Last friday I went to my chess club to play an official game. As second board of Westerlo 2 I would have the black pieces against somebody of team Oude God 2. Full of energy I arrived at the club to see nobody was there. What the hell was going on? Nobody to setup the boards and clocks? A quick check on my cellphone revealed that I was one week to early.
Darned, here I was, full of energy, how to release that energy? Lucky for me one of the higher rated players of my chess club, who arrived a little later, wanted to play some 5 minutes chess. I began good with two victories, then lost six games in a row, to come back with two victories before I lost four games again, and so lost this little match with 4 against 10.
Sunday the match Chesslooks 1 versus Westerlo 2 stood on the program. I was first board player. So much confidence by our general team leader, high honours.During the drive towards Lier, hometown of Chesslooks, I pepped myself up to have a high energy.
When ariving at the playing hall the captain of Chesslooks had bad news about there first board. He was rushed to the emergency room twenty minutes before the start of the game with pain in the chest. We hope that he recovers quickly. But it ment that I would win by forfait. With other words, me, full of energy but no way to release it since I would win by forfait. After the official hour was over and my game was declared win by forfeit I took a little stroll into Lier while releasing so now and then a curse word. Energy lost.
Afterall a very disapointing weekend. Ready to play two official chess games and non played. Not what I expected it to be.
So when I started this blog post I wondered what to write about? The only thing I could think of is the question "Is a chess player superstitious"?
I have heared about, seen, smelled, players who didn't changed clothes during a nine days tournament as long they didn't lose no matter how warm or wet the weather was. Others had the same pre game routine as long they didn't lose. Some continued to eat the same breakfast day after day until their first loss. Some would drink the same beverage (bier, cola, lemonade, water, ...) until their first lost game and then change to another beverage until ... .
For some the knights and bishops had to stand in a certain way on the board. Some used the same pen until ..., once the first loss a new pen was used until ... . Certain players used long notation until they lost a game, then short notation was used. And so on and on and on.
Are you superstitious? Answer in the comments!
