Reflections

I've been thinking about yesterday and I probably shouldn't be feeling too down. I've only been playing since August of last year, whereas most of the people I played yesterday have been playing for years. I think I just need time for some of the tactical motifs to really sink in and become second nature. Something else is telling me to ditch the openings I've been playing, and just stick to classical e4 openings etc.

I left when my last game finished, so I don't know if Johnny Nelson turned up for the prize giving, he wasn't mentioned on the night. Also, Michael Adams wasn't mentioned, all I heard about him was the £25 fee people had to pay to enter the simul with him. No thanks.

I'd say yesterday was definitely worth it though, and hopefully I'll stick with chess and in a few years time I'll come back to a tournament like this and get more than half a point. The only point I really started feeling depressed yesterday was in game 4, when I resigned after 14 moves, because move 15 would be mate! I couldn't believe I'd walked into it. Rounds 5 and 6 were both trounces when I had already lost my confidence.