Defeated but not discouraged

[gurdonark]

Today I slept in a bit, not waking up until nearly 9. I worked for a bit on Trollope's The Duke's Children, which I have been edging through for a long, long time, while other things get read in the interim. I love Trollope, but The Duke's Children runs slowly for me. At least I get to spend more time with the pleasant Lady Mabel Grex, a character in whom chivalry, ennui and self-preservation mix in delightfully equal measure.

I had meant to get up and hike a bit this morning, but by the time I was active, I had to make a choice about how to spend my day. Choice A? The tour of the Winchester Mystery House, the 160+ room eccentric home built by a Winchester heir for decades, continually expanded to keep evil spirits away. Choice B? The Blackknight Chess Club chess tournament.
I did not have time to do both. Both particularly appealed to me, but I chose the chess tournament because the yahoo driving directions were easier to write down (I don't carry a printer when I travel).

I picked up some cash at the Bank of America in an Albertson's, noting with longing that whole, cooked turkeys were on sale for ten dollars. I had no need for a whole, cooked turkey but the idea somehow appealed to me.

I stopped at a Persian restaurant called Ya's, and had chicken served on a bed of rice leavened with large raisins, along with a nice lentil/vegetable soup. Then I headed over to the chess tournament, which proved to be in its own little "chess building" at a local high school.

The tournament format was "quad", which means that the players are divided into foursomes, and each player plays in a round robin in each quad. I got paired into a quad with one player rated 2130, and two players rated over 1950. My own rating is 1733 (Class B), so I would have to "play up". This is good for my chess education, but not always so good for my won/loss record. The expert and I played a spirited game, but I ultimately needlessly dropped material and lost the game. Against the first A player, I got greedy, grabbed a pawn prematurely, and then ended up a piece for 2 pawns down.

Then the third player forfeited his game to attend a belated Christmas party. I was disappointed by this, because I "came to play". But the tournament director, a nice guy, agreed to play me in a rated game. He was 8 points shy of being a master, and I did not fare well. But it was fun to play.

I'm eager to get back on a winning note again. My on-line chess is not bad, but needs work. My live chess is pretty predictable. I can beat players rated lower than I am, but I do not yet fare well against experts and A players. I'm not worried, though, because each time I play one I see the finite steps I need to take to improve. I hope that I can put the time in to get better. Even if I don't get better, though, I frankly had a lot of fun.

I got another contact about my 1/24 tournament. I am so hopeful that I can draw a small crowd. I am not yet optimistic, but I am feeling the first glimmers of hope.

I am glad I did what I did, but I wish I had gotten in more hiking and a visit to that mystery house. I'll visit this area again someday, though, if I am permitted to do so.

I do not really like being away from home on the weekend for business. But this weekend was as nice as it could be, given being away from home. Tomorrow morning I attend a court hearing, and then it is back to Texas. I can hardly wait to be home.

Comments

[poetbear.livejournal.com]

the Winchester House is amazing! she had strange features
built into it, too. it's really beautiful, but they will only
sell you pictures. the grounds are almost as impressive
as the house. She was her own little local industry for years.
if you get back there, see it, by all means. good luck with your
hearing.~paul

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

I'll probably need to come back in the Spring, and I'll make sure I see that house is at all possible.

[poetbear.livejournal.com]

the grounds are much more impressive in the Spring.~paul