Becoming a USCF Expert
I have recently broken the 2000 rating barrier after months of work and dedication, officially marking me as a USCF expert. I crossed 1900 almost 2 years ago, and after a long journey of climbing up a steep hill with many ups and downs, my goal was finally achieved. As of now, my rating stands at 2069. So here are some of my most significant experiences and games on the way to this milestone.
Open at Foxwoods
I had a few mediocre tournaments leading up to the Foxwoods Open, so after a lot of preparing, I was ready to increase some rating. I decided to join the U2200 section, since I felt like I wasn't ready to play anyone above the NM level. Leading up to this game, I had 2/4 including a bye, so I pretty much had to win this game if I wanted to increase rating.
I think my opponent's main problem in this game is not forming a plan, and just playing random moves hoping that nothing comes out of the position. Overall, I felt that I played pretty solidly, despite missing a few ideas here and there. I went on to draw the next round and lose the last game, giving me a final score of 3.5/7, and gaining 16 points.
Chicago Open
Chicago was the 2nd major tournament that I had traveled significantly far to, so I was excited to play against a different field of players and see how well I'd do. So, after a couple hours of exploring the city, I was ready to play some chess. Going into the 2nd round, I was 1 for 1 against a 2000 rated player, and I had a lot of confidence to keep up the good play and hopefully get a win, but I also understood that I would be going up against a strong opponent.
I was obviously disappointed after this short loss, but there were things to be learned. I could've easily held a draw and created play if I just made solid moves and didn't rush an attack. Also, at the time, I didn't have a solid opening choice against the French, so I went for the exchange, and didn't understand many ideas, which was also a reason for the loss.
Going into game 4, I was 2/3, and facing off against somebody who rarely plays. I felt that if I had the chance to beat a strong player, it would be right now, so I was ready to come into the game playing aggressively.
I ended up tying my next game and losing the last game, giving me a final score of 4 points out of 7. Chicago Open was my long-awaited breakthrough tournament, as I jumped by just over 50 points from 1914 to 1965. I had been stuck at the 1900 level for around a year now, so finally increasing my rating was a relief. I just had to play solidly in my next few tournaments, and I would finally break the 2000 barrier.
Indianapolis Open
The Indianapolis Open was a surprising tournament for me, since the only reason I played in it was because it was part of a road trip I was on. I was only able to play 3 rounds in this tournament, so I had to capitalize and play well if I wanted to increase rating. I was coming off of an embarrassing loss into round 2 and was determined to not let the same thing happen.
I went on to win the last round, finishing the tournament with 1/3 and dropping my rating by 3. Overall, the tournament was a great learning experience, since I learned how to defend against some opening ideas, and I got to use a new opening in one of my games. Also, the experience was great, which was part of the reason why I included this tournament despite having mediocre results.
New England Open
The New England Open takes place every year before the start of school, which brings hundreds of strong chess players eager to start the year off on a high note. Going into the third round, I was 1/2, with 1 draw against an NM. Since I was facing an 1800, my goal was to play solid and not over commit (unless I had to), and hopefully outplay my opponent.
I went on to lose the next game and progressed into the final day with 2/4 points. I was determined to go into the last round with 3/5, so I spent 20 minutes preparing for my opponent.
The New England Open was a fair tournament for me, because despite only gaining 11 points, I was now only 3 points away from 2000. Plus, I got the chance to face many 2100+ opponents, so I could test my strength against better players. Since I was so close to finally achieve my goal, the pressure was on to not have bad tournament and drop rating. Every mistake counted.
Greater Boston Open
It's important to note that technically this is the tournament in which I became a USCF expert, but it doesn't say so on my USCF profile because everybody's rating was increased by 10.
The Greater Boston Open is a daylong tournament, which is different from all the other tournaments that were featured in this blog. Although I was a little rusty since I hadn't trained chess in a couple weeks, I felt like I could still hold my ground and do well. I decided to join the U2200 section, with the chance of hopefully getting money. Going into the third round, I was playing a National Master who was also 2/2.
That was a fun game! I was now 3 for 3, and just 1 game away from winning $200 and reaching 2000. My round 4 opponent was also undefeated, and I was scared to play him because he didn't have much history playing in the US, so his rating was still provisional. For all I know, he could be very underrated.
A perfect 4/4 tournament. As you can see in the thumbnail, my rating jumped by 49 points, and this was probably my best tournament. Although I got lucky in some situations, I feel like overall I did a good job slowly converting positions into my favor and limiting major mistakes. Finally reaching USCF expert is a relief, and $200 was great.
Final Thoughts
These were some of my important experiences and games on the road to becoming a USCF expert. However, the job isn't close to finished, as I still have many future milestones ahead that I want to achieve, such as 2100 or National Master. I'll have to keep learning and adapting to new levels, and hopefully improve at a good pace. Finally, thank you for reading, I hope that you learned something from my games. If you enjoyed this style of content, you can read one of my other blogs about an OTB tournament. See ya.