It's over. Larry and I finished with 3.5/5 pts, so it was certainly a respectable score. I had 3 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw. Larry had 3 wins, 1 loss, and a bye. He wasn't feeling that well on Saturday night so he took a round to recuperate. We walked away with $40 each, which partially covered the entry fee for the tournament. Paul Budney was also there and did not fare so well. The complete results are available at http://www.chesstour.com/gmo05r.htm
I'll be going over some of my games this week, so stay tuned for some excitement. I still have to decide it I'm going to play next weekend. We'll see. The Matrix: Path of Neo is due out for the PC on November 15th, so it's definitely looking to be one of the most exciting months in years for computer games. At least for me. I can't remember the last time there were several games out that I wanted to play. I haven't really gotten into a game in probably a few years. We'll see what the knockout combination of Civilization IV and Path of Neo can do. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is also due out later in the month, so very exciting indeed. Though if my trend continues, after several hours I'll be tired of them.
Alright, I suppose it's time to face another day.
Until next time.
Ed.
Monday, October 31, 2005
Saturday, October 29, 2005
Green Mountain Open
Today is the big day. Larry and I will be going to Mount Snow this weekend to play in the Green Mountain Open. I've been trying to play more over the past 2 weeks to get "back in shape" and I've got to say, I'm playing terribly. I've been continually trying to complicate positions only to find that my opponent found better moves than I.
Sid Meier's Civilization IV came out this week, so if I wasn't going to play chess I'd certainly be locked up in my house all weekend playing this game. I'll have to keep those plans on hold until another available weekend shows up. Next week might be another tournament, we'll see. If I play really badly this weekend I may need to go next week just to try to recover :).
There is a famous saying that goes: Chess, like love, like music, has the power to make men happy. To be politically correct, I think at some point that was changed from "men" to "people". I must say, I think chess has power to do a lot more than make someone happy. Happy certainly doesn't describe the feeling after you've been crushed by someone rated hundreds of points lower than you.
Alright, I need to be moving. I'll be leaving in less than an hour and still far too much to do.
Have a great weekend!
Ed.
Sid Meier's Civilization IV came out this week, so if I wasn't going to play chess I'd certainly be locked up in my house all weekend playing this game. I'll have to keep those plans on hold until another available weekend shows up. Next week might be another tournament, we'll see. If I play really badly this weekend I may need to go next week just to try to recover :).
There is a famous saying that goes: Chess, like love, like music, has the power to make men happy. To be politically correct, I think at some point that was changed from "men" to "people". I must say, I think chess has power to do a lot more than make someone happy. Happy certainly doesn't describe the feeling after you've been crushed by someone rated hundreds of points lower than you.
Alright, I need to be moving. I'll be leaving in less than an hour and still far too much to do.
Have a great weekend!
Ed.
Thursday, October 20, 2005
The Push Up
The magic number for today, 25. Not bad considering I was expecting to get to 5.
This ole boy stood up in the aisle
Said he'd been living a life of denial
And he cried, as he talked about wasted years
I couldn't believe what I heard
It was my life word for word
and all of a sudden, it was clear
(Taken from "Simple Things" by Kenny Chesney)
Have a good night.
Ed.
This ole boy stood up in the aisle
Said he'd been living a life of denial
And he cried, as he talked about wasted years
I couldn't believe what I heard
It was my life word for word
and all of a sudden, it was clear
(Taken from "Simple Things" by Kenny Chesney)
Have a good night.
Ed.
I'm not so sure that you're on the right track.
If Gary Kasparov had any advice to give to my opponent, I'm pretty sure it would go like... "I'm not so sure that you're on the right track.". Either that or... "Not like I would have played it.". If you've never played Kasparov's Gambit, then you probably don't get the joke. Kasparov's Gambit came out in 1993, and I can remember Sean and I cracking up at all the great comments Gary would have about your game. It was definitely a lot of fun.
Here is what I felt was the most exciting point in the game. My opponent was already lost out of the opening, but being lost and losing are two different things. It was a strange feeling, usually it's me that is lost out of the opening and has to fight to try to equalize before it's over.
Here I played 25.Nc6!. For your enjoyment, here is the game in its entirety (I was playing white).
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Bg5 c5 4. Nf3 Be7 5. Nc3 O-O 6. e3 d5 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8.Bxe7 Nxc3 9. Bxd8 Nxd1 10. Rxd1 Rxd8 11. dxc5 Rxd1+ 12. Kxd1 a5 13. Bb5 Bd714. Bc4 Na6 15. Bxa6 Rxa6 16. Kd2 f6 17. Rc1 e5 18. Ne1 Be6 19. a3 a4 20.Nd3 Kf7 21. Nb4 Ra8 22. c6 b5 23. Rc5 Bc4 24. c7 Rc8 25. Nc6 Ke6 26. Na7 Kd727. Nxc8 Kxc8 28. Kc3 h5 29. g3 Bf1 30. Kb4 Bd3 31. Ka5 Be2 32. Kb6 Bc4 33.Kc6 g5 34. h4 g4 35. Kd6 {Black resigns} 1-0
Here is what I felt was the most exciting point in the game. My opponent was already lost out of the opening, but being lost and losing are two different things. It was a strange feeling, usually it's me that is lost out of the opening and has to fight to try to equalize before it's over.
Here I played 25.Nc6!. For your enjoyment, here is the game in its entirety (I was playing white).
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Bg5 c5 4. Nf3 Be7 5. Nc3 O-O 6. e3 d5 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8.Bxe7 Nxc3 9. Bxd8 Nxd1 10. Rxd1 Rxd8 11. dxc5 Rxd1+ 12. Kxd1 a5 13. Bb5 Bd714. Bc4 Na6 15. Bxa6 Rxa6 16. Kd2 f6 17. Rc1 e5 18. Ne1 Be6 19. a3 a4 20.Nd3 Kf7 21. Nb4 Ra8 22. c6 b5 23. Rc5 Bc4 24. c7 Rc8 25. Nc6 Ke6 26. Na7 Kd727. Nxc8 Kxc8 28. Kc3 h5 29. g3 Bf1 30. Kb4 Bd3 31. Ka5 Be2 32. Kb6 Bc4 33.Kc6 g5 34. h4 g4 35. Kd6 {Black resigns} 1-0
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Over and Over again
Hmm, I wonder if when Klymaxx sang "Still Say Yes" they were thinking about chess? Probably not, and yet here I find myself singing that song in my head while thinking about chess. Then again, they named themselves Klymaxx, so I don't think it should really matter to me what they were thinking. In fact, I don't care. Let's not talk about it again. Thanks!
So, I played 2 quick games of chess tonight when I got home from my guitar lesson. When I say quick, I mean that they were both G/15. The first game is what I'm going to share because, well, I had a little problem in the 2nd game. It was a great game, against a similarly rated opponent which, if you're familiar with on-line chess, means absolutely nothing. I was starting to feel a little uncertain. Like I was getting beat. So I slapped myself in the face a few times (not really), told myself to get a grip, and looked at the position with an eye towards trying to identify the imbalances. I finally formulated what I felt was a solid plan with exciting possibilities. It was like a overcame a hurdle that had been blocking me for a long time. It was such a great feeling. In the past when faced with similar situations I'd simply play moves that looked OK without being able to fully formulate a reasonable plan based upon such factors. At that point, when I was about to make my move, I noticed that I had lost my connection to the ICC, and therefore lost the game by forfeit. When Garth said that "some of gods greatest gifts are unanswered prayeres" I'm guessing that he wasn't thinking about chess either.
The game I'm going to share is primarily for the tactics. Not that the game itself was a tactical slugfest, it wasn't. But due to the fact that my opponent missed some of my tactical possibilities, I was able to play them. I hope you enjoy! (I had some strange issue uploading images tonight, otherwise I was going to add a few diagrams to go along with the game)
[Event "ICC 15 0"]
[Site "Internet Chess Club"]
[Date "2005.10.19"]
[Round "-"]
[White "RASMALAI"]
[Black "EdBorowski"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ICCResult "White resigns"]
[WhiteElo "1708"]
[BlackElo "1946"]
[Opening "Sicilian: Grand Prix attack"]
[ECO "B21"]
[NIC "SI.48"]
[Time "21:23:50"]
[TimeControl "900+0"]
1. e4 c5 2. f4 d5 3. exd5 Qxd5 4. Nc3 Qd8 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. Bc4 e6 7. O-O Nf6 8.d3 Bd6 9. h3 Bxf3 10. Qxf3 Nc6 11. Re1 O-O 12. g4 Qc7 13. g5 Nd4 14. Qf2 Nh515. Rf1 a6 16. Ne4 Bxf4 17. Bxf4 Nxf4 18. Qxf4 Ne2+ 19. Kh1 Nxf4 20. Rae1 b521. Bb3 Nxh3 22. Rf3 Nf4 23. Ref1 e5 24. Ng3 a5 25. a3 a4 26. Ba2 b4 27.R1f2 Rab8 28. Rh2 Qc6 29. Ne4 bxa3 30. bxa3 Rb2 31. Bc4 Rb1+ {White resigns}0-1
So, I played 2 quick games of chess tonight when I got home from my guitar lesson. When I say quick, I mean that they were both G/15. The first game is what I'm going to share because, well, I had a little problem in the 2nd game. It was a great game, against a similarly rated opponent which, if you're familiar with on-line chess, means absolutely nothing. I was starting to feel a little uncertain. Like I was getting beat. So I slapped myself in the face a few times (not really), told myself to get a grip, and looked at the position with an eye towards trying to identify the imbalances. I finally formulated what I felt was a solid plan with exciting possibilities. It was like a overcame a hurdle that had been blocking me for a long time. It was such a great feeling. In the past when faced with similar situations I'd simply play moves that looked OK without being able to fully formulate a reasonable plan based upon such factors. At that point, when I was about to make my move, I noticed that I had lost my connection to the ICC, and therefore lost the game by forfeit. When Garth said that "some of gods greatest gifts are unanswered prayeres" I'm guessing that he wasn't thinking about chess either.
The game I'm going to share is primarily for the tactics. Not that the game itself was a tactical slugfest, it wasn't. But due to the fact that my opponent missed some of my tactical possibilities, I was able to play them. I hope you enjoy! (I had some strange issue uploading images tonight, otherwise I was going to add a few diagrams to go along with the game)
[Event "ICC 15 0"]
[Site "Internet Chess Club"]
[Date "2005.10.19"]
[Round "-"]
[White "RASMALAI"]
[Black "EdBorowski"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ICCResult "White resigns"]
[WhiteElo "1708"]
[BlackElo "1946"]
[Opening "Sicilian: Grand Prix attack"]
[ECO "B21"]
[NIC "SI.48"]
[Time "21:23:50"]
[TimeControl "900+0"]
1. e4 c5 2. f4 d5 3. exd5 Qxd5 4. Nc3 Qd8 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. Bc4 e6 7. O-O Nf6 8.d3 Bd6 9. h3 Bxf3 10. Qxf3 Nc6 11. Re1 O-O 12. g4 Qc7 13. g5 Nd4 14. Qf2 Nh515. Rf1 a6 16. Ne4 Bxf4 17. Bxf4 Nxf4 18. Qxf4 Ne2+ 19. Kh1 Nxf4 20. Rae1 b521. Bb3 Nxh3 22. Rf3 Nf4 23. Ref1 e5 24. Ng3 a5 25. a3 a4 26. Ba2 b4 27.R1f2 Rab8 28. Rh2 Qc6 29. Ne4 bxa3 30. bxa3 Rb2 31. Bc4 Rb1+ {White resigns}0-1
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
An Experiment Gone Bad
I spent a little time tonight working on an animated gif. Rather than give you the final, polished version I thought I'd share this one instead. Sometimes are failures are just as interesting as our successes.
Saturday, October 15, 2005
The Bagel
I think I ate a moldy bagel tonight. I think I might be sick. I didn't notice it right away, it really looked like a perfectly normal, healthy bagel. It wasn't that old either, so I didn't really consider the possibility ahead of time. When I was almost done with it, I noticed a spec of green. I immediately went to my other bagel, the one that I didn't eat, and carefully examined it. No green. So it's definitely possible that I'm mold free. But because I'm a believer in possibilities I have to throw it out there.
Just in case you're thinking of trying it at home, definitely not a recommended daily dietary supplement. I'd recommend against it. Unless, of course, you happen to be one of the legendary pokemon. As I was doing some quick research to find out what I could expect if the bagel was, in fact, moldy, I came across countless evidence that the pokemon can eat whatever they want. I am not a pokemon, nor do I wish to be.
Tomorrow I'm planning to go to Palmer to play in a chess tournament for the day. As usual, I may have just made my day more interesting. Let's hope for the best!
Ed.
Just in case you're thinking of trying it at home, definitely not a recommended daily dietary supplement. I'd recommend against it. Unless, of course, you happen to be one of the legendary pokemon. As I was doing some quick research to find out what I could expect if the bagel was, in fact, moldy, I came across countless evidence that the pokemon can eat whatever they want. I am not a pokemon, nor do I wish to be.
Tomorrow I'm planning to go to Palmer to play in a chess tournament for the day. As usual, I may have just made my day more interesting. Let's hope for the best!
Ed.
Sunday, October 09, 2005
Turning Stone... and I'm back home!
I'm definitely happy to be back home. It was fun, and different, but home is home. The worst part was the ride back. Don't get me wrong, it was a much better ride than Friday night. But before I get ahead of myself, I suppose I should start at the beginning.
After checking out of the hotel this morning I went to drop my bags in the car. It was drizzling out but at least it wasn't raining. I couldn't remember where I parked my car, so I started walking around a little. I was finally convinced that I was walking in the wrong direction, was about to turn around, when I saw it out of the corner of my eye. That almost sucked! When I got to my car I considered leaving right then to avoid the rain which I thought was coming, but I decided against it. I had gone to play in at least the 2 11am tournaments, so I figured that I really had to stay for it. It was probably around 8:45 when I got to the poker room and put my name down for a $1/$3 limit table. Kip was already down there playing so I talked to him for a little bit while waiting for a seat or another table to open. After about 30 minutes they called my name. After going to the table I found that it was the wrong limits. The desk apologized. False alarm. Figures!
I waiting around a little while longer and finally started considering playing in the $100/no-limit game that had seats available. I've only played no-limit on the Internet, so I was a little nervous about it. Since you can theoretically lose your entire stack in a single hand. Still, I consider no-limit my game, so I thought it was worth a try. Within an hour I was out, lost $100. Since I wanted to limit myself to losing no more than $100 a day at the tables, I decided not to buy back in. I will say that I felt good in that I didn't feel like I was out of my league. I had a few good hands that got beat. That's all it takes.
At this point I was a bit frustrated so I decided to take a walk. Kip was still sitting in at the $1/$3 limit table which, if you know Kip, is where he'd spend 16 hours a day if he could. Stupid me, while I was walking I decided to try the slot machines. After losing $50 in about 15 minutes I decided it was time to try the nickel slots. After losing about $10 in another 15 minutes, I decided I was done. It was almost 11 anyway, so I found Kip getting up from his table and we went to wait for the tournament to start.
The buy-in for today's tournament was a little more than yesterday. I think it was about $120. There ended up being around 85 or so participants and only the top 10, the final table, paid. Early on in the tournament Kip got up to check on me. I think he was surprised to see I had such a big stack. I was getting all the cards, it was great! It seemed like every hand I got into I won. Kip got knocked out at some point before the 1st break, and by the time the 1st break came around my stack had fallen back down to reality. My reality that is. Which unfortunately means that I was one of the shorter stacks at the table now.
The 1st break was at around 12:45 for 30 minutes. I went down and talked with Kip in the sandwich shop. He was eating lunch. I decided not to eat because I didn't want to risk having to get up from the table in the middle of the tournament. For some reason I forgot to take Advil with me, so I knew that I was going to be in some trouble later in the afternoon. Before I left to go back Kip wished me luck, and I told him I'd probably be knocked out in a few minutes. It was a few minutes late, but at around 1:25 the tournament continued.
About 90 minutes later I gave Kip another call. We were on another break while they got the final table set up. That's right, I made it to the final table!!! It was pretty crazy, seeing how nervous everyone got while playing. I was surprised at how calm I felt. The only time that I would start to lose it is if I looked at someone in the eyes. The way poker players tend to stare at their opponents to catch some glimpse of what they're hiding. I can't do it. It cracks me up! I tried it a few times, but I just started laughing so I decided it was better that I just focus on nothing.
It was a little disappointing to come so far and not win it, but I came in 3rd place. I think it was around $886 that I won. Enough to cover my expenses, and a little bit extra. I wonder if they take taxes out of it? If so, I take back the bit extra. It was definitely an amazing experience. Maybe just beginners luck, but I'll take it just the same. I left shortly after, with Kip back at the tables. He decided to move up to the $3/$6 limit tables, so I hope he's finding it both fun and profitable. He was also playing in the 7pm Satellite tonight for a seat in next weekends big tournament. I wish him well!
As for me, I stopped on the highway in New York to buy some overpriced Advil so I managed to avoid the worst of it. Now, I'm happy to be home again.
I'm a little wiped, so I'm off to get some sleep and enjoy tomorrow off. One of the things that chess tournaments and poker tournaments have in common, they both take a lot out of you.
I hope you've enjoyed my trip, I know I did.
Ed.
After checking out of the hotel this morning I went to drop my bags in the car. It was drizzling out but at least it wasn't raining. I couldn't remember where I parked my car, so I started walking around a little. I was finally convinced that I was walking in the wrong direction, was about to turn around, when I saw it out of the corner of my eye. That almost sucked! When I got to my car I considered leaving right then to avoid the rain which I thought was coming, but I decided against it. I had gone to play in at least the 2 11am tournaments, so I figured that I really had to stay for it. It was probably around 8:45 when I got to the poker room and put my name down for a $1/$3 limit table. Kip was already down there playing so I talked to him for a little bit while waiting for a seat or another table to open. After about 30 minutes they called my name. After going to the table I found that it was the wrong limits. The desk apologized. False alarm. Figures!
I waiting around a little while longer and finally started considering playing in the $100/no-limit game that had seats available. I've only played no-limit on the Internet, so I was a little nervous about it. Since you can theoretically lose your entire stack in a single hand. Still, I consider no-limit my game, so I thought it was worth a try. Within an hour I was out, lost $100. Since I wanted to limit myself to losing no more than $100 a day at the tables, I decided not to buy back in. I will say that I felt good in that I didn't feel like I was out of my league. I had a few good hands that got beat. That's all it takes.
At this point I was a bit frustrated so I decided to take a walk. Kip was still sitting in at the $1/$3 limit table which, if you know Kip, is where he'd spend 16 hours a day if he could. Stupid me, while I was walking I decided to try the slot machines. After losing $50 in about 15 minutes I decided it was time to try the nickel slots. After losing about $10 in another 15 minutes, I decided I was done. It was almost 11 anyway, so I found Kip getting up from his table and we went to wait for the tournament to start.
The buy-in for today's tournament was a little more than yesterday. I think it was about $120. There ended up being around 85 or so participants and only the top 10, the final table, paid. Early on in the tournament Kip got up to check on me. I think he was surprised to see I had such a big stack. I was getting all the cards, it was great! It seemed like every hand I got into I won. Kip got knocked out at some point before the 1st break, and by the time the 1st break came around my stack had fallen back down to reality. My reality that is. Which unfortunately means that I was one of the shorter stacks at the table now.
The 1st break was at around 12:45 for 30 minutes. I went down and talked with Kip in the sandwich shop. He was eating lunch. I decided not to eat because I didn't want to risk having to get up from the table in the middle of the tournament. For some reason I forgot to take Advil with me, so I knew that I was going to be in some trouble later in the afternoon. Before I left to go back Kip wished me luck, and I told him I'd probably be knocked out in a few minutes. It was a few minutes late, but at around 1:25 the tournament continued.
About 90 minutes later I gave Kip another call. We were on another break while they got the final table set up. That's right, I made it to the final table!!! It was pretty crazy, seeing how nervous everyone got while playing. I was surprised at how calm I felt. The only time that I would start to lose it is if I looked at someone in the eyes. The way poker players tend to stare at their opponents to catch some glimpse of what they're hiding. I can't do it. It cracks me up! I tried it a few times, but I just started laughing so I decided it was better that I just focus on nothing.
It was a little disappointing to come so far and not win it, but I came in 3rd place. I think it was around $886 that I won. Enough to cover my expenses, and a little bit extra. I wonder if they take taxes out of it? If so, I take back the bit extra. It was definitely an amazing experience. Maybe just beginners luck, but I'll take it just the same. I left shortly after, with Kip back at the tables. He decided to move up to the $3/$6 limit tables, so I hope he's finding it both fun and profitable. He was also playing in the 7pm Satellite tonight for a seat in next weekends big tournament. I wish him well!
As for me, I stopped on the highway in New York to buy some overpriced Advil so I managed to avoid the worst of it. Now, I'm happy to be home again.
I'm a little wiped, so I'm off to get some sleep and enjoy tomorrow off. One of the things that chess tournaments and poker tournaments have in common, they both take a lot out of you.
I hope you've enjoyed my trip, I know I did.
Ed.
This is it
I'm about to head off for my final day here at the casino. No big plans, maybe sit at the table for an hour or two before the 11am tournament. Then play, and probably come home. I'm hoping to take Donna's advice for the way home at least... drive before it gets dark out! Especially since it's supposed to rain again, and I'd rather not have a repeat, or worse, of my trip up here. So, until later tonight when I hope to have my final update, enjoy your Sunday!
Ed.
Ed.
Once upon a midnight dreary
With great power, comes great responsibility. I don't have that kind of power, and I'm certainly not Spiderman. What kind of power do I have? The power to open your mind. But I can only show you the door, it is you that must walk through it.
Tell me did the wind sweep you off your feet
Did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day
And head back to the Milky Way
And tell me, did Venus blow your mind
Was it everything you wanted to find
And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there
- taken from "Drops of Jupiter" by Train
I went back down to the poker room (almost called it a pool hall) at around 7pm. I put my name on the list and had to wait about 30 minutes for a table. I went to the cashier to get $100 in chips and sat down to play. If you're curious, playing $1/$3 limit all you need are $1 chips (which happen to be white). When I first sat down there was an older guy sitting to my left. He was 85 years old and seemed nice enough. I felt bad for wishing he'd leave the table. He gave me such a headache.
He couldn't see very well, so every time he was in a hand the dealer at to call out what the cards were. Then he didn't hear correctly most of the time so several people next to him, myself included, had to repeat. This happened on the flop, the turn, and the river. All the cards, all the time. In addition, he had to be told how much was being raised, who was raising, and needed constant reminding to put in his blinds. I'm not sure how much was for show, because he played well and did pretty good. He told me about how he is the most decorated WWII soldier in the state of New York. Told me all about his medals, about the articles that had been written about him. And he kept telling the table how he was diagnosed with cancer in May and was told he had three months to live, but that he showed them. Then he started talking about the millions he has in the bank, and the thousands that he won at poker the last time he played. After an hour or so of this, you'd have a headache too!
Kip came to see me twice while I was playing. Once he was on break from the satellite tournament he was in. The one I told you about the other day that I tried to register for ahead of time with little success. The next time, he was knocked out. At that point it was around 10pm, so we took off to get some takeout and call it a night. I didn't do quite as well this last session, being down about $40 after a couple hours of play. But still not terrible.
Once we split up going back to our rooms I went to the elevator going up the tower. When I got to the elevator there was a woman and a man talking, holding the door open. He was on the outside, she was in the inside. I asked her if she was going up, she said yes and off we went. Without the guy. On the way up she told me that they were breaking up. It was difficult with Kids involved (2 kids, if you were wondering) and he had a bad temper.
When I got back to the room I decided that it was time for a quick game of chess. I happened to get paired up against a guy that I've played many times over the past year on the Internet Chess Club. Given our history I would put us pretty even, but tonight wasn't to be his night. It was a good game until the end, where he dropped a bishop. One of the western mass chess players happened to be watching the game and afterwards sent me a message - "Lucky he dropped that bishop". It was certainly fortuitous for me, happy happenstance one might say. I'm just not convinced that luck was in the cards. Heck, we weren't playing cards, it was chess!
Now I'm getting dreary... midnight dreary one might say.
Once upon a midnight dreary...
Have a good night.
Ed.
Tell me did the wind sweep you off your feet
Did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day
And head back to the Milky Way
And tell me, did Venus blow your mind
Was it everything you wanted to find
And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there
- taken from "Drops of Jupiter" by Train
I went back down to the poker room (almost called it a pool hall) at around 7pm. I put my name on the list and had to wait about 30 minutes for a table. I went to the cashier to get $100 in chips and sat down to play. If you're curious, playing $1/$3 limit all you need are $1 chips (which happen to be white). When I first sat down there was an older guy sitting to my left. He was 85 years old and seemed nice enough. I felt bad for wishing he'd leave the table. He gave me such a headache.
He couldn't see very well, so every time he was in a hand the dealer at to call out what the cards were. Then he didn't hear correctly most of the time so several people next to him, myself included, had to repeat. This happened on the flop, the turn, and the river. All the cards, all the time. In addition, he had to be told how much was being raised, who was raising, and needed constant reminding to put in his blinds. I'm not sure how much was for show, because he played well and did pretty good. He told me about how he is the most decorated WWII soldier in the state of New York. Told me all about his medals, about the articles that had been written about him. And he kept telling the table how he was diagnosed with cancer in May and was told he had three months to live, but that he showed them. Then he started talking about the millions he has in the bank, and the thousands that he won at poker the last time he played. After an hour or so of this, you'd have a headache too!
Kip came to see me twice while I was playing. Once he was on break from the satellite tournament he was in. The one I told you about the other day that I tried to register for ahead of time with little success. The next time, he was knocked out. At that point it was around 10pm, so we took off to get some takeout and call it a night. I didn't do quite as well this last session, being down about $40 after a couple hours of play. But still not terrible.
Once we split up going back to our rooms I went to the elevator going up the tower. When I got to the elevator there was a woman and a man talking, holding the door open. He was on the outside, she was in the inside. I asked her if she was going up, she said yes and off we went. Without the guy. On the way up she told me that they were breaking up. It was difficult with Kids involved (2 kids, if you were wondering) and he had a bad temper.
When I got back to the room I decided that it was time for a quick game of chess. I happened to get paired up against a guy that I've played many times over the past year on the Internet Chess Club. Given our history I would put us pretty even, but tonight wasn't to be his night. It was a good game until the end, where he dropped a bishop. One of the western mass chess players happened to be watching the game and afterwards sent me a message - "Lucky he dropped that bishop". It was certainly fortuitous for me, happy happenstance one might say. I'm just not convinced that luck was in the cards. Heck, we weren't playing cards, it was chess!
Now I'm getting dreary... midnight dreary one might say.
Once upon a midnight dreary...
Have a good night.
Ed.
Saturday, October 08, 2005
Take it to the limit!
Kip and I met up around 8:30 this morning and we were at the poker tables by 8:45. Kip was working on 1 hour of sleep, but as usual he was ready to go. I was a little nervous, like Kip predicted, for about 15 minutes. So it was actually nice that we were able to play some limit before the 11am tournament. It gave me a chance to ease my concerns about how to play at a real table.
The table had an interesting array of characters. There were even some rumors that The Joker himself had been seen playing at the n0-limit tables. He wasn't playing at our table, but he certainly would have fit right in. Probably in between Kip and his buddy Earl. I know, his name wasn't actually Early, but Earl sounds like the perfect name for a yapper that hasn't quite figured out how to integrate with the society around him. It wouldn't have been so bad, because he was a nice enough guy, but he kept not paying attention to the table.
So, after about 2 hours or so of play I finished down $8 and Kip finished down about $20. Kip's assessment: Successful. He played in maybe 3 hands the whole time, just wasn't getting the cards. As for me, I won my share of hands. The other interesting note, you are supposed to tip the dealer after every pot you win. My tips were more than $8 overall... so I can't complain. I also didn't realize that they change dealers so frequently. It was about every 20 minutes.
Someone came around to the tables in the poker room while we were playing to ask if anyone was playing in the 11am tournament, and signed us up right there. So that was nice. Near the end of the 1st session before the break this guy was moved to my table. I don't know his name, but he was your typical joker wannabe! Whenever he would raise, he would start saying "Please don't call, please don't call, please don't call..." while covering his eyes with his hands. Then he'd look through his hands right at you and say "I'm peeking", and just go on and on. It was really annoying. Kip and I both made it to the first break. Kip had a strong run near the end of the 1st session to go on break with about 10,000 chips. I was down to about 3200.
On the break we just went and grabbed some hot dogs. There wasn't enough time to eat real food. Then it was back for the 2nd session. I wish I had a lot to say about the 2nd session, but I was out in about 10 minutes. I was running out of chips with the blinds at 400/800, so as soon as I had a decent hand I had to push and pray. I was in late position with QJo, and noone had raised the pot. I was the low stack, followed by the guy in the big blind. He called me, and everyone else folded. He had KK, and the rest is history. As I was leaving I gave Kip the "you're all alone now, it's up to you to save the world" look, then proceeded to head back to the hotel.
On my way back I happened to notice the box office. If you're not familiar with the box office story, here it is. To sign up early for the poker tournament being held tonight (it's a satellite, where the prizes are seats to play in a bigger event next weekend), you had to call the box office. Thursday night I called the box office to sign up, and the guy (Josh) who answered the phone told me not to bother. He said that most people wait until the last minute and just buy their seats at the door. So I called Kip back and he convinced me not to wait. He said the lines get really long and you could be waiting for hours. And if you're near the end of the line, there's no guarantee you'll get in. When I called back Josh answered again. I told him that I had given it some thought and I wanted to sign up ahead of time anyway. He said Ok, do you have a Diamond Card. I said No. He then proceeded to tell me that without a Diamond Card I couldn't sign up for the tournament. So I needed to wait until I got here to sign up. Since the box office phones close at 8, and I didn't get here until 10:30, that wasn't going to happen last night. Today I went to the box office and I told the woman that I wanted to sign up. She said Ok, asked me to wait a minute, then said that they couldn't take the entries anymore. I had to go to the poker room to sign up. So I head over to the poker room where they tell me that I need to go to the box office. I told them that the box office just sent me here. After a brief discussion, I was told that once the box office stops selling you can only sign up at the door. So I should come back at 6pm. Doesn't sound so great to me. The good news is, I was considering not playing in it anyway. Spending $100 to play in a tournament where the best case (winning) means that you have to pay (for travel, hotel, ...) to come back the next weekend to play in a bigger event. It's not exactly motivating for me. I may just try to play some limit tonight while Kip plays in the event.
That's where things are at now. Keep your fingers crossed, and we'll see how Kip does a little later.
Ed.
The table had an interesting array of characters. There were even some rumors that The Joker himself had been seen playing at the n0-limit tables. He wasn't playing at our table, but he certainly would have fit right in. Probably in between Kip and his buddy Earl. I know, his name wasn't actually Early, but Earl sounds like the perfect name for a yapper that hasn't quite figured out how to integrate with the society around him. It wouldn't have been so bad, because he was a nice enough guy, but he kept not paying attention to the table.
So, after about 2 hours or so of play I finished down $8 and Kip finished down about $20. Kip's assessment: Successful. He played in maybe 3 hands the whole time, just wasn't getting the cards. As for me, I won my share of hands. The other interesting note, you are supposed to tip the dealer after every pot you win. My tips were more than $8 overall... so I can't complain. I also didn't realize that they change dealers so frequently. It was about every 20 minutes.
Someone came around to the tables in the poker room while we were playing to ask if anyone was playing in the 11am tournament, and signed us up right there. So that was nice. Near the end of the 1st session before the break this guy was moved to my table. I don't know his name, but he was your typical joker wannabe! Whenever he would raise, he would start saying "Please don't call, please don't call, please don't call..." while covering his eyes with his hands. Then he'd look through his hands right at you and say "I'm peeking", and just go on and on. It was really annoying. Kip and I both made it to the first break. Kip had a strong run near the end of the 1st session to go on break with about 10,000 chips. I was down to about 3200.
On the break we just went and grabbed some hot dogs. There wasn't enough time to eat real food. Then it was back for the 2nd session. I wish I had a lot to say about the 2nd session, but I was out in about 10 minutes. I was running out of chips with the blinds at 400/800, so as soon as I had a decent hand I had to push and pray. I was in late position with QJo, and noone had raised the pot. I was the low stack, followed by the guy in the big blind. He called me, and everyone else folded. He had KK, and the rest is history. As I was leaving I gave Kip the "you're all alone now, it's up to you to save the world" look, then proceeded to head back to the hotel.
On my way back I happened to notice the box office. If you're not familiar with the box office story, here it is. To sign up early for the poker tournament being held tonight (it's a satellite, where the prizes are seats to play in a bigger event next weekend), you had to call the box office. Thursday night I called the box office to sign up, and the guy (Josh) who answered the phone told me not to bother. He said that most people wait until the last minute and just buy their seats at the door. So I called Kip back and he convinced me not to wait. He said the lines get really long and you could be waiting for hours. And if you're near the end of the line, there's no guarantee you'll get in. When I called back Josh answered again. I told him that I had given it some thought and I wanted to sign up ahead of time anyway. He said Ok, do you have a Diamond Card. I said No. He then proceeded to tell me that without a Diamond Card I couldn't sign up for the tournament. So I needed to wait until I got here to sign up. Since the box office phones close at 8, and I didn't get here until 10:30, that wasn't going to happen last night. Today I went to the box office and I told the woman that I wanted to sign up. She said Ok, asked me to wait a minute, then said that they couldn't take the entries anymore. I had to go to the poker room to sign up. So I head over to the poker room where they tell me that I need to go to the box office. I told them that the box office just sent me here. After a brief discussion, I was told that once the box office stops selling you can only sign up at the door. So I should come back at 6pm. Doesn't sound so great to me. The good news is, I was considering not playing in it anyway. Spending $100 to play in a tournament where the best case (winning) means that you have to pay (for travel, hotel, ...) to come back the next weekend to play in a bigger event. It's not exactly motivating for me. I may just try to play some limit tonight while Kip plays in the event.
That's where things are at now. Keep your fingers crossed, and we'll see how Kip does a little later.
Ed.
It was a beginning
I dream of electric sheep.
I dream of a world where anything is possible.
I dream of so many things.
Make it stop!
I haven't heard from Kip yet, but I'm sure he'll be calling soon. It's almost time to see what this real life stuff is all about. I'm definitely a little nervous, but I'm told that I'll get over it. I remember that I used to get nervous before going to a chess tournament too. But I've been playing in those for over 10 years now, so I don't really even think about it anymore.
Time to get moving.
Ed.
I dream of a world where anything is possible.
I dream of so many things.
Make it stop!
I haven't heard from Kip yet, but I'm sure he'll be calling soon. It's almost time to see what this real life stuff is all about. I'm definitely a little nervous, but I'm told that I'll get over it. I remember that I used to get nervous before going to a chess tournament too. But I've been playing in those for over 10 years now, so I don't really even think about it anymore.
Time to get moving.
Ed.
Getting there is half the fun?
Whoever said that getting there is half the fun, I’ve got a thing or two I’d like to say to them. If hell is anything like my road trip, I’ll be good. I promise! The best visualization I can give… I can already feel the tears forming. Imagine driving down the Interstate at 70 mph with nothing but the white lines to guide you. It’s dark, it’s raining, and a couple of 18-wheelers think it would be a fun game to surround you. When you’re not in the middle of that exciting game of cat and mouse, imagine seeing everything double. Because that’s what you get with a lot of rain on the roads, and all the shiny reflective ornaments posted along the road to help you see, aren’t really helping.
Let’s flash back to earlier today. Donna convinced me to leave work early so that I could get to the casino before it got too dark out. My original plan was to leave work near my normal time, and get on the road by around 6pm. Instead I left work early and got on the road around 7pm. Welcome to my world, enjoy the ride!
When I got to the hotel I parked in the visitor parking and walked. It didn’t look like it would be too far, and the rain wasn’t too heavy. When I finally decided to ask someone where the hotel was, I was happy that I didn’t pass it by too much. When I got to the lobby and checked in the guy who was helping me told me that I had to get to the poker room and have a pit boss sign off that I was here to play poker for two nights in order to get the poker rate. He then told me what a great deal it was. The room that I’m in is usually $195 a night, and the poker rate is $80. The only catch, if I didn’t have the paper back by midnight I had to pay full price. It was 10:30, so I still had plenty of time. I went to my room to drop my stuff off before trying to find the poker room.
When I found the poker room I stopped at the desk to ask about what I needed to do for the hotel. I was a little concerned that someone at the desk would decide to break both of my legs, but in the end I walked away with my piece of paper. Legs still intact. Sometimes it amazes me how I get through the day. The pit boss did recommend to get there extra early in the morning. At least 2 hours before the start of the tournament. Otherwise she said that I might not get in. They are expecting a potential crowd this weekend. Who would have imagined?
After turning the sheet back in at the hotel desk, I went to my room and ordered some room service. $20 for a roast beef sandwich, but it was good! Now I feel sick, my head hurts, and I know Kip will be calling me to get moving earlier than I’ll want to think about getting up. My original plan didn’t have me staying up until almost 1am. Then again, when do my plans ever work out exactly as expected.
Did I mention that the room is amazing! And Internet access is great too!
It might not be “Quesnel”, but it sure has “Borowski” written all over it!
… and to all a good night!
Ed.
Let’s flash back to earlier today. Donna convinced me to leave work early so that I could get to the casino before it got too dark out. My original plan was to leave work near my normal time, and get on the road by around 6pm. Instead I left work early and got on the road around 7pm. Welcome to my world, enjoy the ride!
When I got to the hotel I parked in the visitor parking and walked. It didn’t look like it would be too far, and the rain wasn’t too heavy. When I finally decided to ask someone where the hotel was, I was happy that I didn’t pass it by too much. When I got to the lobby and checked in the guy who was helping me told me that I had to get to the poker room and have a pit boss sign off that I was here to play poker for two nights in order to get the poker rate. He then told me what a great deal it was. The room that I’m in is usually $195 a night, and the poker rate is $80. The only catch, if I didn’t have the paper back by midnight I had to pay full price. It was 10:30, so I still had plenty of time. I went to my room to drop my stuff off before trying to find the poker room.
When I found the poker room I stopped at the desk to ask about what I needed to do for the hotel. I was a little concerned that someone at the desk would decide to break both of my legs, but in the end I walked away with my piece of paper. Legs still intact. Sometimes it amazes me how I get through the day. The pit boss did recommend to get there extra early in the morning. At least 2 hours before the start of the tournament. Otherwise she said that I might not get in. They are expecting a potential crowd this weekend. Who would have imagined?
After turning the sheet back in at the hotel desk, I went to my room and ordered some room service. $20 for a roast beef sandwich, but it was good! Now I feel sick, my head hurts, and I know Kip will be calling me to get moving earlier than I’ll want to think about getting up. My original plan didn’t have me staying up until almost 1am. Then again, when do my plans ever work out exactly as expected.
Did I mention that the room is amazing! And Internet access is great too!
It might not be “Quesnel”, but it sure has “Borowski” written all over it!
… and to all a good night!
Ed.
Friday, October 07, 2005
Coming soon...
I'm about to head out the door on my way to Turning Stone Casino (http://www.turningstone.com). If I have Internet access from the hotel then you can count on an update or two over the weekend, otherwise Monday will have to do. Wish me luck - and a good sense of direction. Both of which I tend to lack!
Ed.
Ed.
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Inspirational with a "K"?
I'm not a big fan of Alan Jackson. I don't know why, I just never really liked his music that much. The music, and the lyrics. It's just not there for me. For me it's Garth Brooks, Kenny Chesney, Don Henley - Inspirational. Heck, I'll even give a slight nod to Faith Hill for her new song Fireflies. I'd go into details, but better that I preserve what little dignity I've got left.
Then we have my chess heroes. What would chess be without the likes of Gary Kasparov, Anatoly Karpov, and Bobby Fischer, or the classics of Paul Morphy and Jose Raul Capablanca. Martial Arts? Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Bill "Superfoot" Wallace. Those inspirational figures that cause us to want to push further, that show us what is truly possible.
I'll admit some surprise today when I saw that my good old friend, Sean, started his own blog. It's still in its infancy, but I think it has a lot of potential. Especially if chess is something that you at least enjoy. I like the layout he's got going. Who knows, maybe it'll motivate me enough to make some improvements out here in my little corner of the world. Maybe. The blog is called "central oregon chess journal". So I'm guessing that it will be focused on chess. If you have interest in the great game, be sure to check it out:
http://cocjournal.blogspot.com
There's not really any chess content out there yet, but I'm sure it'll be coming soon. For those of us lucky enough to know Sean, he is most definitely a loyal servant of the great goddess of chess, Caissa. And in case you are wondering, I really don't think that Caissa should be spelled with a "K". Though at one point I certainly considered it. But that's a story for another time.
I keep promising Sean that I'll put up some of my older games, but I keep not getting around to it. It's coming soon... probably. This weekend is my exciting casino getaway, so hopefully that'll be a focus of some news early next week.
Until then, or sooner if I get the urge, play well, be well, and smile because it makes the world a little brighter!
Ed.
Then we have my chess heroes. What would chess be without the likes of Gary Kasparov, Anatoly Karpov, and Bobby Fischer, or the classics of Paul Morphy and Jose Raul Capablanca. Martial Arts? Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Bill "Superfoot" Wallace. Those inspirational figures that cause us to want to push further, that show us what is truly possible.
I'll admit some surprise today when I saw that my good old friend, Sean, started his own blog. It's still in its infancy, but I think it has a lot of potential. Especially if chess is something that you at least enjoy. I like the layout he's got going. Who knows, maybe it'll motivate me enough to make some improvements out here in my little corner of the world. Maybe. The blog is called "central oregon chess journal". So I'm guessing that it will be focused on chess. If you have interest in the great game, be sure to check it out:
http://cocjournal.blogspot.com
There's not really any chess content out there yet, but I'm sure it'll be coming soon. For those of us lucky enough to know Sean, he is most definitely a loyal servant of the great goddess of chess, Caissa. And in case you are wondering, I really don't think that Caissa should be spelled with a "K". Though at one point I certainly considered it. But that's a story for another time.
I keep promising Sean that I'll put up some of my older games, but I keep not getting around to it. It's coming soon... probably. This weekend is my exciting casino getaway, so hopefully that'll be a focus of some news early next week.
Until then, or sooner if I get the urge, play well, be well, and smile because it makes the world a little brighter!
Ed.
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
Black to play and win
I'm tired tonight so it's going to be a quick one. In the diagram below there is a win for Black, can you find it? Message me for the answer, otherwise I'll try to remember to post it in a few days :). I'm sure Sean will have it in... 2 seconds?
Guess who was White in this game? :)
Good day, good chess, and to all a good night!
Guess who was White in this game? :)
Good day, good chess, and to all a good night!
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
We are the champions!!!
PVCC Team A - Winners of the 1st WMCA Intra-Club Match
(L to R: Chris McDaniel, David Hall, Larry Williams, Tom Smith, Ed Borowski)
What's the difference?
Sean and I have been playing chess together now for at least 12 years. It seems like only yesterday we were having our all night blitz sessions in his parents basement. We used to play 40 blitz games a night and want to keep coming back for more. It's probably a good thing that we never got into drinking and partying! Then again, there are worse things than guitars and tiki bars.
When Sean and I first started playing chess I was the stronger one. We used to play on occasion with Dave Hall. Dave was a real life chess player. He knew openings, played in chess tournaments, and even beat a master once in a blitz game. But that's another story! That first summer we started playing with Dave he would beat us constantly, while playing us both at the same time. Finally, near the end of that first summer I had my first win against Dave. It wasn't long after that for Sean either, and we never looked back.
The interesting thing is, for as long as Sean and I have been playing, it seems like people want to beat Sean, but think they can beat me. For some reason I was giving this some thought this evening. The only answer I can come up with is that Sean is a very active player. He blows the position open, keeps it as complicated as possible, and crushes you with his great tactical mind. I've had many winning, or superior, positions against Sean over the years that have slowly faded away because I just couldn't keep up with the complications he would keep throwing on the board. When you get blown away like that, it's easy to be amazed. When I win a game against someone, it's usually a slower, more methodical win. Small advantages that slowly make way to a winning endgame. Those are the games where it's much easier to feel like you should have been able to win somehow.
Anyway, just some brain dumping for the night. It came to my mind after I had played a game against a weaker opponent on the ICC. It wasn't a great game by any means, but it was a sound beating. If you are a beginning chess player yourself, I strongly recommend that you study tactics. Lots and lots of tactics! I've seen so many games in U1400 sections of tournaments where I wanted to cry. So much is missed. Tactics, definitely the heart of chess.
Though it pains me, here is the game I played tonight that inspired me to write this entry. Enjoy!
Internet Chess Club G/15
White: Ed Borowski
Black: Wondermonk
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. cxd5 cxd5 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. e3 e6 7. Bb5+ Nbd7 8. h3 Bh5 9. g4 Bg6 10. Ne5 Be7 11. g5 {Black resigns} 1-0
And with that, I wish you all a good night!
Ed.
When Sean and I first started playing chess I was the stronger one. We used to play on occasion with Dave Hall. Dave was a real life chess player. He knew openings, played in chess tournaments, and even beat a master once in a blitz game. But that's another story! That first summer we started playing with Dave he would beat us constantly, while playing us both at the same time. Finally, near the end of that first summer I had my first win against Dave. It wasn't long after that for Sean either, and we never looked back.
The interesting thing is, for as long as Sean and I have been playing, it seems like people want to beat Sean, but think they can beat me. For some reason I was giving this some thought this evening. The only answer I can come up with is that Sean is a very active player. He blows the position open, keeps it as complicated as possible, and crushes you with his great tactical mind. I've had many winning, or superior, positions against Sean over the years that have slowly faded away because I just couldn't keep up with the complications he would keep throwing on the board. When you get blown away like that, it's easy to be amazed. When I win a game against someone, it's usually a slower, more methodical win. Small advantages that slowly make way to a winning endgame. Those are the games where it's much easier to feel like you should have been able to win somehow.
Anyway, just some brain dumping for the night. It came to my mind after I had played a game against a weaker opponent on the ICC. It wasn't a great game by any means, but it was a sound beating. If you are a beginning chess player yourself, I strongly recommend that you study tactics. Lots and lots of tactics! I've seen so many games in U1400 sections of tournaments where I wanted to cry. So much is missed. Tactics, definitely the heart of chess.
Though it pains me, here is the game I played tonight that inspired me to write this entry. Enjoy!
Internet Chess Club G/15
White: Ed Borowski
Black: Wondermonk
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. cxd5 cxd5 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. e3 e6 7. Bb5+ Nbd7 8. h3 Bh5 9. g4 Bg6 10. Ne5 Be7 11. g5 {Black resigns} 1-0
And with that, I wish you all a good night!
Ed.
Sunday, October 02, 2005
The Pioneer Valley Chess Journal
The Pioneer Valley Chess Club was once one of the most active clubs in the area for tournaments. Every week something would be going on. Some weeks it would be a last minute blitz event, other's it would be a quad or two of quick chess. With Sean Tobin around there was always one thing you could count on. Lots of chess! Yes, those were the good old days.
I was doing some cleaning today and I happened to come across some old papers. I know, if you were actually to come look inside my house you probably wouldn't believe a word of what I'm saying. Cleaning, bah! But I happened to come across the one, and unfortunately only, issue of the Pioneer Valley Chess Journal. As I glance over it I can't help but think that it had a lot of potential. I was acting as the Publisher and Editor, with Sean acting as the Associate Editor. We had contributors that included the likes of Stan Targonski, Charles Hertan, and other members of the PVCC.
It also brought back memories of all the great things Sean did to help promote chess in the area. Always trying to get people involved and make things happen. Even though it usually led to my doing something that, if left to my own devices, would never happen, still it was a good time. I think that so much of who you are is based upon your life experiences and the people that you are lucky (or unlucky) enough to meet. I've been lucky enough to meet a lot of great people over the course of my life, and I hope to meet many more in the future.
Now I'm going to share a game with you all from that special issue of The Pioneer Valley Chess Journal. It was playing at "The Tobin Memorial Game/25" on April 21st of 1996. At the time Sean was already an A-Player rated 1851, and I was still a Class C player struggling at 1490. Truth be told, I just like to think that my rating took 10 years to catch up with me. I'm pretty sure I'll want to close my eyes as we go through this game, but don't let that take away from your enjoyment of it.
[White: Tobin, Sean]
[Black: Borowski, Ed]
[The Tobin Memorial G/25]
[April 21, 1996]
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e6 3.e4 d6 4.d4 Be7 5.f4 O-O 6.Nf3 c5 7.d5 exd5 8.exd5 Bg4 9.Bd3 Re8 10.O-O Nbd7 11.h3 Bxf3 12.Qxf3 Bf8 13.g4 Kh8 14.g5 Ng8 15.Qh5 g6 16.Qg4 f5 17.Qg3 Bg7 18.h4 Qe7 19.Bd2 Qf7 20.Nb5 Qe7 21.Rae1 Qf8 22.Nc7 Rxe1 23.Rxe1 Bd4+ 24.Kg2 Rc8 25.Ne6 Qf7 26.b3 Re8 27.Bc2 Nf8 28.Bc3 Nxe6 29.dxe6 Rxe6 30.Bxd4+ cxd4 31.Rxe6 Qxe6 32.Qd3 Qe3 33.Qxe3 dxe3 34.Kf3 Ne7 35.Kxe3 Nc6 36.a3 a5 37.Bd1 Kg7 38.Bf3 Kf8 39.Bxc6 bxc6 40.Kd4 Ke7 41.b4 axb4 42.axb4 Kd7 43.b5 Kc7 44.Kc3 draw agreed
I was right, better with the eyes closed. Even now I feel lucky to have drawn that game. In addition to The Pioneer Valley Chess Journal, I also found my copy of the greatest chess tournament ever played! That's right, Linares 1994. Karpov's greatest victory. It was a special issue of Inside Chess magazine that included all 91 games from the tournament. Now that's another magazine that I miss! I never did manage to play through all the games even though I remember planning to so many years ago. Maybe it's time for another shot!
On that note...
Thanks for the memories!
Ed.
I was doing some cleaning today and I happened to come across some old papers. I know, if you were actually to come look inside my house you probably wouldn't believe a word of what I'm saying. Cleaning, bah! But I happened to come across the one, and unfortunately only, issue of the Pioneer Valley Chess Journal. As I glance over it I can't help but think that it had a lot of potential. I was acting as the Publisher and Editor, with Sean acting as the Associate Editor. We had contributors that included the likes of Stan Targonski, Charles Hertan, and other members of the PVCC.
It also brought back memories of all the great things Sean did to help promote chess in the area. Always trying to get people involved and make things happen. Even though it usually led to my doing something that, if left to my own devices, would never happen, still it was a good time. I think that so much of who you are is based upon your life experiences and the people that you are lucky (or unlucky) enough to meet. I've been lucky enough to meet a lot of great people over the course of my life, and I hope to meet many more in the future.
Now I'm going to share a game with you all from that special issue of The Pioneer Valley Chess Journal. It was playing at "The Tobin Memorial Game/25" on April 21st of 1996. At the time Sean was already an A-Player rated 1851, and I was still a Class C player struggling at 1490. Truth be told, I just like to think that my rating took 10 years to catch up with me. I'm pretty sure I'll want to close my eyes as we go through this game, but don't let that take away from your enjoyment of it.
[White: Tobin, Sean]
[Black: Borowski, Ed]
[The Tobin Memorial G/25]
[April 21, 1996]
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e6 3.e4 d6 4.d4 Be7 5.f4 O-O 6.Nf3 c5 7.d5 exd5 8.exd5 Bg4 9.Bd3 Re8 10.O-O Nbd7 11.h3 Bxf3 12.Qxf3 Bf8 13.g4 Kh8 14.g5 Ng8 15.Qh5 g6 16.Qg4 f5 17.Qg3 Bg7 18.h4 Qe7 19.Bd2 Qf7 20.Nb5 Qe7 21.Rae1 Qf8 22.Nc7 Rxe1 23.Rxe1 Bd4+ 24.Kg2 Rc8 25.Ne6 Qf7 26.b3 Re8 27.Bc2 Nf8 28.Bc3 Nxe6 29.dxe6 Rxe6 30.Bxd4+ cxd4 31.Rxe6 Qxe6 32.Qd3 Qe3 33.Qxe3 dxe3 34.Kf3 Ne7 35.Kxe3 Nc6 36.a3 a5 37.Bd1 Kg7 38.Bf3 Kf8 39.Bxc6 bxc6 40.Kd4 Ke7 41.b4 axb4 42.axb4 Kd7 43.b5 Kc7 44.Kc3 draw agreed
I was right, better with the eyes closed. Even now I feel lucky to have drawn that game. In addition to The Pioneer Valley Chess Journal, I also found my copy of the greatest chess tournament ever played! That's right, Linares 1994. Karpov's greatest victory. It was a special issue of Inside Chess magazine that included all 91 games from the tournament. Now that's another magazine that I miss! I never did manage to play through all the games even though I remember planning to so many years ago. Maybe it's time for another shot!
On that note...
Thanks for the memories!
Ed.
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