 "Chess (#1086)")
There have been several recent super-tournaments at fast controls including the London Classic, Beijing Mindgames, Zurich, Moscow, et cetera. These emphasised certain aspects of quick play. Naturally blunders are more common at quick controls. But a switch to long controls automatically reduces blunders.
More subtly, fast controls can cause erosion of technique. An experienced blitz/rapid player will often avoid grinding slightly superior/inferior endgames. Some will even avoid slow positional middlegames. One reason is that even a totally won endgame may need deep calculation and sharp tactics and positional stuff needs evaluation. If you play too much rapid/ blitz, the habit of avoidance becomes ingrained and damaging. A player who always avoids superior endgames is going to toss a lot of points. He will toss even more points when he has to defend the inferior side.
One interesting assertion was made by Hikaru Nakamura in a long interview after he won London. The 26-year-old American GM claimed his generation (and younger players) was technically superior to any prior generation when it comes to playing highly technical positions at speed. His logic: the "Fritz kids" grew up online playing at fast controls and against programs, which are great defenders with perfect techniques. Hence, they put up strong resistance when defending and they expect their opposition to find the best defences as well.
He may be right. All top-ranking youngsters, starting with Magnus Carlsen, play endgames with unusual precision. Even prodigies like Bobby Fischer, Anatoly Karpov and Jose Raúl Capablanca improved their endgame skills in their mid-20s and later. The Internet may have accelerated learning.
THE DIAGRAM, BLACK TO PLAY (White: Nakamura Vs Vladimir Kramnik, London 2013) shows how even a great technician can lose his way, facing good defence at a short control. Black can't grab 42.--Rxd7?? 43. Nc5+ or 42.--f5?! 43. Nc5+ or 42.--Kxd7 43. Bxh6! The best is 42.-- Bf8! and picking up the pawn. The computers say 42.--Kf5 may also win with black sliding into g4.
Instead black played 42...Kf7? 43.Nc5! Bf8 44.Ba5! Be7. This smells like a fortress. There is no way to approach d7 with the king. Captures on c5 are met with d8=Q. Play continued 45.Bb6 Rd6 46.Ba5 Rd5 47.Bb6 h5 48.Kf3 f5 49.Kg2 Rd2 50.Ba5 Rd5 51.Bb6 f4 52.Kf3 fxg3 53.fxg3 Rd6 54.Ba5 Rd4 55.Bb6 Rd1 56.Ba5 Rd5 57.Bb6 Rd1 58.Ba5 g5 59.hxg5 Kg6 60.Bb6 Bxg5
Now white gets in a trick with 61.Ne6! Rd3+. Black could lose after 61...Rxd7? 62.Nf8+ Kf5 63.Nxd7 but it's an easy draw with 61...Bf6 62.d8Q Bxd8 63.Bxd8 Kf5 64. Ng7+ Kg6 65. Ne6 Kf5, etc. The game continued 62.Ke4 Rd6 63.Nxg5 Rxd7 64.Nf3 Re7+? 65.Ne5+ Kf6?? 66.Bd8 (1-0). Naka handled the defence with great spirit.
More subtly, fast controls can cause erosion of technique. An experienced blitz/rapid player will often avoid grinding slightly superior/inferior endgames. Some will even avoid slow positional middlegames. One reason is that even a totally won endgame may need deep calculation and sharp tactics and positional stuff needs evaluation. If you play too much rapid/ blitz, the habit of avoidance becomes ingrained and damaging. A player who always avoids superior endgames is going to toss a lot of points. He will toss even more points when he has to defend the inferior side.
One interesting assertion was made by Hikaru Nakamura in a long interview after he won London. The 26-year-old American GM claimed his generation (and younger players) was technically superior to any prior generation when it comes to playing highly technical positions at speed. His logic: the "Fritz kids" grew up online playing at fast controls and against programs, which are great defenders with perfect techniques. Hence, they put up strong resistance when defending and they expect their opposition to find the best defences as well.
He may be right. All top-ranking youngsters, starting with Magnus Carlsen, play endgames with unusual precision. Even prodigies like Bobby Fischer, Anatoly Karpov and Jose Raúl Capablanca improved their endgame skills in their mid-20s and later. The Internet may have accelerated learning.
THE DIAGRAM, BLACK TO PLAY (White: Nakamura Vs Vladimir Kramnik, London 2013) shows how even a great technician can lose his way, facing good defence at a short control. Black can't grab 42.--Rxd7?? 43. Nc5+ or 42.--f5?! 43. Nc5+ or 42.--Kxd7 43. Bxh6! The best is 42.-- Bf8! and picking up the pawn. The computers say 42.--Kf5 may also win with black sliding into g4.
Instead black played 42...Kf7? 43.Nc5! Bf8 44.Ba5! Be7. This smells like a fortress. There is no way to approach d7 with the king. Captures on c5 are met with d8=Q. Play continued 45.Bb6 Rd6 46.Ba5 Rd5 47.Bb6 h5 48.Kf3 f5 49.Kg2 Rd2 50.Ba5 Rd5 51.Bb6 f4 52.Kf3 fxg3 53.fxg3 Rd6 54.Ba5 Rd4 55.Bb6 Rd1 56.Ba5 Rd5 57.Bb6 Rd1 58.Ba5 g5 59.hxg5 Kg6 60.Bb6 Bxg5
Now white gets in a trick with 61.Ne6! Rd3+. Black could lose after 61...Rxd7? 62.Nf8+ Kf5 63.Nxd7 but it's an easy draw with 61...Bf6 62.d8Q Bxd8 63.Bxd8 Kf5 64. Ng7+ Kg6 65. Ne6 Kf5, etc. The game continued 62.Ke4 Rd6 63.Nxg5 Rxd7 64.Nf3 Re7+? 65.Ne5+ Kf6?? 66.Bd8 (1-0). Naka handled the defence with great spirit.
Devangshu Datta is an internationally rated chess and correspondence chess player