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                 IECC CHESS BITS & PIECES

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       Published by the International Email Chess Club
      Devoted solely to free E-Mail Correspondence Chess

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Volume 4, Issue 20                                June 1997
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                IECC MEMBERS OF THE MONTH

Each month we will introduce different members.

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Don Camper
Date of birth: 11/2/52
Place of birth:  Valparaiso, IN, USA

I grew up in a family of five in the suburbs of Cincinnati,
Ohio. Having one brother 6 years older and three sisters, I
quickly learned to be very competitive. I played baseball,
basketball, football and wrestled in high school. And then
played a little football at Eastern Kentucky University.
I still play softball whenever possible. However, I never
played any chess until I was about 18 years old and that
was just several not-so-memorable games with my brother
and friends during the 'Fischer' boom.

In 1973, I began and still work for the railroad (CSXT) as
a Special Agent in the police department. Just a year later,
I married my wife Debra and since have had four wonderful
children: Dreama (22), Don (21), Danita (14), and Dean (10).

While working for the railroad in 1976, I entered several
small informal chess tournaments organized by several
employees. Much to my surprise, I won. Not long afterwards,
nobody would play me or I did not want to play them.  So,
I joined the Correspondence Chess Club of America where
I played correspondence chess for about a year. I found that
postal was simply too slow for me at that time.

In late 1978, I found and joined a local chess club and
subsequently joined the USCF. In 1983, I tied for first
in the 'Cincinnati Championship' with a win over Sergey
Berchenko, who was the strongest player in the area at
that time. Ironically, I then decided to give chess a
rest. I had a wife and small children and chess was
certainly becoming an obsession. So, of course, I chose
my family over chess.

Since 1983, I have taken several sabbaticals from chess;
sometimes 3-4 years in duration and OTB board games are few.

In 1995, I discovered and apparently found my niche in
email chess. I found email chess quicker and cheaper
than postal, yet there is plenty of time to analyze each
game. I found meeting people from all over the world also
intriguing. Most importantly, I now can study chess at home
and be with my family.

The following games are not prize winners, nor are they
even pretty. However, I leave them with you because
oftentimes we tend to give up in ugly positions ...
instead of continually searching for the best moves.

Felber, Robert J. (2315) - Camper, Don (2240)
IECC CL1-1996.8 MASTER CLASS, 1996
[DON CAMPER]

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.e4 e6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e5 Nfd7 6.h4 c5

[6...a6! Looks like my future move in this variation!]

7.Bxe7 Qxe7

[7...Kxe7...I did not like]

8.Nb5 Kd8

[Psakhis gives this a ? .. but is it really that bad?!]

[8...O-O 9.Nc7 cxd4 10.Nxa8 f6
(10...Nxe5 11.Qxd4 Nbc6 12.Qd2 Qd6 13.Be2 Bd7 14.h5 f6
15.f4 Nf7 16.0-0-0 +/= Halifman-Levin, Riga 1988)
11.Qxd4
(11.Nc7 fxe5 12.Nb5 Nf6 ö  Are the pawns enough?)
11...Nc6 12.Qd2 fxe5 13.0-0-0 Nf6 14.f3 Qd6 15.Ne2 Bd7
16.Nc3 Rxa8 Bronstein-Stahlberg 1950
17.Ne4 ...decided a little to late I did not
like this position!?]

9.c3
[...felt this is the best reply cramping my game.]

9...f6 10.f4 Nc6 11.Rh3

[...Premature?...kingside is weak.]

11...a6

[...Had to be played, knight will land on d6 anyway
and this is my only hope of expanding on the queenside.]

12.Nd6 Rf8 13.Nf3 Rb8!?

[...expanding, but also a waiting move]

14.Qc2!?

[14.Qd3  ...seemed to be stronger.]

14...cxd4 15.Nxd4

[15.cxd4 fxe5
16.fxe5 Rxf3 17.gxf3 Nxd4 18.Qc3 Nxe5 19.Qxd4 Qxd6 +/=
 ...line I expected]

15...fxe5 16.Nxc6+ bxc6 17.Nxc8 Kxc8! 18.O-O-O Rxf4
19.g3 Rf8 20.Rh2 Kc7!

[...Hopes of getting white queen out of play.]

21.Qxh7 e4! 22.Qh5 Rf3!

[...Blocking the queen and threatening Rxc3+]

23.Rc2 Qf6 24.Bxa6

[24.Bg2 Rxg3 25.Rf1 Qh6+ 26.Qxh6 gxh6 27.Rcf2 Ne5;
24.Be2 Rxg3 25.c4

A) 25...d4 26.Qa5+ Rb6 27.c5 Nxc5 28.Rf1 Qh6+
29.Kb1 Nd7 30.Bxa6 d3
(30...Rc3 31.Rxc3 dxc3 32.Rd1 cxb2 33.Qa3 c5 34.Bc4)
31.Rc3 Rg2 32.Bb5 Rc2 33.Qa7+ Kd8 34.Qa8+ Ke7
35.Qa3+ c5 36.Rb3 Qxh4;

B) 25...Rh3 26.cxd5 Rxh4 27.Rxc6+ Kd8 28.Qxh4 Qxh4
29.dxe6 Qf6 30.Rxd7+ Ke8]
24...Ra8 25.Be2 Rf5 26.Qg4 Rxa2 27.Kb1 Ra8 28.Qh3 Rf2
29.g4 Qf4

[29...e5 30.g5 Qf4 31.Qe6 e3 32.c4 d4 33.c5 Qf7
34.Qd6+ Kd8 35.Bc4 Qf3 36.Rdc1 Rxc2]

24...Ra8 25.Be2 Rf5 26.Qg4 Rxa2 30.c4 e3 31.g5

[31.h5 d4 32.g5 (32.Qh4 Kd6 33.c5+ Nxc5 34.Rxc5 Rxe2)
32...Nc5 33.b4 Qe5-+;
31.Rf1 Nc5 32.cxd5 Nb3 33.Rxc6+ Kb7-+;

[31.cxd5 Rxe2 32.Rxe2 Ra1+ 33.Kxa1 Qa4+ 34.Kb1 Qxd1+
35.Ka2 Qxe2-+; 31.cxd5??]

31...Nc5  0-1

   ...possible continuations: 32.Qg4 [32.cxd5 Qa4
33.Rxc5 Qa1+ 34.Kc2
Rxe2+-+]
32...Nb3 33.Qxf4+ Rxf4 34.Rc3 Nd2+
[34...Ra1+ 35.Kc2 Nd4+
36.Rxd4 Rxd4 37.Rxe3 Rxh4 38.Rxe6]

35.Kc2 [35.Kc1 d4-+; 35.Rxd2 exd2
36.cxd5 exd5 37.Kc2 Rxh4 38.Kxd2
(38.Bb5 Rh2 39.Rxc6+ Kb7 40.Rd6)

38...Ra2 39.Kc2 Rb4-+] 35...d4 36.Ra3
[36.Rd3 Rxh4-+] 36...Rxa3 37.bxa3 Rxh4-+  0-1

Not pretty, but a neat game.

Dale Whitehead (2325) - Don Camper (2260)
IECC-CL1-1996.10-MASTER CLASS, 1997
[Don Camper]

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 d6 3.g3 f5 4.Bg2 Nf6 5.d4 e4 6.f3 exf3
7.Nxf3 Be7 8.O-O O-O 9.b3 c6 10.d5 Ng4 11.dxc6 Nxc6
12.Nd5 Bf6 13.Nxf6+ Rxf6 14.Qd5+ Be6 15.Qb5 Qc8
16.h3 Nge5 17.Nxe5 dxe5 18.Bb2 f4 19.Bxc6 bxc6
20.Qxe5 Bxh3 21.Rxf4 Rg6 22.Kh2 Qd7 23.Rd4 Qf5
24.Re4 Qd7 25.Qe7 Rf8 26.Qxd7 Bxd7 27.Rd1 Rf7
28.Rf4 Rxf4 29.gxf4 Bg4 30.Rd8+ Kf7 31.e3 Re6
32.Rd7+ Re7 33.Rxe7+ Kxe7 34.Bxg7 Bf5 35.Bd4 a6
36.Kg3 Be4 37.Kg4 Ke6 38.b4 Bd3 39.c5 Bb1
40.Kg5 h6+

[40...Bxa2 41.e4 Kf7 42.f5 h6+ 43.Kf4+-]

41.Kxh6

[41.Kg4 h5+ 42.Kg3 h4+ 43.Kf3 h3 44.a3 Be4+ 45.Kg3 Bg2
46.e4 Bxe4 47.Kxh3 Kf5]

41...Bxa2 42.Kg5

[42.Kg7 Kf5 43.Kf8 Bc4 44.Ke7 Bb5 45.Kd6 Ba4 46.Be5 Bb5
47.e4+ Kxe4 48.Ke6 Bc4+ 49.Kf6 Bf1 50.f5 Bh3
51.Ke6 Bxf5+ 52.Kd6 Bg6 53.Bh2 Be8=]

42...Bb1 43.Kg4 Bd3 1/2-1/2

And I was thinking about resigning early in this game?!?!
:)HAPPY CHESS:)

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Steve Smithers

I am a 39 year engineer in California, USA. I have a wife,
Vanessa, and two boys, Samuel and Joshua.

At chess I have been a USCF National Master since 1981 and
have been playing E-mail chess for about two years.

I play blitz chess as often as I can and attend the Palo
Alto Chess Club when I get a chance. I am currently playing
about 25 E-mail games. I am playing in the IECG World
Championship 2, which just started. I am at the top position
of the IECC Pyramid.

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Lisa Powell

I am 72 years young and a retired advertising copywriter and
marketing communications manager. I have a wonderful husband,
Reid Powell, and we reside in Guelph, Ontario, Canada.

I had started playing chess when living in New York City in
the mid-1940's, when I worked for an ad agency whose
specialty was publishers and Book-Of-The Month Club.
David McKay republished a book called The Principles of Chess,
by James Mason -- not the actor -- and that started a new
hobby for me.

I joined a chess club in London Terrace. Its most famous
member was the French painter Marcel DuChamp.

Later I moved to Brooklyn, and became very active in the
Civic Center Chess Club in Brooklyn Heights. I was also
active in the Advertising Chess League.

Then, like so many others who become involved in other
activities, I drifted away from organized chess. It was
not until 1991 that I became interested in chess once
again, here in Guelph, Ontario. Like so many others,
I joined one of the organizations creating networks of
"bulletin boards" in North America and some parts of
Europe. The networks offered many conferences, and I
began to connect with the chess conferences in several
networks. To be part of this, I had to become a member
of a local system owned by a wonderful sysop --
system operator -- here in Guelph.

In late 1993 I became aware of the Internet. At that
time, many of us were playing chess games more quickly
via Internet -- but rated in the BBS chess conferences
I moderated.

Then I discovered a Usenet conference called
rec.games.chess, and started looking for others who would
join us in what soon came to be called:
International Email Chess Group. The idea caught on, and
soon new members were joining.

For reasons that I prefer not to rehash, I resigned from
IECG at the end of February 1995, and started IECC:
International Email Chess Club. My husband suggested
limiting the membership to 100 members. It seemed like
a good idea at the time, but IECC has grown to 1600+
members. How does one say no to chess players avid
to compete?

Most of the membership of IECC -- as is true of other
such organizations -- prefer to play without offering
to donate time to the running of an Internet chess
organization. If this sounds like a hint for you the
reader to consider helping the staff of IECC, it is.
<smile>

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                  WINNING A WON GAME by Bill Wall

        Stephen Keller - Steve Peters, IECC 1997 (M-678.1)

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bg5 Ne4 4.Bf4 c5 5.Bxb8 Rxb8 6.dxc5 e6
7.b4 b6 8.Ne5 bxc5 9.Nc6 Qc7 10.Nxb8 Qxb8 11.bxc5 Bxc5
12.Nc3 Nf6 13.Nb1 Ba6 14.c3 O-O 15.g3 Qb6 16.e3 Bxf1
17.Kxf1 Ne4 18.Kg2 Qd6 19.Qd3 Qe5 20.f3 Ng5 21.Re1 Qf5
22.Qxf5 exf5 23.Nd2 Re8 24.h4 Ne6 25.Rab1 Nc7 26.Rb7 Bd6
27.Rxa7 Re7 28.Kf2 h6 29.f4 g5 30.hxg5 hxg5 31.fxg5 Kg7
32.c4 Kg6 33.Nf3 Ne6 34.Rxe7 Bxe7 35.cxd5 Nxg5 36.Nxg5 Kxg5
37.Rd1 Bd6 38.a4 Kg4 39.a5 Bxg3+ 40.Ke2 Be5 41.a6 Bb8
42.d6 1-0

Sometimes winning a won game is the hardest thing for
players who fail to see their own attack and react to their
opponent's seemingly scary threats. This game is an example
of a player winning in all kinds of situations, but fails
to see his own attack, including a mate in one!

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bg5 Ne4

[The normal reply to this Queen Pawn setup]

4.Bf4

[4.Bh4 is also playable]

4...c5

[4...Bf5 has also been tried, but 4...c5 is more common]

5.Bxb8

[5.c3 or 5.e3 would be more preferable.  A player does not
usually give up a Bishop for a Knight unless it causes
another weakness, such as doubled pawns]

5...Rxb8 6.dxc5

[6.c3 or 6.e3]

6...e6

[or 6...Qa5+]

7.b4

[7.e3 or 7.Nbd2 is better]

7...b6 8.Ne5?

[8.c4 or 8.Nbd2]

8...bxc5?

[Black simply plays 8...Qf6, threatening the Knight and
mate with 9...Qxf2. White would have to play 9.Qd4,
then 9...bxc5 10.bxc5 Bxc5 is pretty strong]

9.Nc6?

[9.c3 or 9.Nd2 is safer]

9...Qc7?

[Black panics with the Knight fork on the Queen and Rook.
Best is 9...Qf6 10.f3 Rb6]

10.Nxb8 Qxb8 11.bxc5

[better is 11.Nd2, but Black can then play 11...Nc3 and cxb4]

11...Bxc5

[Black wants that pawn. But even stronger is 11...Qf4!
12.f3 Bxc5; if 12.Qd3 or 12.Qd4, then 12...Qc1+
13.Qd1 Qxd1+ 14.Kxd1 Nxf2, forking King and Rook and
winning the exchange.]

12.Nc3??

[12.e3 to prevent mate.  What was White thinking?]

12...Nf6??

[Unbelievable!  It is mate in one after 12...Bxf2 mate.
Black was not thinking of mate, but retreating and
not wishing to exchange.]

13.Nb1

[13.Rb1 or 13.Qd3]

13...Ba6

[13...Ne4 again or 13...Bxf2+ 14.Kxf2 Qf4+ 15.Ke1 Ne4

14.c3 [or 14.e3] 14...O-O [14...Ne4 still looks good]

15.g3 [15.e3 or 15.Nd2]

15...Qb6 [15...Ne4] 16.e3 Bxf1 [or 16...Qb2]

17.Kxf1 [17.Rxf1 is more natural] 17...Ne4 [or 17...Qb2]
18.Kg2 [18.Qe2 or 18.Nd2 or 18...Qc2] Qd6?

[18...Qb2! 19.Nd2 Nxd2 wins a piece]

19.Qd3 Qe5 [19...Rb8]

20.f3 [or 20.Nd2]

20...Ng5 [20...Ng6 or 20...Nfd6]

21.Re1 [or 21.h4 or 21.f4 to attack the Knight.
Where does it go?]

21...Qf5 [Not good to trade pieces and be left with
doubled pawns.  Better is 21...Rb8 or 21...f5]

22.Qxf5 exf5 23.Nd2

[23.Rd1 and if 23...Rd8 24.c4; if 23...Bxe3 24.Rxd5]

23...Re8 24.h4 [or 24.Nb3 and 25.Rad1]

24...Ne6 25.Rab1

[Rooks belong on open files]

25...Nc7 [25...Bb6 or 25...Rc8]

26.Rb7 [or 26.e4 fxe4 27.fxe4]

26...Bd6? [26...Bb6 is better, trying to trap the Rook]

27.Rxa7 Re7 [27...g6 or 27...Nb5]

28.Kf2 [better is 28.Rb7 and aiming to push the a-pawn
and preventing the Black Knight from getting to the
b5 square]

28...h6 29.f4 [29.Rb7 or 29.Nb3]

29...g5? [29...Nb5 or 29...Kh7 or Bc5]

30.hxg5 hxg5 31.fxg5 Kg7 32.c4 [or 32.Nb3]

32...Kg6 [or 32...Bb4 or 32...Bc5]

33.Nf3 [33.cxd5 Nxd5 34.Rxe7 Bxe7; 33.Rb7]

33...Ne6? [Black should take the pawn with 33...dxc4.
You should not exchange pieces when you are behind
in material]

34.Rxe7 Bxe7 35.cxd5 [or 35.Ne5+]

35...Nxg5 [perhaps 35...Nc5 is better rather than
exchanging more pieces]

36.Nxg5 Kxg5 37.Rd1 [or 37.a4]

37...Bd6 [better may be 37...Kf6, keeping the King close
to the White d-pawn.  It is still pretty hopeless for Black]

38.a4 Kg4 39.a5

[39.Rd4+ Kg5 40.a5 and 41.Ra4 should win easily]

39...Bxg3+ 40.Ke2 Be5

[last chance for resistance is 40...Bc7 41.a6 Bb6,
but 42.d6 wins]

41.a6 Bb8 42.d6 1-0

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       Winning Against The Odds by Ian Peddie

   Joanna Cheski - Harald Moessle, IECC 1997  (Pyramid-259)

1.b4 d5

[The Orangutan, or Sokolsky's Opening, named after the Russian
Grandmaster who brought the opening to prominence]

2.Bb2 Qd6 3.a3 e5 4.Nf3 e4

(4...f6 is a useful alternative.
Sokolsky-Villard, Kiev 1955 went: 4...f6 5.e3 Be6 6.d4 e4
7.Nfd2 f5 8.C4 c6 9.Nc3 Nf6 10.Qc2 a6 11.Na4 Qd8 12.Nc5 Bc8
13.Rc1 Be7 1-0 [34] )

5.Nd4 a5

(Sokolsky gives 5...Nc6 6.c4! dxc4 7.e3 with a slight plus
for white)

6.b5 Nf6 7.e3 Nbd7 8.Nc3 Ne5

(8.Nf5 is a premature sortie and white correctly focuses
on development)

9.Be2 c5

(aggressive. 9...Be7 may be more prudent since black is
then one move closer to castling)

10.bxc6 bxc6 11.Rb1

(11.d3 is an alternative)

11...Qc7?

(There seems little point in moving the queen again.
11...Be7 is again preferred)

12.d3 a4?

(Black is wasting time here. Simple development with
12...Be7 is better. Black's provocative play may be down
to the disparity of nearly 800 points in the respective
ratings of the two players)

13.h3 Be7

(13...Bc5 is intriguing: 14.Ndb5 cxb5 15.Nxb5 Qb8
16.Bxe5 Qxe5 17.d4 Bxd4 18.exd4 Qf4 looks fine for black)

14.O-O O-O 15.dxe4 dxe4 (with advantage to black)

16.Qc1 Bd7 17.Rd1 Rfd8 18.Ba1!

(a good move, increasing the scope of the rook)

18...Qa5?!

(18...Rab8 contesting the crucial b may be better)

19.Na2 Ng6 20.Bf1 Qg5 21.Kh1 Qh4 22.Kg1 c5 23.Ne2 Bc6
(23...Be6?!) 24.c4

(24.Rb6 Rxd1 25.Qxd1 Rd8 26.Qc1 Be8 looks equal)

24...Bd6 25.Qc2 Qg5 26.Nac3 Rd7

(White is beginning to regroup successfully
in the face of black's failure to break through)

27.Rb6 Ne7 28.Nb5 Be5 29.Bxe5 Qxe5 30.Nec3 Rxd1
31.Qxd1 Bxb5 32.Nxb5 h6

(The smoke has cleared and white has the advantage)

33.Qc2 Nc8 34.Rc6

(34.Rb7 immediately was better)

34...Ne7 35.Rc7 Nc8 36.Rb7

(36.Qd1!)

36...Ne8 37.Qd1 Ncd6 38.Ra7

(38.Rd7!?)

38...Rd8

(38...Rxa7 39.Nxa7 is worse for black)

39.Rxa4 f5 40.Ra6

(40.Nxd6 Rxd6 41.Qh5 Nc7 42.Ra7 Rf6 43.a4
with a clear advantage to white)

40...Nf7 41.Qe1 Qe7

(41...Nf6 may be slightly better)

42.Qa5!

(White can also play 42.Be2, but the text
is more to the point)

42.Nf6

(42...Ne5 heading for d3 may be the best practical chance)

43.Ra8 Nd7

(43...Kh7)

44.Nd6?!

(Better 44.Rxd8 Nxd8 45.Qa8)

44. Qxd6 45.Rxd8+ Nxd8 46.Qxd8+ Kf7 47.a4 Ke6 48.Qe8+ Qe7

(48.Qc8 Qd6 49.a5 Qb8 50.Qc6+ Ke7 51.g4 is also possible)

49.Qg8+ Qf7 50.Qa8 Qf8?

(50...Kd6 though black is lost anyway)

51.Qd5+ Ke7 52.g3

(No need for this when 52.a5 is available)

52...g6 53.a5 Qf6 54.Qb7 Qd6 55.a6 Qb6 56.Qxb6 Nxb6
57.g4 Kd6 58.gxf5 gxf5 59.Kg2 Kc7 60.Kg3 1-0

(60...Na4 61.h4 Kb6 62.Bh3 Nc3 63.Bxf5 Kxa6 64.Kf4 Ka5
65.Bxe4 Kb4 66.Bd5 Nd1 67.e4 etc.)

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If you have won or drawn an IECC game against
a higher-rated player, please submit that game
to Lisa Powell  <drpowell@uoguelph.ca>

Wanted: Members to analyze games.

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