| Mar-31-05 | | mack: Jesus Lawrence, you like yer unorthodox openings don't you? |
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Mar-31-05
 | | IMlday: Actually I was bit giddy in this game. 1.e4 Na6 is pretty obviously unsound, and after 2.d4 then ..c6 is clearly safer than 2..c5.
But to contextualize the situation, in 1980 I almost retired from chess. There just wasn't enough money available to support a Canadian chess professional. I was winning prize money, sharing first in the Toronto Club Championship; clear first in the Toronto and Ontario Open events. But the landlord sold the house where we were
renting, and nothing affordable was apparent. All our stuff went into storage and we hit the road armed with about $100 cash and a credit card. Having to win to eat is marvellous motivation. Sharing first in the World Open produced a big check but the approaching maxxed-out point on the credit card got us to Ottawa where we stayed with my parents and I won the Canadian Open. Finally there was cash,
more cash than I had ever had in my life. Paradoxically there was still no fixed address. The Quebec Open in Montreal was just for fun~~could I make it 6 in a row? No. I was too giddy from the financial pressure having been removed. 1.e4 Na6 was for laffs. We had a house-sitting gig in Toronto afterwards and a few weeks to find an apartment where we could deposit first and last monthes rent.
Thus contextualized the surrealism may make more sense. |
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| Mar-31-05 | | mack: Cheers for the lengthy response - will you be available for a few minutes' conversation at the Stauton Memorial this year? |
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Mar-31-05
| | IMlday: <mack> sure, no prob |
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| Apr-01-05 | | Frank Dixon: Hi Lawrence, I hope you are doing well. I have a few questions for you! 1) When you write your book of Best Selected Games, are you going to include your win over young Raja Panjwani from the 2004 Toronto Canadian Zonal!? I liked the combination in this game. Besides, Raja was born in the 1990s, and if you include that game, you might be able to stretch 100 years with the birthdates of your opponents, assuming that you include a game with IM Fedor Bohatirchuk, who was born in 1892! Raja just missed an IM norm at the Foxwoods tournament in Connecticut last Easter weekend. I still help him a bit whenever I can, although he is getting too good for me! 2) How about titling your Selected Games book as "Opus Day!" 3) You are also working on a book of IM Bryon Nickoloff's best games. I love his win over IM David Strauss from Lone Pine 1977, I believe; amazing finish from the Black side of a Sicilian! Are you going to have access to Nick's secret files of games for your work!? Cheers, Frank Dixon |
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Apr-02-05
| | IMlday: (a) probably, but maybe in a note;
(b) I think Opus Day may already have been taken; ;)
(c) unfortunately Nick didn't write them down. I'm still missing his wins over R. Byrne and D. Gurevich! |
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| Apr-02-05 | | Resignation Trap: 1. e4 Na6 was just for laffs? Gee, when I saw this game in Chess Canada, I had no idea of this, especially since it was called the "Ptero-Durkin". I started playing it with Black in a few weekend tournaments - and not without success! I thought that you were creating new opening theory, and I wanted to be a contributor. Of course, didn't Chigorin suggest 1. e4 e5 2. Qe2 as a joke at first to his students? |
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Apr-03-05
| | IMlday: Actually it is 1.e4 e6 2.Qe2 that Chigorin put forth as initially a joke, but gradually decided was the best move. Nice to hear you got some points from 1.e4 Na6. I've never played it again. |
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| Apr-03-05 | | Resignation Trap: OOPS! That was a rare typo on my part, of course I meant 1..e6. |
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| Apr-04-05 | | Frank Dixon: Hi Lawrence, thanks for your replies. Perhaps you could contact GMs Robert Byrne and Dimitry Gurevich for those Nick games you are missing. If they have them, I am sure they would help. I have a Nick game, a win from Kapuskasing 2004, against a lower-rated player, but still nice. It didn't get into the Kapchess.com database because the scoresheet was illegible, and Nick fixed it for me later. I will post it here once I find it. Perhaps Erik Malmsten could assist you; although I am sure you are already in touch with him. I meant the 'Opus Day' query as a small joke, a pun on the Catholic sect 'Opus Dei'! I will also get around to posting here my simul draw with you in the Chigorin French. Cheers, Frank |
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Kibitzing
