Today was supposed to be the day I would finally be able to break the magical 1800 barrier. I was determined not to stop playing until I got the needed rating points. However, as with most my plans I failed in this one too.

However, all is not lost as most the games I played contains direct king-side attacks. Game after game I would be able to conduct the attack it got to the point I'm starting to suffer delusions that "Hey, I'm turning out to be a pretty good attacker".

Anyway, I played so many games, they were lost when I failed to save them. Except for these last three:

Just an hour or so before this, I played another game featuring roughly the same position, with the same rook sacrifice. I couldnt believe my luck when I saw the very same pattern starring me at the face. What are the chances that two different opponents will fall for the same tactic successively?

The rook sacrifice itself is really easy to see - however I think my opponents disregard such moves because they didnt expect me to just fling so variable a material. Particularly since there are other "smaller" tactics available.

However, a half-open line, with the rook staring down hard at the king? Might as well walk down a dark alley with a shining rolex and a few thousand dollars strapped at your vest.

I was very happy when he issued a rematch. I didnt have to wait to play another game. When I heard the familiar "click" of FICS and half-saw his knight on f3 I automatically played e5?? The start of the game and I open with a blunder.

Of course I didnt ask for a takeback. Fortunately, this opponent plays a "solid" style. I feel like he is sort of waiting for me to make my move. So I did. I castled on the opposite side and launched my attack. By the time he tried to create counterplay, its was all over. Even gave him my knight for free. As a souvenier. nyehehehe..

I just played with Fierabras the night before, and since he was so highly rated (2100++) I concentrated on preventing tactics. I think we nearly died of boredom. So I thought, next time I'll just play my normal game. Just be myself you know. Forget about the rating and just play.

So when I played this opponent I did just that. Our difference was over 150pts but when I got the chance to play a speculative king-side attack, I jumped on it. Again I sacrificed a few pawns to get my pieces near the king and the tactics flowed from there.

I wracked my brain trying to come up with the killer moves, but each time he played the best defense. When I played what I think was my most powerful move of the game - the silent sacrifice 22.. Ne3 just putting my knight en-prise, I was sure he would collapse. I mean, a lot of players would go "oohh he blundered" and take the tasty knight. I won a lot of games that way. But he just refused the additional material and calmly defended.

In the end I got into time trouble, and offered a draw when the position became equal. A good thing too because I know squat about endgames and I surely would have lost if he insisted on continuing.

But oh, for that 10 minutes when I thought I was gonna win. It was almost heaven