Day 1 - How much is too much?
Arrived in Stara Lubovna after spending a few days in Krakow, Poland with Richy. Krakow is amazing fun, but since it wasn't technically a chess trip I cant write about it here. (I could, but the filth and debauchery would break my mum's heart and half the subscriber count.) So I got to the hotel in the evening, checked in and went and met Eric Peterson, a friend I made in the Czech Republic and who informed me of this tournaments happening. He sorted me out with access to the VIP area (Yea you heard right.) and we headed for the small room containing the tournament director, the arbiters, a few player's and some of the hotel staff. We played some friendly speed chess and drank the free beer. And the free triple distilled vodka. and the free plum vodka, and the pear vodka, and the radish vodka. A good time was had by all, and by the early hours I was speaking fluent Slovak. (I wasn't really the language is ridiculously hard, I just kept saying "Pivo" over and over again, which means beer.) Around three o'clock people are considering bed, so we walk outside still chatting and being merry. until one of the players of the tournament just falls over. We giggle a bit, gave him a wee shake, but he's properly unconscious. Someone filled a glass with water and tried to rouse him with it, but he was so drunk he threw it all over the guy next to him! In the end someone had to call an ambulance and the guy was taken away in a stretcher! Cracking night!
Day 2 - Chess Rock
I woke for my game the next day feeling a bit off. I managed to win it quite quickly which was nice, allowed me to go back to sleep for a few hours. Then Eric and I headed out to a Bowling restaurant, and we bowled and had some food with Mikhail and Lisa (Her name isn't Lisa, but I cant remember the Slovak Lisa word). Was actually quite good fun, managed to get two strikes! Me and Eric headed back to the hotel, hoping to get a quiet night, only to be told its one of the organisers birthdays, so everyone trooped back to the VIP room and got ridiculously drunk and ate chocolate cake. One of the stronger players of the tournament (Tomas, 2300 Elo) magicked a guitar, and began playing and singing various english classics and some Slovak specialities. He was incredible - It turns out he finished in 7th Place on Slovak's got talent, out of 16,000 people that entered! Another cracking night was had singing songs, drinking everything, and playing terrible blitz chess.
Day 3 - Burnout
Was playing against Eric today. He's an FM, and he plays good, logical chess, and he's sitting next to me and understands English. The game was interesting - I pursed a silly idea, but managed to hold it together until a few silly moves at the end. I'm going to try and dodge the VIP room tonight. Nah who am I kidding? Pivo!
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