Colorado Springs Chess News

Game Of The Week

This week’s game comes from Tim Fisher, who is not to be confused with another Fischer, a different chess player with a different spelling.

Tim, not Bobby, sent me his Fisher-King game, which is not to be confused with the Fisher King character from the King Arthur legends as neither of these gentlemen are keepers of the grail or wounded in such a way that all they can do is fish, which is a good thing as I wouldn’t have this game to publish otherwise.

Anyway, I’ll just let Tim tell you about it:

“This game was played in the final round of the 2007 Colorado Springs open. I needed a win in order to achieve a plus score in the tournament. As it was my 5th rated game in 2 days and with a long drive home still to come, I was hoping for a nice, short game. My opponent, however, had his own ambitions for a last round victory and a difficult struggle ensued. In the end, sheer tenacity and a good feel for the endgame allowed me to head home with a…”

Happy Ending

(81) Fisher,Tim (1600) - King,John (1438) [C24]

Colorado Springs Open Colorado Springs (5), 04.03.2007

[Fisher,Tim]

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d4!?

This little gambit can lead to interesting positions.

3...exd4 4.Nf3 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Bxd2+ 6.Nbxd2 0-0 7.0-0 c5 8.e5 Ne8 9.Ne4 d5 10.exd6 Nxd6 11.Bd5 Nxe4 12.Bxe4 Re8 13.Re1 Nd7 [13...f5? 14.Bd5+! Kf8 15.Rxe8+ Qxe8 16.Qd3+- ] 14.c3 [14.Qd3 Nf6 15.Ng5 Nxe4 16.Rxe4 Rxe4 17.Qxe4 g6 18.Qh4 h5 and White's attack has gone nowhere.] 14...Nf6 [14...dxc3 15.Qc2 cxb2 16.Bxh7+ Kh8 17.Rxe8+ Qxe8 18.Re1 b1Q (18...Qf8 19.Be4 Nf6 20.Qxb2 Nxe4 21.Rxe4 ) 19.Qxb1 Qf8 20.Bd3+/- ] 15.Bc2 Bg4 16.cxd4?! [Better was 16.Rxe8+ Qxe8 17.cxd4 cxd4 18.Qxd4 Bxf3 19.gxf3 with approximately equal chances.] 16...Rxe1+ 17.Qxe1 Bxf3 18.gxf3 Qxd4

Black has neutralized White's attacking ideas and retained his extra material. Given this state of affairs I decided to roll the dice and play

19.Qe2?

--a mistake played only to set a cheesy trap.

19...Re8 [19...Qxb2?? 20.Bxh7+ ] 20.Qd3 Qxb2 21.Rb1 Qe5?!

Black returns the favor by setting a cheesy trap of his own. [21...Qxa2 22.Rxb7 c4 23.Qd2 Qa1+ and Black has a substantial advantage.]

22.Rxb7 Qg5+ 23.Kf1 [certainly not 23.Kh1?? Re1+ 24.Qf1 Rxf1# ] 23...Qc1+ [23...Qh4 24.Kg2 Qg5+ 25.Kf1 Qh4 with a draw] 24.Qd1 Qh6?

Black wants to maintain access to the h3 square with his queen [however 24...Qf4 was better: 25.Kg1 a6 26.Ra7 Qg5+ 27.Kh1 Qh4 28.Qf1 Qf4 29.Qd1 g6-+ ]

25.Bb3!

Here we've reached the game's crucial position which was misplayed by both players!

25...Re5?? [Black might have saved himself with 25...Qh3+ 26.Kg1 Qc8! 27.Bxf7+ Kh8 28.Rxa7 Rd8 29.Qc2 Qc6 when both sides still have chances.] 26.Kg1?!

After 25 minutes of thought I played this move to prevent the check on h3 by Black's queen. [Most players glancing at this position would probably play 26.Bxf7+ in a heart beat. However, with closer examination, one sees that Black only needs a single tempo to deliver check with his queen on h3 and mate to follow after Rg5+. 26.Bxf7+ is in fact the correct move, but you need to see the following variation to completion in order to play it: 26...Kh8 27.Qd8+ (OR 27.Rb8+ Ne8 28.Qd7!! preventing the check on h3 by Black's queen 28...Qc1+ 29.Kg2 Rg5+ 30.Kh3 Qf1+ 31.Kh4 Qxf2+ 32.Kxg5 h6+ 33.Kg6 Qc2+ 34.Qf5 Qg2+ 35.Qg4 Qc2+ 36.Qe4 Qg2+ 37.Kf5 Qg5+ 38.Ke6 Qf6+ 39.Kd7 Qxf7+ 40.Qe7 Qd5+ 41.Kxe8 ) 27...Ne8 28.Kg2!! the ONLY move (and not 28.Bxe8?? which instantly loses after 28...Qh3+ 29.Kg1 Re1# ) 28...Qf4 29.h4 (or 29.Rd7) (White STILL can't play 29.Bxe8?? Rg5+ ) 29...Qf6 and White can finally win the piece with 30.Qxf6 gxf6 31.Rb8 ]

26...Ne8? [the best try was 26...Kh8 ] 27.Bxf7+? [but now of course 27.Rxf7! Qg6+ 28.Kh1 is crushing for White.] 27...Kf8 28.Bxe8 Rxe8 29.Rxa7 Qg5+ 30.Kf1 Rd8 31.Qb3 Qf4 [31...Qc1+ 32.Kg2 Qg5+ draws] 32.Kg2?

giving Black a 2nd chance to force the draw with Qg5+ [32.Qc2! c4 33.Qxh7 threatening Qh8 mate 33...Rd1+ 34.Kg2 Qg5+ 35.Kh3 Qh6+ 36.Qxh6 gxh6 37.Rc7 and White should win]

32...c4?! 33.Qe3! Qxe3

probably necessary [otherwise for example 33...Qd6 34.Qg5 Qd4 35.Qe7+ Kg8 36.Rc7 c3 37.Rxc3!+- ]

34.fxe3 Rd2+? [Black may have held the position by moving his Rook behind his pawn:( 34...Rc8 35.Rb7 c3 36.Rb1 c2 37.Rc1 Rc4 38.Kf2 Ke7 39.Ke2 Rh4 40.Rxc2 Rxh2+ 41.Kd3 which requires further analysis to determine the outcome.] 35.Kg3 Rc2 36.Rc7 Rc1 37.Kf4

The White king finds shelter in front of his pawns so that when the Black rook moves it won't be with check.

37...h6 38.a4 c3 39.Ke5 c2 40.Ke6

threatening Rc8#

40...Kg8 41.e4 g5 42.e5!

From this position Black is apparently lost as he cannot stop both the a-pawn and e-pawn.

42...h5 [no better is 42...Ra1 43.Rxc2 Rxa4 44.Kf6 Rf4+ 45.Kg6! Kf8 46.Kxh6 Rxf3 47.Kxg5 ] 43.a5 Rf1 44.Rxc2 Rxf3 45.Ra2 Rf8 46.a6 Kg7 47.a7 Ra8 48.Kd7 h4 49.e6 g4 50.e7 Kf7 51.Rf2+ Kg7 52.e8Q Rxa7+ 53.Kc6 g3 54.Qe5+ Kh7 55.hxg3 hxg3 56.Qxg3

and Black finally resigned a few moves later. 1-0

http://www.chessvideos.tv/chess-game-replayer.php?id=93799

[Event "Colorado Springs Open"]

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

[Date "2007.03.04"]

[Round "5"]

[White "Fisher, Tim"]

[Black "King, John"]

[Result "1-0"]

[ECO "C24"]

[WhiteElo "1600"]

[BlackElo "1438"]

[PlyCount "111"]

[EventDate "2007.03.03"]

1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nf3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Bxd2+ 6. Nbxd2 O-O 7. O-O c5

8. e5 Ne8 9. Ne4 d5 10. exd6 Nxd6 11. Bd5 Nxe4 12. Bxe4 Re8 13. Re1 Nd7 14. c3

Nf6 15. Bc2 Bg4 16. cxd4 Rxe1+ 17. Qxe1 Bxf3 18. gxf3 Qxd4 19. Qe2 Re8 20. Qd3

Qxb2 21. Rb1 Qe5 22. Rxb7 Qg5+ 23. Kf1 Qc1+ 24. Qd1 Qh6 25. Bb3 Re5 26. Kg1 Ne8

27. Bxf7+ Kf8 28. Bxe8 Rxe8 29. Rxa7 Qg5+ 30. Kf1 Rd8 31. Qb3 Qf4 32. Kg2 c4

33. Qe3 Qxe3 34. fxe3 Rd2+ 35. Kg3 Rc2 36. Rc7 Rc1 37. Kf4 h6 38. a4 c3 39. Ke5

c2 40. Ke6 Kg8 41. e4 g5 42. e5 h5 43. a5 Rf1 44. Rxc2 Rxf3 45. Ra2 Rf8 46. a6

Kg7 47. a7 Ra8 48. Kd7 h4 49. e6 g4 50. e7 Kf7 51. Rf2+ Kg7 52. e8=Q Rxa7+ 53.

Kc6 g3 54. Qe5+ Kh7 55. hxg3 hxg3 56. Qxg3 1-0

This Week In Chess

Tuesday March 13, 2007

On March 6, the CSCC had 13 members in attendance. In the USCF-rated ladder game (G90), Mike Filppu flattened Tom Mullikin.

The rest of the participants played in a double, round robin, blitz tournament (G5). Here are the results:

Player Score

Paul Anderson 15.0

Bill Whinemiller 12.0

Mike Filppu 11.0

Joe Pahk 9.0

Renae Delaware 8.0

Fred Eric Spell 5.0

Jerry Maier 4.5

Dan Southard 4.0

Steve Scott 3.5

Pikes Peak Open Announcement

By Buck Buchanan

Below is the tournament announcement for the Pikes Peak Open in August. Please note that the tournament is being held a week later than usual so that I can attend the Delegates Meeting at the US Open.

**********************************************************************************************

August 11 - 12, Manitou Springs CO: PIKES PEAK OPEN

5-SS, 40/90 and G/1 for rds 1-3, 40/2 and G/1 for rds 4-5. Manitou Springs City Hall, 606 Manitou Ave., Manitou Springs. One open section. EF $30 if rec'd by 8/9, $35 at site. $8 discount for juniors, seniors, unrated. Cash prizes per entries. Register 8:30 - 9:30, rds 10, 2:30, 7; 9, 3. CSCA required ($15, Jrs & Srs $10), OSA. Entries to Richard Buchanan, 844 B Prospect Place, Manitou Springs CO 80829. E-mail [email protected] or phone (719) 685-1984. COLORADO TOUR EVENT.

Colorado Scholastic Closed Acceptances Deadline Approaching

By Dean Brown

With 4 days left before the deadline for Scholastic Closed acceptances (17 March), we've received the minimum 8 acceptances: Richard Herbst, Matthew Kasper, Dylan Lehti, Garrick Talmage, Paul Carroll, Christopher Loopesko, David Twerskoi, Ben Reilly.

The following have either declined or have not yet responded: Tyler Huges, Curtis Crockett, Sam Galler, Jacob Zax, Josh Divine, Peter Grigg, Marshall Carpenter, Samuel Meyer. They have through Saturday to pass their acceptance to me if they wish to participate in the Colorado Scholastic Closed Championship.

Comments from Email

Reynolds, Randy, Tuesday, March 06, 2007 11:30 AM:

Ha ha ha!!! You just can't win on this whole poll thing...How ironic: if I WOULDN'T have voted, you'd have a clear cut winner with Anthea's game. Last time if I WOULD have voted, you'd have a clear cut winner. All right, well, throw my idea out -- obviously publishing the games beforehand isn't helping voter turnout, either...

[Comment is about this newsletter: (http://cschess.webs.com/apps/blog/show/2929386-spellbound)]

Upcoming Events

3/13 Quads: 4-RR, G/30 (USCF rated) or G/20, CSCC

3/14,21,28 Poor Richard's Book Store March Open Final Rounds, CSCC

3/17 Informal chess at Agia Sophia coffee house, 2092 W. Colorado, 8:00 PM, CSCC

3/17 Regis Jesuit Grand Prix Tournament # 7, CSCA

3/17 SRES ST. Patricks Day Open, CSCA

3/31 National Master Todd Bardwick Simultaneous Chess Exhibition, CSCA

Colorado Springs Chess Club: CSCC (http://www.foxfrenchtranslations.com/cscc/)

Denver Chess Club: DCC (http://www.denverchessclub.org/)

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

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