# Chess Therapy | I must Improve Me with Alan Watts

- Link: https://coffeefordessert.com/2026/10/02/chess-therapy-i-must-improve-me-with-alan-watts/
- Published: 2026-10-02T04:45:00-05:00
- Author: Chad Ambrose

Today’s therapy session borrows its title from Alan Watts and lets the board do 
the talking. The lesson starts with a pawn that only looks free.

1.e4 g5. Borg. Black’s queen takes on b2. Free pawn looks like progress. It is a
question.

**rnb1k1nr/pp1pppbp/8/4P1p1/3P4/5N2/Pq1B1PPP/RN1QKB1R w KQkq – 0 8**

White to move. Do you chase the queen, or do you develop while Black’s king stays
in the center?

Black keeps taking. White keeps checking. Sit through the noise.

**r5nr/p3k2p/3p4/4b3/4N3/5P1P/P1n2P1q/3Q1R1K w – – 2 21**

Qh2#. Name the miss that left the h2 square open. Improvement starts when you stop
calling a hanging pawn a gift.

I wish you the best of luck!!

The Chess Zone – Coffee For Dessert.

Check Coach Chad’s mistakes in the full game.

Full game

Find more moments to study in the full game. Copy the PGN into Lichess → Analysis
Board to study on your own.

    ```
    [Event "?"]
    [Site "Chess.com iPhone"]
    [Date "2024.08.19"]
    [Round "?"]
    [White "Guest1138239932"]
    [Black "Guest4295693270"]
    [Result "0-1"]
    [FEN "rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1"]
    [WhiteElo "1600"]
    [BlackElo "1600"]

    1.e4 g5 2.d4 Bg7 3.e5 c5 4.c3 cxd4 5.Bd2 Qa5 6.cxd4 Qb6 7.Nf3 Qxb2 8.Bxg5 d6 9.Nbd2 Bg4 10.h3 Bxf3 11.gxf3 Nc6 12.Bc4 Nxd4 13.O-O Nc2 14.Rb1 Qxe5 15.Rxb7 Qxg5+ 16.Kh2 Be5+ 17.Kh1 Qf4 18.Bxf7+ Kxf7 19.Rxe7+ Kxe7 20.Ne4 Qh2# {0-1}
    ```