COMEBACK TIME!!!!!!

The speaker recounts an "absolutely incredible day" after playing two successful games in the Minorca Open chess tournament. They express great happiness and excitement to share the games. The morning round was against Ka Sante Rodriguez, rated 1969, in a "beautiful palace" in Minorca, described as one of the most stunning places the speaker has ever played a chess tournament. The speaker, playing white, expected the Stonewall defense but faced the Old Indian defense, with the opponent playing E4. The speaker chose Bishop to pin the knight, followed by Knight E2. Their plan involved going Knight G3 and Queen D4. The opponent castled and sacrificed a pawn, which was the best move, but then defended with Queen F6. The speaker then played Knight H5, which was the best move. They mentioned that their opponent, Haime, is a fan of their tournament recaps and was rooting for them. After some exchanges, the speaker was happy because the opponent's knight wouldn't get into a good position. The speaker played H4 to prevent the opponent from kicking their knight away. They decided to take on C6 and then move their king to D2, aiming for an active king in the endgame. The speaker was particularly proud of the move Rook H B1, which they described as an "ugly move" with a good "soul," as it set up a strong rook on A1 after a potential trade on B3. The opponent played C5, and the speaker continued with their plan, playing Rook B3, then Knight F4, aiming for Knight D5. The speaker believed they had a much better position, anticipating that if the opponent traded rooks, their own rook would become very active. They foresaw a winning position with potential checkmate tactics involving Knight E7. The opponent took on B3, then took a pawn, and the speaker took back. With more time on the clock, the speaker felt calm. They attacked another pawn, and after the opponent's Knight B6, the speaker was able to take a pawn, as the opponent couldn't take back with their pawn due to a checkmate threat. The speaker now had a strong three versus one pawn advantage on the queen side and a well-placed king. The opponent played F5, and the speaker pushed their C pawn, leading to the opponent's resignation after 29 moves. The speaker won with 20 minutes remaining and played with 96% accuracy, attributing their excellent play to the inspiring palace setting. After the morning game, the speaker enjoyed the city of Minorca, had lunch, and rested for round eight. In the afternoon, they played against Antonio Mhmedov, rated 1764, who was performing above his rating. The speaker had beaten him in a previous blitz tournament, which gave them confidence, though they acknowledged the difference between classical and blitz games. The opponent played an unexpected opening, an Alapin, delaying taking on D4 in a gambit style. The speaker preferred not to allow gambits. They chose D6, and after some exchanges, forgot to play Bishop E6, opting for Bishop F5 instead, which they later learned was not ideal. The speaker spent 20 minutes on Rook D8, aiming to play against a weakness and avoid trading everything off, as they wanted to win the game. They made a mistake with Queen B8, missing Queen D7, which would have allowed them to castle. However, they went Queen B8 to prevent the bishop from reaching a certain square. Eventually, they played Bishop E7 and castled, feeling secure and still targeting the opponent's weakness. The speaker missed Knight A5, which would have been a strong move to trade off the opponent's bishop and put pressure on D5. Instead, they played Knight B4, then H6 for safety. They then played Knight D5. A mistake was made when they took on C4; they should have taken with the F pawn to set up Bishop G5. Instead, they played Knight F4, hoping the opponent would take, but the opponent played Queen F3, leaving the speaker's knight in an awkward position. The opponent was low on time (4 minutes vs. 23 minutes for the speaker), which made the speaker feel confident, a feeling they warned against in chess. The game then became "crazy." The speaker played Queen A8, a "brilliant move" they spent 15 minutes finding, sacrificing their knight to control the light squares and aim for a queen trade. They calculated potential lines, including taking on B2 and threatening both rook and queen. However, the opponent, with a minute and 49 seconds left, played D5. The speaker missed the precise move Knight G6, which would have led to a pawn loss but with compensation. Instead, they played G5 to defend, leading to a "crazy" position. The opponent found G3, and the speaker had to play B4. They calculated a complex line involving trapping the opponent's queen but ultimately played B4. After exchanges, the speaker played Bishop B4, followed by Bishop E7, defending a pawn. With both players in severe time trouble (around a minute left), the opponent played Queen H5, which was a blunder. The speaker responded with Rook takes D5, a move that the opponent could not take on G5 due to a pin. The opponent, with 39 seconds left, played Bishop takes G5, which was a losing move due to Bishop G6. The opponent resigned, and the speaker won both games, achieving two wins in a row. The speaker is now on four out of eight points, gaining five rating points, and performing like a 2120 player. The final round will be against a stronger player, and a win would result in an "incredible tournament" with significant rating gains. A draw would also gain rating, and a loss would maintain their current rating. The speaker looks forward to the final round and asks for good luck from their viewers.