Sunday, November 30, 2008

Robert Wade 1921-2008

TWIC reports that Bob Wade, International Master, arbiter, journalist, coach, organiser, writer, editor, chess archivist, friend to chess , died 29th November 2008 at 3am from pneumonia.

Hugh Brodie, at chesstalk has compiled a list of his connections to Canada.

Although he was a Kiwi/Brit, I will add that he played 2nd board for Manitoba in the "Manitoba-Minnesota match" of September 3, 1947 !


Wade travelled with Abe Yanofsky to several tournaments in that era and often joined with him in holding tandem simuls. John Enns, at this year's AY, told that he was present for this or a similar exhibition (I recall we spoke about a tandem, but I can't recall if Wade was involved). I also recall Jack Woodbury mentioning Wade.

Some wonderful tributes here

Audio with Speelman and Pein below:


Friday, November 28, 2008

Cecil's Saturday Puzzle - November 22, 2008

From the Winnipeg Free Press

White to move and Mate in 3 (Branton)

I tried a few quick lines and decided that the g4 square has to be covered immediately. So 1.Nf2
Then I have ideas of playing Bg7 to cover h6 (if the R moves, Black may be able to run over there, moving the bishop also vacates f4 for Qf4 mating ideas. What do you think ?

Oh, I forgot one of the 'issues' I encountered early - 1...Bg8 and Black has a nuisance check.

So, I had to put the engine on this one... the answer is 1. Bh8.
So I looked at some lines and couldn't figure out why 1.Bg7 isn't just as good.
For the answer, please play through some lines below. Some very nice lines.


Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Grand Prix - Round 2

Mundwiler - Kernetsky DRAW
There must be a tactic after 31.Kf1


how about 31...Bxf4 32. Nxe4 Qe4 winning easily. Black doesn't find that but eventually
gets a winning position anyway. I only guess that Black was in severe time pressure otherwise he would have found Bc7 starting around move 45 that easily preserves the win.

Kong - Jim Green 1-0
I was surprised by 23. Qxc5 - I thought dxc5 would leave Black grovelling with a really bad bishop. But Kong makes great use of the c5 square and mops up.

Wierda- Greenberg 0-1
18...Nxf2 is a nice winning shot.

Arie Wasserman - Aaron Green 0-1
White had chances to save the ending with 28. Nd2.

Evans - Wiebe 0-1
White initiates some tactics with 18. Qb3 that backfire, but he had an interesting alternative in 18. Rxf5 !

Letain - Swift DRAW
A quiet opening transforms into dangerous attacks on the g and h files. White blunders the exchange on move 28, but in the complications Black can not find the winning move 30...Rxe3
The players eventually enter an equal ending where Black misses a win after 45. Kc5
Black played ...Ke4 - but the winning line is 45...Kd3 46. Kxc6 Kc4 ! 47.Kb6 b4! and wins easily.

Repa -Crawford 1-0
Black played well, but after missing 27...Qf4+, White was able to coordinate his pieces for a mating attack

Pottinger - Lauritson 0-1
White wins a pawn in the ending, but Black's knights fight back until White blunders into a fork (as did Ari in the first round). [Was this another time scramble - game score shows 40...Nc3 which drops a knight ? or perhaps this was Nf6 which is logical and lets us continue with the game score.]

Ott - Campbell 0-1
White sacs a knight but doesn't get enough for it.

Mandusic - Trueman 0-1

Monday, November 10, 2008

Cecil's Saturday Puzzle - November 8, 2008

From the Winnipeg Free Press

White to move and mate in three (Shinkman)

My first try is 1. Kd5 to open up some black diagonals, e.g. 1...Kd5 2. Qd4#
However, 1...Ne2 and I don't have mate in another 2.

The solution is 1. Rg2

Friday, November 7, 2008

Grand Prix - Round 1

Comments on some games:

Mundwiler - Lipnowski DRAW
Black could have won a pawn with 13...cb4 followed by Qb6+.
31.Qf2 instead of Qf3 allowed Black some activity. Black appeared to be on his way to grinding out a win, but he played 42...e4 which exposes his king. 43...ed3 is apparently winning, but Black decided to play for the perpetual.

Kernetsky - Khedkar 1-0
Black falters with 35...Bd5; Be8 may have provided some chances to hold.

Greenberg- Green 0-1
White sacs a pawn with 13. f4, Black gives up the exchange, and then
I don't know what is going on. Apparently 26. Qd2 gives White chances to hold.

Evans - Wasserman
25...Bf8 is a mistake, but it is not obvious. White should respond with 26. Ne5 and
White looks like he has a dangerous initiative. White later allows a rook exchange; it is doubtful if he can hold the pawn endgame.

Wiebe - Aaron Green
White finds 29. e6 which should be good enough to grind out a win, but uncharacteristically misses 34. Rxe7+ and then blunders back the exchange with 35. Rd3.
Black returns the favour with 38...Nc3 when instead 38...gxf5 apparently forces a passer.

Swift - Leor Wasserman DRAW
17...c4 is a bit curious when the natural 18...d4 is available, however his idea was to get the knight to e4 via c5.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

October TNT Round 4

Bince - Kernetsky 1-0
I don't understand 22...Kd8. Black's counterplay on the queenside goes nowhere; White mates the bare king.

Jim Green - Lauritson 0-1
Did White lose this on time ? He has a slight advantage in the final position.
(Update: Jim Green tells me the game entered a time scramble; he estimates another 15-20 moves were played)

Evans - Wierda 0-1
White can't find a way to utilize his rooks and Black found a way to have his peices support each other. 29. Ra5 apparently would win the d5 pawn as 29...Ke6
30. g4 g6 31. a4 and Black is approaching zugszwang.

Prince - Aaron Green DRAW

Leah Green - Swift 0-1
Both players make huge blunders early. 8..Bxf2 ?? doesn't work because 9. Kxf2 Ng4+ 10. Qxg4
and Black is down a piece. (I noticed this immediately as a few years ago, John Katona tried something similar against me on f7). But White played 10. Ke2, and Black is up a pawn which he quickly converts in an endgame.

Gibson - Gibbons 0-1
"Tank" outplays his opponent in the ending.

October TNT Round 3

Lauritson - Bince 0-1
This game is worth looking at.
Black sacrifices the exchange, but eventally gets 2 pawns for it.
White tries to hang on with 41. Bc2 (Bxd5 lead to perpetual check by Black).
52. Rf8 would have given him some chances (if Ke7, then Rh8). Also, 55. a5 looks good keeping Black out of b6.

Kernetsky-Prince 1-0
24...f5 spells the end.

Aaron Green -Evans DRAW
I am not sure why Black wouldn't play this out unless he was in time trouble. 54...Kc3 may also be a winning try, but it requires precise calculation.

Daase - Mandusic 1-0

Leah Green - Gibson 1-0

Wierda - Ott 1-0
White exploited his opponent's weak pawn structure.




Swift - Jim Green 0-1
Again, not sure White resigned so early, he has some faint hope after something like 36.Rxh3 Qxc1 37.Rxc1 Rxb2 38.Rb3 Raa2 39.Rxb2 Rxb2 40.c4 Bf4 41.Rd1 bxc4 42. Bxc4