The Art of Losing Quickly
It is never very pretty…
We all experience defeat from time to time and so we should not be too surprised when it happens. Even so, some defeats are more painful that others. Especially those times when defeat seems inevitable right from the first moves…
The following two games were played this week at the Russian Team Championship in Sochi. Each is a quick but painful and well deserved defeat.
Game One
gm Khairullin,I – im Musalov,R
Sochi 20.11.2020
1-0
This is a game where Black, the experienced 44-year old Ruslan Musalov international master (Elo 2350), unwisely decides to vary from his usual move order in his favourite Berlin Defence so as to try to surprise his younger opponent.
Grandmaster Ildar Khairullin, 30 years old (Elo 2620), was not surprised and knew exactly how to play the opening. Quickly he got the upper hand and soon Black’s position became desperate.
White scored a crushing defeat that Black will not likely forget for some time to come…CRASH and BURN!
Game Two
gm Sarana,A – gm Yuffa,D
Sochi 26.11.2020
0-1
Twenty-year old grandmaster Alexy Sarana (Elo 2654) decides to vary from his usual opening repetoire as early as move 3(!) and it soon becomes clear that he is in way over his head! Castling Queenside, his own King soon becomes trapped.
His opponent, 23-year old grandmaster Daniil Yuffa, demonstrates with great zeal what can happen when your opponent is not adequately prepared. OUCH!
