Review of the Year

2009 was something of a mixed year when it comes to chess but at least it ended better than it began.

I played in 14 tournaments during the year, 12 in the UK and two in Ireland. Overall I played 54 tournament games, of which I won 18 lost 22 and drew 14, which is almost respectable.

Here are some quick thoughts about each tournament -

January
Coulsdon -
My bad form from the Hull tournament in November continued. I played at Couldson, near my parents' house in South London, and it was fairly disastrous. I resigned game 1 after blundering badly and losing a pawn on about move 7 (although Dave Stephenson thinks I should have played on, I hate carrying on after I've blundered like that because it spoils the game for me). Game 2 I lost too, though I don't remember anything about it. On the Sunday morning I lost another game I had been ahead in, against Alan Crawford, an old bloke who plays in a thousand tournaments a year. After that I withdrew in disgust.
Played 3, lost 3

Gonzaga -
I went to Gonzaga in Dublin full of high hopes, though I always seem to have a disappointing result there. It's played at a sound boys' school in the Dublin suburbs. Eoghan Maguire was playing too - his first chess tournament. Game 1 I lost after turning down a draw after my opponent had made an unsound sacrifice. His attack turned out to be good and he won. Game 2 I stupidly got a Bishop trapped, and game 3 I also lost though I don't recall anything about it apart from spilling Guinness on the carpet afterwards. After that I withdrew in disgust. My run of defeats was now 9 games out of the last 10. Eoghan lost all his games as well.
Played 3, lost 3

February
Doncaster -
I lost my first game but finally broke the bad run by winning both afternoon games, both times after having lunchtime beers (this becomes something of a theme as the year goes on!). The win in round 5 was quite good against a strong junior in a Grunfeld. Had to take two byes to take Michelle to East Midlands airport.
Played 3 won 2 lost 1

March
Blackpool -
Fairly dreary tournament where I drew a lot of games, though it was nice to stop losing games. Played Jim Johnston who taught me a lot about reading opponents' body language and other psychological matters after our game. I don't remember much about the other games. My main recollection of the tournament was what a hole Blackpool was. The tournament was held in the football stadium which we couldn't find, making us late - Russell Goodfellow wasn't happy. Nights out in Blackpool were not much fun, though I did have quite a nice curry with Dave Stephenson.
Played 4 drew 3 lost 1

Huddersfield -
Another disaster. I had quite a good game in round 1, lost a tight battle. I turned up on Saturday morning to find I had a bye, so went out for a walk. Discovered an absolutely superb pub, The Grove, with a huge selection of real ales and bottled beers from around the world - and even a big selection of malt whiskies and bar snacks. It's a completely wonderful pub but unfortunately indulging there at lunchtime did nothing for my remaining games. At one point I took a juggling break in the garden, much to the disgust of Brendan O'Gorman who felt it displayed a certain lack of grit and determination! In the last round I lost after being a piece up.
Played 4 lost 4

April
Nottingham -
I was staying in Beeston with my friend John. The tournament was staged in the Boys' High School, a good venue. To try and stem the dreadful run of games, I decided to make some precepts to follow, and start writing a 'blog to record my impressions and force myself to keep to them. Thus Nottingham is the first event recorded here. Things didn't look up immediately - at Nottingham I managed to lose my worst game of the year, an astounding blunder against a little girl when I was clearly winning - I missed the fact, astoundingly, that she could simply push a pawn to the 7th rank. My only win was against someone rated 14. I was somewhat distracted by the fact that my Sister was running the London marathon the same day.
Played 4 won 1 lost 2 drew 1

June
Grange-over-Sands
So far in my chess year I had won 3 and lost 14 games out of 21. Fortunately things turned better from this point, and over the remainder of the year I won 15 and lost 11. Grange-over-Sands was the turning point despite the fact that I was doing lots of driving. I stayed the first night in Lancaster and the second with Geoff in Cumbria. Grange-over-Sands is an attractive Victorian town and the tournament was played in a splendid venue - a huge, ramshackle old hotel in rambling grounds. I must stay somewhere nearer the venue next year. I lost my first round game on the Friday night - don't remember anything about it - but then won an unprecedented 4 on the trot. On Saturday morning I played my first game against a blind player. Won again on Saturday afternoon. Took a bye Saturday evening to drive up to Geoff's, 70 miles north. On Sunday morning I drove back and managed to win both my games. The morning game was satisfying because I won against 1 c4 for the first time in my career, and it was the bloke who'd beaten me from a piece down in the last round at Huddersfield. I won my last round game too, and 4.5/6 was enough for a share of 2nd place and a winners cheque which made a nice change. Had a nice walk round the grounds afterwards with Dave.
Played 5 won 4 lost 1

Haywood
I remember very little about this event in a dull suburb of Manchester. It was a very rainy weekend. Russell was playing in it as well. I commuted from home. I lost 2 and also drew 2, both the draws coming from winning positions. The details are all on the 'blog assuming I remembered to write it up.
[Note added later - I see I never even wrote about this event here which shows how nondescript it was].
Played 4 won 2 lost 2

August
Hereford
The highlight of the year was my performance in a u135 event at Hereford. I went with Colin, who made a welcome return to chess. I took a bye in round 1 on the Saturday morning because of having to drive down from Liverpool. The venue was a very nice school. Colin and I stayed in a very sound old town-centre inn, the Green Dragon. We had a couple of nice evenings out without overdoing the beer. The chess went very well - just one of those events when everything went right. I won two games against quite high-rated players (120+) mostly through seeing sharp tactics. I felt that all my work with doing tactics practice and writing the 'blog had finally paid off. I did get one draw, against an old chap who, after the game, told me how to do karate moves and all about his past as a motorcycle daredevil. He won the tournament, after having been trying to win a chess tournament for 50 years apparently. I won £65 for joint 2nd place, a very pleasing result.. Overall it was the perfect chess weekend.
Played 5 won 4 drew 1

September
Bradford
Back to earth with a bump when I did very badly in a dreary tournament in Bradford. Lost another dreadful game to a little girl who scared me into submission with a flawed Kingside attack, much to the disgust of Dave. I also lost a game I should have won against a Russian ex-pat. The only game I won all weekend was against her dad in the final round. The only good thing about the event was that I battled on and didn't quit early as I often did in the past.
Played 4 won 1 lost 3 [I didnt bother writing about this one on the 'blog either it seems].

October
The busiest chess month ever for me, with three important tournaments in 4 weeks.

Galway
Flew to Galway for one of my favourite events of the year, staged in a big hotel overlooking Galway Bay. Morgan Daniels came over for it and Eoghan played again as well. Had a very sound and entertaining weekend with lots of Guinness. The only slight disappointment was the chess. Eoghan, Morgan and I played 15 games between us and only Morgan managed one win out of all those games. Eoghan got his first positive result, with a draw in one game. I drew almost all of mine - 4 draws and 1 loss. None of them stick in the mind very much. In round 1 I played John McKenna who I have played several times before in Ireland and the game petered out into a level draw. The game I lost was to a junior who launched an attack which panicked me but proved on subsequent analysis to be unsound.
Played 5 drew 4 lost 1

Scarborough
I was playing in a very low section so had high hopes of winning some money. As ever, the bottome section isn't as easy as it seems and I lost a very long drawn out battle in round 1 against an unrated player, new to the game. It was a good game, lasted 60 moves and 4 hours and we were among the last to finish. On Saturday morning, I faced my bete noire, a little girl. Went a piece up on move 6, and blundered the piece back on about move 12. Russell was appalled at me! However, she blundered again soon and I went on to win. My most flawed game of the year. Won easily in the afternoon. In the evening I had quite a nice take-away risotto and a few beers with Russell and his friend in a rock pub on the seafront. Drew on Sunday morning against a taciturn Scot - the game was dominated by me worrying about the fact my car had to be moved before noon. I had a couple of pints with Russell at lunchtime and then came back and had a crushing victory in the afternoon, when there was nothing to play for. To my surprise, a week later, I received a cheque for £15 - for a 1/7th share of 4th place!
Played 5 won 3 drew 1 lost 1

Bury St Edmunds
My favourite tournament of the year, Morgan Daniels' home event in the charming town of Bury - played in a wonderful venue, the Corn Exchange in the middle of the town, right next to the Nutshell, the smallest pub in Britain. I was staying a B&B with a rather overbearing landlady but it was a nice place. There were several other chess players there including the Cutmore twins and we all had to share a table at breakfast. Alan Crawford, who beat me up at Coulsdon in January was there too. In the chess I drew in round 1 against a bloke who looked like Lovejoy, then lost a very odd game in round 2, when I launched an uncharacteristically suicidal King-side pawnstorm. Took a bye and had a long analysis session with Morgan in the pub in the evening. Sunday I did much better. Two wins - first against a bloke in a blue race-walking blazer who played 1. g4 agaisnt me, and the second after a pint of beer and a tequila that someone insisted on buying me in the nutshell - I took apart an up and coming junior from Bury. Once again a last round game after a lunchtime drink had gone very well! Morgan had a superb tournament - all his opponents seemed to fold in dramatic style and he came joint top of the Major tournament. After he'd won, we went to the Nutshell for a celebratory drink and had to comfort a first time player who was sitting with his head in his hands talking about how painful it all was. We told him to expect plenty more of the same and that chess brings infinitely more misery than happiness. I'm not sure whether that cheered him up. I stuck around for the prize-giving and then much to my surprise found I'd won a £10 grading prize! My fourth prize of the year.
Played 4 won 2 drew 1 lost 1

November
Preston
Stayed at Chris Welch's place in Preston. This event was never going to be one I was going to take seriously owing to having to go to Birmingham and back in the middle of it for a reunion. Lost in bad style to a tactic in round 1. Won equally quickly in round 2. Took a bye for the Birmingham trip. On Sunday morning I won a flukey game I should have lost, against an Indian student, and on Sunday afternoon I lost a game I was going OK in, when my phone threatened to go off. Chris was so impressed with it all that he's decided to start playing in chess tournaments himself! Welcome to a world of pain.
Played 4 won 2 lost 2

So that's my tournament year - distinctly mixed with some high and low points.

Over the weekend I will post my chess resolutions and goals for 2010 along with my chess awards for 2009. Make sure you read it - you might have won one of the prestigious awards!

Happy New Year to all my readers.