Forni Di Sopra...Scenic Chess

Next stop after Ortisei ... Forni Di Sopra!  Forni Di Sopra is a small, lush village, located in the Dolomite region.  It's very scenic with open views, and a beautiful place for a Chess tournament.  The ride to Forni Di Sopra from Ortisei itself was quite scenic and I must say long - we changed 4 trains in different cities.  

Took 4 trains to get to Forni from Ortisei

Captivating scenery during the train rides

Once we settled into our wonderful hotel, my Dad and I would bike up into the hills and soak in the serenity.  I'd collect my thoughts and try to visualize my chess game.  It was very peaceful, and gave me a unique sense of power.  The best part of the biking trip was coming downhill (guess, the worst part :-) ) on the curvy road.  Although, I did have a scary moment when at a blind curve a deer jumped from thick tree cover right in-front of my bike.  I don't know who was more alarmed - the deer or me.  But I bet we were both glad we could go our own ways without getting hurt.  And I didn't fall off my bike, although I did go zig-zaggy for a few yards.  Phew!  

Enjoying the beautiful surroundings

Coming Uphill.  During downhill I had the Deer encounter

Well, after this wild & exciting encounter, things got even more exciting as the Chess tournament got underway.  For me the first game was the only one of real significance in this chess tournament.  The round was to begin at 4pm, and the first round pairings were posted at the venue about 3:45pm, 15 minutes before.  I was to play Black against GM Korneev Oleg (2585).  I took a quick look at his chess games and went over in my head on what I will like to do.  I entered the hall at 4pm, and quickly stole a look again at the Chess pairing list to confirm my table number.  What!  The pairing had been changed and now I was playing as White against GM Pavel Tregubov (2595) from Russia.  My first thought was Wow - I got an almost 2600 rated GM.  The highest rated player I've played so far.  Then I realized that I had the wrong game plan in mind for the pairing and color had been changed at the very last minute.  Kind of shocking.  Well, there was no time to look over any chess games or develop a new plan, and so I tried to keep a cool mind as I walked to table #2.  GM Pavel Tregubov was the second seed in the tournament.  As I sat down, I found myself in good company.  Next to me was the top seed on Table #1, GM Ivan Salgado Lopez from Spain.  So I was in great company with the top seed next to me and the second seed infront of me :-) 

Just learnt my new pairing with GM Pavel

Here we go!  It's a 4pm start for the first round of Chess.
You can see my now famous seat cushions :-)

The Opening Chess Move - Akshat Vs GM Pavel Tregubov

I remembered what my coach and friend had said in the past.  "Try and attack higher rated Chess players; they usually don't feel good when lower rated show they are not scared."  That's good advise for those who find themselves in my kind of pairing situation.  Well, that's exactly what I did!  I was fairly confident after the opening and from the 12th move itself I declared my intentions that I was going all the way, and not trying to hide under the table or build a fortress.  Also I knew the pressure was on him, since I had nothing to lose.  GM Pavel appeared to crack under the pressure and made an inaccurate exchange sacrifice, typical for the Sicilian (not the inaccurate part!) but not really working on the board at that time.  

A lot of chess thinking.  You can see the bearded GM Ivan Lopez,
top seed and eventual winner

I'm not teasing chess GM Pavel :-)  just thinking hard

As the game progressed, we were the only ones left
(Akshat Chandra Vs GM Pavel Tregubov)

Through the entire game, I'd GM Pavel rooted to his chair.  I managed to exchange queens and  trade down further to a winning endgame where I had Rook+Rook Vs Rook+Bishop and few pawns.  I was now so excited that I could not think straight - and I wasn't able to find the elusive win.  We spent 3 hours in that endgame, with me trying to find the Win.  I must say that after earlier slip-ups, GM Pavel did a good job of defending accurately and making it difficult for me.  After we reached 40 moves and gained additional time, I was now replenished with energy.  I was sure I could finish this chess game favorably.  But unfortunately, no matter how hard I calculated, I couldn't find a Win.  After 6 hours I came up short with a Draw.  

At about 10pm, Akshat and GM Pavel were
still going at our chess match

When we signed the notation sheets at the end, I was experiencing mixed feelings.  On one side, I was feeling disappointed for not winning.  It was the biggest chess game of my life so far, and I had a 2600 Russian GM on the ropes with everything in my control.  But it didn't end the way I visualized.  On the other side, I was feeling relieved and happy that I managed to outplay him even though the result was a Draw.  This proved to me that I could take on anyone in Chess, no matter how good s/he was ;-)  

The rest of the chess tournament had its typical ups-and-downs.  Overall, good experience.  The organizers were nice, particularly IM Martha Fierro and Nadia.  In one of the tournament publications I was referred to as the Tournament Tiger.  Grrrr!  :-)

The official picture from the tournament publication of 'Akshat the Tiger' :-)

At the end of the tournament we were talking to GM Ivan Lopez who saw my first game as he was sitting next to me.  He congratulated me on the game and told me next time I need to Win.  He mentioned that he just loves the game and doesn't like to prepare too much before the game.  The best thing is to think at the board, and not clutter your head before the game with different analysis and opening reviews.  Now here is some good advise from an experienced top-class Chess player.  Just go and play Chess.  That's GM Ivan Lopez's style and it works well for him.  Thanks Ivan!

Akshat with the winner of Chess tournament in Forni, GM Ivan Lopez

This tournament concluded my Italian leg of Chess tournaments, and I went on to other countries to play Chess.  I love Italia and I hope I'll be back soon to play Chess.
________________________________
In the pictures, I write my name along with the name of fellow players.  So instead of saying "GM Lopez and me," I say "GM Lopez and Akshat," etc.  Can you guess why?  Well, I do that because search engines will simply pick up the image with the tag "GM Lopez and me."  That "me" is Akshat, which is never mentioned.  Now we know names of all characters in the pictures.  Problem solved!  :-)

Akshat Chandra and Axel Rombaldoni, a brilliant young Italian player.
I remember Axel was 6/6 at the World Junior 2011.  Wow!

Akshat Chandra, with the smart and helpful IM Martha Fierro
- doesn't Martha have the glimpse of The Great One in Chess 'Susan Polgar'

My Quest is a long road...but I'm ready to RUN to the end!

Akshat at the award ceremony with the special guests from Italy

Winter's must be beautiful, with snow-capped peaks

A light moment at the restaurant - what was that, a Rabbit for Lunch!
No Kiddin'!

Hard Loss...Now What? Recovering from a chess loss.

I'm sure if one has played Chess long enough, we've all experienced "tough losses."  In fact, I would venture to say that if you haven't had a tough loss yet, then you haven't played Chess long enough.  It happens to everyone and at all levels.

What are tough losses?  There can be many versions in Chess - losing a completely winning position; losing a dead drawn position; being swept off the board; missing a win when you were lost the whole game and then had an opportunity for comeback which you bungle, are some examples.  Unfortunately, I've experienced all four of the above examples in my relatively short tenure as a Chess player.   

The time where I lost a completely winning chess game was in an unrated club tournament.  I lost an exchange up position against a 225 ELO point lower rated opponent.  I had about 10 different ways for a win, but I went for something that looked fancy.  I didn't do the deep calculation.  It was a horrible blunder and I resigned next move.  Aargh!  The lesson I learnt from that was to always Keep It Simple.  Simple moves most of the time are smart moves.  The chess game rewards you for your win, not how you win.  Recently, I lost a simple Drawn position in a chess tournament in Austria.  I was playing against the World Senior Chess Champion, GM Vladimir Okhotnik, and made a plain blunder of what was a straight-forward Draw.  It hurt because I had played strong for the entire game (you can read more about this in the September posting on Chess in Braunau, Austria).  The time when I got completely swept off my feet was again in the same chess tournament in Austria.  It was just a bad game from the very beginning.  I just couldn't play right.  The time where I missed a win after being lost for majority of the game was in the Czech Open.  In my excitement, I made an incomplete calculation and forgot to first secure the Draw before trying for the Win.  An opportunity to make amends for a weak game, but I let it slip away. 

Such games are very hard to accept.  They linger in the back of your head, haunting you.  Yes, the chess tournament could have turned out differently if I had won; Yes, I could have been paired with an IM or GM if I had won; Yes, I could have assured myself of winning my rating category, etc.  These thoughts are psychologically draining.  But it's hard to Move On, as any Chess player will tell even though we realize this is what needs to be done now.

Nonetheless, we have to deliberately learn to Move On.  In most cases, there is still a tournament to play.  We have to realize the next game is also worth the same point as the one where we had a 'tough loss.'  Sitting in the room thinking about the loss doesn't help.  We need to flush it out of our memory for the time being and not waste any more energy thinking about it. 

I will share with you what helps me.  The best thing for me is to go out for a walk, and have some of my favorite food!  If there is time, watch a funny show or a little bit of a funny movie.  Anything to get your mind off the loss, or at least make it fade away for the moment.  When the next pairing is out, it's a bit easier to Move On since we now have preparation to do.

If you observe, often times when someone has a crushing loss s/he loses the next round too - many times without a fight.  It happened with me in the National Challengers Chess 2011, which was a qualification tournament for the Indian National Championship. After a lackluster start, I found my game and was kind of unstoppable.  I had a great streak going with a Win, Draw, Win, Win against higher rated and very experienced players.  In my next match, I had a high-rated IM on the ropes.  But then I let him get away after several weak moves.  The match was a Draw, in what was an easy Win.  You can see that game on Monroi - R10 - Chandra vs V, by clicking here.  I was extremely disappointed, and since I was a 'beginner' in terms of how to deal with such a loss, I lost not only the next round but also 2 rounds after that without a fight - 3 rounds total.  It was a very sad moment because if I had won that game, I'm sure I would have kept up the momentum and had a good chance to qualify for the Indian National Chess Championship. 

Many times I have observed a seasoned player with a tough loss will take a quick Draw in the next round, even when the opponent is lower rated.  This is a strategic move many times.  You take a Draw to soothe the brain, not make it work very hard, and to avoid the risk of another loss.  But such an option may not always be available.  So we have to boost ourselves psychologically to perform well in the next chess game.   

To summarize, after a tough loss in a Chess game we need to get out and do things that can take our mind off the loss.  Eat your favorite food, watch a movie or show, don't forget an ice cream; whatever makes you relax.  Just don't sit and dwell on it!  The above ideas have worked for me.  You will have to find your own comforting things.  I hope just thinking about this helps you plan better when you encounter such a situation.  I wish more Chess players will write their experiences - it helps others learn.

I apologize for the lengthy blog.  Hope I didn't put you to sleep :)   If you have anything to say or share, please feel free to write comments.  Au revoir!

Chess in the Paradise of Ortisei!

Our next tournament in June was Server 24 Chess in Ortisei - St. Ulrich. Ortisei is a beautiful small township nestled in a high valley and surrounded by mountains. A green emerald guarded by glistening and rugged peaks with long snow fingers.

It's no Brochure picture. I took it. I was there!

Traveling in Italy is fairly easy, with a great train & air network, well supported by bus routes (and we used them all). We flew into Verona airport in the evening and took a bus to Verona Station. After spending a night in Verona, we took the train to Bolzano the next day, and thereafter a bus to Ortisei. Everything went real smooth, and we were in our hotel by early afternoon. I think the walk up the mountainside to reach the hotel took the most time :-)

Soaking in the peaceful view

Ortisei sits at an elevation of about 1300 meters. Surprisingly, the weather was warm and pleasant. We were expecting this to be coldest point of our Italian journey and had packed warm clothes. Well, the weather in the mountains can change fairly fast as we discovered and it did turn fairly cold on some evenings. In fact, as you will see we ended up experiencing warm sunny weather to cold weather, to even freezing rain and snow when we went up the mountains.

Collecting my thoughts in front of the Dolomites 

Looking out from the balcony of our hotel room, which was wedged into the side of the mountain was a truly fantastic experience! Such lush greenery rising on the slopes all the way to the top. Then there were high, rugged brown Dolomite mountain range with snow-capped peaks and their snowy fingers snaking down. During the night, the twinkling lights of the city lit up the valley. There were many a evenings we spent on the balcony eating our dinner and enjoying the peaceful scenery.

The Cenro or Downtown view 

Ortisei and the broader region of Val Gardena are huge tourist attractions due to their scenic beauty. As a result, most of the buildings are hotels run by generations of families. What left us in a huff-and-puff was the walking around. As the city rises along the slopes, there is a lot of walking-up one has to do. Since the city is on an elevation, walking around can be exhausting since most paths are steep, but walking down isn't a problem as usual :). We just walked around the city for the rest of the afternoon, getting comfortable with the place. I loved the fact that there were lot of pizzeria's, and what better place to have pizza then in Italy! 

Another thing striking about Val Gardena is its culture of wood carving. The carvings are real masterpieces and wood seems to appear like clay in the hands of these artisians. This spirit of Val Gardena was captured in the unique trophy.

A picture with the magnificent wood carved trophy

Moving on to the Chess tournament, it was much bigger than the previous one I played, and there were many GM's and IM's. The chess tournament venue was fantastic - it was the hall at the Cultural Center in Ortisei, and on display throughout was a "smaller" replica of a famous head carving of a project called "Movement." The real one is about 20ft high.

The playing Hall with "Woody" our giant head friend. 
Appropriate art for a Chess tournament :-) 

The first round I was paired with a GM. Maybe it was time to continue where I left off with GM Naumkin!  Unfortunately it didn't work out that way, and I played a rather weak game, missing chances to equalize and played kind of uninspiringly.

Here we go! 

After prevailing in the next round against a lower rated player, I was back to playing a titled player, this time an IM. It was some sort of a Catalan hybrid. It was really complicated and there was a point when I had two potential moves. One led to equality and the other one lost it for me. I picked the wrong one :(

The following round I was paired with a 2051, who played in a manner which my chess coach refers to as "bunker chess" - openings which give the opponent an indisputable advantage, but with no real weaknesses to play on.  After improving my pieces I went for a Kingside attack.  But I had managed my time so poorly that when I was about to make the decisive breakthrough I was rushed into making a poor move which nearly lost the game for me.  The opponent was a bit worried about playing me further, and he offered a Draw which I accepted.  The key thing was not to push any further and recognizing the position on the board was not the best for me at that time.  I didn't spend too much time worrying that the opponent was lower rated to me - a lesson from the past.

The customary handshake at the start of the game with Erhard Trefzer  

Round 5 had me paired with one of the organizers of the chess tournament. He was also rated 2150 and very experienced. It was an interesting game where he secured an advantage but then misplayed. At that point I became a pawn up. Later on I discovered that I also missed a quicker win. As the game continued, I managed to bog him down further. Just when I thought I was winning a clear exchange with a fork, I overlooked that he could save his rooks by swinging one over to the King-side and threatening mate! Luckily for me, my experienced opponent was in time pressure and he misplayed allowing me to finally close it out.  A long tiring chess game which could have been shorter if I hadn't missed the elementary Qa5!  Also, I would suspect that it must have been fatiguing for my opponent to both play and be involved in daily organizing-related activities.

Akshat Chandra playing with Ruben Bernardi 

In the sixth round I had another chance to play a titled player - an IM rated 2420. I liked an idea I found during the game and I developed a good position without much problem. However, in hindsight, I made an idiotic decision by opening up a good position. The chess board became favorable for him as my knights turned fairly clumsy and awkwardly positioned, while his pieces could coordinate much faster. I was again in time pressure and so I set a little trick. The trap was that if he takes my Pawn with his Knight, I have the amazing Rh8, which would win the game. Play teetered on and he became Pawn up, but I still had chances. He then made a mistake and I had a brilliant opportunity to Draw. Rh8!!  Something that we see in chess studies. Elementary! Once again, I missed it. But that wasn't the end of the game. We went into a rook endgame. It should have been a Draw with correct play. I defended accurately till a point, until I slipped in time pressure. There were far too many lines to calculate in limited time. It was sad since I was playing well but losing in tenable games.

Akshat playing with IM Ayssio 

Playing with Giulio Simeone

In round 7 I was paired with a 1972 rated player Guilio Simeone, and I lucked out after he missed a strong continuation (as Guilio pointed out in the comments section). From there on I got the initiative and won fairly comfortably. The penultimate round was with a titled player again - an FM with a 2370 rating. Another chance to create some upsets. The opponent made a very dubious push in the pawn center and I immediately grabbed the upper hand. I was Pawn up and just had to get my queen side pawns rolling to close it out. I moved c4 expecting him to set up some sort of blockade on the dark squares. But to my amazement he played b5?? hanging a piece. I responded with c5! which wins his Bishop and from there on it was just a matter of technique, and finally a win!.

Akshat Chandra Playing with FM Alexander Bertagnolli

The Final Round now! I played with IM Kenny Solomon (2429) who was the highest rated chess player from his country - South Africa. I found some accurate middle-game moves which gave me an advantage.  Kenny got into significant time pressure and from there on I just kept playing moves which forced him to make erroneous decisions.  When we both made the additional 30-minute time control, the situation stood like this - we both had a Rook, a Bishop, and a Knight.  But I was two pawns up.  Carefully I proceeded forward and gradually converted my material advantage into a delightful win against a strong chess player.  

I finished the tournament with 5.5/9, and performing above my rating level. It was a very nice way to cap off the tournament and a good sign that something big was coming.... 

Akshat Chandra playing with Kenny Solomon under the 
watchful eye of a few chess lovers and of course, Woody :-) 

I came 16th overall in the tournament, and also won the U-14 prize. I was happy. 

Akshat with Mr. Moroder, sponsor, co-organizer and 
my cheerful supporter, receiving the U-14 cup 

The chess tournament in Ortisei was absolutely fantastic - it was well-organized, professional and the organizers were warm and caring.  I made many friends.  One of them, Ezio, could not speak a word of English (well, maybe "hi"), but he became my biggest cheer leader.  Every time he will see me, he will start talking effusively in Italian to me.  Full of encouragement and love.  What a great guy!

For so many reasons, I would love an opportunity to play in Ortisei again.

Akshat with Ezio, the technical expert, and Gerhard, our Arbiter. 
Two really nice people. Ezio has become my Manager in Italy :-)  

Sharing a Smile with friends Klaus and Ruben.
Italy has created a lot of good memories

A famous Ortiseian and a helpful guide from the tourist office  

A beautiful herd of horses at an elevation of 2000 meters.
Keeping my safe distance!

The 'Golden' Beauty! 

Here comes the Snow!

Reacting at my blunder!

Reflecting together! Was e4 the right opening...hmm!  

Thanks for visiting & I love Italia! 

Gallipolli - Let the Guns Boom!

It's been a while since I've blogged, and now for the first time in the last two weeks I've got some time to share my experiences. I have playing in a tournament (Salento Chess 2012) close to the beautiful city of Gallipolli, located on the southern tip of Italy.  You may know the region for a ferocious sea and land battle during World War I known as the Battle of Gallipoli.  For me it was a long journey.  Since I was flying from India this time, I spent a lot of time in the air - I first traveled to Munich (8 hours), and then Munich to Milan (~1 1/2 hours), and then Milan to Brindisi (1 1/2 hours).  But I wasn't done yet.  Finally, a van ride from Brindisi to Gallipoli (1 1/4 hours).  We reached the hotel at 11 pm, capping about 18 hours of a long and tiring journey from the time I left home.

Waiting in Munich

More waiting ...in Milan

The tournament had a small and strong group of players.  My starting rank was 14/24. There were quite a few titled players like IM's and GM's.  The wooden DGT boards were fantastic as usual, and there was live telecast for all games.  It gave me a sense that I was a top level player :)
For the first round that I played with Duilio Collutiis, a 2513 IM but with GM strength rating, I didn't have much prep time.  But as it turned out I didn't need to prep anything. He usually plays irregular openings against lower rated, and so it is hard to predict any opening preference.  Sure enough he played an irregular set up.  I felt like I had good chances since he was playing slowly and not really doing anything.  I managed to lock the queenside which was good since that was where his play was.  I prepared my pieces for a kingside attack and my prospects were looking good until I blundered with Qc7.  After blunders from both sides he then won in a few moves. It was sad but I knew that I hadn't been outplayed. 

Opening Round - Small Group of Strong Players

The next game I was playing a WFM who was lower rated at 2027.  It was a sharp position out of the opening and I sacrificed a pawn to open files and castle Queen side.  I managed to land a knight on c6 but I couldn't make anything out of it.  Suddenly I blundered and realized she had a win.  I looked away from the board hoping she wouldn't see it. Fortunately, she didn't!  I corrected my mistake the next move and kept the pressure on till she finally blundered.  Phew!  

Playing with WFM Arnetta Maria Teresa

Playing with IM Mario Lanzani

Playing with IM Bellia Fabrizio

Final Round with GM Igor Naumkin

After muddling through a few more games, I finally played a GM in the final round.  I was playing Black, and I defended tenaciously.  There was a moment when the GM had a win.  But he missed it - I learnt about it afterwards.  Phew!  The game lasted nearly 4 1/2 hours.  The last game of the tournament.  I got to a point where there was a possibility for me to win.  But I needed more time, otherwise I felt it was too risky to play in time pressure.  We agreed to a Draw.  A smart finish to the tournament I thought.  Next time I hope I can prevail over a GM.  
The winner of the tournament was German Super-GM Igor Khenkin, with a FIDE rating of 2670 points.

With Super GM Igor Khenkin - winner of the tourney

Coming from the sea - Poseidion, Guardian of the high seas :-)

The tournament was at a resort outside Gallipoli.  The weather was warm during the day and cool in the darker hours.  The beach and sea were very inviting, though the water was a bit cool.  That didn't stop me from wading in it.  I enjoyed every chance I could to jump in the water.  


Perhaps the best part of the tourney was the moments I spent with other players, and the friends I made.  Great memories to cherish for a long, long time!

My little friend, Andrei - a soon-to-be Chess Star :-)

Analysis with with  good friends Jergen from Denmark & Maik from Germany

Friends, Football and the MVP Black Shoe :-)

Playing with Maik under the watchful eye of Wanda

Playing a friendly blitz with super-fast IM Bjorn Thorfinnsson from Iceland

With Iceland friends Hilmir and Vignir;
as you can make out, they're Hungry for Sun :-)

With Midonet Matthieu from Martinique (his first FIDE tournament was the great one in Gibraltor- Wow, what a tiger!)  btw, if you don't know where Martinique is click here.  You'll not be the first one :-)  

With charming organizer Matteo Zoldan for Best U16 medal

The lead organizer Matteo Zoldan was great.  He was very helpful and cheerful, and during free time kept everyone busy with something or the other - be it excursion trips, chess sessions, soccer or tennis.  He has a Chess Projects company that is working to spread Chess in schools in Italy.  Noble objective.  Thanks and great job, Matteo!    


Finally, would like to thank IM Pierluigi Piscopo for taking many hours of teaching sessions with some players after the tournament and showing us some really neat stuff.