RIP Dave Langner(CAN) 2013-07

From Chesstalk by Nigel Hanrahan
Manitoba Master Dave Langner passed away yesterday after a long battle with cancer. Dave had many good results, one of which I was a part of so I will comment on. 

In 1996, Dave played Board 1 on the annual Manitoba-Minnesota Match and, while the rest of us didn't fare so well, Dave made off with first prize. Here are a few of those games ...

[Event "Glacier Vending op"]
[Site "Minneapolis"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Chandler, Jeff"]
[Black "Langner, David"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A48"]
[BlackElo "2245"]
[PlyCount "78"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Bf4 Bg7 4. e3 c5 5. c3 b6 6. Nbd2 Bb7 7. h3 O-O 8. Bd3
d5 9. b3 cxd4 10. cxd4 Nc6 11. Rc1 Nb4 12. Qe2 Rc8 13. O-O Nxd3 14. Qxd3 Ne4
15. Ng5 Nxd2 16. Qxd2 Qd7 17. Qd3 f6 18. Nf3 Rfe8 19. Qd2 e5 20. dxe5 fxe5 21.
Bg3 Rc5 22. b4 Rc6 23. Rfd1 Qe6 24. Qb2 Rxc1 25. Rxc1 d4 26. Ng5 Qd7 27. Rc7
Qxc7 28. Qb3+ Kf8 29. Nxh7+ Ke7 30. Bh4+ Kd6 31. exd4 Qc6 32. Qg3 Qxg2+ 33.
Qxg2 Bxg2 34. Kxg2 Rh8 35. Bf6 Rxh7 36. dxe5+ Ke6 37. Bxg7 Rxg7 38. f4 Kf5 39.
Kf3 Rc7 0-1

[Event "Glacier Vending op"]
[Site "Minneapolis"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Johnson, Leonard J"]
[Black "Langner, David"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D02"]
[WhiteElo "2255"]
[BlackElo "2245"]
[PlyCount "100"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]

1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 e6 3. c3 c5 4. g3 Nc6 5. Bg2 Nf6 6. O-O cxd4 7. Nxd4 Bd6 8. Re1
O-O 9. a4 h6 10. Nb5 Bc5 11. b4 Be7 12. N5a3 e5 13. Bb2 Re8 14. Nd2 a5 15. b5
Nb8 16. e3 Nbd7 17. c4 Nc5 18. Qc2 d4 19. exd4 exd4 20. Nf3 d3 21. Qd1 Bf5 22.
Nb1 Nfe4 23. Nbd2 Bf6 24. Bxf6 Qxf6 25. Nxe4 Bxe4 26. Ra2 Bxf3 27. Rxe8+ Rxe8
28. Bxf3 Qc3 29. Qd2 Qxc4 30. Ra3 b6 31. Bd1 Qb4 32. Ra2 Qxd2 33. Rxd2 Re1+ 34.
Kg2 Kf8 35. f3 Ke7 36. Kf2 Re6 37. h3 Kf6 38. Ra2 Ke5 39. Ke3 Kd5+ 40. Kd2 Kd4
41. Ra3 h5 42. Ra2 Rg6 43. g4 hxg4 44. hxg4 Rh6 45. Ra3 Rh2+ 46. Kc1 Kc4 47.
Kb1 Rh1 48. Kc1 Kb4 49. Ra2 Nb3+ 50. Kb2 Rxd1 0-1

[Event "Glacier Vending op"]
[Site "Minneapolis"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Langner, David"]
[Black "Kane, George Francis"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C86"]
[WhiteElo "2245"]
[BlackElo "2300"]
[PlyCount "53"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Qe2 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. c3
d5 9. d3 Bb7 10. Bg5 Na5 11. Bc2 dxe4 12. dxe4 Nd7 13. Bc1 c5 14. Rd1 Qc7 15.
Nbd2 Nb6 16. b3 c4 17. b4 Nc6 18. a4 Rad8 19. a5 Nc8 20. Rb1 Nb8 21. Nf1 Rxd1
22. Qxd1 Nd6 23. Qe2 Nd7 24. Ng3 Re8 25. Be3 Bf8 26. Re1 g6 27. h4 1/2-1/2

Dave also won the following game against another Manitoba Master, former CFC President Dale Kirton ...

[Event "Manitoba-ch"]
[Site "Winnipeg CAN"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Langner, David"]
[Black "Kirton, Dale"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B96"]
[PlyCount "53"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 b5 8. e5
dxe5 9. fxe5 Qc7 10. exf6 Qe5+ 11. Be2 Qxg5 12. O-O Qe5 13. Nf3 Bc5+ 14. Kh1
Qxf6 15. Ne4 Qe7 16. Ne5 f5 17. Bh5+ g6 18. Nxg6 hxg6 19. Bxg6+ Kf8 20. Nxc5
Kg7 21. Nxe6+ Bxe6 22. Bxf5 Bxf5 23. Rxf5 Qh4 24. Qd6 Nc6 25. Raf1 Ra7 26. R5f3
Qe4 27. Qf6+ 1-0

Dave's effort was, I think, the result of a lot of preparation. He used 5 minutes on the clock to Dale's 2 hours. 

Dave leaves behind a 4-year-old daughter (Emily) and sisters Janet and Kim. So long, old friend.

Lipnowski(l) playing Langner(r)

Alex Nikouline(l)-David Langner(r)

Jay Khedkar(l) playing David Langner(r) 

Edward Tang(right standing)

Photos -Yanofsky Memorial 2007

Yanofsky Memorial 2007-Nigel Hanrahan

Samuel Lipnowski (2281) won the open section with 4.5 points out of 5. Gustavo Melamedoff (1975), David Langner (2261), who came out of a lengthy retirement from over-the-board chess, and Trevor Vincent (2175) were tied at 4/5.

Dezheng Kong, Jordan Kwiatek, and Keith Gannon shared first place in the U1800 section with 4 points. Kong got some media attention as the eight year-old wunderkind of the event. There has already been some local coverage and there should be some national coverage as well this week on the CBC. 

I had a Yanofsky moment in the event when Dezheng had to be lifted up to mark his win on the results page to the amusement of his mum and gathered onlookers. It would have been funny to get that on TV. Somewhere, Abe Yanofsky is smiling. 

Overall: Scores out of 5
1st. 4.5 points
Sam Lipnowski

2nd/3rd
4 points
Dave Langner
Gustavo Melamedoff
Trevor Vincent

"A" Class:
1st/2nd
3 points
Joseph Van Wyk
Tony Boron

Under 1800:
1st/2nd
4 points
Jordan Kwiatek
Dezheng Kong
Keith Gannon

Under 1600:
1st/2nd
3 points
George Anderson
Aaron Green
Matthew Sigurdson
Albert Tuason
Saul Magnusson

Here is a fine attacking game by Langner from the Manitoba Ch 1996. Black walked on a defensive tightrope and then slipped up.

Langner,David - Kirton,Dale

Sicilian Najdorf Polugaevsky 10.ef [B96]

Manitoba-ch Winnipeg CAN (2), 1996

Position 1
Black's queenside pieces are spectators while the  kingside is loose. What do you recommend for white?

White to Play

20...Kg7

Position 2
Black is fully exposed. What do you recommend for white?

White to Play

26...Qe4