Reflections on the Passing of FM Alex Zelner

I was saddened today to learn that FM Alex Zelner died of a heart attack on January 3, 2024. Zelner was a prominent figure on the Ohio chess scene as a player and organizer for many years before he and his family moved to Florida in 1999. Zelner earned the National Master title in 1999 at the relatively late age of 38 after fluctuating throughout the Expert level for several years. Zelner's rating then dropped to the 2100 level and he bounced around between 2100 and 2200 until 2004, when he began a remarkable ascent that culminated in a peak USCF rating of 2481 plus attaining the FIDE Master title (which requires reaching a FIDE rating of at least 2300). I remember talking to Alex about how he reached National Master (and beyond) as an older player. He told me that he just decided to stop losing to players rated below 2000. Of course, such success is more complicated than that; I decided many times to stop losing to players rated below 2000, but I have yet to accomplish that feat! There is no doubt that Alex benefited from his close friendships with various Grandmasters--most notably Alex Goldin, who once ranked in the top 100 in the world--but if being friends with Grandmasters is all that it takes to reach 2400 then there would be a lot more 2400s in the world. I respect Alex' work ethic, and the way that he figured out how to lower his blunder rate. Lowering the blunder rate is the "secret" to becoming a Master for players who get stuck at the Expert level, but for most Experts it is very difficult to do this, particularly as an adult.

I first met Alex in the late 1980s when I was a rising Class B player and he was already an established Expert. He beat me the first time we played each other (September 16, 1989 Miamisburg Tornado). At that time, his rating was 2109 while my rating was 1725, but I surpassed the 1800 (Class A) level the next month and I had an 1895 rating by December 1989. We did not play against each other again until 1992, when I scored an upset win as I was rated 1936 while Alex was rated 2126. That was before Alex decided to stop losing to players rated below 2000! He was a stronger player than I was, and generally he outplayed me, but in the 1990s I scored some wins against him courtesy of blunders that he made.

Alex organized many chess tournaments in Ohio, including events that attracted Grandmasters. I achieved the Expert title at the May 13, 1995 Springfield Tornado that he organized, scoring 3/4; my only loss was to Alex!

USCF's online rating records go back to late 1991. According to their data, I played more Regular rated games (24) against Alex than anyone except for his wife Dr. Catherine Zelner (32) and his son David (29). Alex and I faced each other twice in the Dayton Chess Club Championship. He beat me both times, but he never won the DCC title. I shared the 1997 title with National Master John Vehre with a 5-1 score (the first of my record 10 DCC titles) while Zelner settled for a fourth place tie with a 4-2 score; in 1998, Zelner tied for second-third while I tied for fourth-fifth.

I scored five wins, one draw, and 18 losses versus Alex (plus the 1989 loss that is not included in the USCF data). Robert Sinn, who became a National Master in 1996, scored five wins, four losses, and one draw versus Alex, while Ram Dake, who became a National Master in 1992, went a perfect 6-0 versus Alex. No one else scored five wins versus Alex in USCF Regular rated games from 1991-2023. USCF's records show 1286 Regular rated games for Alex, and he enjoyed a winning percentage of 77.2, including victories over two Grandmasters with USCF ratings above 2600: Julio Becerra and Lubomir Ftacnik. Ftacnik won the European Junior Championship in 1976/77, he won the Czech national championship four times, and at his peak he was ranked 15th in the world.

Although I enjoyed playing against Alex and then analyzing with him after our games, and I enjoyed playing in the events that he organized, what stands out most to me is that Alex is the person who set me on the path to becoming a chess coach. In 1998, Alex asked me to coach his young sons David, Gregory, and Joshua. By that time, my rating fluctuated in the high 1900s/low 2000s, while Alex was rated in the 2100s. I had never worked as a chess coach, and I did not understand why a higher rated player wanted me to coach his children. Alex explained with a smile that his sons would not listen to his coaching because he was their father. He reassured me that I was more than strong enough to coach them, and he believed that I had not only the necessary playing strength but also the requisite communication/teaching skills. I accepted his offer, and we agreed that I would come to his house weekly to teach his sons for about an hour each; in return, he would not only pay me, but he would provide a home-cooked meal, and often he and I would play speed chess. The first chess lesson was on September 9, 1998, and the lessons continued on a weekly basis (with just a few exceptions) until April 19, 1999. I found that I very much enjoyed chess teaching, and I did so for nearly 20 years after the Zelner family moved to Florida. 

Alex' sons continued to play chess in Florida, no doubt benefiting from Alex' teaching and from the guidance of Alex' Grandmaster friends. David later reached a peak USCF rating of 2184. Gregory's peak rating is 1849. Joshua's peak rating is 1729. In 2004, Alex had twin daughters, Roza and Zoe; both of them play chess, but I never had the opportunity to coach them, as they were born after the Zelner family moved to Florida.

After Alex moved to Florida, I only saw him a few times, when he returned to Ohio and we played in the same chess tournaments. He beat me in our last Regular rated game in 2006:

Event: MOTCF 4/29/06 (1)
White: Alex Zelner (2256)
Black: David Friedman (2026)

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 c6 4. Nf3 Qa5 (4... Bg4 followed by ...e6 and ...d5 is the correct plan, aiming for a French-like structure with the QB developed outside of the pawn chain.) 5. Bd2 e5 6. Be2 Bg4 7. d5 Nbd7 8. O-O Be7 9. Nh4 Bxe2 10. Qxe2 (Now Black is saddled with a cramped position and bad B.) O-O (After the game GM Alex Goldin said that 10... g6 is essential, keeping the N out of f5. White still has a small edge, but "nothing special.") 11. Nf5 Qd8 12. dxc6 bxc6 13. Bg5 h6 (13... g6 14. Nxe7+ Qxe7 15. Rfd1 Qe6 16. Qd2 Rfb8 17. b3 Ne8 with a slight advantage to White) 14. Bh4 Re8 15. Rad1 Qc7 16. Qd3 Bf8 (I originally intended 16... Nc5 but then I realized that White can play 17. Qg3 Nh5 18. Qg4 Bxh4 19. Nxh6+ Kh7 20. Nf5 g6 21. Qxh4 with a decisive advantage) 17. Nxd6 Red8 (17... Bxd6 18. Qxd6 Qb6 19. b3 Re6 20. Qd3 with a decisive advantage) 18. Nc4 Nc5 19. Qf3 Rd4 Rxd4 exd4 21. Bxf6 (Best. I was hoping for 21. Ne2 Ncxe4 22. Bxf6 Nxf6 23. Nxd4 Nd5 when Black is only down one pawn.) 21... gxf6 22. Ne2 Rd8 23. Rd1 Ne6 24. Qxf6 Bg7 25. Qf5 c5 26. Ng3 Nf4 27. e5 Ng6 28. f4 Ne7 29. Qg4 Kh7 30. Ne4 Nd5 31. Rd3 Qd7 32. f5 (Lights out.) Ne7 33. Ncd6 Bxe5 34. Ng5+ hxg5 35. Qh5+ Kg8 36. Qxf7+ 1-0

Alex had not played many Regular rated games in recent years, but he was still very active in Quick rated chess, logging 114 Quick rated games in 2023. The last time I played Alex was a Quick rated game that we drew on July 13, 2012 (we had previously played two Quick games against each other, scoring one win apiece).

Alex Zelner inspired me to become a chess coach when I had never previously thought of doing that. Being a chess coach brought me a lot of joy, and I like to think that it brought a lot of joy (and knowledge) to my many students (several of whom subsequently earned the National Master title). Alex Zelner's example as a late-blooming National Master still inspires me during my ongoing (and quite challenging) Journey to the National Master title. I extend my deepest sympathy to Catherine, David, Gregory, Joshua, Roza, and Zoe.

Rest in peace, my friend, competitor, and inspiration.

Chiefs Beat 49ers 25-22 in Overtime, Become First Repeat Super Bowl Champions Since 2003-04 Patriots

The careers of great athletes look inevitable in retrospect, even if those careers did not look inevitable from the onset or during critical moments. In 10 years--if not sooner--the Kansas City Chiefs' 25-22 win over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII to clinch back to back championships will be viewed as just another triumph during the midst of the Chiefs capturing three Super Bowls in a five year span. The Chiefs are the NFL's first repeat champions since the 2003-04 New England Patriots. Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes earned his third Super Bowl MVP, joining Tom Brady (five) and Joe Montana (four) as the only players to win at least three Super Bowl MVPs. Like Brady and Montana, Mahomes has often engineered come from behind scoring drives to reach and then win the Super Bowl; a dropped pass, a tipped ball, or a missed kick could have derailed any of those drives, but after those drives enter the record books they look inevitable, not fragile.

During Super Bowl LVIII there were many moments when a Chiefs' victory seemed far from inevitable. The 49ers were favored in every game that they played during the regular season and the playoffs, and they lived up to that billing for most of the Super Bowl; they scored first in the Super Bowl, taking a 3-0 lead at the 14:48 mark of the second quarter. They did not trail until Mahomes connected with Marquez Valdes-Scanling on a 16 yard touchdown pass that put the Chiefs up 13-10 with 2:28 remaining in the third quarter, and the 49ers quickly countered with a 75 yard drive culminating in a 10 yard touchdown pass from Brock Purdy to Jauan Jennings with 11:22 remaining in the fourth quarter, putting them ahead 16-13; the Chiefs blocked Jake Moody's point after touchdown, which proved to be a pivotal play affecting strategy and play calling for the rest of the game due to the critical difference between leading by four points and only leading by three points. The teams exchanged field goals during the final 5:46, with the Chiefs' Harrison Butker sending the game to overtime by drilling a 29 yarder with :03 remaining in the fourth quarter. The 49ers took the opening kickoff of overtime and drove 66 yards before Moody made a 27 yard field goal to put them up, 22-19. The 49ers were one defensive stop away from dethroning the reigning Super Bowl champions--but Mahomes led the Chiefs on a 13 play, 75 yard drive culminating in his three yard touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman. Mahomes completed all eight of his passes during the game-winning drive as the Chiefs had two third down conversions and one fourth down conversion. Overall, Mahomes went 34-46 for 333 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception while also leading the team in rushing with 66 yards on nine carries.

Anyone who has played sports at any level understands that a great player elevates his team not only because of his individual talent but also because of the confidence that he inspires in the team: when you play alongside a great player, you know that the game is rarely if ever truly out of reach, so you keep plugging away at your job with the understanding that if the game is close at the end then the great player will probably find a way to put the team over the top. Conversely, teams that do not have a great player are more apt to lose confidence or hope, and thus not keep pushing; when things are not going well, it is human nature to get frustrated and lose focus, but great players transcend that aspect of human nature and thus they inspire their teammates to be transcendent as well.

That is not meant to suggest that the 49ers lack great players or that they gave up. Purdy may be a great player in the making, and it is worth noting that he put his team in the lead after each of his final two drives, forcing Mahomes to direct a drive to tie the game and then direct another drive to win the game.

Football is a game of inches, and Chiefs have repeatedly demonstrated the ability to find the inches that they need to win games. Change just a handful of plays, and Mahomes has no Super Bowl wins instead of three, but that is not how football--or life--works. Mahomes has proven his ability to rise to the occasion when it matters most, regardless of how he, his team, or the other team performed prior to the critical moment. In retrospect, this seems inevitable, much like we don't think about the hypothetical ways that Michael Jordan might not have won six NBA titles; those championships seem inevitable in retrospect.

However, just a few months before Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to their first NBA championship, his teammate Bill Cartwright provided this assessment of Jordan (as related on page 249 of Sam Smith's book The Jordan Rules): "He's the greatest athlete I've ever seen. Maybe the greatest athlete ever to play any sport. He can do whatever he wants. It all comes so easy to him. He's just not a basketball player." Many "experts" declared that Jordan was too selfish to ever win a championship; what looks inevitable in retrospect did not seem likely or even possible to many people before it happened. It is fascinating to watch narratives develop and shift over time. Did Michael Jordan's essence as a player change in just a few months, or did he exploit opportunities as those opportunities presented themselves? It took Jordan seven years to reach the NBA Finals for the first time, but after that point he won all six times he reached the NBA Finals. During those championship runs, Jordan's Bulls beat the L.A. Lakers 4-1 in the 1991 NBA Finals after losing game one, they overcame a 2-0 deficit versus the New York Knicks in 1993, they survived a tough seven game series with the Indiana Pacers in 1998, and they beat the Utah Jazz 4-2 in the 1998 NBA Finals after losing game one. In retrospect, all we remember or see is that Jordan went 6-0 in the NBA Finals; the bumps in the road are forgotten, and the prevailing narrative describes a smooth, inevitable path: Jordan's career is summarized by listing the six championships that he won, not the preceding years during which he failed to reach the NBA Finals, and not the playoff series during which his team trailed and could have lost.

Similarly, Mahomes' journey has not always been smooth, but with three Super Bowl wins by the age of 28 he has entered rarefied air, and thus the prevailing narrative compares him with the greatest quarterbacks of all-time. In that conversation, it is important to remember that Tom Brady won seven Super Bowls (including a victory versus Mahomes' Chiefs in Super Bowl LV) and Otto Graham won seven championships in a 10 year AAFC/NFL career. In other words, Mahomes will have to add another haul of Super Bowl rings equal to the career totals of Terry Bradshaw or Joe Montana just to tie Brady or Graham; it should be obvious that this will not be an easy task even for someone as young and great as Mahomes. Football is perhaps the ultimate team sport: the quarterback runs the show on offense and deservedly gets a lot of credit for team wins/team championships, but team wins and team championships are impossible to achieve without the combined efforts of dozens of other players, plus the coaching staff.

Speaking of coaches, remember when Andy Reid was derided as a coach who is not capable of winning the big game? Hall of Fame coaches Don Shula and Tom Landry were both saddled with that label before winning two Super Bowls each, and now Reid is one of just five coaches with at least three Super Bowl wins, though it should be noted that Paul Brown won four AAFC titles plus three NFL titles, while George Halas won five NFL titles, and Vince Lombardi won three NFL titles before capturing two Super Bowl titles. Shula and Landry are revered as winners, and no one talks about their early, painful playoff defeats; in a similar fashion, Reid has transformed the narrative about his career. Just as it may have once looked inevitable that Shula, Landry, and Reid would never win the big one, in retrospect it seems obvious that they were destined to capture multiple championships.

Next season, Mahomes, Reid, and the Chiefs have an opportunity to win an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl--and if they accomplish that feat, no one will remember how close that game was.