Overall, it was a successful tournament for me as a coach - several of my students finished in the prize winners' list, some deservedly, some not. Thought I'd like to highlight the deserving ones here:
What I like about this boy was the focus and concentration he puts in every of his games. He had tough positions against the top boards, lost mainly due to his inability to handle the clock situation (most of his games finished near the 2 min mark). However, he hardly lets slip a winning game, which I'd say is commendable. If I were to describe him in one word - Phlegmatic. With more tournament exposure and diligence at his game, he should be a reckoning force in the U12s very soon.
N had a rather good tournament, though his moves are often one-move triggers befitting at his age,. His dogged determination showed once again. Though a whole Rook down in one of his games, he managed to checkmate his opponent with a lone Bishop in a rather peculiar position. Credit must go to him for spotting the mate. He also showed good tactical vision, managed to play double attacks recovering his sacrificed material (I saw him execute one and for a moment my heart was in my mouth). It's really a wonder if children were to apply themselves wholeheartedly at chess without distractions that you'd see such growth.
There were others who require more self-reflection in their play, mainly due to the attitude they displayed at the game. Some had good positions, started becoming complacent and gave the position away. Others didn't work at their calculations hard enough when they were beginning to feel that things were not going quite their way. We shall review these at their lessons.
Comments
Post a Comment