2017 TN Openings with Michael Holmes

[Michael Holmes]

I am studying for my CPA exams so I haven't been studying checkers. I thought about playing in the majors since the tournament before this (Alabama) that I played in I did not win a single game. I didn't lose a game in the Alabama either and the TN masters needed one more player so I thought I would play in the masters one more time to see how I performed.
Here is the first round. Next week I can post the next round, etc. Eventually I can make comments but hopefully others will post good variations and so forth.
Michael

Rd 4.. I think..game 1 Teal Stanley vs. Michael Holmes White Win
1. 9-13 22-18 2. 10-15 25-22 3. 6-10 24-20 4. 1-6 28-24 5. 15-19 24x15 6. 10x19 23x16 7.
12x19 18-14 8. 6-10 29-25 9. 10x17 21x14 10. 11-15 25-21 ww
Rd 4 game 2 Holmes vs. Stanley Red Win
1. 9-13 22-18 2. 10-15 25-22 3. 6-10 24-20 4. 15-19 23x16 5. 12x19 27-24 6. 10-14 18x9 7.
5x14 24x15 8. 11x25 29x22 9. 8-11 28-24 10. 11-15 22-17 11. 13x22 26x10 12. 7x14 31-26 rw

[Michael Holmes]

Michael Holmes vs. John Webster (corrected names on 3-23-2017). Game 1 2017 TN
1. 9-13 21-17 2. 11-16 25-21 3. 8-11 17-14 4. 10x17 21x14 5. 6-10 29-25 6. 10x17 25-21 7.
4-8 21x14 8. 16-19 24x15 9. 11x25 30x21 10. 13-17 23-18 11. 1-6 28-24 12. 8-11 27-23 13.
6-9 32-27 14. 2-6 24-19 15. 6-10 (There is a nice shot here with 18-15) 27-24 16. 17-22 26x17 17. 9-13 14-9 18. 5x14 18x9.

John Webster vs. Michael Holmes (corrected name order on 3-23-2017) Game 2 2017 TN
1. 9-13 21-17 2. 11-16 23-18 3. 16-20 24-19 4. 10-15 18x11 5. 8x24 28x19 6. 7-10 25-21 7.
5-9 32-28 8. 4-8 30-25 9. 2-7 26-23 10. 8-11 22-18 11. 13x22 18-15 12. 11x18 23x5 13. 7-11
{I wonder how good 22-26 here is?} 25x18 14. 10-15 19x10 15. 6x22 21-17 16. 12-16 17-14
17. 11-15 31-26 18. 22x31 29-25 19. 31x24 28x10 {draw} *

[Alex_Moiseyev]

Holmes vs. Webster. Game 2 2017 TN
1. 9-13 21-17 2. 11-16 23-18 3. 16-20 24-19 4. 10-15 18x11 5. 8x24 28x19 6. 7-10 25-21 7.
5-9 32-28 8. 4-8 30-25 9. 2-7 26-23 10. 8-11 22-18 11. 13x22 18-15 12. 11x18 23x5 13. 7-11
{I wonder how good 22-26 here is?} ...

Even though it's still a draw, 22-26 is much better than 7-11 In terms of chances. After 22-26 red are absolutely 100% secured, but white are not safe and drawn path is very narrow and delicate one. Certainly great missing opportunity.

Red to move

M. Holmes vs J. Webster

After 22-26 game can continue:

... 13. 22-26 31x22 14. 7-11 27-23* (or 22-18 first) 15. 20-24 22-18* 16. 11-16 18-15* 17. 24-27 15-11* 18. 10-14 28-24* 19. 16-20 25-22* 20. 6-9 22-17* 21. 27-31 17x10 22. 20x27 * eventually draw

[Michael Holmes]

Good comments so far. Can someone add some comments and suggestions for the two games I had with Larry Keen?
Larry Keen vs. Michael Holmes Rd? Game 1 White Win
1. 10-15 23-18 2. 9-14 18x9 3. 5x14 22-17 4. 7-10 17-13 5. 3-7 24-20 6. 15-19 25-22 7.
11-15 22-17 8. 19-24 28x19 9. 15x24 26-23 10. 7-11 29-25 11. 11-15 25-22 12. 15-18 22x15
13. 10x26 17x10 14. 6x15 30x23 15. 24-28 21-17 16. 2-7 17-14 17. 8-11 27-24 18. 4-8 13-9 ww. interesting game. Is it new?


Michael Holmes vs. Larry Keen Rd? game 2 Red Win
Another game that might be new?
1. 10-15 23-18 2. 9-14 18x9 3. 5x14 26-23 4. 15-18 22x15 5. 11x18 31-26 6. 8-11 21-17 7.
14x21 23x14 8. 12-16 25-22 9. 4-8 29-25 10. 16-20 24-19 11. 8-12 22-18 12. 6-10 27-24 13.
20x27 32x23 14. 10x17 28-24 15. 12-16 19x12 16. 3-8 12x3 17. 2-6 3x10 18. 6x31 red win.

[Michael Holmes]

I just noticed i had the names backwards with John Webster. I was red in the first game.

[Chexhero]

Game 1 against Larry I have never seen before. Another alternative for red may be to go 11-15 at move 10 instead of 16-20. 11-15 seems to limit his chances more and basically forces a white run off to draw. 11-15, 24-20, 16-19, 27-23, 8-12, 23-16, 12-19, 32-27 etc. Question is, I am not sure how many masters would spot that for a draw. Your way instead did open up the opportunity for various shots, one you were able to get off. Good games Michael.

[Michael Holmes]

Thanks for the comments. Next I can give two odd and may be new GAYP games I played with Bishop. 11-15 22-17 9-14 23-19 15-18 game 2 . white attacked with 19-15 but 26-22 is good too. Any suggest play

1st game I played 25-22 instead of 23-19 then 8-11 29-25 11-16 and now 24-20 holmes White. Now red played 3-7 but can white draw after 16-19

Can someone share some variations and comments?

[Michael Holmes]

11-15 22-17 9-14 25-22 8-11 29-25 11-16 24-20 3-8 x x 23-18 x xx x 17-14 to a good position for white. Can someone show the best play for 16-19 @ move 5 for red instead of 3-8?

[Michael Holmes]

Is this good enough to play in our upcoming Freestyle National and WQT? All opinions are welcomed.

[jimloy]

That line (the 3-8 line) is in Basic Checkers from this move-order:

9-14 24-20 10-15 22-17 7-10 25-22 3-7 29-25 11-16 20-11 7-16 23-18 14-23 27-11 8-15 17-14 in note G of this opening

But you were probably asking about 16-19 instead of 3-8. Here is a game from Gould's Memorable Matches:

1.11-15 21-17 2.09-14 25-21 3.08-11 29-25 4.11-16 24-20 5.16-19 23x16 6.12x19 17-13 (27-23? loses in Kear's) 7.04-08 27-23 8.19-24 28x19 9.15x24 32-28 10.08-11 28x19 11.11-15 19-16 12.07-11 16x07 13.02x11 22-17 14.03-08 31-27 15.05-09 27-24 16.15-18 23-19 17.08-12 20-16 18.11x27 19-15 19.10x19 17x10 20.06x15 13x06 21.01x10 26-23 22.19x26 30x07 draw, J. Robertson - J. Wyllie (also in Denvir's Traps and Shots and Gould's Problem Book)

Concerning 1. 10-15 23-18 2. 9-14 18x9 3. 5x14 22-17 4. 7-10 17-13 5. 3-7 24-20 6. 15-19 25-22 7. 11-15 22-17, now 8-11 (instead of 19-24, which may be new) has been played a few times.

Concerning 1. 10-15 23-18 2. 9-14 18x9 3. 5x14 26-23 4. 15-18 22x15 5. 11x18 31-26 6. 8-11 21-17 7. 14x21 23x14, now 11-15 (6-10 drew in W. Ryan's Modern Encyclopedia) was played in J. Webster - H. Devlin, 2001 IM. Your 12-16 seems to be unpublished.

[Michael Holmes]

O.k. So its 2018 this time but here are my two favorite games from the 2018 TN tourney
[Event "2018 TN 9-13 23-18 11-15"]
[Date ""]
[Black "Michael Holmes"]
[White "Bobby Gerringer"]
[Result "1-0"]
1. 9-13 23-18 2. 11-15 18x11 3. 8x15 22-17 4. 13x22 25x11 5. 7x16 26-23 6. 16-20 29-25 7.
4-8 25-22 8. 8-11 22-17 9. 2-7 30-25 10. 11-15 25-22 11. 15-18 23x14 12. 6-9 22-18 13. 9-13
24-19 14. 13x22 27-23 15. 10x17 21x14 16. 1-6 32-27 17. 22-25 18-15 18. 25-30 23-18 19.
30-25 27-23 20. 6-9 31-26 21. 20-24 19-16 22. 12x19 23x16 23. 24-27 16-12 24. 27-31 26-23
25. 25-22 28-24 26. 31-27 24-20 27. 7-11 15x8 28. 22x15 1-0

and the one with Larry Keen was a risky move and may correct published play.

[Event "2018 TN 9-14 23-19 11-16"]
[Date ""]
[Black "Larry Keen"]
[White "Michael Holmes"]
[Result "0-1"]
1. 9-14 23-19 2. 11-16 26-23 3. 5-9 22-18 4. 16-20 25-22 5. 8-11 22-17 6. 11-15 18x11 7.
7x16 17-13 8. 3-7 31-26 9. 1-5 29-25 10. 4-8 19-15 11. 10x19 24x15 12. 7-10 23-19 13. 16x23
26x19 14. 2-7 30-26 15. 14-17 21x14 16. 10x17 25-21 17. 9-14 19-16 18. 12x19 27-24 19.
20x27 32x16 0-1