Dilemma of a Stroke Survivor: Day 1 & Day 2 ♟️🧠💪
My chess comeback — one game, one move, one day at a time.
Day 1 — Nakakapanibago Talaga ♟️
I told you before that I joined an Open Standard Chess Tournament, and it started yesterday.
Nakakapanibago talaga.
After almost two years away from face-to-face chess because of my stroke, I realized that I’m no longer accustomed to long, mentally exhausting battles. But I kept checking in with myself: Kaya ko pa ba?
Pinakiramdaman ko ang sarili ko. Kaya ko pa. Pero nangngapa pa rin.
And honestly, these mental exercises are good for me. Chess forces me to think, calculate, concentrate, and stay patient. So laban lang.
I lost my first game to a college student, won my second game against an adult, and drew my third game against an 8-year-old boy from Taguig.
That third game was a real battle.
I had a one-pawn advantage, and I squeezed everything I could to try to convert it into a win. Pero di kinaya ng matanda. 😂
The game lasted more than three hours and eventually ended in a draw.
Medyo nanghihinayang ako sa ilang positions na alam kong dapat sana ay naipanalo ko. Pero ganun talaga ang chess — and perhaps, ganun din ang recovery. You don't always get the result you expect, even when you give everything you have.
At some point, I had to ask myself:
“Pinakiramdaman ko ang sarili ko… kaya ko pa bang magtagal?”
I continued.
Pero tabla talaga.
After the tournament, my twin brother, a friend, and I headed home. Close na pala ang LRT, so nag-jeep na lang kami.
The catch? Hanggang Cubao lang.
So sakay ulit kami ng Cubao–Divisoria route.
Punuan pala ang jeep kapag gabi na.
Hindi na kami nag-Grab dahil may dumaan na jeep, so sumakay na lang kami.
Haissst… punuan pala. 😅
Nauna ang dalawang kasama ko. Ako naman, nahuli na dahil mabagal ako — PWD nga kasi.
Nakupooo… PUNUAN NA! 😂
Ayon, napalaban ako sa sabitan sa jeep.
Medyo masakit sa kamay at likod, pero kinaya naman.
Thanks, God. 🙏
Nahihiya rin naman akong magsabi ng, “Baba na lang tayo.” 😂
Pero that night, I realized something:
Coming back to chess is not just about winning games.
It is also about knowing your body, testing your limits, and learning when to push and when to listen.
Day 2 — Blindfolded, Literally! 😂
Back again at the 1st Grandmaster Dr. Eugene Torre Open Standard Chess Tournament in Marikina City.
Nakakapanibago ulit na maglaro ng chess F2F.
Kasama ko ulit si utol. Parang UE games na naman noong araw. ♟️
Makakabalik na ulit ako.
Pero Day 2 started with a little problem.
Nabago ang schedule. 7:00 AM daw ang first game.
Eh late na akong nakauwi kagabi dahil sa mahaba naming draw.
Yarii! 😅
Kaya sobrang pagod ako.
At siyempre…
Na-late akong magising.
Ano pa nga ba? 😂
So nag-book na lang ako ng JoyRide papunta sa tournament.
Then came the biggest problem:
Nakalimutan ko ang fully-paid, multi-coated, transition eyeglasses ko.
Nakupooo! 🤦♂️😂
Parang naglaro akong naka-blindfold.
Hindi ko halos makita nang maayos ang board, at pati ang sinusulat kong moves, hindi ko maintindihan. Hindi rin sakto sa box ang sulat ko.
(See attached photo later. 😂)
But I still played.
And surprisingly, I managed to score 2 out of 3 games on Day 2.
So after two days, I had a total of 3.5 points out of 6 games.
Not bad for someone coming back from a long chess hiatus.
Pero, again, medyo nanghihinayang ako. May mga games at positions na dapat sana ay naipanalo ko. I know I could have played them better.
But instead of dwelling on those missed opportunities, I choose to look at the bigger picture.
Two years ago, I was fighting to recover from a stroke.
Today, I'm sitting across a chessboard again, thinking, calculating, struggling, competing — and enjoying the game I love.
That's already a victory.
Because sometimes recovery is like chess.
You don't always have perfect conditions.
You don't always see the whole board clearly.
Sometimes you're tired. Sometimes you're uncomfortable. Sometimes you even forget your glasses! 😂
But you make the best move you can with what you have.
One game. One move. One day at a time. ♟️
And yes…
May asim pa ba? 😎♟️
Tags:
#Chess #ChessComeback #StrokeRecovery #StrokeSurvivor
#FaceToFaceChess #LabanLang #OneMoveAtATime
#EugeneTorreOpen #MarikinaChess #ChessLife
