The Check Is in the Mail - January 2018

Tim Murray becomes 12^th US/ICCF GM

Tim Murray has had an illustrious rise in his pursuit of the Grandmaster title.  He tied for first in the 11^th United States Correspondence Chess Championship.  Earned his first GM norm playing first board in the 15^th Olympiad email event, and tied for first in the NAPZ championship and played in the semifinals of the 35^th World Championship where his finish guarantees him at least a tie for first and a spot in the finals. Congratulations, Tim – The USA’s twelfth correspondence  Grandmaster.

GAME OF THE MONTH

Krishnan Sasikiran, India’s 3^rd strongest OTB player, is a regular cc player.  Here, he meets his match in GM-elect Tim Murray.

[pgn][Event "ICCF"]
[Site "ICCF"]
[Date "2014.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sasikiran, Krishnan"]
[Black "Murray, Timothy"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D47"]
[WhiteElo "2557"]
[BlackElo "2554"]
[PlyCount "106"]
[EventDate "2014.??.??"]{JAN} 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. a3 {Popular is 2014, the main line seems to have swung to 9.00
as in Aronian-Anand, Zurich 2015 -- 9.00 a6 10. e4 c5 11. d5 c4 12. Bc2 Qx7 13.
dxe6 fxe6.} Bd6 {DeMauro-Boll, US-Wales 2000 saw 9...b4 bypassing the satndard
ines of 9...a6 and 9...Bd6. Black was OK after 10. Ne4 Nxe4 11. Bxe4 bxa3 12.
bxa3 Bd6.} 10. O-O O-O 11. e4 {Although White is behind in development, this
center expansion appears to be the best way to go. Ivanchuk-Topalov, King's
Tournament 2012 continued 11. Bd2 a5 12. Ng5 h7 13. Nge4 with near equality.}
e5 12. Bc2 {Relatively untried has been 12. Bg5 exd5 13. Nxd4 Qc7 as in
Smirnov-Hushannisyan, Botvnnik Memorial 2012 =} Qc7 13. Kh1 Rad8 14. Qe1 Rfe8 {
Sasikiran-Straka, ICCF 2014 continued 14...a6 15. dxe5 Nxe5 16. Nh4 Bc5 17. f4
Nd3 18. Qg3 with equal chances.} 15. dxe5 {Sasikiran-Shirov, ECC 2013
continued 13. Bg5 exd4 16. Nxd4 h6 17. Bh4 Bxh2 18. g3 g5 with a complex game.}
Nxe5 16. Nh4 {Somewhat better is 16. Nxe5 Bxe5 17. Bg5 but Black holds a small
edge.} Ng6 17. Nxg6 hxg6 18. f4 Qc8 19. Qh4 c5 {Diagram #} 20. f5 {On 20. e5
Be7 White can't take the Knight -- 21, exf6 Bxf6 22. Qg3 (22, Qf2 Bd4 23. Qg3
is the same) Bxc3 23. bxc3 Re2 and Black is winning.} gxf5 21. Bg5 Be5 22. Rf3
Rd6 23. Rh3 Kf8 24. Re1 Ng8 {A safety-first move that keeps Black's King
secure and allows Black to use his center control to his advantage.} 25. exf5
Rd4 26. Ne4 a5 27. Qh5 f6 28. Bc1 Bd5 29. Rh4 Bd6 30. Kg1 Qc6 31. Rg4 Re7 32.
Qh4 b4 33. Bd2 Bxe4 $1 {Black's plan to exchange material resulting in tying
White's pieces down to protecing e4 allows him time to push his queenside
Pawns.} 34. Bxe4 Qe8 35. Re2 c4 36. axb4 axb4 37. Qe1 Qa4 38. Bc2 Rxe2 39. Qxe2
Qa1+ 40. Kf2 Qxb2 {Black has won a decisive Pawn. The next step is bringing it
home.} 41. Re4 Ne7 42. Be3 Rxe4 43. Bxe4 Qxe2+ 44. Kxe2 b3 45. h4 Ke8 46. g4
Be5 47. g5 Kd7 48. g6 c3 49. h5 c2 50. Kd3 Bb2 51. h6 gxh6 52. Bxh6 c1=Q 53.
Bxc1 Bxc1 0-1[/pgn]

2018 ABSOLUTE CHAMPIONSHIP

Bids are now being taken for the 2018 Absolute championship. The thirteen players with the highest rating will be considered for the free entry into this major event.  Please send in your bid to be selected.

DECEMBER RESULTS

Trophy Quad

            Charlie Leach  16Q03      5 ½-½

John Collins

             Michael Horvath  16C12  4-2

            Claude Corbett   17C03  5 ½-½

White combines attack and defense well in this  ICCF win.

[pgn][Event "LSS WC-2010-S-00010"]
[Site "LSS email"]
[Date "2007.12.15"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ingersol, Harry"]
[Black "Noble, Mark Frederick"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A34"]
[Annotator "Rodriguez,Keith"]
[PlyCount "65"]
[EventDate "2007.12.15"]
[EventType "corr"]
[EventRounds "10"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2010.08.31"]{JAN} 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. g3 d5 5. d4 dxc4 6. d5 Nb4 7. e4 Bg4 8.
Bxc4 Bxf3 9. Qxf3 Nc2+ 10. Kf1 Qc8 11. Rb1 Nd4 12. Qd1 Qh3+ 13. Kg1 e5 14. dxe6
fxe6 15. Be3 O-O-O 16. Bxd4 Rxd4 17. Qa4 a6 18. e5 Nd7 19. Ne2 Rxc4 20. Qxc4
Qf5 21. Rd1 Nxe5 22. Qf4 Kc7 23. Kg2 Bd6 24. Rd2 Rf8 25. Qxf5 exf5 26. Rhd1 Rf6
27. Nf4 Kc6 28. Nh5 Rg6 29. b3 c4 30. Nf4 Rh6 31. Rc2 b5 32. Nd3 Nxd3 33. Rxd3
1-0[/pgn]

OBITUARY

Marian Waxman

Marian Waxman of New York City died August 26, 2017 born 1937 was a rated correspondence Master.

[pgn][Event "M-3669.2"]
[Site "IECC Email"]
[Date "2000.11.22"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Waxman, Marian"]
[Black "Koolsbergen, Nico"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B30"]
[WhiteElo "1800"]
[BlackElo "1927"]
[Annotator "Rodriguez,Keith"]
[PlyCount "76"]
[EventDate "2000.??.??"]
[Source "Chess Mail"]
[SourceDate "2001.03.30"]{JAN} 1. e4 e6 2. Nf3 c5 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. Bb5 Nge7 5. O-O a6 6. Bd3 b5 7. Re1 Bb7
8. b3 d6 9. Bb2 Ng6 10. Bf1 Be7 11. a4 b4 12. Ne2 O-O 13. c4 Nge5 14. Ng3 Bf6
15. Rb1 Re8 16. Nh5 Nxf3+ 17. Qxf3 Bxb2 18. Rxb2 Qg5 19. Ng3 Qe5 20. Rbb1 Nd4
21. Qd1 Qg5 22. Re3 f5 23. exf5 exf5 24. Qh5 Qxh5 25. Nxh5 Kf7 26. Nf4 g5 27.
Nh3 h6 28. f3 f4 29. Rxe8 Rxe8 30. Kf2 Bc8 31. Ng1 Bf5 32. Rb2 h5 33. Ne2 Ne6
34. g3 h4 35. g4 Bg6 36. Nc1 Nd4 37. Nd3 Kg7 38. Nc1 Nxf3 0-1[/pgn]

 Steven Tennant

Steven Tennant has died at age 69.  Steven’s correspondence career was at its height – he finished in  second place in the 1974 Golden Knights, in the North American Team Tournament he held down first board with a brilliant 7-1 result, he held down Board 2 in the USA-USSR match, beating his soviet opponent 1½ -½.  He finished first in the 1977 Absolute Championship. He was awarded the ICCM title, and then an if-move did him in.  Tennant sent an if-move to his opponent who responded to the first part of the if-move but not Tennant’s reply to it.  Tennant insisted a reply was obligatory,  his opponent did not. Finding nothing in the USCF, ICCF, or CCLA rules at that time  that stated response to an if-move was obligatory, the ruling was against him.  Tennant disagreed and refused to accept the ruling or continue the game. Shortly afterwards he was forfeited and banned for life from ICCF play.

[pgn][Event "Absolute"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1980.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Pedersen, N. Eric"]
[Black "Tennant, Steven"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B36"]
[PlyCount "120"]
[EventDate "1980.??.??"]{JAN} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. c4 Nf6 6. Nc3 d6 7. Be2 Nxd4
8. Qxd4 Bg7 9. O-O O-O 10. Qe3 Be6 11. Bd2 Qb6 12. Qxb6 axb6 13. a4 Rfc8 14. b3
b5 15. e5 Nd7 16. Nxb5 Nxe5 17. Bc3 d5 18. f4 Nc6 19. Bxg7 Kxg7 20. Rac1 dxc4
21. Bxc4 Bxc4 22. Rxc4 Rd8 23. Rc2 Rd3 24. Rb1 Rad8 25. Kf1 Kf6 26. Rbb2 Nd4
27. Nxd4 R8xd4 28. Rc4 Rxb3 29. Rxb3 Rxc4 30. g3 Rc7 31. Rb6+ e6 32. Kg2 Ke7
33. a5 Kd7 34. a6 bxa6 35. Rxa6 Rc2+ 36. Kg1 Ke7 37. Ra7+ Kf6 38. Ra5 h6 39. h4
Rd2 40. Kf1 Rd5 41. Ra7 g5 42. hxg5+ hxg5 43. fxg5+ Rxg5 44. Kf2 Rf5+ 45. Ke3
Kg5 46. Ra4 Rb5 47. Rc4 Rb3+ 48. Kf2 e5 49. Rc7 f5 50. Re7 Rb2+ 51. Ke3 e4 52.
Re8 Kg4 53. Rg8+ Kh3 54. Rg5 Rb3+ 55. Kf2 Rf3+ 56. Ke1 Kh2 57. Kd2 Kg1 58. Ke1
Rf2 59. Rg8 Kg2 60. Rg5 e3 0-1[/pgn]

I have a challenge for a chess club.  Do you have a chess club with five members who are willing to play five veterans who are also incarcerated in a Florida prison?  If you do, please contact me and I will send you contact information. White wins with the help of SuperKnight!

[pgn][Event "16N10"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2016.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Walker, Barry"]
[Black "Biasotti, Louis"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B01"]
[WhiteElo "2164"]
[BlackElo "2926"]
[PlyCount "81"]
[EventDate "2017.07.03"]
[EventType "corr"]{JAN} 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 g6 6. Nb5 Qb6 7. c4 c6
8. Nc3 Bg7 9. Be2 O-O 10. O-O Bg4 11. h3 Bxf3 12. Bxf3 Rd8 13. Qb3 Na6 14. Be3
e6 15. Qc2 Qc7 16. Rfd1 Rac8 17. a3 Qb8 18. Qe2 Nc7 19. Rac1 Re8 20. Bf4 Qa8
21. b4 Na6 22. b5 Nb8 23. a4 a5 24. bxc6 bxc6 25. Nb5 Rf8 26. Nd6 Rcd8 27. Rb1
Na6 28. Nb7 Rc8 29. Nxa5 Rfd8 30. Qb2 Nb8 31. Nb7 Rf8 32. a5 Nfd7 33. Nd6 Rcd8
34. Qe2 Nf6 35. Qa2 Rd7 36. Rb3 Rfd8 37. Qb2 Na6 38. Nb7 Rc8 39. Rb6 Bf8 40.
Be5 Ne8 41. Rxc6 1-0[/pgn]

"I recommend that you use correspondence  chess to test out the openings that you will later play in your over-the-board  tournament games." -Jon Edwards

Have you heard the expression “a fighting draw”? Well, now you can see one.

[pgn][Event "16C12"]
[Site "ICCF"]
[Date "2016.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Horvath, Michael"]
[Black "Bashur, Michael"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "A21"]
[WhiteElo "1984"]
[BlackElo "1941"]
[PlyCount "66"]
[EventDate "2017.??.??"]{JAN} 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Bb4 3. Qc2 Nf6 4. a3 Bxc3 5. Qxc3 O-O 6. d3 b6 7. e4 Bb7
8. Nf3 d6 9. Be2 c5 10. O-O Nc6 11. Bg5 h6 12. Bd2 a5 13. h3 a4 14. Qc2 Nh5 {
Diagram #} 15. Nxe5 Nd4 16. Qd1 Nxe2+ 17. Qxe2 dxe5 18. Qxh5 Qxd3 19. Bc3 Qxe4
20. f3 Qxc4 21. Qxe5 f6 22. Qc7 Rf7 23. Qxb6 Re7 24. Rad1 Rae8 25. Rd8 Rxd8 26.
Qxd8+ Kf7 27. Rd1 Bc6 28. Qd3 Qxd3 29. Rxd3 Re2 30. Rd6 Re6 31. Rd2 g5 32. Kf2
h5 33. Ba5 Bb5 1/2-1/2[/pgn]

Black’s motto in this game must have been “Attack!  Attack!  Attack!  Resigns”

[pgn][Event "RUS/Emerald2013 (RUS)"]
[Site "ICCF"]
[Date "2013.01.15"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Biedermann, Thomas"]
[Black "Ponomarev, Aleksandr Anatoliev"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A65"]
[WhiteElo "2430"]
[BlackElo "2257"]
[Annotator "Rodriguez,Keith"]
[PlyCount "99"]
[EventDate "2013.??.??"]{JAN} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f3 O-O 6. Nge2 c5 7. d5 e6 8.
Ng3 exd5 9. cxd5 h5 10. Be2 Nh7 11. Be3 a6 12. a4 Nd7 13. O-O h4 14. Nh1 f5 15.
exf5 gxf5 16. Nf2 f4 17. Bd2 Ne5 18. Qc1 h3 19. Bxf4 Ng6 20. Bg3 Ng5 21. f4
hxg2 22. Kxg2 Nh7 23. Bd3 Bf5 24. Bxf5 Rxf5 25. Nfe4 Qd7 26. Qd1 Ne7 27. Kh1
Raf8 28. Re1 R8f7 29. Qd3 Bd4 30. Bf2 Bxf2 31. Nxf2 Rxf4 {Diagram #} 32. Rg1+
Kf8 33. Nfe4 Nc8 34. Ne2 Rg4 35. Rgf1 Ke8 36. b4 Qe7 37. N2g3 Kd8 38. Rfe1 Ng5
39. Nf2 Rxf2 40. Rxe7 Nxe7 41. Qe3 Rf3 42. Qe2 cxb4 43. Re1 Nc8 44. a5 Rff4 45.
Rc1 Rh4 46. Nh5 Ne4 47. Qc2 Nf2+ 48. Kg2 Rhg4+ 49. Ng3 Rc4 50. Qxc4 1-0[/pgn]

This game could almost be classified as “Wow!” – four Queens on the board, White a Rook ahead, Black in check – and yet White can’t avoid a loss – and that by a smothered Knight mate.

[pgn][Event "11Ns02"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Chessing, James"]
[Black "Ryan, Patrick"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A29"]
[WhiteElo "2113"]
[BlackElo "2260"]
[PlyCount "96"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]{JAN} 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 Nc6 3. c4 e5 4. Nc3 Bc5 5. Nxe5 Bxf2+ 6. Kxf2 Nxe5 7. e4
c5 8. d4 cxd4 9. Qxd4 O-O 10. Bf4 d6 11. h3 Nc6 12. Qd2 Qb6+ 13. Kg2 Re8 14.
Re1 Ne5 15. b3 Qc6 16. Nd5 a5 17. Bxe5 dxe5 18. Bd3 Nd7 19. Rhf1 Nc5 20. Rf2 b6
21. Bf1 f6 22. Kh2 Ne6 23. a3 Nd4 24. Qc3 Be6 25. b4 Ra7 26. Rb2 axb4 27. axb4
Kf7 28. Rc1 Rea8 29. Bg2 Ra2 30. Rcb1 R8a3 31. Qc1 h6 32. c5 bxc5 33. b5 Qd6
34. b6 Rxb2 35. Rxb2 Ra8 36. Qc4 Bxd5 37. exd5 f5 38. b7 Rb8 39. Qa2 e4 40. Qa7
e3 41. Rb6 Qe5 42. d6 e2 43. Qxb8 e1=Q 44. Qc7+ Kg8 45. b8=Q+ {Diagram #} Kh7
46. Rb3 Ne2 47. h4 Qg1+ 48. Kh3 Qxg3+ 0-1[/pgn]

MURRAY WINS !

Black’s Pawn sacrifice on move 19 attains the two Bishops and a lost game.

[pgn][Event "WC35/ct02"]
[Site "ICCF"]
[Date "2015.09.20"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Murray, Timothy"]
[Black "Schroeder, Marc J. P. G"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C11"]
[WhiteElo "2556"]
[BlackElo "2469"]
[Annotator "Rodriguez,Keith"]
[PlyCount "59"]
[EventDate "2015.??.??"]{JAN} 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Be3 cxd4
8. Nxd4 Bc5 9. Qd2 a6 10. O-O-O O-O 11. Nb3 Bb4 12. Bd3 b5 13. g4 Na5 14. Bd4
Nc6 15. Rhf1 Bb7 16. Rf3 Nxd4 17. Nxd4 Re8 18. Rh3 g6 19. Nf3 d4 20. Nxd4 Nc5
21. Nde2 Nxd3+ 22. Rxd3 Qh4 23. h3 Rac8 24. a3 Be7 25. Qe3 Red8 26. Rxd8+ Rxd8
27. Rxd8+ Bxd8 28. b4 Bg2 29. g5 h5 30. Ng1 1-0[/pgn]

[pgn][Event "WC36/sf04"]
[Site "ICCF"]
[Date "2012.06.10"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Murray, Timothy"]
[Black "Learte Pastor, Tomas"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C84"]
[WhiteElo "2544"]
[BlackElo "2247"]
[Annotator "Rodriguez,Keith"]
[PlyCount "87"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]{JAN} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. d3 d6 7. c3 O-O 8.
Re1 b5 9. Bc2 d5 10. Nbd2 dxe4 11. dxe4 Be6 12. Qe2 Qc8 13. a4 Rb8 14. Bd3 Qb7
15. Nf1 Rfd8 16. h3 Nh5 17. b4 h6 18. axb5 axb5 19. g4 Nf6 20. Ng3 Ne8 21. Nf5
Rd7 22. Kh2 f6 23. h4 Nd6 24. Rg1 Kh7 25. Rg3 Nxf5 26. gxf5 Bf7 27. Be3 Bf8 28.
Rag1 Ne7 29. Qf1 Bh5 30. Nd2 Rbd8 31. Bc5 c6 32. Nb3 Bf7 33. Bc2 Bxb3 34. Bxb3
Ng8 35. Bxf8 Rxf8 36. Qg2 Qc7 37. Rg6 Qa7 38. Qg3 Rc7 39. Bxg8+ Kxg8 40. Rxh6
Rd7 41. Rg6 Rff7 42. h5 Kf8 43. Qh4 Ke8 44. h6 1-0[/pgn]

[pgn][Event "WC36/sf04"]
[Site "ICCF"]
[Date "2012.06.10"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Murray, Timothy"]
[Black "Napalkov, Vladimir Aleksandro"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B12"]
[WhiteElo "2544"]
[BlackElo "2500"]
[Annotator "Rodriguez,Keith"]
[PlyCount "109"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]{JAN} 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. Nf3 e6 5. Be2 Nd7 6. O-O h6 7. a4 Ne7 8.
a5 g5 9. c4 Bg7 10. cxd5 cxd5 11. a6 bxa6 12. Nc3 O-O 13. Rxa6 Nb8 14. Ra4 Nbc6
15. h4 g4 16. Ne1 h5 17. Nd3 a5 18. Bg5 Qb6 19. Qd2 Ng6 20. Qe3 Rfc8 21. Bf6
Kh7 22. Qg5 Nxd4 23. Nf4 Rh8 24. g3 Rae8 25. Rd1 Nxe2+ 26. Ncxe2 {Diagram #}
Bc2 27. Rad4 Bh6 28. Qxh5 Bxd1 29. Rxd1 Qb3 30. Rd2 Qc4 31. Rd3 Qc2 32. Kg2
Ref8 33. Bg5 Kg7 34. Bf6+ Kh7 35. Bg5 Kg7 36. b3 Bxg5 37. Qxg5 Kh7 38. Qh5+ Kg7
39. Qxg4 Kh7 40. Qf3 Qb1 41. Qh5+ Kg7 42. Qg5 Kh7 43. h5 Nxf4+ 44. Nxf4 Rhg8
45. Qe7 Kh8 46. Qf6+ Kh7 47. Rf3 Qf5 48. Qxf5+ exf5 49. Nxd5 Rg5 50. Nf6+ Kh6
51. Rd3 Rb8 52. Rd7 f4 53. e6 fxg3 54. f4 Rf5 55. Rxf7 1-0[/pgn]