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Alabama Chess
Antics Inside this issue:
The Champions’ Rematch: Troy Classic by Scott Varagona
4
3rd Annual Bob Rieves Memorial Tournament Report by Balagee Govindan
10
Winter Puzzles by Scott Varagona
11
Alabama Tournament Results from uschess.org
12
The Official
Publication of the
Alabama Chess
Federation
Winter 2019
Jonathan Rasberry gets some well-deserved rest after
winning the 2018 Troy Classic. (Hosting and playing in a
tournament is hard work!)
Photo by Antics Editor.
Page 2 Alabama Chess Antics
Greetings folks, and welcome to
2019. We look back on the last bit of
Alabama chess from 2018 and then look
ahead to what will hopefully be a very
lively year of chess to come.
In this issue, I annotate a recent
game of mine versus my state co-
champion, Tyler Freeman. This game
had quite a few twists and turns; I hope
you find it both instructive and
entertaining. We also have a few
puzzles and some tournament reports.
Otherwise, there has been a noticeable
lull in Antics submissions lately.
While I enjoy writing for the
Antics myself, I must emphasize that
this is not “my” magazine; it is ours! In
order for the Antics to be successful, the
ACF counts on interested members to
submit content. We want to showcase
all the wonderful achievements of the
state’s chess players, of all skill levels.
So, please submit pictures, articles, or
games (preferably in pgn format) with
or without annotations to:
The deadline for submissions for
the next Antics is May 15, 2019.
Now, looking ahead: one of
Alabama’s most prestigious and
longest-running tournaments, the
Queen of Hearts, takes place in
Montgomery at AUM on February 16-
17, 2019 (note the change in date from
the original advertisement!). This
tournament usually draws some of the
strongest active Alabama chess players.
I certainly look forward to seeing
everybody there.
After the Queen of Hearts, there
is the Tom Nard Memorial. Then, on
March 2-3, 2019, we have the
“granddaddy of all tournaments”: the
Alabama State Scholastic Chess
Championships! This year’s edition
takes place at Miles College in Fairfield,
Alabama. (The Individual Chess
Championship is on March 2; the Team
Championship is on March 3.) Who
will be the next young talents to take
the trophies home? We’ll surely find
out in time for the next issue of the
Antics...
-Scott Varagona
Greetings from the Editor
ACF Membership
Any individual may become a Regular Member upon the payment of annual dues of $15.00. Regular members may enter ACF tournaments and receive special publications or notices from ACF as they are issued. Any chess club seeking to become an Affiliate is required to file the Affiliate Information Form with the Secretary of the ACF and pay annual dues of $35.00. Benefits of becoming an affiliate include the right to bid to host ACF-sanctioned events, such as the Alabama State Championship, and to receive advertising through the ACF for your tournaments.
Page 3 Winter 2019
1 SCOTT VARAGONA 2279 26 TYLER W FREEMAN 1901
2 MATTHEW PUCKETT 2218 27 KIRK D PETTY 1900
3 BILL MELVIN 2203 28 JEFFREY BYRD JR 1897
4 STEPHEN ADAMS 2197 29 ZACHARY SNOW II 1880
5 ARDEN Q MARKIN 2172 30 TYLER C RHODES 1860
6 ANDY REEDER 2140 31 ROBERT LUBIN 1849
7 STEPHEN GRAVELING 2135 32 ALAN TODD 1842
8 JONATHAN RASBERRY 2105 33 TIM BOND 1836
9 JOSHUA T MCCLELLAN 2101 34 RAY DOWNS 1819
10 JOSEPH JURJEVICH 2093 35 SARVAGNA VELIDANDLA 1818
11 TEJAS V THORAT 2055 36 CHARLES H ANTHONY 1813
12 MILES MELVIN 2020 37 RHODES PEELE 1812
13 CHARLES L MEIDINGER 2016 38 LUIS J MORENILLA 1808
14 GEORGE RUSYNIAK 2011 39 CAESAR W LAWRENCE 1804
15 OM BADHE 2000 40 JEFF STORY 1803
16 CHRISTOPHER J TREES 1993 41 JOHN DAUGHERTY 1800
17 TERRENCE W EDINBURGH 1951 42 THOMAS H LAWRY 1800
18 WILLIAM D FOX 1950 43 JOSHUA N WAKEFIELD 1794
19 MICHAEL W PORCELLI 1937 44 VIKHRAM BALAGEE 1761
20 JEFF TOBIN 1937 45 CAMPBELL A DOBBS 1744
21 AARON DECORD 1928 46 PATRICK T DOWD 1736
22 FARUK E ERGIN 1926 47 ALADDIN LATEEF 1736
23 MARK L LIATTI 1915 48 KEN KIRBY 1733
24 MICHAEL B GUTHRIE 1915 49 DAVID HAYES 1725
25 ROGER D JOHNSON 1906 50 JERALD R MC GOWIN 1720
Alabama Chess Leaderboard Top 50 Ratings (retrieved from uschess.org on 1/20/19)
Page 4 Alabama Chess Antics
It often happens that a current
Alabama state champion will face a
former state champion, or two former
champions will play, but how often do
we see two reigning co-champions
duke it out?
Back in September, after facing
each other in the first round of the State
Championship (see Fall 2018 Antics),
Tyler Freeman and I fought our way
through the rest of the field and
ultimately tied for first with five points
apiece. Two months later, in the last
round of the 2018 Troy Classic, we
were about to lock horns for the second
time. I needed to win this game to
secure at least a tie for first. Tyler, half a
point behind, could leapfrog me in the
tournament standings—and exact
vengeance for our previous game!—if
he won.
I, for one, was certainly looking
forward to this game. I felt reasonably
confident; on paper, I have a nice rating
advantage. However, as Kirk Petty
always reminds me, ratings only
measure past performance…
Here’s my caveat to these
The Champions’ Rematch: Troy Classic By NM Scott Varagona
Stunning scenery on Troy University’s campus. Photo by Antics Editor.
Page 5 Winter 2019
annotations: much of this game is so
complicated, I would struggle to fully
explain things without spewing a
bunch of computer analysis at the
reader. Since that’s no fun, I’m keeping
these annotations light and focusing on
the key ideas, with only limited
computer interruption. (To quote Daft
Punk, we’re “human after all.”)
Varagona,S (2264) - Freeman,T (1900)
Troy Classic 2018, Round 4
Troy, AL; 11-17-2018
1.d4 f5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 d6 4.d5 c6 5.c4
g6
It’s been forever and a day since
I’ve faced the Leningrad Dutch. My
favorite description of the Leningrad is
from Viktor Korchnoi: “Nobody
understands what happens in that
system—including myself!”1 In
retrospect, I should have expected this
opening, considering Tyler’s fondness
for the reversed Leningrad (a.ka.,
“Polar Bear System”) in Bird’s Opening
(with 1.f4, 2.Nf3, 3.g3).
6.Nc3 Bg7 7.Nh3
The knight goes not to f3, but to
h3, in order to pressure Black’s weak
light squares with Nh3-f4. Black
prevents that:
7…e5 8.dxc6!?
This is an unorthodox decision,
giving up the center. Still, about ten
years ago, I had seen this obscure game
Kurajica-Kovacevic from 2001 and
liked the plan White used in this type
of position. After trying it out against
Tyler, though, I’m not sure I would try
it again!
8…bxc6 9.b4?
Wrong move order. It’s been too
many years since I studied this line. I
seek queenside play, but White is
supposed to castle and play Qa4!,
pressuring c6. The move b4 can always
come later; playing it this early
endangers my c-pawn.
9…e4! 10.Rb1 Be6 11.Qb3 Nbd7 12.Nf4
Bf7
1. V. Kortchnoi, My Life for Chess, vol. 1; Chessbase
fritztrainer monograph (DVD), 2005.
Page 6 Alabama Chess Antics
No doubt about it: Black is better
now. My g2-bishop is blocked, and
what to do about ...Nb6? I start fishing
for counterplay.
13.Qa4 Qc8?
Tyler told me he should have
played 13…Qc7!, defending both
pawns. I, too, believe this would have
helped stabilize Black’s advantage, but
the game remains very complex.
14.f3!
This is going to turn the position
into an even bigger mess, but I have no
choice! My bishop must be freed.
14…Nb6 15.Qd1
We see the drawback of Black’s
13…Qc8: now d6 is under fire.
15…exf3 16.Bxf3 Nxc4 17.b5 d5 18.bxc6
Ne5
After the game, Tyler wondered
if he should have gone without this
move. Black’s advantage has definitely
slipped somehow.
19.Bg2 Qxc6 20.Ncxd5 Nxd5 21.Bxd5
Bxd5 22.Qxd5 Rd8??
Page 7 Winter 2019
I had a golden opportunity here:
23.Qe6+! Qxe6 24.Nxe6 (Fritz), winning
material. I think I had seen that much
during the game, but I thought 24…
Rd7 25.Rb8+? Kf7 was a dead-end.
What I missed was the simple
25.Nxg7+!, where 25…Rxg7 26.Rb8+
wins the h8-rook. Oops! Instead, we
“exchanged blunders.”
23.Qxc6+?? Nxc6 24.Ba3 Bd4 25.Ne6
Bc3+ 26.Kf2 Rc8 27.Rhc1 Be5 28.Rb7
Rb8 29.Rxb8+ Nxb8 30.Rc5 Nd7
For better or for worse, here we
are. I felt like I had some edge, but no
knock-out blow. Seeing no other
convincing path forward, I played…
31.Rc8+ Kf7 32.Ng5+ Kg7 33.Rxh8
Kxh8 34.Nf7+ Kg8 35.Nxe5 Nxe5
…and entered a bishop vs. knight
endgame. I have a couple of factors on
my side:
• Endgames with pawns on both
sides of the board tend to favor the
bishop, since it is a long-range piece
that can impact both sides of the
board at once.
• My king is just slightly closer to the
center than its counterpart.
Still, these advantages seem
minor. Is it possible that Black can hold
this ending? Certainly—but it will take
some precision. Never mind whether
your opponent could survive with
“perfect” play: the point is to saddle
your opponent with a long and difficult
defensive burden, where mistakes are
likely to come. Let’s also not forget that
defending accurately is much harder in
time trouble.
Page 8 Alabama Chess Antics
36.Bc5 a6 37.h3 Kf7
After the game, Tyler thought he
should have played 37…Nc4!. That
move would have kept White’s king at
bay for longer.
38.Ke3 Ke6 39.Kd4 Nc6+ 40.Kc4
40…Ke5?
To paraphrase the Joker, Black is
“dancing with the devil in the pale
moonlight.” Far too risky: by trying to
get active with his king, Black allows
White to penetrate on the queenside.
Why not 40…Ne5+!, simply asking
White how he plans to break through?
The point is that 41.Kb4 Kd5! (followed
by …Nc6+) stops White from playing
Ka5, and meanwhile Black has seized
the center. Instead, I would have had to
play 41.Kd4 Nc6+, and then it’s clear
that my advantage has dissipated.
41.Be3!
With this move, I threaten Kc5.
If 41…Kd6 then 42.Bf4+! and my king
invades anyway. For a human player in
time pressure, defending this position
will be practically impossible.
41…Ke4 42.Bf2 Ne5+ 43.Kc5 Nd7+
44.Kc6 Nf6 45.a4 Nd5 46.a5
A diagram is worth a thousand
words. Black’s knight struggles to
compete with White’s active king and
bishop.
46…h5?
The last chance in the position
was 46…Ke5! (Fritz). Black has to bring
his king back close to White’s so that
Page 9 Winter 2019
(in a few moves) when I play Kxa6 he
can play ...Kc6!. Black will box in my
king and possibly push it away from
my a-pawn with a knight check. Then
he’ll set up a light-square blockade and
try to win my a-pawn. Even here, Black
is not out of the woods: I can imagine
my king eventually slipping over to the
kingside to try to win the game anew.
47.Kb7 Nc3 48.Kxa6 Nxe2 49.Kb6
The pawn is unstoppable now.
A few more careful moves, and White
wins.
49…Nc3 50.a6 Nd5+ 51.Kb7! Ke5 52.a7
Nb4 53.a8Q Nd3 54.Qe8+ Kd5 55.Qd8+
Ke4 56.Qd4+ Kf3 57.Qxd3+ Kxf2 58.h4
g5 and soon, White checkmated Black
(1–0). ◼
Troy Classic 2018: Top Performers
Premiere Section
Tied for first: Jonathan Rasberry (2089) and Scott Varagona (2264), 3.5 points.
Reserve Section
Tied for first: Dan Williams (1444) and Kendall Franks (1166P), 3 points.
Tournament Director: Caesar Lawrence.
Page 10 Alabama Chess Antics
3rd Annual Bob Rieves Memorial Tournament Report
By TD Balagee Govindan
Dear Chess Players, thank you all for playing in the 3rd Annual Bob Rieves
Memorial Chess Tournament on December 1, 2018.
Please find below the tournament results. 60 players played in this tournament. ◼
Open (1600+)
Yuri Barnakov - First Place
Charles Meidinger - Second Place
Mariano Runco - U/1800
Reserve (U1600)
Victor Lundy - First Place
Thomas Gilbreath - Second Place
Parker Hunt - U/1400
Scholastic K-3
Sarah Peter - First Place
Prabhas Garlapati - Second Place
Neil Srikantha - Third Place
Scholastic K-6
Parker Liu - First Place
Shreyas Keshava - Second Place
Daniel Seewald - Third Place
Scholastic K-3 (NOT RATED)
Saikarunya Kesireddy - First Place
Saketh Pondugula - Second Place
Ashwin Korrapatti - Third Place
Scholastic K-6 (NOT RATED)
Yash Pillai - First Place
Nora Farris - Second Place
Daniel Hinton - Third Place
Scholastic K-9 (NOT RATED)
Varsha Vinoy - First Place
Krishnavanditha Mayuram -
Second Place
Bob Rieves Memorial 2018: Top Performers
Page 11 Winter 2019
Winter Puzzles By Scott Varagona
1. Jurjevich,J - Varagona,S
Chris Bond Memorial 2018.
White to play.
2. Varagona,S - Graveling,S
Magic City Classic 2018.
White to play.
3. Sharpe,K - Varagona,S
Rea Hayes Open 2018.
Black to play.
4. Badhe,O - Varagona,S
MLK Classic 2018.
Black to play.
Solutions: 1. White wins material (or mates) with Qxe5!!. 2. White wins with Nb5+!. Black cannot take with the a-pawn because then Qa5+ will be mate. Therefore, Black
must play ...Rxb5 and lose material. 3. Black traps the rook with ...Rd6! (or ...Rb8), threatening ...a6. If White tries to play a5, then Black’s king simply walks over and takes the
rook. 4. Black’s clearest win is ...g5!. Zugzwang is a powerful endgame weapon. ◼
Page 12 Alabama Chess Antics
Alabama Tournament Results From uschess.org
2018 Birmingham Challenge
(Birmingham, AL)
Premiere Section:
Tied for 1st place: Jonathan Rasberry (2089), Om Badhe* (1939), William D
Fox (1904) and Kirk Petty (1900), 3 points
Reserve Section:
1st place: Jay-El Shepherd II (1582), 3.5 points
2nd place: Doug Strout (1569) and Kapil Nathan (1411), 3 points
Rook Section:
1st place: Nathan Krish (1076), 4.5 points
2nd place: Bhavesh Garlapati (489P), 4 points
2018 Halloween Classic
(Huntsville, AL)
Premiere Section:
1st place: Bill Melvin (2209), 3.5 points
2nd place: William Daniel Fox (1924) and Roger Johnson (1900), 3 points
Reserve Section:
1st place: Chandler McCook (1113), 4 points
2nd place: Yaryna Zhurba (1376P) and Samuel Baskarraj (1277), 2.5 points
* Congratulations to Om Badhe for becoming an Expert at the December
2018 Atlanta Open!
Email:
Alabama.Chess.Editor
@gmail.com
Upcoming Tournaments See www.alabamachess.org for details on these and other events.
February 16-17 47th Annual Queen of Hearts Montgomery, AL
February 22-24 2019 Tri-State Chess Championship Valdosta, GA
February 23 Tom Nard Memorial V Montgomery, AL
March 2-3 2019 Alabama State Scholastic Chess Ch. Fairfield, AL
March 2 Alabaster Scholastic Alabaster, AL
March 16 Birmingham Classic Birmingham, AL
ALABAMA
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ANTICS
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Federation
www.alabamachess.org
Please contact [email protected]
if you are interested in helping with the Alabama Chess Federation.
To submit articles, pictures and games to the Antics, email the Antics editor at
Games in .pgn format are
strongly preferred.
The Alabama Chess Federation (ACF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation and the United States Chess Federation affiliate for the state of Alabama. Our goal is to promote chess in this area for the benefit of all Alabama players. Toward that end, we provide advertising and other assistance for rated tournaments, as well as support for scholastic chess programs around the state.
All chess diagrams in this issue were produced using Fritz, a program by ChessBase.
President: Neil Dietsch
Vice President: Jonathan Rasberry
Secretary: Vacant
Treasurer: Paul Nager
Education VP: Neil Dietsch
Scholastic VP: Balagee Govindan
Public Relations: Michael Ciamarra
Antics Editor: Scott Varagona
Interim Webmaster: Neil Dietsch
Web Content Mgr.: Neil Dietsch
Member Admin.: Jonathan Rasberry
Tourn. Reports: Caesar Lawrence
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