Kindred’s Special: 4th Ultimate Insanity Open cont’d

Alex Dunne is well known in the chess world both in correspondence play and over-the-board tournament play.  Occasionally he has ventured from his PA home to journey to Rochester,  NY and play in our tournaments.

White:  Alex Dunne     vs.    Black:   Don Reithel       Opening:  Ruy Lopez –  Berlin Defense

1.  P-K4   P-K4  /  2.  N-KB3   N-QB3  /  3.  B-N5   N-B3   /  4.  O-O  N x P  /  5.  P-Q4   B-K2  /  6.  Q-K2   N-Q3  /  7.  B x N  NP x B /

In my library I have the classic book by Dr. Emmanuel Lasker,  Commonsense in Chess.  I decided to avoid well known lines that Mr. Dunne was probably boned up on for this event and thought I might throw him a bone, catching him off guard.  He is a strong player and I had to have some way to even the tide of battle at least early on.  The worst I could do is lose!  Better is 7…QP x B.

8.  P x P   N-N2

This Knight retreat was favored by Lasker in Commonsense in Chess.  I figured if the world champion thought well of it, then it must be good as a practical weapon.  One thing I forgot is that my time clock seemed to run faster than that of my opponent.  (Only kidding.)

9.  N-Q4   O-O /  10.  B-QB3  B-B4  /  11.  R-Q1  R-K1  /  12.  B-B4   Q-K2  /  13.  N-K4  B x N /   14.  R x B  P-Q4  /  15.  P x P e.p.  P x P  /  16.  R-K1  Q-K3   /  17.  Q-K3   B-Q2  /   18.  N x P  N x N  /   19.  Q x Q  B x Q  /  20.  R x N   B-B4  / 21.  R x R check  R x R / 22. P-B3 B x P 23.  R x P  B-Q6   /  24.  R-Q6   B-B5  / 25.  P-QN3   B-K3   /  26.  R-R6  R-R1  /  27.  B-K3  K-B1  /  28. R x P  R-QB1  /  29.  P-N4  R-B7 /

There was no way for me to stop the  pawns but the rule seems to fit here best–put the Rooks behind the pawns.

30.  P-R4  R-R7   /  31.  P-N5  K-K1   /  32.  P-N6  B-Q4   /  33.  P-R5  Resigns.  The best move here!  I was pooped.

Another battle went into the late afternoon on 6/28/80.  Mr. Everett came up to play from WilksBarre, Pa.  That town produced many fine chess players and known for a variation in the Vienna Opening. Willard played a move new to me and so I was on my own.

White:  Willard Everett     vs.   Black:  Don Reithel       Opening:  Benoni Defense

1.  P-Q4  N-KB3  /  2.  B-N5  P-B4  /  3. B x N   NP x B  /

It is usually a good policy to capture toward the center unlike that of my game with Alex Dunne.  Having given up the bishop to weaken my Kingside pawn structure, it made sense to strive for complications in hopes of taking advantage of those squares the bishop had freely surrendered to me.  Usually my Queen does not get into action so quickly…but

4. P-K3   Q-N3 !  /  5.  N-QB3  P x P  /  6.  Q x P  Q x Q  /  7.  P x Q  B-R3  /  8.  N-Q5   K-Q1  /  9.  B-B4  P-N4 /  10. B-K2  B-QN2 /

Both my bishops sweep the central complex and because my opponent began to take a lot of time felt he may be in a little unfamiliar territory if he had prepared this opening at home.

11.  B-B3  N-B3  /  12.  P-B3  P-B4  /  13.  N-K2  R-QN1  /  14.  N/2-N3   P-K3  /  15.  N-B6   K-K2 /

With the Queens off the board, I felt it was important to activate the King to participate a bit and connect major pieces, the Rooks!

16. N-R5  P-N5  /  17.  O-O   P x P  /  18.  P x P   N-R4  /  19. B x B  R x B /  20. P-KB4  R-QB1 / 21.  KR-K1  R-QN4 / 22. QR-B1  N-B5 /  23. P-QR4  R-Q4  /  24.  R-QN1  N-Q3  /  25. R-QB1  P-B3  /  26. R-K2  K-B2  / 27. N-B1 …0-1.

And here I noticed that my opponent’s flag had fallen.

White:  Don Reithel      vs.   Black:  Craig Wachob    Opening:  Ruy Lopez

1. P-K4  P-K4  / 2. N-KB3  N-QB3  /  3.  B-N5  P-QR3  /  4. B-R4  P-QN4 /  5. B-N3   B-B4  /  6. O-O  P-Q3  / 7. P-B3  B-KN5 /  8. P-KR3  B-R4 / 9. P-Q3  KN-K2  /  10. B-K3  B x B /  11. P x B  O-O  /  12. P-KN4  B-N3  /  13. QN-Q2  Q-Q2  /  14.  N-R4  N-Q1 /  15. N/2-B3  P-KR3 /  16.  Q-K1  P-QB4  / 17. N x B   N x N / 18. Q-N3  Q-K2  /  19. B-Q5  R-B1  /  20. P-KR4  R-K1 / 21. P-R5  N-B1  / 22. P-N5  P x P  / 23. N x P  N/B-K3  /  24.  R-B5  N x N  /  25.  R x N  Q-B3  /  26.  R-N6  Resigns.

The next game on 6/29 must have been a late night past midnight game.  I inexplicably fell asleep during the game and I was wiped out, losing to Mr. Lee, an expert, on time.  If I remember, a small group decided to split the point and catch some sleep.  I was not that bright but Lee seemed quite content to play anyway to my chagrin.

The next game seemed to perk me up; guess I was past exhaustion by then and was getting a second wind. It features a pretty ending.

White:  Don Reithel     vs.   Black:  Moriarty     Opening:  King’s  Indian  Defense

1.  N-KB3  P-QB4   /  2.  P-KN3   N-KB3   /  3.  P-B4   P-KN3   /  4.  B-N2   B-N2  /  5.  N-B3   O-O  /  6.  O-O    N-B3   /   7.   P-Q3    P-N3 / 8. B-Q2   B-N2  /9.  R-N1  N-Q5  /  10.  N-KR4  B x B  /  11.  K x B   P-Q4  /  12. P-K3   N-B3  /  13.  Q-K2  P-Q5  /  14.  N-Q1  P x P / 15. P x P  N-K4  /  16.  N-B2   Q-Q2  /  17.  B-B3   Q-B3 check  /  18. K-N1   N/3-Q2  /  19.  P-K4  P-B4  /  20.  N-R3   P x P  /  21. P x P R x R check  /  22.  R x R   R-KB1 /  23.  N-B4   P-N4   /  24.  N-Q5  R x R check  /  25.  K x R   Q-K3   / 26.  N-B5  Q-B2   /  27. N x P check  K-R1   /  28.  K-N2  P-N5  / 29.  N-Q5  Q-R4  /  30.  N-B4   Q-B2  /   31. P-N3  N-N1  /  32.  N x B   Q x N  /  33.  N-R5   Q-N4  /  34. Q x P  Q x Q  35. B x N check   Resigns.

In the 9th rd. I beat Lee LaFrese  with Black in 42 moves, a Slav Defense.  I repeated a win in the 10th winning from Scott Freeman in a rather irregular type opening.

White:  Don Reithel   vs.  Black:  Scott Freeman   Opening:  Irregular

1.  P-K4  P-QN3  / 2.  N-KB3  B-N2  /  3. B-Q3  P-N3  /  4. P-B3   B-N2  /  5. Q-K2  P-K3  /  6. O-O  P-Q3 /

I got the impression that Scott was trying to lure me into an artificial attack but I was happy to simply play solid moves with some central control.  Still, the type of opening seems to suggest a dynamic structure that could prove a serious threat in the middle game.  I always gave little credence to ratings and this young man’s rating of 1736 was likely to be underrated as many teens aspire to prove themselves on the field of battle and mentally I thought probably one could add another 100 points to it.

7.  B-B2  N-Q2 / 8.  P-Q4  P-KR3  /  9.  P-KR3  N-K2  / 10. R-K1  P-KN4 /  11. QN-Q2  P-K4  / 12.  N-B1  N-N3  / 13. N-N3  N-B5 / 14. B x N NP x B /  15. N-B5  Q-B3 / 16. P-QR4  R-KN1 /

My love for the games of Alexander Alekhine gave me recognition of the need to play either in the center or seek Queenside expansion in meeting such an aggressive launch of a Kingside assault.

17. K-R2  N-B1  /  18.  P-R5  B-B1 /  19. P x NP  B x N  /  20.  P x B  BP x P  /  21.  P x P    P x P  /  22.  N x P  K-Q1  /  23. QR-Q1 check  K-B2  / 24. Q-B4 check  K-N2  /  25. B-K4 check  K-N1  /

Black suddenly experiences the wrath that comes from my square count theory.

26.  R-Q8 check  Q x R  /  27.  N-B6 check  K-B1 /  28. N x Q  K x N  /  29. B x R  P-B6  /  30.  Q x P  B-K4 check /  31. R x B  R x P check /  32.  K-R1  Resigns.

The 11th round found me facing Buffalo area expert George Krauss rated at the time 2052 which was high for our region as ratings go. There were many class players and a handful of experts; I had never played George before.

White:  George Krauss   vs.  Black:  Don Reithel   Opening:  Four Knights Game/ Rubinstein’s counterattack system

1. P-K4  P-K4  /  2.  N-KB3  N-QB3 /  3.  N-B3  N-B3 /  4. B-N5  N-Q5!? /

As far as I can remember I never played the Four Knights Game before but remembered a game from my library featuring the games of the great A. Rubinstein.  We were both battling for a share of the prize fund and I am sure I felt deflated when he played 3. N-B3 which my face probably shown the displeasure of having to battle this system; and so I grit my teeth and said I am going to go for it post haste! My next series partly was inspired by my s/c theory on chess play.

5.  B-R4  B-B4  /  6. N x P  O-O  /  7.  N-Q3  B-N3  /  8.  O-O  P-Q4 / 9. N x P  N x P  /  10.  N-B4  P-QB3  /  11. N x B  P x N  / 12. P-QB3  P-QN4  /  13.  B-B2  N X B  /  14. Q x N  B-B4  /  15. P-Q3  N-B3  /  16. R-Q1  R-K1  /  17. B-K3  N-N5  /  18. Q-Q2  Q-R5  /  19. P-KR3  N-K4  /  20. B-Q4  P-B3  / 21. B x N  P x B  /  22. N-K2  QR-Q1  /  23.  Q-K3   Q-B3  /  24. N-N3  B-N3 /  25. N-K4  Q-B2 /

White had fallen into time trouble five moves or so and now the clock was building up pressure for hurried moves.  Both of our clock flags were raising.

26. P-R4   P x  P  /  27. Q-N1  Q-N6  / 28. Q x Q check  P x Q  /  29. K-B1  R-Q4  / 30. K-K2  R/1-Q1  0-1 We both realized that White’s flag had fallen at some point!

The final 12th round game versus Ted Flowerday  (1944) was a classic battle of a King’s Indian and was drawn in 38 moves.

White:  Don Reithel   vs.  Black:  T. Flowerday   Opening:  King’s Indian Defense

1. N-KB3  N=KB3  / 2.  P-Q4  P-KN3  / 3. P-KN3  B-N2  /  4.  B-N2  O-O  /  5. P-B4  P-B4  / 6. O-O  P x P  / 7. N x P  N-B3  / 8. N-QB3  Q-N3  /  9.  N-B2  P-Q3  /  10.  Q-Q2  B-Q2  /  11.  P-N3  N-QN5  /12.  N-K3  B-B3  / 13.  B-N2  B x B / 14. N x B  N-R3  / 15. N-Q5 N x N/ 16. B x B  K x B  /  17. Q x N   N-B2  /  18. Q-Q2  N-K3  /  19. QR-Q1  Q-B4  /  20. Q-N2 check  K-N1  / 21. R-Q5  Q-B3 /  22. N-K3  P-B4  / 23. Q-Q2  N-N4  / 24. P-B3  QR-Q1  /  25. N x P  N-R6 check /  26. K-N2  R x N  /  27. R x R  P x R /  28. K x N  P-Q4  / 29. Q-N5 check  Q-N3  / 30. Q x Q check  P x Q  Draw agreed on move 38.

So ends this marathon devised in the brilliant mind of the tournament director, Eddy Frumkin, my good pal!  Ed finished college and moved east where he could continue to help keep guys and gals pushing wood over the 64-squares.  I finished my AIB studies when    mom passed away in 1981 and soon after Mrs. Marchand introduced me to my future wife.  We were married in 1984. She scolded me for procrastinating too much about moves in my chess games but that is another story.

Time to put the men in the box!  Adios for now!