19 October 2026

21 games at 3+0 and 3+2. 8 won, 12 lost, 1 drawn. The engine flagged 37 blunders and 52 further mistakes.

8−12Wins and losses
958 to 946 (−12)Rating, first to last game
1.76Blunders per game
5 of 12Losses that began from +3.0 or better
4.7 sAverage time per move

A blunder is a move after which the engine evaluation drops by three pawns or more. A mistake is a drop of one and a half to three pawns. Times are UTC.

Sessions

The day is split into parts (by time control, or by when the games ended on a long day), so the course of the day is visible.
Session	Games ended	Games	Won and lost	Blunders per game	Mistakes per game	Lost from +3.0
3+0 games	14:28 to 22:04	10	3−6	1.50	2.40	3
3+2 games	19:49 to 21:03	11	5−6	2.00	2.55	2

Key positions

4 positions from the day. Use the buttons under each board: test yourself first, then see what happened and the better move, or open the whole game up to that point. The red arrow is the move that was played.

3+0 games

10 games, 3 won and 6 lost. 1.50 blunders per game.

Mate in one, and then the clock ran out

Missed tactics 31.c4?? White, game lost Opponent rated 929

Before the move: mate in 1 for the authorAfter the best reply: +9.2

Clock: this move took 4.3 s, and 14.3 s were left after it.

At move 31 White had mate in one with 31.Qc8#. 31.c4 was played instead; White stayed far ahead (+9.2), but the game went on.

Two moves earlier there was a forced mate as well: the engine gives 29.Qe8+ Rd8 30.Qxd8+ Kb7 31.Qc8#, and 29.Qxg7 was played. In this 3+0 game White had 21.4 seconds left after 29.Qxg7 and 14.3 seconds after 31.c4. The game was lost on time with White still far ahead on the board: at the last reading White had 0.3 seconds and Black 40.8.

When the clock is low and the position is winning, look at checks first. A mate ends the game before the clock can.

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3+2 games

11 games, 5 won and 6 lost. 2.00 blunders per game.

A bishop for a defended pawn

Hanging pieces and moved defenders 20...Bxc3?? Black, game lost Opponent rated 832

Before the move: +7.2After the best reply: +0.3

Clock: this move took 9.0 s, and 1:23 were left after it.

At move 20 Black was clearly ahead (+7.2). 20...Bxc3 took the pawn on c3, but the pawn on d2 defended it, and 21.dxc3 won the bishop. Black then won the c3 pawn as well, but two pawns for a bishop left the game about level (+0.3).

The capture took 9.0 seconds, with 83.1 seconds left. Three moves later 23...f5 lost the game, and Black resigned. 20...h5 keeps the lead (+7.2).

Before capturing a pawn, count its defenders. A pawn defended by another pawn is rarely free.

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The queen took a knight that was defended three times

Hanging pieces and moved defenders 21.Qxf4?? White, game lost Opponent rated 915

Before the move: +1.3After the best reply: −9.3

Clock: this move took 41.5 s, and 1:28 were left after it.

At move 21 the black knight on f4 was defended by the queen on h4, the pawn on e5 and the rook on f8. 21.Qxf4 took it with the queen, and after 21...Qxf4+ Black had won the queen for a knight (−9.3).

The capture was not hurried: it took 41.5 seconds by the clock readings, with 88.8 seconds left. 21.Re3 keeps White ahead (+1.3).

Count defenders before capturing with the queen. If the target is defended even once, the queen is lost for it.

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The same mate on g2, missed twice

Missed tactics 24...cxb5?? Black, game won Opponent rated 874

Before the move: mate in 1 for the authorAfter the best reply: +7.9

Clock: this move took 2.5 s, and 1:22 were left after it.

At move 24 Black had mate in one with 24...Qxg2#: the queen on g5 and the knight on f4 both attack g2, and only the king defends it. 24...cxb5 was played instead (+7.9).

The mate was still there on the next move, and 25...Bb7 missed it again. Later, 33...Rd1# was also mate in one and 33...gxf6 was played. Black won by checkmate at move 58, and the clock readings show that these three moves took 2.5, 2.0 and 8.9 seconds, with 82.4, 82.4 and 22.3 seconds left.

Every move, look at all checks first, even when a capture looks natural. A queen and a knight aimed at the same square near the king often give mate.

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All games

Every game of the day in the order played. Peak is the best evaluation the author had during the game.
#	Session	Colour	Opponent	Result	Moves	Blunders	Mistakes	Peak	Seconds per move	Featured
1	3+0 games	Black	951	Won by checkmate	22	2	2	mate	4.0
2	3+0 games	White	959	Lost by resignation	13	1	0	+2.0	2.6
3	3+0 games	White	932	Lost by resignation	14	1	0	+1.6	5.2
4	3+0 games	Black	958	Lost by resignation	24	1	0	+0.4	3.7
5	3+0 games	White	929	Lost by the clock	38	2	6	mate	4.7	31.c4
6	3+0 games	Black	911	Won by resignation	25	1	2	mate	3.9
7	3+0 games	White	928	Lost by resignation	30	3	4	+4.2	5.0
8	3+0 games	Black	944	Lost by the clock	51	3	6	+5.9	3.5
9	3+0 games	White	919	Drawn by other	33	1	3	+0.4	4.6
10	3+2 games	Black	832	Lost by resignation	26	2	2	+6.9	7.2	20...Bxc3
11	3+2 games	Black	907	Won by resignation	24	3	0	+7.8	4.3
12	3+2 games	White	915	Lost by resignation	23	3	4	+2.6	5.9	21.Qxf4
13	3+2 games	White	910	Lost by checkmate	52	3	6	+6.1	4.8
14	3+2 games	Black	866	Won by checkmate	68	3	3	mate	4.4
15	3+2 games	White	859	Won by checkmate	31	0	1	mate	4.7
16	3+2 games	Black	868	Lost by the clock	47	1	5	+1.0	5.8
17	3+2 games	White	877	Lost by the clock	46	3	3	+0.9	5.7
18	3+2 games	Black	885	Lost by resignation	21	1	1	+1.0	7.0
19	3+2 games	White	891	Won by checkmate	16	0	1	mate	6.2
20	3+2 games	Black	874	Won by checkmate	58	3	2	mate	4.6	24...cxb5
21	3+0 games	Black	921	Won by checkmate	52	0	1	mate	3.2

Losses on time

4 of the 12 losses ended on the clock. When the clock ran out the engine rated these positions at +6.9, −3.6, −6.2, −6.7 for the author. A rating below −3.0 means the game was already lost on the board; 1 of them was not. The Clock page shows how time use relates to blunders.