I have now entered the Australian Chess Champs in Adelaide from Jan 2- Jan 11.

Do you also want to come and play?

There are Rating Group Tournaments for all of us!

Google 2024 Australian Chess Championships for full details Or look on Chesschat.

I am equal second in the 2023 Redcliffe Chess Club Championship with just one round to go this Wednesday night December 13 at 7:30pm. I beat my good friend Tony Weller last week! I am just half a point behind the leader, David Beaumont!

Stokes v Weller: A45 Trompovsky Attack into The Bird Stonewall !

1 d4 Nf6  2 Bg5 e6  3 e3 h6  4 Bh4 Be7  5 Bd3 d5  6 Nd2 Nbd7  7 f4 c5  8 c3 b6  9 Ngf3 Bb7  10 Ne5 Ne4  11 Bxe7 Qxe7

12 Nxe4 Nxe5  13 fxe5 dxe4  14 Bb5+ Kf8  15 0-0 Kg8  16 Rf4 Kh7  17 Qh5 Rhf8  18 Raf1 f5  19 exf6ep Rxf6  20 Rxf6 gxf6

21 dxc5 bxc5  22 Rd1 Bc8  23 Be8 Qg7  24 Qxc5 e5  25 Bc6 Rb8  26 b4 Bf5  27 Qd6 Rg8  28 g3 Qg4  29 Bd7 Qg5

30 Bxf5+ Qxf5  31 Qd7+ Kg6  32 Qxf5+ Kxf5  33 Rd7 Rc8  34 Rxa7 Rxc3  35 b5 Kg4  36 b6 Kf3  37 Rc7 Rxe3  38 Rc1 Re2

39 Rf1+ Ke3  40 Rb1 Kf3  41 Rf1+ Ke3  42 a4 Rb2  43 a5 Rb5  44 Ra1 Kd2  45 a6 e3  46 a7 e2  47 a8=Q Rc5  48 Qd8+ Ke3

49 Ra3+  Black Resigns as mate follows.

I won the Opening Battle with 14 Bb5+, virtually forcing 14 …. Kf8.

I liked my 23^rd move Be8! but was down to 11 minutes on my clock, whereas Tony still had 46 minutes!

I gave away most, if not all, my advantage on move 33 Rd7 as 33 … Rc8 gives Black lots of counterplay.

At move 33 I only had 5 minutes left whilst Tony had 29 minutes.

I somehow scrambled to victory, despite the big time trouble.

I am now =2^nd in the 2023 Redcliffe Chess Club Championship, with 1 round to go!

Still a bit of life in the old dog yet!

Hope you all decide to come to Adelaide from Jan 2 to Jan 11 – I will even buy you each a beer!

Cheers and beers  Mark C Stokes    0431 419 136      markcstokes@hotmail.com