From: "Alan D. Brunelle" 
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess.analysis
Subject: Re: How to be an Expert (was: Nimzowich)
Organization: USG
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dottosen@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca wrote:

> I know a player who has been an expert (a
> low expert, but an expert) who has never beaten a master in 20 years of
> play. It is a fallacy to think that masters and experts do not understand
> the value of being in the 2000s, and it is a fallacy to discount its
> effect on lower rated players.
> 
I agree that this happens alot, but the only way to get over it, is to
realize that if you always play your best, and disregard the opponent's
rating, things will work out for the better: either they will deservedly
beat you, or you will (also!) deservedly beat them! - I would like to
add the following bit-o-history: I have 3 wins against solid masters in
the past couple of years (my USCF has been between 2000-2060 during this
time). Here are the game overviews:
As white in the first game I setup an Exchange Variation of the Queens
Gambit Declined. I castled Qside with the intent of attacking on the
Kside. He stormed my K faster than I could get at his - so I just
buckled down, and found ways to slow/stop his attack. Nearing the time
control the Master went a little nuts, and helped me break open on the
Kside. (At that point he was down in time, and my attack was starting to
unfold.) The point here was that I didn't panic even though a `master'
was coming after my King: I made a decision that his attack was coming
faster, took some steps to stop it, then resumed on my side.
In the second game I again had white, this time in a NimzoIndian that
soon transposed into a Maroczy bind/Hedgehog type position. I had a hard
time probing his position (the whole point of a Hedgehog I guess), and
he started to unload on my Kside (sounds familiar?). I took some
preventative steps on that side, and started to probe harder in the
center. In mutual time trouble I made an intuitive sac of a N on d5 - he
declined, and allowed me to rip open the center and win heavy material.
This was just a rough-and-tumble game, where I just played as best as I
could, and didn't let the concept of him being a Master change my plans.
In the last game I had black versus a high rated master (2300+), he
essayed an attacking variation vs. the French (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4
4.Ne2 dxe4 5. a3 Bxc3 6. Nxc3 Nc6) In the end sacrificing a P. I just
built up my position (using the extra center pawn), and soon produced a
middle game with a totally overwhelming position. I then proceeded to
trade down into an `easy' endgame with a much better pawn structure,
plus 2 extra pawns. I then went on to play really bad (overconfidence!)
and let him get way back into the game. The game turned into K+Q vs.
K+Q+(2 a-pawns + f pawn). A very difficult position that I was able to
push through to victory. The bad point to be taken from this is the
overconfidence: `it ain't over till it's over', the good point is that I
stuck with it - even after having to overcome some poor late middle game
play.
In closing: a very good piece of advice can be learned from something
that Union General US Grant said during the Wilderness campaign:
(paraphrased) `I am thoroughly sick of hearing about what Lee is going
to do to us: you all seem to believe that he is going to somersault over
us and attack us from behind and from both flanks at the same time.
Instead of worrying about what he is going to do to you, why don't you
go back and think about what you can do to him!' 
Don't worry about your opponent's rating: think about what you can do to
improve yours at his (or her) expense! (If you don't mind having this
pummeled into your brain, read some Silman columns/books!)
-- 
Alan D. Brunelle                Phone: (603) 884-2303 / DTN: 264-2303
Digital Equipment Corporation   E-Mail: brunelle@zk3.dec.com
ZK03-3/U14                      110 Spit Brook Road, Nashua, NH 03062
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