Chess Training for OTB play

Anyway, if I stop posting here, you'll know what happened. Also check my profile on the site of my faculty (Faculty of Philosophy in Kosovska Mitrovica). But I hope we shall be here for some times, a decade at least, and perhaps, that we'll meet one day.

I finally played some chess at the town's "chess club" (the local pastry shop/coffeehouse). I was passing by, saw an old friend, and was involved in some blitz. Since there are no "educated"/"formal" chess players any more at my town, they play at 10'. My opponent played only with black, and I had to remind him to stop the clock with the same hand he makes the moves, and, more seriously, not to take back moves. Twenty five years ago it was a problem, and I see it still is.

I played two good games, and won easily against an opponent probably ranked between 1500 and at most 1600. No blunders, steady games, easy conversion of a positional advantage first, then a direct attack on the king in the Sicilian, against a weak player.

Then, instead of leaving, I agreed to play a third game and the mess started. In a Dutch (I played 1.d4 for a change), despite playing worse than in the first two games, I won a Knight and had a completely winning position when my old teacher of physics arrived and expressed his condolences for my mother (who is still alive). Then he continued explaining that he had taken me for somebody else while I waited to make my next move. I tried to explain to him that I was playing, but, alas, nothing to do, and when I was finally able to continue the game, I blundered my queen in the next move.

But that was all OK. I was a bit tired, did not play for a long time, my old teacher is senile, things happen.But what made me jump were the comments. My opponent explained to me that f5 is "a mighty weapon" and expressed his satisfaction for the "attack" he had led. His neighbor also made a stupid comment, etc.

I founded our chess club 27 years ago, in 1996. While I was involved -- before working at the university -- we steadily improved, organized team competitions (we had our own yearly rapid tournament, and organized two regional championships). Aleksandar Matanovic, Zoran Novoselski, Drasko Velimirovic were our regular guests. A chess culture was developed. Our meager funds were used for chess.

Unfortunately, I had to stop playing, and the people who started the club with me died. Now, everything is back at the very beginning.

I played today too, much better though. I am satisfied. Won all my games with relatively correct play even in blitz. I blundered one pawn in a blitz game, but I managed to sac the queen and win this ending. I was an easy sac though, nothing special.

I'll spare you of the hilarious comments when I stopped to drink my tea (and leave). I guess you heard them all. I tried to explain to my weaker opponent how the kind of position we had should be played, but to avail. He knows better, because he trains against Fritz.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, I remember I played a rapid game against Branko Damljanovic once. He destroyed me easily, but he was so polite, so respectful, he even explained to me the ideas behind the novelties in the opening I had played (a Pirc). He was already a GM then. So... life is full of surprises.

Trying to remember what we wrote about. Lichess? Did you play OTB recently?

I played some games on Lichess, but I stopped, because my heartbeat becomes too fast.





I started by playing blitz, but it was too tense for me (although I lost only my first game). So I switched to 30'+ 30", and lost my last two games, blundering twice a lot. I played tired -- in the first game, I forgot to play h3 although I calculated it in a sharp position; in the second, it was even worse: I blundered a full rook in a won position.

I am not bad at solving problems though.

There was a simple problem yesterday I could not solve. I switch on Peshka today, and the solution was clear at first sight. I have to quit smoking presto.