Colorado Springs Chess Newsletter
cs.chess.home.att.net
Game Of The Year
Well, I was going over the previous year for my new chess scrapbook and the end of the year newsletter when I realized that a lot has happened in the past 12 months. According to last year’s calculations (home.att.net/~cs.chess/newslette … _2009.html). I also gave my first simultaneous exhibition with the help of Mitch Anderson (see This Week In Chess). However, the biggest first for me has to be making it past the expert level (2002) on my 500th game. So, it seemed like the obvious choice for the Game Of The Year would have to be the one that put me over 2000.
There were several games to choose from since it was actually a combination of 2 events that contributed to the ratings gain. The last game I played before going over was against Jeff Csima, but I wrote about that one in the 500th game newsletter and it was a grandmaster draw (hardly the highlight of the year). However, the last game that was rated by USCF before going over was against Jeff Fox in the June Mating Game, but that game was played earlier and just rated afterwards, so it only helped contribute to the ratings gain because I did well in the Southern Colorado Open. If I had done poorly in the Southern Colorado Open, Jeff’s game wouldn’t have mattered. So, the key game had to come from Southern Colorado Open. The game before Jeff Csima was probably the key, but I only won it because of a long rook and bishop versus rook endgame that did not get recorded, which makes it hard to publish. So, I have chosen the victory prior to that one. It is a game against Mark Krowczyk, who was also my opponent in the first Game Of The Year (home.att.net/~cs.chess/newslette … 06_v1.html). We have played twice, and he has made the Game Of The Year both times. It is like I have something against him, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. I just have really enjoyed our games together. They are not easy wins, and the positions are very appealing to me. In this game, Mark takes a gamble on move 29 that doesn’t work out, but it leads to my favorite chess position. It is kind of surprising that the game felt like it was over at move 29, but it went on for 40 more moves. I found myself getting lost in how beautifully the knights worked together holding on to all my pawns while Mark’s rook ran around franticly trying to find some purpose in life. Then on move 52 it appeared: The Hanging Knights Formation. It was the first time I had seen one of the Seven Wonders of the Chess World, and I was in awe. The knights seemed to float there unsupported, yet complete protected with every piece working in harmony. I agonized over what to move. How do I break this up? My best move was to resign and have the board bronzed with this position locked in place for all posterity. Then I realized that I had the score sheet, so I moved.
Game Of The Year VI (home.att.net/~cs.chess/games/kro … 132009.htm)
(159) Krowczyk,Mark (1765) - Anderson,Paul (1986) [A42]
Southern Colorado Open Colorado Springs (2.3), 13.06.2009
[Fritz 8 (120s){Paul Anderson}]
A42: Modern Defence: Averbakh Variation
1.d4 c6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.Be2 Bxf3 7.Bxf3 Qb6 last book move 8.Ne2 Qb4+ 9.Bd2 Qxc4 10.Bc3 Nd7 11.0-0 Nh6 12.Nf4 Qb5 13.a4 Qb6 14.g4 a5 15.Qd2 Qc7 16.Nd3 f6 Secures e5 17.d5 This push gains space 17…Nf7 18.Be2 Ng5 19.Qe3 e5 20.f4 Nf7 21.Rf3 cxd5 22.exd5 Qb6 23.Nf2 Qxe3 24.Rxe3 0-0 25.Bb5 An ideal square for the white bishop. 25…Nb6 [25…exf4!? 26.Re7 Nc5-/+ ] 26.Rd1= Bh6 27.Nh3 [27.g5!? is worthy of consideration 27…exf4 28.Re7 Nxg5 29.Rxb7= ] 27…Rfc8=/+ 28.Re2 Rc5 [28…Bxf4?! 29.Nxf4 exf4 30.Bxf6= ] 29.Bxa5?? the position is going down the drain [>=29.g5 Bg7 30.gxf6 Bxf6 31.Nf2 Rxd5 32.Rf1-/+ ] 29…Rxa5-+ 30.b4 Raxb5 31.bxc5 Rxc5 32.Ra2 Nxd5 33.Rb2 b6 34.fxe5 fxe5 35.Kf2 Be3+ 36.Kg3 Bd4 37.Rb3 Nc3 38.Re1 Nxa4 39.Ra3 Rc3+ 40.Rxc3 Nxc3 41.Nf2 Bxf2+ 42.Kxf2 d5 43.Ke3 d4+ 44.Kd3 b5 45.Ra1 h5 46.h3 hxg4 47.hxg4 Kg7 48.Ra6 Kh6 49.Rf6 [49.Re6 doesn’t get the cat off the tree 49…Nd5 50.Kc2 d3+ 51.Kc1 Nf4-+ ] 49…Ng5 50.Rb6 [50.Rc6 Nf3 51.Kc2 e4 52.g5+ Kxg5 53.Rc5+ Kf4-+ ] 50…Nf3 51.Kc2 Kg5 52.Kb3 e4 {Here it is! The hanging knights formation. I can just hear them saying to each other, “I’ll guard your pawn, if you will guard mine.”} 53.Kc2 e3 54.Re6 Ne1+ 55.Kc1 Nd3+ 56.Kc2 Nf4 57.Rd6 Nce2 [57…e2 58.Kd2 Ne4+ 59.Ke1 Nxd6 60.Kf2 b4 61.Ke1 b3 62.Kd2 b2 63.Kc2 e1Q 64.Kxb2 Qc3+ 65.Kb1 Nd3 66.Ka2 Qb2# ] 58.Rb6 d3+ 59.Kb3 Kxg4 60.Rd6 Nc1+ 61.Kb2 d2 62.Kc2 Kf3 63.Rb6 Ke2 64.Rd6 b4 65.Rd4 b3+ [65…b3+ 66.Kc3 b2 67.Kc4 b1Q 68.Rd7 Ne6 69.Rxd2+ exd2 70.Kd5 d1Q+ 71.Kc6 Qdc2+ 72.Kd6 Qc7+ 73.Kxe6 Qf5# ] 0-1
End Of The Season
Tuesday August 25, 2009
Well, another chess season has come to a close for me. It is time for me to move on to managing the website for my other hobby (games.groups.yahoo.com/group/cs_chess/). You can also join the group to keep receiving chess games all year round. So, before I finish typing my chess thoughts for another year, I want to thank all the people who sent in games and articles, all the people who took the time to tell me something nice about the newsletter, and all the people who take the time to read this.
This Week In Chess
On August 18th, the CSCC had 7 members in attendance. The Director of Creative Chess Events, Renae Delaware, added another notch on her belt with the evening’s event. The Anderson brothers had to face the club in a tandem simul without consulting each other. All participants played black and faced Mitch Anderson on the odd moves and Paul Anderson on the even moves. Here are the results:
Result Move Player
0.0 20 Jason Feith
1.0 21 Buck Buchanan
0.0 25 Dean Brown
0.5 99 Jeff Fox
Comments From Email
Martin Deschner, Tuesday, August 18, 2009 3:06 PM
I, too, have a policy for lost games, Paul. I just tear up the score sheet! Doesn’t help with the learning process, does it?
Martin Deschner, Tuesday, August 25, 2009 12:51 PM
Wow! 96 moves in Cabrera versus Anderson! That’s one more than the 95 Theses of Martin Luther. DId anyone check for 50 moves without pawn move or capture draw option?
Regards…Martin in Denver
[Comments are about this newsletter: (home.att.net/~cs.chess/newslette … _2009.html)]
2009 Monument Open Results with prize breakdowns
By Jerry Maier
2009 Monument Open: OPEN
Score Place Prize Player
5.0 1st $75.00 Daoud Zupa
5.0 1st $75.00 Hans M Morrow
4.5 U2000 $55.00 Julian Evans
4.0 Randy C Canney
4.0 Jim Geary
4.0 U1900 $25.00 Gordon Randall
4.0 $25.00 Armin Rapaport
3.5 Buck Buchanan
3.5 Kevin M Seidler
3.5 David Meliti
3.5 Duwayne Langseth [WITHDREW]
3.5 Gerardo Neri
3.0 Paul Anderson
3.0 Jeffrey J Csima
3.0 Paul Covington
3.0 Shaun T Macmillan
3.0 Daniel Zhou [WITHDREW]
3.0 U1700 $45.00 Rhett Langseth
2.5 Jeffrey Baffo [WITHDREW]
2.5 Timothy Martinson
2.5 Joseph T Fromme
2.5 Robert Rountree
2.5 Jeremiah Haynes
2.0 Anthea J Carson
2.0 Ted K Doykos
2.0 Chris Hanagan
1.5 Kurt Kondracki
1.5 Dean W Brown
1.5 Danielle Rice [WITHDREW]
1.5 Tom Mullikin
0.0 Gerry Morris [WITHDREW]
2009 Monument Open: U1500
Score Place Prize Player
6.0 1st $65.00 Chaitanya Neuhaus
4.5 2nd $50.00 Jim Cummings
4.0 U1450 $23.00 Yelena Kandybey
4.0 U1450 $23.00 Frank Riley
3.5 Alexa Lasley
3.5 George Kovats
3.5 Tim Kohler
3.0 Edward F Cronin
3.0 U1000 $14.00 Ginny Gaige
3.0 U1000 $14.00 Brian Riley
3.0 U1000 $14.00 Cynthia Langseth
2.5 Michael Martinson
2.5 Kathy Schneider
2.5 Mark Wells
2.0 Gary Crites
2.0 Cory Kohler
2.0 Asher Macenulty III
1.5 Frank Atwood
0.5 Alexander Freeman
Upcoming Events
8/25 Ladder games, CSCC
8/25 August 2009 G/29 Grand Prix Event, CSCA
8/26 2009 August East Coast Deli final round, CSCC
8/27 2009 August USAFA Chess final round, CSCC
8/29 USAFA Quads #13, CSCC
9/1 Speed tournament, CSCC
For event details and additional events, see the following websites:
CSCC: Colorado Springs Chess Club (springschess.org/)
BCC: Boulder Chess Club (geocities.com/boulderchessclub/)
CSCA: Colorado State Chess Association (colorado-chess.com/)
WCA: Wyoming Chess Association (wyomingchess.com/)
KCA: Kansas Chess Association (kansaschess.org/)
UCA: Utah Chess Association (utahchess.com/)