Thresholds, even symbolical ones, are sometimes hard to cross. Johan, studying hard recently, came up with this result :
PR Johan (draws 3-3)
As a consequence, he keeps hovering slightly above Master level with an overall PR of 6,54. Johan will have to lift his game a notch this coming weekend (BMS Brugge, 6 x 13) if he wants to make the transition from Expert to Master level.
As for me, a couple of months ago I was tiptoeing hopefully around the 5 PR mark, but improving by 0,2 PR is not as straightforward as it seems :
PR Michel (draws 3-3)
With this result, I managed to shave 0,08 off my overall BMS PR, which now stands at 5,16. The 5 PR line is surely within grasp, but the Master Class I boundary (4,75) feels like a distant mirage. The illusive Grandmaster Class III level (< 4 PR) is, as yet, too preposterous to even contemplate…
This weekend (23-24 July) 7 of our best players (Walter Meuwis, Geert Van der Stricht, Johan Huyck, Guy Van Middelem, Paul Van Dijke, Paulus Van Rooijen and Maurits Pino) will test their skills at the 1st BMS BE event (Hollandse Vismijn, Vismarkt, Brugge). What can they do against 2 Czech players of Master level (Honza Czerny and Pavel Zaoral) and the phenomenal 17-year-old Zdenek Zizka (Grandmaster Class III)?
My answer? The only thing they can do is play to the best of their abilities and then let the chips fall where they may. Win or lose, any player who can perform 1 PR better than his current BMS grading will have reason for contented satisfaction, maybe even high-spirited elation…
Good luck to all players!
M