Chess players are the opposite of football players. They never say they're #1. Unless they are. Chess players consistently talk about how bad they are, which is why it didn't surprise me when Silke (at Hooah Wife blog) commented that she foresaw herself losing most games to me, after her blitzkrieg pasting of me the first game we played.

But I'm here to tell you that Silke is the better chess player. Even though I won our game yesterday, you can see in her moves a military determination and self-discipline. She's self-possessed and she does not fluster. I was scared. I almost resigned after I blundered away my rook.

She had me nailed, and only her own late rook blunder gave me room to breathe.

1. e2-e4 e7-e5
2. g1-f3 b8-c6
3. f1-c4 g8-f6
4. f3-g5 d7-d5
5. e4xd5 f6xd5
6. d2-d3 f8-e7
7. g5xf7 e8xf7
8. d1-f3+ e7-f6
9. c4xd5+ f7-f8
10. d5xc6 b7xc6
11. f3xc6 c8-d7
12. c6-f3 a8-c8
13. o-o f8-f7
14. b1-c3 d7-e6
15. c3-e4 h8-e8
16. e4xf6 d8xf6
17. f3xf6+ g7xf6
18. c1-e3 e8-g8
19. f1-e1 a7-a5
20. e3-d2 a5-a4
21. a2-a3 e6-d5
22. f2-f3 h7-h5
23. e1-f1 g8-g6
24. b2-b4 c8-g8
25. g2-g3 h5-h4
26. d2-e1 d5-e6
27. e1-f2 e6-h3
28. f1-e1 f6-f5
29. e1xe5 f5-f4
30. a1-e1 h4xg3
31. e5-e7+ f7-f6
32. e7-e6+ h3xe6
33. f2-d4+ f6-f7
34. h2-h3 g6-h6
35. g1-g2 g8-g5
36. d4-e5 e6xh3+
37. g2-g1 h3-f5
38. e5xf4 g3-g2
39. f4xg5 h6-h1+
40. g1xg2 h1xe1
41. g2-g3 e1-c1
42. g5xc1 f5-e6
43. g3-f4 f7-e7
44. f4-e5 e6-f7
45. f3-f4 f7-b3
46. c2xb3 a4xb3
47. f4-f5 e7-f7
48. f5-f6 c7-c6
49. e5-d6 f7xf6
50. d6xc6 f6-e5
51. c6-c5 e5-f5
52. d3-d4 f5-e6
53. c5-c4 e6-d6
54. c4xb3

She resigned after that.

Sure, she made blunders, but I was lucky that her blunder came late in the game, magnifying the impact.

As to my 'genius,' notice that on move 16, e4xf6, when I traded pieces, I left my queen totally open to the f6 bishop. I am so lucky that she did not notice!