83rd Southwest Open: Day 3
This was sadly the day of the two lost games. I probably shouldn't spoil it like that but a number of you have already looked up the results and are wondering "What? He only lost one game. Why is he talking about two?" I lost the notation to my round six game. 
I put it on a table next to my stuff after round six and after round seven it wasn't there. Fortunately, I can remember most of it and guess at some of the parts I don't. I played against Steve. T. O. If you're out there Steve, and you remember the game, (or even if you don't) feel free to say something.
Here's what I guess the game was.
Is it a won or a lost game if you checkmate your opponent but lose the notation? Or is it a draw?
Oh well, it's behind me now.
I was wandering around thinking about how there should be bughouse somewhere when I came across four strong (not in the novice section) players playing on one board. They were taking turns making moves and seemed to be just the people for a game of bughouse. After they finished their game I offered my set and clock to get a game going and after a game of "Hand and Brain" they began and insisted I play. I was to have a 2300 NM partner in 2 minute bughouse. I tried to decline, telling them that I was terrible to which one of them laughed and joking said "Don't worry I'm 1500." The game didn't go as badly as I expected. I played as fast as my opponent and my partner played faster than everybody. I was wondering why I wasn't getting eaten when my partner got mated. I had given too much material to my partopp. (partner's opponent) I had met my partner after round one or two. Free diamond membership to chess.com and the ability to play in the titled Tuesdays were his favorite benefits from the NM title. His peak bullet was around 2500 and he wouldn't give his username because he "[does] way too much trolling," and he is good friends with @VanishingDragon. His name is Julian Proleiko, his FIDE is around 2100, he is eligible for the CM title. I'm pretty sure he isn't @VanishingDragon because VD hasn't played in any titled Tuesdays.
You see above the team on the right is playing the team on the left.
The bughouse acted like a magnet and drew people from the main/parent/waiting room into the skittles room. Soon there were numerous pairs waiting their chance to play.
Now you see that the team on the right lost and has been replaced.
That (sadly) isn't Jeffery Xiong. Our very own @pikachuisdabest was there, he didn't play bughouse, but he was right there in the room watching. I didn't find out that he was there untill afterward and we both got really excited and tried really hard to remember each other. Our conversation was about ~67 pms long! He got 7th in the U2400 I think I remember seeing him talking to a few players around his age by the pairings board but other than that not much. @reddeer9 was also there. I haven't figured much out about him yet but he got 3rd in the U2000. Was he one of the people @pikachuisdabest talked to?
Back to the tournament! The bughouse made time fly and before we knew it the pairings were posted and the start time was upon us. Players filed out of the skittles room and into the playing hall. The bughouse was over and as I seperated my weighted pieces from someone elses unweighted ones, the remaining players thanked me and helped separate the pieces. As I went up to the pairings board to see who I would play and on which board Aaron came up to me and said "You're gonna get crushed." The first thought that entered my mind was "No I won't. I'll just open up the position." But Aaron went on about how Ethan was beating him and that the only reason Aaron came out on top was because he managed to trap Ethan's queen. It was more demoralizing than I would like to admit. He did a good job. Of course I knew that it would be very convenient for him if I lost, if he won and I lost he would take first. I tried to tell myself that he was just trying to make me lose (new RAR tip here?) but I couldn't help but think "What if he's right? What if my opponent really is as good as Aaron says? I'm going to suffer a horrible loss." It was terrible. I went up to the board with intent to play Ethan in a blitz game to gauge his strength. He was only seven years old! He offered me $20 if I would let him win! He said for $20 he would let me win. I might have considered his second offer but his dad was right there. He asked me if I played the Evan's Gambit (I don't) and why? (I prefer the main line)
We got a little bit of game in before the round started. He played a trapy opening which left me and Aaron arguing who was better when the time to start came. He had sacked a pawn in the center to cause trouble on the queenside with moves like Qb4+ and Qxb2, someone in the comments will know what this opening is. I survived, material was equal and I was ahead in development when a TD started talking in the microphone. We set up the board and started playing.
Now some of you who are probably thinking "Why didn't he resign? That was terrible sportsmanship. He wasted a lot of that poor little boy's time." To which I have three answers: he was more unsportsmanlike, that's just how RAR is, and I don't like resigning. On my turn he would bring his head to the boards level and look at me with an interesting expression. It wasn't like just staring at your opponent, (as Tal did) it was positioning his head so that if I wanted to look at the board I would have to see his face. He also would try to tap me with his foot under the table, he was so short that he had to get down really low in his chair to reach me. I didn't report him to a TD because it didn't distract me that much and because it seemed slightly RARlike.
I was reporting my loss and starting to feel the terrible feeling of having lost a game when Aarush came over and vastly improved my mood. Prizes! Aarush had won, Aaron was winning and had an attack but his opponent survived and found a nice tactic to bring the game to a rook ending which they drew. And I had lost. Me, Aaron, Aarush and Ethan were all tied for first at 5.5! We tried to guess how much money we would get and made sure the TDs knew that we were tied for first, Ethan was eligible for two prizes and that no one else could get 5.5 so they might as well dish out the prizes. Ethan was eligible for two prizes, shared first or the ~$365 U1200, but could get only claim one.
He got the U1200 and Aarush, Aaron and I each got a $256.67 check. All of us were happy! I went from 1392 (1558 in the live ratings) to 1564. I refrained from using an engine to analyze my games for this post. The first picture is of Aaron, the second is of me, the third is of a light fixture that someone was worried would fall.
I explained to Aaron that I would use these pictures for my blog on chess.com. He said that he would write one about the tournament as well and that we might have a little competition as to who got the most views...
Time to close with a random poem by Shel Silverstein!
The one who invented trick or treat
Yes, I invented "trick or treat"
So you could fill your mouth with sweets-
Candy bars and lemon drops,
Marshmallows and Tootsie Pops,
Butterscotch and bubble gum.
Hold out your hand, they'll give you some
Chocolate kisses, Jujubes,
Sourballs and jelly beans.
Have a cake! Some cookies too.
Take a couple, grab a few.
Peppermint sticks and Mary Janes,
Licorice whips and candy canes.
Don't let those M&Ms go by,
Chew that toffee, munch those treats,
Get that caramel in your teeth.
Then come see me, I'll be here.
I'm your friendly dentist, dear!
Thanks for reading! 
