I think that one of my main problems as chess player has been lack of concentration. I have been engaged in to many things, and has seldom managed to focus for more than a few days. Now I have taken a break from the studies, again, and have also cut out some chess organizational things. I really like playing a lot of chess again, but gradually it seems that I am starting to lose interest in other things...

Normally I go up for a walk a few times during the games, but the fact that you sit at the board does not neccesarly mean that you are concentrated. I todays game against Sinisa Drazic my thoughts occasianally ran away and I also played a lot of weak moves. It started well, when I played 3...h6 after some 10 minutes of thought. I know that it looks completely ridiculous, but in the position we got in the game whites only plan is to break with c2-c4. That is not possible due to the knight on c3, so I think black has a fine position. My g6-g5 was a unneccesary weakning, and then I was gradually outplayed until I managed to save myself with 40...b5 and some active play. It took Drazic more than 10 minutes to accept that it was a threefold repetition.

Todays narrow save has to be a lesson! I will try to improve my concentration even some further percent, and try to avoid having my thoughts occupied with other things during the games, but at the same time I am slighly scared to see what that really means.

I am living just 30 minutes from Denmark, but that does not mean that everything is the same. In Sweden immigrants can seek for Swedish citizeship after some two years, but in Denmark they have to wait seven years. That is a huge difference! In Sweden teachers in high school has to study for four and a half years, in Denmark it is seven years! No surprise that they are missing a lot of teachers.

Tomorrow I play Klaus Berg with the white pieces. To make norm I have to score 2½/3, so it is really time to win again. The organizers told me that 1200 visitors from Sweden has been following the live coverage, but I cant really believe that. Anyway, I am looking forward to play I long game tomorrow. Axel Smith, Skanderborg, October 21th, 2010