Time flies and to be honest, aside having this pictures on Mark’s facebook, I don’t think I have them elsewhere. Anyways today I write a short blog about one of my early chess tournament experience. I was 15 years old at this time and I already travelled quite a bit to play junior tournaments. Although something about this event stood out!
This tournament was in Delta state, Nigeria. As at that time, I had never been to the southern part of the country. It was one of those places I wish I travelled to because I felt the distance would mean freedom. As at that time, I had just one friend, (who thankfully joined hive this year) ready to go on this journey. It’s one of those trips that enhanced my friendship with 
I have a picture with him from that event, but I’m pretty sure he won’t want a throwback:) .
My tournament was bad, infact this probably ranked as one of my worse chess events ever, but as at that time I didn’t care, I enjoyed being far away from home. Like the journey to the event was nice, I felt free to an extent.
Another thing was even though it was a rapid event, it was my first time not playing in a junior category, I didn’t go to the event with any expectations. It was just fun and I made sure I had it to the fullest.
Like did I really take these pictures, I pretty much look very young in this photos below.
I could deny easily that this wasn’t me :) Anyways, I enjoyed myself in this tournament, taking a lot of pictures and posting it on the 2go social app then. I really didn’t think much of the event. I finished 22nd in this event, one of my worse performances in my chess career. More like more worse but in all honesty, it still remains one of my best chess event in terms of expectations, pressure and freedom.
When it come to food, I ate as much as I could, pretty much sad, I lost a lot of pictures.
I know I did eat well and a lot of times too. We went swimming although then I was pretty scared of water. Not like now that I can swim a 50 meter pool no matter how deep (Maybe I’d do another throw back story for the transformation). I didn’t swim but I sat close to the pool and enjoyed myself.
These days I reflect and I appreciate these memories. I really don’t think the former me would want to post these photos here but at this point in my life, looking at these, I see growth and I now I believe that the best moments in life are not the ones you plan sometimes, they are the ones you don’t even know you’re enjoying.
Even after a Decade, I cherish my first non-junior tournament in Asaba!
