chessgames.com
Members · Prefs · Laboratory · Collections · Openings · Endgames · Sacrifices · History · Search Kibitzing · Kibitzer's Café · Chessforums · Tournament Index · Players · Kibitzing
Bill Melvin vs Robert Cunningham
"The Immortal Mr. Magoo" (game of the day May-18-2011)
Atlanta Action Tournament (1994) (rapid), Atlanta, Georgia, rd 4, Aug-06
French Defense: Winawer. Positional Variation (C19)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

Annotations by Bill Melvin.

explore this opening
find similar games 2 more games of B Melvin
sac: 19.Rxe6+ PGN: download | view | print Help: general | java-troubleshooting

TIP: Olga is our default viewer, but we offer other choices as well. You can use a different viewer by selecting it from the pulldown menu below and pressing the "Set" button.

PGN Viewer:  What is this?
For help with this chess viewer, please see the Olga Chess Viewer Quickstart Guide.
PREMIUM MEMBERS CAN REQUEST COMPUTER ANALYSIS [more info]

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>
May-18-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  kevin86: A funny-but brilliant game!

Now,who is Bill Melvin?!

May-18-11  castle dweller: some games appear just a little more exciting than others!
May-18-11  castle dweller: fine notes too - serendipity happens to all of us from time to time - I can relate here.
May-18-11  JohnBoy: Ban <TuxedoKnight> for posting ads, not content!
May-18-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  LIFE Master AJ: Nice game by my friend, Bill Melvin. (We have played many times, I think our lifetime score os close to even ... but I am not sure.)

I am pretty sure that Bill is a (former) AL State Chess Champion.

May-18-11  cydmd: It's very annoying when someone wants to ostensively promote his site for free with the only purpose to make money. Pls, CG, ban <TuxedoKnight>.
May-18-11  meetjain2295: OMG! What a game! Breathtaking Combinations...and of course..awesome luck! 20. Bg6+ was a real pleasant surprise!
May-18-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  Penguincw: Really nice game. This should've been Game of the Day ages ago.
May-18-11  picard: <Apple Jack> see, this is how you are supposed to post a game if you are a marginal player. That is why your horrible games will never be a game of the day.
May-18-11  tatarch: Very nice.

What if 23...Bd5 instead of Bd7? This seems like a better defensive move because it gives the king another flight square and keeps a8 covered by the bishop. I don't see a clearly winning line for white -- but please, enlighten me.

May-18-11  Dr. J: <AGOJ: ... Fischer wrote that better tactics arise from superior positions ... so it must follow that White was positionally better. The annotations are great, but I would like to see a suggestion for improving Black's play as well.>

Not too hard to do in this game. Working backwards we can see that Black's only problem was that he let the center be opened before he castled (Q-side - castling K-side is suicide). It follows that Black had to play 10...c4 or perhaps 13...0-0-0. In the latter he remains a Pawn down, but with what looks to me to be ample compensation.

(Hindsight is 20-20.)

May-18-11  Dr. J: <picard> Please don't start that argument here. There is a page already dedicated to food-fights with AJ. You know which.
May-18-11  MaxxLange: <picard> following players that you disapprove of around, and sniping at them anywhere they comment, is really really bad for the site

please do as Dr. J advises!

May-18-11  Lutwidge: Fantastic game and annotations - great job by chessgames.com for (re)discovering it!
May-18-11  DarthStapler: I have been a fan of this game for quite a while, nice to see it as GOTD
May-18-11  James Bowman: <picard> What's with you guys give the whole A J thing a rest, grow up and act like a big boy or at least behave like spoiled children on one page we can avoid please.
May-18-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  eternaloptimist: <James Bowman> lol
May-18-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  eternaloptimist: Wow! What an incredible game! It's good to c an Alabamian get recognized 4 such a great game! Bill did get a little lucky but I admire him 4 hanging in there, being alert, calculating well under pressure & not giving up. It also is a prime example of an adage that I learned, "always examine all checks & captures". Having this mentality saved Bill's hide...such resourcefulness & a great will to win. Also he did a great job w/ the amusing & honest annotations. Mr. Magoo reminds me of when I was a kid b/c I used to watch that cartoon back then. It has such an amusing concept of beneficially blundering into things.
May-18-11  James Bowman: Yes this a good one, just keeps pressing the attack in what looks hopeless and his commentary really just tops it all off, no false pretense of yea I calculated this from move 14, just honest I was hanging on by the seat of my pants and rode er home.

Nice pick chessgames I see why some of the posters liked this game.

May-19-11  MaxxLange: after Rxe6+ he sees that he can't just take the Qc7, great stuff
May-19-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  FSR: I agree with the prior posters. It's a very entertaining game, and it's nice to see someone admit that he had NOT calculated all this ten moves ago, but was just lucky that everything worked.
May-19-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: <MaxxLange> That may well be; I played Robin twice in Philadelphia in the mid 1990s. He got to 2400, then I never heard any more of him.

White's candour in annotating this is most welcome; especially in the days before computer analysis, one was accustomed to seeing games annotated 'by result'. A nice human touch!

May-19-11  MaxxLange: <perfidious> he got married and had kids, lo. so much for chess....

I think he got the FM title, not sure. I was in awe of him, I never played him - I was trying to beat the 1500 set at the time that he was active in Raleigh

May-22-13
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: The loser of this game is indeed Robert Cunningham, not Robin.

Pity White did not see this fine combination all the way to the end when setting out into the wilderness, but his honesty and objectivity in the annotations are refreshing.

Mar-21-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  fredthebear: Memory certainly isn't a reliable source as has been proven on more than one occasion.
search thread:   
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>

NOTE: Create an account today to post replies and access other powerful features which are available only to registered users. Becoming a member is free, anonymous, and takes less than 1 minute! If you already have a username, then simply login login under your username now to join the discussion.

Please observe our posting guidelines:

  1. No obscene, racist, sexist, or profane language.
  2. No spamming, advertising, duplicate, or gibberish posts.
  3. No vitriolic or systematic personal attacks against other members.
  4. Nothing in violation of United States law.
  5. No cyberstalking or malicious posting of negative or private information (doxing/doxxing) of members.
  6. No trolling.
  7. The use of "sock puppet" accounts to circumvent disciplinary action taken by moderators, create a false impression of consensus or support, or stage conversations, is prohibited.
  8. Do not degrade Chessgames or any of it's staff/volunteers.

Please try to maintain a semblance of civility at all times.

Blow the Whistle

See something that violates our rules? Blow the whistle and inform a moderator.


NOTE: Please keep all discussion on-topic. This forum is for this specific game only. To discuss chess or this site in general, visit the Kibitzer's Café.

Messages posted by Chessgames members do not necessarily represent the views of Chessgames.com, its employees, or sponsors.
All moderator actions taken are ultimately at the sole discretion of the administration.

This game is type: RAPID. Please report incorrect or missing information by submitting a correction slip to help us improve the quality of our content.

Featured in the Following Game Collections[what is this?]
The Immortal Mr Magoo
from Kvasir's favorite games by Kvasir
Old Mr. Magoo
from Nova's favorite games2 by Nova
the unmistakeble,Bill Melvin
from Gorney Park by kevin86
Crazy Combinations!
by hedgeh0g
French, Caro, Pirc, Alekhine, et al.
by mmzkr
Notes by Bill Melvin. Great Combination!
from Annotations e4 Various Authorities & Fredthebear by fredthebear
doubledrooks' favorite games
by doubledrooks
Cardinal Fang's favorite games
by Cardinal Fang
The Melvin
from 97xd_French Disasters -Teh Dark Side of Chess by whiteshark
Gambit86's favorite games
by Gambit86
Scintillating Chess Tactics, by Bill ("The Windmill") Melvin.
from Interesting "Chess Games" Miniatures! by LIFE Master AJ
Q sac in ENDGAME?
from Katu's favorite games by Katu
Melvin Immortal
from Let Slip the Dogs of War! by MKalafatas
May 18: The Immortal Mr. Magoo
from Game of the Day 2011 by Phony Benoni
Bg6+! Amazing move!
from DrChopper's study games by DrChopper
Fortune favours the lucky
from miniatures by goodevans
Great notes to the game
from Rosbach's favorite games by Rosbach
Mr Magoo
from JonathanJ's favorite games 4 by JonathanJ
French Defense: Winawer. Positional Variation
from favorite games by deniz baykala
The tactics of NM Bill Melvin and the Immortal McGoo
from Amazing Chess Games - by LMAJ by LIFE Master AJ
plus 44 more collections (not shown)

Home | About | Login | Logout | F.A.Q. | Profile | Preferences | Premium Membership | Kibitzer's Café | Biographer's Bistro | New Kibitzing | Chessforums | Tournament Index | Player Directory | Notable Games | World Chess Championships | Opening Explorer | Guess the Move | Game Collections | ChessBookie Game | Chessgames Challenge | Store | Privacy Notice | Contact Us

Copyright 2001-2023, Chessgames Services LLC