The Winning Academy 43: Mistakes we make in time trouble

by Jan Markos
5/7/2025 – Despite trying our best, time trouble is sometimes unavoidable. We all have experienced the stress that comes with being under time pressure. Our hearts race, our palms sweat, and our minds become confused. However, it is useful to understand how being in time trouble affects the decisions we make. Of course, we don’t play our A-game. But what kinds of mistakes do we make? I am sure that understanding the nature of these mistakes is the first step in minimizing them.
Winning starts with what you know
The new version 18 offers completely new possibilities for chess training and analysis: playing style analysis, search for strategic themes, access to 6 billion Lichess games, player preparation by matching Lichess games, download Chess.com games with built-in API, built-in cloud engine and much more.

In this article, we will take a look at four types of typical time-trouble mistakes.

Firstly, under time pressure, we are less careful with our pawn play.

Karpov-Korchnoi, World Championship Match 1978, Black to move:

In the 16th game of their his match against Karpov in Baguio 1978, Korchnoi was defending a slightly inferior endgame, in which all four rooks were still on the board. In similar positions where passive defence is needed, you need to be very patient. However, patience is something that a player in a severe time trouble does not have.

Korchnoi played 34…a6?!. This move, although objectively not a big mistake, is wrong from a practical point of view. The a-pawn is a bit weaker on a6 than it was on a7 and the b6-rook is now tied down to its defence. In contrast, the e7-rook was defending the pawn while controlling the e-file.

Why did Korchnoi play this unnecessary move? Well, he was impatient, he wanted to do "something" to change the course of the game. Also, players in time-trouble tend to play pawn moves. Why? Pawn moves are relatively easy to calculate, as they are not changing the position much. Also, pushing a pawn forward subconsciously feels like "improving" the position.

Many good positions have been destroyed by bad pawn moves in time trouble. Therefore, be very careful with changing your pawn structure while being short on time!

Here's the complete game:

New ...
Open...
Share...
Layout...
Flip Board
Settings
MoveNResultEloPlayers
Replay and check the LiveBook here
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.exd5 exd5 5.Bb5+ Bd7 6.Qe2+ Qe7 7.Bxd7+ Nxd7 8.dxc5 Nxc5 9.Nb3 Qxe2+ 10.Nxe2 Nxb3 10...Na4 11.Nbd4 0-0-0 12.b3 Nc5 13.f3 Ne7 14.Bb2 Nc6 15.0-0-0 Rg8 16.Kb1 Gipslis,A-Furman,S USSR-ch37 Moscow 1969 1/4-1/4 11.axb3 Bc5 12.Bd2! 12.Nc3! 12...Ne7 13.Nf4 (Mednis 81) "Karpov has prepared this move with several leading experts, so I cannot bring myself to put a question mark." (Larsen 78) 13.Bc3 0-0 14.0-0 Nc6 15.Rfd1 Rfd8 16.Kf1 d4 17.Be1 Matanovic,A-Ivkov,B Madonna di Campiglio 1973 1/4-1/4 13...0-0 14.0-0?! 14.Nd3! Bb6 15.Bb4! Rfe8 16.Bxe7 Rxe7+ 17.Kd2 (Filip 78, Mednis 81) 14...Rfd8 15.Nd3 Bb6= (Filip 78) 16.c3 "White forestalls the advance of the d-pawn, which he could now meet by 17 c4; however, it is hard to discern any advantage for him. The active placement of Black's pieces renders the weakness of this d-pawn insignificant." (Tal 78) f6 16...d4 17.c4 17.Rfd1 Kf7 18.Kf1 Nf5?! 18...Nc6!?= (Tal 78, Keene 78, Mednis 81) 18...Rd7!? (Tal 78, Filip 78) 19.Be1! Ne7 20.Nb4! Rd7 21.Rd3 Rad8 22.Rad1 (Filip 78) Ke6 23.Bd2! "White's pieces unhurriedly take up good positions. Karpov's plans include an exchange of bishops, since the resulting endgame holds out some prospects for him." (Tal 78) 23.f3 Nc6= (Filip 78) 23.f4!? Nf5 24.Nc2 (Filip 78) 23...Nc6 "At this stage I thought Black had comfortable equality, but my optimism was dispelled by Karpov's next few moves. By impressively accurate play he main- tained his grip and lured Black's rook to the horribly passive square QN3." >> 24.Nxc6 >>(Keene 78) 24.Nc2 Ne5 25.Rh3 h6 26.Be3 (Filip 78) 24...bxc6 25.b4! Kf7 25...c5!? (Tal 78) 26.Be3! Bxe3 27.Rxe3 Rb8 28.Re2 Rb5 29.Ra1 Rdb7 30.Rd2 Ke6 31.Ra6 "Before putting his rook on the second rank, White wins a very important tempo against the possible ... c6-c5." (Tal 78) R5b6 32.Ra2 Kd6 33.Ke2 Re7+ 34.Kd3 TUTO a6?! "Being short of time, Black commits one of the most typical time pressure [mistakes]: making unnecessary pawn moves. On a6 the pawn is at least as vulnerable as on a7 and it reduces the rook on b6 to passive defense." (EM 81) 35.Rd1?! "Karpov tried to blitz an opponent in time trouble, which probably brought on this oversight." (Tal 78) 35.Re2! "... swapping Black's active rook and leaving him with the miserable beast on QN3." (Keene 78) Rxe2 36.Kxe2 c5 36...d4 37.Ra5! 37.bxc5+ Kxc5 38.Kd3± (Mednis 81) 35.g3 (Keene 78) 35...Kc7 36.Raa1?! 36.Rda1 Kb7 37.Ra4! (Keene 78, Mednis 81) 36...Kd8 37.f3 37.Re1 Rxe1 38.Rxe1 a5= (Filip 78) 37.b3! Re5 38.f4 Re4 39.g3 (Tal 78, Filip 78) 37...Re5! 38.Kd4 Kc7!= 38...Re2 39.Re1 Rxg2 40.Kc5 "... too dangerous." (Larsen 78) 39.Re1 Kd6= (Mednis 81) 40.f4 40.h4 (Larsen 78) 40...Rxe1 41.Rxe1 a5! 42.bxa5 Rxb2 42...Rxb2 43.Ra1 c5+ 44.Ke3 44.Kd3 Rb7 45.a6 Ra7 46.c4 d4 47.Ra5 Kc6 48.g3 Kb6= Keene 44...Kc7 45.a6 Kb8 46.Ra5 Rxg2 47.Rxc5 Rxh2 48.Rxd5 Rg2 49.Kf3 Rg1 50.Kf2 Rg4 51.Kf3= Tal ½–½
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
  • Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
  • Create an account to access the games cloud.
WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Karpov,A2725Kortschnoj,V2665½–½1978C08World-ch28 Karpov-Kortschnoj +6-5=2116

***

Another problem of being under time pressure is that you simply don't have enough time to calculate the lines till the end.

Caruana-Nakamura, Sinquefield Cup 2014, White to move:

Caruana is a pawn up. Moreover, he has not one, but two passed pawns that Nakamura is desperately trying to block. In fact, there is more than one path for White to win. Smoothest is 40.Rxg6+! Rxg6 41.e6, and Black is helpless due to the passive position of his rook. Relatively best is 41…Kh7 42.e7 Rg8, but after 43.Kf6 White is clearly winning.

However, Caruana was very short on time on his 40th move. Therefore, he could not calculate all the consequences of the sacrifice, and did not dare to rely purely on his intuition. He played the "safe" 40.Bf2? and eventually did not win the game.

In time trouble, the brains of many players activate a "survival mode." They are simply trying to get to the 40th move first, and only afterwards start all direct actions. This is quite often a reasonable strategy, but sometimes it means missing golden opportunities.

Here's the complete game:

New ...
Open...
Share...
Layout...
Flip Board
Settings
MoveNResultEloPlayers
Position not in LiveBook
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.h3 Ke8 10.Nc3 h5 In the previous round Topalov played 10...Ne7 against Nakamura 11.Ne4 Ng6 12.Re1 h6 13.Kh2 c5 with a difficult game; later Black managed to win. 11.Bf4 Be7 12.Rad1 Be6 13.Ng5 Rh6 14.Rfe1 Bb4 15.g4 hxg4 16.hxg4 Ne7 17.Nxe6 Rxe6 18.Kg2 Rd8N A novelty by Nakamura. Karjakin has had a few games with 18...Bxc3 19.bxc3 Rd8 19...Nd5 20.Bd2 b5 21.f4 Kd7 22.f5 Ree8 23.Re4 looks a little bit more comfortable for White, Caruana-Karjakin, Sao Paulo/Bilbao 2012. 20.Rxd8+ 20.Rb1 b5 21.Kg3 Rd5 22.c4 Rc5 23.Re4 a6= Karjakin-Grischuk, Moscow rapid 2013. 20...Kxd8 21.Rh1 Nd5 22.Bg3 g5∞ Anand-Karjakin, Khanty-Mansiysk 2014. 19.Rxd8+ Kxd8 20.Rd1+ Kc8 In the event of 20...Ke8?! 21.Ne2! Ng6 22.Bg3 Nxe5 23.Nd4 21.Bg3 Now 21.Ne2?! could have been met by Ng6 22.Bg3 Nxe5 23.Nd4 Re8 and Black is a healthy P up. 21...Bxc3 A logical decision. If Black doesn't take it, White can play with his N and the b4 B is out of play. For example: 21...f6 22.exf6 22.f4!? 22...gxf6 23.Nb1! and thanks to the virtual P advantage, White is slightly better. 22.bxc3 White's idea is f4-f5, so Black has to avoid it. Rg6 22...f6?! is dubious as 23.f4! fxe5 24.f5 and White looks nicely placed. 22...Nd5!? was also possible, 23.Rd3 b5 24.f4 Rh6 followed by Kd7 and Black can hold the position. 23.Rd4 This active move protects the g4-pawn and he prepares for Rf4 too. f5!? A brave decision, Black would like to disrupt White's kingside's play with this move. 24.Bh4 24.exf6 gxf6 25.Kf3 f5 26.gxf5 Nxf5= should be an equal endgame. 24...c5! The only move. Of course 24...Nd5? does not work because of 25.c4!+- and the N is lost. or 24...Re6? is also bad, as 25.gxf5 Rxe5 26.f4+- and White is winning. 25.Rf4 Nd5 26.Rxf5 Rxg4+ 27.Bg3 Kd8 Black has played well and he has equalised, but in this type of practical game Black still remains under pressure. 28.Kh3 Rg6 28...Re4! was more active behind the e-pawn and he also avoids c3-c4, 29.Rg5 Ke7! 30.Rxg7+ Ke6 Suddenly Black's K becomes very active. 31.Rg4 Re2 with some counterplay, or 31...Rxg4 32.Kxg4 c4 33.f4 Ne3+ 34.Kg5 Nf5 and Black can hold the position on the light squares. 29.c4 Ne7?! A logical move, but it is an inaccuracy. 29...Nc3! was the best, but this is not a human move, 30.Rf7 Ne2! Black's N is very cheeky! 31.Bh2 31.e6 Nxg3 32.Rd7+! Kc8 33.Re7 Kd8= 31...Nd4 32.f4 Rh6+ 33.Kg3 Rg6+ 34.Kh3 34.Kf2 Ra6 with unpleasant counterplay. 34...Rh6+ and a draw. 30.Rf8+ Kd7 31.f4! Suddenly White is very fast with his f-pawn. Ke6? Black would like to put his N to f5, but White is very fast. After this mistake Black's position becomes almost losing. 31...Rh6+ was more solid, but 32.Kg4 g6 33.Bh4 Nf5 34.Bg5 Rh7 35.Rg8 Rg7 36.Rd8+ Ke6 37.Bf6 Rh7 38.Kg5± and Black is in trouble. 32.Bh4! Rh6 32...Nf5? could have been met by 33.Bg5+- and Black has no hope. 33.Re8 g5 34.fxg5 Rg6 35.Kg4 Kf7 36.Rh8 Ra6 37.Rh7+ Kf8 38.Rh6 Probably 38.Bf2! was stronger, b6 39.e6 Rxa2 40.Bg3 Rxc2 41.Rh8+ Ng8 42.e7++- and White is winning. 38...Ng6 39.Kf5 The pretty 39.e6!+- was immediately winning for White. 39...Kg7?! 39...Kf7 40.Bf2 Ne7+ 41.Ke4+- 39...Ne7+ 40.Kg4 Ng6 was a repetition, but after the 40th move White has extra time again and he can find the win. 40.Bf2? Caruana missed the immediate win in time trouble. 40.Rxg6+! was the elegant sacrifice, Rxg6 41.e6! Kh7 42.e7 Rg8 43.Kf6+- and Black can resign. 40...Ne7+ After the time control, Black survives the most difficult problems, but still White's chances are better. 41.Ke4 The engine suggests 41.Kg4 Rxa2 41...Ra4? 42.Kh5+- Rxc4 43.g6+- 42.Bxc5 and still White's pressure is hard. 41...Ra4! Nakamura finds the only practical chance. 42.Re6?! After this move Black will make a draw. 42.Kd3! was the last possibility Ng6 42...Nc6 43.e6± 43.e6! and still White has good chances. 42...Nc6! 43.Kf5 Rxc4 44.Rg6+ Kf8 45.Rf6+ Kg8! 46.g6 Rxc2 47.Be3 Nd4+! Black forces the R ending, which will be an easy draw. 48.Bxd4 cxd4 49.Rf7 d3 50.Rd7 Rf2+ 51.Kg5 Rg2+ 52.Kf6 Rf2+ 53.Kg5 Rg2+ 54.Kf6 Rf2+ 55.Kg5 Rg2+ What a great battle! ½–½
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
  • Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
  • Create an account to access the games cloud.
WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Caruana,F2801Nakamura,H2787½–½2014C67Sinquefield Cup 2nd9

***

When players don't have enough time for precise calculations, they often go for the "obvious" moves. Even the greatest players in chess history.

Kasparov-Korchnoi, Brussels 1986, White to move:

White fights for a draw. He is two pawns down and only the opposite-coloured bishops might save him. However, the presence of these bishops also means that both kings are in danger. Where should White put his king?

After 40.Kf3! the king has enough space to avoid falling into a mating net, and therefore White is close to OK. However, Kasparov did not have enough time to calculate any details, and he intuitively chose to move the king to a "safer" square, closer to the edge of the board. He chose 40.Kh3??.

Now after 40…Be5! Korchnoi would have a mating attack. In fact, my devilish engine claims that Black mates in 11 moves. But again, Korchnoi had no time to calculate the details. He relied on his intuition and chose the more natural and "safer" 40…Bxg5??.

The game ended in a draw several moves later.

Here's the complete game:

New ...
Open...
Share...
Layout...
Flip Board
Settings
MoveNResultEloPlayers
Replay and check the LiveBook here
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+ 4.Bd2 For this game I had prepared a variation that would be little known to Kasparov. c5 A move brought into practice by the Riga master Vitolins, which had been rarely employed in Soviet events. 5.g3 Subsequently the theoreticians came to the conclusion that the strongest move is the immediate exchange on b4. 5.Bxb4 5...Qb6 6.Bg2 Kasparov thinks, this follow-up could have waited-NSH He recommends 6.Nc3!?= instead. 6...Nc6 Only a few moves have been made, and white is already losing a pawn. The world champion has to think-how to give it up, such that it looks like a sacrifice. 6...cxd4 7.Nxd4 Bc5 8.e3!? 8.Bc3 e5 9.Nf5 Bxf2+?! 10.Kf1 0-0 11.b4!∞ 8...Bxd4 9.exd4 Qxd4 10.0-0 7.d5 In the past Kasparov had sacrificed numerous pawns and won games this way. But the situation on the board is somewhat different, non-standard, and it will be harder for White to develop an initiative. Giving up the pawn in another way came into consideration: 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.0-0 Qxb2 9.Nc3 0-0 10.Na4 Qa3 11.Bc1 Qb4 12.Bd2 Qa3 It is probable that White's initiative does not compensate for the lost material. Even so it would be interesting to test this in practice. 7...exd5 8.cxd5 Nxd5 9.0-0 How about the sacrifice of a second pawn? 9.a3 Bxd2+ 10.Nbxd2 Qxb2 11.Nc4 Qc3+ 12.Nfd2 It is probable that White's intiative does not compensate for the lost material. Even so it would be interesting to try it in practice. 9...Nde7! Kasparov gives 9...Bxd2? 10.Nbxd2± If Qxb2? 11.Nc4 -NSH 10.e4N A novelty improvised over the board-NSH Neither I nor my opponent suspected that all this had already occurred before. That game went 10.Be3 d5! 11.a3 d4 12.Bf4 Ba5 13.Nbd2 Bxd2 14.Nxd2 0-0 15.b4 with some activity for the sacrificed material. (Tukmakov-Salov 1984). 10...d6! Kasparov gives 10...0-0 11.Be3 d5 12.exd5 Rd8 13.Ng5± and 10...Bxd2 11.Nbxd2 11.Be3 A trappy move.The threat is a2-a3 and b2-b4, winning the bishop.However, it turns out to be a loss of tempo as soon the bishop has to move to f4. After the immediate 11.Bf4 Bg4! 12.Qxd6 "White would have regained the pawn with a roughly equal game. However, the world champion probably thought that 'a roughly equal game' with White was insufficient for him." Kasparov continues the line with Bxf3 13.Bxf3 Nd4 14.Bd1 11...Qc7! 11...Bg4 12.a3 Qa6 13.Qxd6 Rd8 14.Qf4∞ Kasparov 12.a3 Ba5 13.Bf4?! Kasparov gives 13.e5!? Nxe5 13...dxe5 14.Bxc5 14.Nxe5 dxe5 15.b4 cxb4 16.axb4 Bb6 17.Nc3! 0-0 18.Nb5 Qb8 19.Bxb6 axb6 20.Rxa8 Qxa8 21.Qd6∞ In a later game White succeeded in improving on the world champion's play. 13.Nbd2 Bxd2 14.Nxd2 Be6 15.Re1 a5 16.f4 f6 17.Qh5+ Bf7 18.Qg4 0-0 19.h4± (Chiburdanidze-Chandler, Hanige 1988) 13...Ne5! 14.b4!? Kasparov does not think it possible to play a position a pawn down without initiative-you must aim for initiative at any price! And so he gives up a second pawn, but that is not all. In this game he will have to give up even more material... cxb4 15.axb4 Bxb4 16.Qa4+ N7c6 17.Nd4 a5?! Kasparov gives 17...Bc5-+ leading to more exchanges and consolidating Blak's material gains . 18.Nc3! Bd7! Not 18...Bxc3? 19.Nb5 Qd8 20.Nxc3 0-0 21.Rfd1 -Kasparov 19.Nd5 Qd8 20.Nf5 0-0 After parrying the serious and minor traps Black has completed his development, retaining a solid position. White's pieces, especially his knights, are actively placed. It's time for White to create threats to the opponent's king. 21.Qd1 Bc5 22.Rc1! Black intends to push his a-pawn.By staying a1 this rook would have prevented the pawn from queening. But White, being two pawns down is obliged to play actively.The White pieces must advance and create threats. It has to be agreed that Kasparov has a wonderful feeling for attack! a4 23.g4 After 23.Qh5 Black has two good replies, 23...g6 and 23...f6, both of which would have shown that the queen had joined the attack too early. g6 23...f6 23...a3 24.g5 a2 Black already needs to watch out for the threats to his king. 25.Qh5 After 25.Nxg7? Black has only one, but a sufficient reply. Bg4! 25...Kxg7 gives White some practical chances, although they also prove insufficient-NSH 26.Nf6+ Qxf6 27.gxf6 Bxd1 28.Rfxd1 Bd4-+ 25.Nh6+ also does not work: gxh6 26.Nf6+ Kh8 27.Qh5 Rg8 28.Qxh6 Rg7 25...Bxf5 Korchnoi thinks, this move is forced. However, Kasparov shows a stronger alternative-NSH 25...Nd3! 26.Nf6+ 26.Rc3 Nxf4 27.Nxf4 a1Q 28.Rh3 h6-+ 26...gxf6 27.Qh6 Bxf5 28.gxf6 Qxf6 29.Qxf6 Nxc1 30.Rxc1 Bg6-+ 26.exf5 Bd4! 27.Bxe5 White must exchange one of the defending knights as early as possible. After 27.Be4? Re8 28.Bxe5 Rxe5 is very strong. Kasparov shows, 27.f6? will not work on account of Ng6 28.Be4 Re8-+ Instead 27.Ra1!? deserves attention according to him. 27...Nxe5 28.Be4 Re8 The only move. The e7 square needs to be defended. 29.Rc7! What else? There is a struggle in progress for the e7 square. However, it is not hard to imagine that in this struggle White is doomed to fail. If 29.f6? Ng6 30.Ne7+ Rxe7!-+ 29...a1Q 30.Rxa1 White must remove his king from a possiible...Nf3+ as a preparation for his sacrificial operations. Rxa1+ 31.Kg2-+ Ra2?! A natural move in time trouble. 31...Re1! was more energetic, and if 32.Bc2 Rc1! -when this bishop is eliminated, White will not have any attack. 33.f6 Rxc2 34.Ne7+ 34.Rxc2 Ng6 35.Rd2 Re5 36.Rxd4 Rxd5 34...Rxe7 35.fxe7 Qe8 36.Rxc2 Nc6-+ Kasparov gives 31...Ng6 32.fxg6 fxg6 as winning. But it only appears to draw. 33.Bxg6 hxg6 34.Qxg6 Re2 35.Qf7+ Kh8 36.Qh5+ and White has perpetual check-NSH 32.Re7! If there had been even five minutes each on our clocks, the world champion-a rook and two pawns down would have had to resign. But our flags were hanging, for the last eight moves we had less than a minute left .Therefore he had the moral right to prolong resistance, and even had some hope, although a faint one of saving the game. There are no saving moves, and all that remains is to hope for a miracle, for the psychological effect of some surprise. And the champion finds the most surprising move in this position! White threatens both f5-f6 and also Nf6+ gxf6, g5-g6. 32.f6 Ng6 33.Bxg6 hxg6 34.Ne7+ Qxe7! 34...Rxe7 also wins. 35.fxe7 Rxf2+ 36.Kg3 Qa8! 37.Qg4 Qa3+-+ -Kasparov 35.Rxe7 gxh5 36.Rxe8+ Kh7-+ If 32.Ne7+ Rxe7 33.f6 Ng6 34.fxe7 34.Rxe7 Nf4+-+ 34.Bxg6 Rxf2+ 35.Kg3 Re3+ 36.Kxf2 hxg6 followed by...Qxc7 wins. 34...Rxf2+ 35.Kg3 Rg2+! 36.Bxg2 Nxe7 and Black is three pawns up. 32...Rxf2+ 33.Kg3 Rxe7?? It is most difficult to win after this obvious move.It has to be admitted that at the chess board 13th world champion is a subtle psychologist. 33...Ng6! a move planned long ago would have won without difficulty. 34.f6! Ng6 35.Nxe7+ Kf8 36.Qxh7 Bxf6? Black's nerves fail him. Apparently my opponent had persuaded me that I was threatened with dozens of mates. 36...Nxe7? 37.Qh8+ etc. Ng8 38.Qxg7+ Ke8 39.Qxg8+ Kd7 40.Qxf7+ Kc8 41.Qxb7# After 36...gxf6! 37.Bxg6 37.Nxg6+ fxg6 38.Bd5 Qe8-+ 37...fxg6! 37...fxg5 38.Bxf7! Rxf7 39.Ng6+ Ke8 40.Qg8+ Kd7 41.Qxf7+ Kc8 42.Ne7+ Kb8 43.Kg4 K 38.Nxg6+ Ke8 39.Qg8+ Kd7 40.Qf7+ Kc8 41.Ne7+ Kb8 42.g6 f5 43.g7 43.Nxf5?? Qg5+-+ -NSH 43...f4+ 44.Kh3 Bxg7!-+ If 45.Qxg7 Qd7+ wins the knight with the attack continuing-NSH 37.Nxg6+ fxg6 38.Kxf2? A bad move. White is again on the verge of defeat. He is two pawns down and his king is under attack. It was correct first to exchange queens by 38.Qh8+ Kf7 39.Qxd8 Bxd8 and then only take the rook. 40.Bd5+ Kf8 41.Kxf2= 38...Qb6+? Korchnoi does not question this move. Kasparov prefers 38...Bd4+-+ 39.Kg2 Qb2+ TUTO 40.Kh3 40.Kf3 was correct. 40...Bxg5? 40...Be5! would have won. 41.Kg4 41.Qxg6 is not possible on account of mate in three. Qxh2+ 42.Kg4 Qg3+ 43.Kh5 43.Kf5 Qh3# 43...Qh3# 41...Qe2+ 42.Bf3 Qc2-+ 41.Qxg6 Qf6 After 41...Bf6 White would still have had to solve some problems. But not too serious ones-the opposite colour bishops would gurantee a draw. 42.Qxf6+ This game, in my view a shameful one for both grandmasters, left its mark on our chess relations. It is probable that the world champion convinced me of his infallibility, his invincibility. After it I lost seven times to Kasparov, without reply... (Kasparov's analysis of this game has been cited from Chess Informant No.42 wherever necesssary-Nagesh Havanur) ½–½
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
  • Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
  • Create an account to access the games cloud.
WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Kasparov,G2740Kortschnoj,V2650½–½1986E11OHRA-A2

***

In time pressure, players also tend to make decisions that are most natural for their chess personalities. Positional players tend to play more positional, wild attackers might go berserk.

Shirov-Nakamura, Zurich chess challenge rapid 2016, White to move:

White is visually much worse. His has a "bad" bishop against a well-positioned knight, well Black is pushing along the f-file and has a passed h-pawn.

Yet White can equalize. After 36.Rh1 d4 37.Qd2 Qh6 38.Qe1 he has enough counterplay against the h-pawn. Also 36.a5, intending to open the a-file for his rook, is possible.

But Shirov is a dynamic player, a true successor to Mikhail Tal. His games are full of flashy sacrifices and it is not surprising that he tried to solve his problems in that style.

However, 36.Rxc5?? was a bit too much. White gets no compensation. All Nakamura had to do was to accept the gift. After 36…bxc5 37.a5 h3+ 38.Kg3 (38.Kxh3 Qh6+ 39.Kg3 Rxg4+) h2 White had to resign.

Here's the complete game:

New ...
Open...
Share...
Layout...
Flip Board
Settings
MoveNResultEloPlayers
Replay and check the LiveBook here
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Qb6 6.a3 Nh6 7.b4 cxd4 8.Bxh6 gxh6 9.cxd4 Bd7 10.Ra2 Rg8 11.h3 h5 12.g3 h4 13.g4 Be7 14.Be2 f6 15.b5 Nd8 16.Qd3 Rg7 17.Nc3 Nf7 18.0-0 h5 19.Na4 Qd8 20.exf6 Bxf6 21.Nc5 hxg4 22.hxg4 b6 23.Nxd7 Qxd7 24.Kh1 Rc8 25.Rc2 Rxc2 26.Qxc2 Nd6 27.Ne5 Bxe5 28.dxe5 Ne4 29.Kg2 Nc5 30.Rh1 Qe7 31.Qc1 Rh7 32.Qe3 Qg7 33.Rc1 Qf8 34.a4 Rf7 35.f3 Rf4
36.Rxc5 36.Rh1 d4 37.Qd2 Qh6 38.Qe1 36...bxc5 37.a5 h3+ 38.Kg3 h2 0–1
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
  • Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
  • Create an account to access the games cloud.
WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Shirov,A2684Nakamura,H27870–12016C02Zuerich Chess Challenge Rapid 5th2

***

There is no universal recipe on how to survive time trouble. Still, I hope this article has helped you a bit. Here is a summary of a few hints:

Not changing the pawn structure unnecessarily is often a good idea.

Don't enter tactical lines if you are not able to calculate them till the very end. At the same time, be aware that even during the time-trouble phase you might get some golden opportunities to decide the game.

Playing by pure intuition might lead to many mistakes. Try to calculate even with a few seconds on your clock.

Know your chess style and be aware that both its pros and its cons will intensify during time trouble.

In this video course, kings will play a role of strong and active pieces. We will explore how Kings can be helpful in defence and prophylaxis, or even in attack!

Links

<< Septuagenarian John Nunn
Women's GP Austria: Badelka, Vaishali and Tan start with wins >>
Topics: The Winning Academy, Time trouble
Jan Markos is a Slovakian chess author, trainer, and grandmaster. His book Under the Surface was the English Chess Federation´s 2018 Book of the Year. His last book, The Secret Ingredient, co-authored with David Navara, focuses on the practical aspects of play, e.g. time-management over the board, how to prepare against a specific opponent, or how to use chess engines during the training process. Markos was the U16 European Champion twenty years ago. At present he helps his pupils from several countries to achieve similar successes. Apart from focusing on the royal game, he is also the author of several non-chess books, focused on critical thinking, moral dilemmas, and phenomenology.
Discussion and Feedback Submit your feedback to the editors

See also

The Winning Academy 42: First the Centre, then the Attack

4/28/2025 – When an inexperienced young person enters the gym hoping to build big muscles and an attractive body, there are two mistakes they often tend to commit. Firstly, they go weights far heavy for them. Secondly, they tend to focus on one particular body part (especially arms when it comes to boys), omitting the body core. However, the body core is essential.
More...
 6

See also

The Winning Academy 40: Small combinations are the spice of chess

11/30/2024 – Chess fans revel in dazzling sacrifices and intricate checkmates, but the true essence of tactical mastery lies in the understated brilliance of "small combinations". Coined by José Raúl Capablanca, this term refers to concise, 2-3 move tactics, often easy to spot but just as easy to miss. Even grandmasters rely heavily on such calculations, scanning for subtle opportunities in every position. Dive into these examples to uncover the hidden gems of chess strategy and elevate your play.
More...
 4

Video

60m How to fight Queen's Pawn Openigns

After 1.d4 d5 many players with White avoid the great amount of theory in the Slav, Semi-Slav, QGA and Orthodox Queen's Gambit and do not therefore play 2.c4. This is not very ambitious, but the painful experience of many chess players has been that the Colle System, the Trompowsky Attack, the Torre Attack and the London System are nevertheless extremely dangerous. Black has to be prepared for each of these openings and IM Valeri Lilov offers you some help with his six instructive videos, in which he demonstrates for each single opening a relevant plan for Black. In addition to the openings mentioned, the Bulgarian trainer also delves into the Catalan, the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit and the Richter-Veresov Opening.
We use cookies and comparable technologies to provide certain functions, to improve the user experience and to offer interest-oriented content. Depending on their intended use, analysis cookies and marketing cookies may be used in addition to technically required cookies. Here you can make detailed settings or revoke your consent (if necessary partially) with effect for the future. Further information can be found in our data protection declaration.