Everyone loses chess games occasionally, but all too often we lose a game due to moves that, deep down, we knew were flawed. Why do we commit these chess-board sins? Are they the result of general misconceptions about chess and how it should be played? And how can we recognize the warning signs better? In this thought-provoking and entertaining book, Jonathan Rowson investigates, in his inimitable style, the main reasons why chess-players sometimes go horribly astray, focusing on the underlying psychological pitfalls: * Thinking (unnecessary or erroneous) * Blinking (missing opportunities; lack of resolution) * Wanting (too much concern with the result of the game) * Materialism (lack of attention to non-material factors) * Egoism (insufficient awareness of the opponent and his ideas) * Perfectionism (running short of time; trying too hard) * Looseness ("losing the plot"; drifting; poor concentration)