November 2025 Recap: Sharp Lines, Long Drives, and Early Mornings
November 2025 Recap: Sharp Lines, Long Drives, and Early Mornings
If October was about getting back in the ring, November was about seeing whether I could actually throw punches again.
Over the course of the month I played 16 classical OTB games across six events, plus one bonus daily game on Chess.com where I managed to checkmate a FIDE Master in our South Carolina vs Pennsylvania US Chess Team League match.
Somewhere between the quad nights, Tunnelvision, a simul, a state league battle, and a 2,000-mile round trip to Texas, one thing became clear:
Intentional work + a healthier mindset = real progress.
And since I’m posting this on Thanksgiving, it feels fitting to say:
I’m genuinely grateful to still be improving at this game.
A New Coach, a New Routine, and a New Laptop
November started with a big change: I picked up a new coach, FM Mees van Osch from the Netherlands.
Our lessons start at 4:30 AM on Wednesday mornings.
Yes, you read that right. Before the sun. Before work. Before the kids. Before my brain remembers it’s supposed to be tired.
With Mees, we’ve been:
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Going through my games in detail
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Doing targeted calculation exercises
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Talking about why positions work, not just what the engine says
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Most importantly: reminding me that chess is supposed to be fun
There’s also a new weapon in my training arsenal:
I finally have a laptop dedicated to chess study. Instead of trying to grind tactics on my phone between tasks, I can actually pull up Chessable, databases, and analysis boards at work, at the club, or in a hotel room.
And knowing I’ll be showing my games to my coach has turned into a quiet form of accountability. It’s harder to “phone it in” when you know a Dutch FM is going to ask, “So… what exactly was the idea behind that move?”
On the opening front, I’ve also gone back to the lines that gave me my big rating gains earlier this year: sharp, aggressive systems. I’ve learned that slow, positional squeeze-chess isn’t really my identity. I’d rather be the one asking questions.
Life, Fire, and 10 Minutes a Day
In the middle of all this, I had to drive from Columbia, SC to Texas A&M and back for an Industrial Fire Fighting course through the TEEX program (November 16–22). That week, my usual hour-a-day training shrank down to 10–20 minutes of tactics, light review, or game skimming.
I expected to come back feeling rusty.
Instead, I came back… refreshed.
Sometimes dialing down the volume is better than hitting the mute button.
Event 1 – Quad Night, November 4
(Columbia Chess Club – G/25+10)
Round 1 – vs Oliver Su (Win)
Game: Brandmair–Su, Russian Defense
First classical game of the month, and right away I’m facing the Russian (Petrov) Defense. I know what it is; I don’t have any memorized theory for it. That’s become a recurring November theme: “Recognize the opening, wing the details.”
In these spots, I fall back on basics: develop, fight for the center, don’t hang stuff.
Su went for some tactical complications involving my a1-rook and his queenside rook. By 12.Nxc5 and 13.Nxb7 I’d grabbed material, and by move 21 I was methodically trading down and cutting counterplay.
On move 41 he allowed a skewer, we traded rooks, and from there it was just a matter of marching a pawn to promotion. He let it go all the way to mate.
1–0, a clean and confidence-boosting start.
Round 2 – vs Aarush Panda (Win)
Game: Panda–Brandmair, Italian with Ng5
If you’ve followed my blogs, you know this line:
4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 b5 6.Bf1 Nd4, the “please know your theory” Italian.
Aarush and I have played this exact line several times. Last time he walked into a forced mate with d3, and… he repeated d3 again.
This time the punishment wasn’t instant mate, but it was a hanging bishop. I didn’t find the most accurate 12…Qxb2+, but 12…Qxh1 still left me up material with all my pieces swarming his king.
He tried to drum up an attack on my uncastled monarch, but my activity was too much. By move 18 his queen was trapped and he resigned.
Round 3 – vs Larry Feng (Win)
Game: Brandmair–Feng, Pirc Defense
Larry is one of the rising kids at the club and usually an 1.e4 e5 guy. This time he pulled out the Pirc Defense, which is pretty rare in our room.
Without concrete theory to lean on, I went with a simple plan:
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Control the center
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Castle long
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Trade off his dark-squared bishop
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Throw pawns at his king
We never got to the full storm. By move 14, his choices with …Nb4, …Nd7, and …Rc8 left him tactically vulnerable, and my Bxg7+ followed by Qd4+ idea picked up a knight. After that, the game ended quickly.
Result: 3/3 and a Quad Night win. Not a bad way to start November.
Event 2 – November Classical Month, November 6
(Columbia Chess Club – G/60+30)
Round 1 – vs Sean Miller (Loss)
Game: Miller–Brandmair, Four Knights with g3
Sean is a friend, training partner, and a player closing in on 1800 OTB. This was my first time facing the Four Knights where White fianchettoed.
I went for central breaks with …d5 and later …f5, trying to be active. Then on move 14 I completely spaced a tactic and lost my queen for a rook and piece in ugly fashion.
That moment summed up my remaining weakness: when I’m too focused on “making something happen,” I sometimes just forget about basic calculation.
Sean converted smoothly and finished with a nice mating attack.
Not fun, but a very instructive game — one I’ve already gone through with Mees.
Event 3 – Quad Night, November 11
(Columbia Chess Club – G/25+10)
Round 1 – vs Thomas Kemp Jr. (Loss)
Game: Brandmair–Kemp Jr., Philidor Defense
Another unfamiliar guest: the Philidor Defense. I played principled moves, but around move 12 my king’s safety started to fall apart.
After 17.Rg1?? fxe4 18.fxe4 Nf3+! my position collapsed and I was just down an exchange with no real compensation. With two more rounds ahead that night, I made the practical decision to resign and save energy.
Round 2 – vs Aarush Panda (Loss)
Round 2 was the instant rematch: same line, same opponent, different day.
Aarush returned to our Ng5 Italian battlefield and this time improved with 14.Bc6!, upping the pressure on my king and pieces. I tried to muddy the waters and actually had a mate in five at one point — which I completely missed.
He didn’t. I went from “nearly winning” to “definitely getting mated” in a handful of moves.
This is one of those games you don’t enjoy losing, but you do appreciate once the sting fades. The kids at Columbia Chess Club do their homework.
Event 4 – Nick’s Birthday Simul & November Classical, November 13
Simul – vs Nick Ciriello (Win)
Game: Ciriello–Brandmair, London System
Every year for his birthday, Nick gives a simul as a present to his friends — and as a challenge to himself.
He played his usual London. In true simul fashion, I hung a knight early (choosing to castle long instead), but the open lines it gave me on the kingside turned into real compensation.
With pieces flying around, Nick eventually hung his queen on move 19. Given the number of boards he had to manage, he resigned to focus elsewhere.
Sometimes chaos is your best friend.
November Classical – Round 2 vs Aarush Panda (Win)
If you’re sensing a theme with my pairings versus Aarush, you’re not wrong.
This time I rolled out the Milner-Barry Gambit in the French: pawns are overrated; activity is not.
I gave up material for development, open lines, and attacking chances. His queen wandered into the line of fire and ended up blocking his own king’s flight squares. Eventually the coordination of my bishops, rook, and queen trapped her completely.
Gambit justified.
Event 5 – Tunnelvision XXXVIII, November 15
Round 1 – vs Brian Chiozzi (Win)
Game: Brandmair–Chiozzi, Philidor Defense
Brian’s rating is still catching up to his strength, and he chose the Philidor — the second time this month I saw it.
I liked my position right after 7.Qb3, hitting f7 and b7 at once. After building pressure and exchanging on favorable terms, I cracked his queenside and center with tactics that left his king exposed and my pieces swarming.
He tried a last trick with 25…dxc3 and the idea of …Bxf2+, but after 26.Qb7+! the tables turned for good. Eventually I was up three pawns and trapping his rook. He resigned rather than suffer through the inevitable promotion and mate.
Round 2 – vs Walker Smith (Loss)
Game: Smith–Brandmair, London System
Walker is a tough opponent from Furman University. He played a solid London, and I never really got more than equality.
At one point, after 20…Ne5?, I handed him a chance I didn’t fully understand over the board. We traded into a rook-and-pawns endgame where I was down a pawn but thought I could hold.
I didn’t.
I mishandled my rook placement and king positioning, and he converted the edge without letting me back in. Not a disaster, but a reminder that endgames don’t forgive laziness.
Round 3 – vs Carson Norton (Win)
Enter the Smith-Morra Gambit against Carson’s Sicilian.
He went for a Dragon-style setup with …g6, which felt too slow given the open c-file and my central majority. After his curious 10…Nfg4, I played 13.f4, forking his knights and seizing the initiative.
I did allow a fork of my own with 16…Nd3+, but the resulting position gave me tremendous piece activity against his king. His rook on h8 was practically a spectator while my passed h-pawn marched and my pieces flooded in.
From move 37 onward, it was a flurry of forcing moves played on increment, culminating in 48.Qdxf6#. One of my favorite attacking games of the month.
Round 4 – vs Alexander Looney (Loss)
Same opening, different opponent.
Against Alexander, I again played the Smith-Morra versus a Dragon structure. Early on, 8.Nb5! pointed at dark squares around his king, and with more accurate play (like 11.Nd6+) I could have been much better.
Instead, I chose 11.Re1?!, and the evaluation slowly slid from “clear edge” to “this is just Black’s game now.” After 27…Rc4 I was out of ideas and out of chances. I resigned soon after.
A reminder that the Smith-Morra gives you chances, not guarantees.
Event 6 – Quad Night, November 25
(Columbia Chess Club – G/25+10)
This quad came right after my Texas A&M trip. I’d spent a week learning how to fight industrial fires and only managed 10–20 minutes of chess a day.
I was nervous I’d feel rusty. Instead, I felt oddly sharp.
Round 1 – vs Krithik Kummari (Win)
Back to the Milner-Barry Gambit, and again I got everything I wanted: development, central control, and pressure.
By move 24, after Qd6, the position felt completely in my favor. 27.Nc7+! planted a connected passed pawn on c7, paralyzing Black’s pieces.
Low on time, I played “improve and wait” moves, simply giving Krithik chances to go wrong. Once I finally pushed for promotion with 41.b8=Q, it was over. He resigned on the next move.
Round 2 – vs Carson Norton (Win)
Carson’s English Opening quickly transposed into a Panov-style Caro-Kann where I was completely at home.
After 7.Bxd7+ Nbxd7, White had only a queen developed and an isolated pawn to defend. My pieces were flying out, and his 13.Ne5 just helped me reroute with tempo.
The critical moment came on 18.Qd3??, when I could “sacrifice” my queen with …Qxe5 and emerge a piece ahead with a back-rank threat. After 23…Nd5, I’d both saved my knight and left his position in tatters.
He resigned rather than suffer a slow squeeze.
Round 3 – vs Thomas Kemp Sr. (Draw)
Final round, and fatigue was starting to kick in.
I wasn’t bothered by his Scandinavian Defense, but I also didn’t have anything concrete prepared against 4…Bf5. I shuffled sensibly, but not ambitiously, and after some trades we liquidated into a bishop-and-pawns ending that was completely locked.
Neither side could make progress without blundering. We repeated moves and agreed to a draw.
Result: 2½/3 and another quad win.
Bonus Game – Beating a FIDE Master (US Chess Team League)
Event: USTCL 2026 Rd.4 Div.1 – SC vs PA, Board 7
Game: oopsiedaisy1 (FM Andrie Zaremba) – Brandmair (Daily, D10)
Result: 0–1 by checkmate
This one deserves its own spotlight.
In our South Carolina vs Pennsylvania match on Chess.com, I faced FM Andrie Zaremba in a daily (three-day-per-move) game. It’s only the third time I’ve beaten a master in my life.
We played a Slav/Colle-type hybrid, and thanks to the daily format, we both had the opening explorer available. Up to move 13, everything felt “bookish.”
On 14.Bxb5, he stepped away from the main lines, and my spider-sense started tingling. I realized I could rip out his knight on f3, weaken his king, and then go full caveman:
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…Bxf3
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…Bxh2+
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…Qh4 and a rook lift to g6/h6/g8 or g6/h6
His 16.Kh1 complicated my original plan (taking on h2 would have been simpler for me), but the position was already dangerous for White.
By the time we reached 22.Bxd7 Qf1#, his king was walking a very lonely road in the center of the board.
It was a short game, but for me, a huge confidence boost — proof that the calculation drills and sharper openings are paying off.
November’s Lesson: Fun First, Results Second
Looking back, November wasn’t flawless. I still:
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Missed tactics
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Botched an equal rook endgame
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Misplayed a few promising Smith-Morra positions
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Got reminded that kids with homework are terrifying
But compared to where I was earlier this year — tilted, burned out, and afraid of losing — this version of me is different.
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I’m studying with purpose.
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I’m playing sharp openings that fit my style.
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I’m reviewing games with a coach I respect.
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I’m fitting chess around work, family, and even fire school.
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And most importantly: I’m starting to genuinely enjoy competing again.
So on this Thanksgiving, here’s what I’m grateful for:
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Early-morning lessons where the house is quiet and the board is loud
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Students, friends, and clubmates who push me to improve
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A laptop full of sharp lines and messy analysis
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And a game that still finds new ways to surprise me
The comeback isn’t finished. It might never be. But November felt like a month where the work and the results finally started shaking hands.
See you in December — and, as always, see you over the board.
