Watertown Chess Club

Congratulations to Bob Kratzat, who wrapped up the 2022 Watertown Club Championship on January
10th, with a draw in round four against Don Klug that supplied the final half point needed to secure the
match win 2 ½-1 ½.

This is Mr. Kratzat’s third club championship, the others occurred in 2018 and 2021. Mr. Kratzat won
games one and two while losing game three against rival Don Klug, who struggled to find any room for a
fourth-round win that would have given him the title. Mr. Kratzat was able to produce a very solid and
unbreakable pawn structure that forced the round four drawn game.

The four championship match games follow:

Klug, D. C. (1705) – Kratzat, Robert (1703) [D05]
WCC 2022 Championship (R1), 13.12.2022
1.d4 g6 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nbd2 d5 4.e3 Bg7 5.Bd3 0–0 6.0–0 e6 7.c3 Nbd7 8.e4 dxe4 9.Nxe4 Nxe4 10.Bxe4
c6 11.Bf4 Re8 12.Re1 Nf6 13.Bg5?! [13.Bd3 Qe7 14.a4 Rd8 15.Qb3 c5]
13…h6 14.Bxf6 Bxf6 15.Ne5 Bxe5 16.dxe5 Qc7 17.Qc2 [17.Qd2 h5 18.Rad1 Qa5 (18…c5 19.Qh6 Qxe5
20.Bxb7 Qb8 21.Be4 (+4.38)) ]
17…Kg7 18.f4 [18.Re3 Rg8 19.Rd1 Rd8 20.Rxd8 Qxd8 21.Rg3 Kf8 22.Rf3]
18…b6 19.Re3 Rg8 20.Rd1 [20.Rg3 Kh8 21.Rh3 Kg7 22.Rd1 Bb7 23.Rd6 Rgd8 24.Qd2]

20…Bb7 21.Red3 [21.Rg3 Kh7 22.Rgd3 Rad8 23.Rd6 Rxd6 24.exd6 Qd7 25.Qa4 Ra8 26.Bf3 a6 27.Kf2
Rc8 28.g4 Rb8 29.h4 Qd8 30.g5 Kg8 31.Qd4 h5 32.d7 Ra8 33.Qd6 Kh8 34.f5 gxf5 35.Bxh5 Kg7
36.Qe5+ Kh7 37.Bxf7 Qb8 38.g6+ Kh6 39.Qxb8 Rxb8 40.d8Q Rxd8 41.Rxd8]
21…Rad8 22.Qd2? [22.Rd6 Rxd6 23.exd6 Qb8 24.Qe2 c5 25.Bxb7 Qxb7 26.Qe5+ Kh7 27.d7 Rd8
28.Qd6 Kg7 29.Qe7 Qc7]
22…Rxd3 23.Qxd3 c5 24.Bxb7 Qxb7 25.g3= [25.Kf2 b5 26.h3 Rb8 27.Qd6 c4 28.a3 a5 29.Qd4=]
25…Rc8 26.a4? c4 27.Qd4 Qc6 28.Qd7 Qc5+ 29.Kg2 Qc7 30.Rd6 [30.g4 Qc5 31.Rd4 b5 32.axb5 Rb8
33.Kf3 Qxb5 34.Qxb5 Rxb5 35.Rd2]
30…Qb8 31.Rxe6?? [31.Qe7 Qa8+ 32.Kh3 Qf3 (32…Rf8 33.Rxe6 Qf3 34.Qf6+ Kg8 35.Rd6 Qf1+ 36.Kh4
Qg2 37.Kg4 Qxh2 38.Kf3 Qh1+ 39.Ke3 Qe1+ 40.Kf3 Qf1+) 33.Qf6+ (33.Rxe6 Qh5+ 34.Kg2 Qe2+
35.Kg1 Qd1+) 33…Kg8 34.Rd8+ Rxd8 35.Qxd8+ Kg7 36.Qf6+=]
31…Qa8+ [31…Rc7 32.Rxg6+ Kxg6 33.Qg4+ Kh7 34.Qf5+ Kg8 35.Qg4+ Kf8 36.Qh5 Qb7+ 37.Kh3
Qc6]
32.Kg1 [32.Kh3 Qf3 33.Rxg6+ Kxg6 34.Qxc8 Qh5+ 35.Kg2 Qe2+ 36.Kg1 Qe1+=]
32…Rd8 33.Rxg6+?? [33.Qe7 Rd1+ 34.Kf2 Rd2+ 35.Ke1 Qh1+ (35…Qg2?? 36.Qf6+ Kg8 37.Re8+ Kh7
38.Rh8#) 36.Kxd2 Qxh2+ 37.Kd1 Qh1+ 38.Kd2 (38.Kc2 Qe4+ 39.Kc1 Qe1+ 40.Kc2=) 38…Qh2+ draw]
33…Kxg6 34.Qg4+ Kh7 35.Qf5+ Kg8 36.Qg4+ Kf8 37.Qh5 Qc6 38.f5?? [38.Qe2 Qc5+ 39.Kg2 Qd5+
40.Qf3 Qd2+ 41.Kh3 Qd1] 38…Rd2 39.Qh3 Qc5+ [White resigns] 0–1

Kratzat, Robert (1703) – Klug, D. C. (1705) [C42]
WCC 2022 Championship (R2), 20.12.2022
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.Nc3 Nxc3 6.dxc3 Bg4 7.h3 Bf5 8.Bd3 Bxd3 9.Qxd3 Nd7
10.Be3 Be7 11.0–0–0 11…Ne5?? [11…0–0 12.h4 Re8 13.Ng5 Nf8 14.Qd5 Bxg5 15.hxg5 b6; 11…c6
12.Kb1 0–0 13.h4 Re8 14.g4]12.Nxe5 dxe5 13.Qb5+ 1–0

Klug, D. C. (1705) – Kratzat, Robert (1703) [A47]
WCC 2022 Championship (R 3), 03.01.2023
1.d4 e6 2.Nf3 b6 3.e3 Bb7 4.Nbd2 Nf6 5.Bd3 g6 6.0–0 Bg7 7.c3 0–0 8.Re1 d6 9.e4 Nc6 10.h3 Re8
11.Bc2 Nd7 12.Nf1 Ne7 13.N1h2 d5 14.e5 c5 15.Ng4 h5 16.Nh6+ Kf8 [16…Bxh6 17.Bxh6 Qc7 18.Bg5
Kg7 19.Qd2] 17.Nxf7!? [17.Qd2 Nf5 18.Bxf5 exf5 19.Ng5 Re7 20.Nh7+ Ke8 21.Nxf5 gxf5 22.Qg5
Rxe5 23.dxe5 Qxg5 24.Bxg5 Nf8 25.Nf6+ Bxf6 26.exf6+ Ne6]
17…Kxf7 18.Ng5+ Kg8 19.Nxe6 Qc8 20.Nxg7?! [20.Qd2 Bh8 (20…Nxe5?? 21.Nxg7 Nf7 22.Nxe8 Qxe8
23.Bxg6) 21.Qg5 Nxe5 22.Rxe5 Bxe5 23.Qxe5 Nf5 24.Bxf5 Qd7 25.Bh6 Qf7 26.Re1 h4 27.Bg4]
20…Kxg7 21.Qd2 Rh8 22.e6? [22.Qg5 Qd8 23.Qg3 Nf8 24.Bg5 Kg8 25.Bf6 Rh7 26.f4 cxd4 27.f5 dxc3
28.bxc3 Ba6 29.Qg5 Qe8 30.fxg6 Nfxg6 31.e6 Bc4 32.h4 d4 33.cxd4 Rg7 34.Bxg7 Kxg7 35.Rf1 Bxf1
36.Rxf1 Rc8 37.Bd3 Rc6 38.Bb5 Qg8 39.Bxc6 Qxe6 40.Be8 Qe4 41.Rf7+ Kg8 42.Rxe7 Qxe7 43.Bxg6
Kf8 44.Qxe7+ Kxe7 45.Bxh5] 22…Nf6 23.Qg5 Qf8 [23…cxd4 24.Bf4 dxc3 25.Bd6 (25.Rac1) 25…Qd8
26.Be5 Qf8] 24.Bf4 [24.dxc5 bxc5 25.Bf4 h4 26.Bd6 Rh5 27.Qe3] 24…Re8 25.Bd6 Nh7 26.Qg3
26…cxd4?? [26…h4 27.Qxh4 Nf6 28.Qg3 Rh6 29.Ba4 Rc8 30.Bd7 c4 31.Bxc8 Bxc8 32.Re3 Rh5 33.Re5]
27.Bxe7 Qxe7 28.Qxg6+ Kf8 29.Qh6+?? [29.Re5 Qf6 30.Rf5 Rxe6 31.cxd4] 29…Qg7 30.Qf4+ [30.e7+
Kg8 31.Qe6+ Qf7 32.Qg6+ Qxg6 33.Bxg6 Bc6 34.cxd4]30…Nf6 31.cxd4 [31.Ba4 Rg8 32.g3 Qg5
33.Qxg5 Rxg5 34.Bxe8 Kxe8] 31…Bc8 32.Bf5 [32.Rac1 Bxe6 (32…Rg8 33.g3 Bxe6 34.Qd6+ Qe7
35.Rxe6 Qxd6 36.Rxd6) 33.Qd6+ Qe7 34.Rxe6] 32…Rg8 33.e7+?? [33.g3 h4 34.g4 Qe7 35.Qh6+ Qg7
36.Qxh4 Bb7 37.Re5] 33…Rxe7 34.g3 Bxf5 35.Qxf5 Rxe1+ 36.Rxe1 Qg6 37.Qc8+ [37.Qf4 Rg7
38.Qb8+ Ne8 39.Kg2 Rd7 40.Re5] 37…Kg7 38.Qc7+ Kh6 39.Re6 Qf5?? 40.Qf7 Rg6?? 41.Qf8+ Kg5
42.Re5 Qxe5 43.dxe5
43…Ne4?? [43…Kf5 44.exf6 a5 45.f7 Rc6 46.g4+ Kf6 47.Qe8 Rc1+ 48.Kg2 Rg1+ 49.Kxg1 Kg5]
44.Qf4#
1–0

Kratzat, Robert (1703) – Klug, D. C.(1705) [B01]
WCC 2022 Championship (R 4), 10.01.2023
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.Be2 e6 7.0–0 Be7 8.Be3 c6 9.a3 0–0 10.b4 Qc7
11.h3 Bxf3 12.Bxf3 Nbd7 13.Qd2 Rad8 14.Rad1 Nb6 15.Qe2 Nbd5 16.Nxd5 Nxd5 17.Bxd5 exd5
[17…cxd5 18.Rd3 Rc8 19.Rc1 Bd6 20.Qg4 Rfe8 (–0.37)]18.c4 a6 19.c5 Rde8 [19…Rfe8]20.Rfe1 Qd8
21.Qd2 Bf6 22.Bf4 Rxe1+ 23.Rxe1 Re8 24.Rxe8+ Qxe8 25.Qe3?? Kf8?? [25…Qe4 26.Qxe4 dxe4
27.Be3 Kf8 28.g4 h6 29.Kg2 Ke7 30.f3 exf3+ 31.Kxf3 Ke6 32.Ke4 Bg5 33.Bf2 g6 34.h4 Bc1 35.a4 Ba3
36.Be1 f5+ 37.gxf5+ gxf5+ 38.Kd3 h5 39.Bd2 Kd5 40.Kc3 Ke4 41.Kb3 f4 42.d5 f3 43.d6 f2 44.d7 f1Q
45.d8Q Qb1+ 46.Kxa3 Qa1+ 47.Kb3 Qb1+]26.Bd6+ Be7 27.Qxe7+ Qxe7 28.Bxe7+ Kxe7 29.f4 Kf6
30.g4 h5 31.Kf2 Kg6 32.Kg3 hxg4 33.hxg4 f6 34.Kh4 Kh6 35.f5 g5+ [35…g6 36.fxg6 Kxg6 37.a4 f5
38.g5 f4 39.Kg4 f3 40.Kxf3 Kxg5 41.Kg3=] 36.Kg3 Kg7 37.Kf3 Kf7 38.Ke3 Ke7 39.Kd3 Kd7 40.Kc3
Kc7 41.a4 b6 42.a5 bxc5 43.bxc5 [ The round 4 final position]
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½–½

2021 Club Champion, Bob Kratzat (Left)

   Bob Kratzat won the 2021 WCC Championship with a 2-1 Match victory against Don Klug on December 21^st. Mr. Kratzat won games two and three to overcome an early one game deficit in the four- game championship match. In game 3, Mr. Klug had a slight early advantage until move 34. Nxe5, winning a pawn, however this left White’s ‘e’ pawn exposed to recapture. A better move for White was a Queen trade, 34. Qxe6 followed by 35. Nxe5, when the black ‘e’ pawn prevents the capture of the white king pawn. Mr. Klug’s attempt to equalize the king pawn loss by attacking and capturing the black rook pawn at a7 resulted in an immediate change of fortune and a Kratzat victory. Klug’s choice at moves 38. Nxa7?? was driven by a huge deficit of nearly 30 minutes on their respective clocks. A better choice for White was the alternative moves 37. Rd3 Nxe4 38. Rd7 Kf6 39. Nc6 a6, and this position seems to be balanced.

Congratulations to Bob Kratzat on his second club championship in 3 years.

Here is the game 3 score:

(Game 3) Klug, Don (1638) – Kratzat, Robert (1651) [B00]

WCC 2021 Championship (Rd. 2.3), 21 December 2021

1.e4 b6 2.d4 e6 3.Bd3 Bb7 4.Nf3 d6 5.0–0 g6 6.c3 Bg7 7.Re1 Ne7 8.Bg5 0–0 9.Nbd2 Nd7 10.Nf1 (these light-colored alternative moves 10.h3 h6 11.Bh4 Re8 12.Qc2 are suggested by Fritz 16)

10…Re8 11.Bc2 h6 12.Bf4 [12.Be3 Kh7 13.Qe2]

12…e5 13.dxe5 dxe5 14.Bg3 c5? [14…Nc8 15.Ne3 Nd6 16.Nd5]

15.Qd3 Qc7 16.Rad1 Rad8 17.Qe2 [17.Ne3 a6 18.a4 Nf8 19.Qc4 Ne6]

17…Nc6 18.Ne3 Qc8 19.Nd5 [19.Nc4 Ba6 20.Bd3 Nf6]

19…Ba6 20.Bd3 Bxd3 21.Qxd3 Nf6 22.Qc4 [22.h3 Qe6 23.b3 Nh5 24.Bh2 Nf4 25.Bxf4 exf4 26.Qc2 Be5 27.b4 Bb8]

22…Nh5 23.Nh4 [23.Bh4 Na5 24.Qa4 g5 25.Bg3 Qb7 26.Qb5 Re6 27.Qe2 Nc6]

23…Kh7 24.Rf1 [24.h3 Re6 25.Bh2 Red6 26.Nf3 Nf4 27.Bxf4 exf4 28.Rd2]

24…Na5 25.Qe2 Nxg3 26.fxg3 Rf8 27.Nf6+?! [27.Nf3 c4 28.h3 Nb7 29.b4 Nd6]

27…Bxf6 28.Rxf6 Rxd1+ 29.Qxd1 Kg7 30.Qd6 Qe8 31.Rf2 Nb7? [31…f6 32.Qd1 Qc8 33.Rd2 Nb7]

32.Qf6+ Kg8 33.Nf3 Qe6

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34.Nxe5? [34.Qxe6 fxe6 35.Nxe5 g5 36.Rxf8+ Kxf8 37.Kf2 (+1.80) 37…Ke7 38.Nc6+ Kd7 39.Nxa7 Nd6 40.Kf3 e5 41.a4 Nc4 42.b4 Nd2+ 43.Ke3 Nc4+ 44.Kd3 Nb2+ 45.Kc2 Nc4 (45…Nxa4?? 46.Kb3 b5 47.Nxb5 Nb6 48.bxc5 Nc8 49.Kc4) 46.b5 h5 47.Nc6 Kd6]

34…Qxf6 [(+0.43)]

35.Rxf6 Kg7 36.Rf3 Nd6 37.Nc6? [37.Re3 Re8 38.Nc6 Nxe4 39.Nxa7 f5 40.Nb5 Ra8 41.a3] 37…Nxe4 [

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38.Nxa7?? [38.Re3 f5 39.g4 Kf6 40.gxf5 gxf5 41.Rd3=]

38…Ra8 39.Nc6 Rxa2 40.b4 Ra1+ 41.Rf1 Rxf1+ 42.Kxf1 Nxc3 43.bxc5 bxc5 44.Ke1 Ne4 45.Ke2 f5 46.Ke3 h5 47.Ne5 Kf6 48.Nd7+ Kg7 49.Ne5 g5 50.g4 hxg4 51.Nxg4 c4 52.Ne5? [52.Kd4 c3 53.Ne3 Kg6 54.g4 Kf6 55.gxf5 c2 56.Nxc2 Kxf5=]

52…c3 53.Kd3 Kf6 54.Nc4 [54.Nf3 g4 55.Nd4 Ke5 56.Ne2 c2 57.Kxc2 Nc5 58.Kd2=]

54…g4 55.Ne3 Kg5 56.Nd1?? (Here White has one last chanceto hold the position: 56.Nd5 c2 57.Kxc2 g3 58.hxg3 Kg4 59.Kd3 Kxg3 60.Ne3 Kf4 61.Kd4. Unfortunately, Whites earlier clock management comes into play by forcing him to move before his clock expires. (61.g4 Nc5+ 62.Ke2 fxg4 63.Nxg4 Kxg4 drawn) ]

56…Kf4 57.Ne3 Nc5+ 58.Ke2?? [58.Kd4 Ne6+ 59.Kd3 Nc7 60.Kd4 g3 61.hxg3+ Kxg3 62.Nxf5+ Kg4 63.Ne3+ Kf4 64.Kd3 Kg3 65.Kxc3=]

58…Ke4 59.Nd1 Kd4 60.h4 gxh3 61.gxh3 c2 62.Kd2 cxd1Q+ 63.Kxd1 Ke5 64.Ke2 f4 65.h4 Ne6 66.Kf3 Kf5 [White resigns with just 11 seconds left on his clock to Blacks 25 minutes]

0–1