My first OTB tournament... ish
"Hey, you play chess?"
"Kind of, yes. Just started playing like several times only."
"Wanna play?"
Little did I know the guy in front of me is a National Master. I'm screwed.
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Let's rewind the clock a lil bit.
My whatsapp group DUNIA CATUR is a small community where I gather some of my friends to play chess online. It's not even my creation. I just inherited the group after the real founder for some reasons just left and let me run the small community. Long story short, I got the invitation to participate in a real OTB tournament at Pasar Pagi Mangga Dua 36th anniversary.
Interestingly, Nael, my young colleague from Kelapa Gading Chess Club, did come to compete. Afterall, KGCC was the host. Ayonk also came, as he's been coaching Nael for a half-year already.
I did not plan to compete. In fact, at that particular day, I planned to just visit KGCC for new ideas for my blog. Ayonk told me nobody was available at the club that day, as everyone was at Pasar Pagi to compete. Wanna come? At least you could observe how the real OTB should be played. We're at game 7 out of 8 now. So you still had time to check the ongoing games by the end of the day.
Okay. Many chess players are coming from all over the Capital city. And I kid you not, there was one guy from Norway also competing at Pasar Pagi that day. No, not Magnus Carlsen. Although Nael told me this guy was a Master too visiting from Norway. Huh. Interesting.
On the main stage was the crowd favorite to win. A child prodigy who had been destroying opponent left and right. The name is Almagro something-something I think. I cannot get a clear peek of his playing; the stage was very crowded so much, the adjudicator must warn everyone to step back as the stage was way too overcrowded.
I left as it was increasingly more difficult to watch the game with so many other players came to watch the wonder kid playing. Besides, Ayonk already waited downstairs, and he had another guy chatting with him.
"Hey, you play chess?"
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And, we're back at the very first line of this blog. Let's not bore you all with the details, yes?
1) 15|10 games. I didn't have chess clock, so I used chess.com clock apps. Interestingly, Ayonk never knew about that clock apps until that day.
2) I lost badly, running out of time. At the same game. Twice. And, I forgot to use Airplane Mode. Trust me all, when you used your cellphone as chess clock, you may find it... awkward... when your wife just called you and you had to pick it up... or else....
3) Once again, reality hit hard how OTB is different than online chess. All my accumulated knowledge and skills from playing online? Nope. All blank. I literally had no idea how to move in the Middle Game without making blunders.
4) I forgot to ask the name of the National Master. Ayonk knows, had to ask him again later. He said that my Opening actually was quite solid. And while you're thinking very slowly, the game was actually evenly matched. You still need to work out your Middle Game, though. Afterall, chess is actually quite straightforward once you execute the plan.
5) Look Will, you don't really need to think like 10 steps ahead. In fact, 2-3 right steps ahead is actually enough most of the time. What's the point of having 10 steps planned, and it's all wrong and disastrous? Nice insight from Ayonk. The National Master agreed with him.
6) Interestingly, Nael told me he actually gained easy points as a couple of his opponents did not attend the tournament. One of my group members, Riga, cannot compete on that day unfortunately. It's quite possible Nael and Riga could have played each other had they met at Pasar Pagi. Riga was the local champion at his school in Tangerang, so their hypothetical game could be very interesting to watch.
At the end of day, Nael told me the child prodigy indeed won the Tournament on the first day. Very interesting. Chess is very meritocratic. One of the very few venue where ageism could go straight to the trash can, trumped by real merit in action.
Jakarta, 28 September 2025
William
