New Zealand Championship 2019 Round 2

The usual routine in chess tournaments used to be, sleep until noon, have some lunch, play the game sometime in the afternoon, and prepare and/or watch tv until the wee hours. As part of my new strategy, I've been getting up early, getting some exercise before breakfast, more after breakfast, skipping lunch and going to bed a bit earlier.

So far the new approach has not really paid dividends. Today was more luck than skill. My opponent, a former Queenslander and old friend, Damian Norris defended a tough position for a long time and nearly inflicted a second loss on me.

I had company for my morning power-walk today, the Blindfold King, world record holder in simultaneous blindfold games, Timur Gareyev. Timur drew, so he isn't reaping benefits yet either.

A bit more patience perhaps.

Round 2

I have analysed both games with Stockfish and have to come to the uneasy conclusion that I did not play much weaker than usual. My opponents just played quite well. Oh well....

[Event "NZ Ch 2019"]
[Site "Auckland"]
[Date "2019.01.15"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Norris, Damian"]
[Black "Wohl, Aleksandar"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "1878"]
[BlackElo "2332"]
[ECO "C58d"]
[EventDate "2019.01.14"]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ Bd7 7.Qe2 Be7
8.Nc3 O-O 9.O-O Bg4 10.f3 Bf5 11.Qxe5 Bxc2 12.d3 a6 13.Bc4 Nxc4 14.
dxc4 Bd3 15.Rd1 Bc5+ 16.Kh1 Bxc4 17.Nge4 Nxe4 18.Nxe4 Be7 19.Bf4 Rc8
20.b3 Be2 21.Rdc1 Ba3 22.Rc2 Bb5 23.Rd1 Re8 24.Qc3 f5 25.Ng5 h6 26.
Nh3 Qe7 27.Qd4 g5 28.Bc1 Bd6 29.Bb2 Kh7 30.Bc3 Qf7 31.a4 Bd7 32.Nf2
Re7 33.Re1 Rce8 34.Rxe7 Qxe7 35.Nd3 Qf7 36.Rc1 b5 37.a5 Bc8 38.Rd1
Kg6 39.Nc5 Qe7 40.b4 Qf7 41.Kg1 Rd8 42.g4 c6 43.Kg2 ( 43.Ne6 Bxe6 44.
dxe6 Bc5 45.exf7 Rxd4 ) 43...Bf4 44.Nd3 Rxd5 45.Nxf4+ gxf4 46.gxf5+
Bxf5 47.Qg1 Bd3 48.Kf2+ Rg5 49.Qe1 Qa7+ 0-1

Adios amigoes