Mid Summer Slump

So close... yet so far. Earlier in the month my rating at USCF was 1698 following the Stamford CT Northeast Open. I was 2 points away from 1700 ( a goal I have set for my self this summer) then.. I played more tournaments.

First, I went to a one day event in Marlboro on Sunday July 23rd. Four G55's had me finished with only 1.5 points. My rating dropped only a few points to 1692 ( playing in the open section has its advantages)... then the monthly tally from the club's tournament kicked me... after another non stellar performance ... I dropped to 1687... AND THEN... I played at the COntinental Open over the past weekend.

It was a 6 round event... after losing my first three games I reentered for more abuse and lost a 4th game. I won 2 games and lost the last round becuase of a blunder in teh end game... handing my won position over to the opponent. I dropped 30 more rating points with that performance.

THEN.. Last night I was playing someone 200 points lower rated than me. In a skirmish of tactics versus tactics... he offered his queen to me ... but I didn't see the offer until AFTER I moved my king... which allowed him to take MY Queen. Grant it, I had lost power the previous night and had little sleep ( Sleep apnea) and found out my wife lost her job that day. Sure I can make excuses ... but I still have friggin blind spots. These losses are going to leave scars.

I felt like my brain went on vacation and forgot to tell me. My non stellar perfromance losing 6 out of the last 8 games played seems to stem from various problems. For one thing, I found myself paired against someone I beat at a previous tournament ... my prepared opening was stale and HE had a sharper line prepared for mine! In other instances ... it was BlunderProne Strikes again. Some were lost due to pure miscalculation in a middle game tactic.

I find that after doing the seven circles I needed to revamp my openings because I kept getting tripped up over move orders and not really having a good understanding of them. Then, as I put more effort into the opening ...my calculations slip on my tactics... last night I purely lost my vision skills... argh! Its like I have only so much brain... and if I study one area the other has to leak.

Slumping