Unfortunately there hasn't been much to blog about the last few weeks. It's been a disappointing season as the Surfers have under performed each week and finished last in our division. We will make some changes in the off season and be a lot stronger next year!
Personally I was able to end the season on a good note by defeating GM Kayden Troff with black in one of the most exciting QGDs you'll ever see. It was cool that this game was a Game of the Week finalist. I may be slightly biased, but honestly I'm surprised it didn't win! All the nominated games this week were very interesting, but for me what set this game apart from the others wasn't the flashy tactics and tricky defensive resources since some other games had those too. It was that from move 35 through the rest of the game it was an absolute slug fest. After I played 34...Ng4! I made the mistake of relaxing, thinking that I had found enough nice moves for a well earned victory. Clearly I underestimated the tenacity and defensive resourcefulness of Kayden Troff! Kayden found 3 brilliant defensive moves to stay alive each time his position looked hopeless, and I had to keep my composure and continue to attack with great precision for 15 moves in order to put the game away.
That being said, I'm confident that not winning the Game of the Week prize is in my best interest right now. I've been fortunate to have some good results recently, but most successful people will tell you that responding to success is even harder and more important than responding to failure. With a heavy tournament schedule coming up in the next several months, it's imperative that I stay grounded, focused, and hungry. There is more to be accomplished...a lot more!
Personally I was able to end the season on a good note by defeating GM Kayden Troff with black in one of the most exciting QGDs you'll ever see. It was cool that this game was a Game of the Week finalist. I may be slightly biased, but honestly I'm surprised it didn't win! All the nominated games this week were very interesting, but for me what set this game apart from the others wasn't the flashy tactics and tricky defensive resources since some other games had those too. It was that from move 35 through the rest of the game it was an absolute slug fest. After I played 34...Ng4! I made the mistake of relaxing, thinking that I had found enough nice moves for a well earned victory. Clearly I underestimated the tenacity and defensive resourcefulness of Kayden Troff! Kayden found 3 brilliant defensive moves to stay alive each time his position looked hopeless, and I had to keep my composure and continue to attack with great precision for 15 moves in order to put the game away.
That being said, I'm confident that not winning the Game of the Week prize is in my best interest right now. I've been fortunate to have some good results recently, but most successful people will tell you that responding to success is even harder and more important than responding to failure. With a heavy tournament schedule coming up in the next several months, it's imperative that I stay grounded, focused, and hungry. There is more to be accomplished...a lot more!
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