The January Check Is in the Mail

Michael Buss Wins 2010 Golden Knights

Michael Buss of Indianapolis, Indiana, scored fifteen wins and three draws to win the 2010 Golden Knights. Michael has been in the winner’s circle before – tied for first and second in the 2006 Golden Knights, second in the 2008 Golden Knights, and second in the 2012 Electronic Knights, but this time he stands all alone in first place.  Second and third place in the 2010 final  were held by Laurence Bonsack and Patrick Ryan, respectively.

GAME OF THE MONTH

Black’s crippled kingside is the culprit in this game because Black cannot generate enough play to compensate for White’s queenside advantage.

[pgn][Event "10N022"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Buss, Michael"]
[Black "Addis, Edward"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B60"]
[WhiteElo "2374"]
[BlackElo "2215"]
[PlyCount "81"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2005.04.21"]{JAN} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 Bd7 {Black
departs from the more usual 6...e6.} 7. Be2 {This game was started in April of
2010 before a major change swept over this position, relegating 7, Be2 to the
discaded pile of opening variations (for now?!) because of Nijboer-Dreev,
Budva 2009.} Qa5 8. Bxf6 gxf6 9. O-O Nxd4 {And here is the critical moment.
Njjboer-Dreev, Budva 2010 continued 9...Rg8 10. Nd5 Bh3 11. Bf3 Ne5 12. Nf4
Bd7 13. Nd5 Bh3 14. Nf4 Bd7 15. Nd5 Draw. To Addis' credit, he may well have
been playing for the win himself in this position.} 10. Qxd4 Rc8 11. a4 Qc5 12.
Qd1 {White improves on Title-Addis, 2005 Absolute, which continued 12. Qd2 a6
13. Nd5 Qxc2 14. Qe3 Bh6 15. Qxh6 Qxe2} a6 13. Ra3 Rg8 {Diagram # Black might
better plan to develop his kingsisde by 13..e6 or even 13...Bg7 here, but he
eyes White's seemingly deserted kingside.} 14. Rb3 Qg5 15. g3 Bc6 16. Nd5 e6 {
Black's main problem with engineering his counterattack is his King is stuck
in the center and his queenside pieces don't cooperate well with his kingside
pieces.} 17. f4 Qh4 18. Qd4 $1 Be7 {Capturing the Knight leads to an untenable
position --- 18...exd5 19. exd5 Bd7 20. Qe3+ Be7 21. Rxb7 Rxc2 22. Re1 f5 23.
Kh1 Qf6 24. Bd3 Rc8 25. Bxa6.} 19. Nxe7 Kxe7 20. a5 e5 21. Qd2 Rcd8 22. Bc4 $1
Rd7 {Black can't digest the e-Pawn -- 22...Bxe4 23. Bd5 Bxd5 24. Qxd6 Rd7 25.
Qg2! Qg4 26. Rxb7 and White breaks through.} 23. Qe3 Qh6 24. Rc3 Rg4 {There is
no good defense to the queenside -- 24...Rc8 25. Bd5 Qg6 26. fxe5 dxe5 27.
Bxc6 Rxc6 28. Rxc6 bxc6 29. Qc5+} 25. Bxa6 exf4 26. Rxf4 Rxf4 27. Qxf4 Qxf4 28.
gxf4 d5 {The endgame after 28...Bxe4 29. Bb5 Rd8 30. Rc7+ Ke6 31. b4 Kf6 32,
Ke3 is equally hopeless.} 29. Bf1 dxe4 30. a6 Kd6 31. a7 Rd8 32. Ra3 Ra8 33.
Bh3 Bd7 {Black fails after 33....Kd5 also -- 34. Bf5 h6 35. Kf2 Kd4 36. Ke2
Bb5+ 37. Kd2 Ba6 38. b4 Kc4 39. c3 Rxa7 40. Bxe4} 34. Bxd7 Kxd7 35. f5 Kd6 36.
Kf2 Ke5 37. Ke3 b6 38. c4 Kxf5 39. b4 Ke5 40. b5 f5 41. c5 1-0[/pgn]

"The principle attraction of correspondence chess is the freedom to play chess as and when it suits you." -Stan Steliga

DECEMBER RESULTS

John Collins

Brent Askvig        14C15    4 ½-1 ½

Mark Colvin         14C15    4 ½-1 ½

Swift Quad

Allan Ong        15Q11      4-2

Keith Storey    15SQ11    4-2

Palciauskas

Lance Schuttenhelm  14P02  5-1

Clive Pitcher              14P02  5-1

Walter Muir

Joseph Hawkins       16W13   5-1

Howard Turner        16W18   5-1

Sachin Singhal         16W18   5-1

Brian Higgins          16W12  5-1

2017 ABSOLUTE CHAMPIONSHIP

Remember!  The 2017 Absolute Championship is open for you.  The thirteen highest rated players who apply will be selected to play in this year’s Absolute.  Unlike other US Chess CC events, computer assisted play is allowed in the Absolute.  So fire up those engines and send in your application now.  Entry is free and there will be prize money offered to the first three places. A pretty mate with two Knights:

[pgn][Event "Golden Knights semifinal"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2014.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Lilien, Elliot"]
[Black "Ellis, James"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "E33"]
[WhiteElo "1963"]
[BlackElo "2152"]
[PlyCount "86"]
[EventDate "2014.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2005.04.21"]{JAN} 1. d4 e6 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 Nc6 5. Nf3 d6 6. Bd2 O-O 7. a3 Bxc3
8. Bxc3 Qe7 9. g3 e5 10. d5 Nb8 11. Nh4 c6 12. Bd2 cxd5 13. cxd5 Nxd5 14. Bg2
Nf6 15. Rc1 Nc6 16. e3 Bd7 17. Nf5 Qe6 18. Bh3 Kh8 19. e4 g6 20. Bh6 gxf5 21.
Bxf5 Qe7 22. Bxf8 Rxf8 23. Bxd7 Qxd7 24. O-O Nd4 25. Qd3 Qh3 26. f3 Nh5 27. Rf2
Rg8 28. Qf1 Nf4 29. Kh1 Rxg3 30. Qxh3 Rxh3 31. Rc7 Kg7 32. Rxb7 Nxf3 33. Rxa7
Ng5 34. b4 Re3 35. Rf1 Nxe4 36. b5 Rb3 37. a4 Nf2+ 38. Kg1 N2h3+ 39. Kh1 Rb2
40. Ra6 Rg2 41. b6 Kh6 42. Ra7 {Diagram #} Rg1+ 43. Rxg1 Nf2# 0-1[/pgn]

Black opts for the more spectacular Rook sacrifice on e5 rather than the one of the Knights.

[pgn][Event "14P02"]
[Site "ICCF"]
[Date "2014.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Dollard, Peter"]
[Black "Schuttenhelm, Lance"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C02"]
[WhiteElo "1622"]
[BlackElo "1446"]
[PlyCount "46"]
[EventDate "2015.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2005.04.21"]{JAN} 1. e4 d5 2. e5 e6 3. d4 Bb4+ 4. Bd2 Nc6 5. Nf3 Bxd2+ 6. Nbxd2 Nge7 7. Nb3
b6 8. Bd3 O-O 9. Qd2 a5 10. Qf4 Nb4 11. Nc1 Ba6 12. Bxh7+ Kxh7 13. Qh4+ Kg8 14.
Ng5 Re8 15. Qh7+ Kf8 16. c3 Ng6 17. Nxe6+ Rxe6 18. cxb4 Qg5 19. Qh3 {Diagram #}
Rxe5+ 20. dxe5 Qxe5+ 21. Kd1 Qd4+ 22. Kc2 Re8 23. Kb1 Qe4+ 0-1[/pgn]

The ballet of the Knights from Moves 2 to 36 is noteworthy.

[pgn][Event "15N04"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2015.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Porter, David"]
[Black "Ryan, Patrick"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A81"]
[WhiteElo "2193"]
[BlackElo "2293"]
[PlyCount "104"]
[EventDate "2015.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2005.04.21"]{JAN} 1. d4 f5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 g6 4. Nh3 Nc6 5. c3 Bg7 6. Nf4 e5 7. dxe5 Nxe5
8. Nd2 O-O 9. O-O Re8 10. Nf3 Nf7 11. Nd5 Ne4 12. Be3 c6 13. Nf4 d5 14. a4 g5
15. Nd3 Qe7 16. Bd4 Bd7 17. Qc2 b6 18. Bxg7 Kxg7 19. Rfd1 c5 20. a5 Bc6 21. e3
Rad8 22. h3 Qf6 23. h4 h6 24. Ra2 Bb5 25. axb6 axb6 26. hxg5 hxg5 27. Rda1 Rd7
28. Qb1 Nh6 29. Bf1 Rde7 30. Nb4 Bxf1 31. Nxd5 Qe6 32. Nxe7 Be2 33. Nh2 Rxe7
34. b4 Bc4 35. Ra7 Rxa7 36. Rxa7+ Nf7 37. Qe1 Kg6 38. Nf3 Ne5 39. Nxe5+ Qxe5
40. Rb7 Qd6 41. bxc5 Nxc5 42. Ra7 Ne4 43. Ra1 Nd2 44. Qd1 Qd3 45. g4 f4 46.
exf4 gxf4 47. Qa4 Nf3+ 48. Kh1 Qe4 49. Qd1 Nh4+ 50. f3 Qxf3+ 51. Qxf3 Nxf3 52.
Rd1 Kg5 0-1[/pgn]

White operates with a number of back rank mating threats, but it is a check by Black on White’s back rank that ultimately does White in.

[pgn][Event "16WM13"]
[Site "ICCF"]
[Date "2016.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hall, Jay"]
[Black "Hawkins, Joseph"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C55"]
[WhiteElo "1724"]
[BlackElo "1736"]
[PlyCount "64"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2005.04.21"]{JAN} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. Re1 d5 6. Bb5 Bc5 7. d4
exd4 8. Bxc6+ bxc6 9. Nxd4 Qf6 10. Be3 O-O 11. c3 Bd7 12. f3 Nd6 13. Nb3 Bxe3+
14. Rxe3 Nc4 15. Re2 Rfe8 16. Nc5 Rxe2 17. Qxe2 Re8 18. Qf2 Bf5 19. Na3 Nxa3
20. Re1 Rxe1+ 21. Qxe1 Qd6 22. Nb7 Qf8 23. bxa3 Bc8 24. Na5 Qc5+ 25. Kh1 Be6
26. Qb1 h6 27. Qb4 Qe3 28. Qb8+ Kh7 29. h3 {Diagram #} d4 30. cxd4 Qe1+ 31. Kh2
Qxa5 32. Qb2 Qd5 0-1[/pgn]

The pin wins.

[pgn][Event "16WM12 "]
[Site "ICCF"]
[Date "2016.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Higgins, Brian"]
[Black "Wright, David"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B07"]
[WhiteElo "1529"]
[BlackElo "1472"]
[PlyCount "49"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2005.04.21"]{JAN} 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 c6 4. a4 Qa5 5. Bd2 e5 6. Nd5 Qd8 7. Nxf6+ Qxf6
8. Bc3 exd4 9. Bxd4 Qe6 10. Bd3 d5 11. f3 c5 12. Bb5+ Bd7 13. Bf2 Bxb5 14. axb5
dxe4 15. Qe2 exf3 16. Qxe6+ fxe6 17. Nxf3 Be7 18. O-O Nd7 19. Rae1 Kf7 20. Ne5+
Ke8 21. Nxd7 Kxd7 22. Rd1+ Ke8 23. Rfe1 Kf7 24. Rd7 b6 25. Bh4 1-0[/pgn]

FROM THE 2010 GOLDEN KNIGHTS

Three Pawns ahead, the Queen is forced to dance to a perpetual chase.

[pgn][Event "10Nf02"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Rhodes, James"]
[Black "Miehm, Robert"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "A04"]
[WhiteElo "2287"]
[BlackElo "2151"]
[PlyCount "69"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2005.04.21"]{JAN} 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 c5 3. Bg2 Nc6 4. O-O e5 5. c4 h6 6. e3 e4 7. Ne1 d5 8.
cxd5 Bg4 9. Qa4 Qxd5 10. Nc3 Qd7 11. d3 h5 12. h4 O-O-O 13. dxe4 Kb8 14. f4 Bh3
15. Nf3 Be7 16. Ng5 Bxg2 17. Kxg2 Qe8 18. Qc4 Rf8 19. Nf3 Ng4 20. Rd1 Rxd1 21.
Nxd1 Qd7 22. Nc3 Nb4 23. Ne1 g6 24. a3 Nc6 25. Qd5 Qc8 26. Nf3 a6 27. e5 f6 28.
exf6 Rd8 29. Qf7 Bxf6 30. Qxg6 Qd7 31. Qxh5 Bxc3 32. bxc3 Rg8 33. Bd2 Nf6 34.
Qh6 Ng4 35. Qh5 1/2-1/2[/pgn]

An instructive game -- after Move 7, White always stands better on the kingside.

[pgn][Event "10Nf02"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bonsack, Laurence"]
[Black "Wilson, Abe"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D43"]
[WhiteElo "2345"]
[BlackElo "2170"]
[PlyCount "103"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2005.04.21"]{JAN} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bh4 dxc4 7. e4 g5 8.
Bg3 b5 9. Be2 Bb7 10. O-O Nbd7 11. Ne5 Bg7 12. Nxd7 Nxd7 13. Bd6 a6 14. e5 c5
15. d5 Nxe5 16. dxe6 Nd3 17. exf7+ Kxf7 18. Bxd3 cxd3 19. Qxd3 Qd7 20. Qg3 b4
21. Nd1 Rac8 22. Ne3 Rhe8 23. Rad1 Qe6 24. h4 gxh4 25. Qxh4 Bxb2 26. Rfe1 Bc3 {
Diagram #} 27. Ng4 Qxe1+ 28. Rxe1 Rxe1+ 29. Kh2 Re6 30. Qh5+ Kg7 31. Be5+ Bxe5+
32. Nxe5 Rc7 33. Qg4+ Kf6 34. f4 Re8 35. Qg6+ Ke7 36. f5 Kd8 37. Nf7+ Kd7 38.
Nd6 Re1 39. Nc4 Rc6 40. f6 Rce6 41. Qg7+ Kc6 42. Na5+ Kb5 43. Nxb7 R1e5 44. f7
Rf5 45. f8=Q Rxf8 46. Qxf8 Re5 47. Qxh6 Rd5 48. Nd6+ Ka5 49. Ne8 Rd8 50. Nc7 b3
51. Qxa6+ Kb4 52. Qb5+ 1-0[/pgn]

Patrick Ryan shows some of the tactics needed to finish third in the Golden Knights.

[pgn][Event "10N11"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Marshall, David"]
[Black "Ryan, Patrick"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C56"]
[WhiteElo "1665"]
[PlyCount "64"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2005.04.21"]{JAN} 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 Be7 10. f3 Ng5 11. f4 Ne4 12. Nc3 Nxc3 13. bxc3 c5 14. Nb3
c4 15. Nd4 c5 16. Ne2 Bc6 17. Be3 O-O 18. Ng3 f5 19. Qd2 Qa5 20. Rfd1 g6 21.
Nf1 Rab8 22. Bf2 Qa4 23. Ne3 Rfd8 24. Qe2 Rb2 25. a3 d4 26. cxd4 Rxd4 27. Rxd4
cxd4 28. Nxc4 Rxc2 29. Nb2 Qb3 30. Qd1 Qxb2 31. Qxd4 Rc1+ 32. Be1 Qxg2# 0-1[/pgn]

FINAL STANDINGS 2010 GOLDEN KNIGHTS

Michael Buss                 40.60

Laurence Bonsack       37.35

Patrick Ryan                  35.00

Gary Adams                  34.00

Robert Miehm               32.90

James Rhodes                 32.90

Daniel Woodard           32.90

Thomas Connelly          31.15

Leo Bonnell                   30.10

Edward Addis               26.15

A. J. Zeppa      `              24.50

Abe Wlson                     21.60

Stephen McGregor        19.20

Ramsey Forbush            16.65

This is what can happen when you lose a Pawn on Move 4 against a player with strong technique.

[pgn][Event "10Nf01"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Zeppa, A. J."]
[Black "Adams, Gary"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A56"]
[BlackElo "2377"]
[PlyCount "100"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2005.04.21"]{JAN} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. g3 cxd4 4. Nf3 {Diagram #} e5 5. e3 dxe3 6. Bxe3
Nc6 7. Nc3 Bb4 8. Qb3 Qe7 9. a3 Bxc3+ 10. Qxc3 d5 11. cxd5 Nxd5 12. Qc5 Bg4 13.
Bg2 Nxe3 14. Qxe3 O-O 15. O-O Rfd8 16. Rac1 f6 17. Nd2 Nd4 18. Rfe1 Qf7 19. Nf3
Nb3 20. Rcd1 Rxd1 21. Rxd1 Nd4 22. h3 Bxf3 23. Bxf3 Rd8 24. Bg2 g6 25. Kh2 Kg7
26. Rc1 b6 27. Qe4 Qd7 28. Qb7 Ne6 29. Qxd7+ Rxd7 30. Rc2 f5 31. Bf1 e4 32. Kg2
Kf6 33. h4 Ke5 34. Rc8 Rd8 35. Rxd8 Nxd8 36. Bc4 h6 37. Bg8 g5 38. hxg5 hxg5
39. Kf1 f4 40. gxf4+ gxf4 41. Ke2 Kd4 42. a4 f3+ 43. Ke1 Nc6 44. Be6 a5 45. Bf5
Ne5 46. b3 Nd3+ 47. Kf1 Nc5 48. Bg6 e3 49. fxe3+ Kxe3 50. Bf7 Ne4 0-1[/pgn]