Corus!
I just realised how badly I sucked at OTB playing while playing at the league club this week.
I lost all my games. 4 of the 5 games I played were blitzed games. Where has all my concentration gone? Down the gutter, that's what. Heheheh.... oh well, when you're down, the only way to go is up.
I do notice one thing, when observing another game, I noticed that one of my opponents (who beat me in a 5min blitz game) didn't pick the best moves in a slow 20min game with another weaker player . I spotted at least 5 different times that his chess pieces movement would have led to an instant winning position but he missed it. So it does look like all that chess study is paying off. The problem therein comes when it's my turn at the board. I couldn't concentrate for the first game and lost easily but really should have drawn the second and third game.
Anyway, my BIL who was there, played with me and I found that he was having problems (I played a different opening repertoire) and we actually enjoyed a very good game. I was playing Black and had managed to repulse his attack and achieved equality in the middlegame. But he got me in the end with a pin (that should never have happened)........ D'oh!!. I need to conduct my attack more judiciously.
On the next day, at work during lunch, I played another opening I was "trying out" and took my colleague Szabo to the endgame where I won because I had a better grasp of endgame knowledge. Szabo then commented that I used to beat him in the middlegame. So in my followup game with him, I switched back to my opening repertoire and pulverised Szabo as Black in 15 moves. I didn't really like that so I decided to ease up and get him into the middle game so that I can learn to formulate tactics and positions and more importantly, how to position my pieces.
So far, I'm starting to train up for the upcoming competitions. Hopefully, I will do better. I've been reading up and exercising in the gym in an attempt to get myself fitter and sharpen my concentration and boost my energy levels. Hope all this work is worth it... :) And even if it didn't, at least I'm having fun doing it anyway.
Onto international news, the draws for the Corus Chess Competition has just been announced.
Round 1 - Saturday the 14th
L. van Wely - I. Sokolov
S. Mamedyarov - E. Bacrot
S. Tiviakov - M. Adams
V. Topalov - G. Kamsky
B. Gelfand - P. Leko
S. Karjakin - V. Anand
L. Aronian - V. Ivanchuk
The draw of this round will surely be the young, aggressive Karjakin facing the much experienced "lightning speed" Anand.
Michael Adams will be anxious to reverse his horror show at FIDE Chess Championship in San Luis last year. I hope he does well.
The Aronian-Chukky match is also another match to watch for. I can't wait for Saturday to come.... :)
I lost all my games. 4 of the 5 games I played were blitzed games. Where has all my concentration gone? Down the gutter, that's what. Heheheh.... oh well, when you're down, the only way to go is up.
I do notice one thing, when observing another game, I noticed that one of my opponents (who beat me in a 5min blitz game) didn't pick the best moves in a slow 20min game with another weaker player . I spotted at least 5 different times that his chess pieces movement would have led to an instant winning position but he missed it. So it does look like all that chess study is paying off. The problem therein comes when it's my turn at the board. I couldn't concentrate for the first game and lost easily but really should have drawn the second and third game.
Anyway, my BIL who was there, played with me and I found that he was having problems (I played a different opening repertoire) and we actually enjoyed a very good game. I was playing Black and had managed to repulse his attack and achieved equality in the middlegame. But he got me in the end with a pin (that should never have happened)........ D'oh!!. I need to conduct my attack more judiciously.
On the next day, at work during lunch, I played another opening I was "trying out" and took my colleague Szabo to the endgame where I won because I had a better grasp of endgame knowledge. Szabo then commented that I used to beat him in the middlegame. So in my followup game with him, I switched back to my opening repertoire and pulverised Szabo as Black in 15 moves. I didn't really like that so I decided to ease up and get him into the middle game so that I can learn to formulate tactics and positions and more importantly, how to position my pieces.
So far, I'm starting to train up for the upcoming competitions. Hopefully, I will do better. I've been reading up and exercising in the gym in an attempt to get myself fitter and sharpen my concentration and boost my energy levels. Hope all this work is worth it... :) And even if it didn't, at least I'm having fun doing it anyway.
Onto international news, the draws for the Corus Chess Competition has just been announced.
Round 1 - Saturday the 14th
L. van Wely - I. Sokolov
S. Mamedyarov - E. Bacrot
S. Tiviakov - M. Adams
V. Topalov - G. Kamsky
B. Gelfand - P. Leko
S. Karjakin - V. Anand
L. Aronian - V. Ivanchuk
The draw of this round will surely be the young, aggressive Karjakin facing the much experienced "lightning speed" Anand.
Michael Adams will be anxious to reverse his horror show at FIDE Chess Championship in San Luis last year. I hope he does well.
The Aronian-Chukky match is also another match to watch for. I can't wait for Saturday to come.... :)
posted by tanch @ 5:03 AM
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