The Usual Suspects

The usual suspects showed-up for the new Thursday night G/30 quads. The top four from the pervious evening were joined by "Woody", thereby making it a 5 man G/30. It is hoped that, in the future, more players will turn out so we can have two or three quads! Our thinking is that, what with the open G/30 on Tuesday, a G/30 quad on Thur will allow players to play others closer in rating. Come on out and help us put the "s" on that quad!
In the first round, the Stud and Zimmy came down so soon that the 8 o'clock movie on AMC, THE USUAL SUSPECTS, had not started! (A great movie, by the way. Kevin Spacey's best performance, even it won no awards. What do "they" know, anyway?) They had only been up there ten minutes, so I asked Woody if they had played a legitimate game. It went 50 moves, and was, evidently, legit...Seems Mr Zimmerman has been playing bullet chess on ICC and has developed the habit of moving without thinking...Not a good thing for a chess player.
Meanwhile, High Plains Vest had a long game with Spencer Bledsoe, winning with the white pieces. Vest beat Woody in the next round, and we waited for Damir and Spence to come down. When they did, Damir immediately went into the skittles room, while Spencer marked the score. "Who won?" I had to ask, to be informed that Mr Bledsoe had won! An upset! Spencer had black vs the top two, and had drawn with the High Plains Drifter the night before. This personable young man is becoming a strong chess player. He has been coached by the legendary Georgia Ironman for many years...I recall when I was here years ago, a player came downstairs during a weekend tournament complaining about how much noise Spencer had made after a game. Mr Bledsoe admitted that he had done what he was accused of doing, and then apologized. The older man who had brought the complaint was still snortin' fire, obviously unsatisfied. "The boy has acknowledged his mistake and apologized for it, sir. What more would you like him to do?" I said to the man. He had to admit that all that could be done had been done and that was the end, fortunately. I told anyone who would listen that Spencer Bledsoe would turn out to be a fine chessplayer, but, more than that, a fine man. Sometimes predictions are made easy...
Woody upset Zimmy in the last round, as Samuel, who has been reading a book on Tal (recommended by the booked-up Larry Stanfield), sacked everything he could. Woody accepted it all and it proved to be too much. That meant that if Damir could beat the High Plains Drifter with the black pieces in the last round, there would be a 4-way tie for first! In the end, Mr Vest stood tall on the High Plains, as the draw clinched the first prize of $20. It's WINNER TAKE ALL in the quads!
I've been asked if I planned on posting any games. Spencer was gracious enough to write it down for me, so I do have the game.
A few brief comments: Damir takes control just after the opening, but, for some reason, fails to develop his QR...That allows the incursion of the Black Queen later...When Damir does finally move his rook, it is to the wrong square. It went to d1, thereby allowing access to the e3 square for the Black Queen and the game was equal. The rook shoulda gone to e1...The game is equal after 33... Qe3+ if White plays 34 Qf2...After 34 Kg2, Spencer takes control of the game with 34...Rd8! Spencer's 41... Qe3 was not good, allowing Damir the opportunity to play 42 Be5!, which he missed! It was the last opportunity he would have...

Studen-Bledsoe
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.g3 b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0-0 Be7 6.c4 0-0 7.Nc3 d6 8.Re1 Nbd7 9.e4 c5 10.e5 Ne8 11.d5 exd5 12.Nxd5 Bxd5 13.Qxd5 Rc8 14.exd6 Nxd6 15.Bf4 Nf6 16.Qd3 Nde4 17.Qc2 Bd6 18.Rxe4 Nxe4 19.Qxe4 Re8 20.Ne5 Bxe5 21.Bxe5 Qe7 22.f4 Rcd8 23.Qc2 Qd7 24.Bd5 b5 25.b3 Kh8 26.Qg2 Qf5 27.Be4 Qh5 28.Bf3 Qf5 29.g4 Qd3 30.Rd1 Qe3+ 31.Qf2 Rxd1+ 32.Bxd1 Qc1 33.Qc2 Qe3+ 34.Kg2 Rd8 35.Qe2 Rd2 36.Kf1 Rxe2 37.Bxe2 b4 38.Ke1 Qc1+ 39.Bd1 Qb1 40.Bd6 Qe4+ 41.Be2 Qe3 42.Bb8 a6 43.f5 g6 44.fxg6 hxg6 45.Bg3 Kg7 46.Bf2 Qe5 47.h4 Kf6 48.h5 gxh5 49.gxh5 Kg5 50.Kd2 Qc3+ 51.Kd1 Qa1+ 52.Kc2 Qxa2+ 53.Kd3 Qxb3+ 54.Ke4 Qc2+ 55.Ke3 b3 56.Bd3 Qc3 57.Ke4 b2 58.Be3+ Kxh5 0-1