From the Online Chess Wall -- Brian Wall on Alekhine's Defense

I learned a ton about the Alekhine's Defense preparing for Joe Fromme -
I won with both sides our last two games. I expected another thematic
debate on old Ale and Wine but Joe played 1 e4 e5. For a quarter century
I played the Danish Gambit so I was a little relieved when my new book
gave me an excuse to play an animal opening, the Clam. After 25 years
of whiteknuckling the opening with a lost game I was like a pilot who
had flown too many missions, I could not hold my coffee cup without
my hand shaking. The problem with the Lemmiwinks Clam Opening is that
it puts no pressure on Black - with the Danish I get a quick win 90%
of the time and a lost position 10%. With the Clam everybody gets a
a good solid structure with zero tough decisions. 9 year old Jackson
Chen beat my Clam in my Poor Richard's Lion simul. Joe Fromme had a
great game for 20 moves.

[Event "Poor Richard's Restaurant Wednesday Night Chess Tournament"]
[Site "324 North Tejon Street, Colorado Springs, CO"]
[Date "2007.11.14"]
[Round "2"]
[White "brianwall"]
[Black "Joe Fromme"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ICCResult "Black checkmated"]
[WhiteElo "2200"]
[BlackElo "1668"]
[Opening "KP: Indian opening, Clam Opening"]
[ECO "C20"]
[NIC "KP.07"]
[Time "19:04:18"]
[TimeControl "Game/85 plus 5 second delay"]

Poor Richard's Restaurant, Bookstore and Toy
Store 7 PM Wednesday Night Chess Tournament

Game 85
plus 5 second delay

Cold night

Afterwards I drank and played poker with Josh Bloomer and his buddies
all night at the Finish Line. I argued God with 22 year old Pearl for
an hour. I listened to Josh and his young friends Karaoke. Josh took
everyone's money at cards and then he won some Pia Sprong Chess postcards
from me too. Tom Mullikin and Joe Fromme paid for theirs. I talked boxing
with a guy who was a many time Golden Gloves Champion of Boston, sparred
with Marvin Hagler for 13 years, a guy who lost 3 out of 132 professional
fights. He trains boxers at the Olympic Center while Daniel St. John, a
chessplayer, trains the wrestlers. This guy had to imitate the style
of Marvin's next bout. One time he "wobbled Marvin with a left hook. "
He was an Italian American named John, I think. I asked John if speed
with his main weapon - he was 44, fought at 175 and looked very wiry.
Our kids are about the same ages with sexes reversed. John said he had a
tough jaw and could punch hard. He almost never got hit. He was proud of
wobbling Marvin because Marvin is world famous for his rock jaw.
In the morning I reported to an AA meeting I had been attending for 6 months
that I had spent my last $10 on a pitcher of beer. One time I started the
meeting with - Hi, my name is Brian, I am a foodaholic and it has been
3 minutes since my last meal. My poker was over quick after I went all in 3
times in a row in Texas Hold 'em - Results - first all in - my 88 held up
against A,5 - second all in - my straight lost to a higher straight -
third all in - the flush I flopped was beaten by a higher flush on the flop.
Done. Put a fork in me. This is why I miss being married. Without God, wife
and children men have scant protection against every vice.

White - Brian Wall 2200

Black - Joe Fromme 1668

1. e4! e5! 2. d3!!

The Clam has no brain and no eyes.

2 ... Nc6! 3. Nf3!

I considered 3 f4 but then I remembered how a girl named Devon in the
2007 Jemez Springs, New Mexico Hummingbird Chess Camp would close her eyes
and play Nf3, Be2, 0-0 or Nf3, g3, Bg2, 0-0 imitating the sightless
clam. She was a delight. She liked to close her eyes, fumble for a rook,
knock all of Black's pieces over with it, scream " Suicide Clam!!!!!!!"
and run around the dining hall screaming " Suicide Clam!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
I really liked talking to Devon. She convinced me to dance a few at the
Hummingbird Final Dance night. Devon said, " You make up your own Chess
openings, why not make up your own dance moves?" so I did.

3 ... d6 4. g3 g6 5. Bg2! Bg7! 6. O-O! Nge7! 7. Nfd2

After 14 minutes thought I decided I must combat .. f5 with f4.
I liked the move visually because it looks like the last move
your average development freak would make.

7 ...O-O! 8. f4 f5! 9. Nc3! Be6 10. Nf3 Kh8

I used to do this a lot on the black side of the
1 e4 c6 2 d3 d5 Caro-Kann, prepare a spot on
g8 for the bishop.

11. Be3

Thinking maybe Qd2, fe and Bh6.
The position is way too boring to analyze
but I amused myself by noting the two armies
were almost completely symmetrical except for
the Kings and their Knights.

11 ... Qd7

Amusing - even the plans are symmetrical -
is he plannng ... fe and ... Bh3 too?

12. Ng5 Bg8 13. Qd2 h6! 14. Nf3! Kh7 15. Rf2

Trying to play like Botvinnik in the
Botvinnik system of the English.

15 ... Nd4 16. Bxd4

I decided to create some "action" here.

16 ... exd4! 17. Ne2! c5! 18. c3! Nc6

So far I have not managed to achieve anything but don't worry -
I have been beating 1600's for 35 years. It doesn't take much to confuse
them. Joe hasn't done anything special yet except develop his pieces.
Equality unearned contains the seeds of future defeat.

19. exf5 gxf5?

The confusion starts here and ends with a lost
game 5 moves later. This leads to 4 weak isolated
pawns. I would have nothing after 19 ... Q:f5!

20. cxd4! Nxd4?

The mistakes are coming fast now that Joe
can't hide behind general principles.
After 20 ... cd! it is hard to activate
my e2-knight and Fromme's two bishops cover
every sin.

21. Nexd4!

This knight was hopelessly mired a ply ago.

21 ... cxd4! 22. Re2

It was hard to choose a move because picking on d4
with 22 Qb4 leads to nothing after 22 ... a5!
I sort of need my a1-rook to guard a2 for the moment.

22 ... Rfe8 23. Nh4

A poker bluff in anticipation of my night with Josh.
23 Nh4 Bf6 24 N:f5 Q:f5 25 Be4 R:e4 26 de
favors Joe. My move does attack everything I can
and strain the defense a bit.

23 ... Rxe2?

Coloradans have been trade-trade-losing to me for 4 decades.

24. Qxe2!

With threats of N:f5 or Qh5 or Re1

24 ... Re8?

It seems all Joe can do is develop
but 24 ... Rf8 was better. The former
Marine has fallen apart the last 5 moves
because I created imbalances for his
faulty judgement to flounder on.

25. Qh5!

f5 falls

25 ... Bf7 26. Qxf5+! Qxf5! 27. Nxf5! Re2!

A pig on the seventh often neutralizes
a missing pawn but not two pawns.

28. Nxd6! Kg8! 29. Nxf7!!

I see a way to neutralize Joe's 7th rank rook.
Opposite colored bishops can lead to draws
two pawns down but I don't think that applies here.
This is where human insight is better than
computer bean counting.

29 ... Kxf7! 30. Bxb7!! Rxb2! 31. Bd5+!! Kg6 32. Rf1!!

Fritz 6 is still giving lousy advice but I have everything worked out.
There is no defense to Rf2 followed by advancing my King and Kingside
pawns up the board, whether Joe trades rooks or not.

32 ... h5 33. Rf2!!

All part of the inevitable juggernaut formulated after 28 ... Kg8.
My Queenside is invulnerable and my Kingside is rolling.

33 ... Rxf2! 34. Kxf2! Kf5! 35. Kf3! Bf6?

A funny way to die because now I will have three connected passed pawns
or force an immediate checkmate. Joe always gets down to his final minute
in our games. I think he enjoys playing a Chessmaster and tries to get
the most out of it. Joe started chuckling to himself and allowed the
mate with 50 seconds left. Joe was a good sport, bought a packet of Pia's
Chess postcards and praised my play. I told him he was fine but somewhere
around move 22 he made some mistakes.

36. Bf7!!

How do you want to protect the h5-pawn?

36 ... h4 37. g4#
----------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------

[Event "Poor Richard's Restaurant Wednesday Night Chess Tournament"]
[Site "324 North Tejon Street, Colorado Springs, CO"]
[Date "2007.11.14"]
[Round "2"]
[White "brianwall"]
[Black "Joe Fromme"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ICCResult "Black checkmated"]
[WhiteElo "2200"]
[BlackElo "1668"]
[Opening "KP: Indian opening, Clam Opening"]
[ECO "C20"]
[NIC "KP.07"]
[Time "19:04:18"]
[TimeControl "Game/85 plus 5 second delay"]

1. e4 e5 2. d3 Nc6 3. Nf3 d6 4. g3 g6 5. Bg2 Bg7 6. O-O Nge7 7. Nfd2 O-O 8.
f4 f5 9. Nc3 Be6 10. Nf3 Kh8 11. Be3 Qd7 12. Ng5 Bg8 13. Qd2 h6 14. Nf3 Kh7
15. Rf2 Nd4 16. Bxd4 exd4 17. Ne2 c5 18. c3 Nc6 19. exf5 gxf5 20. cxd4 Nxd4
21. Nexd4 cxd4 22. Re2 Rfe8 23. Nh4 Rxe2 24. Qxe2 Re8 25. Qh5 Bf7 26. Qxf5+
Qxf5 27. Nxf5 Re2 28. Nxd6 Kg8 29. Nxf7 Kxf7 30. Bxb7 Rxb2 31. Bd5+ Kg6 32.
Rf1 h5 33. Rf2 Rxf2 34. Kxf2 Kf5 35. Kf3 Bf6 36. Bf7 h4 37. g4#