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First Master Draw

First Master Draw

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On February 14, 2015 I earned my first tournament points against an Expert. On February 20th, 2016, almost exactly one year later, I scored my first points against a Master--a FIDE Master no less!--with the following draw.

Attached is my initial analysis and then a bit of the follow up analysis I did with my coach, FM Boor.

Masters can be beaten by us class players. Though I didn't win here, I was fighting for a win and had the better chances at the end. When I beat the Expert in 2015, it opened up the possibility for me of beating other Experts and Class A players and guess what happened? I started scoring against Class A players! I no longer fear them or give them respect at the chessboard.

I hope that this draw against a Master has a similar affect on my confidence and allows me to go up against much higher rated players and fight for the better position--and then for the win.

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I am a professor researching goal setting, motivation, emotions, creativity, and related aspects of human performance in early-stage entrepreneurship.

 

From 2012 to 2017 I pursued aggressive adult improvement (starting at age 43). I recorded my journey here as I gained over 400 rating points over two years, peaking at 1753 USCF in 2015. After taking a multi-year break to complete my doctorate, I returned to competitive chess in 2024.