Can I win an OTB Tournament?

Expectations

Going into the 47th NH Amateur Championship, I entered into the U1400 section to try to win the tournament and get some money. My goal was to do well tournament-wise, rather than care about my rating. Time control was quite quick at G/60 d/5.

Round 1

Round 1 was against a near-1100 who I saw hadn't played in over a year. I hoped to win but had no idea what to expect.

Round 2

Round 2 was against a near-1200 who also hadn't played in over a year. I hoped to continue my good start with another win.

I got into a worse position fairly early, but managed to hold on and get into an opposite-coloured bishop endgame. Still in contention to win the tournament at this point.

Round 3

Round 3 was a must-win against an 800 who had gotten a full point bye but also drawn the highest rated player. I was prepared for a decent fight.

A much easier game than I was expecting, and I can still keep fighting for a tournament win.

Round 4

Round 4 was against a 1200 (coincidentally, the father of the first person I played). A win would guarantee a tie for first and a draw likely a tie for second. If I lost, it would go down as a bad tournament with no prize. Let's see...

Honestly, I'm happy not to lose that one. It could easily have gone against me so I am glad to save it.

Conclusion

I finished the tournament with 3.0/4 in a tie for 2nd/3rd, winning $120. While some of the games could have gone better, I am overall happy with the result and the gain of... wait for it... 2 RATING POINTS!