There was actually a chess tournament last month, but I didn't find out about it until after it had already taken place. Need to keep up on the tournaments page on the KCA site, I guess.
Anyway, for the first time in a few months, it was back to the trenches over the chessboard.
The facilities are new, in an old sort of way. Tournaments had been at an inn in Lexington, but that's ended, and now they are at a country club where the Lexington chess club has been meeting on Wednesday evenings for quite some time. The room isn't very large, it's a bit cramped, but it is sufficient. There was mention of having a new site in a few months
The tournament was a 5 round, G/45 one. I played in four rounds, didn't stay for the fifth. I wasn't in a position to win anything, and I wanted to meet some friends, as I hadn't realized that the tournament would last so long and go so late.
The first round was a good game, though a loss for me. Made an interesting sacrifice to gain some positional plusses, but I think I didn't take advantage of them quickly enough, and didn't get the breakthrough before my opponent could get some defensive resources and held me back.
Second game was a bit of a heartbreaker. It was pretty even for most of it, my defensive system was rather passive but solid, and my opponent couldn't get a breakthrough until late. He won a couple of pawns, but I won back an exchange. I may have overestimated my advantage, but at the least I left my king too vulnerable and had to resign before a mate threat.
The third one was my only win. It was a rather tame game--I played a system that weakened my opponent's pawns, there was some small interests in the middle game, but with reasonable caution I wasn't really in any fear of losing.
Finally, the fourth was almost like the third, except that my opponent held on hard, and while he had weaknesses he kept them covered and I couldn't see a way to drive home any advantage I may have had. There were some interesting tactics at the end, and my opponent made a sacrifice to gain a draw by perpetual check.
So, four games, four interesting fights, though not the best of end results, I guess. Can't complain, I at least had my chances, and it was an enjoyable time. Several people I hadn't seen since way back when returned.
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2 comments:
I am an avid chess player and regularly play on ICC. Can we play online sometime? My father was a class C way back in the sixties, my rating is between 1200 and 1400.
That would be good, but I don't have an ICC account, and don't get to play much online. I did try to at Pogo, but getting a game of chess there was usually too much trouble.
Could there be some other way of doing?
btw my own rating is currently around 1700. It may have dropped some from this last tourney.
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