Chess Patterns ❯ Body And Mind ❯ Surprised by the Last Move

Surprised by the Last Move

An Unexpected Move can have a powerful psychological and tactical impact on your opponent. It can disrupt your opponent's planned strategy and force them to spend more time thinking than anticipated. This can lead to suboptimal responses as they try to adapt to the unexpected situation.

If your opponent seems surprised by your last move, you should: (1) Stick to your strategy and avoid getting overconfident, (2) Avoid showing any reaction that might give away your intentions. If you are surprised by your opponent's last move, you should: (1) Take your time to fully understand the implications of their move, (2) Look for hidden threats or tactics you might have overlooked, (3) Look for weaknesses or inaccuracies in your opponent's move.

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Know What to Do When Surprised by the Last Move

When we started adding a playful touch to chess learning, we looked through thousands of videos and hundreds of books to find the best resources out there. Here's our curated selection of the best content we encountered on situations in which players are Surprised by the Last Move. We also included some smaller creators who are growing fast and we believe deserve your attention. Check out these resources if you want to master this type of situation.

When You Prepare Whole Night But Opponent Plays 1. f4
Enjoy this hilarious 20” short to get an idea of the possible effects of surprising your opponent in the Opening phase.

WATCH ON YOUTUBE
Chess Psychology - The Self Talk
This nice video by GM Talks YouTube channel features a great game by Wesley So and has good advice on how to mentally handle surprise moves. Go for it.

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How To Bluff: Chess Psychology*
This lesson by IM Lawrence Trent about bluffs (and surprises) is part of a beautiful chess.com series on chess psychology. Don’t forget to do the interactive challenges at the end of it.

WATCH ON CHESS.COM
Understanding Chess Move by Move*
This book by John Nunn walks you through the moves of 30 games, step-by-step. And it includes some interesting examples of surprising moves. Ideal for club players looking for a clear and thorough explanation of game strategies.

GET IT ON FORWARD CHESS
Beyond Material: Ignore the Face Value of Your Pieces*
A well-written book by Davorin Kuljasevic on evaluating positions in a way that considers the importance of space, time, and psychology (surprise reactions included). Highly recommended.

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