Chess tournaments often require careful preparation. As someone who typically dedicates 4-6 weeks to focused study and online practice games before major events, entering the Washington Class Championships’ adult section just days before was decidedly out of character for me. Yet sometimes, the best decisions are made on impulse, especially when they align with our core beliefs.
I’ve long advocated that playing slow games is the cornerstone of chess improvement. When the opportunity arose to participate in the four-round Game 90 (with 30-second increments) at the Washington Class Championships from November 29th to December 1st, I decided to practice what I preach. Sometimes, you need to step away from training and simply play.
My first-round pairing couldn’t have been more significant: I was matched against Viktors Pupols, a living legend in Northwest Chess. Before our game began, he shared a remarkable detail – his first tournament was in 1953, a testament to his enduring passion for the game. Having previously won against him a couple of years ago by securing an early piece advantage, I approached our match with both respect and determination.
My strategy was deceptively simple: play solid, active chess while avoiding careless mistakes. While this might sound like a universal game plan, executing it against a player of Pupols’ experience and craftiness would prove to be anything but straightforward. My work would be cut out for me.
The game opened with Pupols employing the Colle System [D04], a choice that revealed his strategic depth. His development was measured and reserved, seemingly designed to either lure me into passive play or provoke an overextension. It’s a psychological approach that has likely served him well over his decades of tournament play.
As Black, I faced the classic dilemma in Queen’s pawn openings – when to play c5 to contest the center and activate the light-squared bishop. While I initially hesitated, I eventually found an unexpected path forward through e5, opening the center and securing an early advantage. This deviation from standard play proved effective, though the journey was far from smooth.
2024 Washington Class Championships – Round 1
Even with a comfortable position, chess has a way of humbling us. My 15th move (…d3), which I initially thought brilliant, turned out to be a significant oversight. This moment reinforced a crucial lesson: attacking play doesn’t negate the need for careful piece deployment. Sometimes, repositioning pieces to their optimal squares is more valuable than forcing an immediate breakthrough. What seemed like an imminent piece advantage transformed into a different kind of positional dominance.
Tactical awareness ultimately proved decisive. By move 17, careful calculation allowed me to win a piece, though Pupols, true to his fighting spirit, ensured the battle was far from over. While my middlegame technique held firm after securing this material advantage, the endgame revealed areas for improvement. Even in victory, critical self-analysis is vital for growth. My handling of the king and rook endgame, while sufficient, showed hesitation in piece placement that warrants further study.
This game, beyond its result, exemplifies why over-the-board tournament play remains irreplaceable for chess development. Each match, especially against experienced opponents like Pupols, offers lessons that transcend mere winning and losing. Sometimes, the best preparation is simply sitting down at the board, making decisions, and learning from both our successes and imperfections.
The Washington Class Championships reminded me that while preparation is valuable, the courage to simply play and test ourselves in competitive settings is equally important. After all, chess improvement isn’t just about studying – it’s about experiencing the full spectrum of challenges and emotions that only tournament play can provide.
For fun, I uploaded this game to Chess.com for analysis. Here is the output:
A 2550 huh? That’s being generous but I did have a good game.
Please share any thoughts you have regarding this game, games you have played during the Washington Class Championships or any similar tournament.