Many Springs Open 36
Another tournament and another situation where I'm competing against players a few hundred points higher than me. 0-4. I can only think of what Kevin Durant said to his teammates after they lost game six to the LA Lakers: "This will make us better."
I hope that's the case for me.
These losses were still very disappointing. While I don't know if I could've won, I certainly could've played better. I made some blunders, hung pieces, and I should be past that by now. Seriously. Please no one post the comment: "All you have to do is before every move think 'Am I hanging any pieces?' " Yes, I am well aware of the mental checklist. However, when it's a G45 and you're getting stressed out and low on time, the mental discipline is easier said than done. I know where I need to improve my game, and that's a start.
Any feedback is appreciated.
I have a few months before my next USCF-rated tournament. My practice regiment consists of:
* Chess Mentor lessons. These mentor lessons are the main reason I joined Chess.com. Lately, I've been focusing on tactics.
* Tactics Trainer on Chess.com and ChessTempo.com
* The PowerPlayer DVD series by Daniel King (FritzTrainer)
Hopefully, after my next tournament, I'll be able to post a few wins.
