Second Year Anniversary

Today I am a bit out of my game. So I decided to stop playing for some hours. I watched some youtube videos of GM Polgar. Having quality time with my daughter. Eating popcorn while watching Bleach (anime) on my iPad. After a while I decided to train some tactics to bring me back to chess mode. But then, a trophy caught my eye.

A weird looking trophy I say. Who is it from? Oh its chess.com and it says today is my anniversary. Thank you for the trophy guys. It really puts me into chess mode and I readily look for Live Chess.

Game 1: Game Aborted.

Not a very good way to start my anniversary I said. Some rogue player accepted my challenge and then aborted. The system told me that such a player has been notified for any violation.

Game 2: Vienna Game: Falkbeer, Stanley Variation, 3...Bc5

Game 3: Scandinavian Defense: Mieses-Kotroc Variation, 3.Nc3

Things are going well for my two 2|1 games. Using my iPad is a good choice since my PC's mouse is too old and already malfunctioning. I am getting pumped up.

Game 4: Italian Game: Blackburne Shilling Gambit, 4.Nxe5 Qg5

Game 5: Scandinavian Defense: Modern, Marshall, Tomalty Gambit, Center Counter Variation

I was hoping for a rematch. but not all players are really up to it.

Game 6: Giuoco Piano Game: Main Line, Albin Gambit

I like this opening. It is named after me... Alvin Gambit! I guess chess really runs through my veins.

Game 7: Queen's Pawn Opening: Stonewall Attack, 3...c5 4.c3

And so there is it. 5 wins 1 lost due to abandonment and 1 aborted game. I think I am happy with my anniversary games.

Thanks to the videos and lectures from chess.com's GM Rensch and GM Ginger, and GM Polgar's. The Chess Mentor and Drills really makes magic. Chess.com really put an effort on their training methods, all you have to do is be patient and read and actually do the drills.

Thanks to my friends (@heltorn-ntmr and @thegreat_patzer) for sharing thoughts with me. They are my long time chess buddies and really helped me improved. 

Thanks to Chessmaster GM Edition for being patient. Your different personalities keeps me company. GM Waitzkin lessons are particularly good. Blindfold training is really cool as well as the simuls. The predefined tournament is indicating that I am leaving the Initiates group and might be joining the Adepts in the near future. Kind of cool really. I have achieved in a year what I am trying to do for years.

Thanks to Fritz and Stockfish. Objective evaluation is what I needed to get things done. Hope I can understand more of the moves you are making. ChessBase helps in the analysis too.

Thanks to the management and staff of chess.com for doing a great job. I have improved in the past one year. Looking forward for more improvements. Glitz and bugs are fine and tolerable. But its always there in every game or software.

Another year is about to unfold. What could be out there just waiting for me?