My First Chess Tournament

Hi there! My name is Tejaswin, but you can call me Deja. I'm excited to share my experience participating in the VBS Chess Tournament at my school, Devi Academy in Valasaravakkam, Chennai. The tournament lasted from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., and it was my first-ever tournament. I recorded the games in my notation pad, and I'm looking forward to sharing them with you. Keep reading!

Round 1 : I won this round! Unfortunately, Karunya couldn't make it, so it was an easy win for me. (She's in 6th grade and my classmate)

Round 2 : I faced off against Abdul during the tournament, and I'm excited to share the game with you (it took me two whole days to put this blog post together!). :

In this game, Abdul was playing as Black while I was White. I cannot explain why he is playing in that particular way, but it is worth noting that most individuals in the VBS chess class will be following a similar strategy, except for me.

Round 3: I got to play against Arjun in the game. (He's in 7th Grade)

Arjun was White and I was Black. During the VBS Chess Tournament, I must admit that I wasn't playing my best, and I apologize for that. However, it seemed that my opponent, Arjun, was also struggling during our game. In fact, his performance was even worse than mine, which gave me a bit of an advantage.

Round 4 : I got to play against Soundarya. It was a pretty cool experience.

(On Move 13) Why would she open up the file to pin her queen to the king?! THIS is why I'm going to move to a different chess class.

And now... the final round between me and Vishaga! Although I have to admit, it wasn't the most exciting match for me.

(During Move 5) It's surprising to see someone take back with their strongest piece, but it could be a sign of the abilities of VBS players nowadays.

I was fortunate enough to emerge as the victor of the tournament, but it's disheartening that despite it being over a month since the tournament began on July 15th, 2023, the prize has yet to be awarded by the master.