LCCC Ready for Chess Season 2019-2020

Fischer vs Spassky in a tournament years before their Championship match. 

Chess is a year round activity, but winter seems to be chess 'season'. Especially in Michigan and other northern climate places.
LCCC is open to take care of your chess playing or chess learning needs. Our club averages a ten player attendance, practically guaranteeing you an opponent for a friendly over the board game.
Our continuous running 'Ladder' tournament give every game some meaning as you can move up or defend your position on the ladder with every game you play.
We are at the Hartland Senior Center every Monday night from 6pm to 8:30pm.
Looking forward to seeing you there.

Now let's take a look at a game played on line by a LCCC player, Don M. These 'one attacks on one side and the other attacks on the other' games are fun to look at because it is a 'race to victory' or a 'who will flinch first?' scenario.
Don is playing White.
Kings Indian - Samisch Variation (very popular these days)
1. d4          Nf6
2. c4          g6
3. Nc3       Bg7
4. e4          d6
5. f3           O-O
6. Be3        Nbd7
7. Qd2       c5
8. Nge2      b6
9. O-O-O     Ba6
The start of the double edged game.

10. b3          Qc8
11. Kb1        Ne8?
A backwards move is rarely good as it is too slow to work with this many pieces on the board. The computer Grandmaster Igor3000 suggests 11. ….cxd4 or even 11. ...h5 to maintain an even game. White is positionally up 2.5 pawns at this point, but does not capitalize ….yet.

12. g4          Nc7
13. h4          b5

Position after Black played 13. ……    b5

14. Bh6?      bxc4

The game is even here. White's best try was 14. cxb5 to keep the lead after ….Nxb5 15. Nxb5, Bxb5 and 16. Nc3.

15. Bxg7        Kxg7
16. h5             Rh8
17. hxg6?       hxg6
18. Bg2?        ……

It is hard to find the right play here. White wants to keep some control of the file he opened, but his opponent defended well and it was time to cut bait and trade with 18. Rxh8, Qxh8 19. dxc5, Nxc5 and 20. bxc4.
But it all works out for Don as Black also fails to find 18. ….Qb7 to give him a two pawn positional advantage. Instead he gives Don a three pawn advantage with....

18. …..          cxb3??
19. Rxh8        bxa2+
20. Ka1          Qxh8
21. Rh1          Qd8??
Don doesn't miss this easy checkmate!
22. Qh6+        Kf6
23. g5+           Ke6
24. Nf4++
Double edged games! First one to slip and get caught slipping - loses.