En Passant now has a games editor.  I will annotate games that you send in.
If you've been thinking of sending your games to be printed in En Passant, but
got cold feet at the thought of writing notes, here's the answer.  Games can
be sent directly to me:  Bruce Leverett, 759 Lebanon Avenue, Pittsburgh,
PA  15228.  I can read either algebraic or descriptive notation, and I will
use whichever notation you do.

The inaugural game was submitted by John Young, the same person who first
suggested that En Passant needed a games editor.  In this game, John defeats
Dr. Lester Shapiro in last year's Abrams Memorial.  Black's middlegame play
is a model of smooth attacking buildup, followed by a logical, but still
startling, piece sacrifice.

White: Lester Shapiro
Black: John Young
Abrams Memorial, round 5, 10/25/92
King's Indian Attack

 1  N-KB3  P-KN3
 2  P-KN3  B-N2
 3  B-N2   P-K4!

    Black's first three moves are noteworthy, at least to me.  When I was
    learning to play chess, thirty years ago, this was "irregular opening"
    territory.  But with the rise of flank openings like the English and
    the King's Indian Attack, sequences that used to be thought bizarre are
    commonplace.  This particular sequence is a handy one to know when your
    opponent doesn't play P-Q4 in the first few moves.

 4  P-Q3   N-K2
 5  P-K4   O-O
 6  O-O    P-Q3

    Here (or on the previous move), Black could have played P-Q4, leading
    possibly to a variation of the Pirc Defense with colors reversed (after
    7 QN-Q2 QN-B3), or the King's Indian Defense with colors reversed (after
    7 QN-Q2 P-QB4 and 8 ... QN-B3).  These are excellent choices, but instead
    Black elects to crouch.  When both sides crouch, a game will generally
    leave the opening books behind, and that's what soon happens here.  Note,
    by the way, that White accomplishes nothing with 7 P-Q4; for instance,
    7 ... PxP 8 NxP P-Q4 leads to dead equality.  Also 7 N-B3 QN-B3 (or even
    7 ... P-QB4!?) is interesting, but leaves White with awkward pieces.
    So the move White chooses is quite logical.

 7  QN-Q2  QN-Q2

    This is not a particularly well chosen square.  The knight has little
    future here except as part of a lengthy attacking plan involving ... P-KR3,
    ... P-KB4, ... N-KB3, etc.  This plan is not bad, but Black is really
    committing himself far into the future, and White can easily prepare
    for it.  The move 8 P-QB3 suggests itself.  Then either 8 ... N-B4
    9 N-N3 (followed eventually by P-Q4) or 8 ... P-KB4 9 P-Q4 leaves White
    with a small but nagging edge.  I would suggest either 7 ... QN-B3 or
    7 ... P-QB4!?  Another interesting possibility is 7 ... P-QB3 with the
    possibility of N-R3-B2.

 8  P-QR4  P-KR3
 9  N-B4

    White's last two moves don't look purposeful.  What is he attacking with
    that knight?

 9  ...    P-KB4
10  P-QB3  N-KB3

    Both players seem to think they should keep the tension in the center,
    but this is wrong.  After 10 ... PxP 11 PxP, Black would gain much more
    than White from the open lines.  To prevent this White should have played
    10 PxP.  Then after 10 ... PxP 11 P-Q4 or 10 ... NxP 12 N-K3 White could
    defend more comfortably than in the game.

11  R-K1   PxP

    Black changes his mind, perhaps influenced by the chance to make White's
    rook move look silly.

12  PxP    B-K3
13  Q-K2

    Already the rook move looks like a wasted tempo.  But there's more to
    come.

13  ...    Q-Q2
14  R-Q1   Q-B3

    White was threatening 15 QNxKP.

15  KN-Q2  N-N5!

    This eventually provokes White to make a weakness, which is the final
    ingredient in Black's looming kingside attack.

16  R-B1

    Back home!

16  ...    R-B2
17  P-KR3  N-B3
18  P-QN4  QR-KB1
19  P-N5   Q-Q2
20  K-R2   N-R2
21  N-B3

    The threat was 21 ... N-N4 further weakening White's kingside.  Now
    21 ... RxN 22 BxR RxB 23 QxR BxN is fascinating, but Black correctly
    decides to maintain the tension.

21  ...    P-N4
22  N-N1   N-N3
23  B-K3   P-N5

    Seting a trap into which White falls.

24  P-R4   NxP!!

    Oops.  White had to play 24 PxP BxP 25 P-B3.

25  PxN    Q-K2
26  K-N3

    26 B-R1 doesn't help:  26 ... QxP ch 27 K-N2 P-N6! (threatening
    ... Q-R7 mate) 28 PxP QxKP ch followed by 29 ... QxQN.  White is so
    tangled up that he can't even give back the material.

26  ...    B-B3

    26 ... N-B3! would have been the coup de grace.  Now it takes a little
    longer.

27  K-R2   BxP
28  P-B3

    A strange-looking move, but after something like 28 BxKRP, Black crashes
    through with 28 ... BxP! 29 BxR 30 Q-R5 ch 30 B-R3 (or N-R3) Q-N6 ch
    31 K-R1 PxB.  It appears that White can stop the immediate threat of
    28 ... BxP by 28 R-R2, but then simply 28 ... B-N4, with the idea of
    29 ... BxB and 30 ... Q-R5 ch, leaves White helpless.

28  ...    P-N6 ch
29  K-R1   B-N4
30  BxB    QxB
31  B-R3   Q-R5
32  N-K3

    White may have intended 32 K-N2, but then 32 ... N-N4 mates.

32  ...    BxB
33  NxB    QxN ch
34  K-N1   N-N4
35  N-B5   RxN!
36  PxR    QxP
37  K-N2   Q-R6 ch
38  K-N1   Q-R5
39  R-R2   N-R6 ch
    Resigns


Of course, being games editor won't stop me from submitting my own games.
Here is my last-round game with Andy Rea from the recent Ohio Chess Congress
in Columbus:

White: Bruce Leverett
Black: Andy Rea
Ohio Chess Congress, round 6, 9/6/93
Nimzo-Indian Defense

 1  d4    Nf6
 2  c4    e6
 3  Nc3   Bb4
 4  e3    c5
 5  Ne2

    This is the Rubinstein variation.  Another move, 5 Bd3, can lead to the
    famous Huebner variation:  5 ... Nc6 6 Nf3 Bxc3+!? 7 bxc3 d6 8 e4 (or
    8 O-O) 8 ... e5 9 d5 Ne7.  This has proven to be a solid defensive
    formation for Black.

 5  ...   O-O
 6 a3     Bxc3+
 7 Nxc3   d6?!

    Combined with Black's fifth move, this gives a passive setup.  Black has
    several better defenses to the Rubinstein:
     (a) 7 ... b6!?:  an offbeat line recommended by Tim Taylor in his
         outstanding 1984 book on the Rubinstein variation.  The day after
         reading this book, I tried out 7 ... b6 against Tom Magar in the
         1984 Pa. State Championship and won a nice game.
     (b) 7 ... cxd4 8 exd4 d5 9 c5:  a double-edged variation that had
         occurred in an earlier game between me and Rea.
     (c) Going back to move 5, 5 ... cxd4 6 exd4 O-O 7 a3 Be7 8 d5, which
         Jeff Ginsburg (of Cincinnati) played against me once.
     (d) 5 ... cxd4 6 exd4 d5 and now either 7 c5 Ne4, or 7 a3 Be7 8 c5:  a
         variation in which I lost a game to Walter Browne.
     (e) 5 ... d5 6 a3 Bxc3+ 7 Nxc3 and now either 7 ... b6?!!, which was
         once played against me by Andrew Karklins, or the more usual
         7 ... cxd4 8 exd4 dxc4 (or 8 ... O-O transposing to line (b))
         9 Bxc4 Nc6 10 Be3 O-O, played in one of the Korchnoi-Karpov matches.
    Besides Taylor's book, another excellent guide to these variations is
    Pritchett's      book on the Nimzo-Indian.

 8  Bd3   Nc6
 9  O-O   e5

    This looks like a Huebner variation, but it isn't.  The difference is
    that White can throw his b-pawn forward to undermine Black's queenside.
    This makes a big difference.

10  d5    Ne7
11  Qc2   a6
12  e4    Ng6
13  g3

    This move is important, to keep Black's knight out of f4.  Black piles up
    an ominous collection of pieces on the kingside, but then he stalls out.

13  ...   Bh3
14  Re1   Qd7
15  f3    h5
16  Nd1   Qe8
17  b4    b6
18  Rb1   Rb8
19  Bd2   Qc8
20  Nf2   Bd7
21  Rb2

    It's a good idea to get ready to pile up on the b-file before opening it.

21  ...   a5
22  bxa5  bxa5
23  Rcb1  Rxb2
24  Rxb2  h4
25  Rb6

    It's too soon to take the a-pawn.  After 25 Bxa5 Qa6 White would be
    defending his own a-pawn.  Leave it alone--it won't run away.

25  ...   hxg3
26  hxg3  Qc7
27  Qb1   Ra8
28  Rb7   Qc8
29  Qb6

    White's goal is simple--exchange all the major pieces and win the endgame.

29  ...   a4
30  Nd1   Be8
31  Kg2   Nd7
32  Qc6   Ne7
33  Qxc8  Nxc8
34  Nb2   Ndb6
35  f4    f6
36  Kf3   Ra7
37  Rxa7  Nxa7
38  fxe5  fxe5
39  Kg4   Kf7
40  Kg6

    From this square White's king controls the game.  White is easily winning
    now.  Could Black have held the position earlier?  I don't know.  Hindsight
    tells us that Black should have kept White's king out, by something like
    36 ... Bd7, or even earlier by holding back his h-pawn.

40  ...   Bd7
41  Ba5   Nac8

    Black is paralyzed.  The next step is for White to maneuver his knight to
    f5.  I also made a few irrelevant bishop moves, due to confusion.

42  Bf1   Na8
43  Nd1   Ne7
44  Ne3   Nc8
45  Be2   Nab6
46  Nf5

    White threatens 47 Bxb6 and 48 Nxd6.  On 46 ... Bxf5, Andy's post mortem
    suggestion was 47 Kxf5 aiming for zugzwang.  But after 47 ... g6+
    48 Kg5 Kg7, there seems to be no way to achieve that goal; for instance,
    49 Bg4?? Nxc4, or 49 Bf1 Nd7 50 Bc7 Nf6 51 Bf3 Nh7+ 52 Kh4 Nf6, etc.
    White may still get winning chances by giving up his e-pawn for Black's
    a-pawn, but that would require deep calculation.  During the game, I was
    planning to answer 46 ... Bxf5 with 47 exf5, to try to achieve something
    with the apparently strong kingside pawns.  Instead Andy sacrificed the
    g-pawn.

46  ...   g6
47  Nh4   Bh3
48  Bd3

    White gains nothing by trying to trap the bishop:  48 g4?! Nd7 49 Nf3 Bg2!
    (but not 49 ... Nf6 50 Kh4 followed by 51 Ng5+) 50 Nd2 Nf6 51 Bd3 Bh3, etc.

48  ...   Nd7
49  Nxg6  Nf6
50  Nh4   Nh7+
51  Kh6   Nf6
52  Nf3

    The knight heads for d2, to take over guard duty from the bishop on d3.

52  ...   Ng8+
53  Kg5   Bg2
54  Nd2   Nf6
55  Bc7   Nh7+
56  Kh4   Ne7!?

    A cute trap.  Now 57 Bxd6 allows a draw after 57 ... Ng6+ 58 Kg5 Kg7.
    Black's pieces are now liberated and for a while they look dangerous.
    But it's still an easy win.

57  g4    Ng6+
58  Kg3   Ke7
59  Bc2   Nf4
60  Bxa4  Ng5
61  Bc2   Kd7
62  Bb6   Bh1
63  a4    Ne2+
64  Kh4   Nh7
65  a5    Ne2+
66  Ba4+  Kc8
67  g5    Kb7
68  Bd8   Nf8
69  Be8   Kc8
70  Be7   Resigns