My hand was shaking as I hit the clock. I was in my first tournament after thousands of games I played online and dozens of careless moves with beer over a beer. I had no idea about my opponent, but while he was looking at the board and thinking, I was watching the expressions on his face. Participating in a tournament, being a part of a team, and reaping the fruits of his previous knowledge were not feelings that I was very familiar with. Finally, I decided to sit back and enjoy it as much as I could.
First, some information about the organization: ECCC is a relatively new tournament organized under the ECU. It has been held once in Minsk, Belarus, and once online. In 2022, it was decided that the tournament would take place on the luxury passenger ship James Cook in Rotterdam. The tournament consists of 9 rounds played in the Swiss system and is rapid with a time limit of 15+5. Each team consists of 4 main players and 1 substitute, with at least 2 of the 4 main players being employees of the same company. Thus, while one team takes the field with 3 GMs, another team can put Anish Giri on the 1st table. So, if all goes well, it is quite possible that you will encounter various masters during the tournament. But after this point, things may not go well on the board.
Our team was made up of 100% ASML engineers. Our team captain was Marcos, who was also the founder of the club. Ralf was at Board 2, Jeroen at Board 3, Reinaldo at Board 4, and I, who didn't have any FIDE rating yet, was at the last board. Jeroen couldn't play on the first day of the tournament, and Ralf couldn't play on the second day, so I had the opportunity to play in every round.
As we did not have a big claim, the team had a relaxed atmosphere in general. Moreover, we were able to form the team at the last moment and we could not make any preparations before the tournament. I was only focused on using time efficiently. I was trying to leave the habit of making quick moves from the 2-minute game habit and come to the middle of the game without making a big mistake. What followed was tactical warfare, which was entirely up to game vision. Although I was very nervous in my first game, I managed to win, and my confidence grew. However, this situation did not last very long. There were times when I forgot to hit the clock during the game. During the breaks, I would sometimes chat with my opponents, and sometimes I would have a beer and watch the matches of the GMs. The view of Rotterdam's canals from the boat added an extra sweetness to the experience.
One of the most important things I learned during the tournament was the importance of playing a surprising move that is not among the most well-known opening moves. This is particularly important in games with time constraints. I was often subjected to surprises, regardless of whether I was playing white or black, and the resulting stress affected the endgame. On the other hand, my opponents were always familiar with my openings. Another important lesson was being able to determine which move required a longer thought process. To be able to smell that critical move that will bring victory. I guess this is more of a game view that comes with experience.
You can access the tournament results and recorded games from the link I shared below. Regardless of the outcome, it was definitely worth the enjoyment we received. (The outcome was pretty bad.)
Participating in a tournament through the game of chess, meeting new people, exploring Rotterdam, and playing many matches, is beyond anything else, in my opinion, a testament to a wonderful weekend.
“When you see a good move, look for a better one.” – Emanuel Lasker
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