Chess Tournament

Entry, 1/21/23:

Today is the second time I am participating in an official chess tournament. I am ranked as the lowest player (only in the 600s) but I'm still excited. If you have to arrive early to help set up and get the tournament underway. Chess, like a lot of things in civil society, are only carried forward by the passion and energy of those who give their time freely to a cause.

Kids, older folks, people coming as far as Georgia and Tennessee all shuffle in. Aladdin, the unofficial leader of the chess club in Oxford Alabama is particularly the reason why chess as a game in the area.

Just scanning the room and it is easy to see that the players are disproportionately men/boys and white. It's why Aladdin is so keen to put pressure on parents to get their girls interested in the game.

And there are signs that this type of encouragement and proselytizing are working. When I see the younger players they are much more diverse than those my age or older.

Last tournament I won 1 game, lost 2 games, and 1 draw.

We will see how it goes today.

UPDATE: At the half point of the tournament. First game I did really well. I could have won it but made a few mistakes (didn't activate my king or knight fast enough). I played the game very carefully and it ended in a draw.

Between the first two games an older player from NY started talking to me.

I really need to learn to lie to people, especially old white men, when it comes to what I do for a living. Once he found out I was a historian he started telling me how Confederate monuments were fine, that George Floyd was a drug addict and that's why he died, and that reparations were ridiculous.

He assured me that he was not a racist because he was "from New York."

I tried to say something a few times but he just talked over me, and I finally just walked away.

I hate these conversations. I always feel like I have failed in these circumstances. I should have changed their minds or at least done a better job standing up for the truth. The conversation was still on my mind during the next game, and I reverted to bad habits. Developed the queen too quickly, did not get tempo, and by mid game had totally lost. When I blundered and lost the queen I played on for a few more moves but I could tell the other player was like, "Yep, this is all over."

As it stands now: 1 draw, 1 loss. Hopefully will do better in the second half.

UPDATE:

I won my final two games. This potentially sets me up to get third place. It will just depend on how the other players finish.

So, my score was 2 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss. 2.5 points altogether.

The "I'm not racist because I'm from New York" man was there and complaining by the score sheets that too many people were wearing masks. I hope he lost all of his games.

UPDATE: 1/22/23

Received word that I officially won third place in my division and first place in the "under 800" category. I got 75 dollars, and this will definitely boost my official rating for future chess tournaments.

End Entry