Friday, July 25, 2008

HBH 90 (The Chairman's Mojo - it's all in the tactics)

Six straight victories,
Young challengers confounded:
Chairman finds his form!


It still wasn't quite his best. It didn't quite develop into one of the infamous 'Chairmanizings' of the past, where he spanks all comers for the entire evening. He blundered away a fairly straightforward chance on the black to continue his winning run and face me again (I had surrendered far too easily the first time round!). But the guy who took him was very, very good. And The Chairman had seen off 5 other very decent players between me and him. I think the Chairman's mojo is finally on the way back. His form has been woeful for a while now (though, even when he's playing badly, he's still not easy to beat!), but last night's performance, I think, signalled a turning-point.

I had been trying to get the other most formidable laowai player I know, New Dad, to come out as well, but, alas, he was leaving on a short break from the city. He bestowed on The Chairman a new pool-playing nickname, sending us the text message: "Give my best to Tony the Tactician."

"Well, New Dad doesn't need tactics because his potting's so darned good," sighed His Chairmanliness ruefully.

It was a good line, so I passed it on to His New Dadness. "Tony doesn't need potting because his tactics are so good," he responded even more ruefully.

Actually, when he's fully mojo-ed up, The Chairman has both elements to his game (as does New Dad, come to that). But The Chairman's tactics can be really evil......... And they so often look accidental, which makes it even worse to be on the receiving end of.

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