So, I play most of my tournaments locally, which means I play more-or-less the same people every time. Since I usually play in the highest section, I pretty much know everyone better than me, down to about 100 pts below me. There was this one tournament were I was doing horribly (final score was 1/2 out of 4, and the draw was very sketchy--I had 3 pawns vs my opponent's 1 pawn and bishop--but my opponent was nervous and didn't want to risk it, and I had 24 and 1/2 points out of the 25 I needed to letter, and it was the last tournament of the year).
I lost to someone rated 200 points below me in the first round, and then drew against someone rated 250 points below me (I blame the uncomfortable chairs). After the second round, I was stewing in the skittles room and eating lunch. This guy I had never seen before asked me if I wanted to play a game. Since I'd never seen him before, I thought he was rated around 800 (he was a Caucasian high-schooler. What else would he be rated?), so I played without really giving it a lot of thought.
I used the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit (usually I play the Veresov, but I like the BDG for a quick win against weaker players--if worse comes to worse and my tactical fireworks fizzle, I feel confident that they will lose the endgame regardless of being up a few pawns). So 1.d4 d5 2. e4?! and my opponent looks at the "free" pawn, and then takes it without much contemplation of what could be wrong with it. Even most 1000 rated players would check to see if it was a trap (they would probably decide that it wasn't and take the pawn anyway), but this guy just took it without regard of the consequences.
We played on through the Von Popiel variation, and he surprised me by making a lot of strong book moves (in the BDG, anything not "book" is immediately losing). Then I attacked his queen with another "free" pawn; after he took it (he wasn't supposed to), I nonchalantly played a 4-move tactic while eating my pizza with the other hand. Another day of outwitting those silly beginners. At least I'd get one win that day, even if it wasn't very hard-earned.
After we shook, the guy gave me this wierd look and asked me what my rating is. "Meh . . . somewhere around 1400," I replied, exaggerating slightly to impress him. "What are you rated?" I asked, trying to figure out how complicated my advice to him should be.
"1900," He said with a rueful smile.
Apparently he had just come here from Argentina, which is why I had never seen him before. He was playing in a round robin section (there were only about 4 people rated over 1700), which he later won despite forfeiting the first round because he was late.
But that wasn't the MOST suprising thing to happen to me in a tournament. See post #60 for that.
I can imagine the same thing happening to me, and I'm over 2000 fide lol
you sound like one of these players who know a lot of opening theory, then don't play as well for the rest of the game... when I was 1400 I knew no opening theory at all beyond parhaps move 2 or 3 and even now my openings are weak which becomes a serious problem at this level.
you sound like one of these players who know a lot of opening theory, then don't play as well for the rest of the game...
Actually, I'm just really good at tactics (comparatively speaking). The BDG gives me lots of those. I don't really know a lot of openings by the book (I've never looked at a single line of the Sicillian, despite it being my sole response to e4), except for the BDG. (That's because I loved how sharp it is, so I would test my tactics by spend in a few minutes each day in a line, trying to figure out the best move, and then checking with the database.) Mostly, the reason why I'm 1400 is because I blunder too much and can't play positionally. In a sharp game, some IM's thought I was closer to 1800. Because I am less likely to blunder against a higher rated opponent, I actually have a better win rato against higher rated opponents than lower rated ones.
I probably should, but I've played enough games with the Sicillian to be able to beat people around my rating in OTB, because no one else knows the lines either (about 1400 rating, but I've only been playing for about a year, so I haven't peaked out). Right before I played my first tournament game, a 1200 player showed me the structure of the Sicillian dragon--ever since, I've just kinda aimed for the structure and played chess. I have something like a 90% win rate with it, but I suspect that will drop when I finally get to people that actually know the lines. I don't have a lot of time to learn lines, so I've been trying to find a less theory-intensive opening that would be similar to the Sicillian, but I won't lose just because I've been outstudied. No luck yet.
this guy I was playing I'm sure was not looking at the board, the whole time, it was quite bizarre, any suggestions? I mean the occasional glance but nothing more than that,
I played against Bobby Fischer in a simul at Lawrence, Kansas in 1962. Fischer won all of his games except one which he drew against the late Jack Winters. I didn't know Jack at the time but got to know him very well years later (he was my bridge partner).
Jack told me the story about his game with Fischer. He had played a counter gambit against Fischer's Evans Gambit. Jack reached a position where he could force a perpetual check. Jack's wife at the time was a strong player and was also playing in the simul. She asked Jack what he was going to play on the next move. Jack stated that he was going to play for a win. His wife told him, "Up to now Fischer had not been paying that much attention to your game, but there only about 8 other players left in the simul and they all have lost games. Soon you are going to be playing Fischer one on one. Nobody is going to be interested in your story of how you allmost beat Fischer but if you draw Fischer you will have something to talk about." Jack thought it over and decided she was right and took the draw.
This is all prelude to my story which happen when I was playing in a Swiss weekend tournament in Kansas City. Time controls were longer back then (no sudden death or allegro finishes). I had played three tough long game on Saturday, and Sunday morning I felt tired. I decided that would be happy with a quick draw. I found I was paired with a young woman who was rated about 200 points above me. She played in a chess club I did, but I didn't know much about her. She arrived late, and really looked tired. I said to myself, "Pull yourself together, no matter how tired you are she feels twice as bad."
I am White and the game follows the same moves as my game with Fischer, and she makes the same mistake I did. I win quickly and tell her. "This is strange, this game follows a game I played against Fischer"
She asked, "When did you play Fischer?"
I respond, "Lawrence, Kansas 1962."
She says, "I played at that Simul. I was the only woman playing. Do you know Jack Winters, he played at that Simul?"
I say, "Oh yea, he wanted to play for a win and his ex-wife talked him..."
At this point I finally put two and two together, and stop in mid-sentence. I feel extremely embarrassed and hope the ground will open up and swallow me. Fortunately, she laughs and is very gracious about it.
I beat one of the best chess players around my town, and qualified for nationals, he is a otb 1600+ player and made sloppy moves and 1 big mistake and said F*CK, and after I beat him, he almost cried!...I was soo lucky when I won my match because I played only my pawns in my first 10 moves, and he is a d4 player and neeearly killed me playing positional and developing his pieces with power and attacking and attacking and attacking (especially attacking my king)...and now he desperately wants he's revenge!
I'm rated 2089. Twice in the past year, I have been playing A-players who succumbed to touch move, i.e. they attempted to make an illegal move with their queen, which forced them both to make an immediately losing legal move with their queen instead. And in neither case were they in significant time pressure. Very strange.
This happened to my my friend, not me. But is funny.
He was in a dead-even endgame. Coming back from the restroom, he sees that his opponent had cheated, and made two moves. But he decided not to say anything. Because by cheating, his opponent was now in a lost position!
when this sinica cee pulled a lamaichai and didn't cole me on the panny sty.
So, I play most of my tournaments locally, which means I play more-or-less the same people every time. Since I usually play in the highest section, I pretty much know everyone better than me, down to about 100 pts below me. There was this one tournament were I was doing horribly (final score was 1/2 out of 4, and the draw was very sketchy--I had 3 pawns vs my opponent's 1 pawn and bishop--but my opponent was nervous and didn't want to risk it, and I had 24 and 1/2 points out of the 25 I needed to letter, and it was the last tournament of the year).
I lost to someone rated 200 points below me in the first round, and then drew against someone rated 250 points below me (I blame the uncomfortable chairs). After the second round, I was stewing in the skittles room and eating lunch. This guy I had never seen before asked me if I wanted to play a game. Since I'd never seen him before, I thought he was rated around 800 (he was a Caucasian high-schooler. What else would he be rated?), so I played without really giving it a lot of thought.
I used the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit (usually I play the Veresov, but I like the BDG for a quick win against weaker players--if worse comes to worse and my tactical fireworks fizzle, I feel confident that they will lose the endgame regardless of being up a few pawns). So 1.d4 d5 2. e4?! and my opponent looks at the "free" pawn, and then takes it without much contemplation of what could be wrong with it. Even most 1000 rated players would check to see if it was a trap (they would probably decide that it wasn't and take the pawn anyway), but this guy just took it without regard of the consequences.
We played on through the Von Popiel variation, and he surprised me by making a lot of strong book moves (in the BDG, anything not "book" is immediately losing). Then I attacked his queen with another "free" pawn; after he took it (he wasn't supposed to), I nonchalantly played a 4-move tactic while eating my pizza with the other hand. Another day of outwitting those silly beginners. At least I'd get one win that day, even if it wasn't very hard-earned.
After we shook, the guy gave me this wierd look and asked me what my rating is. "Meh . . . somewhere around 1400," I replied, exaggerating slightly to impress him. "What are you rated?" I asked, trying to figure out how complicated my advice to him should be.
"1900," He said with a rueful smile.
Apparently he had just come here from Argentina, which is why I had never seen him before. He was playing in a round robin section (there were only about 4 people rated over 1700), which he later won despite forfeiting the first round because he was late.
But that wasn't the MOST suprising thing to happen to me in a tournament. See post #60 for that.
I can imagine the same thing happening to me, and I'm over 2000 fide lol
you sound like one of these players who know a lot of opening theory, then don't play as well for the rest of the game... when I was 1400 I knew no opening theory at all beyond parhaps move 2 or 3 and even now my openings are weak which becomes a serious problem at this level.
Scary! To fall for opening prep by an 1400... but then at least you learn something.
Also, as you rise up the ratings, how frequently do you even get to play 1400s?
And nothing is wrong with giving them a good feeling from time to time...
Piphilologist There at your last couple of lines it could have been Carlsen speaking..
you sound like one of these players who know a lot of opening theory, then don't play as well for the rest of the game...
Actually, I'm just really good at tactics (comparatively speaking). The BDG gives me lots of those. I don't really know a lot of openings by the book (I've never looked at a single line of the Sicillian, despite it being my sole response to e4), except for the BDG. (That's because I loved how sharp it is, so I would test my tactics by spend in a few minutes each day in a line, trying to figure out the best move, and then checking with the database.) Mostly, the reason why I'm 1400 is because I blunder too much and can't play positionally. In a sharp game, some IM's thought I was closer to 1800. Because I am less likely to blunder against a higher rated opponent, I actually have a better win rato against higher rated opponents than lower rated ones.
I probably should, but I've played enough games with the Sicillian to be able to beat people around my rating in OTB, because no one else knows the lines either (about 1400 rating, but I've only been playing for about a year, so I haven't peaked out). Right before I played my first tournament game, a 1200 player showed me the structure of the Sicillian dragon--ever since, I've just kinda aimed for the structure and played chess. I have something like a 90% win rate with it, but I suspect that will drop when I finally get to people that actually know the lines. I don't have a lot of time to learn lines, so I've been trying to find a less theory-intensive opening that would be similar to the Sicillian, but I won't lose just because I've been outstudied. No luck yet.
this guy I was playing I'm sure was not looking at the board, the whole time, it was quite bizarre, any suggestions? I mean the occasional glance but nothing more than that,
I played against Bobby Fischer in a simul at Lawrence, Kansas in 1962. Fischer won all of his games except one which he drew against the late Jack Winters. I didn't know Jack at the time but got to know him very well years later (he was my bridge partner).
Jack told me the story about his game with Fischer. He had played a counter gambit against Fischer's Evans Gambit. Jack reached a position where he could force a perpetual check. Jack's wife at the time was a strong player and was also playing in the simul. She asked Jack what he was going to play on the next move. Jack stated that he was going to play for a win. His wife told him, "Up to now Fischer had not been paying that much attention to your game, but there only about 8 other players left in the simul and they all have lost games. Soon you are going to be playing Fischer one on one. Nobody is going to be interested in your story of how you allmost beat Fischer but if you draw Fischer you will have something to talk about." Jack thought it over and decided she was right and took the draw.
This is all prelude to my story which happen when I was playing in a Swiss weekend tournament in Kansas City. Time controls were longer back then (no sudden death or allegro finishes). I had played three tough long game on Saturday, and Sunday morning I felt tired. I decided that would be happy with a quick draw. I found I was paired with a young woman who was rated about 200 points above me. She played in a chess club I did, but I didn't know much about her. She arrived late, and really looked tired. I said to myself, "Pull yourself together, no matter how tired you are she feels twice as bad."
I am White and the game follows the same moves as my game with Fischer, and she makes the same mistake I did. I win quickly and tell her. "This is strange, this game follows a game I played against Fischer"
She asked, "When did you play Fischer?"
I respond, "Lawrence, Kansas 1962."
She says, "I played at that Simul. I was the only woman playing. Do you know Jack Winters, he played at that Simul?"
I say, "Oh yea, he wanted to play for a win and his ex-wife talked him..."
At this point I finally put two and two together, and stop in mid-sentence. I feel extremely embarrassed and hope the ground will open up and swallow me. Fortunately, she laughs and is very gracious about it.
whoa. COOL.
Great story Blake.![Laughing]( "Laughing")
Very nice Blake. Very nice.
more stories please.
that was exellent!
wish I was there,
you made it so real.
poo bear.....
I beat one of the best chess players around my town, and qualified for nationals, he is a otb 1600+ player and made sloppy moves and 1 big mistake and said F*CK, and after I beat him, he almost cried!...I was soo lucky when I won my match because I played only my pawns in my first 10 moves, and he is a d4 player and neeearly killed me playing positional and developing his pieces with power and attacking and attacking and attacking (especially attacking my king)...and now he desperately wants he's revenge!
Rofl Blake. I love it!
I'm rated 2089. Twice in the past year, I have been playing A-players who succumbed to touch move, i.e. they attempted to make an illegal move with their queen, which forced them both to make an immediately losing legal move with their queen instead. And in neither case were they in significant time pressure. Very strange.
This happened to my my friend, not me. But is funny.
He was in a dead-even endgame. Coming back from the restroom, he sees that his opponent had cheated, and made two moves. But he decided not to say anything. Because by cheating, his opponent was now in a lost position!
haha, that's one exception!
A gm resigned to me.![Cool]( "Cool")
My opponent lost by time forfeit coz he had to drop his bomb in the toilet.
@ponz111: And did that surprise you?![Smile]( "Smile")