The New Jersey Knockouts kicked off their 2007 US Chess League season with a tie (2-2) against the Queens pioneers. I have posted the games online with some notes.
All of the games were hard fought, but I especially admired IM Eli Vovsha's nice win over FM Tommy Bartell on Board 2 which featured a stunning Knight sac to reach a better ending (though it could have been much worse if Tommy hadn't reacted well). Evan Ju nearly lost on bottom board to an Expert by pressing too hard as Black in the Exchange French, but he managed to create an interesting fortress position to secure the draw. The GM game on Board 1 was a real heavyweight wrestling match that could have gone either way until Benjamin managed to win the Exchange by an artful bit of maneuvering and tactics.
All in all, considering the obvious strength of the opposition, a draw was not a bad result. Next match September 5: Black vs Tennessee Tempo (8:00 ET).
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Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Urusov Analysis - 3...Nxe4 4.dxe5 Qh4
Continuing my re-analysis of the Urusov Gambit, I present a refutation of the unusual line 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d4 Nxe4 4.dxe5 Qh4, which received some positive press following its use in the USSR championship of 1974. White has to be careful here; Black threatens mate, after all, and the natural 5.Qe2? is met by 5...Nxf2! But there are two ways for White to gain a clear advantage.
I counted up about 40 lines from my Urusov Gambit site that will eventually receive reconsideration (with the help of Max Burkett). With this second entry, I figure we're 5% finished. What form the final analysis will take (whether website, book, or CD) is yet to be determined.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Traxler Counter Attack (Wilkes-Barre) Webliography
The Traxler Counter Gambit (a.k.a. the Wilkes-Barre Variation, due to Ken Williams's 1979 pamphlet based on games and analysis from his chess club in that Pennsylvania town) seems rather insane to the uninitiated: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 Bc5!? Like a lot of gambits, you have to see some games and try yourself to refute it before you will have any faith. Some recent online articles renewed my interest in the line and restored my faith that it would likely be worth some study, if I could find a spare month or so to do the analysis. NM Dan Heisman's CD (mentioned below) is highly recommended for the serious.
- Boris Alterman, "The Traxler Counterattack." The Alterman Gambit Guide, Black Gambits 2 (Quality Chess 2012): 89-172. A great introduction to Traxler tactics for amateur players. See Table of Contents for the rest of the repertoire.
- Stefan Bücker, Seven Ways to Refute the Traxler
A useful overview of White's theoretically best lines. - ChyssChess, The Traxler Counter Attack
Some useful summary analysis of key lines, favoring Black. - Alex Dunne, Thematic Tournaments
Annotates an interesting Black victory against the 5.Bxf7+ Ke7 6.Bd5 line from a Wilkes-Barre Thematic Correspondence tournament around 1991. - Meisterbrau, Traxler
Some great games from a collection at Chessgames.com. These will make you a believer. - Tim Harding, The Two Knights Defense: See the Wood, Not the Trees!
Offers a little discussion of the main lines, but mostly focused on other variations. - Dan Heisman, The Traxler Counterattack
Order page from ChessCentral for Dan Heisman's CD featuring extensive computer analysis of the Traxler. - John L. Jerz, Traxler Analysis
Considers Black's best response to White's supposed refutations. - Sylvain Ravot, Site dedie a l'ouverture Traxler (formerly at http://wwww.traxler.fr.st/)
A nice French site with java boards and PGN downloads devoted to the author's favorite line. - Roman, Wilkes-Barre (from the Archives)
- Wikipedia, Karel Traxler
A nice historical intro to the Czech monk who analyzed the attack that bears his name. - Maarten de Zeeuw, Another Look at the Traxler Gambit NIC Tearbook 63
The first in an excellent series of articles on the Traxler in NIC Yearbook. Download before they disappear. - _____. Another Look at the Traxler Gambit (2): 5.Bf7 Ke7 6.Bd5 NIC Yearbook 65
Considered White's easiest line, it looks not so easy to me. - _____. Another Look at the Traxler Gambit (3): 5.Bf7 Ke7 6.Bb3 NIC Yearbook 66
- _____. Another Look at the Traxler Gambit (4): 5.Nf7 Bf2 6.Kf2 NIC Yearbook 67
- _____. Another Look at the Traxler Gambit (5): 5.Nf7 Bf2 6.Kf1 NIC Yearbook 68
- The Real American Wilkes-Barre Variation, Two Knights Defense by Kenneth F. Williams (Chess Enterprises, 1979)
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Thursday, August 23, 2007
Helen Margaret Wojcio
Helen Margaret Wojcio of Kenilworth, NJ, passed away Sunday, August 19, and is to be buried today at 9:15 a.m. in the Opacity Funeral Home, 511 Washington St., Kenilworth. Mother to Kenilworth Chess Club historian, founding member, and former long-time president Michael David Wojcio, Helen was a wonderful lady. She is survived by her husband, Michael Peter Wojcio, the oldest living resident of Kenilworth (and Grand Marshall of the Kenilworth Centennial Parade); her three children; five grandchildren; and two great grand children. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Kenilworth First Aid Squad, 491 Washington Ave., Kenilworth, N.J. 07033.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Vadim Zvjaginsev
I listened to John Watson's excellent ICC radio show last night, where he gave a favorable review to Jan Timman's On the Attack, a collection of great attacking games. The first game that he examined was Cifuentes-Parada--Zvjaginsev, Wijk aan Zee 1995, which is a beautiful game, featuring both a queen sac and a king hunt. I recognized Vadim Zvjaginsev as the originator of the controversial opening 1.e4 c5 2.Na3!? but was unfamiliar with him as a player, so I naturally checked out his games at Chessgames.com. Some of his best have been collected there in a piece titled "Z is for Zvjaginsev." More puzzles from his games can be found at Chess Puzzles by GMs. If you solve the ones above, I think you'll want to learn more about this Russian GM born August 18, 1976.
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