The Check Is in the Mail - April 2018

CORRESPONDNCE CHESS TRANSLATOR

Did you ever wonder what your opponent really means in his note to you scrawled on his postcard?  Now you can find out on the handy Correspondence Chess Translator available now at a low bargain price.* Some sample translations: I hope we have a good game!  I hope I beat you! I offer a draw  I am out of book with this move and have no idea how to proceed. Great move!  Are you sure you aren’t using a computer ? If 14...Nd7 then 15. Qd3.  Please, please don’t look at 14. …Nxe4! Resigns --  I will beat you next time ! Good game !  I enjoyed beating you after you left your Knight en prise. Fred Reinfeld invented the fire-fueled chess clock.  ---  April Fools ! * Translated: at a price too high to be mentioned as it will scare readers away.

Mukherjee repeats as Colorado Champion

Somnath Mukherjee of Englewood, Colorado has repeated as Colorado Correspondence Champion, a title he won last year.

[pgn] [Event "17CO01"] [Site "ICCF"] [Date "2017.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Johnson, Klaus"] [Black "Mukherjee, Somnath"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "B90"] [WhiteElo "1655"] [BlackElo "2453"] [PlyCount "55"] [EventDate "2017.??.??"] [SourceDate "2015.04.04"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 {The English Attack is the latest answer to the Sicilian, but Mukherjee has an interesting surprise in store for White.} e5 7. Nb3 Be6 8. f3 Be7 9. Qd2 h5 $5 {Black has been scoring quite well with this aggressive sortie on the kingside,} 10. Nd5 { Inarkiev-Dobrov. World Rapid 2017, continued 10.000 Nbd7 11. Kb1 on the theory of King safety before any direct action, especially in the center.} Nxd5 11. exd5 Bf5 {The exchange on d5 has helped Black as now Black has four Pawns versus three on the kingside and so he h5 Pawn becomes an aggressive territory claiming partner to the e-Pawn.} 12. Be2 Bh4+ $5 {Black is willing to lose a tempo to weaken White's Pawn structure on the kingside. Ths does not harm Black's game because White's lead in development consists of a passive Knight and e2 Bishop.} 13. g3 Be7 14. O-O-O Nd7 15. Rhg1 {A better try was to eliminate the aggressive Black Bishop on f5 by 15. Bd3. Chances are even here.} Rc8 16. Bd3 Bh3 17. g4 {White is playing on the wrong side of the board -- Black is stronger here. Better was 17. Qb4.} hxg4 18. fxg4 Nf6 19. Be2 {Black is in full control after 19. g5 Nxd5 20. Bb5+ axb5 21, Qxd5 Qd7 22. Rd2 Be6} Qd7 20. g5 {Diagram # Black now rearranges his pieces so all but the e7 Bishop strke at the White King. The exclamation marks that follow are like the crescendo of an orchestra.} Ne4 $1 21. Qe1 Qa4 $1 22. Kb1 Bf5 $1 23. Bd3 Rxh2 $1 24. Qf1 Rcxc2 $1 {The end is here. After 25, Bxc2 Nc3+! 26. bxc3 Rxc2 27. Nc1 Rxc1+ mate is inevitable.} 25. Bxc2 Nc3+ 26. bxc3 Rxc2 27. Nc1 Rxc1+ 28. Kb2 0-1[/pgn]

         2017 Colorado State Championship

[pgn][Event "USCF/WS/17W19 (USA)"] [Site "ICCF"] [Date "2017.10.06"] [Round "?"] [White "Roberts, Ronald"] [Black "Frostad, John"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "D48"] [WhiteElo "1529"] [PlyCount "62"] [EventDate "2017.??.??"] [SourceDate "2015.04.04"]1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 Bb7 9. O-O a6 10. e4 c5 11. d5 c4 12. Bc2 Qc7 13. dxe6 fxe6 14. Bg5 Bd6 15. Qe2 O-O 16. Rad1 h6 17. Bxf6 Nxf6 18. e5 Bxf3 19. Qxf3 Bxe5 20. Ne4 Bxh2+ 21. Kh1 Be5 22. Nxf6+ Bxf6 23. Qe4 Rfd8 24. Qxe6+ Kf8 25. Bh7 Qf7 26. Rxd8+ Rxd8 27. Qxa6 g6 28. Bxg6 Qxg6 29. Qxb5 Qe4 30. Qb4+ Kf7 31. f3 Qh4+ 0-1[/pgn]

MARCH RESULTS

Walter Muir

              Clarence Anderson   17W22   5-1

                    Patrick Walsh       16W23   6-0

                              Daniel Todd      17W09 3 ½-1½

                            John Badger      17W09 3 ½-1½

                      Joseph Hawkins     17W09 3 ½-1½

                       Steve Baer     17W21 4-2

              Thomas Segreto     17W21 4-2

                     Errol Acosta     17W21 4-2

                    John Frostad      17W19  6-0

John Collins

             Vitautas Vitkauskas    16C13   6-0

Trophy Quad

                          Jack Sarhage    16Q06  6-0

Swift Quad

                       David McDuffie     17SQ05   6-0

Palciauskas Tournament

                                     James Ellis     16P02   5 ½- ½

Black leaves a small piece of cheese on d7 and the trap is set.

[pgn][Event "17W23 "] [Site "ICCF"] [Date "2017.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Newberry, Brian"] [Black "Walsh, Patrick"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C54"] [WhiteElo "1592"] [BlackElo "1443"] [PlyCount "46"] [EventDate "2017.??.??"] [SourceDate "2015.04.04"]1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Nc3 Nxe4 8. O-O Bxc3 9. d5 Ne5 10. bxc3 Nxc4 11. Qd4 O-O 12. Qxe4 Nd6 13. Qd4 Re8 14. Re1 Rxe1+ 15. Nxe1 b6 16. Nf3 Bb7 17. Bf4 Qf8 18. Ne5 Re8 {Diagram #} 19. Nxd7 Qe7 20. Ne5 g5 21. Bg3 Nf5 22. Qg4 Nxg3 23. hxg3 Qxe5 0-1[/pgn]

OBITUARY

John Brandt of Germantown, WI, born November 28, 1949 died January 23, 2018.

[pgn][Event "16N15"] [Site "?"] [Date "2016.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Brandt, John"] [Black "Hernandez, Carlos"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C01"] [WhiteElo "1327"] [PlyCount "76"] [EventDate "2016.??.??"] [SourceDate "2015.04.04"]1. e4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. d4 Bd6 5. Nc3 c6 6. Be3 Bf5 7. Bd3 Bxd3 8. Qxd3 Nd7 9. O-O Ne7 10. Rfe1 O-O 11. Rad1 Re8 12. Qd2 Qc7 13. g3 Nf5 14. Qd3 Nxe3 15. Rxe3 Rxe3 16. Qxe3 Nf6 17. Re1 Re8 18. Qd2 Rxe1+ 19. Qxe1 Qb6 20. Qb1 Ne4 21. Nd1 Qb5 22. c3 Qe2 23. Kg2 Qxf3+ 24. Kxf3 Nd2+ 25. Ke3 Nxb1 26. Kd3 f5 27. Kc2 Nxc3 28. bxc3 Kf7 29. f3 h5 30. Ne3 f4 31. gxf4 Bxf4 32. Nf1 Kf6 33. Kd1 Kg5 34. Ke2 Kh4 35. Kf2 Kh3 36. Ne3 Bxe3+ 37. Kxe3 Kxh2 38. Kf2 g5 0-1[/pgn]

[pgn][Event "16N06"] [Site "?"] [Date "2016.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Ott, Paul"] [Black "Sensiba, Scott"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A00"] [WhiteElo "2086"] [BlackElo "1799"] [PlyCount "95"] [EventDate "2016.??.??"] [SourceDate "2015.04.04"]1. b4 e6 2. Bb2 Nf6 3. b5 d5 4. e3 c5 5. a3 a6 6. c4 axb5 7. cxb5 b6 8. Nf3 Bb7 9. d4 Nbd7 10. dxc5 Bxc5 11. Qd3 O-O 12. Be2 Qe7 13. O-O e5 14. Qd2 e4 15. Nd4 Rfc8 16. Rc1 Ne5 17. Qd1 Rc7 18. Nc3 Bxa3 19. Bxa3 Rxa3 20. Nxe4 Rxa1 21. Nxf6+ Qxf6 22. Rxa1 Nc4 23. Qd3 Rc8 24. Ra7 Na5 25. Qf5 Qd6 26. Nc6 g6 27. Qg4 Nxc6 28. Rxb7 Ne7 29. Qd7 Qxd7 30. Rxd7 Rc1+ 31. Bf1 Kf8 32. Rd8+ Kg7 33. g3 Rc5 34. Rd6 Nc8 35. Rc6 Kf8 36. Bh3 f5 37. g4 Na7 38. Rxc5 bxc5 39. b6 Nc6 40. gxf5 Ke7 41. f3 gxf5 42. Bxf5 h6 43. e4 d4 44. f4 c4 45. e5 Kd8 46. e6 d3 47. Kf2 d2 48. Bc2 1-0[/pgn]

[pgn][Event "Walter Muir"] [Site "ICCF"] [Date "2017.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Hawkins, Joseph"] [Black "Arnold, Eric"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B03"] [WhiteElo "1800"] [BlackElo "1846"] [PlyCount "89"] [EventDate "2017.??.??"] [SourceDate "2015.04.04"]1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 Nb6 4. Nf3 d5 5. Bd3 Bg4 6. h3 Bxf3 7. Qxf3 e6 8. O-O c5 9. c3 Nc6 10. Be3 Nc4 11. Bxc4 dxc4 12. dxc5 Nxe5 13. Qxb7 Qd5 14. Qxd5 exd5 15. b4 a5 16. b5 O-O-O 17. c6 Kc7 18. a4 Nd3 19. Nd2 Bc5 20. Bxc5 Nxc5 21. Nf3 Rhe8 22. Nd4 Kb6 23. Rfd1 Ne4 24. Rac1 g6 25. g3 Rc8 26. Kf1 Nc5 27. Ra1 Re7 28. Ne2 Ne4 29. Rxd5 f5 30. Rad1 Nc5 31. Rxc5 Kxc5 32. h4 Kb6 33. Nf4 Ka7 34. Nd5 Re6 35. Ne3 Kb6 36. Nxc4+ Kc5 37. Nxa5 Kb6 38. Nc4+ Kc5 39. Ne3 Re4 40. c4 f4 41. Rd5+ Kb4 42. gxf4 Rxf4 43. b6 Rxc6 44. Rb5+ Kxa4 45. b7 1-0[/pgn]

"Postal play is particularly helpful to young players who are eager to improve their game." -Reinfeld

The square g7 seems adequately protected but White hits it again and again.

[pgn][Event "18EN01"] [Site "?"] [Date "2018.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Hernandez, Carlos"] [Black "Young, William"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A01"] [WhiteElo "2152"] [BlackElo "2071"] [PlyCount "67"] [EventDate "2018.??.??"] [SourceDate "2015.04.04"]1. b3 e5 2. Bb2 Nc6 3. e3 Nf6 4. Bb5 d6 5. Ne2 Bd7 6. d4 exd4 7. Nxd4 Nxd4 8. Bxd7+ Qxd7 9. Qxd4 Be7 10. Nc3 Qc6 11. O-O-O O-O 12. g4 Qf3 13. Rhg1 Ne8 14. Rg3 Qxf2 15. g5 Qf5 16. Nd5 Bd8 17. e4 Qe6 18. Nf4 Qe5 19. Qe3 Qa5 20. Kb1 Bxg5 21. Rdg1 f6 22. Rxg5 fxg5 23. Ne6 Qb6 24. Qxg5 Rf7 25. Bd4 Qc6 26. Nxg7 Nxg7 27. Bxg7 Qc5 28. Qxc5 dxc5 29. Bd4+ Kf8 30. Bxc5+ Re7 31. Bxe7+ Kxe7 32. Rg7+ Kd6 33. Rxh7 Re8 34. Rh4 1-0[/pgn]

GAMES FROM THE 2017 COLORADO CHAMPIONSHIP

Black’s Rook gobbles up many of White’s Pawns, but the lone survivor on f5 probes sufficient to carry the day.

[pgn][Event "17CO01 "] [Site "ICCF"] [Date "2017.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Kovats, Jiri"] [Black "Rodriguez, Adam"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C67"] [WhiteElo "2195"] [PlyCount "83"] [EventDate "2017.??.??"] [SourceDate "2015.04.04"]1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. Rd1+ Ke8 10. Nc3 Ne7 11. Nd4 Ng6 12. f4 Bg4 13. Rd3 Rd8 14. Ne4 Be7 15. Be3 a6 16. h3 Bd7 17. Rad1 c5 18. Ne2 c4 19. Rd4 Bc6 20. N2c3 Rxd4 21. Rxd4 f6 22. exf6 gxf6 23. Rxc4 Rg8 24. Kf2 f5 25. Nd2 Bh4+ 26. g3 {Diagram #} Bxg3+ 27. Kxg3 Ne5+ 28. Kh4 Nxc4 29. Nxc4 Rg2 30. Ne5 Rxc2 31. Nxc6 bxc6 32. Kg5 Rxb2 33. Kxf5 Kf7 34. a4 Rb3 35. Bd4 c5 36. Be5 c4 37. Ke4 Rb2 38. Kd5 Rh2 39. Ne4 h6 40. Bxc7 Rxh3 41. Be5 Ra3 42. f5 1-0[/pgn]

[pgn][Event "17CO01"] [Site "ICCF"] [Date "2017.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Kovats, Jiri"] [Black "Mukherjee, Somnath"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "E13"] [WhiteElo "2195"] [BlackElo "2453"] [PlyCount "102"] [EventDate "2017.??.??"] [SourceDate "2015.04.04"]1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Nf3 b6 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bh4 g5 7. Bg3 Ne4 8. Qc2 Bb7 9. e3 Bxc3+ 10. bxc3 d6 11. Bd3 f5 12. d5 Na6 13. Bxe4 fxe4 14. Qxe4 Qf6 15. O-O O-O-O 16. Qxe6+ Qxe6 17. dxe6 Bxf3 18. gxf3 Nc5 19. f4 gxf4 20. Bxf4 Rdg8+ 21. Kh1 Nxe6 22. Rg1 Nxf4 23. exf4 Rf8 24. Rg4 Re8 25. Kg2 Re4 26. c5 bxc5 27. Kg3 Rf8 28. f3 Rc4 29. Re1 h5 30. Rg7 Rcxf4 31. Ree7 {Diagram #} Rxf3+ 32. Kh4 Kb7 33. Rxc7+ Kb6 34. Rb7+ Kc6 35. Rxa7 R8f5 36. Ra6+ Kd5 37. Rg1 Rf2 38. c4+ Kxc4 39. Rc1+ Kd5 40. Rd1+ Ke5 41. Raxd6 R2f4+ 42. Kh3 Rd4 43. Rd8 Rxd8 44. Rxd8 c4 45. Kg3 Ke4 46. Rc8 Kd3 47. Rd8+ Kc2 48. Rc8 c3 49. a4 Kd3 50. Rd8+ Kc4 51. Rc8+ Rc5 0-1[/pgn]

[pgn][Event "17CO01 "] [Site "ICCF"] [Date "2017.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Turner, Larry"] [Black "Johnson, Klaus"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A34"] [WhiteElo "1825"] [BlackElo "1655"] [PlyCount "51"] [EventDate "2017.??.??"] [SourceDate "2015.04.04"]1. c4 c5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. Nc3 Nc7 7. O-O e5 8. a3 Be7 9. b4 a6 10. bxc5 Bxc5 11. Bb2 f6 12. Ne4 Ba7 13. Rc1 Be6 14. Nc5 Bxc5 15. Rxc5 O-O 16. Qc2 Qd7 17. Rc1 Rfc8 18. d4 Bf5 19. Qb3+ {Diagram #} Ne6 20. dxe5 Nxe5 21. Rxc8+ Rxc8 22. Rxc8+ Qxc8 23. Nxe5 fxe5 24. Bxb7 Qb8 25. Qd5 Kf7 26. Bxe5 1-0[/pgn]

[pgn][Event "17CO01 "] [Site "ICCF"] [Date "2017.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Mukherjee, Somnath"] [Black "Turner, Larry"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D17"] [WhiteElo "2453"] [BlackElo "1825"] [PlyCount "71"] [EventDate "2017.??.??"] [SourceDate "2015.04.04"]1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. Ne5 Nbd7 7. Nxc4 Qc7 8. g3 e5 9. dxe5 Nxe5 10. Bf4 Nfd7 11. Bg2 f6 12. O-O Nc5 13. Ne3 Be6 14. b4 Rd8 15. Qb1 Nb3 16. Ned5 cxd5 17. Qxb3 Qc4 18. Qxc4 dxc4 19. Rfb1 Rd7 20. Be3 a6 21. a5 Be7 22. b5 Kf7 23. bxa6 bxa6 24. h3 Rd6 25. Rb6 Rhd8 26. f4 Nd7 27. Ne4 Rxb6 28. axb6 Nb8 29. b7 Bd7 30. Bb6 Re8 31. Rc1 Bb5 32. Nd2 Nd7 33. Bd5+ Kf8 34. Ba7 Bc5+ 35. Bxc5+ Nxc5 36. Nxc4 1-0[/pgn]