Chess journey's

Hey guys! Yup it's me! I haven't been on chess.com frequently due to revision for exams. Anyway so I decided I'll post a topic!

Chess journey's! Everyone has one, it can be anything! Like me!

I started playing chess at 11. I started thrashing my school mates an even my dad! He entered me in the local chess tournament. It was a tournament open to begineers. However some experts came too. I was quite worried as I'm one of those people who must win!! So I joined chess.com, hoping to meet people to flourish my natural talent!

I posted this topic,

http://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/improving3

After reading your helpful comments I enbarked on quite a remarkable journey!

I arrived at the tourney early eager! It was a swiss style tourney. I was unknown to everyone there. I looked around at the other players, I met a boy, his mum seemed very protective!He seemed like he meant buisiness!I met the NM who ran that tourney. However he didn't seem friendly to me! I went to the first match, since I was unknown I was pitted against an amateur. Diving into the midst I forgot the touch rule and lost my queen! I kept calm acting like I meant to do that! I eventually thrashed him! I was happy, but realising he was rubbish I went into my next game being more vigilant! I locked eyes with the NM on my way to the match. Still didn't seem nice!Lol I realised why, I went into my next match seeing I was playing some who represented their county. I was terrified! I kept my cool easing out a fork on his king and rook! I went into my third game happy and more relaxed! Boy was I STUPID! My opponent was expierenced and demolished my defence. I was on the brink of resigning when he blundered his queen! I thanked God after winning that game! Lady Luck was on my side! I went into my fourth game playing one of the best players there. I managed to win that match with a beautiful double check!

http://www.chess.com/forum/view/more-puzzles/bet-he-didnt-see-this-coming

This tourney was a qualifying game to the nationals for my country! I needed 0.5 points to qualify and almost secure the championship. I knew the swiss style would give me someone hard! Well guess what!  It was the boy I met at the start. He was on the verge of qualifying too! We locked eyes! We shook hands and begun! The game was even, I then talked him into a draw. He only needed 0.5 points after that. At the end his mum scolded him for taking a draw! Deep down  I was petrified. If he din't take the draw the last round would've gone differently! I went into the last round playing an offensive player. I needed a win to win the tournamet! I struted in like Brad Pitt, I was so confident! You could see it in my body language. My opponent seemed smitten of me! This didn't stop me as her charms overlooked me thorugh the game! I was put off! I took her queen cleverly and won the match!!!

I couldn't believe it! My first tournament ened in a win with a ticket to the nationals! At the end the NM asked how long I'd been playing!

" One year, sir" I replied. Whwn I went up to collect my trophy in the massive crowd the NM mocked me. I didn't care, I'd won!!!!!!

I'll comment more later about later in my life!

Next up, the nationals.......

KIESH2

Nice story. It seems odd that the NM mocked the winner of the tournament, though!

I played one game against Bobby Fischer and one game against Kasparov. Won 'em both. Now I am trying to get Vishy and Kramnik to agree to play me, but I think they're chicken.

Heh heh.

 i play on FICS, but I am not allowed to speak of other chess sites here on chess.com. honestly I find the interface here on chess.com KLUNKY.

Next up.... The Nationals!!

That previous tourney was the last qualifying. The boy who I met at the tourney qualified to! We later became friends!

There were two sections to the Nationals, U12 minor and U12 major. I had mae it to the major along with that boy! The Nationals were only a month away from the Nationals. I found it hard to believe that after a year I was playing at one of the kid's levels! I walked into my first game seeing that I was near the last board, meaning I was ranked low! I went into the game shakey. I played a good opening but after a queen swap I lost! I wasn't suprised.

I said to myself that I could win!! I went into my next match beating my opponent. I was ecstatic!!! I actually won a game! I was scared of ending up on the last board! I walked into my third game happy! Ouch! I played one of the child prodigy's. I lost my queen when it got trapped! However I opened up my rook file doing so! I then later played a bishop move that got him in a twist! He opened up his king pawn and BAM! The combination of my other bishop and my rook overthrew and blocked his king! He was so angry he just walked away, not resetting the clock, or setting up the pieces! I didn't care!

Stay Tuned for the Nationals Part 2!

KIESH2

By the way, this topic is also for you guys to post your chess memories!

KIESH2

Child prodigy opened up his king to a mating attack? I think you might be exaggerating slightly there. 

Still, keep going with the story. I've only just joined chess so I haven't got a story to tell!

I'll post the game later. He's a prdigy because he was 9 playing in an U12 major tourney, we all mistakes, I captilised!
KIESH2

I don't think he's a prodigy just because he plays in the U12 section. He could be called so if he won a medal or something. And really even that wouldn't really mean he's a prodigy by itself. Anyway, Continue with the story. I hope you did well in the next few rounds, but if you didn't don't really be worried about it. I was in this kind of situation like you last summer in greek nationals U14 being the Startlist number 55 among 58 players. I didn't make a good tourney and made only 4/9 but it doesn't matter. I'll do better this year as I won't be the unexperienced one anymore!

The Nationals Part 2

I wen't back to the hotel ecstatic!! Winning two out of three games on my first try was great! However this tourney was also swiss style! I knew tommorow would be hard! I spent the night practising!

" I can do it!" I said to myself!

I went to the tourney yesterday calm and worried. Woah! Out of 44 boards I was board 14!! I was sooo happy! I can still state to date that was the furthest I've gone in the Nationals! My next opponent was good, as usual he traded queens. This became a usual rountine I encountered at the highest level! I played my hardest but lost to the endgame. I was fine after that loss! I went into my next game feeling alright! My next opponent was a defensive player. I played very offensively! I broke his defence and had the game won! Then I made a tactical mistake! I lost the game because of that one move! I couldn't believe it! My streak was dwindling, I had to save it fast! My next opponent seemed sad. I didn't ask why, I felt the same. I played the scoth opening thurning to the Yugoslav attack! Then I made a mistake, A TOUCH MOVE MISTAKE!!!

I was devasted as my opponent took advantage of this. My game crumbled, other players gathered round my board and just shook their head at how bad  was playing! After I lost I literally ordered my parents to take me back to the hotel!

I cried, I admit it, I cried my heart out. My chances of doing well had vanished! I knew tommorow would have to be good to rescue something of it!!!

Will I do it? Will I not?

Next up.... The Nationals Part 3!

KIESH2

Good Luck kiesh2! Good Luck!

The Nationals, Part 3!

This was it, the last day of the nationals. After my rollercoaster of a day yesterday I decided that I could still win my next 3 games! I went into the 7th game knowing inside me I can do this! Oh boy, that was a great game!!! My opponent tried to break down my defence, I literally covered my king with minor pieces. Then it happend!! I sacrificed my queen!! He had to take it, then BAM! Checkmate!

I have that game written down, somewhere. I'll say when I'll find it!

Then the 8th game approached! I looked who I was drawn against. His grade was yonks ahead of my 0! However he had lost all his games through this match. I went into the game worried. I didn't want to be the first person to slip up! However his opening was so defensive that I couldn't break it, without sacrificing a piece! I got worried! He offered me a draw. I hesitated, then I took it. I knew sacking a piece against a high grade would be bad, however good he was!

I went into my last game proud of how I played. 3.5 points out of 8 games wasn't bad. Then came the dreaded 9th game. I outplayed my opponent, destroying his sicillian. Then I made too many tactical mistakes! After losing my queen stupidly I lost hope! Then I saw his time! Out of the hour you start on, he had about two minutes left. He didn't realise. I was a bit cheeky in not telling him though, I'll be honest. Now there was also a rule that after 36 moves each player would get about 20 mins added on! We're on move 30. I decided to stop wirting to, I had to think, although I had plenty of time left.This rule was only valid if the player wrote down all his moves. Another rule was that if you were in timetrouble you could stop writing, after seeing his 1 mins left, he stopped.Since I'd stopped writing, he didn't know when move 36 was, he just proclaimed it 20 secs later.He had literally 10 sec left. He then stopped the clock as if to give himself 20 mins.

" Excuse, what are you doing?" I asked. He explained to me the rule.

" Yes true, but you did'nt write your moves!" I said.

 " I was in time trouble though, so I didn't have to.." he replied. I got frustrated.

" So, why should you get 20 mins, for doing nothing." I argued. I then stuck my hand up for an official. He wasn't the real one though, the other had gone to the toilet. I argued my case. The boy then started to cry. What's going on???

" Tell you what, why don't you just copy his moves and play on." the official said.

" Umm, well I stopped writing then too." I said softly.

The official sighed, " Well then, I guess I'm going to have to shoot both of you" he said sacrcastically. He then just spontaneoulsy made up a rule that we'd just play on. My opponent would get 20 mins, along with I. He wiped his tears and finished me off.

I went back home annoyed, is that how it works? Someone cries and a random rule is just made up!!

That was it, my first Nationals over. I did ok, considering this was a month after my first tourney win!

Stay tuned for future tourney's!!

KIESH2

I believe that as you weren't writing the moves the arbiter was wrong to give you both 20 minutes. Stupid arbiters and arbiters that don't know the rules are everywhere...