CCLA Portraits

The following column was originally published in the July-August 1997 issue of The Chess Correspondent, Vol. 70, No. 4.

Wendell "John" Lutes The self - proclaimed "American bibliophile" and chess openings editor, W. John Lutes was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, on 2 January 1938. At the age of 8 John became crippled after contracting Osgood-Schlatter's Disease. During his convalescence, which took many months, his grandfather taught him how to play chess. John has provided us with a brief biography. "I am a Neurological Respiratory Therapist at the St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria, Illinois, and have been married to a registered Nurse, Virginia Anne, for thirty-one years. "A student of the "Apostle of Aggression", the late Weaver W. Adams of East Orange, New Jersey, and later S.A. Popel during the late 1950s, I often explore openings of somewhat questionable repute and am interested in the historical development of opening ideas. "I achieved my best OTB rating of 2245 after winning the 1961 Indiana Championship at Elwood, Indiana, and the 1966 Pennsylvania State Open Championship at State College, Pennsylvania in 1966. I was also the multiple winner of the Indianapolis Championship, Columbus (Ohio) Championship, and Springfield (Illinois) Championship. "I was forced to abandon OTB play during my education at the Mayo Clinic in 1979 and 1980 and have seldom returned to the tournament arena due to my strenuous job requirements." John has authored nine books on the openings, all of which most are quite familiar with. As John writes:"....my rather romantic opening lines often fare better across-the-board than in correspondence play."

White: W. John Lutes Black: Andr Czarnik (France) ICCF WT/II/834 1990-91 King's Gambit Accepted C34 Notes by W. John Lutes 1.e4 e5 2.f4 One of the greatest 19th century writers on the game, William Lewis, remarked in his Treatise on the game of Chess (1844, p. 272): "The King's Gambit is perhaps the most instructive, as it is certainly the most entertaining, of all the Openings. It abounds in difficult and interesting positions, and has more variety than any other method of beginning the game. Nearly all the best writers on the game of Chess agree that the King's Gambit is a hazardous game for the first player, because he sacrifices a pawn without gaining a corresponding advantage of position; this is true, but it must not be forgotten that the second player has one of his pawns doubled and that a pawn more, so circumstanced, does not necessarily win the game." 2...exf4 3.Nf3 Nf6 Variously known as the Schallopp, Neo-Berlin, and even Paulsen Defense, Black intends to support the extra gambit pawn by ...Nh5; thereby avoiding the weakening of the kingside pawns as seen in 3...g5 It was mentioned by many early authors including Walker, Jaenisch, and Lewis during the 19th century. Although the move probably received its name from the game Thorold-Schallopp (British Chess Magazine, 1883, p. 345) it is seen even earlier in Hanneken-Vitzthum (Max Lange: Jahrbuch, 1862, p.92). However, research has traced 3...Nf6, as a defense in the King's Knight Gambit, to the Traite theorique et pratique du jeu des Echecs, par Societe d' Amateurs, published at Paris in 1786.

4.e5 Nh5 5.Qe2 (Diagram) This aggressive idea, retarding 5...d3? and 5...d5? (due to 6.exd6 and Qb5+), was first employed by Paul Keres against Alekhine at Salzburg in 1942. 5...Be7 This is generally regarded as best, although the German author G. Gunderam (Neue Eroffnungswege Ein Schach-Praktikum, 1961) has suggested 5...g5. In Kuindzhi-Thompson, World Junior Championship 1961, play continued 5...g5 6.g4 Ng7 7.h4! Be7 8.d4 d6 9.hxg4 Bxg4 +/=. 6.d4 0-0 If 6....Bh4+ 7.Kd1 0-0 8.g4! Randvir-Tepaks, Tallinin 1946.

Lutes - Czarnik After: 5. Qe2

7.g4 This is more accurate than 7.Nc3 d6 8.Bd2 (Basman-Griffiths, Bognor Regis 1968) Nc6! 9.0-0-0 Bg4 =/+. 7...fxg4 8.Qg2 Bronstein-Petrosian, Taflis 1963, continued: 8.hxg3 Nxg3 9.Qh2 Nxh1 10.Bd3! g6 (10...h6 Bxh6!) 11.Qh6 d5 12.Nc3 Ng3 13.Ng5 Bxg5 14.Bxg5 f6 15.Bxg6 Qe7 16.Nxd5 Qg7 17.Bxf6 Rxf6 18.Bxh7+ Kh8 19.Qxg7 Kxg7 20.ef6+ and led to a draw in a few moves.

8...d6 9.hxg3 Bg4 10.Nh2 Nxg3 11.Rg1 Be6!? (Diagram) This proves less efficient than 11...Bf5 because the Bishop cannot now cover the vital b1-h7 diagonal. Three options have been tried: A) 11...Bf5 12.Nf3 (12.Bf4 Be4! 13.Nf3 Nh5 -/+ Wade-Alexander, Birmingham 1951) Nh5 13.Rh1 Bg6 14.Nc3 dxe5 15.dxe5 Nc6 16.Bd2 Nxe5! 17.Nxe5 Bh4+ 18.Kd1 Ng3 -/+, Analysis by Alexander. B)11...Bh5 12.Bf4 Nf5 13.Bd3 Analysis by Alexander. C) 11...Bc8 12.Bf4 Nf5 13.Bd3 g6 14.Ng4. Analysis by Alexander. 12.Nf3 Nf5 13.Bh6 Perhaps a questionable desperado, but it leads to interesting complications. A tamer idea was 13.Bd3 g6 14.d5 Bd7 15.Bf4 =/+. 13...Bh4+ 14.Kd2 Bg3 Sharper was 14...Bd5! 15.Qg4 Bf2 16.Bd3 Bxg1 17.Bxf5 g6 18.Nxg1 Re8.

Lutes - Czarnik After: 11. ... Be6!?

15.Bxg7 Kxg7 (Diagram) If 15...Nxg7? 16.Qxg3 Bg4 17.Qxg4 +/-. 16.Bd3 Kh8 17.Bxf5 Rg8 If 17...Bxf5 18.Qxg3 Rg8 19.Ng5 +/-. 18.Qh3 Bxf5 19.Qxf5 dxe5 20.Rh1 Rg7 21.Nc3 Bf4+ 22.Kd3 Qd7 (Diagram) A better idea was 22...Nc6, with the idea of keeping the White Queen off the f6-square; for if 23.d5 Ne7! 23.Qf6 Nc6 24.Rag1 1-0 If 24...e4+ (24...Rag8 25.Rxh7+) 25.Nxe4 Nb4+ 26.Ke2 Qb5+ 27.Kd1 and Black must toss the Queen by 27...Qf1+ to temporarily delay mate. White: Helen Warren Black: W. John Lutes 1971 Golden Knights Semi-Finals (71-NS150) Scandinavian Defense B01 Notes by W. John Lutes 1.e4 Mrs. Helen Warren has long been known as one of the strongest women players in the United States. She has defeated many experts and masters in both OTB and in correspondence chess and plays an all-out aggressive style which is extremely difficult to meet.

Lutes - Czarnik After: 15. ... Kxg7 Lutes - Czarnik After: 22. ... Qd7

1...d5 2.exd5 3.Qxd5 Qa5 G.H.D. Gossip, writing in the The Chess-Players Manual , 1874, p. 783, commented that ".....although seldom played, the Centre Game presents many features of interest and unless opposed with great care, will often give the second player the advantage." 4.d4 e5 This bone-rattling continuation was the idea of Adolf Anderssen who first adopted it against Paul Morphy in 1858. The idea is simple. By maintaining the balance of power in the center, with subsequent liquidation to achieve an open game, Black hopes to dissipate White's advantage by brute force. Although modern masters, with the exception of IGM Alex Fishbein, are skeptical of its chances (that) the variations offers exceptional tactical possibilities to those acquainted with its nuances. (Many readers may be aware that John published a book on this line a few years back, RPM.) 5.Nf3 This is generally regarded as White's best, although 5.dxe5 is quite playable. 5...Bg4 6.Bd2 This continuation was first recommended by Boleslavski in 1968. Fishbein and Hodges (Center Counter!, 1994, pp. 22-24) recommend the complex 6.Bc4!? as equally dangerous. 6...exd4 The older tactical line. A newer try is 6...Nd7! 7.Nb5 Qb6 8.a4 Ngf6 9.a5 Qc6 10.c4 e4 11.d5 Qc5 12.h3 as in Warevsky-Nikel, corres. 1977.

7.Qe2+ Be7! (Diagram) This is better than 7...Ne7 8.Nb5 Qb6 9.Qe5 Na6 10.a4 (Boleslavski: Caro-Kann bis Sizilianisch, 1968 p. 70); where White has the better game. If 7...Kd8 8.Nb5 Qb6 9.Qc4 Bxf3 10.gf c6 11.Qxd4+ (11.Qxf7? Nf6) Qxd4 12.Nxd4 +/=. 8.Nb5 Qb6 9.Qe5 Na6 An unexplored option is 9...Kf8 10.Kxc7 (10.Qxd4!) Nc6 11.Qf4 Qxb2 12.Rc1 Rc8. 10.Qxg7! Black equalizes easily after 10.Nbxd4 or 10.Nfxd4. 10...Bxf3 10....Qe6!? 11.Ne5 Bf6 12.Qxg4 Qxe5+ 13.Qe2 Ne7 with an edge for White.

Warren - Lutes After: 7. ... Be7!

11.gxf3 (Diagram) USCF Master Harry Ploss (Chicago, 1974) found the sharp drawing line 11.Qxh8 Qe6+ 12.Be3 dxe3! 13.Qxg8+ Kd7 14.Qxa8 Qd5! 15.fxe3 Bxg2 16.Bxg2 Bh4+ 17.Kf1 Qf5+ 18.Ke2 Qxc2+ 19.Kf3 Qf5+ 20.Ke2 Qc2+ =. USCF Master Richard Verber recommended the powerful 11.Bc4! 0-0-0 12.Qxh8 Bf6 13.Qxh7 Re8+! 14.Kf1 Bxg2+ 15.Kxg2 Qc6+ 16.Kg1 Qxc4 17.Qf5+! Kb8, with complex chances. 11...Bf6 If 11...Qe6+ 12.Kd1 Bf6 13.Qg3 Qb6 +/=. 12.Qg4 Nc5 13.Bf4

Warren - Lutes After: 11. gxf3

White is butchered after 13.Nxd4? Qxb2 14.Rd1 Bxd4 15.Bb5+ c6 16.Bc4 Rd8 17.Qf4 Ne6. 13...Ne6 14.Bc4 Ne7 15.Bxe6 15.Rg1 deserves consideration.

15...Qxb5 16.Bb3 h5 17.Qh3 c5 18.Qf1 (Diagram) 18. ... Qxf1+ Black should probably keep the Queens on the Board with 18...Qc6, with the idea that if 19.0-0-0 b5. 19.Rxf1 b5 20.a4 c4 21.Ba2 Nd5 22.Bd6 Better was 22.Bc1

Warren - Lutes After: 18. Qf1

22...0-0-0 23.Bc5 Rhe8+ 24.Kd1 c3!? (Diagram) Obviously better was 24...d3! 25.c3! (25.Kc1 d2+!).

Warren - Lutes After: 24. ... c3!?

25.bxc3 Nxc3+ 26.Kd2 Nxa4 27.Ba3 d3 28.cxd3 Bc3+ 29.Kc2 Re2+ 30.Kb1 Rxd3 31.Rc1 (Diagram) If 31.Be6+ fxe6 32.Ra2 Rxa2 33.Kxa2 Rxf3, with a winning attack. 31...Rdd2 0-1

Warren - Lutes After: 31. Rc1

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