The August Check is in the Mail
By Alex Dunne   
August 21, 2014
danr.jpg
Ken Reinhart
US TEAM QUALIFIES FOR  FINALS


By winning Olympiad 20 Preliminaries, Section 3,  the US team of Jon Ostriker, Carl Siefring, Ken Reinhart, Dan Perry, Tom Biedermann, and Tony Kain have qualified for the ICCF Olympiad 20 Finals.

GAME OF THE MONTH


This game is a clash between materialism and idealism.  Black seeks out a Pawn and pressure against White's center.  White plays for well coordinated pieces and a superior center.  The victory is pleasing as well as seemingly inevitable. Reinhart went +1 =7 in his stint on Board 3.

QUEEN'S GAMBIT DECLINED (D36)


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1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. cxd5

White chooses to unbalance the Pawn position immediately.  Black has a 3 to 2 edge on the queenside, White has a 2 to 1 edge in the center.
4. ...exd5 5.Bg5 c6
Black can set a little trap by 5...Be6 and if White is greedy, prosper after 6. Qb3 Nbd7 7. Qxb7 Rb8 8. Qxa7 Rxb2 9. Rb1 Bb4 10. Rxb2 Bxc3+ 11. Rd2 00, but White doesn't have to submit to greed. After 8. Nf3 Black will have to guard the b-Pawn.
6.Qc2 Na6 7.e3 Nc7 8.Bd3 Ne6 9.Bh4 Be7 10.Nge2 g6

Black has to find a way to free his game and ...Ne6-g7-f5 seems reasonable.
11.f3 0-0 12.0-0 b6
Better is 12...Bg7 13. Bg3 Bf5  (If 13...Nf5 13. Bf2).
13.Rad1 Bb7 14.Qc1 Nh5
Black's future is on the queenside with 14...Rc8 and a quick ...c5.
15.Bxe7 Qxe7 16.e4
White begins to use his Pawn majority in the center while Blacks queenside majority lies dormant.
16. ...Rad8 17.Qe3 dxe4 18.fxe4 Qb4
Black falls prey to one of the oldest traps in chess - Pawn hunting from an inferior position.  Note the coordination of the White pieces and the lack of cohesion in the Black forces.  Black should at least try 18...b5 and ...b4 to try to change the battle to the queenside where he has some chances.
19.Bc2 Qxb2 20.Bb3 Ba6

Correctly seeking exchanges, but the White Knights don't have much fire power for now.
21.e5 Bxe2 22.Nxe2 Nhg7 23.g4!
As the Black Knight is deprived of f5, Black's game takes on a passive hue.  His only counterchance lies in the apparent weakness of d4.
23. ...Qa3
Trying to reanimate the Queen.  Failing is 23...c5 24. d5 or 23...h6 24. h3 hxg4 25. hxg4 c5 26. d5 Nd4 27. Nxd4 cxd4 28. Rxd4 Nc6 29. Rd2,
 24.Ng3
Heading for e4 and from there to f6 or d6.
24. ...Qb4 25.a3!
A fine sacrifice kills Black's counterattack on the d-Pawn - 25..., Qxa3 26. Ne4 threatens Nf6+ and Nxh7! And if 26...Qb4 27 Nf6+ Kh8 28. Bxe6!
25. ..Qe7 26.Ne4 Qh4
White must be kept out of h6.
27.Kh1 Kh8 28.h3 Rde8 29.Kg2 Re7 30.Rf2 Rd8 31.Nd6 Rf8 32.Rdf1 Kg8

Black is hopelessly tied up, his extra Pawn means nothing..
33.Ba2 Ng5
Failing is 33...Rd7 34. Rf6 Ne6 35. Rxe6.
34.Nxf7 Rfxf7 35.Rxf7 Rxf7 36.Rxf7 Nxf7 37.e6 Qf6 38.exf7+ Kf8 39.Qg3!

White ends the game on a zugzwang note.
39...Qd8 40.Qe5 a6 41.Kf3 a5 42.Kg2 a4 43.Kf3 h6

Black will soon run out of Pawn moves - and then what happens?
44.Kg2 c5 45.Qd5 Qxd5+ 46.Bxd5 1-0

CARTER WINS 11C27


Robert Carter of Bishopville, SC scored

5½ ½ to win the all-Expert 11C27 John Collins with 2½ points out of three coming through adjudication.

PIRC DEFENSE (B08)


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JULY RESULTS


Swift Quad
                Luis Martinez  14SQ01   4 ½-1 ½
                Nathaniel Wood  13SQ03  6-0
                Matthew Tedesco  13SQ16 5 ½-½

John Collins
                Robert Carter  11C27  5 ½-½
                Alan Bokiev    14W15 5 ½-½

Trophy Quad
                Michael Lawrence  12Q07  5 ½-½

Walter Muir
                Alex Strobehn     14W06   4 ½-1 ½
                Ben McGahee       14W08   4 ½-1 ½
            Scott Baker          14W09    4 ½-1 ½
                Jesse Van Hine    13W38    5-1

Quote: Through an interesting coincidence, Edward Lasker of Chicago, just at the time that he was surrendering the title of Western champion, after having held it for two years in succession, received the resignation of an opponent in a mail contest, which made him the national correspondence chess champion of the United States.  ACB -- Nov. 1918  pg. 239

If-moves allowed in Walter Muir ?

I am interested in allowing (or not) if-moves in Walter Muir events.  I would like to hear from players who play in Walter Muir events.  Should if-moves be allowed in Walter Muir?  Let me hear from you.

What do you do when you lose a piece in complications?  You just keep attacking, attacking, attacking.

KING'S GAMBIT (C34 )


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KING'S INDIAN DEFENSE (E62)


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20th Olympiad Games 


Board One, John Ostriker currently stands at +2 with one game remaining.

NIMZOINDIAN DEFENSE (E59)

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Carl Siefring brought home an undefeated even score with eight draws.

SICILIAN DEFENSE (B92)


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Dan Perry made a GM norm on Board 4 with a +5 score

SICLIAN DEFENSE (B90)


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SICILIAN DEFENSE (B25)


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Tom Biedernann fibished up art +2

QUEEN'S INDIAN DEFENSE (E21)


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Tony Kain scored +3 on Board 6, tying for first on that board.

TROMPOWSKY OPENING (A45)


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