The Washington Generals Win One!

My good friend Ken Henkelman and I have continued our casual games chess rivalry - and it has been rather discouraging in recent weeks - Ken won eight games in a row, some of them fairly easily, and consistently squashed my Latvian Gambit. Then I woke up, and fought Ken to an exciting draw and won another "quiet game" (Gucco Piano). The true facts of our relative chess strength (Ken is 1800, I am 1400) returned to our chess board, and Ken won nine more games in a row - some were close, some were not - and I wondered if I should keep playing this guy. I kept remembering the 1961 Philadelphia Phillies National League baseball team, who set a major league record for consecutive losses at 23. But tonight, there was a wonderful breakthrough. I may have found a way to stymie Ken in our Latvian Gambit games (-1- e4 e5 -2- Nf3 f5 -3- Bc4).

As most everyone knows, the Washington Generals are the opponents of the Harlem Globetrotters, and they always manage to find a way to lose. My chess ego was slipping to Washington Generals status, but it has been reborn, because I just beat Ken in an original Latvian Gambit game where my superior minor pieces (Bishops and Knights) overwhelmed Ken's rooks. In Ken's words, "I put the screws to him". Sometimes, David can beat Goliath. I offer this game for your consideration.

CASUAL GAME - KEN HENKELMAN VS JOHN DEVRIES
MAY 2, 2010 WACO TX

WHITE (Henkelman) BLACK (DeVries)
-1- e4 e5
-2- Nf3 f5
-3- Bc4 P x P (f5 x e4)
-4- N x P d5!
-5- Qh5 check g6
-6- N x P at g6 Nf6 (the only move)
-7- Qh4 P x N
-8- Q x R P x B
I get two minor pieces - Bishop and Knight - for Rook.
-9- Nc3 Kf7
-10- 0-0 Bf5
-11- Re1 Nc6
Now I can move my Bishop against Ken's Queen.
-12- b3 Bg7
-13- Qh4? Nd4
Exchanging queens would have been better for White.
-14- Rb1 N x P at c2
-15- Rd1 P x P
-16- R x P b6
-17- Ne2 Nd4
-18- N x N Q x N
-19- Bb2 Qa4!
-20- Qf4 Nd5!
-21- Qg3 B x B
I win a minor piece!
-22- Rb1 Bd4
-23- a3 Rh8
Claiming the open h file for my rook.
-24- h3 Qd7
-25- Rc1 c5
-26- Qg5 Qd6
-27- Kf1 Bf6
This forces trade of Queens when I have minor piece advantage.
-28- Qg3 Q x Q
-29- R x Q Nf4
-30- Rb3 Rd8
-31- g4 Be6
I have strong parallel Bishops.
-32- Re3 Nd3
-33- Rb1 Ba2
-34- Rd1 Bc4
-35- Kg1 Bd5
-36- Kf1 Bg5
-37- Rg3 Bf4
-38- Rg1 Ne5
-39- d4? Bc4 check
-40- Kg2 R x P
-41- R x R P x R
Ken's first rook is gone and I have connected pawns in the center.
-42- Re1 e3
-43- P x P B x P
-44- a4 Ke6
-45- Kg3 d3!
-46- Rd1 Bb3
-47- Rb1 d2
-48- a5 b5!
-49- h4 d1 = Queen
-50- R x Q B x R
Now I have a crushing material advantage.
-51- g5 Bh5!
-52- Kg2 Ng4
-53- Kf3 b4
-54- Ke4 Kd6!
-55- Kd3 Kc5
-56- Kc2 Kb5
-57- Kb3 K x P
My greatest problem now is to avoid a stalemate.
-58- Ka2 Ne5
-59- Kb3 Nf3
-60- Ka2 N x P at h4
-61- Kb3 Nf3
-62- Ka2 N x P
I grab Ken's last pawns.
-63- Kb3 Ne4
-64- Ka2 g5
-65- Kb3 g4
-66- Ka2 g3
-67- Kb3 g2
Resigns