David Myers - Senior Master of CCDavid Myers has earned the title of Senior International Master. He will be awarded the medal in Jarvenpaa, Finland, later this year. David earned his title in two tournaments, the 25th World Championship Finals and the 34th World Championship semifinals. He also won a 15-man ICCF Master tournament.
David, author of French Defence Winawer Variation C15-19 has also had successes on the domestic front. He won his preliminary and final section of the First Webserver USCC Championship and first place in the Webserver Open semifinal. David also played in the Eleventh North American Invitational.
GAME OF THE MONTH
Chess can be a hard game especially at the top level. David shows strong technique in grinding down his Finnish opponent.
FRENCH DEFENSE (C18)
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1. e4 e6
As Myers is a leading practitioner of the French Defense, his choice at move 1 should be no surprise.
2. d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.Qg4 0-0 8.Bd3 f5 9.exf6 Rxf6 10.Bg5 Rf7 11.Qh5 g6 12.Qd1 Qa5 13.Bd2 Nbc6 14.Nf3 c4 15.Be2 Bd7 16.0-0 Nf5
And, as the discerning reader should expect, a French Defense with a top specialist would produce a game deep into theory. In the 25th World Championship Myers arrived at this position three times. There were two draws in Dothan-Myers and Balabaev-Myers where White played 17. Re1. Peuraniemi's idea may have been to make the e6 Pawn permanently backward, but instead it ends up shielded from attack.
17. Ng5 Re7 18.f4 Rf8 19.Bg4 Qa4
The Black Queen is well placed here, shielded from attack and tying the White pieces down to protect a3 and c2.
20. Re1 Kg7 21.Nf3 Nd6 22.Ne5
White should probably play 22. Ng5 to at least see if Black has ambitions to do more than draw,
22...Nxe5 23.fxe5 Ne4 24.Be3
White sets a trap -- 24...Nxc3? 25. Qd2 Ne4 26. Bh6+ Kg8 27. Bxf8 Kxf8 28. Rf1+ followed by Queen to f4 gives White a strong attack. But if the Black Knight stays on e4, eventually White will have to give up his good Bishop for the Knight when the position will be about even.
24...Qa5 25.Bf3 Rf5 26.Bxe4
At last the "good" Bishop takes the "good" Knight and both sides are left with a "bad" Bishop. The question is, which "bad" Bishop is better ?
26...dxe4 27.Qd2 Bc6 28.Bh6+ Kg8 29.Bg5 Ref7 30.Bf6
The Bishop looks fierce on f6. The problem is it can never get much better. The c6 Bishop can dream of a well-timed ...e3 when it grows teeth.
30...Kf8 31.Re3 Ke8 32.a4!?
White is still trying to win this opposite colored Bishop game but in freeing the a1 Rook, he allows a passer that eventually wins the game. White could have tried a more passive solution with 32. Qc1, but his choice doesn't lose...yet.
32...b5 33.Qc1 bxa4 34.Rb1 a3!
Maybe when White played 32. a4 he overlooked that 35. Ra1 a2 36. Qb2 Rb7 37. Qxa2 Qxa2 38. Rxa2 Rb1+ leads to mate.
35.Rb8+ Kd7 36.Qa1 Rf4 37.Rb1?
Now 37. Re1 is met by 37...Rg4 when it would appear White's best is 38. Re3. Black can then choose to play 38...Rf5 to see if a draw by repetition is in the works or play more aggressively with 38...Rcf6!? 39. exf6 Qg5 40. Rg3 Rxg3 41. hxg3 Qxg3 42. f7 Qe3+ with a draw (Not 42...Qxb8? 43. Qxa3)
37...Rf8 38.Qa2 h6 39.h3
White is losing the thread of the game or he underestimates the power of Black's Rooks. This kingside play is weakening. Also bad is 39. Qxc4? a2 40. Ra1 Bd5 41. Qe2 Rb8
39...Bd5 40.h4 Ra8
Waiting...
41.Qa1 a6 42.Qa2 Rf8 43.Qa1 Kc8 44.Qa2 Rf7 45.Rb4 g5!
Now Black takes advantage of White's weakening kingside play. The Pawn is immune.
46.hxg5 hxg5 47.Rb1
Suicide is 47. Bxg5 Rf1+ 48. Kh2 Rh7+ 49. Kg3 Rg7 50. Kh4 Rxg5! 51. Kxg5 Qd8+ and the hunt is almost over.
47...Rg4 48.Kf2 Rh7 49.Kg1 Rgh4 50.Kf2 Rf4+ 51.Kg1 Rg4 52.Ra1
What can poor White do ? The a3 Pawn is a monster and the Black Rooks dominate the kingside. Black will clearly overwhelm White if the Queen can come to the kingside or the Rooks to the queenside.
52...Rb7
and it is the queenside -- 53. Qxa3? Rb1+!
53.Rc1 Rh4 54.Bxg5 Rhh7! 0-1
The game ended here. White clearly sees the end after the probable continuation: 55.Qa1 Rb2 56.Rf1 Rxc2 57.Rf8+ Kb7 58.Rf2 Rh1+ 59.Kxh1 Rxf2 60.Kg1 Rc2 61.Kf1 a2 62.Re2 Qa4 63.Re1 Qb3 64.Bc1 e3 65.Bxe3 Rxg2 66.Qc1 Qb2 67.Qxb2+ Rxb2 68.Bc1 Rb1
LEVINE TAKES 08P07 PALCIAUSKAS
Joel Levine of Commack, New York, showed top form in taking the 2008 Palciauskas Tournament with an undefeated 5 ½-½ score. The decisive last game was the Levine-Baffo struggle given below.
08P07
SEMISLAV DEFENSE (D43)
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JUNE RESULTS
John Collins
Primitivo Muniz 09C37 4-2
Ron Hensley 09C37 4-2
Jason Richardson 09C37 4-2
Alan Wilson 10C05 5 ½-½
Michael Polonski 08C36 5-1
Johnner Barrett 09C41 5-1
John Flanagan 10C01 6-0
Thomas McKellop 09C40 6-0
Charles Cavaleri 09C01 5-1
Richard Wienckowski 09C01 5-1
Charles Cavaleri 09C03 6-0
Swift Quad
Jeff Levine 11SQ03 6-0
Trophy Quad
Samuel McCann 10Q09 6-0
John Terrall 10Q01 6-0
Scott Sensiba 09Q17 4 ½-1 ½
Walter Muir
Mark Reeves 10W30 5-1
Matthew Lasley 10W33 6-0
Carlos Graupera 11W04 6-0
Palciauskas Tournament
Jim Humphrey 10P01 6-0
Mark Laboda 08P08 5-1
Eugene Bedard 08P08 5-1
Express Tournament
Robert Cousins 11ET02 5½- ½
Oswaldo Olivo 10ET02 5-1
Tha Dun 10ET02 5-1
CLASSIFIED ADS
LEARN CHESS BY MAIL ! Lessons given by mail, telephone, ICC - many different ways. I specialize in players rated 800-2100 who would like to improve their game. Contact me for information. Alex Dunne, 324 West Lockhart St., Sayre, PA 18840 or [email protected]
Chess booklet for sale: 2004 Golden Knights Championship -- booklet of the 57th USCF CC Championship -- $10.00 postage paid. 35 pages.
If this game were a movie it would be advertised as fun and excitement for the whole family.
KING'S GAMBIT (C34)
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Quote: OTB may be the true test of a player's ability for a given amount of time, but correspondence chess is the true artistry and soul of the game. -- John Ballow
INFORMATION WANTED:
Klaus Junge
According to Yakov Damsky in the Batford Book of Chess Records, Klaus Junge, a young German Grandmaster who died on the front lines in World War II, wrote "Chess by Correspondence and Over the Board". Has anyone seen this book ? Or is it an article instead ? I would appreciate any light that can be shed on this. Please contact me if you have any information on this.
Here is an example of Junge's attacking prowess even as the war was going on.
FRENCH DEFENSE (C13)
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You can argue whether chess is an art, a sport, or a game, but there is no argument that in the following game it is a fight.
SICILIAN DEFENSE (B23)
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Presenting a tale of two wing attacks, one slow, one swift. Guess which one wins.
QUEEN'S GAMBIT DECLINED (D35)
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Tacticians will enjoy the brouhaha unleashed in the following game.
MODERN DEFENSE (B07)
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In the battle for first place in the 2011 Express Tournament 11ET02, this was the critical draw that gave the first place to Robert Cousins by half a point.
FRENCH DEFENSE (C07)
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ICCF/US Secretary Corky Schakel is currently working on obtaining his Senior International Master title. If he continues to play games like the following, it looks like he won't have too long to wait.
FRENCH DEFENSE (C11)
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The Correspondence Chess office will be closed June 11-20 while Dunne teaches at the Castle Chess Camp in Atlanta, Georgia.