Why Beginners Keep Losing at Walls. The Question Experts Ask

The mystery

Most people believe they are losing because they do not push their pawn as fast as possible. That is a natural guess, but it is not the real problem.

Beginners often judge a position by how close they are to the borders, and close does not always mean winning. A player who looks closer to the end can still be losing. Adding the right barriers at the right time can lead to victory much more efficiently than running to the end.

Every wall changes two races

So the obvious answer is to use walls, and that is true. Walls are powerful. But every wall changes the game for your opponent and it also changes the game for you. Every wall changes two races.

Experienced players do not celebrate placing a wall. Before every wall they ask one question. Will this wall hurt my opponent more than it hurts me? If the answer is yes, it may be worth playing.

From now on, do not think of a wall as something that only blocks your opponent. Think of it as a decision that changes two races. The only question is who it helps more.

The second question

Good players stop at the first question, and that is enough to become a strong player. But the very best ask one more. Could this wall help me more than it helps my opponent? Sometimes a wall is not just a weapon. Sometimes it is a guide.

A wall like that slows my opponent and also improves my own journey. One move, two advantages. That is the kind of wall great players search for. From this moment on, every wall becomes an investment. Before placing it, great players evaluate both sides of the trade, and only then do they commit.

Reading the trade

Two walls may look equally good, and they are not. Every wall creates a different trade between you and your opponent.

• A good blocking wall. It hurts me a little, but it hurts my opponent much more. That is a good trade.
• A great positional wall. It slows my opponent and improves my own route at the same time.
• A wall that looks smart. Some walls waste a move, and others accidentally help your opponent. Great players do not judge walls by appearance. They judge the trade they create.

To practice counting a trade, step by step, read our article on tempo in Walls.

The real difference

Now you know the answer. Beginners try to reach the finish line first. Better players learn to slow their opponent. Great players do both at the same time. Before every wall they ask two questions. Will this hurt my opponent more than me? And can this help me more than it helps my opponent?

One wall. Two races. Two questions. One decision. That is the difference between placing a wall and understanding the game.

From now on, do not ask how fast you can reach the finish. Ask what this wall changes for both players. Because every wall changes two races, and the best players always measure both.

Watch Why Beginners Lose at Walls in motion

The same lesson as an animated video, with a short version.

The animated lesson. About four minutes. Watch on YouTube

The 35 second version. Watch on YouTube

Keep reading after Why Beginners Lose at Walls

More articles on the same ideas

• Tempo in WallsWhy a wall must earn its place, and how one good wall can buy you two turns.
• 5 Beginner MistakesFrom Fool's Mate to the Poisoned Pawn. Five classic mistakes and the one question that avoids them.

Where this is explained further

• Walls strategy guideCounting the race, wall economy and the detour principle with diagrams.
• Walls FAQThe most common beginner mistakes and questions.

Sources for Why Beginners Lose at Walls

• The ideas follow widely published strategy for this kind of race and wall game, comparing both players' shortest paths before each decision. All positions in the video are demonstrations, not recorded games.