ieatpenguin

Well I’m off on Holiday tomorrow, for a week. Haven’t been on holiday in rather a long time, so a bit apprehensive, but I’m sure it will be fun.

Chess is one of the few things in life that I find truly relaxing. It may also surprise you to find that I find it also exhilarating at the same time.

I make a lot of mistakes, and I have a lot to learn, but I think my strategic knowledge is decent, and my opening repertoire is growing to something I can begin to be proud of. I have always spent time practising and learning the end game, but as I’ve come to realise – and it sounds obvious to say this – if you don’t start well, you can’t end well.

I’ve also learn that I’m strongest in defence; which is odd given that I’ve won a larger percentage of games as White, which is the naturally attacking side. For some reason I can’t quite fathom though, I’m better at planning ahead whilst really under pressure, which bodes well for tournament play.

Here’s the PCN from a game that I think best demonstrates just how I can dig myself out of some pretty casual mistakes that I still, annoyingly, make.

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Nf6 6.Bc4 e5 7.Nxc6 bxc6 8.Be3 h6 9.b4 Bb7 10.b5 d5
11.exd5 cxd5 12.Qf3 Rc8 13.Bxd5 Bxd5 14.Nxd5 Nxd5 15.Rd1 Qa5+ 16.Bd2 Qxb5 17.a4 Qc5 18.Rc1 Qd6 19.O-O Qe6 20.Rfe1 Be7
21.h3 O-O 22.Qg3 Bd6 23.c3 g5 24.Re4 f5 25.Re2 e4 26.f4 Bxf4 27.Bxf4 Nxf4 28.Re3 Rxc3 29.Rcxc3 Nd5 30.Re2 Nf4
31.Re1 Rd8 32.Ra3 Rd3 33.Rxd3 Nxd3 34.Qxd3 Qe8 35.Qd5+ Qf7 36.Qa8+ Kg7 37.Rb1 Kg6 38.a5 e3 39.Qb7 Qa2 40.Qb3 Qxa5
41.Qxe3 f4 42.Qd3+ Kh5 43.Rc1 Qb6+ 44.Kf1 a5 45.Qf3+ 1-0 (Black Resigned)