MICHIGAN CHESS ASSOCIATION

Information compiled by Ed and Pat Mandell

David Moody first joined the Michigan Chess Association in 1973. Though an active tournament player who averaged nearly 100 games per year for 25 years, winning major tournaments in Roscommon, Fowlerville and Okemos, he made his major mark as a journalist. He was appointed as Games Editor of Michigan Chess in 1981 and began reporting tournaments regularly the next year. Until retiring in the year 2000, he reported over 400 tournaments, covering most of Michigan, in major and local events, as well as the U.S. Open. In 1988, he was appointed Assistant Editor of Michigan chess and stepped into the editor's chair the next year where, upon the retirement of V. E. Vandenburg, he was aided with the invaluable help of Assistant Editor V. J. Brattin. Together they put together 50 issues of Michigan Chess before deciding to take a rest at the end of 1997.

Moody did this by literally examining every score sheet he could get his hands on, entering and building up a chess database of 27,000 games from Michigan tournaments. (Editor Note: I have continued David’s work and the database in now approaching 31,000 games. With your help, let’s keep it growing. Organizer/TDs, see page 2 for detailed information on how you can help.) His motivation for doing all this work was quite simple: He had a good Michigan Open in 1981, finishing in the top 10 for the only time in his career and beating some kid named Finegold on the way! Unfortunately, no one wrote a full report of the tournament, and he simply decided not to let it happen again! It only took 20 years for his anger to dissipate!

A few comments about David’s playing style by Tim McGrew:

One of the benefits of playing over a large number of David Moody's games is the sense it gives one of his uncompromising style. He fights for the initiative from move one, even with “green” pieces, and his games often become critical straight out of the opening. In my database of nearly 500 of David's games, almost 15% are decisive miniatures: they are over, one way or the other, by move 20. He has more decisive games in 25 moves or less than he has games that go 40 moves or more - by a margin.

Being a modest fellow, David would surely point out that some of those quick games were losses of his. But this is all part of the package. David's style is an indefinable mix of Woody Allen and Mikhail Tal, and it should not be too surprising if someone this dangerous is sometimes dangerous to himself. He can calculate well when the need arises, but one gets the distinct impression that when he has the initiative he is often playing on sheer intuition, moving through the tactical minefield with a surefootedness that leaves the rest of us gaping in baffled admiration.

Sometimes it leaves him feeling baffled too. “Oh, the Center Counter game?” he told me when I mentioned his brilliant game against Dexter Thompson. “That was desperation.” I see no reason to doubt his candor. But if this is the result of David Moody's desperation, then I'm sure the readers of Michigan Chess will join me in wishing David many more panic-filled years of bold assaults and desperate counterattacks. We will all be the richer for it.

Gary Kitts (2135)
David Moody (2005)
Masters/Experts, Round 1
Dearborn City, 1986
Spanish: Closed (Steenwijker), C85

Notes by Tim McGrew

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 Be7 6.Bxc6

If Black is a Marshall Gambit man (which David is) and White is feeling really unkind (which perhaps he was), then this Steenwijker Exchange Variation -- sometimes called the Delayed Exchange Ruy Lopez Deferred, or DERLD -- is a useful weapon. Play is slowed somewhat, and while White runs few risks the play is not so utterly dull as it might be in a purely symmetrical position.

6...dxc6 7.d3 Nd7 8.Nbd2 f6

More often Black castles here, when the symmetry of the kings -- both on their respective king-sides -- precludes any wild pawn rushes. Moody's idea is to delay king-side castling or do without it altogether.

9.Nc4 Nc5 10.h3

This may be the first new move of the game. Usually White maneuvers one or the other of his knights to the f5 square.

10...Be6 11.Ne3 Qd7

A dual-purpose move: Black prepares queen-side castling and covers f5 against intruders.

12.a4

Alert play: Black's knight just ran out of retreat squares. If White could follow this up with 13.b4 the knight would be severely embarrassed.

12...a5

Moody stops that idea.

13.Bd2 b6 14.Qe2 g5!?

A courageous and interesting decision. Black judges that his king does not need the luxury of king-side accommodations, so the easternmost peasants are impressed into a citizens' army to take their grievance to the White monarch.

15.g4?

White is attracted to the idea of sinking a knight into f5. But this is the wrong way to keep lines closed, as Moody immediately proves.

15...h5! 16.Nf5

Putting a knight on this outpost turns out to be much less fun than it looks.

16...hxg4 17.hxg4 0–0–0 18.Kg2 Bxf5 19.gxf5 Bd6

Just getting out of the way so that the queen can join the fun on the h-file.

20.b3 g4! 21.Nh2 Qh7 22.Rh1 Qh3+ 23.Kg1 Rdg8

23...g3 24.fxg3 Rdg8 is a bit more precise, but that would deprive us of the spectacular finish next move.

24.Be1

Missing his chance for 24.Qf1 when White is worse but momentarily holding. Now we have an absolutely delightful and unexpected combination that deserves a diagram.

Black to move and win.

24...Nxb3!!

Black's bishop needs c5. Expense is no object!

25.cxb3 g3! 0–1

Black mates in four. A scintillating finish!

Dexter Thompson (2240)
David Moody (2000)
East Detroit Open, Round 5
Eastpointe, 1994

Scandinavian: Modern (Burn), B01

Notes by Tim McGrew

Here is a beautiful example of Moody's style: tactically rich and brave to the borders of insanity. When I set out to annotate this game I simply could not believe that Black's decision to sacrifice both of his rooks in the opening might actually be analytically sound, but repeated probing of the resulting positions with Deep Fritz 7 running at gigahertz levels has left me with the conclusion that White may not be able to do better than draw! In any event, it is difficult to imagine playing either side in the resulting positions over the board. Courage and chutzpah carry Moody to victory against a powerful opponent.

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.Bb5+ Bd7 4.Bc4 b5!?

This sharp thrust is sometimes attributed to Bronstein, but like so many opening ideas it has been around a good deal longer. Emmanuel Lasker used it successfully in 1901.

5.Bb3 Bg4

Lasker's treatment involves a rapid avalanche with 5...a5, an idea that has found recent advocates in Sergey Smagin and Throstur Thorhallsson.

6.f3 Bc8

And so the bishop is back home. What has it achieved? White's f-pawn is on an awkward square and White hasn't done much developing himself. But there is still that pawn to recapture, and Black's b-pawn is sticking out a bit far.

7.Qe2 Ba6!?

Moody seizes the opportunity to move the game into relatively uncharted waters. This enterprising move of Mosionzhik's has cropped up a few times in tournament play since it was introduced in 1962, but it is far more common to defend the pawn with ....a6.

8.a4?!

Likely not the best reaction, which says something about the difficulty even a strong master has in coping with Moody's unusual ideas. White should probably try 8.Nc3 since 8...b4 can be met by 9.Ba4+ as in Riumiantsev-Lomonosov.

8...b4

Now there is no check on a4 so White's queen must dance if he wants to hold onto the extra pawn at d5.

9.Qe5 Nbd7

It is hard to resist the chance to catch a free tempo at the queen's expense, but White finds a way to discoordinate Black's pieces now. 9...c6!? 10.dxc6 Nxc6 11.Qe3 Nd4 gives Black a very healthy return on the pawn invested.

10.Qd4 Nb6 11.c4 bxc3 12.Nxc3 e6 13.a5!

Thompson regains his balance and frees the a4 square for a check after all.

13...Nbxd5 14.Ba4+ Nd7 15.Nxd5 exd5 16.Qxd5

“With a clear advantage to White,” as a commentator might say. And it may even be true. But even the most assiduous armchair analyst would be hard-pressed to predict what comes next!

16...Bd6 17.Bxd7+ Qxd7

This move defies conventional punctuation, and I'm sure it shocked Thompson as much as it did me. Yet careful analysis shows that White cannot take both rooks without allowing a perpetual check. 17...Kxd7 does not involve such heavy material sacrifices, but after 18.Qxf7+ Qe7+ 19.Qxe7+ Bxe7 (19...Kxe7 20.d4 Rhe8 21.Kf2 c5 22.dxc5 Bxc5+ 23.Be3 Bxe3+ 24.Kxe3 Rab8 25.Kf2 Rxb2+ 26.Kg3 Kf6 27.h4²/÷) 20.Nh3 (20.d4? Rhe8 21.Kf2 c5 gives Black sufficient play for the pawns.) 20...Rhe8 21.Kd1, it seems unlikely that Black's piece activity fully compensates for White's two pawn advantage.

18.Qxa8+

In for a penny, in for a pound! It is hard to pull back now: 18.Qe4+ Qe7 19.Qxe7+ Bxe7 20.d4 0–0–0 21.Be3 Rhe8 and White is in some difficulties for which a single pawn seems insufficient consolation.

18...Ke7 19.Qe4+

Thompson decides that one rook is enough, and it is time for White to consolidate. Accepting the second rook with 19.Qxh8 allows Black to weave a perpetual with the queen and bishops: 19...Qe6+ 20.Kf2 Bc5+ 21.d4 Bxd4+ 22.Kg3 Qg6+ 23.Kh3 Qh5+ 24.Kg3 Qg6+ =

19...Kd8

Naturally Moody threatens 20...Re8.

20.Qa8+

20.Kf2 Re8 21.Qh4+ (21.Qa8+? Ke7! 22.Qxa7 Qb5 23.Qe3+ Kd7–+ is not survivable for White.) 21...Be7 leaves White unable to make threats with his queen, and this spells trouble for him: 22.Qg4

a) 22.Qh5 Qd4+ 23.Kg3 g6 24.Qg4 (24.Qh6 Qe5+ 25.Kh3 Bg5 26.Qxh7 Rh8 27.Qxh8+ Qxh8+ 28.Kg4 Qh4#) 24...Qe5+ 25.Kh3 Bc8–+

b) 22.Qxh7 Qd4+ and Black is winning, e.g. 23.Kg3 Bd3 24.Qh5 Bg6 25.Qb5 Qh4#;

22...f5 23.Qa4 Qd3 24.Nh3 Bc4 and White has nothing better than 25.Qxe8+ Kxe8µ since 25.Nf4 Bh4+ 26.g3 Re2+ mates.

20...Ke7

There's the second repetition. Will White call a truce here?

21.Qxa7

White may even be able to get away with this bit of petty larceny, but the coefficient of RTC -- the random tactical cheapo -- is rising sharply.

21...Qb5

I do not believe David even blushed as he played this move.

22.Qf2

It seems natural to defend in this way against mate at f1, adding the queen's support to e2 so that the knight at g1 can be developed. But after this move I cannot find a satisfactory defense for White. Here I thought at first that White could save himself with 22.d3 since Black cannot take the pawn without allowing a fatal exchange of queens. But a deep analytical exploration indicates that White's problems are not over even here and that he must still play carefully to draw. 22...Bb4+ 23.Bd2 (23.Kf1 Qxd3+ 24.Kf2) 23...Bxd2+ 24.Kf2! (24.Kxd2 Qxd3+ 25.Kc1) 24...Re8 25.Qxc7+ Kf8 26.Qd6+ Kg8 27.Nh3 Be3+ 28.Kg3 (28.Kf1? Bc5–+) 28...Bc8 Now Black threatens 29...Bxh3 and it is not clear how White should react to the threat. (28...Bc5 29.Qf4 Re6 30.Ng5 Rf6 is also interesting and probably leads to a draw. In all of these lines Black has an amazing ability to keep watch over the crucial squares on his back rank while bringing the rook up and into the attack.) 29.d4

a) 29.Rhe1 Bxh3! 30.Rxe3 (30.Kxh3 Qh5+ is a simple perpetual.) 30...Qg5+ 31.Kxh3 Qh5+ 32.Kg3 Qg5+ 33.Kf2 Qxe3+ and White must acquiesce in the perpetual since 34.Kf1 Qe2+ 35.Kg1 Qe3+ 36.Kh1?? falls into 36...Qe1+ 37.Rxe1 Rxe1#

b) 29.a6 Bxh3 and Black gets the perpetual at g5 and h5. Again White should not try to avoid this outcome since, e.g.,  30.f4? allows 30...Bf2+! 31.Kxf2 (31.Kxh3 Qh5#) 31...Qxb2+ 32.Kg3 Qxg2+ 33.Kh4 Qg4#

29...Qh5 Black is threatening to weave a mating net with ...g5 and ...Qh4#, so White needs to establish some control over his own fourth rank. This is easier to say than to do: the position abounds in amazing mates. 30.Ra4 (30.d5 Bxh3 31.Ra4 comes to the same thing.) (White has no time to create threats of his own with  30.Qc6 since 30...f5 actually helps Black to weave the net around White's king, e.g. 31.Nf4 (31.Qc4+ Kh8 32.d5 f4+ 33.Nxf4 Qg5#) 31...Bxf4+ 32.Kf2 (32.Kxf4 Qh4+ 33.g4 g5#) 32...Be3+ 33.Kf1 Qf7. Now White has no checks and Black only needs to get his light-square bishop onto the a6-f1 diagonal to win. 34.b3, This takes away the c4 square, at least for the moment. (34.a6 Just pushing the pawn is insufficient. White doesn't get to the back rank in time. 34...Be6 35.a7 Bc4+ 36.Ke1 Bf4+ 37.Kf2 (37.Kd1 Bb3+ 38.Qc2 Qc4 39.a8Q Qxc2#) 37...Re2+ 38.Kg1 (38.Kf1 Rxb2+ 39.Ke1 Qe7+ 40.Qe4 Qb4+ 41.Kd1 Qd2#) 38...Be3+ 39.Kf1 Rxb2+ 40.Ke1 Bd2+ 41.Kd1 Bb3+ 42.Ke2 Bc3+ 43.Kd3 Bc2+ 44.Kxc3 Qb3+ 45.Kd2 Be4+ 46.Kc1 Rc2+ 47.Kd1 Qd3+ 48.Ke1 Qe2#) 34...Bd7, Black breaks the queen's surveillance of the rook at e8. This frees up Black's queen, so White must now scramble frantically to cover all of the possible checking squares. 35.Qb7 (35.Qc4 Be6 36.d5 Bxd5 37.Qh4 Qb7 and the queen enters the attack with decisive effect.) 35...f4! Now f5 provides a pivot for reaching the hot diagonal. Black threatens ...Qf5-d3+. 36.Re1 Qf5 37.g4 fxg3 38.hxg3 Qd3+ 39.Re2 (39.Kg2 Qd2+ 40.Re2 Qxe2#) 39...Bg5–+) 30...Bxh3 31.d5 (There is no time for 31.gxh3?? Qg5#) 31...f5 and White may be getting the worst of it, e.g. 32.Rf1

f4+ 33.Rxf4 Qg5+ 34.Rg4 Bxg4 35.fxg4 Bd4 36.Qc6 Qe5+ 37.Kh3 h5 38.g5 Bg1!! 39.Rf4 (39.Rxg1 Qf5+ 40.g4 Re3+ 41.Rg3 Qxg4+ 42.Kg2 Qe4+ 43.Kh3 Qf5+ 44.Kg2 Re2+ 45.Kh1 Re1+ 46.Kg2 Qf1#) 39...Bxh2 40.Rf3 Bg1 41.Rf4 Be3 42.Rf3 Bxg5 43.Qg6 Bh6 44.Qf7+ Kh8 45.a6 Qe1–+

22...Kd7!

Now Black threatens mate in five beginning with 23...Re8+

23.Ne2

23.d4 Re8+ 24.Kd1 Qd3+ 25.Bd2 Bc4–+

23...Re8! 24.d3 Bb4+ 25.Kf1 Qxd3 26.Be3 Rxe3 27.Qg3 Qxe2+ 28.Kg1 Bc5 29.b4 Qe1+ 0–1

David Moody (1930)
Jeff Aldrich (2013)
Michigan Open, Round 6
Flint, 1998

Caro-Kann: von Hennig, B15

Notes by Tim McGrew

When Moody is in form his games are almost pure Tal. Who can play over the following game and not be reminded of Tal's many sacrifices on e6 before the opponent has castled?

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Bc4 Bf5 5.f3

I'd like to say that I had something to do with David's playing this move, but he really doesn't need any encouragement to sacrifice material for the initiative. White gets a surprising amount of play for the pawn and Black is not advised to take the gambit lightly.

5...Nf6 6.fxe4 Nxe4 7.Nf3 e6 8.0–0 Nd7

On a superficial inspection one is inclined to rate Black's game as somewhat preferable, or at a minimum as completely safe. In view of the forcing sequence White finds next, however, Black is already worse and within three moves he will be lost.

9.Nxe4 Bxe4 10.Ng5! Bg6

Apparently guarding everything, but appearances are deceiving. 10...Nf6 is relatively best, but after 11.Rxf6! Bxc2! 12.Qxc2 Qxf6 13.Be3 Bd6 14.g3! White is clearly on top.

11.Bxe6!!

Here is a bit of pure David Moody, a tactical shot that comes out of nowhere and leaves the opponent wondering what in blazes has happened.

11...fxe6 12.Nxe6

Black's position is very awkward. He must keep c7 covered, but discovered checks on the e-file will be very embarrassing.

12...Qa5 13.Bd2

Gaining a tempo with a dastardly hidden point.

13...Qb6 14.Qe1 Be7

Of course Black shields himself from the discovered check, but...

15.Nxg7+ Kd8 16.Ba5! 1–0

© 2003 Michigan Chess Association

Last updated: March 11, 2003