Get documents about "CHESS - Download as DOC
Document Sample
Where Are They Now?
. . . Ken Rogoff by Daren Dillinger
Grandmaster Ken Rogoff grew up in style of play, making it easily Fischer’s notes from his chess
Rochester, New York attending East understood at all levels of playing column. We can see why Fischer
High School. While still a teenager, ability. chose to annotate this exciting and
he won the New York State instructional game for his readers.
Championship in 1972. He continued Ken went on to claim the Junior
to play in New York events during his Championship title three years in a White: Ken Rogoff –
entire tournament career. But he has row. During that time he also went on Black: Steve Spencer
not played a rated chess game since to play first board on the U. S. Team 1969 U. S. Junior Championship –
1980. that won the World Student June 23-30 – New York City.
Championship in Haifa, Israel in Pirc Opening
What happen to him, you ask? 1970. In 1972 he won the New York Game notes by Grandmaster Bobby
Well, he retired from competitive State Championship. Ken did work Fischer and Ken Rogoff [KR].
chess at age 27 to focus more on his way up to a close 2nd place finish additional ―fill in‖ notes inserted by
career and family. Ken was still in the U. S. Championship, but it was Computer chess program
getting stronger as a player, having in the 1980s that he set chess aside to Chessmaster 9000* [CM]
made International Grandmaster in focus on career and family.
1978, having already made master at 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 (The Pirc defense,
the tender age of 14. Back in 1978 Also called the "Rat" defense because of
there were only 13 Grandmasters in the cramped but fighting game it gives
the U. S. and barely 100 in the entire black.) 3.Nc3 c6 (He wants to challenge
world. He was white hot as a world White's center with d4 next.) 4.Nf3
class player still growing into his (Another good solid move was 4.f4, so
prime. that when Black plays . . . d5, White
passes him by with e5 -- with a strong
Where is he now? . . . and what is he pawn formation. Another move that I
doing? Let us take a look back before suggested to Ken after the game was
4.Bc4 -- in order to prevent Black's d5.
we look forward to the present day.
The disadvantage is that you leave your
Ken won the U. S. Junior self open to shots on the Q side . . . b5
etc., but there were some interesting
Championship for the first time in
variations. For example, after 4. Bc4
1969 at the age of 16. He won by two suppose Black tried . . . e6 in order to
points! I do not know if that record back up his coming d5. Then I think 5.e5
has ever been broken. is very strong for White, threatening Ne4,
then to d6 later on. If Black plays 5 . . .
The Boys’ Life chess columnist was d5, Then I'd play 6. exd5 en passant.
there at the U. S. Junior Ken Rogoff – Age 16 ...Qxd6 7.Ne4! -- a very strong move. If
Championship and was greatly he checks me on b4 to try and pick off my
impressed by the young man’s ability. Let us look at his last round game in bishop it will boomerang because I would
The columnist was Bobby Fischer, that 1969 Junior Championship. He play 8.c3 Qxc4 9. Nd6ch and I'd pick
soon to be World Champion. Fischer had only been playing competitive off his queen. Also if he plays Qxd4 I'd
was so impressed that he annotated chess for 2 ½ years, but he had play 8.Nd6ch and if 8... Kd7 then 9.
Rogoff’s last round victory for the already given notice that he was a Qxd4 Bxd4 10. Nxf7 wins. Or if 8. . .
player to be reckoned with, having Ke7 9. Nxc8ch Kd7 10.Qxd4 Bxd4
Boys’ Life readers. Fischer knew
held GM Bent Larsen to a draw in an 11.Nf3 Bf6 12.Bf4 Kxc8 13. Ne5
well that his audience was composed Nh6 14.Nxf7 Nxf7 15.Bxe6ch
of age 18 and under boys. Therefore earlier tournament. He had beaten
defending Junior Champ, Greg regaining the knight with a winning
he made his notes understandable for advantage of position.
players at a more basic level of chess DeFotis early on, now he was paired
There was another pretty little line after
knowledge. The result is a master against a top New York master, Steve 4.Bc4 suppose Black tries . . .d5
level game with lucid notes, and clear Spencer. Here is the game, with anyway? 5.exd5 b5 6.Bb3 b4 7.dxc6!!
bxc3 8.Qf3 with two separate threats: hang on. White's best then would check . . . Kf8 21.Be7 mate was quicker.
9Qxf7 mate and 9.c7 opening up on the probable have been to play his Q back to End of Fischer/Rogoff notes.
queen and queen rook. This is a very e4 then swing the Q over to h4 later.)
difficult spot for Black to get out of. [Also to be considered after 16… Nd5
Probably the best move for Black after would be 17. Qxc7 Nxc7 18. a4 with a
4.Bc4 is d5, followed sooner or later by . . moderate advantage. CM -- if 16. . . Qe7?
. b5 . . . a5. Incidentally, Ken felt that gives White ―the pin and the win‖—
Bc4 was best also, but his move may be 17.Qf4! and 18. Ne5 is crushing. KR].
just as good, if not better). 4 . . . d5 17.Nxe5 Rfc8 See diagram (The
5.h3 (Good move. Ordinarily you only way to defend the QBP, because if
should avoid unprovoked rook pawn Rac1 or Bb7 for Black, then 18.Bxf6!
moves because there's something more Bxf6 19.Nd7! -- forks the rook and
important to do. In this position, though bishop, winning the exchange by double
it's justified because Bg4 would have attack.)[ In view of the threats to the QBP,
there is nothing else. KR -- Perhaps better
Bobby Fischer at age of 26, when he
been very strong for Black, pinning
for Black would have been taking the loss attended the 1969 U. S. Junior
white's Knight and putting pressure on his
of the pawn, hoping for ―technical Championship in New York City.
QP indirectly.) . . . dxe4 6.Nxe4
difficulties – that’s the Grandmaster term
Nd7 7.Bc4 Ngf6 8.Nxf6ch Nxf6 for ―cheapo potential‖; to have some
9.0-0 0-0 (Now White's advantage is small practical chances for a draw. i.e.
that he has a pawn in the center--which 17… Rfe8! 18.Nxc6 Bb7 19. Ne5 with a
means more space -- plus both his good pawn-up game, but not the crushing
bishops have good diagonals. And attack of the game move. CM]
once again remember the four important
elements to keep in mind before making
any move are space, force or material,
time and pawn structure. Black's pieces,
on the other hand, have little scope).
10.c3 Qc7 11.Qe2 b6 12.Bg5
(Notice how Ken slowly builds up his
position. Before he takes any decisive
action he brings all his pieces out to
their most active post) 12. . . b5?!
(This move, besides being inconsistent -
because we could have moved here last
move, in one move! - slightly weakens
Black's square on c4, creating a "hole" on
that square, which could be very helpful
to White later on. You may notice just
Professor Ken Rogoff today
how much I emphasize this business of Position after 17. . . Rfc8 – in his 40’s
"holes" or weak squares. That's because White to move and win –
it's so important. It has been correctly Ken Rogoff still follows major
said that "Pawns are the soul of chess". It What would you play?
chess events and has a love for the
is also a truism that pawns cannot move game, but between family and career
backwards, and a thoughtless pawn move 18.Nxf7! (White explodes his
he has little time left over.
can ruin an otherwise good position. A combination). . . . Kxf7 19.Rxe6
much better plan would have been 12 . . . Ne8? (If 19. . . Nd5 20.Rxc6! Rxc6 21.
Bb2 followed by . . . c4 as soon as
Let’s finish this retrospective, with
Bxd5ch Re6 22.Bxa8 and White comes another one of Ken’s fine wins after
possible, hitting back at White's key out three pawns ahead.) [ or 19. . . Kf8
center pawn.) [ If 12. . . Bb7 13.Rfe1 e6 he made Grandmaster.
20.Bxf6, or 19. . . Ng8 20.Re7ch Kf8
14.Ne5, with a difficult position for Black 21.Rf7 ch Ke8 22.Re1 ch, etc., or 19. . .
or 12 . . . c5 13.Qe5! KR] 13.Bb3 a5 Nh5 20.Rf6 ch Ke8 21.Re1 ch Kd8! During his career, Ken has had
14.a3 Ba6 15.Rfe1 (Now Ken has (. . . Kd7 22.Rf7 ch Kd6 23.Re6 mate.) about 25 games printed in the N. Y
almost every piece developed except for 22.Rc7 ch, etc. KR] 20.Rf6 check, Times chess column. As I review this
his QR. He's almost ready for decisive Black resigns 1 - 0 because 20...Ke7 series of columns, I picked out one of
action. ) . . . e6 16.Qe5 (Another good 21.Rf7ch Kd6 22.Bf4ch Be5 23. Bxe5 my favorites. I have cited a portion of
move here was Qe3 or Qd2 to get out of mate. After the game another young Robert Byrne’s insightful notes on
bishop's diagonal at a6). 16 . . . aspirant for the title, 17 year-old Greg this key game with GM Sammy
Qxe5? (The losing move. After the DeFotis, whom Ken had beaten earlier in Reshevsky. Let us look at the
game Steve Spencer thought the best the tournament, had the satisfaction of instructional way Ken takes the full
move was . . .Nd5 and Black could still demonstrating that 20. Re1 discovered measure of a great Grandmaster.
White: Sammy Reshevsky – Chess did seem to help Ken have an
Black: Ken Rogoff outlet to develop his strong mind, as
1978 Louis D. Statham International he graduated from Yale suma cum
Tournament in Lone Pine, California. laude in 1975, and achieved his Ph.D.
Game notes by Grandmaster Robert in Economics from M.I.T. in 1980.
Byrne - The Catalan Opening Rogoff then became a professor at
Princeton first, then a full tenured
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 professor at Harvard ( which is the top
Be7 5.Nf3 0-0 6.0-0 dxc4 This is ranked Economics department in the
one of the most effective ways of world) and is currently on extended
meeting the Catalan Opening because, public service leave from Harvard as
the White queen uses time recovering chief economist at the International
the pawn. 7.Qa4 a6 8.Qxc4 b5 Monetary Fund, centered in
9.Qc2 Bb7 Now Black has smoothly Washington D. C. ( a U. N. family
made way for a counter-fianchetto on organization charged with maintaining
the long diagonal. 10.Nbd2 The most global financial stability that stands at
promising way to work for the the center of the global financial sys-
initiative would have been 10.Bf4; tem). In the October 14, 2002 edition,
instead Reshevsky chose the slower, The Wall Street Journal devoted half a
more cumbersome knight move. page to Ken Rogoff’s views on the
global economy (page R8).
10...Nbd7 11.e4 c5 12.e5 Nd5
13.Qe4 The White center is His career is impressive, but even
overextended and flimsy. 13...Qb6 more important in Rogoff’s life is
14.dxc5 Nxc5 Black has achieved a family. With wife Natasha Lance
clear advantage in development. Rogoff and their two children, Gabriel
15.Qg4 Rac8 16.h4? Reshevsky and Juliana, his life is full.
should have attempted to complete his
From the pages of Boys’ Life and
mobilization with 16.Nb3 16...Nd3
Chess Life, to the pages of The Wall
17.Nb3 Rc4 18.Qh5 On Rogoff's Street Journal, Ken Rogoff is a
powerful 17. . . Rc4, it's understandable
gleaming example of what is right
that Reshevsky did not want to
with America. We wish him the best.
consign his queen to a backwater with
18.Qh3 18...f5! Rogoff has threats to * = Chessmaster 9000 is the latest
trap the White queen with the version of the Grandmaster strength
maneuver 19. . . Bc6 and 20 . . . Be8. program. In October of 2002, the
He also had the threat of 19. . . Rxc1! program beat current U. S. Chess
20.Raxc1 N5f4! winning the queen. Champion Larry Christiansen in a
19.exf6? There was no way for four game match 2 ½ - 1 ½.
Reshevsky to avoid material loss and
decisive positional disadvantage, but
the text move permitted Rogoff to
force the win of a piece 19...Nxf6
20.Qg5 Bxf3 21.Bxf3 Nd5 22.Qh5
g6 This would have been a good place
for Reshevsky to resign, but
undoubtedly angry with himself over
such a drubbing, he chose to go on as
self-punishment. 23.Qxd5 exd5
24.Bxd5ch Kg7 25.Be3 Qd6
26.Bg2 Nxb2 27.Rab1 Bf6
28.Nd2 Qa3 29.Nxc4 bxc4 30.g4
Kh8 31.g5 Bg7 32.Rfe1 c3 33.Be4
Qb4 White resigns 0 - 1
