The King

Game Of The Week

Name: King

The King is a fighting piece. Use it! 

Wilhelm Steinitz

• Alias: General, Governor, Lord, Shah (Persian for King and origin of the word Check. “Shah mat” is Persian for “The King is helpless” and the origin of the word Checkmate.)
• Number: 1
• Starting Square: 1st rank, E file
• Motto: “I am Eternal!”
• Move: One square, any direction
• Capture: One square, any direction
• Speed: Slow
• Special Ability: Castling
• Material Value: Infinite
• Mobility Preference: Endgame
• Spiritual Value: Peace
• Song: Peace Of Mind, Boston
• Verse: Luke 14:31-32 (KJV)

Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?

Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.

In the beginning was the King, and the King was with a King, and the King was a King.  He was with a King in the beginning.

Chess is a story of 2 Kings, who are eternal.  They cannot be harmed and are never captured.  While every other piece may leave the board, the Kings never will.

Since he cannot be hurt, he has no fear.  He will capture any enemy piece who dares to threaten him, but he never runs.  He deliberately moves only one square at a time in any direction he chooses.  However, he is wise.  He will not move into harm’s way and will get out of any trouble immediately.  Since the King shows proper respect to the other King, he will give way when they meet.  When the trouble gets too great he will lay down his kingdom to insure peace.

The King can be triumphant when he receives the surrender, or he can be humbled when he lays down his kingdom.  But sometimes the Kings just agree to a mutual peace.  Which King will you be?  You will have to play to find out!

Here is an example where my King lays down his kindom:

Anderson,Douglas -Anderson,Paul [C96]

9–10–6 Email,15.09.2001

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0–0 9.h3 Na5 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 Nd7 12.Nbd2 cxd4 13.cxd4 Nc6 14.Nb3 a5 15.Be3 a4 16.Nbd2 Ba6 17.Rc1 Rc8

This was the twenty-fifth email game I played with my dad.  I had about 3 years of tournament experience by now.  However, I didn’t realize what I was up against.  My dad had been caught up in the Fischer boom and was a regular on the Bell Labs chess team in the Chicago Industrial Chess League during the 1970s.

Bell Labs Dragons - 1970s

I think I was still experimenting with black openings, as this is not an opening I play now.  It is the Closed Ruy Lopez: Chigorin Defence (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4).  In my database of 763 tournament games, this opening appears zero times, and in my 53-game match with my dad this was the only time I played it.

Sometimes, a beating leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

18.d5 Nb4 19.Bb1 f5 20.a3 f4 21.axb4 fxe3 22.Rxe3 Qb6 23.Rec3 Kh8 24.Bd3 Ra8 25.Qe2 Ra7 26.Nb1 Rb7 27.Na3 Nb8 28.Rc8 Bd8 29.Ng5 Re7 30.Ne6 Rxe6 31.dxe6 Bxc8 32.Rxc8 Nc6 33.Bxb5 Nd4 34.Qe3 Qb7 35.Bd7 h6 36.b5 Be7 37.Rxf8+ Bxf8 38.Kf1 d5 39.f3 Bb4 40.Qd3 dxe4

Allowing my dad control of the c file was a poor choice but trading off the Queens in an endgame where he could activate his King and mine was helpless had to be the final nail in the coffin.

"After a bad opening, there is hope for the middle game.  After a bad middle game, there is hope for the endgame.  But once you are in the endgame, the moment of truth has arrived.” 

Edmar Mednis

41.Qxe4 Qxe4 42.fxe4 Kg8 43.Nc4 Kf8 44.Ne3 a3 45.bxa3 Bxa3 46.Nd5 Nb3 47.b6 Na5 48.Ke2 g6 49.Kf3 Bc5 50.Kg4 Ba3 51.h4

Black to move

51…Nb7 52.h5 g5 53.Kf5 Be7 54.Kg6 Nc5 55.Kxh6 Bd8 56.Kg6 1–0

Answer: 51…h5+ Everything is bad, but this slows the King invasion down and might be your last shot to set a trap (51... h5+ 52.Kg5 Kg7 53. g3 Bc1+ 54. Nf4 exf4 55. gxf4 Ba3 56. f5 Bc1#).  Wouldn’t that have been quite the comeback!

The King

[Event "9-10-6"]
[Site "https://cschessnews.blogspot.com/"]
[Date "2001.09.15"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Anderson, Douglas"]
[Black "Anderson, Paul"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C96"]
[PlyCount "111"]
[EventDate "2001.06.04"]
[TimeControl "0"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3 Na5 10. Bc2 c5 11. d4 Nd7 12. Nbd2 cxd4 13. cxd4 Nc6 14. Nb3 a5 15. Be3 a4 16. Nbd2 Ba6 17. Rc1 Rc8 18. d5 Nb4 19. Bb1 f5 20. a3 f4 21. axb4 fxe3 22. Rxe3 Qb6 23. Rec3 Kh8 24. Bd3 Ra8 25. Qe2 Ra7 26. Nb1 Rb7 27. Na3 Nb8 28. Rc8 Bd8 29. Ng5 Re7 30. Ne6 Rxe6 31. dxe6 Bxc8 32. Rxc8 Nc6 33. Bxb5 Nd4 34. Qe3 Qb7 35. Bd7 h6 36. b5 Be7 37. Rxf8+ Bxf8 38. Kf1 d5 39. f3 Bb4 40. Qd3 dxe4 41. Qxe4 Qxe4 42. fxe4 Kg8 43. Nc4 Kf8 44. Ne3 a3 45. bxa3 Bxa3 46. Nd5 Nb3 47. b6 Na5 48. Ke2 g6 49. Kf3 Bc5 50. Kg4 Ba3 51. h4 Nb7 52. h5 g5 53. Kf5 Be7 54. Kg6 Nc5 55. Kxh6 Bd8 56. Kg6 1-0

https://www.chessvideos.tv/chess-game-replayer.php?id=93128

This Week In Chess

On June 10th, the Colorado Springs Chess Club started its annual June event:  The June Mating Game.  It is a 2-week event, and players can still jointhe final 2 rounds for $5 and receive a 1/2 point bye for the previous rounds.  Jeff Fox and Daniel Herman won both their games and have jumped into the lead.

June Mating Game (4SS, G30):

2.0 Jeff Fox
2.0 Daniel Herman
1.5 Mark McGough
1.0 Paul Anderson
1.0 Arthur Knize
1.0 Sara Herman
1.0 Shirley Herman
0.5 Dean Brown
0.0 Luke Thurman
0.0 Steven Readel

Tuesday Night Chess Tour Cumulative and 2nd Quarter Standings

# MAX POSSIBLE 84.00 40.00

1 Paul Anderson 54.20 22.70
2 Daniel Herman 43.33 23.00
3 Richard Buchanan 32.00 8.50
4 Mark McGough 28.87 15.53
5 Koji DelConte 25.00 10.00
6 Shirley Herman 20.00 8.00
7 William Benedek 19.03 9.53
8 Joe Pahk 15.70 2.20
9 Earle Wikle 15.00 10.00
10 Dean Brown 13.50 8.50
11 Katie Wise 12.20 8.20
12 Imre Barlay 12.00 6.00
13 Sara Herman 8.33 4.33
14 Josh Bloomer 8.00 0.00
15 Anthony Thomason 8.00 8.00
16 Larry Kledzik 7.00 2.00
17 Mike Makinney 7.00 7.00
18 Mike Madsen 7.00 2.00
19 Gunnar Andersen 6.50 3.50
20 Eugin Pahk 6.00 0.00
21 Ben Matthews 6.00 2.00
22 Jeff Fox 5.50 5.50
23 Alex Freeman 5.33 0.00
24 Peter Barlay 5.00 3.00
25 Paul Protheroe 5.00 5.00
26 Rezheen Hamid 5.00 5.00
27 Kevin Kaaoush 4.00 1.00
28 Alex Torres 4.00 1.00
29 Mitch Vincent 3.00 3.00
30 Peter Wise 3.00 1.00
31 David Silva 3.00 3.00
32 Richard Brown 2.50 2.50
33 Gary Atkinson 2.00 0.00
34 John Byrne 2.00 0.00
35 Robert Jimenez 2.00 0.00
36 Ron Dotson 2.00 0.00
37 Chris Wynkoop 2.00 0.00
38 Arthur Knize 2.00 2.00
39 Bobby Dzagen 1.00 0.00
40 Adam Metzger 1.00 0.00
41 Web McNairy 1.00 0.00
42 Jeremy Hawks 1.00 1.00
43 Phil Van Hawk 1.00 1.00
44 Brandon Hilliard 1.00 1.00
45 Dragan Plakalovic 1.00 1.00
46 Thomas Mullikin 1.00 1.00
47 Daniel Cabrera 1.00 1.00
48 Anthea Carson 1.00 1.00