Vacation Time!

   Hope to return soon... 

A Real Humdinger by Spassky

    Humdinger: an informal, colloquial American slang term used to describe a person, object, action or event that is remarkably excellent, extraordinary or stands out above the rest. This game was a humdinger. 

    Bobby Fischer called this game one of the ten greatest of all time. Czech GM LudekPachman called it a modern masterpiece. GM Andy Soitis ranks it number 32 on his top 100 list. A poll of readers by the Russian chess magazine Shakmatny Bulletin ranked it as one of the very best games of the 1960s. In his book on Spassky, Bernard Cafferty called it one of the finest games he had ever had the pleasure to review or to analyze. Everybody agrees that it is one of the most amazing games ever played and one of the more famous games of the modern era.

    The game is Spassky vs. Bronstein from the 1960 USSR Championship. It's the game that was featured in the classic James Bond movie "From Russia, With Love" as being played by Kronstein against McAdams. I never saw the movie because I am not James Bond fan and rarely watch movies. The game may not be perfect, but as Soltis pointed out, chess isn't always about finding perfect moves. (That is unless you're a modern correspondence player seeking perfection by using a n engine and a powerful computer). In OTB play chess is about making pragmatic choices. In this game Bronstein was short on time and the complications as a result of Spassky's sacrifice resulted in, as Botvinnik used to put it, head whirling complications. 

    If you haven't seen this game, you'll enjoy it. If you have seen it before, enjoy it again! If you want to play over the game on your own software you can download it HERE.

 

 

Gligoric Surprises Pomar

    According to reports Torremolinos, a resort town in southern Spain known for its sandy beaches, is an excellent place to live if you crave year-round sunshine and vibrant coastal living, And they have an active chess club. 

    Today’s game is taken from the first in what was to be a long series of international tournaments and during the 1960s and 1970s, Torremolinos hosted a prestigious and long-running series of international tournaments in which players from all over participated. 

    In the first tournament Yugoslav GM Svetozar Gligoric (1923-2012) and former child prodigy, Spanish GM, Arturo Pornar (1931-2016) tied for first and this game was the reason.

 

 

    Few players appreciate how strong Pomar was, but Chess metrics estimates his highest ever rating to have been 2655 in March 1962 which ranked him #34 in the world. He was known for an intuitive, natural, and highly positional style of play, and he possessed excellent endgame technique, However, in this game his intuition let him down and he committed a game-losing blunder. 

 

 

[Event "Torremolinos"] [Site ""] [Date "1961.02.03"] [Round "?"] [White "Svetozar Gligoric"] [Black "Arturo Pomar"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B88"] [Annotator "Stockfish 18"] [PlyCount "41"] [EventDate "1961.??.??"] {B88: Sicilian: Sozin Attack} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bc4 {The aggressive Sozin Attack was very popular when this game was played.} e6 {Black usually plays this in order to limi white's B, but White can eventually put pressure on the e6 Pawn by playing f4-f5.} 7. O-O Be7 8. Bb3 O-O 9. Be3 Nxd4 {This is rather drawish. 9...a6 is sharper.} 10. Bxd4 Bd7 11. Qe2 {The immediate 11.f4 is usual. Gligoric's move is safer.} (11. f4 Bc6 12. Qe2 b5 13. Nxb5 Bxb5 14. Qxb5 {This position is very sharp, but black has scored very well so it's understandable that Gligoric prefers a safer approach. }) 11... Bc6 12. Rad1 Qa5 13. f4 e5 {This is risky! 13...Rac8 was solid.} 14. fxe5 {This opens the f-file and exposed f7. White has to play aggressively otherwise black gets the initiative.} (14. Bf2 exf4 15. Nd5 Rae8 16. Be1 Qd8 17. Rxf4 Nxd5 18. Bxd5 Bf6 19. Bb3 {Black is slightly better. Kots, Y-Shamkovich,L Baku 1961}) 14... dxe5 15. Rf5 Bc5 16. Bf2 Rad8 17. Rf1 Rd6 18. Kh1 {[%mdl 2048] White would like to play 19.Bh4, but this moves also sets a wily trap.} Bxf2 19. Qxf2 {Black should now play 19...Bd7 with a solid position, Insteaf he takes the bait and makes a losing tactical blunder.} Bxe4 {[%mdl 8192]} 20. Nxe4 Nxe4 {Black has won a P, but f7 is attacked four times, but only defended twice. However, white has to move the attacked Q which give black a defense.} 21. Rxf7 {[%mdl 512] This nasty surprise forced Pomar to resign.} (21. Qf3 Nf6 {Shielding f7. White should now take on b6 with a slight advantage.} 22. g4 e4 {Aggressive play is black's best option.} (22... h6 23. g5 hxg5 24. Rxg5 {White is slightly better.}) 23. Qg3 (23. Qf4 Qd2) 23... Qd8 24. g5 Nd5 25. Qf2 e3 26. Qf3 e2 27. Qxe2 g6 28. R5f3 Rd7 {and black is managing to defend f7.}) (21. Rxf7 Nxf2+ 22. R7xf2+ Rf7 23. Rxf7 h6 {Black has successfully avoided getting mated, but after} 24. R7f6+ Kh7 25. Rxd6 {The lone Q has no chance against the two Rs and B.}) 1-0

Smyslov Smashes Botvinnik

    Vasily Smyslov won the 1953 Candidates Tournament held at Zurich and became the challenger to Mikhain Botvinnik for the World Championship. Chess.com has a full account of yhos exciting match HERE. 

    Smyslov’s win in the following hame easd a turning point in the match. He had scored his first win in the 7th game, but in this game he land a solid blow in the first of three straight wins. It’s games like this that make you think Smyslov deseerved a longer reigh as World Champion.

 

 

[Event "World Championship Match, Moscow"] [Site ""] [Date "1954.04.03"] [Round "9"] [White "Vasily Smyslov"] [Black "Mikhail Botvinnik"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C18"] [Annotator "Stockfish 18"] [PlyCount "49"] [EventDate "1954.03.16"] [EventType "match"] [EventRounds "24"] [EventCountry "URS"] [SourceTitle "MainBase"] [Source "ChessBase"] [SourceVersion "2"] [SourceQuality "1"] {C18: French, Wimawer Variation} 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 {This was a Botvinnik favorite because he liked the unbalanced position that occurs and with it excellenct opportunities for counteratack. For his part, Smyslov liked the extra space and piece activity white gets. Occasionally he also tried Alekhine's sharp 4.a3} c5 5. a3 Ba5 {Botvinnik avoids the more frequent (and probably better) 4...Bxc3+ in what was probably an attempt to surprise his opponent.} 6. b4 cxd4 {Botvinnik avoids 6...cxb4 because it's too risky.} (6... cxb4 7. Nb5 b3+ 8. c3 Nc6 9. Qxb3 {with good play on the dark squares on the Q-side as black has to either allow Ne6+ ot play ...Bc7}) 7. Qg4 {A departure from games 1 and 3 in which S,yslov plated the more usual 7.Nb5} Ne7 8. bxa5 dxc3 9. Qxg7 Rg8 10. Qxh7 Nd7 {A Botvinnik innovation, but not a very good one because looking far ahead strategically white has a potentially won ending because of the passed h-Pawn. In the meantine Botvinnik hopes to attack the e-Pawn and create tension in the centrer and, at the same time, get his Q-side developed. 10...Nbc6 was a better way of doing it though.} 11. Nf3 {A few times 11.f4 has been tried, but that restricts the activity of white's dark squared B.} Nf8 {So as to capture on a5, but it's not a very good move. Black should play 11...Qc7 to put pressure on the e-Pawn.} 12. Qd3 Qxa5 13. h4 { A Pawn with a future. Smyslov now continues to iprove his position not onlyl with this advance, but also by controlling the dark squares in the center.} Bd7 14. Bg5 {Smyslov’s plan is clear. He wants to keep Botvinnik’s King in the center. On g5 the B prevents black from castling and it can also go to f6 from where it defends the e-Pawn and controls the queening square h8.} Rc8 {Hoping to get his R into play.} (14... Nc6 {was tried a couple of years later in Tringov,G (2460)-Oren,M Moscow 1956. but after} 15. Bf6 Rg4 16. Be2 Re4 { black still ended up losing.}) 15. Nd4 Nf5 16. Rb1 {This both attacks the the b-Pawn and controls b5, thereby preventing black from exchanging Ns on d4 followed by playing ...Bb5 in order to reduce the pressure by exchanging pieces.} (16. Be2 {A pass to show black's plan at work.} Nxd4 17. Qxd4 Bb5 18. Bxb5+ Qxb5 19. Qb4 Qxb4 20. axb4 a6 {White still possess a considerable advantage, but black has eased the pressure on his position somewhat.}) 16... Rc4 {Consistent but tactically flawed. Smyslov correctly called it "a fatal idea."} (16... Nxd4 17. Qxd4 Qxa3 18. Rxb7 {with clearly the better of it.}) ( 16... b6 {is relatively best. After} 17. g4 Nxd4 18. Qxd4 Qxa3 19. Bd3 { |_hite's superioroty is obvious.}) 17. Nxf5 exf5 18. Rxb7 Re4+ {Botvinnik plan is completed, but je meets with a crushing refutation.} 19. Qxe4 {Stunning!} dxe4 20. Rb8+ {Botvinnik confessed that in playing his 18th move he simply "forgot about" this check he implication is that he saw 19.Qxe4, but did he really?} Bc8 {Black's K is caught in a mating net and can only escape at the cost of a lot of material.} 21. Bb5+ ({Worse is} 21. Rxc8+ Kd7 $17) 21... Qxb5 22. Rxb5 Ne6 23. Bf6 Rxg2 24. h5 Ba6 25. h6 {Black resigned.} 1-0

Using Let’s Check in Fritz

    Recently I did something I promised myself I would never do again...I entered a correspondence tournament. It has turned out to be more labor intensive than anticipated especially since two games are against ICCF Senior IMs. 

    The main reason for entering the tournament was my desire to test the new Swordfish engine, a Stockfish derivative that is supposed to be useful for analyzing sharp positions in which Stockfish could overlook some tactics. 

    The procedure was to use Swordfish and use the highly rated Reckless engine as a kibitzer. When the two engines agreed on a move it was played. If they did not agree, which was not often, then Stockfish broke the tie. The problem was that after 15 moves or so it began to feel like my positions were almost imperceptibly slipping into inferiority and so the decision was made to switch the main engine to Stock fish with Reckless as the kibitzer. 

    Although I have been using Fritz since the days of Ftitz 12 (2009) there is a feature I never bothered with until this tournament, the Let’s Check feature and I was curious to see if it was of any practical value, or was it just a bell, or maybe a whistle. 

    Let's Check has been around a long time and it is a cloud-based community analysis feature in ChessBase's software. It functions as a massive, continuously updated database of engine analysis. Reviewer Steve Lopez does an excellent job explaining it on THIS ancient YouTube video. 

    Take a look at the following position after 7...Nc5. 

 

  

    Below are the results of previously done analysis on this position.. Note that the top line is the output by Stockfish 18 that was running in my program. While all three engines agree that white should play 9.Qc6+, Stockfish’s analysis is much deeper and its evaluation is that the position is equal rather than white having a Pawn-plus advantage. 

 

 

    This feature could actually be quite helpful because it saves a great deal of analysis time. But…and this is a BIG but, how long was the time used for the analysis? If the analysis was done at only a few seconds per move, it’s really not that valuable. 

    My preference is to use infinite and to analyze using two of the four cores on my old laptop. In some critical positions I have left the engine running while I did something else. That is likely to be safer than trusting the analysis in Let’s Check.

Ex-GM Igos Kondytlev, Igors Rausis and Isa Kasimi

    The Latvian player Igors Rausis (1961-2024, 62 years old) was a rather unusual fellow. He was born Igors Kondylev, but changed his name after getting married to Olita Rause, a Latvian Woman Grand master. In 2003, there were allegations that he provided "occasional help" to her in her correspondence tournaments. In 2020 he changed his name again to Isa Kasimi after marrying his second wife Ajgul Kasimova. 

    An FIDE Trainer, he was the Latvian champion in 1995. He had been awarded the Grandmaster title in 1992, but it was revoked in 2019 after he was caught cheating.   

    In the early 2000s, when Rausis was in his 50s, his rating increased over 200 points to near 2700 which put him among the top players in the world. Was he using? You be the judge. 

    This was about the time Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) with programs like Pocket Fritz running the engine Hiarcs were released for Windows Mobile pocket PCs. By 2008, these pocket PCs were already strong enough to win human tournaments. 

    By November 2008, Smartphones were popular and the open source engine Stockfish was released and it was soon available for mobile operating systems. Then in 2009, dedicated mobile apps, such as the Hiarcs was available.

`In July 2019, he was accused of cheating by using a mobile phone in the bathroom during a game. He admitted his guilt and in December 2019, FIDE revoked his GM title and banned him from OTB play. 

    Revoking his GM title seems unfair because he had been a GM before engines were at that level. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2003 and started taking medications and began chemotherapy in 2018. He died on March 28, 2024, at the age of 62. 

[Event "Gausdal Int"] [Site ""] [Date "1989.08.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Henrik Sorensen"] [Black "Igors Rausis"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "D02"] [WhiteElo "2245"] [BlackElo "2560"] [Annotator "Stockfish 18"] [PlyCount "44"] [EventDate "1989.??.??"] {D06: Queen's GambitDeclined} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 Bf5 {Highly unusual. Rausis was a versatile player with a solid, positional style, but he was also known ti have a brilliant tactical side.. He was known to frequently employ closed or strategic openings like the Caro-Kann and the Slav Defense. In the other hand, he also had a strong penchant for eccentric play. Hence, 2...Bf5 is not really a surprise.} 3. Qb3 {White usually ignores the fact that he can pock up the b-Pawn and instead opts to spmply develop with 3.Nf3} e5 4. Qxb7 Nd7 5. Nc3 { Slightly better was 5.cxd5} exd4 (5... Rb8 {yields black a slight advantage after} 6. Qxa7 Nb6 7. Nb5 Bb4+) 6. Nxd5 Bd6 7. e4 {This looks logical, vut developing with 7.Nf3 was better.} (7. Nf3 Rb8 8. Qc6 {A horrible mistake. He had to play 8/Qxa7} Ne7 9. Nxe7 Qxe7 10. Nxd4 Be4 11. Qa4 Bb4+ 12. Kd1 Qd6 13. e3 c5 {and black is winning. Horacek,M (2004)-Asparuhov,P (2125) Sunny Beach BUL 2009}) 7... Nc5 {This should have resulted in no more than equality, but black sets a trap into which white fa;;s. The P on c7 must be ignored!} (7... dxe3 $1 8. Bxe3 Rb8 9. Qxa7 Ngf6 {White has two Ps, but black has a lead in development that should prove to outweigh the material he is missing.}) 8. Nxc7+ Bxc7 9. Qc6+ Nd7 10. exf5 {White is still two Ps uo and his position looks pretty solid, but black has a strong attack with} Ba5+ 11. Kd1 { Interposing the B was no better.} Ne7 12. Qf3 O-O {[%mdl 1024] Black has strong compensation for the two Ps because white has wasted a lot of time with his Q an his K is still in the center. Tausis now whips up a strong attack.} 13. Bf4 Qb6 {He has no interest in regaining a P with 13...Nxf5} (13... d3 { is a possibility. It also sets a trap.} 14. Qxd3 (14. Bxd3 Nc5 15. Kc2 Nc6 16. Ne2 Nb4+ 17. Kb1 Nbxd3 {wins}) 14... Qb6 15. Qc2 Nc6 16. Nf3 Nc5 17. Be3 Nb4 { Black has a winning attack.}) 14. Rb1 Nc6 ({Not} 14... Nxf5 15. Qd5 $11) ({ Less strong is} 14... Qb4 15. a3 $15) 15. a3 Bc3 {This is a clever way od preventing 17.b4, but he missed an even better move.} (15... d3 16. b4 Nc5 { The N cannot be taken because of ...Qxb1+} 17. Be3 Bxb4 18. axb4 Nxb4 19. Bxd3 Rad8 {There are pins all over the place and this is what makes 15...d3 impossible to calculate in practical play. White's best is} 20. Ke2 Qa6 21. g4 Ncxd3 22. Kf1 Qa2 23. Rd1 Qxc4 {and there can be no doubt that black is winning.}) 16. Bd3 Bxb2 17. Kc2 {[%mdl 8192] This loses outright.} (17. Qe2 { would enable white to offer stout resistance.} Qb3+ 18. Qc2 Qxc2+ 19. Bxc2 Bxa3 20. Be4 Rac8 21. Nf3 {with good odds of surviving.}) 17... Rab8 18. Bxb8 Rxb8 19. Ne2 Nce5 20. Qg3 Nxd3 21. Nc1 Nxc1 22. Rhxc1 d3+ {White resigned.} (22... d3+ 23. Qxd3 Qxf2+ 24. Qd2 Qxf5+ 25. Qd3 Qf2+ 26. Qd2 Qxd2+ 27. Kxd2 Bxc1+ 28. Rxc1 f6 {with an easily won ending.}) 0-1

The Amazing Donald MacMurray

    Donald MacMurray was born on November 14, 1914. His father was an alcoholic who drowned after falling off a pier. His mother was a cleaning lady who lived in the slums of Hell’s Kitchen in New York City. Despite the odds of such a background MacMurray possessed the highest IQ ever recorded up to the early 1930s, earned a BA degree from the University of Chicago in eight and a half months, and a law degree from Columbia University in one year. He was also a strong chess master.

    “Meckele” as he was generally known in New York chess circles was also an expert in languages and learned to speak Yiddish so he could frequent the Yiddish Theater. In 1935 to 1936 MacMurray completed his degrees and returned to New York and was married to his childhood girlfriend. 

    During the mid-1930s he played in several Manhattan chess club championships, always scoring well. Among his victims were Isaac Kashdan and Arnold Denker. Before leaving for Chicago to participate in the 1932 Western Chess Association tournament Denker and MacMurray played a short warm-up match that was drawn. Other well-known master who went down in defeat against MacMurray were Weaver Adams and I.A. Horowitz. 

    In the US Open Championship of 1937 he shared third place with George Treysman and then in 1938 he scored a remarkable 10.5 out of 11 in the Consolation Master’s section of the US Open after having narrowly missed qualifying for the finals. 

    In late summer in 1938, MacMurray was playing in the New York State Championship in Cazenovia when he began experiencing a worsening of nausea and stomach pains that were especially noticeable when he was laughing. At one point MacMurray was having dinner with Arnold Denker and the pain was so bad he had to leave the table and at Denker’s request. Another tournament participant, long time master Dr. Joseph Platz, examined MacMurray and discovered a cancer in his stomach that was the size of q grapefruit. Just three months later on December 2, 1938, MacMurray died at age 24. 

    In this game MacMurray easily defeats veteran master Harold Morton of Providence, Rhode Island. Morton was born on January 19, 1906 and won the championship of New England many times. He won the Massachusetts Championship in 1933, 1934, and 1935 and played in the 1936 US Championship. On February 17, 1940, he was killed in a car accident in Iowa when he hit a truck. His passenger, I.A. Horowitz, survived. The two were giving simultaneous exhibitions throughout the country. 

 

[Event "Chicago"] [Site ""] [Date "1937.09.04"] [Round ""] [White "Donald MacMurray"] [Black "Harold Morton"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C49"] [Annotator "Stockfish 18"] [PlyCount "35"] [EventDate "1937.??.??"] {C49: Four Knights Game} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 {The Rubinstein Variation 4...Nd4 is an attempt to unbalance the position, but it also fizzles out to boring equality.} 5. O-O O-O 6. Bxc6 bxc6 7. Nxe5 Re8 8. d4 Bxc3 9. bxc3 Nxe4 10. Re1 Nd6 {This looks rather awkward, but it is best and there is no way for whi.e to take advantage of it} (10... d5 {is more common.} 11. f3 Nxc3 12. Qd2 Nb5 13. Nxc6 Rxe1+ 14. Qxe1 Qd7 {looks drawish.}) 11. Qg4 Qf6 12. Ba3 {[%mdl 2048]} Rd8 {The idea is apparently to guard the d-Pawn so the B can be developed. It does not speak well for black’s position to have to waste time using his R to guard the P.} (12... Re6 13. c4 Ba6 {and black has full equality.}) 13. Re3 {This R-lift is a handy idea worth remembering.} Nf5 {Walking into a pin can’t be good, but black wants to free his game with ...d5.} 14. Rf3 d5 {This defends the c-Pawn and exposes white's Q to a discovered attack, but now white gets a strong attack Black's best chance was to sactifice a P in order to dislodge white's N.} (14... d6 15. Nxc6 Re8 16. d5 Bd7 {and black has finally gotten developed and his position is organically sound/}) 15. Qh5 {Excellent, Black is threatened with 16.g4 and is at a loss for a decent move.} g6 {This results in a fatal weakening of the K's position ans MacMurry forcfully demonstrates.} (15... Qe6 {removes the Q fron danger and after} 16. g4 Nd6 17. Re3 Re8 18. Rae1 Qf6 19. Nxc6 Rxe3 20. Rxe3 Be6 { White is clearly better, but black ha avoided immediate disaster.}) 16. Ng4 Qh8 {It’s hard to believe this loses immediately! Other moves would not have saved the game though.} (16... Qe6 17. Qg5 Re8 18. Nf6+ {wins}) (16... gxh5 17. Nxf6+ Kg7 18. Nxh5+ Kh8 19. Re1 {White is winning.}) ({This is black's best try.} 16... Kh8 17. Nxf6 gxh5 18. Re1 h4 19. Re5 {Material is equal, but black's position is lost. He will sacrifice a R for two pieces leaving him with great piece activity while black's position remains very passive.}) 17. Qg5 Be6 18. Rxf5 {[%mdl 512] Black resigned. Why?!} (18. Rxf5 Bxf5 19. Nh6+ Kg7 20. Be7 {Technically this is not as strong as the immediate 20.Nf5+, but it is the most practical. The threat is Bf6+} (20. Nxf5+ Kg8 21. Ne7+ Kg7 22. Qe5+ f6 (22... Kh6 23. Bc1+ g5 24. Qxg5#) 23. Qxc7 {and all that remains is for white to bring his R into play with Re12 and black is helpless.}) 20... Rd6 21. Nxf5+ Kg8 22. Bxd6 cxd6 23. Re1 {White is a piece up.}) 1-0

A Trap That Backfired

    Games that are filled with traps, ambushes and swindles seem to be rare in these days of sophisticated chess, but while they may not always be correct games containing traps, ambushes and swindles are always fun to play over. 

    In the following game played in the 1920 championship of Scotland, black succeeds in trapping and winning his opponent's Queen, but the price was too high. The winner was William Gibson (1873-1932, 58 years old). Gibson won the Scottish Champion nine times between 1907 and 1931. He was a solicitor in Glasgow and joined the Glasgow CC in 1901. 

    Apart from his successes in Scottish chess, Gibson also played in several other tournaments and British Championships and was always a dangerous opponent. He was also an organizer and administrator, having held at one time or another almost every position in the Glasgow CC and the Scottish Chess Association, as well as being a member of the Council of the British Chess Federation. 

    His wife Margaret was the successful owner of Miss Buick's Tea Room in Glasgow. She would later open a second tea room and they were used by Glasgow chessplayers and clubs over the years. 

    Francis P. Wenman (1891-1972, 80 years old) was born in Croydon, England and was Scottish Champion in 1920 and passed away in Cardiff, Wales. He was associated with chess in Scotland after arriving from London in 1911 and joining the Glasgow Chess Club. 

    During his time there he played several matches against leading club players, including his opponent in this game whom hr defeated by a score of +7 -5 =5. Later, he would also be associated with the Edinburgh and Dundee Clubs, winning the championship of the latter in 1916. 

    Wenman authored or edited some 21 chess books, a number of them being on chess problems, but he was not highly regarded as an author. As a problem composer he was accused of plagiarism in his problem books. 

    I have one of his books, 175 Chess Brilliancies, which was published in 1947. In the introduction he wrote that the book had examples of most of the leading players of the world, but it was unlikely that the average player would have seen most of them. 

     Wenman wrote, “Many very brilliant games and endings from both ancient and modern records are presented to the reader, and it is hoped they will satisfy the desire of even the most ardent admirer of gambits and enterprising play.” One such game was his loss to Gibson; he won Gibson's Queen, but lost the game.