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CCLA Portraits
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The following column was originally published in the July-August 1998 issue of The Chess Correspondent, Vol. 71, No. 4. |
Donald GittinCCLA columnist ("Between a Rock and Hard Place"), Donald Gittin shares with us his personal story. As reported in the May-June issue of "THE CHESS CORRESPONDENT" Donald is doing battle of a different kind these days. We all want to wish him well. "It will come as no surprise to "CC readers that I'm a California prison inmate, or "convict" as we prefer to be called by one another. So when Mr. Marconi invited me to contribute to this column I was reticent as I was surprised. However, in the spirit of my "CC" column I accepted the invitation despite my relative lack of credentials. "I am 55, the divorced father of two grown sons. I was born and raised in the Los Angeles area and lived about a mile from UCLA for most of my youth. I attended Santa Monica City College before entering the Army Reserves in 1961 to satisfy my military obligation, and so avoided any participation in Indochina. Upon returning to civilian life I attended UCLA, but did not earn a degree. I've lived most of my life in Southern California, except for about 13 years in Denver. Prior to coming to prison in 1981 I was in upper-management in the retail auto business and resided in Laguna Beach, CA. "As a child I learned what (for me) passed as chess mostly by osmosis. By that I mean I've known the rudiments of the game for as long as I can remember, probably learned at a day or summer camp. I played rarely and poorly. If there's a word for being worse than a patzer (wood pusher?). that was me. I had little more than a passing interest in the game until I had been in prison for about 6 years, in about 1987. "I was still the weak player I had always been and was trounced regularly by many of my fellow convicts, whenever I was bored enough to look for or accept a game. But at about that time, as fortune would have it, a CCLA Expert, Walter (Wally) Lewis, and I came to share a cell at the California Correctional Institution at Tehachapi. I used to watch as he studied his postal games and noted with interest that he was rarely if ever bested in a game on the yard. Thumbing through his "CC" I began to appreciate what he was doing and what his +/- 2100 rating indicated. "My interest piqued, I would ask Wally, in my ignorance, to "teach me to play like that". While he would consent to play me once in a while, and that must have been tedious for him, he knew then as I know now that the kind of instruction I needed best came from books. Finally he said, "You want to learn to play? Here," and handed me his copy of "My System". This was a real eye-opener for me. I progressed through the book slowly and with great care. After the first 2 or 3 weeks of study, having gone through just the first 3 or 4 chapters, I was out in the day room beating the same guys that were crushing me a month before! What a great feeling! Like most other pursuits, the better you are at it the more fun it is. Now I was pretty much hooked into chess and joined the CCLA with a provisional 1500 rating, and later USCF. "As happens, not long after this I was transferred to Soledad. But now I had my own copy of "My System" and a "BCO" and I would own more instructional books in the months to come. The study and play steadily improved my postal and OTB game, and my Postal chess rating rose almost unabated until I found Class A and Expert competition in my sections. I think my highest rating was about 2066, but I hover around 2000 lately. "About 6 years ago I came across Wally again at prison, and we had a chance to play OTB. He won most of the games, but not nearly all. As much respect as I have for this game, I was pleased when he commented with some surprise on how much stronger my game had become. I don't think playing me was tedious any longer. But all too soon circumstances again sent us to separate facilities. "I did try some postal chess with USCF and The Chess Connection along with my CCLA games. At that time I saw my rating as an indication of my progress and a visible pay-off to the time and effort I was putting in to achieve a "respectable" game. Yet, I was dividing my efforts. At about that time TCC folded, not unexpectedly, and I was enjoying my CCLA games far more than the USCF sections where there was a much higher rate of dreaded "silent withdrawals". So I finished up my USCF games and just stayed with CCLA from then on. I kept up my USCF membership, though, until a few years ago. It just got too expensive. I've been contacted by other postal chess clubs, but I and very happy where I'm at. I've even looked into "Transcendental Chess." Call me a chess purist if you like, but no thanks, TC. CCLA best fits my needs as a prisoner and has always made me feel like a valued member. "One of my most memorable postal chess thrills came when a mini. I won in a CCLA Social Quarterly was published in Alex Dunne's postal chess column in the December 1993 issue of "CHESS LIFE" Of course, as our then Readers' Games Editor, Craig Madsen, correctly pointed out in a note, the game first appeared in "THE CC" with annotation (in the July/August 1993 issue, if I recall). "I would describe my playing style as tactical, unfortunately. That's why I've probably progressed about as far as I'm going to ratings-wise unless I "grow-up". I try to play a positionally sound game because I see aesthetics in positional play, too, and it's logical connection to tactics. But, the well executed winning combination is, to me, a thing of beauty and a joy to behold, more so than a positional struggle. Hey, if everyone liked the same thing, Baskins and Robbins wouldn't have had to come up with 31 flavors! Besides, I find a clash in styles makes for an interesting game. "For me as a prisoner, correspondence chess takes on additional meaning over and above that for most other postalites. It's a link, however thin, to the world beyond the walls, and the only link for some of us. It's about getting your name called at mail call. It's about knowing there's someone sitting at a kitchen table somewhere either punching holes in your Queenside plans or trying to figure out why they didn't see your last killer move coming. It's about the simple fact of participating in something that has nothing to do with prison. And the chess board is a great equalizer. Regardless of one's situation, competition is on a basically equal footing with people from all walks of life, including college professors, doctors, engineers, scientists, etc. Where else, but through Postal chess, and where better than CCLA? "I would repeat the advice to the newcomer to postal chess that I read somewhere years ago, probably in "THE CC" The advice was, not to send off your move right after you've studied a game and decided on a response; rather, put the game away, then take it out the next day and study it again. Often, the fresh look will reveal an idea you hadn't seen the day before. I've found this to be the case even if just put the game away for a few hours, go do something else that's not chess related (eat dinner, go for a jog), then return for the fresh look. This little trick has won me more than a few games that may well have turned out otherwise." Following are two of Donald's games. |
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White: Donald Gittin
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 To avoid the Nimzo-Indian. I've had much better results against systems after 3.Nf3. (Of course this invites the response 3...b6, which would lead to the popular Queen's Indian setup, RPM.) 3...c5 A surprise that sends me scurrying to my books where I'm heartened to find White with +/- in virtually all variations after 4.d5, but then my opening references are limited. 4.d5 b5!? (The so-called "Blumenfeld Counter-Gambit". It has similarities to the "Benko Gambit", RPM) 5.Bg5 b4?! I didn't think Black would follow my books to the end of this opening. I'm already in strange waters and on my own, which was probably Black's intention. Still, Black's concept doesn't look to good to me, and I'm doubtful the text is an improvement on my reference books. Too many pawn moves in the opening (with more to come) and a premature Queenside attack is already under way for all intents and purposes. What to do, class? Play in the center. (Black's space gaining 5th move appears to be a new concept at this point, however, all other tries: 5...h6; 5...exd5; 5...Bb7; 5...bxc4; 5...Qa5+; lead to clear advantages according to theory, RPM.) 6.Qd3 d6 7.e4 Be7 8.Nbd2 0-0 Black's Kingside looks inviting, and I have visions of a short, violent game. 9.Qe3 h6?! In this position the h-pawn becomes a target more than obstruction. Black says, "Fish or cut bait", inviting the Kingside attack, but I'm not yet ready to trade my "good" Bishop for the g and h-pawns. If I were a little more developed I'd feel better about it. My next move may have mislead Black about my Kingside intentions, or apparent lack of them, and encouraged the Queenside development that followed. (I think Black should have tried to exploit the rather awkward placement of White's Queen and King and played 9...exd5!? if 10.exd5?! Re8!; and if 10.cxd5 Re8 with the idea of ...Nxd5. Exchanging on d5 is thematic in this kind of position, RPM.) 10.Bf4 Nbd7 (Black still has 10...exd5. As a matter of fact it even looks stronger now. 10...e5!? even looks possible, closing the center and steering play to the wings, RPM.) 11.h3 Nb6 Now a piece moved twice. 12.Be2 Bb7 A decision can't be put off any longer. On principle, Black should not be able to withstand a Kingside attack. Several pieces are well removed from the Kingside and he's behind in development, while White has good Kingside access and controls the center. I figured Black will be too busy defending to continue on the Queenside, which appears a real threat should White's attack falter. Anyway, I see no alternative if I want to "fish" (keep the initiative). Sooo... 13.Bxh6! gxh6 14.Qxh6 exd5 (Now this move is not as nearly as strong at this point with the Queen off e3, RPM.) 15.cxd5 Nh7?! Mr. Greene later wrote that he had at first discounted this move, then went back to it, but couldn't recall why. Better is 15...Re8 with the idea of 16...Nbd7. White would still have the best of it, but with a tougher struggle. Note how both of Black's ponies are off to the sides of the board.) 16.h4 Re8 17.Rh3 Bf6 18.Rg3+ Kh8 19.Ng5 Bxg5 20.hxg5 Black's good Bishop vanishes, a file to the exposed King opened, and the important d-pawn is wobbly. 20...Rg8 21.0-0-0 Rg7 22.Rh1 Bc8 23.g6 fxg6 24.Rxg6 Qe7 25.Rxd6 Bd7 Black rejects the g-pawn for the moment to bring belated help to his beleaguered King. However, I think his Rook would have been better placed after 25...Rxg2 than in the text. 26.g3 Rf8 27.f4 Rxg3 28.f5 Rfg8 29.Rg6 Be8 30.d6! The mobile center pawns go into action. 30...Qb7 31.d7!! Forced. 31...Qxd7 32.Rxg3 Rxg3 |
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Zwishenszug! 33.Bb5! (Diagram) The point. Black's overworked Queen, pinned to her second rank, can neither guard her Bishop nor capture its attacker. 33...Qg7 34.Bxe8 Rg1+ 35.Kc2 Rxh1 36.Qxh1 Kg8 37.Bb5 Qd4 38.Qh2 Nf8 39.Qc7 Nbd7 40.Qxa7 Ne5 41.Qe7 c4 Black offers one last chance, however remote, to go wrong, but... 42.Qxb4 1-0 |
Gittin - Greene
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White: Donald Gittin
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Bb7 (The Zaitsev variation. This continuation was introduced into practice by Flohr and Lilienthal in the 1940s, RPM.) 10.d4 Re8!? (Zaitsev's move and today quite fashionable, RPM.) 11.a4 h6 12.d5 (12.Nbd2!?, RPM.) 12...Na5 13.Ba2 Nc4 Black exists book here from a lengthy and decidedly disadvantageous line per ECO. I've had good results with the Ruy Lopez, but it's easy to get sucked into a 20+ move opening. (The game Ljubojevic-Karpov, Luzern (OL) 1982, continued: 13...c6 14.Na3 Qc7 15.Nh4 cxd5 16.exd5 {16.axb5 axb5 17.Nf5 Qd7! 18.Bxd5 Bxd5 19.Nxe7+ Qxe7 20.exd5 Qb7 21.Qf3 Nxd5 -/+ (Psahis), Ceskovsky-Psahis, Erevan (zt) 1982, 0-1 in 47, Inf 34/427} 16...Nc4! 17.Nf5 Bxd5 18.axb5 axb5 19.Nxb5 Qd7 20.Nxe7+ Rxe7 21.b3 Rxa2! 22.Rxa2 Qxb5 23.bxc Qxc4 and Black has good play according to Suetin. The game was eventually drawn on move 72, RPM) 14.Bxc4 bxc4 15.Qe2 c6 16.dxc6 Bxc6 17.Nbd2 Qc7 18.Qxc4 Rec8 John and I have crossed paths before and he's always a pleasure to play, even when he beats you! We kept up a dialogue through our games in this section being careful not to reveal too much and taint the games. At around this point he indicated he thought he might be able to recover the pawn. I saw no problem in accepting and holding it without positional damage. 19.Qd3 Bb7 20.Nh4 g6 Just to weaken the Kingside. Both sides look solid. Black is a pawn down with compensation. White is positionally solid with the material advantage, but his Queenside action is limited to gaining some space despite the pawn majority. 21.a5 Rab8 22.Nhf3 Bf8 23.c4 Nh5 24.b4 Bc6 25.Ba3 Nf4 A natural looking move. The hole at f4 was left open as an invitation which Black accepts. |
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26.Qe3 Bg7 27.g3! (Diagram) Another invitation Black does better to decline (John gave this move ??) White looks for Kingside action, material gain and the initiative. No way I can let a player of John's caliber get the time to formulate an offensive plan and expect a decent result. Black looks to expose White's Kingside. Although, he succeeds easily enough, his forces are committed to the Queenside without the mobility to get to the Kingside in enough strength to take advantage. |
Gittin - Maurer
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27...Nxh3? 28.Kg2 Qd7?! 28...Bd7 is better, though the text is in keeping with Black's plan; trouble is, the plan is faulty. 29.Rh1 Nf4+ 30.gxf4 Qg4+ 31.Kf1 exf4 32.Qe1 Re8! Black is too crafty to fall for 32...Bxa1 33.Qxa1 which would have lead to immediate and unavoidable disaster. 33.Qd1 Qe6 34.Rc1 Bxe4 35.Nxe4 Qxe4 36.Kg2 g5 37.Qd5 Qg6 38.Rhe1 Red8 Black avoids all trades he can not afford to accept, but in doing so surrenders the center. 39.Kf1 Qh5 40.Ng1 Be5 41.c5 Qg4 42.Rcd1 Qc8 43.Rd3 Qc7 44.Nf3 Freed of his defensive duties, the Knight enters the battle with devastating effect. 44...Bf6 45.cxd6 Qd7 46.Ne5 1-0 My other game with Mr. Maurer in this section was a draw. The 1½-½ is my best result ever against a solid (2100+) expert. I have yet to get so much as a draw from any master rated opponent. |