Journey to the National Master Title, Part 14

In five March 2025 tournaments, I finished first twice and second three times while scoring 15/19 with just two losses; in April I picked up where I left off by scoring 3/4 in the April 6, 2025 East Market Swiss, finishing second-sixth and gaining 18 rating points to push my rating to 2015. That is my highest rating since January 4, 2025, when my rating was 2013. In the third round, I defeated the top seeded player, National Master Deshawn Kelley, but then I lost in the fourth round to Siddarth Kunapuli; that defeat snapped a 13 game streak during which I had no losses, which is my longest such streak since I had a 13 game streak in February-March 2023. During my most recent streak, I had 10 wins and three draws, while during my 2023 streak I had nine wins and four draws. I believe that when I develop the necessary consistency to put together a streak of longer than 20 games without losses I will be well on my way to surpassing the 2200 rating barrier.

Last year, in Journey to the National Master Title, Part 10, I discussed my Cincinnati Open history: "I first played in the Cincinnati Open in 1994, and it has become one of my favorite (nearly) annual events. There have been a few years that it has not been held, and a few other years that I was not able to participate for various reasons, but this year marked my 14th appearance--and the sixth time that I won a prize (including a tie for first place in the U2100 section in 2013)." This year, I took a third round bye, which meant that I played two games on Saturday followed by two games on Sunday. I played kids in all four games, starting with a first round win and then alternating wins and losses the rest of the way to finish 2/4 (2.5/5 including the bye), losing 14 rating points to drop my rating to 2001. In the last round, I lost to Elizabeth Xia, the highest rated nine year old girl in the country; in this tournament, she gained 81 rating points to establish a new career-high rating of 1911. I would have tied for fourth if I had won my last round game, and that would have matched my final ranking in 2023 and 2024.

I started the April 19, 2025 Columbus G/60 tournament poorly, losing in the first round to Colin Park (1708 published rating, 1788 live rating, 1839 post-tournament rating), who then won his second round game as well before losing in the last round to top seeded Evan Fan (2047). I bounced back to win my next two games to tie for second-third, but I still lost nine rating points to drop my rating to 1992.

I scored 2.5/4 in the April 26, 2025 Cincinnati Tornado. I lost my last round game on board one to Alex Cretsos, who won the tournament with 4/4. Cretsos gained 50 rating points establish a new career-high rating (2020), and I lost seven rating points to drop my rating to 1985. The next day, I scored 3/4 in the April 27, 2025 East Market Swiss, tying for second-third. I started 3/3 before losing to top seeded Deshawn Kelley in the last round. I gained 14 rating points to lift my rating to 1999.

My performance in the May 3, 2025 Columbus Plus Score tournament was a very disappointing setback. I made an unsound sacrifice versus Peyton Legg (1765) and lost in the first round, bounced back to win two games, and then blundered in the last round versus Daniel Chancey (1903). I lost 26 rating points to drop my rating to 1973. My slump continued the next weekend when I scored 2/4 in the May 11, 2025 East Market Swiss, losing 15 rating points to drop my rating to 1958. I scored 3/3 in the Dayton Chess Club's May 17, 2025 G/45 "A" Quad, gaining 12 rating points to improve my rating to 1970.

Unfortunately, I lost all 12 rating points--and much more--when I scored 2.5/7 in the U2100 section of the Chicago Open during Memorial Day Weekend. In the U2100 section of the 2024 Chicago Open, I scored 4/7 and only lost once, but this year I lost four games, including two to players rated below 1800, and my rating plummeted 52 points to 1918--my lowest rating since I hit my rating floor (1900) on March 31, 2021. My last round opponent had a published rating of just 1524, but before he beat me he defeated two players rated over 1900; he gained 193 rating points in this tournament, and he is now rated 1717. My tournament consisted of a series of tragicomedies (to borrow Mark Dvoretsky's word to describe a game gone awry), but perhaps the most tragic and comic was my lone draw, my third round game during which I had a losing position before my opponent hung a piece. I seemed to be cruising to victory when he played ...Ne6, after which he slapped his forehead as if he just realized he had blundered another piece:

Any sensible move wins easily for me here--but I let my guard down, and did not ask myself the most important question about any chess position: "What does my opponent want?" Here, he wants me to create a potential stalemate if I take his N with my Q. A few seconds after I gave him what he wants by playing Qxe6, he played ...Rxg3+. I have to take the R to avoid a perpetual check, after which my opponent forces me to take his Q and thus stalemate his K. I delayed the inevitable by playing Kh2, after which my opponent played ...Rh3+ and offered a draw--twice. By this point, I felt embarrassed at my carelessness and frustrated with his theatrics--the head slap, followed by multiple draw offers when it is obvious that the draw is unavoidable. I don't blame my opponent for playing on in a completely lost position; there is no rule against playing on until checkmate--but the head slap and the multiple draw offers were a bit much for me to take. I played the game out until stalemate appeared on the board. Normally, after every game I wish my opponent good luck in his next game, but after this game I said, "You had a resignable game but you are resourceful. The head slap was a nice touch. Congratulations on the best game of your career." I am not proud of making that semi-sarcastic dig, but I am not ashamed either; drawing me with Black probably is the best result he has had in his chess career. I am still not sure who is the bigger clown: my opponent for his "Three Stooges" theatrics after he played ...Ne6, or me for being foolish enough to let my guard down at any time, let alone in a game in the biggest tournament that I play in each year.

After the Chicago Open's fifth round, I scored 3.5/10 in the Chicago Open Blitz, including 1/6 versus players rated above 2100 and 2.5/4 versus players rated below 2100. There were 55 players in the Open section and 66 players in the U1900 section. 

I enjoy the "big time" environment of the Chicago Open, and I feel blessed to have played in the event 15 times, even though this one did not turn out the way that I had hoped or planned. I remain undaunted; after I hit my rating floor on March 31, 2021, I pushed my rating back over 2000 four tournaments later, on April 17, 2021. As I have always done, I lick my wounds, study my games, and prepare for the next tournament. Bill Belichick once very famously said, "We're on to Cincinnati," and that was literally the case for me--my next tournament was the May 31, 2025 Cincinnati Tornado. I started out with 2.5/3 and could have tied for first place with a last round win, but I lost to Evan Fan (2063) to finish out of the money and lose two rating points to drop to 1916.

I scored 3/5 in the U2100 section of the Cleveland Open to gain five rating points to improve to 1921. The good news about that result is that I did not lose a game, scoring one win and four draws; the bad news about that result is that I stood better in three of the four games that I drew, so if I had played more precisely I would have won more games and gained more rating points. The highlight of this tournament is that my daughter Rachel played in the Cleveland Open for the first time and she played in a two day weekend Swiss event for the second time. Rachel received a first round bye and then lost an "extra" rated game played during the first round. She fought hard throughout the tournament, facing higher rated players each round, and even though she lost all of her games she enjoyed the experience. It was a great Father's Day weekend for us!

Rachel and me before the first round of the 2025 Cleveland Open

Rachel and I played in the June 28, 2025 Cincinnati Tornado, the fifth time that we have played in this monthly event run by Robert Chenault. I scored 3/4 to finish third-fifth in the Open section, gaining 15 points to push my rating to 1936, and splitting the U2001 prize with one other player. Top seeded Aryan Balyan (2258 post-tournament rating) claimed clear first with 4/4, beating me in round three before defeating FM Hans Multhopp in the fourth round. Rachel scored 0/3 with a one point bye in the fourth round, but she had a great time, and she played an extra unrated game for fun during the fourth round.

Rachel and me prior to arriving at the June 28, 2025 Cincinnati Tornado

I started the second quarter of 2025 well, pushing my rating to 2015 after the April 6, 2025 East Market Swiss, but I lost 83 rating points in May before bouncing back to regain 20 rating points in June. 

In Journey to the National Master Title, Part 12, I listed four chess goals for 2025. Here are those goals, with notes about how I have performed in the first two quarters of 2025:

1) Gain 50 rating points per quarter. I lost 16 rating points in the first quarter of 2025, decreasing my rating from 2013 to 1997; I lost 61 rating points in the second quarter of 2025, decreasing my rating from 1997 to 1936. 

2) Do not lose more than six games to players rated below 1800. I lost five games to players rated below 1800 in the first quarter of 2025; I lost four games to players rated below 1800 in the second quarter of 2025.

3) Accumulate more draws than losses. I had nine draws and 14 losses in the first quarter of 2025; I had nine draws and 15 losses in the second quarter of 2025.

4) Maintain a winning percentage of at least .750, to break my personal record of .740 set in 2014. My winning percentage through the first two quarters of 2025 is .648. 

In 2025, I have scored 61 wins, 18 draws, and 29 losses in regular rated tournament games with three first place finishes in 27 events. I lost nine games to players rated below 1800. My net rating gain for 2025 is -77, so I need to gain 264 points to reach my goal. 

Dave Parker Passes Away Less Than One Month Before His Baseball Hall of Fame Induction

Dave Parker--two-time World Series champion (1979, 1989), 1978 NL MVP, and two-time NL batting champion (1977-78)--passed away on June 28, 2025, less than one month before he will be inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame. He was one of baseball's elite players in the mid to late 1970s--with three top three finishes in the NL MVP race from 1975-78--and again in the mid 1980s, when he twice finished in the top five in NL MVP voting. 

Parker not only put up big individual numbers during his career, but he was a productive member of two World Series championship teams: the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates (he led the team in regular season RBI with 94) and the 1989 Oakland A's (he led the team in regular season RBI with 97). In addition to winning the 1978 NL regular season MVP, Parker played at an MVP level in at least four other seasons. He oozed confidence and had the five tool game to back up his braggadocio. At the height of his powers, Parker declared, "If you want to know how good I am, ask me--I'll tell you." He led the NL at least once in hits (1977), doubles (1977, 1985), RBI (1985), batting average (1977-78), slugging percentage (1975, 1978), and outfield assists (1977), and he ranked in the top 10 in each of those categories multiple times.  

Any knowledgeable person who watched Parker play during his prime would have had no doubt that he would be a Hall of Famer, but he never received more than 25% of the votes during his 15 years on the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) ballot, well short of the 75% required to become a Hall of Famer. Parker had to wait until the Classic Baseball Era Committee provided long overdue recognition late last year, 33 years after he retired. Any writer who did not understand that Parker is a Hall of Famer should give up his Hall of Fame voting privileges, and any writer who did not vote for Parker for personal reasons should also give up his Hall of Fame voting privileges. 

At least Parker lived long enough to know that he would be inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame, but it is sad that he will not experience his moment in the sun to deliver a speech and bask in the glory that he should have received a long time ago. 

George Foster's Hitting Powered the Big Red Machine

When remembering the glory days of the Big Red Machine, the first names that come to mind are Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Tony Perez, and manager Sparky Anderson. Bench, Morgan, Perez, and Anderson are members of the Baseball Hall of Fame, and Rose would be a member as well if he had not been removed from the ballot because of the lifetime ban imposed by Commissioner Bart Giamatti in 1989. 

George Foster is not included in the same hallowed category as Rose, Bench, Morgan, Perez, and Anderson, but the significant contributions that Foster made to the Big Red Machine should not be forgotten.

Foster was a dominant slugger in the mid to late 1970s, winning the 1977 NL MVP while earning All-Star selections from 1976-79 and again in 1981, when he also finished third in NL MVP voting while capturing the Silver Slugger award. Foster batted .289 with three home runs and 12 RBI in 23 career postseason games, including .326 in 13 World Series games as he helped the Reds win back to back World Series titles in 1975-76. He ranked among the NL's top 10 home run hitters nine times (1975-81, 1983-84), including winning a pair of NL home run titles in 1977-78. In his 18 season MLB career, Foster bashed 348 home runs, collected 1239 RBI, and batted .274 with four seasons of .300 or better. 

Here are front and back pictures of two Kellogg's 3-D Super Stars cards featuring George Foster:

 

On Saturday June 7, my daughter Rachel and I went to the Dayton Dragons "Meet the Team" event, where we got our picture taken with George Foster:

 

 

Before the photographer took the picture, I shook Foster's hand, told him that he and the Big Red Machine were a memorable part of my childhood, and recited some of the statistics listed above, noting that I have explained to Rachel how much he accomplished, including having the only 50 home run season between Willie Mays (1965) and Cecil Fielder (1990). Foster's eyes opened wide, and he said quietly, "Not too many people know that. You memorized my stats!"

That brief interaction inspired me to write this article so that more people will remember and appreciate Foster and his outstanding MLB career.

Foster began his career with the San Francisco Giants as a third round draft pick who steadily improved until he became one of the best sluggers of his era. With the Giants, he did not advance past being the fourth outfielder behind Willie Mays, Bobby Bonds, and Ken Henderson. Early during the 1971 season, the Giants traded Foster to the Cincinnati Reds for shortstop Frank Duffy and pitcher Vern Geishert. The 1970 Reds lost 4-1 to the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series, but the 1971 Reds did not qualify for postseason play. In 104 games with the 1971 Reds, Foster ranked fifth on the team in home runs (10) and RBI (50). Overall, he had 13 home runs and 58 RBI that season. In 1972 and 1973, Foster had stints in the minor leagues while also playing a reserve role with the Reds. He participated in three of the Reds' 12 postseason games in 1972 as the Reds beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2 in the NLCS before losing 4-3 to the Oakland A's in the World Series. In 1974, Foster had seven home runs and 41 RBI in 106 games with the Reds. 

In 1975, manager Sparky Anderson moved Pete Rose from left field to third base to create room in the starting lineup for Foster, and the Reds won 108 regular season games to tie the 1970 Baltimore Orioles for the most regular season wins by a team in the 1970s; that total is still tied for 10th on MLB's all-time single season wins list for teams, and was not matched again until the 1986 New York Mets won 108 games. Foster ranked third on the team in home runs (23, seventh in the NL), fourth in RBI (78), and fourth in batting average (.300). In the 1975 World Series, Foster hit .276 with two RBI as the Reds beat the Red Sox 4-3 to claim their first title since 1940.

In 1976, Foster claimed the first of his three consecutive NL RBI titles with an MLB-leading 121 while also ranking fourth in the NL in home runs (29), ninth in runs scored (86), and 10th in hits (172). He finished second in NL regular season MVP voting behind Joe Morgan. The Reds went undefeated in the 1976 postseason, the only team to accomplish that feat in the Divisional era, which started in 1969. Foster led the 1976 Reds in postseason RBI (eight) and ranked second in home runs (two). 

Foster led MLB in home runs (52), RBI (149), slugging percentage (.631), and total bases (388) in 1977. He missed out on the NL triple crown by .018 in the batting average race, finishing third (.320). He led the NL in runs scored (124). Foster won the NL regular season MVP, and it is unfortunate that his remarkable production has faded from memory. Long before performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) defiled MLB's once hallowed record book, Foster set a single season Reds home run record that still stands, and at that time he was just the 10th MLB player to have a 50 home run season. Foster also still holds the team's single season RBI record.

Foster belted an NL-leading 40 home runs in 1978, and he won his third straight NL RBI title with 120. No NL player has won three consecutive RBI titles since 1978. He finished sixth in NL regular season MVP voting.

Injuries limited Foster to 121 games in 1979, but he still led the Reds in home runs (30, sixth in the NL) and RBI (98, sixth in the NL). After a two year absence from postseason play, the Reds won the NL West with a 90-71 record before being swept 3-0 in the NLCS by the "We Are Family" Pittsburgh Pirates, who went on to win the World Series.

The Reds began dismantling the Big Red Machine, but Foster remained productive. He ranked eighth in the NL in home runs (25) and RBI (93) in 1980, and during the strike-shortened 1981 season he ranked third in the NL in home runs (22) and second in RBI (90). Foster finished third in 1981 NL regular season MVP voting. Foster was included in the 1981 book "The 100 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time" by Lawrence Ritter and Donald Honig.

Prior to the 1982 season, the Reds traded Foster to the New York Mets for Greg Harris, Jim Kern, and Alex Trevino. Foster did not play well in 1982, but he bounced back in 1983 to rank sixth in the NL in home runs (28) and eighth in RBI (90). Foster again ranked sixth in the NL in home runs (24) in 1984. He had his last 20 home run season (21) in 1985 with the Mets before splitting the 1986 season with the Mets and the Chicago White Sox.

Hall of Fame voting is subjective with the exception of a few obvious first ballot choices, and it is an unfortunate reality that popularity with the media members who vote is a factor for candidates who did not post signature career numbers such as 500 career home runs, 1500 career RBI, or a .300 career batting average. The soft-spoken Foster never received serious consideration during the four years that he appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot. A strong argument could be made that he deserves to be a Hall of Famer based on playing a key role for dominant back to back World Series champions along with being a productive home run hitter and RBI producer for nearly a decade. Foster's AL contemporary, Jim Rice, posted similar career numbers and had to wait until his 15th (and final) year of eligibility before he was selected as a Hall of Famer in 2009. Since Foster is no longer on the ballot, his only chance is to be selected by the Era Committee. Foster was selected as a member of the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 2003.

Journey to the National Master Title, Part 13

I scored 2/4 in the January 4, 2025 Columbus Plus Score tournament. I lost 16 rating points to drop to 1997. This is the eighth time I have played in a Columbus Plus Score event, and the third time that I did not achieve a plus score (but I also have never had a minus score). I squandered an easily winning endgame in the first round due to hasty, inaccurate play. In the diagram below, I am about to play my 42nd move, and Stockfish 17 says that I have a nearly +7 advantage.

There are many paths to victory, but perhaps the simplest is what I initially planned: pushing my e pawn, and if Black checks me then I can run my K up the board, using my R and P for shelter if necessary. However, I became concerned that Black's g pawn could become dangerous if Black uses his K and R to take my f pawn and g pawn while my e pawn runs. So, I decided to be "safe" and take the g pawn--but now my K has no shelter, so Black can either check me forever, or else be just in time to pick off all of my pawns. A couple moves later, my opponent blundered and gave me a second chance to push my e pawn under favorable circumstances, but after I missed that winning opportunity the game fizzled to a draw; turning a win into a draw represents a 12 point rating swing, and in order to regain those points at my current rating level I would have to win one game against a 2000 rated player or two games against an 1800 rated player. Chess can be brutal!

How can a strong and experienced player make such a mistake? Ignoring for a moment the reality that even world champions blunder because blunders are an inherent part of chess, this specific mistake reflects a larger weakness that I need to correct: I too often rely on a combination of my general chess knowledge and my intuitive feel for chess positions as opposed to doing move by move calculation. My general chess knowledge states that a player who is up two pawns wins trivially the vast majority of the time, and my intuitive feel for chess positions led me to believe that capturing the g pawn eliminated Black's last practical drawing chance--but move by move calculation would have enabled me to see that White is winning after 42. e4 Ra2+ 43. Ke3 Ra3+ 44. Kd4 Ra4+ 45. Ke5 g4 46. Rf4. Black's g pawn will fall, and my K and R will escort the e pawn down the board, as Black's K is cut off and I can evade R checks.

Although the tournament was not a success, I ended the event on a positive note; in the fourth round, I beat Mehmet Yilanli, the highest rated seven year old in the United States (1880), avenging my loss to Yilanli in the fourth round of the October 5, 2024 Columbus Plus Score tournament. 

I scored 3/4 in the January 5, 2025 East Market Swiss, gaining nine rating points to bounce back over 2000 (2006), and tying for second-fourth. I won my first three games before losing to top seeded Broderick Bauml in a last round battle for first place. 

As soon as I popped my head above 2000, I crashed below again by losing 19 rating points in the Columbus Winter Open to slip to 1987. I reached a winning position in the first round versus Maxwell Chung (1783) only to dissipate my advantage with inaccurate moves before doing an unsound piece sacrifice; instead of a quick win, I suffered my first loss of 2025 versus a player rated below 1800. I won my next two games but then lost to Aryan Balyan (2162) in a last round battle for second place.

I scored 2/3 in the Dayton Chess Club's January 18, 2025 G/45 Swiss, losing 10 rating points to drop to 1977. Although I did not perform as well as I expect to perform in this event, in the first round I delivered a pretty checkmate versus two-time Dayton Chess Club Champion David Guehl. I do not recall ever seeing this exact pattern before; it is interesting that my Q could be replaced by a B or even by a P and it would still be a checkmate because my opponent's K is hemmed in by his own Ps:

I scored 2/4 in the January 19, 2025 East Market Swiss, losing 19 rating points to fall to 1958. In the last round, with second place up for grabs, I lost to Keya Jha (1934), the second highest rated 10 year old girl in the country; she already ranks on the 95th percentile of all players nationwide! She finished clear second behind John Miller (2049), the top ranked player who beat me in the third round en route to a 4-0 performance. 

In Journey to the National Master Title, Part 9, I described the history of the Cardinal Open, and I explained why it is one of my favorite tournaments. I tied for second-third among players rated under 2200 in the strong Open section of the 1999 Cardinal Open, highlighted by beating 13 year old National Master A.J. Steigman in the last round. Last year, I scored just 2.5/5 in the U2100 section. This year, I started with 2/3 on Saturday, putting myself in position to win a prize and gain rating points with two wins on Sunday. After the third round, I played in the Cardinal Open Saturday Night Blitz, scoring 5/8 to tie for first-second U2000 in the Open section. I scored 1.5/2 versus players who hold the NM title, including an exciting last round win versus Savio Bennihyn Joseph Benher, who has a 2231 regular rating. In the main event on Sunday, I beat my friend Robert Chenault (1906) in the fourth round, but I lost to Srihari Kandadai in a last round game on board two; as a result, Kandadai tied for first place with 4.5/5, but if I had won that game then I would have tied for second. Kandadai gained 139 rating points, vaulting from 1803 to 1942. I lost one rating point, dropping my rating to 1957.

I scored 3/4 in the February 1, 2025 Columbus Plus Score tournament, gaining 14 rating points to improve my rating to 1971. This is sixth time I achieved a plus score in nine appearances at this event. In the last round, I defeated Magnolia Zhu (1747), the fifth highest rated eight year old girl in the country. I was the eighth highest rated player in a strong field that included National Masters Will Sedlar (top scorer with 3.5/4), Jonathan Hilton, and Brett Passen, but I tied for second-fourth with Hilton and Expert Nicholas Bize. Sedlar defeated me in round two.

The February 15, 2025 Columbus G/60 tournament had an "Adults Only" (age 18 and up) format. Many adults prefer to not face young players, particularly young players who are not only strong but also underrated. I don't duck anybody at any time, but I wish that the U.S. Chess Federation would follow FIDE's example by adjusting the ratings of players rated under 2000 to reflect the obvious deflation that has happened in recent years. In the first round, I faced Pranav Jayaganesh, a young player who is still a "junior" according to the U.S. Chess Federation but who qualified for this "Adults Only" event because he is older than 18 and graduated from high school. I obtained an opening advantage plus a huge lead on the clock, but I did not cash in and my opponent offered me a draw twice in the endgame. Both times that he offered a draw the position was equal, but I convinced myself that I could induce him to make a time pressure error. Eventually, I sacrificed a pawn to create complications. With best play, he would have been forced to sacrifice back to maintain equality--but, instead, I blundered in his time pressure:

Here, 66.Kb5 maintains a narrow path to equality: 66...Bxh4 67.c4 Bf2 68.Kxa5 h4 69.Kb5 Kg5 70.c5 Bxc5 71.Kxc5 Kf4 72.a5 Kf3 73.a6 h3 74.a7 h2 75.a8Q h1Q 76.Qa6 Kf4 77.Qxf6 Qxf1 78.Qh6+ Kxe4 79.f6 Qf2+ 80.Kd6 g3 81.Qh7+ Ke3 82.Qa7+ Kf3 83.Qxf2+ gxf2 84.f7 f1Q 85.f8Q+ Ke2 86.Qxf1+ Kxf1 87.Kxe5=. Unfortunately, I played 66.Kd5?? and lost after 66...Bxh4 67.c4 Bf2 68.c5 h4 69.c6 Bb6 70.Kd6 Kg5 71.c7 Bxc7+ 72.Kxc7 h3 73.Kd6 Kh4 74.Ke6 g3. I played the game continuation because I missed how fast Black's pawns are after 73...Kh4. I hastily assumed that if Black's K abandons f6 then my pawn would roll through. I remember NM Jim Jordan asserting "If you can count, you can become a Master." That still seems like an exaggeration to me, but this position is a great example of how important it is to count/calculate accurately. Jayaganesh finished with 2/3, gaining 32 rating points. I won my last two games to finish with 2/3, but I lost five rating points, dropping my rating to 1966.

I tied for first-third U2000 in the February 22, 2025 Cincinnati Tornado, scoring 3/4. I lost one rating point, dropping my rating to 1965. I was the fifth seed in the 29 player Open section, and I was the only player seeded in the top five to win a prize. The next day, I completed a full chess weekend by scoring 2.5/4 in the February 23, 2025 East Market Swiss. I lost nine rating points, dropping my rating to 1956. I was the third seed out of 23 players. Only one of the top three seeded players won a prize. Shiv Srinivasan won the event with 3.5/4 after beating me and the second seeded player in rounds three and four respectively, and he gained 89 rating points to push his rating to 1865; this is the third time this year that I lost to a player rated below 1800 (and the second time that the sub-1800 player who beat me had a post-tournament rating above 1800). I missed several forced wins (and some forced draws) versus Srinivasan. Here is my last chance before I blundered and handed the win to him:

Srinivasan had just played 54.Kc4, getting out of check and renewing the mate threat on g7. I should have played 54...f6, which blocks my opponent's B while opening up f7 for my B and freeing my Q to swing over to d1. Stockfish 17 says that Black is nearly +5 here, meaning that my advantage is equivalent to being ahead by a R. Instead, I hallucinated that my opponent could get a perpetual check by sacrificing his R on f6 if I pushed the pawn, so I played 54...Qh6?? My opponent replied 55.g4, threatening both to deflect my Q with 56.g5 and to pin my Q with 56.Rh2. I can parry both threats by playing either 55...f6 or 55...Rd1--but because I did not notice the Rh2 threat I played 55...Be4?? and I thought that I had caught White's K in a mating net. I was deflated and discouraged when my opponent played 56.Rh2, a move which may look spectacular to a novice but is in fact a simple deflection tactic that I should have seen as soon as my opponent opened his second rank by pushing his g pawn. I had an advantage for a substantial portion of this game, but posterity will record the result as 1-0; there are no rating points or prizes awarded for "almost winning" or "winning for most of the game." 

Over 20 years ago, I asked Grandmaster Edmar Mednis how to consistently convert winning positions/how to avoid blundering away winning positions, and he told me to think of a chess game as equivalent to taking a five hour car trip: if you drive safely for four and a half hours but then crash into a ditch that is not a successful car trip; similarly, if you dominate your opponent for most of the game but then blunder, that is not a successful chess game. The car trip/chess game is not over until you safely reach your desired destination. I remember Mednis' story but remembering it is not enough: I must apply this wisdom when the outcome of the game hangs in the balance. It is not enough to be a good storyteller. I asked Mednis the question not to have a pithy pearl of wisdom to share, but to obtain practical advice to use during my games.

I scored 3/4 in the March 1, 2025 Columbus Plus Score tournament. This is the seventh time I achieved a plus score in 10 appearances at this event. I gained seven rating points, lifting my rating to 1963. I was the seventh seeded player, but I tied for second-sixth behind rising young Expert Siddarth Kunapuli. In the last round, I defeated National Master Brett Passen, the top seeded player. Two of the top three seeded players did not finish with a plus score, which indicates how competitive this tournament was.

I followed up my solid Columbus Plus Score result by winning the March 8, 2025 Columbus G/60 tournament with 2.5/3. I gained 14 rating points to improve my rating to 1977. The combined ages of my three opponents was significantly less than my age, and I am proud that I am showing that "Generation X" players can still compete with talented "Generation Alpha" players. On March 9, 2025, I scored 3/4 in the East Market Swiss, tying for second-fourth but losing seven rating points to drop my rating to 1970. I played ...Nxh3 in two games--the first time, I sacrificed unsoundly and lost to Stanley Qiu (1790) in the second round, but the second time my attack versus veteran Columbus player Thomas Stafa (1859) crashed through successfully.

Here is the position prior to my 29th move versus Qiu:

 

I stand clearly worse here, so I went for it with ...Nxh3+. I captured two pawns for my N, and I had ideas of lifting the Rf8 and swinging the other R to the f file, but White's Q, B, and R are putting too much pressure on my K. I lost after 30.gxh3 Qxh3 31.Qg2 Qxc3 32.Ne3 Rf4 33.Qg6 Rf6 34.Qxh5 Qd3 35.Rfd1 Rg6+ 36.Ng4 Qe4 37.Rb8+ Bf8 38.Rxf8+ Kxf8 39.Qh8+ Ke7 40.Qe8#.

Here is the position prior to my 30th move in my fourth round game versus Stafa. My pieces are swarming around Stafa's K, and after ...Nxh3 I won quickly: 31.Bxh3 Qxf2+ 32.Ng2 Nf4 33.Qf3 Rxh3+ 34.Rxh3 Qxf3.

I scored 3.5/4 in the March 16, 2025 East Market Swiss, claiming clear first while gaining 15 rating points to push my rating to 1985--but the highlight of the event was spending the day with my daughter Rachel, who drew her first round game despite not playing in any tournaments since the December 28, 2024 Cincinnati Tornado (where I also scored 3.5/4, finishing first-second). Rachel and I enjoyed Yellow Brick cheese pizza during the lunch break after the second round, and she also had a brownie batter sundae from NOLA Daq Shack.

Pre-tournament selfie with Rachel at March 16, 2025 East Market Swiss

The March 29, 2025 Cincinnati Tornado was my final tournament of the first quarter of the year. I scored 3/4 to finish clear second, gaining 12 rating points to increase my rating to 1997. In the third round, I drew Will Sedlar (2341), and thus I earned the "Master Bounty" prize paid out to a player who defeats or draws with the event's top seeded player.

I started the first quarter of 2025 horribly--losing 57 rating points in January--but I finished strongly, gaining 41 rating points in March. In five March tournaments I finished first twice and second three times while scoring 15/19 with just two losses--but both losses were to players rated below 1800, which means that a great month could have been even better. The blown winning positions described earlier in this article represent the difference between being rated over 2050 now versus being rated 1997; the rating points are there for the taking, but I have to take them by consistently converting winning positions. 

In Journey to the National Master Title, Part 12, I listed four chess goals for 2025. Here are those goals, with notes about how I have performed so far this year:

1) Gain 50 rating points per quarter. I lost 16 rating points in the first quarter of 2025, decreasing my rating from 2013 to 1997. 

2) Do not lose more than six games to players rated below 1800. I lost five games to players rated below 1800 in the first quarter of 2025.

3) Accumulate more draws than losses. I had nine draws and 14 losses in the first quarter of 2025.

4) Maintain a winning percentage of at least .750, to break my personal record of .740 set in 2014. My winning percentage in the first quarter of 2025 was .681.

In 2025, I have scored 35 wins, nine draws, and 14 losses in regular rated tournament games with two first place finishes in 15 events. I lost five games to players rated below 1800. My net rating gain for 2025 is -18, so I need to gain 205 points to reach my goal.

Boris Spassky's Chess Legacy is Greater Than Just Being Bobby Fischer's Most Famous Opponent

Boris Spassky, who reigned as World Chess Champion from 1969-72, passed away today at the age of 88. He is perhaps best known for losing the 1972 World Chess Championship match to Bobby Fischer, but his chess legacy is much greater than being Fischer's most famous opponent. Spassky won the Soviet Championship--one of the strongest tournaments in the world--twice (1961, 1973), and he twice tied for first only to lose in the playoffs (1956, 1963). He played in three World Chess Championship matches, losing to Tigran Petrosian in 1966, dethroning Petrosian in 1969, and then losing to Fischer in 1972. Spassky was an elite level player for the better part of 30 years, participating in the Candidates round of the World Chess Championship cycle in 1956, 1965, 1968, 1974, 1977, 1980, and 1985. He won the Candidates cycle in 1965 and 1968--earning the right to play Petrosian on both occasions--and he lost to Viktor Korchnoi in the 1977 Candidates Finals. Spassky represented the Soviet Union seven times in Chess Olympiads from 1962-78, scoring 45 wins, 48 draws, and just one loss while winning a total of 13 medals (individual and team combined).

Spassky was a prodigy by the standards of his time; in the modern era, it is common for the best players to earn the Grandmaster title before the age of 20, but when Spassky became a Grandmaster at age 18 he was the youngest Grandmaster ever, a mark he held for just three years before Fischer became a Grandmaster at age 15.

Spassky won the 1955 World Junior Chess Championship, the event's third edition. He was the first World Junior Chess Champion who became the World Chess Champion, a feat later matched by Anatoly Karpov (1969 World Junior Chess Champion, 1975 World Chess Champion), Garry Kasparov (1980 World Junior Chess Champion, 1985 World Chess Champion), and Viswanathan Anand (1987 World Junior Chess  Champion, 2000 FIDE World Chess Champion/2007 World Chess Champion).

Spassky is deservedly praised for his universal playing style, but it should be remembered that he was a brilliant and ferocious attacker, particularly in his early years. Here is an example of the young Spassky's swashbuckling style, as he used a devastating sacrifice on move 16 to dismantle Grandmaster David Bronstein, who battled World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik to a 12-12 tie in the 1951 World Chess Championship match (by rule, Botvinnik retained the title). Spassky was White versus Bronstein in this game from the 1960 Soviet Championship:

1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 d5 4. exd5 Bd6 5. Nc3 Ne7 6. d4 O-O 7. Bd3 Nd7 8. O-O h6 9. Ne4 Nxd5 10. c4 Ne3 11. Bxe3 fxe3 12. c5 Be7 13. Bc2 Re8 14. Qd3 e2 15. Nd6 Grandmaster Andy Soltis called this move "One of the deepest sacrifices this side of The Evergreen Game." Nf8 16. Nxf7 exf1=Q+ 17. Rxf1 Bf5 18. Qxf5 Qd7 19. Qf4 Bf6 20. N3e5 Qe7 21. Bb3 Bxe5 22. Nxe5+ Kh7 23. Qe4+ 1-0. A position based on this game was featured in the 1963 James Bond movie "From Russia With Love."

In the 1970 Soviet Union versus the Rest of the World match, Spassky won a scintillating miniature versus Grandmaster Bent Larsen, defeating Larsen on the Black side of Larsen's Opening (1. b3):

1. b3 e5 2. Bb2 Nc6 3. c4 Nf6 4. Nf3 e4 5. Nd4 Bc5 6. Nxc6 dxc6 7. e3 Bf5 8. Qc2 Qe7 9. Be2 O-O-O 10. f4 Ng4 11. g3 h5 12. h3 h4 13. hxg4 hxg3 14. Rg1 Rh1 15. Rxh1 g2 16. Rf1 Qh4+ 17. Kd1 gxf1=Q+ 0-1.

Despite Spassky's long, impressive career, he is best known--particularly to the general public--as Fischer's most famous opponent. Spassky scored three wins and two draws versus Fischer prior to facing him in the 1972 World Chess Championship, but Fischer won the 1972 match 12.5-8.5 despite spotting Spassky a 2-0 lead by blundering in a drawn position in game one and forfeiting game two while protesting the playing conditions. In 1992, Fischer beat Spassky in a non-title match (even though Fischer insisted that this was a World Chess Championship rematch) 10-5 with 15 draws (draws did not count in the score, per Fischer's rules). Spassky was on good personal terms with most of his opponents, including Fischer. Spassky said, "I prefer to have good relations with my opponent. My chess suffers if I have to play a man I consider unfriendly." Spassky was not only friendly with Fischer, but he shared some of Fischer's antisemitic view. Fischer's antisemitism is well-documented, but Spassky's feelings about Jews are not discussed as often; however, in 2005, Spassky signed a Russian petition seeking to ban Jewish organizations in Russia. Spassky later distanced himself from that petition but did not deny that he signed it. Evgeny Gik, a chess master who knew Spassky well, recalled that several Grandmasters reacted with disgust in the 1990s when Spassky--the guest of honor at a dinner party--made antisemitic remarks. Although Spassky did not speak publicly about Jews as often as Fischer did, Spassky's general attitude toward Jews is not a secret, and is a regrettable blot on his name.

After losing the match to Fischer in 1992, Spassky played occasionally in the 1990s, including a 5.5-4.5 match loss to 16 year old prodigy Judit Polgar in 1993. Spassky suffered a minor stroke in 2006, followed by a more serious stroke in 2010 that paralyzed the left side of his body. He spent the last stage of his life outside of the public eye, but Spassky's chess legacy is that he was a great champion, not just Fischer's foil.

Bob Uecker Brought Smiles to Countless Faces

Bob Uecker passed away earlier today, just 10 days before his 91st birthday. Uecker hit just .200 during his six year MLB career, but he made it to the Baseball Hall of Fame, winning the Ford Frick Award in 2003 as recognition for an outstanding broadcasting career that lasted from 1971-2024. Uecker is widely known for his self-deprecating humor, but his witty quips should not obscure the reality that he was an outstanding play by play announcer who made that job look much easier than it is. Retired players who become broadcasters usually are analysts/color commentators, not play by play announcers. Broadcaster Brian Anderson told MLB Network that Vin Scully was the greatest baseball broadcaster of all-time "hands down" and that Uecker is number two on that distinguished list. Uecker won a trophy case full of honors as a broadcaster, including being selected five times as the Wisconsin Sportscaster of the Year (1977, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1987). He was inducted in the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association's Hall of Fame in 2011, and he was inducted in the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2001. MLB.com's Adam McCalvary wrote a wonderful tribute to Uecker, complete with highlights of some of Uecker's funniest moments.

Uecker earned the rank of corporal in the U.S. Army before signing a contract with his hometown Milwaukee Braves in 1956. He made his MLB debut with the Braves in 1962, and during his pro career he played for the Braves (in both Milwaukee and Atlanta), the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Philadelphia Phillies. He was a member of St. Louis' 1964 World Series championship team, though he did not play in the World Series. 

After his playing career ended, Uecker became a broadcaster in Atlanta before beginning his 53 year run as a Braves' broadcaster. Much like some coaches have a coaching tree of people who they mentored who then became successful coaches, Uecker had a broadcasting tree of people who he mentored who later became the primary broadcaster for various MLB teams; that tree includes Joe Block, Pat Hughes, Jim Powell, and Cory Provus. In addition to his local broadcasting duties in Milwaukee, Uecker also did national MLB broadcasts for ABC and NBC. Although he called games straight for the most part, he became known for his funny remarks. Uecker's brilliant comedic touch earned him numerous appearances on Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show," plus a starring role in the TV series "Mr. Belvedere."

I am too young to remember Uecker's MLB playing career, and I never heard his local Milwaukee broadcasts, but I remember his national TV work and I regularly watched "Mr. Belvedere," which aired from 1985-90. Some of my earliest and most vivid memories of Uecker are his hilarious series of Miller Lite TV commercials, perhaps the most famous of which revolved around the premise that Uecker assumed that his seat "must be in the front row" when in reality the usher escorted him to a seat near the top of the stadium; from that perch, Uecker confidently exclaimed "He missed the tag!" to an umpire that he could barely see. In the "Major League" movie trilogy, Uecker played broadcaster Harry Doyle, who delivered a line that became the 20th century version of a meme: "Juuuust a bit outside" (describing a pitch that was much more than just a bit outside).

Uecker brought a lot of joy to a lot of people. The phrase "American Original" is perhaps overused, but Uecker fits that description quite well; he accomplished a lot without taking himself too seriously.

Journey to the National Master Title, Part 12

I started the fourth quarter of 2024 with a packed chess weekend. Unfortunately, it was packed with painful losses! I scored 2/4 in the October 5, 2024 Columbus Plus Score tournament. I lost 34 rating points to plummet to 1944. This is the seventh time I have played in a Columbus Plus Score event, and just the second time that I did not achieve a plus score. In the fourth round, I lost to Mehmet Yilanli, the third highest rated seven year old in the United States. Yilanli's published rating for October 2024 was 1696, but his live rating was already 1784 and his post-tournament rating was 1795. 

Things only got worse for me in the October 6, 2024 East Market Round Robin. Originally scheduled as a four round G/45 Swiss, the format was switched to a six round G/25 (with five second increment) round robin because only seven players participated. I lost my first three games before recovering to win my last three games to tie for third-fifth with 3/6. I lost 14 rating points, and my rating slid to 1930. 

In the midst of this disastrous chess weekend, I lost five straight rated games. I cannot remember the last time that I lost five straight rated games. Looking through the past 10 years of my chess performance records, the worst losing streaks that I found were four four-game losing streaks; the most recent one took place in the U2100 section of the 2022 Chicago Open, and the previous one happened in the March 6, 2021 Upper Valley G/45, when I went 0-4 against four players who had each earned or would soon earn the National Master title--a marked contrast to this five game losing streak that included defeats to three players rated below 1800, albeit three players who are underrated kids (one of whom entered the tournament rated 1799 and exited the tournament rated 1857).

I recovered from my "lost chess weekend" to score 3.5/4 in the Columbus G/45 on October 19, 2024, gaining 51 rating points to lift my rating back up to 1981, and tying for first-second with Louis Zhang (who drew with me in the third round).

Louis Zhang (white) versus David Friedman (black), October 19, 2024 Columbus G/45

Then, I scored 3/4 in the October 20, 2024 East Market Swiss, tying for first-third but losing eight rating points to drop to 1973. That marked my 12th first place finish in 2024, tying a personal mark set in 2019. Overall, I scored five wins and three draws during the October 19-20, 2024 weekend, gaining 43 rating points and finishing first twice in one weekend for the first time since April 6-7, 2024.

I entered the October 26, 2024 Cincinnati Tornado with a streak of 11 straight regular rated games without a loss. I won my first round game to extend that streak to 12, but then squandered a winning position in round two and lost to end my streak. I won my last two games to finish with 3/4, earning a tie for second-fourth and gaining three rating points to climb back to 1976.

I won my first two games in the November 10, 2024 East Market Swiss, but then I blundered in my third round game to turn an equal position into a lost position. In the fourth round, I lost for the first time to Keya Jha, the number one rated nine year old girl in the country. I had scored four wins and three draws in our previous games. I lost 19 rating points to drop to 1957.

The Kings Island Open has been one of my favorite tournaments since I first played in the event in 1994. This year, I scored 3/5 in the U2100 section, finishing out of the money and losing 13 rating points to fall to 1944. I won my first two games before facing Gabriel Heyer (1863) in the third round. I had scored 3.5/4 in my previous games versus Heyer, but I had White in each of those games and I had Black this time versus Heyer. He played 1. e3, and I overextended my position trying to "punish" his slightly unorthodox (but sound) opening. 

After round three, I played in the Kings Island Open Saturday Night Blitz, tying for third-eighth out of 35 players with a score of 6/8. There was not a third place prize, but I tied with four other players for the combined U2300/U2100 prize. My USCF blitz rating remained unchanged at 1800, which is my USCF blitz floor; many kids are strong players but have not played many USCF blitz games, so their blitz ratings are hundreds of points lower than their regular ratings: my only two losses were to Sharath Radhakrishnan, whose regular rating is 2248, but whose USCF blitz rating prior to this event was just 1971. He scored 6.5/8 to take clear second behind GM Jianchao Zhou, who finished first with 7.5/8.

In the fourth round versus Carter Evard (1790 after 19 games; 1862 after Kings Island), after mutual mistakes in the opening I "tilted" in this position:

Any normal move--such as 17. Rcd1--keeps the balance. Instead, I played 17. Bxh6??, foolishly and recklessly going all-in for an attack that I should have realized is unsound. My opponent took my B and then pocketed my d pawn after I played 18. Qxh6. Instead of patiently maneuvering to try to obtain an advantage from an equal position, I went for broke on move 17--and got broken! This is the kind of impulsive, unsound chess that I have to eliminate: there is no reason to give up my B for two pawns both in this specific position, and in general versus a player who I should reasonably expect to outplay without taking risks in a patient, positional game.

I scored 3/4 in the November 24, 2024 East Market Swiss, tying for second-fourth and gaining 19 rating points to climb back to 1963. This was a special tournament because my daughter Rachel played. Although she scored 0/4, she had a great time--and when she has a great time, I have a great time as well. This was Rachel's 10th regular rated tournament, and her second appearance at East Market, the site of her first regular rated tournament (March 12, 2023).

Pre-tournament selfie with Rachel at November 24, 2024 East Market Swiss

I started the December 8, 2024 East Market Swiss with 2.5/3, setting up a last round encounter for first place versus top seeded Deshawn Kelley. Kelley won, dropping me into a tie for fourth-sixth. I gained five rating points to lift my rating to 1968, exactly my rating at the start of 2024.

I scored 2/3 in the Dayton Chess Club's December 14, 2024 G/45 Swiss, tying for second-third and gaining three rating points to improve my rating to 1971. In the first round, Kiran Boyineppally (1750) held me to a draw in a wild time scramble, and then he won his next two games to take clear first.

My 2024 chess year concluded on December 28, 2024 at the Cincinnati Tornado. My daughter Rachel played, and this turned out to be one of my favorite events of the year both because we participated together and because I performed very well, scoring 3.5/4 to tie for first-second with the top seeded player (Will Sedlar, 2315) while gaining 42 rating points to lift my rating above 2000 (2013) for the first time since September 2024. This was my second largest single tournament rating gain in 2024, surpassed only by the 51 rating points that I gained in the October 19, 2024 Columbus G/45 tournament. After winning my first two games versus lower rated opponents, I drew with Gajanan Jayade (2128) in the third round and then I defeated FM Hans Multhopp in the fourth round. Sedlar knocked off the only player with a 3-0 score to join me in the winner's circle. Rachel scored 0/3 with a one point bye in round three, but she loves chess so much that she played several casual games during the third round.

Pre-tournament selfie with Rachel at December 28, 2024 Cincinnati Tornado

I entered October 2023 rated 2038 and dropped all the way to 1940 before bouncing back to 1968 by the end of December 2023. This year, I had a 2004 rating in August, and dropped all the way to 1930 before finishing December with a rating of 2013. I am not sure why I have had such dramatic rating fluctuations in the fall months of the past two years, but without those slumps I would be much closer to reaching my goal.

Regarding the challenge of trying to advance from the 1900-2000 range to 2200 in the current era, I found some interesting data confirming my impression that my current level of play is not substantially lower than my level of play during my peak rating years but rather that the rating distribution has shifted unfavorably for players in my rating range. USCF ratings distribution data from 2004 shows that the 2000 rating level was at the 96.9 percentile, the 2100 rating level was at the 98.1 percentile, and the 2200 rating level was at the 99.2 percentile; the USCF ratings distribution data from 2014 shows that the 2000 rating level was at the 97.8 percentile, the 2100 rating level was at the 98.7 percentile, and the 2200 rating level was at the 99.4 percentile. That data demonstrates that the percentage of players who are National Masters (2200 rating level) has stayed about the same (less than 1 percent) but the percentage of players who are Experts (2000 rating level) has decreased. One factor to keep in mind is that the rating pool of National Masters is artificially inflated by older players who have earned a 2200 rating floor but are likely no longer 2200 strength players. In other words, if one excludes the "floored" National Masters then it is possible that the percentage of players who are maintaining a 2200 performance level has decreased just like the percentage of players who are maintaining a 2000 performance level has decreased.

My interpretation of that data is that the small cohort of players who are talented enough and work hard enough to earn the NM title has remained roughly the same size, but overall it is more difficult to maintain an Expert level rating than it used to be. I have not found USCF ratings distribution data more recent than 2014, but based on my personal experience I suspect that the trends noted above have continued or even accelerated: objectively, I would say that my level of play now is not much worse than it was in 2014, but in 2014 I was rated over 2100 while now my rating fluctuates in the high 1900s/low 2000s.

Overall, I performed well in 2024, and I set several personal records for regular rated events, including most first place finishes (13, surpassing the 12 that I had in 2019), most events played (41, surpassing the 39 that I played in 2023), most prizes won (29, surpassing the 24 prizes I won in 2023), highest percentage of events in which I won a prize (70.7%, surpassing the 68.8% prize winning percentage that I had in 2020), most combined first/second place finishes (19, surpassing the 18 combined first/second place finishes that I had in 2023), most games played (167, surpassing the 155 games that I played in 2023), most games won (98, surpassing the 93 wins that I had in 2023), and most draws (33, surpassing the 27 draws that I had in 2012). Also, I won one game versus a National Master, pushing my career total to 81.

I had a good year, but not good enough to earn the National Master title. The biggest challenge is to cut down my losses to players rated below 1800. In the first half of the year I had four such losses, but that number ballooned to seven in the second half of the year, which prevented me from surpassing 2100. Similarly, my draw/loss ratio during the first half of the year was good, but I slipped in that regard in the second half of the year. Overall, though, I made progress, and had my best draw/loss ratio ever, which is a step in the right direction.

My five game losing streak over a two tournament span in October made the difference between a good year and an excellent year. I had winning positions in three of those games, and legitimate opportunities to do no worse than draw all five of them; if I had scored 4/5 in those games then my rating would be close to 2100 now instead of languishing in the low 2000s. The losing streak seems like an anomaly, because I won my next three games, and then the next weekend I finished first in two tournaments, gaining a combined 43 rating points.

In Journey to the National Master Title, Part 8, I listed four chess goals for 2024. Here are those goals, with notes about how I performed:

1) Gain 60 rating points per quarter. I gained three rating points in the first quarter of 2024, improving my rating from 1968 to 1971; I gained 10 rating points in the second quarter of 2024, improving my rating from 1971 to 1981; I lost three rating points in the third quarter of 2024, dropping my rating from 1981 to 1978; I gained 35 rating points in the fourth quarter of 2024, improving my rating from 1978 to 2013. Overall, I gained 45 rating points in 2024, which averages out to 11.25 rating points per quarter.

2) Do not lose any games to players rated below 1800. I lost two games to players rated below 1800 in the first quarter of 2024; I lost two games to players rated below 1800 in the second quarter of 2024; I lost three games to players rated below 1800 in the third quarter of 2024; I lost four games to players rated below 1800 in the fourth quarter of 2024. Overall, I lost 11 games to players rated below 1800.

3) Accumulate more draws than losses. I had 15 draws and eight losses in the first quarter of 2024; I had seven draws and nine losses in the second quarter of 2024; I had four draws and seven losses in the third quarter of 2024; I had seven draws and 12 losses in the fourth quarter of 2024. Overall, I had 33 draws and 36 losses.

4) Maintain a winning percentage of at least .750, to break my personal record of .740 set in 2014. My winning percentage was .686, the fifth best of my career.

Here are my chess goals for 2025:

1) Gain 50 rating points per quarter.

2) Do not lose more than six games to players rated below 1800.

3) Accumulate more draws than losses.

4) Maintain a winning percentage of at least .750, to break my personal record of .740 set in 2014.

In 2024, I scored 98 wins, 33 draws, and 36 losses in regular rated tournament games with 13 first place finishes in 41 events. I lost 11 games to players rated below 1800. My net rating gain for 2024 is 45, so I need to gain 187 points to reach my goal.

Rickey Henderson: Leadoff Hitter Extraordinaire and Greatest Base Stealer of All-Time

Rickey Henderson, MLB's career leader in stolen bases and runs scored who is widely considered the greatest leadoff hitter in MLB history, passed away on Friday, just five days before his 66th birthday. Henderson stole 1406 bases, 468 more than former record-holder Lou Brock; to put that gap in perspective, 468 stolen bases is a number that would tie for 48th on the career stolen base list! Henderson holds the single season stolen bases record (130 in 1982), and he is the only player in AL history to post at least 100 stolen bases in a season, a feat that he accomplished three times (1980, 1982, 1983). He led the AL in stolen bases a record 12 times (1980-86, 1988-91, 1998), snaring his last stolen base crown when he was 39 years old.

Henderson's 2295 career runs scored surpassed Ty Cobb's record total by 50, and is 121 better than the number posted by both Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron (unlike MLB, I am not counting the number posted by the most famous PED cheater of all-time, who played a major role in turning MLB's treasured record book into a work of fiction). 

When Henderson retired in 2003, he ranked first in career walks and he ranked in the top 100 in career home runs (297, including a record 81 to lead off a game); if you don't count the numbers of the most famous PED cheater of all-time then Henderson still ranks first in career walks. Henderson ranks fourth in MLB history in games played (3081), trailing only Pete Rose (3562), Carl Yastrzemski (3308), and Hank Aaron (3298).

Henderson is one of just 33 members of baseball's prestigious 3000 hit club, and he also had a significant impact defensively, ranking second in career putouts as a left fielder, a category in which he finished in the AL top five 11 times (including first in 1980-81, 1989-90).

Henderson played in the postseason eight times, and he participated in the World Series three times (1989-90, 1993). He played on two World Series championship teams (Oakland 1989, Toronto 1993), and he won the 1989 ALCS MVP during Oakland's title run. He posted a .284 career postseason batting average, logging five home runs, 20 RBI, and 33 stolen bases (which ranks second all-time to Kenny Lofton's 34, but Henderson played in 60 postseason games while Lofton played in 95 postseason games). Henderson won the 1990 AL regular season MVP, earned 10 All-Star selections, received three Silver Slugger awards, and won one Gold Glove (1981).

Henderson was a first ballot Hall of Famer, receiving 94.8% of possible votes (the 20th highest percentage all-time).

Henderson's combination of speed, power, and a discerning eye at the plate (demonstrated not only by his record setting walk total but also by his seven seasons hitting at least .300) made him a nightmare for opposing teams; he got on base, wreaked havoc on the basepaths, and scored runs. Of all of his records, he was most proud of his record for runs scored, sensibly noting that you have to score runs to win games.

Henderson's critics sometimes griped that he did not play hard and was hurt too often, but the great Ralph Wiley provided the definitive refutation to those grumblings: if Henderson was loafing while he set all of the records mentioned above, then he must have been the greatest baseball player of all-time! Henderson played in at least 134 games in 13 seasons. He missed that total in 1981 because of the strike, and he did not reach that total in each of his last five seasons, when he was 40-44 years old, so the record shows that for well over a decade he was pretty durable, particularly considering how active he was on the basepaths.

Henderson played for nine MLB teams (Oakland A's, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, San Diego Padres, Anaheim Angels, New York Mets, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, and L.A. Dodgers), but he will forever be most associated with the Oakland A's, with whom he had four different tours of duty accounting for 14 of his 25 MLB seasons.

Henderson's numbers are incredible, but his impact and legacy go beyond the numbers, as is the case with the select few athletes who are transcendently great.

The May 4, 1987 issue of Sports Illustrated featured a series of cover stories about the incomparable Julius "Dr. J" Erving, and in one of those stories John Papanek penned a line about Erving that has always stuck with me and that I quoted as the epigraph to one of my articles about Erving: "You had to see the man and hear the music." In other words, statistics tell a story, but they don't tell the whole story. The numbers speak to Henderson's greatness, but they don't convey what it felt like to watch him play (or what I presume it must have felt like to play against him). I am old enough to remember Rickey Henderson's entire career, and I will say without question or hesitation that he is one of the most exciting baseball players of my lifetime, on my short list with (in chronological order) Reggie Jackson, Eric Davis (who joined Henderson as the only players in MLB history to post at least 20 home runs and at least 80 stolen bases in the same season), and Bo Jackson. When Rickey Henderson strode to the plate, fans were mesmerized, and when Henderson made it on base fans were even more mesmerized. 

Those of us who saw Henderson and heard the music were blessed. May he rest in peace, and may his family--including his three daughters--be consoled at this difficult time.

Gukesh Dommeraju Becomes the 18th World Chess Champion After Capitalizing on Ding Liren's Game 14 Blunder

"I might smile, but I ain't no joke."--Dilated Peoples, "Kindness for Weakness" 

By defeating Ding Liren in game 14 of the World Chess Championship, Gukesh Dommeraju not only became the 18th World Chess Champion, but at age 18 he also became the youngest World Chess Champion ever, surpassing the record held by Garry Kasparov, who was 22 when he became World Chess Champion in 1985. Magnus Carlsen, who relinquished the title in 2023 by declining to play in the World Chess Championship but is still the world's highest rated chess player, was also 22--but a few months older than Kasparov was in 1985--when he first became World Chess Champion in 2013.

With the match tied 6.5-6.5, Ding had the advantage of playing White, and he only needed a draw to send the match to Rapid tiebreaks, which favored him on paper since his Rapid rating is much higher than Gukesh's Rapid rating. The players reached a position in which Gukesh enjoyed a one Pawn advantage, but the game was well within the drawing zone with correct play before Ding--behind on the clock as he was during most of the match--hastily blundered away the game and the match by playing a move that enabled Gukesh to trade off the remaining pieces; this transformed the position into a pure King and Pawn ending that Gukesh could win by force. At first it seemed that Gukesh may not have realized that Ding had blundered, but soon Gukesh's eyes widened and he struggled to keep a straight face. Gukesh's reaction tipped Ding off, Ding put his head in his hands in pure anguish, and after Gukesh played the correct trading sequence Ding extended his hand to resign the game and the match.

One of the basic endgame principles generally known by strong players--even ones who are well below the Grandmaster level--is to not trade into a pure King and Pawn ending unless you have calculated the ensuing moves all the way to the desired result (win or draw, depending on whether you are ahead or behind), because King and Pawn endings are a matter of strict counting, not instinct. Ding violated this fundamental principle, and as a result he lost the game and the crown.

Ding joins a long, distinguished list of great players who made ghastly blunders, a list that includes other World Chess Champions. It is difficult for a non-chess player to understand how a world class player can make a seemingly obvious error, but it is important to realize the high stress level of chess competition--or, to put it in cruder terms, "Pressure busts pipes." It is a mistake to think of chess as just another board game. Chess is not only a sport, but it is a grueling, violent sport, increasingly dominated by young players who have the necessary mental, emotional, and physical strength to prevail under the sport's challenging conditions.

Gukesh's win exemplifies two significant demographic shifts that have happened in chess: the best players are getting younger and younger, and Asian countries--most notably India and China--have emerged as dominant forces. As noted above, Gukesh is by far the youngest World Chess Champion ever, breaking a record that had stood for more than twice as long as he has been alive, and this is just the latest example of the extent to which young players have become dominant in chess. Regarding the rising fortunes of Asian countries in chess, consider that in the 1970s it was headline news when an Asian player won a game against a Grandmaster; at that time it would have been difficult to conceive of a World Chess Championship match featuring one Asian player--let alone two--but now Gukesh is the second Indian player to win the World Chess Championship, following in the footsteps of his hero and mentor Viswanathan Anand.

As recently as two years ago, it would not have seemed likely that either Ding or Gukesh would become World Champion in the near future, because Carlsen was dominant (as he continues to be whenever he chooses to play). Ding was considered by some to be a potential challenger, but if Carlsen had not resigned the title then Carlsen would have faced Ian Nepomniachtchi in 2023; however, Carlsen had already beaten Nepomniachtchi 7.5-3.5 in the 2021 World Chess Championship, and Carlsen decided that spending several months to prepare for a World Chess Championship match is less fun than playing in various big money tournaments around the world. After Carlsen dropped out, Ding--who had finished second to Nepomniachtchi in the 2022 Candidates Tournament--took his spot, and then Ding became World Chess Champion in 2023 by defeating Nepomniachtchi 2.5-1.5 in the Rapid Tiebreak after the players tied 7-7 in the Classical portion of the match. Gukesh earned the right to challenge Ding in the 2024 World Chess Championship by winning the next Candidates Tournament with a score of 9/14, finishing a half point ahead of Hikaru Nakamura, Ian Nepomniachtchi, and Fabiano Caruana.

After a tough year during which Ding struggled to regain top form, he fought hard versus Gukesh from beginning to end--stunning observers by winning game one after not winning a Classical game in the previous 304 days, and then bouncing back to win game 12 to tie the match after losing game 11--but in the end Gukesh's energy and fighting spirit proved to be too much; throughout the match, Gukesh pressed on in positions where other players might just accede to a draw, and that willingness to fight for every inch--reminiscent of Bobby Fischer's attitude that the game is not a draw until he says so--wore Ding down.

Ding and Gukesh both have unassuming demeanors, and that makes it easy to underestimate them, as the stereotype is that a champion athlete is bold and brash. Media commentators are particularly fond of doing armchair psychoanalysis of Ding's body language, and Ding contributes to this by being so brutally honest about how he feels at any given moment. What commentators seem to miss or misunderstand is that for a mentally strong person it is possible to feel devastated for a moment but then resiliently bounce back. Ding lost game 2 in last year's World Chess Championship match, looked devastated afterward, trailed for most of the match--and then won game 12 en route to eventually claiming the title. This time, he lost game 11, looked devastated afterward, and then bounced back to win game 12 before drawing game 13 and falling just short in game 14. 

Gukesh has a quiet but fierce determination. His playing style is similar to Carlsen's in the sense that both players--to use a tennis analogy--keep hitting the ball over the net until their opponent falters and misses a shot; it is not necessary to hit the ball spectacularly, but just to hit it well enough that the opponent is forced to make a return shot. It will be interesting to watch Gukesh continue to develop as a player--he is likely not even close to his prime yet--and it will be fascinating to see how long he reigns as World Chess Champion. Emanuel Lasker held the World Chess Champion title for a record 27 years (1894-1921), but in his era there was not a regular cycle of World Chess Championship matches; he successfully defended his title five times before losing to Jose Raul Capablanca; unless the current rules change, Gukesh will have to defend his title every other year, meaning that a 27 year reign would require at least 13 successful title defenses. Carlsen defended his title in five matches without a defeat before voluntarily relinquishing the crown without a fight, while Kasparov--the longest reigning champion of modern times--defended his title in five matches and reigned for 15 years before losing to Vladimir Kramnik in 2000.

The 2024 World Chess Championship match featured a lot of fighting chess and was not just a parade of colorless draws. The most disappointing thing was the nature and quality of some of the questions asked in the post-game press conferences. During the Ding-Nepomniachtchi match, I wondered Why Do People Who Ask Idiotic Questions Receive Media Credentials?, and during this match it was disappointing to once again see Mike Klein at every post-game press conference asking questions that made little sense and had little relevance. With the match tied 6-6, Klein asked both players who has the momentum; momentum is something for commentators to speculate about--often incorrectly--not something to ask a player about in the middle of a competition. After the exciting game 13 draw, Klein asked a rambling question about how quickly Gukesh walked into the playing hall prior to the game, as if there is some brilliant insight to be gained by how fast a player is walking. In The Image: A Guide to Pseudoevents in America, Daniel Boorstin lamented that the role of news reporters shifted from covering significant events that happened to trying to create excitement out of nothing: "If he cannot find a story, then he must make one--by the questions he asks of public figures, by the surprising human interest he unfolds from some commonplace event, or by 'the news behind the news.'" That is a perfect description of what Klein and far too many credentialed media members do. I am a writer and not a video creator, but someone needs to give Klein the Mark Schwartz treatment, as I suggested last year in Dreaming of Becoming a Journalist Covering the World Chess Championship.

I hope that the next World Chess Championship features fighting chess--and better post-game questions.

Dick Allen and Dave Parker Receive Long-Overdue Hall of Fame Recognition

A toxic combination of PED cheating destroying MLB's once-hallowed record book and "stat gurus" preaching "analytics" above all else (while cheating to win World Series titles because, apparently, the "analytics" did not provide a sufficient advantage) not only took much of the enjoyment out of baseball during the past 30 years or so, but also resulted in many great players not receiving deserved Hall of Fame recognition. In earlier eras, a 30 home run season meant something, and a 300 home run career signified a decade or more of top level power production; it is unfair to compare numbers from different eras when making Hall of Fame selections: if you dominated your era, then you earned Hall of Fame status--period.

I am so happy to learn that Dick Allen and Dave Parker, two of the most outstanding players of their respective eras, will be part of the Baseball Hall of Fame's 2025 class. The 16-member Classic Era Committee (formerly known as the Veterans Committee) righted two wrongs by finally selecting Allen and Parker. Allen received 13 votes, while Parker received 14, with 12 votes being the minimum threshold for selection. The Classic Era Committee consists of six Hall of Fame players (Paul Molitor, Eddie Murray, Tony Pérez, Ozzie Smith, Lee Smith, and Joe Torre), five former MLB executives (Sandy Alderson, Terry McGuirk, Dayton Moore, Arte Moreno and Brian Sabean), and five media members/historians (Bob Elliot, Leslie Heaphy, Steve Hirdt, Dick Kaegel and Larry Lester). The Classic Era Committee is tasked with recognizing players whose prime years happened prior to 1980.

Seven-time All-Star Dick Allen posted a .292 career batting average while blasting 351 homers and slugging 1119 RBI. He won the 1964 NL Rookie of the Year award for the Philadelphia Phillies after logging one of the greatest debut seasons in MLB history, leading the league in runs (125), triples (13), extra base hits (80), and total bases (352) while also ranking third in slugging percentage (.557), third in hits (201), fourth in doubles (38), and fifth in batting average (.318). He ranked seventh in home runs (29), and Allen hit at least 20 home runs in each of his first nine seasons, peaking at 40 in 1966 (ranking second in the NL), and cranking at least 30 in five of those seasons (and six times overall during his career). Allen finished seventh in 1964 NL MVP voting but, inexplicably, did not make the All-Star team.

In 1965, Allen earned the first of three consecutive All-Star selections while posting the second of four consecutive seasons during which he hit at least .300. Allen never topped his rookie season batting average, but he hit .300 or better in six of the 11 seasons during which he played in at least 118 games. Allen led the NL in slugging percentage in 1966 with a career-high .632, and that season he also led the NL in extra base hits (75).

After two productive but non All-Star seasons in 1968-69, the Phillies traded Allen to St. Louis, where he regained All-Star status in 1970 while pounding 34 home runs (tied for seventh in the NL) and notching the second of his three 100 RBI seasons (101).

The Cardinals traded Allen to the L.A. Dodgers prior to the 1971 season. He had a solid one year stint with the Dodgers (.295 batting average/23 home runs/90 RBI) before being traded to the Chicago White Sox. In his first White Sox season, Allen won the 1972 AL regular season MVP in a landslide, setting a franchise single season record (since broken) with 37 home runs while setting career highs in RBI (113) and BB (99); he led the AL in all three categories, and he also led the AL in OBP (career-high .420), extra base hits (70), and slugging percentage (.603). Injuries limited him to 82 games in 1973, but he still made the All-Star team, and he earned a third straight All-Star selection in 1974 while leading the AL in home runs (32) and slugging percentage (.563). After Allen left the team late in the 1974 season, the White Sox sold his contract to the Atlanta Braves, but he retired rather than go to Atlanta. He returned to the Phillies in 1975, and then finished his career in 1977 with the Oakland A's. 

Despite Allen's decade of sustained high level production--numbers that are even more impressive considering that he played during an era dominated by pitching--Allen never came close to getting in the Hall of Fame via the media voting, and he missed out in the Classic Era Committee balloting by just one vote in 2015 and 2022.

Some argue that "analytics" bolstered Allen's Hall of Fame candidacy in the most recent round of voting, but the fact is that even the often derided "counting stats" show Allen's brilliance: from 1964-74, he ranked second in MLB in slugging percentage, fifth in home runs (trailing only Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, Harmon Killebrew, Willie Stargell, and Willie McCovey), seventh in RBI, and seventh in runs scored.

There is no doubt that Allen suffered in Hall of Fame balloting because he clashed with various writers and front office executives during his career. He was outspoken, a quality that was not well-received from athletes during that era--and particularly so regarding Black athletes. It should be noted that the Philadelphia Phillies were the last NL team to have Black players on their roster, finally doing so in 1957--a full 10 years after Jackie Robinson broke MLB's color barrier. The toxic racial climate in Philadelphia specifically and in MLB as a whole is an undercurrent--and sometimes more than just an undercurrent--flowing through Allen's career. It is a shame that he passed away in 2020 without receiving his deserved Hall of Fame induction.

Willie Stargell summarized Allen's career and legacy: "Dick Allen played the game in the most conservative era in baseball history. It was a time of change and protest in the country, and baseball reacted against all that. They saw it as a threat to the game. The sportswriters were reactionary too. They didn't like seeing a man of such extraordinary skills doing it his way. It made them nervous. Dick Allen was ahead of his time. His views and way of doing things would go unnoticed today. If I had been manager of the Phillies back when he was playing, I would have found a way to make Dick Allen comfortable. I would have told him to blow off the writers. It was my observation that when Dick Allen was comfortable, balls left the park."

In a 2014 interview with USA Today, Hall of Fame pitcher Rich "Goose" Gossage gushed about his former teammate Allen: "I've been around the game a long time, and he's the greatest player I've ever seen play in my life. He had the most amazing season (1972) I've ever seen. He's the smartest baseball man I've ever been around in my life. He taught me how to pitch from a hitter's perspective, and taught me how to play the game right. There's no telling the numbers this guy could have put up if all he worried about was stats. The guy belongs in the Hall of Fame."

Allen's career ended when I was just five years old, so I don't remember seeing him play, and thus I don't have any personal recollections to add to this tribute--but anyone who studies baseball history understands Allen's impact and value, and thus knows that it is a travesty that he did not make it to the Hall of Fame until nearly 50 years after he retired.

I have vivid memories of Dave Parker, the 6-5, 230 superstar who could do it all. He was built like a tight end before steroids ran rampant through MLB, he was fast during his early years, and he used his powerful upper body to good effect both at the plate and in the outfield. I remember him starring for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1970s before joining the Cincinnati Reds, my favorite baseball team in the 1970s and 1980s when I followed baseball as a kid much more closely than I follow it now. Parker teamed up with Eric Davis in a dynamic outfield for the Reds for teams managed by Pete Rose that finished second in the N.L. West for three straight seasons (1985-87; the Reds also finished second in 1988, by which time Parker played for the Oakland A's). The "Cobra" was a sight to behold, and no one who saw Parker play doubted for a second that he was a Hall of Famer. Parker, like many players of that era, had a cocaine problem in the 1980s, and Hall of Fame voters seem to be more forgiving of some players than others regarding such issues.

Parker once declared, "I was a five tool player." As the saying goes, it's not bragging if you can back it up--and Parker backed it up during his career, particularly during the five season stretch from 1975-79. In Parker's first full MLB season, 1975, he led the NL in slugging percentage (.541), placed second in triples (10), ranked fifth in home runs (25) and RBI (101), and finished third in MVP voting. 

In 1976, Parker ranked third in triples (10), seventh in RBI (90), and eighth in batting average (.313), but he only hit 13 home runs. Parker showed surprising speed considering his size, stealing 19 bases, and he ranked fourth in outfield assists (12).

Parker won the NL batting title in 1977 (.338) and 1978 (.334) despite suffering a fractured jaw and cheekbone during the 1978 season. In 1977, Parker earned the first of five straight All-Star selections, and he captured the first of three straight Gold Glove awards while leading the NL in hits (215), doubles (44), and outfield assists (26). Parker ranked second in the NL in RBI (117), second in triples (12), and third in home runs (30) in 1978. He also stole 20 bases, and he won the NL regular season MVP.

He was an integral player for the Pirates' 1979 "We Are Family" World Series championship team, finishing seventh in the NL in batting average (.310) and eighth in RBI (94). Parker tied his career high with 20 stolen bases, and he ranked third in the NL in stolen base percentage (.833). Parker led the Pirates in RBI, ranked second on the team in batting average, home runs (25), and slugging percentage (.526), and ranked third on the team in stolen bases. Parker ranked fourth in the NL in outfield assists in 1979. Perhaps the most famous demonstration of Parker's bazooka arm happened in the 1979 All-Star Game, when he threw out a runner at third base and threw out another runner at home plate en route to winning the All-Star Game MVP in a 7-6 NL win. In the 1979 playoffs, Parker tied for second on the team in RBI (six) and he ranked third on the team in batting average (.341) as he captured the first of his two World Series titles while helping the Pirates win their first championship since 1971.

Parker made the All-Star team in 1980 and 1981, but he did not play at an MVP level during those seasons. Nevertheless, in 1981, baseball historians Donald Honig and Lawrence Ritter already ranked Parker among the 100 greatest baseball players of all-time. 

After Parker had subpar seasons in 1982 and 1983, he signed a free agent contract with the Cincinnati Reds prior to the 1984 season. Parker revived his career with his hometown team, averaging 27 home runs and 110 RBI during his four seasons with the Reds. In 1985, Parker led the NL in RBI (career-high 125) while ranking fifth in batting average (.312), his first .300 season since 1979. He ranked second in the NL in home runs in both 1985 (career-high 34) and 1986 (31). Parker earned All-Star selections in 1985 and 1986, finishing second in NL MVP voting in 1985 and fifth in 1986.

The Reds traded Parker to the Oakland A's after the 1987 season. Parker helped the A's to reach the World Series in 1988 and 1989, and he hit three home runs in the 1989 postseason as the A's won their first championship since 1974. In 1989, Parker led the team in RBI (97, ninth in the AL), ranked second in home runs (22), and finished 11th in AL regular season MVP voting, establishing himself as a premier designated hitter.

The 38 year old Parker signed with the Milwaukee Brewers as a free agent prior to the 1990 season, and in 1990 he earned his final All-Star selection, ranking seventh in the AL in RBI (92). Milwaukee traded Parker to the California Angels in 1991 but the Angels released him after he hit just .232 in 119 games. He ended his career in 1991 by playing 13 games with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Parker finished his career with 2712 hits, 339 home runs, a .290 batting average, 1493 RBI, 154 stolen bases, and 152 assists (including 136 as a right fielder, which still ranks 25th all-time). In addition to winning the 1978 NL regular season MVP, Parker finished in the top five in MVP voting four other times (1975, 1977, 1985-86), earned three Silver Slugger awards (NL outfielder in 1985-86, AL designated hitter in 1990), and was twice honored with the Edgar Martinez award as the best designated hitter (1989-90).