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CCLA Portraits
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The following column was originally published in the September-October 1998 issue of The Chess Correspondent, Vol. 71, No. 5. |
James Skeels
I was born on Halloween in 1942 in the township of Elgin, IL. I don't remember how I actually learned to play chess, but do remember playing on a small board with my father or in the school yard in the shelter house in the evenings. The shelter house was a place you could go to until about 9pm at night and check out sporting equipment, chess or checkers, cards or even some books and use them there at the school yard. We moved to Florida when I was 12 and I found the Manatee County Chess Club. As most chess clubs in those days, there were a few books you could check out and some old Chess Review magazines. I began playing over all the games in the books and magazines. Sometimes I would stay up till 4am or 5am playing over games. I still love to do this. I think Bobby Fisher was the big influence on me, as we were about the same age. I would go to the club and try to use my newfound opening knowledge, but as soon as someone varied from the book I was lost. I played a little in High School and then went into the service, where I found a book on all endgames. This was a great find for me and even to this day, when anyone asks me where they should start to study, I tell them the endgame. For any new chess players out there reading this or intermediate players looking for the next step in their improvement, go to the endgame. I have played with experts, who know their openings very well, but if they get into certain endgames, they lose all their built up advantage because they never studied endgames. In 1968 I played in my first correspondence tournament. It was the USCF Golden Knights. I placed somewhere around 18th, but was thrilled with the idea of playing opponents all over the U.S. at the same time. A little correspondence club was just starting called "Ron's Club" Its first tournament was the " Starship Open." I wonder if anyone remembers it? For some reason I don't recall ever knowing about CCLA at that time. I played a few OTB tournaments, but it became too expensive. working, family and travel just didn't all go along together. Back to postal chess. I then became very interested in ICCF international play. A good chance to meet foreign players, exchange information, hobbies (e.g. stamps, postcards, magazines). I entered the Master class section and played in a 7 man section finishing 2nd and have been in the Master class ever since. I also enjoy playing in the team tournaments that our ICCF-USCF affiliate continually runs. My main difficulty is that I carry too many games at any one time, but again it is something I enjoy. |
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Alexander J. Ugge was at the time of this game (1977) an IM from Toronto, Canada. This game was one of my first experiences in ICCF Master class play. The opening was a very sharp variation of the Benko Gambit (A57)
White: Alexander J. Ugge(IM) (Canada)
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6. 5.Nc3 axb5 6.e4 b4 7.Nb5 d6 Not Nxe4? 8.Qe2 f5 9.f3 8.Nf3 g6 It is still not advisable to take the e4 pawn as White just gets too much development. 8...Nxe4 9.Bf4 e5 10.dxe6 Bxe6 11.Bd3. 9.e5 dxe5 10.Nxe5 Bg7 11.Bc4 0-0 12.0-0 Ne4 13.Re1 Nd6 14.Nxd6 exd6 This was out of the books at the time the game was played. 15.Nd3 In my opinion, Black is already better!? His 2 Bishops are open and free, whereas White's Bishops are blocked in or passive. For all you Middlegame students, learning about good vs. bad Bishops and Knights, this is a good example of the former. 15...Nd7 16.Bb5 Bb7 Note how White's queenside is kept pinned down doing guard duty. 17.Nf4 Possible here was 17.Qf3 b3 18.a3 Nb6. 17...Nb6 18.Be2 I think a time comes when you have to try to free yourself, when you are really tied up, and here 18.a4!? might have been the try. Black has emerged with more space and open a&e files. He controls the a-file, now it is time to go after the e-file. The purpose of Be2 is, of course, to redeploy the Bishop to a more effective square. Notice how the Black bishop on g7 pressures the White queenside. 18...Be2 Re8 19.Bf3 Rxe1 20.Qxe1 Qe8 21.Qd1 Qa4 22.Qxa4 On 22.b3 Black simply plays his queen back to either e8 or d7 and White must lose the a-pawn. 22...Rxa4 Possibly even better here for Black was 22...Nxa4 23.Rb1 Ba6 24.Be2 and Black is winning. 23.a3 b3 24.Rb1 g5 25.Nh5 g4 |
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Not 25...Nxd5 26.Nxg7 Kxg7 27.Bxg5. 26.Nxg7 Kxg7 27.Bd1 Bxd5 (Diagram) The Black center pawns are now unstoppable. 28.g3 Re4 29.Resigns If 29.Bd2 Kg6 takes away any surprise checks and all Black can do is watch and wait. Alexander Ugge, being the fine quality player he was, relinquished the game. |
Ugge - Skeels
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The second game took place in 1992. This was the first attempt at a correspondence club championship. After a few problems and one club forfeiting out for not being able to come up with the entry fee, the field was set. The participating clubs were CCLA, USCF, APCT, and NOST. I was playing on board 16 for APCT. I believe there were either 50-60 boards [editor's note: there were 50 boards]. My CCLA opponent was John Adams.
White: Jim Skeels (APCT)
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 0-0 6.Be3 c6 7.Bd3 a6 8.Nge2 b5 9.0-0 Nbd7 10.Rc1 e5 11.a3 exd4 12.Nxd4 Bb7 13.cxb5 cxb5 14.Re1 Ne5 15.Bf1 Rc8 I used the Saemisch var. every chance I could in those days, as it seemed to play so easily and, of course, afforded White some very strong attacking chances. 16.Bf2 Anticipating Black's next move 16...Nc4 17.a4 White gets strong initiative. If 17...Nxb2 then 18.Qb3 Nc4 19.Bxc4 Rxc4 20.axb5. or 18...Rxc3 19.Qxb2 is better for White. 17...Bh6 This is the move I thought Black would play when I played 17.a4. 18.axb5 Black has a couple choices here besides the main line.Bd2,Nxb2,axb5. If 18...Bd2 19.bxa6 Bxe1 20.Qxe1 or 18...Nxb2 19.Qb3 Bxc1 20.Rxc1 or 18...axb5 19.Ra1 Nxb2 20.Qb3 Nc4 21.Bxc4 Rxc4 22.Ndxb5. All these variations I believe to be better for White. Back to the main line. 18...Bxc1 19.Qxc1 Qa5 19...axb5!? Was a good alternative here. 20.Qg5 20.Nf5 might have been even stronger here. This could have been the unexpected move, since everything seems to be defended on the K-side, or is it? |
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20...Nh5 21.Nf5 (Diagram) f6 22.Ne7+ Kf7 23.Nxc8 fxg5 24.Bxc4+ Kg7 25.Nxd6 All of White's pieces will have their say in the rest of the game. 25...Qc7 26.e5 axb5 Better was a5 27.Ncxb5 Qb8 28.e6 Bc6 29.e7 |
Skeels - Adams
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The e-pawn flourishes down the board with nothing to stop it! 29...Re8 30.Ba7 A Zwishenzug to put the Black queen in the corner. 30...Qa8 31.Bd4+ Nf6 32.Nc7! 1-0 There are 2 or 3 different ways for White to finish off the game. I leave them for you. A footnote to the tournament was that APCT won, but because of some internal unsettlements it is doubtful that another tourney of this type will be held. Too bad, because I think the players really enjoyed the camaraderie of the other club players. |