Mechanics' Institute Chess Room Newsletter #346
 
 
Behind every move stands the chess-player's knowledge, gained by long hours of daily work, and his talent which enables him to find, sometimes in seconds, solutions that are inaccessible to other titled players without a long period of reflection.  
 
GM Valeri Beim
 
 
 
Newsletter readers get two issues this week as I will be on the road starting next Monday. The Newsletter will return to its regular schedule on Wednesday, May 30. Note there will be no lectures on Tuesday and Wednesday next week. MI Grandmaster-in-Residence will cover the US Championship on May 29th and 30th.
 
 
1) Mechanics' Institute Chess Room News
2) US Championship Begins
3) Chess Collectors International meeting in San Francisco
4) 2007 Canadian Open
5) Nikolay Minev and the Pirc Defense
6) Upcoming Events
 
1) Mechanics' Institute Chess Room News
 
This Saturday, May 19th,  the Mechanics' will be honored to host a visit by IM Josh Waitzkin who will be  discussing his new book The Art of Learning  followed by a book signing. Many MI members will remember Josh's participation in the 1995 Pan Pacific GM tournament held in Chinatown. Since then Josh has gone in a different direction becoming a World Champion of Tai Chi Chuan Push Hands. Don't miss this exciting event!
 
You can find an insightful review of Josh's book by Jennifer Shahade at http://beta.uschess.org/frontend/blog_23_40.php .
 
This Sunday, May 20th,  the Mechanics' will host the Cliff Lundberg Memorial Chess Tournament for the late cab driving chess enthusiast. The event, which has free entry, will have registration from 11:30 to 11:55. Play runs from noon to 4pm with a time control of G/5. There are $600 in prizes with $150 for first. Cliff's sister Julie Alden, Big Dog.Citywide Cab, DeSoto Cab, Alan Freiburg (Green Book), Luxor Cab, Metro Cab and Yellow Cab Co-op are co-sponsoring the event.
 
Those looking for a two day tournament this weekend can journey up to Santa Rosa for the Frank Doyle Open organized and directed by Mike Goodall (see details under upcoming events)
 
May 26 the Mechanics' will play host a six player G/45 roundrobin playoff for the Northern California spot in the Arnold Denker Tournament of High School Champions. Competing for the title are those who placed 2-6 in the N. California High School Championship earlier this year - NMs Nicholas Yap and Sam Shankland, Experts David Chock, Adarsh Konda and Michael Zhong and Class A player Micah Cohen. The winner of the event, Daniel Naroditsky, is ineligible for the Denker, as he is in fifth grade, and participants must be in high school.
 
The following weekend (June 2-3) The Mechanics' will be hosting the 44th Annual Arthur Stamer Memorial and the next weekend  Richard Koepcke will put on the Bent Creek Winery Open in Livermore.
 
 
 
2) US Championship Begins
 
The US Championship started yesterday.
 
Round 1
 
1 IM  JOSHUA E FRIEDEL      GM HIKARU NAKAMURA  0-1
2 GM ALEXANDER ONISCHUK      GM WALTER S BROWNE  1-0
3 IM IRINA KRUSH      GM GREGORY KAIDANOV 1/1-1/2
4 GM JAAN EHLVEST      IM DAVID PRUESS  1-0
5 FM ROBERT L HESS      GM  ILDAR IBRAGIMOV  0-1
6 GM  ALEXANDER SHABALOV      IM  JUSTIN SARKAR 1-0
7 FM JOSEPH MARK BRADFORD      GM YURY SHULMAN  1/1-1/2
8 GM ALEXANDER STRIPUNSKY      IM BRYAN SMITH 1-0
9 IM  MICHAEL MULYAR      GM BORIS GULKO  1/2-1/2
10 GM VARUZHAN AKOBIAN      IM RONALD W BURNETT  1-0
11 IM JAY BONIN      GM ALEXANDER IVANOV 1/2-1/2
12 GM SERGEY KUDRIN      FM RAY S ROBSON  1-0
13 FM  MICHAEL LANGER      GM EUGENE PERELSHTEYN 0-1
14 GM JULIO BECERRA      MICHAEL AIGNER  1-0
15 FM MOVSES MOVSISYAN      GM ALEX YERMOLINSKY 0-1
16 GM  DMITRY GUREVICH      WFM IRYNA ZENYUK  1-0
17 WFM CHOUCHANIK AIRAPETIAN      IM  ENRICO M SEVILLANO  0-1
18 GM  MELIKSET KHACHIYAN     
OK Champ TOM BRAUNLICH 1-0
 
 
Pretty much all the favorites won but an exception was a theoretically important draw between America's top-rated women, IM Irina Krush and the Lion of Lexington, GM Gregory Kaidanov.

Krush,Irina (2488) - Kaidanov,Gregory (2686)
The Frank K. Berry 2007 US Championship  Stillwater United States (1), 15.05.2007
 
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 e6 5.Bg5 dxc4 6.e4 b5 7.e5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Nxg5 hxg5 10.Bxg5 Nbd7 11.g3
 
This move and 11.exf6 are White's two choices.
 
11...Rg8 12.h4 Rxg5 13.hxg5 Nd5 14.g6 fxg6 15.Qg4 Qe7 16.Bg2
 
This is considered White's best. In this line Black wants to trade Queens
 
 16...Nxc3
 
I believe this is a TN. 16...Qf7, 16...Bg7, 16...Bb7, 16...Ba6 and 16...Kd8 have all been tried.
 
 
17.bxc3 Rb8 18.Be4 Kd8 19.Qxg6 b4
 
Black ignores White's play on the kingside and carries through on the opposite wing.
 
20.Rh7 Qe8 21.Qxe8+ Kxe8 22.g4
 
White ignores Black's threats on the queenside and carries through on the kingside.
 
22...bxc3 23.g5 c5 24.g6 cxd4 25.Rh8
 
Time to bail out!
 
25... Ke7 26.Rh7+ Ke8 27.Rh8 Ke7 28.Rh7+ ½-½
 
Black has to acquiesce as 28...Kd8 29.Rh8 threatens not only g7 but Rxf8 ...Nxf8 g7 with twin threats of  gxf8 and g8.
 
 
 
Round Two Pairings
 
 
1 GM HIKARU NAKAMURA  GM SERGEY KUDRIN 
2 GM EUGENE PERELSHTEYN  GM ALEXANDER ONISCHUK 
3 GM ALEX YERMOLINSKY  GM JAAN EHLVEST 
4 GM ILDAR IBRAGIMOV  GM JULIO BECERRA 
5 GM DMITRY GUREVICH  GM ALEXANDER SHABALOV 
6 IM ENRICO M SEVILLANO  GM ALEXANDER STRIPUNSKY 
7 GM MELIKSET KHACHIYAN  GM VARUZHAN AKOBIAN 
8 GM GREGORY KAIDANOV  FM JOSEPH MARK BRADFORD 
9 GM YURY SHULMAN  IM IRINA KRUSH 
10 GM BORIS GULKO  IM JAY BONIN 
11 GM ALEXANDER IVANOV  IM MICHAEL MULYAR 
12 FM RAY S ROBSON  IM JOSHUA E FRIEDEL 
13 GM WALTER S BROWNE  FM MICHAEL LANGER 
14 IM DAVID PRUESS  FM MOVSES MOVSISYAN 
15 MICHAEL AIGNER  FM ROBERT L HESS 
16 IM JUSTIN SARKAR  WFM IRYNA ZENYUK 
17 IM BRYAN SMITH  WFM CHOUCHANIK AIRAPETIAN 
18 IM RONALD W BURNETT  TOM BRAUNLICH 
 
 
Michael Aigner writes:
 
Hello chess friends,

Rounds 1-8  of the US Championship will be played daily at 2pm Central time (12noon Pacific). 
You can follow the games live on the MonRoi website and the Internet Chess Club.  Even if you can't log in when the games start (school or
work), check them out when you can--each round will last 4-6 hours.

1. Go to the official website <http://www.monroi.com/tournamentgate/USChamp07>.  Click on Live
Games and then select the US Championship at the top of the list.  You need to agree to their
license by clicking on "Click Here to Accept License Terms" (small text near the top of the page).
Select the correct round number and then choose a game.

2. Log into ICC with your username and password or go to <http://www.chessclub.com/register> to
sign up for a free trial (14 days free if you've never used ICC before).  After you logged in, go
to the Window menu and select the Events list.  The Internet Chess Club will relay five games live
each day.  Find the game you want to look at from the top of the list and click on the eyeball to
observe it.  Watch for live commentary by GMs and IMs!

If the ICC does not relay my game, you can still view it on the MonRoi website.  After games are
finished, you can vote on the best game for each day on the MonRoi site.  I think you'll need to
register on their website, but I don't know the details yet.  The winner of the daily best game
prize receives $100.

Finally, check out my daily BLOG <http://www.chessclub.com/resources/event/uschamp07> on the ICC
website.  I have written two pieces so far and intend  to write something (good or bad) after each
round.  For example, tomorrow's blog should have photos from the opening ceremony that begins in
approximately 3 hours.


Michael Aigner
 
The New York Times has started a chess blog. Go to
 
http://gambit.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/05/13/welcome-to-the-gambit-chess-blog/#more-8
 
 
3) Chess Collectors International meeting in San Francisco
 
Floyd Sarisohn (Lichess@aol.com ) of  Chess Collectors International writes that chess sets, books and postcards will be for sale for sale as well as an exhibition of Asian chess sets ands modern chess sets by California Artists, with free admission to the public, at the California Parlor and the Monterey room of the Palace Hotel on Saturday, May 26 . The Palace ( Sheraton Palace) is only a stones throw from the Mechanics' Institute. Both are easily accessible by BART ( Montgomery Station).
 
4) 2007 Canadian Open
 
Dear chess player,

I hope you don't mind receiving this update about the 2007 Canadian Open Chess Championship, to be held July 7-15 in Ottawa at the Ottawa Marriott. The event is less than two months away, and the organizers are feeling very positive about progress to date in terms of titled players, rank-and-file players, sponsors and various side events that have been confirmed. Here's the latest news:

  • Our one-section event has registered nearly 150 players so far, or which 11 are grandmasters. GM Nigel Short tops the field, but he will face stiff competition from GMs Vadim Milov and Sergey Tiviakov, both over 2650 as well. Most recently  GM Viorel Iordachescu of Moldova and GM Tomas Likavsky of Slovakia have confirmed their participation. On the IM front, Canadian IMs Leonid Gerzhoy and Tom O'Donnell have joined the pack. More GMs and IMs will be confirmed in coming weeks. (Note: entry is free for GMs and IMs.)
  • Some of the side events will include simuls featuring Canadian GM Mark Bluvshtein, GM Iordachescu, and GM Suat Atalik and his wife, WGM Atalik, both of Turkey. As well, Canadian IM Lawrence Day will launch his book on the late, great Canadian IM Bryon Nickoloff. U.S, GM Alex Yermolinsky, author of the excellent books The Road to Chess Improvement and Chess Explained: The Classical Sicilian, will lecture on the Classical Sicilian. More side events will be confirmed in coming weeks.
  • Blitz and bughouse tournaments are in the works.
  • MonRoi, the Montreal-based ESPN of chess, will be broadcasting top games on the Internet.

Some important deadlines:
  • After May 31st, the entry fee of $125 CAD increases to $150 CAD. It is $175 CAD at the venue.
  • The rates at the Marriott ($89 CAD /night single /double, add $10 CAD for triple and $20 CAD for quad) are available only until June 6th, after which they increase, I assume, quite steeply.

If you're already signed up, I hope the above makes you glad you've registered. If you're still on the fence, then I hope you'll be getting off soon to register! Here are the websites to visit:

Basic event information: www.canchess.ca
MonRoi's classy site: www.monroi.com/tournamentgate/CanOpen07/index.html
Online registration for the Canadian Open: http://canchess.myshopify.com/
Online reservations for the Ottawa Marriott: http://cwp.marriott.com/yowmc/chess/
Players registered in the Canadian Open: http://cocycc.pbwiki.com/CORegisteredPlayers

We'll be sending one more update soon -- with the prize fund breakdown which should make chess mercenaries happy. We're projecting a prize fund of $20,000 CAD on 200 paid entries, and the class prizes should be significant.

We hope to see you in Ottawa in July!

Best regards
Peter Hum
for the organizers
2007 Canadian Open Chess Championship
Event website: www.canchess.ca
 
 
5) Nikolay Minev and the Pirc Defense
 
Recently I was going through 200 Modern Chess Traps in the Fianchetto openings by J.B. Howson. On  page 148 I came across what is alleged to be
Minev - Kratkovsky , Bulgarian ch, 1956. The score given is 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Bg5 h6 5.Bh4 Bg7 6.f4 c5 7.e5 Nh5 8.Nd5 cxd4 9.Bb5+ Bd7 10.Bxe7 Qa5+ 11.b4 Qxb5 with the verdict that Black is doing well - Howson gives five of Black's first 11 moves either one or two exclamation marks. He also queries White's 7th move.  
 
Botterill and Keene in their book The Pirc Defense (page 124) write after 13...Bxb5, with a material advantage for Black which is a bit odd since after 14.Qxd4 it is White who has the extra pawn. B and K also give the wrong date for the game ( 1956 instead of 1955) and give Minev's opponent as Kratkowski ( as opposed to Howson's Kratkovsky and Minev's Kviatkovsky.
 
Gaige gives Sergey Fedorovich Kviatkovsky born in 1925 in the Soviet Union. Could this player and how did he end up in Bulgaria? The Bulgarian Chess Encyclopedia printed in 1989 in Sofia on page 334 gives a crosstable for the 1955 Bulgarian championship which shows a draw between Minev and a S. Kviatkovsky.
 
A search of Mega Database 2007 reveals no games with 8.Nd5 ( 8.dxc5 is preferred). My guess is this is not because of the sequence seen in Minev's games where White might possibly even improve with 15.Nf3 or 15.Qe3 but because of 8...Nc6 (instead of 8...cxd4). After 8...Nc6 9.Bb5 Be6 White's center seems overextended.
 
Minev,Nikolay - Kviatkovsky,Sergey [B07]
Bulgarian  ch Sofia (10), 1955
 
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 g6 3.e4 d6 4.Bg5 Bg7 5.f4 h6 6.Bh4 c5 7.e5 Nh5 8.Nd5 cxd4 9.Bb5+ Bd7 10.Bxe7 Qa5+ 11.b4 Qxb5 12.Nc7+ Kxe7 13.Nxb5 Bxb5 14.Qxd4 Rd8 15.Qe4 Bc6 16.exd6+ Kxd6 17.0-0-0+ Kc7 18.Qe7+ Rd7 19.Rxd7+ Nxd7 20.Ne2 Bf6 21.Qxf7 Rf8 22.Qxg6 Nxf4 23.Nxf4 Bg5 24.Qxg5 hxg5 25.Ne6+ Kd6 26.Nxf8 Nxf8 27.Rd1+ Ke5 28.c4 Ne6 29.Rd2 a6 30.Kb2 g4 31.Kc3 Nf4 32.g3 Ne6 33.Re2+ Kf5 34.Rb2 Ke5 35.b5 axb5 36.cxb5 Bf3 37.Kc4 b6 38.Rd2 Nc7 39.a3 Nd5 40.a4 Ne3+ 41.Kb4 Nd5+ 42.Kb3 Ke4 43.a5 bxa5 44.Kc4 Nb6+ 45.Kc5 Na4+ 46.Kd6 Nc3 47.b6 Ke3 48.Rb2 Ne4+ 49.Kd5 Nxg3+ 50.Ke5 Ne2 51.b7 Bxb7 52.Rxb7 g3 53.Rb3+ Kf2 54.hxg3 Nxg3 55.Ra3 Ne2 56.Rxa5 Ke3 57.Ra3+ ½-½
 
 
6) Upcoming Events
 
MI Events - go to http://www.chessclub.org/ for more information
 
May 19-20   Frank Doyle Open   GPP: 10 Enhanced   California Northern

4SS, G/2. Exchange Banks, Andrew J Shepard Building, 440 Aviation Boulevard, Santa Rosa, CA. $1000 GTD. 3 Sections: Open: $250-175. Reserve (1500-1899): $200-125. Booster (U1500): $150-100. Unr. Must play in Open Section. EF: $35 advanced, $40 at door. Reg: 8:30-9:30 am. Rds: 10-3; 10-3. Ent: Mike Goodall, 461 Peachstone Terrace, San Rafael, CA 94903. Phone: (415) 491-1269. Email: mike.goodall@comcast.net. No phone or email entries. Bring equipment, none provided. NS, NC, W, FIDE.

 
May 19-20
Chess4Children May Open
5-SS. USCF Rated. Hebrew Academy, 14401 Willow Lane, Huntington Beach,
CA. Time Controls: Saturday G/90; Sunday 40/2, SD/1
Prize Fund: $500 Guaranteed. (Prizes will go up with more than 20 players).
Distribution: 1st-35%, 2nd-15%, Top X/A/B, and C-10% Each, Top D and
E/UNR-5% each.

April Supplement used.

EF: $40 before 5/18/07. After: $50. IM's play free with entry fee deducted from prize.
Rds: Saturday 10-1:30-5 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Reg: Online at http://www.chess4children.com/, click on Tournament and Class Registrations 2007, and click on Chess4Children May Open. You can also register by printing out the flyer and mailing it in.
InfoSCCF membership required of So. Californians: $14, $9 jrs.
Advanced Entries will be listed at the same page as registration.
Questions: Joe Hanley 714-925-3195

NC, NS. State Championship Qualifier.
 
May 26-28
2007 Lina Grumette Memorial Day Classic
6-SS, 40/2, SD/1 (2-day schedule rds 1-3 G/60, then merges). LAX Hilton, 5711 W Century Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90045.
$$10,000 b/200, 60% of each prize guaranteed. In five sections:
Open $$T+1800-750-400-300-200, U2400 400, U2200 700-300-200.
Premier (under 2000): $$750-300-200-100.
Amateur (Under 1800): $$750-300-200-100.
Reserve (Under 1600): $$750-300-200-100.
Booster (Under 1400/unrated): $$T+400-200-100, U1200 T+100, Unr T+100. (Unrated may win Unrated prizes only.)
Best game prize $25, all sections eligible.
All: half-point byes available, limit 2, rds 5-6 must be requested with entry & cannot be revoked. SCCF membership req. ($14, jr. $9), OSA. No checks or credit cards at door.
HR: $95 (310) 410-4000, mention chess. Parking $8/day.
Reg: 3-day 9-10 a.m. 5-26, 2-day 8:30-9:30 a.m. 5-27.
Rds: 3-day: 10:30-5 Sat-Sun, 10-4:30 Mon.  2-day: 10-12:15-2:30 Sun., then merges.
EF: Open, Premier, Amateur, Reserve $83 if received by 5-24, $95 door, Booster $67 by 5-24, $80 door. On-line entry: http://www.westernchess.com/.
Ent: SCCF, c/o John Hillery, 835 N. Wilton Pl. #1, Los Angeles CA 90038. 
Inf: admin@westernchess.com. NS, W, F.  GP: 40. State Championship Qualifier
 
 
June 9–10   BENT CREEK WINERY OPEN

4-SS, SD/2 Bent Creek Winery, 5455 Greenville Rd, Livermore, Ca. $$B 80 paid entries (not counting unrated entries ). Three Sections: Open $300-$150-$75 U2200 $200-100; Reserve (U2000) $200-100-50; U1800 $200-100; Booster (U1600) $200-100-50 U1400 $200-100 Unr: Trophy First. EF: postmarked by 6/5 $50, $60 at site. Unrateds $20 in the Booster section or may play up to the Open section for the regular fee. $2 discount to CalChess members. USCF memb. req’d. May play up for add’l $10, add’l $50 if U1600 playing in the Open Section. Reg: Sat 6/9 8:30-9:30 am. RDS.: Sat. 10:00-3:00; Sun. 10:00-3:00; One 1/2 pt bye available if requested in advance (bye in rds. three or four must be requested before rd. 1). 2007 June Ratings List, CCA minimums and Directors discretion will be used to place players as accurately as possible. Please bring clocks and equipment. INFO: Richard Koepcke (650)-964-2640. Ent: Richard Koepcke, P.O. Box 1432, Mountain View, CA 94042. No Phone entries.

A Classic Event!
Jun.16   14th California Classic Championship  California, Northern

5SS G/45. 3003 Scott Blvd., Santa Clara, CA 95054. EF: $29. $15 more after 6/12, $2 Cal Chess Discount.. $750 b/50: Open 200-100-50 U2000 30, Reserve: 200-100 U1600 30, U1400 30, U1200 30. Reg: Sat 8:30-9:30 AM, Rds: 10:00-11:30, 11:45AM-1:15 PM, 1:45-3:15PM, 3:25-4:55PM, 5:00-7:00 PM. Ent: Salman Azhar, P.O. Box 730934, San Jose, CA 95173-0934, Payable to Salman Azhar or paypal to sazhar@yahoo.com.  Info: sazhar@yahoo.com.   




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