The October Check Is in the Mail

John Coulter of Lee, Massachusetts has won the John Collins 15C07.

GAME OF THE MONTH

[pgn][Event "15C07"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2015.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Funston, David"]
[Black "Coulter, John"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C19"]
[WhiteElo "2297"]
[BlackElo "2097"]
[PlyCount "66"]
[EventDate "2015.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2005.04.21"]{OCT} 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. Nf3 {
Caruana-So, PRO League 2017 continued 7. h4 Qc7 8. Nf3 b6 9. Bb5 Bd7 10. Bd3
Ba4 =} h6 {Hou Yifan- Zhukova, Gibraltar Masters saw 7...Qa5 8 Bd2 Qa4 9. Qb1
c4 10. h4 Nc6 =} 8. a4 O-O {Hernandez Guerrero-Cuenca jimenez, Mexican Open
2017 was even after 8...Qa5 9. Qd2 00 10. Bd3 b6} 9. Be2 {The vexed question
of the Nimzovich version of the French - place the Bishop here or d3. On d3 it
may lose a tempo to ...c4 but this may cut off Black's counterplay againt d4.}
b6 10. O-O Bb7 {Normally Black would like to get rid of his bad Bishop for
White;s good one by ...Ba6, but 11. Bb5t! gives him some problems.} 11. Ba3 Nd7
12. Rb1 Bc6 13. Bb5 {But now the Pawn sacrifice 13, a5! leaves White with more
play.} Bxb5 14. axb5 a6 $1 {Diagram # Black opens up the queensde with more
play and the advantage,} 15. bxa6 Rxa6 16. Ra1 Qc7 17. Qe2 Rfa8 18. Bb2 Rxa1
19. Bxa1 $2 {This leaves White with a passive Bishop and a passive Rook.
Better was 19. Rxa1 Rxa1 20. Bxa1 Qa7 21. Qd1 Qa2 22. Qc1 Nc6 23. Qb2 Qc4 with
advantage to Black.} Ra2 20. Rb1 cxd4 21. Qb5 {White is lost, but fights on
looking for saving complications.} Qa7 22. Bb2 dxc3 23. Bxc3 Rxc2 24. Be1 Nc6
25. Qb3 Rc4 26. Bc3 Qa4 27. Qb2 d4 28. Nxd4 {After 28. Be1 Rc2 29. Qb3 Qxb3 30.
Rxb3 g6 31. h3 Ndxe5 the board is turning black. Now the pieces do a neat
little dance leaving Black a piece ahead.} Nxd4 29. Ra1 Qb5 30. Bxd4 Rb4 31.
Ra8+ Nf8 32. Rxf8+ Kxf8 33. Qa3 Qa4 0-1[/pgn]

15C07

September Results

Walter Muir

James Bougher  17W01  6-0

  Brian Higgins    17W05  5  ½-½

Swift Quad

Grant Peretz    16SQ03   6-0

   Rick Johnson   17SQ03   5 ½- ½

Trophy Quad

 Greg Green    15Q09    5 ½-½

John Collins

    John Coulter    15C07     5 ½-½

    Philip DeAugustino  16C01  5-1

[pgn][Event "17W05"]
[Site "ICCF"]
[Date "2017.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Higgins, Brian"]
[Black "Cardenas, Inoel"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E20"]
[WhiteElo "1588"]
[BlackElo "1662"]
[PlyCount "93"]
[EventDate "2017.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2005.04.21"]{OCT} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. e3 b6 5. Nf3 Bb7 6. Bd3 d5 7. O-O Nb4 8.
cxd5 Nxd3 9. Qxd3 Nxd5 10. e4 Nb4 11. Qd1 Be7 12. a3 Nc6 13. Re1 Bf6 14. d5 Ne5
15. Bf4 Ng6 16. Bg3 Bxc3 17. bxc3 O-O 18. dxe6 Qf6 19. exf7+ Rxf7 20. Qd4 Qc6
21. Rad1 Re8 22. Ng5 Rfe7 23. f3 h6 24. Nh3 Kh7 25. Nf4 Nxf4 26. Bxf4 a5 27. h3
Qe6 28. c4 Rf7 29. Bg3 Qe7 30. Re3 Ba6 31. Qd5 Rf6 32. Kh2 Rg6 33. Red3 c6 34.
Qd4 Rf8 35. Qxb6 Bxc4 36. Rd6 Rxg3 37. Kxg3 Qe5+ 38. Kf2 Qxe4 39. Qxc6 Qe2+ 40.
Kg1 Re8 41. R6d4 Bb3 42. R1d2 Qe3+ 43. Kh2 Qe5+ 44. f4 Qe1 45. R4d3 a4 46. Rg3
Re6 47. Qd7 1-0[/pgn]

Obituary

Carl Dunn was born on Nov. 1, 1930 and died on Sept, 6, 2017 at age 86.  Carl was a past president of the Iowa State Chess Club.

[pgn][Event "Swiss-71.5.04"]
[Site "IECC Email"]
[Date "2000.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Dunn, Carl"]
[Black "Jobe, Tom"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A15"]
[WhiteElo "1915"]
[BlackElo "1833"]
[PlyCount "73"]
[EventDate "2000.??.??"]
[Source "Chess Mail"]
[SourceDate "2001.03.30"]{OCT} 1. b3 Nf6 2. Bb2 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. g3 c5 5. Bg2 Nc6 6. f4 O-O 7. Nf3 d6 8.
O-O Bd7 9. d3 Qc8 10. Nc3 Bh3 11. e3 Bxg2 12. Kxg2 Qd7 13. Qe2 Rad8 14. d4 cxd4
15. exd4 Nh5 16. d5 Nd4 17. Nxd4 Bxd4 18. Rad1 Bg7 19. f5 Nf6 20. Nb5 a5 21.
Rd3 Rfe8 22. Rdf3 g5 23. Bc3 {Diagram #} Ng4 24. Bd2 Ne5 25. R3f2 g4 26. Bxa5
Ra8 27. Bc3 Nf3 28. Bxg7 Kxg7 29. Qe4 h5 30. Nd4 Nxd4 31. Qxd4+ f6 32. a4 Kf7
33. Re1 Rg8 34. Re6 Rg7 35. Rfe2 Kf8 36. R2e4 Ra5 37. Qd2 1-0[/pgn]

Grant Peretz may be a newcomer to US Chess correspondence chess, but you wouldn’t be able to tell from his handling of this game.  White resigns, facing a hopeless endgame.

[pgn][Event "16SQ03"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2016.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Jones, Casey"]
[Black "Peretz, Grant"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A28"]
[BlackElo "779"]
[PlyCount "68"]
[EventDate "2014.10.02"]
[EventType "corr"]
[EventRounds "6"]
[SourceDate "2005.04.21"]{OCT} 1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e5 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nxd4 Bb4 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bh4
Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 O-O 9. e3 d6 10. Be2 Ne5 11. f4 Ng6 12. Bxf6 Qxf6 13. O-O Re8 14.
Qd2 Qe7 15. Rae1 Qxe3+ 16. Qxe3 Rxe3 17. Nb5 {Diagram #} Bf5 18. Nxc7 Rd8 19.
Nd5 Ree8 20. Bh5 Bd3 21. Rxe8+ Rxe8 22. Rd1 Bxc4 23. g3 Rc8 24. Bxg6 Bxd5 25.
Rxd5 fxg6 26. Rxd6 Rxc3 27. Rxg6 Ra3 28. Rd6 Rxa2 29. Rd7 Rb2 30. Rd8+ Kf7 31.
Ra8 a6 32. h3 Ke6 33. Re8+ Kf5 34. Re5+ Kf6 1-0[/pgn]

When Black sets up a piece of cheese on e4, White gladly falls into the trap.

[pgn][Event "17W01"]
[Site "ICCF"]
[Date "2017.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Williams, Rufus"]
[Black "Bougher, James"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C01"]
[WhiteElo "1063"]
[PlyCount "54"]
[EventDate "2017.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2005.04.21"]{OCT} 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. Bd3 Nc6 5. c3 Nf6 6. h3 h6 7. Nf3 Bd6
8. O-O O-O 9. Re1 Re8 10. Rxe8+ Qxe8 11. Nbd2 Be6 12. Nf1 Ne4 13. Bxe4 dxe4 14.
Ne5 Nxe5 15. dxe5 Bxe5 16. Be3 Rd8 17. Qc2 b6 {Diagram #} 18. Qxe4 Bxh3 19.
gxh3 Bh2+ 20. Kxh2 Qxe4 21. Ng3 Qc2 22. Bd4 Rxd4 23. Kg2 Rd2 24. Rf1 Qxb2 25.
Ne4 Re2 26. Ng3 Re5 27. c4 Qxa2 0-1[/pgn]

"Eagle-eyed correspondence chess players take nothing for granted." -Irving Chernev

You sacked your Queen against me?  Well, I’ll sack my Queen against you.  And a draw is the logical outcome !?  It is in this barnburner.

[pgn][Event "17SQ03"]
[Site "ICCF"]
[Date "2017.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Beatrez, Patrick"]
[Black "Johnson, Rick"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D44"]
[WhiteElo "1692"]
[BlackElo "1922"]
[PlyCount "61"]
[EventDate "2017.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2005.04.21"]{OCT} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 c6 5. Bg5 dxc4 6. e4 b5 7. e5 h6 8.
Bh4 g5 9. Nxg5 hxg5 10. Bxg5 Nbd7 11. g3 Qb6 12. exf6 Bb7 13. Bg2 O-O-O 14. O-O
Ne5 15. dxe5 Rxd1 16. Raxd1 b4 17. Ne4 c5 18. h4 a5 19. Be3 Qc7 20. Bf4 a4 21.
Rfe1 Qa5 22. a3 c3 23. bxc3 b3 24. c4 Qa6 25. Bd2 Qxc4 26. Ba5 Bd5 27. Bf1 {
Diagram #} Qxe4 28. Rxe4 Bxe4 29. Bb5 b2 30. Rd8+ Kb7 31. Rd7+ 1/2-1/2[/pgn]

A speculative Pawn sacrifice on Move 6 leads inevitably to a raging attack on a King lacking protection.

[pgn][Event "15C07"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2015.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Coulter, John"]
[Black "Eisthen, Robert"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A03"]
[WhiteElo "2097"]
[BlackElo "2194"]
[PlyCount "43"]
[EventDate "2015.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2005.04.21"]{OCT} 1. f4 d5 2. Nf3 g6 3. g3 c6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. d3 Qb6 6. e4 {Diagram #} Bxb2
7. Bxb2 Qxb2 8. Nbd2 Nf6 9. O-O dxe4 10. Nxe4 Nxe4 11. dxe4 Qb6+ 12. Kh1 Bg4
13. Rb1 Qc7 14. Qd4 O-O 15. Ne5 Be6 16. f5 Bxa2 17. Ra1 f6 18. Ng4 Bf7 19. e5
Rd8 20. Qe3 gxf5 21. Nh6+ Kg7 22. Nxf5+ 1-0[/pgn]

From the days before computers, this rough and tumble struggle from Russia is sure to cause your pulse to beat a little faster.

[pgn][Event "USSR ch-05 6063"]
[Site "corr"]
[Date "1960.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gorenshtein, R."]
[Black "Estrin, Yakov"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D39"]
[PlyCount "56"]
[EventDate "1960.??.??"]
[EventType "corr"]
[EventCountry "URS"]
[Source "Chess Mail Ltd."]
[SourceDate "2003.07.15"]{OCT} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Nf3 d5 5. Bg5 dxc4 6. Qa4+ {The point
of this check is to deprive the opponent of the move ...c7-c5 and its
associated counterplay. But this costs two tempi. Is this not too high a price?
} Nc6 7. e4 Bd7 8. Qd1 {In Estrin's opinion, it would have been better to
retreat the queen to c2, when after 8...h6 9 Bd2 Bxc3 10 Bxc3 b5 11 a4 White
gains an active position for the sacrificed pawn.} b5 $1 9. e5 h6 10. Bh4 g5
11. Nxg5 Nd5 $1 12. Qh5 {This variation is analysed in Lipnitsky's book
'Voprosy Sovremennoy Shakhmatnoy Teorii' (Problems of Modern Chess Theory),
where on the basis of the continuation 12...Qe7 13 Nge4 it is considered
difficult for Black. However, Estrin had found another possibility, which gave
the game theoretical significance.} hxg5 $1 13. Qxh8+ Bf8 14. Bg3 Nxd4 15.
O-O-O c5 16. Ne4 Qa5 $1 17. Nd6+ Ke7 18. Qg8 {A position in the style of the
19th century chess romantics. Both kings are under fire. Which will be the
first to fall?} Qxa2 $1 19. Qxg5+ {The series of checks} (19. Qxf7+ Kd8 20.
Qxf8+ Kc7 21. Nxb5+ Bxb5 22. Qxc5+ Kb7 23. Qxd4 {leads to a position in which
White wins a rook and... is forced to capitulate in view of} Rc8 $1 {with the
irresistible threat of 24...c3. After the game continuation Black again
succeeds, by giving up material, in removing his king to a safe place, whereas
the leader of the hostile forces remains in the danger zone and meets its end
there.}) 19... f6 20. exf6+ Kd8 21. f7+ Kc7 22. Nxc4+ Kb7 23. Na3 Qa1+ 24. Nb1
Nb4 25. Kd2 Qxb2+ 26. Ke1 Nbc2+ 27. Kd2 c4 28. Rc1 Ne3+ $1 {Original notes
were by Estrin, Central Chess Club Bulletin, but these are Grodzensky's notes,
translated by Ken Neat.} 0-1[/pgn]

A rootin’ tootin’ sixgun shootin’ Evans Gambit---the key shot is 29. f5, sacking a Rook.

[pgn][Event "16ENs03"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2016.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bussom, Andrew"]
[Black "Young, William"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C52"]
[WhiteElo "2194"]
[BlackElo "2138"]
[PlyCount "87"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2005.04.21"]{OCT} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. d4 Nge7 7. d5 Nb8
8. Nxe5 O-O 9. Be2 d6 10. Nc4 Bb6 11. O-O Ng6 12. Nbd2 Re8 13. a4 Nd7 14. Kh1
Nf6 15. f3 Nf4 16. Nxb6 axb6 17. Bb5 Bd7 18. Nb3 Ng6 19. Bxd7 Nxd7 20. Qc2 Nge5
21. c4 f5 22. Nd4 fxe4 23. Ne6 Qc8 24. Bb2 Nc5 25. f4 Ned3 26. Nxg7 Re7 27. Nh5
e3 28. Bf6 Re8 29. f5 e2 30. Qd2 exf1=Q+ 31. Rxf1 Qd7 32. Qg5+ Kf8 33. Bg7+ Kf7
34. Bd4 Rg8 35. Qh6 Qe7 36. Qxh7+ Kf8 37. Qh6+ Kf7 38. Bg7 Nf4 39. Qxf4 Qe2 40.
Ng3 Qxf1+ 41. Nxf1 Rxg7 42. g4 Nd3 43. Qg3 Ne5 44. g5 1-0[/pgn]

In admiration of Rick Johnson’s play, this game was submitted by his opponent.

[pgn][Event "16SQ07"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2016.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Johnson, Rick"]
[Black "Walsh, Patrick"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E12"]
[WhiteElo "1791"]
[BlackElo "1605"]
[PlyCount "99"]
[EventDate "2014.10.02"]
[EventType "corr"]
[EventRounds "6"]
[SourceDate "2005.04.21"]{OCT} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. Bf4 Bb7 5. e3 Be7 6. Nc3 Nh5 7. Bg3 O-O
8. Be2 d6 9. O-O Nxg3 10. hxg3 Nd7 11. Qc2 Nf6 12. e4 Qd7 13. Rad1 Rad8 14. b4
Qc8 15. d5 e5 16. Nd2 c5 17. a3 Rfe8 18. Rb1 Nd7 19. Bg4 cxb4 20. axb4 Qc7 21.
Rfc1 Ra8 22. Nb5 Qd8 23. Qd3 Nf6 24. Bh3 a6 25. Nc3 Bc8 26. Bxc8 Qxc8 27. c5
dxc5 28. Na4 Nd7 29. d6 Bf8 {Diagram #} 30. Nxb6 Nxb6 31. bxc5 Nd7 32. c6 Rd8
33. c7 Re8 34. Nc4 a5 35. Nb6 Nxb6 36. Rxb6 Qd7 37. f4 a4 38. fxe5 Rxe5 39. Rb8
Re8 40. Rxe8 Rxe8 41. e5 Rc8 42. Qd5 g6 43. Qc6 Qg4 44. d7 Bc5+ 45. Qxc5 Qxd7
46. Qd6 Qe8 47. Re1 a3 48. e6 Kg7 49. e7 a2 50. Qd8 1-0[/pgn]