The Challenger, Third Quarter, 2024
Magazine of the United States Blind Chess Association
September 2024
The mission of the USBCA is to promote the game of chess among the blind community.
Website: https://usblindchess.org
Disclaimer
Note: The views expressed in the Challenger do not necessarily reflect the policies or views of the USBCA or those of the editor.
Editor’s Note
By Rita Crawford
When I lose a good friend, someone I love, my expression of grief is my own. I may choose to grieve privately, I may choose to be more public, or I may do both. The one thing that is true of grief: we all express it differently.
The blind chess community lost a good and true friend with the passing of the president of the USBCA, Jim Thoune. Jim was a teacher of chess to those who needed it. He was a patient, thoughtful and kind friend for those who needed that. His ability to combine all of these qualities made him very successful as a chess coach and as a good friend.
The Vice President’s message, ‘Farewell, My Friend,’ by Glenn Crawford is dedicated to Jim and provides information about Jim that you may not know. He also includes some of the expressions of grief people shared upon learning of Jim’s passing.
The Challenger is starting a feature welcoming new members to the USBCA, beginning with those who have joined since July 2024. Moving forward, I will feature the new member’s names that joined since the last publication of The Challenger.
Marilyn Bland attended the US Blind Open in Chicago this year and provides an insightful as well as humorous account of the event in her story, ‘US Blind Open: Chicago’.
Jim Hohme, the USBCA webmaster, is featured in the ‘Getting to Know You’ column. Jim has also provided some chess puzzles for you to review and enjoy.
Glenn interviews USBCA member Edward Zolotarevsky, or Edward Z. as I like to call him, for the Player Spotlight column.
Be sure to check out Tyson Mordue’s article. He provides great insight into a game he played. His comments are interesting as well as enlightening. Set up a board and play each move, keeping Tyson’s coaching comments in mind. This is one you will not want to miss!
This issue of The Challenger is interesting yet poignant due to the passing of Jim T.
The Vice-President’s Message
By Glenn Crawford
Farewell, My Friend
Jim Thoune, President of the United States Blind Chess Association (USBCA), passed away on July 29,2024, after losing his battle with cancer. Jim is survived by his wife of thirty-three years, Theresa and a brother.
I first met Jim when I joined the USBCA in 2021. My impressions of him as he and I got to know each other is borne out by how others saw him, kind, generous, smart, determined to go well in the world, wanting to make a difference in the lives of those he met. The name, Jim Thoune, will be spoken of as time passes by those who knew him with affection and respect.
Jim was one who was not afraid to explore the world of the sighted. Being totally blind from the age of five, he discovered his world, his surroundings with the curiosity and desire the same as any other child did. He was allowed to investigate what life was all about from an early age. As he said in a recent interview, “That, I owe particularly to my mother and the trust that my stepfather placed in my mother because she basically expected me not to sit and listen to the radio or listen to my talking books all day long, all summer long. I was expected to go out and play with brother, sister, neighborhood kids just like anybody else. She got in trouble a couple of times because the neighbors were fearful about this blind kid climbing trees and this blind kid, you know, walking down the country roads that were our neighborhood, riding a two-wheel bike by myself down one of these gravel or blacktop roads. But when you are a kid and you can do that without experiencing the fear of the adults around you, you have a much better shot at being able to carry that same behavior and that same attitude into your adult life…I was lucky.”
And, Jim did bring that behavior and attitude into adulthood. He became a behavioral therapist. He was certified in computer training at the time when desktop computers were not quite available.
Jim went to work for the Office of Naval Intelligence in 1987 and eventually became their one and only desktop computer programmer, teaching others introductory computer programming.
Jim became a member of Toastmasters, an organization that teaches the ability to, for example, speak off-the-cuff on a topic one did not have the opportunity to prepare for. As a result of his relationship with Toastmasters, he began working with people whose primary language was not English to help them learn how to speak and do well in Toastmasters as well as overcome the difficulty of learning and improving their ability to master a second language. Jim always enjoyed helping others to achieve, to reach their own goals.
He became a chess coach and trainer, working with Hadley, an organization involved with the blind and visually impaired community teaching the game he loved to others. He carried this skill to the USBCA where he coached many members of this organization to which he gave so much time and energy to help it grow and flourish.
Jim’s enthusiasm for helping others was a reflection of his own desire to explore and succeed in doing what many might consider activities beyond the ability of the blind. In 1973, he became the first totally blind person to be certified in SCUBA diving. In 1992, he ran his first half marathon and, at the age of forty-six, ran the Marine Corps marathon.
When the sad news of Jim’s death was announced, many expressed their feelings for him. Here are some of what they said:
“I am so sorry to hear of Jim’s passing. He was a kind and gentle person who always looked for the best in people."
“I am so, so sorry to read this. He was a good man. He welcomed me to the USBCA with kindness, guidance, and unwavering support. Because that was the kind of man he was. He will be sorely missed. Rest in peace my friend."
“Where would I be on my chess journey had Jim Thoune not nurtured me when I first joined the USBCA? It was Jim who gifted me a chess board after a tornado struck my home and destroyed everything in it. Jim was always ready to support and encourage me as I endeavored to improve my game, even when I made the most unbelievable blunders. He certainly touched my life, and he will be greatly missed.”
“Rest in peace, Jim. He was a wonderful chess player and equally wonderful person.”
“He helped me in improving my game in my initial days. He will be greatly missed by one and all."
“That’s sad news indeed to hear Jim Thoune’s passing. I’m going to miss him, one of my friends in chess. Rest in peace, Jim.”
“He will be greatly missed.”
“Our dear friend, Jim Thoune, passed away. Jim was a regular player of our Skype tournaments. He also played our French championship in 2018 in Bordeaux. He will be greatly missed.”
“Dreadfully sad news. I first got to know Jim via Skype when I first started playing on Skype. In those days, I was not very reliable with my management of Skype. Jim gave me some sessions to help me he was that sort of person, always willing to give a helping hand to anyone who needed it. He will be a great loss to the chess community.”
“I will miss him and miss playing our close chess games, most of which he won.”
“I’m very sorry to hear of his death. What a lovely man. His contributions to other peoples' lives have obviously been enormous. May he rest in peace.”
“I am very sorry to hear the sad news about Jim T. I first met him about two years ago when we were playing in a correspondence tournament. He had a great sense of humor, and between us, we would put the world to right. He will be sorely missed.”
“He’s a great soul and a great chess player."
“His heaven will certainly have chess in it and he will be taking and giving lessons.”
“I had the fortunate honor of meeting Jim during a championship played in France a few years ago and of appreciating the wonderful person that Jim was. He will be missed in the world of chess.”
“I had Jim as a chess teacher at Hadley. He was a great instructor. If there was something you didn’t understand, he would stay on the line with you until you did, even if that took a few hours.”
To say that Jim Thoune was loved and appreciated is an understatement. He touched many, many lives with care, concern, and a positivity that helped so many along, not only in chess but along the broader path of life.
The following poem by Rita Crawford sums up well how his friends and acquaintances felt about him:
As time is measured, my time to have you as a friend was brief. As friendship is measured, it is a friendship without end. Your advice, your wisdom, your encouragement for me to remain patient and to not be so hard on myself. These are lessons you tasked me with and I thank you for them. My memories of you are all that I will have now to work on the lessons you gave me. But I promise you this Jim, that will be enough.
Good bye, my friend. When next time we meet, let’s sit down and have a nice long talk. Because I have really missed being able to do that with you.
Jim Thoune, September 12, 1950 to July 29, 2024.
New Members
Let’s all welcome the newest members to join the USBCA:
Roberto Fernando Elias, Argentina
Shirin Aghaei, Texas
Olivia Shaw, California
Vincent Douglas, Minnesota
Jody McKinniss, Missouri
Jessica Miller, Pennsylvania
United States Blind Open: Chicago
By Marilyn Bland
A year had flown by, and now I was flying too – to Chicago – yes, back to Chicago – the place of my many firsts 12 months ago. And again, this time, there would be some firsts.
Participating in the US Blind Open was exciting enough, but as long as I have been with United States Blind Chess Association (USBCA), there had never been foreign players at the US Blind Open Championship, so hosting a challenger from India and another from Nicaragua for the first time made it even more so.
Players arrived at the hotel throughout the day on 11 July and were able to spend some time settling in and getting to know each other. Several chess tournaments for sighted players also organized by Caveman Chess were being held at the hotel too, so the lobby was abuzz with chess talk and players of all ages and strengths.
On Friday morning, the first order of business was the technical meeting in which the tournament director explained that there would be 5 rounds, each being 90 minutes with a 30 second increment per move. There would be 2 rounds on both Friday and Saturday, with the final round on Sunday morning. As USBCA Secretary, I gave a few welcoming words and then everyone received a packet of chess cookies - to add some crunch to the event.
After lunch we all gathered in the playing room and began setting up our boards and clocks. Jokes and banter were set aside as the pairings were announced and the opening round got underway. By the end of round 2 that evening, tensions had eased somewhat but it had been a tiring day and everyone headed off to their rooms to prepare for the early start on Saturday morning.
By late afternoon the next day, rounds 3 and 4 were behind us, games were being replayed and analyzed, and new strategies were being devised for the final upcoming round. The atmosphere was jovial and there was a great deal of mirth as we shared experiences, learned firsthand about Indian culture from Viral, all about Nicaragua from Jairo, and laughed heartily at the many jokes about Texas.
Sunday morning rolled around and it was time for that last game. Though it was already clear at this point who the first-place winner would be, there was still great enthusiasm among the players to finish strong. On behalf of USBCA I wished everyone a good game and each participant received a USA lanyard. We gathered in the dining room after the games and celebrated as we enjoyed our lunch. Later, Glenn Panner - 2020 tournament director of the year – officiated, announcing the winner and handing out prizes. Regaining the US title was Jessica Lauser, with Viral Trivedi in second place. Jairo Leyton was third, with Mario Montalvo in fourth place. Fifth and sixth places went to Donald Crosswhite and Marilyn Bland respectively. After the pictures and the hugs and the wishes for safe travels, it was time to gather bags and head homeward.
As I checked out the next morning, the desk clerk asked me about my stay and if I had eaten a hotdog. I was mystified. No, I had not had one, why? Well, no visit to Chicago is complete without having enjoyed a hotdog, not just any hotdog, but a Chicago hotdog. Really? A Chicago hotdog? It turns out that a Chicago hotdog has some very specific ingredients, one of which is mustard, the yellower the better. It is absolutely frowned upon, actually not done, to put ketchup on your hotdog. How about that?
So, while I had really enjoyed the tournament and the camaraderie of my fellow chess friends, it seems I had missed out on a culinary delight for which Chicago is renown. What is more, I had done this twice! Return to Chicago for a third time for another first – a Chicago hotdog – this appears to be a trip I will be making to fully appreciate my Chicago experience.
Regardless of where it will be held, I am looking forward to the US Blind Open in 2025, so I can once again immerse myself in all the aspects of chess absent from on-line participation, compete, and connect in person with others who share my love of chess.
Getting To Know…
Jim Hohme
I learned the game of chess first when I was nine at the School for Blind Children in Pittsburgh. After college, I all but quit. In 2008 I picked it back up again through lessons with long time member Bob Rathbun.
In real life, I’m a former professional musician. Now music is my hobby and therapy. I play in church and the occasional jazz or jam band gig with my son Gerald. I am learning to do home recording and music production. I’m also a computer programmer, turned accessibility consultant.
I am the USBCA webmaster, and I love our organization, and hope that my love of chess and socializing with others is infectious and would love to see more members take the risk of moving chess forward in the blindness community, because chess has so many benefits.
My biggest strength is my Christian faith, and now that I am going through some adverse life events, for me, chess is also therapeutic. I don’t want to make it a work type thing. For me, it’s an escape into a world of gallantry and beauty. I want others to benefit from the greatest game ever.
Chess Puzzles
By Jim Hohme
Taken from https://www.wtharvey.com/
This issue, rather than give the solutions, we give you a link to play the puzzles on LiChess. Have fun.
Mate in 2
Black to move, mates in 2
Fen: 8/8/4k3/2B5/3K4/3BP1b1/b7/8 b - - 0 1
Position:
white pieces
king: d4, bishops: c5, d3, pawn: e3
black pieces
king: e6, bishops: g3, a2
Try it on LiChess:
< https://lichess.org/analysis/8/8/4k3/2B5/3K4/3BP1b1/b7/8 b - - 0 1>
Double Attacks and Fork Tactics
White to move:
Fen: 3r1r1k/p2q1p1n/1p1N3p/2p1bp1n/P2p3N/8/1PPQ1B1P/1K1R2R1 w - - 1 0
Position:
white pieces
king: b1, queen: d2, rooks: d1, g1, bishop: f2, knights: d6, h4, pawns: a4, b2, c2, h2
black pieces
king: h8, queen: d7, rooks: d8, f8, bishop: e5, knights: h7, h5, pawns: a7, f7, b6, h6, c5, f5, d4
Try it on LiChess
Mate in 3
White Mates In 3
White to move.
Fen: 1rb5/1p2k2r/p5n1/2p1pp2/2B5/6P1/PPPB1PP1/2KR4 w - - 1 0
Position
white pieces
king: c1, rook: d1, bishops: c4, d2, pawns: g3, a2, b2, c2, f2, g2
black pieces
king: e7, rooks: b8, h7, bishop: c8, knight: g6, pawns: b7, a6, c5, e5, f5
Try it on LiChess
< https://lichess.org/analysis/1rb5/1p2k2r/p5n1/2p1pp2/2B5/6P1/PPPB1PP1/2KR4%20w%20-%20-%201%200>
Player Spotlight
Edward Zolotarevsky
Edward Zolotarevsky has been a United States Blind Chess Association member for several years. He has had no formal instruction in the game and says he learned to play at about age ten from his father whom he describes as a very good player who never played competitively.
Edward was born in 1969 in Odessa, Ukraine. He has one brother and a sister. When he was four years old, his family left Ukraine for the United States, settling in Baltimore, Maryland. The family moved to several States, including Ohio and Massachusetts as his father sought employment.
Edward attended Wooster Polytechnic Institute in Wooster, Massachusetts where he earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering with a minor in computer programming.
He is married to Jennifer and they have one child, a son, James, now aged twenty-four. Edward and his wife, who is from the Philippines, were married in 1998. They moved to Bebminster, New Jersey where he found employment at Verizon Wireless as a computer programmer. He purchased a condo for himself and his family there and where he currently resides. When asked how he met his wife, Edward said, “We were pen pals in college. You know, I wrote her, she wrote me. I went to the Philippines.”
Edward lost his eyesight at age twenty-one while at college through a fall. “I don’t quite remember but supposedly I fell or somebody pushed me out a window and I fell and hit the ground and cracked my head really badly. I got these–it’s like a hairline fracture.” He continued, “They had bored holes to get the blood clots out and the blood clots choked my optic nerve, both of them. So, I’m really totally blind.” He said with a note of humor, “I was just getting ready to go out and get a good job and then I went blind. I hate when that happens.”
He suffered other injuries. “In the process, I broke my wrist, at least one wrist really well [badly] and broke a leg. I broke my jaw.” When asked how far he fell, he said, “I don’t remember. I don’t remember a thing. It might have been–Somebody said it was thirty feet.”
When asked about interests of his other than chess, he said, I do charity work. I read science news and send them [the magazines he reads] to the Ghana Connection." He continues, “What I do is I help them collect science news magazines in braille for their Ghana Braille Library for the Blind.” The magazines are sent free to him from different sources which he is allowed to keep. “I gotta go over them, review them, check out the contents. I also double check the pages to make sure they’re in order, because sometimes the pages are kind of put in the wrong order and I rip up the book and fix them and tape it up and send it corrected.” And, “I send like a box, a box of maybe three different magazines once a month or so." They go to a person in Massachusetts who forwards them to Ghana.
Edward played very little chess as a teenager but became interested in playing after he lost his sight. He does not use a chess board and pieces but, rather, he builds his chessboard on a computer using a word processing program. He calls it a virtual reality chessboard. He marks the ranks from one to eight and the files from a to h. He indicates each piece with a letter, white pieces with capitals and black pieces with lower case letters. As the game progresses, he simply removes the letter from the square the piece left and enters its letter in the square it then occupies.
His style of play is to continue the game regardless of his position or material disadvantage. “…People, they lose one piece and they literally quit playing on you, resign immediately on you. I don’t understand why people resign immediately.” Edward’s attitude toward chess reflects his broader attitude about life: keep striving even in the face of adversity, especially when the odds are long.
Annotated game by Tyson Mordue
MORDUE, AT vs LINGHAM, RH
WECU CHAMPS, WESTON-SUPER-MARE (1), 01.04.1994
[Mordue, Tyson]
This is one of the shortest competitive games that I’ve ever played. How can that be when it lasts 41 moves the reader may ask? Actually, it’s a very qualified remark.
First of all this game was played in the first round of the 1994 WECU Championships at Weston-Super-Mare. It was a new venue; a large sea-front hotel between the pier and Knightstone Island I believe. As was usual in those days Round 1 of the Championship itself kicked off several hours ahead of all the other sections. The problem was that we weren’t in the main spacious playing room where they were still putting out tables, sets and boards, but in an internal side-room with no windows, one door, and barely enough room for the 30 or so competitors. It was going to get very warm!
I’d played my opponent just once previously, actually losing, but I knew that he was happy on the Black side of a Ruy Lopez where he had a specialist line. In view of the circumstances, I determined to keep this game as simple as possible, and I was quite happy to be able to choose the Exchange Variation.
The theory in this game extends into the move 20s and I knew that. Shortly after the theory ended we were in a Bishop ending when my opponent made his only mistake. It meant we were going into a King and Pawn ending which was an easy win for White. The technical part of the game lasted another 12 moves before he resigned. In all the game lasted roughly two hours of what was scheduled to be a five-hour first session, was probably the first result of the entire event, and the actual competitive bit between the end of the theory and going into the won ending is barely a handful of moves.
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bb5 a6
4. Bxc6
Keeping it simple. The basic strategy of this, the Exchange variation, is twofold:
- to play d2-d4 and swap that Pawn for Black’s e5-Pawn and establish a Kingside Pawn majority;
- To swap all the pieces and get to a won King and Pawn ending.
4...dxc6
5. 0–0 Bg4
The sharpest reply to White’s 5th move which is known as the Fischer-Barendregt variation.
6. h3
Putting the question to the Bishop is the continuation recommended by theory despite the weakening of the Kingside. By now the readership will be aware of what I think about Pawn to Rook threes, and there is a firm rule about not playing this move in front of your castled King when your opponent hasn’t castled on the same side of the board. My opponent’s reply is a good example of why not. However, I must stress that I was following established theory so if you adopt the line with 4. Bxc6 dxc6 5.0–0 Bg4 6. h3 you absolutely must know the theory.
6...h5
Black has three replies to White’s sixth move.
- 6…Bxf3 which concedes the Bishop pair, Black’s main asset in the position, and merely helps White’s development after 7. Qxf3; or
- 6…Bh5? which loses a Pawn after 7. g4! Bg6 8. Nxe5. Black can’t play 8…Bxe4?? because he’s losing a piece to the tactics down the e-file after 9. Re1.
- The very sharp text which is an invitation for White to play 7. hxg4? hxg4 8. Nxe5 Qh4.9. f4 g3 and White gets mated.
To anyone who knows the theory of this line the text will not be a surprise. There is a sensible continuation for White which reinforces his King position before taking the Bishop, and I adopt this continuation in the game, indeed not for the first time as the notes will show. The interesting point was that my opponent demonstrated that he also knew the main line theory and quite deeply too.
The point of White’s play over the next few moves is to get ready to put his other Knight on f1, then take on g4 and after h5xg4 play Nf3-h2 and if …Qf6-h4 the reply Nd2-f1 keeps the Kingside intact.
7. d3 Qf6
8. Nbd2 Ne7
9. Re1 Ng6
10. d4
A useful move to interpolate before carrying on with the game plan. Black can’t reply with 10…exd4 because after 11. e5 his Queen, which needs to be available to go to both f2 and h4 in certain lines, gets disconnected from one or other of those squares.
Instead 10. Nf1 is met by the answer 10…Bxf3 breaking up White’s Pawns after 11. Qxf3 Qxf3 12. gxf3. White doesn’t mind the swap of pieces here, but in the resulting position he will need to execute one of the two Pawn breaks d3-d4 or f3-f4 and they are looking unlikely.
10...Bd6
The most popular move, but also a hint that the opponent is ‘booked up about this position.
Instead Mordue vs Hirsch, WECU Jamboree 1982 continued with the unfortunate 10…0–0–0?? 11. hxg4 kxg4 12. Nh2, and only now did Black realise that his intended 12…Qh4 is met by 13. Qxg4+ when White is a whole piece up in an endgame. He played 12… exd4 but it was still 1–0 in 33 moves.
Another deviation with a much more aggressive move was 10…Nf4 in Mordue vs MJR White, Bristol Open 2004. That continued 11. hxg4 hxg4 12. Nh2? (the right move is 12. g3) 12… Rxh2?! (Better is 12…Nxg2 because if 13. Kxg2 then 13…Rxh2+ is now winning. ) 13. Kxh2 Qh4+ 14. Kg1 g3 15. fxg3 Qxg3 16. Re2 and now A) Gomboc (2162) vs. Petek (2111), Kranj 2000, went 16…O-O-O 17. Nf3 Nxe2+ 18. Qxe2 exd4 19. Bg5 Bc5 20. Qc4 and Black didn’t have enough for the piece. The game ended 20…f6 21. Qxc5 fxg5 22. Qf5+ Kb8 23. Qxg5 Qd6 24. e5 Qd5 25. e6 Qd6 26. e7 Re8 27. Re1 c5 28. Qxg7 c4 29. Qxd4 1–0. Instead B) Mordue vs White continued 16… exd4 17. Nf1 Nh3+?! (probably better is 17… Nxe2+ 18. Qxe2 Qd6 but White keeps a plus.) 18. Kh1 Nf2+ 19. Rxf2 Qxf2 20. Bg5! Bd6 21. Qd2 (According to the engine better is 21. Qh5. I probably preferred the game move as it gets the Queens off.) 21… Qxd2 22. Nxd2 and now White is a piece for two Pawns up and winning. The game finished 22…f6 23. Bh4 Kf7 24. Kg1 Re8 25. Bf2 Bf4 26. Nb3 Rxe4 27. Nxd4 c5 28. Nb3 b6 29. Kf1 g5 30. c3 a5 31. Re1 Rxe1+ 32. Kxe1 Ke6 33. Nd2 Kd5 34. c4+ Ke6 35. Ke2 g4 36. Nf1 Be5 37. b3 f5 38. Kd3 c6 39. Bh4 Bc7 40. Ne3 $22 g3 41. Nf1 Ke5 42. Bxg3+ f4 43. Bf2 Bd6 44. Nd2 1–0. Plenty for the interested reader to investigate.
11. hxg4
The right time to play this. Despite Black apparently getting an initiative on the Kingside the theorists have demonstrated that White is okay here.
11...hxg4
12. Nh2
Now if White gets the chance to go 13. Ndf1 unhindered he’s a piece up and fine. Hence Black’s spectacular next move.
12...Rxh2!
A tempting and correct sacrifice which was enough to put White players off the whole line for a while.
13. Qxg4!
Not 13.Kxh2 Qxf2 and White is losing. The game Barendregt vs. Teschner, European Team Championships, Hamburg 1965, continued 14. Re2 exd4+ 15. e5 Bxe5+ 16. Rxe5+ Nxe5 17. Kh1 O-O-O and White now resigned because he’s getting mated down the h-file.
Now everyone plays 13. Qxg4 here because they trust the theoreticians’ analysis, but you’ve got to study it!
13...Qh4
There is a less popular alternative with 13…Rh4 instead, but after 14. Qf5 Queens come off anyway. White retains an advantage and play is likely to be similar to the game.
After 13…Rh4 14. Qf5 the move 14…Qe7 was played in Vysochin (2518) vs. Gutsko (2183), Lugansk 2007, but after 15. Nf3 Rh7 16. Bg5! Qe6 (16…Qf8 is awful.) 17. Rad1 Kf8 18. dxe5 White had the better ending. The finish was 18…Bxe5 19. Qxe6 fxe6 20. Nxe5 Nxe5 21. Bf4 Rh5 22. Bxe5 Rxe5 23. Rd7 Rc8 24. Re3 Rc5 25. c3 Rb5 26. b3 Ra5 27. a4 b5 28. Rf3+ Kg8 29. b4 Rxa4 30. Rg3 Ra1+ 31. Kh2 Kh7 32. Rdxg7+ Kh6 33. R7g4 1–0.
14. Qxh4 Rxh4
So Black’s attack has been repulsed, Queens have been exchanged, some more pieces are about to come off and amongst those swaps is the strategic d4xe5 which favours White in all the endgames. However, we still haven’t finished the theory yet.
15. Nf3 Rh5
16. dxe5
Although this is okay the database has better results with 16. Be3. Worth studying.
16...Nxe5
17. Nxe5 Bxe5
18. c3
The necessary prelude to developing the Bishop. It shields the b2-Pawn from the attack of Black’s Bishop. It does create a weak square at d3 but this doesn’t seem to be important here.
18...g5
Here 18…0–0–0 is a sensible move.
The correspondence game Mordue vs Clarke, Postal Chess League 1983 had an unfortunate ending after 18…Ke7 19. g3 c5?? 20. f4 trapping the Bishop after 20….Bd6 or f6 21. e5. Black actually played 20…Rah8 but resigned after 21. Kg2.
With the text Black is trying to drum up counterplay on the Kingside again.
19. Be3 0–0–0
20. g3
The database gives one game with 20. Kf1 which is Barendregt vs Zuidema, Amsterdam IBM 1965. That continued 20…g4 21. Ke2 Rh2 22. Rg1 Re8 23. f4 gxf3+ 24. Kxf3 Rg8 25. Bf2 Rh6 26. Raf1 Bh2 27. Rh1 Rf6+ 28. Ke3 Rxg2 29. Bh4 Rh6 30. Bf6 c5 31. e5 Kd7 32. Kf3 Rxb2 33. Bg5 Rg6 34. Bf4 Bxf4 35. Kxf4 Rgg2 36. Ke4 Rgf2 37. Kd5 Rxa2 38. Kxc5 Ra5+ (Black is now clearly winning but the game went on for a long time.) 39. Kd4 Ra4+ 40. c4 Rxf1 41. Rxf1 Ke7 42. Kd5 c6+ 43. Kc5 b5 44. cxb5 cxb5 45. Rf6 Ra1 46. Rb6 Ra5 47. Kd4 Ra4+ 48. Kd5 b4 49. Rb7+ Kf8 50. Kc4 Ra5 51. Kxb4 Rxe5 52. Ra7 Rb5+ 53. Kc4 Ra5 54. Kd4 Kg7 55. Ke4 Kg6 56. Ra8 Ra4+ 57. Ke5 Ra5+ 58. Ke4 Kf6 59. Ra7 Ke6 60. Ra8 Ra4+ 61. Kf3 Kf5 62. Rh8 Ra3+ 63. Kf2 Kf4 64. Rh4+ Kg5 65. Rc4 f5 66. Rd4 f4 67. Rd8 a5 68. Rg8+ Kf5 69. Rf8+ Ke4 70. Re8+ Kd3 71. Kf3 Ra4 72. Ra8 Kc3 73. Ra7 Kb3 74. Ra8 Kc2 75. Ra7 Kc3 76. Ra8 Kd3 77. Ra7 Ra1 78. Kxf4 a4 79. Kf3 a3 80. Ra8 Kc3 81. Rc8+ Kb3 82. Rb8+ Ka2 83. Ke2 Rb1 84. Rc8 Rb5 85. Kd2 Kb3 86. Rc3+ Kb4 87. Rc1 a2 88. Ra1 Kb3 0–1.
In the game White King wants to get active, but 20. g3 could be answered by 20…Bg3 and if 21. Bf2 Bxf2+ 22. Kxf2 Rd2+ 23. Re2 Rxe2+ 24. Kxe2. After this White would be hard pressed to win this ending. However, take the other pair of Rooks off and he has a King and Pawn ending, exactly what he’s looking for here.
The text intends to get the White King out via f3 and, if he’s lucky, to g4 and f5 attacking the Black Pawns.
20...Rdh8
I don’t believe that Black gets anything from doubling Rooks on the h-file. As the game goes it results in the swap of all the Rooks which is only to White’s benefit.
- Kg2 g4
Instead Velicka (2465) vs. Berezjuk (2410), Wattens Open 1998 went 21…Rh2+ 22. Kf3 f6 23. Rad1 b6 24. Kg4 c5 25. Kf5 R8h6 26. Rd2 R2h5 27. Red1 Rh8 28. Rd7 Re8 29. Rf7 Rh6 30. Rd5 Rh5 31. Rdd7 Rh1 when White is clearly doing well. Unfortunately he mistimed his important break with 32. f4 and went on to only draw. 32…Rf1 33. Kg6 gxf4 34. Bxf4 Rg8+ 35. Rg7 Rxg7+ 36. Rxg7 Bxf4 37. gxf4 Rxf4 38. Re7 a5 39. a4 Kb7 40. c4 Kc6 41. Kf7 Kb7 42. b3 Kc8 43. Re8+ Kd7 44. Re7+ Kd8 45. Re8+ Kd7 46. Re7+ Kc8 47. Re8+ Kb7 48. Re7 Kc8 1/2–1/2.
22. Rh1 Rxh1
This is where we finally depart from theory. The game Heinecke (2006) vs. Mazziotti Irigoyen (2317), Villa Ballester (ARG) 2009 went immediately 22…Kd7 23. Rxh5 Rxh5 24. Rh1 Rxh1 25. Kxh1 Ke6 and Black has an extra tempo on the main game. That one finished instructively after 26. Kg2 f5 27. exf5+ Kxf5 28. f3 b6 29. Bd2 c5 30. b3 b5 31. c4 c6 32. Be3 bxc4 33. bxc4 gxf3+ 34. Kxf3 Bxg3! 1/2–1/2. The point is that after 35. Kxg3 Black goes 35…Ke4 36. Bxc5 Kd3 winning White’s c4 Pawn leaving him with a Rook’s Pawn and a Bishop that doesn’t match the colour of the Pawn’s Queening square. That’s a draw providing the Black King can get back to a8 which he should be able to here. The remaining Black Pawns are irrelevant here.
Up to here both opponents had played quite briskly, Lingham slightly more slowly. The next few moves had a bit more consideration given to them.
23. Rxh1 Rxh1
Black could simply leave the Rook where it is to prevent White penetrating with his own. Black’s is defended by his Bishop so he could play 23…Kd7 immediately. It makes little difference though.
24. Kxh1 Kd7
25. Kg2 Ke6?
This is a mistake that leaves the c7-Pawn vulnerable. After White’s next Black’s Bishop can’t leave the h2-b8 diagonal without leaving that Pawn en prise, so that increases the chances of a swap of Bishops and White being in that desired King and Pawn ending.
26. Bf4 c5
Advancing the front c-Pawn so as to move the back one and then move the Bishop off the diagonal. It never happens.
At this point I should explain why the King and Pawn ending is lost for Black. It depend on two main features of the position. Firstly Black can never create a passed Pawn of his own on the Queenside by force given a bit of care by White. The front Black c-Pawn can only be allowed to get as far as c4. Once it does then White should play c2-c3 stopping any further advance. Similarly if Black advances …a6-a5-a4 then White should play a2-a3. If Black advances …b7-b5-b4 then White should stay still.
Secondly with a healthy structure of his own on the Kingside White should always be able to create a passed Pawn. Given accurate defence by Black White will not be able to force a promotion, but it the most convenient moment White abandons the Pawn and goes to feast on the Black Queenside Pawns. He should be fairly certain of coming out two Pawns to nil and the win is easy after that.
The game follows the above pattern perfectly.
27. f3 gxf3+
Black can’t defend the g4 with 27…f5 because after 28. exf5+ Kxf5 29. fxg4+ he can’t recapture on g4 without leaving his Bishop en prise. Hence the text is forced.
28. Kxf3 c4?
This is fatal. Black should retreat with 28…Bd6. If White swaps then Black has 29…cxd6. Perhaps Lingham was concerned about the reply 30. c4 freezing the d-Pawn.
Whatever he overlooked it was only six moves since we left theory so that was effectively the meat of the game. After swapping Bishops White has a won King and Pawn ending which is quite simple to play.
29. Bxe5 Kxe5
30. Ke3
Now White is winning. First he oscillates between f3 and e3 until Black runs out of Queenside Pawns moves. Once that happens Black will have to give way with his King.
My opponent slowed down a lot at this point, but any deep analysis would merely confirm that Black is lost, and simply lost at that.
30...b5
31. Kf3 a5
32. Ke3 c5
33. Kf3 b4
34. Ke3 a4
35. a3
The right moment to play this otherwise Black goes ..a4-a3 himself and creates a passed Pawn of his own. Whether it’s any good or not depends on the position of the White King, but why give Black the chance?
35...bxa3
36. bxa3 f5
Making it simple for White, but anything else will lose in the long run.
37. exf5 Kxf5
38. Kf3 Kg5
39. Ke4 Kg4
40. Kd5 Kxg3
41. Kxc4
Black resigned here. The simplest line is 41…Kf3 42. Kxc5 Ke3 43. Kb4 Kd3 44. Kxa4 Kxc3 45. Kb5 and the a-Pawn will run home, if necessary with the White King advancing down the b-file to keep the Black King away.
The game time was roughly two hours so my game strategy of keeping it simply and quick had been successful.
1-0
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