The Last Tournament of the Year
Hello, my fellow OTB players, and welcome to the latest edition of the Osaka Papers. Saturday Dec 10th thru Sunday Dec 11th, saw the passing of the last major tournament of the year, here in Western Japan. The 2022 Naniwa Open Chess Tournament took place in Osaka, Japan.
Chess in Japan tends to be a very Tokyo centric affair, with the vast majority of tournaments occurring in the capital city. The Osaka chess scene is a relative minnow in comparison. So, I was pleasantly surprised to see so many strong players from around the nation make the trip to play on the familiar grounds of my local chess club.
Being the last tournament of the year, it was my final chance to finish things on a high note. I had a lot of disappointing chess loses during 2022; but something told me, call it a voice...even a premonition, that this tournament would redeem my year. I would score well...3 and 1/2, even 4 points out of 6, placing me among the top finishers...
That turned out to be a LIE...
But before we get into the specifics of this tragic comedy, here are some pics to prove that any of this happened.
The tournament was nationally rated, included 34 participants and consisted of 6 rounds; time control was 45 minutes with a 30 second increment; the prize fund was made up of chess sets, chess books, annotated game collections, and various chess themed clothing, coffee cups, pillows...etc...etc.
Round 1 - The Candidate Master
I started the tournament with the unenviable task of playing CM Tomohiko Matsuo. Nonetheless, during the game I felt my position was just a little worse, but not terrible, and I was even able to mount my own threats... all of that turned out to be a LIE.
Like the proverbial frog in boiling water, he was slowly cooking me, without my knowledge.
Round 2 saw me again saddled with the Black pieces again; I played against Kota Nagataki who is rated 1917. A game in which I foolishly lost a pawn in the opening, that same pawn went on to crush me in the endgame...a game best forgotten...moving on...
Round 3 - The Unrated
Having lost my first two games I was paired with an unrated opponent. I have learned to be wary of such players, he ended up finishing with two points, which is really good for a first outing. In this match I got the better of him. I met his Caro-Kann with the Two Knights variation and was able to get my Bishop pair and Heavy pieces aimed at his Kingside.
Can you find the best way to win material?
Round 4 - Wasted Prep
Round 4 took place the morning of the 2nd day. For the 3rd time this tournament I had the Black pieces. I spent the night before preparing for a possible Kings Indian Defense game, as many of my club members favour d4, but I was also careful to spend time prepping both the closed and open Sicilians. My opponent walked in and played 1.f4!?...O_o...*Sigh*...
I replied with e5, we transposed to a Kings Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Accepted, Nimzowitsch-Marshall Countergambit (that's a mouthful)...
In the following position White is threatening the g pawn, can you find Black's best defense?
Round 5 - A Missed Opportunity
In round 5, I again played against the Caro-Kann, but this time Black played a novelty. The actual game petered out to a draw, after a tense closed game. But what if I had reacted to that novelty in the best fashion?
What is the best way to meet Black's threat?
Round 6 - The Underrated Assassin
Is there anything worse than playing against an underrated youngster? My opponent wasn't that underrated I would estimate that he is probably in the 1400s. In any case, I know from hard experience never to underestimate anyone no matter their rating.
In round 6, I had the Black pieces...for the forth time, in a six round tournament...O_o...*Sigh*...
You ask Why, Dear Reader?? I don't know...perhaps, it was the Will of the Giant Demon Head from the thumbnail.
I'm going to be very light on my annotations of this game, as the details might literally cause me PTSD; suffice to say it was a Blunderfest...with both of us gaining the advantage only to throw it away...again...and again...and again...
And that was it, that was the 2022 Naniwa Open.
Overall, despite my last round lost, and having to play with the Black pieces 4 times out of 6; I had a great time. I always enjoy OTB chess much more than online, as its not only a chance to play chess, but a chance to catch up with old friends and make new ones.
I was also awarded with 5th place in the U1600 category, which surprisingly won me a beautiful wooden chess set. It was much more than I was expecting.
As for my chess, the one big takeaway is the need to improve my calculation and endgame skill, its nice to understand your openings, but over-the-board, people play novelties too often for your prep to make that much difference.
As always, thanks for reading and feel free to share these games with your friends down at your local chess club or giant demon head shrine.
Cheers, SheldonOfOsaka.
