2017 - Is this the year? :) (Part 2 out of 2)

Hi there  

This is the Part 2 of the review covering my first couple of chess tournaments this year and illustrating all my struggles and sweats towards the ultimate goal!

So in part 1 (which you see here) we off that I had scored 4 points out of 4 in Bronshoj Lang Weekend tournament, and things were looking really good for me. With couple of more wins I had a shot at both winning the tournament and potentially reaching the 2300 FIDE rating. 

Round 5

In this round I was paired with black pieces against the only other player who had scored 4 points in the first 4 games. So this game was a fight for the tournament lead!

What a game! I think I defended well, while due to unfamiliarity with the positions after the opening, I must admit, I wasn't all that good at evaluating my chances during the different stages of the game. That's why I think also missed the tactical shot as my mindset was just to find defensive resources most of the time.

Round 6

In round six I was paired against IM Martin Haubro. While he is a tough opposition to face, I was rather happy playing White against him.

In this game I didn't really manage to create any winning chances, and this also meant that the last round I will be playing with Black pieces, which always is a little bit more tricky, when I need a win to fight for the first place in the tournament.

Round 7

In the last round as expected I was paired with the Black pieces and my opponent was Viktor Nielsen Haarmark (FIDE 2232). 

It was funny that after the game, when talking with my opponent I realized that both of us were afraid to lose the game, so that's why a logical outcome - a draw. It was a good lesson for me that, sometimes if I feel that my position is not so safe, it is the same way my opponent feels, which changes the whole dynamics completely. 

In the end, I shared 1-4 place and gained 19 rating points, which I was happy about!  

I forgot to mention in the first part of this review that in the beginning of February I also played a game in Swedish league, which I won and this gave my additional 6 rating points, which gives a total of +25 for the February month and brings me closer to the 2300 boarder and FM title. 

After Bronshoj I also played in a small rapid tournament in Sweden (PiratenSchacket 2017), which I won with 8 points out of 8. The tournament was held in a small really adorable town called Vollsjo, which I hope to come back to some time in the future.  

Then the most recent chess adventure for me this year was Mikhail Tal memorial held in Latvia, Jurmala. I was really looking forward to this tournament as the lineup included around 30 GMs! However, both the blitz and rapid tournaments didn't really work out the way I wished as in the end I lost around 16 rating points in rapid and 20 in blitz, so not much to tell there.  Other than that it was a great tournament, I was really glad to meet all my Latvian chess friends and Riga Magician team!

As for the coming couple of months, I am currently rated 2287 FIDE, so it is time to gain the last couple of rating points and get the FM title. I haven't decided yet on what tournaments to play, so you are more than welcome to share if you know some good options.  

Thank you for your attention! P.s. in the picture of this blog it is me getting my butt kicked by FM Arturs Bernotas at the last round of Tal Memorial in Jurmala.  

See you at the tables!

Cheers,

Ritvars