First win of 2026

I only just now have realized that I have been posting here on and off for over 10 years now. Time flies. At this point, I only post milestone events for me, such as winning against a brand new opening, or defeating a stronger opponent, or coverage of a simultaneous exhibition. Anyways, I think my first win from this year is worth sharing. I haven't been playing well for the last several months. I had a college class Monday nights in the fall which prevented me from attending Bergen Chess Mates in Ridgewood, so I went back to the Marshall Chess Club (where I went to during 2021 and early 2022 when the pastor of the United Methodist Church in Ridgewood kept the church closed an extra year during the pandemic). I did not play very well there. I had a couple wins, but I lost to a few lower rated players in positions I should have drawn. Then I tried my luck again at the International Chess Academy in Glen Rock in November, which was even more disastrous. After being upset by a player about 300 points lower rated than me, I withdrew. I likely won't attend there again; too many underrated kids keep torpedoing my rating every time I've gone. After losing to yet another lower rated player at the Marshall a few days later, I decided to take a break until the new year when I would start fresh at my usual club.

My games so far this year have been 3 draws at a rapid tournament to start the year, and this tournament so far has been 1 loss and 1 draw. I didn't play badly either game. I simply got outplayed by a 2200-ish player round 1, while round 2 was against a brand new opponent who is lower rated than me but once had a higher rating. I actually had a winning position when she offered the draw, but I was running very low on time and couldn't see the right move. I might share those games later if I feel like it. Anyways, my opponent this round was someone who was a thorn in my side for several years, before I eventually started winning more games against him. He's been at the club since I first started blogging here, and has been playing for many years before that. Turnout this round was sparse because the blizzard prevented a lot of players who lived further away from attending. There really isn't too much to say about this game, other than that this my first time playing this opening in an actual OTB game.

Hello😁