Story 1
Once, after manage to represent my district in chess, I attended the centralized training organized by this teacher, let’s call him Cikgu O... first thing he do was teaching us...the correct way of putting back chess pieces back to the box after playing...first count the pawns, make sure there are 8...then rooks, make sure there are 2...and so on. He never teach us any chess theory...only how to put back the pieces after playing...on second day he asked us exactly that..How to simpan buah catur correctly...yet he is the proud chess coach for our district team! Chess coach that teach only how to simpan buah catur correctly and nothing else...only in chess twillight zone
Story 2
Another story...Once, i entered one tournament that was supposed to start at 9.30 am...by 10.45 arbiter still accepting late last minute entrance...11am he realize he is way behind time...way way behind time...quickly make an announcement asking us to sit at any chair and start playing with whoever in front of us! We chose our own opponent...only in the chess twillight zone
Story 3
Once, i entered a tournament that did not have clock. Arbiter then mentioned since there is no clock, contestant are going to play for maximum half an hour and after that arbiter is going to ‘evaluate’ the position to determine who is winning (though the game is not ended yet)...fair enough i though...until i met this cheeky guy...i sacrifice a pawn (or maybe two) for huge initiative, almost winning i would say...my opponent?... he start thinking...and thinking...and thinking. Half an hour is over, arbiter came and counted the pieces...my opponent got more material and is duly declared as a winner! I realized...i could not do anything because i am in the chess twillight zone
Story 4
Every tournament love to have the strong player playing in it. Some even willing to pay for strong player e.g. national player to take part in their tournament.
Once, there is this tournament that did not allowed national players, or to be more specific national player that just finished their tour of duty, to take part in their tournament. Why?Only God knows...and could only happen...in the twillight zone
Summary
These and more...you just can never know what you are in when you have make that fateful payment and are entering... a (chess) twillight zone...
after this , I can almost hear the Twilight Zone theme music playing in my head. good article.
ReplyDeleteNice story my friend . Story 3 really make my day. Just imagined that you sacrifice a material to force mate in 1 and your opponent sit still until times up!
ReplyDeleteStory 3 had repeated for real.. In KL, in the late 90's a company was organising sports for their staffs and chess was one of the events. I was roped in as arbiter (being a friend of a staff who knew I knew a little bit more).. in the pre-tournament meeting, I suggested to use FIDE rules, but the organiser said they will use points of pieces (as above) should players ran out of time.. and then one cheeky guy did just as above.. and he won too!! haha :)
ReplyDeleteHi Jimmy,
ReplyDeletethanks
hi Hairulov,
maybe this is the only way we could beat Gary Kasparov...let him sacrifice! :)
Hi abdooss,
Mine happen in early 90s so ok...we are nt referring to the same case here! :)
I'm rooting for the Juniors again Ilham for Maverick. Tea Tarik bet?
ReplyDeleteSure Raymond
ReplyDeleteTeh tarik bet is on. You take junior, i take senior...result are from top 6 maverick...draw 3-3 then i consider junior won! :)
Cheers
Story Number 2
ReplyDeleteJust like the song... "It wasn't me!"
Nice article. Really enjoyed reading it.
Najib
Your on Ilham. My drink is tea tarik, kurang manis. :)
ReplyDeleteSee ya there.