This weekend 3 SCBC coaches played in the George Washington Open in Reston VA. Mike Callaham played in the Under 1800, Master Coach Jason Moorefield played in the Major, and Coach Avijith Rajan in the Under 2100. Mike earned 4/5 = 3 wins 2 draws and 0 losses, finishing 2nd, 2nd/61, Coach Jason earned 3.5/5 = 3w 1d 1l finishing 3rd, 8/64 and Coach Rajan earned 3/5 = 3w 0d 2l, finishing 4th, 12th/48! Our carpool of fun and laughs was from left to right; Mike Callaham, Mike Valentino, Patrick Spain, Avijith Rajan.
We came we saw and we did some damage. I’m never going to tell my students that with what we teach, it’s Ok to lose chess games. I see and hear it all the time! You can’t win them all, you have to get experience, you learn more from your losses… It’s all nonsense! I encourage my students by telling them, “Your opponent’s parents, coaches, friends and family expect them to lose games in this tournament! Your job is make sure you don’t disappoint them!! At SCBC we’ve got a formula that explains success and failure at the chess board! The formula can be used by anyone that knows when a chess game is over! Winning and losing are now a will or won’t not a can or can’t. As your rating increases and the opponents get harder, the only thing needed is more discipline! Why am I so serious?! For years I’ve been telling everyone around me, if you’re losing with the SCBC system, it’s because you don’t really care about winning! I’ve listened to student after student and class after class repeat word for word what they are supposed to be doing at the board. Then when they get to a tournament they’re as bad as a chef who keeps trying to turn, ‘over easy” eggs with a fork, a knife, spoon, an ice-pick, toothpick, or anything instead of a spatula?! Our system is so simple that if you’ve been taught it and won’t use it, it could be said that checks, captures, threats, and sacrifices just aren’t important to how you, “want” to play chess?! I don’t make this stuff up, I’m just reporting. lol
The looks my wife would give me if I told her we are going for a 2 hour drive to pay to enter a tournament, pay for lodging, pay for food, take up the whole family’s day or weekend, and I will habitually be ignoring checks, captures, threats, and sacrifices that exist for both sides!? LOL!
Our mantra has 4 parts! We gave out part 1 of the rule in 2011, then part 2 of the rule in lessons, classes, lectures, camps, training guides and videos. Rajesh Pandit’s whole family increased over 1200 points in just 6 months. We’ve had tremendous success at getting kids over 1000 but they have other activities and the proximity of events that will test them requires travel. I’m working on it and that’s beset with many unique and hidden challenges as well! We continue the never ending search for another Jason Morefield, Jennifer Yu or Praveen! Someone that wants to win and is willing to work! If parents, spouses, and coaches got the Mike’s wife face more often instead of coddling them with, ” Do you understand? “, that would cause their ratings to go up a lot faster!?
I’ve decided to just go get the examples of the system in action myself! Last year I set a goal to see just how unbeatable I can become using discipline and my SCBC System!!
The 6 points and 8 winning positions I produced in the World Open in July did little to change peoples behavior! They were still doing the chant without doing the dance!? So I decided that 1, whether they use it or not, I will teach it to my coaching staff. Then 2, I will lead by example!
At 57 the biggest challenges are fatigue, being able to make good decisions from the information my system gives me about the position, and having the fortitude, strength, discipline and character to fight relentlessly for a win, a draw, and no losses. I’m usually abhorrent about things like 5 hour energy and the like but for this tournament in addition to my CBD, I used our, “My Daily Choice” Boost and the Brain sprays before the beginning of each round. The change in my alertness was instantaneous, invigorating, and enduring. I didn’t have so much as 1 yawn while I was playing. The also helped me get to form faster! I should have used them at the World Open!! I won’t play in a tournament without them again! Don’t get me wrong, I need to be in better shape and I need to study, but it’s a relief knowing that I won’t be falling asleep at the board anymore!
I’ll be posting the games from the GWO just like I did for the games from the World Open! Round 2 and 5 may be of theoretical importance. Next stop is The Northern Va Open 20-22 March!!
[Event “World Open U 1800”]
This system has nuisance value but is considered by all of theory to be one of the weakest answers to the Philidor!} c6 6. Qd2 Qc7 7. O-O-O Be7 8. h4 b5 9. Bd3 a5
It’s amazing to me how these young players find such good moves at times. Black has equalized and is slowly creeping up on the initiative. White’s next move is the computer’s top choice. That for me is very instructive!} 10. Ne2! h6 11. dxe5? I know that calculating ed and de every turn is annoying! It’s one of the features I like about this opening. According to Kosten and the article I published in 2010, black has the better center because he has pawn control of d5 while white does not have control of d4. There are other benefits but hey, I’m not going to tell you everything and leave myself nothing to play?! LOL (11. Be3 Ng4 Black has a small advantage here. White had to play Ng3, Kb1, h5, Kb1, Nh2, or c3. de was 11th on the list. 12. Ng3 Ndf6 13. Qe2 a4 14. a3 Bd7 15. Rhe1 O-O Black is definitely in the drivers seat.) 11… dxe5 12. Bxf6 {Just retreat the thing for crying out loud. This is where studying would have paid off. This move aids my development and gives me the bishop pair! Nxf6 13. Qc3 Bd6
Qb6?! According to the computer 19 …Bc5 is stronger and it’s also begging for a5-a4. I’m exhausted and I’m just relying on our methods and procedures to get me through the game!} (19… Bc5 20. Rdf1 a4 21. Nf5 a3 22. b3 Qa5 23. Qd2 Qa7 24. Qc3 b4 25. Qe1 Nxf2 26. Rh4 Rd7 27. Nxe5 Bxf5 28. exf5 Re8 29. f6 gxf6 30. Qd2 Rxe5 31. Qxh6 Rxd3 Wins the game!!) 20. Rhf1 Bc5 21. Rd2 a4 22. Nf5
Be3? What am I doing?? (26… Bb4 27. Qf2 Qa5 28. Rdd1 Bxh5 29. Qh4 Bd2 30. c3 Qxc3 31. Rxd2 Bxf3 32. Rc2 Qxd3 33. Rxf3 Qd1+ 34. Rc1 Qd4) 27. Re2 Bxf3 28. Rxe3 Bxh5 29. c4 bxc4 30. Bxc4 Rd1+ 31. Qxd1 Bxd1 32. Rxf7
My last round won’t make it to the analysis. I could have simply withdrawn. I was absolutely useless. You could have set up 50 winning positions and if they were beyond a wbwbw//bwbwb I would have blown them all. My 1st World Open was a smashing success for me and the principle I teach. I’m very happy. 1/2-1/2
Scholarship Chess Business Center 