Journey to the National Master Title, Part 18

I scored 2/3 in the Columbus Easter G/60 Swiss, gaining nine rating points to lift my rating to 2072, my highest rating since I had a 2080 rating in October 2022. I drew with top seeded NM Charles Diebert, but fell a half point short of first place finishers Alex Cretsos and Khalil Warfield, ending my streak of winning a prize in five straight tournaments.

I went into the Cincinnati Open feeling very confident after gaining 92 rating points so far this year, but I had a disastrous result in the FIDE Expert section, scoring just one win, one draw, and three losses. I lost 47 rating points to drop my rating to 2025. A statistician might call this "regression to the mean," but it can also be considered part of the deal for anyone who participates in a competitive sport; there are many very good chess players--including a lot of improving youngsters--so all it takes to have a bad result is being slightly off form. As the great Tex Winter told Kobe Bryant, "Everything turns on a trifle." Change a few moves from this tournament, and I could have had a much better result; of course, the same is true in reverse for the tournaments where I gained so many rating points recently. 

I bounced back by scoring 3/3 in the Dayton Chess Club's April 18, 2026 G/30 "A" Swiss, finishing clear first while gaining 11 rating points to lift my rating to 2036. Then I scored 3.5/4 in the April 19, 2026 East Market Swiss, tying for first-second while gaining 12 rating points to increase my rating to 2048. I captured first place in back to back tournaments on the same weekend for the first time since the weekend of April 6, 2024, when I tied for first in both the Columbus Plus Score tournament and the East Market Swiss.

I had a setback in the April 26, 2026 Cincinnati Tornado, scoring 2/4 and losing 16 rating points to drop my rating to 2032. I scored 2.5/4 in the May 2, 2026 Columbus Spring G/45 Open, losing six rating points to decrease my rating to 2026.

I scored 3.5/4 in the May 9, 2026 Dayton Chess Club G/30 Swiss, finishing first-fourth but losing two rating points to drop my rating to 2024. I completed a fun chess weekend by scoring 3/4 in the May 10, 2026 East Market Swiss, finishing second-fifth but losing one rating point to drop my rating to 2023.

I scored 4/7 in the U2100 section of the Chicago Open during Memorial Day Weekend, losing 24 rating points to drop my rating to 1999, the first time my rating has been below 2000 since February 2026. In recent years, my rating has dropped below 2000 soon after going above 2000, so perhaps a three month streak of maintaining a 2000-plus rating is a good sign, but in my absolute peak years I maintained a 2000-plus rating for 90 straight rating supplements (December 2009-May 2017), and that is the level of consistency that I need to regain in order to achieve my goal of obtaining the National Master title. I lost my first two games, won three in a row before losing in round six, and then I finished on a nice note by winning in round seven. It is frustrating that in the first two rounds I not only eliminated myself from prize contention but I lost so many rating points that even a strong finish could not fix all of the damage.

After the Chicago Open's fifth round, I scored 5/10 in the Chicago Open Blitz, including 0/4 versus players rated above 2200 and 5/6 versus players rated below 2000. There were 70 players in the Open section and 79 players in the U1900 section. 

I scored 2.5/4 in the May 30, 2026 Cincinnati Tornado, losing 10 rating points to drop my rating to 1989. 

I have had some excellent performances in the Cleveland Open--including finishing clear 1st in the U2000 section in 2009--but this year I lost to an 1834 rated player in the first round and never found my footing, scoring 2.5/5 in the U2100 section and losing 27 rating points to drop my rating to 1962. 

After round three, I played in the Cleveland Open Saturday Night Blitz, scoring 6/8 to finish clear first under 2100. I enjoy playing in rated blitz tournaments, and in Journey to the National Master Title, Part 6, I recounted my performance in the 2023 Cleveland Open Saturday Night Blitz (I did not play in the Cleveland Open Saturday Night Blitz in 2024 or 2025):

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. 

That paragraph summarizes how I feel about this Cleveland Open as well; chess is indeed a journey of "contrasting joys and frustrations."

I had a special Father's Day as my daughter Rachel and I played in the Cincinnati Sunday Chess G/60 event. I scored 1/3, losing 14 rating points to drop my rating to 1948. Rachel scored 2/3 (a one point bye, a second round loss, and a forfeit win in the last round). Rachel played an unrated G/60 game during the first round, and fought hard before losing against a much higher rated player. Despite the rating losses, we both had a great time. 

Rachel and I had fun on Father's Day at the Cincinnati Sunday Chess G/60 tournament 

Rachel and I played in the June 27, 2026 Cincinnati Tornado. I won my first round game in just 20 moves with Black, which enabled me to move up from board three in the Open section to board one in round two. The board one game each round is broadcast at lichess.com. I was better or winning for most of my second round game before I blundered and ended up down a R with no compensation. I won my third round game with Black, giving me the opportunity to notch a modest overall rating gain with a fourth round win, but again I blundered away a winning position with White to finish 2/4, losing 16 rating points to drop my rating to 1932. 

Here is my fourth round game prior to my 28th move:

White has an advantage of more than +6 according to Stockfish 18, which means that White is up the equivalent of more than a R even though the actual material advantage is one pawn. Black's only chance is to activate his R and B before White coordinates his R and N. I should have played 28. Rb3, which protects b2 while attacking b7. If Black checks on d2 then White's K goes to h3. During the game, I had a superficial concern that my K could get trapped or even checkmated on h3, but if Black tried to maneuver his R to h1 then White's K can escape via g2 if necessary. Unfortunately, I played 28. Na4, which does not spoil the win but which gives away a significant portion of White's advantage. My idea was to open up my R along the third rank while also defending b2 and attacking c5, but after 28...Rd2+ I erred by moving my K to g1 instead of h3. After my opponent played 29...Re2, I noticed that my intended move 30. Nxc5 loses to ...Be3+ followed by ...Bxc5. At this point, I should have slowed down and reevaluated the entire position to determine the correct plan. Instead, I played 30. Nb6, and Black could now equalize by taking my e pawn, but he blundered with 30...Rxb2??:

 

Now, the strongest move is 31. Nd7, with a double attack against c5 and e5. I played 31. Rd3, which is not as good but should still be sufficient to win. Black replied 31...Rd2. I had expected 31...Ra2, after which I planned to invade with my R and N to win pawns and help my K-side pawns advance. I should have realized that Black would attempt to thwart this plan instead of going after my a pawn. The only way to win after 31...Rd2 is to play 32. Rd7, forcing Black to trade Rs on my terms by activating my N to d7. Instead, I impatiently took on d2, activating Black's B on d2 and losing my a pawn by force. I know that a B is often stronger than a N in positions with pawns on both sides of the board because a B is a long range piece while a N is short range piece, so it is baffling and frustrating that I made such a rash decision. I could have still held a draw by moving my K toward the Q-side, but instead after Black took on a5 I took on e5, which misplaced my N and lost time. Black put his B on c3, attacking my N and controlling the a1 promotion square. I erred by moving my N to d3, after which neither my K nor my N can stop Black's a pawn. I could have offered more resistance by playing Nd7-b6 instead of Nd3, though Black is still clearly better because of his strong B and outside passed pawn.

Rachel scored 0/4; three of her four opponents outrated her by at least 300 rating points. She is having fun while learning and improving, even if her rating does not yet fully reflect what she has learned. Rachel played three casual games in between rounds, scoring one win, one loss, and one draw. Rachel has mentioned to me that she thinks about chess differently than I do, and I understand to mean not only that she evaluates moves differently than I do but also that she views chess as a fun game more than a challenge to be conquered.

When I started playing tournament chess I focused much more on the competitive aspect than the social aspect--and I am still more competitive than social, but going to tournaments with Rachel has brought out a different side of me and helped transform me into a more well-rounded person. 

Rachel and I took a selfie before going to the June 2026 Cincinnati Tornado. Yes, I wore the Chess Dad shirt for the second tournament in a row.

It is deeply ingrained in me to have ambitious chess goals and to believe that I am capable of achieving my goals, but I also see a bigger picture that chess provides value beyond gaining rating points. I knew this value long ago and spoke about it to others--including my students when I was a chess coach--but I am learning how to internalize it for myself and not let results alone determine how I feel about a chess tournament. I am not playing very well right now, but going to chess tournaments this summer with Rachel is a wonderful thing above and beyond how many games we win or lose. 

I have played 865 regular rated over the board games since January 1, 2020, and for most of that period my rating has hovered between the mid-1900s and the mid-2000s. Hall of Fame football coach Bill Parcells famously said, "You are what your record says you are." My record says that in recent years I am a high Class A/low Expert player. To reach my goal of attaining the National Master title, I have to break out of my current rating range. I have cut down my losses to players rated below 1800 and I have improved by draw/loss ratio, but that has not been enough, in part because many of my draws are with underrated kids so even though the draws do not hurt much in the tournament standings they are costing me rating points. I am also losing too many games to players rated between 1800-2000. My technique in converting winning positions has been lazy and sloppy, as illustrated by the above example.

I played very well in the first quarter of this year, but a disastrous second quarter not only wiped out an 83 rating point gain but put me in a deficit overall for the year. One major positive development this year is that my peak rating (so far!) of 2072 is my highest peak rating since 2022 and my 15th highest peak rating in a calendar year since 1987. 

The third quarter of 2026 will be about refocusing, regrouping, and getting my rating back over 2000. This is a challenging era for so-called "adult improvers" because the average USCF rating is much lower than it used to be and because the rating pool is increasingly populated with strong but underrated young players, but I believe that I am capable of playing well enough to overcome those challenges.

In Journey to the National Master Title, Part 16, I listed four chess goals for 2026. Here are those goals, with notes about how I have performed so far this year:

1) Gain 25 rating points per quarter. I gained 83 rating points in the first quarter of 2026, improving my rating from 1980 to 2063; I lost 131 rating points in the second quarter of 2026, dropping my rating from 2063 to 1932. 

2) Do not lose more than eight games to players rated below 1800. I lost 0 games to players rated below 1800 in the first quarter of 2026; I lost 0 games to players rated below 1800 in the second quarter of 2026.

3) Accumulate more draws than losses. I had eight draws and eight losses in the first quarter of 2026; I had 12 draws and 15 losses in the second quarter of 2026.

4) Maintain a winning percentage of at least .700. My winning percentage through the first two quarters of 2026 is .663.

In 2026, I have scored 55 wins, 20 draws, and 23 losses in regular rated tournament games with six first place finishes in 24 events. I lost 0 games to players rated below 1800. My net rating gain for 2026 is -48, so I need to gain 268 points to reach my goal. 

Journey to the National Master Title, Part 14

In five March 2025 tournaments, I finished first twice and second three times while scoring 15/19 with just two losses; in April I picked up where I left off by scoring 3/4 in the April 6, 2025 East Market Swiss, finishing second-sixth and gaining 18 rating points to push my rating to 2015. That is my highest rating since November 12, 2023, when my rating was 2032. In the third round, I defeated the top seeded player, National Master Deshawn Kelley, but then I lost in the fourth round to Siddarth Kunapuli; that defeat snapped a 13 game streak during which I had no losses, which is my longest such streak since I had a 13 game streak in February-March 2023. During my most recent streak, I had 10 wins and three draws, while during my 2023 streak I had nine wins and four draws. I believe that when I develop the necessary consistency to put together a streak of longer than 20 games without losses I will be well on my way to surpassing the 2200 rating barrier.

Last year, in Journey to the National Master Title, Part 10, I discussed my Cincinnati Open history: "I first played in the Cincinnati Open in 1994, and it has become one of my favorite (nearly) annual events. There have been a few years that it has not been held, and a few other years that I was not able to participate for various reasons, but this year marked my 14th appearance--and the sixth time that I won a prize (including a tie for first place in the U2100 section in 2013)." This year, I took a third round bye, which meant that I played two games on Saturday followed by two games on Sunday. I played kids in all four games, starting with a first round win and then alternating wins and losses the rest of the way to finish 2/4 (2.5/5 including the bye), losing 14 rating points to drop my rating to 2001. In the last round, I lost to Elizabeth Xia, the highest rated nine year old girl in the country; in this tournament, she gained 81 rating points to establish a new career-high rating of 1911. I would have tied for fourth if I had won my last round game, and that would have matched my final ranking in 2023 and 2024.

I started the April 19, 2025 Columbus G/60 tournament poorly, losing in the first round to Colin Park (1708 published rating, 1788 live rating, 1839 post-tournament rating), who then won his second round game as well before losing in the last round to top seeded Evan Fan (2047). I bounced back to win my next two games to tie for second-third, but I still lost nine rating points to drop my rating to 1992.

I scored 2.5/4 in the April 26, 2025 Cincinnati Tornado. I lost my last round game on board one to Alex Cretsos, who won the tournament with 4/4. Cretsos gained 50 rating points establish a new career-high rating (2020), and I lost seven rating points to drop my rating to 1985. The next day, I scored 3/4 in the April 27, 2025 East Market Swiss, tying for second-third. I started 3/3 before losing to top seeded Deshawn Kelley in the last round. I gained 14 rating points to lift my rating to 1999.

My performance in the May 3, 2025 Columbus Plus Score tournament was a very disappointing setback. I made an unsound sacrifice versus Peyton Legg (1765) and lost in the first round, bounced back to win two games, and then blundered in the last round versus Daniel Chancey (1903). I lost 26 rating points to drop my rating to 1973. My slump continued the next weekend when I scored 2/4 in the May 11, 2025 East Market Swiss, losing 15 rating points to drop my rating to 1958. I scored 3/3 in the Dayton Chess Club's May 17, 2025 G/45 "A" Quad, gaining 12 rating points to improve my rating to 1970.

Unfortunately, I lost all 12 rating points--and much more--when I scored 2.5/7 in the U2100 section of the Chicago Open during Memorial Day Weekend. In the U2100 section of the 2024 Chicago Open, I scored 4/7 and only lost once, but this year I lost four games, including two to players rated below 1800, and my rating plummeted 52 points to 1918--my lowest rating since I hit my rating floor (1900) on March 31, 2021. My last round opponent had a published rating of just 1524, but before he beat me he defeated two players rated over 1900; he gained 193 rating points in this tournament, and he is now rated 1717. My tournament consisted of a series of tragicomedies (to borrow Mark Dvoretsky's word to describe a game gone awry), but perhaps the most tragic and comic was my lone draw, my third round game during which I had a losing position before my opponent hung a piece. I seemed to be cruising to victory when he played ...Ne6, after which he slapped his forehead as if he just realized he had blundered another piece:

Any sensible move wins easily for me here--but I let my guard down, and did not ask myself the most important question about any chess position: "What does my opponent want?" Here, he wants me to create a potential stalemate if I take his N with my Q. A few seconds after I gave him what he wants by playing Qxe6, he played ...Rxg3+. I have to take the R to avoid a perpetual check, after which my opponent forces me to take his Q and thus stalemate his K. I delayed the inevitable by playing Kh2, after which my opponent played ...Rh3+ and offered a draw--twice. By this point, I felt embarrassed at my carelessness and frustrated with his theatrics--the head slap, followed by multiple draw offers when it is obvious that the draw is unavoidable. I don't blame my opponent for playing on in a completely lost position; there is no rule against playing on until checkmate--but the head slap and the multiple draw offers were a bit much for me to take. I played the game out until stalemate appeared on the board. Normally, after every game I wish my opponent good luck in his next game, but after this game I said, "You had a resignable game but you are resourceful. The head slap was a nice touch. Congratulations on the best game of your career." I am not proud of making that semi-sarcastic dig, but I am not ashamed either; drawing me with Black probably is the best result he has had in his chess career. I am still not sure who is the bigger clown: my opponent for his "Three Stooges" theatrics after he played ...Ne6, or me for being foolish enough to let my guard down at any time, let alone in a game in the biggest tournament that I play in each year.

After the Chicago Open's fifth round, I scored 3.5/10 in the Chicago Open Blitz, including 1/6 versus players rated above 2100 and 2.5/4 versus players rated below 2100. There were 55 players in the Open section and 66 players in the U1900 section. 

I enjoy the "big time" environment of the Chicago Open, and I feel blessed to have played in the event 15 times, even though this one did not turn out the way that I had hoped or planned. I remain undaunted; after I hit my rating floor on March 31, 2021, I pushed my rating back over 2000 four tournaments later, on April 17, 2021. As I have always done, I lick my wounds, study my games, and prepare for the next tournament. Bill Belichick once very famously said, "We're on to Cincinnati," and that was literally the case for me--my next tournament was the May 31, 2025 Cincinnati Tornado. I started out with 2.5/3 and could have tied for first place with a last round win, but I lost to Evan Fan (2063) to finish out of the money and lose two rating points to drop to 1916.

I scored 3/5 in the U2100 section of the Cleveland Open to gain five rating points to improve to 1921. The good news about that result is that I did not lose a game, scoring one win and four draws; the bad news about that result is that I stood better in three of the four games that I drew, so if I had played more precisely I would have won more games and gained more rating points. The highlight of this tournament is that my daughter Rachel played in the Cleveland Open for the first time and she played in a two day weekend Swiss event for the second time. Rachel received a first round bye and then lost an "extra" rated game played during the first round. She fought hard throughout the tournament, facing higher rated players each round, and even though she lost all of her games she enjoyed the experience. It was a great Father's Day weekend for us!

Rachel and me before the first round of the 2025 Cleveland Open

Rachel and I played in the June 28, 2025 Cincinnati Tornado, the fifth time that we have played in this monthly event run by Robert Chenault. I scored 3/4 to finish third-fifth in the Open section, gaining 15 points to push my rating to 1936, and splitting the U2001 prize with one other player. Top seeded Aryan Balyan (2258 post-tournament rating) claimed clear first with 4/4, beating me in round three before defeating FM Hans Multhopp in the fourth round. Rachel scored 0/3 with a one point bye in the fourth round, but she had a great time, and she played an extra unrated game for fun during the fourth round.

Rachel and me prior to arriving at the June 28, 2025 Cincinnati Tornado

I started the second quarter of 2025 well, pushing my rating to 2015 after the April 6, 2025 East Market Swiss, but I lost 83 rating points in May before bouncing back to regain 20 rating points in June. 

In Journey to the National Master Title, Part 12, I listed four chess goals for 2025. Here are those goals, with notes about how I have performed in the first two quarters of 2025:

1) Gain 50 rating points per quarter. I lost 16 rating points in the first quarter of 2025, decreasing my rating from 2013 to 1997; I lost 61 rating points in the second quarter of 2025, decreasing my rating from 1997 to 1936. 

2) Do not lose more than six games to players rated below 1800. I lost five games to players rated below 1800 in the first quarter of 2025; I lost four games to players rated below 1800 in the second quarter of 2025.

3) Accumulate more draws than losses. I had nine draws and 14 losses in the first quarter of 2025; I had nine draws and 15 losses in the second quarter of 2025.

4) Maintain a winning percentage of at least .750, to break my personal record of .740 set in 2014. My winning percentage through the first two quarters of 2025 is .648. 

In 2025, I have scored 61 wins, 18 draws, and 29 losses in regular rated tournament games with three first place finishes in 27 events. I lost nine games to players rated below 1800. My net rating gain for 2025 is -77, so I need to gain 264 points to reach my goal. 

Journey to the National Master Title, Part 10

On April 6, 2024, I played in my third Columbus Plus Score tournament, and this time I scored 3/4 after scoring 2.5/4 in each of my first two appearances. My rating (1971) did not change. I tied for first place with Manoj Ramachandran, who beat me in round two after I misplayed a winning position and then blundered away a chance to maintain equality. I ended my first round game with promising junior player Andrew Zhu (1698) by delivering an uncommon mate on an open board:

I scored 3.5/4 in the April 7, 2024 East Market Swiss, tying for first-second place and gaining 14 rating points to improve my rating to 1985. I took a bumpy road to the top, drawing in the first round versus Arman Abassi (rated 1485 after eight games, but rated 1643 after scoring 3/4 in this event) despite obtaining a two pawn advantage in the opening. I recovered to win my next two games, capping off my round three win against Keya Jha (the fourth ranked nine year old girl in the country) with a pretty checkmate:

In the last round, I faced Expert Bill Turner. I dropped an Exchange and a pawn by move 14. It is unusual for me to have a lost position out of the opening, but I steadied myself by recalling various winning positions that I have squandered recently: if I can lose from a winning position then why can't I win from a losing position? By move 24 I equalized, but at that point my pieces were more active than his and my position was easier to play. I created a passed pawn that ultimately decided the game in my favor. Near the end of the game, Turner had five pawns for a Rook, but I was able to promote my lone pawn while blockading his rampaging pawn armada.

I have known Turner for more than 30 years. Alex Zelner introduced us to each other, and I played my first rated game against Turner in the November 20, 1993 Wittenberg Tornado. Turner and I drew our fifth round game in the 2012 Kings Island Open to share first-fourth place in the U2100 section, and we also played each other at Kings Island in 2005 (I won) and 2013 (Turner won). 

I first played in the Cincinnati Open in 1994, and it has become one of my favorite (nearly) annual events. There have been a few years that it has not been held, and a few other years that I was not able to participate for various reasons, but this year marked my 14th appearance--and the sixth time that I won a prize (including a tie for first place in the U2100 section in 2013). I scored three wins and a draw in the first four rounds of the April 13-14, 2024 Cincinnati Open to set up a last round board one game versus Gajanan Jayade with a chance to clinch clear first place with a win, and to share first place with a draw. This was a rematch of our board one encounter in the final round of the March 30, 2024 Cincinnati Tornado, and--unfortunately for me--I got the same result: a loss. Instead of obtaining at least a share of first place, my score of 3.5/5 tied me for fourth-seventh place in the FIDE Expert section. I gained 20 rating points to improve my rating to 2005. This is the first time my rating has been over 2000 in 2024, preserving my streak of having a 2000 rating at some point in every year since 1995, the first year that I broke through the 2000 rating barrier. While it is great to reestablish an Expert level rating, my goal remains unchanged--2200--and the next step is the same next step that I used to recommend to my students: surpass the next 100 point level, which in this case is 2100. My rating has not been over 2100 since October 2016, but I reached 2080 as recently as October 2022.

I scored 2.5/4 in the April 27, 2024 Cincinnati Tornado, matching my score in the March 30, 2024 Cincinnati Tornado--and I also mirrored my March 2024 Cincinnati Tornado performance by obtaining a winning position on board one in the last round with first place on the line only to blunder and lose. Despite the missed opportunity in the last round, I gained eight rating points to increase my rating to 2013, and I tied for first-second place among players rated under 2001 (even though my unofficial live rating for this event was over 2000, my official published April 2024 rating was 1954)

On May 4, 2024, I played in my fourth Columbus Plus Score tournament, and this was the first time that I did not obtain a plus score. I blundered a piece in the first round and lost to a player rated below 1800 for the third time this year. I bounced back by winning two nice games, and then played poorly before blundering in the last round when a win on board two versus the top seeded Brett Passen would have earned a first place tie. My rating dropped 18 points to 1995.

In seven tournaments from March 23 through May 4, I notched three first place finishes, one fourth place finish, and one tie for first place in my rating class; in all seven tournaments, I played a last round game with an opportunity to finish in first place, and that is very important: no one wins every last round game with first place on the line, but if you put yourself in that position frequently and are well-prepared then you will win your fair share of those big games.

During Memorial Day Weekend, I played in the U2100 section of the Chicago Open, and my streak of being in contention for first place in the last round crashed to an end. In the first round, I defeated Stella Xin, the eighth highest rated eight year old in the United States--and the highest rated eight year old girl by over 100 points. Then, after drawing my second round game I defeated Ian Singh, the seventh highest rated eight year old in the United States. By the end of the Chicago Open, Xin gained 65 points to establish a new career-high rating of 1864, and Singh gained 45 points to set a new career-high rating of 1864 as well. Here is the pretty mate that I delivered versus Singh:

There are so many underrated junior players that this has a deflationary effect on the rating pool. I am playing a lot of these kids, and because their ratings have not caught up with their current skill level I am (1) not getting as many rating points as I should when I beat them and (2) I am losing more rating points than I should when I draw with them or lose to them. FIDE recognized this widespread deflationary effect, and calculated that it is particularly impactful to players rated below 2000 (for reasons that are beyond the scope of this article to explain); consequently, FIDE added rating points to the ratings of every player rated below 2000 to correct this deflationary effect. The USCF should take a similar step. 

Looking at the quality of my games and my winning percentage in the past year or so, it is fair to say that I am playing around the 2100 level now, but my rating is mired around the low 2000s in no small part due to rating deflation. My peak rating so far is 2190, so I understand what it means to play at a 2100 level, and I think that I am objective enough to honestly say that circa 2016-2022 I was not playing at that level but that in the past two years I am playing at that level again.

The Chicago Open started to go sideways for me in rounds four and five; I drew both games despite having a decisive advantage in each one. That set up a round six game versus Ray Sun, a player who was playing in just his seventh rated over the board event since 2023. His rating jumped from 1410 to 1711 during that time. Sun outplayed me to deliver my only loss in the tournament, and then he drew his last round game to finish in the money with an undefeated 5/7. It may sound like an excuse to say that he is underrated, but in the 2024 Chicago Open he gained 164 points to set a new career-high rating of 1875. I have played more tournaments in the past two months than he has played in the past two years, so it is fair to say that if he keeps playing his rating will keep going up with a larger sample size of games. I concluded the tournament with a draw, finishing with 4/7, and losing eight rating points to slip back to 1987; I had pushed my rating back over 2000 for most of the tournament, but the loss to Sun was costly.

After the Chicago Open's fifth round, I played in the Chicago Open Blitz, scoring 4/10. I scored 3.5/6 versus non-Master opponents, and .5/4 versus Masters. This was a very large Blitz tournament, with 77 players in the Open section and 79 players in the U1900 section. In recent years when I played in the Chicago Open Blitz, there were between 42 and 49 players in the Open section.

On June 1, 2024, I played in my fifth Columbus Plus Score tournament, scoring 3/4, and gaining three rating points to inch up to 1990. In the third round, I avenged my April 6, 2024 Columbus Plus Score loss to Manoj Ramachandran, but we both shared first place with Siddarth Kunapuli, who defeated me in the last round. Kunapuli also beat me in the first round of the 2023 Kings Island Open, a loss that I discussed in Journey to the National Master Title, Part 8; in between those two games, I beat Kunapuli in the March 10, 2024 East Market Swiss to secure clear second place. My most recent loss to Kunapuli is particularly frustrating because I had just pushed my live rating above 2000 after winning my first three games, and because I obtained a winning position by move 19 only to soon not only squander my advantage but fall into a mating net. Here is the position prior to my 19th move:

I should have played ...Bc5, creating the dual threat of taking on b2 and taking on f2, which overworks the Q defending both f2 and the Ne2. Stockfish 16 gives Black a nearly +2 advantage after ...Bc5. Instead, I played ...Nxf2 followed by ...Bc5, when White is slightly better. However, my opponent erred, and we soon reached an unusual position where I had a R and four Ps in exchange for a B and a N:

Stockfish 16 evaluates this position as dynamically equal--but after my opponent blundered with Rg2 I could have obtained a nearly +2 advantage with the powerful centralizing move ...Qd4. Unfortunately, I played ...Re1 with the idea of ...Qd1 followed by a Q trade and advancing my Q-side pawns; in general, my plan made sense, but chess often requires calculation of specific tactical lines and that is where I fell short here. White refuted my idea by playing Nf5 after ...Re1. I could have still salvaged equality with ...Qe4, but instead I lost after ...Qd1 because my opponent hit me with Nh6+ followed by trading Qs and decisively invading with his R on the e file. I could not hold off the combined onslaught of his R, B, N, and his suddenly powerful f pawn. The game ended when he promoted his f pawn to a N with check and then checkmated me with his R after I took his new N with my R:

Instead of resigning, I let my opponent play this pretty checkmate on the board. As a lover of chess beauty, I appreciate the artistic finish, but from a competitive standpoint it is disappointing that I squandered two opportunities to obtain a decisive advantage and then missed a chance to maintain equality.

On June 15, 2024, my daughter Rachel and I played in the three round Columbus G/60 tournament. This was Rachel's third rated tournament in 2024 after playing four rated tournaments (plus two Quick rated tournaments) in 2023. I scored 2/3, gained one rating point to move my rating up to 1991, and tied for second-fourth place. I sandwiched two nice wins around a second round loss during which I squandered a +3 advantage and then missed a way to force a drawn endgame. Rachel lost her first two games, and then won her third round game despite arriving 40 minutes late because she did not realize that the round had started; the lower section rounds start as soon as possible as opposed to starting at a set time, and I was not aware that Rachel was not at her board because I was still finishing my second round game when Rachel's third round game began. In an odd twist, Rachel's opponent never came back after playing his first move, so Rachel played her first move, waited an hour, and claimed a win on time!

Rachel was not able to attend the Chicago Open this year, but we wore matching 2024 Chicago Open shirts to the June 15, 2024 Columbus G/60 tournament

Rachel and I played in the June 27, 2024 Cincinnati G/24 tournament. The tournament was scheduled to be USCF quick rated, but the usual tournament director was not able to show up due to a back injury, so instead the tournament was changed to unrated G/24 quads. I scored 2/3 in the top-rated quad, beating my former student Colin Gohmann (2005 regular/1885 quick), losing to top-seeded Sunav Adhikari (2068/1763), and beating Ido Ater Datz (1559/1520) in the last round. Rachel lost all three of her games in the lowest-rated quad, but she had a great time, and she played several extra games throughout the night, including an untimed game versus FM Hans Multhopp.

Rachel enjoyed her game versus FM Multhopp on 6/27/24

On June 29, 2024, Rachel and I played in the Cincinnati Tornado. Rachel scored 1/4 in the U1001 section, but she had a highlight moment in the second round when she delivered a checkmate for the first time in a rated game (her previous two wins were on time). After I congratulated Rachel, she told me that she had learned that checkmate from me; that will always be one of my favorite chess moments! I scored 3/4, losing 10 rating points to slide back to 1981. I was the fifth seeded player in the 27 player Open section, and I finished tied for third-eighth place, winning the prize for first-fourth U2001 (there was not a third place prize). 

In my fourth round game versus Lucas Edwards, I did a pseudo-sacrifice of my Queen to reach a winning position. Instead of retreating my Q after my opponent played Nc3, I uncorked ...Qh1+:

My opponent took my Q, and then I regained the lost material plus more after ...Bxe3+.

Queen sacrifices inspire the imaginations of chess players from amateur level to Grandmaster level. There are two other Queen sacrifices from my chess career that stand out in my memory. In the first round of the September 2010 Ohio Chess Congress, I used a Queen sacrifice to defeat the reigning Ohio Chess Champion, NM Kris Meekins, forcing mate after 22.Qxh7+ Kxh7 23.Rh4+ Kg7 24.Bh6+:

In round eight of the April 2011 House of Chess FIDE Double Round Robin, I gave up my Queen to force a win versus NM William Wright. I had Black, and after my opponent played Nf3?? I played ...Qxf3!:

He replied Qxf3, and then resigned after I played ...Re1+ because after Kg2 I would have played ...h3++. Declining the Q sacrifice not only leaves White a piece down, but Black still has a forced mate after Qb1 Re3. 

My sparkling win against Edwards was a nice way to cap off the first half of 2024. In Journey to the National Master Title, Part 8, I listed four chess goals for 2024. Here are those goals, with notes about my progress toward each one through the first six months of the year:

1) Gain 60 rating points per quarter. I gained three rating points in the first quarter of 2024, improving my rating from 1968 to 1971; I gained 10 rating points in the second quarter of 2024, improving my rating from 1971 to 1981.

2) Do not lose any games to players rated below 1800. I lost two games to players rated below 1800 in the first quarter of 2024, and I lost two games to players rated below 1800 in the second quarter of 2024.

3) Accumulate more draws than losses. I had 15 draws and eight losses in the first quarter of 2024; I had seven draws and nine losses in the second quarter of 2024.

4) Maintain a winning percentage of at least .750, to break my personal record of .740 set in 2014. My winning percentage through the first two quarters of 2024 is .696.

In 2024, I have scored 53 wins, 22 draws, and 17 losses in regular rated tournament games with seven place finishes in 23 events. I have lost four games to players rated below 1800. My net rating gain for 2024 is 13 points so I need to gain 219 points to reach my goal.

Journey to the National Master Title, Part 4

The journey to the National Master title is not a straightforward path, but rather a bumpy road that must be navigated with determination. Tactical awareness is essential. My losses to lower rated players have been due to a lack of focus/lack of tactical awareness, while several of my wins have featured nice examples of tactical awareness.

In the March 26, 2023 East Market Swiss, I scored 3.5/4, gaining 11 rating points to lift my rating to 2024 while finishing in clear second place. In the first round, I blundered in a winning position against a lower rated player and had to settle for a draw, but I recovered to win my next three games, including a last round triumph versus Faris Gabbara, a veteran 2000-rated player who earned the National Master title in 1992.

I played a nice second round game as white against Andrew Zhu, who has gained over 600 rating points since April 2022 as he makes his journey to the National Master title (and probably beyond). Here is the position before my 30th move:

Material is equal, but the opposite colored Bishops provide attacking chances to whichever player can seize the initiative. Here I played 30.Bg7. Taking the Bishop leads to mate in four starting with 31.Qxh7+, so my opponent found the only move to prolong the game: 30...h5. White has a decisive advantage, and I finished the game quickly: 31.Be5 Qe7 32.Qe4 Qf7 33.Rf3 Bb7 34.Rxf7 Bxe4 35.Rg7+ Kf8 36.Rxe4 Rc1+ 37.Kf2 Rc2+ 38.Kg3 Rxa2?? A blunder in a lost position. 39.Rf4# 1-0

In the April 1, 2023 Indianapolis Super Tornado, I scored just 2/5 in the Championship section, dropping 36 hard-earned rating points and falling below the 2000 point barrier. In the first round, I won a Pawn on move 22 versus a talented junior and I had a commanding position, but the game ended with blunders by both players in mutual time pressure; I blundered last and worst, so I lost. In the second round, I misplayed the middlegame against another talented junior, and my 0-2 start dropped my live rating below 2000. I recovered to win my third round game, and then in my fourth round game I squandered a winning position against an Expert. My fifth round opponent blundered a piece on move seven. I blundered back my extra piece but still had a positional advantage, which I nursed to victory.

In the April 8, 2023 Columbus G/30 Open I started out 3/3 to push my rating back over 2000, but then I lost my last two games, both to players rated below 1750. The top three seeds in this tournament all took a serious beating; the top seeded player lost his first three games and dropped 67 rating points, the third seeded player lost 31 rating points and finished out of the money, and as the second seeded player I lost 16 rating points while finishing in a tie for third through fifth. My last round opponent, Paul Alexander, ended up winning the tournament with 4/5, beating each of the top three seeded players while gaining 184 rating points! My third round win versus rising young Class A player (now Expert) Matt Wang featured an uncommon mating pattern:

Here as Black (moving up the board) I played ...e4. White will be checkmated immediately after a7, and in three moves after Ka7 followed by ...Ne7/...Nc8/...Nb6.  This is not difficult to see in this position, but we got here after I let my opponent take my a pawn and then hemmed in his King by playing ...Kc7. I placed my N on the correct route to deliver checkmate instead of just winning prosaically by pushing one of my passed Pawns.

In the April 15-16, 2023 Cincinnati Open (FIDE Expert section), I scored 3.5/5 (three wins, one loss, and one half point bye) to gain 22 rating points and push my rating back up to 1994 while finishing in a tie for fourth through eighth. That was the last tournament that I played before U.S. Chess generated their official May 2023 rating list, so for the first time since April 2022 my official rating fell below 2000. I played my favorite move from the Cincinnati Open in my second round win versus strong Indiana Expert Mohamed Elshazly. After I sacrificed a piece for two Pawns and an attack, we reached this position:

I played Rxh7, which forces mate in 10 moves or less. My opponent resigned after ...Rxh7 28.Qe8+ Kg7 29.Rxe7+ Kh6 30.Qf8+ Kg6 31.Qg8+.

I concluded April with three straight first place finishes, gaining 40 rating points in the process:

1. In the April 22, 2023 Columbus G/60 Quads, I scored 2/3 (two wins, one loss) in the "A" Quad, gaining 11 rating points to lift my rating to 2005 while finishing tied for first-second.
2. In the April 29, 2023 DBTHS Swiss, I scored 3/3, finishing clear first and gaining 15 rating points to improve my rating to 2020.
3. In the April 30, 2023 East Market Swiss, I scored 3.5/4, finishing tied for first-second while gaining 14 rating points to lift my rating to 2034.
   

In 2023, I have scored 41 wins, nine draws, and 11 losses in regular rated tournament games with seven first place finishes in 16 events--but four losses to players rated below 1750 were costly, and as a result my net rating gain for 2023 is just 22 points, so I need to gain 166 points to reach my goal.