How to become a champion

You really thought that I would give you the trick?! This account of the way I became champion of my club might inspire you.

Let's try to see what could have led me to victory. I'll sum it up under a few points:

1. Where you could start: choose a very small club: mine cannot have more than 20 to 30 active players. Only 20 players took part in the championship.

Overall, I must say that my play was quite miserable. Good news! You can play badly and win. Well, sometimes... How's that? I have at least the start of an explanation for it and that is point 2:

2. The rating complex                                                                                                          

 I was new in the club but I had a rating. It impressed a lot of people. I know that some of these guys can play brilliantly when they feel at ease. But 2 of them (on 7) lost because they were scared of my "DWZ". DWZ? That's german for Elo.

The first one felt obliged to sacrifice everything he had and then resigned.

The other one played a very rare second move in the opening:

I must say that the rating complex can play against you too! My first game was with an impatient young player. We blitzed it. I don't want to analyze it, don't even want to see it again. Had he taken the time to calculate a few moves! Then I think that he could have sacrificed in the center and maybe i wasn't lost, maybe I was; in any case, it would have been a very hard game.

3. You don't want all the pressure on your shoulders? Then allow yourself to lose a game!

It was unintended on my side, but I lost to the previous champion. Before the game, I planned to play a variation and then, during the game, I was suddenly inspired and played something different. It was interesting and I would say that I equalized just to give a pawn a few moves later. I had a chance to draw the game.

Black to move and draw

4. Let your opponents blunder

Here, for example, my opponent didn't notice that he had a combination giving a decisive advantage:

Black to move and win

Really the kind of position where you want to turn the board! Somehow, I won; don't ask me how, it was a kind of reward for my perseverance.

In an other game, the last one which was crucial for the result, my opponent gave me a minor piece against nothing after a tense fight.

This is how I made 6 out of 7 and won the title.

Finally, do as I say, not as I do:

5. Don't change your mind!

In 4 four games out of 7, I did not play what I had planned to play before the game. Just because I suddenly wanted to play something else!

Even if things worked out good for me, it wasn't without some suffering. Don't follow my example!

Play brilliantly, combine perfectly, stick to your preparation and for sure you'll win!