Estragon,
Thanks for your "mighty mouse" advice! I will remember it.
Also, thank you for your kind and wise remarks on resilience. Having been through the experience now, I am determined not to resign until the very end!
Better to lose but go down fighting, for who knows what mistakes your cocky or careless opponent may make. In any case, "going down fighting" is a great way to learn about yourself and (maybe) learn how to play better chess.
Firstly, a realy annoying slip-up. Has this everhappened to you?
My eyes lit up when my opponent's King was exposed, only protected by a pawn defence. Could I "do a Tal"? I could not control my excitement, especially when I was able to remove 2 pawns with a protected Bishop. I brought in my Queen in for the killer blow, overlooking the fact that his King had an escape square, and I was suddenly faced with his Queen. Oh well, may as well exchange Queens (mistake?)
I retreated my pieces for a new strategy and he moved a Bishop toward my King - no real danger. So I went to move my H8 Rook closer to an open file, and then #?# my mouse slipped and I landed on the only square where he could fork both of my Rooks with his Knight, destroying my planned double Rook attack! I was cursing.
This is the second time where I have made a mistake through a "mouse slip". Lesson - keep your hands off the mouse until you know your move!
Secondly on resilience, I had lost a Rook exchange for a Knight earlier on, but this time I fought on, despite being 2 equivalent pawns down. I was able to get a passed Pawn and pushed it - he blocked on the 8th rank with his Rook. I protected the passed Pawn with a Bishop, and moved my Rook to the file between his Rook and Bishop, also on the 8th rank. I proceeded to the 8th rank, expecting him to take my Rook and for me to Queen my Pawn. Instead, he took my passed Pawn. Then, I realised that he had omitted to move his Bishop or King off the 8th Rank, so I captured his Bishop and checked his King, followed by taking his Rook with my Bishop - not a bad day's work for 8 points! I easily won the game, but still pondered why he (rated near 1300, 100 points above me) could make such an error and leave his Bishop sitting there for the taking, like a shooting duck at a circus or fair.
Again on resilience, with some luck thrown in, my opponent had a Rook and Pawn side-by-side on the 2nd rank (he was playing black). I thought I was gone, even though I had moved my Rook to sit behind his Pawn (e.g. he could move his King into the attack and make my life more difficult). Things were tense. And then, he took his mind off the game and became materialistic, capturing a Pawn with his King. I could not believe my luck! I moved my Bishop to fork his King and Rook, taking his Rook and cleaning up the dangerous 2nd Pawn next move.
There was another game, where I was losing, but through a series of exchanges, managed to resurrect a draw.
Lesson - be resilient, fight on until things are really hopeless. A combination of good chess play (and sometimes some luck or an opponent's error) may win you the game.