View source for User:Krakatoa

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In [[real life]], I [[life|live]] in [[Park Ridge]], [[Illinois]] (a [[Chicago]] [[suburb]], [[Grammatical_conjunction|and]] [[hometown]] of [[Hillary Clinton]]), with my [[wife]], [[daughter]], [[dog]], and three [[cat|cats]]. [[profession|Professionally]], I am [[A, an|an]] [[attorney]]. I published an article, "[[Waiver]] in [[the]] [[United States federal courts|Federal Courts]]," in the [[autumn|Fall]] [[1996]] issue of the ''[[Appellate]] [[Law Review]]''.  I have since written a [[book]] on the same subject, entitled "Waiver of Arguments in the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit|Seventh Circuit]]," that [[American Bar Association|ABA Publishing]] offered to [[publishing|publish]] as an [[e-book]]. In August 2015, I received a [[Certified Public Accountant|CPA]] certificate.

I hold the titles of [[Chess master|National Master]] (awarded in [[1983]]) and [[Chess master|Senior Master]] of [[Correspondence Chess]] (awarded in [[1997]]) from the [[United States Chess Federation]].[http://www.uschess.org/msa/MbrDtlMain.php?10347483] The [[International Correspondence Chess Federation]] awarded me the title of [[Correspondence Chess Master]] in [[2024]]. I finished with an even [[score (gaming)|score]] (+2 =8 -2) in the 1997 [[United States Absolute Championship]], which is open to the top [[13]] correspondence players in the [[United States]] who accept their invitations, and with the same score (=12) in that event in [[2023]]. I am currently playing in the 2024 event. 

I have published two of my best [[chess]] [[game]]s in ''[[Chess Informant]]'', both of which were also cited in the ''[[Encyclopedia of Chess Openings]]'' and other works. (See below for games.) ''Chess Informant'''s panel of grandmaster judges also cited the first game, [http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1443742 Rhine-Sprenkle], as the 8th-9th most theoretically important game in Volume 32 of ''Chess Informant''.

I have primarily written and contributed to chess-related articles in [[Wikipedia]]. I am particularly proud of my articles [[First-move advantage in chess]], [[George H. D. Gossip]], and [[Swindle (chess)]]. The first two of these have been [[Wikipedia:Featured_article_candidates/First-move_advantage_in_chess|promoted]] to [[Wikipedia:Featured_articles|Featured Article]], the highest rating on Wikipedia. Only about 2,700 of the 3.1 million articles in the English Wikipedia are Featured Articles. Of almost 4,100 [[Index of chess articles|chess-related articles]] on Wikipedia, these are two of only four Featured Articles. They appeared as [[WP:Today's Featured Article|Today's Featured Article]] on the [[Wikipedia:Main Page|Main Page]] of Wikipedia on March 21 and December 6, 2009. Only about one out of every 1,400 articles ever becomes Today's Featured Article.

I have also written articles about the ''[[American Chess Quarterly]]'', [[John Washington Baird]], [[Rosendo Balinas, Jr.]], the [[Balogh Defense]], [[Joseph Bertin]], the [[Blackburne Shilling Gambit]], [[Henry Charlick]], [[Chess theory]], [[Istvan Csom]], the [[Czech Defense]], [[desperado (chess)]], [[dice chess]], [[G.H. Diggle]], the [[English Defense]], [[Frederick Esling]], [[Edward Freeborough]], [[Ellen Gilbert]], [[Golden Knights (chess)]], [[John Grefe]], [[James Grundy (chess player)]], [[James Hanham]], [[Carsten Hansen]], [[Robert Hess (chess player)]], the [[Horwitz Defense]], [[Henry Hosmer]], the [[Immortal losing game]], the [[Irish Gambit]], the [[Italian Game]], the [[Jerome Gambit]], [[Lubomir Kavalek]], [[Kieninger Trap]], [[Atanas Kolev]], [[Bogdan Lalic]], [[Le Palamède]], [[Anatoly Lein]], [[James A. Leonard]], the [[List of Ethnic Chess Openings]] (renamed the [[List of chess openings named after places]] after surviving a vote for deletion), [[Napoleon Marache]], [[Mihail Marin]], [[Max Lange Attack]], [[Dragoljub Minić]], [[Leopold Mitrofanov]], [[Hugh Myers]], the [[Nakamura Trap]], the [[Norwegian Defense]], the [[Parham Attack]], the [[Peruvian Immortal]], [[Petar Popovic]], [[Arshak Petrosian]], the [[Polish Defense]], the [[Polish Immortal]], [[Charles Ranken]], [[Ilya Smirin]], [[Jeff Sonas]], [[Mihai Suba]], [[William Wayte]], [[White and Black in chess]], [[John G. White]], and [[Michael Wilder]]; writing most of the articles about [[Leonard Barden]] and [[Fred Reinfeld]], which had been [[Wikipedia:Stub|stubs]]; completely rewriting [[Chess Player's Chronicle]] and [[X-ray (chess)]]; adding a lot of content to [[Henry Ernest Atkins]], [[Bird's Opening]], [[Black Knights' Tango]], [[Boden's mate]], [[Amos Burn]], [[Checkmate]], [[Chess handicap]], [[Jan Hein Donner]], [[Double check]], [[Dunst Opening]], [[Englund Gambit]], [[Larry Evans]], [[Bobby Fischer]], [[Fortress (chess)]], [[Glossary of chess]], [[Gisela Kahn Gresser]], [[Hippopotamus Defence]], [[Latvian Gambit]], [[Francis Joseph Lee]], [[David Levy (chess player)]], [[Andor Lilienthal]], [[List of world records in chess]], [[Maróczy Bind]], [[Marshall Defense]], [[Owen's Defence]], [[Passed pawn]], [[Ponziani Opening]], [[Promotion (chess)]], [[Pierre Charles Fournier de Saint-Amant]], [[Ortvin Sarapu]], [[Scotch Game]], [[Gregory Serper]], [[Sicilian Defence]], [[Sisters (Lynne Cheney novel)]], [[Stalemate]], [[Howard Staunton]], [[Staunton Gambit]], [[Mir Sultan Khan]], [[Touch-move rule]], [[Vienna Game]], [[Wade Defence]], [[John Herbert White]], [[Baruch Harold Wood]], [[World Chess Championship 1972]], [[World Junior Chess Championship]], [[Zugzwang]], and [[Zwischenzug]]; and contributing to myriad other articles.

Chess historian [[Edward Winter (chess historian)|Edward Winter]] [http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/winter53.html#5917._A_decoding_task_C.N._5867 referred to two of my articles] in his famous ''Chess Notes'' Internet column:
<blockquote>5919. Wikipedia</blockquote>
<blockquote>It is impossible not to have misgivings, both general and particular, about Wikipedia, but we have recently noticed a great improvement in some of the chess articles in the site’s English-language version. There is, for instance, excellent treatment of [[George H.D. Gossip|G.H.D. Gossip]], and it is also good to see a fine article on [[Hugh Myers]].</blockquote>

I also wrote an article about [[February 12]], [[1809]], probably the greatest [[birthday]] in [[history]]: [[Abraham Lincoln]] and [[Charles Darwin]], two of the greatest [[men]] in history, were both born on that [[date]]. ''[[Newsweek]]'' thought the subject was significant enough for [http://www.newsweek.com/id/143742 a cover story], but to my dismay the [[Wikipedia]] [[community]] [[vote|voted]] to [[delete]] my article. My article about the [[blog]] [http://echidneofthesnakes.blogspot.com/ Echidne of the Snakes] met the same sad fate.

I am also interested in [[law]], [[liberal]] [[politics]] and [[blogging]]. If acting in plays (rather than films) counted toward a [[Six_Degrees_of_Kevin_Bacon#Bacon_numbers|Bacon number]], I would have a Bacon number of 3, having acted in school plays with Chris Rolfes, who [http://oracleofbacon.org/movielinks.php?firstname=Kevin+Bacon&game=1&secondname=Chris+Rolfes has a Bacon number of 2].

My aunt, [[Frances Olsen]], is the subject of a Wikipedia article, as are two of my law school suite-mates, [[Rockard Delgadillo]] and [[Monica Medina]], and [[Ron Klain]], Monica's husband. As a lawyer, I met [[Barack Obama]] back before he held any political office, and have shaken his hand on five occasions. I have a [[Morphy Number]] of 4 (many [[Grandmaster (chess)|grandmasters]] today have one of 5), having drawn a game online against [[Leonard Barden]], one of the few living players with a Morphy Number of 3. I have a better record against [[Viktors Pupols]] (one draw) than [[Bobby Fischer]] (one loss) did.

==='''Why "Krakatoa"?'''===

My Wikipedia handle "[[Krakatoa]]" actually refers to [[chess]], not the famous [[volcano]] that is ''west'' of [[Java]], contrary to the [[Krakatoa, East of Java|mistitled 1969 movie]]. Particularly when playing [[speed chess]], certain players <cough>[http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=22788 Marvin Dandridge]<cough> have been known to exclaim that they are "cracking" their opponent (i.e. have secured a winning position, especially in the form of a decisive [[List of chess terms#Mating attack|mating attack]] against the enemy [[King (chess)|king]]). Someone (maybe even me, I don't remember) adapted this into the exclamation "Krakatoa!"

==='''Chess studies'''===

The [[endgame study]] immediately below was not (unfortunately) composed by me, but by [[Leopold Mitrofanov|Mitrofanov]].  It is a corrected version of his original problem, which won first prize in the [[1967]] Rustaveli [[tournament]]. That problem had [[Chess terminology#B|Black's]] [[knight (chess)|knight]] on f3 instead of g2 (see [[Algebraic chess notation|algebraic notation]]), but turned out to have a [[Chess terminology#C|cook]]. I bring it to your attention because I was so amazed and impressed by it. [[Chess terminology#W|White]], on move, is to play and win. The solution is [[Leopold Mitrofanov|here]].

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Below is a study that I composed in [[2005]]. It was published in "[[Pal Benko|Benko's]] Bafflers" in the [[May]] [[2006]] issue of [[Chess Life|''Chess Life'']] [[magazine]]. It is based on a simpler study that I composed in [[2001]], which was also published in "Benko's Bafflers." (In the earlier problem, there are no knights on c5 or d3, White's [[rook (chess)|rook]] is on h1 rather than h4, and Black's [[bishop (chess)|bishop]] is on e5 rather than d6.) White, on move, is to play and force a [[draw (chess)|draw]]. The solution is [[Stalemate#Stalemate_in_studies|here]]. 

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==='''Chess games'''===

Below is a game I won against David Sprenkle (Black) in [[1982]]. Chess Informant, volume [[32]], published it with my annotations. In volume [[33]], it was voted the [[8|8th]]-[[9|9th]] most theoretically important game in volume 32. [[Bent Larsen|Larsen]] ranked it first, and [[Robert Byrne|Byrne]] ranked it second. It was also cited in the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings and [[Modern Chess Openings]], and occupies a whole chapter in all three editions of [[John Nunn|Nunn’s]] book "Beating the Sicilian." See John Nunn, ''Beating the Sicilian'', American Chess Promotions, 1984, pp. 130-35, {{ISBN|0-7134-0899-5}}; John Nunn, ''Beating the Sicilian II: A Complete New Repertoire for White'', Batsford, 1990, pp. 149-54, {{ISBN|0-7134-6445-3}}; John Nunn and [[Joe Gallagher]], ''Beating the Sicilian 3'', Henry Holt and Company, 1995, pp. 200-05. {{ISBN|0-8050-4227-X}}. You can play over the game on the [http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1443742 chessgames.com] [[website]], or play over all three of the below games starting from [http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=108115 here].

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|Rhine-Sprenkle, after 27...Rd8}}


'''1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6[[Chess_punctuation#.21.3F:_Interesting_move|!?]]''' Introducing the razor-sharp [[Sicilian_Defense#Other_moves_in_the_Open_Sicilian|Nimzowitsch Variation]] of the [[Sicilian Defense]]. '''3.e5[[Chess_punctuation#.21:_Good_move|!]] Nd5 4.Nc3 e6 5.Nxd5 exd5 6.d4 Nc6 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.Qxd5 Qb6 9.Bc4 Bxf2+ 10.Ke2 O-O 11.Rf1 Bc5 12.Ng5 Nd4+ 13.Kd1 Ne6 14.Ne4 d6 15.exd6 Rd8 16.Bd3 Bxd6 17.Qh5 f5 18.Nxd6!''' An important [[Chess_terminology#N|theoretical novelty]] at the time, this is now considered the [[Chess_terminology#M|main line]]. As I write this in February 2015, [[ChessBase#The_database|ChessBase Online]] shows that White scores over 75% with 18.Nxd6! '''Qxd6 19.Qxf5 Qxh2''' [[Dragoljub Minić|Minić]] later drew against [[Nigel Short|Short]] with 19...Nf8[[Chess_punctuation#.21.3F:_Interesting_move|!?]] '''20.Qf7+ Kh8 21.Bg5! Rg8 22.Be3! Nd8!? 23.Qf2''' 23.Qf4! is better. '''Nc6! 24.Kd2 Qd6[[Chess_punctuation#.3F:_Mistake|?]]''' 24...Ne5! and if 25.Rh1 Nxd3! comes close to [[Chess terminology#E|equalizing]]. Now White has a winning [[Chess_terminology#A|attack]]. '''25.Rh1 h6 26.Bc5![[Chess_punctuation#.2B.E2.88.92_.28.E2.88.92.2B.29:_Decisive_advantage|+-]]''' driving the [[queen (chess)|queen]] away so that White can play Qf4 or Qe3, with the crushing threat of Rxh6+ '''Qd5''' 26...Qc7 27.Qf6[[Chess_punctuation#.E2.80.BC:_Brilliant_move|!!]] gxf6 (otherwise Rxh6+) 28.Rxh6+ Kg7 29.Rh7# '''27.Qf4! Rd8''' (see diagram at left) If 27...Qxg2+, 28.Kc3. '''28.Rxh6+! Kg8''' 28...gxh6 29.Qxh6+ Kg8 30.Qh7# '''29.Rh8+! Kxh8 30.Qh4+ Kg8 31.Qh7+ Kf7 32.Qg6+ Kg8 33.Qh7+ Kf7 34.Rf1+ Bf5 35.Rxf5+ Qxf5 36.Qxf5+ Kg8 37.Kc1 1-0'''

{{-}}

Below is a correspondence game I played against Kyle Thompson (White) in [[1992]]. Chess Informant, volume [[57]], published it with my annotations. It was also cited in the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings, and was [[chessgames.com|chessgames.com's]] Game of the Day on December 14, 2010.  You can play it over [http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1468358 here].

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|Thompson-Rhine, position after 26.Re5??}}

'''1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bc4 e6 6.f5''' White is playing the hyper-aggressive [[Sicilian_Defense#Other_systems|Grand Prix Attack]] against my Sicilian. '''Nge7 7.fxe6 fxe6 8.d3 d5 9.Bb3 b5! 10.exd5 exd5 11.0-0''' a well-known line entailing a piece [[sacrifice (chess)|sacrifice]] by White '''Bxc3!?''' 10...c4! 11.dxc4 dxc4 12.Qxd8+ Nxd8! 13.Nxb5 cxb3! 14.Nc7+ Kd7 15.Nxa8 bxc2! was later shown to favor Black. '''12.bxc3 c4 13.Ng5 Bf5 14.dxc4 dxc4 15.Qe2 cxb3 16.axb3 Qd5 17.Ba3 b4 18.cxb4!?''' theoretical novelty '''Nd4 19.Qf2 Nxc2! 20.Bb2 0-0! 21.Nxh7!? Kxh7 22.Ra5? Qd3!![[Chess_punctuation#.2B.E2.88.92_.28.E2.88.92.2B.29:_Decisive_advantage|-+]]''' Since this was a correspondence game, I was able to spend many hours analyzing this position to a forced win in all lines. '''23.Qh4+ Kg8 24.Qh8+ Kf7 25.Qg7+ Ke8 26.Re5[[Chess_punctuation#.3F.3F:_Blunder|??]]''' (see diagram at left) One of the main points of the [[Chess_terminology#C|centralizing]] 22...Qd3!!, rather than the more natural 22...Qxb3, was that it prevented this [[move]]! '''Qxf1+! 27.Kxf1 Bd3++ 28.Kg1 Rf1#'''

{{-}}

I played the following correspondence game against against Antonie Boerkoel (Black) in the [[1995]] [[Golden Knights (chess)|Golden Knights]] [[semifinals]]. Boerkoel played like a [[Chess_terminology#T|tactical]] [[genius]], sacrificing, or offering to sacrifice, literally every kind of [[chess piece|piece]] possible except his king -- [[pawn (chess)|pawn]], knight, bishop, rook, and queen.  You can play it over [http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1485520 here].   

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|Rhine-Boerkoel, position after 23.Qb3: Black initiates a sacrificial orgy.}}

'''1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0 Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.b4 Nh5 10.Rel f5 11.Ng5 Nf4 12.Bxf4 exf4 13.Rc1 Kh8 14.Bf3 Be5 15.c5 c6!?''' theoretical novelty '''16.exf5 Nxf5 17.dxc6 Qxg5 18.cxb7 Bxb7 19.Bxb7 Rab8 20.Ne4 Qh4 21.Ba6 dxc5 22.bxc5 Rbd8 23.Qb3''' (see diagram at left) '''Ne3!!''' Threatening to win with either 24...Nxg2! 25.Kxg2 f3+ or 24...f3! 25.g3 Qh3 26.Bf1 Nxf1. '''24.g3''' If 24.fxe3, f3 with the triple threats of Qxh2+, Qxe4, and f2+ is strong. '''24...fxg3 25.hxg3 Rxf2!!''' Now Black's knight, rook, and queen are all hanging. '''26.Kxf2''' If 26.gxh4, Rg2+ 27.Kh1 Rh2+ draws by perpetual check.  If 26.Qxe3??, Qh2#. And if 26.Nxf2??, Qxg3+ and mate next. '''26...Bxg3+![[Chess_punctuation#.3D:_Even_position|=]] 27.Nxg3''' Forced. If 27.Kxe3??, Qf4+ 28.Ke2 Qxe4+ 29.Kf1 (or 29.Qe3 Qg2+) Qh1+ 30.Ke2 Qg2+ 31.Ke3 Qf2+ 32.Ke4 Qf4#.  27.Ke2?? Qg4+ 28.Kxe3 Qf4+ is the same. '''27...Qf4+ 28.Ke2''' 28.Kg1?? Qxg3+ and mate next '''28...Qg4+ 29.Kxe3 Qxg3+ 30.Ke2 Qg2+ 31.Ke3 Qg3+ 32.Ke4 Qg4+ 31.Ke3!''' 31.Ke5?? Qf5# '''1/2-1/2''' A brilliant game by Boerkoel. Who says draws have to be boring?

{{-}}

I later found the following grandmaster game, which has strikingly similar tactical ideas to those in Rhine-Boerkoel: [[Heikki Westerinen|Westerinen]]-[[Konstantin Sakaev|Sakaev]], [[Gausdal]] 1992 1. e4 2.c5 2.Nc3 e6 3.Nge2 d6 4.g3 Nc6 5.Bg2 Nf6 6.0-0 Be7 7.h3 0-0 8.d3 Rb8 9.f4 d5 10.exd5 exd5 11.f5 d4 12.Ne4 Nxe4 13.Bxe4 Bd6 14.Nf4 Ne5 15.Qh5 Re8 16.Ne6!! g6! 17.fxg6 hxg6 18.Rxf7! 1/2-1/2 You can play it over [http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1468360 here]

For an outrageous [[Swindle (chess)|swindle]], see Rhine-Nagle [[Swindle (chess)#The_weak_back_rank|here]]. More of my games (warts and all) are at [http://www.365chess.com/players/F._Rhine 365chess.com] and [http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=108115 chessgames.com].
{{-}}

=='''Awards'''==

[[Image:Imperialcrownjewels.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Your majesty, it gives me great pleasure to bestow these '''[[User:Durova/Triple crown winner's circle|Imperial triple crown jewels]]''' upon Krakatoa for your tactical contributions to articles chess-related in the areas of [[WP:DYK]], [[WP:GA]], and [[WP:FC]]. Well done, [[User:Casliber|Casliber]] ([[User talk:Casliber|talk]] '''·''' [[Special:Contributions/Casliber|contribs]]) 07:56, 7 December 2009 (UTC)]]

[[File:Innards of a G. Seifert mechanical gold watch -b.jpg|400px|left|thumb|Five or more years have passed since [[First-move advantage in chess]] and [[George H. D. Gossip]] were promoted, so it's my pleasure to award this '''Timeless Triple Crown''' to Krakatoa. Well done. [[User:Freikorp|Freikorp]] ([[User talk:Freikorp|talk]]) 06:38, 10 April 2015 (UTC)]]

[[Image:Bronzewiki 2.png|thumb|I hereby award Krakatoa the '''Bronze Wiki Award''' for great work on bringing [[First-move advantage in chess]] to FA.Cheers, [[User:Casliber|Casliber]] ([[User talk:Casliber|talk]] '''·''' [[Special:Contributions/Casliber|contribs]]) 05:45, 27 June 2008 (UTC)]]

{| style="border: 1px solid {{{border|gray}}}; background-color: {{{color|#fdffe7}}};"
|rowspan="2" valign="middle" | [[Image:Tireless_Contributor_Barnstar.gif|100px]]
|rowspan="2" |
|style="font-size: x-large; padding: 0; vertical-align: middle; height: 1.1em;" | '''The Tireless Contributor Barnstar'''
|-
|style="vertical-align: middle; border-top: 1px solid gray;" | For many fine contributions to chess topics. [[User:Bubba73|Bubba73]] [[User talk:Bubba73|(talk)]], 23:26, 16 October 2006 (UTC) 
|}

{| style="border: 1px solid gray; background-color: #fdffe7;"
|rowspan="2" valign="middle" | [[Image:Content_Creativity_Barnstar.png|100px]]
|rowspan="2" |
|style="font-size: x-large; padding: 0; vertical-align: middle; height: 1.1em;" | '''The Content Creativity Barnstar'''
|-
|style="vertical-align: middle; border-top: 1px solid gray;" | For the tremendous work and material you put in the article [[First-move advantage in chess]] so that it reached A-class, I award you this barnstar. [[User:SyG|SyG]] ([[User talk:SyG|talk]]) 08:08, 3 May 2008 (UTC)
|}

{| style="border: 1px solid gray; background-color: #fdffe7;"
|rowspan="2" valign="middle" | [[Image:Starhalf.png]]
|rowspan="2" |
|style="font-size: x-large; padding: 0; vertical-align: middle; height: 1.1em;" | '''The Half Barnstar'''
|-
|style="vertical-align: middle; border-top: 1px solid gray;" |  For the great work [[User:Philcha|Philcha]] (a British) and [[User:Krakatoa|Krakatoa]] (an American) were able to produce together in order to reach a neutral point-of-view in the article [[Howard Staunton]] so that it reached GA-class, I award to each of them half of this barnstar. [[User:SyG|SyG]] ([[User talk:SyG|talk]]) 08:30, 1 September 2008 (UTC)
|}

{| style="border: 1px solid {{{border|gray}}}; background-color: {{{color|#fdffe7}}};"
|rowspan="2" valign="middle" | [[Image:Tireless_Contributor_Barnstar.gif|100px]]
|rowspan="2" |
|style="font-size: x-large; padding: 0; vertical-align: middle; height: 1.1em;" | '''The Tireless Contributor Barnstar'''
|-
|style="vertical-align: middle; border-top: 1px solid gray;" | For numerous quality contributions to chess topics. [[User:SunCreator|SunCreator]] ([[User talk:SunCreator|talk]]) 16:03, 15 February 2009 (UTC)
|}

== You are the first Wikipedian ever to be awarded the Chess Barnstar !! ==

{| style="border: 1px solid gray; background-color: #fdffe7;"
|rowspan="2" valign="middle" | [[Image:Barnstar for Chess.png|100px]]
|rowspan="2" |
|style="font-size: x-large; padding: 0; vertical-align: middle; height: 1.1em;" | '''The Chess Barnstar'''
|-
|style="vertical-align: middle; border-top: 1px solid gray;" | For having brought once again a chess article, [[George H. D. Gossip]], first to FA-class then on the Main Page, I award you this Chess Barnstar. Thank you so much ! [[User:SyG|SyG]] ([[User talk:SyG|talk]]) 15:42, 20 December 2009 (UTC)
|}



{| style="border: 1px solid gray; background-color: #fdffe7;"
|rowspan="2" valign="middle" | {{#ifeq:{{{2}}}|alt|[[File:Minor Barnstar Hires.png|100px]]|[[File:Minor_Barnstar.png|100px]]}}
|rowspan="2" |
|style="font-size: x-large; padding: 0; vertical-align: middle; height: 1.1em;" | '''The Minor Barnstar'''
|-
|style="vertical-align: middle; border-top: 1px solid gray;" | In recognition of continued steady work on our chess articles, particularly a large number of minor edits that combine to form a major contribution. [[User:RomanSpa|RomanSpa]] ([[User talk:RomanSpa|talk]]) 09:25, 5 August 2014 (UTC)
|}
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=='''Userboxes'''==
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{{userbox|#33CCCC|#33DDDD|n+|This user has over 19,000 edits.}}
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