Chess

My cousin talked me into playing the Michigan Masters/Experts Chess Championship last January. I knew how my results would be given that I hadn't thought about chess since Feb. 2009. Yep, I got slaughtered - losing all 5 games. :-( Last month I just browsed a few of my better tournament wins against high-rated players from years ago and was impressed with the creativity and dominance in those particular games. I missed being creative like that & started watching chess lectures & studying some GM games and even played some blitz games online during lunch at work. It took a few more weeks of frustration but I found a comfort zone on the board again and started winning. In some ways I feel stronger than I was before. In others, I don't. So I hit the Battle Creek Chess Club last Thurs (3/10/2011) and had to play Jim, the best player there who plays about a 1900 level. He outplayed me early, I sac'd a bishop to stay in the game and won a close one using the Lucena position technique in a rook, pawn vs. rook endgame. I feel I got lucky & caught him by surprise. Years ago, I was his primary competition at the club but he had the better score against me. He really started to pull away as I was on the oxymorphone & other meds. ...and then the marriage breakdown, and then... well. Retirement from chess. lol Anyway, I figured Jim was probably stewing after losing to me last week and wanted to play me again but he showed up late and I played Maurice. I won another close one. To give you an idea of how good Jim plays - after my game against Maurice, we watched Jim quickly destroy Larry 3 times and never making it to an endgame. Larry is a former Michigan Open Reserve champ. I noticed Jim would have a superior position right from the opening and figured I'll need to pay particular attention in the opening when I play him again. Then Barnes & Noble closed & we all met at the donut shop to play and I played Jim two games & won the first game very convincingly. The second game, Jim lost his nerve in a close endgame and blundered - allowing knight fork with check& losing his rook. Jim seemed to gauge himself against me years ago and I believe his losing now against me is purely psychological. I haven't lost at the chess club since returning, yet. 4 close, but solid wins and I'm not really sold that I'm as good as I was back in 2003-2005. But it feels good to be playing again. Here's a position from my game with Maurice. I played Black & it's black to move. It's dead even. My move in the game was ...Bxe4. I eventually went up a pawn and won the endgame. It feels good to be playing chess again. Not sure I'm ready for guitar, yet. That's an emotional thing & I'm still emotionally whacked-out from my ex and the fact that she's got our 9 year-old son doped up on heavy medications just as bad as she had me doped up. Maybe worse. :-( I understand and have complete faith that God is in control. At the same time, as Christians, I don't believe we're expected to just praise God while watching the house burn down. Jesus was aggressive. He wants us to do something...

Spring =-)

A sure sign of spring is....



















....when the robins arrive in abundance.