Mechanics' Institute Chess Club Newsletter #419

 

Games are very often annotated by unknown players who have insufficient understanding of the play. In actual fact, games by top-class maestros can only be annotated by a very few players. Of course even the strongest are not infallible, but the errors they make are few and infrequent, whereas others make them continually. 

 

Jose Capablanca in My Chess Career quoted in Questions of Modern Chess Theory (page 95) by Isaac Lipnitsky

 

 

 

1) Mechanics' Institute Chess Club News

2) 2009 Frank P. Samford, Jr. Chess Fellowship by Allen Kaufman

3) Chess Diva

4) Upcoming Events

 

 

 

New Mexico GM Jesse Kraai will give a special lecture next Tuesday, October 21, from 5:15 to 6:25, at the Mechanics' on his experiences in China in the Mind Sports Olympiad.

This promises to be a fascinating talk by a dynamic speaker. Don't miss Jesse!

 

IM Ricardo DeGuzman scored 4.5 from 5 to win the 8th Annual J.J. Dolan Memorial held October 11th at the MI.

 

FM Frank Thornally and NM Andy Lee and Nicholas Nip are the top seeds in the Fall Tuesday Night Marathon. It is still possible to enter the 10 round event with a half point bye for round 1.

 

The Mechanics' won another hard fought match, this time against Tennessee, to move to 6 1/2 from 8 and 1 1/2 point lead with two matches left in the regular season against top division rivals Dallas and Miami.

 

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San Francisco Mechanics (5.5-1.5) vs Tennessee Tempo (2.0-5.0)

All Time Series Record (San Francisco leads 3-0)

Starts at 8:30 PM ET       Time Control - Game 75 with 30 second increment

San Francisco Mechanics			Tennessee Tempo
GM Patrick Wolff: 2623	0.0	1.0	GM Jaan Ehlvest: 2668
GM Vinay Bhat: 2481	1.0	0.0	FM Todd Andrews: 2350
FM Sam Shankland: 2364	1.0	0.0	FM John Bick: 2249
NM Gregory Young: 2232	1.0	0.0	NM Jim Al-Shamma: 2127
Avg Rating: 2425			Avg Rating: 2349
San Francisco  Total -------	3.0	1.0	------- Tennessee Total

 

 

Wolff,Patrick (2623) - Ehlvest,Jaan (2668) [C00]

1.e4 e6 2.d3 c5 3.Nd2 Nc6 4.g3 d6 5.Bg2 g6 6.f4 Bg7 7.Ne2 Nge7 8.0-0 0-0 9.g4 f5 10.Ng3 fxg4 11.Qxg4 Nd4 12.Qd1 e5 13.fxe5 dxe5 14.Rxf8+ Qxf8 15.Nc4 Nec6 16.Ne3 Ne6 17.Nd5 Nf4 18.Be3 Nh3+ 19.Bxh3 Bxh3 20.c3 b6 21.Rc1 Qd6 22.a3 Be6 23.b4 cxb4 24.axb4 Bxd5 25.exd5 Qxd5 26.Ne4 Rd8 27.Nf2 e4 28.d4 b5 29.Qg4 a5 30.bxa5 Nxa5 31.Re1 Re8 32.Bd2 Nc4 33.Rxe4 Rf8 34.Be1 Rf5 35.Re8+ Kf7 36.Qe4 Qxe4 37.Rxe4 Bh6 38.Ng4 Bf4 39.Kg2 h5 40.Nf2 Ne3+ 41.Kf3 Nd5 42.Kg2 Bh6 43.Nd1 Bc1 44.Bg3 g5 45.Re2 h4 46.Be5 Bf4 47.Kh3 Kg6 48.Rb2 Bxe5 49.Rxb5 Bxd4  0-1

Andrews,Todd (2350) - Bhat,Vinay (2481) [D45]

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Nf3 Nbd7 6.Qc2 Bd6 7.g4 Nxg4 8.Rg1 f5 9.h3 Ngf6 10.Rxg7 Ne4 11.Bd2 Nf8 12.Rg2 Ng6 13.0-0-0 Bd7 14.Be1 Qf6 15.Kb1 0-0-0 16.c5 Bc7 17.Qa4 Bb8 18.Rd3 Rdg8 19.Nd1 Nh4 20.Nxh4 Qxh4 21.Rxg8+ Rxg8 22.Rb3 Nxc5 23.Qb4 Nxb3 24.axb3 e5 25.f4 Qh5 26.Nc3 Rg1  0-1

Shankland,Sam (2364) - Bick,John (2249) [C11]

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.Nce2 c5 6.c3 Nc6 7.f4 cxd4 8.cxd4 Bb4+ 9.Nc3 Qb6 10.Nf3 a5 11.a3 Bxc3+ 12.bxc3 a4 13.Bd3 Qc7 14.0-0 Nb6 15.Ng5 Na5 16.Qh5 Nb3 17.Bb5+ Kf8 18.Rb1 h6 19.Rf3 g6 20.Qh4 Kg7 21.Nh3 Qd8 22.Qg3 Nc4 23.Bxc4 dxc4 24.Nf2 b5 25.Ng4 Bb7 26.Re3 Qe7 27.Qe1 h5 28.Nf6 h4 29.Rh3 Rad8 30.Rxh4 Qc7 31.f5 Nxc1 32.Ne8+ Rhxe8 33.f6+ Kg8 34.Rh8+ Kxh8 35.Qh4+ Kg8 36.Qh6 Ne2+ 37.Kf2 Black resigns 1-0

Al-Shamma,Jim (2127) - Young,Gregory (2232) [A85]

1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nc3 d6 4.Bg5 Nbd7 5.Qc2 g6 6.e4 fxe4 7.Nxe4 Bg7 8.Nxf6+ Nxf6 9.Bd3 0-0 10.Nf3 c5 11.d5 Bd7 12.0-0 Ng4 13.Rfe1 Rxf3 14.gxf3 Ne5 15.Be4 Qf8 16.Re3 Bh6 17.f4 Bxg5 18.fxg5 Qf4 19.Rg3 Rf8 20.Rf1 Kg7 21.Qe2 Qh4 22.f3 Bh3 23.Rf2 Rf4 24.b3 Nf7 25.Bc2 Kf8 26.Qe3 Nxg5 27.b4 b6 28.bxc5 bxc5 29.Be4 Bd7 30.Rb2 Nxe4 31.fxe4 Rxe4 32.Qc3 Rd4 33.Rf2+ Bf5 34.Qb3 Qe4 35.Rf1 Kf7 36.Re3 Qg4+ 37.Rg3 Qe2 38.Qf3 Qxc4 39.Re1 Qxa2 40.Qc3 Qd2 41.Qa1 a5 42.Rg2 Qb4 43.Qc1 Rg4 44.Ree2 Qd4+ 45.Qe3 Rxg2+ 46.Kxg2 Qxd5+ 47.Kg1 Qd4 48.Qxd4 cxd4 49.Ra2 e5 50.Rxa5 Ke6 51.Kf2 e4 52.h4 Bg4 53.Rb5 e3+ White resigns 0-1

2008 Standings

EASTERN DIVISION	W	L	Game Points		Opp Avg Rating	Opps Record
@ Queens	6.5	1.5	21.0/32 (66%)		2399	25.5-28.5 (47%)
@ Carolina	5.5	2.5	19.5/32 (61%)		2396	22.0-32.0 (41%)
New Jersey	4.5	3.5	17.5/32 (55%)		2415	26.5-25.5 (51%)
Boston	4.0	4.0	16.5/32 (52%)		2408	25.5-28.5 (47%)
New York	3.0	5.0	12.5/32 (39%)		2415	27.5-24.5 (53%)
Philadelphia	2.0	6.0	12.5/32 (39%)		2433	25.5-28.5 (47%)
X - Baltimore	1.5	6.5	11.5/32 (36%)		2398	27.5-24.5 (53%)

WESTERN DIVISION	W	L	Game Points		Opp Avg Rating	Opps Record
@ - San Francisco	6.5	1.5	20.5/32 (64%)		2400	27.0-29.0 (48%)
Miami	5.0	3.0	21.0/32 (66%)		2406	27.5-26.5 (51%)
Dallas	4.5	3.5	16.0/32 (50%)		2417	27.0-27.0 (50%)
Seattle	4.5	3.5	15.0/32 (47%)		2395	28.5-27.5 (51%)
Chicago	4.0	4.0	17.0/32 (53%)		2390	26.5-27.5 (51%)
Arizona	2.5	5.5	12.0/32 (38%)		2396	33.0-23.0 (59%)
X - Tennessee	2.0	6.0	11.5/32 (36%)		2399	28.5-25.5 (53%)

(Opponent Record Column only counts match results against other teams,
and will only be calculated once all of the week's matches have completed.)

 @ = clinched Playoff Berth
# = clinched Division Title
X = Eliminated from the Playoff Race
Whoever has the most points in the "W" (win) column, is in the lead in the standings.
Total game points are used as a tiebreaker. To see the rest of the tiebreak procedures click here


Playoff Procedures:

The top four teams in each division qualify for the postseason.
-1st place in each division players 4th place. 1st place gets draw odds and chooses colors.
-2nd place in each division plays 3rd place. 2nd place gets draw odds and 3rd place chooses colors (if the very rare case occurs that the higher seed feels colors are more valuable to choose, they can do this instead)
-In semifinals, the higher seeded team gets draw odds, and the lower seeded team chooses colors ONLY if they are just one seed lower than the higher seed. Otherwise the higher seed gets draw odds and chooses colors. So 1 vs 2 = 1 gets draw odds, 2 chooses colors, but 1 vs 3 = 1 gets draw odds AND chooses colors
-In the final match the team with the better regular season record chooses colors but neither team gets draw odds, and if the match is tied 2-2, it goes to a blitz tiebreaker.

Leaders After Week 8, 2008	Pts.
1. IM Alex Lenderman: QNS	21.5
2. GM Sergey Erenburg: BAL	19
3. GM Julio Becerra: MIA	15
4. FM Sam Shankland: SF	14.5
5. GM Jaan Ehlvest: TEN	14
6. GM Hikaru Nakamura: SEA	13
7. FM Oleg Zaikov: CAR	12
8. SM Marc Esserman: BOS	12
9. NM Eric Rodriguez: MIA	11
10. FM Osmany Perea: MIA	10.5

Formula for MVP points:
a win on board 1 is worth 4 points, a loss on board 1 is worth -4 points
a win on board 2 is worth 3 points, a loss on board 2 is worth -3 points
a win on board 3 is worth 2.5 points, a loss on board 3 is worth -2.5 points
a win on board 4 is worth 2 points, a loss on board 4 is worth -2 points
if you draw or win with the black pieces you receive 1 bonus point.

Ties are broken by
1. Total games played
2. Overall Team Record
3. Avg Board Number. 1st beats 2nd and so on.
4. Avg Opponent's Rating

 

2) 2009 Frank P. Samford, Jr. Chess Fellowship by Allen Kaufman

For the twenty-third consecutive year, the Frank P. Samford, Jr. Chess Fellowship announces its annual award.

Designed to identify and assist the most promising American chessmasters under the age of twenty-five, this program was created by the late Frank P. Samford, Jr. of Birmingham, Alabama.

It is now guided by Mr. Samford’s son, Frank P. Samford III of Atlanta, Georgia and administered by Barbara DeMaro of the U. S. Chess Trust.

In the past one new Fellow was selected each year to serve a two-year term. This year two Fellows were chosen; they were intended to represent the 2008 and 2009 winners.

However, it has been found possible to add yet another winner for next year and we are therefore seeking applications for a new Samford Fellow to begin his or her two-year term on July 1, 2009.

The 2009 Samford Chess Fellow will receive a monthly stipend for living expenses, training by leading chess coaches, chess books and other study materials as well as opportunities to travel and compete in tournaments and/or matches at20the highest levels. The value of each fellowship (stipend, training, materials and tournament expenses) will approximate $36,000 per year.

The winner will be selected by the Samford Chess Fellowship Committee (”Committee”), consisting of Frank P. Samford III, Grandmaster Arthur Bisguier and International Master John Donaldson.

Each applicant must have been a permanent resident of the U.S. for at least one year prior to June 30, 2009 and must not have reached his or her 25th birthday by that date.

The applicants, w ho can be male or female, must be able to demonstrate talent, achievement and commitment to chess. The winner must spend the majority of his time studying and playing chess beginning July 1, 2009. He or she must be willing to make the effort required to become a leading grandmaster and possible challenger for the World Championship.

Applicants must have a chess rating (either USCF, FIDE or both).

For further details and an application form write to:

Allen Kaufman, Secretary
Samford Chess Fellowship
108-37 71st Avenue, #8G
Forest Hills, NY 11375-4512

Completed applications for the 2009 Fellowship must be received no later than Janua ry 15, 2009.

We expect to announce the winner during April, 2009. All decisions by the Committee will be final.

The late Mr. Frank P. Samford, Jr. created the Samford Fellowship as a way of making a significant contribution in America to the game he loved.

If qualified applicants can be found a new Fellow will be selected every year. It is expected that the Samford Fellowship will continue to produce very strong players, some of whom will joi n the elite group of world supergrandmasters.

Funding for this program has been provided by the generosity of Mrs. Virginia Donovan, widow of the late Frank P. Samford, Jr., and by Torchmark Corporation.

Contact: Allen Kaufman
E-Mail:  AllenKauf@aol.com
Phone:  (718) 544-5036