I did a search on "Chess" and found this entry for John Walter Harris
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Was Pillsbury here in 1900 ?
The Winnipeg Free Press indicates that biographies of many Manitobans have been made available online thanks to a joint initiative of the University of Manitoba Press and the Manitoba Historical Society.
I did a search on "Chess" and found this entry for John Walter Harris
I did a search on "Chess" and found this entry for John Walter Harris
Cecil's Saturday Puzzle - May 10, 2008
Cecil's Saturday Winnipeg Free Puzzle - May 10, 2008
Loveday - White to mate in 3Let's see - if it was Black to move, b4 is forced. So let's go 1. Kb2 then ...b4.
Let's try a theme from last problem - 2. g5 (blocking the bishop) Kf4 and the king runs away.
Is there another way to block the bishop without changing the features of the position ?
Hmm, only the rook could possibly block the bishop. The bishop is only controlling one diagonal.
1.Bc1 b4 now we have to give the king a move. 2.Rd2 Kf4 3. Rd4 mate
By the way, Cecil has recently published a book, "Behind the Headlines: A History of Investigative Journalism in Canada".
Let's try a theme from last problem - 2. g5 (blocking the bishop) Kf4 and the king runs away.
Is there another way to block the bishop without changing the features of the position ?
Hmm, only the rook could possibly block the bishop. The bishop is only controlling one diagonal.
1.Bc1 b4 now we have to give the king a move. 2.Rd2 Kf4 3. Rd4 mate
By the way, Cecil has recently published a book, "Behind the Headlines: A History of Investigative Journalism in Canada".
Friday, May 9, 2008
May TNT Round 1
Silva - Lipnowski 0-1
A very rare appearance of the Clarendon Court ! Black's bishops prove to be too much.
Babb - Wierda 1-0
Black is standing very well until he misses that White's queen is covered by the knight on f4 when he plays 24...Nfd5 ??
Arie Wasserman Nikouline 0-1
White grabs a tainted pawn with 21.Nxe5 and loses a piece.
Mundwiler-Leor Wasserman 1-0
White's handling of the English is very unusual, but it looks like he was waiting for his young opponent to make a mistake. By move 20, the mistakes have been made, but Leor puts up credible resistance until the end.
Bince - Letain 1-0
11...Na5 was not achieving anything much, and after 12...c6 the horse was put to sleep.
Gibson - Kernetsky 0-1
White's speculative pawn sacrifice 12. f5 does not work out well.
Khedkar - Gibbons 1-0
Black resigned only a pawn down.
Kuropatwa - Rutter 0-1
White lost his c pawn to a small tactic and never quite recovered.
A very rare appearance of the Clarendon Court ! Black's bishops prove to be too much.
Babb - Wierda 1-0
Black is standing very well until he misses that White's queen is covered by the knight on f4 when he plays 24...Nfd5 ??
Arie Wasserman Nikouline 0-1
White grabs a tainted pawn with 21.Nxe5 and loses a piece.
Mundwiler-Leor Wasserman 1-0
White's handling of the English is very unusual, but it looks like he was waiting for his young opponent to make a mistake. By move 20, the mistakes have been made, but Leor puts up credible resistance until the end.
Bince - Letain 1-0
11...Na5 was not achieving anything much, and after 12...c6 the horse was put to sleep.
Gibson - Kernetsky 0-1
White's speculative pawn sacrifice 12. f5 does not work out well.
Khedkar - Gibbons 1-0
Black resigned only a pawn down.
Kuropatwa - Rutter 0-1
White lost his c pawn to a small tactic and never quite recovered.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
April TNT Round 5
Games and light annotations
Gibson - Mundwiler 0-1
3.e5 is unusual, but White was okay until the very committal 10.g4 - which drops a pawn and leaves the kingside very loose.
Wierda - Kong 0-1
White played the unprovoked 27. Bxd5 which leads to the loss of a critical pawn.
Jim Green - Arie Wasserman 1-0
With this win Jim informs that he has a huge 28 point lead for rating supremacy in the Green household. Enjoy it while you can Jim ! Black got his queen trapped.
Silva - Rumpel 1-0
Black plays into a fork, losing an exchange, and then faced with the prospect of losing his e pawn, resigns.
Leor Wasserman - Greenberg 0-1
Greenberg wins with the Sicilian !
Evans - Xue 0-1
White varies from Alekhine (!)-Duffo 1935 on move 8 (but I suspect by a different move order; Aekhine wouldn't miss 6. d6 which wins. White had the best of the play throughout until the losing 38. Rxd4.
Lauritson - Letain 1-0
Black doesn't find the answer (18...Nd5) to the threat of 19.b4 which wins a piece.
James Marten - Leah Green 0-1
White chases the c6 pawn to no avail. He could have regained the initiative with 19. Qg5
Gibbons - Peter Martens 0-1
Lorne once again snatches defeat from victory.
Kuropatwa -Kalk 0-1
White sacrifices a piece early for insufficient compensation. 22. c6 would have provided an advantage
Gibson - Mundwiler 0-1
3.e5 is unusual, but White was okay until the very committal 10.g4 - which drops a pawn and leaves the kingside very loose.
Wierda - Kong 0-1
White played the unprovoked 27. Bxd5 which leads to the loss of a critical pawn.
Jim Green - Arie Wasserman 1-0
With this win Jim informs that he has a huge 28 point lead for rating supremacy in the Green household. Enjoy it while you can Jim ! Black got his queen trapped.
Silva - Rumpel 1-0
Black plays into a fork, losing an exchange, and then faced with the prospect of losing his e pawn, resigns.
Leor Wasserman - Greenberg 0-1
Greenberg wins with the Sicilian !
Evans - Xue 0-1
White varies from Alekhine (!)-Duffo 1935 on move 8 (but I suspect by a different move order; Aekhine wouldn't miss 6. d6 which wins. White had the best of the play throughout until the losing 38. Rxd4.
Lauritson - Letain 1-0
Black doesn't find the answer (18...Nd5) to the threat of 19.b4 which wins a piece.
James Marten - Leah Green 0-1
White chases the c6 pawn to no avail. He could have regained the initiative with 19. Qg5
Gibbons - Peter Martens 0-1
Lorne once again snatches defeat from victory.
Kuropatwa -Kalk 0-1
White sacrifices a piece early for insufficient compensation. 22. c6 would have provided an advantage
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
April TNT Round 4
Web page with light annotations for Rds 3 AND 4 here
Mundwiler - Liu DRAW
Weixi won a good pawn , but put his knight in danger with 29...Nf3 , instead of the safer 29...Ng5 intending Nf6 or cheapos with Rb2, Rxg2, Ne3+. 32...g5 looks suspicious, instead Ng5 again looks safe with a two pawn advantage. 33...g4 looks a bit strange also, and the players drew. I am going to guess that time trouble was a factor.
Wierda - Rutter 0-1
Positional maneuvering game. Black slowly grabbed more and more space.
28. Na5 does not make a good impression. Eventually, White wins a pawn but see ghosts and
plays 47. f3 which loses the knight which had made its way to c6.
Xue-Kernetsky 0-1
I think I prefer 13...ed4, but White may have compensation. 19. Ne6 is a nice idea, but doesn't accomplish anything. A little later, White misses mate on f1.
Rumpel - Jim Green DRAW
Even game right until the end.
Gibson - Evans 1-0
Black could have tried 15...Qxd6, but he ends up fine especially after White sacrifices a bishop on g7, only to falter against White's attack.
Kong - Lauritson 1-0
I am not sure of the score - as 28. Ba3 just hangs the bishop, but Black didn't take it. If Jim sees this, please let me know.
Aaron Green - Silva 0-1
White unsoundly sacs a piece, andBlack converts his advantage.
Arie Wasserman - Kalk 1-0
Black missed that his rook was en prise.
Greenberg - Lawrence Klusa 1-0
5...Be6 looks odd and as the game shows, it was not truly threatening the c4 pawn. Black is ok, however he allows White to win a rook a few moves later. He did however have a good chance of counterplay based on trapping the queen starting with 11...c6. Please see the playable file for some sample lines.
Mundwiler - Liu DRAW
Weixi won a good pawn , but put his knight in danger with 29...Nf3 , instead of the safer 29...Ng5 intending Nf6 or cheapos with Rb2, Rxg2, Ne3+. 32...g5 looks suspicious, instead Ng5 again looks safe with a two pawn advantage. 33...g4 looks a bit strange also, and the players drew. I am going to guess that time trouble was a factor.
Wierda - Rutter 0-1
Positional maneuvering game. Black slowly grabbed more and more space.
28. Na5 does not make a good impression. Eventually, White wins a pawn but see ghosts and
plays 47. f3 which loses the knight which had made its way to c6.
Xue-Kernetsky 0-1
I think I prefer 13...ed4, but White may have compensation. 19. Ne6 is a nice idea, but doesn't accomplish anything. A little later, White misses mate on f1.
Rumpel - Jim Green DRAW
Even game right until the end.
Gibson - Evans 1-0
Black could have tried 15...Qxd6, but he ends up fine especially after White sacrifices a bishop on g7, only to falter against White's attack.
Kong - Lauritson 1-0
I am not sure of the score - as 28. Ba3 just hangs the bishop, but Black didn't take it. If Jim sees this, please let me know.
Aaron Green - Silva 0-1
White unsoundly sacs a piece, andBlack converts his advantage.
Arie Wasserman - Kalk 1-0
Black missed that his rook was en prise.
Greenberg - Lawrence Klusa 1-0
5...Be6 looks odd and as the game shows, it was not truly threatening the c4 pawn. Black is ok, however he allows White to win a rook a few moves later. He did however have a good chance of counterplay based on trapping the queen starting with 11...c6. Please see the playable file for some sample lines.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Cecil's Saturday Puzzle - April 26, 2008
White to mate in 4 Breuer
Hmm, mate in 4.
I personally am not going to spend much time on this one, so I set an engine on it.
The first move is 1. Ba7, Black must reply 1...f6
so 1. Ba7 is now a clue to the second move, as otherwise 1. Bb6 would be just as good.
2.Nb6 - the point of Ba7 - Black's only move is 2...Ke3,
then 3.Nc4+ and 4. Nd2 #
I personally am not going to spend much time on this one, so I set an engine on it.
The first move is 1. Ba7, Black must reply 1...f6
so 1. Ba7 is now a clue to the second move, as otherwise 1. Bb6 would be just as good.
2.Nb6 - the point of Ba7 - Black's only move is 2...Ke3,
then 3.Nc4+ and 4. Nd2 #
Thursday, April 24, 2008
April TNT Round 3
Looks like a round of upsets and semi-upsets - let's take a look.
Lots of very interesting games.
Play through the games with some playable variations here
Kernetsky - Mundwiler 0-1
Wow. These guys were playing book moves for many moves. 17. Qd3 may be a novelty, Qd2 is the most common move. White ended up playing Qd2 a few moves later. In the meantime, Black played Qd8 to e8 to d8.
Black gave up an important pawn with 27...Ne8 instead of Ne6.
30. Re6 suggests itself and looks absolutely crushing, but White played 30.Bc4 ? instead and the initiative instantly turns over to Black.
42.gh4 opens up too many lines against White's king - but White must have been feeling the pressure of time trouble as he lost on time a few moves later although he is lost anyway in the final position. There is no good way to prevent ...Kg3, Rh2 mate.
Jim Green - Liu 0-1
White plays a King's Indian Attack against the French - no doubt inspired by Fischer as I was.
I don't understand 17...Nxd3, cleaning up White's pawn structure, but perhaps Weixi just wanted to get on with cracking open the h file.
White gets passive and decides to try to defend the kingside instead of drumming up counterplay on the queenside starting with a4.
I going to speculate that White was in time trouble when he played 33.Rfg1 ??
33. Kc2 and Black still has work to do.
Lauritson - Wierda 0-1
This must be considered an upset.
Black's three knight moves to snap off the bad White bishop looks suspect to me, but I gave up the Benoni a long time ago, so what do I know. I guess it paid off as Black went on a dangerous looking pawn raid with the queen and got away with it ! The queen sits on b4 trapped, but White can't hit it ! Then the knight wreaks havoc on the c4 square ! Time to get desparado perhaps with 23. hxg7 hoping for Kxg7, then 24. Bh6+ Kg8 25. Qg5 (which later an engine told me is a mate in 11 !)
Nice game by John.
Silva - Rutter 0-1
Blair sent me email about some his thoughts on this game, so I will address them as well as what I find.
White's position is hanging by a thread after 29. Qc2 ?
Initially, I thought Black should have played 33...Nxg2 winning a piece and it should be over, but my engine tells me Blair's move is slightly better - White can't prevent the loss of the piece.
Silva tries the obvious 35. d7 and Black misses Red8!
The point is 36. dxc8(Q) Qh1+ 37. Ke2 Nf4#
But, Black played 35...Qh1+ and after 36. Ke2 almost all of Black's pieces are hanging in some manner. But Black has a few checks and exchanges with check and we end up with a material imbalance and unclear position.
Black tosses a piece with 43...Kf8? (Ne6 is solid)
White eventually improves to a winning endgame but doesn't play 54 Nd5+ which wins easily, instead stepping his king into the only harm that could befall him, a skewer winning the queen.
Aaron Green - Kris Gibson DRAW
The ever dangerous Gibson essays the Sicilian Pin variation against the highest rated member of the Green household.
I thought Black should have played 16...fe4 opening the f-file. Anyway, Black had a huge advantage and White decided to try 25. Qxc8 +, winning a bishop and two rooks for the queen.
After a number of forced exchanges, the following postition occurred with Black to play.
My engine finds
27...Qe4 ! which wins.
Rumple - Leor Wasserman 1-0
The game simplifies down to a tricky king and pawn ending. 36...g4 is apparently losing, but White returns the favour with 37. a5 when Black is winning. The last mistake is 39...Kf5 which takes the king out of the squares of the a and b pawns.
Evans - Greenberg 1-0
Deja vu all over again - Evans beats Greenberg again.
7...d5 must be played..if you can get d5 in safely in the Sicilian then do so. But Black equalizes early anyways. My engine finds the mysterious 17...Qg5, the point being after something like 18.Rhd1..Nd4 is a killer.
Harley later loses (or sacrifices) his e-pawn and follows up with 23. Bxa2 which reminded me of Spassky- Fischer Game 1 - 1972
Xue- Letain 1-0
I am not sure 12. O-O-O is correct , but White ends up with a powerful attack that smashes through.
Lawrence Klusa - Leah Green 1-0
Highly original opening. Black's queen goes on a fishing expedition, picks up a few pawns, but can't get back to defend the king. 26...f6? leaves the white squares very weak and it is quickly exploited.
Peter Martens - Mark Klusa 0-1
Black loses a pawn, but misses the win of a knight with 19...Qg5+
He gets it much later though after white loses his way.
Kalk -James Martens
Another original opening by Black. An Alekhine's defence goes out of book on move 3.
Lots of very interesting games.
Play through the games with some playable variations here
Kernetsky - Mundwiler 0-1
Wow. These guys were playing book moves for many moves. 17. Qd3 may be a novelty, Qd2 is the most common move. White ended up playing Qd2 a few moves later. In the meantime, Black played Qd8 to e8 to d8.
Black gave up an important pawn with 27...Ne8 instead of Ne6.
30. Re6 suggests itself and looks absolutely crushing, but White played 30.Bc4 ? instead and the initiative instantly turns over to Black.
42.gh4 opens up too many lines against White's king - but White must have been feeling the pressure of time trouble as he lost on time a few moves later although he is lost anyway in the final position. There is no good way to prevent ...Kg3, Rh2 mate.
Jim Green - Liu 0-1
White plays a King's Indian Attack against the French - no doubt inspired by Fischer as I was.
I don't understand 17...Nxd3, cleaning up White's pawn structure, but perhaps Weixi just wanted to get on with cracking open the h file.
White gets passive and decides to try to defend the kingside instead of drumming up counterplay on the queenside starting with a4.
I going to speculate that White was in time trouble when he played 33.Rfg1 ??
33. Kc2 and Black still has work to do.
Lauritson - Wierda 0-1
This must be considered an upset.
Black's three knight moves to snap off the bad White bishop looks suspect to me, but I gave up the Benoni a long time ago, so what do I know. I guess it paid off as Black went on a dangerous looking pawn raid with the queen and got away with it ! The queen sits on b4 trapped, but White can't hit it ! Then the knight wreaks havoc on the c4 square ! Time to get desparado perhaps with 23. hxg7 hoping for Kxg7, then 24. Bh6+ Kg8 25. Qg5 (which later an engine told me is a mate in 11 !)
Nice game by John.
Silva - Rutter 0-1
Blair sent me email about some his thoughts on this game, so I will address them as well as what I find.
White's position is hanging by a thread after 29. Qc2 ?
Initially, I thought Black should have played 33...Nxg2 winning a piece and it should be over, but my engine tells me Blair's move is slightly better - White can't prevent the loss of the piece.
Silva tries the obvious 35. d7 and Black misses Red8!
The point is 36. dxc8(Q) Qh1+ 37. Ke2 Nf4#But, Black played 35...Qh1+ and after 36. Ke2 almost all of Black's pieces are hanging in some manner. But Black has a few checks and exchanges with check and we end up with a material imbalance and unclear position.
Black tosses a piece with 43...Kf8? (Ne6 is solid)
White eventually improves to a winning endgame but doesn't play 54 Nd5+ which wins easily, instead stepping his king into the only harm that could befall him, a skewer winning the queen.
Aaron Green - Kris Gibson DRAW
The ever dangerous Gibson essays the Sicilian Pin variation against the highest rated member of the Green household.
I thought Black should have played 16...fe4 opening the f-file. Anyway, Black had a huge advantage and White decided to try 25. Qxc8 +, winning a bishop and two rooks for the queen.
After a number of forced exchanges, the following postition occurred with Black to play.
My engine finds
27...Qe4 ! which wins.
Rumple - Leor Wasserman 1-0
The game simplifies down to a tricky king and pawn ending. 36...g4 is apparently losing, but White returns the favour with 37. a5 when Black is winning. The last mistake is 39...Kf5 which takes the king out of the squares of the a and b pawns.
Evans - Greenberg 1-0
Deja vu all over again - Evans beats Greenberg again.
7...d5 must be played..if you can get d5 in safely in the Sicilian then do so. But Black equalizes early anyways. My engine finds the mysterious 17...Qg5, the point being after something like 18.Rhd1..Nd4 is a killer.
Harley later loses (or sacrifices) his e-pawn and follows up with 23. Bxa2 which reminded me of Spassky- Fischer Game 1 - 1972
Xue- Letain 1-0
I am not sure 12. O-O-O is correct , but White ends up with a powerful attack that smashes through.
Lawrence Klusa - Leah Green 1-0
Highly original opening. Black's queen goes on a fishing expedition, picks up a few pawns, but can't get back to defend the king. 26...f6? leaves the white squares very weak and it is quickly exploited.
Peter Martens - Mark Klusa 0-1
Black loses a pawn, but misses the win of a knight with 19...Qg5+
He gets it much later though after white loses his way.
Kalk -James Martens
Another original opening by Black. An Alekhine's defence goes out of book on move 3.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Cecil's Saturday Puzzle - April 12, 2008
Berger - White to mate in threeLet's try the obvious idea, although I can easily see it mates in 4, not 3.
1. Qd3+ Kb4 2. Rb1+ Ka4 3. Qc2+ Ka3 4. Qb3 mate.
So let's cut off the king.
1. Rb1 e5 2. Qd3 mate
1. Rb1 Kd4 2. Qd3+ Ke5 3. e3 c4 4. f4 mate
So that doesn't work, perhaps we don't need the rook to the b file immediately.
Let's try
1. Rg1 Kxb5 2.Rb1+ Ka4 3. Qa8 mate
1. Rg1 Kd4 2. Qd3+ Ke5 3. Rg5+ Kf4 4. Qe3 mate
Hmm, let's look back at the line where we had to play 3.e3 to support 4.f4 mate.
What if we played 1.Rf1 to support a potential f4.
1.Rf1 e5 (takes away the square from its own king) 2.Rb1 Kd4 3. Qd3 mate
1.Rf1 Kxb5 2. Rb1+ Ka5 3. Qa8 mate
1.Rf1 Kd4 2.Qd3+ Ke5 3. f4 mate (and the point of Rf1 !)
Note: In the absolutely strange coincidences department - a few hours after posting the above - I was browsing through En Passant # 82 from December 1986 - and this problem is in there.
Also, here is the updated link to the Magnus Smith article.
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