Round 2 games are underway. The last two games finished with Pitts and Macaspac turning the tables against their respective lower-rated opponents. This is where experience comes in. Both players know that most lower-rated players will eventually make a blunder or choose an inferior move towards the end as long as counter play is kept alive.

Sadly, this happened in both games. West chances against Macaspac were much better than Duke’s in his game against Pitts. Pitts, to his credit, never lost faith in his chances and his position as he intoned during a brief postmortem analysis.

 The upsets we thought we would see in the first round did not materialize. Most players including myself thought that West could have won had he continued aggressively in his game against Macaspac.

West instead chose a timid continuation and allowed Macaspac to bring back his Queen into action.

 Macaspac won this tournament in 2006, my last year as competitor. We drew our encounter that year. Pitts is a veteran All-Army Chess Team member who represented the US Armed Forces in three NATO Chess Championships.

Pairings for Round 2

West – Corona
Baniel – Fissel
Donovan – Duke
Pitts – Floto
Drake – King
Shepherd - Macaspac