Holiday Tourney But No Gifts…

On Saturday I played in the Hamilton Quad. I got an even score with +1-1=1.

The club was decked out for Christmas.

You might think that, being close to the holiday, not many players would show up. But there were 42 participants. I guess that with schools out and time off from work everyone was ready for some chess to start the holiday. There was almost not enough seats for everyone. Ed the TD had to give up his table and move into the Kitchen area. I had never seen many of these players. This made for good quad sections and I got to play two guys I never played before.

 

 

 

Here are the players in the lower sections.

The top two quads, with the masters and experts, always play in another room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the past three weeks I’ve been busy upgrading my openings repertoire. I didn’t like what I was playing against the Sicilian, French, and 1.d4. So I was anxious to try out my new stuff.

Here is a diagram from my best game of the tournament. I’m Black and played the Chigorin against my opponents 1.d4. This is my first time out with this opening. I think I got out of the opening ok but found this position to be tricky. White just played d5 to drive away the bishop’s defender. I was worried about dropping a piece. If White had played accuretly, he could have stuck me with isolated pawns on a7 and c7. Later he tried a rook sac that blundered the piece and gave me the win.

 

Click here to replay.