Mastering the Endgame: A Senior Improver's Triumph at Biel
The success of another senior chess improver at Biel International Chess Festival
Photo by Ravi Kumar on Unsplash
Hello chess enthusiasts! I doubt anyone missed my blog, since there were no messages! Oh wait, maybe not and the blog is just boring for you.
As I mentioned in previous posts, I overcommitted to playing in too many tournaments. Much to my surprise, I reached several finals and semi-finals, which led to a hectic schedule, playing multiple games simultaneously. Now that I’ve cut down on tournaments and switched to slower-paced correspondence games, my posting frequency has also decreased.
Still, I recently wrapped up the Champions League team tournament, finishing 10th on board 4. I wish I could have contributed more to the team, but there’s always next time—hopefully with FSB Thuringia I, if they’ll have me again.
Today, I’d like to share an intense and incredibly challenging game against the great Jeff Reger, who is rated 300 Elo points higher than me. Jeff had the White pieces, and I played Black. Those who know me are aware that I always play for a win, even as Black. A quick note: the Electronic Knights tournament is played without engine support, although opening books and notes are allowed.
Jeff Reger is a seasoned competitor, having played in several Electronic Knights tournaments organized by the USCF. He participated in the 2021 Electronic Knights Final (ongoing) with a 2429 rating and is also competing in the 2022 Electronic Knights Semi-Finals.
This game required deep thought, and I’ve heavily annotated it below, exploring numerous sidelines. Both of us made two mistakes and two inaccurate moves, ultimately leading to a hard-fought draw.
One of the key moments was when I took a significant risk by allowing his pawn to advance, which made me quite nervous. Despite my efforts, I couldn’t turn the tide, as Jeff played flawlessly.
Interestingly, this draw pushed Jeff to rank 1 for now, with one game remaining. I’m currently sitting in 5th place, with two games left to play.
As for my personal standings, I’m ranked 71st in the top 100 US Correspondence Chess Players. Not too shabby, especially at my age! My long-term goal remains to reach an Elo of 2200, though it’s slow going. The competition is tough, and the rating gaps are smaller than they used to be, meaning I’ll need to score some big wins—perhaps even against a Grandmaster—to make significant progress.
You can check the latest standings in the top 100 list.
Amici Sumus
I will see you in the next few weeks when I will share some more tournament results. If you enjoy my insights, consider supporting me with a virtual coffee! ☕️ Or a beer? Either way 😎 - Your support fuels me to continue sharing valuable content.
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