Chess is not just a game. You don’t roll dice. You compete to win. Thus, at every moment in a chess game you have to treat each position with respect. You can’t just take a lazy look and say that’s PROBABLY best. Your have to wring out of the position every last feature and truth in it. Then you’re playing chess. Otherwise, you’re just playing at chess. Got that? This position requires that respect. White has a winning position, but if played incorrectly, White will lose. Spend some time on this position. Write down your analysis. Then see the solution to figure out whether you’re playing chess or playing at chess.

If you went with 1.e6 Kg6 2.f5+ Kg7 3.Kf1 b5 4.Ke2 Kf8 5.Kf3 c4 6.Ke4 Ke7 7.h4 a5 8.Kd4 Kd6 9.e7 Kxe7 10.Kc5 a4 11.Kxb5 c3 12.bxc3 a3, then you lost. The correct way is 1.f5 fxe5 2.h4 c4 3.Kf1 b5 4.Ke2 b4 5.Kf3 c3 6.Kxg3 cxb2 7.Kh3 b1Q 8.g4# If you didn’t see the solution, then go through each move and see why White played every single move and try to understand it. That’s how you get better.

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