Eight Games, One Week: Tactics, Lessons, and Surprises at Columbia Chess Club

Eight Games, One Week: Tactics, Lessons, and Surprises at Columbia Chess Club

Three events. Eight classical games. One exhausted but wiser chess player.

👋 The Setup

Last week was a grind — the kind of grind that serious improvement demands. I played 8 classical games across 3 events at the Columbia Chess Club, facing everyone from sharp juniors to veteran positional players. Some games went off the rails. Others ended in clean mates. All of them taught me something.

Let’s break it down.

🎯 Event 1: Tuesday Action Quads (June 10)

Time Control: G25+10
Record: 2½/3

♟ Round 1 – vs. Mitch Mimmich (W, 1-0)

Mitch is a newer player still learning the ropes, but he fought hard. I got a dream center and punished an early ...d4 with 13.Nxd4. Later, Mitch sacrificed material for pressure with 27...Qxg3+, but I had everything covered.

🔍 Idea of the Game: Spot the overextension and punish it cleanly.
📌 Cool Moment: 42.Rh8# — because mate with a rook lift just feels good.

♟ Round 2 – vs. Abhiraj Saha (D, ½-½)

Abhiraj is a young, tactical junior who always brings energy to the board. The game turned into a mess early with sharp piece play and a weird imbalance in the endgame. I had chances to win, but slipped into a repetition.

🔍 Lesson: Don’t get lazy in winning endgames — the edge isn’t real if you don’t convert it.
📌 Highlight: A 75-move draw that somehow left both of us wondering what just happened.

♟ Round 3 – vs. Lydia Nimmich (W, 1-0)

Lydia played an unusual setup with ...b6 and ...g6 that allowed me to take the center quickly. Once I broke through on the kingside, her pieces never fully coordinated. A crisp tactical finish sealed it.

🔍 Key Idea: Central control + underdeveloped opponent = tactical opportunities.
📌 Finish: 27.Rdxe8# — another back-rank mate.

🧠 Event 2: June Classical Month – Round 2 (June 12)

Time Control: G60+30
Record: 0/1

♟ vs. Eli Davis Moore (L, 0-1)

Eli is a strong 1800+ who doesn’t leave much on the table. I played a solid fianchetto setup but got slowly squeezed. He used central control to activate his rooks and took over the position methodically.

🔍 Key Lesson: Strong players build pressure — and they don’t rush. I was forced into passive defense and eventually collapsed.
📌 Painful Moment: 36...Qxg3 and 38...Qxf3 felt like nails in the coffin.

🔥 Event 3: Tunnelvision XXXIII (June 14)

Time Control: G45+5
Record: 2½/4

♟ Round 1 – vs. Thomas Kemp Sr. (W, 1-0)

Thomas is a tricky player who loves unbalanced positions. This game got sharp quickly. After 11.f4 and 12.g4, I committed to a kingside assault. The tactic 27.Qh6 set the tone, and I finished with 33.Rg2.

🔍 Key Idea: When both kings are exposed, activity > material.
📌 Fireworks: Tactical slugfest from both sides — but I came out on top.

♟ Round 2 – vs. Moses Collins (L, 0-1)

Moses is an underrated positional grinder who thrives in long games. I got into a lifeless position and traded down too early. He outplayed me in a long endgame, converted a passed pawn, and walked it in.

🔍 Takeaway: Don’t trade into dead positions unless you know the endgame.
📌 Key Moment: 46.c6! sealed the deal.

♟ Round 3 – vs. Jacob Hanna (D, ½-½)

Jacob and I have tangled before. This was a sharp Queen’s Indian-style mess where both sides had chances. After 27.Qxb6, I missed a win and ended up repeating moves in time trouble.

🔍 Missed Opportunity: 42.c6?? let the win slip.
📌 Final Thought: Sometimes you take the draw and move on.

♟ Round 4 – vs. Mark Harman (W, 1-0)

Mark is a patient and consistent player, but in this game, I hit the gas early. After 14...Bc7 and a series of sharp tactics, I activated everything and never looked back.

🔍 Crucial Tactic: 26...Nxf3+! opened the floodgates.
📌 Clean Convert: Finished with tempo, tactics, and no mercy.

💬 Final Score: 5/8

• Wins: Mitch, Lydia, Thomas Sr., Mark

• Draws: Abhiraj, Jacob

• Losses: Eli, Moses

🧭 What I’m Taking Away

• Endgames matter more than I give them credit for.

• I’m starting to see tactics faster — but still missing key conversions.

• Time pressure is real. G45+5 gets wild.

📚 Next Up

I’m working on improving:

• Endgame calculation under time pressure

• Simplifying cleanly when ahead

• Keeping my momentum across long events

❓ Question for You:

You’re in my shoes — 5/8 with a long draw and two tough losses. What would you study next?

Let me know in the comments, and if you liked this breakdown — follow me. I’m grinding my way up, one classical game at a time.