The List of Mistakes Conclusions

210 Pump Up Your Rating
The List of Mistakes

Conclusions
The List of Mistakes categorizes mistakes in groups, and pinpoints common mistakes.
The idea is that gaining the knowledge of common mistakes is a huge step towards avoiding
them.
During the next tournament(s) , you have to think consciously about the new knowledge,
but later it will hopefully become subconscious - part of your intuition.
It's important to look for every mistake; don't forget games that you have won.
Every List of Mistakes can contain 30 games or less, depending on how often you play.
It's a good idea to review old Lists of Mistakes from time to time.
Positional mistakes are the easiest to correct.
Creating a List of Mistakes

The first thing I do is write down all the mistakes in a text document. Take the game from the
beginning of the chapter as an example:
Bartosz Socko - Axel Smith
1 5 . . . h8? - unnecessary prophylaxis. I don't need the move since I always get good compensation
if he takes the pawn on h6.
18 . . .i.xg5 ?! - inexact move order. 18 ... ltk4 avoids 'Wxb4.
28 . . . g6?! - it was better moving the g-pawn two steps to gain some space.
33 . . . gxf4?! - I open a file for his rook. Instead, after 33 . . . g4, I could have played for opening the
h-file in the long run.
36 . . . <.f:?e7?! - I was in time trouble and played a meaningless move.
38 . . . <.!:77? - I should not accept playing such a passive move in a critical position!
When I have written down the mistakes, it's time to create the List of Mistakes. The list below
shows the games in this chapter. Since I have chosen which games to include, some categories are
empty, but believe me, usually I make every kind of mistake!
If you find it interesting, you can cover the column with the number of mistakes, copy the list
and add every mistake that you find in this chapter. If you do, I am sure that our categorization
will differ, but that does no harm as long as both are logical.
Which categories should be used in the List of Mistakes? It depends on the mistakes! Sometimes
I'll start with a blank page and add a category for every new kind of mistake, and sometimes I'll
use an old scheme. There isn't any right or wrong way - the categories can be set in any way that
suits your mistakes. In my case the category "misjudging" has to be split, into "Overestimating
pawn centre" and "Overestimating the passed d-pawn". Other possible subcategories are king
safety, initiative, importance of pawn structure, bad bishops, central control and passed pawns.
I have pointed out all the mistakes that change the verdict of the position, from won to drawn or
from drawn to lost, as big ones.
Chapter 5 - The List of Mistakes 21 1
LIST OF MISTAKES (23 games)
Category Type of mistake number of mistakes (big in brackets)
Opening Quality of opening analysis

Understanding
Preparation, remembering
Tactics Big blunder
Miscalculation 1
Missing candidates 1
Blunder check
Not calculating deep enough
Positional Wrong plan
Pawn levers 3
Piece exchanges 4
Piece placement
Misevaluation
Overestimating pawn centre 4
Overestimating passed d-pawn 3 (1)
Missing prophylactic moves 1 (1)
Unnecessary prophylaxis 1
Thinking model Not assessing the position 3 (1)
Playing without a follow-up
Not setting clear aims
Not getting the logical move to work 7 (2)
Overly cautious 4 (2)
Attitude Bad concentration, nonchalance
Time trouble 2
Playing too fast (in critical moments)
Not objective (due to bad/good trend)
Afraid of losing
Much is already won when the list is finished. All the mistakes have been examined again, giving
important repetition. However, you should not be satisfied with that - the idea is also to see
which mistakes you make too often. Hence, I write a few lines when it's time to sum up.
I overvalue two rooks against a queen (plus pawns) and two minor pieces against a rook (plus
pawns) . To avoid doing this, I should not trust my intuition alone, but make a conscious
assessment of the position, seeing whether the pieces are able to cooperate against a target
or not.
I overestimate the ideal pawn centre, and don't even consider moves that give it up. With
the knowledge of this weakness, I will hopefully avoid it in the future.
I make many mistakes when exchanging heavy pieces, since I think too concretely. I have to
make positional considerations before I look for candidate moves.
212 Pump Up Your Rating
I overestimate the passed d-pawn. Also in this case, the knowledge should be enough to
avoid doing so again.
In winning positions, I am often too cautious, not going for the most direct win.
In the critical moments, I become lazy and often choose a quite passive move. I must give
my full effort and try to get the most logical move to work! If I avoid a variation, I must
have a reason.
I have some problems with time trouble, but not much. As usual, I should continue trying
to play even faster.
The positional mistakes are easy to categorize. A few times, I have also tried splitting the tactical
mistakes into details, such as backward moves, presuming that a threatened piece has to move,
not considering pawn moves in front of the king, missing unusual moves, missing sacrifices, etc.
However, I have seldom managed to get any useful information by doing so.
Personally, I think the psychological mistakes are the most interesting. One time I found that I
assessed my position too pessimistically after I realized that I had made a mistake. Another time
I found that I became slightly desperate in bad positions. These kinds of mistake are the easiest
to correct.
That can't be said about the last two conclusions in my summary above. They are even a
contradiction. If I try to calculate every critical variation, I will not play faster than before.
It's important to find a balance, and to feel when there is a critical position where thorough
calculation is required. By gaining more experience, and pointing out where I have problems, I
will hopefully improve even with that.
When I make a new List of Mistakes, I copy the old conclusions and check whether the same
mistakes are made or not. Hopefully, most of them have disappeared.
Club: Lunds ASK

Born: 1 986
Frisk has been a member ofLunds ASKsince 1994, and was the club's presidentfrom 2008-10.
She has represented Sweden in the European Team Championship and in the Olympiad. Frisk
made two WIM norms in 2012.

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210 Pump Up Your Rating

The List of Mistakes

Creating a List of Mistakes

Bartosz Socko - Axel Smith

LIST OF MISTAKES (23 games)

Category Type of mistake number of mistakes (big in brackets)

Opening Quality of opening analysis

Club: Lunds ASK

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