GAME NIGHT: Before I start the review, I just want to apologize to Scorpion Nation for skipping my Recap of Week 4 (as if anybody even cares, be honest). Anyway, onto what my experience of the match was… Delicious chicken salad!!! Seriously, Abstrax, Inc. continues to out due itself by making an incredibly comfortable environment for the players and TD (no wonder we can’t win a freaking’ match). In fact, I think people are even coming through the doors off the street just to take advantage of the refreshments. I mean really, have you ever had anything better then the combination of that croissant bread and chicken salad we had during the match? Oh yeah, back to chess. Can anything get better then Elliot’s review? I don’t think so, but I will do my best.

Yo, Yo, Yo... Something funny!

I will also review the games in reverse order, starting with board 4, and then I will “Back that Thang Up” like Juvenile, and get to Jandi’s incredibly awesome finish. David played like a G! Simple as that. Whoever was playing white in that game (I really didn’t even notice) decided it would be a good idea to play an English Attack structure with the Bishop on g5. I don’t think David made a single mistake, sacked like Kaspy, and unless Zorigt finds 18.Kb1 instead of 18.Rdg1, the game is over. She didn’t: lights out.

For lack of a better way to say it: Robby really “#&*^%#@ the Pooch” on that one! Unlike Elliot, I actually liked Robby’s choice of line (yes Elliot, he is getting old but don’t remind him) the only problem was a series of inaccurate moves after that. First off, I also play this line for white, and in my experience white does much better when he leads with the g-pawn instead of the h-pawn: 16.g4 is good, and follows the game 1-0 Renteria,J-Bermudez Adams,W/Istanbul 2000 (maybe others like it, but that is what I have). Playing 18.Bh3 as Elliot recommended was also a clear improvement over helping black on the King-side with 18.gxh5. Anyway, not to “Beat the Dead Robby” but this game could have been better. He will forget about it and move on though (perhaps a therapy session of 4-8 hours of bullet chess will be required, but nonetheless, move on he will).

Remember who you are Simba, you are the one and true king! So go get some, yo!!

Uuummm. This game stunk. GM-Elect Rogelio Barcenilla is suffering from a simple case of the “Post Norms”. This is a very common affliction, with a very simple cure. Diagnosis: “A player earns his final Norm, and proceeds to play like poopy for a couple of tournaments” (I think that is the literal scientific term, no joke). He has miscalculated in his last two losses (Nakamura and Bercys) like I have never seen him do before. Cure: “Remember who you are”! Much like Mufasa demands of his son Simba in the Lion King, Rogelio needs to stop trying new stuff (Nakamura Game 1.Nf3 = New Stuff = loss, Bercys Game, Benoni instead of KID = New Stuff = loss) and play like the player who became a GM! Go get em’ Simba (or else the monkey, I think my name is Rafiki, will smack you in the head with a wooden stick). Man I watch too many Disney movies…Or maybe the Disney movies are the key!!! Maybe I can avoid my own “Post Norm Poopiness” by realizing the truth: There is no Spoon!

"Do not try and bend the spoon, that's impossible... Instead, only try and realize the truth: There is no spoon! Then you will realize that it is not the spoon that bends, but only yourself..." I LOVE THAT LINE!!! GO NEO!!!

I have a good theory as to why Alejandro was able to trick Bart into resigning in a drawn position: Zagavory! If you don’t know what that means, look up the Russian word for conspiracy. Okay, I just told you what it means! First we took Jandi, and now UTD is upset. So why would Bart sabotage his own team for Jandi “the trader”? Because he is upset that Jandi LEFT HIM BEHIND! Mark my words (really, I am just trying to create as much controversy as possible) Bart will play for the Scorpions at some point in the future… Anyway great game by Jandi, resourceful game by Bart, should have been a draw, but Jandi, Bart, and just about every player on ICC not using a computer analysis engine, thought the game was over. So we win!

And that brings up a good point: All you people out there who argue with the “Is and Gs” during the games, when all you’re doing is quoting Rybka, you are polluting the internet with your nonsense!!! Stop it!! Do you know that all those “evaluations” you’re getting from your analysis engine are making your calculation worse when you play your own games? Yes, that’s right! Solve the position yourself, and your games will get better.

Sorry about that. I wasn’t trying to be mean. I need some coffee.

Until next time…

Well, at least things started off well. My preparation couldn’t have gone any better (I was able to surprise Lee, achieve a slightly better position, and perhaps most important is that my young opponent was uncomfortable). I was clearly better, winning a pawn, and only needed to SLOW DOWN! What was wrong with me? I played too fast in one critical moment, where if I had played 41.a4 (completely eliminating black’s counter-play and future mating net) the game would be over with a little technique. For some reason, I thought that allowing 41…Nb4 was unnecessary, and I chopped the f5-pawn with no further thought. I was wrong. No other way to put it. The game was still unlcear for sometime, but as I made my transfer to “playing only on the computer instead of on the board” Alejandro’s pre-match foreshadowing true: I remembered that I can’t play on ICC… All in all, the lost match probably falls on my shoulders. Anyway, I was not the only one who played the match, so let’s get to a review of the other games too.

Rogelio’s game was, well, unfortunate. I am a firm believer in the abilities of Arizona’s only “permanant” GM resident, but it seemed to me that Rogelio sort of out thought himself in this game. If there truly were no tactics after 11…e5 by black, then white’s 11.Nb5 can be nothing but an error. After the trade of minor pieces, Nakamura immediately imposed his will on the position, and was slightly better by move 15. I don’t know if Bonjo (my nickname for him, so don’t take it) lost his confidence, but his usual time advantage was non-existent (he was also playing one of the quickest thinking GMs in the world). Bonjo will be back with a vengance, mark my words…

Bonjo will be back like my man BW in the sequel...

Mr. Ginsburg on the other hand was in control from the get-go. After Mikhailuk employed a system with little bite, Mark took his opportunity to grab the initiative like a Filthy G (it means Gangsta’ in layman’s terms). Probably as early as 15…Nc5, and certainly after 20…Qh4, black was in control. This game was our only victory in the Match, and I must say that Mark played at a very high level, and grinded the ending perfectly. Good job professor!

Mark played like a G, and don't forget it...

A review of my game was basically given in my staple italicized introduction, but I will say that I feel some very important psychological and spiritual work was done following the game. I do feel that better days are around the corner in my USCL career…

Leo Martinez, our leader, played very well as black. He timed the required d5-breakthrough in the Hedge-Hog perfectly, and was pushing for the win. I am not exactly where his missed his chance to continue playing for the advantage (I thought perhaps 25…Ra8 would have allowed him to continue pushing, but I might be wrong). In any case, his draw, at the time, seemed like the perfect result as the person playing white on board 3 was supposed to come home with a victory. What an idiot on board 3!

Until next time…

GAME NIGHT: Because of a last minute schedule change to my weekly lesson plan, I was “forced into work” the night of the match. I only managed to get on ICC and check things out right as young David Adelberg was in the process of holding a much worse ending against a former foe of mine (David Justice beat my teammate, Pieta Garret, in the last round of the High School National Championship in 2004 to become Co-Champion with me. Although I still won first on tie-breaks, it definitely took some of the sweetness away, not to win the Championship solo). Anyway, Adelberg did manage to hold the worse position, so as far as my “immediate post match feelings” went, I felt pretty good about our team’s performance once again…

My nemesis (Justice) is much like the battle between Luke and Vader… Just joking, I hardly know the guy and we have never even played. Cool picture though right?

LEV what is wrong with you!!! Of course I am joking, and Levon is probably the most “solid and tough to grind” player on the team. He employs a style that yours truly could learn a little bit from, so that I could stop reaching so many crazy, wild positions against lower rated playersL. At the same time however, his inability to win what was a clearly better (let’s be honest, winning) position against Burnett, ended up being the difference in the match. To Ron’s credit, he was extremely creative in his counter-play ideas, and moved quickly enough to ensure that Lev would be the one under time pressure. Burnett’s “practical skills” sort of won the day in this game, over Levon’s “surprising opening choice”.

Jandi’s game really, well, sucked! I don’t mean that he sucked, but Robby’s description of what it is like to play Ehlvest with black (root canal) was pretty accurate. Although I would have used a description that requires “earmuffs” for half our followers and my children included, so I won’t go there! Anyhoow, we are very happy to have Jandi on the team, and the fact that he is making the trip from Texas is even cooler! Jandi did hold off long enough to cause some nerves on the other boards, so in a “team sense”, he did everything he could…

Playing Ehlvest with black is kind of like what happened to that guy latter on in Reservoir Dogs… Torture!

Robz did the jobz! Is there really anything else to say? I think Robby is the person most upset about having to “split our team” due to the lack of strong players in Tucson and Phoenix. Someday we might have two teams and have some kick ass rival matches, but for now, Robby’s good chances to win the MVP will probably fall short due to “lack of matches”. Anyway, I for one know that Robby is VERY good on ICC, and with time to prepare each week, I expect him to keep coming home with the bacon. Good job Larry Jr…

Finally, our youngest member really saved the match. Keeping a cool head and showing some good technical defense was the key to the match ending in a tie. Obviously every game is as important as the next, but as David’s game really came down to the wire, he deserves extra credit for “righting the ship”. I didn’t like the opening choice in this one for him though, as black had no trouble equalizing with e5; furthermore, white’s extension of the king-side ended hurting him down the road, but like I said, when the critical moment occurred, David truly showed nerves of steel and did his team “Justice”. Oh yeah, did you like that pun/rap tizzy baby! That is what I am talking about. Eat your heart out Dre…

My raps on the mic are totally tight. Better than Dre’s dog…”

Until next time…

GAME NIGHT: Cheetos hung from my lower lip… I was losing the battle for control over the bean-bag chair to my youngest son, but I no longer cared… Something amazing had just happened, and I took it as a sign of things to come…Our newest, and youngest team member had just secured a crushing advantage in his game, and unless my eyes deceived me, it seemed that both Robby and Jandi were about to do the same. Lev had already drawn his game (which was a good as victory in my book). The match was ours! Assuming yours truly doesn’t lose every game he plays in the USCL this year, the Scorpions are a force to be reckoned with in the West!

To the impartial observers and unbiased spectators, the match seemed to be under Arizona’s control right from the outset: Jandi was better from the get-go with white (in a Catalan, which meant little losing chances); Levon equalized on move 7 (literally) with black; Pasalic seemed hell bent on achieving a clearly worse position, and Robby clearly smelt blood; while David was playing in his own backyard with a Najdorf – English Attack, and after his opponent’s 17.Rd2? Blunder, black was playing a piece up against only temporary compensation.

With that said, anyone “close” to the team and some of our heartbreaking losses from last season would know that until Mitkov resigned, nothing was certain from my point of view. Most people saw something at least similar to my game evaluations noted above, but what I saw (at least for a while) was a little different: “Controversy” with our top board that almost saw him lose his cool completely, only to outplay Mitkov for the second time and achieve a crushing attack; “The Kite-Master”, or “Wave-Runner”, or whatever they call him these days miss several wins (and yes Robz, I would have played Rc7!!!); and young David almost lose control around move 30 (so many pawns, yikes), only to settle down and finish off the game in style (good job David!). Oh, and Lev drew…Just joking Lev, I love your energy!

Seriously though, I was very proud of our team! Every single one of them played outstanding chess. Really they did, check out the games, no, I am serious, do it, check them out, they really played great! I hope that this first victory, especially when you consider the fashion in which we won, truly is a sign of things to come. Now, hopefully I can win at least one game this year and give our team some hope (they only put me on the team because of lack of options, literally, I stunk up the joint last year). Go Scorpion Nation, Baby!!!

Until next time…

Danny’s relationship with the Dragon: “I wish I could quit you!”

Dominguez Perez,L (2717) – Radjabov,T (2761) [B77]
XXVI SuperGM Linares ESP (5), 24.02.2009

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 Nc6 8.Qd2 0-0 9.Bc4 Bd7 10.h4 Rc8 11.Bb3 h5 12.0-0-0 Ne5 13.Bg5 Rc5 14.Kb1 Re8 15.f4 Nc4 16.Qd3 Qc8 17.f5 gxf5 18.exf5 Ne5 19.Qe2 Neg4 20.Rhf1 Rxc3 21.bxc3 Qxc3 22.Bc1 a5 23.Bb2 Qe3 24.Rde1 Qxe2 25.Rxe2 a4 26.Bc4 Ne5 27.Bb5 Rc8 28.Bxd7 Nfxd7 29.Nf3 Rc4 30.Nxe5 Nxe5 31.g3 Rg4 32.Rg2 Nc4 33.Bc1 Be5 34.Rf3 f6 35.c3 Kf7 36.Kc2 Ke8 37.Kd3 b5 38.Be3 Kd7 39.Bf4 Kc6 40.Rf1 Kc5 41.Rf3 Kd5 42.Rf1 Kc6 43.Rf3 Nb6 44.Bd2 Nd7 45.Bf4 Nc5+ 46.Kc2 Ne4 47.Re2 d5 48.Ree3 Kd6 49.Rf1 Rg8 50.Rd1 Kc6 51.Rf1 Bxf4 52.Rxf4 Nxg3 53.Rxe7 Ne4 54.Kd3 Rg2 55.a3 Kc5 56.Rc7+ Kd6 57.Rc8 Ra2 58.Kd4 Rd2+ 59.Ke3 Ra2 60.Kd4 Rd2+ 61.Ke3 Ra2 62.Kd4 ½-½

Dominguez Perez,L (2717) – Carlsen,M (2776) [B78]
XXVI SuperGM Linares ESP (9), 01.03.2009

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 Nc6 8.Qd2 0-0 9.Bc4 Bd7 10.0-0-0 Rb8 11.Bb3 Na5 12.Bh6 Bxh6 13.Qxh6 b5 14.g4 Nxb3+ 15.Nxb3 b4 16.Nd5 Nxd5 17.exd5 Rb6 18.Rhe1 e5 19.dxe6 fxe6 20.Re3 Rf7 21.Nd2 d5 22.Nb3 Qc7 23.Kb1 Rb8 24.Rde1 Rc8 25.R1e2 Qb6 26.h4 d4 27.Re5 d3 28.cxd3 Rxf3 29.d4 Bb5 30.R2e3 Bd3+ 31.Ka1 Qxd4 32.Rxe6 Rf1+ 33.Re1 Qxg4 34.Rxf1 Qxe6 35.Nc5 Qe2 36.Rc1 Bf5 37.Qf4 a5 38.h5 Qe7 39.Qc4+ Be6 40.Qc2 Qg5 41.hxg6 hxg6 42.a3 bxa3 43.Qc3 axb2+ 44.Kxb2 Qd5 45.Rc2 a4 46.Ka1 a3 47.Qe3 Bf7 48.Qc3 g5 49.Qe3 Re8 50.Qc3 Re2 51.Nb3 Rxc2 52.Qxc2 Qe5+ 53.Kb1 Kg7 54.Qd2 Bxb3 0-1

Thanks for listening!