Hello Chess Friends!
This article is about the recent USCF-Rated Prize Tournament, the Tim Just Winter Open, with lots of galore, fantasticness, loss, and tragedy (lots of regret for not sleeping so early). I first heard of this tournament because of @charizardpikachu, so thanks to him!!! And, now my new provisional rating is 1790!!!!. That's pretty cool.
I went with @Road2NationalMaster(This is roadchessmaster's new account 
rip old road), and @charizardpikachu. Road competed in the U1300 division, where he won with a perfect score, and got 250$, and @charizardpikachu competed in the U2100, where he got a decent score, but ok-ok, he hadn't played a lot of classical in a while, and he was playing in a difficult section, so 1.5/5 isn't all that bad as it seems.
I got a 4/5, which is a medium range between the two. If I had won my second round, I would've won at least 200 dollars. But ah well, I was close. I got fifth place!!! Better than nothing.
Preparation
Pre-tourney preparation was a week of tactics, reading chess books, and stocking as much chess knowledge as I could into my head. I read How To Reassess Your Chess by Jeremy Silman, Lessons With A Grandmaster by Boris Gulko, and Secrets Of Modern Chess Strategy by John Watson. Although I might not have finished a few of these books (although I tried), I did learn quite a lot and was ready to finally begin winning at this tournament.
Arriving At The Tournament Site
Beautiful hotel, with some pretty cool views. Words can't describe this place. It essentially just looked like this at night --->
Playing In The Tournament
@Road2NationalMaster arrived at least 8 minutes late(apparently he went to the wrong hotel lol). The first encounter between me and my opponent was very awkward, we had brief eye contact, before tilting our heads to stare at the Tournament Directors, who were announcing the rules of the tournament, and I and my opponent shook hands. Which went something like this:
Game 1: Paul Sun vs Some Random 1400 (1-0)
Find The Missed Mate In 9
Wow, very bad, bad, bad, bad, bad game. I did not play all that well, and let's just say. I have never played against that variation of the Vienna as I'm not one for intense studying of theory. I was very very tired. I had a bad case of tired eye syndrome or CVS, or something like that, so it was very hard to see, and my glasses didn't help.
Butttttt, somehow, I won that game. Badly.
Ah well, no worries.
Mid-Game Meditation
I went to Cityworks to eat some burgers. @Road2NationalMaster ate some lunch at the hotel (a really big salad that he didn't finish), and I ate a delicious burger, which eased the pain(well, not pain. Mainly just stress for the next match) away. (It was quite a delicious burger, swiss cheese, chopped lettuce, fresh tomatoes, a finely roasted patty, two buns, and a pickle, altogether 10/10).
I prepared by studying that stupid line that I didn't know how to play against and then studying some reversed Sicilian theory because I'm not that good at playing against the English. I ate some fries while I did, and then when there were 10 minutes left, I checked the pairings.
Lo and Behold, I am going against a 1509-rated player.
Game 2: Paul Sun vs Some Random 1509 (0-1)
Find the missed winning variation that I completely missed in the game.
Whoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. Bad bad bad bad bad bad. I lost to this person horribly. The endgame was rough, and I lost with my clock up about 32 minutes, he had 33 seconds, and this was with delay. I probably shouldn't have moved so quickly, as it was a 60+10d, and I probably should've calculated further (Especially because I didn't know that the knight was definitely free). Very bad game.
Further Mid Game Meditation
I was stewing over it afterward, and during the break, I finished my leftovers, studied theory for the fantasy variation, and played some bullet while I waited. Although, this would be my only loss during the tournament 
.
Then the pairings were announced, it was late, and it was time to go home. I was exhausted, and it was time to go against the next player as black. Oh no!!!! (I was playing white the previous two games!!!! Oh no!!!!!)
Game 3: 1440 vs Paul Sun (0-1)
This was a meh game, with a lot of difficult and bad blunders, and I somehow clinched out a win in a totally drawn position. My opponent was very old, probably around 70-ish, and he seemed tired. About mid-game, my opponent offered a draw and I declined, although it was a total draw according to the engine.
End Of Day 1
I and @road2nationalmaster went home in the car. I studied some opening variations and slept for a long time(much better than yesterday).
Thus began day 2 of the tourney. Lots of fun, lots of fun rounds.
Beginning Of Day 2 Of The Tourney
@road2nationalmaster and I went together in one car to Schaumburg. We both prepped Sicilian theory and then arrived at the place. I checked the pairings, and I was going against another 1440. This was going to be fun. I had a lot more sleep and felt more ready. I was feeling afresh, renewed. The round began nearly immediately. I and my opponent shook hands, and I began the clock for my opponent.
Game 4: 1440 vs Paul Sun (0-1)
I don't know why I keep criticizing every game. But this game is probably one of the worst games ever. Gothamchess would probably get an aneurysm and immediately die from the amount of up-down-up-down evaluation. The opp blunders twice, and I lose all the advantage in one move, and then my opponent blunders again, and I somehow lose all the advantage yet again.
Alright, game though I guess.
Mid-round Problems
This time, I and @road2nationalmaster went to city works, got some good food, and headed back. We ate some really good burgers.
Initially, we thought the match started at 4:00, not 3:00. This was a big mistake. We spent about an hour goofing around and studying chess theory and doing tactics. We asked @charizardpikachu, but his round had already started, and he was playing his game, so we did not know whether or not the round started or not. We thought that he was probably hanging out with friends. And, when the cafe we were in emptied out, we assumed nothing. Eventually, however, we walked to the playing hall AT 3:45.
It was all silent, nobody at all, and then I saw the people, and the clocks, and the playing. I watched David walk into his seat, and I was confused. I walked to my spot and saw my clock running with only 45 minutes remaining. My opponent had gotten candy and water and was just walking around watching other people's games. He had placed his coat, and I immediately blitzed out e4. The next 26 moves, I played in 3 minutes.
Could I win this game?
Game 5: Paul Sun vs 1568(1-0)
This is probably the only game I was proud of in the entire tournament. Barely any significant blunders, no winning positions for my opponent, and I absolutely destroyed my opponent. Probably one of the best/most accurate games of the tournament. This was pretty solid .
Afterward, it was about 5:00 I exited the room. @road2nationalmaster had already won his game! Congrats to him. We asked for the check, and he got his prize, while I got nothing (I got fifth place though ). Then we went home.
These were the results:
The Results
U1300: @road2nationalmaster (won $250)
U1600: Me
U2100: @charizardpikachu (name changed to Big Stinky Monkey, he didn't want his name to be shown)
Conclusion:
Nice! There will probably be two recaps for the NCHS tourney and State! Hope you enjoyed this, please consider friending me or something like that.
You made it this far! Now you get to see all of the games that @road2nationalmaster played
Game 1: 2% brain usage
Game 2: Wait, I thought I was going to win because I was playing white
Game 3: The Bishop's End Part II
Game 4: Draw and then not a draw
Game 5: Oh no! Your king!
Actual conclusion:
Thank you for making it this far, and thanks to @road2nationalmaster and @charizardpikachu for being supportive.
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