The Pittsburgh Chess Club is hosting its annual club championship tournament. I haven't played in a Tuesday Night tournament in years (at least 15), but since I am chessing out right now (whatever that means) I decided to play. I couldn't be happier. As usual in the first round - us mid-level players get paired against the best of the best, and I played this man named Jeff, who is very good. Well, needless to say - after one of my best openings yet, I had an advantage into the middle game, but I couldn't force it home, and actually went from winning to losing in about ten moves. Well, my favorite part of the story is how I then capitalized on an improper move that Jeff made, and found a perpetual check that led me to a first round draw.
That was both good and bad. Good because it was a draw against a higher rated player, and bad because it meant that next round I would be playing up again. I drew the highest rated player in the tournament for the next round. Well, that was the Tuesday before we left for Philly.
Once again, I have to thank Kevin and his father for their incredible generosity in allowing me to ride out to the Liberty Bell Open in their van. If not for this family, I would never have experienced one large tournament, and now I was experiencing my second. So thank you again.
The ride out was different this time. Another Pittsburgh Chess Club player, and a friend of mine, rode out with us. His name is David. We all watched a movie on Kevin's Laptop - well, actually I couldn't actually see the movie, because I was sitting in the front seat, but it was Lord of the Rings (one of my all time favorites, and - coincidentally - there is a Lord of the Rings pinball machine, also one of my favorites. But I digress.) It made the ride fly by. We arrived in Philly with plenty of time to spare, or so we thought.
For those of you that have not heard, we have a new President of the United States. And that new president just happened to be staying at the same hotel our tournament we were staying in (as well as the same hotel we were playing in). So the traffic was an absolute nightmare right outside the hotel, what with all the precautions being taken. It literally took us over a half an hour from seeing our hotel to being in our hotel.
But we made it. It was time for our first round to begin. I drew a man named Michael (who eventually won our section). Happily I had the white pieces, played my KIA (by the way - it might be time to spice it up a little bit, and add another opening with the white pieces - we shall see) and won the game in about 30 moves. The game had a very interesting final move on my part - sort of like a chess problem. I am not sure if I can put the position into this blog (actually I know it's possible, but I am not sure how to do it). It truly was my intent to never actually include chess diagrams and analysis into this blog, but I have heard enough interest, that I am going to try it. Wish me luck. Anyhow, it was a fantastic start to what was sure to be a fantastic weekend of chess.
Ok - the position is white to move and mate soon (apparently in 6 if black wants to go crazy - but just try to see the idea. I also realize that fritz6 is giving away the move, but I don't care - this is about as good as it gets for me). I made the move and I felt great about it.
