France, Lille - Day 7 and Epilogue

The only good thing about no more chess is no more beggars.

My final round today - Its been such a long day it feels like I played it two weeks ago, anyway, was against a 1880 Belgium player named Phillipe Ladent. He played passively and I got an advantage from the opening, but I was careless with it and the game equalised. We got into a drawn endgame with maybe some slight chances for me, but he played quite accurately and finally found an aggressive push that secured the draw. 

So I finished on five points out of a potential nine. To put it into context the winner of the tournament got seven and a half, so not a bad shout. Its a pity it started so well, I need to work on my mental stamina. I made a new friend as well, Edward Farrington, He's originally British but he moved to French to live with his girlfriend. We stayed for the prize giving, clapping when everyone else clapped, then parted ways.

Went back to the hotel and collected my stuff, printed boarding pass, put on my blue suede shoes and, boarded a plane. The plane was a Boeing 714, instilling a small amount of fear that I was flying on a model 33 times previous to the ones Easyjet and Ryanair use. The flight was good enough - All the announcements were in French, so I amused myself with the thought that even if they were telling us we're about to crash, or a wings just gone AWOL, everyone would be freaking out but I'd be sitting chilling like a villain, reading my chess book calmly. As we were descending to land all the babies on the plane burst into tears. Their parents gave them water to try and help my ears pop, and as I was really tired and quite thirsty, I had the strange urge to burst into tears myself to try and get some attention / h20.

So now I'm in Corsica, sad that the chess is finished but looking forward to the two days rest and no more beggars. Oh, and the 23 Degree heat's a little enticing too!

France, Lille - Day 6

Sargis Sargissyan. Its a tough one.

Days are merging into one, my vision becoming ever more cloudy as I wonder aimlessly. I shall find the chess god, and subsequently receive his blessing...

Round eight, its always going to be tough having faced difficult opposition in previous rounds. I lost, and I think wear and tear had a bit part to play in it. I felt the concentration going, the line calculation being less calculation more speculation, and just generally run down. Also ran out of cigarettes, and since all the shops are closed twenty four seven here had to make do with getting a rollie from a Frenchman - Even though I cant actually roll and ended up just making a T shape filled with tobacco.

So yea I lost, it was an interesting game though and I'm sure on closer inspection they'll be a lot to learn from it (Its sitting in the bin right now). I'm playing an 1880 Icelandic player tomorrow, so hopefully finish the tournament on a high. Then its on to Corsica to meet up with Fiona, Volvo, Ozzy and Macqueen.

France, Lille - Day 5

Too tired for witty title.

Another double round today, it starts to take its toll. This morning I was playing a 2335 IM. Missed a tactic, thought I was just winning a piece! I blame being tired, but I wasn't even that tired this morning. Got my sandwich from the French sandwich shop, this time ordering a twix as well. There was a dad with a pram in front of me, and when I pointed to the twix the little child jumped out of her seat and said something to me. It was so cute in French, it must have been like "I want one!" or something because people laughed. The afternoons game turned out to be a default, as the boy heard there's a Scottish legend tearing everyone a new one so he didn't turn up.

Too tired to write any more, tomorrow I play a 2250 guy as black. Ill make up more exciting stories then.

France, Lille - Day 4

Missing an Ulvi-ous win

Today I was playing against a 2289 rated player called Ulvi Sadikhov. I prepared a really dodgy line that looked like loads of fun - Unfortunately he played a slightly different move order so we went back to makey uppy territory. Got out the opening ok, had a really interesting middle game - A lot of really sharp tactics, one of which he eventually fell for and allowed me to start pressuring. I obtained an awesome position, pissed about for ten moves making no progress, then allowed him a perpetual to draw. Immediately after he pointed out one rook move just wins. Blah.

Nothing too interesting to add from today. All the shops were shut again because its May 1st, no wonder there's so many bloody beggars - if they stopped having holidays and religious rest-days people might actually make some money! I got a bog standard sandwich on the way home from the playing venue, told some beggars to bolt, and now plan to cry myself to sleep. Its another double round day tomorrow. The morning game is against a 2335.

France, Lille - Day 3

Playing chess with Maxime-um power

Today was a double rounder, meaning I'm totally knackered. Woke up and grabbed some breakfast, then went to do battle with the 2510 GM Maxime Legarde. He'd obviously done his homework and opened with c4, which is an instant win against me. (Or maybe he just got lucky.) The game was interesting I guess, he just played good logical moves and squeezed me. I tried to complicate it but he saw through the trickiness and took the full point. 

For lunch I found a nice little sandwich shop, again with the woman speaking no English. We had a bit of fun trying to work out what was on the sandwiches - Ham is pretty self explanatory, but I had to confirm "Egg" by flapping my arms and doing my best constipated face. She was really cheery and the whole experience and sandwich was pleasing. As I walked out she said "Adieu missour", and I thought it was a lovely way of saying goodbye to someone. (She was probably saying "Don't come back, sir!")

I dodged the decrepit begging scum and made it back to the playing hall for the afternoon's game - Board thirty six against a 1600 Frenchman. He went a little astray early and I managed to get a sizeable advantage quite quickly. I won the game to put me on three points out of a possible four. Tomorrow I play against a 2289 guy as black, should be a bit of fun!

For tea the pizza shop had buy one get one free on medium pizza's. Took a wee while for us both to confirm that it was free, and that the deal wasn't on small pizza's, but we got there. Time for some much needed sleep now. Preparation for tomorrow can wait until the morning.

France, Lille - Day 2

Rekindling my chess Lourve

I was playing against a 2366 International Master today, and I won! Walked home with a big smile on my face and felt awesome. Our game was the last game to finish, and it was probably the best game of chess that 2014 has seen! Just spent twenty minutes trying to get a PGN online viewer to work, It's chucking whites so I'd best leave it and actually try and prepare something for tomorrow.

For tea tonight I got a pizza. I walked into the little take-a-way place and asked if the guy spoke english. He nodded and replied in French, then handed me a menu. I ordered a "Chicken" pizza, and whilst waiting for it, watched the TV that was in the shop. It must have been a comedy that was on - The guy would burst out laughing, then  try and explain the French jokes to me in French. I was so chuffed with the win I just laughed along and made hand gestures like "I understand!". I didn't.

So tomorrow I'm on board five playing against a 2510 Grandmaster. Oh its on!

France, Lille - Day 1

Lille... its not Nice.

I'm in Lille, a wee town in the north east of France. Got here two days ago - And what a two days its been! First off I pride myself on my ability to navigate and book speedily on travelling websites - As tricky as the buggers can be trying to sell you an extra leg room seat for your pet gorilla. So I get to the airport, go through security, up to the gate only to find my boarding pass has speedy boarding on it. The flight attendants amplified voice invites the Priority boarding passengers up, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. On all my previous trips I deliberately try and get to the gate early so I can stare out the pretentious idiots who pay an extra tenner to sit on an aeroplane for ten minutes instead of sitting in the airport for ten minutes. I queued with the average people, hoping the attendant wouldn't notice or say anything. She did. I just giggled, muttered something like "Ryan air wins this time." and hastily made for the plane. 

I was really tired getting onto the plane and I remember looking around as I was queueing, and seeing a Crow land on a barbed wire fence. It makes sense now, but at the time I was really concerned for the crow.

The city of Lille is nice enough - I got here on a Sunday, meaning every shop was closed. I walked about twenty minutes in all directions and couldn't find anything! Eventually had to make do with a McDonald's Tea and no toothpaste. (I'm not complaining, I love McDonald's.)

Got a burger and chips for lunch today - The main square is full of open air food places and restaurants. Its also full of really rude beggars, who literally hold you still in the street with one hand and make the 'spare change' gesture with the other hand. Also I quickly learned not to give a cigarette out - Homeless people here seem to have some sort of inbuilt vulture-istic radar that picks up when a generous person is being generous, and they immediately all flock to that person!

I had to get money out to pay the tournament entry fee - The only cash machine I could find had a beggar sitting either side of it. As I put my card in and pressed the button, the guy was rambling non stop and making the money sign. I told him I had no money at all. As my eighty euros came out the machine I made a quick getaway, pitying him slightly by reminding myself he's going to buy booze and drugs with it. Hang on...

Round One

The first round was today and I beat an 1806 French guy. The game was interesting and I think I played quite well. Tomorrow I've got a 2366 IM.