I [re]started playing chess during the 2020 lockdowns, and at that time I was very impressed by some of Nepomniachtchi's games played in the first half of the Yekaterinburg Candidates tournament, where the h-pawn advance was decisive. To be able to put the ideas I learned then into use more often, I started to play h4 on move one and 1...h5 as Black. It serves me in good stead, even if I deviate from my usual set-up.

To this day, some of my fondest chess memories come from a relatively small set of games that were played in late 2020 during the so-called Streamer Battle League. It was a series of club events in which different chess communities fought it out in the 15|5 format. Sadly, nothing comparable was organized ever again. When I play, I still try to be guided by three principles of good play I discovered in late 2020:
* Play h4!? It works: clips.twitch.tv/HashtagChess_vs._AnnaCramling (my first Twitch sub battle).
* Use a pawn storm: clips.twitch.tv/KimmyLiu_vs._HashtagChess (rapid club match).
* Mate the opponent, given an opportunity: clips.twitch.tv/ChessDojo_vs._GMNeiksans (rapid club match)

During this time I bought some chess books, to improve my play. Some of them were no good at all.

Opferschach