SDCA Bulletin April 2007 Volume 30 - Issue #1
The South Dakota Chess Association Newsletter Steve Haataja 1960-2007 (?)
by Steve Norquist On March 9, 2007, a ranch hand named Mike Bloom discovered the body of Steve Haataja in a field in Dawes County, Nebraska (outside of Chadron). Steve, for many years one of the top South Dakota chessplayers, had mysteriously disappeared in early December; the circumstances surrounding his demise were also perplexing. I considered Steve a friend, and spoke with his mother Doris in Spearfish a week after the body was found. Unfortunately, Steve’s dad Esaja passed away the same week, so Doris was understandably quite distraught. I told her that Mark Derby and I were putting together some of his chess games and a short memorial article regarding Steve. She was pleased to hear from me, saying that she remembered me from my long-ago days as a freshman at Black Hills State when Steve was a high-schooler and he and I basically constituted the Spearfish Chess Club, along with the late Mal Skarsten. My contribution to the games section will be my first and last rated games with Steve, along with some unrated games we played in the late seventies. Steve’s friends and family look forward to learning the truth surrounding his death and seeing the rumors dispelled.
IN THIS ISSUE: SDCA MEMBERS REMEMBER STEVE HAATAJA 2006 SOUTH DAKOTA CLOSED CHAMPIONSHIP 22ND REVIVAL OF THE SIOUX FALLS OPEN 2006 SOUTH DAKOTA TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP 2006 SOUTH DAKOTA TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP WINNERS 2006 GOVERNOR’S CUP SCHOLASTIC, OCTOBER 2006 GOVERNOR’S CUP, SIOUX FALLS 2006 VETERANS DAY SCHOLASTIC, RAPID CITY 2006 CHESS NUTS RAPID CITY 2006 EXPLORER CHESS TOURNAMENT 2007 EAGLE BUTTE NEW YEAR'S DAY TOURNAMENT 2007 WINTER OPEN, SIOUX FALLS 2007 BLACK HILLS SCHOLASTIC 2007 RAPID CITY CHESS CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP 2007 SD GIRLS CHAMPIONSHIP 2007 BLITZ SHOWDOWN RAPID CITY 2007 SD SCHOLASTIC CHAMPIONSHIP STATE RATINGS LIST FOR SD PLAYERS [Event "Winter Match Play"] [Site "Sioux Falls, SD"] [Date "1998.01.18"] [Round "2 Board 1"] [White "Steve Haataja 1858"] [Black "Steve Norquist 2005"] [Result "0-1"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 e5 4. Nf3 exd4 5. Qxd4 Be6 6. Qxd8+ Kxd8 7. Ne5 b5 8. a4 c6 9. axb5 cxb5 10. Nc3 Bb4 11. Bd2 f6 12. Nf3 Bxc3 13. Bxc3 Nc6 14. Ba5+ Kc8 15. b3 Kb7 16. bxc4 Bxc4 17. Bxc4 bxc4 18. Kd2 Re8 19. e5 fxe5 20. Ng5 Nf6 21. Nf7 Ne4+ 22. Ke3 Rhf8 23. Nd8+ Nxd8 24. Rhb1+ Ka8 25. Kxe4 Rxf2 26. Bb6 Rf7 27. Bxd8 Rxd8 28. Kxe5 Rf2 29. Rc1 Re2+ 30. Kf4 Rf8+ 31. Kg3 Rff2 32. Rxc4 Rxg2+ 33. Kf3 Rxh2 34. Rd1 Rhf2+ 35. Kg3 Rf7 36. Rb1 a5 37. Rc5 a4 38. Ra5+ Ra7 39. Rd5 Re8 {This is the last rated game I played with Steve Haataja.} 0-1