Pushing Wood at the 24th North American Masters

I think everyone has experienced this feeling, you go to a tournament and you’re the lowest rated player in the event. Your confidence then goes way down and you are in somewhat awe of your fellow opponent’s rating.

Well this is what is happening to me at Sevan’s tournament in January 2010. The field has been set it is a 10 round 5 player double round robin tournament. Five games on a weekend in January and five on a weekend in February.

It is unusual being a Master and all to be the lowest rated player and it hasn’t happened to me for a long time. I will be playing with IM’s Felecan, Pasalic and Vishnuvardhan. FM’s Admason and Shankar. Then me the lowly untitled player.

[game follows . . .]

I remember playing a few years ago at my first big tournament in the USA. It was the Chicago Open and I was playing the 2 day option and round one I played GM Yury Shulman. I knew very little about playing against GM’s except for the fact they were very strong players. With my rating of 2174 and his rating of 2606 at the time one could forgive me if I thought I was going to lose. However I sat down and thought u know what come and beat me if you can.

I ignored the fact that my opponent was a GM and he had about 400 more rating points than me. I played the board not the man opposite me. Many players lose games against titled players and players rated higher than them because they are scared when they sit down and don’t believe they can beat this superior chess player facing them. Even GM’s make mistakes.

I played the board not the man and ended up winning my opponents Queen and the game.

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I ended the tournament with 4.5/7 gaining 140 rating points.

My point is that you shouldn’t lose the game when you sit down at the board. If I lose in January I will lose fighting. No draws and no getting scared. Am I a Wood Pusher or a Shark? We will find out at the tournament in January.

I will be reporting on the ICA website about the North American Masters tournament in January. I highly recommend the Norm tournaments Sevan Muradian runs. They are very professional and well organized plus you are guaranteed to play some good players. Go to nachess.org for more information on this fine tournament series.