3 Tips to Win Won Positions

How often do you find yourself in a winning position but then slip it up?
When you thought it was over, but then you lost.

If you say often, you’re not alone. Many players experience such unpleasant moments when they play a perfect game, get a winning position, and then... Oops!

But, what do you say to yourself when this happens? This is important.
Most chess players say bad words to themselves, lose the mood, or think they’re unlucky.

While in reality, it’s not about luck. Winning a won position is a skill, and it is one of the most important ones to learn!

You play with the White pieces, and you have an extra bishop.

Would you win this position against a Grandmaster?
And what would be your move?

Take your time to think.

...

Okay, there are 9 rules you need to know to win won games.
Three of them are the most important!

1. Trade the pieces
Just as in any team game, 3 vs. 2 has a much bigger advantage than 11 vs. 10, the same is true in chess. Plus, with fewer pieces, there is less chance of blundering.

2. Keep your king safe
It doesn’t matter if you are Queen and Rook and 3 pawns up. If you get mated - you lose!

3. Make practical decisions
It’s not about winning in the fastest way. It's about winning in the safest way.
Chess computers don’t understand this, and often their best moves are objectively the best, but not practically the best. We need to make the practical best moves!

Let’s go back to our example.
If we take the opponent’s rook, and win exchange, that’s not practical!
We would open our king, and give counterplay to the opponent.

If we win a pawn instead, that’s a good move; that’s what chess computers want to play.

But the safest way to win the game, and the most practical one, is to trade all the pieces. Here is how you do that!

Now, this position, if you’re even 1,000 rated, you can win against Grandmasters!

My message: It’s not about luck. Winning won positions is a skill to learn.
And just as with tactics, it’s about learning the patterns/strategies first, and then practicing, then practicing more, and then more.

The more you practice, the more you’ll win your won games and the more you’ll raise your rating.

Where should you learn the strategies for winning won games?

Check out this course:

https://chessmood.com/course/win-won-positions

In celebration of World Chess Day Fest, this course, along with all of our courses, is also unlocked from July 20 - 31, and you can watch it for free.

Here are a few reviews from it.

If you want to learn this skill even deeper, here is what I would recommend you do. Learning how to save the lost positions first! Then you’ll understand how to win the won ones much better.

The course “Art of Saving Lost Positions” is also unlocked.

Here is the link:
https://chessmood.com/course/save-lost-positions

With best wishes and love,
For your growth and fun journey,
GM Avetik (or Avo, as my friends call me)