The Check is in the Mail: May 2020

Michael Buss has done it again! Adding to his record of tied for first in the 2006 Golden Knights, clear second in the 2012 Electronic Knights, second in the 2008 Golden Knights and first in the 2010 Golden Knights, Michael has done it again, this time annexing the 2012 Golden Knights.

[pgn]

[Event "12Nf01"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Buss, Michael"]
[Black "Addis, Edward"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B21"]
[WhiteElo "2414"]
[BlackElo "2280"]
[PlyCount "51"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]

1. e4 c5 2. Be2 {The Slow Sicilian became popular, briefly, around 2010.} Nc6
3. f4 g6 {Wei Yi-Giri, Jerusalem 2019 was equal after 3...d5 4. d3 g6 5. Nf3.}
4. Nf3 Bg7 5. O-O d6 6. d3 e6 {The position was roughly even after 6...Nf6 7.
c3 00 8. Kh1 b5 in Fedosiev-Yu Yangi, China vs, Russia match 2015.} 7. c3 Nge7
8. Be3 O-O {The game was even after 8...f5 9. Na3 00 10. Qd2 b6 in
Tomashevsky-Shevchenko, Europe 2013} 9. d4 {More usual is 9. Nbd2 b6 10. d4 as
in Kobalev-Kachura, 20 European Commerce 2019} cxd4 {Stevic-Popovic, 4th
Mediteranian Open 2010 saw 9...b6 10. dxc5 bxc5 =} 10. cxd4 f5 {Brkic-Podvin,
Corsica Masters 2012:10...d5 11. e5 Nf5 12. Be3 h5 12. Na3 f6 14. Qd2 was
better for White.} 11. e5 Nd5 {Efanov-Panov, Urals 2012:11...dxe5 12. dxe5 Nd5
13. Qd2 Qa5 14. Qxa5 Nxa5 15. Bd2 saw a White plus.} 12. Qd2 Nxe3 13. Qxe3 g5
$6 {Paltrinieni-Cocchi, Italy 2012 had 13...Nb4 14 Na3 with equality. Black's
13...g5 is aggressive in intent, but it leaves the kingside dangerously
weakened.} 14. Nxg5 $1 {After the battle in the center, White will return to
Black's kingside.} Qb6 15. Nf3 dxe5 16. fxe5 Rd8 17. Rd1 Qxb2 18. Nc3 Qa3 19.
Rab1 {Diagram # White's army is fully mobilized while Black has a number of
weaknesses.} a6 {Black's best try 19...f4!? leads to a passive position after
20, Qc1! Qxc1 21. Rbxc1 Rb8 22. Ne4} 20. Bc4 Na5 21. Bb3 Nxb3 22. Rxb3 Qa5 {
After 22...Qe7 23. Rb6 Bf8 24. Rdb1 Black remains tied up.} 23. Ng5 b5 $6 24.
Nce4 $1 {White shows the interconnectedness of the e4 square to a8 and h7
after 24...fxe4 25. Qxe4} Bxe5 25. Nxe6 $1 Bxe6 {25...f4 brings only temorary
relief after 26. Nxf4 and White's full army looks at the Black King.} 26. Nf6+
$1 {Black resigns rather than face the destruction that follows after 26....
Kf7 27. Qxe5 Bxb3 28. Qxf5! and wins.} 1-0

[/pgn]

2012 GOLDEN KNIGHTS FINAL STANDINGS Michael Buss             39.45 Gary Adams               39.00 Laurence Bonsack      38.95 Michael Buss              37.90 Michael Calogridis     30.75 Albert Cataga             30.65 David Porter               29.00 David Porter                28.90 Patrick Ryan               26.25 Thomas Connelly       25.55 Richard McLaughlin   25.50 Robert Boles               24.20 Robert Miehm             18.40 Edward Addis             14.40 APRIL RESULTS Walter Muir Patrick Walsh       19W05   4 ½-1 ½ Vladimir Iglesias  19W12   5-1 John Collins Claude Corbett  18C10  5-1 Brian Wood      19C08  5-1 Wayne Wisdom 18C02 6-0 Swift Quad Dennis Weimer   19SQ09   6-0 Johnny Paul         19SQ07   6-0 Patrick Walsh has won first place in a 2019 Walter Muir tournament. Patrick began playing chess at age four.  Since going blind he has retreated from OTB play and participates in correspondence play only.  He is an ordained Buddhist monk of more than twenty years standing. Pictured also are Mersey and Freedom. White wins a Queen and Pawn endgame by persistence.

[pgn]

[Event "19W05"]
[Site "ICCF"]
[Date "2019.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Walsh, Patrick"]
[Black "Keese, Mark"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B12"]
[WhiteElo "1849"]
[BlackElo "1900"]
[PlyCount "105"]
[EventDate "2019.??.??"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. h4 h5 5. c4 e6 6. Nc3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 Nd7 8.
Nge2 Be7 9. Ng3 Bg6 10. Be2 Qb6 11. a3 O-O-O 12. Na4 Qc7 13. Bf4 Nb6 14. Nc3
Nh6 15. Rc1 Kb8 16. Bg5 Nf5 17. Nxf5 Bxf5 18. Nb5 Qd7 19. Bxe7 Qxe7 20. Nd6 Bg6
21. Qb3 Nc8 22. Nxc8 Rxc8 23. Bf3 Qd7 24. O-O Bf5 25. Rc4 Bg4 26. Rfc1 Bxf3 27.
Qxf3 Rc7 28. b4 g6 29. b5 Rhc8 30. bxc6 Rxc6 31. Rxc6 Rxc6 32. Rxc6 bxc6 33.
Qc3 {Diagram #} Kc8 34. f3 Kc7 35. Qc5 Kb7 36. Kf2 Qd8 37. Kg3 Qd7 38. a4 Qc7
39. Kf4 Qd8 40. g3 Qc7 41. Qf8 Qd7 42. Kg5 Qxd4 43. Qxf7+ Kb6 44. Qxe6 Qe3+ 45.
Kxg6 Qxf3 46. Qf6 Qxg3+ 47. Kf7 Qb3+ 48. e6 Qd5 49. Kg7 Qg2+ 50. Kf8 Qd5 51. e7
Qc5 52. Kg7 Qg1+ 53. Kf7 1-0

[/pgn]

---

“With every sporting event in the World being cancelled, I am finally able to say that after all these years, the most popular sport in the World is … POSTAL CHESS !!!” == Paul Ott on a postcard in the Golden Knights. A Knight sacrifice on d5 leads to a Queen sacrifice on c6 which leads to Black’s resignation.

[pgn]

[Event "19C08"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2019.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Wood, Brian"]
[Black "Sensiba, Scott"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D35"]
[WhiteElo "1548"]
[BlackElo "1736"]
[PlyCount "37"]
[EventDate "2019.??.??"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 Be7 6. e3 c6 7. Bd3 Be6
8. Qc2 Nbd7 9. Nge2 O-O 10. O-O h6 11. Bh4 Ne8 12. Bxe7 Qxe7 13. f3 b6 14. Nf4
Rc8 15. Ncxd5 Bxd5 16. Nxd5 Qe6 17. Ba6 Rd8 18. Qxc6 Nb8 19. Qxe6 1-0

[/pgn]

White combines to win a Pawn and loses a piece.

[pgn]

[Event "19SQ07"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2019.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Cagle, Jonathan"]
[Black "Paul, Johnny"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A26"]
[WhiteElo "1340"]
[BlackElo "1273"]
[PlyCount "100"]
[EventDate "2019.??.??"]

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 O-O 5. Nf3 d6 6. O-O e5 7. d3 Nc6 8.
Rb1 a5 9. a3 h6 10. b4 axb4 11. axb4 Be6 12. Nd2 Qd7 13. b5 Na5 14. Nb3 c6 15.
Bd2 Nxb3 16. Rxb3 d5 17. bxc6 bxc6 18. cxd5 cxd5 19. Qb1 Bh3 20. Rb7 Qc8 21.
Rc1 Bxg2 22. Nxd5 {Diagram #} Qh3 23. Nxf6+ Bxf6 24. Rb6 Bd5 25. e4 Be6 26. f3
Rfd8 27. Rc7 Ra2 28. Rb2 Rxb2 29. Qxb2 Rxd3 30. Rc3 Rxc3 31. Bxc3 Bc4 32. Qg2
Qxg2+ 33. Kxg2 Bg7 34. Kf2 f5 35. Ke3 Kf7 36. Bb4 Ke6 37. f4 g5 38. exf5+ Kxf5
39. fxe5 Bxe5 40. Bc5 Bd5 41. Bb6 Kg4 42. Kf2 Kh3 43. Kg1 h5 44. Bc5 h4 45.
gxh4 Bxh2+ 46. Kf2 Bg3+ 47. Kg1 gxh4 48. Bd4 Kg4 49. Bf2 Bxf2+ 50. Kxf2 h3 0-1

[/pgn]

GAMES FROM THE 2012 GOLDEN KNIGHTS When playing over this game does the thought “Gee, I wish I could play like that” enter your head?

[pgn]

[Event "12Nf01"]
[Site "ICCF"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "McLaughlin, Richard"]
[Black "Bonsack, Laurence"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "E46"]
[WhiteElo "2251"]
[BlackElo "2390"]
[PlyCount "82"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Nge2 Re8 6. a3 Bf8 7. Ng3 d5
8. Be2 b6 9. O-O Bb7 10. cxd5 exd5 11. b4 g6 12. Qb3 c6 13. a4 h5 14. Bf3 a6
15. h3 Nbd7 16. e4 h4 17. exd5 hxg3 18. dxc6 gxf2+ 19. Rxf2 Re1+ 20. Rf1 {
Diagram #} Ne5 21. Rxe1 Nxf3+ 22. gxf3 Bxc6 23. Ne2 Qd7 24. Nf4 Bd6 25. h4 Nd5
26. Nd3 Qh3 27. Ne5 Qxh4 28. Re4 Qg3+ 29. Kf1 Bxe5 30. Rxe5 Kg7 31. Rg5 Qh3+
32. Kf2 Re8 33. Re5 Qh2+ 34. Ke1 Qg1+ 35. Ke2 Qg2+ 36. Ke1 Rh8 37. Re2 Qg1+ 38.
Kd2 Qxd4+ 39. Kc2 Bd7 40. Ra3 Nxb4+ 41. Kb1 Bf5+ 0-1

[/pgn]

Even the postman was excited about this game !

[pgn]

[Event "12Nf01"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bonsack, Laurence"]
[Black "Addis, Edward"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D17"]
[WhiteElo "2378"]
[BlackElo "2280"]
[PlyCount "97"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. d4 d5 3. c4 c6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. Ne5 Nbd7 7. Nxc4
Nb6 8. Ne5 a5 9. h4 e6 10. f3 Be7 11. e4 Nh5 12. exf5 Bxh4+ 13. Kd2 Ng3 14. Rh3
Qxd4+ 15. Kc2 Qxe5 16. Rxh4 Rd8 17. Bd3 Nxf5 18. Re4 Qh2 19. Qe2 Nd4+ 20. Rxd4
Rxd4 21. Be3 Qd6 22. Bxd4 Qxd4 23. Rd1 Qb4 24. Qe5 O-O 25. g4 Nxa4 26. Ne4 c5
27. b3 c4 28. bxc4 Nb6 29. Nd6 Rd8 30. Qb5 Qxb5 31. Nxb5 g6 {Diagram #} 32. Ra1
a4 33. Kc3 Nd7 34. Bc2 Nc5 35. Kb4 b6 36. Na7 Ra8 37. Kb5 Nb3 38. Bxb3 axb3 39.
Kxb6 b2 40. Rb1 Rb8+ 41. Ka6 Rb3 42. c5 Rxf3 43. c6 Rc3 44. Kb6 f5 45. g5 h6
46. gxh6 Kh7 47. c7 Rxc7 48. Kxc7 e5 49. Kd6 1-0

[/pgn]

Lots of maneuvering back and forth when suddenly White strikes on the white squares.

[pgn]

[Event "12Nf02"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Calogridis, Michael"]
[Black "Miehm, Robert"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C90"]
[WhiteElo "2178"]
[BlackElo "2276"]
[PlyCount "91"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O
8. d3 d6 9. c3 Na5 10. Bc2 c5 11. Nbd2 Qc7 12. Nf1 Nc6 13. Bg5 Ng4 14. Bd2 Nf6
15. Ne3 Be6 16. Qe2 Qb7 17. Ng5 Bc8 18. Bb3 Na5 19. Bc2 h6 20. Nf3 Bd8 21. Rab1
Be6 22. b4 cxb4 23. Rxb4 Nc6 24. Rb2 Bb6 25. a4 b4 26. cxb4 Nd4 27. Nxd4 Bxd4
28. Rbb1 d5 29. exd5 Nxd5 30. Qf3 Qd7 31. Nc4 Nc3 32. Bxc3 Bd5 {Diagram #} 33.
Re4 Bxc3 34. Nb6 Bxe4 35. Qxe4 Qa7 36. Nxa8 Rxa8 37. g3 Bd4 38. Bb3 Bxf2+ 39.
Kg2 Bd4 40. Rf1 Rf8 41. Bc4 Qc7 42. Qd5 Qe7 43. h4 Qc7 44. h5 Qa7 45. b5 axb5
46. axb5 1-0

[/pgn]

Beware passive pieces.

[pgn]

[Event "12Ns02"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ott, Paul"]
[Black "Buss, Michael"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A03"]
[WhiteElo "2105"]
[BlackElo "2413"]
[PlyCount "64"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]

1. f4 d5 2. Nf3 Bg4 3. d3 Nc6 4. e3 e5 5. fxe5 Nxe5 6. Be2 Bxf3 7. Bxf3
Nf6 8. d4 Nxf3+ 9. Qxf3 c6 10. O-O Be7 11. Bd2 O-O 12. Nc3 Bb4 13. Qh3 Re8 14.
Rf3 Bxc3 15. Bxc3 Ne4 {Diagram #} 16. Qh5 g6 17. Qh6 a5 18. Rh3 Ng5 19. Rg3 f6
20. Rf1 Re6 21. Qh4 Qe7 22. Kh1 h5 23. Bd2 Kg7 24. Bc1 Re4 25. Rf4 Re8 26. c3
c5 27. Rxe4 Nxe4 28. Rf3 cxd4 29. cxd4 Rc8 30. Rf1 Rc2 31. Kg1 Qc7 32. Qe1 h4
0-1

[/pgn]