Mike Serovey Loses to Reynolds Sampson

Here is another old game played back in 1990. I was wining this game until I blundered away my Queen on move #36! Some day I am going to figure out how to blunder proof my chess games! This was a Benko Gambit declined. The game, complete with analysis and diagrams, can be found at http://www.mikeseroveyonchess.com/ReyoldsSampson-BenkoGambitDeclined.html. Here is the game in PGN.

[Event "Florida Class"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1990.02.24"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Reynolds Sampson"]
[Black "Mike Serovey"]
[Result "1-0"]

1. d4 c5 2. d5 Nf6 3. c4 b5 4. b3 Bb7 5. Nc3 bxc4 6. bxc4 g6 7. Rb1 Ba6 8. e4 d6
9. Nf3 Nbd7 10. Qa4 Qc8 11. Bd3 Bg7 12. Bb2 O-O 13. Qc2 Nb6 14. Ne2 e6 15. O-O
exd5 16. exd5 Re8 17. Nc1 Qg4 18. h3 Qd7 19. Nd2 Rab8 20. Ncb3 Nh5 21. Bxg7 Kxg7
22. Na5 Nf4 23. Nc6 Rbc8 24. Rfe1 Nbxd5 25. cxd5 Bxd3 26. Qc3+ f6 27. Rxe8 Rxe8
28. Qb3 Bxb1 29. Nxb1 Re1+ 30. Kh2 Nxd5 31. Qxd5 Rxb1 32. Na5 Rb2 33. Nc4 Rxf2
34. Nxd6 Rf5 35. Qd3 Qc7 36. Kg1 Rf4 37. Ne8+ {Black resigns} 1-0

Mike Serovey Defeats Carrigan

Here is a Benko Gambit Declined that I played back in December 1989. I beat a player rated 122 points above me with Black. The game was even until move number 38 when I won an isolated pawn. On the very next move White blunders away his Bishop! The complete game can be found at http://www.mikeseroveyonchess.com/Carrigan-BenkoGambitDeclined.html. Here is the game in PGN.

[Event "Orlando December Tornado"]
[Site "orlando, FL"]
[Date "1989.12.09"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Carrigan"]
[Black "Mike Serovey"]
[Result "0-1"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 4. Nf3 d6 5. Qc2 bxc4 6. e4 g6 7. Bxc4 Bg7 8. Nbd2O-O 9. O-O Ba6 10. Rb1 Bxc4 11. Nxc4 Nbd7 12. Re1 Ng4 13. h3 Nge5 14. Nfxe5 Nxe515. Nxe5 Bxe5 16. Be3 Qa5 17. b3 Rfc8 18. f4 Bg7 19. Bf2 Qb4 20. Rbc1 Rc7 21.Qc4 a5 22. e5 Qxc4 23. Rxc4 Rb7 24. Ree4 Rb4 25. exd6 exd6 26. Kf1 Kf8 27. Be1Rxc4 28. Rxc4 Bf6 29. Ra4 Bd8 30. Ke2 Ke7 31. Kd3 Kd7 32. b4 cxb4 33. Bxb4 Rb834. Bd2 Rb5 35. Kc4 Rc5+ 36. Kd4 Bb6 37. Ke4 f5+ 38. Kf3 Rxd5 39. Bc3 Rd3+ {White resigns} 0-1

Mike Serovey Defeats Dave Pierson

Here is an old game played back in 1988. My opponent dropped a couple of pawns ad then his Knight and it was over after that. The complete game, with analysis and diagrams, can be found at http://www.mikeseroveyonchess.com/DavePierson-BenkoGambit.html. Here is the game in PGN.

[Event "St. Pete Quad"]
[Site "St. Petersburg, FL."]
[Date "1988.11.20"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Dave Pierson"]
[Black "Mike Serovey"]
[Result "0-1"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 c5 3. d5 d6 4. c4 b5 5. cxb5 a6 6. bxa6 Bxa6 7. Nc3 g6 8. Bd2Bg7 9. g3 O-O 10. Bg2 Nbd7 11. O-O Qc7 12. Re1 Rfb8 13. b3 Nb6 14. Rb1 Nbxd5 15.Nxd5 Nxd5 16. e4 Nb4 17. Bxb4 Rxb4 18. e5 Bb7 19. exd6 exd6 20. Qc2 f5 21. Ng5Bxg2 22. Kxg2 Qc6+ 23. Kg1 Be5 24. Qd2 Rd4 25. Qc2 Qd5 26. Rbd1 Rxd1 27. Rxd1Rxa2 28. Qxa2 Qxd1+ 29. Kg2 Qd5+ 30. Kh3 h6 31. f4 Bf6 32. Nf3 Qxf3 33. b4+ Kf834. b5 Qf1+ 35. Qg2 Qxg2+ 36. Kxg2 Bd8 37. Kf2 d5 {White resigned} 0-1

Mike Serovey Defeats Michael T. McCloskey

Here is another old correspondence chess game. This time I beat a lower rated player with the Benko Gambit. My opponent declined the gambit in an unusual way and I managed to get a good position with even material as a result. So far, it still looks like I won every game in this section. The complete game, with analysis and diagrams, can be found at http://www.mikeseroveyonchess.com/MichaelTMcCloskey-BenkoGambitDeclined.html. Here is the game in PGN.

[Event "90SS7"]
[Site "USCF Correspondence Chess"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Michael T. McCloskey"]
[Black "Mike Serovey"]
[Result "0-1"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 4. b3 d6 5. Bb2 Nbd7 6. e3 bxc4 7. bxc4 g6 8. Nf3Bg7 9. Bd3 Rb8 10. Bc3 Nb6 11. O-O O-O 12. Nbd2 Bd7 13. a4 Nxa4 14. Rxa4 Bxa415. Qxa4 Qc7 16. Ba5 Qd7 17. Qxd7 Nxd7 18. Rb1 Rxb1+ 19. Nxb1 Rb8 20. g3 Rb3 21.Bc2 Rb2 22. Bd3 Ra2 23. Bd8 Kf8 24. h3 Ne5 25. Nxe5 Bxe5 26. f4 Bf6 {White resigns}0-1

Mike Serovey Loses To Fanevil Adams Jr.

Here is another old correspondence chess game played in 1996 to 1997. I lost this game by misplaying a Benko Gambit Accepted. We transposed into this from an Old Benoni Defense. The complete game, with analysis and diagrams, can be found at http://www.mikeseroveyonchess.com/FanevilAdams-BenkoGambitAccepted.html. Here is the game in PGN. After analysing this game some I realized that my resignation was premature. I had winning and drawing chances in this game that I failed to see at the time I resigned. Oh well, live and learn!

[Event "96CA283"]
[Site "USCF Correspondence Chess"]
[Date "1996.11.04"]
[Round "Game A"]
[White "Fanevil Adams Jr."]
[Black "Mike Serovey"]
[Result "1-0"]

1. d4 c5 2. d5 Nf6 3. c4 b5 4. cxb5 a6 5. bxa6 g6 6. Nc3 Bxa6 7. Nf3 d6 8. g3Bg7 9. Bg2 Nbd7 10. O-O Nb6 11. Re1 O-O 12. Bf4 Nh5 13. Bg5 h6 14. Bd2 Nc4 15.Qc2 Qa5 16. Rac1 Nxd2 17. Qxd2 Nf6 18. e4 Nd7 19. b3 Rfc8 20. Bf1 Bxf1 21. Kxf1Bxc3 22. Rxc3 Qxa2 23. Qxh6 Qb2 24. Ng5 Nf8 25. Ree3 f6 26. Ne6 Nxe6 27. dxe6 {Black Resigns} 1-0

Mike Serovey Loses To Thomas Cook

Here is another old game from 1993. It is against a strong expert. I played the Black side of a Benko Gambit and failed to play the best moves in the opening. I traded a Bishop and Knight for a Rook and pawn which turned out to be an error because I was already down a pawn before this exchange. The bigger problem was that I weakened my Kingside by trading off the Bishop and I put White's Queen on the long diagonal from a1 to h8. I was able to stop White's mate threats but is shattered my pawn structure and led to the loss of two pawns. In the final position I was down two connected passed pawns so I resigned. The entire game, complete with analysis and diagrams, can be found at http://www.mikeseroveyonchess.com/ThomasCook-Benko-Gambit-Declined.html. This was Round 1. I lost Round 2, drew Round 3, and I don't have any further rounds in my score book. Here is the game in PGN.

[Event "Cheapo Class"]
[Site "Florida"]
[Date "1993.06.26"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Thomas Cook"]
[Black "Mike Serovey"]
[Result "1-0"]

1. d4 c5 2. c4 Nf6 3. d5 b5 4. cxb5 a6 5. f3 g6 6. e4 d6 7. Nc3 Bg7 8. a4 axb59. Bxb5+ Bd7 10. Nge2 O-O 11. O-O Na6 12. Bg5 Nc7 13. Bc4 Ra7 14. Nc1 Qa8 15. b3Re8 16. Nd3 Nfxd5 17. Nxd5 Bxa1 18. Qxa1 Nxd5 19. exd5 Bf5 20. Bh6 f6 21. Nf2Kf7 22. g4 Bc8 23. Ne4 Ba6 24. Bxa6 Rxa6 25. g5 Qxd5 26. gxf6 Qd4+ 27. Qxd4 cxd428. fxe7 Rxe7 29. Rd1 Rb7 30. Rd3 Ke6 31. Bf4 Kd5 32. Nc3+ Ke6 33. Nb5 Rf7 34.Bg3 Kd7 35. Kf2 Rf6 36. Rxd4 h5 37. Bxd6 Rfxd6 38. Rxd6+ Rxd6 39. Nxd6 Kxd6 40.Ke3 {Black resigned} 1-0

Mike Serovey Loses To K. Pascucci

Here is an old game played back in 1992. I had Black and attempted to play the Benko Gambit. White sidestepped this by declining the gambit pawn. I still ended up with a slight lead in development and was doing OK until I started to make a series of mistakes around move 27. My final mistake was one that dropped a Rook due to a Knight fork on my King and Rook and that lead to my resignation. The complete game, with analysis and diagrams, can be found at http://www.mikeseroveyonchess.com/Pascucci-Benko-Gambit-Declined.html. This game was Round 3 and I don't remember how I did in the rest of the tournament. This game's score sheet got separated from the rest of the ones for this tournament and I don't feel like looking through all of my old score books just to find out how I did in this tournament! Here is the game in PGN.

[Event "Southern Class Championships"]
[Site "Florida"]
[Date "1992.10.17"]
[Round "3"]
[White "K. Pascucci"]
[Black "Mike Serovey"]
[Result "1-0"]

1. d4 c5 2. d5 Nf6 3. c4 b5 4. b3 bxc4 5. bxc4 d6 6. Nc3 Nbd7 7. e4 g6 8. Bd3Bg7 9. Bd2 Rb8 10. Rb1 Rxb1 11. Qxb1 Qb6 12. f3 Qxb1+ 13. Nxb1 O-O 14. Bc3 Ba615. Ne2 Nb6 16. Na3 Nfd7 17. Nb5 Bxc3+ 18. Nexc3 Ne5 19. Ke2 Nbxc4 20. Bxc4 Nxc421. Nxa7 Na3+ 22. Ke3 Ra8 23. Nc6 Kf8 24. Kd2 Ke8 25. Nb1 Nc4+ 26. Kc3 Kd7 27.Re1 Ne5 28. Nxe5+ dxe5 29. Nd2 Bc8 30. Ra1 Ra4 31. Nc4 f6 32. Nb6+ {Black resigns} 1-0