Brno, Czech - Day 3 and 4

Day 3 - Tummy aches and openings mistakes.

The day started out well - We were all cheery, all three of us battering moves into our laptops trying to find holes in our opponents preparation. My opponent was a Fide Master and has played 134 games this year, so I went into serious mode and found some moves that looked a lot of fun and would lead to an advantage if he didn't play the position correctly. We headed to the playing hall and the battling begun. My game was really interesting, it got really complicated really early, and at one point I remember sitting back chillin' like a villian, thinking my position was totally awesome. Turns out it wasn't, and after a bit of a fight he eventually won. Peter C won and Andrew lost. 

We got back and tried to get some sleep - I was feeling a little bit off, but got to sleep fine. I woke up about half four feeling sick and pooey. I was too tired to go to the toilet and be sick, so I curled up into the fetal position, remembered how good the fetal position feels, then finally got back to sleep a few hours later.

Day 4 - Feeling alot better, but still made a few trips to the Gentsch.

Woke up still feeling a bit off. Tried to work out what the problem was, couldn't, so just tried to wait it out. My opponent was Peter Gentsch, who has zero games in the database, so no preparation was possible, so I just drank plenty water and slept a bit more. Peter C kept offering me Tea with honey in. I rejected the offers, because only bears like honey, and I'm not a bear. The game was interesting, I fought it out for a bit, though it was eventually dead drawn. Peter C drew and Andrew won. Its a double round tomorrow, so we're going to head to bed early after a bit of preparation. I feel 100% healthy again, but I've made a pact with myself to actually wash my hands after going to the toilet, instead of just wiping them on a random's jacket.

Brno, Czech - Day 1 and 2

Day 1 - Moving into the safe house.

Just realised I've not updated this blog in ages, so thought it's about time to post more hedonistic ramblings and flood peoples' timelines.

I'm staying with Andrew Burnett and Peter Constantinou in Brno, the second largest city in the Czech Republic, in what we assume is some kind of drugs storage / gang safe house (The main lock of the door locks three times, and there's seven other bolt locks on the door!).

We arrived yesterday and sorted dibs on beds, then me and Andy headed to the local Albert supermarket. We bought some bread and cheese, tried to buy some cigarettes, got told we couldn't buy cigarettes from the counter we were at, got some packets of cigarettes thrown at us, then headed back to prepare for the first game.

We got wildly lost trying to find the venue, resulting in a breakdown of group camaraderie. After much tutting and Peters elvish scouting, we eventually phoned a taxi. All three of us won our games, so we returned to the accommodation tired but chuffed.

Day 2 - Braveheart Re-enactment.

We awoke to find the draw for the day posted online - Me and Peter were to clash wood (Steady now) on board three. The shared bedroom was split down the middle, with a serious penalty applied for spying on the other persons preparation. The atmosphere was tense - every so often Peter or Myself would shout over a ridiculous move or series of moves, then pretend to laugh at how improbable it would be to appear on the board, yet secretly gauge the other persons subliminal reaction. 

We grabbed a light lunch then headed to the venue. Andrew was playing against a Welsh guy on board five, with an Irish person doing battle on board four. We jested about a British invasion, the Czech's didn't find it quite so amusing. 

The arbiter declared the games to begin, and the mind war started. Me and Peter have spent a lot of time analysing different opening idea's and strategies, so for the first few moves we both spent extra time trying to trick the other person into something they didn't know. The battle was intense - Knights we're neighing, bishops were bashing, and rooks were... rooking. We were the last game to finish, with a draw being the result. We met up with Andy and the Irish guy at the pub next door, entertained the bar staff with our terrible Czech, then headed back to the safe house.

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.