Original post by 1 8 13 20 42I can take some satisfaction from basically outplaying someone 100 points higher in the middlegame, and for the early portion of the endgame as well (not that that was hard). According to the engine the final position in which I resigned was -0.06. I guess I need to look over rook and pawn vs rook endgames because I assumed I was just lost. In reality, it's very easy to figure out what went wrong - I allowed his king too much activity. That's basically it. There was also certainly a degree of complacency with the advantage. I am just trying to learn something I guess as however stupid I may be, I will not become less stupid unless I learn I guess..
I think the primary way of winning chess is what Silman has said in articles, creating targets. If your opponent has an isolated or backward pawn, this is easy. If your opponent has an obvious hole that would be perfect for a piece, it is easy. If there is a file that is ripe for the taking, this is easy. Failing that, perhaps push pawns and hope for the best...it sort of is a case of waiting for a tactical mistake, but these often come when you put someone under pressure (indeed, when you put someone under pressure they can hang a piece straight up, let alone miss a tactic).
I mean, this is something I did quite well in my last game, ignoring the ending. Once the c file opens up, I make it my business to occupy it with all my major pieces. I then attack the e7 bishop, but my real "target" is the f7 square. I bring my rook into the game, "pinning" the bishop to f7, while the rook is stuck defending the bishop, and the queen has no worthwhile squares. I'm tying them down to defending a target. Then I am in prime position to focus on the other weaknesses, a6 and d6, ultimately winning them.
There's also a common saying that you need two weaknesses to win a chess game (in this game the two + weaknesses I guess would be the sensitive f7 and the queenside pawns, although I lost it it was clearly winning from the middlegame..). If you just play solid and focus only on one, or, indeed, none, then your opponent has nothing to worry about, I guess.