Events I'm Playing In

I'm currently involved in two events, one each on ICCF and ICC. At ICCF I'm in Web Server Open Class 109 (WS/O/109) and at ICC I'm in 2007Quad.03.

ICCF WS/O/109
1 10588 AUT Pötz, Florian 1800P
2 130711 CZE Kýhos, Alois 1701
3 514360 USA Owens, Steve 1800P
4 514348 USA Thomas, Gerald K 1800P
5 421419 POL Deren, Marcin 2019F
6 85582 GER Kaspschak, Mrs. Karola 1800P
7 241236 ITA Barzaghi, Andy 1800P

In my game against Florian Potz I am Black and played a Sicilian Kalashnikov. We're past 30 moves and I'm getting slapped around pretty well. I've always heard that in the Sicilian if Black survives 25 moves and is near equal he will win in the end game. I don't know about that here. Potz has sacced the exchange for a very strong initiative (when this game gets published it will be the definition for initiative) and I'm just trying to hang on.

Against Alois Kyhos I again used the Sicilian though he went for a Rossolimo game with 3.Bb5. This game is "in the books" as a draw. Again I was treated quite roughly but survived well enough to elicit a draw offer that I accepted on move 43. At about move 38 I finally equalized. I think this is my last CC game using this form of the Sicilian.

I had Black White against Gerald K. Thomas and opened 1.d4 intending an honest to God QG. Thomas responded with a Benoni line that I saw could transpose easily to a line in the Shveshnikov/Kalshnikov that favored White. I had a classic Maroczy Bind in effect early on and then completely strangled his Queen side. His Queen and both Rooks were trapped on the shrinking space he had on the Queen side, I quickly won the Exchange and had a death grip on his light squares there. Thomas resigned on move 20.

As White against Marcin Deren I opened with a Catalan to which he replied with a Queen Indian set up. We're at move 14 with no advantage for either side yet.

Mrs. Karola Kaspschak replied to the QGD with a Slav Exchange. We're only on move 6 in this one as Mrs. Kaspschak took some vacation time.

Andy Barzaghi opened with a 1.b3 Larsen's Attack. I responded with play in the center and Barzaghi had dropped a piece by move 13 and had another en prise by move 14. We're at move 17 with White in serious trouble and no moves transmitted since late March.

2007Quad.03
Name Rating
FortyShorty 1941
QwikE 1892
shijith 1763
Brian-E 1723

(I'm FortyShorty.) As stated above, in the Quad format each player has two games, on as White and one as Black, against each opponent.

Against QwikE I played a Catalan as White. I've locked the center and provoked a weakening of the light squares on his King side. We're at move 16 and I have to find a suitable attack. In our other game as Black, we're up to move 16 in a 5.Nb3 Kalashnikov where, for once, I'm holding my own in this opening.

Shijith has resigned one of our games that was blogged here. In our other game I responded to his Catalan with a King Indian setup. We're at move 27 with the Queen side and center locked down and play going happening primarily on the King side. The position is unclear.

Brian-E and I are involved in a Catalan/Neo Gruenfeld in the game I have White. We're up to move 18 with things just starting to get interesting. I responded to his English with a King Indian that has transposed to an Averbakh system. This one is also just now getting interesting on move 18.

I've registered for another WS/O on ICCF that should be starting within a few weeks. No More Kalashnikovs!