Winter Thaw 2026
I drove to Bozeman for the first tournament of 2026 and was blessed with good weather both there and back. Many people are reluctant to attend this tournament because winters can be brutal here, but this one has been mercifully mild. The Bozeman Holiday Inn holds many fond memories of tournaments past, including the miraculous 2019 Closed where I broke the 1900 barrier for the first time. Those days are long gone, as I now just hope to produce a good game here and there while my rating stays in the basement.
On Friday evening I stepped out of character by playing in a blitz tournament (I usually play blitz only casually). I defeated all of my opponents EXCEPT for two very prominent ones: the new champion (Matteo Nero) and the previous champion (Ben Curtis). They have an amazing blend of speed and accuracy, whereas I have to pick one or the other. The story was similar for the main tournament, where nobody beat me except for Matteo. Losing to the champion, though, is something I can tolerate. Many of my peers suffered stunning upsets by lower-rated players, a fate that I dodged this time. It's safe to say that the Montana chess scene is more competitive than ever.
In the first round I confronted an older gentleman who attends many of the Montana tournaments but never had played against me yet. Again stepping out of character, I responded to his e4 opening by playing e5, and he launched an aggressive King's Gambit against me (the first time I've ever confronted it in a rated tournament). He rushed a couple of his critical moves, though, and gave up what might have been a strong game.
In the second round I faced a young man (which means under 40) who has given me some tough games on prior occasions, and this one was no exception. I played cautiously and missed some opportunities but managed to apply enough pressure to make him blunder near the end.
With 2 wins under my belt, there was no doubt that I would take a third-round bye to relax. The second day didn't go quite as well, though, so my chances of missing the Closed for the first time in 14 years are growing. In the fourth round I confronted another older gentleman who was getting back into tournament chess after a decades-long hiatus, something I can relate to. He played a Queen's Gambit, so I naturally launched into my Budapest Defense and reached a critical moment when I could have delivered a smothered mate if he took a poisoned bishop. I even added some of my thespian skills by shaking my head and acting as if I had blundered away the bishop. He didn't fall for it, and what followed was a bland position that motivated me to offer a draw that he accepted.
The final round was a heartbreaker because I put together a strong attack against current champion Matteo Nero, but I neglected my king's safety too many times and paid the price for it. I was playing a little fast and loose because I wanted to hit the road. Sometimes that actually helps me, but it's a bad idea when dealing with such a strong player.
