The October Check is in the Mail
By Alex Dunne   
October 15, 2014
Zoltan.gifZoltan Sarosy was born on August 23, 1906  in Budapest, Hungary.  At the age of ten he learned to play chess.  Ninety-eight years later he continues to play even at the age of 108.

He emigrated to Canada in 1950 where  he was active in both OTB and postal.   He won the Canadian Correspondence Championship in 1967, 1972, and 1981 and various club championships OTB until the 70's when  he retired from OTB play. He earned the IMC title in 1988 and was inducted into the Canadian Chess Hall of Fame in 2006.

Zoltan particularly favored email games and is still  active at 108 carrying an ICCF rating of 2282.

GAME OF THE MONTH


This game, played between 2007 and 2009 shows the youthful chess of a 103 year old.

QUEEN'S GAMBIT DECLINED (D41)


7660

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.d4 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5

Black has his choice in this variation -- accept a structural weakness (an isolated d-Pawn) which may become a strength or to give White a strength (two center Pawns) which may become a weakness.   Black chooses the latter.
6.e4 Nxc3 7.bxc3 cxd4 8.cxd4 Bb4+ 9.Bd2 Bxd2+

9...Qa5 leads to a difficult game for Black after 10. Rb1 Bxd2+ 11. Qxd2 Qxd2+ 12. Kxd2 00 13. Bb5 a6 14. Bd3 Nd7 15. Rhc1 Nf6 16. Rc7 as in Palsson-Kogeler, World Cup 8-9
10.Qxd2 0-0 11.Bc4 Nc6
A different approach was seen in Agostini-Reichert, S Open 2010, after 11....Nbd7 12. 00 b6 13.  d5 Nf6 which is in White's favor
12.0-0 b6 13.Rad1 Bb7 14.Rfe1

This setup of the White Rooks was popularized in Spassky-Petrosian, World Championship 1969 and has remained popular ever since scoring at the 68% level.
14...Rc8 15.d5 Na5
In the Spassky-Petrosian game quoted above, Petrosian played 15...exd5 and lost brilliantly after 16. Bxd5 Na5 17. Qf4 Qc7 18. Qf5!
16.Bf1
Known to be a draw is 16. dxe6 Qzd2 17. exf7+ Kh8 18. Nxd2 Nxc4 19. Nxc4 Rxc4 20. e5 Salgado-Levin, Bentdorm 2009 after 20...g6 21. e6 Bc6 22. e7 Rxf7 23. Rd8+ Kg7 24. Rc8 Rff4 25, Rxc6 Rfe5 26, Rf1 Rxe1+ 27. Kxe1 Re4+
The more popular treatment is 16. Bd3 exd5 17. e5 as in Kopylov=Sicev, correspondence 1973.
Sarosy's choice is favored by Rybka but is practically unknown.
16...exd5 17.exd5 Rc5
Better is 17...Qd6 to activate the Queen.
18.d6 Bxf3
Black exchanges off his better minor piece, but 18...,Rd5 19. Qf4 Rxd1 20. Rxd1 Qf6 21. Qxf6 gxf6 22. Nd4 is in White's favor.
19.gxf3 Nc6 20.d7 Ne5

Black has too many problems but defense is not an answer.  Better is 19...Rg5+ 20. Kh1  Rh5 but White defends with 21. Re1 and Black has insoluble problems.
21.Bg2 g6 22.Qd6 Nc6 23.f4 Nb8 24.Bb7 Rc2 25.Bd5 1-0
Failing is 25...Nxd7 26.Re7 Rc7 27.f5 gxf5 28.Kh1 and 26. Qxd7 26.Qxd7 Nxd7 27.Bb3 Rc7 28.Re7 Rd8 29.Rxf7 Kh8 30.Be6.

SEPTEMBER RESULTS


 Walter Muir
                Nathaniel Wood               13W34   4-2
                David Wright                      14W10   6-0
                John Ballow                        13W25   6-0

    John Collins
                Thomas Buchanan           13C10      6-0
                David Hansen              12C11   6-0
                Eric King                               13SQ11 4-2
                Michael Drus                      13SQ11 4-2
                Casey McCartney             13SQ11 4-2

 Swift Quad
                Robert Stull                        13SQ18  6-0

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, 90+ games

THE ABSOLUTE CORRESPONDENCE CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE UNITED STATES CHESS FEDERATION 1976-2010

is now available at McFarland Publishers and Amazon for $45.00 and also Kindle at $16.49

Tracz.gif
NEW!  2006 Electronic Knights Championship ebook.  190 games some annotated, all the crosstables, bios of the top three, list of all the finalists, ChessBase format, .pgn notation  and Microsoft .pdf format.   $4.00 postage paid for the disk, $2.00 sent to you via email. Hard copy $10 postage included.

JAMES TRACZ ANNOTATES !

ENGLISH OENING (A16)


7661  

1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5
Hoping to transpose into a Grunfeld Defense.
3.cxd5 Nxd5 4.Nf3 g6 5.e4
This variation is a favorite of GM Ulf Anderson heading for an endgame, but Black has a clear method to equalize.  The most popular move is 5. Qa4+ Another main line is 5. g3.
5...Nxc3 6.dxc3
If 6. bxc3 then 6. ...Bg7 7. d4 would transpose to the Grunfeld Defense.
6...Qxd1+ 7.Kxd1 f6
This is the latest idea with this variation.  Black takes control of the dark squares in the center.
8.Be3 e5 9.Nd2 Nd7
The simplest way to equalize by preparing to move my dark squared Bishop to the c5 square.
10.Kc2
Another idea is to disrupt Black's plan with 10. Nb3 where play ended in a quick draw after 10...Nb6 11. Kc2 Bd7 12. Nc5 Popov-Sutovsky, EU Cup 2007.
10...Bc5 11.Bxc5 Nxc5 12.b4 Ne6 13.Nc4
White's move is rare.  Better would be transposing into a more main line with 13. Bc4 in Bauer-Sutovsky, EU Championship 2001.  Play continued 13.... a5 14. a3 Ke7 15. Nb3 a4N 16, Nc1 and Black is fine.
13...Ke7 14.Ne3 c6 15.Bc4 a5 16.a3 N

The only game in my database continued with 16. b5 and after 16...Nc5 17. f3 f5 18. exf5 gxf5=  Santanu-Shivananda, Chennai 2013.
16...Nf4
The Black Knight moves to a good post and prepares my Bishop to go to the e6 square.
17.f3
A better idea might be to take control of the d-file with 17. Rhd1
17...b5
Keeping control of the c4 square limits the activity of the White Knight.
18.Ba2?
McCalley indicates that this was his key mistake because it allows Black to take control of the d-file.  Better is 18. Bb3 and if 18...Rd8, then White can play 19. Rad1.
18...Rd8 19.Bb3
Getting the exposed Bishop off the a-file.
19...Rd3 20.Rhe1
If White retreats the Knight witn 20. Nd1 then I planned 20...a4 21. Ba2 Be6 22. g3 Rad8 23. gxf4 Rd2+ 24. Bc1 Bxa2 with a winning position.
20...axb4 21.cxb4 Be6!
McCalley believed this was a mistake, but after the forced exchanges that follow, Black gets three Pawns for the Knight,
22.Bxe6 Kxe6 23.g3 Rdxa3 24.Rxa3 Rxa3 25.gxf4 exf4 26.Ng4?

Better is 26. Nd1 and after 26. ...Rxf3 27. Re2 Ra3 28. Nf2 White has a better defensive setup than in the game.
26...Rxf3 27.Re2 Rh3

Preparing to advance the kingside Pawns.
28.Rg2 g5 29.Nf2 Ra3
Keeping my Rook active.  McCalley said he was hoping for 29...f3 30. Nxh3 (But not 30. Rg3 Rxh2 31. Rxf3 g4 32. Rf5 g3 where Black wins) ...fxg2 31. Kd3 where Black has a  lot of work left to get the full point.
30.Nd3 Ra2+ 31.Nb2 Ke5 32.Kb3 Ra1 33.Nd3+

The defense with 33. Re2 does not work after 33...f3 34. Nd3+ Kd4 35. Rd2 Ke3.
33...Kxe4 34.Kb2 Kxd3 35.Kxa1 f3 0-1

OBITUARY

Dwayne Matheny of El Cajon, California, was born April 25, 1958 and died on September 7, 2014. 

FRENCH DEFENSE (C02)


7658  

Martin Kreuzer announced mate in 34 in his XIII Olympic game (one of two wins)

Michael Polonski sent in this game.  The draw using Bishops of opposite color was instrumental in his wining first place in  his John Collins event.

ENGLISH OPENING (A29)


7657  

An exciting game slash for slash, but a recording error at the end turns everything upside down and suddenly one of the favorites doesn't qualify for the finals.

CARO-KANN DEFENSE (B12)

7656

Methodical !

SICILIAN DEFENSE (B35)


7655  

White essays an unusual treatment of the French Defense and the patient does not survive.

FRENCH DEFENSE (C00)


7654  

Knuckle to knuckle this is a brawl !

SICILIAN DEFENSE (B50)


7653