End Of The Season
Tuesday August 22, 2006
Well, another chess season has come to a close for me. It is time for me to move on to managing the websites for my other hobby (https://spamfootball.blogspot.com/), but I will return after the football season ends.
Before I go, I wanted to clean up some loose ends. Of course, you can still send in news items or articles during the off-season, and I will email them along to the subscribers. Any games I receive will be stored in my stockpile until next year.
You can also join Brian Wall’s email list (http://www.taom.com/mailman/listinfo/brianwall-chesslist) to keep receiving chess games all year round.
So, before I finish typing my chess thoughts for another year, I want to thank all the people who sent in games and articles, all the people who took the time to tell me something nice about the newsletter, and all the people who take the time to read this.
Game Of The Year
Last year at this time, I was hoping to turn things around from an off year. My USCF rating had dropped from a personal best of 1852 to 1818, the number of higher-rated players I had beaten was down from the previous year, and I only won one prize last year. I had started the year out well enough. I even improved my rating to 1864, but then things just seemed to fall apart for me at the Southern Colorado Open.
It was the same story this year. I was up exactly 12 rating points from the beginning of the year until the Southern Colorado Open again. This time I was determined to write a new ending. No second half slump for me this year. But if I wanted a different result, I would have to do something different, wouldn’t I?
“So if you are tired of the same old story, turn some pages. I’ll be here when you are ready to roll with the changes.”
K. Cronin
I took a page from the book of George Costanza. If everything I did last year was wrong, then the opposite had to be right. Looking for a small material advantage and playing that to an easy endgame while keeping my king safe was out the window. Now, I was going after the opponent’s king from the beginning and sacrificing material to open up lines without any regard for my king’s safety.
In four of the five games I played in this year’s Southern Colorado Open, I castled after my opponent to the opposite side or not at all. How did it work for me? Well, after 2 games this way, I had 2 losses.
But I was unfazed. In fact, I was mad. I don’t know if it was the controlled anger I had somehow harnessed, or the fact that I was now on the lower boards, but I finally got a win.
As I looked over how I won this way, it dawned on me that not everything I was doing last year was wrong. Perhaps, I should retrieve the baby and some of that bathwater from last year.
So, in my last round, I was going to be a little more balanced. First, I wanted to be aggressive and go after the king. Usually, in the Benko, I’ll take the pawn and try to hold onto the material. This was the first time I played 5. b6.
I had overheard NM Josh Bloomer tells someone this shuts down black’s queenside attack. I was hoping to get something going against black’s kingside and not worry about the queenside.
However, the black bishop was gumming up the works, and I didn’t want to trade off either of my bishops as they formed a nice turret with mounted machine guns. I swung the turret to the right to fire on the kingside when I realized I had just missed a target on the queenside. After I had fortified the kingside a bit, I swung the turret back to the queenside and decided to go after the small material advantage.
It was a winning plan and the start of a second half surge. My USCF rating has climbed from 1803 to 1885, the number of higher-rated players I have beaten is up from the previous year, and I won five prizes this year. Here’s to an even better year next season.
 |
| White to move |
Game Of The Year III
[Event "Southern Colorado Open"]
[Site "https://cschessnews.blogspot.com/"]
[Date "2006.06.11"]
[Round "6.5"]
[White "Anderson, Paul"]
[Black "Zupa, Daoud"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A57"]
[WhiteElo "1820"]
[BlackElo "1973"]
[PlyCount "105"]
[EventDate "2006.06.10"]
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 4. cxb5 a6 5. b6 Qxb6 6. Nc3 d6 7. e4 e5 8. Bd3 Be7
9. f3 Nbd7 10. Nh3 O-O 11. Qe2 Ne8 12. g4 Bh4+ 13. Nf2 g6 14. Kf1 Ng7 15. Bh6
Nf6 16. Kg2 Kh8 17. Rag1 Ng8 18. Be3 Ra7 19. Nfd1 Qd8 20. Qd2 f5 21. h3 Raf7
22. Rf1 Nf6 23. Qe2 Ra7 24. b4 Nd7 25. Na4 Qc7 26. bxc5 Nxc5 27. Nxc5 dxc5 28.
Qc2 Be7 29. Nb2 f4 30. Bf2 Bd7 31. Nc4 Rc8 32. Rb1 Bb5 33. a4 Bxc4 34. Bxc4 Rb8
35. Qd3 a5 36. Rhd1 Ne8 37. Qc3 Bd6 38. Bb5 Nf6 39. Be1 Raa8 40. Bd2 Kg7 41.
Rb3 Ra7 42. Rdb1 g5 43. Be1 h6 44. Bf2 Rf8 45. Bc6 Rf7 46. Bxc5 Bxc5 47. Qxc5
Nxe4 48. fxe4 f3+ 49. Rxf3 Rxf3 50. Kxf3 Qf7+ 51. Kg2 Rc7 52. Qd6 Re7 53. Rf1
1-0
This Week In Chess
On August 15, the CSCC had 20 members in attendance. In the USCF-rated ladder game (G90), Fred Eric Spell split a game with Tom Mullikin.
The rest of the participants played in a four round, Swiss tournament (G15). Here are the results:
Player Score
Paul Anderson 3.0
Jason Check 3.0
Dan Avery 3.0
Buck Buchanan 3.0
Joe Pahk 3.0
DuWayne Langseth 2.5
Renae Delaware 2.5
Devin Smith 2.0
Virgil McGuire 2.0
Roy Roberts 2.0
Bill Whinemiller 1.0
Steve Jumper 1.0
Parker Woods 1.0
Jerry Maier 1.0
Chris McCarty 1.0
Michael Harmon 0.0
End Of The Guest Book
Due to the increasing amount of spam I am receiving on the guest book, I am removing that feature. It lasted 2 years.
However, you are still welcome to send chess games and news items, ask questions, locate long lost friends, advertise chess products and websites, or just encourage me over email until I get a new system set up.
Thanks to all those who participated with the guest book!
Here are the final entries I removed including 2 “Question Of The Week” topics. Remember those? Looks like the Paul Grimm [338], Dean Brown (336), and Andy Rea (334) race has gotten even closer!
Paul Anderson, Colorado Springs CO USA, Tuesday June 01, 2004 22:22:55 GMT
About the most active chess player in CO, I checked on Rea and Grimm in the MSA. Rea wins for most active since 1991 (314 vs 254 games) but Grimm wins for the most active in CO (248 vs 155 games). Grimm even beats Brown in CO and will probably catch Rea for total games shortly. Of couse, this is all unofficial as I didn't check on anyone else. But who else could it be?
Tim, Denver CO, Tuesday May 25, 2004 19:02:17 GMT
Another great newsletter! My answer for the most active player has to be Paul Grimm. He has an huge appetite for chess, and can never get enough. He travels to just about every tournament within 100 miles, and sometimes more! When there is an oppourtunity to play two games at the same time, he will, like at the Colorado Open, and membership meeting open. Second choice is probably Andy Rea. Andy also travels a lot, but Paul will set up side matches, and extra rated games as much as possible. Third is probably Dean Brown.
Martin T. Deschner, Denver CO USA, Monday May 24, 2004 17:25:44 GMT
Colorado's Most Active Player?? I'd say Paul Grimm of Denver a/k/a The Grimm Reaper. Paul loves to play chess alot, and he's very intense! His chess play is as sharp as his crew cut! ---Martin Deschner, Internet Chess Expert
[Comments are about this newsletter: (https://cschessnews.blogspot.com/2004/05/almost.html)]
Inn Sohn, Colorado Springs CO, Monday May 24, 2004 23:07:26 GMT
I'm all for publishing short games. I believe many classic mates like fool's mate, legal's mate,etc are useful in shortcutting calculations and practical in blitz.
Paul Cornelison, Boulder CO, Friday May 14, 2004 02:15:07 GMT
In response to your Question Of The Week: Should a game lasting 9 moves be published? Any game should be published no matter the length, as long as the game contains something of interest.... I have played many games of 9 or even less moves that are quite good!
Glen Suares, Wednesday May 12, 2004 01:08:08 GMT
Bad things happen to good people...for example the final round of the just completed Sigeman tournament. Top board Nielsen [2628] vs Hansen (2635) 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 d5 5. a3 Be7 6. Nf3 0-0 7. Bf4 Nbd7?? Brian Wall refers to such automatic, thoughtless play as a flipper-move.
Tim, Denver CO, Tuesday May 11, 2004 22:47:16 GMT
Personally I love short games. I think that they are really good at illustrating some sort of point, and someone had to have made a mistake. Even an absurd game like 1. f3 e6 2. g4 Qh5# can teach a lesson to someone (don't move pawns in front of the king for no reason!) I also like lop-sided games, something like a master against a B player - where you can see what one person understands, that the other does not. I also like games where someone "breaks the rules". This is why Brian Wall's games are so exciting because he breaks rules, like "don't move the same piece twice in the opening".
Max, outside US Italy, Tuesday May 11, 2004 19:00:38 GMT
I have seen 6 moves games
martin deschner, denver CO usa, Tuesday May 11, 2004 18:35:49 GMT
Question: Should a 9-move game still be published?? Martin: Yes, of course! Bias against Brian Wall and his Fishing Pole Variation wins is truly unfair!! Sincerely...Martin Deschner, Internet Chess Expert
Tom Mullikin, Colorado Springs CO USA, Tuesday May 11, 2004 10:37:49 GMT
Sure, Publish a 9 move game. I like "miniatures"!
[Comments are about this newsletter: (https://cschessnews.blogspot.com/2004/05/the-best-of-robert-kohler.html)]
martin deschner, denver CO usa, Wednesday May 05, 2004 18:25:07 GMT
Interesting Newsletter. I like the play-along feature with... start/stop/ That way, you can play over the game right away! Regards...Martin Deschner, Internet Chess Expert
Shaun MacMillan, Falcon CO USA, Friday April 09, 2004 16:49:13 GMT
Hey Paul, We appreciate your time and effort on this website. It's great, not the usual self aggrandizing wins by the author. I promise to have that annotated game to you soon.
David Stuwe, Hugo CO USA, Tuesday April 06, 2004 05:27:41 GMT
Thanks for a truly chessic site!!
Renae Delaware, Colorado Springs CO, Tuesday March 09, 2004 16:55:11 GMT
Nice website Paul. Thanks for bringing chess in the Springs online.
Robert Kohler, cs CO hm, Thursday February 26, 2004 07:25:24 GMT
congrats on your website!
Upcoming Events
8/22 Bughouse tournament, CSCC
8/29 Ladder games, CSCC
9/2 2006 Membership Meeting Open, CSCA
9/2-9/4 2006 Colorado Open, CSCA
9/5 Speed tournament, CSCC
9/30-10/1 Wyoming Closed, CSCA
Colorado Springs Chess Club: CSCC
Denver Chess Club: DCC
Colorado State Chess Association: CSCA
No comments:
Post a Comment