Winter 2005

Portrait of Chess Players, by Marcel Duchamp 1911 – Philadelphia Museum of Art

President’s Letter by Jerry McGowin

Dear ACF members and supporters of the Chess Foundation of Alabama, greetings: I am still in learning mode and expect to remain so for some time. Nevertheless, I intend to do some leading and from time to time see if anyone is following. I am sure I will make many mistakes and most likely step on a few toes. I would ask that when I make mistakes or step on toes that you help me to remember that I am still learning. In January Kirk Petty resigned as President of the ACF and relocated out of state due to family emergencies. My prayers and best wishes go with Kirk. He has hosted and directed many tournaments, and will be missed. If anyone wishes to contact Kirk his e-mail (KirkP57@aol.com) is still is active. Last Fall Kirk Petty ran for President and asked me to stand for VP, I was happy to do so. I tried to take the attitude that, “I serve at the pleasure of the President.” I also shared in Kirk’s desire to recruit new Club Tournament Directors (TD) and when possible provide training for them. I will continue making this a high priority. Kirk also wanted each club to organize at least one tournament a year and again I share this goal. Let me also add, that if your club does not have a TD I will be glad to direct a one-day (Saturday) event and train one of your club members to become a Club TD. My goal is to help and to serve in whatever capacity that is most needed. Many ACF members will also be called upon to assist in scholastic events or other ACF sponsored events. I intend to lead in this effort by example. Please feel free to call upon me at anytime. Immediate needs are as follows: k Volunteers for Scholastic Team Championship k Volunteers for Scholastic Individual Championship k Fill position of Vice President k Recruit reporters for Kids’ Antics (1 per club) k Recruit Kids’ Antics Editor k Committee of Three (more at Queen of Hearts) k Scholastic VP (more at Queen of Hearts)

Currently, I am already involved in the planning stages for both, the Scholastic Team and Individual Championship to be held on the same weekend 2-3 or 16/ 17 April, in the Birmingham Area. (This maybe one of those areas that I stepped on some toes, so I will apologize in advance. I’m sorry!) I felt the need for speed. Time was running out and as everyone knows planning is critically important for such events. On a personal level let me say, it is an honor to serve you. Circumstances brought us together; although I have been thrust upon you I am looking forward to the opportunity creating strong friendships and many struggles over the checkered squares. May all of your battles be over the board! Jerry 205 507 7164 13788 Timbertrail Brookwood, AL 35444 iuplift@direcway.com

1

ontents Winter Issue. February 7, 2005

irmingham City Championship, 2004

By Scott Varagona Pages 2-6

othan Open, 2004 By Ken Goodman Pages 7-11

ebra Bait By Jerry McGowin Pages 12-14

emembering Walter Schaetzle By Rose Marie Stutts, Ed. D.

and Giles D’Souza Page 15

M Rachels Appreciation By Giles D’Souza Page 16

C

B

D

Z

R

I

2

2004 Birmingham City Championship: Two Games by Scott Varagona

This Birmingham City Championship was certainly hard-fought, but I still can’t shake the feeling that, although I played well, my success was also the result of a great deal of luck. In the first round I won a pawn early on when Mark Stribling made a misstep in a Queen’s Gambit Declined, Exchange Variation—but then, even after Mark’s king made its way to e7(!), the position remained very complicated and I won mostly thanks to a time scramble. (Remember, the first round was game-in-30!) My second round game against Harry Jones was also less than convincing. We exchanged a few mistakes in the middlegame before I found a way to win a pawn in the ending, but then I misplayed the resulting position and—lucky for me!—at the last possible moment, Jones made an error and I won what would have been a clearly drawn king-and-pawn ending. (Yes, I suppose sometimes it does pay to play those endings out!) Now, for the heart of the matter: I think my best game of the tournament would have to be my third round encounter with Jeff Story. Birmingham City Championship 2004 Varagona - Story,J (Round 3) 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 e6 4. Nc3 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. e4 g6

I’m always pleased when my opponent tries the Benoni, simply because I’ve spent so much time preparing for it in the past few years. I’ve studied this particular variation (7. f3) a great deal because it’s come up in three of my games with Joe Jurjevich and two games (by transposition) with Ozgur Aktunc. 7. f3 Bg7 8. Bg5 O-O 9. Qd2 Re8 Black neglects to play 9. ...h6, and this was his last possible chance to do it. Perhaps it’s a matter of taste, but if I were Black, I’d seize the chance to kick the bishop away from its somewhat annoying post on g5. True, the kingside is weakened, but not too seriously. 10. Be2 Nbd7?! Time and time again, I’ve condemned this move. It’s not that Black has done anything to hurt his own position, it’s just that he’s given White a really big developmental boost. With a bishop on e2, White can’t develop his g1-knight in the normal way; White has to play Ng1-h3-f2. But with the bishop on c8 threatening to snap off the h3 knight and ruin White’s kingside structure, that knight maneuver isn’t possible. So, if Black puts off playing ...Nbd7, White’s kingside development can get more than a bit awkward. (An excellent example of this is Seirawan-Kasparov, 1989 (see page 6, Ed.)). In a word, 10. ...Nbd7?! makes life a lot easier for White. Now I gain the best squares for my minor pieces without making any concessions. 11. Nh3! a6 12. a4 Ne5 13. Nf2 Qc7 14. O-O

3

White has solved his developmental problems, but Black still has some of his own to deal with. Some Benoni players love to plop a knight down on e5 as soon as they can; such a knight can work miracles (who can forget Korchnoi-Kasparov, Olympiad 1982. (see page 6, Ed.)). However, in this particular case, Black can’t develop as he’d like—with 14. Bc8-d7—because White would chop off the e5 knight with 15. Bxf6 Bxf6 16. f4. Hence, Black’s next move protects the g4-square, a square Black’s knight might need to land on. Meanwhile, Black sets up a (risky) attack on White’s center. 14. ...h5 15. h3 Nh7(?!) I’ve given this move the “?” mark in the past, but I hesitate to criticize it so harshly here because at this point there really doesn’t seem to be a better way for Black to proceed. 15. ...Bd7 16. Bxf6 Bxf6 17. f4 loses the e5-knight, as we’ve seen; Black could try a somewhat dubious 15. ...c4, but that would probably meet with 16. Be3, 17. Rfc1 and an eventual b4, after which it seems only White would profit from the play on the queenside. With the text move, Black puts all his faith in an f7-f5 break, weakening though it may be. 16. Be3 f5 17. f4 Nf7 18. exf5 Bxf5

19. g4! This seemed like the best way for White to gain an advantage—grab some kingside space and kick Black’s bishop back. It turns out that Fritz backs me up on this, but during the game it took a bit of daring to play the move... I don’t like weakening my kingside pawn shield, but I recalled Kirk Petty winning a fine Benoni against Mark Stribling by playing g2-g4, so I decided—why not give it a shot here? 19. ...hxg4 20. hxg4 Bd7 It turns out that throwing in 20. ...Qe7 would not help Black: 21. gxf5 Qxe3 22. Qxe3 Rxe3 23. Ng4 wins. 21. Kg2! Fritz prefers 21. Bd3 here, but I like this move because it highlights the fact that White’s king is in fact quite safe; in some variations my king might even come to f3 or g3 to support the pawn front. Meanwhile, Rh1 is a possibility.

Since eventually White will gang up on Black’s g-pawn, Black decides to sacrifice it right away, in order to regain the e5-square and open lines up to White’s king. But this plan requires sacrificing the Exchange, and—as it turns out—this is unsound. Correct, it seems, is 21. ...Re7, planning to double on the e-file. 21. ...g5? 22. fxg5 Rxe3 23. Qxe3 Re8

4

24. Qd2 Nhxg5 25. Bd3 Qc8

26. Nce4! Now the situation has become crystal clear. Despite the relative lack of a pawn cover, White’s king is completely safe. Black’s compensation for his sacrificed material is nil, and in fact he will soon lose even more material thanks to a possible knight fork on d6. Black tries one last desperate tactic, which immediately backfires thanks to a zwishenzug on move 30: 26. ...Nxe4 27. Nxe4 Bxg4 28. Rxf7! Bh3+ 29. Kh1! Rxe4 30. Rxg7+! Kxg7 31. Qg5+ Kf8 32. Bxe4

Black resigns (1-0). It looks like Benoni players need to rethink the plan of ...Nf6-h7 and ...f7-f5.

That win set me up for the final round, where I would play against James Richardson, the only other player with three full points. James had played very well throughout the first three rounds, and I’d only drawn him once before in normal tournament play, so I really didn’t know what to expect in the crucial final-round game. Birmingham City Championship 2004 Richardson,J - Varagona Round 4

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 b6 4. Bg2 Bb7 5. O-O Be7 6. d4 c6!?

This is unusual, isn’t it? I came up with it over the board, because I wanted to avoid the drawish line of the Queen’s Indian Defense that we seemed to be headed for (6. ...O-O 7. Nc3 Ne4, etc.). Now, the position is starting to look more like a Closed Catalan—a spatial disadvantage for Black, to be sure, but at least the resulting complications would generate some winning chances. 7. Nc3 d5 8. Ne5!? After the game, James and I couldn’t decide what to make of this move. I seem to recall some lines of the Queen’s Indian Defense (where Black has played d7-d5 and the trade cxd, exd has occurred) where sometimes White’s knight ends up on e5. However, since sometimes in the Closed Catalan White tries to expand in the center with e2-e4-e5, a knight on e5 may just get in the way. Not only that, the d4-pawn may become a bit vulnerable without a guard on f3. James was aiming for the kind of Queen’s Indian position I mentioned earlier—a position where the e5-knight helps pressure Black’s queenside, in particular the c6-pawn, with the help of an a4-queen. However, White may be jumping the gun here: after all, the structure of the center still has yet to be defined.

5

8. ...O-O 9. Qa4 a6

Making 10. ...b5 a possibility. Already, we have reached what might be considered the crucial moment of the game! 10. cxd5?

This move does not fit in with White’s

opening strategy. In the Catalan, White is supposed to apply pressure on Black’s center and queenside; often, the best way to do this is to maintain the central tension. By clarifying the pawn structure, White makes it a lot easier for Black to decide on a plan and comfortably develop his pieces. Besides, White has spent his last few moves aiming at the c6-pawn, and now he gives the c6-pawn a new home! 10. ...cxd5!

Now the position is fully equal, since White has no queenside pressure and the d5-pawn is rock solid. Getting in e2-e4 has little point now, as it just leaves White with an isolated d4-pawn. But that means that the g2-bishop has nothing to do. Objectively the position is probably equal, but at the moment I personally prefer Black—after all, Black is better poised to expand and invade on the queenside! James said he’d only counted on 10. ...exd5, which would transpose into the unusual Queen’s Indian-type position I referred to earlier. But Black has no reason to be so generous. 10.

...cxd5! creates a calm, static pawn structure where White’s play has been totally stopped. 11. Bf4? I don’t think this is the right move at all. In general, a bishop on f4 and a pawn on g3 don’t mix. And specifically, in this position, a bishop on f4 doesn’t really accomplish that much. In fact, it denies White his last chance to come up with an active plan. It’s hard to say, but perhaps White really should try 11. f4!? b5 12. Qc2, at least hoping to distract Black with the possibility of f4-f5. 11. ...b5 12. Qb3 Nc6 13. Nxc6 Bxc6 14. a4?

This has to be a bad idea. It just makes White’s queenside cramp worse. Still, it can be hard to come up with productive moves when you’re stuck with the inferior side of a quiet position like this. Either way, now White’s game starts to deteriorate at an alarming speed. 14. ...b4! 15. Na2 Qb6 16. Rfd1 Rfc8 17. Nc1 a5 18. Qd3 Bb7 19. f3?

6

Here’s where Fritz starts to give White’s

position a major “thumbs-down.” Somehow, White’s pieces have become completely jumbled, and this move doesn’t help matters. Materially, things are equal, but White’s position is ruined. The end is in sight. 19. ...Ba6 20. Qe3 Rc2 21. Nd3!? b3! Black refuses to fall for 21. ...Bxd3 22. Qxd3 Rxb2?? 23. Bc1!. Now that Black has full control over the c-file, the game is in the bag. 22. Rac1 Rac8 23. Rxc2 bxc2 24. Rc1 Bxd3 25. Qxd3 Qxb2 26. Qd2 and resigns (0-1)

It won’t be long before the pawn promotes.

Thanks to all the players who came out to play and to James Scheurmann for directing the tournament superbly. As always, hope to see you next year. Editors Note: Here are the two games that Scott made reference to in his article: Seirawan,Yasser (2585) - Kasparov,Garry (2775) [A65] World Cup Skelleftea (13), 08.1989 [Bulletin] 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 0–0 6.Bg5 c5 7.d5 h6 8.Be3 e6 9.Qd2 exd5 10.cxd5 Re8 11.f3 h5 '!' Bulletin. 12.a4 a6 13.a5 Nh7 14.Bd1 Nd7 15.Nge2 Ne5 16.b3 Qh4+ 17.Bf2 Qf6 [17...Ng5? 18.Nc1!] 18.Qe3 h4 '!' Bulletin. 19.h3 g5 20.0–0 Bd7 21.Kh1 Nf8 22.Bg1 Nfg6 23.Bh2 c4 '!?' Bulletin. [23...Bb5!?] 24.Rb1 Rac8 25.Qa7 Nf4 26.bxc4 [26.Bxf4] 26...Nxc4 27.Rxb7 Nd2 28.Rg1 Nxh3 '!' Bulletin. [28...Nd3 29.Rxd7 Rxc3 30.Bxd6 Rcc8] 29.e5 [29.Rxd7 Ra8 30.Qb6 Nc4 31.gxh3 Nxb6 32.axb6 Qxf3+ 33.Rg2 Bxc3 34.Nxc3 Qxc3 35.Rxg5+ Kh8 36.Rxf7 Rxe4] 29...Rxe5 [29...Qf5] 30.Rxd7 Nxg1 31.Qxg1 Ree8 [31...Re7 32.Rxd6 Qf5 33.Rc6 Bxc3 34.Rxc3 Rce8 35.d6 Rxe2 36.Bxe2 Rxe2 37.Qc5 Re1+ 38.Bg1 Nxf3 39.Qc8+ Kg7 40.gxf3!] 32.Rxd6 Qf5 33.Ba4 Qd3 34.Bxe8 Rxe8 35.Rc6 h3 36.Bg3 [36.Qf2 Re3 … ¤xf3] 36...hxg2+ [36...Bxc3! 37.Nxc3 Nf1 38.Bf2 h2!] 37.Qxg2 Nxf3 38.d6 Re6 39.Qf2 g4 40.Rc8+ Kh7 41.Nf4 Rh6+ 42.Kg2 Ne1+ 43.Kg1 Nf3+ ½–½ Kortschnoj,Viktor (2635) - Kasparov,Garry (2675) [A64] Luzern Olympics (Men) Luzern (10), 1982 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 c5 5.d5 d6 6.Nc3 0–0 7.Nf3 e6 8.0–0 exd5 9.cxd5 a6 10.a4 Re8 11.Nd2 Nbd7 12.h3 Rb8 13.Nc4 Ne5 14.Na3 Nh5 15.e4 Rf8 16.Kh2 f5 17.f4 b5 18.axb5 axb5 19.Naxb5 fxe4 20.Bxe4 Bd7 21.Qe2 Qb6 22.Na3 Rbe8 23.Bd2 Qxb2 24.fxe5 Bxe5 25.Nc4 Nxg3 26.Rxf8+ Rxf8 27.Qe1 Nxe4+ 28.Kg2 Qc2 29.Nxe5 Rf2+ 30.Qxf2 Nxf2 31.Ra2 Qf5 32.Nxd7 Nd3 33.Bh6 Qxd7 34.Ra8+ Kf7 35.Rh8 Kf6 36.Kf3 Qxh3+ 0–1

7

Dothan Open by Ken Goodman

The third annual Dothan Open was held on a chilly December 11th, and like last year's event, it was a brisk little tournament: G/60 1st round, G/75 thereafter, and often little or no breather between rounds. For me it was special because of my first ever win against Tim Bond, which gave me clear first. The presence of certain upwardly-mobile contestants and strong showings by a couple of unrated players contributed to some unexpected results. For instance, Tim and I both missed

expected jousts against strong contender Bryan Tillis, and the eventual 4-way pile-up at second included both the early favorite and an unrated player. Congrats to James Richardson on a fine tournament! The playing site was again the pleasant Dakota Coffee Works, and the event drew a good crowd of local players. All in all, it was a nice one-day event, and I hope to see more of you there next year. Thanks to Tim Owens for directing.

Here's the crosstable: 3RD ANNUAL DOTHAN OPEN, 12/11/2004 3RD ANNUAL DOTHAN OPEN, 12/11/2004 # Player Name Rtg Total Rd1 Rd2 Rd3 Rd4

1 KENNETH W GOODMAN 1816 4 W16 W10 W15 W2 2 TIM BOND 1933 3 W12 W8 W5 L1 3 BRYAN TILLIS 1608 3 W13 W19 D9 D7 4 SAMUEL T PARKS 1379 3 L5 W6 W12 W15 5 JAMES RICHARDSON UNR. 3 W4 W9 L2 W10 6 WILLIAM L VAN NESS 1423 2.5 D17 L4 W19 W16 7 WILLIAM J MC TIGUE 1396 2.5 W18 L15 W11 D3 8 JEFFREY E BABINE 1364 2.5 W22 L2 W14 D9 9 JOHN E AGUERO 1458 2 W14 L5 D3 D8

10 TIM G OWENS 1344 2 W21 L1 W13 L5 11 JEROME HOWELL 1321 2 L15 W18 L7 W17 12 RUTH M ARMINGTON 1209 2 L2 W20 L4 W19 13 RANDALL D TEW 1029 2 L3 W22 L10 W20 14 A V WHITE 1014 2 L9 W21 L8 W22 15 BOYD D PHILLIPS UNR. 2 W11 W7 L1 L4 16 RONNIE BERGLUND 1196 1.5 L1 W17 H L6 17 GEOFFREY LOVE 919 1.5 D6 L16 W18 L11 18 MARY G ROEBLING 941 1 L7 L11 L17 B 19 PERRY JUSTIN ANDREWS 930 1 W20 L3 L6 L12 20 BILL MC ELROY UNR. 1 L19 L12 W22 L13 21 CHRISTIAN BOOTHE UNR. 0 L10 L14 U U 22 BRIAN J STANTON UNR. 0 L8 L13 L20 L14

8

Here's my first round game, which ended with a pretty mating attack. 2004 Dothan Open, Rd.1 Ken Goodman vs. Ronnie Berglund 1. Nf3 d5 2. e3 c5 3. b3 Nc6 4. Bb2 e6 5. d4 Nf6 6. Nbd2 Last book move according to Fritz 8. 6…cxd4 7. exd4 Bb4 8. a3 Ba5

A fairly even position after a quiet beginning. 9. Bd3 Ne4 10. b4 Nxd2 11. Qxd2 Bb6 12. O-O Qf6 Putting pressure on my d pawn. To me this is an awkward post for the queen, but Fritz likes this move. 13. Rfe1 Bd7 This prevents my bishop check on b5 if the knight moves, and so makes the threat against my d pawn real. 14. Bf1

I thought this was a neat way to cover the pawn, but Fritz suggests countering with the immediate push 14. c4. 14... O-O-O

This is a bad idea, because Black's queenside is rather loose and will soon be pried open. Ronnie was worried about the pressure of my bishop pair on the kingside, but that's still a much safer place for the monarch. Now the push is automatic... 15. c4 h6 16. Rac1 Kb8 17. Bc3 This is just to keep the black bishop or knight from going to a5 after I push b5. This turns out to be a good jumping-off point for my bishop later on. 17... Bc7 18. b5 Bf4 Here I got lucky. I was so focused on my attack that I didn't notice this skewer, supported by the "awkward" black queen. Fortunately my attacking prospects against the weak black king position outweigh the minor nuisance of losing the exchange. In fact, Black should probably forego the material gain and try to keep his queenside together. 19. Qc2 Bxc1 20. bxc6 Bxc6 21. Rxc1 Rhg8 22. Ne5 Be8

9

Who's minding the store? This is a bad move because it cuts off the two black rooks, removing both B and R(g8) from defense duty. Observe how lonely the black king is now. 23. cxd5 exd5 24. Ba5 b6 The last chance was 24... Bc6, blocking the c file but giving back the material. 25. Qc7+ Ka8 26. Ba6 Rb8

27. Qxb8+ Faced with 27... Kxb8 28. Rc8 mate, Ronnie resigned. 1-0 Here's my last round win against Tim Bond. 2004 Dothan Open, Rd.4 Ken Goodman vs. Tim Bond

1. Nf3 f5 2.

2. d4 Nf6 3. 3. e3 g6

This hardly seems like an exotic position, but we're out of Fritz's opening book already. 4. Bd3 Bg7 5. Nbd2 d6 6. O-O O-O 7. c3 Qe8 8. Qb3+ Kh8

9. Ng5 Picking on the apparent weakness along the diagonal b3-g8. Unfortunately, e6 and f7 are easily protected at this point. It's probably premature to invade with the knight here. 9... e5 10. dxe5 dxe5 11. Bc4 Still trying to cause trouble at e6 or f7. Sadly, my knight will be chased away before it can do much harm.

10

11... h6 12. Ne6 Bxe6 13. Bxe6

I was thinking I would have accomplished two things here: swapping off knight for bishop, and weakening the pawn structure around Black's king. By this time, though, I realized Black could force me to give up my own bishop... 13... Nc6 14. Bc4 Na5 15. Qb5 Nxc4 16. Qxc4 e4

Now Black has a lead in development and an advantage in space. I had thought he would have to spend a move protecting the pawn at c7, giving me a chance to push e4. In fact the pawn is a small price to pay for Black's gains in space and time. 17. Qxc7 Rf7 18. Qa5 b6 19. Qb4 Bf8

I'm obviously having trouble finding a good square for my queen, but I felt Black's bishop really belonged on the long diagonal here. 20. Qb3 Ng4 21. h3 Ne5

Now Black can plant the knight securely at d3 whenever he sees fit. 22. Rd1 Rc8 23. Nf1 g5 24. Bd2 f4 25. Rac1 Nd3 26. Rc2

Bc5 Probably an important missed opportunity. Tim was undoubtedly eyeing the knight sac at f2, waiting for just the right moment. That moment seems to have just passed. Fritz suggests 26... Nxf2 27. Kxf2 fxe3+ 28. Ke1 exd2+ 29. Rcxd2, advantage Black.

11

27. c4 Now on ... Nxf2 I have the in-between move Bc3+. 27... Qf8 28. Bc3+ Now Black's own wide-open kingside gives me the opening I need to get my bishop into play and neutralize an attacker. 28... Kh7 29. Bd4 Now Black's attack is covered and the position seems basically even. 29... fxe3 30. fxe3 h5 Black needs to add some protection to the pawn on e4, indirectly supporting the knight on d3. 30... Re8 might do the job. 31. Ng3 Bxd4 32. exd4

32…Nf2 This is the losing move in my book. Now I get to kick the invading knight around, and because of other threats Black won't have time to save it... 33. Rf1 Nd3 34. Rxf7+ Qxf7 35. Nxe4

Now the black knight hangs, as Black must avoid 36. Nxg5+, winning the queen. With most of Black's attacking pieces off the board, there's just no compensation for the doomed knight, and the rest is just mopping up. 35... Kh6 36. Qxd3 Rf8 37. Rf2 Qe7 38. Rxf8 Qxf8 39. Qe3 Qf5 40. h4 Kh7 41. Nxg5+ ... and Black resigned. My first ever victory against Tim! 1-0 Test Yourself 1)This puzzle is a test of your ability to see ahead from the start of the game. In this Russian game from 1976, play opened 1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3 Bf5 4.cxd5 Nxd5. Now White’s fifth move made Black resign immediately. What was White’s crusher? (Solve without moving the pieces on the board).

2) The endgame below illustrates an idea that every chess player needs to know. Black to move; should play continue (a) Kf4 (b) Ra1+ (c) Bd3 or (d) some other move, and what is your verdict of the position.

For solutions, see inside back cover.

12

Zebra Bait by Jerry McGowin

Escape. Almost everyone around me fleeing north on Interstate 75 was surely trying to escape the wrath of Hurricane Ivan, but I was heading toward a chess tournament. The trip thus far had been relatively uneventful, despite the fact that I was being tailed by a powerful hurricane from my home state of Alabama. The traffic was backed up for miles due to an accident, as I sat staring at the “Welcome to Knoxville” sign. After more than two hours, I was finally on my way, consulting a local radio station for weather bulletins as I negotiated city traffic. “If you’re heading east, you’d better do it now.” The announcer advised, but he must have been ignorant of the fact that no one was going anywhere east toward Ashville.

Interstates are bad luck for me, I thought after an hour’s wait. Maybe if I backtracked and set out on the back roads… This proved fruitful until I reached the mountains on the Tennessee-North Carolina border. Up ahead I spied a police officer in the middle of the road. Was this trip meant to be?

“The bridge is out, but if you turn here, there is another crossing that will bring you back to this highway in no time,” the officer assured me. “Oh no!” I cried as I found an identical police vehicle parked in front of the promised span across the swollen creek. Back to square one. I returned to the first bridge to acquire about further possible crossings. After a lengthy disposition on the irresponsible, misinformation passed along by Ellie, the dispatcher, I was directed to another route. This detour cost me an hour just to arrive across the water. Maybe at last I can make some headway. If I had only known! I took an opportunity to pull off the side of the road at an intersection and consult my map. “This fellow looks like he is lost, too.” I thought as I glanced over at a flatbed truck filled with pallets of dog food and returned to staring at

my map. The high-pitched hum of an engine filled the air. “Surely no one would be speeding on this mountainous highway,” I thought just before the white car crested the hill and slammed into the truck. Dog food flew everywhere, filling the bed of my Toyota pickup. Thankfully, no one was injured, but I was going nowhere. As I filled out the witness report for the accident, it began to rain. Concerned about hundreds of pounds of the chunks becoming waterlogged in my vehicle, I waded in knee-deep to try and shove the mess out. “I’m afraid I will have to write you a ticket if you continue to litter,” the officer told me. “But it would have been on the side of the road if I hadn’t been here,” I attempted to reason with the cop. “I’m sorry, but that’s the law.” I shut my tailgate and my mouth and left as soon as possible. Soaked to the skin, I tried for several miles to find a sufficient shoulder to pull over and dump my impromptu load, but those were few and far between on the curves of the old mountain pass. Finally, I spied a construction sight just off the road. Perfect, I grinned. What was I thinking? I drove over a small, wooden bridge spanning the roadside creek to the muddy construction area, intent on losing my extra weight. As I got out of my truck, I noticed a loud roar. The small, gurgling brook that ran alongside the highway was a raging torrent, seeming to rise as I stood there watching. I’d better get out of there. As I drove onto the makeshift bridge, it collapsed beneath the truck, dropping about 1 foot into the creek’s rising waters. All I could see was the headlines of my hometown paper: Alabama preacher drowns in North Carolina creek. Maybe it was the weight of the dog food in back that held the truck steady. I’m at a construction sight. I’ll just build a ramp over. That or I’ll have to start building an ark. It was none too soon for me before the job was completed and I was out of danger of becoming a highlight on the perils of river rafting with a pick-up truck.

13

Thank you, Lord, I whispered as I set out to complete my journey. After several miles, I finally found a shoulder to pull off. That looks like zebras in that pasture, I exclaimed to myself. Maybe I can take a picture with my cell phone. Alas, it was too far away I discovered and I put the phone back in the truck to push at the soggy dog food. Suddenly, I heard the thunder of hooves as 3 zebras ran toward the fence and creek that separated us. Goodness, those are friendly zebras. Or maybe they think I’m going to feed them. As soon as I finish, I’ll take a picture, I promised myself. Presently, there was a loud crack, and a tree fell nearby, knocking down the fence. Lickety-split, here came the zebras, as I finished raking out the dog food, their ears perked forward as they came. Wouldn’t the folks back home like to hear how I got to pet a live zebra! The zebras had other ideas, however. I was totally unaware that zebras can growl. Or maybe roar. Whatever it was, it wasn’t the kind of welcome I was expecting. I thought they were after the dog food, but they seemed to want to make me their next meal. As they rushed at me with teeth bared, I beat a hasty retreat toward the door. Unfortunately, the disgruntled zebra seemed to know my next move. I darted, I stutter-stepped, I faked from either direction, using every move in a running back’s game plan and a few I‘ve never seen on the gridiron before. Those striped fiends had obviously read the playbook. Round and round we circled the pick-up, as I spun and slipped on loose dog food chunks. Peter’s hurried prayer was all I could utter, “Lord, save me!” Finally, I was able to duck inside the passenger door, slamming it in a striped face. Exhausted, I momentarily collapsed on the pile of my belongings on the seat. My clothes were soaking wet, covered in mud and dog food as I crawled over my only change of clothing, but I was safe from becoming zebra lunch at last! I gunned the pick-up only to feel a lurch and feel it sliding backwards. Oh, no. What now? I had forgotten that between the truck and my pop-up camper was a four-foot pile of soggy canine fodder. To say the exotic equines were becoming increasingly agitated would be an

understatement. Old westerns flashed through my mind. The Indians were circling the wagons. I cringed as a flying hoof found metal. Frantically I rocked the trailing camper back and forth until it at last broke free and I left one more mess behind in the slush. After the zebra fiasco, I was finally able to reach my destination without further incidence. As I signed into the tournament, I realized that the five and one half-hour trip had taken eleven hours to complete. I had just enough time to set up my camper at a nearby camp and return for my long awaited competition. A sign at the camp instructed campers to fill out an information card and slip it under the door with a designated per-night fee. I did as instructed and tried to set the camper aright in the dark as quickly as possible. As I prepared to leave, a voice behind me startled me. “Heh!” I turned to find myself face to face with the brothers from Deliverance. “You know, we’ve had to shoot a few of the campers before for leaving without paying.” The fellows grinned and elbowed each other. “Please,” I muttered in despair and opened my coat to reveal my splattered clothing. “Just shoot me and get me out of my misery.” The brothers looked at each other, wide-eyed. “Oh, no, I don’t think we’ll have to do that? yet. Just be sure to pay up.” That night I played the worst game of chess that I had ever played in my entire life? even before I learned how to play the game. But at least it left me with plenty of time to visit with other competitors and to tell my adventure version of a North Carolina safari. Some did not believe it could possibly be true, but one look at my adrenaline-laced, wide-eyed expression, and they became believers. I felt like Jonah telling his big fish story. I arrived back at the camp after midnight, leaving my stained clothing soaking in the small sink. It only seemed like a few minutes when I was awakened to rapid gunfire. My

14

former military training served me well, as my body found the floor almost before my brain registered the noise. Despite my earlier pleas, I really didn’t want to be found laced with buckshot or other stray ammunition. The brothers must be carrying out their threats and really shooting at someone, I thought as I crawled toward the door. The only exit was facing an embankment, so I would have to look under the trailer to detect muzzle flash. I threw open the door and ducked, only to be struck in the head by what must be a bushel or so of wet acorns. I slammed the door and rolled over on my back, only now noticing the

wind as it rocked the small trailer. “Lord, you have some sense of humor,” I remarked wryly.

It goes without saying that I didn’t get much sleep that night. The next morning I played the second worst game of my life and was knocked out of the competition, but I found that I didn’t lack for meal companionship. Everyone wanted to hear the zebra story and was willing to pay my meal ticket just to hear it. And they christened me with a new nickname: Zebra Bait.

15

Remembering Walter Schaetzle

1) by Rose Marie Stutts, Ed.D. Director Freedom Chess Academy Walter came to us at the Freedom Chess Academy at the Benjamin Barnes YMCA in Tuscaloosa Alabama, with a loving way of teaching chess, to children and adults, which made him respected and admired by all he touched. At first the students were intimidated by his quiet gruffness, but immediately they warmed to him and his wonderful examples of "chess sense" and the light of understanding glowed in their eyes. His examples are permanently woven into the core of the way chess is taught at the Academy. The Queen that leaves the back ranks too soon is the "Queen who never came home." A Bishop or Knight that doesn't leave the back rank to do its job is a "lazy piece that just stays in bed." With Walter as my chess mentor, every game with him was a learning experience. He was as ever patient with me as he was with the children and our senior citizen chess group at Focus on Senior Citizens. During the few years I knew Walter , he was not well. In spite of his illness he came to both programs of the Freedom Chess Academy to teach and play chess. He was a Catholic of deep and abiding faith. In his service to the Academy and to the future of chess in Tuscaloosa he personified the words of St. Fransis of Assisi: “Preach the Gospel constantly, when necessary, use words.” When I sat with the children to tell them of Dr. Schaetzle ' s passing - they spoke of how they'll miss him. Then one girl said, "He's teaching chess in heaven now." Another boy laughed and said, "1 bet he's telling them to get their lazy Knights out of bed too. Another child piped up "Some angel's Queen going to learn to stay home till she's needed."

2) by Giles D’Souza Walter Schaetzle was very active in Tuscaloosa and Alabama, chess circles. As president of the ACF he made things happen. A dynamic TD/organizer in the middle 90s, he will be remembered for having brought the US Amateur South championship to Alabama in 1994 and ’95. Between 1991 and 1998, he directed 36 events (88 sections), including the under 1600 section at the World Open in 1994.

An active player, Walter played in 103 events since 1991, when he had a rating of 1946. In the last state championship his floor was 1700, but his quick chess rating was 1846. A chronic heart condition forced him to give up organizing chess and only play the occasional game. Even when he did, he would tell the TD that he was unsure if he could make it from one round to the other. Here is a game we played in the Druid Knights Open in Tuscaloosa, which was won by Bill Melvin and ably directed by one of Walter’s protégés, Don Yessick. The game was played at G/120 and I was lucky to come out of the opening and middlegame with an advantage, but short of time I succumbed to Walter’s prowess in quick chess. D'Souza,Giles - Schaetzle,Walter [B99] Druid Knights Open (Rnd 2), 10.06.2000 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Be7 8.Qf3 Nbd7 9.0–0–0 Qc7 10.Bd3 b5 11.a3 Bb7 12.Rhe1 Nc5 13.Kb1 Nxd3 14.Qxd3 0–0 15.Nb3 Rac8 16.Rd2 h6 17.Bxf6 Bxf6 18.Qxd6 Bxc3 19.Qxc7 Rxc7 20.bxc3 Rxc3 21.Rd7 Ba8 22.Ra7 Rfc8 23.Rxa6 Rxc2 24.Rxa8 Rxa8 25.Kxc2 Rxa3 26.Ra1 b4 27.Kb2 g5 28.f5 exf5 29.exf5 g4 30.Rxa3 bxa3+ 31.Kxa3 Kg7 32.Nd4 Kf6 33.Kb4 Ke5 34.Kc4 Ke4 35.Kc5 h5 36.g3 Ke5 37.Kc6 Kxd4 38.Kd6 Ke4 39.f6 Kf5 40.Ke7 Kg6 41.Kd7 Kxf6 42.Kd6 Kf5 43.Kd5 Kg5 44.Ke5 f5 45.Kd4 f4 46.Ke4 f3 47.h4+ Kf6 48.Kd3 Kf5 49.Ke3 Ke5 50.Kf2 Kd4 51.Kf1 Kd3 52.Kf2 Kc2 53.Kf1 f2 54.Ke2 f1Q+ 55.Kxf1 Kd1 0-1. Here my flag fell, but the game is lost as I am in zugzwang, and will lose both pawns.

16

IM Rachels Appreciation by Giles D’Souza

The IM Rachels Appreciation was held at the Bridge Club in Vestavia on January 22. Stuart Rachels, Alabama’s strongest player ever, has now given up chess in favor of Bridge, so the location was ironically appropriate. The competition was fierce and four players, Ozgur Aktunc, Bill Savoie, Sean McConnell, and Steve Dibble shared first place. The event was held in a fine venue, and masterfully directed by James Scheuereman. Here is my last round game against Steve Dibble. (6) D'Souza,Giles - Dibble,Steve [B01] IM Rachels Appr., Bham, AL (Rnd 4), 22.01.2005 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nf3 Bg4 4.Be2 Nc6

5.d3?! Theory recommends 5.d4, but I had forgotten the continuation and thought the text was playable. 5...e5 6.Be3 0–0–0 7.Nbd2 f5! 8.Bg5 Be7 9.Bxe7 Ngxe7 10.h3 Bh5! Much better than exchanging on f3. Fritz 8 now evaluates Black's position to be a pawn up. 11.Nb3 g5 [Better is 11...e4 12.dxe4 Qxe4 13.Qc1 Bxf3 14.gxf3 Qe5 when Black is winning.] 12.c4 Qg8

13.Qc2 [Possibly better is 13.g4 fxg4 14.hxg4 Bxg4 15.Nxe5 Nxe5 16.Bxg4+ when Black still has a winning advantage, but not as strong as the text.] 13...Bxf3 14.Bxf3 [I should have tried 14.gxf3 which is marginally better than the text.] 14...Nb4 15.Qc3 Nxd3+ 16.Kf1 g4 [Much stronger is 16...e4 now White, though still at a disadvantage, gets back into the game.] 17.hxg4 fxg4 18.Be4 Nf4 19.Na5 Trying to fight back. 19...b6

[Fritz 8 says 19...c6 is better.] 20.Qxe5! Qf7!! Steve finds the best defense. Other moves lead to a White advantage. 21.Bb7+ Kb8 22.Ba6 [22.Be4 gives Black more problems to solve.] 22...Nd3! 23.Qe2 To prevent the mate on f2. 23...bxa5 24.c5 Nf5 Threatening, with Ng3+, to fork the King, Queen and Rook, a true family fork. 25.Kg1 Nd4 Maintaining the pressure. Now Black has a clearly won game, and just needs to be careful not to blunder. 26.Qxg4 [Better is 26.Qxd3 Nf3+ 27.gxf3 Rxd3 28.Bxd3 Qxf3 29.Rxh7 Rg8 but White is still lost.] 26...Rhg8

Editor’s Notes By Giles D'Souza I wish you and yours a happy and prosperous 2005. May you enjoy your chess games even if you don’t always mate and slay your opponents. Alabama chess is now at the crossroads. There seems to be less OTB play, and fewer tournaments in the state. With the sad departure of Kirk Petty to Arkansas, we have an opportunity in the person of Jerry McGowin, who replaces Kirk and is dedicated to having the ACF be the catalyst that invigorates chess in Alabama. Please email your articles to me at gdsouza@cba.ua.edu as word, text or rtf file attachments. The deadline for submissions for the next issue is April 9. In this issue we have contributions from Scott Varagona, Ken Goodman, Jerry McGowin, and Marie Stutts. Please join me in saying a profound thank you to them. Enjoy this issue! Continued from page 16, IM Rachels Appreciation. 27.Qe4

Now White has a mate in four 27...Qxf2+ 28.Kh2 Qg3+ [The mate in four 28...Rxg2+ 29.Qxg2 Nf3+ 30.Kh3 Qh4# was pointed out by Ozgur after the game.] 29.Kg1 Nf3+ 0–1 White can choose to give up the Queen and receive a mate in six or get mated in one. A brilliantly played game by Steve.

What’s Your Verdict?

In the above position, it is Black’s turn to play. Your job is to evaluate the position and recommend Black’s best move, supporting your opinion with some concrete analysis. Email your solutions to me (at gdsouza@cba.ua.edu) by March 31, 2005. A drawing will be held from among the best entries, and the winner will receive the book, “How Good is Your Chess,” by Larry Evans

Dedication I would like to dedicate this issue to my first chess teacher and mentor, my beloved father, David, who passed away on February 2, in Plano TX, at the age of 84. May he rest in peace.

Antics On-Line Please note that Antics is now available on-line in pdf format at http://www.chessantics.com/. You will find all past issues archived, starting from Fall 2003. It is therefore possible, if a majority of members so approve, to do away with the hard copy version of Antics. Please make sure that your views on this issue are know to either Jerry McGowin (iuplift@direcway.com ), Ken Goodman (chess@finefellow.com) or myself (gdsouza@cba.ua.edu).

Solutions to Test Yourself Puzzle 1: 5.e4 (Black resigned as a piece is lost. If 5…Bxe4 then 6.Qa4+ wins the bishop. Puzzle 2: (b) Ra1+ is correct, because Black can force a draw: 1...Ra1+ 2.Rf1 Rxf1+ 3.Kxf1 Bh3 4.gxh3 since the bishop does not control the h8 square.

Queen of Hearts List of Winners since 1992

Year Open Reserve 2004 Todd D Andrews Keenan Olson 2003 Todd D Andrews John E Aguero/A Earl Whayne 2002 Todd D Andrews Robert M Rieves 2001 Stephen A Muhammad John Erwin Caldwell/James F Brown 2000 Stephen A Muhammad Ryan Willis 1999 Stephen A Muhammad Juliano Joaquin 1998 Stephen A Muhammad Trent Sims 1997 Stephen A Muhammad Constantine Ananiadis/Thomas Elmes 1996 Ross F Sprague Patrick R Alford/John N Morcos 1995 A J Goldsby Patrick B Maginnis 1994 Bill Melvin/A J Goldsby David Hayes/Andy Reeder/James R Bowen 1993 John F Morash/Keith R Jakeman No reserve section? 1992 Clark R Harmon William R Savoie 33RD ANNUAL QUEEN OF HEARTS CHESS TOURNAMENT, FEBRUARY 12-13, 2005, AUBURN UNIVERSITY AT MONTGOMERY (AUM) ON-SITE REGISTRATION: $45.00 Sat., Feb. 12th, 8:00-9:00 AM ROUND TIMES: Saturday, 9:30 2:30 7:30 Sunday, 9:00 3:00 TIME CONTROL: 30/90; SD/30 ACF BUSINESS MEETING: Sunday, 1:30 - 2:30 CONTACT INFORMATION:Caesar Lawrence: caesar.lawrence@juno.com , 334-868-0271

ACF/Antics 10 Sherwood Dr Tuscaloosa, AL 35401 February, 2005 To