Norwegian Chess Championship 2010, Class 4, Game 2

Picture 1 - From the tournement, Kongstenhallen

Picture 2 - My opponent Lars Hope

I met an elderly man today. He told me that we have played together before. In the 1980's. I must say, everyone does their preperations. He had a rating of 1136, which is almost identical to my previous opponent. Rumor has it that he playes very defensively. Hm.. does that sound familiar? And he likes draws.

Well, in the beginning, that might be true. Because the action happened elsewhere. The player on my right side sat down with his newly bought coffee and spilled it all over the table. The player to my left side, thought he had put his cellphone on "silent". And in ticked a text message, bip-bip and game over. Cell phones equals loss. And my wife thinks I'm paranoid for leaving my cell phone in the car.

Then out of nowhere, my little sheltered world is crumbling around me. An enormous attack on my castled position. I come out of it damaged. I get a bishop. He gets a rook and a pawn. And the attack is barely beginning. But somehow he can't finish me off. I get my remaining pieces in action, and being under in material, I manage the impossible. A draw. (He ends up as number 31 out of 49).

1136 Lars Hope, Brønnøysund, White, 1/2

0000 Gaute Michel Ferstad, Black, 1/2