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[ROAD TO IM] Week 3 - The First Tournament!

Over the boardTournament
A Cocktail of Adrenaline, Zeitnot, and Pure Pleasure

It's done. I survived my first tournament abroad.
Seven rounds, a remote village in the mountains, and a furious desire to play that carried me (and sometimes betrayed me).
Spoiler: I loved it. But wow, what a rollercoaster.

The Day Before: Intense Preparation and Last-Minute Reviews

I took a day off before the tournament to get into warrior mode.
On the agenda:

  • Reviewing my opening lines (the ones I think I'll play, at least).
  • Doing calculation exercises to sharpen my brain.

Arrived in this little village nestled in the heart of the mountains, I come face to face with a minotaur statue at the entrance. 10473a8a-f873-441f-b9dd-516a78ac2795.jpeg
An omen of a tactical labyrinth?

I drop my stuff at the hotel, head to a local restaurant for a typical dish.
Honestly, nothing better than a good meal to get in the mood.

ef0b8d13-ffc2-431f-90e0-be10494bf2e8.jpeg

Satisfied, I head back to the hotel for a restful night's sleep.

D-Day: The Big Leap

6:45 AM. Wake up, shower, quick breakfast.
On the way to the playing hall, I run into the tournament's GM. We chat, he's super cool, not at all the "I'm going to crush you" vibe.
It relaxes me... a bit.

I check the final list:

  • 1 GM, 1 IM, 5 FMs, 25 players at +2000, and a random 2300 who's going to give me trouble.
  • I'm 3rd in rating. Not bad, but the pressure is on.

It's go time for the 7 rounds in 20+5.

Round 1: A Zugzwang That Feels Good

Opponent: a young player at 1700 who throws a Petrossian at me in the King's Indian.
I mess up the opening and end up in a dubious position.
But I hang on, I scrape by, and bam, I place a magnificent zugzwang after 40 minutes of struggle.
Victory! 1/1.
The joy of competition is back.

https://lichess.org/study/Rx1N58N5/jiGzNgw5

Round 2: The h4? Drama

Opponent: a veteran at 2000 (ex-2200 20 years ago).
We go into a Czech. I take space, the bishop pair, everything's fine... until I play h4?.
Yes, h4. With a question mark as big as a house.

https://lichess.org/study/Rx1N58N5/LGF7y9bN

He responds h5! and I feel the sweat pouring.
But I maneuver the pieces, find a plan, and grab a nice advantage.

https://lichess.org/study/Rx1N58N5/n0hRCQqz

Problem: I've been playing on my 5-second increment for 20 moves.
I end up giving away a pawn, he offers a draw.
I accept, with a heavy heart. 1.5/2.
A bit of disappointment, but that's the game.

Round 3: An Attack That Slaps

Opponent: a 1900 who throws a Jobava at me.
I'm not super precise in the opening, but I find a cool attack theme.

https://lichess.org/study/Rx1N58N5/0v8vuvLr

Rxc3!! bxc3 Nxa2 Kd2 Ne4 Ke1 Naxc2 -+

A few moves later, I convert without shaking.
2.5/3 at the break. We're doing alright!

Round 4: The French Connection

Opponent: another 1900, on a French Rubinstein.
I pull out an idea I studied almost 20 years ago (nostalgia, when you hold us).
He plays g6, weakening his structure.
I roll it out and win without forcing.

https://lichess.org/study/Rx1N58N5/jBvK7lYq

3.5/4. It's starting to smell good.

Round 5: Creativity and Chaos

Opponent: a strong young 2200, a King's Indian Gligoric.
First time I play this position after almost 300 King's Indians.
I skip the critical line (Ng4) and opt for exd4.
What follows is a long battle on the dark squares. I show a lot of creativity by playing on the h2-b8 diagonal, making my knights whirl. The fight rages, I win the dark-squared bishop for a knight but I have an offside knight, see diagram. I find the very interesting g5!?. I tactically win a pawn. And we end up in a chaotic time scramble playing on the 5 seconds per move, I end up winning without too much trembling.

https://lichess.org/study/Rx1N58N5/sRfclKfI

4.5/5! We're doing well.

Round 6: The Master's Implosion

Opponent: an FM at 2250 with White.
He plays a classical French with Qb6.
I know nothing about this position, just that I can give b2 and play Bb5.
He navigates the opening better and has a slight advantage. But I find some awesome resources.

https://lichess.org/study/Rx1N58N5/FWuGeOhB

Rb3 - Rf3!! 1-0

He cracks, I capitalize, and boom, victory.
5.5/6. The GM is at 6/6, but no matchup due to colors.
I'm starting to believe.

Round 7: The Fall

Opponent: a 2300 in rapid, super tactical, with a big gap between his rapid and classical ratings.
He throws a tricky variation I don't know at all.
After 15 moves, I'm at -1.5 (but weirdly, I'm following a Vidit game).
I'm exhausted, having given everything in the previous rounds.
I spot a tactical theme, go for it... and disaster.
He looks at me like I just insulted his king.
I realize too late my variation is losing.

https://lichess.org/study/Rx1N58N5/hyMc5Pmz#37

e4?? Bxe4 f5 Bf3 f4 Bxf4 And after all takes d8 bishop is hanging....

I fight, but the position is cooked. Loss.
5.5/7.

Tournament Wrap-Up: Fun, Lessons, and an 8th Place

I finish 8th, with a small elo gain and, above all, a massive dose of fun.
But let's be real, there's work to do:

  • Too much zeitnot. Gotta stop playing on 5 seconds.
  • Not enough practical play. The lack of real games showed.
  • Catastrophic repertoire. My openings are a 2000s museum.

Last Week's Recap

  • 220 combinations solved. Pretty solid!
  • Chess School 1a worked on during commutes.
  • 7 studies. Not perfect yet, but I'm getting better.
  • Openings: I worked on them, but clearly not enough.

Plan for Next Week

  • Move on to Chess School 1b.
  • Finish my glance exercises (calculation drills).
  • Nail one study perfectly (fingers crossed).
  • Analyze my tournament games and rework my repertoire based on what I saw.

Next deadline: a blitz tournament on August 30.
But honestly, I have a crazy urge to play sooner.