Samir Alazawi, originally from Baghdad, Iraq, and now of Carmichael, California, has won the 2013 Electronic Knights Championship. Samir took a difficult path to the title scoring an undefeated 5-1 in the preliminary round, but then failing to qualify in the semifinal round. Samir was given a second chance at life by being chosen to round out the Finals section. Here Samir showed his full powers by scoring 5 ½- ½ in the final round to ease into first place and become the 2013 Electronic Knights Champion.
[pgn]
[Event "13EN02"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2013.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Alazawi, Samir"]
[Black "Galvin, John"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D87"]
[WhiteElo "2139"]
[BlackElo "2065"]
[PlyCount "55"]
[EventDate "2013.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2005.04.21"]
{MAR} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Bc4 {
Modern praxis is about evenly divided between the aggressive 7. Nf3 and the
more cautious 7. Bc4 followed by 8. Ne2. Nakamura's 7. Qa4+ seems to have
faded from use.} c5 8. Ne2 Nc6 9. Be3 O-O 10. O-O Qc7 {This setup and 10.. .
Bd7 as in Korobov-Georgiev, ICC Open 2016 have largely replaced 10...Na5.} 11.
Rc1 Rd8 12. Bf4 Be5 13. Bxe5 Nxe5 14. Bb3 b6 {Black's poor results with 14. ..
Ng4 (White scores 68% in recent games) have led some players to seek a
different treatment of this positon. Two tries have been 14...c4 as in
Hadjiev-Ikis, Premier League 2016 and the text try.} 15. f4 Ng4 16. Qd3 {
Guenther-Mu, US Chess Leage 2012, saw White repositioning his Queen to e3
after 16. Qd2 Ba6 17. h3 Nf6 18. Qe3 with some play for Black.} e6 17. h3 Nf6
18. e5 Nd5 {Black has the choice of activity (18...Nd5) or passivity (18..Ne8).
After the passive 18...Ne8 comes 19. d5! exd5 20. Bxd5 Bb7 21. c4 with a
significant edge to White.} 19. Bxd5 $1 exd5 {Black cannot stop the avalanche
after 19...Rxd5 20. c4 Rd7 21. d5.} 20. Ng3 {Diagram # But now the avalanche
happens on the kingside rather than the center. Black has no good defense
against the looming f5.} a5 21. Qe3 Ba6 22. Rf3 Rac8 23. f5 cxd4 24. Qh6 $1 Kh8
{There is no defense by 24...f6 25. fxg6 Qg7 26. Qh4 hxg6 27. exf6 g5 28. Qh5}
25. Nh5 $1 Rg8 26. Nf6 Rg7 27. fxg6 Qxe5 {If 27...fxg6 28. Nxh7! is the end.} (
27... fxg6) 28. gxf7 1-0[/pgn]
FEBRUARY RESULTS
Trophy Quads
Lance Schuttenhelm 15Q06 6-0
[pgn]
[Event "15Q06"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2015.??.??"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Clardy, William"]
[Black "Schuttenhelm, Lance"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "1595"]
[BlackElo "1495"]
[PlyCount "64"]
[EventDate "2015.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2005.04.21"]
1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Bd2 Qb6 6. Qc1 Qxd4 7. Nf3
Qd6 8. Bc4 e6 9. O-O Ng4 10. Rd1 Qc5 11. Bd3 Qxf2+ 12. Kh1 Bd6 13. Rf1 Qc5 14.
Ne4 Qh5 15. Nxd6+ cxd6 16. Bb4 O-O 17. Bxd6 Rd8 18. Qf4 Nc6 19. Ng5 f6 20. Nf3
e5 21. Qe4 Rxd6 22. Rad1 f5 23. Qc4+ Be6 24. Qc5 Rad8 25. h3 b6 26. Qg1 e4 27.
Be2 e3 28. Rxd6 Nf2+ 29. Kh2 Rxd6 30. Nd4 Qh4 31. Nxe6 Rxe6 32. Bf3 Nd4 0-1[/pgn]
OBITUARY
Leonard Gilley of North Yarmouth, ME, died December 20, 2016.
[pgn]
[Event "Golden Knghts"]
[Site "corr"]
[Date "1974.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Zalys, Ignas"]
[Black "Gilley, Leonard"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C77"]
[Annotator " "]
[PlyCount "53"]
[EventDate "1974.??.??"]
[Source "Chess Mail"]
[SourceDate "2001.03.30"]
{MAR} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. c3 Be7 7. Nbd2 O-O
8. Nf1 Re8 9. Ne3 Bf8 10. c4 Bd7 11. O-O Ne7 12. Bxd7 Qxd7 13. Nh4 g6 14. f4
Bg7 15. Nd5 exf4 16. Nxf6+ Bxf6 17. Nf3 Nc6 18. Bxf4 Nd4 19. Qd2 Nxf3+ 20. Rxf3
Bd4+ 21. Kh1 h5 22. Raf1 Bg7 23. Bh6 Re7 24. Bxg7 Kxg7 25. Qg5 Rf8 26. Rg3 f6
27. Qxg6+ 1-0[/pgn]
Joop van Oosterom
Two-time World champion Joop Van Oosterom has died. Van Oosterom won the world correspondence title in 2005 and 2008.
[pgn]
[Event "WC18F"]
[Site "ICCF"]
[Date "2003.06.01"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kempen, Heinz-Erich van (GE"]
[Black "van Oosterom, Joop"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B90"]
[WhiteElo "2554"]
[BlackElo "2725"]
[Annotator " "]
[PlyCount "84"]
[EventDate "2003.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2005.04.21"]
{MAR} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e5 7. Nb3 Be6
8. f3 Be7 9. Qd2 O-O 10. O-O-O Qc7 11. g4 Nbd7 12. g5 Nh5 13. Nd5 Bxd5 14. exd5
a5 15. Kb1 a4 16. Nc1 f6 17. g6 hxg6 18. Qg2 a3 19. Qxg6 axb2 20. Nb3 f5 21.
Bh3 Nb6 22. Qxh5 Nc4 23. Bxf5 Rxf5 24. Qxf5 Nxe3 25. Qd3 Nc4 26. Nd2 Nxd2+ 27.
Rxd2 Qa5 28. a3 Qc5 29. Kxb2 e4 30. Qb3 Bg5 31. Re2 Bf6+ 32. c3 exf3 33. Rd2
Re8 34. Ka2 b5 35. Rc2 Kh7 36. Rhc1 Re3 37. Rb2 Bxc3 38. Qxb5 Qd4 39. Rbc2 Kh6
40. h4 Re2 41. Kb3 Bd2 42. Rf1 Qe3+ 0-1[/pgn]
Each year I select the best games published in this newsletter, one by a Master and the other by a non-master. This year the candidates are, in the Master category Ellis-Corkum, March and Lillien-Connelly, July. And the winner is Tim Corkum!
In the non-Master group the nominees are Mullen-Hiber, March, and Babcock-McCann in May. The winner is Doug McCann. Winners please contact Joan DuBois for your $100 prize money.
[pgn]
[Event "11ENf03"]
[Site "USCF"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ellis, Mark"]
[Black "Corkum, Tim"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D76"]
[WhiteElo "2078"]
[BlackElo "2220"]
[PlyCount "82"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2005.04.21"]
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Nf3 Nb6 7. Nc3 Nc6 8. e3
O-O 9. O-O Re8 10. Re1 a5 11. Qe2 Be6 12. Rd1 Bc4 13. Qc2 Nb4 14. Qb1 e5 15. a3
exd4 16. axb4 dxc3 17. Rxd8 Raxd8 18. Qc2 axb4 19. Nd2 cxd2 20. Bxd2 Ra8 21.
Rxa8 Rxa8 22. h4 Ra2 23. Bc1 h5 24. Qd2 Ra1 25. Kh2 Be6 26. Bf1 c5 27. e4 Nd7
28. f4 c4 29. f5 c3 30. bxc3 bxc3 31. Qf4 Bb3 32. Kh3 Ra2 33. Qd6 Ne5 34. Qe7
Ng4 35. Bg2 Bc4 36. fxg6 fxg6 37. e5 Kh7 38. Qxb7 Bf1 39. e6 Bxg2+ 40. Qxg2
Rxg2 41. Kxg2 Bh6 0-1[/pgn]
[pgn]
[Event "14C08"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2014.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Babcock, Thomas"]
[Black "McCann, David"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B19"]
[WhiteElo "2204"]
[BlackElo "2117"]
[PlyCount "74"]
[EventDate "2014.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2005.04.21"]
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. Nf3 Nd7 7. h4 h6 8. h5
Bh7 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 e6 11. Bd2 Ngf6 12. O-O-O Be7 13. Ne4 O-O 14. Nxf6+
Nxf6 15. Qe2 Qd5 16. c4 Qe4 17. Rde1 Qxe2 18. Rxe2 Rfd8 19. Bc3 Bf8 20. Ne5
Rac8 21. g4 b5 22. b3 bxc4 23. bxc4 c5 24. dxc5 Rxc5 25. f3 Nd5 26. cxd5 Rxc3+
27. Kb2 Rdc8 28. Nc6 Rxf3 29. dxe6 Rxc6 30. e7 Bxe7 31. Rxe7 Rf2+ 32. Kb3 a5
33. Rd1 Rf4 34. Rd8+ Kh7 35. Rb8 Rc1 36. Kb2 Rg1 37. Ree8 Rg2+ 0-1[/pgn]
When White misses good drawing chances with 34. g3, Black powers on to win.
[pgn]
[Event "16WM28"]
[Site "ICCF"]
[Date "2016.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Anderson, Clarence"]
[Black "Kirk, Thomas"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "1813"]
[BlackElo "1944"]
[PlyCount "78"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2005.04.21"]
{MAR} 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nd7 5. Bd3 Ngf6 6. Qe2 c5 7. Nf3
cxd4 8. O-O Nxe4 9. Bxe4 Nc5 10. Rd1 Be7 11. Rxd4 Qb6 12. Be3 Qxb2 13. Rad1
Nxe4 14. Rxe4 O-O 15. Bd4 Qxa2 16. Bxg7 Kxg7 17. Rg4+ Kh8 18. Ne5 Qa5 19. Qe3
f5 20. Qd4 Bf6 21. Qd6 Bd7 22. Nxd7 fxg4 23. Nxf8 Qe5 24. Qxe5 Bxe5 25. Nxe6 a5
26. Nd8 Bf6 27. Nxb7 a4 28. Nc5 a3 29. Nb3 Rc8 30. Rd2 a2 31. c4 a1=Q+ 32. Nxa1
Bxa1 33. Rc2 Bd4 34. h3 $2 g3 35. Kf1 gxf2 36. g3 Bc5 37. Rc1 Re8
38. Rd1 h5 39. Rc1 Re3 0-1[/pgn]
Games from 2013 E-Knights
Black plays the French like a champion.
[pgn]
[Event "13EN02"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2013.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Lopez, Kenneth"]
[Black "Alazawi, Samir"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C02"]
[WhiteElo "1657"]
[BlackElo "2139"]
[PlyCount "74"]
[EventDate "2013.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2005.04.21"]
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Qb6 6. Bd3 cxd4 7. cxd4 Bd7 8. O-O
Nxd4 9. Nbd2 Bc5 10. Nxd4 Bxd4 11. Nf3 Ne7 12. Rb1 Nc6 13. Bf4 a5 14. a3 Bc5
15. Ng5 h6 16. Qh5 Nd8 17. b4 axb4 18. axb4 Bxb4 19. Bd2 Qd4 20. Nf3 Qxd3 21.
Bxb4 Ra4 22. Qg4 g5 23. Qh5 Qg6 24. Qxg6 fxg6 25. Nd4 Nc6 26. Nxc6 Bxc6 27. f4
g4 28. Rf2 h5 29. Rd2 Kf7 30. Rbb2 Ra1+ 31. Kf2 h4 32. h3 gxh3 33. gxh3 Rh1 34.
Rb3 Ra8 35. Ba3 Ra4 36. Bb4 Rh2+ 37. Kg1 Rxb4 0-1[/pgn]
Sharp play by both sides make for an entertaining game.
[pgn]
[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2017.03.10"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Overturf, Shane"]
[Black "Shtern, Edward"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A13"]
[Annotator "jensh"]
[PlyCount "99"]
1. c4 e6 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 d5 4. Nf3 Bd6 5. d4 dxc4 6. O-O O-O 7. Qc2 Nbd7 8.
Rd1 c5 9. Qxc4 Nb6 10. Qc2 Qc7 11. dxc5 Bxc5 12. Be3 Bd6 13. Qxc7 Bxc7 14. Bc5
Re8 15. Nc3 a6 16. b3 Nbd5 17. Rac1 Bd7 18. Nxd5 exd5 19. Bd4 Bd8 20. Bxf6 Bxf6
21. Rxd5 Bc6 22. Rd2 Bxf3 23. Bxf3 Bg5 24. e3 Rxe3 25. Bxb7 Rxg3+ 26. hxg3 Bxd2
27. Rc2 Rd8 28. Bxa6 g6 29. Rc8 Rxc8 30. Bxc8 f5 31. Kf1 Kf7 32. Ke2 Ba5 33. f3
Kf6 34. a3 Ke5 35. Kd3 Kf6 36. b4 Bc7 37. g4 Kg5 38. a4 Bd6 39. b5 Bc7 40. gxf5
gxf5 41. Kc4 h5 42. f4+ Kxf4 43. Kc5 h4 44. b6 Bxb6+ 45. Kxb6 h3 46. a5 h2 47.
Bb7 Kg3 48. a6 f4 49. a7 f3 50. Bxf3 1-0[/pgn]
[pgn]
[Event "13ENf03"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2013.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bussom, Andrew"]
[Black "Mayers, Raymond"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C42"]
[WhiteElo "2224"]
[BlackElo "2019"]
[PlyCount "125"]
[EventDate "2013.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2005.04.21"]
{MAR} 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nxe4 4. Nc3 Nxc3 5. dxc3 f6 6. O-O d6 7. Re1
c6 8. Nxe5 fxe5 9. Rxe5+ dxe5 10. Bf7+ Kxf7 11. Qxd8 Nd7 12. Bg5 h6 13. Rd1 Nf6
14. Bxf6 gxf6 15. Rd7+ Bxd7 16. Qxa8 Be6 17. Qxb7+ Be7 18. Qxc6 Rd8 19. Qf3
Bxa2 20. b3 Bb1 21. Qe2 a5 22. h4 Kf8 23. g4 Rd7 24. h5 Ke8 25. Kg2 Kd8 26. g5
fxg5 27. Qxe5 Kc8 28. Qe4 Kc7 29. c4 Bd6 30. Qf5 Bb4 31. Qe5+ Kd8 32. Qf6+ Kc7
33. Qxh6 Bxc2 34. Qxg5 Rd6 35. Qe3 Kc6 36. h6 Rg6+ 37. Kh3 Rd6 38. Kg4 Bd1+ 39.
f3 Bc2 40. Qe8+ Kb6 41. Kg5 Rd2 42. Qb8+ Kc6 43. Qc8+ Kb6 44. Qh3 Be7+ 45. Kg4
Rd4+ 46. f4 Bd6 47. h7 Rxf4+ 48. Kg5 Bxh7 49. Qxh7 Bc7 50. Qd7 Kb7 51. c5 Kb8
52. c6 Rb4 53. Qe8+ Ka7 54. Qc8 Bg3 55. Kf5 Rxb3 56. Qd7+ Ka6 57. c7 Bxc7 58.
Qxc7 Kb5 59. Ke4 Ka4 60. Kd5 Kb4 61. Qc5+ Ka4 62. Kc6 Rc3 63. Qxc3 1/2-1/2[/pgn]
White’s play is very classical. Black’s play is very original. Who would have guessed a draw would be the outcome
[pgn]
[Event "13ENf01"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2013.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Stephenson, Mark"]
[Black "Hagerty, John"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B12"]
[WhiteElo "2156"]
[BlackElo "2093"]
[PlyCount "98"]
[EventDate "2013.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2005.04.21"]
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Na6 4. c3 Nc7 5. Ne2 g6 6. Ng3 f6 7. f4 Bg7 8. Nd2 Nh6
9. Nf3 Be6 10. Bd3 Qd7 11. Qc2 O-O-O 12. O-O Kb8 13. b4 Rc8 14. a4 Nf5 15. b5
cxb5 16. Ne2 a6 17. axb5 Nxb5 18. Ra5 Qc7 19. Rxb5 axb5 20. g4 Nh4 21. Nxh4
Bxg4 22. Ba3 fxe5 23. fxe5 Qb6 24. Kg2 Rhf8 25. Bxe7 Rxf1 26. Bd6+ Ka7 27. Qa2+
Qa6 28. Qxa6+ bxa6 29. Kxf1 Bf8 30. Bxf8 Rxf8+ 31. Ke1 Bh3 32. Ng1 Be6 33. Ke2
g5 34. Ng2 Kb6 35. Ne3 g4 36. Bxh7 a5 37. Bb1 a4 38. Ba2 Kc6 39. Nc2 Rh8 40.
Nb4+ Kd7 41. Kf2 Rxh2+ 42. Ke3 Ke8 43. Ne2 Rh3+ 44. Kf2 Rf3+ 45. Kg2 Bg8 46.
Nc6 Be6 47. Nb4 Kf8 48. Nc6 a3 49. Nb4 Kf7 1/2-1/2[/pgn]
White wins this ending with the two Bishops by giving up one of them.
[pgn]
[Event "13ENs02"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2013.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Stephenson, Mark"]
[Black "Miller, Michael"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C11"]
[WhiteElo "2135"]
[BlackElo "1848"]
[PlyCount "121"]
[EventDate "2013.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2005.04.21"]
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 a6 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Ne2 f5 8. a3 h6
9. Rg1 Qe7 10. g4 g6 11. gxf5 gxf5 12. Be3 Qf7 13. Nc3 Nb6 14. Be2 Be7 15. Bf2
Bd7 16. Nh4 O-O-O 17. Ng6 Rhg8 18. Nxe7+ Qxe7 19. Kd2 Nc4+ 20. Kc1 Qh7 21. b3
Rxg1 22. Qxg1 Nb6 23. Kb2 Rg8 24. Qh1 Be8 25. Rg1 Rxg1 26. Qxg1 Qg6 27. Qxg6
Bxg6 28. Na2 Ne7 29. c4 c6 30. Kc3 Kc7 31. Nb4 Bf7 32. Nd3 Nd7 33. Be1 Be8 34.
Nf2 Bf7 35. Nh1 Ng6 36. Bd2 Ndf8 37. Ng3 Nd7 38. cxd5 cxd5 39. Nh5 Kc6 40. Kd3
Ngf8 41. Ke3 Nh7 42. Ng7 Nhf8 43. Bd3 Bg6 44. Be1 Kc7 45. Bh4 Bf7 46. Bxf5 exf5
47. Nxf5 h5 48. Nh6 Ng6 49. Bg5 Be8 50. f5 Ngf8 51. Kf4 Nb8 52. Be7 Nc6 53.
Bxf8 Nxd4 54. e6 Kc6 55. Ke5 Nf3+ 56. Kf6 a5 57. Ke7 d4 58. Bg7 Kd5 59. Kxe8
Ne5 60. Bxe5 Kxe5 61. e7 1-0[/pgn]
