Archive for the ‘My own endeavours’ Category

What’s the plan for today then for bedridden me, unable to walk anywhere, coutesy of the two bad accidents I had in the same day, where I learned the hard way that it’s far better to climb ladders than it is to accidentally fall off them and smash your knees and feet up after hitting the floor hard.

Here’s what I posted on social media about how today will unfold.

Mark. J. McCready, Asia

Updates on today’s chess.

I have to bring it to a close earlier than expected today. I am unused to being discombobulated by my own results. I play very aggressively, often seize the initiative and completely outplay the machine but then I go all wierd and make a complete mess of it. I am yet unable to work out why this keeps happening and left me in a state of disbelief. Before I was born my mother was told there’s no doubt he’ll grow up to be a useless bastard who is crap at everything. That’s not quite true but I have very little ability to assess me own chess and have left myself incapable of working out how things are going so badly wrong with such regularity. This may be because I haven’t had enough time to adjust to, and improve on the style I have adopted for the first time in my life. Most don’t normally change their style of play and I certainly never have. Perhaps it’s to be expected it will take some time before I can get it right, I don’t really know. I just know I keep letting myself down, and its making me wonder whether its really worth it or not. Even though I am putting more effort into it than ever before and enjoying it, my play does not exemplify this and it’s already becoming too embassing to continue on with.

I always think I know what I am talking about and I don’t like it when I can’t work out what’s going so badly wrong. I really should know already but just perhaps, I do need more time to adjust to the radical transformation in my play I have defined my play by. Perhaps I am being impatient as well as unwilling to address the situation. I will promise myself to take a closer look at my games to anaylyze how I go wrong but I am not confident this will change anything, and I amy just have to accept that when I am so gung ho I will get shot down. I am unable to define how chess played in the style I play is experienced. Never in my life have I wanted to stick it to my opponent so much and sacrifice left right and centre. But I am happy to say for the most part I really enjoy it until I cock it up. I was hoping to stay with the adopted style but perhaps it will only ever become something best forgotten about and not to be repeated as I am not good enough to pull it off.

Most importantly of all I am very happy to express much interest in my own chess. The engagement and purpose is more important than what was achieved by it, which remains undefinable courtesy of it overpowering me to disbelief. Hopefully I will remain impressive with my intentions and manifestations of engangement in my own play will develop further, something almost impossible to believe for a good thirty years easily I value contentment more than improvement and have done for quite some time. If I can somehow fuse the two together I will be very impressed with myself. It’s not the norm that I take much interest in my chess and never has been; therefore, it must be welcomed with astonishment or alternatively suspicion as it sounds to difficult to believe and must be a pack of lies. WIsh me luck.

And that concludes McCready’s thoughts on the day proving once again I am by far the greatest useless bastard on the planet and always will be as everyone knows.

Mark. J. McCready

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Opening remarks, I hope you enjoy the oginiality you are about to encounter, an approach opposed to conservatism too, and a sense of pride in my working class upbringing despite it being antithetical to what usually consitutes chess writings. It’s not part of the norm and rather unnerving I suspect. Good if it is. Finding your voice is an aim all writers hope to achieve and is of much greater value than and the opinions of those I have never met, will never know nothing of and have no interest in whatsoever, courtesy of their anonymity which will forever condemn their comments to not worth reading. However, I am willing to concede this post isn’t really worth reading as my account of myself and comments on the world are a little too playful to be believed…ah well, I’ll try to do better next time. Would it help if I said I am by far the baddest, meanest, toughest, most fearsome 1600 player on the planet, capable of finding any mate in one on the board provided I’ve still got a good 25 minutes on the clock still, and have never blundered more than 15 times in a game. I even know how to set the pieces up correctly and can get it done in less than half an hour usually, and if you gave me a pencil to write my name on the scoresheet, it usually take me less than an hour to work out which end you write with, not that I ever write the moves down though, I was told only trannys do that.

Having always been rubbish at chess, it’s very pleasing to redefine my approach and adopt a style of play hyper-aggressive when the intitiative is often seized by sacrifical attacks. I so very nearly beat my electronic friend tonight. I had the game completely won and was spoilt for choice on how to finish him off. But because I am not only rubbish at chess, I’m also a useless bastard, I went and bollocked it up, much to my disappointment. It was my every intention to really stick it to my electronic friend tonight and beat it for the first time. I almost wiped it off the board but got exited and forgot how rubbish I am and bound to mess it up. Which I did, as expected. Go have a look at the game and ask, how on earth could anyone throw that away? Don’t ask me, I don’t even know. It will be quite sometime before I can overcome the disbelief, I estimate about 25 years. It’s killed my interest in redefining my approach to chess completly, I’ll never believe I had it so easily won then blew it, my confidence in myself hasn’t just been sledgehammered, it’s been completely obilterated But to end on a positive note, I do have a chance I can succeed, and it’s only a 10,000,000-1 shot,so wish me luck. Lamentably, If I ever do play chess devoid of confidence, I am usually proper fucked and get massacred always.

To conclude, I sincerely apologize for not having the writing skills required to describe the absolutely appalling way in which I threw the game away. But I do accept in life there are sometimes things we experience we will never be able to understand or believe, I just suppose who are completely rubbish at something should expect this infrequently. But to inspire those who have read this, if like myself disbelief in how crap you are will remain ever present in your life, it is still possible to gain pleasure from playing. It happened to me once 30 years ago, and it’s safe to assume you will experience the same thing at some point in the next 40 years or so, like one of my best friends did. So it’s not all doom and gloom. But I should warn you when he walked into the car park after the match, he got a smack in the mouth and a kick in the bollocks for winning, and when questioned his opponent refused to say the name of the mental home he’d just been let out of too. So be sure you opponent is the amiable type and hasn’t just been let out of a mental home.

Mark. J. McCready

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I am in the process of reducing down online chess to the point of elimination and reintroducing computer chess. The principle reason being I have picked up veyr bad habits with online chess and have become too used to weak opponents and bad moves being played against me. It’s had a very detrimental effect, so I have started playing computer engines to eliminate this.

But there’s something I can’t quite put my finger on. It’s all so depersonalizing. This is symptomatic of my ability because my primary focus should be my own moves and not my opponents. Play the board not the man as Simon Webb once said in Chess for Tigers, I need to starat complexifying my decision making procedure when I play because I have identified I don’t like it when I make bad moves: the more infrequent they become the better, More concentration required…

Hope springs eternal…

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On Sunday April 24th, 1988 Luton town centre was quiet indeed because half the town went off to see Luton beat Arsenal in the Littlewoods cup final. I didn’t go. Instead, I entered a Barcley’s bank office next to the Polytechnic college and played a Grandmaster in a simul. Since I’d only being playing competitive chess for three months and he has a 100% record against GM Gary Kasparov, considered by Carlsen to be the greatest player of all time, and also published what was considered to be the best book on the Ruy Lopez for many, many years, which was the opening of our game…erm my chances were rather slim. Nonetheless back then chess was more important than football.

Speed forwards two years and the 1990 world cup was wonderful to watch but I entered a tournament in Hitchin and missed two games on the Sunday (sorry can’t remember which two) but do recall when asked how I got on, I was able to answer I won both my games.

So there you have it, as a teen playing chess took precedence over watching football (and also playing).

Exciting stuff huh?

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Before spending 1 year at a higher college and 4 years at university, my youth reflected an uncritical attitude towards most things and chess was no exception.

In the 91/92 season, depression lifted for the first time in years and I started getting good. I went on a long winning streak and was voted player of the year that season. In the winter of 92, my team had to drive to Rushden to play a league match one evening. I faced S. Ruthin, rated 172. I wore a black fedora hat and plain light blue T-shirt, and had navy DM boots on with purple laces -please do not ask why!

Not exactly a fashion guru and something of a detached creature of habit also! Regarding the draw that evening, I was white and played the birds opening, which you probably know is very drawish (or so said the FM I once beat with it!). I fianchettoed my queen’s bishop and my opponent fianchettoed his king’s bishop to cancel it out. After the were both exchanged there was absolutely no life left in the dead drawn position and a draw was agreed. After the shake of hands I said ‘there goes my winning streak‘, to which my opponent, rather unpleasantly added ‘well, you should have played more for the win then’. But the thing is, of course he had a point. Who in their right mind wants to perpetuate a winning streak by playing very drawish openings? Some kind of detached creature of habit with an uncritical mindset or attitude, that’s who.

I was young, it was over three decades ago, I had not yet entered higher education…

Mark. J. McCready

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I shall keep this as brief as I can because I am too ashamed of myself to write extensively on the subject.

  • I enjoy writing about chess much more than playing chess.
  • I don’t know how long its been like that but I know its many years already.
  • I sometimes feel obliged to post content about myself even though I don’t like looking at it.
  • I lie to myself. I tell myself I write for myself only but its just not true.
  • I tell myself I am funny when I am not.
  • Posts can become uninteresting because sometimes I waffle on.
  • Challenging the conservatism rampant in chess was once an ideal that offended readers.
  • I like to give the impression that I am better at chess than what I really am.
  • If I focus on certain posts too much it gives me chess on the brain, and it takes days to shift it.

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Last month I participated in a classical tournament for the first time in eight years – I didn’t enjoy my chess. It wasn’t a mistake to play because my family enjoyed the experience as a whole -and I was chuffed to see my daughter helping out! Nonetheless, what can we learn from such experiences? What is that one thing, above all else, we should take from chess and apply to life itself? In my humble opinion, it is learning from your mistakes. Okay, so why exactly was it I enjoyed the occasion but not the chess? I shall leave you in the capable hands of GM Speelman.

“…one doesn’t always mind losing, it depends on how you lost. If you played extremely badly you can mind or if its very important but if you are beaten by a very good player in a very good game you mind quite a lot but its not so terrible…”

Grandmaster Clash 16.26 (see previous post)

I agree it is how you lose that matters and not that you lost. I didn’t like being out of practice and being conscious I was playing below par. I didn’t like the sense in which I felt I was letting myself down. I didn’t like seeing carelessness in my play. I didn’t enjoy being out of shape, too rusty, and not really up for it: it wasn’t that I lost, it was how I lost that stopped me from enjoying my chess. Furthermore, I didn’t care for the victories either because once again I felt I was not up to it. Yes I won a prize. A medal and some money but I finished the final game is quickly as I could and left hours before they were awarded. I was done with playing chess like that by then.

Today I saw this:

I have the time. I have the money. I like the city it is hosted in. I will not participate.

The month before there is a tournament in Phuket. I like Phuket. I will not participate.

To reiterate: chess teaches us to learn from our mistakes, and I believe this skill is transferable. I will not endure a repeat of last month this summer. Case closed.

Classical chess is to stay out of reach. A bit of blitz or rapid here and there yes -nothing too serious. That’s it. That’s as far as it goes.

MJM

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For a reason which eludes me somewhat, I made some audio files during the tournament I played in most recently. I strongly suspect I wanted to be sure I didn’t forget how hard I found the whole thing, and I’m fairly sure it’s because I don’t want a repeat of that ever again.

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It’s seven and a half years since I last played competitive chess and my-oh-my do I miss it. So much so how wonderful was it to learn that slap-bang in the middle of next month’s break lies a chess tournament just up the road from where I will be based. Load on in I did – now 2650 Baht (£58) poorer as a result cheap at half the price!

Still with some seventeen days to go, what were those early considerations?

First, which pen to use? The two chosen are both orange inked -here they are.

The black one is better, it writes in orange and is smoother, the other is back up.

Second was headwear. I have worn many hats playing chess over the years and bandanas too, inspired by Mike Muir the singer of Suicidal Tendencies, a band I went to see on October 14th, 1990 and March 6th. 1993.

I have three bandanas; one white and one black (these I always wore to metal concerts), and one multi-coloured (this I wore in Kyoto Japan a lot), and so I thought I would give them a wash and get them ready.

I’m leaving them in there to soak overnight -bandanas in the wash!

Third was, refresh and tidy up my opening repertoire. I looked into the Breyer against the Caro-Kann and am on board with that. The other change is to revert back to the Sicilian Kan from the Taimanov. I don’t like this early Nb5 stuff in that, which FM Gayson played against me recently, and I also don’t like it when white captures on c6. So the Kan, again, it is.

Preferable since I think you bring your queen’s knight out too early in the Taimanov.

The remaining considerations are what food and drink to bring to the hotel, whether to arrive on the day or the day before, and what to do in the half-day we have (ATV Tour looks most likely).

I am reading Rowson’s T7DCS, and analyzing chess positions deeply, that’s enough for now.

The province it is being held in Nakhon Nayok, just north-east of Bangkok. It is shaded light green and if you look in the top right corner you will see a blue dot. That is a lake and next to it is a white dot, that’s where the tournament hotel is (see below).

https://www.ingtarnresort.com

Updates a day on…

One of the benefits chess gives us is it teaches us the importance of learning from our mistakes. Entering a tournament rusty is something I have done before quite a few times and do not wish to repeat. And so… .

Forth was putting a PGN viewer (Chess PGN Master) and Engine (Stockfish 15.1) on my Samsung Tablet, so that I have better access to analysis, where I may choose to store my games. Because the interface is customizable, after looking and playing around I settled on the aforementioned.

My LTFC look 🙂

Fifth was entering a Rapid tournament the weekend before.

It is a necessity to bring chess back into my life and reacquaint with that presently not within my reach. The following question is what comes next?

As it stands: March 29th Bangkok Chess Club visit

March 31st FIDE Rated Rapid Tournament

April 5th-9th CAD Nakhon Nayok International Open

Sixth consideration is how much cider is consumed throughout? A tough question indeed.

Mark. J. McCready

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If, like thyself, you’ve put your back into reading up on all that past, across days, weeks’, bank holiday week ends and months woven together, pat yourself on the back, sit yourself back down, and have a cup of tea, just ad milk and 1-2 sugars.

As a first year undergraduate writing away in leafy Hertfodshire, the two modules I took for history 15/16th century English history and the Industrial Revolution -both well worthy of study for this unbiased Brit with nothing better to do anyway.

My lecturer used to makes jokes about our industrial revolution, one was him going back in time asking people who it’s like to through the industrial revolution, with one answer being ‘oh are we, I thought we just sold more stuff’!

Back in the hallowed antiquities in the 1990s, where governance in the UK went into slow decline, everyone watched The Spice Girls and Mr.Blobby: unspeakable acts of crime were committed at my chess club in a manner that was as perfunctory as it was unforgiveable.

The 90s was not a digital era as such, clubs that had records kept them on paper. It was all paper back then. All our league tables, match cards, team lists, and rating lists were sent to the lockers in the football club’s changing room, then some months later lobbed out. Makes your spine chill doesn’t it?

In our modern age everything is digital and exists in the form of data. It doesn’t get lost.

It’s very saddening to think back to those evenings where match results were thrown out. No historian would do that. Instead they would classify them as primary source material, most likely they would remain covered. It was a great shame that our president Ken Liddle saw them as taking up space and to be slung out.

We value data and information much more now, which in turn means we are compelled to think of the 90s as depressing, from a historical perspective. Sadly the question of who a game scoresheet belong to in the modern game is a complex one, and to some degree, debatable.

Note to self: If you are interested in playing through the 496 competitive matches you wrote scoresheets for, erm, maybe not go up into loft and chuck the lot out -bloody hypocrite!

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