/forum/game-analysis/problem-with-conversions) that seems to be a little bit like what you are describing:
[Site "https://lichess.org/yDeiO6AK"] [Result "0-1"] [Variant "Standard"] [TimeControl "900+10"] [Annotator "lichess.org"] 1 e4 d6 2 d4 c6 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 Bd3 g6 5 c3 Bg7 6 O-O O-O 7 h3 Nbd7 8 Be3 e5 9 dxe5 Nxe5 10 Nxe5 dxe5 11 Qc2 Be6 12 Nd2 b6 13 Nf3 Nd7 14 a3 a5 15 Rad1 a4 16 c4 b5 17 Ng5 Qe8 18 Nxe6 Qxe6 19 cxb5 Rac8 20 bxc6 Rxc6 21 Qxa4 Nc5 22 Qb5 Nb3 23 Qa4 Rc7 24 Rfe1 h5 25 h4?! (2.85 --> 1.76) Inaccuracy. Qa6 was best.

From the machine's point of view, the choice of 25 h4 does not seem to be a big deal. The assessment, "2.85 --> 1.76", suggests that White still had a won game, but I wonder if the machine failed to properly appreciate an aspect of human psychology. For as long as that pawn was out there, unprotected, on h4, it was necessary for White to check, on every move, that Black was not allowed an opportunity to exploit that vulnerability.
For a machine, such checking might not be much of a problem, but, for a human, it is perhaps not too surprising that White eventually made a mistake that allowed Black a tactic, in part involving the h4-pawn.

I don't know exactly what is happening with your "bad habits", but perhaps if we looked at a specific example of a problematic move choice, clues could be identified that would have pointed a way to an easier future game.

@TheBounder said in #1: > When I’m analyzing my OTB games, I often see myself playing what I think are normal, sensible developing moves in the opening, but later in the game these turn out to be severe positional errors, so I’m always struggling to get back on level terms in the middlegame or desperately trying to hold a bad ending, because of decisions I made in good faith 30 or 40 moves previously. > > What’s the best way to practise which will help me break a bad habit like this? Here is an example (from https://lichess.org/forum/game-analysis/problem-with-conversions) that seems to be a little bit like what you are describing: [Site "https://lichess.org/yDeiO6AK"] [Result "0-1"] [Variant "Standard"] [TimeControl "900+10"] [Annotator "lichess.org"] 1 e4 d6 2 d4 c6 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 Bd3 g6 5 c3 Bg7 6 O-O O-O 7 h3 Nbd7 8 Be3 e5 9 dxe5 Nxe5 10 Nxe5 dxe5 11 Qc2 Be6 12 Nd2 b6 13 Nf3 Nd7 14 a3 a5 15 Rad1 a4 16 c4 b5 17 Ng5 Qe8 18 Nxe6 Qxe6 19 cxb5 Rac8 20 bxc6 Rxc6 21 Qxa4 Nc5 22 Qb5 Nb3 23 Qa4 Rc7 24 Rfe1 h5 25 h4?! (2.85 --> 1.76) Inaccuracy. Qa6 was best. From the machine's point of view, the choice of 25 h4 does not seem to be a big deal. The assessment, "2.85 --> 1.76", suggests that White still had a won game, but I wonder if the machine failed to properly appreciate an aspect of human psychology. For as long as that pawn was out there, unprotected, on h4, it was necessary for White to check, on every move, that Black was not allowed an opportunity to exploit that vulnerability. For a machine, such checking might not be much of a problem, but, for a human, it is perhaps not too surprising that White eventually made a mistake that allowed Black a tactic, in part involving the h4-pawn. I don't know exactly what is happening with your "bad habits", but perhaps if we looked at a specific example of a problematic move choice, clues could be identified that would have pointed a way to an easier future game.