Don't Procrastinate!

Procrastination is when we postpone things that need to be done for no good reason. That's very different from delaying, which is to postpone something with a purpose. In chess, we often delay a move to increase to effect of it (a threat is always grater than it's execution and all that), but procrastination only leads to misery and missed opportunities. This game shows several examples on why procrastination is bad.

Me - N.N (Casual correspondence game, 2024)
English Opening

1. c4 b6 

An unusual response to the English. I played 2.g3 in a previous game (same opponent), but this time I wanted to try something else.

2. d4 Bb7 3. Nc3 e6 4. e4 Bb4 5. Bd3

5... Ne7?

Black is clearly thinking about f5, but there's no need for preparing. After the immediate 5... f5, White cannot capture on f5 because of 6... Bxg2 and Black is winning. Best is 5... f5 6. Nge2 fxe4 7. Bc2 Nf6, and Black has an easy game. Now, White can take the initiative.

6. Nge2 O-O 7.O-O Bxc3?!

This only helps White setting up a strong centre. The best move was 7. Nbc6 to develop the Q-side. It was still possible to play f5, but now White has d5 with a clear advantage.

8. bxc3

8... f5

Finally, but too late. A safer option was 8... d6.

9. exf5 Nxf5 10. Ng3 Nxg3?

It was understandably tempting to give me two doubled pawns, but now it becomes painfully apparent just how much Black lags in development. 10... Nc6 was necessary here.

11. hxg3

White now has two doubled pawns, but also two Bishops and a Queen gazing on the black King. Black has an almost undefended King, and three sleeping pieces on the other side of the board. The Night has been procrastinating for too long, and now Nc6 is too risky because of 12. Qh5 and White wins.

11... Qf6 12. Qh5 g6 13. Qg4 c5 14. Bh6 Rf7

Here White missed the last call for Nc6. Now the Knight only has Nb1 - a6 - c7, and that's too slow. The game ended with:

15. f4 Kh8 16. Rae1 Na6 17. d5 Nc7 18. dxe6 dxe6 19. Re5 Re8 20. Rfe1 Bc8 21. Qh3 Bd7 22. Bg5 Qg7 23. Bc2 Kg8 24. Rd1 Bc6 25. g4 Bd7 26. Rde1 a6 27. Qh4 a5 28. Bh6 Qf6 29. Qh3 Qh8 30. Rg5 Qf6 31. Ree5 Kh8 32. Rxg6 Qe7 33. Bg5 Qf8 34. Bf6+ Rxf6 35. Rxf6 Qg8 36. Rh6 Re7 37. Reh5 1-0

There were quicker ways to win, but I just couldn't resist setting up Alekhine's Gun!

Takeaway

If you have a move that must be played, do it now unless you have a good reason to delay it. "I can always do it later" is not a good reason, as this game shows.

SWOT Analysis in Chess

Last time, in the Kodak post, we saw that business and chess have things i common. There are competitors to defeat, but most importantly they both need plans. Business managers need business plans, and chess players need game plans. So, perhaps we can use some business planning tools is chess?

One of the most popular business planning tools is the SWOT Analysis, where SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. The idea is to take an inventory of all your business strengths and so on, and write them down in the respective quadrants. From there, you answer questions like "What business opportunities build on your strengths?", "What threats are caused by our weaknesses?", "How can we improve our strengths to create more opportunities?", and "How can we reduce our weaknesses to reduce the threats?"

That sounds a lot like chess, doesn't it? We deal with strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats all the time. So what can SWOT analysis bring to chess?

When we spot an opportunity in chess (or business), we tend to focus on that, and forget to consider our weaknesses and threats. Similarly, when we face a threat, we tend to forget our strengths and opportunities, and concentrate on defending against that threat, thereby missing eventual counter-attacking possibilities.

That's when SWOT analysis comes in handy. Properly performed, it forces us to assess the position from several angles (four of them) instead of just one. This can help us see possibilities that we'd otherwise could had missed.

Takeaway

Next time you feel the need to make a plan, visualise the SWOT chart, take a proper inventory, place each asset in the right quadrant, and see how they connect