Old Events Wrapup

It has been a long time since I updated the events I have played in correspondence chess. I have ceased playing in ICC correspondence events because of events detailed in the last update. My ICC membership has lapsed and I undestand my stats have been erased. I also stopped play in USCF events though I remain a member. I plan on entering one or more CCLA events in the near future. I have started play in an ICCF Web Server Higher Series event (WS/H/171) based on my wins in the last two Open events I entered. Incredibly, there is already one result though notice of the event beginning was sent last week and the official start date is day after tomorrow!

ICCF
I have completed all events that I had entered from 2007 - 2008. My last two ICCF Web Server Open Series events ended with first place finishes.

In WS/O/215 I scored 6/6. However, the best player in that event over stepped the time limit and was disqualified in our game.

Owens (1941) - Chazalette (2126)
ICCF WS/O/215
Start Date 2008.7.3
QGD - Semi-Slav [D43]

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.Bg5 h6
6.Bh4 dxc4 7.e4 g5 8.Bg3 b5 9.Be2 Bb7 10.O-O Nbd7
11.Ne5 Bg7 12.Nxd7 Nxd7 13.Bd6 Bf8 14.Bxf8 Kxf8 15.f4 Rg8
16.Qd2 Rg7 17.Rf2 1-0

I would think the position is about even. Black suffers no exposure from losing short castling rights. His b7 Bishop can enter the game with one pawn move. There are no readily exploitable weak squares. I don't know why he quit. Black has at least a half point to gain from this game.

There are two games ongoing in the event and second place is still being contested. Chazalette can move into a second place tie with Bürger at 4.5/6 if he should defeat Sartori who is currently in fourth place.

After 15.g4
Black Sacs the Exchange
15...f5 16.exf6 Rxf6 17.g5 Rxf3 18.Bxf3 Qxg5+

Against Bürger I played the White side of a Bogo-Indian. On move 15 Bürger chose a variation that sacrifices the Exchange. I was able to withstand his King side attack and eventually win the game with the Rook vs. Knight and pawn advantage.










WS/O/172 was my first time atop the standings scoring 5.5/6. My only failure to garner a full point was an uninspired effort as White in a Reti against second place finisher Lehnen. I usually enjoy Retis and it will stay in my repertoire but I am disappointed with this game. In the two games that were not completed as of the last update, I was able to get full points from Dr. Mark Pooley in an Advance Caro Kann and from Nicolas White in a Symetrical Reti.

All the other events have finished. In WS/O/138 I placed 3rd, in WS/O/120 I placed 2nd, and in WS/O/109 I finished in 3rd. The last game to finish was in WS/O/120 which I posted about in January.