This week I did not play in the 5th round of the weekly Marshall Monday U1800. Having 3 losses and no wins, I was in last place and the odd man out. Full point bye.
Frankly, given I'm on a 6-game losing streak (counting my last G25 loss on Thanksgiving), I need the break! I'm finishing up my latest Woodpecker cycle, and am studying Benoni games in Chess Structures: A Grandmaster Guide by Mauricio Rios. I need to be able to deal with these silly d4, Nf3, g3 openings as black.
Also, last night I borrowed Easy Guide to the Panov-Botvinick - it's a bit over my head, but still more approachable than most theory books. It seems the Panov is a "gateway drug" to d4 openings as white. The author starts not with Caro-Kann games but rather a series of d4 games!
Anyway, next Monday is Christmas, so I play the final round on New Years day in about 2 weeks.
