Here's a casual, rapid 10+8 game between me and anonymous player on Lichess.
My first move E6, a response to the E4 opening was a mouse slip. I intended to play E5. I’ve never deliberately played that opening. I requested a take back, as it was a casual match but was declined. My opponent has every right to. Nf6 was a poor response to Nf3.
I didn’t know how best to respond at the time, as this was from months ago, when I didn’t know better. I wasn’t planning some crazy opening variation, so I should have simply played Nb3.
My opponent must not have been paying attention. Some mistakes were made, costing him both his knights on move 7 and 8. My 14th move, Nf4, at the 00:40 timestamp was my most obvious blunder in this game. The best and most obvious move is Ra5. Taking the Rook out of harm and simultaneously eliminating the Queen.
The Gameplay
Game mode: Casual, Rapid
Time control: 10+2.
1. e4 e6 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. d3 a6 5. Be2 b5 6. b3 b4 7. Rf1 bxc3 8. Nd2 cxd2+ 9. Qxd2 Nd4 10. Kd1 Bc5 11. Rb1 a5 12. f3 Nh5 13. Rf2 e5 14. Qxa5 Nf4 15. Qd2 Nfxe2 16. Qxe2 Nxe2 17. Kxe2 Qh4 18. Be3 Bb4 19. Rd1 Rxa2 20. Ra1 Rxc2+ 21. Kf1 Ba6 22. Rxc2 Bxd3+ 23. Re2 O-O 24. Re1 Bxe1 25. Bf2 Bxe2+ 26. Kxe2 Qxf2+ 27. Kd3 Ra8 28. b4 Ra3+ 29. Kc4 Rc3+ 30. Kb5 c6+ 31. Ka4 Qa7#
Analysing this game, I note that I played terribly, as this was about three months ago. But I didn’t expect this level of blunder from an opponent. Maybe I wasn’t as poor as I thought back then. Or maybe it’s easier to see things better after advancing to a certain level. I don’t know for sure, as I’m equally still learning.
I sometimes wonder how I was able to climb up to 1000+ back then, with that level of gameplay. Because my gameplay wasn’t as stable. I sometimes played well, sometimes played terribly. It was a blend of both.
I won this particular game, but it was nothing to be proud about.
The psychology aspect also influenced how I played.
If I was on a winning streak, I kept winning, as my confidence was boosted. But when I lost one or two matches in a row, I begin to make unnecessary blunders, as if my ego was being crushed.
It just shows how much chess isn’t just about being smarter than your opponent. A strong mental shield is required to succeed.