No, it wasn't the accent. Just some really weird audio compression. Did you listen to it?

Seemed OK for the most part at my end ... and yes, that was watching it back on YouTube rather than the original mp4 files.

Weird. Anyway, well played, again.

Would anyone be against a new and learning player joining the competition? I'm just starting to play after reading the new Bobby Fischer book 'Endgame' so I don't want to ruin it for people if whoever runs good enough to play me gets a big advantage as they will almost certainly win that round.

the sound is really bad for me too, it's not just the accent.

Everyone who wants to play is welcome to, you're in! Read through the thread and make sure you're clear on the rules for late entrants. If you can get a match scheduled with one of the other people who has a bye, then post your results in this thread. If not, you'll get your bye and be paired with someone next round. Good luck

Hmm ... if I get some time I might try to look into it & try to fix it if it is at all possible.

I'm in, but have work Thursday-Saturday night, so if any other late registrant wants to play during daytime work hours USA time post here or send me a pm.

I would like to unregister. Im not paired yet so i hope there will be no problem. Sorry about that.

Well, ganstaman took me out 3 to 1. He has quite a tenacious defensive capability. Although my attacks are pretty half-assed so I am not quite qualified to judge. But the games were fun and I wish him luck in the rest of the tournament.

My next opponent, however, he I shall surely destroy with pain and humiliation and probably a little victory dance.

ganstaman - Pawntificator (chaoschess), 3-1
Although I won, I'd bet I was losing in all of them at some point.

Game 1:
http://www.ficsgames.com/cgi-bin/sho...70;action=show
Pawntificator sacrifices a knight for a pawn, but the attack fizzles and I ride the 2-second increment to victory.

Game 2:
http://www.ficsgames.com/cgi-bin/sho...43;action=show
I get nothing as white in the closed Sicilian, he runs over the kingside and center, and I mismanage the 2-second increment.

Game 3:
http://www.ficsgames.com/cgi-bin/sho...83;action=show
I hang a knight on move 14, but no one notices... then, opposite-side castling with mutual assaults. Somehow white's king gets exposed first.

Game 4:
http://www.ficsgames.com/cgi-bin/sho...35;action=show
Black gets white tied up in the center and queenside, but overlooks a kingside mating threat.

Tomukas - Nikachu 0,5 - 3,5

I defeated Tomukus 3.5-0.5

As usual, wild tactics prevail against anything logical.

Event: FICS rated blitz game
White: Tomukas (1691)
Black: Nikachu (1795)
Result: 0-1
Time Control: 300+2
Date: 2011-07-03
Duration: 0:07:45
White Clock: 2:15
BlackClock: 2:26


1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. e3 Bg7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 c5 8. O-O cxd4 9. Nxd4 Bd7 10. b3 Nc6 11. Bb2 a6 12. Be2 Qc7 13. Nxc6 Bxc6 14. Bf3 Rfd8 15. Qe2 Rac8 16. Rfd1 e6 17. Rxd8 Rxd8 18. Rd1 Rxd1 19. Nxd1 Bxf3 20. Qxf3 Qc2 21. Kf1 Ne4 22. Bxg7 Nd2 0-1 {White resigns}

Event: FICS rated blitz game
White: Nikachu (1805)
Black: Tomukas (1666)
Result: 1/2-1/2
Time Control: 300+2
Date: 2011-07-03
Duration: 0:12:36
White Clock: 0:31.7
BlackClock: 0:37.656


1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6. Nf3 Bb4 7. c5 b6 8. Bb5 Bd7 9. Bxd7 Qxd7 10. cxb6 axb6 11. Bd2 Nc6 12. O-O O-O 13. a3 Bd6 14. Nb5 Bc7 15. Rc1 Rac8 16. Qc2 Bb8 17. Qd3 Ne4 18. Be3 Nd6 19. g3 Na5 20. Nxd6 Bxd6 21. Bd2 Nc4 22. Bc3 b5 23. Kg2 Qb7 24. h4 b4 25. axb4 Bxb4 26. Ng5 g6 27. h5 Qe7 28. f4 f6 29. Nxh7 gxh5 30. Nxf8 Kxf8 31. Bxb4 Qxb4 32. b3 Nd6 33. Rxc8 Nxc8 34. Qg6 Qd2 35. Kh3 Qxd4 36. Qxh5 Nd6 37. Rc1 Qd3 38. Rc7 Qf1 39. Kh2 Qf2 1/2-1/2 {Game drawn by mutual agreement}

Event: FICS rated blitz game
White: Tomukas (1678)
Black: Nikachu (1800)
Result: 0-1
Time Control: 300+2
Date: 2011-07-03
Duration: 0:06:47
White Clock: 2:32
BlackClock: 3:12


1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. e3 Bg7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. b3 c5 7. Bb2 dxc4 8. bxc4 cxd4 9. exd4 Bg4 10. Be2 Nc6 11. Nb5 a6 12. Na3 Ne4 13. O-O Qa5 14. Qb3 Bxf3 15. Bxf3 Nd2 16. Qe3 Nxf1 17. Kxf1 Nxd4 18. Bxd4 Bxd4 19. Qxd4 Qxa3 20. Bxb7 Rad8 21. Qe3 Rd3 22. Qxe7 Qxe7 0-1 {White resigns}

Event: FICS rated blitz game
White: Nikachu (1809)
Black: Tomukas (1658)
Result: 1-0
Time Control: 300+2
Date: 2011-07-03
Duration: 0:07:55
White Clock: 1:28
BlackClock: 2:22


1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6. Nf3 Bb4 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. Bd2 O-O 9. Bd3 b6 10. O-O Bb7 11. Qe2 Nd7 12. a3 Be7 13. Ne4 Re8 14. Nfg5 g6 15. Qg4 N5f6 16. Qh4 Kg7 17. Bc3 h6 18. Nxf7 Kxf7 19. Qxh6 Rh8 20. Ng5 Kg8 21. Qxg6 Kf8 22. Qf7 1-0 {Black checkmated}

Round 2 Pairings:
ganstaman v Cadaz
Punker v Nikachu
HipHopRTR v mt_david
Noir_Desir v Velocity
Gorgonian v Pawntificator
chocaholic v Tomukas

Good luck everyone!

I defeated Punker 3-1

Game 1
http://ficsgames.com/cgi-bin/show.cg...06;action=show

Game 2
http://ficsgames.com/cgi-bin/show.cg...56;action=show

Game3
http://ficsgames.com/cgi-bin/show.cg...85;action=show

Game 4
http://ficsgames.com/cgi-bin/show.cg...86;action=show

Game 3 might be the most tilting game I've played in a long time. After 30.Nxe6 I was practically already thinking about how game 4 was going to decide the match.

That 2nd game was crazy. I'm guessing a lot of it was theory, but still, looks like a lot of fun.

Regardless of the results, I do think that all 4 games were quite fun

If its not too late to register, I'd like to register.

Tomukas-chocaholic 3-1

chocaholic - Tomukas 1-3

http://ficsgames.com/cgi-bin/show.cg...14;action=show

http://ficsgames.com/cgi-bin/show.cg...00;action=show

http://ficsgames.com/cgi-bin/show.cg...02;action=show

http://ficsgames.com/cgi-bin/show.cg...03;action=show

It is too late per the rules, and while in general I'm happy to bend the rules if it means more people get to play, my concern here is that you would bring the player count to an odd number, forcing draws onto people who did register in time. So here's the deal:

You can play *IF* you can convince someone else to also sign up late along with you, and you and him can complete a match before the midnight Sunday deadline. In that case, I'll give 1/2-1/2 byes to both of you for round 1, retroactively pair you for round 2, take the result of your match, and integrate you into the (still even-numbered) field when I put together round 3 pairings. If you can't find a second taker to join up with you, though, I'll have to say "wait until next time".

i suck pretty bad but is 28. Qh7 not mate?

I'm just a very bad player, so I don't see lots of easy things

i win 3,5:0,5. I hope i can work out my connection problems though