by Everyone does blunders, in chess the story is same, applies to the greatest of all players across the globe and at all levels of championships.
Common chess blunders known are:
Hanging Pieces: This blunder occurs when a player leaves a piece undefended, allowing the opponent to capture it without any repercussions. It can happen due to oversight or miscalculation.
Forks: A fork is a tactic where one piece simultaneously attacks two or more opponent’s pieces. Falling into a fork blunder means leaving your pieces vulnerable to such tactics, resulting in losing material.
Pins: A pin occurs when a piece is restricted from moving to protect a more valuable piece behind it. Failing to recognize or respond to a pin can lead to significant material or positional disadvantage.
Back Rank Weakness: This blunder often occurs in the endgame when a player’s back rank has insufficient defense, allowing the opponent’s pieces to invade and deliver checkmate or win material.
Blunders in Tactical Combinations: Players may miss tactical opportunities or fail to calculate accurately, leading to missed tactics such as forks, skewers, discovered attacks, or even simple checkmates.
Weak King Safety: Neglecting king safety can lead to blunders, leaving the king exposed to potential checkmates or attacks that exploit weak pawn structures or open lines.
Time Trouble Blunders: In time pressure, players may make hasty moves without adequate calculation or evaluation, increasing the chances of overlooking tactics or falling into traps.
From the initial days of chess championships, various chess blunders are observed, even played (or missed) by world chess champs, grandmasters and famous stars!
Mikhail Tal vs. Paul Keres, Candidates Tournament 1959: In a critical game, Tal, known for his aggressive and tactical style, blundered by overlooking a tactical shot by Keres. Keres took advantage of the opportunity and went on to win the game.
Boris Spassky vs. Bobby Fischer, World Chess Championship 1972:
In Game 1 of their historic match, Spassky, the reigning champion, blundered by moving his bishop to a wrong square early in the game. Fischer capitalized on the mistake and won the game, setting the tone for the championship.
Game 6, 1972: In this highly anticipated match, Fischer made a critical blunder by moving his bishop to a wrong square, allowing Spassky to win the game.
Anatoly Karpov vs. Viktor Korchnoi, World Chess Championship 1978: In Game 5 of their title match, Karpov, the reigning champion, blundered by hanging his rook and allowing Korchnoi to win it with a simple tactic. This blunder turned the game in Korchnoi’s favor, and he went on to win the game and level the match score.
Anatoly Karpov vs. Garry Kasparov, World Chess Championship 1984: In Game 16 of their legendary match, Karpov, the reigning champion, blundered by allowing Kasparov to execute a beautiful combination that led to a winning position for Kasparov. However, Kasparov missed the winning move and the game ended in a draw.
Garry Kasparov vs. Nigel Short World Chess Championship, Game 5, 1993: Kasparov, known for his exceptional tactical skills, blundered in this game by moving his queen to a square where it could be captured, leading to his eventual defeat.
Viswanathan Anand vs. Garry Kasparov, World Chess Championship 1995: In the 9th game of their World Championship match, Viswanathan Anand, representing India, blundered by hanging his queen on move 23. This costly mistake allowed Kasparov to win the game and ultimately retain his title.
Garry Kasparov vs. Deep Blue, IBM Chess Challenge 1997: In Game 6 of the famous man vs. machine match, Kasparov made a blunder by playing a weak move early in the game. Deep Blue capitalized on this mistake and went on to win the game, creating a significant sensation in the chess world.
Anatoly Karpov vs. Viswanathan Anand, World Chess Championship 1998: In Game 3 of their World Championship match, Karpov, who had already won the first two games, blundered by hanging his queen on move 14. Anand quickly seized the opportunity and won the game, making a significant comeback in the match.
Vladimir Kramnik vs. Garry Kasparov World Chess Championship, Game 2, 2000: In a highly anticipated match between two chess legends, Kasparov made a significant blunder by allowing Kramnik to deliver a devastating knight sacrifice, which ultimately led to Kasparov’s loss.
Vladimir Kramnik vs. Peter Leko World Chess Championship, Game 6, 2004: In a critical moment of the match, Kramnik, who was leading the championship, blundered by moving his rook to an incorrect square, allowing Leko to exploit the mistake and secure a draw.
Vladimir Kramnik vs. Veselin Topalov, World Chess Championship 2006: In Game 1 of their World Championship match, Kramnik, the reigning champion, blundered by moving his rook to an incorrect square, allowing Topalov to launch a devastating counterattack that ultimately led to Kramnik’s defeat.
Vladimir Kramnik versus Deep Fritz 2006: Kramnik missed winning chances in game 1 and 5, overlooked a mate in one in game 2, and finally lost game 6 versus a resistless Fritz playing a strong novelty.
Viswanathan Anand vs. Veselin Topalov, World Chess Championship 2010: In Game 12 of their World Championship match, Anand, the reigning champion, blundered by overlooking a winning continuation. Topalov seized the opportunity, won the game, and tied the match score, leading to a thrilling tie-breaker.
Magnus Carlsen vs. Sergey Karjakin, World Chess Championship 2016: In Game 8 of their title match, Carlsen, the reigning champion, blundered by missing a forced checkmate in a favorable position. The game ended in a draw, but Carlsen’s oversight became a memorable moment of the championship.
Pentala Harikrishna vs. Veselin Topalov, FIDE Grand Prix 2017: In a crucial game of the FIDE Grand Prix, Harikrishna, one of India’s top players, blundered by allowing a simple tactic where he missed a mate-in-one. This oversight led to his defeat in the game.
Magnus Carlsen vs. Fabiano Caruana World Chess Championship, Game 8, 2018: In a closely contested match, Carlsen, the reigning champion, made a surprising blunder by missing a forced checkmate in a complex position. The game ended in a draw, but Carlsen’s oversight was a memorable moment.
Magnus Carlsen vs. Hikaru Nakamura, London Chess Classic 2018: In a rapid game, Carlsen, the reigning World Champion, blundered by overlooking a mate-in-one that Nakamura had on the board. This unexpected oversight cost Carlsen the game.
Magnus Carlsen vs. Daniil Dubov, Lindores Abbey Rapid Challenge, Round 10, 2020: Magnus Carlsen blundered with an unprotected knight against Daniil Dubov and was in danger of elimination from the Lindores Abbey Rapid Challenge before the knockout stages.
Ding Liren vs. FIDE World Chess Championship Game 4, 2023: Ding Liren of China bounced back with white pieces after Nepo made a positional blunder on move 28 resulting in Ding giving up the exchange in return for a better position.
