Sinterklaas and Chess

For our friends who live at the other side of the ocean a little explanation:
Sinterklaas is an old bishop (350 year or so) who lives in Spain. He comes every year to Holland to celebrate his birthday on 5 December. From the day of his arrival (around 16e November children can set their shoes near the fireplace and the next morning they find presents in it.
People who don't believe in Sint Nicolaas anymore make funny presents (never expensive) for eachother and write poems. The poems allways have a little teasing in it. On 5 December we drink hot chocolate milk, and eat candies like 'speculaas', and 'pepernoten'.
This is how Sint Nicolaas does his work

At our previous chessclub there were all kinds of happenings, like Sinterklaas playing against the whole club, and we played Fischer random. Another round we were switching every five minutes boards with our right neighbour. Imagin what happens then ! every time a totally new situation, good or bad. Fun!
There was allso a round were some people (random numbers) had to move their King if possible or get an extra bishop! There was of course hot chocolate milk, and our traditional candies.
Traditional the servant of Sint Nicolaas throws everywhere! sweets around so this happened at our chessclub too; big mess!
It makes such a difference if the management of a chessclub is a group of enthusiastic, fun-loving guys!
Alas, after we did not have a car anymore this club was to far away. So we play for only one club now.
I wonder if they do something special on sinterklaas evening, I really hope so!

Who is Princess Errant

For the new ones in the Knights blogosphere, I became a chess player in 2000.
To learn the rules etc. Tempo advised me to do Tasc, which I did. When we discovered La Maza method, we allso discovered The Knights,a bunch of fanatic patzers.
Like Me.
My favourit opening is the Kings Gambit with white, and Islandic Scandinavian with black. I'm allways happy when my opponent coöperates to get those positions on the board.
My favourite (?) mistake is the classical BLUNDER. For that I developed a strategie:
During the game, when it is my move I hold my coffeecup with two hands, or I sit on my hands, or eat my sandwich, holding it with two hands, anything to keep me away from this nasty habit, of moving to fast.
I saw in the chessblogs all kinds of well thought, theoretical and psychologicall explanations why we blunder.
I see it much more simple. I watched carefully and I saw every time this impatience, not to look around the board for three seconds, but moving to quick.
We, Tempo and I play on a chessclub, and our favourit holliday is playing a 10-days tournament. For us no tropical, palm cocktail barbeque vacation. That is for us boring torture.
The absolute top for us is CORUS tournament. where about 1700 people play. If you ever have the chance, to participate: do it, and allso write yourself in for the hefty peasoup meal on the last day, with about 800 people, grandmasters and patzers, sitting at long tables, all satisfied, because it was so great playing with all your friends.
Because our country is so small, we know half of the country's chessplayers, and a tournament is never far away.
So, now you see, my blog is totally different from Tempo. May be not so interesting, allthough I'll write sometimes about my battles. but hé it's perhaps the female touch, talking about the things around chess and people who play chess. Which I think is as important as the game.
For now, Im going to practice PCT, and I start all over. On my chess club I asked for a chesscoach, and we shall see if this will help for the next Corus tournament in February.

Preparing for the battle

Well, my fellow knights, Margriet is back.
I never left my chessclub ofcourse but the improvement goes slow..
In february there is The tournament, so from now on I am going to train again.
This time I use PCT. so it is nice to compare our progress, and exchange our experiences with you, my brother knights.
cheers