In December 1989, I started working as a professional librarian at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio. In 1990, I entered Golden Knights (U. S. Open Correspondence Chess Championship) section 90-N 77 where I finished 2nd with a 5-1 record. My only loss was to Unrated James Thomas who topped the section with 5.5-0.5. Here is my Scandinavian Defense against David Moszkowicz, Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

Moszkowicz, David (1807) – Green, Thomas A (1883) [B01] 90-N 77, 1990

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.d4 Nxd5 4.c4 Nb6 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.Be2 e6 7.0-0 Nc6 8.b3 Bxf3 9.Bxf3 Nxd4 10.Bxb7 Rb8 11.Be3! c5 12.Be4 f5 13.Bxd4 cxd4 14.Bc6+ Kf7 15.Re1 Bb4= 16.Rf1 Qc7 17.Qh5+ g6 18.Qf3 Kg7 19.Rc1 Bd6?  (Rhc8) 20.g3 Bc5 21.Nd2 e5 22.Bb5 e4 23.Qd1 Qb7 24.a3 d3 25.b4 Bd4 26.Rab1 a6 27.Nb3 Bxf2+! 28.Kxf2 axb5 29.Na5? Qd7 0-1

The following game documents my win against the Bronstein-Larsen Variation of the Caro-Kann essayed by Rolf Andersen, Oakville, Ontario, Canada.

Green, Thomas A (1883) – Andersen, Rolf (1834) [B16] 90-N 77, 1990

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Nxf6+ gxf6 6.Bc4 Bf5 7.Ne2 e6 8.Ng3 Bg6 9.h4 h5 10.Bf4 Bd6 11.Qd2 Qc7 12.Bxd6= Qxd6 13.0-0-0 Nd7 14.Rhe1 0-0-0 15.Bb3 Qf8 16.Kb1 e5 17.f4 Qh6 18.f5 Qxd2 19.Rxd2 Bh7 20.Bxf7 Nc5 21.Nxh5 Bg8 22.Bg6 exd4 23.Red1 d3 24.cxd3 Rd6 25.d4 Na6 26.Re1 Nc7 27.g3 Bd5 28.Nf4 Rhd8 29.Re7 Bc4 30.b3 Bg8 31.Ne2 Nd5 32.Re4 b6 33.h5 R6d7 34.h6 Bh7 35.Rc2 Kb7 36.Nf4 Rg8 37.Nxd5 cxd5 38.Rg4 Re7 39.Kb2 a5 40.Rh4 Rge8 41.Bxe8 1-0

In 1991, I was assigned to semi-finals Golden Knights section 90-NS 41. I finished with a perfect 6-0 record! Here is my win against the Richter-Rauzer Sicilian Defense offered by Silvio Canto, Grand Prairie, Texas.

Green, Thomas A (1956) – Canto, Silvio (1943) [B64] 90-NS 41, 1991

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Qd2 Be7 8.0-0-0 0-0 9.f4 h6 10.Bh4 e5 11.Nf5 Bxf5 12.exf5 Qa5 13.Kb1 Rad8 14.Bxf6 Bxf6 15.Nd5 Qxd2 16.Rxd2 Be7 17.Bb5 Rfe8 18.Re2 Bh4 19.g3 Be7 20.Rhe1 Bf6 21.Bxc6 bxc6 22.Nb4 Rc8 23.Nd3 Re7 24.c4 Rb8 25.c5 e4 26.Rxe4 Rxe4 27.Rxe4 d5? 28.Ra4 Rb7 29.Ra6 Rc7 30.Ne5 Be7 31.b4 Rb7 32.Rxc6 Rxb4+ 33.Kc2 Rb5 34.Rc8+ Kh7 35.c6 Rc5+ 36.Kd3 Rc1 37.Nxf7 g5 38.Rc7 1-0

In the following game I successfully played a Dutch Defense against the higher rated Chris Caligari, Hudson, New Hampshire. By the way, I explored using the Dutch Defense while living in Waupun, Wisconsin where many Hollanders lived.

Caligari, Chris (2020) – Green, Thomas A (1956) [A80] 90-NS 41, 1991

1.d4 f5 2.g4 fxg4 3.h3 d5 4.Bf4 Nf6 5.Nc3 gxh3 6.Nxh3 Bf5!= 7.Nb5 Na6! 8.Ng5 c6 9.Nc3 Nb4 10.Rc1! h6 11.a3 Na6 12.Be5 e6 13.e4 dxe4 14.Bxf6 Qxf6 15.Ngxe4 Qg6 16.Qf3 Nc7 17.Be2 0-0-0 18.Rd1 Nd5 19.Kf1 Nxc3 20.Nxc3 Be7 21.Qe3 Bxc2 22.Bd3 Bxd3+ 23.Rxd3 e5! 24.d5 Bg5 25.Qe4 Qxe4 26.Nxe4 Bc1 27.Ke2 Bxb2 28.d6 b6 29.Rg1 Rd7 30.Rb1 Bd4 31.Rc1 c5 32.f4 Re8 33.f5 Rf7 34.Rg3 Rd8 35.a4 Rdd7 36.Rf1 Kb7 37.Kd3 a6 38.Rg6 b5 39.axb5 axb5 40.Kc2 Kc6 41.f6 gxf6 0-1

In 1993, I was assigned to finals Golden Knights section 90-NF 6. I received my second Golden Knights pin, although my record was a dismal 2-4. Now rated as an Expert (or Candidate Master) at 2046 I defeated William Guttieri, rated 2092, while drawing John Blood rated 2110 and Kerry Lamus, rated 2204. Here is my win against the French Defense of the higher rated William Guttieri, Stockton, California.

Green, Thomas A (2046) – Guttieri, William (2092) [C08] 90-NF 6, 1993

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.exd5 exd5 5.Ngf3 Nf6 6.Bb5+ Bd7 7.Bxd7+ Nbxd7 8.0-0 Be7 9.dxc5 Nxc5 10.Nb3 Nfe4 11.Be3 0-0 12.Nxc5 Nxc5 13.Rc1 Rc8 14.c4 dxc4= 15.Rxc4 Qxd1 16.Rxd1 Rcd8 17.Rxd8 Rxd8 18.g3 b6 19.Kg2 Re8 20.Ne5 Bf6 21.Nc6 a6 22.b3 Nd7 23.Nb4 a5 24.Nd5 Bd8 25.Rc8 Rf8 26.a4 f6 27.Rc6 Re8 28.Bxb6 Nxb6 29.Nxb6 Be7 30.Nc4 Ra8 31.Rc7 Bb4 32.Rb7 Be1 33.Ne3 Rf8 34.Kf1 Bb4 35.Nd5 Bd6 36.Ke2 Re8+ 37.Kd3 Rd8 38.Kd4 Kf8 39.f4 Ba3 40.Ke4 Bb2 41.Rb5 Ra8 42.Nc7 Ra7 43.Ne6+ Ke8 44.Rb8+ Kf7 45.f5 Ke7 46.Nxg7 Rd7 47.Ne6 Bc3 48.g4 h6 49.Rh8 Bd2? 50.Rh7+ Kd6 51.Rxd7+ Kxd7 52.Kd5 Ke7 53.Kc6 Bc3 54.Nc5 Kf7 55.Nb7 h5 56.gxh5 Kg7 57.Kb5 1-0

Here is the Scandinavian Defense that I used against John Blood from Bellflower, California to escape surprisingly with a draw.

Blood, John (2110) – Green, Thomas A (2046) [B01] 90-NF 6, 1993

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.d4 Nxd5 4.Nf3 Bg4 5.Be2 e6 6.c4 Nb6 7.0-0 Be7 8.h3 Bh5 9.Nc3 Nc6 10.b3 0-0 11.Be3 Re8 12.Qd2 Bg6 13.Rae1 Bf6 14.Rd1 Qe7 15.Bd3 Bxd3 16.Qxd3 Rad8 17.Qb1 g6 18.Ne4 Bg7 19.Nc5 Rb8 20.Rfe1 Qf8 21.Qe4 e5  22.dxe5 Nxe5 23.Qf4! c6 24.Nxe5 Bxe5 25.Qh4 Bc3 26.Ne4 Rxe4 27.Qxe4  Bxe1 28.Rxe1 Re8 29.Qd4 f5 30.Rd1 Re4 31.Qc3 f4 32.Bc1 Qe7? 33.Bb2 Kf7 34.Qh8 Re1+ 35.Rxe1 Qxe1+ 36.Kh2 Qxf2 37.Qxh7+ Ke6 38.Qxg6+ Kd7 39.Be5 Nc8 40.Qf5+ Kd8 41.Bxf4 Qd4 42.Bg5+ Kc7 43.Bf4+? (h4) Kd8!= 44.Bg5+? Kc7 45.Bf4+? (h4) Kd8! 46.Qf8+ Kd7 47.Qf5+? Kd8 ½-½

I successfully drew Master Kerry Lamus from Everett, Washington who employed a Bronstein-Larsen Variation of the Caro-Kann.

Green, Thomas A (2045) – Lamus, Kerry (2204) [B16] 90-NF 6, 1991

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Nxf6+ gxf6 6.Bc4 Bf5 7.Ne2 e6 8.Ng3 Bg6 9.h4 h5 10.Bf4 Bd6 11.Qd2 Qc7 12.Bxd6 Qxd6 13.0-0-0 Nd7 14.Rhe1 0-0-0 15.Bb3 Qc7 16.Qe3 c5 17.a3 Kb8 18.Ne2 cxd4 19.Nxd4 a6 20.Nf3 Nc5 21.Bc4 b5 22.Bf1= Rc8 23.Re2! Ne4 24.Ne1! Rhd8 25.Rxd8 Rxd8 26.g3 Nc5 27.Bg2 e5 28.Qf3 e4 29.Qe3! f5 30.f4 f6 31.b4 Na4 32.Rd2 Rc8! 33.Bh3 Qc3 34.Qxc3 Rxc3 35.Rd8+! Kb7 36.Rd7+ (Rg8!) Rc7 37.Rd6 Rc6 ½-½

While the 1990 Golden Knights tournament was in progress, I entered the 1991 Golden Knights. With my rating 1903, I was assigned section 91-N 15 where with a 5-1 score I tied for first with Scott Hanlon, St. Johns New Foundland, Canada. Hanlon and I drew each other and Bruce Beardsley. Sadly, one of my opponents, B. F. Brodersen, died in Flagstaff, Arizona during this event, the third time we had been paired against one another. Here is my draw with the higher rated Scott Hanlon, co-winner of the section, who played a Sicilian Defense against me.

Green, Thomas A (1903) – Hanlon, Scott (2158) [B33] 91-N 15, 1991

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Bg5 a6 8.Na3 b5 9.Bxf6 gxf6 10.Nd5 Bg7 11.Bd3 Ne7 12.Ne3 f5 13.exf5 d5 14.Qg4 Rg8! 15.0-0-0 e4 16.Qh4 exd3 17.f6 Bxf6! 18.Qxf6 b4 19.Nb1 dxc2 20.Nxc2 Qa5 21.Rhe1 Be6! 22.f4 Rc8 23.Rd2 Rg6 24.Qd4 b3 25.axb3 Rxg2 26.Qa4+ Qxa4 27.bxa4 Rxd2 28.Kxd2 Rc4! 29.Nc3 Rxf4 30.b4 Rf2+ 31.Re2 Rxe2+ 32.Kxe2 Kd7 33.Ke3 ½-½

Here is my Scandinavian Defense against Bruce Beardsley, Tacoma, Washington that resulted in a draw. Beardsley, who also drew Hanlon and another player, finished third at 4.5-1.5.

Beardsley, Bruce (2011) – Green, Thomas A (1903) [B01] 91-N 15, 1991

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.d4 Nxd5 4.c4 Nb6 5.Nf3 g6 6.Be2 Bg7 7.0-0 0-0 8.Nc3 Bg4 9.c5 Nd5 10.Qb3 Nxc3 11.bxc3 b6 12.Ba3 a5 13.cxb6 cxb6 14.h3 Be6 15.Bc4 a4= 16.Qb4! Nc6 17.Qb5 Na7 18.Qb4 Nc6 19.Qb5 Na7 ½-½

I celebrated my draws with higher rated opponents and showed no mercy against lower rated opponents. Here is my win using a Dutch Defense against Glenn Clevenger, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Clevenger, Glenn (1704) – Green, Thomas A (1903) [A80] 91-N 15, 1991

1.d4 f5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Bf4 d6 5.Nd2 Bg7 6.e4 0-0 7.Bc4+ Kh8 8.Qe2 Nc6 9.Nb3 Nxe4 10.Nxe4 fxe4 11.Qe3 Nxd4! 12.Nxd4 e5 13.Bg5 exd4 14.Qg3 Qe8 15.0-0 Be6 16.Qb3 Bxc4 17.Qxc4 Qc6 18.Qe2 Rf5 19.Bh4 Rc5 20.Rae1 Re8 21.f4 Rxc2 22.Qg4 e3 23.f5 Re4 24.Qg5 Re5 25.Rf3 Rxb2 26.Qg4 gxf5 27.Qh5 d3 28.h3 d2 29.Qf7 dxe1Q+ 30.Bxe1 Qe8 31.Qxc7 Rb1 32.Kf1 Rc5 33.Rxe3 Rxe1+! 34.Rxe1 Qxe1+ 35.Kxe1 Rxc7 36.Ke2 Rc2+ 0-1

In 1993, I was assigned to semi-final Golden Knights section 91-NS 37 where I finished 3rd with a 4.5-1.5 score. My only loss was to Hans Pirolt from Alpharetta, Georgia who was rated 2277. My draw was with Samer Adli, Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Pirolt and Adli tied for 1st with 5-1 records. Here is my Dutch Defense using the Leningrad System that garnered a half-point against the much higher rated Adli.

Adli, Samer (2333) – Green, Thomas A (1972) [A88] 91-NS 37, 1991

1.c4 f5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.0-0 0-0 6.Nc3 d6 7.d4 c6 8.Bf4 h6 9.Rc1 g5 10.Bd2 Qe8 11.e3 e5= 12.h3 e4 13.Nh2 Nbd7 14.Ne2 b6 15.a4 Bb7 16.a5 d5 17.Bb4 Rf7 18.b3 Rd8 19.Qc2 dxc4 20.bxc4 c5 21.Bd2 cxd4 22.exd4 Rc8 23.Rfd1 Ba6 24.Qa2! b5 25.c5 Bb7 26.Qb3 a6 27.Nf1 Bd5 28.Qb4 Bc4? (Be6) 29.Rxc4 Nd5 30.Qb3 bxc4 31.Qxc4 Qe6 32.Ne3! N7f6 33.Nc3 Rd8 34.Rb1 Re7 (Nc7) 35.Bf1! f4 36.gxf4 gxf4 37.Nexd5 Nxd5 38.Nxd5 Rxd5 39.Rb6? Qf7= 40.Rd6 e3 41.Be1! Rxd6 42.cxd6 Re8 43.fxe3 Bf6 44.Qxa6 Kh8!= 45.Bg2 fxe3 46.Qb7 Qc4 47.Qc6= Rc8! 48.Qxc4 Rxc4 49.Kf1! Rxd4 50.a6 Ra4 51.Bb7 ½-½

Interestingly, I played Alex Dunne, Sayre, Pennsylvania, and Chess Life columnist, for the second time, and won! Surprisingly, Dunne, rated 2207, only drew Pirolt and finished at the bottom of the section with 0.5-5.5. Dunne did not repeat his opening play from our first game as he only recalled that we had previously played after he made the initial moves of his Nimzowitsch Defense.

Green, Thomas A (1972) – Dunne, Alex (2207) [B00] 91-NS 37, 1993

1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.d5 Ne5 5.Qd4 Ng6 6.Qxe4 Nf6 7.Qa4+! Bd7 8.Bb5 a6 9.Bxd7+= Qxd7 10.Qxd7+ Nxd7 11.Nf3 Nc5 12.b4 Nd7 13.a3 Nge5 14.Nxe5 Nxe5 15.0-0 g6 16.Nd1 Nc4 17.Ne3 Bg7 18.Rb1 Nd6 19.c4 a5 20.b5 b6 21.g3 Ne4 22.Bb2 Bxb2 23.Rxb2 Kd7 24.Re1 Nc5 25.Rd2 Ne4 26.Rde2 Nd6 27.Ng4 Nxc4? 28.Rxe7+ Kd6 29.Nf6! Rhd8 30.a4 Rac8 31.f4 Nb2? 32.R1e5 Kc5 33.d6+! 1-0

Thomas Horvat, Gibsonia, Pennsylvania, was undefeated in his preliminary section. Here is my win in the semi-finals using the Four Pawns Attack against his Alekhine’s Defense.

Green, Thomas A (1972) – Horvat, Thomas (1963) [B03] 91-NS 37, 1993

1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.c4 Nb6 5.f4 dxe5 6.fxe5 Bf5 7.Nc3 e6 8.Nf3 Be7 9.Be3 Nc6 10.d5 exd5 11.cxd5 Nb4 12.Nd4 Bd7 13.e6 fxe6 14.dxe6 Bc6 15.Qg4 Bh4+ 16.g3 Bxh1 17.Bb5+ c6 18.0-0-0 0-0 19.gxh4 N6d5 20.Bc4! Qf6! 21.Bg5 Bf3! 22.Qh3 Qg6= 23.e7! Bxd1 24.exf8Q+ Rxf8 25.Nxd1 Kh8 26.Qe6 Qxe6! 27.Nxe6 Re8 28.Nc5 b5 29.Bb3 a5! 30.a3 a4 31.Bxa4 (axb4=) bxa4 32.axb4 Re2 33.h3 Nxb4 34.Nc3   Rc2+ 35.Kb1 a3 36.bxa3= Rxc3 37.axb4 Rxh3 38.Kc2 h6 39.Bd8 Kg8 40.Nb3 Kf7 41.Nd4 c5 42.bxc5 Ke8 43.Bb6 Rxh4 44.c6 Rf4 45.Kd3 Rf6! 46.Ke4 h5 47.Kd5 h4 48.Bc7 h3 49.Be5 g6? (Rh6=) 50.Nb5 Ke7 51.Bxf6+ Kxf6 52.Nd6 h2 53.Ne4+ Kf5 54.Nf2 Kf4 55.c7 Kf3 56.c8Q 1-0

Another higher rated player that I defeated in this section was Michael D’Alfonsi, a free-lance writer who moved to Concord, California from Pleasant Hill, California during our game. Although he considered 40-50 postal games his optimum number, he was playing 60 during our encounter. Here is our game where he used an English Opening.

D’Alfonsi, Michael (2167) – Green, Thomas A (1972) [A10] 91-NS 37, 1993

1.c4 f5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.e3 Bg7 5.Be2 0-0 6.c5 b6= 7.cxb6 axb6 8.0-0 e6 9.d4 Ne4 10.Nxe4 fxe4 11.Ne1 Bb7 12.Nc2 d6 13.f3 exf3 14.Bxf3 Nc6 15.e4 Na5 16.Bd2 c5 17.Bc3 Qd7 18.Rc1 Nc4 19.Qd3 Ba6!  20.Bg4? Rxf1+ 21.Qxf1 Ne3! 22.Qf4 Nxc2 23.Rxc2? cxd4 24.Bb4 Rf8 0-1

Sam Botshon, Rockaway Park, New York, is another opponent who died during our game. This game, a Sicilian Defense, was adjudicated as a win for me.

Green, Thomas A (1972) – Botshon, Sam (1993) [B33] 91-NS 37, 1993

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Bg5 a6 8.Na3 b5 9.Bxf6 gxf6 10.Nd5 Be6 11.Bd3 f5 12.0-0 Rc8 13.Qh5 h6 14.c4 Rg8 15.exf5 Bxd5 16.cxd5 Nb4 17.Be4 Rc5?? (Bg7!) 18.Qd1 Qa5? 19.Nb1 Qc7 20.Nc3 a5 21.a3 Na6 22.Bd3 Ke7 23.Bxb5 1-0