My Journey in Europe’s Biggest U2200 Chess Open - Part One
Hello everyone and welcome to my latest OTB tournament recap. The last time I played a classical tournament was in October, where I gained 15 Elo, bringing my Elo up to 1586. Which is good, but not good enough. If you are interested, you can check out how I did there by following this link.
Between the 26th of February and the 2nd of March I have had the toughest challenge of my chess career as I have decided to play in Europe's highest prize fund open for U2200 players with a total prize fund of 18,300 euros.
From intense preparation to navigating tough opponents, this tournament was more than just a series of games - it was an experience filled with lessons, surprises, and unforgettable moments. In this blog, I'll take you through my journey, sharing key games, critical decisions, and what it was like to compete in one of the most competitive U2200 events on the continent.
Round 1
Well, round 1 is almost always a bit of a nightmare for me, because I always have trouble if I have to play after a long car track. I also knew that I would have a very hard opponent, and no preparation is a complete suicide. These were my feelings, and they only got stronger when I found out who my opponent was.
My first round opponent was a Romanian FM, named Suciu Dinu-Simi, who had an Elo rating of less than 2000. I was wondering how someone could be an FM and not be rated over 2000. Well, I've got the answer. Turns out my opponent was rated over 2300 a few years back, but he got into some trouble with drinking and lost about 400 Elo. That's a lot, right?
Well, I can't say much. I was outplayed, even though I knew I'd have been better off with the right lines in the opening. I was aware that my opponent would have been happy with a draw, so I should not have been the one to force a win. It happens. At least I learned some strategic lessons from this game. Let's move on!
Round 2
After round 1, I went back to the hotel and checked the pairings for the next one. It turned out that tomorrow I was going to be playing against a player with a rating of over 1800, called Fulger Ionut-Alexandru. I thought he was a beatable opponent, so I decided to prepare for the next game as I'm going to play with black. Can you guess what opening I found in his ChessBase profile? Yup, the London. I guess that's all I need to say. Let's take a look at the game.
I was shocked to start with 0/2. It was a bit of a shaky start, but I've still got seven rounds to make up for it. I'm only disappointed because I played for a win, taking a risk, and it worked out well. But then, when I saw I was in a good position, I panicked and played a bit recklessly. 0/2 wasn't the result I was aiming for and now it'll be a challenge to climb back to a reasonable position. The main thing I've learned from this game is that I should sometimes let my silly self go and play some normal moves instead of my crazy hallucinations.
Round 3
I'm not going to lie, I didn't really feel like going to the third round, but I told myself that I'd be the one standing up victorious from the board that evening. I checked, and my opponent was an unrated player called Frent Iosif Gruia. I was pretty chuffed to see that I was playing an unrated player, thinking that it would be a free point and I would start tomorrow with one.
At this point I was playing in the second hall which was next to saunas. I have no idea how the organisers managed to make the atmosphere so bad in that hall, but I just couldn't concentrate properly in that hot environment. I drank 3 litres of water during the match, is that proof enough?
I was pretty surprised by how well he played. How would you react if I told you that, among my opponents, he, the unrated guy, was the one who ended up with the most points in the tournament? We both played over 97 accuracy in that game. I was in a really bad mood and thought I'd failed. But I gave myself one last chance...
Round 4
In round four, I broke a milestone. This was my first game against someone from another country. I was playing in the same shit hall, against a 12-year-old Polish guy. He was rated 1400 FIDE, and from what I saw on his profile, his results were a bit all over the place. He's beaten some strong players in the past, but lost to some beginners. So, I'm thinking, let's see if I can somehow trick him.
Gosh, I felt so bad for my opponent. I know it's just a game and things happen, and I've been in that situation before, but to win like this really stings. I even said sorry at the end of the game. He replied, "My mistake." I'm sure you can guess who else said something similar. I was back in the game, but I didn't feel the usual joy of winning. I felt ashamed. I ruined a kid's dream of beating a higher-rated player from a winning position. I guess I'm just a bit remorseful sometimes, but I just felt bad.
Round 5
Alright, so I came back after winning a game that I didn't really deserve. I really wanted to win this one, especially since my opponent was rated 1700. I'd prepared some good lines and was in good spirits. For the first time in the tournament, I started the game with my main weapon, the English Opening, because I thought I might be able to take advantage of an opening that isn't as well known as the others. I'm still playing in that awful hall and one of the main reasons I wanted to win was to get back into the main hall.
This game was an unusual one. I played a very ambitious game of chess, but unfortunately I overlooked the unnatural move g5, which had a significant impact on the game. I was able to defend myself tenaciously, and ultimately achieved a swindle victory. I am uncertain as to what transpired when I took on d6, as that was not my intention. Nevertheless, it was a very enjoyable game and I am back in business.
Conclusion
So, that's how part one of my recap ends. I'd originally planned to write it all in one go, but then my laptop stopped working and I was busy competing in BlogChamps, so I wouldn't have been able to finish my recap in time as I'd lost my files. But I guess 2.5/5 isn't too bad in a tournament as strong as this, and at this point I already had a rating change of around +10, which is pretty decent. But this is where the fun begins, as I climbed up the standings and from now on, my weakest opponent was rated around 1860, which will make my games even harder. What do you think about my games? Let me know what you think in the comments!
