The seven deadly chess sins : Scotland's youngest grandmaster discusses the most common causes of disaster in chess

"Everyone loses chess games occasionally, but all too often we lose a game due to moves that, deep down, we knew were flawed. Why do we commit these chess-board sins? Are they the result of general misconceptions about chess and how it should be played better? In this thought-provoking and entertaining book, Jonathan Rowson investigates, in his inimitable style, the main reasons why chess-players sometimes go horribly astray. He focuses on several underlying psychological pitfalls: Thinking (unneceessary or erroneous); Blinking (missing opportunities; lack of resolution); Wanting (too much concern with the result of the game); Materialism (lack of attention to non-material factors); Egoism (insufficient awareness of the opponent and his ideas); Perfectionism (running short of time; trying too hard); and Looseness ("losing the plot"; drifting; poor concentration). A great book for readers interested in understanding why they sometimes make the mistakes that frustrate their efforts at winning!"--Publisher description Everyone loses chess games occasionally, but all too often we lose a game due to moves that, deep down, we knew were flawed. Why do we commit these chess-board sins? Are they the result of general misconceptions about chess and how it should be played? And how can we recognize the warning signs better? In this thought-provoking and entertaining book, Jonathan Rowson investigates, in his inimitable style, the main reasons why chess-players sometimes go horribly astray, focusing on the underlying psychological * Thinking (unnecessary or erroneous) * Blinking (missing opportunities; lack of resolution) * Wanting (too much concern with the result of the game) * Materialism (lack of attention to non-material factors) * Egoism (insufficient awareness of the opponent and his ideas) * Perfectionism (running short of time; trying too hard) * Looseness (losing the plot; drifting; poor concentration) An investigation of the main reasons why chess players sometimes go astray - the seven deadly chess sins: Drifting (losing the plot); Perfectionism (leading to time trouble); Egoism (overestimating your chances); Failure to spot the critical moment; Deafness (failure to listen to intuition); Dogmatism (failure to think creatively or dynamically); and Attachment (to particular ideas). This is a thought-provoking look at the psychological errors that lead chess-players to disaster and keep them from reaching their full potential.