Back to the madhouse

My first game of the year, on my first day back at work, was for Castles in the CCF Superleague. The going wasn't getting any easier, even if we did manage to draw the match I had to miss in December (though even that was an opportunity lost.) We were playing "King Pawns", who are not the strongest team in the division, but last season managed the remarkable feat of winning the league with four 2½-1½ wins and a 0-4 loss to the runners-up! As ever, whatever chances we had were on the top boards, where at least we looked competitive: 171-169, 168-164, 126-154, 117-148. I had black on board 2, for another game with Nick Edwards, graded* 164/1840.

I hoped to avoid a repeat of the fiasco in our last game, and this time I knew the Exchange Slav was coming. Somehow, I managed to get the opening even more wrong than I did the first time! However, that was only the beginning of the story...

1.5-2.5 in the end (WDLL), and although we aren't too concerned about results, it's still disappointing to think that we could have had a draw or even more. It would have been a travesty if we'd pulled it off though!

As I've written before, we have been casually warping reality on the top boards of Castles matches all season. Whether it's our top board playing a positional game whilst I try a mad hack, the omniswindle in our Lauder Trophy semi-final, or opening outcomes routinely translating into opposite results, some weird things have been going on. This was another one, where material values ceased to apply. In a quiet position with very little going on, I blundered the c-file and lost two pawns, then managed to regain the file and was practically better! The immense value of that open file is the real lesson from this game. That, and to stay strong. The position after 20 moves looks hopeless, and obviously it is with correct play, but I stayed calm and made him prove it. Nick is a strong controlling player, and in his prime was a good 190, but his style of play requires that you see all the little tactics, and oversights start to creep in with the passage of time. Even in innocuous positions, there is a lot going on beneath the surface.

This very fortunate escape felt like an excellent start to the season (although it could have been even better). My confidence was further boosted by an unlikely first a few days later.


* - I think it's more representative to use the grades as they stood, even though they will be calculated using the list that has since come out. You can cheat and look at the database if you want, but until I reach the crossover I'm going to feign ignorance...