Chess move by move

[I previously posted this at chess.com 5/27/08]
Over the Memorial Day weekend, I participated in the 17th Annual Chicago Open, that took place at Westin Hotel (Chicago North Shore), Wheeling, IL. It was amazing seeing all the people that play the game. It was bigger than the previous big tournaments that I played in, (Mid-America Open being one of them).
I started off on a bad note by losing my first game. I had registered for the 3-day schedule, which meant that I would play the first two games at G70 (---play all the moves in 70 minutes). Time was not an issue for me, as I rarely use up a whole hour during my games. However, I wondered if I would be too tired after those two games to focus on the third longer game game 40/2, SD 1... or whether I would be "forced" to play unusually fast, ... or if I lost the first game, would I be able to recover quickly, (playing back to back games)? Since I would spend about $1,000 to play in the tournament ($220 Entry Fee, $90/day hotel accomodation, $x meals, $z transportation, etc), I needed to give myself the great chances to play the best Chess I am capable of. So, despite being tired from the travel, and other things, I decided to play the 4-day schedule. Lucky enough, I didn't have to pay extra to switch (as was the case with people who were moving from one section to the next!) So, I ran back to my room, did some stretching exercises, showered, and tried to focus on Chess before the game. I played the first game, and lost! Now time became my ultimate foe! I could not wait for the next game. Instead of getting over the loss within minutes or a few hours, I had at least 12 hours to think and feel my loss, and mull over it. It was a long 12 hours. I also knew that to win or even get a prize, I would have to win almost all the remaining games. At a minimum, I should not drop a point! Lucky enough, I won all my remaining games and ended up sharing first place (with 6 points).
http://www.uschess.org/msa/XtblMain.php?200805263911.3
I will post my games, thoughts and reflections in the next couple of days.
Click here for the first round loss.
Click here for the second round win.