The economists drafted me last Friday for the weekly tournaments between faculties. Today’s tournment had close to thirty players from the economics, engineering and law schools at the engineer’s Buchef campus.

After first round pairings I sat across from my opponent ‘Lobos eager to play a G/25min match with my clock. Before the handshake, Job came over to tell me that ‘Lobos had been the national champion in 2001 so it was OK, and I shouldn’t feel bad.

That’s about how confident we are in my skills. Mine was the first board to post results.

After missing the first five minutes of my second round match I came back to dupe my opponent repeatedly, and for an audience, all the way to his checkmating me with less than thirty seconds left on his clock. It’s a shame the seven minutes you have left don’t count for anything once you’ve lost.

This would all bother me more had I not played a six-move mating sequence at the Plaza against a nevous old man who won our set two hours earlier.

There’s a Leadershape reunion in a week that I will miss.

I think I’m bouldering sunday.