Road To 2300+ - My Breakthrough Tournament

Introduction

What were the behind-the-scenes actions I took to have a breakthrough performance of over 2400 (half a point short of my first International Master norm) in the 2008 Australian Championship - my first ever 'open' Championship event?

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Learn from my experiences in this unfiltered video below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMT-tKZ4izA

Smash the Like button if this video excites you!

Before And After The Tournament

I was rated just 2152 FIDE and 2200ish national rating at the time, but nonetheless, I was able to win with the White pieces against 2300+ rated players on several occasions.

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First, my best game of the tournament:

https://lichess.org/study/14tJ2vzi/YjPYttNg

Second, a more scrappy game that I was able to win thanks to better time management/nerves:

https://lichess.org/study/rK0oK2Rt/eNw7EvHo

The Transformation In My Black Results

Meanwhile, I held the top two seeds (both rated in the high 2400s) to solid draws.

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I even missed a massive opportunity to win in one of these games, which could have potentially changed the final standings:

https://lichess.org/study/7Gaxalhf/46jISQse

One thing I forgot to mention in the video is that I had actually won against my opponent in the Australian Lighting Championship a couple of days before, and that gave me the confidence that I could potentially beat him in a classical game too, despite the massive rating difference.

The other draw, against top seed GM Dejan Antic, was a more balanced game where I used my endgame study (in the months before the event) to comfortably hold a pawn-down rook ending:

https://lichess.org/study/NGL6hm14/5z4aD8ad

So What Did I Do Differently?

There were many subtle changes I made in my training in the months before the event, which led to the following shifts in my skill:

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- Deeply understanding the arising middlegames, rather than floundering without a plan and getting outplayed;

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- Being very alert to tactics in the endgame, rather than getting outcalculated;

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- Knowing my openings deeper than my opponents, rather than being outprepared;

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- Being able to play more quickly than my opponents and put pressure on them, instead of spending ages not knowing what to do.

How To Master These Skills

The easiest way to improve these skills? Hit the red 'Subscribe' button! (Note: Click the notification bell and select 'All' to see my Grandmaster video lessons in your feed).

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The result could have been even better, as I had got to the winning position in the critical last-round game for the IM norm, but drifted in a closed position and my opponent (who also went on to become a Grandmaster) escaped with a draw:

https://lichess.org/study/Y8S6iLbj/oJsO7NDR

Had I won any of these last three games, I would have obtained my first International Master norm. It was a weird tournament, in that I won all my White games but this last round, while with Black I scored 1.5/5 (albeit against much higher-rated players on average).

My Mission

My mission is to help over 500 chess players rated over 2000+ (FIDE/National rating) to become chess masters (2200+ or 2300+ rating). Your comments help me to achieve this mission!

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After this tournament, you would think I became a FIDE Master almost right away, yes?

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But no, instead it took me another 2 years, after many many struggles in my life... And in your situation, with competing interests like a job and family, perhaps you can't afford to 'lose' 2 years on your journey toward the master title.

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When life 'gets in the way', not everyone manages to get back on track... And that's where the regret comes from...when you're lying on your deathbed, wondering what could have been with your chess, if only you'd got the right help at that key turning point...

It Doesn't Have To Be This Way

If that's sparked your fire to become a chess master, and you're already 2000+ rated, let's talk: https://m.me/max.illingworth.16

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Postscript: Part 1

PS For those wondering about 'Part 1' where I talk about the first 6 rounds, here it is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjqRlqAb8a8