The June Check is in the Mail

The Czech Republic put on an excellent display of chess and computer power, winning every match but one – a 2-2 tie with runner-up Germany to win the 16^th Olympiad by five points.  This was the last Olympiad to be played by post. The US did not fare well in this Olympiad, drawing six of its twelve matches, losing five, and winning only one, against England. Alik Zilberberg held down first board for the US, scoring 5 ½-6 ½.  Ed Duliba finished with 4-8.    Keith Holzmueller had an outstanding +3 undefeated  result to score 7 ½-4 ½ and Jerry Weisskohl holdng down fourth board scored 3 ½-8 ½. GAME OF THE MONTH In the following game Keith demonstrates the power of two isolated passed a-Pawns. Keith Holzmueller

[pgn] [Event "CCO16/F"] [Site "ICCF"] [Date "2010.06.10"] [Round "?"] [White "Holzmueller, Keith"] [Black "Corfield, Julian"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C10"] [WhiteElo "2506"] [BlackElo "2395"] [PlyCount "101"] [EventDate "2010.??.??"] [WhiteTeam "U.S.A."] [BlackTeam "England"] [BlackTeamCountry "ENG"] {JUN} 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 {This is known as a vey passive line where Black is content witrh a draw, but not this time.} 4. Nxe4 Nd7 5. Nf3 Ngf6 6. Bd3 {The most comon continuation in this position is 6. Nxf6+ Nxf6 with a slight edge to White based on the better center and the move. A reasonable argument can be made in favor of this line also.} c5 {Black can transpose into the normal contnuation with 6...Nxe4 7. Bxe4 Nf6 8. Bd3 with a slight edge to White..} 7. O-O Nxe4 8. Bxe4 Nf6 9. Bg5 {Rather than meekly retreating to d3, White accentuates his lead in development.} cxd4 {Motylev-Goloschapov, Schachbundesliga 2019 continued with 9...Be7 10. Bxf6 gxf6 11. c3 Qc7 with a slight edge to White.} 10. Nxd4 Be7 11. Bf3 {The Bishop is more aggtessively placed on f3 than on d3. Black has his problems taming this Bishop.} O-O 12. Qd3 {This is the most popular continuaton at the moment, along with 12. c3.} Qb6 {After 12....Qc7 13. Rhe1 Rd8 14. Rad1 a6 15. c3 White has a slight pull, Kurnarov-Meier, Lublin 2008} 13. Rad1 {This offer of the b=Pawn has een the most successful line for White in this variation of the French Defense.} Rd8 { Taking the b-Pawn leads to an arduous defense for Black -- 13...Qxb2 14. Rb1 Qa3 15. Qxa3 Bxa3 16. Nb5 Be7 17. Nc7 Rb8 18. Na6 Ra8 19. Bf4 Nd7 20. Rfe1 e5 21. Bxb7 Bxb7 22. Rxb7 Bf6 23. Rxd7 exf4 24. c4.} 14. Be3 Qa5 15. Qb5 Qc7 16. Qb3 Bd7 17. Nb5 Qe5 {White wins the endng after 17...Bxb5 18. Qxb5 Nd5 19. Bxd5 exd5 20. Rxd5 Qxc2 21. Rxd8+ Rxd8 22. Qxb7 Rd1 23. g3} 18. a4 { Karjakin-Drozdovskij, ACO Rapid 2010, continued 17. c4 e5 with rough equality. Holzmueller's choice is stronger.} a6 {There now follows a series of semi-forcing moves thast leads to a Pawn plus ending for White, but part of that Pawn plus is doubled, isolated a-Pawns. It is instructive how Holzmueller uses them.} 19. Na3 Bd6 20. g3 Bxa3 21. bxa3 Bc6 22. Rxd8+ Rxd8 23. Qb6 Rf8 24. Bxc6 bxc6 25. Qxa6 Ng4 26. Bf4 Qh5 27. h4 Qc5 28. Bc7 h5 {Diagram # White wins after 28. ...Q.xc2 29. a5 e5 30. Qb6 e4 31. Bf4 Qd3 32. a6 Qxa3 33. a7 Qa4 34. Qb8 c5 35. Bd6 Re8 36. Rb1 White wins after 28. Q.xc2 29. a5 e5 30. Qb6 e4 31. Bf4 Qd3 32. a6 Qxa3 33. a7 Qa4 34. Qb8 c5 35. Bd6 Re8 36. Rb1} 29. a5 Qxc2 30. Qb6 Qc4 31. a6 Nh2 $5 {Black keeps trying but thesituation is hopeless.} 32. Kxh2 $1 Qxf1 33. a7 c5 34. Qxc5 Qa6 35. Bb6 Qb7 36. a4 Qd5 {White wins after 36...Rc8 37. Qd6 Kh7 38. Be3 Qd5 39. Qb8 Qc6 40. a5 Qa8 41. Qe5 Qd5 42. Qxd5 exd5 43. Bf4 Ra8 44. Bb8 d4 45. Kg7 d3 46. Kf3} 37. Qc7 Ra8 38. a5 f6 39. a6 Kh7 40. Qb7 Kg6 41. Bc7 Kh7 42. Bb8 Kg8 43. f4 $1 {The end process is very nice -- White initiates an attack on the Black King when Black cannot compete on tow fronts. The threat now is f5! undermining the support of the Black Queen. If 43...f5 then 44. Be5 wraps it up.} g6 44. Bd6 Qa2+ 45. Kh3 Qd5 46. Bc5 Qf5+ 47. Kg2 Qd5+ 48. Kh2 Qd2+ 49. Kh3 Qd5 50. Bf2 $1 {Waiting. ..} Qd8 { Or 50...Qf5_ 51. Kh2 Qd5 52. Bd4!} 51. Bd4 {After 51...Kf8 52. Bxf6! is the final chapter.} 1-0 [/pgn]

Alik Zilberberg Black narrowly escapes a loss in this game that slides out to a draw. DUTCH DEFENSE (A88 )

[pgn] [Event "CCO16/F"] [Site "ICCF"] [Date "2010.06.10"] [Round "?"] [White "Zilberberg, Alik"] [Black "Pegg, Russell M"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "A88"] [WhiteElo "2613"] [BlackElo "2440"] [PlyCount "67"] [EventDate "2010.??.??"] [WhiteTeam "U.S.A."] [BlackTeam "England"] [BlackTeamCountry "ENG"] {JUN} 1. d4 f5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 g6 4. c4 Bg7 5. Nc3 O-O 6. Nf3 d6 7. O-O c6 8. d5 e5 9. dxe6 Bxe6 10. b3 Na6 11. Ng5 Qe7 12. Nxe6 Qxe6 13. Bb2 Rad8 14. Qd2 Rd7 15. Rad1 Rfd8 16. e3 Nc7 17. Na4 Qe7 18. Qc2 Ne6 19. b4 d5 20. Bxf6 Bxf6 21. cxd5 cxd5 22. Qb3 b5 23. Nb2 Bxb2 24. Qxb2 d4 25. Bc6 Rd6 26. Bxb5 dxe3 27. Rde1 exf2+ 28. Rxf2 Qc7 29. Qb3 Qb6 30. Bc4 Kf8 31. Bxe6 Re8 32. Qb2 Rdxe6 33. Qh8+ Kf7 34. Qxh7+ 1/2-1/2[/pgn]

Edward Duliba Just when White’s attack is looking decisive, Black shows the right defense.. SEMI-SLAV DEFENSE (D44)

[pgn] [Event "CCO16/F"] [Site "ICCF"] [Date "2010.06.10"] [Round "?"] [White "Serradimigni, Robert"] [Black "Duliba, Edward"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "D44"] [WhiteElo "2568"] [BlackElo "2547"] [PlyCount "76"] [EventDate "2010.??.??"] [WhiteTeam "France"] [BlackTeam "U.S.A."] [WhiteTeamCountry "FRA"] {JUN} 1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. c4 c6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bh4 dxc4 7. e4 b5 8. e5 g5 9. Nxg5 hxg5 10. Bxg5 Nbd7 11. g3 Bb7 12. Bg2 Qb6 13. exf6 O-O-O 14. O-O c5 15. d5 b4 16. Na4 Qb5 17. a3 Nb8 18. axb4 cxb4 19. Qd4 {Diagram #} Nc6 20. dxc6 Rxd4 21. cxb7+ Kb8 22. Be3 e5 23. b3 c3 24. Rfd1 Bh6 25. Bxd4 exd4 26. Rxd4 c2 27. Rc4 Qxc4 28. bxc4 Rd8 29. Bd5 b3 30. Kf1 c1=Q+ 31. Rxc1 Bxc1 32. Bxf7 b2 33. Bg6 Rd6 34. Be4 Rxf6 35. Nc5 Rd6 36. h4 Bd2 37. Kg2 Bb4 38. Na4 Rd4 0-1[/pgn]

 18^th Olympiad  2010-2016 Palciauskas 15P01    John McCumiskey           6-0 13P04  Douglas Middleton    5-1 Trophy Quad 14Q09       Ryan Miller        6-0 14Q04  Louis Biasotti 5-1 Swift Quad 15SQ14  Gary Boye     5 ½-½ Walter Muir 15W41   Robert Nolan   6-0 15W18  Vincent Sereni  6-0 15W42  Juan Lopez       4 ½-1 ½  

[pgn] [Event "CCO16/F"] [Site "ICCF"] [Date "2010.06.10"] [Round "?"] [White "Weisskohl, Jerry"] [Black "Cavajda, Ivan"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "C56"] [WhiteElo "2503"] [BlackElo "2433"] [PlyCount "52"] [EventDate "2010.??.??"] [WhiteTeam "U.S.A."] [BlackTeam "Slovakia"] [BlackTeamCountry "SVK"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. e5 d5 6. Bb5 Ne4 7. Nxd4 Bd7 8. Bxc6 bxc6 9. O-O Bc5 10. f3 Ng5 11. f4 Ne4 12. Be3 Bb6 13. Nc3 Nxc3 14. bxc3 O-O 15. Qf3 f6 16. e6 Bxd4 17. cxd4 Bxe6 18. f5 Bf7 19. Bd2 Qd6 20. Rab1 Rab8 21. Bf4 Qd7 22. Rxb8 Rxb8 23. Qa3 Ra8 24. Bg3 Bh5 25. h3 a5 26. Rf2 Be8 1/2-1/2[/pgn]

Knights can be treacherous animals on the chessboard. FRENCH DEFENSE (C01)

[pgn] [Event "15W18 "] [Site "ICCF"] [Date "2015.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Sereni, Vincent"] [Black "Rhodes, Clifton"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C01"] [WhiteElo "1716"] [BlackElo "1625"] [PlyCount "83"] [EventDate "2015.??.??"] [BlackTeam "Slovakia"] [BlackTeamCountry "SVK"] {JUN} 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. exd5 exd5 5. Bd3 Nf6 6. Nge2 O-O 7. O-O Re8 8. Bg5 c6 9. a3 Be7 10. Re1 Nbd7 11. h3 h6 12. Bf4 Nb6 13. Ng3 Be6 14. b3 Bd6 15. Nce2 Rc8 16. Qd2 Bxf4 17. Nxf4 Nbd7 18. Nxe6 Rxe6 19. Rxe6 fxe6 20. Re1 Nf8 21. c4 dxc4 22. bxc4 Qd7 23. Rd1 Rd8 24. Qc1 Kh8 25. Bc2 Qe7 26. Qe3 Qf7 27. Ne2 b5 28. Qc3 Qd7 29. Bd3 bxc4 30. Qxc4 Nd5 31. Rc1 Rc8 32. Rb1 Qc7 33. Qa6 Rb8 34. Rxb8 Qxb8 35. Qxc6 Qb3 36. Bc4 Qxa3 37. Bxd5 exd5 38. Qxd5 Qe7 39. Nf4 Qe1+ 40. Kh2 Qe8 41. g3 Qd7 42. Ng6+ {Diagram #} 1-0 [/pgn]

White takes advantage of Black’s passive queenside with relentless pressure against the queenside. QUEEN’S GAMBIT DECLINED (D36)

[pgn] [Event "15WM41"] [Site "ICCF"] [Date "2015.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Nolan, Robert"] [Black "Perry, William E"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D36"] [WhiteElo "1579"] [BlackElo "1490"] [PlyCount "79"] [EventDate "2015.??.??"] [BlackTeam "Slovakia"] [BlackTeamCountry "SVK"] {Jun} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 c6 6. e3 Be7 7. Bd3 Nbd7 8. Qc2 O-O 9. Nge2 Re8 10. O-O Nf8 11. Rab1 a5 12. a3 Ng6 13. Ng3 Bd6 14. b4 axb4 15. axb4 h6 16. Bxf6 Qxf6 17. Na4 Be6 18. Nc5 Bxc5 19. bxc5 Reb8 20. Rb6 Nf8 21. Rfb1 Qe7 22. h3 Qc7 23. Qb2 Ra7 24. Qc3 Nd7 25. Bc2 Ra6 26. Rxa6 bxa6 27. Ra1 Ra8 28. Qd3 Nf6 29. Rxa6 Rxa6 30. Qxa6 Qc8 31. Qe2 Qd7 32. Qa6 Qe8 33. Nf5 Bd7 34. Nd6 Qd8 35. Ba4 Qc7 36. Qa8+ Kh7 37. Nxf7 Kg6 38. Ne5+ Kh7 39. Nxd7 Nxd7 40. Qxc6 1-0 [/pgn]

Here are two more Holzmueller victories.  In this first game the Black King is apparently safe in the center, but its safety ties down the Black Queen and Bishop and White’s ragged Pawn structure proves superior to Black’s connected passed Pawns. SICILIAN DEFENSE (B49)

[pgn] [Event "CCO16/F"] [Site "ICCF"] [Date "2010.06.10"] [Round "?"] [White "Holzmueller, Keith"] [Black "Schön, Antoni"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B49"] [WhiteElo "2506"] [BlackElo "2505"] [PlyCount "129"] [EventDate "2010.??.??"] [WhiteTeam "U.S.A."] [BlackTeam "Poland"] [BlackTeamCountry "POL"] {JUN} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Be3 a6 7. Be2 Nf6 8. O-O Bb4 9. Na4 Be7 10. Nxc6 bxc6 11. Nb6 Rb8 12. Nxc8 Qxc8 13. Bd4 c5 14. Be5 Rb6 15. b3 Nxe4 16. Bxg7 Rg8 17. Be5 Bd6 18. Bg3 Nxg3 19. fxg3 Be5 20. Rc1 f6 21. Qd2 Rg7 22. Rce1 Qc7 23. Bd3 d5 24. c4 d4 25. Re4 Rb7 26. Rh4 Kd8 27. Be4 Ra7 28. Rh6 a5 29. a4 Qb8 30. Qd3 Qb4 31. Rd1 Ra6 32. Bxh7 Rb6 33. Qf1 Qxb3 34. Bd3 Qxa4 35. Rh8+ Ke7 36. Ra1 Qc6 37. Rxa5 Rb8 38. Ra7+ Kd6 39. Rxg7 Rxh8 40. Qb1 Qa6 41. h4 Rc8 42. h5 Ra8 43. Kh2 Rh8 44. Bg6 {Diagram #} f5 45. Rf7 Rg8 46. Qb3 Rh8 47. Kh3 Rg8 48. g4 Ra8 49. gxf5 Qa3 50. Rb7 exf5 51. h6 Ra4 52. Bxf5 Qxb3+ 53. Rxb3 Rxc4 54. Rb6+ Kc7 55. Re6 Rc3+ 56. Kh4 Bh8 57. Re7+ Kd6 58. Rd7+ Kc6 59. h7 c4 60. Rd8 Bg7 61. Kg5 d3 62. Kg6 Be5 63. Re8 Bd4 64. Re6+ Kb5 65. Rf6 1-0 [/pgn]

With the sacrifice 13. Ne6!? A battle rages over the safety of the Black King.  With 30….Nf4+! the battle is over the lack of safety of the White King. SICILIAN DEFENSE (B87)

[pgn] [Event "CCO16/F"] [Site "ICCF"] [Date "2010.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Gerasimchuk, Volodimir"] [Black "Holzmueller, Keith"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "B87"] [WhiteElo "2431"] [BlackElo "2506"] [PlyCount "80"] [EventDate "2010.??.??"] [WhiteTeam "Ukraine"] [BlackTeam "U.S.A."] [WhiteTeamCountry "UKR"] {JUN} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bc4 e6 7. Be3 b5 8. Bb3 Bb7 9. O-O Nbd7 10. f4 b4 11. Na4 Be7 12. f5 e5 13. Ne6 {Diagram #} fxe6 14. fxe6 Nf8 15. Nb6 Bc6 16. Nxa8 Qxa8 17. a3 bxa3 18. Rxa3 Ng6 19. Ba4 O-O 20. Bxc6 Qxc6 21. Qd3 Qb7 22. Rb3 Qc8 23. Bg5 Rd8 24. Rc3 Qb7 25. Rb3 Qc6 26. Bxf6 gxf6 27. Rc3 Qb6+ 28. Kh1 Qxb2 29. g3 a5 30. h4 Qb7 31. Qd5 Qa6 32. Re1 a4 33. Rc6 Qa7 34. Kg2 h5 35. Ra1 Kh7 36. Qd1 Nf4+ 37. gxf4 Rg8+ 38. Kh1 Rg4 39. Qf3 exf4 40. Rc3 f5 0-1[/pgn]