Nova Daily - 23 February 2025: Recap Week 8
Hi!
The main thing that I'm writing about in my blog entries has been and will remain to be my progress as a chess-player appropriating a complete and entirely new opening repertoire. But I love writing too much to just get it over with. I want to add the occasional flavour text as well. For this I draw inspiration from whatever I encounter throughout the day or week. I keep track of what it is that I've been pondering, the mental challenges that I've been struggling with, and my views on the questions and matters that cross my path.
It often happens that when I look back on the week and the things that I wrote, I can elicit a general theme that I've been exploring. This week, that theme is writing. It started with not knowing what to write, which, inspired by a blog from a fellow BlogChamps member, turned into a text about writer's block. This was followed a few days later by the reason why I joined the BlogChamps club, and yesterday a different member of that same team came up with a question of which I turned my thoughts into its own small essay about what makes something good.
The 8th season of BlogChamps has begun. With over 70 bloggers that have signed up, the submission forum will be stacked with all kinds of different blogs of different people trying their best to break through to the higher echelons of blogging.
I'm in no way associated with the BlogChamps competition, neither as a participant nor as a judge. I mostly refrain from commenting on these blogs because I want to have no influence in the competition. But I love reading, and I'm trying to keep up with the submissions of the people as well as I can. It's a delight to read what other people are doing, and sometimes I stumble on really interesting ideas. The visual overhaul of my own blog can largely be attributed to this.
Writing about writing
The Shadow of the Wind is the first book in a four-part series about the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. Set in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, the reader follows the life of a young lad by the name of Daniel Sempere, the son of a bookstore owner. After being initiated in the world of books and becoming the patron of a book of his choice, his entire life unfolds in a web of intrigue, conflict and mystery that all revolves around the book that he once took off the shelves in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books.
Spanish author Carlos Ruiz Zafón had been active as a writer for well over a decade when he realised that he had never written about his real love: books. His love for literature was such that he decided to put this idea to practice. And thus was born the idea for a four-part series about books and literature.
American fantasy novelist Jenna Moreci has written two novels in the The Savior's Series, and a third is on the way. Next to her fantasy writings she has a YouTube channel in which she puts forth a lot of advice on how to write, going from portraying believable and relatable characters to book tropes that she loves or hates to see.
Apart from the dark fantasy novels Moreci also writes nonfiction. A notable title is Shut Up and Write the Book, which is essentially a self-help book for aspiring writers.
I don't want to compare myself to the likes of Zafón or Moreci as I neither have published a book nor aspire to do so. But I felt that it's nice to see that I'm not the only one who is writing about writing.
The week in chess
Unlike may of the other weeks, I only have two unfinished blogs for this week. With black I got three Caro-Kanns, and with white I got three different setups against the English.
Caro-Kann
The week saw a good interactive study for my understanding of the Advance Caro-Kann, with two games involving this line. This nicely complemented the work I had done on the CK at the end of last week, and I feel more equipped to face these lines going forward.
English
One of the English games stood out. In this game I had the chance to play for something interesting.
General remarks
Tactical alertness is important. Twice I lost material to a blunder that was easy to see, simply because I wasn't paying attention properly. And in one game, while I did see the best try for black, I missed the winning continuation for myself exactly one move earlier.
The week's recap
This week has been great for my understanding of chess. I lost one of my games, but I can live with that. I still gave that player his money's worth.
For my repertoire book I only entered the moves I encountered this week, and what I should play against them. For next week I could make this a priority of sorts.
My current scores:
- Rapid rating: 1966 (+35)
- Blitz rating: 2122 (=)
- Bullet rating: 2500 (+36)
- Survival: 59 (=)
- Puzzle Battle: 1559 (+62)
- Puzzles: 3611 (+14)
- Repertoire: 3745 moves (+18)
Blogs:
https://www.chess.com/blog/nova-stone/nova-daily-16-february-recap-week-7
https://www.chess.com/blog/nova-stone/nova-daily-17-february-2025
https://www.chess.com/blog/nova-stone/nova-daily-18-february-2025
https://www.chess.com/blog/nova-stone/nova-daily-19-february-2025
https://www.chess.com/blog/nova-stone/nova-daily-20-february-2025
https://www.chess.com/blog/nova-stone/nova-daily-21-february-2025
https://www.chess.com/blog/nova-stone/nova-daily-22-february-2025
