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Once upon a time in Mexico: A Chess Adventure Retold by Francisco Anchondo

My friend Francisco Anchondo sent me a story from one of his recent chess adventures in Mexico. The story is fantastic and the game is even better. Enjoy!

 

 

7-11 /Pemex service station in Mexico
7-11 /Pemex service station in Mexico

 

From Francisco:

On my way to Ensenada at 2:30 AM my vehicle was having some electrical problems. l waited at 7/11 /Pemex service station  right before the Rosarito Caseta (Toll gate.) l  took a siesta till 5:15 AM awoke to see 2 mexicans engaged in a chess game. I saw one who was clearly better than the other and he was just cannon fodder. I checked it out while an electrician checked my van. He came back stated my pedal stop switch was out along with several fuses and gave me a decent estimate of 350 to400 pesos( $23.40 / $30 US) compared to $60 US just for a diagnostic. l saw the winner boast as to how he could whoop up on everyone seated at the small cafe inside 7/11 for 200 pesos a game. Jose Manuel Ruelas Alvarez boasted no one wants to lose their hard earned pesos.

“Ja ! Ja! Ja!,”  I interrupted.

 l saw the winner boast as to how he could whoop up on everyone seated at the small cafe inside 7-11 for 200 pesos a game.
l saw the winner boast as to how he could whoop up on everyone seated at the small cafe inside 7-11 for 200 pesos a game.

“Ok l stated look let’s do this for 300 pesos since l am bound to lose”, I said.

“Ok ! On one condition l play white Jose stated.”

1. e4 e5, 2.Nf3 Nc6,3. Bc4 Nf6, 4. d3 Bc5, 5. O+O,  d6  6. Bg5 h6, 7.Bh4 g5, 8.Bg3 pondered my next move. I played 8….h5?! Jose couldn’t resist. He snapped it off and hollered now l got some $ to take my girl to the movies. What you gonna do Americano?  9.Nxg5 h4!, 10. Nxf7 hxg3,11. NxQd8 Jose jeered, talked trash, and said, “If l lose this game l will buy y’all 5 rounds of Tecate.”

 

11. NxQd8 Jose jeered, talked trash, and said, “If l lose this game l will buy y'all 5 rounds of Tecate.”
11. NxQd8 Jose jeered, talked trash, and said, “If l lose this game l will buy y’all 5 rounds of Tecate.”

 

I said,  “does that include me?”

“Yeah, yeah. Just resign and get over it.”

11…..Bg4, 12.Qe1 Nd4!, 13. c3?? Nf3+!,14.gxf3 Bxf3, Jose looked and looked to no avail. At that moment the mechanic walked in and said 350 pesos Senor. Your van is ready. I looked at Jose, pay the man and my coffee.

14.gxf3 Bxf3, Jose looked and looked to no avail.
14.gxf3 Bxf3, Jose looked and looked to no avail.

 

As l left with my coffee l could hear everyone laugh and cheer that Jose the swindler had been manhandled by an unknown and everyone was happy and saying thanks. Jose did not look to happy since everyone cheered,” beers are on Jose tonight. Ha! Ha! Ha! ”

 

As l left with my coffee l could hear everyone laugh and cheer that Jose the swindler had been manhandled by an unknown...
As l left with my coffee l could hear everyone laugh and cheer that Jose the swindler had been manhandled by an unknown…

 

Francisco Anchondo is a regular chess teacher at Torres Chess and Music Academy Camps. He will be joining Susan Polgar and Chris Torres for the 2014 Fremont Summer Chess Camp at Mission San Jose Elementary School. Don’t miss out on the best summer camp in Norcal, sign your child up today.

Published by chessmusings

Chris Torres is a nationally renowned scholastic chess coach working in the San Francisco Bay Area. His classes have attracted players of strengths ranging from rank beginners to world champions. A chess professional since 1998, Chris is widely recognized as one of the main driving forces behind the explosion in popularity and sudden rise in quality of scholastic chess in California. Chris Torres served as the President of the Torres Chess and Music Academy from 2005-2020 and currently is recognized as a correspondence chess master with the United States Chess Federation. Since 1998 Chris Torres has taught 6 individual national champions as well as led multiple school teams to win national championship titles. In addition, Chris Torres has directed and taught at 10 different schools which have been California State Champions at chess. In 2011 and 2012, several former and current students of Chris Torres have been selected to represent the United States at the World Youth Chess Championships. Mr. Torres’ hobbies include playing classical guitar and getting his students to appear on the national top 100 chess rating lists.

2 thoughts on “Once upon a time in Mexico: A Chess Adventure Retold by Francisco Anchondo

  1. Fantastic game and fantastic story!

    I saw Francisco at the Reno tournament this weekend, and he told me to look his name up on your blog. I found this story, and I assume that is what he wanted me to see. He is right to be proud of this game.

    Could I ask you a favor? Francisco reminded me about a game we played last year. He said it was the first time he had ever lost as Black in the King’s Gambit. Unfortunately I have lost the notebook where I kept all my games from about 2010 to 2013. I would be grateful if he could send me a copy of the game score. I don’t know his e-mail address, otherwise I would ask him myself. Could you pass this message on to him?

    You have my permission to give him my e-mail address. Alternatively, he could send me the score in a comment on my blog, which he knows about (www.danamackenzie.com/blog).

    Thanks!

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