Colorado Springs Chess News

Game Of The Week

This past weekend I played in the Springs Fundraiser at the Elk’s lodge in Colorado Springs. It is the second time I have played at this site, but I crack up every time I walk into the building. The parking space right by the entrance is reserved for the Elk of the Year.

It is never taken, and I feel like I should just park there, as I know that the elk is not going to show up this day. It is just too dangerous with the Langseth kids playing in the scholastic tournament and their camouflaged father waiting in the car with his crossbow ready.

However, I don’t own a bright orange vest so I can’t take the risk that these hunters can do a simple leg count and not mistake me for an elk. You see, the reason that so many hunters come back from a day in the woods with an arrow in their rump is the inability to control their killer instinct.

It is the same way with chess. Some players just get carried away with a killer move they can’t see the forest for all the trees.

For example, Tom Mullikin and I were looking at his first round miniature win. He was thrilled that Jackson Chen resigned, as Tom was willing to take a draw knowing his history with winning positions.

I thought Jackson could have played on down a bishop with 10…Qd8. Tom quickly pointed out 11. Bxc7 winning the pinned queen. I was just glad Tom didn’t have a crossbow in his hands at this moment. It was as if we were hunting elk, and Tom says to me, “Look! An elk over there on that ladder pruning a tree. Fire!”

Elk Hunter

http://www.chessvideos.tv/chess-game-replayer.php?id=94768

[Event "Springs Fundraiser"]

[Site "http://cschess.webs.com/"]

[Date "2008.04.05"]

[Round "1.6"]

[White "Mullikin, Tom"]

[Black "Chen, Jackson"]

[Result "1-0"]

[ECO "C15"]

[WhiteElo "1315"]

[BlackElo "1685"]

[PlyCount "19"]

[EventDate "2008.04.05"]

1. d4 d5 2. e4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. a3 Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 dxe4 6. Bf4 Nf6 7. Bc4 Nd5 8.

Qg4 Qf6 9. Bxd5 exd5 10. Qxc8+ 1-0

This Week In Chess

On April 1st, the CSCC had 9 members in attendance. The evening’s event was a double, round robin, blitz tournament (G5). I lost one game to Jeff Fox to finish in clear first. David Meliti knocked off NM Buck Buchanan once to claim the upset prize, a coupon for a free order of fries. Here are the results:

Player, Score

Paul Anderson 11.0

Jeff Fox 8.0

Buck Buchanan 8.0

David Meliti 8.0

Dean Brown 4.0

Peter Swan 3.0

Kathy Schneider 0.0

Paul Christensen WD

Springs Denker-Polgar Fundaiser Results

By Buck Buchanan

Here is the crosstable for the Springs Denker-Polgar Fundaiser held in Colorado Springs on April 5.

Richard Herbst 3.5 1st $40

Alexander Cacas 3.5 1st $40

Richard Buchanan 3.0

Jackson Chen 3.0

Anthea Carson 3.0 U1700 $25

Paul Anderson 2.0

Tim Brennan 2.0

Dean Brown 2.0

Joshua Higa 2.0

Tom Mullikin 2.0 U1400 $15

Fred Eric Spell 1.5

Yelena Kandybey 1.5

Peter Swan 1.0

Gary Frenzel 1.0

Kathy Schneider 1.0

Robert Rountree 0.0

New Photos From The Colorado Springs Open 2008!

By Mike Wokurka

4 new photos on the website by Mike Wokurka. 

Comments From Email

Renae Delaware, Tuesday, April 01, 2008 5:48 PM

LOL!! I needed a good laugh this week Paul! Thanks!

[Comment is about this newsletter: (http://cschess.webs.com/apps/blog/show/2929128-a-fool-and-his-pieces)]

Ray Fourzan, Tuesday, April 01, 2008 12:31 PM

Hi from Texas, Do you know if the Pueblo Open will be held again in June? I need to defend my title from last year. Ray Fourzan, El Paso, TX (ps. I think it was at the end of June last year) jk...

[Looks like it is on the schedule: The Pueblo Open, June 28, 2008]

April Fools' Pizza Contest

Last week’s newsletter (http://cschess.webs.com/apps/blog/show/2929128-a-fool-and-his-pieces) was a joke. Buck and Renae did not entertain the club with singing and accordion playing. Dean did not read the article he wrote for the ASPCC (All Service Postal Chess Club), but I have included it below so that you can read it yourself. I did not offer to help anyone exercise, and I try to avoid it as much as possible. Virgil did not use the whirlpool (I am not sure if it even works), and I am almost certain that the temperature of the room did not break 100 degrees. There was no puzzle contest, and Ken and Kathy finished the seal puzzle weeks ago. Gary did not beat Jeff Fox in a chess game, at least not recently, and the evening’s event was actually solving 12 chess problems brought in by NM Buck Buchanan. The game of the week was taken from one of the problems. Black resigned after 36.Rg6?? instead of finding the winning line. But can you name the real opponents in this game? The first reader to correctly identify the participants will win a free pizza coupon!

ASPCC Article

By Dean Brown

As a 34 year member of the ASPCC, 2000 Club co-champion (?!), and Memorial Tournament Secretary, I’ve been asked to introduce myself to the club.

I was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1950 into a non-chess playing family of six. Raised in Broward County, Florida I picked up the game while attending Nova High School in Davie, Florida playing informally during free periods on the lunch break patio.

Losing my draft deferment in 1970 while attending my third year at Miami Dade Junior College (North) coupled with a low draft number inspired me to enlist into the Air Force. During Vietnamese Language training at Fort Bliss Texas I married Jean Vietinghoff, my Florida surfer home girl, and 36 years, 2 kids, and a grandchild later, we now live in Colorado Springs, Colorado. While at Fort Bliss I joined the USCF and began playing Golden Knights postal chess.

My first (of many) permanent duty assignments in the USAF was at Kadena AFB, Okinawa, Japan. Between 20-hour missions south to the Gulf of Tonkin as a RC-135 crewmember, I found time to play in a simul against postal master John Kalish who introduced me to the ASPCC in 1972/73. Since then I’ve had the honor of playing many of the club members over the years. My best postal results have been the 2000 Club Co-champion (yes, even a Class B player can rise to this height with serendipitous forfeits and an upset or two), a Wild & Crazy Championship in the 1990s, and second in an Amateur Championship around 1980. I played in many of the ASPCC Armed Forces Championships. I reached my highest ASPC rating of 1814 a dozen years ago, but recent results gives me some optimism that I may reach that level again if I can manage to keep my blunders/typos in check.

John Kalish also introduced me to Over-the-Board tournaments on Okinawa where I earned a 1094 rating by the time I left the island. During 1974 while stationed in Nakhon Phanom, Thailand, the USAF, no longer needing its large number of Vietnamese Linguists, gave me the offer of Farsi, Hebrew, Arabic, or an early-out. I took the early-out and returned home to Florida. Awaiting the start of my studies at Florida State University, I stayed a couple of months with my in-laws near Miami. One Saturday morning over breakfast my mother-in-law casually mentioned some master was giving a simul that morning over at the local high school and that I had time to make it over there if I was interested in playing the guy. That guy turned out to be Sammy Reshevsky who somehow managed to beat my Class F level Caro-Kann play.

Since those days, I have become a very active OTB and Postal player and tournament director. My best tournament result was in the recent 2007 US Open where I began play with my 1458 rating and scored a performance rating of 1860; 4.5 points out of 9. I’ve directed tournaments in Florida, Nebraska, California, Western Australia, and Colorado. I’ve also served as Treasurer, President and USCF Delegate for the Colorado State Chess Association and an officer in local chess clubs. My peak USCF rating of 1708 occurred 22 years ago and although I have drawn a Master and three experts in OTB rated play, I am still awaiting my first win over a player rated above 1998.

I reentered the Air Force as a Weather Officer upon graduation from Florida State. I’ve served in various weather capacities at Offutt AFB, Nebraska where I earned a Masters in Atmospheric Science at Creighton University during my stay. I forecasted landing weather for the early Shuttle Landings at Edwards AFB California. I was Operations Officer at the Learmonth Solar Observatory in the outback of the Northwest Cape of Western Australia and supported Space Environment operations out of Peterson AFB, Colorado. I’ve commanded Weather Flights in Panama and at my last permanent duty station of, again, Kadena AB, Okinawa. I retired after 21 years of active duty in 1996 and entered the civilian world of Software Programming. I retired from gainful employment in 2006 (my wife Jean says I’m not retired, only on vacation).

I now enjoy my free time playing chess (of course), compiling genealogy, traveling, hiking the mountain trails of the local Colorado Rockies, and enjoying sports/fantasy sports. The Colorado Rockies (baseball team) brought me great recent excitement with their 21 wins in 22 games to get to the World Series. I was at many of the games at the end of the season including their 13 inning come-from-behind win over the San Diego Padres to clinch a post-season berth and at the two home wins over the Arizona Diamondbacks to clinch the National League Pennant. As for the World Series and the Boston Red Socks…there is always next year for the Rockies. My travel to the recent US Open allowed me to complete visits to all 50 states and I have now visited over 35% of the counties in the US. My travels have brought me into contact with many ASPC players including a pleasant visit with Haskel Sikes last year in Amarillo Texas while playing in an OTB tournament there.

If you are passing through Colorado or playing at the 2008 US Open in Dallas Texas, look me up for some coffee, and yes, chess! Until then go out (or stay in) and play some challenging chess!

Upcoming Events

4/8 April 2008 G/29 Grand Prix Event, CSCA

4/8 Team tournament - 2-player teams, sum of ratings < 3400 - 4-SS, G/15, CSCC

4/11-13 2008 Boulder Open, BCC

4/12 2nd Annual Regis Jesuit Grand Prix #8, CSCA

4/12 Four Corners Team Tournament, CSCA

4/12 NM Todd Bardwick Simultaneous Exhibition, CSCA

For event details and additional events, see the following websites:

Colorado Springs Chess Club: CSCC (http://springschess.org/)

Boulder Chess Club: BCC (http://www.geocities.com/boulderchessclub/)

Colorado State Chess Association: CSCA (http://colorado-chess.com/)

Wyoming Chess Association: WCA (http://www.wyomingchess.com/)

Kansas Chess Association: KCA (http://www.kansaschess.org/)