Down but Not Out Fighting Back in Losing Positions PGN Only Nov 07, 2025 Chessable

What to Do When You’re Losing:
FM Mike Klein’s Guide to Getting Out of Trouble

Ever had a winning position, got excited, but then your opponent somehow found a draw… or even stole a win?

We’ve all been there. Winning a won game is one of the hardest things in chess. Which is exactly why you shouldn’t get discouraged, let alone resign, when you’re in a worse position. Just think about all the rating points you could save if you knew ways to fight your way back!

FM Mike Klein is here to teach you the skills to do just that. In his Chessable debut, he shows you how to hit the ‘reset’ button once you’re in trouble, re-enter the game, and make it as hard as possible for your opponent to win… sometimes turning the tables completely!

After this course, you’ll start viewing losing positions as an opportunity to show your skills. You’ll learn how to:

1️⃣ save yourself with drawing techniques
2️⃣ complicate the game with middlegame mayhem
3️⃣ set trapdoor tactics that lure your opponent into mistakes
4️⃣ defend actively while putting obstacles in your opponent’s way
5️⃣ ignore engine suggestions to prioritize practical chances

To master these ideas, you’ll study how top players apply them to save losing positions. The main fighter you’ll follow is Magnus Carlsen. There’s an entire chapter on his comeback wizardry!

Let’s see an example:

Hikaru Nakamura – Magnus Carlsen, 2014. Black to move.

Yes: even Magnus ends up worse sometimes! The engine gave a +2.4 advantage here for White. And yet… Magnus still went on to win. Just one hint: middlegame mayhem.

This course isn’t about hunting for a single ‘decisive move’, though. It’s about the process: identify the problems in a position, anticipate your opponent’s plan, and maximize your comeback chances by posing small problems move by move.

The moves we’re looking for often aren’t the engine’s top choices. Our goal is to find plans that are psychologically hard to face and likely to induce mistakes, or even lure your opponent into a trap. How do you think FM Mike Klein achieved that in the next position?