This year I (Andrew Titus) got qualified to represent USA at the 2012 World Youth Chess Championship (WYCC2012) in Maribor, Slovenia. In November 2012, I played in the Open section Under 10 category. This is the first time I am playing at the world tournament.
Andrew at Paris Airport (On the way to Slovenia)
We had just passed security at the CDG- Paris airport. We didn't know that we had a lot of boredom coming ahead.
Andrew waiting to take the shuttle bus to the next terminal to catch the flight to Ljubljana.
This was the first part of the adventure. We waited for the shuttle to 2G. We waited for 5 minutes and hopped on.
Andrew at Paris airport
I learned that in France, people drive just like they do here in the United States.
Andrew at Paris airport talking to his mom thru Skype
I think I had just waken up from a nap as we had to wait in Paris for 11 hours.
Andrew arrived at Ljubljana airport excited to see the World Youth Coordinators greeting him.
Okay, so I am holding a bag of a sandwich from the airplane.
Andrew at the hotel Patio
This was awesome. There was a pool that I could see and I could even see the tournament hall.
Andrew going to the super market in Slovenia
So, we heard that there was a supermarket within walking distance, so we went to buy some water.
Taking the Cable Car to the top of the mountain
What is a cable car? That may be a question that you are asking. A cable car helps you go up a mountain and back down, without using a road. It took 10 minutes from a hotel to the playing hall, but meanwhile 40 minutes by road!
Andrew inside the Cable Car
Meeting the USA team coach Joel Benjamin
So each qualifier was given a coach. I was assigned GM Joel Benjamin (New Jersey).
USA Team with the US Ambassador of Slovenia
We met the US ambassador stationed in Slovenia.Few names on who were in the picture: Amir Moazami, Jonathan Chiang, Tommy He, Marcus Miyasaka, Andrew Titus, Rayan Tagizedeh (I think that's how you spell it), Praveen Balakrishnan, Sidharth Banik.
Andrew getting ready for the 1st Round
We ordered a hat that was supposed to go with the uniform, but it ended up too big for me so I gave it to my dad. I replaced it with the hat I am wearing in the picture.
Andrew at the board for the 1st Round
If your opponent didn't show up after 30 minutes, he automatically forfeited the game. My opponent didn't show up for 23 minutes, so I wasn't as happy as I was before the game.
Andrew with Dad in the tournament hall for the 1st Round
USA Team (U10) going to the tournament hall
So my best friends are NM Praveen Balakrishnan and Aravind Kumar. Kumar is the one with his hand on forward with a hooded sweater. Balakrishnan is holding the American Flag.
USA Team at Maribor downtown on the break day
We went to downtown on the break day with Ravishankar, Ramitha (U-10 Girls), Me (U-10 Open), Kumar, Aravind (U-10 Open), Tagizadeh, Rayan (U-10 Open), Balakrishnan, Praveen (U-10 Open), and Banik, Sidharth (U-12 Open).
Andrew playing with the Swans
There were many swans. We found an angry swan and a disabled swan.
USA Team took the ride at Maribor
We took a train and soon we wanted lunch. We found McDonald's signs.
Lunch at Mcdonalds in Slovenia
Yes, and as a result, you can figure out what happened.
Andrew in front one of a monument in Slovenia
This was a tall monument we saw before leaving back to the hotel.
Andrew going for the 11th Round (Final Day)
I don't really want to talk about the Final Day, but I will tell you that I played too fast and blundered and lost. My friend did this weird Bishop Sacrifice and soon also lost the game.
USA team going to the tournament hall
USA (U10) team playing blitz after the Final round
We were playing blitz (speed chess). I believe I was offering many draws as my position looks pretty bad.
Andrew excited to see Gary Kasparov
USA Team with Gary Kasparov
We saw the world's best chess player in all time, Garry Kasparov.
Andrew at the Closing Ceremony
A team picture with many of our home troops that came to Slovenia and came back with four winners.
USA got third place in total. Russia and India tied for first with 8 medals. They were playing music such as Pitbull. It was a fun ceromony, but we knew that it was coming to an end. U-8 Boys Winner- Bronze- Christopher Shen U-12 Boys Winners- Gold- Samuel Sevian Silver-Cameron Wheeler U-14 Boys- Gold- Kayden Troff CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!
USA Team playing bughouse at Ljubljana airport
I played bughouse with strong teenagers (Atulya Shetty, Jonathan Chiang, Tommy He, Sarah Chiang, and Daniel Perez) including Meghana Bhanuprasad and this other person I don't know.
Game Analysis:
I would like to show you my favorite games from this tournament.
Round 3:
Boldbaatar,Tengis - Titus,Andrew [C97]
2012 WYCC U–10 Open Maribor, Slovenia, 11.10.2012[Notes by Titus]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0–0 9.h3 Na5 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 Qc7
A Chigorin.
12.a4?!
Correct was Nbd2 or d5.
12...cxd4 13.cxd4 Bd7
[13...Nc6 14.axb5 And I would be down a pawn.]
14.Bg5 Nc6 15.Nc3 b4!
Winning a tempo while improving my position.
16.Ne2 Rfc8 17.Rc1 Qb7 18.Bb3 h6 19.Bxf6 Bxf6 20.Bd5 Rab8 21.Qb3 Be8
Doesn't look too good for me, but can you spot white's weakness? White's weakness is the a4 pawn.
22.Rc4 Qb6 23.Bxc6 Bxc6 24.d5 Bd7
I could do Be8, but if my plan failed, I needed to save tempi.
25.Rec1 Rxc4 26.Rxc4 Qa5!
Now, I win a pawn by force, but it doesn't happen easily.
27.Nc3!
His knight has been poisoned and it looks like he can hold the position.
27...Rb6!
Now I can take the knight.
28.Na2 Bxa4 29.Rc8+ Kh7 30.Qc4 Rb7!!
I have to find a manuever to save a pawn. I must retreat my queen and do a5.
31.Nd2 Qb6 32.b3 Bd7 33.Rf8 a5!!!
Everything is safe, including the f7 pawn.
34.Rxf7 Rc7 35.Qe2 Bg4!!
I can't do Bb5 before Rc7 because of Rxb7.
36.Qxg4 Rxf7 37.Qf5+ g6 38.Qe6 Rf8 39.Nc4 Qd4 40.Qd7+ Bg7!
Now he cannot break my shelter for another 5 moves. And that's all I need to win.
41.Kh2 Qxf2 42.Qa4 Qf4+ 43.Kh1 Qg3 44.Nd2 Rf2 White Resigned 0–1
Round 8:
Titus,Andrew - Leisch,Lukas [B92]
2012 WYCC U–10 Open Maribor, Slovenia 11.15.2012[Notes by Titus]
This game happened the second day after the break day.
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2
A Classical Variation in the Sicilian Najdorf.
6...Nbd7?! This is not book.
7.0–0 g6 8.Be3 Bg7 9.f4 b5?!
This is a dubious move because the c6 square is weak. Now, I start to exploit this move.
10.Bf3 Bb7 11.e5! 11...Bxf3 12.Qxf3 dxe5 13.Nc6
This is not winning because of this move that he plays now.
13...e4!! 14.Nxe4 Qc7 15.Rad1!
I am probably going to have to retreat my knight eventually, but I should devolop first.
15...Rc8
[15...Qxc6? 16.Nxf6+ Qxf6 (16...Nxf6 17.Qxc6+) 17.Qxa8+ Nb8 18.Qxb8#]
16.Nd4 0–0 17.c3
May be useful soon.
17...Nb6 18.f5!
This starts a second attack.
18...Qe5 19.Nxf6+ Qxf6
This is interesting because the knight on b6 is very weak.
20.fxg6 fxg6 21.Qh3
Attacking the e6 square and the queen.
21...Qe5 22.Ne6!
This starts to exploit his weak squares.
22...Rxf1+ 23.Rxf1 Qb8 24.Nxg7!
Here I am winning.
24...Kxg7 25.Qe6 Nc4 26.Rf7+ Kg8 27.Rxe7+ Kh8 28.Qf6+ Black Resigned 1–0
Round 10:
Titus,Andrew - Zhou,Xiangheng [B92]
2012 WYCC U–10 Open Maribor, Slovenia 11.17.2012 [Notes by Titus]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.0–0 Be7 9.Kh1 0–0 10.f4 Qc7 11.f5 Bc4 12.g4
I had prepared this far on this Najdorf. But then he changed the variation.
12...Bxe2 13.Qxe2 Ne8 14.Nd5 Qd8 15.Bd2 Nd7
This was my least favorite part of the game. I thought I was torturing my opponent, but I played these moves that looked good, and soon he was enjoying his position just like me.
16.Rad1 Nef6 17.Nxe7+ Qxe7 18.Bb4 Nc5 19.Rxd6!
This was a risky move. He could easily keep the position equal, but soon it turned into my favor.
19...Qxd6 20.Bxc5 Qc6 21.Bxf8 Nxe4 22.Qf3
[22.Qg2 Rxf8 23.Re1 Nf2+ 24.Kg1 Qxg2+ 25.Kxg2 Nxg4 Keeping my king less active.]
22...Rxf8 23.Re1 Nf2+ 24.Kg2 Nxg4 25.Qxc6 bxc6 26.h3 Nh6 27.Rxe5 f6 28.Rc5 Rc8
Now, there is equal material on the board, but all of his pawns are weak, his knight has to do lots of moves if he wants to move to a better square. Right now, I probably have a slight advantage.
29.Nd4 Kf8 30.Kf2 Ke8 31.Rxc6 Rxc6 32.Nxc6 Nxf5
It is still equal material, but my three pawns look easier to advance. His pawns are also an advantage for him, but I start playing aggressive.
33.b4 Kd7 34.Nb8+ Kc7 35.Nxa6+ Kb6 36.Nc5 Kb5 37.c3 Nd6
Right now, I know that I am up a pawn, but it is still hard to advance.
38.Ke3 Kc4 39.Kd2 Nb5 40.Na4
Threatening Nb6#.
40...Nd6 41.Nb2+ Kd5 42.Kd3 f5 43.c4+ Ke5 44.c5 Ne4 45.Nc4+ Kd5 46.Ne3+ Ke5 47.c6 Nd6 48.a4 f4 49.Nc4+ Nxc4 50.Kxc4 Kd6 51.b5 g5 52.Kd4 h5
Now, I am winning, but how did I win? Maybe he shouldn't have played defensive. He could have used his king for his own attack instead of defending mine. Or maybe I just had a better king from the start.
53.Ke4 Kc7 54.a5 Kb8 55.a6 h4 56.Kf3 Ka7 57.c7 Black Resigns 1–0
