Wednesday 13 July 2011

Rounds 5+6

Yesterday was a bit of a disaster but as always a chess player needs to find fault with him/her self. I played superficially, passively and just expected to win by divine right or something. Already my 8th move ....g6 is wishy-washy. Why play g6 when I can play g5? On move 11 I play the whimpy ...b6 instead of ...c5 The next major error is not taking on b6 with the rook. Anyway, one has days like these.



Much better! After yesterdays performance I was determined to at least play sharply. Notice how my opponent panicked after 6 g4. That is why I should have played g5 yesterday. Not because of any objective merit but it forces the opponent to react and hopefully panic :-)



Since I finished very early today, am in a good mood and the Internet is working fine at the local sports bar/pizzaria, I will show you a few pictures of Condom. Also they have not started to make the pizza's yet so I have to wait a while :-)


I thought there were 3 musketeers?


We are lodged at a boarding school about 5 minutes walk from the playing hall. The website of the Condom open is here should you wish more information. This is the little alley from the exit to the park


which has some very nice old trees. I like trees. The answer to your question is Yes!

  
I did take a picture of my favourite tree.


Then it's up the garden path


and out onto the street where the playing hall is. Condom  is a lovely, typically French town with long traditions especially in the areas of food and drink. More....much more about that soon. Have a nice day all and remember to smile :-)

4 comments:

  1. I've vowed to improve at chess now that my victor/coach who played my iPhone games vs. my brother for me (à la Cyrano de Bergerac) has moved on. Have been playing vs. the computer (on the dumbest setting) and must report to you that, Alex, seeing your games is teaching me. I think. I'm still much too much of a novice to know for sure. But goodness, it's fun. Thank you.

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  2. Thanks Ruth,to know someone is looking at my games always brings a smile to my face. If you enjoy Chess, or anything for that matter, I think you improve. Have been keeping tabs on you too :-) I think it rather likely that note did make it to Melbourne.

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  3. Thanks. :) It's nice to imagine so.

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  4. Alex,
    As always love your games and your photos and your candor. Such a harsh self-critic but you appear to learn from what you say to yourself !! Keep up the good work and YES gorgeous trees. More please !
    love
    Cristina

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