Englund Gambit — Win

Saturday, October 3, 2026 · vs Nolevoi · View game on lichess ↗

A few times tonight you moved fast in sharp spots and missed simple, forcing options sitting right in front of you — like the free rook on move 29. Before playing a king move in a tactical position, take an extra five seconds to scan for captures first, even 'obvious' ones.

• ›You thought for 46 seconds here and went with knight to g5, but the computer wanted the simpler pawn push to g5, which keeps black's pieces cramped instead of letting them untangle. This move cost you about two points of eval — but black immediately gave it right back with queen takes e2 on the very next move, so no harm done in the end.
• ›This is the big one — 74 seconds in the tank and you still missed queen to e4, which keeps the pressure on and probably wins more material outright. Bishop takes g4 instead let black's position breathe again, swinging a full three points back in their favor. Long thinks should be for finding the best move, not just confirming the first one you saw.
• ›Quick 15-second decision here with queen to f2, but king to f1 was the move — just tucking the king somewhere safer instead of putting the queen on a square it can get hassled from. This is the kind of moment where black's attack starts generating real threats instead of fizzling out.
• ›Eight seconds — fastest move of the bunch, and it shows. King takes on h1 just wins the rook clean, no strings attached, but king to g2 let it slip, dropping another five points in the engine's eyes. This one could've thrown the whole game away; you got away with it, but it's worth noting how a snap decision missed a free piece sitting right there.