Training Log
Opening Sparring - 90 minutes
Middlegame Sparring - 90 minutes
Endgame Sparring - 90 minutes
Game Analysis - 3 hours
Blitz - 4 hours
Spent the last week in Rome, resting up from the Maia Open and getting ready for my next event, the 28th Festival Internazionale Di Scacchi, held in Montesilvano, Italy.
My tournament and travel buddy Zach (thechessnerd) found a nice AirBnb near the Basilica of San Giovanni. We spent five days training, reviewing our games, working on content, sightseeing, and looking for some of the best pizza, pasta, and gelato Rome had to offer. It felt good to stay active, but not exhaust ourselves between events. And we definitely found the best gelato in Rome (Venchi, Rivareno, & Mamo).
While we didn’t do too much touring, we did manage to visit the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, and the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.
Exercise 251 from Chapter 6 - Deep Calculation. 1.Ne5! Threatening Nxd7. The key line runs 1…Nxe5 2.Bxe5 Qxf2+ 3.Kxf2 Ng4+ 4.Kg1 Nxh6 5.d7!+- and White wins (other moves work too).
Today (Sept 7) we traveled 2.5 hours by bus to Pescara, and then another 30 minutes up to Montesilvano, which we discovered is a popular vacation spot on the Adriatic Coast. So far the conditions have been excellent — the water is warm and the food is amazing. Usually when I enjoy my environment, my mood is good and I tend to play well. We’ll see if this theory holds up!
The tournament starts tomorrow (Sept 8), with Round 1 at 4pm CEST. Zach and I will be once again streaming our games live to Twitch (with commentary).
Should be fun!