The January Check is in the Mail

TONY KAIN ABSOLUTELY BEST! Tony Kain has one again shown his chess muscles.  For a man who enjoys weightlifting and formal debates, this is to be expected.  What may not have been expected was his dominance of the field, wining by a full point in a field crowded with the best of USCF’s correspondence players. With the International Correspondence Chess Master title in his pocket, and now a USCF  Senior Master rating, Tony has added to his previous accolades: youngest correspondence Master, gold medal in the 10^th Pan American Team Championship, the 2012 Electronic Knights and the tied for second in the 2013 Absolute Championship. GAME OF THE MONTH Players of the King’s Indian Defense realize that it is a coin flip.  It is either win or lose, with little chance for a draw.  Hang on for a wild ride with King Kain !

[pgn] [Event "14A01"] [Site "ICCF"] [Date "2014.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Jacobs, Charles"] [Black "Kain, Anthony"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "E97"] [WhiteElo "2259"] [BlackElo "2381"] [PlyCount "70"] [EventDate "2014.??.??"] [EventType "corr"] [SourceDate "2005.04.21"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 {The King's Indian is the ideal Caveman Opening. Black's strategy is basic and simple: attack with everything on the kingside and let the queenside go. White;s strategy is slightly more complicated. Attack on the queenside, but keep the kingside safe.} 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 e5 7. O-O Nc6 8. d5 Ne7 {Already the lines of battle are being delineated --except for the a8 Rook all Black's pieces aim at the White kingside. White owns greater space on the queenside due to he Pawn structure. With his next move White increases his queensde territory.} 9. b4 {The alternative is to relocate the dark squared Bishop to f2 where it serves in both a defensive and offensive capacity after 9. Ne1 Nd7 10. f3 f5 11. Be3 f4 12. Ngf2 g5 13. Nd3 as in So-Nakamura, 3rd Sinquefield Cup 2015.} Ne8 {And Black prepares to expand on the kingside. There is not a whole lot of subtlety in the next series of moves. The side that gets his forces into battle the most effeciently will be the winner. The race is on!} 10. c5 f5 11. Nd2 Nf6 12. f3 f4 13. Nc4 g5 14. a4 Ng6 15. Ba3 Rf7 16. b5 dxc5 17. Bxc5 Bf8 $5 {This move does not have a very high reputation even though it accomplishes two important elements -- it strengthens d6 and prepares to slide the Rook to g7 or h7. Favored has been 17...h5 18. a5 g4 19. b6 g3 20. Kh1 Bf8 21. d6 as in Gelfand-Nakamura, Team Championship 2010 tough White is better.} 18. Bf2 { White's dark-squared Bishop is beter than Black's.} h5 19. a5 g4 20. Kh1 { White blinks first. Mariolache-Barbu, Romania 1994 continued 20. b6 with a continuinhg edge to White.} g3 $1 {A game worth studying to help understand this position is Korotylev-Mozharov, Moscow 2010 which continued with the preparatory 20...Rg7 21. Ra2 g3 22. hxg3 fxg3 23. Bxg3 h4 24. Bxe5 Nxe5 25. Nxe5 Nh5 26. d6 Ng3+ 27. Kh2 Bxd6 28. Qd5+ Kh7 29. f4 Nxf1+ 30. Bxf1 Be6 32. Qd4 Rf8 when all Black's forces aim at the White King. Kain dispenses with the preparatory 20...Rg7 and proceeds directly to the attack.} 21. hxg3 fxg3 22. Bxg3 h4 23. Bxe5 {Retreat is met by 22...Nh5 when Black's pieces control the kingside and the two Pawn defecit means nothing. Still it gives White some chances of survival.} Nh5 24. Qd4 {After this Black simply rolls over the White kingside.} Ng3+ 25. Kg1 Nxe5 26. Nxe5 {Naturally 26. Qxe5 is met by 26... Bg7, part of the reason why g7 was left vacant.} Bg7 27. f4 h3 {White's defensive wall is shredded. The end comes swiftly now.} 28. d6 Qh4 29. gxh3 Bxe5 30. Qxe5 Nxe2+ 31. Nxe2 Rg7+ 32. Qxg7+ Kxg7 33. Ra3 cxd6 34. Rg3+ Kf7 35. Kg2 Bd7 0-1 [/pgn]

2014 Absolute Championship

Kain, Tony

2381

½

½

1

½

1

½

½

1

½

1

1

½

8.5

Ingersol, Harry

2417

½

½

½

½

½

½

½

1

½

½

1

1

7.5

Miettinen, Kristo S.

2309

½

½

½

0

½

1

½

1

½

½

½

1

7

Torres, Chris

2375

0

½

½

½

½

½

½

½

½

1

1

1

7

Fass, Robert N.

2351

½

½

1

½

½

½

½

½

½

½

½

1

7

Woodard, Daniel S.

2395

0

½

½

½

½

0

½

½

1

1

½

1

6.5

Magat, Gordon

2305

½

½

0

½

½

1

½

½

½

½

½

1

6.5

Daves, Dana

2289P

½

½

½

½

½

½

½

½

½

½

½

1

6.5

Sogin, David

2386

0

0

0

½

½

½

½

½

1

½

½

1

5.5

Rodriguez, Keith A.

2363

½

½

½

½

½

0

½

½

0

1

½

½

5.5

Horwitz, Daniel M.

2322

0

½

½

0

½

0

½

½

½

0

1

½

4.5

Jacobs Jr., Charles

2259

0

0

½

0

½

½

½

½

½

½

0

½

4

Rhodes, James

2250

½

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

½

½

½

2

  Runner-up in the 2014 Absolute shows championship form.  His exchange sacrifice on Move 37 breaks Black’s resistance.

[pgn] [Event "14A01"] [Site "ICCF"] [Date "2014.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Ingersol, Harry"] [Black "Rhodes, James"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B12"] [WhiteElo "2417"] [BlackElo "2202"] [PlyCount "89"] [EventDate "2014.??.??"] [EventType "corr"] [SourceDate "2005.04.21"] 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. Nc3 Qb6 5. Bd3 Bxd3 6. Qxd3 e6 7. Nge2 Ne7 8. O-O Nd7 9. Rb1 a5 10. b3 Qa6 11. Qh3 b5 12. Nf4 b4 13. Na4 Nf5 14. Bb2 Be7 15. g4 Nh4 16. Rbc1 h5 17. Nxh5 Qe2 18. f4 g6 19. Rf2 Qa6 20. Nf6+ Nxf6 21. exf6 Bxf6 22. Nc5 Qa7 23. Qe3 Qe7 24. Re1 Qd6 25. c3 Kf8 26. a4 bxc3 27. Ba3 Kg7 28. Qxc3 Qc7 29. Nd3 Rab8 30. Ne5 Qb6 31. Re3 Rbc8 32. Bd6 Rh7 33. Rg3 Qa7 34. f5 exf5 35. gxf5 g5 36. Qe3 Re8 37. Rxg5+ Bxg5 38. Qxg5+ Kh8 39. Bc5 Qb7 40. Kh1 Qxb3 41. Rf1 Nxf5 42. Qxf5 Qe3 43. Nxf7+ Rxf7 44. Qxf7 Qe4+ 45. Qf3 1-0 [/pgn]

2015 COLORADO STATE CHAMPIONSHIP Jeffrey Baffo has done it again as he reaffirms his position as the best correspondence player in Colorado.  Going undefeated this year (2015) he annexed the title for the third year in addition to two second place finishes. Jeffrey Baffo  has also won two Master-level  Palciauskas tournaments in 2005 and 2008 2015 Colorado State Championship  

Baffo	2272		1 ½	1 ½	11	11	7
Kovats	2198	½ 0		1  1	11	11	6½
Sutton	2175	0 ½	0  0		1 1	1  1	4½
Johnson	1656	0  0	0  0	0  0		1 1	2
Lasley	1451	0  0	0  0	0  0	0  0		0

In this game Sutton defends while Baffo attacks.  We all know who is going to have the most fun.

[pgn] [Event "15CO01"] [Site "ICCF"] [Date "2015.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Sutton, John C"] [Black "Baffo, Jeffrey"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "B90"] [WhiteElo "2056"] [BlackElo "2113"] [PlyCount "66"] [EventDate "2015.??.??"] [SourceDate "2005.04.21"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e5 7. Nb3 Be6 8. f3 h5 9. Be2 Be7 10. O-O Nbd7 11. a4 Rc8 12. a5 O-O 13. Nd5 Nxd5 14. exd5 Bf5 15. c4 Re8 16. f4 g6 17. Nd2 Bf6 18. Ra2 Qe7 19. fxe5 Qxe5 20. Ra3 Nc5 21. Kh1 Qxb2 22. Bxc5 Rxc5 23. Rb3 Qd4 24. Rxb7 Bc2 25. Qxc2 Rxe2 26. Qa4 Qg4 27. Rg1 Bd4 28. h3 Qf4 29. Rb8+ Kh7 30. Nf3 Bxg1 31. Qa1 Bd4 32. Nxd4 Rxa5 33. Qg1 Rxg2 0-1 [/pgn]

DECEMBER RESULTS John Collins David Birozy                 14C12      5-1 Salam Hallak            14C12      5-1 Philip DeAugustino  13C14     5-1 Antonio Romero       13C12    5-1 Colorado State             Jeff Baffo            15CO01   7-1 2014 Absolute Anthony Kain       14A01  8½ – 3½ Walter Muir Gregory Sanders  14W43  6-0 Edward Bowling  15W12 5 ½-½ Juan Lopez           15W19  5-1   This game is a puzzle: what is White’s next move?

[pgn] [Event "14N21"] [Site "?"] [Date "2014.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Buss, Michael"] [Black "Eisthen, Robert"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B40"] [WhiteElo "2410"] [BlackElo "2180"] [PlyCount "55"] [EventDate "2014.??.??"] [SourceDate "2005.04.21"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d3 Nc6 4. g3 g6 5. Bg5 f6 6. Bd2 Nge7 7. Bg2 e5 8. O-O d5 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. c4 Ndb4 11. Nc3 Bg4 12. a3 Nxd3 13. Be3 f5 14. h3 Bh5 15. Qc2 e4 16. Ng5 Nd4 17. Bxd4 cxd4 18. Ncxe4 fxe4 19. Nxe4 Ne5 20. Qa4+ Kf7 21. f4 Be2 22. fxe5+ Bxf1 23. Rxf1+ Kg7 24. e6 d3 25. Rf7+ Kh6 26. Kh2 Be7 27. Nf2 Rc8 28. Ng4+ 1-0 [/pgn]

Accurate play propels Black to the semifinals.

[pgn] [Event "15EN08"] [Site "?"] [Date "2015.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Teoli, Christian"] [Black "DeMastri, John"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "B22"] [BlackElo "1666"] [PlyCount "56"] [EventDate "2015.??.??"] [SourceDate "2005.04.21"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3 d5 4. exd5 Qxd5 5. d4 Bg4 6. Be2 cxd4 7. cxd4 e6 8. Nc3 Qa5 9. d5 exd5 10. Qxd5 Qxd5 11. Nxd5 O-O-O 12. Nc3 Bb4 13. Bf4 f6 14. O-O Nge7 15. Rac1 Bxc3 16. Rxc3 Nd5 17. Rc4 Rhe8 18. Bd1 Nxf4 19. Rxf4 Bxf3 20. Rxf3 Rd2 21. Rb3 Nd4 22. Rb4 Re4 23. Kh1 Rxf2 24. Rg1 Rd2 25. Rc4+ Kd8 26. Rb4 b5 27. a4 a5 28. Bf3 Re5 0-1 [/pgn]

Quote: Correspondence and computer chess offers the best chance for mistake-free chess, but even in today’s matches between top engines rated above 3200, questionable moves can usually be identified in a post mortem. – IM Thomas Williams 2016 ABSOLUTE BIDS TAKEN                              If you are rated 2200+ and would like to play in the strongest US Chess tournament, now is the time to submit your bids for the 2016 Absolute Championship.   The top 13 rated players will be accepted.  No entry fee will be charged.  Prize money will be announced later.  Computers are allowed.   COMPUTERS IN US CHESS PLAY ? Once again it is necessary to poll the membership on a critical question: Should computer analysis  be allowed in all US Chess events?  Please send your answers to USCF, PO Box 367, Sayre, PA 18840 or email Click here to show email address GAMES  FROM THE 2014 ABSOLUTE Once again, the miracle of transposition converts a Queen Pawn into a King Pawn.

[pgn] [Event "14A01"] [Site "ICCF"] [Date "2014.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Daves, Dana"] [Black "Rhodes, James"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B27"] [BlackElo "2202"] [PlyCount "107"] [EventDate "2014.??.??"] [EventType "corr"] [SourceDate "2005.04.21"] 1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. e3 c5 4. c4 cxd4 5. exd4 g6 6. cxd5 Bg7 7. Bb5+ Nbd7 8. d6 exd6 9. Qe2+ Qe7 10. O-O Qxe2 11. Bxe2 Nb6 12. Bf4 Ke7 13. Re1 Be6 14. Nc3 Nbd5 15. Bg3 Nxc3 16. bxc3 Rhc8 17. Rab1 b6 18. Rbc1 Bh6 19. Rc2 Nd5 20. c4 Nf4 21. d5 Bf5 22. Bd3+ Kf6 23. Bxf5 gxf5 24. Bh4+ Kg6 25. Be7 Nxd5 26. Nh4+ Kh5 27. Nxf5 Nxe7 28. Nxe7 Rc5 29. Rc3 Bd2 30. Rh3+ Kg5 31. Re4 Re5 32. Rxe5+ dxe5 33. Rxh7 Kf6 34. Nd5+ Kg6 35. Rh3 Bg5 36. Ra3 Rd8 37. Ra6 Rd7 38. f3 Kf5 39. g3 Be7 40. h4 e4 41. Kg2 Ke5 42. fxe4 Kxe4 43. Nxe7 Rxe7 44. a4 f5 45. a5 Rb7 46. axb6 axb6 47. Ra4 Ke3 48. Rb4 Kd4 49. Kf3 Kc3 50. Rb1 Kxc4 51. Kf4 b5 52. Kxf5 b4 53. g4 b3 54. g5 1-0 [/pgn]

Black’s a-Pawn is the hero of this piece, causing White to concentrate on stopping it and while his pieces are thus busy, Absolute champion Kain dominates the kingside.

[pgn] [Event "14A01"] [Site "ICCF"] [Date "2014.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Sogin, David"] [Black "Kain, Anthony"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "D85"] [WhiteElo "2361"] [BlackElo "2430"] [PlyCount "100"] [EventDate "2014.??.??"] [EventType "corr"] [SourceDate "2005.04.21"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Nf3 c5 8. Rb1 O-O 9. Be2 cxd4 10. cxd4 Qa5+ 11. Bd2 Qxa2 12. O-O Bg4 13. Bg5 h6 14. Bh4 a5 15. d5 g5 16. Bg3 a4 17. Rb4 Rd8 18. Rxb7 Nd7 19. h4 a3 20. hxg5 hxg5 21. Rc7 Bxf3 22. Bxf3 Qb2 23. d6 exd6 24. Qd5 Qd4 25. Qa2 Ra5 26. Bh5 d5 27. Rd1 Qxe4 28. Rb7 Ra6 29. Rxd5 Qe1+ 30. Kh2 Qe6 31. Kg1 Kh8 32. Rb1 Nf8 33. Bf3 g4 34. Bh4 gxf3 35. Bxd8 Qe2 36. Rd2 Qe4 37. Qb3 a2 38. Rxa2 Rxa2 39. gxf3 Qg6+ 40. Kf1 Rd2 41. Bc7 Qh5 42. Kg2 Qg5+ 43. Bg3 Be5 44. f4 Bxf4 45. Rh1+ Kg7 46. Qc3+ Kg6 47. Rh8 Qxg3+ 48. Qxg3+ Bxg3 49. Rg8+ Kf6 50. Kxg3 Ng6 0-1 [/pgn]

Black’s investment of two Knights for Rook  and a Pawn turns out to be a securities fraud.

[pgn] [Event "14A01"] [Site "ICCF"] [Date "2014.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Ingersol, Harry"] [Black "Sogin, David"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B52"] [WhiteElo "2417"] [BlackElo "2361"] [PlyCount "137"] [EventDate "2014.??.??"] [EventType "corr"] [SourceDate "2005.04.21"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+ Bd7 4. Bxd7+ Qxd7 5. c4 Nf6 6. Nc3 Nc6 7. O-O g6 8. d4 cxd4 9. Nxd4 Bg7 10. Nde2 O-O 11. f3 a6 12. a4 e6 13. Bg5 Qc7 14. Kh1 Nd7 15. b3 Nc5 16. Rb1 Rac8 17. Qc2 h6 18. Be3 Rfd8 19. Rfd1 Na5 20. Bd4 Ncxb3 21. Bxg7 Kxg7 22. Rxb3 Nxb3 23. Qxb3 Qxc4 24. Qb2 Kg8 25. Qxb7 Qc6 26. Qb2 Qc5 27. Rd3 Rd7 28. Qd2 Kh7 29. f4 Rdc7 30. Rf3 Kg7 31. h3 Rb8 32. Qd3 Rb6 33. Rg3 Rbc6 34. Qd2 Qa5 35. Kh2 h5 36. Kh1 Kh7 37. f5 Qe5 38. Rd3 Rc4 39. fxe6 fxe6 40. Nd4 Kg7 41. Nf3 Qf6 42. Nd1 Rc2 43. Qe1 Rf7 44. Ne3 Rc6 45. h4 Kg8 46. Rd4 Rb7 47. e5 dxe5 48. Re4 Rcb6 49. Qc3 Rb3 50. Qc8+ Kg7 51. Ng5 Re7 52. Qxa6 Rb1+ 53. Kh2 Rb2 54. a5 Ra2 55. Qb6 Rd7 56. Nxe6+ Kh6 57. Qb3 Rxa5 58. Nc4 Qxe6 59. Qe3+ Kg7 60. Nxa5 Rc7 61. Nb3 Qd6 62. Nd2 Qc5 63. Qd3 Re7 64. Nf3 Qc7 65. Qe3 Re6 66. Rxe5 Re7 67. Kh1 Rxe5 68. Qxe5+ Qxe5 69. Nxe5 1-0 [/pgn]

[pgn] [Event "14A01"] [Site "ICCF"] [Date "2014.01.21"] [Round "?"] [White "Miettinen, Kristo"] [Black "Rhodes, James"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B11"] [WhiteElo "2362"] [BlackElo "2202"] [PlyCount "81"] [EventDate "2014.??.??"] [EventType "corr"] [SourceDate "2005.04.21"] 1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e5 Ne4 5. Be2 Nxc3 6. bxc3 e6 7. c4 b6 8. cxd5 cxd5 9. a4 Nc6 10. O-O Bb7 11. Bb5 Be7 12. Nd4 Qc7 13. Ra3 Bxa3 14. Bxa3 O-O-O 15. Bxc6 Bxc6 16. a5 Kb7 17. Qa1 b5 18. Bd6 Qd7 19. Nb3 Ka8 20. Nc5 Qc8 21. a6 h5 22. Rb1 h4 23. Qa5 h3 24. d4 hxg2 25. Rxb5 Bxb5 26. Qxb5 Rxd6 27. exd6 Rd8 28. d7 Qc7 29. Kxg2 Qb6 30. Qe2 Qc7 31. Qg4 Kb8 32. Qg5 Rxd7 33. Nxd7+ Qxd7 34. Qxg7 Qe7 35. Qg3+ Kc8 36. h4 Qf6 37. Qc3+ Kd8 38. Qa5+ Ke8 39. Qb5+ Kf8 40. Qb8+ Kg7 41. Qe5 1-0 [/pgn]

After White sacrifices his a-Pawn for piece activity, Black returns the sacrifice for a passed a-Pawn that ultimately spells a winning endgame.

[pgn] [Event "14A01"] [Site "ICCF"] [Date "2014.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Torres, Chris"] [Black "Kain, Anthony"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "A00"] [BlackElo "2430"] [PlyCount "120"] [EventDate "2014.??.??"] [EventType "corr"] [SourceDate "2005.04.21"] 1. a3 Nf6 2. f4 c5 3. Nf3 d5 4. e3 Nc6 5. b4 cxb4 6. axb4 Nxb4 7. Ba3 Nc6 8. Bb5 g6 9. Ne5 Qc7 10. Bb2 Bg7 11. Nxc6 bxc6 12. Be5 Qb6 13. Be2 O-O 14. Nc3 Nd7 15. Na4 Qd8 16. Bxg7 Kxg7 17. O-O Nf6 18. c4 Qd6 19. c5 Qb8 20. Qc2 Rd8 21. Qc3 d4 22. exd4 Nd5 23. Qa5 Be6 24. Rab1 Qc8 25. Nc3 Qd7 26. Nxd5 Bxd5 27. Qc3 a5 28. Bd1 Rdb8 29. Rxb8 Rxb8 30. f5 Rb4 31. Bc2 f6 32. Ra1 Rc4 33. Qd3 Bf7 34. Ra4 Rxa4 35. Bxa4 gxf5 36. Kf2 Bd5 37. Qg3+ Kf8 38. Qb8+ Qe8 39. Qxe8+ Kxe8 40. g3 Kd7 41. Bc2 Kc7 42. Ke2 Be6 43. Ke1 Bc8 44. Kd1 e6 45. Bb3 e5 46. dxe5 fxe5 47. Bc2 Be6 48. Ke2 Bc4+ 49. Ke3 h6 50. Kf2 Kd8 51. Ke3 Ke7 52. d4 e4 53. Bd1 Kf6 54. Kf4 Ke6 55. h3 Bb5 56. Bb3+ Kd7 57. Bf7 a4 58. g4 fxg4 59. hxg4 Bd3 60. d5 Bc2 0-1 [/pgn]