The June Check is in the Mail
By Alex Dunne   
June 2, 2010
 Introducing Tansel Turgut

Turgut.jpgAbout 240 years ago an automated wonder created by Wolfgang von Kempelen toured Europe defeating all challengers at chess. This automaton, known as "the Turk" was a fake, but Turgut Tansel is the real thing.

Turgut Tansel, originally from Turkey, specializes in Interventional Cardiology and practices in Decatur, Illinois.  Turgut is an ICCF Grandmaster and is currently Turkey's only CC GM, though he has lived in the United States now for eighteen years.  

Tansel's ideas about computer chess in cc play are quite different from most.  As in international play computer assistance is legal, running into strong computers is quite common.  Tansel's idea of how to play against these computers is that the best way to beat these programs is to make sacrifices.  In the current World Championship Final he made exchange sacrifices getting one Pawn or less in return in no less than six games.

Tansel's view of the future of top-level CC play is that in order to win, dynamic double-edged positions with positional sacrifices will be the route to victory.  He notes that it is becoming very difficult to win games against strong computers.  In order to win such a game, you have to beat the computer plus a strong human who knows when to quit following the computer, which is very difficult.

GAME OF THE MONTH

Tansel sent in a game which he notes is very difficult for computers to understand.  White sacrifices an exchange for no Pawns in a symmetrical position and continues as if nothing happens (h3, Kh2, etc. - "little moves").  The computers are not able to understand this game. Even Rybka could not save it, he notes. 

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QUEEN GAMBIT DECLINED (D43)
White: Tansel Turgut (2610)
Black: Hagen Tiemann (2480)
24th World Championship

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 Be7 7.e3 0-0 8.Bd3 dxc4 9.Bxc4 b5 10.Bd3 Bb7 11.0-0 Nbd7 12.Rc1 Rc8 13.Qe2 b4 14.Na4 Qa5
All this has been seen fairly often.  The root game is Moehring-Schindler, Zittau 1955, which continued with the most common reply for White of 15. b3 with Black doing fairly well against it.
15.Bxf6!?
This is a new idea.  Tiemann gained a draw against the 13th World Champion Mikhail Umansky after 18. Nc5 Bxc5 16. dxc5 Nxc5 17. Bxf6 Nxd3 18. Qxd3 gxf6 19. Qd4 c5 20. Qxf6 Bxf3 21. Qxf3 Qxa2 with rough equality after 22. Qf6
15...Bxf6 16.Nc5 Nxc5
There are even chances after 17. dxc5 Rfd8 18. Rfd1 Qxa2.
17.Rxc5 Qb6
The Queen has problems after 17...Qxb2 18.  Bc4 b3 19. Nd2 Qxb2 20. Rb1 Qa3 21. Nxb3
18.Rfc1 Be7
after18Be7.jpg
19.Ne5!?
It takes about 2600+ rating points to make a move like this.  As Turgut noted, White gets little for the exchange -- but he keeps what he's got, mainly he does not have to retreat with R5c2 or c4. After 19. R5c4 Rfd8, Black stands slightly better.
19...Bxc5 20.Rxc5 Rcd8 21.Bc4
White may be behind in material off the board, but on the board all his pieces are working better than their Black counterparts -- and the Knight on e5 is a match for the Rook on f8.
21...Rd6 22.f4 Qd8 23.Qf2 Qc8 24.Qg3 Qd8 25.h3
One of the "little moves" Turgut refers to, but with the Black Queen wandering aimlessly about the move is not without a sharp edge, preparing the possibility of a kingside Pawn assault and a safe haven for the White King on h2.
25...a6
Shredder 10 evaluates this as slightly better for Black, but recommends 25...a5.  As that happens next, it apparently makes little difference.
26.b3 a5 27.Kh2 Ba8
Shredder now finds the position equal, even playing the recommended 27...Ba8.
28.Ng4 Kh7
And now Shredder likes 29. f5!? exf5 30. Rxf5 which it evaluates as equal, but Tansel has his own idea.
29.Bd3+ f5 30.Ne5 Rf6 31.Bc4 Bb7 32.Qh4
And finally Shredder begins to change its evaluation of the position to favor White.  What is Black to do ?  After 32...Kg8 33. Qh5 Kf8 34. g4! Black will be squeezed to death on the kingside. 
32...Rf8 33.Qxd8 Rdxd8 34.Bxe6 Rd6 35.Bc4 Ra8 36.g4  1-0


The ending is lost as the White Pawn mass from d4 to g4 will soon overwhelm Black's passive pieces.  A mysterious game ?  a new anti-computer strategy?  a positional masterpiece ?  The reader will have to  decide.

MAY RESULTS

Walter Muir

Anthony Moosey     09W33    6-0   
Richard Melnick       09W26    5-1
David Burns             09W26    5-1   
John Ballow             09W03    5-1
Wilbur Tseng           09W03    5-1 
Foster Tobin            09W34    5-1
John Ragone            09W34    5-1                         
S. Chattopadhyay    10W03    3½-½
Dennis Kohler          10W04   4 ½-1½
Brandon Rowland    10W04   4 ½-1½
Christopher Lethgo  09W10   5 ½-½
Inoel Cardenas        10W08     4-2
David Burns            10W08     4-2

Swift Quad
Wilbur Tseng           08SQ06   5-1
Jeffrey Jones           09SQ10    4-2
John Terrall             09SQ10    4-2

Trophy Quad
David Stockman      08Q17    5 ½-½

POSTAL POLL

Since the post office may halt Saturday deliveries, it may be necessary to change the time rules for postal chess.  I would like to hear from postal players (email is obviously not affected) as to what changes if any should be made if the post office no longer delivers mail on Saturdays.  Let me know !

A)  Change the reflection time from 10 moves in 30 days to 8 moves in 30 days.

B)  Change the reflection time to 10 moves in 40 days

C)  Do not count Saturdays, Sundays, and federal holidays as reflection times.

D)  No change needed

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]

TWO TIE IN  09W03 MUIR QUAD
QuadMuir.jpg


John Ballow and Wilbur Tseng turned in undefeated performances in 09W03.

The following game is a sharp struggle - the draw at the end happens after 37. Qb8+ Kh7 38. Nxd5 Ng4+ 39. Kh1 Qe1+ 40. Bg1 Nf2+ 41. Kh2 Ng4+ 42. Kh1 =

BENONI GAME  (A65)

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OBITUARY:
Charles G. Hall, Jr. of  South Yarmouth, MA died at age 58.  Charles was tormented by severe depression for years causing him to forfeit many games.  He kept fighting.  Chess gave him an escape, but ultimately the gloom was too deep.

BIRD'S OPENING (A02)

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Quote:  My advice, which has always worked for me, is: never get involved in unfriendly or even rude arguments with your opponents!  If any discussion is getting unpleasant, then cut back the discussion, or drop it completely.  Usually it does not even get that far, as one can tell early on which way the wind is blowing.  == Kon Grivainis

19th U.S. CORRESPONDENCE CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP
Entries due by July 1, 2010

Eligibility: ICCF Fixed or Provisional rating over 2000, and all CCLA and USCF members with correspondence ratings over 2000 or OTB over 2100.

Preliminary round sections: 7 players, balanced by rating, played by server, 40 days/10 moves, winners advance. Final round includes designated champions from USCF and CCLA and former USCCC Champions.

U.S. CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY
AND NOMINATION TO
ICCF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CYCLE

More information at www.iccfus.com

          An order form is available at that website or:

[email protected], or:
ICCF-US
16052 Quality Ct. S.
Lakeland MN 55043

Entry fee is $25.  August 1, 2010 is the projected start date.

 
BAFFO TAKES PALCIAUSKAS
08P03 Palciauskas Tournament
Palciatour.jpg

Jeffrey Baffo won this critical game with the chance for a remarkable mate at the end - look at 37...b3 38. Qa6+ Kc5 39. Ra5+ Kb4 40. Rb5+ Rxb5 41. Qa3 mate

SICILIAN DEFENSE (B77)

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TURGUT AND BOKAR BOTH DOING WELL IN 24TH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Our two warriors are doing well and in contention for the title but there are many more moves to be made.  Bokar and Turgut had this thriller between them in the tournament.

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If this isn't book, it should be.

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See a pdf index of Alex Dunne's columns on the Correspondence Chess section of the website. Also log in as a member to read Alex Dunne's article in the May issue of Chess Life Magazine, Duliba Dubbed CCGM.