So last month I celebrated my 3 year anniversary with my wife.  We usually head up to Portland and enjoy a nice dinner and just get away. 

We had dinner reservations and decided to get a few drinks before dinner and go out for a walk in downtown. 

We walked by a starbucks and passed a number of permanent chess boards set up with many people playing, while onlookers would kibitz.

My wife of course knows I've taken a hiatus from online chess for 1 year (Also, without committing to it: this has also included OTB chess as well).  We passed the chess boards and she saw me trying to get a look at one of the boards.  "You'd really like to play huh?", she said.  "Na, I'm good." I responded. "Lets get some drinks." 

We headed down to this cool little bar which we go to every-time we are in Portland because the owner just makes these incredible drinks. We order a couple, and another, and then a few more.  We decided it was time to get going back to our dinner reservations, and we stumbled out of the bar and into the brisk evening. 

We again passed the chess boards and my wife insisted that I play a game before dinner.  "I don't know" I said.  "I'm pretty much drunk."  She insisted that I'd been so good about holding to my 'no online chess' committment, that I should reward myself on our anniversary. 

We made our way to one of the board and watched two guys at the end of a 5min blitz game.  Looking down at the board I was having a bit of trouble focusing.  The game ended and the owner of the table asked if I'd like to play one next.

I took my position at the table and honestly felt like I didn't know how to move the pieces.  Then my wife lets everyone know: "My husband is really good!"

AWESOME...so the only real advantage I had was now completly out the window.  Needless to say my wife has absolutly no conception of competition, chess, or how to keep your cards close to your chest.  So now, I'm drunk, playing someone who I have absolutly no idea about other than he plays chess often enough to be running through people at a table, and he now knows I have some background playing the game. 

We began to play and I was having a lot of trouble just remembering to touch the clock after each move.  I played with Black and lost a piece in about 10 moves (lol), but played on and regained the piece only to see mate in like 4 moves.  I'd lost pretty badly and my wife looked like "WTF" I thought you were good? 

We watched another game and this guy from Cuba, dispached the player in about 15 moves. 

My wife said, "You have to do better than that, play one more and then lets go to dinner." 

We set up the pieces and this time I played with White.  I was still feeling drunk, but after the first game, I started to get my chess barrings again.  I mean I hadn't touched a piece or played a game in almost 3 months and I was used to playing everyday...and I just had 4 martini's, so I wasn't being to hard on myself for the first loss. 

I played the opening really without any plan, other than trying to throw him off using one of my favorite anti-sicilian lines called the "Wing Gambit". 

I played the opening fast and started to get into a rythm using the clock (I hadn't played with a clock in OTB in about a year, so it took some getting used to.) 

I ended up creating a strong center and found a nice little tactic to win the game. 

Here is the game.  I'm happy I was able to do it in front of my wife and not lose twice.

And I haven't played again since this. 

11. ...Nh5...? I think you could have exposed his lack of defence on his kingside better, instead of just trading away your knight. Personally I think he totally underestimated your kingside attack, and so did you it seems. Look at his d-file bishop blocking his pawn and giving your white bishop free-reign. That's what I thought the game was going to be like, an overpowering attack on his king, punishing a poor opening.

Do you think he threw the game...? Especially the last move, I mean come on. His "blunder" could have been a code to you that he was throwing the game, while your wife wouldn't know the difference.

Every time I see a young guy at the club come in with his gal-pal, who giggles and looks uncomfortable with him not paying attention to her, I say "we won't be seeing him again..." And sure enough, in a couple of weeks or so, he's gone.

Nice game though.  

That was an awesome story immortalgamer!!! I really enjoyed it! The old back rank! Gets me everytime!!! Good on you!!!

p.s. No time like the present to have that "how to keep your cards close to your chest"  talk with your wife, LOL!!!

My experiences with drunk chess are a bit like regular chess... if you're in the mood to concentrate so to speak, you'll actually do ok even in a blitz game.  But if you're drunk and just want to play fast-n-fun chess, you'll hang just about everything including the king heh.  Seems like you were able to be patient though, good game :)

 Why not? Are you on some kind of a self punishment kick?

Chess has been one of the great joys in my life, but it also has the potential to become an obsession; and many chess players, no matter the rating, can understand this.  So it is of my own self will that I am choosing to put my chess mind on a strict diet.

 That doesn't have to mean complete abstinence.

It is just the challenge I gave myself to stay away from "live internet chess".  I still watched the Carlsen match vs. the world and the recent matches with Kramnik Anand, Shirov, and Carlsen. 

It is just something that I'm doing, that has worked for me. 

You are probably correct..there is nothing special about the game...pretty boring actually.  I'm happy I was able to recall it after a months time, and it was more just to go with the story.

Great little story. I enjoyed it.

Remembered it from a month ago?!  You really must be chess deprived to have gone over it in your head enough for it to stick like that

Or do you just have a good memory for that sort of thing.  Heh, don't mind spaghettio, he's just trying to start fights here and there.

Good memory considering you were drunk, or did u write down the moves then?

I think if you 'promoted' your pawn in her 'castle' a little more, maybe you could get your 'queen' to play here along with you! 

 Dude, lay off him. He was drunk. =]

Perhaps it might also have been possible that he only missed the fact that 27. Qxf4 wins a piece and White has pretty much a won game after that anyway; so he just allowed the nice backrank finish?

In any case I have to say, I was rather expecting your opponent to play 17. ...Bxe4 to win a pawn thanks to the discovered attack on the b2 bishop; but then I realized it doesn't work because after 18.Nxe4 Rxb2 White has 19.Nc6+ (EDIT: 19.Nf6+, sorry) winning an exchange for the pawn. That was pretty fun to spot.

Only four drinks?

Dude, I need that many before I'm even calm enough to drive. 

My experience has always been that if you are with a woman who knows you play chess, and encounter others playing, she will almost always insist you play and invariably announce how good you are.  And you will always make a stupid move early in the game.  You may still win, but you will blunder and it is all her fault.

The only way to counteract this phenomenon is to immediately suggest a bet to the prospective opponent:  play for your woman.  Now, if you really love her, this will inspire you to play better.  In any case, she will probably storm away and won't be a further distraction for a while.

Trust me - I'm on the internets and everything!

One of the most fun stories I read on this site, truly enjoyed it, thanks! Glad you have managed to settle the score in the second game. I don't understand why you have to completel cease playing though. Wasn't there any other solution?

Nice to see you bringing some fun to the game Immo.

... and nice to hear from you again!