North Carolina Chess Association
NCCA officers
Charles Roberson – President
John Timmel – First Vice President
Grant Oen – Scholastic Vice President
Wayne H. Spon – Secretary/Treasurer
North Carolina Gambit – September 2022
This month’s Contributors
Charles Roberson – Editor
John Timmel
Web support, edit, and distribution
John Timmel
In this issue, you will find:
Charles Roberson – World Chess League Live
John Timmel – To Move and Win!
We’re looking for contributors to the Gambit!
Submit your games, articles, etc. to the editor Charles Roberson at croberson2@triad.rr.com
World Chess League Live
by Charles Roberson
At the beginning of the COVID pandemic and the shutdown of various European countries, the World 2020 Chess League was formed. It Was called 2020 due to each person plays two G/10 games thus two 20 minute games. It had over 100 teams from across the world and the matches were weekly and hosted by Chess.com. I arranged for the Burlington Ambush chess team to participate and recruited people. We started in the second season and played teams from Liberia, England, Scotland, Wales, Hawaii, Oregon, Louisianna and several other teams from South America, Africa and Europe. Everyone on the team enjoyed it especially since the US shutdown just a month before left many with free time. The primary members of the team that season were Charles Roberson, Craig Jones, John Timmel, Mark Chaves, Christopher Chaves, Arav Goldstein, Dr. Joseph Graves, Justin Lalor, Tom Hales, Garret Allen, Phil Disque and Larry Windes. After getting off to a rough start due to technical issues, we performed well. The season lasted 12 weeks and we entered for the next season which continued the weekly match schedule. Some people came and went on the team. The third season saw the addition of GM Elshan Moradiabadi playing one match with us when we were paired with the South African team which had a GM.
After another season of weekly matches, the following season changed to 10 matches of one per month. We were joined by Dennis Stearns, Kevin Chen, Eric Bradford, Marius Andersen, Raymond Hight and Christian Gangitano. In last years season (centered around the university school year), we finished tied for 17th out of 140 teams. Last season, it was decided that the league would continue beyond COVID and the name was changed to World Chess League Live. The 2022-2023 season started last weekend and we were paired with the Warwick Chess Society from England. Only four of us played because they only came with four. Their team out rated us by over 1000 points with a FIDE FM and CM. The score of 1.5 to 6.5 was a loss for us. Our next match is on Saturday October 8 against a team from Florida. It is a very well run league with video commentary on twitch via ChessHeros.
Games from the match last Saturday 9/10/22.
https://www.chess.com/game/live/56569765085
[Event “Live Chess”]
[Site “Chess.com”]
[Date “2022.09.10”]
[Round “?”]
[White “mariusgso”]
[Black “ViktorTheCoolBoy”]
[Result “1/2-1/2”]
[ECO “A45”]
[WhiteElo “1960”]
[BlackElo “2264”]
[TimeControl “600+5”] [EndTime “10:50:32 PDT”]
[Termination “Game drawn by agreement”]
1. d4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. e4 d5 5. e5 Ne4 6. Nxe4 dxe4 7. Ng5 Bb7 8. Bb5+ c6 9. Bc4 c5 10. Bb5+ Bc6 11. a4 a6 12. Bxc6+ Nxc6 13. Nxe4 Qxd4 14. Qxd4 Nxd4 15. Kd2 O-O-O 16. Kc3 f5 17. exf6 gxf6 18. Nxf6 Bg7 19. Nh5 Be5 20. f4 Ne2+ 21. Kb3 Bc7 22. c3 Rhf8 23. g3 Rd5 24. Ng7 Kd7 25. Re1 Nxc1+ 26. Raxc1 e5 27. f5 b5 28. axb5 axb5 29. g4 Rd2 30. Ne6 c4+ 31. Ka2 Ra8+ 32. Kb1 Bd6 33. h3 Rd3 34. Rh1 Rb8 35. Rcd1 e4 36. Rxd3 cxd3 37. Kc1 b4 38. Re1 bxc3 39. bxc3 Rb3 40. Rxe4 Rxc3+ 41. Kd2 Rb3 42. Rd4 Ke7 43. Rxd3 Rb2+ 44. Ke3 Be5 45. Ke4 Bf6 46. g5 Rb4+ 47. Kd5 Rb5+ 48. Kc6 Rxf5 49. gxf6+ Kxe6 50. Rd6+ Kf7 51. Rd7+ Kg6 52. f7 h5 53. Kd6 Rf3 54. Re7 Kg7 55. Kd7 Kf8 56. Re5 h4 57. Rh5 Rxh3 58. Ke6 Re3+ 59. Kf6 Rf3+ 60. Ke6 Rxf7 61. Rxh4 Rf1 62. Rh8+ Kg7 63. Rh3 1/2-1/2
https://www.chess.com/game/live/56568553243
[Event “Live Chess”]
[Site “Chess.com”]
[Date “2022.09.10”]
[Round “?”]
[White “JCRchess”]
[Black “MoonlightAnomaly”]
[Result “1-0”]
[ECO “A01”]
[WhiteElo “1930”]
[BlackElo “2184”]
[TimeControl “600+5”] [EndTime “10:31:06 PDT”]
[Termination “JCRchess won by resignation”]
1. b3 d5 2. Bb2 Nf6 3. h3 Nc6 4. e3 e5 5. Bb5 Bd6 6. Na3 Qe7 7. Qc1 O-O 8. Nf3 a6 9. Bxc6 bxc6 10. c4 Ne4 11. O-O Nc5 12. Bxe5 Bxe5 13. Nxe5 Qxe5 14. d4 Qg5 15. f4 Qg6 16. dxc5 Bxh3 17. Rf2 Bf5 18. cxd5 cxd5 19. Nc2 Bxc2 20. Qxc2 Qxc2 21. Rxc2 c6 22. Kf2 f5 23. b4 Rab8 24. Rb1 Rfe8 25. Rb3 Re4 26. Rcb2 d4 27. g3 dxe3+ 28. Rxe3 Rexb4 29. Rxb4 Rxb4 30. Re6 Rb2+ 31. Kf3 Rxa2 32. Rxc6 h6 33. Rb6 a5 34. c6 Rc2 35. Ra6 a4 36. Ke3 Kh7 37. Kd4 a3 38. Kd5 a2 39. Kd6 Rd2+ 40. Ke7 Rc2 41. Kd7 Rd2+ 42. Kc8 Rc2 43. c7 Rc1 44. Rxa2 Kg6 45. Rd2 Rxc7+ 46. Kxc7 Kh5 47. Kd6 Kg4 48. Rd3 g5 49. fxg5 hxg5 50. Ke5 f4 51. gxf4 gxf4 52. Ke4 Kg5 53. Rf3 1-0
To Move and Win!
presented by John Timmel
This month, a few of yours truly. Send us some of your favorite games, PLEASE!
Timmel,John (2125) – IM Adu,Oladapo (2396)
LPO (4), 24.07.2011
1.d4 d6 2.e4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.Be3 c6 5.Bd3 Nf6 6.Nf3 Bg4 7.h3 Bxf3 8.Qxf3 Nbd7 9.0–0–0 Qa5 10.Bc4 0–0 11.g4 d5 12.Bb3 dxe4 13.Nxe4 Nd5 14.h4 h6 15.h5 Nxe3 16.Qxe3 g5 17.f4 gxf4 18.Qxf4 Nf6 19.Nc5 [19.g5 Nxe4 20.Qxe4 Qxg5+] 19…b6
20.g5! The point of 19. Nc5
Black is helpless. 20….hxg5 21.Qxg5 Nh7 22.Qg3 Kh8 23.Nd7 Rg8 24.Qf3 Rad8 25.h6 [25.Qxf7 Qg5+ 26.Kb1 Bf6 27.Nxf6 Nxf6 28.Qxe7+–] 25…Qg5+ 26.Kb1 Rxd7 27.hxg7+ Qxg7 [27…Rxg7 28.Qxc6 Rd8 29.Qc7 e6 30.Qxa7 b5 31.Qb7] 28.Bxf7! [28.Rxh7+ Qxh7 29.Rh1 e6 30.Rxh7+ Kxh7 31.Qh5+ Kg7 32.c3 Rh8 33.Qf3] 28…Rf8 [28…e6; 28…Qf6 29.Rxh7+ Kxh7 30.Qh5+ Kg7 31.Rg1+] 29.Rxh7+ [29.Rdg1 Qxf7 30.Rxh7+ Kxh7 31.Qh3+] 29…Qxh7 [29…Kxh7 30.Qf5+ Kh8 31.Rh1+] 30.Rh1 Rxd4 [30…Rxf7 31.Rxh7+ Rxh7 32.Qf8#] 31.Rxh7+ Kxh7 32.Qh5+ 1–0
Ardaman,Miles (2317) – Timmel,John (2125) [A01]
LPO (5), 24.07.2011
1.b3 e5 2.Bb2 d6 3.e3 Nf6 4.h3 g6 5.Ne2 Bg7 6.d3 0–0 7.Nd2 c5 8.c4 Nc6 9.g4 h5 10.g5 Nh7 11.h4 f6 12.Bg2 fxg5 13.Bd5+ Kh8 14.hxg5 Qxg5 15.a3 Nf6 16.Ne4 Nxe4 17.Bxe4 Bg4 18.Qc2 Rf6 19.f4? getting short on time, played immediately, but it’s bad. 19…exf4 20.exf4 Rxf4 21.Bxg7+ Kxg7 22.Nxf4 Qxf4 23.Qf2 Qg5! 24.Rf1 [if 24.0–0 Be2+ 25.Kh1 Bxf1 26.Rxf1 Ne5 27.Bxb7 Rb8 28.Be4 Ng4; 24.Qd2 Qf6 25.Rc1 Rf8 26.Qe3 Nd4 and there’s no survival ]
24…Nd4
threatening Nc2+ followed by Qe3+
25.Qf7+ [25.Rb1 Nc2+ 26.Qxc2 Qe3+] 25…Kh6 26.Rf6 [26.Rf2 Bh3 and it’s over] 26…Qe3+ 27.Kf1 Bh3+ 0–1
Timmel,John (2112) – Mabe,Chris (2290) [A14]
NC Open Greensboro, NC (3), 01.11.2009
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 c6 5.b3 Nbd7 6.Bb2 Be7 7.0–0 0–0 8.d3 b6 9.Nbd2 Bb7 10.e4 c5 11.e5 Ne8 12.Re1 Qc7 13.Nf1 Rd8 14.Qe2 Kh8 15.h4 b5 16.N1h2 bxc4 17.dxc4 dxc4 18.Qxc4 Qc6 19.h5 Nb6 20.Qg4 c4 21.Rac1 Bb4 22.Nh4 Qc7 23.Bxb7 Bxe1 24.Rxe1 Qxb7 25.Ba3 Rg8 26.N2f3 cxb3 27.Ng5! Rd7 28.axb3 (Nxf7+ would hasten the end) Qd5
29.Nxf7+! (well, better late than never. )
Rxf7 30.Ng6+ hxg6 31.hxg6 Qd2 32.Qh4+ 1–0