I started out really great with 4 draws against a 2296 FM, a 2327 IM, a 2118 dude (where I actually gave the exchange for a pawn) and a 2150 guy (where I took the risk of a doubtful variation which, if not answered correctly, would give me pleasant play). Great start - good games!
I had the bishop pair against a rook and a pawn against the FM with strange pawn structures on both sides and with some 7 minutes left I wasn´t really sure how to judge the position. Against the IM the game was pretty drawish until I played a bit too passive (protecting my own pawn instead of giving it up and attacking his). But in the endgame he was playing too weak (and I would say on the wrong side of the board), so I managed to secure the draw.
Game 5 was a loss due to a "Fingerfehler" right in the opening (for all Non-Englishmen: it is used like Kindergarten or Wanderlust, or the commonly known "Zugzwang"): my knight had to go to d2 and I knew it, but when grabbing the piece, my hand moved it to e1 instead... a mistake that was punished by a 2128-guy. Fair enough
Games 6 (a loss) and 7 (a draw) will be part of tonights post mortem - and be published in parts...
Sooo - unfortunately, after a superb start I fucked things up in game 5 and 6. Due to these two losses I am finally left with a minus of some 10 FIDE rating points. The draw in game 7 was unnecessary, but I actually had NO CLUE at all about what was going on - so it was justified...
The series of 4 good results against cleary stronger players serves as good indication that I, indeed, became stronger. I was far from getting into time trouble - only in game 5, after it was already lost, it took me all the remaining time to accept that it was over. In addition, I really felt like my intuition became stronger, allowing me to focus on the important pieces and parts of the board. Something that, according to A. Smith, is due to practising my PAT...
This feeling makes me HUNGRY for the coming tournaments!
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