Monday 020116 Closes Week 8 of the 2016 LCCC League

Chess is a great way to spend time on a cold night. Or day.

We had nine players at the club on a balmy night for February.

The Tigers made up their games in impressive fashion going 2 - 0 to beat the Flyers 3 - 0!
This win tightens up the league race and leave a chance of a playoff on position night.
Congratulations to Tim R and Sam T on their wins.

Here are the standings:

49'ers - 12 points
Tigers - 8 points
Owls - 5 points
Thunder - 4 points
Flyers - 3 points

There are two regular season weeks left. If the Tigers can sweep and the 49'er lose both, we will have a playoff!

The schedule next week may decide the issue as the matches are:

49'ers vs Tigers!!!
1. Ken T (W) vs Tim R (B)
2. Paul M (B) vs Nick D (W)
3. Tom H (W) vs Sam T (B)

Thunder vs Owls
4. Gene M (W) vs Mike N (B)
5. Luke S (B) vs Don J (W)
6. Zach R (W) vs Jay S (B)

Flyers (Bye)

Be here for the exciting action. You can have a casual game and keep an eye on the Main Event, or simply pull up a chair and watch the gripping drama unfold on Boards 1, 2 and 3!

Position after White's move 18. Rae1. Black to move.

Meanwhile, I found an interesting endgame in Chess Life 2003. Harry Simon, with White, beats a player over 150 rating points above him with some sharp play after his opponent error.

We pick the game up with White holding a little better than a pawn advantage (+1.2). Black needs to shore up his knight with 18. ........Qd8.

18. .........                     h5?
White seizes the moment and accurately dismantles Black's defenses piece by piece to a won endgame (+3.5).

19. Bg6          Kg8
20. Rxf6         gxf6
21. Qxf6        Qc7
22. Qe6+        Kf8
23. Bc3          Rh6
24. Qf6+        Kg8
25. Qg5          Bf8
26. Bxh5+      Kh7?
Under the pressure, Black mis-steps. Correct was 26. .......Bg7 by over a pawn positionally. Now White's lead is (+5.4).

27. Qf5+         Kg8
28. Qg5+        Kh7
29. Re6           Be8
30. Rxh6+       Bxh6
31. Qf5+         Kg8
32. Qe6+         Kh7
33. Bxe8         Rxe8
34. Qxe8         Bg7?
The final error. Black missed 34. .......d4! with at least winning the White bishop after losing his. Now (+9.4).

35. Qh5+         Kg8
36. Qxd5+       Kh7
37. Qh5+         Kg8
38.  Qg6          Qd7
39.  Qxg7+      Resigns
White correctly traded down to a won endgame.