I Struggle to Win Winning Positions

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Labib12148

I as a almost 1600 rated player blundered winning positions in rapid games due to tunnel visioning  or not seeing the threat. My kryptonite is "Winning a winning position". How do I practice to overcome the weakness?

sleepyzenith

think

Moylit

Do endgame practice on chess.com, and trying to play positionally which means to do what the position is made for to work with well to happen based on how it is set up to be made to go, and a way to do this is that you can take control of the king side or queen side that's based on pawn chain structure, for if your pawn chain is against the opponents and it points diagonally toward the queen side or your pawn chain is points diagonally toward the king side you could try being positional and work there.

gdeuerlein

When you realize you're in a winning position, remind yourself the game is not over and just play solid chess: Look for your opponent's threats/plans, always look for your own checks, captures and attacks, and keep improving your pieces. The reason we lose "won games" is because we get careless.

DeepFriedStockfish

1) Don't try to push for decisive advantage. Play solidly and maintain your advantage.

2) Don't try to defend when you gain extra piece. This is what causes to lose the piece later on. Try to use that piece to actively attack the opponent.

3) Try to solve puzzles and just improve chess I guess.

chessprodigyDa1

Practice more puzzles like that plus in lichess you can do that too.

hreedwork

https://youtu.be/lj41HRUFvfQ?si=jaTC7iboA8LLABmU

This video from Dr. Can's Chess Clinic is good, and directly addresses the topic. His whole channel is awesome. He is also an award winning Chessable author.

I am not affiliated with him. Just recently discovered his work and I love it. Directly addresses what I need as an adult learner.

Sitbear

Dan Heisman's video Don't Allow the Floobly might be helpful. When you're winning, you usually shouldn't be thinking about how you're going to convert the win. You should be thinking about how to not lose your winning advantage. When you allow a trick which lets your opponent equalize or even win a lost position, that's called a Floobly, and you should be looking out all the possible ways your opponent would try to floobly you. Often it's a weak back rank or a stalemate or perpetual check trick. You really gotta protect your king when you're winning because often your opponent will throw the kitchen sink at you to force some mistakes.

MsBunnygirl

God I feel this topic, been on a 300 point slide that has me totally tilted and i look back at soooooo many games ive been up a piece after 20 moves but only to lose (or maybe salvage a draw). Thanks for the vids will check them out.

CheessLordeX

FIrst off all, DONT trade too much. Trade pieces of equal or exceeding activity, dont open files to your king and be happy with a queen trade. Just trade pieces in a way that doesn't hurt your position.
Second: SHUT ALL of your opponents counterplay. They try to open up their doubled rooks: close them up. 
If you dont have to defend, DO NOT. Try to attack your opponent with the material you're up. Make sure not to play with pawns too much and activate your pieces, sounds like a tip for a beginner but I recently lost in a Tournament OTB cause I played too much with my A, B, and F pawns and got an unpreventable fork my way.

CheessLordeX

Open the position up in the center, helps a LOT

CalgaryKidYoga

I think you can play out the position against the computer, keep practicing converting the specific won position against stockfish until you reach mastery.