In the June 10-11, 2023 Cleveland Open, I scored 2/5 in the U2100 section, losing 41 rating points--my worst single tournament rating loss since I dropped 45 rating points in the U2100 section of the 2018 Cleveland Open (I also lost 40 rating points in the U2100 section of the 2022 Chicago Open). It is odd that my two worst rating performances in recent memory both happened in the Cleveland Open, because overall I have done quite well in that event, winning a prize in four of my first six appearances there before these last two duds (I did not play in the event from 2019-2022).
After the first three rounds of the Cleveland Open, I played in the Cleveland Open Saturday Night Blitz, scoring 5/8; I beat number one seed Wilson Spaqi (rated 2340) 2-0 in our mini match, and the only mini match that I lost was to National Master Jesse Ren, who won the event with an 8/8 score. I finished out of the money, but I added 16 points to my USCF blitz rating. Although blitz chess and regular rated chess are two different types of events--the former is like running a sprint, while the latter is like running a marathon--my ability to sandwich two wins against a strong National Master around tournament losses to players who each have ratings more than 200 points lower than my rating epitomizes the contrasting joys and frustrations of being a chess player: I know what it looks and feels like when my talent and preparation mesh, and I know what it looks and feels like when my talent and preparation do not produce the results that I expect.
There have been a few large rating losses in my career that were perhaps predictable/preventable in the sense that--because of factors unrelated to chess--I should have known that I would likely be in less than optimal form. However, my two worst tournaments of 2023--the Cleveland Open, and the April 1, 2023 Indianapolis Super Tornado, where I lost 36 rating points--were not predictable/preventable; I felt good mentally and physically before both tournaments, I prepared well, and overall this year I have played well: my winning percentage (.728) is the second best for any year in my chess career, and I have finished first in eight out of 21 events.
It is frustrating to have a bad result--particularly after putting so much work into chess for so long--but I understand a bad result to be a reminder that are always more things to learn, not only about chess from a technical standpoint but also about the psychology of chess (including overconfidence, relying too much on instinct and not enough on calculation, and so forth). I know some players who withdraw from a tournament if they lose their first game, but it is unusual for me to withdraw from a tournament; I prefer to fight until the end, which sometimes has resulted in me salvaging a tournament that started poorly and other times has resulted in me digging a deeper hole. In general, I agree with something that Grandmaster Alex Goldin told me over 20 years ago regarding why he does not believe in withdrawing from a tournament unless you are ill or there is some other kind of emergency: the best way to learn how to play better chess is to keep playing chess! Every game contains a potential lesson, and is a stepping stone for improvement, so withdrawing from a tournament just slows down the growth process. On the rare occasions when I withdrew from a tournament I did so because I felt that I was too upset or fatigued by previous losses to keep fighting any more, and that I needed to cut my losses and regroup for my next tournament.
One consistent pattern in my chess career is that I tend to bounce back strongly after a bad performance. After my disastrous Indianapolis Super Tornado, I won a prize in each of my next seven tournaments prior to my poor performance in the Cleveland Open. In my first tournament after the Cleveland Open, I scored 2/3 in the Dublin (Columbus, Ohio) G/60 Swiss, tying for second place while gaining eight rating points. In the last round, I beat Nicholas Bize, a talented young player who defeated me in the first round of the Cleveland Open. The Dublin G/60 Swiss had 56 participants in seven sections consisting of eight players each; I was the fourth seeded player in the top section--with each of the top three players outrating me by at least 100 points--so a second place tie was a good result, but the best part of the day was sharing the experience with my daughter Rachel, who participated in her third regular rated tournament. Rachel was the lowest rated player in the sixth section, so she had a good learning experience while losing all three of her games.
Rachel and I had a great time at the 6/24/23 Dublin G/60 Swiss
On June 29, Rachel and I played in the Cincinnati Chess Club's G/24 Swiss. That event only affected our USCF quick ratings, but any chess played is part of the journey to National Master even if it does not impact my regular rating. I scored 3/4 to finish in clear second place, losing only to Russell Velasquez, who took clear first with 4/4. Rachel lost all four of her games, but she had a great time, and she even played casual chess games before and after the tournament.
A free candy bar is just one reason to smile at the 6/29/23 Cincinnati Chess Club G/24 Swiss
Rachel and I played in the "Chess for Change!" tournament at the Delaware Main Library on July 15. I scored 3/4 in the Open section and lost one rating point. I finished tied for third place, but out of the money as only the first two places received prizes. Rachel lost all four of her games in the U1200 section.
Below the 2400 level, many if not most games are decided by tactical oversights; that is how I lost in the third round versus Expert Ben Al-Shami (2112), and that is how I won in the fourth round versus Sanjay Medicherla (1610).
In the above position versus Al-Shami, Rxf8+ wins routinely. After Black recaptures, White plays Kf2, and if Black takes on b3 then Ke3 blockades Black's passed pawns so ...Bxa4 fails to Rc4 while any other sensible move enables White to play a5; since Black's King is cut off by White's Rook, Black will be forced to give up his Bishop for the a Pawn. However, I "improved" on this line by playing Kf2 first to gain a tempo--but, of course, that gives Black the opportunity to save his Queen by playing ...Be8. If I had beaten Al-Shami I would have clinched at least a tie for second place, and I would have played top seeded National Master Lokesh Palani on board one with an opportunity to win or share first place.
In the fourth and final round, I won a back and forth game that was also decided by a tactical oversight. In the position below (shown from Black's perspective) after my opponent blundered with Rb5??, I played ...Rd8+, forcing his King to abandon his Bishop. I soon collected the c Pawn, placed my Rook behind the passed a Pawn, and prepared to advance my passed d Pawn. My opponent then resigned with just one second left on his clock and a hopeless position on the board.
The Delaware (OH) Main Library Hosted the 7/15/23 "Chess for Change!" tournament
On July 20, Rachel and I played in the Cincinnati Chess Club's G/24
Swiss. I scored 3.5/4 to share first place with top seeded National Master Justin Storn, who I drew in an exciting last round game that featured mutual time pressure blunders before my opponent forced a perpetual check. I was the third seeded player, and I beat the second seeded player (Ram Dake, who earned the National Master title in the early 1990s) in the third round. Rachel lost all four of her games, but she had a full night of chess: she played a practice game against me on site before the first round, and she challenged Ram Dake to a game after the fourth round ended!
In 2023, I have scored 54 wins, 10 draws, and 17 losses in regular
rated tournament games with eight first place finishes in 21 events--but five losses to players rated below 1750 were costly, and as a
result my net rating gain for 2023 is minus 26 points, so I need to gain 214 points to reach my goal.
