2008 IL 9-13 24-20 5-9

[Michael Holmes]

I am submitting the following game as my most satisfied draw from the tournament. Chuck played 10-14 on the first game and we had a long, hard draw that followed. Although the play I used was not standard he navigated through it. I realized that this should be a turning point in the tournament and I was hoping to win a game and now with just the weak side I needed to shore up a win to grab first place for the moment(what I did not know was that Alex wasy busy getting 4 points while I was busy getting 2 points-and I never saw first place again ). Well, it almost came back to haunt me as Chuck stayed on the attack until the ending.

[Event "2008 IL ty 9-13 24-20 5-9"]
[Date ""]
[Black "Michael Holmes"]
[White "Chuck Freeman"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
1. 9-13 24-20 2. 5-9 22-18 3. 10-15 25-22 4. 15-19 23x16 5. 12x19 29-25 6. 1-5
{not new! weak but sound. 6-10 is the computer's choice to keep the position even.} 27-24
{27-23 is stronger and if white runs the piece off twice red protects with 8-12 and then 31-27 and 7-10 to draw.}
7. 11-15 18x11 8. 8x15 32-27 9. 4-8 27-23 10. 8-12 23x16 11. 12x19 31-27 12. 3-8 20-16 13.
8-12 16-11 14. 7x16 24-20 15. 6-10 20x11 16. 12-16 11-8 17. 9-14 27-23 18. 13-17 22x13 19.
15-18 8-3 20. 18x27 3-8 21. 27-31 25-22 22. 10-15 22-17 23. 31x22 17x10 24. 16-20 10-6 25.
2x9 13x6 26. 19-23 {drawn} 1/2-1/2

[Mac Banks]

Hello Michael,

The 1-5 move is not new as L. A. Freeman used it in 1937 National tourney against E. Fuller and lost and Willie Ryan also used this same move in same tourney against N. H. Rubin and lost. In the 1958 National tourney, H. Scheibman used this move against V. Ricciuti and lost but in the 1972 National ty., E. Fuller made this move and drew against H. Cravens from Texas.

All the best,
Mac

[Michael Holmes]

Also, in the 8th IM book Balderson vs. Holmes in a side note. Can you send the play from the Cravens game. The computer shows my game as a sound game so I am not interested in the two losses but the Cravens game should be of value.
Thanks,
Michael

[jimloy]

Here is the Fuller - Cravens game, in case Mac didn't respond:

[Event "U.S. National 1972"]
[Date "1972"]
[Black "Fuller, E."]
[White "Cravens, H."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
9-13 24-20 5-9 22-18 10-15 25-22 15-19 23-16 12-19 29-25 1-5 18-15 11-18 22-15 9-14 27-23 8-12 23-16 12-19 15-11 7-16 20-11 6-10 32-27 3-7 27-24 7-16 24-6 2-9 28-24 4-8 24-19 16-23 26-19 14-17 21-14 9-18 19-15 18-23 15-10 8-12 10-6 12-16 6-2 16-20 2-7 5-9 7-11 23-27 31-24 20-27 11-15 9-14 15-19 27-31 19-24 13-17 25-22 1/2-1/2

Fuller's annotations mention play by J. Clayton in the Feb. 1951 issue of California Checker Chatter.