One of the strongest chess players to come out of the Pittsburgh area, Charlie
Nowe, died in March after a long battle with cancer.  He was in his prime and
it is truly shocking to think that he is gone.

En Passant readers may already have seen Charlie's win against GM Joel Benjamin
from last September's New York State Championship, in which Charlie tied for
first.  In this column I present one of my hardest and most memorable games
against Charlie, from a Pittsburgh tournament held eight years ago.  Though he
lost, this game shows his ability and willingness to enter the most complex
positions and match blow for blow with any opponent.  I invite other readers
to contribute their games with Charlie as well.

White: Bruce Leverett
Black: Charlie Nowe
Golden Triangle Open, round 4
April 20, 1986
Bogo-Indian Defense

 1 d4	   Nf6
 2 c4	   e6
 3 Nf3	   Bb4+
 4 Nbd2	   b6
 5 a3	   Bxd2+
 6 Bxd2	   h6
 7 e3	   Bb7
 8 Bd3	   c5
 9 O-O	   d6
10 b3	   Nbd7
11 Bc3	   Qe7
12 Nd2

     I wanted to move my queen and connect my rooks, but 12 Qc2 Bxf3 13 gxf3
     doesn't leave White with a very dynamic position.

12 ...	   O-O
13 Qc2	   Rfd8
14 dxc5	   bxc5

     This is the usual way of recapturing in this kind of position.  It seems
     strange to allow the backward d-pawn to be exposed, but 14 ... dxc5
     doesn't give White enough to worry about.  For the next 18 moves, I had
     to be constantly on the lookout for the possibilities of counterattack
     by ... d5 or ... e5.

     The opening is over.  White's two bishops are pretty to look at, but they
     don't have much to do.  I didn't have any good ideas about where to go
     from here, and I spent the next 10 moves groping in the dark.

15 Rfd1    Nf8
16 Bb2	   Rac8
17 Qc3	   Ne8
18 Rac1	   Nh7
19 Ne4	   Ba8
20 Rd2	   Qb7
21 f3	   Qc6
22 Rcd1	   f6
23 Ng3	   Qb6
24 Bc2	   Nf8
25 f4

     A strange-looking move.  I don't remember exactly what I had in mind.
     Evidently, judging from the next few moves, I had my heart set on pushing
     the e-pawn and f-pawn.  But why I did it this way, I don't know.

25 ...	   a5
26 Kh1	   Rd7
27 Ba1	   Rcd8
28 e4	   Bc6
29 Qe3	   a4
30 b4	   Qa7
31 b5	   Ba8
32 Ne2

     White would like to annex the a-pawn by Nc3 and Nxa4.  But Black is
     finally ready to break through.  Time pressure soon set in and continued
     until the time control at move 45, for both players.

32 ...	   d5!

---------
diagram:
b2rnnk1
q2r2p1
4pp1p
1Ppp4
p1P1PP2
P3Q3
2BRN1PP
B2R3K
---------

33 exd5	   exd5
34 cxd5	   Nc7!

     Of course not 34 ... Bxd5 35 Rxd5 Rxd5 36 Rxd5 Rxd5 37 Qxe8.

35 b6!?	   Qxb6
36 Bxa4	   Nxd5
37 Qd3	   Rd6
38 Bb3	   Kh8
39 Qc4	   Qc6
40 Nc3	   Ne7
41 Qe2	   Rxd2
42 Rxd2	   Rxd2
43 Qxd2	   c4
44 Bc2	   f5
45 Bd1	   Qd7
46 Qxd7	   Nxd7
47 Be2	   Nb6?

     47 ... Ng6 or 47 ... Nd5 was better (unclear).  Now White's a-pawn gets to
     cause trouble.

---------
diagram:
b6k
4n1p1
1n5p
5p2
2p2P2
P1N5
4B1PP
B6K
---------

48 a4!	   Ned5
49 a5	   Nxc3
50 Bxc3	   Nd5
51 Bf3	   Nxc3
52 Bxa8	   Nb5
53 Bd5	   c3
54 Bb3

     It looks as if the two passed pawns balance each other, but some pawns
     are more equal than others.  White's king will get there first.

54 ...	   g5
55 fxg5	   hxg5
56 Kg1	   Kg7
57 Kf2	   f4
58 Ba4	   Kf6
59 Ke2	   Na7
60 Kd3	   g4
61 Kxc3	   f3
62 gxf3	   gxf3
63 Kd3	   f2
64 Ke2	   Ke5
65 Kxf2	   Kd6
66 Bd1	   Kc5
67 Be2	   Kd4
68 Kf3	   Ke5
69 Kg4	   Kf6
70 h4	   Kg6
71 h5+	   Kh6
72 a6	   Nc8
73 Bb5	   Nb6
74 a7	   Na8
75 Bc6	   Nc7
76 Kf5	   Kxh5
77 Ke5	   Resigns