Louisiana Pro-Am: T-81

I want to play 1.e4, yet not allow the Sicilian. I want to play 1.d4, yet sidestep 1...Nf6. I want to play the Tarrasch Defense, yet not allow Bg5 and g3. My problem isn't having confidence while in my own openings, it's having confidence amidst my opponent's openings. Sure, given enough time, I can prepare anything, but can I remember it all?

I'm also lazy.

So I made a deal with myself: If I do 50 problems from Fred Reinfeld's 1001 Winning Chess Sacrifices and Combinations, and walk 30 minutes, then I can study chess openings as much as I want that day.

I went over my games from when I was a teenager and knew next to nothing about openings and strategy. I really believe I played better chess back then, because the only thing I could depend on was concrete analysis. "I go here, he goes there, I go here, he goes there..."

Besides, nobody has ever "out-positioned" me "like the grandmasters do." Every game has come down to who makes the last blunder. I've got no business worrying about grand strategy until I can just see what happens when he takes the pawn.

The Louisiana Pro-Am is March 24-25, 2007, in Baton Rouge, 81 days away. My blog will track my training in anticipation of this tournament.

My goal is to prepare a defense to 1.d4, a defense to 1.e4, and a white opening repertoire with 1.e4. My success criteria for this tournament's opening preparation is not based on completeness, but on confidence; if I wake up one day and ask myself, "Am I confident to play today?" and my answer is "no," then I'm not ready.

My other goal is to lose 10 pounds by the tournament.

Tuesday's Training
Walk: 30 minutes, 2 miles
Reinfeld: #50-#110
Worrying: None