Thursday, March 5, 2009

Old Game vs. the World Champ


I found one of my old games on Chessgames.com. It's a loss...but, hey, it was to the 15th World Correspondence Chess Champion, G.J. Timmerman of Holland (click link below).
Gert Jan Timmerman (NETHERLANDS) vs. Frank A. Niro (USA), corr. 1985
Timmerman demonstrating the critical move 34...Bf5!! from Oosterom-Timmerman, 1996
Photo: Nol van't Riet

Gert Timmerman is a Dutch chess player who specializes in correspondence chess. In 1976, he began playing postal chess in small seven player groups at the third highest class in Holland. He progressively promoted to the higher levels, and by 1981 he had achieved the right to play in the 10th Dutch Championship-group, in which Max Euwe was also competing.

By 1996, Timmerman climbed to the #1 position in the ICCF rating list, which earned him a "wildcard" entry into the 15th World Correspondence Championship. Timmerman won the event in 2002, thereby becoming the 15th World Correspondence Chess Champion.

I was putty in his hands.