Must-Win Situations: Risky Play as an Integral Part of Chess

Embracing Risk

In chess, there will inevitably come a moment when one must play for a win—when a draw simply isn't sufficient. Whether it's a game to surpass a certain rating, achieve a norm, secure a tournament victory, or win a crucial team match, these situations demand a different mindset. I emphasize to my students the importance of being mentally prepared for such high-stakes scenarios. It’s essential to understand that these moments can be daunting, but with the right mental approach, they can also be opportunities to showcase one's skills and resilience. Preparing for these situations not only strengthens one's game but also fosters a winning mentality that can lead to greater success in chess and beyond.

To be able to execute this risky approach somewhat successfully, one must be well-prepared mentally for the game, meaning that if the worst-case scenario happens (nothing), it's not the end of the world. It's just one bad tournament or one bad game, and there will undoubtedly be many more in the future. Simply put, ups and downs are a part of every chess career. In my opinion, avoiding risks and only playing safe is a way of limiting oneself. It may bring less stress and greater stability, but it will lack top-level results. Of course, we are not all the same, and this is just my opinion and my choice.

How I Approached This Game

The game I will show you was played in 2019 at the prestigious tournament in Prague. In round 7, when I had to catch up to the top of the leaderboard, my opponent was Grandmaster Eldar Gasanov from Ukraine, whom I knew from previous tournaments and had a high regard for. I knew that he had a very solid style and was a strong positional player. Watching his games, I saw that he chooses mainline variations and his positions are always very healthy. At that moment, I had several options in my repertoire against 1.d4:

1. The Grünfeld Defense
2. The King's Indian Defense
3. The Slav Defense
4. The Stonewall

The first three openings didn't appeal to me due to the variations he plays, and I saw almost no chance to create complications, so I opted for the Stonewall, an opening that had served me very well in my career!

What I like about the Stonewall as an opening is that it’s not overly forced, the board is full of pieces, and Black, unlike in many other openings, has a lot of space. Of course, there are drawbacks, such as the weak e5 square and the issue with the light-squared bishop. However, after studying the games of Artur Yusupov, Predrag Nikolić, Mikhail Ulibin, and Evgeny Gleizerov, as well as more recent games of Richard Rapport, who introduced many new ideas, I realized that Black has a very rich game and can compensate for these drawbacks nicely.

The Key Lesson

The key lesson from my story is that embracing calculated risks in chess can lead to significant rewards, especially in high-stakes situations where a draw is insufficient. To put it simply:

• Be prepared for such situations - Work on your mental skills.
• Have a wide enough repertoire - Choose an opening that will provide you with the most possibilities to fight.
• Be prepared for nothing - Remember, it's not the end of the world.

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Thank you for taking the time to read my blog, and I wish you all the best on your chess journey!