Narender Nath Memorial

Chess Today, the first daily chess newspaper on the net (www.chesstoday.net), reported the news of an unusual correspondence chess event. The idea behind this tournament is so admirable that perhaps others will be inspired to do something similar.

The tournament started out as an annual affair at Workforce Logistics. They had a number of people who liked to play chess, but not a lot of time for an OTB tournament. One of the players who had a lot of enthusiasm was Narender Nath.

Narender was trounced in every game in the first e-mail tournament, yet he accepted every loss in good spirits. When the tournament ended, he promised revenge in his always-friendly manner. Narender went back to work at the World Trade Center where he died on September 11, 2001.

When the second tournament was being established, Narender came to mind, and they decided to rename the tournament to honor him. Once that step was taken, it was decided that the tournament should represent what Narender stood for in life.

They decided to charge a minimal entry fee of $25, with the intent that the entire prize fund would be donated to the charity of the winner's choice. Everyone insisted on donating more than that! On May 22, Harry Tucker, the eventual winner, on behalf of all the players, made the first tournament donation to the Stephen J. Fiorelli Eagle Scout Scholarship in the amount of $1050.

The Tucker family plans to continue the tournament each year, making it bigger and better. For them, the tournament offers an opportunity to remember a dear friend, the chance to have fun playing chess, a chance to meet new friends, and an opportunity to have a positive impact on the lives of others through their donations. For more information about the tournament or for assistance in organizing your own, go to www.tuckerfamily.ws/results.htm or e-mail [email protected].

GAME OF THE MONTH Marshall Attack players should note the continued success of the following line. Sent to me by Luiz Roberto Da Costa Junior of Brazil, it can also be found on Tim Harding's The Total Marshall. White's play is impressive.

RUY LOPEZ [C89]
W: Marcio Barbosa De Oliveira (2421)
B: Umberto Maffei (2466)
Correspondence 2000

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 0-0 8. c3 d5 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. Nxe5 Nxe5 11. Rxe5 c6 12. d4 Bd6 13. Re1 Qh4 14. g3 Qh3 15. Be3 Bg4 16. Qd3 Rae8 17. Nd2 Re6 18. a4 f5 19. axb5!

This is the line that is causing Black such difficulties lately.

19. ... f4 20. Bxf4 Bxf4 21. Rxe6 Bxe6 22. bxa6 Bxd2 23. Qxd2 Nc7

This is the first move out of book. All this has been seen before with White scoring almost all the points.

24. Qc2!

A very good move by Oliveira: White will soon be able to play c3-c4 with strong winning chances.

24. ... Ra8 25. a7 Qh6 26. Bxe6+ Qxe6 27. c4 Qd6 28. Qe4 Qb4 29. b3 Qc3 30. Ra4 Qxb3 31. Qxc6 Qc2 32. Ra1 Qb2 33. Re1 Rf8

After 33. ... Qb4!? 34. Re2 Rxa7 35. d5 h6 36. Kg2 Qb1 37. Re7 Ra1 38. Qxc7 wins for White.

34. Rf1 Na8 35. Qc5 Qe2 36. d5 Qd3 37. d6 Re8 38. Qd5+ Qxd5 39. cxd5 Rd8 40. Rb1 Kf8 41. Rb7 h5 42. Kg2 g6 43. Rb8 Ke8 44. h4 Kd7 45. Kf3, Black resigns.

* The Correspondence Chess Message Board (http://correspondence chess.com/bbs) offers the following information: In 1942 CCLAustralia started a tournament called the Fighting Forces Championship. The tournament was stopped in July 1943 because censors believed that coded messages could be sent by chess notation. In 1963 one of the competitors was looking through his unfinished games and realized that one of his opponents was still alive. He wrote to him and the game was resumed after a 20-year adjournment. The game finished in a draw. Is this the longest adjournment ever in a cc game?

* The eternal battle of two rooks versus the queen is this time decided in favor of the two rooks in this example entitled Lady on the Rocks.

BENKO GAMBIT [A57]
W: Mike Calogridis (2289)
B: George Bogdan (2106)
Golden Knights 1997

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 4. Nf3 g6 5. Qc2 d6 6. e4 Bg7 7. cxb5 0-0 8. Nc3 Nbd7 9. Be2 a6 10. 0-0 Nb6 11. a4 axb5 12. Nxb5 Ba6 13. Bf4 Qd7 14. h3 Rfb8 15. Bg3 Nxa4 16. Qxa4 Bxb5 17. Qxa8 Rxa8 18. Rxa8+ Bf8 19. Bxb5 Qxb5 20. e5 dxe5 21. Bxe5 Nxd5 22. Rb8 Qa6 23. Rd1 Qc4 24. b3 Qe4 25. Rd8 Nf6 26. Bxf6 exf6 27. Re1, Black resigns.

* For over a decade the Latvian has been Michael Newton's (Henderson, Nevada) sole OTB weapon. Facing a postal master, he decides it might work by postcard too.

LATVIAN GAMBIT [C40]
W: Juan Abreu (2219)
B: Michael Newton (1759)
Golden Knights 2001

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f5 3. Nxe5 Nc6 4. Qh5+ g6 5. Nxg6 Nf6 6. Qh4 Rg8 7. Nxf8 Rg4 8. Qh3 Rxe4+ 9. Kd1 Ng4 10. Qh5+ Kxf8 11. Qxf5+ Kg7 12. c3 d5 13. Qf3 Ne3+ 14. Qxe3 Rxe3 15. dxe3 Qf6 16. f4 Bg4+ 17. Be2 Bxe2+ 18. Kxe2 Re8 19. g3 d4 20. Rd1 Qg6 21. Rd3 Qh5+ 22. Ke1 Qxh2 23. cxd4 Qxg3+ 24. Kd2 Nb4 25. Na3 Qf2+ 26. Kc3 Nxd3 27. Kxd3 Qf1+ 28. Kd2 h5 29. b3 h4 30. d5 Kf7, White resigns.

* This game won the Game of the Tournament Award for "the game that best exemplifies the key principles of chess, including strong, classic openings, solid middlegame play, sportsmanship, and - most interestingly - players who are willing to risk it all with daring play." The players estimated their strength at about the Class A level.

SLAV DEFENSE [D10]
W: Stan W.
B: Joachim B.
Narender Nath Memorial E-mail 2002

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Bg5 Bf5 5. Bxf6 exf6 6. a3 dxc4 7. e4 Be6 8. d5 cxd5 9. exd5 Bxd5 10. Nxd5 b5 11. b3 cxb3 12. Bxb5+ Nd7 13. Qe2+ Be7 14. Nf3 Kf8 15. 0-0 Bd6 16. Rfe1 Ne5 17. Nd4 Bc5 18. Nxb3 Qxd5 19. Nxc5 Qxc5 20. Rac1 Qb6 21. Rc3 g6 22. Re3 Kg7 23. Rxe5 fxe5 24. Qxe5+ f6 25. Qe7+ Kh6 26. Qe2 a6 27. Qd2+ g5 28. Bd3 Rhe8 29. Rd1 Rad8 30. h4 Re5 31. Kh1 Red5 32. hxg5+ fxg5 33. Kh2 Qd6+, White resigns.