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CCLA Portraits
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The following column was originally published in the March-April 1998 issue of The Chess Correspondent, Vol. 71, No. 2. |
Van KoppersmithVan Koppersmith of Mobile, Alabama is the current CCLA champion winning the 11th CCLA Championship (1995) with a score of 7 1/2 out of 10. Van writes: "I was born in 1952 in Mobile, Alabama, where I have lived all my life. I have an identical twin and my father was also an identical twin. I have been married almost twenty-four years and have two children. Our daughter is in graduate school studying nutrition and our son is in the eighth grade. "An older, visiting neighbor taught us to play chess at about age 8. We were soon beating the neighbor, so he kept changing the rules as we played so he could win. When he returned to his home, we got our first wooden set (which I still have) and learned how to play correctly, except for en passant. "My brother and I played hundreds of games in grammar school and were recording every game by high school. Unfortunately, or maybe not, all of the notes have long since been discarded. "We had very few chess books, the best one on endings, which we studied quite a bit. We named our popular openings and techniques. My favorite, which most of us rarely get to use is the "squeezing machine". In it, a Queen+Rook force the opposing King back one square at a time. For example: White Queen on a1, White Rook on c1, Black King on b3: 1.Rc3+ Kb4 2.Qa3+ Kb5 3.Rc5+ Kb6 4.Qa5+ Kb7 5.Rc7+ Kb8 6.Qa7#. Of course there are far more eloquent mates possible, but the squeezing machine is deadly. "There was no organized play in High School, but we were allowed to play in the honor society room during school hours. My twin and I were the undisputed school champions, which may not have meant much. I stopped playing chess when my brother and I went to different colleges. "I graduated magna cum laude from the University of Notre Dame with a BS in physics in seven semesters. I took a job at Scott Paper Co. as a programmer for the nine months before I was to start graduate school, studying general relativity. "I had been dating my wife for a few months and was making almost $600/month at Scott. I was having fun, living at home with no expenses, and decided to pay off my new Mustang Mach I before starting graduate school, so I turned down three fellowships with the firm intention of working for just one year. Twenty-five years later, I sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have gone to graduate school. "All of my professional life has centered around computers, mostly in printer technology and communication protocols. Since leaving Scott in 1978, I have worked at three start-up companies as employee number 5 at the first, and co-founder of the last two. "I started playing in local tournaments around 1976, playing two or three times a year. As my job and family required more time, I was forced to stop playing on weekends around 1984. Fortunately an opponent told me about postal chess. I started postal play in the CCLA in 1985. I played in another club in the early nineties thinking there would be lots of foreign members, but there was only one from Hong Kong. I have been very satisfied with the level of play and dedication in the CCLA. "I have never had more than 16 games going at one time and prefer about 10 or so. In my twelve years of postal play I have only played about 125 games. I much prefer to spend 6 or 8 hours on one good move than 1 or 2 hours each on several mediocre moves. In complicated positions, I can easily spend 10 hours or more on one move. "I prefer open games and the classical openings, but have even used the Pirc Defense on several occasions. "I started a chess club at my son's grammar school and taught for several years. This constant exposure to the fundamentals, in both the openings and the endgame, was very helpful. Good opening preparation is essential to correspondence chess since most games do not make it to the endgame. The slightest miscue in the opening can be exploited with good research. "I have a huge chess library and collect books in all my areas of interest. I sometimes think I play chess just so I can collect the books. "My other interests include local history, in particular the postal history of Alabama and Mississippi." The following are 3 of Van's games; 2 from the 11th CCLA Championship and the last from a Grand National Final. |
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White: Van Koppersmith
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 The few times I have played against the French Defense, I have used the solid Tarrasch Variation, but I decided to try the Winawer in this tournament. 3...Bb4 (3...Nf6 is also quite popular in CC competition. RPM) 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Qa5 6...Ne7 is a more common continuation. Wolff ventures into a line that theory says leads to a clear advantage for White. According to Moles the text is premature. RPM. 7.Bd2 Qa4 8.Qb1 8.Qg4 has been tired, but I preferred to avoid this line. See next game. 8...c4 9.Nf3 Nd7 9...Nc6 10.g3 Nge7 11.Bg2 Bd7 12.0-0 0-0-0 13.Re1 h6 14.Qc1 g5 15.h4 g4 16.Nh2 h5 17.Bg5 Rdg8 18.Bxf6 Rh7 19.Rb1 + - Vasjukov-Macukevic, SSSR 1956. Apparently Black hopes to avoid this line and tries to take advantage of White's doubled pawns. White chooses to finish developing. 10.Be2 Nb6 11.0-0 Bd7 12.Re1 h6 13.Qc1 White makes castling Kingside difficult, while Blacks' moves continue to whittle away squares available for the Black Queen. 13...Ne7 14.Rb1 Nc6 15.Bd1 Now that c2 is guarded, Black should not castle Kingside. The text also frees the Rook on e1. 15...Kd8 Castling Queenside would have saved time. 16.Re3 Kc7 17.Ne1 a6 While I have been preparing a Kingside attack, Black has continued to deprive his Queen of space. This provides White an excellent opportunity. 18.Nd3 (!) Qa5 If 18...cxd3 19.cxd3 Qb5 20.Rxb5 + - . 19...Qa5 20.c3 etc. RPM. Insert a diagram after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Qa5 7.Bd2 Qa4 8.Qb1 c4 9.Nf3 Nd7 10.Be2 Nb6 11.0-0 Bd7 12.Re1 h6 13.Qc1 14.Rb1 Nc6 15.Bd1 Kd8 16.Re3 Kc7 17.Ne1 a6 18.Nd3 19.Nc5 Na7 The Knight on b6 must remain to save b7. Now White can continue the Kingside attack. 20.Rg3 Rhg8 21.Bh5 Raf8 22.Rf3 Be8 Black's moves have been forced. The White Queen has her eyes on d6. 23.a4 Nc6 24.Qa3 Nd8 25.Nxe6 Also worthy of attention is 25.Nxa6 25...Nxe6 26.Qd6+ Kc8 27.Bxf7 Bxf7 28.Rxf7 Qxa4 28...Rxf7 was necessary to avoid immediate mate, but it was accompanied by the unpleasant "if move" 29.Qxe6+ + -. 29.Rxb7 Kxb7 30.Qxb6+ Kc8 31.Qb8+ Kd7 32.Qd6+ Ke8 33.Qxe6+ Kd8 34.Rb8+ Kc7 35.Qd6 # 1-0 In our youth, my twin brother and I dubbed this mating technique the
"squeezing machine"
White: Van Koppersmith
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 Ne7 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 c5 7.Qg4 This was not my desire, but I saw no good alternative here. (The text is White's most aggressive response which often leads to the very well known and heavily analyzed "Poisoned Pawn Variation". 7.a4 and 7.Nf3 are the popular positional approaches; however, Black in general has had less difficulties and often gets the better of it in these lines. RPM) 7...Qc7 Black decides to enter the complicated waters of the so-called "Poisoned Pawn Variation". 7...0-0!?, however, is better than it's reputation and has been seen quite a few times even at the highest levels of play and not without some success. Of course the text is the move of choice by most players. RPM. 8.Qxg7 Rg8 9.Qxh7 cxd4 10.Ne2 10.Kd1 is a less popular alternative, as it leads to more draws than victories for White. 10...Nbc6 11.f4 Bd7 12.Qd3 Still deep in book, White is following a successful line. 12...dxc3 13.Qxc3 13.Nxc3 and 13.Rb1 have both been used with success, but 13.Qxc3 has done even better. (Further alternatives, however are: 13.Ng3, 13.h4, 13.Be3 and more recently, 13.h3!? RPM) 13...Nf5 14.Rb1 0-0-0 15.g3 15.Rg1 d4 16.Qd3 has been used successfully, but I wanted to protect the f-pawn, preserve castling, and create some space for my white bound Bishop. 15...d4 16.Qc4 f6 (With the White King still uncastled Black tries to seize the opportunity to open up lines of attack in the center. This is a thematic idea in this line. RPM.) 17.exf6 Nd6 18.Qa4 18.Qb3 Na5 19.Qd3 Bc6 20.Rg1 Be4 21.Qxd4 Bxc2 caused problems for White in Findlay-Milicevic, Toronto 1995. I saw no reason to fear 18...Ne5 as White has a solid defense. 18...Ne5 19.Qxa7 Nf3+ 20.Kf2 Bc6 21.Bh3 (Diagram) |
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This is a key move, as it makes f1 available to the King and creates a threat Black will have to deal with sooner or later. 21...Ne4+ 22.Kf1 Neither 22.Kg2 nor 22.Kxf3 are as safe as the text. 22...Qd7 If 22...Nfd2+ (or 22...Ned2+) 23.Bxd2 Nxd2+ 24.Kf2 Nxb1 25.Bxe6+ Bd7 Bxg8 + -. 23.Qa8+ Kc7 24.Qa5+ Kb8 25.Bg2 d3 |
Koppersmith - Tempske
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These moves have now prevented Nd2. I was expecting 25...Nxf6, but Tempske kept the pressure on. 26.Bxf3 dxe2+ While White had no choice on 26.Bf3 26...d2 was no better for Black e.g. 27.Kg2 dxc1=Q 28.Rbxc1 + -. 27.Bxe2 White will be able to escape mate. 27...Qd4 28.Qe1 Nxg3+ 29.hxg3 Bxh1 30.Bb2 Qc5 31.Be5+ Kc8 31...Ka7 or 31...Ka8 loses to 32.Rb5. 32.Qf2 Qxc2? (White is content to trade Queens and go for victory in the endgame when Black makes this fatal mistake. 32...Qxf2+ was necessary, then after 33.Kxf2 there is still a lot of play left. RPM.) 33.Qa7(!) Qxb1+ 34.Kf2 Qc2 (!?) Probably best, but the following series of forced moves proves trading Queens earlier was Black's best hope. (Although, Black has a huge material advantage, positionally he is now lost. The text prevents the white bound Bishop from moving and joining the fray, and protects c7 and c5, avoiding the immediate mate, but White demonstrates that he has seen more deeply, RPM.) 35.Qb8+ Kd7 36.Qd6+ Kc8 37.Qxe6+ Rd7 38.Qxg8+ Rd8 39.Qe6+ Rd7 40.Qc4+ Qxc4 Now Black has no choice , but to trade Queens. 41.Bxc4 Kd8 42.f7 Ke7 1-0 Black resigns, fearing 43.Bg7. I have played both sides of the Pirc, and do not really like either side.
I no longer use it when I am Black. This interesting game centers on a Black
pawn in the first half and a White pawn in the second half.
White: Van Koppersmith
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Be2 0-0 6.0-0 Bg4 7.Be3 Nc6 8.Qd2 e5 9.d5 Ne7 10.Rad1 Bd7 11.Ne1 b5 Following many games before us. 12.f3 Qb8 13.Nd3 a5 14.a4 Bangiev-Hait, USSR 1977 continued 14.Nf2 Nh5. I did not like 14.Nf2 b4 15.Nb1. So, to give my Knight space I tried 14.a4. 14...bxa4 15.Ra1 Nh5 16.Nxa4 f5 17.c4 Nf6 18.Nc3 c5 19.Ra3 Continuing the fight for the a-pawn. 19...fxe4 20.fxe4 Nc8 21.b3 Protecting the c-pawn and allowing the Queen to reach a2. 21...Ne7 22.Qa2 Qb7 23.Bd1 22...Qb7 protects the a-pawn by threatening the pawn on b3, after 23.Rxa5 Rxa5 24.Qxa5 Qxb3. 23...Qc7 24.Bc2 Making room for Ra1. 24...Ng4 25.Rxf8+ Kxf8 26.Bd2 Still going after the a-pawn. 26...Bh6 27.Bd1 27.Be1 allows 27...Ne3. The text, however, allows Black to continue trading pieces trained on the a-pawn. 27...Bxd2 28.Qxd2 Ng8 29.Bxg4 White continues to press the a-pawn. 29...Bxg4 30.Nb5 Qd8 31.h3 Bc8 31...Bd7 is clearly inferior after 32.Nxd6. 32.b4 (!) Taking advantage of the pin on the a-pawn. RPM 32...cxb4 33.Nxb4 Qb6+ 34.Qf2 White is willing to take his chances in the endgame. 34...Qxf2+ 35.Kxf2 Bd7 36.Nc6 Still trying to capture the a-pawn, White now gets a passed pawn. 36...Bxc6 If 36...a4 37.Nc3 and the coveted a-pawn finally falls. RPM. 37.dxc6 Ne7 38.Rf3+ Kg7 39.c7 Nc8 40.Ke2 The White King may be needed to prevent the infamous Black a-pawn from presenting any threat. |
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40...Ra6 41.c5 (!) (Diagram) An important move, as it allows White's Rook access to d8. The White King can prevent the Black pawns from queening. 41...dxc5 (Sadly, this is forced. RPM.) 42.Rd3 Rf6 43.Rd8 Rf8 44.Kd3 1-0 The Black pawns are not guarded. Black has no good moves. |
Koppersmith - Sokoler
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