When I started the circles program, from about a hundred exercises or so, I was constantly feeling this nagging pressure in my head. But after the first hundred, it disappeared. I even begun solving the problems faster than before. I used to finish about 20-30 a day. I remember thinking - "This is becoming too easy. At this rate I'll finish the whole book in another month. Arent there any harder problems? Maybe I'm just a tactical wizard now? Heh!". And so it went day after day. This blitzing thru the program. I was even dreaming that maybe I can have a life again. And why would anyone be frustrated by such simple problems?

Until I came to the tactical theme - "Anihillation of Pawn Strukture"
Piece of cake, seems to have more problems than the other chapters, but no matter I'll finish this in a week just like the others. The first few problems seems easy enough. I'll just solve this last one before I sleep. Hmm, seems to be a small trap here. eh!? What that!? This doesnt makes sense. The king is always slipping away. My ten minutes is up. I'll just see the soluti... A FIFTEEN MOVE COMBINATION? (Eyes popping out)

Boy, was I wrong. This chapter has got to be the hardest so far. Full of 7-15 move combinations. Each one have multiple variations. Going thru the problem is a tough slog. And do you know, its baaacckk! The head-pressure. I want to scratch my brain so it would stop. My fingernails tearing thru the skin of my forehead. Trying to solve three or four of this things is hurting me (whimper2x). Last saturday, I thought that I can catch up as I managed to solve only about 15 problems the whole week. After a few hours, I got very tired. I've never been tired like this from solving problems before. Even passed out to sleep in the middle of the exercises three times. But still I go back. I wanted to finish this until sunday. But it is so very very tiring.. zzzz...

I sure hope that this constant pressure in my head is actually good. I mean I hope it is neurons connecting and not dying. Can brain cells beg for mercy? Somewhere Mr Blokh must be secretly smiling. He is probably thinking right now - "They think it is becoming too easy. They'll even try to finish the whole book in two months. They will say - arent there any harder problems? Maybe even think that they are tactical wizards? heh!".