8/8/1987. I travelled to another state to visit an old chess buddy. Won’t mention what state, because someone might be able to figure out what GM was involved.
Anyway, it’s a small tournament in a small town held by a small chess club. 40/60, 20/20, G/20 I believe. Top prize is all of 40 bucks or so. I notice there’s actually a GM in it. Anyway, I go 2-0. Third round, there it is, I’m paired with Mr. GM. Me, a 2050 or so player.
I play the opening badly. Figure i’m going to lose easily. But something happens. The game goes on. And on. And on. It gets wild. Time pressure on both sides. Both sides have winning, losing, drawing chances. It’s a mess. Mr. GM is sweating. Well, it was summer. Past 1 time control. Past two. Into the third. I still have chances, even winning, deep into the game.
On the 82nd move, in a losing position, and my flag about to fall about 1 minute ahead of his, I resign. Mr. GM is gracious, says i played helluva game. He leaves the area to get something to eat quickly before next round.
I'm totally unprepared for what follows.
The crowd of players swarms me. They line up to congratulate me. People patting me on the back, even people who weren’t in the tournament. The head of the club offers me free membership to their club (I politely decline, pointing out i live 500 miles away). What’s behind all this?
Some guy tells me what’s going . He says "that bleeping grandmaster comes here and easily collects the 40 BUCKS. This is the first time somebody a least actually made the bleep-bleep-bleep WORK FOR HIS MONEY !!!
How about this one… Unique because being so tired I put my Queen en prise on move 4, lose it on move 6, and still manage to hold for another sixty moves. Mate would not have come until move 79 (though my opponent did miss a mate around move 54.) Bad chess, but I had fun holding out.
I was once in a game that I had played very well during about the first 30-35 moves, winning a pawn in the middlegame, and then a piece some time later. I had too much coffee, and had to keep going to the bathroom during our game. And there was a line! The time control was G/60, so it became an issue. By the time of the end, I was a piece and 3 pawns ahead, about to promote. Somehow he wrangled his knight and rook together, and checkmated me in one move, in the middle of the board. I never saw it coming. Needless to say, I was upset, but did my best to remain a good sport about it.
I don’t drink much coffee at chess tournaments any more!
