Summer Break

My Lenovo laptop crashed. 

Today I walked to Best Buy on Michigan Ave and purchased a Lenovo for $200.

Because I lost a few days of writing I will end the daily summer entries. 

Monk Life - Day 22

I ran two miles today under a white sky. Did not do much for the rest of the day. 

Began reading The Winter of Our Discontent, Steinbeck's final novel.

Monk Life - Day 21

I played the CCC #41 Plus Score today. 

I took a bye in rd 2 and skipped the final round due to fatigue. 

Drew a 1660 player in rd 1 and lost to a 1905 player in rd 3. 

In rd 3 I played the King's Gambit from the white side for the first time in a tournament. I surprised myself by holding a slight edge throughout the middle game and even had a chance for a winning game but I missed the move. When my time went under ten minutes I could no longer think long on any one move and this caused the usual problems of miscalculation and I blundered away a good game. 

Even though I have not played competitively in four months I feel my chess studies are allowing me to improve and gain a deeper understanding of this fascinating and complex game.

CCC #41, July 6, 2019, Round 3.

J/A. Jarath - 

1.e4 e5 2.f4 d5 3.exd5 exf4 4.Bb5+ Bd7 5.Qe2+ Qe7 6.Bxd7+ Nxd7 7.d4 O-O-O 8.
Bxf4 Qb4+ 9.c3 Qa5 10.Nf3 Ngf6 11.O-O Qxd5 12.Nbd2 Bd6 13.Bxd6 Qxd6 14.Qc4
Rhf8 15.Rae1 Nb6 16.Qb5 Nfd5 17.Ne5 a6 18.Qd3 f6 19.Nec4 Nxc4 20.Nxc4 Qc6 21.
Nd2 h6 22.Qf5+ Kb8 23.Re6 Qd7 24.Rfe1 g5 25.g3 Ka7 26.c4? (the losing move, made in time trouble)  Nf4 27.gxf4 Qxd4+ 28. Kh1 Qxd2 29.R6e2 Qd6 30.fxg5 hxg5 *

Monk Life - Day 20

I did a lot of walking the past two weeks and this caused my feet to blister and a toe to cramp. 

Today I took it easy and walked to the library to study chess. Checked out my favorite chess book, Psychology in Chess by N Krogius, always an inspiration to read prior to a tournament.

Read Rubinstein's Chess Masterpieces -

g67 Mieses/Rubinstein (J)

Read Psychology in Chess -

Tal/Gligoric; Tal/Rosetto; Ilyin-Z/Nenarokov 1922;

Ilyin-Z/Nenarokov 1923 (J)

Monk Life -Day 19

Returned home and walked to a Nepalese restaurant with a friend, then we walked the lakefront trail and watched the fireworks at Navy Pier. 

Studied Aagaard. Will go to the library tomorrow to pick up chess books I put on hold.

Read Aagaard Attacking Manual I -

Karolyi/Hector; Najdorf/Gliksberg;

Yusupov/Ivanchuk (J)

Monk Life - Day 18

Visiting my parents today, will stay until tomorrow. Reading Aagaard's Attacking Manual I.

Read Aagaard Attacking Manual I -

Nicklich/Junge; Hector/Mortensen;

Persson/Grooten (J)

Monk Life - Day 17

My laptop battery is dying so it will be difficult to keep things up to date.

Monk Life - Day 16

No running to allow the toe cramp and blisters to heal, but managed to walk twelve miles and decided to register for my first chess tournament since the Vietnam Saigon FIDE International, the Chicago Chess Center Plus Score #40, open section, Saturday, July 6, g65 d5, 4 rounds.