My Fifth Chess Tournament, Game 1
My USCF rating has finally gotten high enough for me to start playing in the middle section at these tournaments that I have been going to recently. Over the last couple of months I had played in the lowest section, which was for players with USCF ratings from unrated up to 1200. Because my rating is now 1167, I was put in the middle section, which is for players with USCF ratings from 1100 up to 1800.
My first opponent in my new section was rated 502 points higher than me: that is 1669. I managed to hold a draw against him, though some others thought that I had a chance to win. Regardless, I am at least glad that I did not lose this game, even though there wasn't really any point in the game during which I was clearly losing. This game should also help to raise my rating. Here is the game:
Here is how the game would have ended had play continued. It looks like it would still be a draw by three-fold repetition.
Themes: Pins, King Activity, Outpost Squares, Using Rooks, 7th/2nd Rank Control, Backward Pawns, Attacking 0-0, Rook Endings
