14 Jan 2013: Bulgarian-American exhibition at Gulu Gulu

Our friends at the Salem Boardgames Meetup were treated to the spectacle of not one, not two, but three exhibition games at Salem's inimitable Gulu Gulu.  As if that wasn't wild enough, the first two were miniatures !  CHESS CLUB got quite an introduction to the Explorer !

In addition to all the chess action, the Explorer and the Gabridoodle played two games of backgammon, each winning one.

In CLUB business, the Explorer has been promoted from prospective candidate member to candidate member.

Game 1
Gabridoodle - Explorer, 0-1

This game was an 18 move miniature.  The Gabridoodle pontificated about pawns and how the older one gets, the more one appreciates them.  The Explorer put this knowledge to use, making clever use of his h-pawn, delivering checkmate as shown in the diagram.

Game 2
Gabridoodle - Explorer, 1-0

The Explorer was offered the white pieces but demonstrated a marked affinity for sticking with black.  The shock received in the first game woke the Gabridoodle up and like a raging bull (or pony, in this case), he found a weakness in the Explorer's defenses and ruthlessly exploited it, delivering checkmate in only 14 moves.

Game 3
Gabridoodle - Explorer, 1-0

The evening's final game was a relative marathon, lasting 33 moves.  After some initial jousting, the Gabridoodle began a lengthy and ultimately successful stalking of the Explorer's king.  The Explorer, however, did make the Gabridoodle work for it, uncorking new kingside threats whenever the opportunity presented itself.

The Gabridoodle's Gun, or, Sometimes There's Hope

15 moves in, it's looking grim for the Gabridoodle.  Fritz is ahead by two bishops and two pawns...

...a couple of moves later, however, the Gabridoodle has assembled what we might call, with apologies to Alekhine, Gabridoodle's Gun.  Now Fritz is suddenly on the defensive...

...the Gabridoodle starts blasting away and by move 19 it's all over !  It's a miniature.  Fritz is checkmated.

3 Jan 2013: the Gabridoodle strikes back (with pawns)

Before the action began on the board, CHESS CLUB went on a fun-filled field trip.  First, in a bit of CLUB business, an attempt was made at recruiting new members; we'll, um, see how that goes.  Next, we went to Marshall's, where the Chess Pirate purchased a remarkable piece of kitsch.  The first sign the Gabridoodle had largely recovered from his malaria came at the Marshall's check-out.  He managed to mortify the Pirate to the point that she blushed !

The next sign that the Gabridoodle's malaria is improved came in today's game which he won largely by demonstrating that Philidor was right when he said, "The pawn is the soul of chess."

Gabridoodle - Chess Pirate, 1-0

A surprise riposte or two by the Gabridoodle stopped the Pirate's initial slashing attacks dead in their tracks.  Her game turned into a slow-motion train wreck as early as move 10, when the Gabridoodle robbed her of her castling privileges.  At move 22 (see illustration), the Gabridoodle assembled a phalanx of 4 pawns, a veritable steamroller smack dab in the middle of the board.  This positional advantage proved unstoppable and ten moves later, the Pirate's morale (and game) went into rapid collapse.  By move 35, she was saying "That's why I'm sitting here, waiting for you to make a hideous blunder !"  At move 40, after the Gabridoodle established a passed pawn protected by a rook, the Pirate started raving: "C'mon, a passed pawn is a crime against nature !" and then somewhat cryptically, "En passant !  En passant !"  At move 42, it was all over, checkmate delivering The Shiny to the Gabridoodle.

A miniature start to the new year

The Gabridoodle makes no claim that this game was typical, an omen, nor a brilliancy -- but his victory over Fritz was definitely a miniature start to the new year !

Gabridoodle - Fritz, 1-0

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d3 d5 4.Nc3 Bg4 5.Be2 Nc6 6.O-O Bb4 7.Bd2 Bc5 8.a3 a6 9.Bg5 Be6 10.exd5 Bxd5 11.Nxd5 Qxd5 12.Bxf6 gxf6 13.b4 Bf8 14.c3 Bd6 15.Nh4 Rd8 16.Nf5 O-O 17.Bh5 Rfe8 18.Qg4+ Kh8 19.Qg7# 1-0

28 Dec 2012: cheese and crackers

Celebrating the conclusion of Salem CHESS CLUB's first year, the Chess Pirate, always the gracious hostess, served fancy cheeses, crackers, and Italian orangeade.  The Gabridoodle's malaria was much better though he wasn't 100% recovered: the main game was a draw and then the Pirate won the blitz game, successfully defending The Shiny for the first time in living memory.

While there was no official discussion of CLUB business, there was lamentation of the on-going recruiting difficulties, the Gabridoodle admitting, "We'll take just about anyone."

Game 1: Chess Pirate - Gabridoodle, ½-½

The Pirate's many slashing attacks led to fairly brisk simplification.  Indeed, in less than 24 moves, it looked very much like a draw was brewing (see diagram).  And indeed, that's what happened.  The queenside pawn formation was blown to bits and the Gabridoodle was then unable to promote a pawn despite having a 3-to-2 advantage.  The quote-of-the game came, as it so often does, from the Pirate: "I'm a girl with a big swinging Shiny."

Game 2: Gabridoodle - Chess Pirate, 0-1
Time control: 10 minutes each

Despite falling behind a horse, the Gabridoodle was at least making the Chess Pirate dance.  As usual in a blitz game, however, the Pirate's impulsiveness was rewarded: the Gabridoodle lost on time.

21 Dec 2012: beer and muffins

Whatever the Gabridoodle has, it isn't Chess fever !  He was in a woozy state even before slogging through heavy rain to get to the Clubhouse.  After being plied with beer and muffins, there was no hope for him.  The Chess Pirate will get to have The Shiny for Christmas.

Chess Pirate - Gabridoodle, 1-0

The game began with an all-too-typical exercise in "chase the Gabridoodle's knight." Things then proceeded in a normal enough fashion until, through trickery, the Pirate robbed the Gabridoodle of his castling rights.  Not long after, the Pirate made what turned out to be the game's winning move (see diagram).  She gained a bishop and the rest was just a grim grinding down of the Gabridoodle.