august 25, 2001
I have been bitten hard by the correspondence chess bug. I seem to play at a higher level at the longer time control, only natural I suppose. The great former world champion, Alexander Alekhine, began his chess career as a correspondence player. Following his example, I am using correspondence to refine my game, while I rethink my blitz strategy. Unfortunatly, I have lost my blitz database due to a hard drive crash. So it will be strictly correspondence here for awhile.
I got lucky with a short draw in the third round of the February 2001 Main #1 Tournament. I got even luckier when one player failed to meet the time control for his first moves. That left just me and "Mother Theresa"!
White: DrChrome
1 Nf3 d5
2 g3 Nc6
3 Bg2 e5
4 d3 Nf6
5 0-0 Bc5
6 Nxe5 Nxe5
7 d4 Bxd4
8 Qxd4 Nc6
9 Qc5 Qe7
10 Qxe7+ Nxe7
11 Nc3 Bf5
12 Bg5 Ne4
13 Bxe4 dxe4
14 Nb5 Nd5
15 Rfd1 c6
16 Nd6+ Kd7
17 Nxf5 f6
18 c4 fxg5
19 cxd5 cxd5
20 Rxd5+ Ke6
21 Rad1 g6
22 Rd6+! Kxf5
23 h3 Rhe8
24 R1d5+ Re5
25 g4+ 1-0
(25 � Kf4 26 Rf6+ Rf5 27 Rdxf5+ gxf5 28 Rxf5++ )
In preparation for the upcoming Jubilee tournament, I have adopted the Reti King's Indian Attack. The use of computers is not forbidden in the I.C.C.F. Computers are much stronger against tactical openings than they are against posistional openings. I have had good luck with the KIA against my computer, and here against "Mother Theresa". By move 5 , Mother has built an impressive Tarrasch style center. 6. Nxe5!
watch it crumble. By move ten, black's proud center is gone. Though the game is equal material wise, 11. Nc3 was a move Mother was unprepared to defence, for Nb5 puts black in a no win situation. Mother swallowed the poisoned Knight on move 22, and mate was inescapable.
White: "Mother Theresa"
1 e4 Nf6
2 Nc3 d5
3 exd5 Nxd5
4 Nxd5 Qxd5
5 Nf3 Bg4
6 Be2 Nc6
7 d3 e5
8 0-0 Bb4
9 c3 Bd6
10 h3 Bd7
11 Be3 0-0
12 d4 exd4
13 Nxd4 Nxd4
14 Bxd4 Qg5
15 Be3 Qe5
16 g3 Bxh3
17 Re1 Rfe8
18 Bf4 Qc5
19 Bxd6 Qc6
20 f3 Rad8
21 Qc2 Qxd6
22 Kh2 Qh6
23 Kg1 Qe3+
24 Kh2 Rd2
25 Qc1 Qxf3
26 Kxh3 Rexe2
27 Rxe2 Qh5+
28 Kg2 Qxe2+
29 Kh3 Qh5++ 0-1
Mother's tenth move : a3, is her undoing. In chasing off the Bishop, she weakens the dark squares around her castled King. 16.g3 is forced to prevent mate, and now the light squares are dangerously weak. On move 20, the kings final cover pawn is forced up with another mate threat. After 24...Rd2 , white is hopeless.
august 31, 2001
Even though the third round of the January 2001 Main #2 Tournament ended two weeks after the third round of the February Main Tournament, it began first. That is why I am using the Scotch here. I was also lucky here in that one player failed to meet the time control for his first moves.
1 e4 e5
2 Nf3 d6
3 d4 f6
4 dxe5 dxe5
5 Qxd8+ Kxd8
6 Be3 Nc6
7 Nc3 Bb4
8 0-0-0+ Bd7
9 Nd5 Nge7
10 Nxb4 Nxb4
11 Bc4 Ke8
12 a3 Nbc6
13 h3 Na5
14 Bf7+ Kxf7
15 Rxd7 Rhc8
16 Bc5 Ke8 ?
17 Rxe7+ Kf8
18 Rd1 Nc6
19 Rxc7+ Kg8
20 Rxb7 Rd8
21 Rxd8+ Nxd8
22 Rxa7 Rxa7
23 Bxa7 Nc6
24 Be3 1-0 Compare this game to my game with Montana Grizzly in the February Fast Tournament, Round two. They are the same up untill move 4. Marcus elects to recapture with the d pawn rather than the f. Despite the exchange of Queens and losing castling privleges, he is able to hold the game together. While Montana Grizzly recaptures with the f pawn (after a bishop move) and is swiftly run off the board.
Marcus' 16th move: Ke8 is a mistake that loses a piece, better was 16...Nac6. His queen side pawns are removed on 19, 20 and 22 with no compensation. His knight alone will not be able to hold back the three passed pawns.
1 d4 Nf6
2 e3 g6
3 Qf3 Bg7
4 Nc3 d5
5 h3 0-0
6 g3 Nc6
7 e4 Nxd4
8 Qd3 Nxe4
9 Nxe4 dxe4
10 Qc3 Nf3+
11 Qxf3 exf3
12 Nxf3 Qd5
13 Be2 Bf5
14 c3 Be4
15 c4 Qc6
16 0-0 Bxf3
17 Bxf3 Qxf3
18 Rb1 Bd4
19 Bf4 e5
20 Rbd1 Bxf2+
21 Rxf2 Qxd1+
22 Rf1 Qd4+
23 Kh2 exf4
24 Rxf4 Qxb2+ 0-1 I believe this to be a poor choise of openings. White's second move is weak and his third is suspect. This allowed me to play 4...d5 rather than the traditional 0-0 or d6 of the Kings Indian. I understand 5.h3, white does not want me to chase off his Queen with 5...Bg4 (I understand it, but I don't agree with it!) But what is the purpose of 6. g3 ? White is losing to many tempos with the little pawn moves. 7.e4 is a mistake from which white is unable to recover. 7...Nxd4 attacks the queen and threatens to fork the king and rook with Nb2. White's queen is having a hard time finding a safe square. 10.Qc3 was another mistake that loses the queen. At last white begins to develope his pieces, but it is far to late and they are easlily over powered.
White: DrChrome
1 e4 e5
2 Nf3 Nc6
3 d4 d5 ?
4 Nxe5 Nxe5
5 dxe5 d4
6 Bc4 f6
7 Bf4 fxe5
8 Qh5+ Kd7
9 Qxe5 Qe7
10 Qxd4+ Ke8
11 Nc3 Be6
12 Bxe6 Qxe6
13 Nb5 Qc6
14 Nxc7+ Kf7
15 Nxa8 Qxc2
16 Qd5+ Ke8
17 Nc7+ Ke7
18 Qd6+ Kf7
19 Qe6++ 1-0
White: beasley
1 d4 Nf6
2 c4 c5
3 e3 e6
4 Nc3 d5
5 Bd3 cxd4
6 exd4 dxc4
7 Bxc4 Bd7
8 Nf3 Bd6
9 Ne5 0-0
10 0-0 Qb6
11 b3 Qa5
12 Bd2 Bxe5
13 dxe5 Qxe5
14 Re1 Qf5
15 Qe2 Nc6
16 Bd3 Qc5
17 Rac1 Nd4
18 Qd1 Bc6
19 Ne4 Qf5
20 Bc3 Rad8
21 Bxd4 Rxd4
22 Rc5 Bxe4
23 Rxf5 exf5
24 Re3 Rfd8
25 h3 Nd5
26 Rg3 f4
27 Rg4 Rxd3
28 Qa1 f6
29 g3 Nc3
30 Kh2 Rd1
31 Qxd1 Rxd1
32 gxf4 Ne2
33 f3 Bxf3
34 Rh4 Rh1++ 0-1
I sweep the round and advance. I am going to the fourth round in all three tournaments!
october 9, 2001
DrChrome goes Postal!
I have joined the I.E.C.C. ( International Email Chess Club), and entered the I.C.C.F.'s (International Correspondence Chess Federation) 50th anniversary Jubilee Tournament.
Black: "Mother Theresa"
Event: February 2001 Main #1 Tournament (3)
Date: 2001-07-20
(A06 R�ti, Old Indian A)
Black: DrChrome
Event: February 2001 Main #1 Tournament (3)
Date: 2001-07-20
(B02 Alekhine, Scandinavian V)
I sweep the round and advance.
My tournament record: 43-8-1Another Scotch Queen Beheaded
White: DrChrome
Black: Marcus
Event: January 2001 Main #2 Tournament (3)
Date: 2001-07-03
(C41 Philidor D)Indian Uprising
White: Marcus
Black: DrChrome
Event: January 2001 Main #2 Tournament (3)
Date: 2001-07-03
(A45 Queen's Pawn Game)Scotch Blunder
I have said it before (is anybody listening?), 3...d5 is a mistake! For those who do not remember, here is my game against Josh Landon from the February Fast Tournament, round three:
1 e4 e5
2 Nf3 Nc6
3 d4 d5?
4 Nxe5 Nb4?
5 a3 Nc6
6 Bb5 f6?
7 Nxc6 bxc6
8 Bxc6+ Bd7
9 Bxa8 1-0
the correct responce is 3...exd4, not 3...d6, not 3...f6, and certainly not 3...d5 - 3...exd4 got it?
Black: beasley
Event: January 2001 Main #2 Tournament (3)
Date: 2001-07-03
(C44 Scotch O)Bad Queen Hunting
This game has several interesting points. When I see 1.d4 , I reply 1...Nf6 and the King's Indian Defence. When I see 2. c4, I reply 2...c5 for the Benko Gambit. But with 3. e3, I am lost. The standard reply for white is 3. d5 (rare is dxc5), I searched through thousands of games in my databases and could not find one instance, nor could I find any reference to it in my books. Yet it seems a solid move, and completly blows the Benko Gambit. So, I am left to stumble along on my own, wishing I had played 2...g6 and gone into a King's Indian. By move 13 I am able to manufacture a pawn advantage, but it has brought my queen to the center of the board. Beasley can not resist taking pot shots at it. But with 22. Rc5 , he has gone to far. I am able to get three pieces for the queen, a Knight a Rook and a Bishop. The price is to high, for my minor pieces are actively placed. The swarm is to much for the queen and rook to handle. On 31, white is forced to trade his queen for a rook to prevent mate. The last remaining rook is helpless as the mating net closes.(white could have prolonged the game with a sac of the rook, but the outcome would have remained the same)
Black: DrChrome
Event: January 2001 Main #2 Tournament (3)
Date: 2001-07-03
(A56 Benoni D)
My tournament record: 49-8-1