The Dark Horse

Game Of The Week

This week's game comes from Earle Wikle's IHOP Quick event.  He runs the event on the 1st and 3rd Friday nights.  It has four rounds that last about an hour each (G24d5).  The games are the longest you can play without effecting your standard USCF rating.  So, it is considered quick chess.

Earle and I seem to do equally well in this time control as our ratings are very close together.  This time he was higher rated going into the game, and I was the underdog.

Since chess ratings are a statisical reflection of the likelyhood of victory, the odds makers probably would have made the betting on this game as even money.  However, Shirley Herman would have put all her chips on Earle, as she always bets on the higher rated.  Upsets just don't exist in her world.  There is no such thing as a dark horse.

The dark horse is a horse racing term that referred to a horse about which the odds makers didn't have any information.  The odds makers were in the dark.  Therefore, the horse would have few people betting on him.  He would be a long shot.

Even though I wasn't much of a long shot in this game (except in Shirley's book), I was playing the Black pieces, which is another factor that makes it slightly less likely to get a win.  In addition, I hadn't castled, and my King was under attack.

  Black to move

“When a King falters, it can take a community to help him stand…”

This quote comes from a new chess movie coming out in April.  It was oddly appropriate for my game with Earle.  While my King looked in trouble, he was actually quite well supported.  I didn't find the best move, but my pieces rallied to put enough pressure on Earle and provide a happy ending.  You will just have to go see the movie to see how that one ends...

Based upon a powerful true story, THE DARK HORSE is the uplifting portrait of a man searching for the courage to lead, despite his struggles with mental illness.  The film features a stunning, award-winning performance by Cliff Curtis [“Fear the Walking Dead”] as Genesis “Gen” Potini, a brilliant but troubled New Zealand chess champion who finds purpose by teaching underprivileged children about the rules of chess and life.  THE DARK HORSE comes to theaters on April 16th...  

The Dark Horse

[Event "IHOP Quick March"]
[Site "https://cschessnews.blogspot.com/"]
[Date "2016.03.04"]
[Round "3.2"]
[White "Wikle, Earle"]
[Black "Anderson, Paul"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B12"]
[WhiteElo "1950"]
[BlackElo "1954"]
[PlyCount "76"]
[TimeControl "1440"]

1. d4 c6 2. e4 d6 3. Bd3 g6 4. Nc3 Bg7 5. Be3 e5 6. dxe5 dxe5 7. Qe2 Qc7 8. O-O-O Nf6 9. f3 Be6 10. g4 Nbd7 11. Bc4 Nf8 12. Bc5 Bxc4 13. Qxc4 Bh6+ 14. Kb1 Rd8 15. Nge2 Ne6 16. Bxa7 Rxd1+ 17. Rxd1 b6 18. Nb5 cxb5 19. Qxb5+ Kf8 20. Bxb6 Qb7 21. Qxe5 Kg7 22. Bd4 Nxd4 23. Nxd4 Re8 24. Qg3 Be3 25. e5 Nd5 26. Nf5+ gxf5 27. gxf5+ Kh8 28. Rd3 Rg8 29. Rb3 Rxg3 30. hxg3 Qa6 31. a3 Qf1+ 32. Ka2 Qxf3 33. f6 h5 34. c4 Nb6 35. c5 Nc4 36. c6 Qxc6 37. Rb8+ Kh7 38. Rf8 Nxe5 0-1

https://www.chessvideos.tv/chess-game-replayer.php?id=106204

This Week In Chess

On March 8th, the Colorado Springs Chess Club continued its March Swiss 90 (4SS, G90+30).  8 players joined.

Standings. March Swiss 90

# Name ID Rtng Rd 1 Rd 2 Tot Prize

1 Brian Jo Rountree 12477167 1809 W8 W4 2.0
2 Paul Dou Anderson 12728345 2050 D6 W7 1.5
3 Josh S Bloomer 12626102 2231 H--- W6 1.5
4 Mark McGough 11366481 1852 W5 L1 1.0
5 Scott Ch Williams 15755696 1089 L4 W8 1.0
6 Alemayeh Mekonnen 14604218 1547 D2 L3 0.5
7 Joseph H Pahk 12795426 1724 H--- L2 0.5
8 Daniel J Rupp 15768473 917 L1 L5 0.0

CS Open Results

By Buck Buchanan

4.5 Gunnar Andersen
4.0 Chris Peterson
4.0 Daniel Herman
4.0 Justin Alter
4.0 Brian Wall
4.0 Earle Wikle
3.5 Mark Krowczyk
3.5 Paul Baxter
3.5 Duwayne Langseth
3.5 Sam Bridle
3.0 Rhett Langseth
3.0 Jason Loving
3.0 David Logan
3.0 Sara Herman
3.0 Adam Steed
2.5 Ronald Rossi
2.5 Alex Cacas
2.5 Joseph Pahk
2.5 John Byrne
2.5 Robert Carlson
2.5 Vibi Varghese
2.5 Calvin Dejong
2.5 Ron Farrar
2.0 Dean Brown
2.0 James Mulberry
2.0 Jason F Lee
2.0 Tara Martinez
2.0 Clifton Ford
2.0 Kathy Schneider
2.0 Charles Minskey
1.5 Rollin Leavitt
1.5 William Wolf
1.5 Sullivan McConnell
1.5 George Lombardi
1.5 Eugin Pahk
1.5 Dean L McNeely
1.5 Travis Crow
1.0 Daniel Rupp
1.0 David Green
1.0 Anthea Carson
0.5 Robin McIntosh
0.0 Gary Bagstad