User Profile: CHESSTTCAMPS

CHESSTTCAMPS
Member since Feb-25-09 · Last seen Apr-19-13

Phil Van Dusen, USCF member since 1969. OTB rating ~ 2100. I was active in chess tournaments in the 1980s, but gradually shifted my focus to weekend table tennis competitions, seeking physical exercise as an offset to a sedentary job. You might be interested to know that USATT (USA Table Tennis, formerly known as the US Table Tennis Association, the governing body equivalent to USCF) has a rating system that they borrowed from chess. My best result in chess? I got a lucky last-round draw against GM Niaz Murshed to finish in a tie for 2nd at the 1990 Maryland Open, but Allan Savage, also in the group tied for 2nd place, deservedly won the the title of Maryland State Champion on tiebreak. So I guess that makes me an "almost" state champion. GM Max Dlugy won that tournament, beating Allan Savage in the last round after recovering from a lost position. My worst result? Perhaps, losing to 7. Qf7 mate (a delayed, thinly disguised "scholar's mate") in a blitz game against ChessMaster a few days ago.
In 2005 I took an early retirement from my IT Consulting job and started to spend more time playing and teaching chess. In 2007, I started to run some small days camps that combined chess and table tennis, primarily to raise money for the non-profit table tennis club run by MDTTA and to utilize its rented facility during the daytime. The camp was designed primarily for kids, but some adults have participated and enjoyed it. This is the derivation of the handle CHESSTTCAMPS. I have enjoyed this website for over a year, using the puzzles as a teaching tool and as a means (I hope) for improving my own tactical vision.

Like Dzechiel and other regulars at this site, I will only use the provided diagram and my own analysis (without moving pieces) for my initial post, so I will undoubtedly commit a few blunders.

CHESSTTCAMPS has kibitzed 1405 times to chessgames [more...]

Mar-12-13 B Wall vs J Dowd, 1983

CHESSTTCAMPS: It's been a long time, thought I'd pay a visit. In this opposite-colored bishop middle-game, white threatens 45.Qe8+ Bf8 46.Qxf8#. The best way to avoid this unpleasantness is to beat white to the punch with the only forcing move on the board: 44... Rxg3+! forces mate. A) ...

Oct-10-12 D Zagorskis vs J Michenka, 1994

CHESSTTCAMPS: White is up a piece, but black is in position to regain it with the pin/triple attack on e3. Nonetheless, white has the winning hand with black's vulnerable king position and a potent rook on the 7th available to coordinate with the "lost" bishop. 29.Bd4!, a "sham" queen sac ...

Oct-05-12 Saidy vs C Brasket, 1972

CHESSTTCAMPS: White has an extra pawn, the bishop pair, and four active pieces. Black has a passive knight and the queen is out of play on a8, but threatens 35... Bf3+ 36.Bg2 Rxg2 winning. White must immobilize the black rook. 35.Bf6!! shows that black's threat is a paper tiger and white's ...

Oct-04-12 R Liiva vs U Haavisto, 1993

CHESSTTCAMPS: White has s strongly entrenched bishop pair and a powerful line-up of majors on the semi-open file aimed at f7. Of course, white could safely grab with 16.Bxf7+(?) Kh8 and eventually convert the extra pawn to victory. However, white can win quickly with 16.Qxf7+! Rxf7 17.Rxf7, ...

Sep-28-12 A Naumann vs F Kroeze, 2009

CHESSTTCAMPS: <M.Hassan> I don't think my error is here, but in overlooking the defense 24.Qf1 in the A) line. So far, I've not found a win against this defense from Crafty EGT, so I have to agree with you.

Sep-27-12 Hracek vs A Kveinys, 1992

CHESSTTCAMPS: <gofer> Thanks for the Crafty link. 101 Endings You Must Know?

Sep-26-12 Kupreichik vs Tseshkovsky, 1982

CHESSTTCAMPS: Black is down two pawns for a knight, but with the knight screening the queen from defense of the exposed king, the rook is an over-matched defender. In response to the threat of 28.Rxb5, black has two queen checks available. 27... Qd3+! is much the stronger of the two, pinning

Sep-25-12 H Lehmann vs K Junge, 1942

CHESSTTCAMPS: White has two passed pawns for a piece and the d7-pawn, protected by Rd2, looks troublesome. Also, white has a double threat of 27.Rxd6 and 27.Rxg1. The response 26... Rxg3?? falls to fxg3, when black can't protect both the Q and the Bf1. However, black can utilize the battery ...

Sep-21-12 Estrin vs J Zapletal, 1972

CHESSTTCAMPS: Ouch - blundered in F.5 and missed the clever game defense!

Sep-20-12 Browne vs E Winslow, 1977

CHESSTTCAMPS: <Lambda><James D Flynn><Nh7 21.Bxd8 Rxd8 22.exd5...> Even faster is the immediate 22.Bd3! and then 23.Rh1 is devastating. Try this against the Crafty link provided by <gofer>.

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