2021 Mark Oestreich Memorial (Round 3)

 [Event "19th Annual Mark Oestreich Memorial"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2021.03.13"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Buser, Landon"]
[Black "TERLIZZI"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C55"]
[PlyCount "113"]

1. e4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e5 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. Bc4 Bb4 5. Ne2 Nxe4 6. O-O d5 7. Bb3 Bg4 8.
d3 Bxf3 9. dxe4 Bxe2 10. Qxe2 Nd4 11. Qe3 Nxb3 12. Qxb3 Bc5 13. exd5 O-O 14.
Be3 Bxe3 15. fxe3 b6 16. e4 Qd6 17. Kh1 Qg6 18. Qf3 a5 19. b3 b5 20. c4 bxc4
21. bxc4 Rab8 22. a3 Rb2 23. Rf2 Rxf2 24. Qxf2 Qxe4 25. Rc1 Qd4 26. Qxd4 exd4
27. Rd1 Re8 28. h3 Re4 29. Rd3 Kf8 30. Kg1 Ke7 31. Kf2 Kd6 32. Rd1 Kc5 33. Rc1
d3 34. Kf3 Rxc4 35. Rd1 Rd4 36. Ke3 Kxd5 37. Kd2 c5 38. Rb1 Ra4 39. Kxd3 Rxa3+
40. Kc2 Ra2+ 41. Kc1 Rxg2 42. Rb7 f6 43. h4 Rh2 44. Rxg7 Rxh4 45. Ra7 a4 46.
Kd2 h5 47. Rf7 a3 48. Rxf6 Ra4 49. Rf5+ Kc6 50. Rxh5 a2 51. Rh1 a1=Q 52. Rxa1
Rxa1 53. Kc2 Kb5 54. Kb2 Rg1 55. Kc3 Rg3+ 56. Kb2 Kb4 57. Kc2 0-1

I finished the tournament 2 wins, 1 loss.  I played fairly well and am satisfied with my results.  I was also having really bad anxiety especially in the afternoon during round 2.  

- Lizzi

2021 Mark Oestreich Memorial (Round 2)

 [Event "19th Annual Mark Oestreich Memorial"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2021.03.13"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Terlizzi"]
[Black "Cedeno, Louis"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B40"]
[PlyCount "60"]

1. e4 c5 2. b4 cxb4 3. d4 Nf6 4. Bd3 e6 5. Nf3 Be7 6. O-O b6 7. c4 bxc3 8. Nxc3
Ba6 9. e5 Nd5 10. Nxd5 exd5 11. Bxa6 Nxa6 12. Qa4 Nc7 13. Bf4 Ne6 14. Be3 O-O
15. Nd2 d6 16. f4 dxe5 17. dxe5 d4 18. Bf2 Nxf4 19. Nf3 Bc5 20. Rad1 Ne2+ 21.
Kh1 Nc3 22. Qb3 Nxd1 23. Rxd1 Qe7 24. Bh4 Qe6 25. Qb1 h6 26. Qe4 Qxa2 27. Qg4
Qe6 28. Qg3 Kh7 29. Re1 a5 30. Bg5 a4 0-1

2021 Mark Oestreich Memorial (Round 1)

 [Event "19th Annual Mark Oestreich Memorial"]
[Site "Salem Illinois"]
[Date "2021.03.13"]
[Round "?"]
[White "P. Sarwinski"]
[Black "TERLIZZI"]
[Result "0-1"]
[PlyCount "62"]

1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. f4 g6 5. Nf3 Nb6 6. Nc3 Bg7 7. Be2 O-O 8. O-O
dxe5 9. fxe5 Nc6 10. Be3 Nd5 11. Nxd5 Qxd5 12. c4 Qe4 13. Qd2 f6 14. e6 Rd8 15.
d5 Ne5 16. Qd4 Nxf3+ 17. Bxf3 Qxd4 18. Bxd4 Bxe6 19. Rfe1 Bf7 20. Rxe7 Rac8 21.
Bxa7 b6 22. c5 Bf8 23. Re3 Bxc5 24. Kf2 Bxe3+ 25. Kxe3 Ra8 26. Bxb6 cxb6 27. b3
Bxd5 28. Bxd5+ Rxd5 29. a4 Re8+ 30. Kf3 Rd3+ 31. Kg4 Re4# 0-1

2020 Summer Open (Round 3)

 [Event "Summer Open"]
[Site "Illinois"]
[Date "08.08.2020"]
[Round "3"]
[White "CJ"]
[Black "Lizzi"]
[Result "0-1"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 g6 3. e3 Bg7 4. Be2 d6 5. c3 O-O 6. h4 Nbd7 7. h5 e5 8. Bg5 Qe8
9. hxg6 fxg6 10. Bc4+ d5 11. dxe5 dxc4 12. exf6 Nxf6 13. Bxf6 Bxf6 14. Nd2 Be6
15. Qe2 Qf7 16. O-O-O b5 17. f4 Be7 18. Ngf3 Bg4 19. Qf2 Bxf3 20. Nxf3 Bf6 21.
g4 Rfe8 22. g5 Bh8 23. Rh4 Qe6 24. Re1 Qe4 25. Rh3 Rab8 26. Qh4 Re7 27. Nh2 b4
28. Ng4 bxc3 29. Nh6+ Kf8 30. bxc3 Rb1+ 31. Kd2 Qd3# 0-1

2020 Summer Open (Round 2)

 [Event "Summer Open"]
[Site "Illinois"]
[Date "08.08.2020"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Lizzi"]
[Black "Thain"]
[Result "0-1"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. Nf3 Nd7 7. Bd3 e6 8. Bf4
Ngf6 9. Bxg6 hxg6 10. O-O Nd5 11. Bd2 Qc7 12. Re1 O-O-O 13. Qe2 Nf4 14. Qe4 Bd6
15. Bxf4 Bxf4 16. Ne5 Nxe5 17. Qxf4 Nc4 18. Qe4 Nxb2 19. Rab1 Nc4 20. Qd3 Nb6
21. Rb3 Rh4 22. Re4 Rxe4 23. Qxe4 Qd6 24. Ne2 Qc7 25. g3 Nc4 26. Qd3 Nd6 27. c3
Nf5 28. Ra3 a6 29. Qc2 e5 30. dxe5 Qxe5 31. Ra4 Qd5 32. Nd4 Re8 33. Qc1 c5 34.
Nxf5 gxf5 35. Rf4 g5 36. Ra4 Qf3 37. Rc4 *

 My position slowly deteriorated throughout this game.  I need to study the Caro-Kann again and how to play against it.

 - Lizzi

2020 Summer Chess Open (Round 1)

 [Event "Summer Open"]
[Site "Illinois"]
[Date "08.08.2020"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Tullis"]
[Black "Lizzi"]
[Result "1/2 - 1/2"]

1. e4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e5 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. Bc4 Bc5 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 a6 7. a3 b5 8. Ba2
Bb7 9. b4 Be7 10. Bb2 d6 11. Re1 Ng4 12. h3 Nh6 13. d4 Nxd4 14. Nxd4 exd4 15.
Nd5 Kh8 16. Bxd4 Bg5 17. Qd3 Ng8 18. Be3 Bxe3 19. Nxe3 Qg5 20. Bd5 Bxd5 21. Nxd5
Rac8 22. Re3 Nf6 23. Nxf6 Qxf6 24. c3 Qe6 25. Qd5 Qxd5 26. exd5 Rce8 27. Rae1
Rxe3 28. Rxe3 Kg8 29. Re1 f5 30. Ra1 Re8 31. Kf1 Kf7 32. a4 Re5 33. axb5 axb5
34. Rd1 g6 35. Rd4 Kf6 36. Rd3 h5 37. f3 f4 38. Kf2 g5 39. g3 fxg3+ 40. Kxg3 Re2
41. f4 h4+ 42. Kf3 Re7 43. Re3 Rxe3+ 44. Kxe3 Kf5 45. fxg5 Kxg5 46. Kf3 Kf5 47.
Ke3 Ke5 48. Kf3 Kf5 *

 This was the first time I played Alekhine's Defence in an official chess tournament.  It turned into the four-knights game which is a beginner's open and it has been so long since I've studied it!

 - Lizzi

Thoughts for May 30, 2020

I don't ever remember the Chicago Open being canceled.  It has been a long tradition of mine. Well, it was canceled this year (2020).  I had hopes of getting my rating into the next rank this year.  I'm currently in Class B.  I was hoping to make it to Class A.  That surely won't happen in 2020.  How sad :( 

I'm still practicing blindfold chess at lichess.  I had the thought today, "Why don't I just focus on getting better at regular chess instead of trying to play blindfold everyday?".  The truth is, solely focusing on blindfold chess can throw off your game.  It requires a totally different mode of thinking.  In blindfold chess, a large part of success is being sharp with your short-term memory and focusing on tactics rather than strategy. At least from my experience this is the case.  If I improve my non-blindfold game, then my blindfold game will improve.  Generally, the stronger the player, the stronger his blindfold game will be.  Most Grandmasters can play just as strong blindfolded as they do regularly.  I will still practice blindfold, just not so much.

Do you want to know what makes a great chessplayer a great chessplayer?  An unusual mind.  It doesn't take so much a brilliant mind, just unusual.  Something about great chessplayer's minds is a talent for remember chess patterns (moves) on a 64 square board.  This implies at least three talents:  pattern recognition ability, a powerful memory and spatial awareness.  But having a powerful memory is one thing - being able to remember pieces (and how they move) on a 8x8 square board is quite another.  I have the spatial ability and a powerful memory (actually photographic), but it's just not designed for remembering so many patterns on a 64-square board.  Can I get improve that time of memory?  Not really, but what I can improve is the literal memorizing of pieces on the board simply by studying my mistakes over and over until my mistakes are engrained into my mind.  Some people need to work hard at memorizing their mistakes, some don't.  It's mostly concerning natural talent.

I dedicate about 1 -3 hours of study and play per day towards chess.  If I really want to improve, I probably need to dedicate more hours than that, daily.  Here is where passion comes in!

- Lizzi

 

2017 Mark Oestreich Memorial Round 3

[Event "2017 Mark Oestreich Memorial"] [Site "?"] [Date "2017.03.18"] [Round "3"] [White "Terlizzi"] [Black "Brestal, Ben"] [Result "1-0"] [PlyCount "47"] 1. c4 g6 2. Nc3 Bg7 3. d4 Nf6 4. e4 d6 5. Be2 O-O 6. Nf3 Nbd7 7. Bg5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Bg3 c5 10. e5 Ne8 11. h4 g4 12. Nh2 h5 13. exd6 Nxd6 14. d5 Ne5 15. Bxe5 Bxe5 16. Qd2 Bg7 17. f3 f5 18. Nf1 e6 19. fxg4 fxg4 20. Ng3 Bf6  21. Qh6 Bxh4 22. Qg6 Kh8 23. Qxh5 Kg8 24. Rxh4 1-0 '/>

2017 Mark Oestreich Memorial Round 2

[Event "2017 Mark Oestreich Memorial"] [Site "?"] [Date "2017.03.18"] [Round "2"] [White "Bumpas, Stan"] [Black "Terlizzi"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "D94"]  [PlyCount "57"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. Nc3 d5 5. e3 O-O 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 Bg4 8. h3 Bd7 9. O-O c6 10. a4 a5 11. Qe2 e6 12. b3 Na6 13. Ba3 Re8 14. Rad1 Nc7 15. e4 b5 16. axb5 cxb5 17. Nxb5 Nxb5 18. Bxb5 Bxb5 19. Qxb5 Nxe4 20. Qd3 Nf6 21. Ne5 Nd7 22. Nc6 Qb6 23. Ne7 Kh8 24. d5 exd5 25. Qxd5 Ne5 26. Rfe1 Rad8 27. Bc5 Rxd5 28. Bxb6 Rxd1 29. Rxd1 1/2-1/2 '/>

2017 Mark Oestreich Memorial Round 1

[Event "Mark Oestreich Memorial"] [Site "?"] [Date "2017.03.18"] [Round "1"] [White "Terlizzi"] [Black "Bean, John"] [Result "1-0"] [PlyCount "111"] 1. c4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. d4 e6 5. d5 Na5 6. e4 d6 7. Be2 e5 8. O-O Be7 9. Nd2 O-O 10. Nb3 b6 11. Nxa5 bxa5 12. f4 Nd7 13. f5 Bg5 14. Bxg5 Qxg5 15. Rf3 Nf6 16. Rg3 Qf4 17. Qd3 Ba6 18. Rf1 Qh4 19. Qe3 Kh8 20. Rh3 Ng4 21. Bxg4 Qxg4 22. b3 f6 23. Rg3 Qh5 24. Rff3 Qh6 25. Qe1 Qh5 26. Rh3 Qf7 27. Qh4 Qg8 28. Ne2 Bc8 29. Ng3 g5 30. Qg4 Rf7 31. Rh6 Rb8 32. Ne2 a4 33. Rg3 Qg7 34. Qh5 Rbb7 35. h4 Qg8 36. hxg5 fxg5 37. Rxd6 Qf8 38. Rh6 Rg7 39. Rxg5 Rxg5 40. Qxg5 Rg7 41. Qh4 Qg8 42. Qf6 Qf7 43. Qxf7 Rxf7 44. g4 Rg7 45. Rh4 Bd7 46. Ng3 Be8 47. f6 Rg5 48. Nf5 Kg8 49. Nd6 Bd7 50. Nf5 Kf7 51. Rxh7 Kxf6 52. Rxd7 Rxg4 53. Kf2 Rxe4 54. Nd6 Rd4 55. Rxa7 Rd2 56. Ke3 1-0 '/>

Round 3 Victory 8.16.14

I finished the tournament 2.5/3 and tied for second place. This game (Round 3) was definitely one of my better games. Enjoy :)

[Event "Southern Illinois Summer Open"] [Site "?"] [Date "2014.08.16"] [Round "3"] [White "Terlizzi"] [Black "Colvin, Mark"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B06"] [WhiteElo "1598"] [BlackElo "1705"] [PlyCount "47"] [SourceDate "2014.08.16"] 1. Nf3 g6 2. e4 d6 3. Bc4 e6 4. O-O Bg7 5. d4 Ne7 6. Ng5 O-O 7. f4 d5 8. exd5 Nxd5 9. Nc3 c6 10. Nxd5 cxd5 11. Bb3 Nc6 12. c3 h6 13. Nf3 Na5 14. Bc2 Nc4 15. Ne5 Kh7 16. Qe2 Nd6 17. Rf3 Bd7 18. Rg3 Nf5 19. Rh3 Be8 20. g4 Ne7 21. g5 Nf5 22. gxh6 Bxh6 23. Ng4 Rg8 24. Nxh6 1-0 '/>

Southern Illinois Summer Open Round 2 (Draw)

This was a tough game I played against an old timer that ended in a draw. I feel I played a little too passively.

[Event "Southern Illinois Summer Open"] [Site "Salem Illinois"] [Date "2014.08.16"] [Round "2"] [White "Terlizzi"] [Black "Fathauer, Terry"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "B84"] [WhiteElo "1598"] [BlackElo "1688"] [PlyCount "87"] 1. Nf3 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. Nxd4 Nc6 4. e4 a6 5. Be2 e6 6. O-O Nf6 7. Nc3 Be7 8. Be3 Qc7 9. f4 d6 10. e5 dxe5 11. Nxc6 bxc6 12. fxe5 Qxe5 13. Bd4 Bc5 14. Bxc5 Qxc5 15. Kh1 O-O 16. Bd3 Bb7 17. Qe2 Qg5 18. Ne4 Nxe4 19. Bxe4 Qb5 20. c4 Qc5 21. Rad1 f5 22. Bc2 Rad8 23. Qxe6 Kh8 24. Rxd8 Rxd8 25. Qxf5 Qxf5 26. Rxf5 g6 27. Rf2 c5 28. h3 Kg7 29. b3 Bc6 30. Kh2 Rd6 31. g4 Bd7 32. Kg3 a5 33. Be4 Bc6 34. Bxc6 Rxc6 1/2-1/2 '/>

Southern Illinois Summer Open 8.16.14 (Round 1)

I cannot feel THAT proud of my first round victory because my opponent was only 8 years old.

[Event "Southern Illinois Summer Open"] [Site "Salem, Illinois"] [Date "2014.08.16"] [Round "1"] [White "Owen, Cody"] [Black "Terlizzi"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "B50"] [BlackElo "1598"] [PlyCount "58"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. Bc4 e6 5. O-O Nf6 6. d3 Be7 7. Bf4 a6 8. Ng5 b5 9. Bb3 Nd4 10. Nf3 Nxb3 11. cxb3 b4 12. Na4 e5 13. Bg5 h6 14. Bxf6 Bxf6 15. Nb6 Qxb6 16. a4 a5 17. d4 cxd4 18. Qc2 Ba6 19. Rfc1 O-O 20. Qc6 Qxc6 21. Rxc6 Bb7 22. Rb6 Bxe4 23. Ne1 d3 24. f3 Bf5 25. Rd1 e4 26. fxe4 Bd4 27. Kf1 Bg4 28. Rc1 Bxb6 29. Rc6 Be2# 0-1 '/>

My Strongest Tournament Victory - 3.10.12, Oestreich Memorial

[Event "2012 Mark Oestreich Memorial"] [Site "Salem, IL"] [Round "2"] [White "Pollitt"] [Black "Terlizzi"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "1919"] [BlackElo "1472"] [Annotator "Terlizzi"] [PlyCount "57"] [EventDate "2012.03.10"] [TimeControl "2700%2B45"] 1. e4 c5 2. c3 d5 3. exd5 Qxd5 4. d4 cxd4 5. cxd4 a6 6. Nc3 Qd8 7. Nf3 Nf6 8. Bc4 e6 9. O-O Be7 10. Re1 O-O 11. Bb3 Nc6 12. Be3 Nd5 13. Nxd5 exd5 14. Ne5 Bf6 15. f4 Qd6 16. Qf3 Ne7 17. g4 Bxe5 18. dxe5 Qg6 19. h3 h5 20. g5 h4 21. Bc5 Re8 22. Bxe7 Rxe7 23. Bxd5 Bf5 24. Kh2 Qb6 25. Re2 Rd8 26. Rd1 Red7 27. Red2 Be6 28. f5 Bxd5 29. Rxd5 Rxd5 30. Rxd5 Qxb2 31. Kg1 Qb1 32. Kf2 Qxa2 33. Ke3 Qxd5 *'/>

This game was played in my hometown two years ago (2012). I was playing a guy from Indiana who was rated nearly 500 points higher than me. It was the first time I had ever beaten a Class A player. I ended the tournament with a perfect score - 3/3 and received first place. I had always planned for white to play the anti-Sicilian (Alapin) whenever I play the Sicilian. My plan is to always play ...d5 on the second move. He responds 3. exd5 and I recapture the pawn with my queen on move 3. I surprised myself a bit on move 5 by playing ...a6. The move looked too passive but in hindsight I think it was a very important move and it helped me build a strong position for the opening as it prevents white from moving the bishop to b5. The rest of the game was fairly simple. He just made a tactical blunder in the middle of the game and I capitalized on it by winning his rook. I remember punching in the numbers on my computer when I got home that night and I discovered that I had a performance rating of over 2300 ELO, which is well into the master class. This tournament is coming up again next month and I hope I win it again. I'll keep everyone informed. Thanks for reading.