Chess vs Trinity I

[lsur]

Another game in the College League. Due to slow emails and lack of mobiles amongst various team members, there were seven of us for a 5 board match. One of the Team was late, if he arrived at all and the captain picked me from the two reserves who had turned up, a surprise given that the other guy was a better player

Comments

[keirf]

Nice account of the game.

A few more checks and a couple of easy pieces killed and he had to resign. All this with the centre still largely intact.

I was on Selwyn's 3rd team, board 2, back in the dim and distant past. In one game against Peterhouse they brought in a ringer - turned out the guy was the captain of their first team. He proceeded to pulverise me. Realising something was odd, I continued playing rather than resigning, making very rapid moves. This annoyed him, especially since we'd reached the point where I only had my king left.

The upshot? He accidentally stalemated me. Heh heh.

[lsur]

I bet you felt good about that!

Yes, psychology is a factor in real games which isn't apparent from books or notated records. You can get a feel for how good someone is within a few moves, even to the point of estimating his grade. It's as much a battle with one's own psychology as against the other player, avoiding blindspots, tunnel vision, fatigue, fluctuations in attention and so on. And after such self-induced stress, winning feels good :¬)

[keirf]

Indeed. I think maintaining your attention span through the whole game is one of the first things you have to learn. I remember being told "take at least three minutes per move" - and it's tough to do when you're starting out and you're young. And blind spots - I still don't think along the diagonals and through the gaps far enough, especially across the middle of the board (e.g. b2 - h8 when the bishop is behind a defense of pawns at a2, b3 and c2; I so often overlook that).

You may assess the other reserve as being a better player than you, but you've always come across as a calm and methodical person in the conversations we've had, and that appearance probably bumps up your perceived skill level.

[lsur]

a calm and methodical person

Thanks but I think I just smoulder systematically.

Well done!

[karohemd]

Hey, you play for the same club as a Swedish colleague of mine, Ola Winfridsson. He said he knows you but he's in Team 3 and you're in Team 2.

Re: Well done!

[lsur]

I may know him, the name rings a bell. I was only a reserve yesterday but normally am in Team 4.

[gigib]

You don't do anything by halves!

[lsur]

Extremist, moi.

What are you doing for Xmas? I'll be in Berlin.

[gigib]

Oooooh! That's nice. I'm staying in London this year and I'm so excited. I'm seeing Carols by Candlelight at the Royal Albert Hall on Christmas Eve, and spending Christmas Day with friends and it's going to be the best Christmas ever!! Then a friend is coming to stay for a week after Christmas. Don't know about New Year's yet - definitely not doing a club then though.

When are you next in London? There's a 3 Floor Slime on the 11th Dec...

[lsur]

I'm not sur eabout London at the moment but I'll make a note for the 11th. Things are kind of busy here at the moment.

I imagine Hampstead Heath or Hyde Park in the snow at Xmas or trapsing home from the pub drunk in the snow.....