USA National 2006 games.

[Alex_Moiseyev]

This year I asked Alan Millhone for giving me a privelegy to select games from USA National 2006. This volunteer offer was kindly accepted by ACF and recently I started this project.

My opinion on the "games view" has not been changed since last year, when we discussed this topic heavily . I still beleive that non-annotated games must be available for free ASAP after event is over.

However, this year I decided to imrove this process and annotate selected games in behalf of ACF. All 50 (or more) games will be annotated with 1-3 diagrams and my comments, in total occupying one page per game.

Annotations will be done in similar to the SIXTH style - smart, intellectual, humoristical and ... full and complete display everything interesting happened in each games.

I also added to the end of this document new Section - Selected Positions. This sections includes positions, which arose during the game, when the whole game do not generate much interest and attractions.

As far as I know - number of copies will be limited

50 selected games, annotated by myself, will be worthy of $10 dollars (20 cents for one game, or less than 1 cent for one move).

ALL games (3 Divisions + Youth) will be worthy of $30 and I am going .... to annotate ALL of them (approximately 250-280 games) ! This maybe done in book form. All profit goes to ACF.

At least now people will know exactly -what they pay for.

Please, contact with Richard Beckwith and Alan Millhone to order your copy.

Respectfully,

A. Moiseyev

[matthewkooshad]

This is a realllly nice thing of you to do, Alex. Cheers

[Alex_Moiseyev]

Hello, my fellow ACF forum readers ! Just wanted let you know, that selecting and annotating games goes well, smoothly and timely. I already finished processing 3 rounds and rest is on the way. It maybe ready in the next 2-3 weeks or so.

I and ACF authorities really hope that all contributors will be more than satisfy with quality of materials and have enough pation to wait - when everything for "50 selected games" will be done.

Below is sample of one game, which I selected from USA National 2006 and annotated. This may give you an idea - what are my preferences for selection and what quality of analyses we are dealing with.

One thing ... This text is original and my English has not ben edited yet. The final version of document will be much more free of all my gramma errors and typos

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SG-15.

A. Millhone vs M. Fulkerson
Rd 2, G3
Opening: 10-14 23-19 11-16

10-14 23-19 11-16 19-15 (A) 16-20 24-19 14-18 (B) 22-17 (C) 7-11 17-13 (D) 11-16 (E) 21-17 16-23 26-19 3-7 28-24 (F) 7-10 (G) 17-14 10-17 15-10 6-15 13-6 2-9 19-10 (H) 17-21 24-19 9-14 10-7 5-9 25-22 18-25 29-22 9-13 7-3 14-17 22-18 8-11 3-7 11-16 19-15 17-22 7-11 16-19 18-14 1-5 15-10 22-25 11-15 25-29 15-24 12-16 10-7 29-25 24-28 4-8 7-3 8-12 3-7 White Wins

#29. White to move ....................... #30. Red to move ............................ #31. Red to move
......... ..........
After 14-18? .................................. 18-23* Draw ...................................... White wins

A. Not a bad idea because 27-23 can be well meet by 9-13 and now after 24-20 red can clean the board by playing 6-9 20-11 8-24 28-19 14-17 etc. Draw. Elbert Lowder played here (after 11-16) several times 22-17 going into not so well explored territory though not very complicated.

B. See diagram #29 after 14-18. To say this move is very possible an earlier loss would be very polite and soft comment ! Indeed, 9-13 instead 14-18 would be correct going into the well known published play. Red also can try untested 7-11 ?! 26-22 11-18 22-15 8-11 etc. White better

C. Starting a comedy of errors by both partners, which finally generated very attractive interesting crossboard game. [i]

[MFulkerson]

I have a habit of looking for man down play (long story). With knowing no book play its a tactic that sometimes works and sometimes doesnt for me. I was hoping none of my wrecks would be picked for annotation but i wasnt so lucky lol.. good job though Alex and i look forward to seeing the rest.

[Alex_Moiseyev]

I was hoping none of my wrecks would be picked for annotation but i wasnt so lucky

Hello, dear Mike ! Thanks for quick response and bringing an interesting issue. Once tournament finished, the games don't belong to you anymore, as well as any other player - Alan Millhone (as player), myself, Ron King or anyone else. Games belong now to the history, American Checkers Federation and checkers fraternity.

Once appointed by ACF, It is my responsibilty to select most interesting, attractive, valuable games which may get an attention of contributors and can be useful for study and learning. In my personal opinion your game with Mr. Millhone perfetcly met all these criterias and this was the only reason - why I selected it and included in the document "50 selected games"

Indeed any other annotator may have different preferences and select other games - nothing wrong with this. Usually in the past "50 selected games" never been annotated seriously (sometimes - nothing, sometimes - 1-2 words comments). This tradition was first time seriously revise with fine Michale Holmes work "57 selected games" for the GAYP 2005 National.

I decided to continue and extend this tradition. I do strongly beleive that non-annotated text of games should not have any price and must be release for free to Internet. Bit also I think my annotations are worthy of $10 or $15 and people know - what they pay for.

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BTW. You said that you are fan of pitches. But did you see a pitch for Mr. Millhone at note G ? Without selecting, analysing and annotating your game this fact would still be unknown to you and history !

respectfully,

Alex

[Alan Millhone]

Hello Mr. Alex and Mike:

Just now looking over the forum I find my game with Mike shown:-) I am pleased that Mr. Alex selected a game I was playing to diagram and annotate. I probably am a bit unusual as a player as I don't mind any of my games being published (won,lost or drawn). Mike is a very good player and beat me three games in a row. To be honest with the 'winner take all' in the Masters I felt I would have zero points by weeks end...........But somehow managed to garner 6 points Yes, you will never lose any games if you don't compete in a tournament. To learn more about the depths of this game you have to study and then play players better than you are. Personally I love tough games Vs. better players and have no fear in playing anyone. I have no reputation to protect and simply love the game and love learning more and more about Checkers. Mr. Alex's " 50 Select " will be great as this example well illustrates. Looking forward to going to tournaments in Indiana,Kentucky, and Canada later this Summer.

Sincerely:
Alan Millhone, President
American Checker Federation
" AN AVERAGE CHECKER/DRAUGHTS PLAYER"
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" Better order your own copy of SIXTH soon...................."
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[AKA]

forward to going to tournaments in Indiana,Kentucky, and Canada later this Summer.

So there will be a Canada Open this summer?

[Alex_Moiseyev]

Canada Open this summer?

They have a summer in October There is an Indian Summer, and there is a Canadian Summer ! Canadian Summer takes place only when people play checkers (this year - in October), so - it doesn't happened every often !

Kentucky also have everything different from other States but I am not well knowedlgable about details.

At National this year one gentlemen asked me to give him a copy of SIXTH for $40 only, not $45. I asked him - why I should make exception in his case ? He said - "I am from Kentucky!" This excuse was so reasonable that I accepted his offer and gave him SIXTH for $40 and wrote on the front page: "For Kentucky only!"

Respectfully,

Alex Moiseyev

[AKA]

forward to going to tournaments in Indiana,Kentucky, and Canada later this Summer.

Only going by what I read

[Alex_Moiseyev]

Hello everybody !

Below is a full text and design of one game from ACF Nt 2006, 3-moves as it will be published in the upcoming manuscript "NT 2006 Selected Games and Positions". I hope this may give you an idea how it looks like for another 53 games annotated in this book.

[b:1703e1e0b0]L. Keen vs R. Beckwith Rd 8, G2 [/b:1703e1e0b0]

Opening: 11-16 24-19 7-11

[u:1703e1e0b0][i:1703e1e0b0]11-16 24-19 7-11 [/i:1703e1e0b0][/u:1703e1e0b0]([b:1703e1e0b0]A)[/b:1703e1e0b0] 22-18 ([b:1703e1e0b0]B) [/b:1703e1e0b0]3-7 [b:1703e1e0b0](C)[/b:1703e1e0b0] 28-24 [b:1703e1e0b0](D) [/b:1703e1e0b0]16-20 [b:1703e1e0b0](E)[/b:1703e1e0b0] 25-22 11-15 18-11 8-15 32-28 [b:1703e1e0b0](F)[/b:1703e1e0b0] 4-8 [b:1703e1e0b0](G) [/b:1703e1e0b0]21-17 7-11 [b:1703e1e0b0](H)[/b:1703e1e0b0] 19-16 [b:1703e1e0b0](I) [/b:1703e1e0b0]12-19 23-7 2-11 26-23 9-13 23-18 [b:1703e1e0b0](J)[/b:1703e1e0b0] 6-9 24-19 15-24 28-19 8-12 [b:1703e1e0b0](K) [/b:1703e1e0b0]19-16 12-19 17-14 10-26 30-7 [b:1703e1e0b0](L) [/b:1703e1e0b0]13-17 7-3 17-22 3-7 1-6 18-15 9-13 7-10 6-9 10-6 [b:1703e1e0b0]White Wins[/b:1703e1e0b0]

#154. Red to move ................#155. White to move ............ #156. White to move
[img:1703e1e0b0]http://fmjd.org/dias2/save/11634701715.png[/img:1703e1e0b0]..[img:1703e1e0b0]http://fmjd.org/dias2/save/11634741976.png[/img:1703e1e0b0]..[img:1703e1e0b0]http://fmjd.org/dias2/save/11634708656.png[/img:1703e1e0b0]
.................After 28-24 ...................... Draw .............................. 22-17 / 23-28 / 32-28

[b:1703e1e0b0]A.[/b:1703e1e0b0] This game also became crucial and had an influence on the final ty outcome. Dr. Beckwith played with Ron King in the tournament and was his “honor points donor”. Ironically, he played the line which he lost to me in the PA 2004 (see note E). Hence!, I am proud my efforts were not for nothing and I am happy this victory gave Richard the respectable 4th place in the tournament.

[b:1703e1e0b0]B. [/b:1703e1e0b0] White has a plenty choice of good attacks here (21-17, 22-18 ) but nothing better than text.

[b:1703e1e0b0]C.[/b:1703e1e0b0] After letting the program nemesis to play here, for long it preferred … 11-15 ?!. However deeper researched proved that anything else rather than 3-7 is insufficient.

[b:1703e1e0b0]D. [/b:1703e1e0b0] My favor attack, although discovered more than half century ago! See [b:1703e1e0b0]diagram #154.[/b:1703e1e0b0]

[b:1703e1e0b0]E. [/b:1703e1e0b0]9-14 here might be OK but much more critical than text. After 9-14 game may continue ==>

18-9 5-14 26-22 11-15 22-18 15-22 25-9 6-13 29-25 16-20 25-22 8-11 (see [b:1703e1e0b0]diagram #155[/b:1703e1e0b0]) 31-26 11-16 23-18 16-23 26-19 7-11 32-28 11-16 19-15 10-19 24-15 2-7* 15-11 16-19 11-2 19-23 etc. [b:1703e1e0b0]White strong[/b:1703e1e0b0]

[b:1703e1e0b0]F. [/b:1703e1e0b0] See [b:1703e1e0b0]diagram #156[/b:1703e1e0b0]. Published play gives here two more promising options worthy to consider:

22-17 9-14 32-28 4-8 29-25 7-11 19-16 12-19 23-7 2-11 26-23 6-9 17-13 11-16 13-6 15-19 24-15 10-26 30-23 1-10 25-22 5-9 27-24 20-27 31-24 16-20 24-19 20-24 22-18 24-27 18-15 27-31 15-6 31-27 [b:1703e1e0b0]Draw [/b:1703e1e0b0]

23-18 9-13 18-11 7-23 26-19 4-8 32-28 5-9 30-26 (22-18? 9-14* [b:1703e1e0b0]Even[/b:1703e1e0b0]) 9-14 19-15 10-19 24-15 14-18 26-23 18-25 29-22 13-17 [b:1703e1e0b0]Draw[/b:1703e1e0b0]

[b:1703e1e0b0]G. [/b:1703e1e0b0] 9-14? Loses after 19-16.

[b:1703e1e0b0]H. [/b:1703e1e0b0]Of course not 9-14 19-16* [b:1703e1e0b0]WW[/b:1703e1e0b0]. In the PA 2004 Richard Beckwith played here 4-8? Instead 7-11 which leads to an immediate disaster ! Continue: 23-19 10-14 19-10 6-15 22-17 14-18 24-19 15-24 28-19 19-16 11-15 16-11 8-12 11-7 14-17 21-14 6-10 29-25 [b:1703e1e0b0]WW [/b:1703e1e0b0]It was first time when Richard played and learned this line, and it seems he learned it pretty well !

**************************************************************************************************

#157. White to move .............. #158. Red to move
[img:1703e1e0b0]http://fmjd.org/dias2/save/11634717371.png[/img:1703e1e0b0]....[img:1703e1e0b0]http://fmjd.org/dias2/save/11634718251.png[/img:1703e1e0b0]
............. 23-18 #29-25 ...............................Draw

[b:1703e1e0b0]I. [/b:1703e1e0b0]22-18 seems like a good way for variety, but leads to immediate peaceful draw after 15-22 19-15 10-19 23-7 2-11 17-13 11-16 26-17 9-14 17-10 6-15 etc. [b:1703e1e0b0]Draw[/b:1703e1e0b0]

[b:1703e1e0b0]J. [/b:1703e1e0b0]29-25 also playable here giving white some edge. See [b:1703e1e0b0]diagram #157[/b:1703e1e0b0]. Continue from diagram:
29-25 8-12 (6-9? Loses after 31-26* 8-12 17-14* etc. [b:1703e1e0b0]WW[/b:1703e1e0b0]) 31-26 5-9 23-18 10-14 13-17 22-13 15-31 10-7 11-15 25-22 6-10* 13-6 15-18 [b:1703e1e0b0]Draw [/b:1703e1e0b0]

[b:1703e1e0b0]K. [/b:1703e1e0b0] Wrong and loses immediately! Red should go for man up uncomfortable line to secure a draw. In the OH 2004 Ed Bruch played it against me correctly to draw. Continue:
9-14 18-9 5-21 19-16 11-15 16-12 8-11 12-8 11-16 [b:1703e1e0b0](K1) [/b:1703e1e0b0]8-3 16-19 [b:1703e1e0b0](K2) [/b:1703e1e0b0]3-7 10-14 7-10 1-5 10-17 5-9 22-18 [b:1703e1e0b0](K3)[/b:1703e1e0b0] 13-22 18-11 19-24 11-7 24-28 7-2 9-13 2-6 28-32 27-23 32-27 31-24 20-27 23-18 27-31 6-9 22-26 [b:1703e1e0b0](K4) [/b:1703e1e0b0][b:1703e1e0b0]Draw[/b:1703e1e0b0], E. Bruch vs A. Moiseyev, OH 2004

[b:1703e1e0b0]K1. [/b:1703e1e0b0] See [b:1703e1e0b0]diagram #158[/b:1703e1e0b0].

[b:1703e1e0b0] K2. [/b:1703e1e0b0]Or 15-19 3-7 10-14 1-6* (now 1-5 loses after 10-17 5-9 17-14* etc. [b:1703e1e0b0]WW[/b:1703e1e0b0]) 6-10 [b:1703e1e0b0]Draw![/b:1703e1e0b0]

[b:1703e1e0b0]K3. [/b:1703e1e0b0] Magic position ! During the game I spent significant time here trying to find a win after 27-23 19-26 30-23 etc., but failed.

[b:1703e1e0b0] K4. [/b:1703e1e0b0] In “The Ohioan Yearbook” Richard Beckwith wrote è Essentially the same as Tinsley-Case in America’s Best Checkers, p.127, note H. Well played by Mr. Bruch, as this is one of Alex’s preferred attacking lines.

[b:1703e1e0b0]L.[/b:1703e1e0b0] No draw beyond this point !

[Alan Millhone]

Hello Mr. Alex:

From your examples on the forum of extensive annotations,diagrams, and your remarks will make the 'select' games a tremendous learning tool and a bargain at $15.00 !

Sincerely:
Alan Millhone, President
American Checker Federation
" AN AVERAGE CHECKER PLAYER "
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Checkers------ " THE MIND SPORT ALTERNATIVE TO VIDEO GAMES "

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[Patrick Parker]

alexs examples look awesome and diagrams ....
also what i really like are alexs comments