Dec-22-06
 | | Phony Benoni: A memorable game for two reasons. First of all, Black doesn't often win this quickly in the Taimanov Benoni! But more interesting was my opponent's reaction. We exchaged scoresheets at the end of the game to sign them, and mine came back with a note on it: <Nice game>. I posted this game earlier in the Café, and <Domdaniel> pointed out that White might have considered 13.e5 rather than 13.h3. Also, 18.Nxb5 just falls in with Black's plan. Both thoughts look good to me. |
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Jun-25-07 | | dabearsrock1010: this is a freakin awesome game...i played this variation up to Bg7 and when white played Bb5+ I didnt know the book...can you explain the idea behind moving the already developed knight to block the check <phony benoni> |
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Jun-27-07
 | | Phony Benoni: <dabearsrock1010> 8...Nfd7 is ugly, but it's better than the alternatives. After, for instance, 8...Nbd7, White plays 9.e5 and will eventually win a piece by playing e6. Black does get some counterplay, but it's not the sort of line you can go into without a lot preparation. 9.e5 also answers the alternatives of 8...Bd7 or king moves. In all cases, White blows up the center at a bad time for Black, and with a gain of tempo at that. 8...Nfd7 at least stops 9.e5 because the Bg7 controls that square. The game then becomes a question of whether Black can untangle before White can organize a central breakthrough. Generally White gets a better game, but he does have to play exactly; otherwise, Black can get away with something like I pulled out here. |
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Aug-26-09
 | | LIFE Master AJ: I used to be addicted to the Benoni ... I used to win a few games with 8...Nbd7; but I also lost quite a few with the wild piece gambit. I won a nice game in the Under 2200 section of a New York Open one year with this line. |
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Aug-27-09
 | | LIFE Master AJ: Any time you beat a Master, you should be pleased, especially when its a solid game ... like this one. |
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Aug-27-09
 | | Phony Benoni: <LIFE Master AJ> Thanks. I was quite happy with this game. Intellectually, I know the Benoni may not be 100% sound, but the feeling when something like this happens silences my doubts. |
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Aug-28-09
 | | LIFE Master AJ: Do you remember me from any of the U.S. Opens? Many of my games were published in the bulletins. Is there anywhere online where you have an old picture of yourself? I was curious to see if we had met or if I remembered you. |
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Aug-28-09
 | | Phony Benoni: Have to admit that I don't recall your name from the Opens. I have all the tournament bulletins, so maybe I'll look you up. The only old picture of myself on the Internet is a reproduction of a photocopy of a truly hideous picture from 1989. Here's a more recent one from about five years ago; just use your imagination. http://jukeboys.topcities.com/mclon...
I'm the one without the guitar. |
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Aug-29-09
 | | LIFE Master AJ: Didn't ring any bells, I was hoping for a picture of you in your chessplaying days, say mid 1980's. We must have been at a few U.S. Opens together. Of course, they ran 500-1000 (attendance) in those days. |
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Aug-30-09
 | | Phony Benoni: And I was probably lost in the crowd, since I spent most of my time in those days swimming in the fish tank. I didn't even play a Master until my 11th US Open in 1985--and actually won the game with a Monday-level combination that made it into a Soltis quiz in Chess Life. <36.?>
 click for larger view |
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Aug-31-09
 | | LIFE Master AJ: Still, we must have rubbed elbows somewhere along the way. Maybe even played at the same table. And - REMEMBER!!! - I was NOT always a master, either! I did not get my first USCF master rating until I was 27 or 28. And I did not get the (Original) "LIFE Master" title until many, many years later. |
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Aug-31-09
 | | Phony Benoni: On my forum is a post from a fellow Michigander noting that old issues of <Michigan Chess> are now available online as PDF files. Here is one from 1982 with a not too unflattering picture (bottom of page 3). http://www.michess.org/interim/maga... |
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Aug-31-09 | | WhiteRook48: what, 36 Qxh7+? |
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Aug-31-09
 | | Phony Benoni: <WhiteRook48> Right idea, wrong square: <36.Qxg6+ hxg6> (36...Rg7 37.Qe8#) <37.Rh8+ Kg7 38.Ne6#>, with full credit for 38.R1h7#. |
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Aug-31-09 | | whiteshark: <Phony> ... and in that issue on page 8 you can see another ceegee member, in a special kind of Michigan relaxation exercise!? :D |
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Aug-31-09
 | | Phony Benoni: <whiteshark>: <Resignation Trap> has always been a laid-back kind of guy. |
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Aug-31-09 | | vonKrolock: Good game - Patty played just one or another <standard & poor> move and suddenly found her (him?!) self toast |
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Aug-31-09
 | | Phony Benoni: <vonKrolock> Him. The name got reversed; John Patty was a middle-aged gentleman. I sent in a correction some time ago, but the wheels move slowly at times. |
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Aug-31-09 | | vonKrolock: <Phony Benoni> For a moment I thought about someone related to Walter John :) |
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Aug-31-09 | | Jim Bartle: The #2 American tennis player for a time in the 30s named Budge Patty, and was often confused with #1 Don Budge. I think they were even frequent doubles partners. |
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Aug-10-12
 | | OhioChessFan: 21. Nxd6 is what struck me as the losing move. I'll have Fritz take a look. |
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Aug-10-12
 | | OhioChessFan: Running it through Fritz, at lower plies he liked Nxd6 best but then changed to Kf2 about 20 centipawns better than Nxd6. 22. Kh1 was apparently a semi-blunder (Kf1) but I think White is in trouble. |
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Aug-11-12 | | Travis Bickle: Nice game Phony! To quote Marlon Brando, "You coulda been somebody, ya coulda been a contenda!" |
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