Day 2 of the nationals is always a tough day because you have to play 3 games in one day and the last game, round 5, is usually against a very tough opponent. This year was no different.
After my scare yesterday in the 2nd round, it was important to bounce back with a strong game. I got a good position early against Prateek Pinisetti of Arizona. I was able to convert the win and keep my win streak alive. Udit also won his game. The most impressive feat was Pranav's draw against the tough William Graif of New York. This draw could be critical, as William also has a strong team in the section.
Often times when I go to chess tournaments, it is just me and my dad, but this time my mom and little brother, Lucas, also came. Lucas gets to go and play at all of the Disney parks while I do chess, but he took some time out to wish me good luck and see me get an award.
Prior to the start of the fourth round, they announced the Trophies Plus All-American Team. I was named to the team for the second year in a row. This is a nice award for some of the top kids in the country. They gave us a very nice plaque and a jacket with our name on it. I was pretty happy to make the team again because I lost last year's jacket.
In the fourth round, I had to play Noah Fields of Washington. I met Noah and his family a couple of years ago and Nationals and he even came down to Mechanics Institute in SF one time for a tournament. I knew this game would be tough because WA kids tend to be underrated. I was able to get a better position in the game and force through a win. My teammates Udit and Pranav also won to extend our team's lead.
In the fifth round, I faced James Wei from Illinois. James is a teammate of Alex Bian and Conrad Oberhaus. Conrad couldn't make it to this year's nationals, so their team only has two players, but they will definitely be a force to contend with in the spring. James and I played a long game, but I got a comfortable position early and felt that I had the upper hand throughout. The game ended with a funny checkmate. My teammate, Udit, took out the #2 seed, Andrew Tang. Unfortunately, Pranav was not able to pull out a victory against his opponent. Our team still has a 1.5 point lead in the section. Meanwhile, the top board, Tommy He, drew, so there are only three of us left with a perfect 5.0/5.0 Tomorrow I will play Michael Chen from Michigan and Udit will have to face Tommy. Round 6 will be very critical for our team and individual title chances.
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