I report on one of my most instructive chess losses in my life. And that’s a lot of chess losses. Its lessons go far beyond the chess board.
The painful experience took place in the last match of the season in Division one of the Stockport Chess League.
But before I go further, I should mention why it reminds me of an old story about the boiled frog. The story, now accepted as a metaphor not a scientifically fact, is about a frog placed in a saucepan of cold water remains happy as its surroundings warm up, and is eventually boiled.
But, and here’s the point, if the water is heated first and the frog popped in, it tries to escape. The metaphor has been used to suggest humans like frogs are unaware of gradual changes, until it’s too late to do anything about it.
In my lesson on how to win a chess game from a losing position, I recommend acting, immediately after you make a blunder, by immediately looking for a rescue plan, looking for a way of jumping out of the pot of water.
In other words, making a mistake at chess is the wake-up call to use another cliche.
So, on to the story of my crushing defeat ...
[Prepared for anyone interested in chess or boiled frogs]
