A Tale of Two Games (and some great food) in Reykjavik- Plus a Hymn to Peace

About a month ago my dear brother and friend (Suren) Torfi Leosson invited me to play, once again, for the Reykjavik Club in the Spring session of their Icelandic Chess Club Team Championship.

To say that I am rusty is a gross understatement; I have not played a serious OTB game in 3 years!

Still, I was hoping to be in some kind of chess shape, since I have been reading chess books every day, and also following the Chessbase India stream with Sagar Shah. In the last Olympiad, Sagar's dynamic and enthusiastic coverage inspired me again to remain somewhat active in chess, this time as an avid chess fan.

Suren's parents own a small vegetarian café at walking distance from the Harpa Concert Hall where the Reykjavik Open is being played right now. (So players, if you want to enjoy a really tasty vegetarian meal, this is the link: https://heart-garden.is/ )

I have come to Iceland a lot during the last 14 years, most of the time to play in their Chess Club Team Championship. I am not a strong player, but just someone who loves the game and the creative and sporting challenges it poses to me. Finding a good move in a game's difficult moment gives me joy, and also (perhaps even more) analyzing with friends after the games. The shared laughter is priceless! (Specially because my decision-making  process is almost comical).

Suren and I play in the same 2nd (or B) tier of the team. Our strength is almost the same, although I know his understanding of the game is a bit deeper than mine.

There were three rounds, but we were going to play only two because Suren coaches kids on Saturday. So I learn, before the game, that I am actually going to have White, because someone did not show up....so all the time agonizing of what to play against e4 or d4 was kind of wasted!

Here is the first game...showing it afterwards to an Icelandic Master (who is really of IM strength), every time I was showing him a variation of what my opponent could have done, he would say nonchalantly: "WHO CARES?" (mostly because my worries were unfounded!) It became a source of great laughter for us, that retort from our friend.

The second exclamation by our dear friend, Anugraha, when I showed him my games, was the occasional "HOW CAN YOU MAKE SUCH A MOVE?" oh, what a source of joy! I laughed so hard!

Here is the second game (I probably have my opponent's name wrong- will try to rectify in the next few days):

My play and my analysis was so bad, that our IM friend said "A WISE DECISION" with regards to my decision to offer a draw in both games, which were accepted.

(I am wearing the yellow/green jacket; my dear friend Suren (Torfi) Leosson is to my left)

I had two feelings after the second game ended: One, relief that I had not ruined it for the team, which could have provoked the captain to say to my host: "Why did you invite such an idiot to our team?" And second, I had the feeling that I want to come back and fight for the win next year.

The atmosphere in the tournament was casual and friendly; it is definitely a community event. Most of the players in the event were like me: chess amateurs who love to play once ion a while, and who do not have a 30-deep move prep in every line they play.

My gratitude to my hosts, who showered me with love and hospitality, to the Reykjavik Club for allowing me the honor of playing in their event, and to the organizers of the Team Championship and all the players (who ranged from age 9 to 80!) who made the event so special.

Addendum:

Last year I went to play in Iceland and Suren's father, Suballabha, who plays the guitar beautifully, showed me an instrumental piece he had composed. It was called "A Prayer for Peace". This was late February 2022, and the invasion of Ukraine was in full swing.....

"It is a hymn", he said, and while I was listening to it, I could feel two things: First of all, that this piece had a connection with the Heart of Mother Earth, that it was springing from Her heart, and also I could hear words being sung to it. So I asked him if I could compose and record words to it, and he said yes!

Here is the poem that goes with the music:

A PRAYER FOR PEACE

Deep from the heart of Earth

Blossoms forth the fount of Peace.

In the blue of the sky

The Sun shines with Peace.

In our oneness-home

There will always be Peace.

Moon, in your softness-light

We are illumined in Peace.

In the Compassion-Sea

The flood of Peace.

In our oneness-home

There will always be Peace.

-Kamalakanta

May 4, 2022

Then I went home and recorded the singing, and two other friends, Pavaka form Canada, and Adarsha from Scotland (who has a great voice) joined in. Here is the video with us singing this song:

Peace.