CHESS HURTS...

OPEN
I currently took part in MCF OPEN (No, not that MCF...after all MCF is not really open, rite), MCF OPEN here stands for Malaysian Chess Festival Open!

Initially seeded number 69 (Hmm, a naughty number according to my best friend Fairul Yusof!), on a tournament day i was seeded number 77, even better i guess, double seventh heaven!

I jokingly said to Raymond Siew before the start of first round, 'Mark should performed well in this tournament'. 'Why?' asked a puzzled Raymond. 'He is blessed with seeded number 88!'

CHESS HURTS
...but this tournament is not really a seventh heaven experience for me, more like baptism of fire.

Example is in my round 5 game against WIM Zhai Mo (Rated 2312). Below is the diagram and i played white.




What else can i say? I am winning no doubt about it, two pawns up in the ending...one pawn already at seven rank and my opponent now left with about 5 minutes and mine still have 58 minutes!

I already dream of collecting about ten ELO points...and wonder who will my next round opponent will be...WGM Irene perhaps? :)...or will it be Nafisa Muminova ?

Then i played a stupid blunder Ne4 ????????, she captured it with Ne4 then i realised i cannot captured it my rook (Re4) because of Ng3+

...i resigned a few moves letter, broken hearted.

Chess hurts....

I spend most of last night listening to Nazareth's classic Love Hurts, but ofcourse 'love' can very well be replace with 'Chess'.

..licking my wounded heart all alone in my apartment.

Chess hurts, chess scars
Chess wounds, and marks
Any heart, not tough
Or strong enough

To take a lot of pain
Take a lot of pain

Chess is like a cloud
Holds a lot of rain

Chess hurts
Chess hurts

I'm young, I know
But even so
I know a thing or two
I learned, from you

I really learned a lot
Really learned a lot

Chess is like a flame
It burns you when it's hot

Chess hurts
Chess hurts

Some fools think of happiness
Blissfulness, togetherness
Some fools fool themselves I guess
They're not foolin' me

I know it isn't true
I know it isn't true
Chess is just a lie
Made to make you blue

Chess hurts
Chess hurts
Chess hurts

I know it isn't true
I know it isn't true

Chess is just a lie
Made to make you blue

Chess hurts
Chess hurts
Chess hurts