It's Always Nice When...
It's always a nice feeling when you know you didn't play that well (or perhaps you might have played like *%$* 
) -- yet somehow, you managed a decent peformance score anyway. For me, that was certainly the case at last weekend's Metropolitan International tournament in Los Angeles, California.
Believe me when I say that I could list the things I did wrong -- from poor time management, lazy calculations, to not converting a single win as white -- in a 10 part article series, to be eventually converted into a novela 
... but let's not depress everyone with that right now. Yes, I will study my games and learn from the "x's and o's" of my miscues... Of course I will try to see where I left theory and was outprepared by my opponents in the opening stage... And yes, I will subject myself to the critiques of the one and only great Houdini Engine 
...
But the bottomline is that it wouldn't take a genius (or anyone over 1800 for that matter) to realize that I wasn't in top form. Sometimes, you look back at a tournament where you didn't ever feel "quite right" (I actually was feeling a little under weather too, but I don't think it affected my play) and you just have to be greatful that things didn't go any worse!
As we discussed in my last blog, the "journey to GM" is going to be a long one. Patience and allowing myself to "enjoy the ride" is just as important as the results right now. So though it's true that I look back on last week's tournament and admit to myself that I have a lot of work to do....
IF I can score 5.5 out of 9, gain 10-15 FIDE rating points, and be in the running to place well up until the final round in tournaments of "bad form" (where I can't even convert clear advantages -- see the Yang game below -- and I play like garbage with white -- see the Akobian game as well--) then I have to be pretty pumped about my chances when I am in "good form"... right???
and a good one for the road...
Danny Rensch is an international master and Chief Chess Officer at Chess.com. After a successful scholastic chess career, Danny joined Chess.com as a co-founder in 2009. He directs the company's content, media partnerships, and professional chess events. Danny is an accomplished commentator and broadcaster, which he used to establish Chess.com's streaming and creator programs. He has channeled his lifelong passion for playing and teaching chess to advance Chess.com's mission of growing the game and helping people enjoy their lives through chess. With over 200 million registered users, Chess.com is the leading platform for playing and learning chess.
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Read “Dark Squares,” Danny’s Highly Anticipated Memoir
Danny Rensch has released his highly anticipated memoir on September 16, 2025. Described as Educated meets The Queen’s Gambit, this powerful and deeply personal book dives into his upbringing in an abusive cult and how chess ended up saving his life.
