Third time’s a charm. Maybe this would be the game I didn’t go down a Bishop. It would help if I played a tactically poor opponent.
Looking at my bespectacled, Indian opponent, I could see the bloom of new life in him. He couldn’t have been alive for more than eight or nine years. Knowing he started 1.5/2, I fully expected him to play a few hundred points above his rating.
He seemed a bit shy, but not so much that he wouldn’t talk at all. I asked him about the tournament so far; it turned out his first “game” was a full-point bye. It was a bit of a relief to know he wasn’t simply having a monster tournament.
As usual, we shook hands before the game started, but he gave this really limp handshake. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt because he was young and shy. But it felt like one of those weak, awkward handshakes some women give, because they think you’ll take it as a sign of sexual attraction if the hand contact lasts a tenth of a second more than absolutely necessary.
As the game went on, I noticed Mr. Jacob looking at other games. A lot. It didn’t seem like he was ever looking at our board when it wasn’t his turn. It’s almost like he didn’t have the attention span to play a G/120. Once I actually started playing with a plan (after noticing “Wow, I can expand on the Kingside!”), there was very little reason to doubt victory. Black never had a serious threat the entire game.
(show chess board)
(hide chess board)
Because this was a kid you played, I could not help but be reminded of one of my favorite children stories, Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak.
In this case, you are not Max NOR are you his fictitious monsters, rather you are the dog who he chased with the fork, dressed in a wolf costume before being sent to his room by his mother. Seen in the first six moves, I have to ask, why 6.d3? Poor dog, did Max stab you with a fork? He just made e5 weak. Move to d4 instead. It’s more in theme and would have taken him out of the wolf costume.
Now here is where you started to join in the monster fantasy of Max as he played in his room. As Max stared into their yellow eyes without blinking once ( at other games around him even), he was under the false security of thinking he was their king. The harmless monster on g4 had no way back but since it menaced your queen, it spooked you into moving 11 Qd3 which creates a backward queen pawn. He trapped his light squared bishop in. Face the monster, Boo! 11 h3. Learn to recognize when you are hallucinating someone else’s fantasies or Oedipal transference of anger.
If that wasn’t enough, Max really showed how he hated his monsters on 18…e5. Putting pawns on the square of the same color as his bishop in the end game can’t be good and shows he hates his bishop which is really a manifestation of his anger towards his mother sending him to his room.
Your wild rumpus could have started with move 34 Re6 if 34… Nc7 then 35 Re7. If Rd8 then Re7 anyway followed by Be5. You did follow through with the point and not much gnashing of teeth and eye rolling. I hope the child got eat supper that night.
11. Qe2.
“… awkward handshakes some women give, because they think you’ll take it as a sign of sexual attraction if the hand contact lasts a tenth of a second more than absolutely necessary.”
It’s the shirt, dude. 🙂
Nice game, though! Sorry I wasn’t able to stop by the tournament.
You’re wrong about the handshakes. When women shake my hand, it’s not because they’re afraid of me, they’re afraid of themselves. They know they can’t keep themselves from jumping all over me after experiencing full hand-to-hand contact. At least, that’s been my experience.
@Blunderprone: Wish I was familiar with that story. It’s probably short enough so I can read it quickly now, but…it’s after midnight *whine*
6. d4 does seem to make more sense. Plus it keeps the Knight off c5 and e5.
I didn’t really think about how he was restricting his Bishop with e5. Even after the pawns were cleared, that Bishop never seemed to be an effective piece.
@CMoB: You know, that’s not a bad idea. My Queen is probably going to be better, so I don’t want to trade.
@Tacticus: Hahaha. Of course. Maybe next time, I’ll wear my too-tight Turkey Bowl T-shirt.
@Mascot: That reminds me. I’ve hired a lab to start drug testing all LEP employees.