Six holes in my bucket
My previous tournament back in december lead to a clear conclusion: my weakest point was making plans for the endgame, followed by a lack of knowledge (skill) of endgame specific tactics. (promotion, sacrifices, key squares, zugzwang, fortress, stalemate, trebuchet et cetera). Expected benefit from specific endgame training: 150 points. Back in December I performed miserably, and I ended up in a lot of endings which were generally better or equal, and I screwed them all up, spilling half points all over the shop. In May this year I made a discovery about the best method of training for any skill (discovery of The Trick). I decided to swallow my pride and gave up the idea to focus on endgame planning for the moment. Instead I wanted to prove my ideas about the Trick. Proof is more important than rating points. The past tournament this July showed that the Trick is usable and decisive for each and every game. In all my wins (4 times), my losses (3 times) and my draws (2 times)...