Lessons From Magdeburg IV

THERE was an extraordinary double-oversight after the following position was reached in round four, where I was White against Hartmut Krien (1900).

I have just played 14.Bf3-h5

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White has the bishop-pair, but Black is up a pawn, and would have the upper hand after 14...h6 or 14...g4, according to Stockfish18 and Dragon1.

Instead, HK played 14...Nc4?, attacking b2, d2 and e3, but missing that it allows the winning 15.Qxe6+! Qe7 16.Qxe7+ Kxe7 17.Bxg5+.

However, I played 15.Qf3?, and it was Black who was winning, not White.

In playing ...Nc4, HK was guilty of looking at his own threats, while failing to properly consider his opponent's tactical chances.

In replying Qf3, I was guilty of looking at my opponent's threats, while failing to properly consider my own tactical chances.

LESSON: you cannot expect to play even a half-decent game of chess if you fail to consider the tactics available to BOTH SIDES.