Bill's Correspondence Chess Diary

Here we go

* Robert Angres finally accepted my draw offer in 03NS05. I had previously blogged about this drawn endgame.

* So much for Gerald Sitter learning the openings. Our O'Kelly Sicillian in 05N15 took a turn for the less trodden path with 4 Qc2 Nc6. I had even given Gerald an 'if' move for the best line 4 exd5. Oh well.

* Tom Hartmayer bravely went 11 Qe1 and I replied d3+ discovered check. We'll have to see where this takes us.

* My nemesis Chuck Collum let me off the hook in our 03NS06 game. Here is our position after 33 moves, I'm black.

White- King on h2, Rook on d8, Knight on d4, pawns on e3, f2, g4 and h3 Black- King on  h7, Rook on d1, Knight on e5, pawns on d5, f6, g7, h7.  White is a pawn up and drawing this endgame looked problematic till.....

34 Rxd5? Nf3+ Taking advantage of the pinned knight to trade this into a rook endgame. 35. Kg3 Nxd4 36 Rxd4(I would have tried exd4 accepting the passed pawn though my rook is well placed behind the d pawn) Rg1+ 37 Kh2 Rc1. Now with all the pawns on one side of the board, I should be able to hold the rook ending.

* I lost a 05EN07 game to Donald Woodhouse due to a notation mistake. Ouch!

* In 05EN07 also I defeated Jim Yonkers. This game is a perfect example of why I play out almost all endgames vs. Class A players and below. White had good drawing chances in the rook and opposite colored bishop ending till Jim bungled it. Here is the position after 33 moves, White to move and I'm black.

White- King on g3, bishop on c1, rook on e1, pawns on d4, f3, g2, h2. Black has his king on g8, rook on c3, bishop on c3,  pawns on b4, d4, e7, f7, g6, h5. A classic opp. bishop scenario. I have a passed pawn but because of OCB it will be grueling work to materialize this advantage or even to win the game. That is till.....

34 Re3?? allowing me to go to a winning rook ending after 34...Rxc1 35 Rxe3 b4 36 Kf4 Rc3 37 Rxc3 bxc3 38 Ke3 e5 0-1

* The Yonkers game in my humble opinion is just another example of why databases are essential for CC today. That also means to database our old games. I used my experience in losing to Bleys Rose in 02NS02 to get a good opening setup vs. Yonkers.

1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 cxd5 cxd5 5 Nc3 Nc6 6 Bf4 Ne4!(I don't know if it deserves an exclamation but my two games in this line show it to show Black no worse than even) 7 e3 Nxc3 8 bxc3 g6 9 Bb5 Bg710 Ne5 Bxe5 11 Bxe5 0-0. In both games White had difficulty protecting his loosened Queen-side.

Yonkers isn't the first time I used a prior game to help me. Jempty-Grimes in 01NS06 another Slav Exchange where I lost, I turned around to win vs James Tracz in Tracz-Jempty from 02NS01. The lesson, learn from past mistakes and use this knowledge to win other games.      

* Humberto Cruz declined my draw offer in 03NS07. A rook and OCB ending but where I'm a pawn down. The outside A pawn in this game is easily blockaded. After 37 moves and with white to move-

White- King on g3, rook on a2, bishop on d4, pawns on a5, c5, f3, g2 and h4

Black- King on g8, Rook on a7, bishop on b5, pawns on c6, d5, g7, and f7  

* Ralph Logay replaces Money Mont in 05N16. I am still waiting for Ralph's first move.

* Frank Zuckerman is still MIA with his 3rd move.

* John Cohen is MIA again. I've sent four repeats in this game to date, and have only heard once from John since March 27th. I'm filing a time complaint with Alex Dunne.

* Communicating with Alex remains excellent.

* The Smyslov Caro-Kann is back! I have six games going of my most experienced and favorite opening line. That brings up my B17 game total to 47 in 846 lifetime CC games.

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