Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Matsudo Chess Club Event

A few weeks ago I played in a small tournament hosted by the Matsudo Chess Club, way out in the north-east of Tokyo. It was only my second tournament so far in this Japanese capital.

When I say small, I mean just 36 players. It wasn't so much that they couldn't attract more players, but that the club had deliberately limited the number of participants to just that total. I suspect it was due to the limited space available. (Hec, there are drinking bars here that seat no more than 8-10 people!)

Just as well really, as the whole business seemed less like a tournament than just a friendly Sunday social. Despite my still absent Japanese lingo skills, I still managed to mingle and communicate. Actually, virtually all of my opponents spoke a tidbit of English.

After months of inactivity, my play was exactly as I'd expected: horrible. I found myself totally unable to calculate the simplest of tactics and even forgetting lines that I'd been playing for years! Not to mention that I completely abandoned the important rule: always assume best play for your opponent.

As a result, my 4-game outing netted just the paltry single point! Two draws and 2 losses.

No games of mine are worth showing. But, as per usual, I at least have photos for you to look at. They are on my flickr site here.

High up on ninth floor is a view of Tokyo. At least a bit of of this vast metropolis.

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