What is a “Blunder” in Chess?
From Grandmaster Mistakes to Common Slip-Ups
Losing in chess is never fun. It inevitably happens, though, and many times a blunder is the reason for a loss. Here is what you need to know about a blunder in chess.
What Is A Blunder In Chess?
In chess, a blunder happens when a player makes a move that negatively affects their position in a significant way. In many cases, a blunder can cause a player to lose material or be checkmated, but it can also lead to a strategically lost position. Failing to take advantage of an opponent’s mistake is also sometimes described as a blunder.
In the image below, we can see an example of a startling blunder played by GM Gata Kamsky in a game against GM Alexei Shirov, who moved his queen to Qc5 and proposed an exchange.
Kamsky did not want to exchange queens, so he moved his lady back to b3. However, he missed the fact that his knight was left unprotected — an enormous blunder. He resigned before Shirov captured his knight.
It is important to notice that the term blunder is used to indicate a bad move that gives an opponent a great advantage. For this reason, the stronger the player, the more likely they are to identify smaller inaccuracies as blunders since they can also find ways to exploit them.
Why Are Blunders Important?
Chess can be a ruthless game. Even if a person is playing with perfection and dominating their opponent, a single blunder can turn a game around.
Avoiding these errors is an essential step to win more games, and it is a main difference between beginners and more advanced players. Unfortunately, though, no one is blunder-proof. Even professional chess players make game-losing moves from time to time.
In this game between former world champion GM Tigran Petrosian and GM David Bronstein, the Iron Tiger blundered his queen away. Bronstein took this opportunity to win significant material and take home the victory.
Conclusion:
You now know what a blunder in chess is, how to identify one.
