Exmouth and a Golden Wedding

We had a very hectic week last week, so no blog for a while. Easter weekend saw us at the WECU congress in Exmouth. This time we made it all the way there with our van intact. After unloading I then had the enjoyment of spending most of the easter weekend in a room under the playing hall with the bookstall. However, there were plenty of people to talk to and the weather outside wasn't too good. Most mornings John and I managed a short walk before opening the shop and then we took it in turns at lunchtime to go for a walk.

After getting home on the Monday evening, Tuesday was a hectic work day. We had to post out our internet sales and bring the internet shop up to date with the weekend sales. We also had some engraving to do (we recently purchased an engraving machine).

On Wednesday we had the shopping to do for my parents' golden wedding party on the Thursday. Fortunately, most, although not all, came from one shop. I had been planning the menu for weeks and had now taken to dreaming about it. My only concern was if I was unable to get a side of salmon - I needn't have worried.

Thursday was spent preparing food, transporting tables, chairs, crockery and food to my parents' house and then further preparation. Why do salads all need preparing at the last minute? Still, it all seemed to go well and the food was enjoyed. People were impressed by the 'golden yellow' table cloths - normally gracing the tables of the bookstall. We had also specially engraved coasters for the occasion - John spent Wednesday evening on that whilst I was busy losing a chess game in Redhill.

Friday was a strange day. We were both exhausted, but the business has to continue. I felt like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders though.

La Dolce Vita, Olympia

Friday was a rare day off when we went to La Dolce Vita at London's Olympia, an exhibition of all things Italian. We last went two years ago, when John was so impressed with the taste of freshly made pasta (after a cookery demonstration by Aldo Zilli) that he asked for a pasta machine for his birthday. I must say that although it takes longer than opening a packet, the results are definitely worth it.
This year one of our quests was to look for ideas and food for my parents' golden wedding party which I'm catering for at the end of March. We were not disappointed, although some items will need to be purchased nearer to the date itself.
We also booked ourselves into the cookery school for a session on filleting fish. I've attempted this a few times in the past, but have found it a little challenging. This time though we both managed to produce good fillets from the sea bass we were given, with very little left on the bone. What they hadn't mentioned was that we were also gutting the fish - fortunately we were also given latex gloves! An aside here, many years ago, just after I had moved into my flat, I was busy gutting mackerel in the kitchen. The door bell rang and I went down to open it smelling of fish and covered in fish blood. I opened the door to an immaculately dressed lady, who introduced herself as one of my new neighbours. Not a good start, but she's still speaking to me!
Later in the day we attended another cookery class, this time for aubergine sauce and stuffed aubergine. Interestingly, I don't like aubergine! However, I am sure that the recipe will translate to other vegetables. (John keeps saying he wants to make the meatballs again).
Another highlight of the show was a stall giving away ice cream. I had a rich, bitter chocolate and a pistachio and chilli - the latter being very spicy but very good. John was on red wine sorbet and a ginger and lemon sorbet. We went back to the stall to find out how we could buy these, only to discover that they can only be bought in one shop, and it is in Turin!
Needless to say that by the end of the day we were exhausted, but we had managed a good few hours without mentioning the business once - quite an achievement.

Blackpool Chess Congress - Part 3

My first game on Sunday, knowing that I needed a win, went into a pawn and opposite colour bishop ending. Twice my opponent offered me a draw, but I was two pawns up and so twice I turned him down. My problem was that my one passed pawn was blocked by his bishop, supported by his king. My king couldn't get round to his other pawns easily, and even then they could be defended by the time I got there. After his second draw offer I thought for a long time and realised that I had to push my pawn majority. This would lose me two pawns for one, but would also enable my past pawn to push on and be swapped for his bishop. If he avoided this I would have two past pawns just two squares off queening. He went for the former option, which also left my king closer to the remaining four pawns on the board. His resignation came soon after.

In the afternoon I knew that nothing less than a win would put me into the prize money. My opponent was graded 13 points higher than me, but I had to go for it. In the endgame, I had a chance to force a perpetual (my opponent would lose his rook if he didn't keep checking me), but decided to continue to play for a win. Wrong decision! I took the king the wrong way and 15 or so moves later the game was lost. I felt gutted to say the least. Needless to say, later that evening I suddenly realised that if I had played a different move I could get to a square where I couldn't be checked and thus could have won. Why is it that I always find the perfect move hours after the game has finished?

Blackpool Chess Congress - Part 2

My first game on Saturday saw my opponent opening 1.f4. A few weeks ago I had learnt a response to this in preparation to play a fellow club member - did I remember this, of course not! Instead I tried to work my way through the opening. I tried to keep things complicated, but came out of a long combination a minor for two pawns down. It wasn't enough compensation and I went on to lose. However, I enjoyed the game. I have been told since to "play for where you want to be in five years time and not where you want to be today" and that the more aggressive and attacking you are the more likely your opponent is to miss something.

In the afternoon I faced a junior from the London area. Not a good omen - he's come all the way from London and he's playing up a section. Fortunately I was white and he did seem to have to think about my opening moves. Although he spent most of the game a pawn up, I did have compensation. Towards the end I had the lovely situation of my queen being en prise to his queen. However, I ignored this and took his extra pawn (which was now past) with my rook, leaving it en prise to his rook. If he took either piece, I had a mate in two or three moves. He saw this and moved his rook to prevent this and offered me a draw. I knew that I couldn't afford a draw, either in terms of his grade or in terms of the competition, so I turned it down, taking another pawn with my queen. Yes, it was probably drawn at this point, but fortunately my opponent then blundered his other rook and resigned after my next move.

Blackpool Chess Congress

Friday saw us travelling north to the Blackpool Chess Conference - probably the largest weekend chess congress in the country. We always say that there are no easy games at Blackpool, and yet again this proved to be the case. With a grade of 101, John had to play in the intermediate section this year (under-120) whilst I stayed in the minor (under-100).

On arrival, almost the first people we met were the Isle of Man group. It was good to meet up with them again and here the progress on the Isle of Man congress.

John's first game was against a grade 112 and he managed a draw. I was drawn, again, against the same opponent as I played on Saturday morning in Exeter (and who I may be playing in an inter-club match on Thursday). This time I was white and was determined not to go pushing pawns without good reason. The result, I went the exchange up, then a bishop up, then blundered the bishop back. I turned a draw down, partly because I was cross with myself for losing the bishop, partly because I was still the exchange up, and partly because John was still playing and I didn't want to sit around waiting for him. Apparently, we went into an ending which, with best play, was drawn. I, of course, was unaware of this and eventually went on to win with under 3 minutes left on my clock. This for someone who never gets into time trouble was quite an achievement. So, as the round ended, we headed off to our hotel, rather later than we would have liked, but both pleased with our results.

East Devon Congres, Exeter, Part 3

After a good night's sleep, I felt much more awake on Sunday. I also had all to play for as I knew that I would be disappointed with anything less than 3 out of 5 points. My morning opponent, a lady who I had played a lot in the past, although not since the mid 1990s, had never lost to me. However, times change and I went into the game feeling reasonably confident. We went into a complicated middlegame exchange where I thought that I would come out a pawn up, but it was so complicated that I just couldn't work the whole thing out. All I could do was to try to ensure that everytime she took one of my pieces or pawns, I took one of hers back. We came out of the exchange and I counted the pawns left on the board, 6 each. Now I would have my work cut out as the game was much simplified and it wouldn't be difficult to swap off into an equal ending. I did not want a draw - what to do? A couple of moves later I noticed that I could only see one of her bishops, looking more closely, I realised that whilst I was able to count to 6, 2 seemed more of a problem! I had come out of the exchange a minor piece up and was now more than happy to swap off into an ending, which I went on the win.

In the afternoon a faced a Devon player who I had no experience of. His grade was higher than mine, and, for the second time that day, I was black. Again we went into a complicated exchange, though less complex than the morning. Again it appeared that the exchange would be equal, until careful thought revealed that I could move the final attacked knight to attack his queen which could not defend his also attacked bishop. Again we swapped off into an ending with me a minor piece up. This time though I had to be much more careful. He had threats on and I had to give a lot of thought to the king moves that eventually gave me passed pawns and his resignation.

So, finally I achieved the minimum score that I would be happy with and came away feeling much more confident about my chess. However, the day wasn't over and we still had the bookstall and equipment to pack away - thank you to the organisers for their help in this. Then it was a dash to Chard, where we traditionally stop at the Wetherspoon's for something to eat and a break in the journey. Only they had run out of food! (It was Mother's Day). Fortunately we found an Indian Restaurant still open (although about to close, their faces fell as we walked in). Fortunately for them we only wanted a quick meal and were soon back on our way again.

East Devon Congress continued

Saturday dawned bright and clear, even if I didn't! I'm not sure how little sleep I had, but it definitely wasn't enough. I arrived at the hall to find that my opponent was someone I had played a few times before and who I had a lot of respect for. It was never going to be an easy game, but I pushed a pawn in the middle game that I shouldn't have done and ended up going 2 pawns down. After that things got worse and resignation was the only option.

My afternoon opponent was an unknown entity to me. However, by then I was definitely feeling the lack of sleep, despite going out for a walk at lunchtime. Needless to say I blundered my way through the game, leaving pieces en prise for no good reason and, inevitably, losing. I was not happy, 1 out of 3 in a minor section is not what I expect of myself. By now I had decided that I was hopeless at chess and questioning why I was playing the game. John did his best to reassure, but we've all been there.

The evening was spent in a nearby Indian Restaurant (not surprisingly half full of chess players) followed by a good night's sleep.

East Devon Congress, Exeter

Last Friday saw us travelling down to Exeter. We started setting the bookstall up at 4pm, with the first round starting at 7pm. I was playing and I always go into my first game still thinking about the bookstall and take a while to settle down. It was a good game though, until my opponent blundered as we went into an ending and I went a minor piece up and won the game. Whilst, if I had a choice, I would then scuttle off to our hotel and relax, instead I joined John on the bookstall until the last game had finished. We finally got back to our hotel after 11pm. Unfortunately it was a windy night and we had a persistently banging door to our room. As a result I didn't get a lot of sleep - not good when I was playing the next day.