SUP CHESS FANS! (what's + up= sup)

     I have submitted a new idea for an ongoing newsletter article. I have entitled it “My best and worst game”. I will use the annotation premise, but there will be decidedly more editorial. Insight into not just lines of play, but what I feared were my opponent’s best moves and missed opportunities. Drawing on the uniqueness of what I felt and saw during the match. I will also include some Fritz 6 analysis.

     The 2008 South Dakota State Tournament was held in Sioux Falls this year, a special thanks to Mr. Dick Rostrum for getting us the play space at the Avera McKennan Health center. I haven't participated in the closed for three years because of location and my previous work hours. So, of course, I was a little anxious and unsure of what might transpire.

     Upon arrival to the site my feelings were initially "bittersweet". On the "bitter" side because of missing some of the players I haven't seen for awhile. Like for instance; "Sheriff", Mark Derby, the Gerdes clan, Kyle Hammond, Mark Hansen, and of course looking forward to that "Rapid City Ratings Riser" Alex Young. On the "sweet side" because of participants such as IM Sandor Kustar (2405), NM Nels Truelson (2211), County Commissioner Jeff Barth (1861), Lyle Hanson (1800) who reminded me at the 2008 SF Open that I still don't know how to play this silly game, Mr. Wallace (1835), Bruce Brandt (1706), Bill Avery (1776) and a few other members of our local SDCA Thursday night chapter. Nice, I seemed to have drawn Nels Truelson for my first round game and found myself needing to concentrate more on who is at the tournament rather than who wasn't.

     My first meeting against the impressive "blindfold" playing Nels was the predictable 2200 vs. a 1555, um, 2200 wins. I lost two pawns as the middle game concluded and for the first time wasn't so "maniacally depressed" with a first round loss. I won my next two games and finished the day in fourth place. I began Sunday morning at 9am facing the #1 seed, IM Sandor Kustar. I had looked at quite a few of his games via a black market copy of some .pgn files that could have easily been entitled "700 games of Sandor Kustar". [Editor’s Note: This .pgn file is totally legal and available to download from the SDCA website for all current members when they log in.]  I guess I was as prepared as I could be, without losing all my hair or damaging my "computer eyes" beyond simple eye glass repair. I noticed he enjoys playing a certain opening, so I offered a certain opening, he accepted. I varied from "book" on moves #7 and #8. He capitalized and won two pawns, I countered by winning a rook for a bishop and material was even. I later won a minor piece through an "attack the defender tactic" but lost another pawn due to misplay. So I had the misfortune of having a rook and a knight against a rook and three connected pawns in the endgame. In case you haven't figured it out, Sandor Kustar won. It took all my energy playing Nels and Sandor and I was spent. I was unable to approach the final round with an "I am going to win attitude", but with a "maybe I'll try to give Lyle Hanson a good game this second time we meet?!" kind of attitude. I made eleven moves, I had the black pieces, and He mated me in twelve moves........ouch.

     I wanted to give our newsletter editor, Mark Derby, something good. I decided to annotate "my worst game" in order to learn something and remind myself that even after five years of study and application, I still do not know how to play the game of kings (ha-ha-ha).

For my personal growth, I decided to also annotate "my best game", hence the title. I hope you readers enjoy.

Queen's Fianchetto Defense, Nimzowitsch Defense (B00)

Lyle Hansen (1800)

James Lenz (1555)

2008 South Dakota State Tournament, My worst game.

1. e4 b6 2.Nf3 Bb7 3.Bc4  (crude oil at $148/barrel and I had no gas left, it was the last round, trophy out of reach, I thought h6 was safe, I didn't even consider the Bxf7+ sacrifice until)...h6 4.Bxf7+?!, it does win many lines but all you need is one line out. The simple 3.Bc4 e6 is all black needs to stalwort white's development from exceeding the "line of demarcation", the h6 oversight will infringe on black's defense of his King. On the other hand, it will cost white two minor pieces and if black plays without error into the 10-15 move range, Fritz 6 shows black as winning +  . For black there are many ways to lose. Kxf7 5.Ne5+ Kf6 (Ke8 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxg6#) 6.Qf3+ Kxe5 (it is not wise not to take the knight) 7.Qf5+ Kd6 (Kd4 8.d3 no where safe for king, Be3#), also (Kc4 8.b3+ Kb4 9.a3#), or (Kc4 8.b3+ Kd4 9. c3+ Kd3 10. Na3 Bxe4 11. helpmate Qb5#). 8. e5+ (Kd5 9.Nc3+ Kc5 10.e6+ Kd4 11. Nb5+ Kc4 (only safe square) 12.b3 Kb4 13.a3+ Ka5 14.Nxa7+ Ka6 15. Qb5+ Nxa7 and black may be out of immediate danger? Although instead of 14.Nxa7+, much better 14.Nxc7+ d5 15.b4+ Ka4 16. Qd3 Qxc7 17. c4 with no protection from18.Qc2#. As I mentioned earlier, there are many losing lines). Also instead of 8....Kd5, try 8....Kc5 9. d4+ Kxd4 10. Be3+ Kd5 11. Nc3+ Kc6 12. Qe4+ d5 13. Qa4+ b5 14. Qxb5#. Also with 8....Kc5 9.d4+ Kc6 10 c4 d5 [e6 en garde' 11.d5+ exd5 12. Qe4 "big trouble in little china"] 11. Qe6+ Qd6 12. cxd5 Kb5 13. Nc3 then either Kc4, Kb4 or Ka5 loses Queen to exd6. 8...Kc6 9. Nc3 (good for black, d5 10. exd5e.p. exd6 11. Qe4+ Kd7 12. QxB Nc6 13. Qa6, black has a 2 point material advantage and winning chances. IM Sandor Kustar suggested 9....b5, after observing the position and "scolding me for moving too fast", and Fritz 6 agrees, 9....b5 10. a4 (#1 line) or Qe4+, Qg4, Qd3 and Qg6+ as oohter white options has black at a 3 point advantage, following the #1 line of 9....b5 10. a4 Kb6 here are three lines of play. 9...b5 10. a4 Kb6 11. axb5 c5 12. 0-0 e6 13. Qh3 Kc7 14. d4 cxd4. #2 line, 9....b5 10. a4 Kb6 11. Qd3 c6 12. axb5 Kc7 13. 0-0 e6 14. Qe3 Ne7. #3 line, 9....b5 10. a4 Kb6 11. Qg6+ e6 12. axb5 a6 13. Na4+ Ka7 14. d3 (black is mated unless c5 with 15. Be3) so 14. d3 c5 or 14. d3 (give a knight back strategy with Nc6) Nc6 15. Be3+ Kb8 16. bxNc6 Bxc6 17. Nc5 BxN 18. BxB d6 19. exd and black may have a line out. My worst game at the 2008 South Dakota State Championship continued as 9....e6 10. Qe4+ d5 11. Qa4+ Kc5 12. d4#. Isn't chess fun?! There wasn't a lot of editorial because I was mentally spent and didn't have much of a "from this side of the board" observation. I did observe one thing, winning isn't everything but losing stinks.

Ruy Lopez, Exchange variation

James Lenz (1555)

Bruce Brandt (1704)

2008 South Dakota State Tournament, My best game.

     Bruce and I tangled it up about two years ago at the 2005 Winter open, he won it was a 1500 vs. a 1300 kind of match up. Me being the 1300 and the 1500 won. He had won on about the 43rd move and I felt I had winning chances until the 52nd move, when he shut the door and won. "To err is human" and nobody has won every game (with the exception of the person who has only played one game and won, of course). So I'll apologize to my previous opponents if they felt that I dragged on a losing game longer than I should have and I really mean it, but not really (ha-ha-ha).

     I prepped for openings starting with e4 and was hoping to catch my opponent off guard because maybe he or she "only prepped for a closed or semi-closed defense". 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc5 a6 4. Bxc6 ("the game after all is the accumulation of small advantages"-Yasser Sierawan) dxc6 5. d3!? Bg4 6. h3 Bxf3 7. Qxf3 Qf6 (8. Qxf6 Nxf6 doesn't appeal because I have already played 8 hours of chess and want the power to quick mate if the opportunity should present itself.) 8. Qg3 Bc5 I was thinking a plan of 0-0, Kh1, f4, exf4 (if not then f5), Bxf4 with a discovery attack on the queen when Bxc7, also initiating control of the center. 9. Be3 Bxe3 10. f4 (whatever) 11. d4 exd4 12. exd4 only looks promising if you have never spent a whole game waiting for your opponent to capture a pawn, and he never did. If black castles long on their next move the exchange is won with the simple Bg5. I cannot initiate a f4 push because  the f2 pawn is pinned. 9. 0-0 Ne7, I could swap my Bishop for his lone knight with 10.bg5 Qc6 11. Bxe7 (Qxe7 or Bxe7) then attack the center using 12. c3  (other than c5)  13. d4 exd4 14. cxd4 Qxe4 15. Re1 winning queen for a rook. However, the gamble might not pay off because play could 12. c3 c5 and I would have a knight versus a bishop in an open which don't look good. Instead, unpin king and f4 push suits my immediate intuition. 10.Kh1 h6 The bishop skewer has now become mute, so, developing my lone knight to e2 will benefit me by giving me another attacker/defender on the f4 storm. 11. Nc3 0-0-0 I thought he was preparing to castle kingside based on his previous moves of Ne7 and h6. For some reason I was caught a little off guard and "if I could turn back time", 9.Be3 Bxe3 10. Qxe3 0-0-0 11. Nc3 Kb8? 12. 0-0-0, because uniformally castling long with black would be much safer for white. But since I didn't I'll have to settle and make the best of what I have, like I normally do. I do, I really do know how to choose a better path for my equipment. I just, I don't know, don't. "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade". 12. Ne2 g5 Notwithstanding, all of white's efforts need to be focused on defending the f,g, and h-files from what should be an unquestionable pawn barrage. Also the menacing d-rook to g8, Qe6 and f5 pawn thrust do not bode well for white, either. "Why didn't I pursue another hobby?", I ask myself rhetorically. Now that black has advanced to g5, my original plan of f4 will require more consideration.  Change of plan is in a "must". 13. Be3 Bxe3 14. Qxe3, defend my king from mate and attack his queen, it really is a simple game. 13. Be3 Bd6 It seems counter advancement of my pawns is the only way to properly survive, if possible? Black's Bd6 makes safeguarding my position much harder, in two moves he could encroach f5, and if exf5 Nxf5, my bishop and queen will be forked with the probable double e-file pawn result, and my progress in doubling his c-file pawns will be lost. The Bd6 also bears down on my queen and looks to expand what may be a valuable h-2 attack. Knowing what my weaknesses appear to be, moves of f3, Qf2 and g4 should help inclosing off my opponent's semi-developed g and h-file attack. Also my offense may have an opportunity utilizing the g1-a7 diagonal. 14. f3 Qe6 15. Qf2 dRg8 Instead of dRg8, I thought the f5 push would expose more weaknesses against white's unshapely and tight position. Feeling relieved to have more time to defend with g4. Fritz 6, with f5 instead of dRg8, likes 15. Qf2 f5 16. exf5 Nxf5 17. Nc3 Rhf8 18. a3 e4 19. Nxe4 Qe5 threatening mate, although advantage is white at .03. 16. g4 h5 Is white in trouble? um, 17....hxg4 18. fxg4 (h pawn pinned) Qxg4 (won pawn) 19. Qg2 loses second pawn to Qxh3+ 20. Qxh3 Rxh3+ 21. Kg2 Rxe3 losing bishop en prise'. 17...hxg4 18. fxg4 Qxg4 19. Rg1 (loses to mate) Qxh3+ 20. Qh2 Qxh2#. 17...hxg4 18. fxg4 Qxg4 19. Qh2 loses bishop en prise' scenario (similar to Qg2 response). Is move 17 important? White does look good with 17. Kg2 hxg4 18. fxg4 Qh6 19. Rh1 then 20. Rg1 and proceed to move king to d2. I love playing defense with the white pieces, not. 17. kG2 F6?! Black's hesitation to advance to f5 and pressure white's home pawn structure may have been his biggest oversight and misunderstanding of the position. I was worried about my h-file and doubling rooks on h-file seemed to solve the quandary. Moving rook off a-file exposes to white to a possible Queen breaching the backside and with the non-aggressiveness of black, white is furnished with time to defend. 18. b3 Ng6 Looks like a possible 19. Rh1 Nh4+ 20. Kf1 and white needs king to d2 in order to reconnect rooks. A potential problem, 19. Rh1 hxg4 20. hxg4 (trade rooks with) Rxh1 21. Rxh1 (not good for white, huge error), because 19. Rh1 hxg4 20. hxg4 Nh5+ (king on h2-b8 diagonal, scary) 21. Kf1 (oversight) Nxf3 22. Qxf3 Rh4 23. Rxh4 gxh4 giving black a passed pawn and white cannot defend the fall of the g-file pawn (Qxg4 or rxg4). So far all my scenarios involve the capture and fall of f, g, and h-file pawns. 19. Rh1 Nf4+?!, I may win the game yet. 20.Bxf4 exf4 121. d4 keeping black from posting bishop on e5, attacking the a1 rook, but also making way for white to c4. Securing white's defense and giving way to an attack on a7 in conjunction with center pawns opening up the d and e-file. Not capturing the knight may lead to 20...Nxh3 21. Rxh3 hxg4 22. fxg4 Qxg4+ 23. Kf1 rxh3 or Qxh3+, also, 20...Nxh3 21. Kxh3 hxg4+ 22. Kg3 f5! (threatening to win bishop). 20. Nxf4 gxf4, 21. Bd2 hxg4 22. fxg4 Rxg4+ 23. hxg4 Qxg4+ 24. Kf1 Rxh1+ 25.Qg1 Qxg1+ 26. Ke2 Qg2+ 27.Ke3 Rxa1(losing) or 21. Bd2 hxg4 22. hxg4 Rxg4+ 23. Kf1 Rxh1+ 24. Ke2 Rxa1 losing rook. White could 21. Bd2 hxg4 22. fxg4 Rxg4+ 23. Kf1 Rg3 with a black advantage of 2 points. White's best 21. Bd2 hxg4 22. fxg4 Rxg4 23. Kf3 Rg3+ 24. Ke2 hRxh3 Qxh3 26. Rg1. Again my opponent (maybe fatigued) gave me a chance with 21. Bd2 f5?! 22. exf5 Qxf5 23. Rh2 (still wanting double h-file pawns). Now if hxg4 24. fxg4 Rxg4+ 25. hxg4 Qxg4+ 26. Kh1 (Rxh2+ or Rg8, Black is losing -3 points). ....Qf6 24. aRh1 Qe7 25. Qe1 (ready to b4, a3, c3, d4) Black's queen is out of position for hxg4 attack and white's has a glimpse of daylight. ...Bc5 26. b4 Bb6, 27.Bxf4 Re8 28. Bg3 hxg4 29. fxg4 opens the f-file and since it took so long to get some breathing room for my king, I was not in a hurry to re-expose him. Also black controls the g1-a7 diagonal which, with an open f-file, could prove to be quite treacherous. Also my rooks though doubled may prove to be out of play if the f-file gets open. I decided to wait with the f-pawn tactic and concentrate on barricading black's bishop with c3 and d4, while still having a chance at the undefended queen, 27. c3 Qd7 Missed it? Queen attacks the d3 pawn. 28. Qe2 Qd5, a tempo and also more protection for the hxg4 attack, 29. c4 Qd7. I hesitated with c5 because of 30. c5 Ba7 31. a4 b6! Un-doubling and balancing my foe's king defense, also possibly leading to a c-file passed pawn. So i tried to get my a-file pawn to a5 first. 30. a4 Bd4, so much for getting the bishop blockaded, ha, stupid game. 31. Rc1 Qe7, again giving me the Bxf4 tactic? or trap? 32. Bxf4 Qxb4 protecting his home pawns from attack, "it's not a race, it's an adventure". 32. b5 hxg4, Black's queen may have been better at e6? Very bad, super bad! 33. hxg4 Rxh2+ 34. Kxh2 Qh4+ 35. Kg2 Qg3+ 36. Kf1 (Kh1Rh8+ 37. Qh2 Qxh2#) Qg1#. 33. fxg4 Rf8, King and Queen fork with f3 so, 34. Qf3 Rh7 35. b6 cxb6 36. axb6 axb6 and lose c-file pawn or 34. Rf1 cxb5, open a-file with 35. axb5 axb5 36. Rxf4 Rxf4 37. Bxf4 b4 38. Bd2 or open b-file with 35. axb5 Qd7 36. bxa6 bxa6. 35. axb5 Qa3, black could possibly open an attack on d3 or by using e4 to get an attack on h3 so I'll anticipate doubling rooks on h-file. I should also be able to prevent an h3 attack with Rf3, if black tries 36....e4 37. dxe4 f3! 38. Rxf3 thwarting any further progress. Also 36...e4 37. Rxf4 e3 38. Rxf8+ Rxf8 39. Bxe3, winning both black's pawns. 36. bxa6 Qxa6, material is even but Fritz 6 shows white as losing; Line 1 at -.62 up to line 5 at -.78. I do not like black's bishop (too many possibilities, again the g1-a7 diagonal) and cling to the idea that white will be better with Bishop for Bishop trade. It may lead to a draw but maybe it would be lucky to get a draw after that brutal (and inescapable) middle game. 37. Qe1 Qa2 38. Kh1 Qa4 39. Qe4 (again the tactic at f4, 40. Bxf4 exf4 41. Qxd4), until Qd7. It dawns on me in order to trade bishops, I'll need to get my bishop to f2! 40. Be1 c5 41. Bf2 Qh7?!, works for me. 42. Qxh7 Rxh7 43. Bxd4 exd4 (cxd4 better), uh-oh, "Big Ben this here 's the rubber duck and I'm about to put the hammer down." 44. Kg2 Re7 Black still has chances, 45...Re2+ 46. Rf2 f3+ 47. Kg3 Re3 48. Rd2 f2+ 49. Kg2 f1 promote to Queen#. Black could also 45...Re3 46. Rd1 f3+ 47. Kf2 Re2+ 48. (Kf1 loses Rxh2) Kg1 f2+ 49. Rxf2 Rxf2 50. Kxf2 Rxh3. Winning move is h4. 45. h4 Re3 46. Rh3 Re7 (46....Re2+ 47. Rf2 f3+ 48. Rxf3 game over). 47. hRf3 Rh7 48. h5 Rg8 49. Kh3 resign, 1-0.

     The beauty of the game was I finished with both my g and h-file pawns! I find it unfathomable and astounding?! Isn't chess fun? Of course I was so wound up from the win that I couldn't get to sleep until 4:30 am, our game ended around midnight. I wanted to be fresh for my match with IM Sandor Kustar so I woke up at 7:30 to shower and prep for our 9:00 am Sunday morning match-up. I decided at 8:30 am what opening I was going to offer Sandor. Nice, I'm playing a 2400+ on three hours of sleep, what an idiot?! But that, of course, is a different story. Looking forward to the "Winter Open", the possible "Yermo's Friends Tourney", the talked about "Deadwood Showdown" and many others. Hope you readers enjoyed. Anytime you feel like a pick-up game, you can usually find me at the Sioux Falls SDCA Thursday night meetings. See me when you see me.

Click here to see tournament report.