Former Pitt student Eric Johnson has submitted no less than 9 games.  I plan
to annotate three of them and present the others without notes.  Due to the
hectic Christmas season, however, some of the games may have to wait until
next issue.

Eric was in Pittsburgh in the mid 80's, and recalls getting "lessons" in the
school of hard knocks at the hands of Tom Martinak and John Fitzpatrick.  He
was an A-player then, but in the last three years has maintained a high
Expert rating.  For the following game, he gives only his opponent's last
name, Ippolito.  I assume it's Dean Ippolito, who recently won the 1994
U.S. Under-16 championship (see the November Chess Life).

   White: Ippolito
   Black: Eric Johnson
   Bayonne, 1991
   Gruenfeld Defense

 1 d4     Nf6
 2 c4     g6
 3 Nf3    Bg7
 4 g3     c6
 5 Bg2    d5
 6 O-O    O-O
 7 Nc3    dxc4

   White's last move, although natural, was an oversight.  It's not easy either
   to regain the pawn or to get compensation for it.  8 Ne5 Ng4! shows part of
   the problem.

 8 e3     Bf5

   The correct follow-up was 8 ... b5.  After 9 Ne5 Qb6 10 a4 Bb7, Black would
   just be a pawn up.  The same reply would have refuted 8 e4.  Less clear is
   8 a4, but Black probably has nothing to fear after 8 ... Na6.

 9 Ne5    Qc8
10 Qe2

   10 Re1 would avoid the exchange of bishops.

10 ...    Bh3
11 Qxc4   Bxg2
12 Kxg2   Nbd7
13 Nxd7   Qxd7
14 b3?

   14 e4 is more aggressive and less weakening.

14 ...    Re8
15 Ba3    a5

   This is a sly cheapo, but Black might just as well have played ... e5
   immediately.

16 b4?

   16 Bb2, 16 Qe2, or even 16 Bc5!? were all plausible answers to Black's threat
   of ... b5 and ... b4.  With the text, White meets the threat but continues
   to ignore Black's potential for counterplay.

16 ...    e5
17 dxe5   Ng4!
18 bxa5   Nxe5
19 Qb4    Qf5!

   Black opens a new battle front on the kingside.  White doesn't have time
   to defend this and his weakness on the a1-h8 diagonal.

20 Qxb7   Qf3+
21 Kg1    h5
22 h4

   This is fatal, but the threat of 22 ... h4 and 23 ... h3 was strong.  For
   instance, 22 Rac1 h4 23 gxh4 Qh3 24 Bc7 Nf3+ 25 Kh1 Be5! 26 Bxe5 Rxe5
   27 Qxa8+ Kg7, with mate coming up.

22 ...    Nc4
23 Qb4    Nxe3
24 fxe3   Qxg3+
25 Kh1    Qh3+
26 Kg1    Qxe3+
27 Kg2    Bxc3
28 Qc4    Qe2+
29 Qxe2   Rxe2+
30 Kf3    Bxa1
31 Kxe2   Bc3
32 Rc1    Bxa5
33 Rxc6   Bd8
34 Rc3    Bxh4

   White resigned on move 55.

Johnson-Yih, Somerset 1990, Queen's Gambit Declined, Tartakower variation:
1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Be7 4 Nf3 Nf6 5 Bg6 h6 6 Bh4 O-O 7 e3 b6 8 Rc1 Bb7
9 cxd5 Nxd5 10 Bxe7 Qxe7 11 Bd3 Qb4 12 O-O! Qxb2 13 Nxd5 Bxd5 14 Rxc7 a5
15 Ne5 Na6 16 Bxa6 Rxa6 17 Qh5 Qb5 18 Nxf7 Qe8 19 Nxh6+ gxh6 20 Qg4+, Resigns.

Berman-Johnson, Somerset 1990, Gruenfeld Defense:  1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 d5
4 Nf3 Bg7 5 Qb3 dxc4 6 Qxc4 O-O 7 e4 a6 8 Bf4 b6 9 Qb3 Bb7 10 d5 c5 11 Be2 Nbd7
12 e5? Nh5 13 g3 Qb8 14 e6 Nxf4 15 exd7 Nxe2 16 Nxe2 Qd6 17 Rd1 Qxd7
18 O-O Rfd8 19 Nf4 Bh6 20 Ne5 Qf5 21 Nc6 Bxc6 22 dxc6 Bxf4 23 gxf4 Qxf4
24 Qh3 f5 25 Qb3+ c4 26 Qg3 Qxg3 27 hxg3 Rxd1 28 Rxd1 Rc8; White resigned on
move 40.

Johnson-Agee, Somerset 1991, King's Indian Defense, Classical variation:
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 Bg7 4 e4 d6 5 Nf3 O-O 6 Be2 e5 7 O-O Nc6 8 d5 Ne7
9 b4 Nd7 (9 ... Nh5 is more challenging) 10 a4 f5 11 Ba3 Nf6 12 Nd2 f4 13 c5 g5
14 f3 Rf7 15 Nc4 Ng6 16 Rc1 h5 17 b5 Bf8 18 b6! axb6 19 cxd6 cxd6 20 Qb3 g4
21 Qxb6 Qd7 22 Ncd6 gxf3 23 gxf3 Nh4 24 Nxf7 Qxf7 25 Qf2 Bxa3 26 Qxh4 Kh7
27 Kh1 Bxc1 28 Rxc1 Bd7 29 Bb6 Rg8 30 Bxd7 Nxd7 31 Nb5 Qg6 32 Qf2 Kh6 33 Rg1 Qf7
34 Rxg8 Qxg8 35 Nd6 Qf8 36 Nf5+ Kh7 37 Qh4 Nf6 38 Qg5 b6 39 d6 Qf7 40 Qh6+ Kg8
41 Ne7+, Resigns.