five days to reno
monday morning, st patricks day, i am going to dye my chessboard green and play drunken chess in honor of the day.
i haven’t been online in two days, i haven’t played chess since the game with wahrheit, i’ve had my head stuck in books, going over tactics and grandmaster games. i spent the entire sunday on the couch, playing through master games and watching tv.
i don’t’ know how i feel about the upcoming tournament. i almost feel confident, then the doubt creeps in like a draft coming under the door, chilling me a little at first and building until i am all cold. but then i think, “fuck it, i’m a bad ass chess playing fool, i can take on anyone and beat them, yeah!” with a little false bravado i can sometimes trick myself into being confident.
thing is, reno is my waterloo, it’s where i took my first bit hit and things have gone downhill since then. i am returning to face my demons, and buy wahrheit a coffee. and i’m excited about that. i’m also planning on finishing in the top three in my section.
back when i fought, my friend joe enlightened me a bit. he was warming up, shadowboxing, just like you see the professional mma fighters do. i too was warming up, but more low key, which also meant less “seriously” or less “in the moment.” i said i felt stupid warming up like the pros, i’m not a pro, who am i to act like one. joe explained to me, they don’t warm up like that because they are pros, the are pros, and that is just how they warm up, because that is how you should warm up. no one looks at them and says “who do they think they are?” if you are gonna be serious, you act like it. if you are gonna be a pro, you act like it. your actions help shape you, if you act a certain way, you become that.
kinda the same with chess. if i act like i am going to win, and of course back that up with good solid chess, then i will win. if i act like i am in control of the board, then i will be in control of the board. its part of my visualization.
again with the fighting and pro sports. the pros visualize their victories, they see themselves crossing the finish line first, beating the other guy, getting the trophy. i have to convince myself i am going to play strong moves, i am going to win the games, and i am going to win the tournament. then, even if i fall a bit short, i will at least have done better than i might have done without it all.
so i’m excited, we drive out thursday. for today i will go to the gym, go to work, and study. perhaps i shall even get a blitz game or two in.
es_trick said,
March 17, 2008 at 9:27 am
“the pros visualize their victories, they see themselves crossing the finish line first, beating the other guy, getting the trophy. i have to convince myself i am going to play strong moves, i am going to win the games, and i am going to win the tournament. then, even if i fall a bit short, i will at least have done better than i might have done without it all.”
One significant difference between chess and other sports is that in chess there’s ample time to think through every move, try to figure out the opponent’s response and make plans to thwart what he wants to do.
I’m slowly working my way through a borrowed copy of Fischer’s “My 60 Memorable Games” (heard that they go for $200 on e-bay). At one point In one of his games Fischer says that he remembered a dictum by Emmanual Lasker (World Chess Champion 1894-1921)
“When you think you’ve found a good move, look for a better move.”
And so he analyzed a bit more and found one. Later in the same game, he wrote that he forgot Lasker’s advice at that juncture, and allowed his opponent more activity in the game.
If your games are always/usually finishing hours before most of the other players in the tournament hall, that suggests a lot of opportunities to ‘look for a better move’ that have been passed up.
If things get too tense, it’s a good idea to get up from the table from time to time, get a drink, take a piss, stretch, . . . what ever it takes to clear your mind, and then come back to the board with fresh eyes.
Give ‘em hell in Reno!
visual said,
March 17, 2008 at 9:32 am
I found out lately some preparation routine, that works well for me.
I play in the tournament with one regular game ( 90 SD ) on Sunday, so I study/play online the whole week quite a lot, do not touch chess on Saturday at all and play to warm-up 1-2 bliz games online on Sunday morning before getting out .
This way I have a fresh head and I am prepared at the same time.
Before the game try to restore your state of mind/vision when you played a good game at the tournament in the past .
Don’t think about places, how good or bad you are,etc., try to stay calm and watch out for simple threats, checks, combinations, etc., even high-rated players do not always see them.
Don’t experiment with the opening, play what you played at least a few times before.
Good luck at Reno, will wait for your always entertaining report.
blunderprone said,
March 17, 2008 at 10:21 am
Don’t forget to practice folding dollar bills for the strippers.
d! said,
March 17, 2008 at 7:46 pm
dont forget to hit the slopes over at squaw or northstar !
d! said,
March 17, 2008 at 11:00 pm
oh… and send me some stickers. i have some ‘i rock with deryke.tv’ ones for you!
SASE? perhaps …. hehehe
drunknknite said,
March 18, 2008 at 10:42 am
‘reno is my waterloo’
In the Far West last year I went 0-3 got a bye, got really drunk, lost my 5th game hungover on my birthday, and then salvaged the tournament with a win in the sixth round.
Then at the Western States, I won my section. Just do that. Make it look easy.
On blunderprone’s comment, I used to work at a club here in town if you’re interested we can definitely go.
On d!’s comment, I want to take Monday off so bring your board.
Polly said,
March 18, 2008 at 11:32 am
In regards to location, think about my experiences in Saratoga Springs. In December I played there and got crushed by 10 year olds. This past weekend I returned to the scene of the crime, and scored 5.5 out of 6 and won my section. Anything is possible. Don’t worry about how you feel before the tournament. It’s how you feel when you’re sitting at the board and trying to make sense out the position in front of you.
chessloser said,
March 18, 2008 at 11:57 am
es_trick - good advice all around, especially how i finish my games waaaaay before anyone else….thanks.
visual - also good advice about not experimenting with the opening, i do that sometimes..thanks…
blunderprone - i’ve been practicing the tight accordion folds that make a flower, i think i’m ready….
d! - i would love to hit the slopes, don’t know if i’ll have the time though…i’ll email you about the sticker…
drunknknite - if you got the time, i got the dollar bills, however, i won’t have time monday for the snowboarding, which sucks….
polly - you put it into perspective there, its how i feel at the board…thanks…