Looking To The Past For Inspiration

Despite experiencing my worst season ever while watching my rating plummet almost to its floor, I managed to qualify for the 2024 Montana state championship, which will take place in mid-July. Chess is filled with these ironies. For example, my best games often appear to be the worst until a creative notion hits me like a bolt of lightning. I've assembled some of those games here, like ghosts of Closed past. They remind me that chess offers a precious opportunity to get something right, even if only once in a while.

My first Closed was in 2012. I had no idea this event even existed until the MCA informed me that I had qualified by playing well at the 2012 Open. I felt very excited and prepared by competing in a Missoula tournament, the Hellgate Open, where I scored my only perfect 5 and 0 (after which my rating was still beneath my current floor). Things were a little rougher at the Closed, where I scored only 2.5 points (1 win, 1 loss, and 3 draws). My proudest moment came in the second round when I confronted former state champion Robert Phillips, who once had defeated Greg Nowak ("the Octopus") at this event. He put together a very intimidating attack on my king, but I fought back and eventually motivated him to offer a draw that I gladly accepted. At that moment I knew I could hang with the toughest players on the scene. By the way, I had to dig around in my old files to locate this scoresheet, and I'm very glad I did. I encourage all competitive players to hang onto these gems. Just looking at them brings a flood of fond memories.

This next game is from the 2013 Closed, when I played against Sherwood Moore in the third round. As with many of these older games, I didn't annotate it and can't remember exactly what I was thinking, but I managed to find a win in what appeared be a stale, drawn position.

This next game also took place at the 2013 Closed, in the final round. I remember it fondly because it put me over 1800 for the first time, something I never had dreamed of achieving. It was memorable also because my opponent, Guy Stafford, is a good-natured Brit who used to make these tournaments a lot of fun. He left Montana in 2015, and sometimes I wish he would come back and pay us a visit.

In 2014 I actually did not qualify for the Closed because I had a meltdown at the Open and lacked the Grand Prix points to compensate for it (back then, I played in far fewer tournaments). I decided to attend the Barto Open, an event that used to accompany the Closed, and I was having a meltdown there as well when an opportunity fell into my lap: former state champion James Skovron was dropping out of the second day of the Closed because he was having a meltdown of his own, so he offered me his spot. My rating was plummeting anyway (just as now), so I figured I would do it. On Sunday morning I confronted Conrad Lee, one of the many child prodigies who have come and gone on this circuit, and I played the disreputable Bird's opening. It worked! This game also has my old annotations.

In the final round of the 2014 Closed, I faced one of the most talented and hardworking players I've ever known, Will Davis. He had qualified for the Closed after playing in his first rated tournament (the Open) and getting a provisional rating of over 1900. I have mixed feelings about this game because I was winning but then let it deteriorate into a draw, so I was upset at myself. On the other hand, I felt bad for Will because he would have been co-champion if I hadn't replaced Skovron and scored this draw. But at least it was an interesting game.

In the 2015 Closed I knew I already had blown it by the time I reached the third round, where I would face defending (and frequent) state champion David Duke. What began as one of my ugliest games turned into perhaps one of my most amazing comebacks ever. Some wild sacrifices and tactics won the round for me while handing David his only loss. To his credit, he was a good sport and reviewed the game with me in the hotel bar afterwards, and I often miss playing against him because he encourages (or forces) me to think outside the box.

In 2016 things finally came together for me, as I became state co-champion after a very tough tournament. I actually left early to drive home from Great Falls because I thought I had blown it with only 3.5 points, while defending champion David Duke looked as if he was on his way to scoring 4. I recall staring at the sunset during the drive west to Missoula, wondering how I had managed to let this slip through my fingers after having scored 2.5 points on the first day. Wouldn't you know it, there was a congratulatory text message waiting for me from friend Jacob Copley, who had held David to a draw! My good fortune is owed not only to him, but also to my amazing comeback in the third round against another frequent champion, James Skovron, who thought he had me beat (so did I).

In 2018 I managed to become a state champion again. Just as in 2016, it came as a complete surprise because I thought my goose was cooked (I threw away a good game in round 4 and had only 2.5 points). Everything came down to the fifth round. I confronted defending co-champion Antonius Raelund, who had 3 points and looked very likely to keep his crown. I was playing quickly because I wanted to wrap things up and drive home. Wouldn't you know it, my fast play motivated him also to play fast, which is likely what caused him to make a serious blunder and drop a piece. I scored the win and leapfrogged him in the standings by ending up with 3.5 points. But what made me a champion again was what happened on another board, where the other defending co-champion (David Duke) lost to the very talented Dorje McPherron. If there's a lesson in all this craziness, it is never to lose hope.

My 2018-2019 season started off poorly, as my rating plummeted roughly 60 points in the first two tournaments. After that I went on to have my best streak ever, culminating in the 2019 Closed where I broke the 1900 barrier for the first time. I scored 3.5 points but wound up just behind Dorje McPherron, who scored 4 and became sole champion. Considering my new rating, this didn't bother me in the least. Here is the game that clinched 1900 for me. I am proud of it not simply because I won, but because I used a very discredited opening (the Owen defense) and kept fighting even when the game seemed hopeless.

The 2020 season was marred by the Covid crisis and saw fewer tournaments as well as players. My rating also tumbled from its high point in the mid-1900s to 1901, and I was desperate not to let it drop any further. I lost in the very first round of the Closed and decided that it was time to go to war. I went on a winning streak and got my best result ever, 4 points, which still wasn't enough to win because Dorje McPherron scored an incredible 4.5. Round three was a big turning point because I faced Daniel Mattson, always a tough opponent, and was losing until I worked some endgame magic to survive.

My performance at the Closed has gotten noticeably worse since 2020. The best I've managed to score since then is only 3 points, and I now have a nasty habit of losing in the first round. I hope to reverse this in July, primarily by reining in my drinking, but it's comforting to know that even when I'm at my worst I can pull off the occasional miracle. What happened in the third round of the 2021 Closed was truly miraculous. I played the Budapest gambit very poorly and had mere seconds to find a win in what appeared to be, at best, a draw. Scott Caldwell had two passed pawns that were connected and very advanced, whereas I had the queen and the king. Somehow, I won.