KL Masters round 1

Gremlins

Well my long awaited journey to France via Malaysia got off to an inauspicious start.Wednesday was raining as I was driving all over the place trying to get last minute things done, things I should have sorted well before. So after a long and harried day I finally made it onto the packed plane and despite being very tired, couldn't sleep. Main reason being that after all day in the car my "sitzfleisch" was not appreciating the seat.

Anyway, I arrived in KL on time but spent the next hour trying to get online with one of my three electronic devices, Phone, Ipad and laptop, all to no avail. I had forgotten to ask which Hotel I was in so now I was stuck at "Sentral" with 4kg of Morton Bay Bugs slowly melting in my suitcase. I  tried the public phonebox but kept getting messages in Bahasa, probably telling me I was dialling wrong.

Anyway, after an hour of pure frustration, punctuated by the occasional attempt so connect I decided to get a cab to a Hotel I thought I had read somewhere was associated with the tournament. I got lucky! It was the right  Hotel.

I checked in, had breakfast and it was time for the players meeting. This was a short formality where time limits were discussed and lots drawn. I drew number 11 {out of 11} and was paired against GM Thomas Luther of Germany in the first round. 

I did manage to get two hours sleep before the game but that was not enough to keep concentrated past the first time control. My first little inaccuracy occurred on move 13. Just 13....Nd5 followed by Re8 is even a bit better for black according to my engine {stockfish}. Then late in the ending after many concessions I was intending to play 45....Ke6 and changed my mind at the last moment giving away the last drawing chances.

Then after the game the Internet didn't work so I was unable to post this until now, 2am. Lesson for today is that one should not turn up in the morning of the day of the first round but rather a day or two before, but I already knew that.

Other lesson, if playing someone who has just arrived with no sleep and jet-lag, play a long drawn out game with a boring ending. Chances are  they will crack eventually. You always learn something from playing a GM :-)

Hasta manjana amigoes!