Journey to the National Master Title, Part 10

On April 6, 2024, I played in my third Columbus Plus Score tournament, and this time I scored 3/4 after scoring 2.5/4 in each of my first two appearances. My rating (1971) did not change. I tied for first place with Manoj Ramachandran, who beat me in round two after I misplayed a winning position and then blundered away a chance to maintain equality. I ended my first round game with promising junior player Andrew Zhu (1698) by delivering an uncommon mate on an open board:

I scored 3.5/4 in the April 7, 2024 East Market Swiss, tying for first-second place and gaining 14 rating points to improve my rating to 1985. I took a bumpy road to the top, drawing in the first round versus Arman Abassi (rated 1485 after eight games, but rated 1643 after scoring 3/4 in this event) despite obtaining a two pawn advantage in the opening. I recovered to win my next two games, capping off my round three win against Keya Jha (the fourth ranked nine year old girl in the country) with a pretty checkmate:

In the last round, I faced Expert Bill Turner. I dropped an Exchange and a pawn by move 14. It is unusual for me to have a lost position out of the opening, but I steadied myself by recalling various winning positions that I have squandered recently: if I can lose from a winning position then why can't I win from a losing position? By move 24 I equalized, but at that point my pieces were more active than his and my position was easier to play. I created a passed pawn that ultimately decided the game in my favor. Near the end of the game, Turner had five pawns for a Rook, but I was able to promote my lone pawn while blockading his rampaging pawn armada.

I have known Turner for more than 30 years. Alex Zelner introduced us to each other, and I played my first rated game against Turner in the November 20, 1993 Wittenberg Tornado. Turner and I drew our fifth round game in the 2012 Kings Island Open to share first-fourth place in the U2100 section, and we also played each other at Kings Island in 2005 (I won) and 2013 (Turner won). 

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). I scored three wins and a draw in the first four rounds of the April 13-14, 2024 Cincinnati Open to set up a last round board one game versus Gajanan Jayade with a chance to clinch clear first place with a win, and to share first place with a draw. This was a rematch of our board one encounter in the final round of the March 30, 2024 Cincinnati Tornado, and--unfortunately for me--I got the same result: a loss. Instead of obtaining at least a share of first place, my score of 3.5/5 tied me for fourth-seventh place in the FIDE Expert section. I gained 20 rating points to improve my rating to 2005. This is the first time my rating has been over 2000 in 2024, preserving my streak of having a 2000 rating at some point in every year since 1995, the first year that I broke through the 2000 rating barrier. While it is great to reestablish an Expert level rating, my goal remains unchanged--2200--and the next step is the same next step that I used to recommend to my students: surpass the next 100 point level, which in this case is 2100. My rating has not been over 2100 since October 2016, but I reached 2080 as recently as October 2022.

I scored 2.5/4 in the April 27, 2024 Cincinnati Tornado, matching my score in the March 30, 2024 Cincinnati Tornado--and I also mirrored my March 2024 Cincinnati Tornado performance by obtaining a winning position on board one in the last round with first place on the line only to blunder and lose. Despite the missed opportunity in the last round, I gained eight rating points to increase my rating to 2013, and I tied for first-second place among players rated under 2001 (even though my unofficial live rating for this event was over 2000, my official published April 2024 rating was 1954)

On May 4, 2024, I played in my fourth Columbus Plus Score tournament, and this was the first time that I did not obtain a plus score. I blundered a piece in the first round and lost to a player rated below 1800 for the third time this year. I bounced back by winning two nice games, and then played poorly before blundering in the last round when a win on board two versus the top seeded Brett Passen would have earned a first place tie. My rating dropped 18 points to 1995.

In seven tournaments from March 23 through May 4, I notched three first place finishes, one fourth place finish, and one tie for first place in my rating class; in all seven tournaments, I played a last round game with an opportunity to finish in first place, and that is very important: no one wins every last round game with first place on the line, but if you put yourself in that position frequently and are well-prepared then you will win your fair share of those big games.

During Memorial Day Weekend, I played in the U2100 section of the Chicago Open, and my streak of being in contention for first place in the last round crashed to an end. In the first round, I defeated Stella Xin, the eighth highest rated eight year old in the United States--and highest rated eight year old girl by over 100 points. Then, after drawing my second round game I defeated Ian Singh, the seventh highest rated eight year old in the United States. By the end of the Chicago Open, Xin gained 65 points to establish a new career-high rating of 1864, and Singh gained 45 points to set a new career-high rating of 1864 as well. Here is the pretty mate that I delivered versus Singh:

There are so many underrated junior players that this has a deflationary effect on the rating pool. I am playing a lot of these kids, and because their ratings have not caught up with their current skill level I am (1) not getting as many rating points as I should when I beat them and (2) I am losing more rating points than I should when I draw with them or lose to them. FIDE recognized this widespread deflationary effect, and calculated that it is particularly impactful to players rated below 2000 (for reasons that are beyond the scope of this article to explain); consequently, FIDE added rating points to the ratings of every player rated below 2000 to correct this deflationary effect. The USCF should take a similar step. 

Looking at the quality of my games and my winning percentage in the past year or so, it is fair to say that I am playing around the 2100 level now, but my rating is mired around the low 2000s in no small part due to rating deflation. My peak rating so far is 2190, so I understand what it means to play at a 2100 level, and I think that I am objective enough to honestly say that circa 2016-2022 I was not playing at that level but that in the past two years I am playing at that level again.

The Chicago Open started to go sideways for me in rounds four and five; I drew both games despite having a decisive advantage in each one. That set up a round six game versus Ray Sun, a player who was playing in just his seventh rated over the board event since 2023. His rating jumped from 1410 to 1711 during that time. Sun outplayed me to deliver my only loss in the tournament, and then he drew his last round game to finish in the money with an undefeated 5/7. It may sound like an excuse to say that he is underrated, but in the 2024 Chicago Open he gained 164 points to set a new career-high rating of 1875. I have played more tournaments in the past two months than he has played in the past two years, so it is fair to say that if he keeps playing his rating will keep going up with a larger sample size of games. I concluded the tournament with a draw, finishing with 4/7, and losing eight rating points to slip back to 1987; I had pushed my rating back over 2000 for most of the tournament, but the loss to Sun was costly.

After the Chicago Open's fifth round, I played in the Chicago Open Blitz, scoring 4/10. I scored 3.5/6 versus non-Master opponents, and .5/4 versus Masters. This was a very large Blitz tournament, with 77 players in the Open section and 79 players in the U1900 section. In recent years when I played in the Chicago Open Blitz, there were between 42 and 49 players in the Open section.

On June 1, 2024, I played in my fifth Columbus Plus Score tournament, scoring 3/4, and gaining three rating points to inch up to 1990. In the third round, I avenged my April 6, 2024 Columbus Plus Score loss to Manoj Ramachandran, but we both shared first place with Siddarth Kunapuli, who defeated me in the last round. Kunapuli also beat me in the first round of the 2023 Kings Island Open, a loss that I discussed in Journey to the National Master Title, Part 8; in between those two games, I beat Kunapuli in the March 10, 2024 East Market Swiss to secure clear second place. My most recent loss to Kunapuli is particularly frustrating because I had just pushed my live rating above 2000 after winning my first three games, and because I obtained a winning position by move 19 only to soon not only squander my advantage but fall into a mating net. Here is the position prior to my 19th move:

I should have played ...Bc5, creating the dual threat of taking on b2 and taking on f2, which overworks the Q defending both f2 and the Ne2. Stockfish 16 gives Black a nearly +2 advantage after ...Bc5. Instead, I played ...Nxf2 followed by ...Bc5, when White is slightly better. However, my opponent erred, and we soon reached an unusual position where I had a R and four Ps in exchange for a B and a N:

Stockfish 16 evaluates this position as dynamically equal--but after my opponent blundered with Rg2 I could have obtained a nearly +2 advantage with the powerful centralizing move ...Qd4. Unfortunately, I played ...Re1 with the idea of ...Qd1 followed by a Q trade and advancing my Q-side pawns; in general, my plan made sense, but chess often requires calculation of specific tactical lines and that is where I fell short here. White refuted my idea by playing Nf5 after ...Re1. I could have still salvaged equality with ...Qe4, but instead I lost after ...Qd1 because my opponent hit me with Nh6+ followed by trading Qs and decisively invading with his R on the e file. I could not hold off the combined onslaught of his R, B, N, and his suddenly powerful f pawn. The game ended when he promoted his f pawn to a N with check and then checkmated me with his R after I took his new N with my R:

Instead of resigning, I let my opponent play this pretty checkmate on the board. As a lover of chess beauty, I appreciate the artistic finish, but from a competitive standpoint it is disappointing that I squandered two opportunities to obtain a decisive advantage and then missed a chance to maintain equality.

On June 15, 2024, my daughter Rachel and I played in the three round Columbus G/60 tournament. This was Rachel's third rated tournament in 2024 after playing four rated tournaments (plus two Quick rated tournaments) in 2023. I scored 2/3, gained one rating point to move my rating up to 1991, and tied for second-fourth place. I sandwiched two nice wins around a second round loss during which I squandered a +3 advantage and then missed a way to force a drawn endgame. Rachel lost her first two games, and then won her third round game despite arriving 40 minutes late because she did not realize that the round had started; the lower section rounds start as soon as possible as opposed to starting at a set time, and I was not aware that Rachel was not at her board because I was still finishing my second round game when Rachel's third round game began. In an odd twist, Rachel's opponent never came back after playing his first move, so Rachel played her first move, waited an hour, and claimed a win on time!

Rachel was not able to attend the Chicago Open this year, but we wore matching 2024 Chicago Open shirts to the June 15, 2024 Columbus G/60 tournament

Rachel and I played in the June 27, 2024 Cincinnati G/24 tournament. The tournament was scheduled to be USCF quick rated, but the usual tournament director was not able to show up due to a back injury, so instead the tournament was changed to unrated G/24 quads. I scored 2/3 in the top-rated quad, beating my former student Colin Gohmann (2005 regular/1885 quick), losing to top-seeded Sunav Adhikari (2068/1763), and beating Ido Ater Datz (1559/1520) in the last round. Rachel lost all three of her games in the lowest-rated quad, but she had a great time, and she played several extra games throughout the night, including an untimed game versus FM Hans Multhopp.

 

Rachel enjoyed her game versus FM Multhopp on 6/27/24

 

On June 29, 2024, Rachel and I played in the Cincinnati Tornado. Rachel scored 1/4 in the U1001 section, but she had a highlight moment in the second round when she delivered a checkmate for the first time in a rated game (her previous two wins were on time). After I congratulated Rachel, she told me that she had learned that checkmate from me; that will always be one of my favorite chess moments! I scored 3/4, losing 10 rating points to slide back to 1981. I was the fifth seeded player in the 27 player Open section, and I finished tied for third-eighth place, winning the prize for first-fourth U2001 (there was not a third place prize). 

In my fourth round game versus Lucas Edwards, I did a pseudo-sacrifice of my Queen to reach a winning position. Instead of retreating my Q after my opponent played Nc3, I uncorked ...Qh1+:

 

My opponent took my Q, and then I regained the lost material plus more after ...Bxe3+.

Queen sacrifices inspire the imaginations of chess players from amateur level to Grandmaster level. There are two other Queen sacrifices from my chess career that stand out in my memory. In the first round of the September 2010 Ohio Chess Congress, I used a Queen sacrifice to defeat the reigning Ohio Chess Champion, NM Kris Meekins, forcing mate after 22.Qxh7+ Kxh7 23.Rh4+ Kg7 24. Bh6+:

In round eight of the April 2011 House of Chess FIDE Double Round Robin, I gave up my Queen to force a win versus NM William Wright. I had Black, and after my opponent played Nf3?? I played ...Qxf3!:

He replied Qxf3, and then resigned after I played ...Re1+ because after Kg2 I would have played ...h3++. Declining the Q sacrifice not only leaves White a piece down, but Black still has a forced mate after Qb1 Re3. 

My sparkling win against Edwards was a nice way to cap off the first half of 2024. In Journey to the National Master Title, Part 8, I listed four chess goals for 2024. Here are those goals, with notes about my progress toward each one through the first six months of the year:

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.

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, and I lost two games to players rated below 1800 in the second quarter of 2024.

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.

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 2024 is .696.

In 2024, I have scored 53 wins, 22 draws, and 17 losses in regular rated tournament games with seven place finishes in 23 events. I have lost four games to players rated below 1800. My net rating gain for 2024 is 13 points so I need to gain 219 points to reach my goal.

NM Bernard Parham: Chess Innovator and Indiana State Chess Champion

National Master Bernard Parham passed away on Wednesday June 19 at the age of 77. Parham won the Indiana State Chess Championship in 1967, and he created the "Matrix System," an attacking method that he successfully used to win tournament games and as a teaching tool to introduce young people to chess. In connection with the "Matrix System," Parham also created a new form of chess notation based on the distinctive way that each chess piece moves; the U.S. Chess Federation approved Parham's chess notation for use in USCF rated tournaments.

The "Matrix System" is characterized by playing 2. Qh5 after 1. e4 e5. The early Queen move defies traditional opening principles that minor pieces should be developed first; when the Queen ventures out early, the opponent can gain time by attacking the Queen with less valuable pieces. Parham studied physics at Purdue, and he developed the "Matrix System" based on the notion that there is a connection between chess and vector analysis. 

Objectively, the "Matrix System" is not the best opening, but it has demonstrated its value in practical play. Not only did Parham achieve the National Master title (placing him in the top 1% of all rated U.S. players), but Parham's son Bernard Parham II is a Class A player who tied for first place in the 1994 National K-12 Championship (Grade 12) while using the "Matrix System."

This early Queen sortie has even been used at the game's highest levels. World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen played 2. Qh5 versus Shamsiddin Vokhidov in the 2018 World Rapid Championship. Carlsen lost that game--but not because of the opening, and in fact Carlsen missed a forced win on move 20. Carlsen did not win the World Rapid Championship in 2018, but he has won the event a record five times (2014-15, 2019, 2022-23), so he obviously takes it seriously and performs at a high level there.

Five-time U.S. Chess Champion Hikarua Nakamura, who has been ranked as high as second in the world, played 2. Qh5 versus GM Krishnan Sasikiran in the 2005 Sigeman tournament. Nakamura lost that game in 87 moves, but not because of the opening; he was close to winning at one point, but lost after he made a mistake and then pressed too hard instead of settling for a draw. Nakamura also played 2. Qh5 versus GM Nikola Mitkov in the HB Global Challenge, and versus GM Anton Filippov in the Second Champions Challenge, with both games ending into draws. Nakamura has used 2. Qh5 in many online chess games.

I first met Parham when he visited the Dayton Chess Club in the early 1990s. He was already a National Master, while I had yet to obtain Expert status or win the Dayton Chess Club Championship. Parham and I talked about his "Matrix System," and I expressed skepticism that this playing method was superior to traditional methods. Parham and I played several friendly blitz games, and he won most of those games. We talked about those games that night, and I maintained that he was beating me not because of the "Matrix System" but rather because he was a superior overall player; most of the games were decided because he outplayed me in the middlegame or endgame from equal or even inferior positions. Parham was without question both talented and hard-working; it is interesting to speculate about whether his "Matrix System" enabled him to maximize his talents, or if he could have been even stronger had he taken a more traditional approach to the game. I still am not sure what the correct answer is, but I disagree with those who just blithely dismiss his playing style and teaching methods; there is more than one way to attain mastery, and more than one way to keep students interested and engaged.

Nearly 20 years after we first met, I played my only rated game against Parham; by that time, I was rated close to 2100 USCF and within the next few years I would achieve my peak USCF rating (so far!) of 2190, while Parham's rating had dropped to 2010 (his health problems no doubt affected his chess rating). Interestingly, Parham did not play his "Matrix System" in this game, and we reached a standard position in the Giuoco Piano. I obtained an advantage out of the opening, but Parham equalized after I made a mistake on move 19 (Qb3 maintains a solid edge for White). After I blundered on move 32, Parham missed the winning shot 32...Ra1, and on move 34 he forced a draw instead of playing ...Qg4, which leads to a winning position. 

In short, this was an interesting--but far from perfect--battle that ended peacefully:

Event: Sunday in the Park (Columbus, Ohio) G/60 9/11/11 (4)
White: David Friedman (2094)
Black: Bernard Parham (2010)

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nd4 4. O-O d6 5. Nxd4 exd4 6. c3 Qf6 7. f4 Be6 8. Qb3 O-O-O 9. Bxe6+ fxe6 10. Qa4 dxc3 11. Nxc3 Kb8 12. d4 c6 13. Be3 d5 14. Rac1 Ne7 15. b4 Nc8 16. b5 Nb6 17. Qc2 Rc8 18. bxc6 Rxc6 19. exd5 exd5 20. Qb3 Qe6 21. Rfe1 Bd6 22. Bf2 Qf5 23. Bg3 h5 24. Nb5 Nc4 25. Qa4 Ra6 26. Nxd6 Nxd6 27. Qb4 h4 28. Re5 Qf6 29. Bf2 Rxa2 30. Rxd5 Ne4 31. Qc4 Qxf4 32. Bxh4 Qe3+ 33. Kh1 Qf4 34. Re5 Nf2+ 35. Kg1 Nh3+ 36. Kh1 Nf2+ 37. Kg1 Nh3+ 38. Kh1 Nf2+ 39. Kg1 1/2-1/2

The last time that I saw Parham was at the April 1, 2023 Indianapolis Super Tornado. We had a nice conversation in between rounds, reminiscing about both our first encounter at the DCC and about our rated game. I told him that I am still trying to reach NM level, and that I have great respect for all players who have accomplished that feat. He provided encouragement to me about achieving this goal. Parham played in just two more rated tournaments, both in Indiana in 2023. 

Parham leaves behind a lasting legacy as a National Master who also taught and inspired many students. His "Matrix System" has not replaced mainstream opening theory, but it is an interesting contribution to our beloved game.

As chess computers have become more powerful and sophisticated, we humans have learned that opening ideas that look odd to human eyes are in fact quite playable. Chess is a combination of art and sport, and there is a scientific aspect to chess as well. Computers reveal the scientific aspect of chess by demonstrating the technically correct way to play, but humans love chess not only for the pursuit of objective truth but also for the creation of beauty and for the heart-pumping thrill of competition. 

Even though Parham conceived of the "Matrix System" as a scientific contribution to chess, I think that his approach has its greatest value from a sporting perspective; from a practical standpoint as an active tournament player, I know that even some opening lines that computers say objectively are not great are difficult for humans to counter under the stress of tournament conditions. Even if some super computer objectively refutes the "Matrix System," that would not change the reality that Parham used his system to achieve National Master status while beating and drawing many strong players along the way. In that sense, Parham is an artistic cousin to the great World Chess Champion Mikhail Tal, who once joked with self-deprecation that there are two kinds of chess sacrifices: his sacrifices, and correct sacrifices. As long as humans enjoy playing chess as a form of artistic expression and as a sport, the game will always be about more than just which moves are "objectively" correct.

Willie Mays Played With Unbridled Joy While Displaying Mastery of Baseball Fundamentals

Willie Mays, who passed away on Tuesday at the age of 93, left an indelible imprint on sports history and American culture. Two primary themes connect most of the numerous tributes to Mays: he radiated joy because of how much he loved playing baseball, and he mastered all of the fundamentals of the game. 

Mays' joy was twofold: he enjoyed himself while playing baseball, and he enjoyed entertaining the fans who watched him playing baseball. Some sports stars are aloof in their interactions with the customers who make them famous and pay their salaries, but there are many stories of Mays' positive interactions with fans both at MLB ballparks and also away from the playing field, such as the accounts of him playing stickball in the street with New York kids.

Mays' mastery of baseball fundamentals enabled him to become perhaps the greatest baseball player of all-time. ESPN's SportsCentury list of the top 100 North American athletes of the 20th century is not definitive, but Mays' eighth place ranking indicates the impact that he had not just on baseball but on sports overall. Mays was the second highest ranked baseball player on that list, trailing only Babe Ruth, and that is the consensus of baseball historians: Ruth is the greatest baseball player of all-time, while Mays is a close second--but a reasonable case can be made for ranking Mays ahead of Ruth: Ruth was a great hitter and a great pitcher but not much of a defensive player or threat on the basepaths, while Mays was a five-tool baseball player who had no skill set weaknesses.

A five-tool baseball player hits for power, hits for a high batting average, has superior fielding ability, has superior throwing ability, and has superior running speed. Mays easily checked off all five boxes:

1) Power: Mays demonstrated his power by leading the National League in home runs four times (1955, 1962, 1964-65). He belted more than 50 home runs in a season twice (1955, 1965) en route to posting a career total of 660 home runs, which officially ranks sixth in MLB history but ranks fourth among players who did not artificially and illegally boost their strength with performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs)--and performance-enhancing drugs do, as the name suggests, enhance performance, even though some economists illogically argue otherwise.

2) High batting average: Mays posted a career .301 batting average, including a career-high .345 in 1954 when he won his only NL batting title. He hit at least .300 in 10 of his 22 MLB seasons.

3) Superior fielding: Mays won 12 consecutive Gold Gloves (1957-68), tied with Roberto Clemente for first all-time among outfielders, and tied for sixth all-time overall regardless of position. 

4) Superior throwing ability: Mays led NL center fielders in assists three times (1955-56, 1960), and he ranks seventh on the career MLB list with 188 assists as a center fielder.

5) Superior running speed: Mays led the NL in stolen bases for four straight seasons (1956-59), including a pair of 30 HR/30 SB seasons (1956-57). He ranked in the NL top ten in stolen bases for nine straight seasons (1954-62). Mays' career-high 40 stolen bases in 1956 may not look impressive at first glance, but that was the highest NL single season stolen bases total since 1944.

Mays' complete skill set enabled him to win two NL regular season MVP awards (1954, 1965) while earning 24 NL All-Star selections. Mays was as durable as he was productive: Mays played in at least 151 games in every season from 1954-1966.

Mays began his professional career in 1948 at age 17 in the Negro Leagues, and then he played in the minor leagues before joining the New York Giants in 1951. He won the 1951 NL Rookie of the Year award, and the Giants reached the World Series for the first time since 1937. Mays hit .182 in the 1951 World Series, and the New York Yankees won in six games. Mays missed most of the 1952 season and the entire 1953 season because of military service, but Mays returned to action in style in 1954, winning the batting title while also leading the NL in triples (13) and slugging percentage (.667). Mays earned the NL regular season MVP award, and then he led the Giants back to the World Series.

Greatness is defined not just by numbers, but also by iconic moments and plays--and, in game one of the 1954 World Series, Mays authored one of the most iconic moments in sports history: his spectacular over the shoulder catch of Vic Wertz' deep fly ball--forever immortalized as "The Catch"--followed by a strong throw to second base prevented a run from scoring in the top of the eighth inning of a 2-2 game with runners on first base and second base. The Giants did not allow a run in that inning, won the game in extra innings, and swept the series. 

The Giants moved from New York to San Francisco in 1958. Despite Mays' superb play, the Giants only reached the postseason twice between 1955 and 1971: in 1962 they lost 4-3 to the Yankees in the World Series, and in 1971 they lost 4-2 to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the National League Championship Series.

Early in the 1972 season, the Giants traded Mays to the New York Mets. Mays retired after the Mets lost 4-3 to the Oakland Athletics in the 1973 World Series. That series was not a highlight moment in Mays' career, but a legendary artist like Mays is defined by his entire body of work, not by his final brushstroke.

More than 50 years after he played in his last MLB game, Mays still is still MLB's career leader for games played in center field (2842), outfield putouts (7095), and extra-inning home runs (22). Mays' high career rankings are even more remarkable considering that (1) he played many of his home games in the cavernous Polo Grounds, (2) he did not have the advantages conferred by modern performance training methods, (3) he played in an era during which the rules favored pitchers, and (4) he did not gain an unfair advantage by using PEDs the way that Barry Bonds, Ryan Braun, Roger Clemens, Jason Giambi, Mark McGwire, Manny Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez, Sammy Sosa, and so many other cheaters did. 

Henry Aaron remains baseball's authentic home run king regardless of what MLB's official record book says, and his contemporary Willie Mays will likewise always be in baseball's pantheon. Mays brought joy to millions of people while setting the standard for all-around baseball excellence.

Remembering University of Dayton Basketball Coach Don Donoher

Don Donoher, who posted a 437-275 record in 25 seasons as the University of Dayton's men's basketball coach and is the school's all-time wins leader, passed away on April 12 at the age of 92. Donoher led the Flyers to postseason play in each of his first seven seasons and 15 times overall. He earned induction into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, the University of Dayton Athletic Hall of Fame, the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame, the Toledo Area High School Hall of Fame and the Toledo Central Catholic High School Hall of Fame. Donoher was a three year letter winner as a UD player under Coach Tom Blackburn, who he later succeeded after Blackburn died of lung cancer in 1964.

In 1967, Donoher guided the Flyers to the NCAA Championship Game, where they lost 79-64 to a UCLA squad led by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who was then known as Lew Alcindor. The Bruins had won the 1964 and 1965 NCAA titles under Coach John Wooden, who eventually captured a record 10 NCAA championships. Donoher is the first coach to lead his alma mater to the NCAA Championship Game after playing in the NCAA Tournament for his alma mater.

Donoher's Flyers followed up their NCAA runner-up finish by capturing the 1968 NIT title at a time when the NIT was much more prestigious than it is now. Dayton beat Kansas 61-48 in the 1968 NIT Championship Game. That Kansas squad was led by future Hall of Famer Jo Jo White, who later won two NBA titles (1974, 1976) with the Boston Celtics. UD's star player in the late 1960s was Don May, a two-time All-America selection who won the 1968 NIT MVP award. May was a member of New York's 1970 NBA championship team.

The Flyers made postseason appearances from 1969-71 before logging a pair of 13-13 seasons. In 1974, the Flyers finished 20th in the final AP poll after losing 111-100 in triple overtime to Bill Walton's UCLA squad in the NCAA Tournament. 

It would be 10 years before Dayton returned to the NCAA Tournament, but the Flyers participated in the NIT four times in a five year span from 1977-1982. Future two-time NBA All-Star Jim Paxson--whose brother John won three NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s--played for the Flyers from 1976-79.

I remember following the exploits of those late 1970s and early 1980s Flyers teams as a young boy, watching them on TV and sometimes going to games with my Dad. I still vividly recall several of those players, including big center Mike Kanieski, lanky forward Richard Montague, and scrappy point guard Kevin Conrad. 

Roosevelt Chapman, my all-time favorite college basketball player, joined the squad in 1980, and became UD's all-time leading scorer (a record that he still holds). He led the 1984 NCAA Tournament in scoring with 105 points in four games for a 26.3 ppg scoring average, highlighted by a 41 point outburst as he outdueled Wayman Tisdale--who became the second overall pick in the 1985 NBA Draft--in UD's 89-85 win over #2 ranked Oklahoma 89-85. Chapman and the 1984 Flyers authored one of the best Cinderella runs in NCAA Tournament history.

Donoher was highly respected within the coaching ranks. Bobby Knight tapped Donoher to be an assistant coach for the Team USA squad that won the 1984 Olympic gold medal. The Flyers qualified for the 1985 NCAA Tournament and then played in the 1986 NIT before enduring three straight losing seasons. In 1989, UD fired Donoher and replaced him with Jim O'Brien, who led the Flyers to the 1990 NCAA Tournament with players recruited by Donoher before going 39-77 in the next four seasons. O'Brien later spent nearly two decades as an assistant coach and head coach in the NBA. I interviewed O'Brien about the connections between basketball and chess.

Bobby Knight was outraged after UD fired Donoher, declaring to Ritter Collett (a Dayton sports columnist), "When I was named coach of the U.S. Olympic team, nobody could have wanted to represent the United States better than I did. So why did I pick Donoher to help me? Because I couldn't get a better coach. I may not know a lot of things, but I think I know basketball and I know I know more basketball than (Tom) Frericks and Brother (Raymond L.) Fitz. Donoher has maintained a very good Division I basketball program during a period when his salary was probably $25,000 under the average Big Ten coaching salary. Over the years, I've had a lot of people call me and ask me if I thought Don would be interested in another coaching job. When I called him to ask if he was interested, he invariably said, 'No, I don't even want to talk to them.' He was content to stay in Dayton. He has had a love affair with the school and the community. I think that is what burns me the most. Here is a man who had chances to leave, and I'm talking about some major jobs that have come open. He has never gone in to Frericks and said, 'Look, I've got this opportunity and it will pay me such-and-such.' He's never tried to use that to improve his earning power."

Donoher helped sign the players who led the Dayton Wings to World Basketball League titles in 1991 and 1992, and he also later worked as a scout for the Cleveland Cavaliers when Jim Paxson was the team's General Manager. Donoher spent some time as a high school coach in Ohio, and he was as serious about game plan preparation for those contests as he was when he coached players in the NCAA Tournament and the Olympics, telling writer Tom Archdeacon that those high school games were every bit as important to those players as the prime time games were to the more famous players.

I never met Donoher, but I have wonderful memories of interacting with several of his players. Chapman and Montague were two of my counselors at summer basketball camps in the early 1980s. Chapman taught me how to properly shoot a layup. He was a flamboyant player who specialized in fancy dunks and smooth finger rolls, but in person he was not flashy. As campers in awe of his jumping ability, we were always asking him to do a dunking exhibition for us, but he politely declined. I remember being excited when Chapman was selected by the Kansas City Kings in the third round of the 1984 NBA Draft, but I also remember that he did not seem thrilled when he showed up at our basketball camp after the NBA Draft; he understood that--as a 6-4 tweener--he was not likely to make the team, and indeed he ended up playing in the CBA before enjoying a successful pro career overseas.

I played in many pickup games with and against Dan Obrovac, who won the opening tip against Abdul-Jabbar in the 1967 NCAA Championship Game. Obrovac's hands were incredibly strong; he could hold a basketball in front of his body in those two big meathooks, and grown men could not punch the ball out of his grip. I would see him sometimes in the weight room, and he would easily do the full stack of weights on any resistance training machine that he used. Obrovac's knees were shot by the time that I played with him, but you could tell that he just enjoyed being on the court and playing in any capacity. 

I have a personal connection with UD as well, because in 2016 I became a UD alum after graduating from UD's two year law school program. Don Donoher and UD Flyers basketball were a big part of my childhood, and I will always remember him, those teams and those players fondly.

O.J. Simpson's Self-Tarnished Legacy

O.J. Simpson died yesterday after a brief battle with prostate cancer. He was 76 years old, and despite his numerous athletic accomplishments he will be most remembered for being found liable for the deaths of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman after being found not guilty of double murder in an infamous criminal trial. As a result of the civil liability finding, Simpson was ordered to pay $33.5 million to the victims' families, but because his NFL pension and his expensive home were legally exempt from that court decision he managed to live the high life while avoiding paying most of that damage award.

Simpson's double murder trial--the so-called "Trial of the Century"--provided fame and wealth to a cast of characters who lacked discernible talent but who became famous for being famous--a phenomenon that has now become all too common in our social media saturated era. 

The divergent reactions--largely along racial lines--to Simpson's acquittal in the criminal case foreshadowed the mixed up thinking that has now become prevalent in our society; such thinking stipulates that a member of a favored minority group can never be a criminal or oppressor, while a member of a non-favored group can never be a victim. Once a society abandons the notions of objective truth and equal protection under the law, that society is heading toward oblivion, because persecution in the past--no matter how abhorrent--does not justify the application of double standards in the present; the only sane way forward is to strive for equality, not some perverse "equity," because pursuing the latter is a path whose tragic consequences have been seen in the former Soviet Union and other countries whose revolutionaries claimed to be eliminating tyranny but instead implemented tyranny.

More than a decade after evading conviction and incarceration for a double murder for which there is no other suspect and for which he did not have a credible alibi, Simpson spent nine years in prison as a result of his conviction for armed robbery and kidnapping. Simpson and several accomplices held people at gunpoint in a Las Vegas hotel room while purportedly attempting to recover stolen sports memorabilia. Simpson was fortunate to only spend nine years in prison, because his 33 year sentence stipulated that he serve at least nine years before being eligible for parole. Had he not been granted the earliest possible parole, he could have died behind bars, a possibility that I mentioned 16 years ago when I summarized Simpson's legacy:

O.J. Simpson's athletic gifts provided him a golden opportunity to better his life, the lives of his family members and, if he had chosen, to make a positive contribution to society by using his name and influence to support a greater cause, like Jim Brown has done with his Amer-I-Can foundation. Instead, Simpson left a trail of misery and destruction culminating in the possibility of spending his final days on Earth locked behind bars. What a pitiful, tragic waste of human potential.

Simpson was the NFL's premier running back during my early childhood, and he still ranks as one of the greatest running backs in both college and NFL history--but, because of his poor life choices and lack of self-control, he determined that his legacy will be forever tarnished. 

Simpson never demonstrated the slightest bit of contrition or remorse, and in fact he ghoulishly tried to profit from the double murder by writing a book titled "If I Did It" wherein he denied his guilt and yet explained in detail how he would have committed the crime if he had done it. After a protracted legal battle, Ron Goldman's father Fred obtained the publication and royalty rights for the book to satisfy part of the $33.5 million judgment against Simpson.

I hope that the Brown and Goldman families find some closure and peace now that Simpson is no longer around to flaunt his wealth and freedom three decades after they buried their loved ones whose lives had been brutally cut short.

UConn Routs Purdue, Becomes First Back to Back NCAA Champions Since Florida in 2007

The University of Connecticut (UConn) Huskies defeated Purdue 75-60 to claim their second consecutive NCAA title after beating San Diego State 76-59 in last year's NCAA Championship Game. Tristen Newton led UConn with 20 points while also dishing for seven assists and snaring five rebounds, becoming the first player to have a 20-5-5 NCAA Championship Game performance since Carmelo Anthony in 2003. Newton won the Final Four Most Outstanding Player award. Consensus National Player of the Year Zach Edey scored a game-high 37 points on 15-25 field goal shooting for Purdue while also grabbing a game-high 10 rebounds in 39 minutes. UConn's strategy was simple: shut down the rest of Purdue's team under the assumption that Edey could not win the game by himself. Edey's teammates scored 23 points on 9-29 field goal shooting. 

UConn has won six national titles--all since 1999--and the Huskies are the first back to back champions since the 2006-07 Florida Gators. Duke (1991-92) is the only other school to win consecutive NCAA championships since John Wooden led UCLA to 10 NCAA championships in a 12 year span (1964-65, 1967-73, 1975). UConn has won 12 consecutive Final Four games, with each victory by at least 13 points, and the Huskies became just the sixth team to win all six tournament games by double digits.

It is easy to see how UConn won 37 games this season but--to paraphrase an old line about dominant pitcher Sandy Koufax--it is not easy to see how UConn lost three games this season. UConn coach Dan Hurley declared that UConn has been running college basketball since 1999, a brash statement that is also true. Hurley has transformed himself from being Bobby Hurley's little known brother into being a future Hall of Famer; Bill Self and Rick Pitino are the only active coaches other than Dan Hurley who have won two NCAA titles (but one of Pitino's titles was vacated by the NCAA).

However, it is demonstrably false to suggest that the 2024 Huskies are a better basketball team than the legendary teams from the past, regardless of how many records the Huskies set. Just consider the strategy that worked so well against Purdue: let Edey run wild because his teammates--on a team that was clearly the second best college team this season--could be shut down. That strategy worked brilliantly because Edey may be Purdue's only NBA caliber player. Imagine trying a similar strategy against the 2007 Florida Gators, who had six future NBA players on their roster (including future All-Stars Al Horford and Joakim Noah); no intelligent coach would do that, because Florida had way too much talent and depth. Similarly, the 1992 Duke Blue Devils also had six future NBA players on their roster, including future Hall of Famer Grant Hill, and Christian Laettner, one of the greatest college players of all-time. The 1973 UCLA Bruins featured future Hall of Famer Bill Walton at center, and his teammates included future Hall of Famer Jamaal Wilkes, plus future pros Swen Nater (a two-time All-Star), Dave Meyers, Greg Lee, and Ralph Drollinger. 

Teams playing in the NCAA Championship Game used to routinely feature multiple future NBA players because the best college players used to stay in school for four years or at least three. There was no transfer portal, so teams developed chemistry, cohesion, and experience. In contrast, UConn is dominating an era during which the best players go to the NBA as soon as possible; the overall talent level in college basketball is not nearly as good as it used to be, and few teams stay together long enough to develop much chemistry, cohesion, and experience.

I love basketball, and I particularly love championship level basketball. UConn is a great college team in this era, but UConn is not better than the great college teams from the past precisely because the college game in this era is not better than the college game was in the past. It is not UConn's fault that the overall talent level in this era is watered down--but commentators who breathlessly hype up everything that happens now while ignoring the sport's historical realities should consider their words more carefully.

Further Reading:

UConn Defeats San Diego State 76-59 to Claim Fifth NCAA Title Since 1999 (April 2023)

The NCAA Tournament Provides Drama, but Does it Provide Great Basketball? (April 2022)

Baylor Dominates Gonzaga to Win the 2021 NCAA Title (April 2021)

Separating the Grownups From the Kids in Basketball (November 2018) 

Heels Stomp Spartans (2009 NCAA Championship)

C(h)alm in the Clutch: Kansas Defeats Memphis in OT, 75-68 (2008 NCAA Championship) 

Early Entry Players Have Diluted Both College and Pro Basketball (March 2008)

 

Journey to the National Master Title, Part 9

I scored 2/3 in the January 6, 2024 Columbus G/60 tournament, gaining 16 rating points to lift my rating to 1984. I defeated the top ranked player--Nicholas Bize (2064)--in the first round, and after drawing my next two games I shared first place with three other players. The next day, I scored 3/4 in the January 7, 2024 East Market Swiss, gaining two rating points to improve my rating to 1986. I lost to the top rated player, Brett Passen (2173), who tied for first place with Matt Wang. I tied for third-fifth place.

The Cardinal Open is one of my favorite tournaments, and one of the major annual open events in Ohio. There is a lot of tradition associated with the Cardinal Open, which according to my research was first held in 1975 (as mentioned in the March-April 1985 Ohio Chess Bulletin); I have to rely on my research because the Ohio Chess Association website has little historical data of any kind and no historical information about the Cardinal Open: their list of Ohio Champions only goes back to 2018, while my list dates back to the Ohio Chess Association's founding in 1945. Per the March-April 1988 Ohio Chess Bulletin, in 1987 only six U.S. open tournaments offered larger top place prizes than the Cardinal Open. In the 1980s and 1990s many top Grandmasters and International Masters traveled to Columbus for this midwinter event, including GM Anatoly Lein, six-time U.S. champion GM Walter Browne, two-time U.S. champion GM Roman Dzinzichasvili, three-time U.S. Champion GM Nick DeFirmian, GM Maxim Dlugy, GM Dmitry Gurevich, GM Sergey Kudrin, two-time U.S. champion GM Alex Yermolinsky, four-time U.S. champion GM Alexander Shabalov, GM Gregory Kaidanov, GM Ben Finegold, GM Enrico Sevillano 15-time Ohio Champion IM Calvin Blocker, IM Igor Ivanov, IM Boris Kogan, IM John Donaldson, IM Ed Formanek, IM Angelo Young, and IM Emory Tate (Dlugy, Ivanov, Finegold, and Sevillano were not GMs when they played in the Cardinal Open, but they were strong IMs who already displayed GM-level playing strength).

In the 1999 Cardinal Open, I tied for second-third among players rated under 2200 in a strong Open section. Then-IM Sevillano won the tournament with a perfect 5-0 score, ahead of (among others) Finegold, Lein, and Blocker; after losing my first two games, I reeled off three straight wins, taking down two Experts plus National Master A.J. Steigman (who earned that title at age 13 just three months before I beat him). 

My win versus NM Steigman was played with a 30/90, G/60 time control. 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 c5 3.Bg2 e6 4. O-O Be7 5. d3 d6 6. Nbd2 O-O 7. e4 Nc6 8. Re1 Qc7 9. Qe2 e5 10. c3 b6 11. Nf1 Ba6 12. Nh4 b5 13. Nf5 Nd7??

I will always remember how happy I felt after Steigman played this move. I knew that I was about to not only take down a National Master but also win a prize in a big Open tournament. 14. Bh6! gxh6 15. Qg4+ Bg5 16.Nxh6+ Kh8 Steigman offered a draw here but of course I declined because White has a decisive advantage. 17. Qxg5 f6 18. Qh5 Nb6 19. Ne3 c4 20. dxc4 Nxc4 21. Nxc4 bxc4 22. Rad1 Rad8 23. Rd2 Bc8 24. Red1 Na5 25. Bh3 Bxh3 26. Qxh3 Nb7 27.Nf5 Rf7 28. Qf1 Rfd7 29. Ne3 Rc8 30. Nd5 Qa5 31. Nxf6 Rf7 32. Nd5 Qc5 33. Ne3 a5 34. Rd5 Qc7 35. Nf5 Rd8 36. R1d2 Rf6 37. Qd1 Qc6 38. Rxe5 Nc5 39. Re7 Nxe440. Qh5 h6 41. Nxh6 Qc5 42. Nf5+ Kg8 43. Qh7+ 1-0

In the 2023 Cardinal Open, I scored 2.5/5 in the U2100 section, losing 16 rating points to drop below 2000. I hoped and planned to have a better performance this year, and I started with a round one win, but I did not win another game, scoring three draws and one loss the rest of the way. Draws are better than losses, but draws versus lower rated players cost up to 12 rating points each, and that can add up quickly. I lost 32 rating points, dropping my rating to 1954, more than wiping out the progress I made in my last three tournaments. After the third round, I played in the Cardinal Open Saturday Night Blitz, scoring 3.5/8. I scored 3/4 versus non-Master opponents and .5/4 versus Masters, including 0-2 versus Ralph Tan, who tied for first place with three other players. 

My first round win in the 2024 Cardinal Open was sloppy--I had a lost position on move 11 but resourcefully fought back--and unfortunately foreshadowed my careless play in the next four rounds. 

Contrast my smooth conversion versus Steigman--who is far stronger than anyone who I faced in the 2024 Cardinal Open--with my fumbling of three winning positions and one equal position in the Cardinal Open, and it is evident that the most significant issue preventing me from returning to 2100 and then reaching 2200 is my lack of sharp focus at crucial moments during games. 

I scored 2.5/4 in the January 21, 2024 East Market Swiss, losing 15 rating points to drop my rating to 1939. I did not win a prize. I drew with Keya Jha, the third ranked nine year old female in the country. I lost to Stanley Qiu after beating this talented junior each of the first four times that we played. He is the first player rated below 1800 who beat me in 2024--although it should be noted that he gained 99 points in this event and is now barely rated below 1800 (1798).

I scored 2.5/4 in the February 3, 2004 Columbus Plus Score tournament, gaining two rating points to increase my rating to 1941. This event featured an unusual prize format; instead of the prizes being based on ranking (first, second, third, etc.) the prizes were based on score, and every player who achieved a plus score (at least 2.5/4) received the designated prize for that score (in other words, tied players did not split prizes). 

The next day, I scored 3.5/4 in the East Market Swiss, gaining 15 rating points to increase my rating to 1956. I tied for first-second place. In the last round, I played Joel Thompson, who had the only 3-0 score. I was one of four players who had 2.5/3, so I needed to win to at least tie for first place. Thompson had a provisional rating (after 25 games) of 1732. I had Black for the third time in four games. Thompson played well for the first 15 moves, but I gained the upper hand after he erred on move 16, and then I won the Exchange after he blundered on move 18. I was expecting to have to grind out a winning endgame, but Thompson misplaced his K after a check and suddenly I had mate in three after ...R1e3+:

My opponent resigned here, because after Kh4 Black wins with 26...Bf2+ 27. g3 Bxg3+ 28. Kg5 h6++, while after Kf4 Black creates a similar mating net with 26...Bh2+ 27. g3 Bxg3+ 28. Kg5 h6++. Winning games, winning tournaments, and gaining rating points are all important, but chess is also about artistic beauty. I don't recall ever seeing a mating pattern like this, and I am happy that I recognized the opportunity to play this mate.

I played in two tournaments during the February 17-18 weekend. I scored 2/3 in the February 17, 2024 Columbus G/60 tournament, gaining eight rating points to push my rating up to 1964. I lost to the second ranked player--Nicholas Bize (2035)--in the second round, and he went on to finish clear first with 2.5/3, while I tied for second-third with the top ranked player, NM Charles Diebert. I scored 2.5/4 in the February 18, 2024 East Market Swiss, losing 17 rating points to drop my rating back to 1947. I had a very challenging day, due partially to my lack of focus early in the event and then later due to some health challenges during the final round. In the first round I had to defend well to draw with Ryan Wang (1258) after I blundered a piece for a pawn in the opening; young Wang had an excellent tournament, gaining 125 rating points! I beat Khalil Babiker (1251) in round two, but only after recovering from carelessly dropping a pawn. In round three, I drew with Keya Jha, a talented junior who I also drew with in the January 21, 2024 East Market Swiss. I drew my fourth round game with Expert Matt Wang; prior to the start of that game, I experienced abdominal discomfort and pain in my left flank, and both conditions worsened during the game, forcing me to make at least a half dozen trips to the restroom. After I finished my game, I drove straight to Miami Valley South Hospital and was diagnosed with a kidney stone in my left kidney; I knew this particular type of pain quite well, as I suffered a kidney stone in my right kidney in January 2023.

I bounced back from the kidney stone and the rating points loss to score 3/3 in the Dayton Chess Club's G/45 tournament, finishing clear first and gaining eight rating points to bring my rating back up to 1955.

On March 2, 2004, I played in my second Columbus Plus Score tournament, and I scored 2.5/4, fading in the second half of the event after winning my first two games. I lost 16 rating points, dropping to 1939. In my last round game, I won a pawn and had a commanding position versus Stanley Qiu (1815 official March 2024 rating, 1776 live rating), but I squandered my advantage, regained my advantage, and then lost after blundering in a drawn position. That was my second loss this year to a player whose live rating is below 1800 (both losses are to Qiu), and it ended my streak of 11 straight games without a loss (seven wins, four draws)--my longest such streak since I had 12 straight games without a loss (10 wins, two draws) in April/May 2023.

Grandmaster Jan Markos has a list of "anti-blunder tricks," and I need to consistently implement his recommendations:

1. Make sure you are aware of all unprotected pieces.
2. Make a list of all forcing moves and don't forget to check every one of them, at least briefly.
3. Don't forget to check all exchanges as well.
4. Don't play natural moves instantly.
5. Always ask yourself: What has changed on the board with the last move(s)?
6. Try to calculate lines until the very end.
7. Don't relax in simple positions.
8. Make sure you calm down after you have blundered or experienced an unpleasant surprise.

During the March 9-10, 2024 weekend, I played in two chess tournaments. I scored 2.5/4 in the March 9, 2024 Columbus G/45 tournament, losing three rating points to drop to 1936. I tied for third-eighth place. On March 10, 2024, I scored 3.5/4 in the East Market Swiss to secure clear second place and gain 18 rating points to push my rating back up to 1954.

My daughter Rachel and I played in the Dayton Chess Club's March 23, 2024 G/45 Swiss. This was Rachel's first rated tournament in Dayton, and her first rated tournament in 2024. She won her first game by forfeit, and lost her last two games. I scored 3/3, gaining 23 rating points to lift my rating to 1977 and finish clear first. 

          Rachel and I had fun at the 3/23/24 DCC G/45 Swiss
 

                  A smiling Rachel is ready to play her third round game

The next Saturday, Rachel and I played in the Cincinnati Tornado. Rachel lost three games, and she had a one point bye in round three. 

 Rachel and I took a selfie before the first round of the 3/30/24 Cincinnati Tornado 

I scored 2.5/4, losing six rating points to drop to 1971. In the fourth round, I played Gajanan Jayade (2128) on board one. Jayade only needed a draw to at least tie for first place, while I needed a win to at least tie for first place. Jayade outplayed me early in the game and built up a significant advantage, but I fought back and then took command after he missed a tactical shot. The critical position happened on my 38th move with both of us in time pressure (G/45 time control with five second time delay), although he was in worse time pressure than I was. Stockfish 16 gives Black +41 (!) here:

It should be noted that computer evaluations can be a little misleading, because this position is +41 only if I play the best move; Black is only +1.4 after the second best move, and less than +1 after any other move. The killer shot is 38...Nf3, with Black crashing through after 39. Kh1 Nxh2 40. Ra8+ Kh7 41. Rf8 Qxf8 42. Kxh2 Bf4+ 43. Kh1 Qxd6. Black has a significant advantage after 38...Rb1, but White can prolong the struggle by sacrificing the Exchange on d2. Instead, I played 38...Rf3, giving my opponent two different paths to equality: the Exchange sac on d2, and Nf5, which is what he played. I could have maintained the balance with 39...Rb3 but instead I played 39...Nxf1??, after which White would be +5 after Ra8+ followed by Qxf3--but with less than 30 seconds on his clock, my opponent immediately took on f3, enabling me to stay in the game by taking on h2 and then taking on a2. Unfortunately, after taking on a2 I did not successfully blockade my opponent's passed d pawn, and he checkmated me after promoting that pawn to a Queen. If I had won the game then I would have tied for first and pushed my rating very close to 2000; instead, I finished out of the money and ended up 29 points short of 2000. There are two valid ways of looking at this. One way is that I am demonstrating the ability to play at a high level, which suggests that it is realistic to believe that I can get my rating back over 2100 and complete the journey to National Master, a title that I fell just 10 points short of reaching in 2015; another way is that the nature of chess is that one bad move can swing the outcome of a game and a tournament--this is not a basketball game during which a team can build a 20 point lead, allow a 19-0 run, and still win by one point--and I have to significantly reduce how frequently I play game-altering bad moves or else I will be talking about how close I am to turning things around as opposed to describing how I turned things around. Sports competition is unscripted drama, so no one knows for sure how this quest will proceed. I remain confident, while also understanding that gaining over 200 rating points and establishing a career-high rating past the age of 50 is objectively a quite daunting task. I've never run from a challenge in my life, and I won't run from this one (which does not guarantee success, but guarantees that I will give my all until there is nothing left to give, which is the only way that I can be at peace with the outcome).

In Journey to the National Master Title, Part 8, I listed four chess goals for 2024. Here are those goals, with notes about my progress toward each one through the first quarter of the year:

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.

2) Do not lose any games to players rated below 1800. I lost two 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.

4) Maintain a winning percentage of at least .750, to break my personal record of .740 set in 2014. My first quarter 2024 winning percentage was .708.

In 2024, I have scored 30 wins, 15 draws, and eight losses in regular rated tournament games with four first place finishes in 14 events. I have lost two games to players rated below 1800. My net rating gain for 2024 is three points so I need to gain 229 points to reach my goal.