The Worst Beating of My Life...
by Brian McCarthy Senior Life Master
Printed in Chess Horizons 2/97:
My usual column centers around one strategic or practical aspect of tournament chess. I was honored to be asked to write for Chess Horizons but was at a loss for a lecture subject when I know so many higher rated people read this magazine.
I hope most readers already know me. I am very proud of tying for first in the Boston Open in my first trip to Beantown, even though more than one local laughed at me when I told them I was playing for the Grand Prix points! I'm sure not many win their first Boston tournament. I hope playing in 45+ tourneys a year has taught me things that even 2600s can use.I don't really put much stock in our flawed rating system with its free point in the over 400 point match up. I won over 200 grand prix points in a little over two years and my rating hasn't changed. This one error in American chess has handicapped our generation. Our rating system tells how someone does against mostly non pros leaving us to guess who can really play with the top pros and the K's. I think golf's Ryder cup is a better set up (money list).
My point of the soapbox is that I have looked elsewhere for satisfaction. The list of masters I've beaten now only gets added to when the victim is over 2600 on the wallchart. I like winning tournaments but take a special satisfaction winning the biggest tournament listed in Chess Life that particular week. I don't believe in royalty or titles and I love pointing out that I have won more money in a few years than most titled payers will win in their lifetime. I love telling my students "It's not if you win its how you win!
Forty plus weekends in a van with a dog while working and going to school leaves a person with the means, motive and opportunity to polish one's sadism. Consider my simple format, we present games and claim they are the worst beating so an so ever took. So an so must now come up with an even worse beating they suffered or consent by their silence! I will present a recent victory over former 2700 player GM Rohde and a pair of classics. One from the first ever computer network championship, particularly humiliating since one move before mate the position is in ECO as fine for black and it's his trap! Also a real favorite over the living legend I affectionately call the "Movie Boy".
If I dish it out I must prepare to take it, if you can top this. I show up at my regular pace only to find that Bill Goichberg has once again started the World Open quick schedule right on time and I have black and about 7 minutes against GM Sergey Kudrin. Luckily I didn't have to keep score most of the game and the only thing I really remember is Sergey playing a g3 Sicilian with such aggression that when I tried to make luft with h6 he just went Bxh6. I learned enough to draw our g3 Sicilian rematch so there is hope for both the willing an unwilling participant to learn. If Sergey keeps his scoresheets I hope he submits it. Not!
Please submit qualifying beatings or refutations for future publications. Maybe a brave warrior will submit a loss, confession is good for the soul. I am interested in upsets or very good games at any level. Blunders, visual miscues (retained image etc.) or misplayed attacks probably won't excite me. If your opponent left the board wondering what hit him, you probably qualify, of course your opponent may think differently.
Like all good arguments a true winner is hard to determine, after all brutality is in the eye of the beholder.
BMcC-Josh Waitzkin 10/27/90 Round 3 1990 Marshall Futurity
NY System [A46]
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 c5 3.c3 e6 4.Bf4 b6 5.e3 Bb7 6.Nbd2 Be7 7.h3 O-O 8.Be2 d5 9.O-O Nc6 10.Bd3 h6 11.Qe2 Bd6 12.Be5 Bxe5 13.Nxe5 Nfd7 14.f4 (+/=) f5 15.Kh2 Ncxe5 16.fxe5 c4 17.Bc2 g6 18.g4 Kh7 19.Rg1 Qe7 20.gxf5 gxf5 21.Qh5 Rg8 22.Nf3 Raf8 23.Rg4(!!+-) Rxg4 24.hxg4 Qe8 25.Qxe8 Rxe8 26.gxf5 Kh8 27.Nh4 1-0
BMcC - M.Rohde (2610) 12/31/95 Marshall Last Blunder g/30
1.g3! d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bg2 c6 4.O-O Bf5 5.d3 e6 6.c4 Bc5 7.Nc3 O-O 8.Qb3 Qb6 9.Na4! Qxb3 10.axb3 Nbd7 (Be7 Nb6+-) 11.Nxc5 Nxc5 12.Nd4 Bg6 13.b4 Ncd7 14.Nb3 Rfc8 15.Be3 b6 16.Rfc1 Rc7? 17.cxd5 Nxd5 18.Bxd5! exd5 19.Bf4! Rcc8 20.Nd4 c5 21.Nb5 cb4 22.Nc7 a5 23.Nxa8 Rxa8 24.Rc6 Bf5 25.Be3 b5 26.Bd2 h6 27.Bxb4 Re8 28.Bxa5 Rxe2 29.Bc3 Bxd3 30.Rd6 Nf6 31.Bf6 gf6 32.Rd5 Bc4 33.Rd8+ Kg7 34.Rb1(!!+-) Ba2 35.Rbd1 Rb2 36.R8d2 Rd2 37.Rd2 Be6 38.Rd4 f5 39.f4 1-0
BMcC - Doug Brown (Rabbitt) 2200+ Noah's Ark
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 d6!? 5.d4 b5 6.Bb3 Nxd4! 7.Nxd4 exd4 8.Bd5! (H.Mecking ECO) Rb8 9.Qxd4 Nf6 10.Qa7 Rb6 11.Be3 c5??? 12.Qxf7 mate.
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