Mixing Emotions

The day has gone crazy. Sometimes, you cant even tell if you should be happy or sad. And today, I have not even decided whether I should be happy or sad for several reasons.

Earlier today I notched my first win in the NCAA Chess tournement against University of Perpetual Health, that was Board 1.

STORY:

My middle game sucked, I lost one pawn on a poor exchange and almost lost another, good thing he did not see it. Aside from that, I was one move away from trapping his Knight during the middle game, I dont know how I missed that! He used the discovered check technique but he didnt see my bishop which intercepted the queen. His Knight was faced towards my rook and he was ready to eat it. And if he did, I was a queen up! But sadly, he used his Knight to threaten my Queen causing a good exchange, no one would prevail in the sequence. Until he made one big mistake...

After the exchange sequence, I positioned my rook on the 7th rank in the F file, ready to grabe the pawn he took from me. He defended it with his rook on the A file. That was a good break on my part, As I ate the pawn on his A file tieing the game up. Then he used his rook to check, and I offered my rook for an exchange. He agreed and now, it was all even. He used his rook to chekc me on the F file as I escaped towards the E file. He advanced his pawn to make sure my rook on the 7th rank wont devour them, so I postioned my Knight near my double pawns. And he checked me! His ngiht was guarding so I placed my King down. Incidentally, I was waiting for this! His 8th rank became very weak. So he ate my Pawn on the G rank and I offered and Exchange, my bishop for his Knight and he agreed. He didnt have much of a choice. Then, everyhing went my way. I gave him a check on the 8th rank in the A file making his only available move, the bishop, to stop it, and I ate the bishop. His kind escaped but I was up by a bishop. Slowly he started driving his pawns towards the end but my one knight up was too much for him. The game ended when he resigned, I was up by 2 pawns and I hate to sacrifice my knight just to make sure he wont promote. Whatta game! I finally won!

After that, the heart breaking decision when the UAAP Board accepted UE's protest and that they have won the game.

Here is my post in GA.net

I understand some decisions, the nullified 3 pointer of Cabatu a few years ago, and the non call during the goal tending.

The justification during the 1st round encounter was that DLSU could have won in the 4th quarter and it was based on the referees judgement. True enough, I accepted that.

But for this one, isnt it the refs judgement to give a team a time out? Didnt UE have a chance to win in OT?

Source

And DLSU's win against UP today. Whatta game! Animo La Salle!

I guess I can be happy and sad today. I won my first NCAA game, DLSU beat UP but we lost in the boardroom. Games are won on the court and not in the boardroom.

But there is one thing im sure of, I am happy and thankful that I woke up this morning :D