How Do You Play Safe Chess?

It can't be that hard to do, but it is hard to do. 

I ask myself during a game, "Is this move safe?", and I still mess up and lose a piece to a simple fork, and I know that my board vision is much better than what it was a year ago. I am beginning to think it is a flaw in my thought process during the game, not my ability to perform basic calculation. It's as if my brain just shorts out every so many moves.

I've heard somewhere that one can hit 1600 by stopping the obvious blunders. I have used the qualifying word "obvious" to denote blunders such as pieces left en prise and simple one move tactics, such as forks, pins and skewers.

If someone loses a piece after a brilliant eight move combination, then I don't see that as a blunder, but just one of the wonderful ways in which a very good chess game is won. 

I watch IM's and GM's over at ICC play 3 minute Blitz and 1 minute Bullet games often, and I notice that most of the time, both sides have the same number of pieces and pawns towards the end of extremely fast play. It blows my mind.

In the game below, the move 15...Qxb2 (??) is exactly the kind of nonsense that keeps me from progressing beyond the under 1200 Live Chess pool. What's the cure?  Should I flog myself after every blunder?

What goes through your mind when you engage in safe chess? What questions do you ask yourself?

Why the Knight had not capture the queen at 11...Qf6+?

Perhaps this game will better show the difficulties I am having with keeping my pieces safe. Those who have been following my posts will see evidence of some improvement since last year in my tactical vision, but were my pieces really that safe? Maybe it's poor piece coordination. Whatever it is, it doesn't look right.

Play slower games and check more carefully what your opponent can do and what he is attacking after each of his moves.

It requires discipline and time. You can't expect to do it automatically in quick games till you've trained yourself to do it thoroughly in longer games.

Good grief. That is absolutely terrible.

Hello! Or is it good morning on your side of the world?

I did slow my Live Chess play down, from 10 0 to 15 10. What time control would you suggest I try, to play with greater care?

I never thought of it in those terms, as a mental discipline that requires training. I've been so focused on tactics puzzles, which have helped a great deal in seeing tactics and mates, but have not exercised my mind in proceeding with caution.

if yer looking for "safe" moves, you'll lose a lot of games to aggressive players.  the best defense is a good offense.  if you are attacking, your opponent has no time to play for tricks.  try and get em out of the gate!

What was the time control for this game?

Edit: I can see now that it was 15/10. Perhaps it would be better to slow down some more...maybe play a couple of 45/45 games on ICC and take the time to calculate each move thoroughly

You have to cut out stuff like 11...Qf6+?? and 15...Qxb2?? (a pinned piece can't be counted as a defender, you should know that). It's no good asking yourself if a move is safe only 90% of the time...it has to be done on EVERY move. After those basic tactical errors are eradicated (and they will be, with disciplined practice), you have to work on stuff like 9...Nxe4, which in itself is not a bad move if followed up by 10...O-O! but not 10...Nxf2?! which fritters away most of your advantage. You're a piece up, so why not stay that way with the safe 9...Ne6 or 9...Nc6

Many people say that beginners are too materialistic, but I've found that that's often not the case. It's important to be materialistic as a beginner because you're tactical and calculation skills aren't up to par.

A word about safe chess... It's better to prevent a threat (prophylaxis) than to react to one. An example might be if you have a weak square in your camp which is defended by one of your piecess, you would take measures to prevent your opponent exchanging that piece off thus gaining control of the outpost.

I've noticed that often it is the ability to create threats against your opponent's pieces that keeps your own pieces the safest.    But I agree with other postings here; it's a bit like you have to imagine you are your opponent after you make your move.  Always try to guess what their strongest possible move will be in response to yours.   This way, you should be more likely to catch the cases where your opponent can make a serious dent in your position.  If the dent is serious enough and you can't make a counter-threat that is more serious, then you have to play a move to parry.

The problem with tactical puzzles is that they often involve forcing moves, which is usually not going to be there during a normal game.  When forcing sequences do come up,  you don't have to worry about counter-threats.   But during a normal move, you do have to worry.

 In my opinion, "aggressive" players, at least at my level and below, only win games because their opponents panic under pressure or aren't disciplined in their calculation. Safe chess is good chess 

You've been playing for some time now, so I find it hard to believe that 11...Qf6+ is a pattern/board vision problem. I think it's more about paying attention and checking that your moves are safe, asking basic questions like : "what is he attacking ? what squares are under control ? can he take my piece on this square ? where can he check ? etc."

Any idea how much time you spend before playing 11...Qf6+ ? Did you perform the safety checks or just play it quickly ? The answer to this question can help you decide on your next training move

I think Qf6? was a blunder that neither player spotted... 

18... g6?! was unnecessary as well:the knight was already defending your pawn.

I think Qxb2?? set the stage for moves such as g6?! and for the opponent to perform !?, ! and !! moves. Luckily, Musikamole managed to turn the game around.

EDIT:I'm sorry I can't help you very much. I tend to play games in which I counterattack instead of defend. I once played a game in which my bishop and queen were forked. Instead of moving my queen away, I moved my bishop away and threatened a rook. My queen died, but I took the rook, went on a rampage and won the game.

I guess like any sport, it is a game of both good offense and good defense.

I've heard the term prophylaxis used often by IM Daniel Rensch in his videos, and I certainly would feel much more comfortable, and would have more fun playing the game, knowing that I am making both productive and safe moves.

I must be playing way too fast, because there is absolutely no excuse for me playing bad moves like 11...Qf6+ (??) and 15...Qxb2 (??). 

Heck, I get frustrated at my elementary band and orchestra students when they make terrible chess moves like that during our lunch time together. I ask them something like, "Didn't you see what White was attacking", or, "Why did you place your queen on that square? I can just take it!"

Even at 15 10, my opponents are using much less time on the clock than me, and I MUST win the game by checkmate, most of the time, or I lose on time, even with a completely winning material advantage.

Regarding 11...Qf6+, I saw that square as a safe square. It happens once in a while, and I don't know what it is called.

Example:

Sometimes, thank goodness not often, I will move a bishop onto the wrong color square, only to find it spring back, or, I will make what I think is a checking move, and it is not.

Maybe it stems from the anxiety of playing with a clock ticking. I do feel some level of anxiety, and I don't know why, since it's not like I have any money riding on the game. It's really strange. Maybe it is test anxiety. Kids in school get it, and I do feel a bit nervous when I play.

I need to learn how to relax and have fun with this game. Geez!

You need to start looking at every possible capture on the board, and look beyond the point of the capture as well. (Example; your WT vs NN. He can win a pawn with 6... exd4 instead of 6...d5?, after which 7.dxe5 or even 7.Nxd5 are both better than 7.exd5 exd4)

There is also a method to avoid being struck by unexpected checkmates. Look at every Check, and every piece that can come within 2 squares of your King on the next move. Then note every piece that could come that close to your King in two moves. Mates aren't always stoppable but can be forseeable.

Of course the Really safe way to play Chess:

1.Teach your girlfriend to play. 2.Start making her car payments, and mention it during each game. 3.Never play anyone else  }8-D

This is not the first time that this sideline in the Philidor has confused me. At least  I have learned a better move sequence after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Bg4 4.Nc3 Nf6, and it is not what I played in the game - 5.h3. It's 5.dxe5, which presents a few problems for Black to solve. I always like giving my opponents problems to solve, especially, too many problems at one time. 

I definitely need to play slower if I am to do all of that, i.e., look for all checks, captures and threats before making a move.

@Musikamole-I understand what you mean completely when you say you get frustrated at bad moves by inexperienced players.

The exams just finished and I taught a few of my classmates how to play chess. This was a few weeks ago, and they still insist on castling, despite the shield of pawns being destroyed long ago and the rook being blocked by a knight.

Furthermore, they do so even when I point out that a simple move would fork a crucial pawn and a rook.

Though the above is probably because I sometimes give them advice purely for amusement(read:"Move your queen in that position. Yes, the one where three pieces can destroy your queen and which is undefended.")

this game requires patience and discipiline and moreover attacking approach 

 Take a lesson from Morphy