1) Mechanics' Institute Chess Club News
2) Here and There
3) B. Kraft- G. Stearns by NM Aaron Stearns
4) Upcoming Events
1) Mechanics' Institute Chess Club News
Oleg Shakhnazorov has won the Fall Tuesday Night Marathon with a round to go by defeating Expert Evan Sandberg last night. Shakhnazorov has 8 from 9 with Expert Larry Snyder second at 6.5 followed by a large group on 6.
IM Ricardo DeGuman won the 38th Carroll Capps Memorial held November 8-9 with a score of 5.5 from 6 to take home the $400 first prize. George Sanguinetti was second at 5 in the 59 player field followed by Keith Vickers, Gary Huang, Evan Sandberg, Michael Lin and Nikunj Oja on 4.5.
Rapidly improving Michael Askin won the 27-player Jim Hurt Memorial Under 1800 this past weekend scoring 5 from 6 to pick up 150 rating points and $200.
Visiting Australian GM Ian Rogers gave a well-received endgame seminar to top Bay Area Juniors IM Sam Shankland, FM Daniel Naroditsky, NM Gregory Young and Expert Yian Liou last Saturday.
NM Sam Shankland of Orinda is the 2009 Falconer Award winner. The dollar award, given by former US Senior Champion Neil Falconer to the highest rated Bay Area player under 18 in the preceding year, is equal to the youngster's rating - in Sam's case 2425.
Previous winners:
2000 SM Vinay Bhat
2001 SM Vinay Bhat
2002 SM Vinay Bhat
2003 NM Michael Pearson
2004 NM Nicholas Yap
2005 NM Matthew Ho
2006 NM Matthew Ho
2007 NM Nicholas Yap
2008 NM Sam Shankland
2009 SM Sam Shankland
By the way there is a great interview with Sam at US Chess Live ( http://main.uschess.org/content/view/8968/141 ) where he annotates all his games from his bronze medal winning performance at the World Under 18 Championship in Vietnam.
Book and equipment donations to the Mechanics' are always welcome. All donations to the Mechanics' are tax deductible due to the M.I.'s 501(c) (3) nonprofit status. If you have any chess books or equipment that have been lying around unused for some time consider donating to the Mechanics'. You will not only get a tax write off but also the satisfaction of seeing things put to good use.
2) Here and There
International Master Nikolay Minev has a new book out. Rudolf Spielmann: Fifty Great Short Games is available through The Chess Library ( www.thechesslibrary.com ) for $18.25 as a book or $11.25 for an e-book in PDF format.
3) B. Kraft- G. Stearns by NM Aaron Stearns
NM Aaron Stearns annotates the following game played by his father Gary against the well-known Shakespearean actor and Expert Barry Kraft. Aaron asks if you have any games played by his father in the 1970s to please send them to him at aaron.stearns@efi.com .
Barry Kraft – Gary Stearns
Golden Gate Experts Open
San Francisco , 1977
Nimzowitch Defense
I found this interesting game in one of the free chess databases on the internet. I pushed it through FRITZ-7 blunder check and then added few points of my own as I humanized the language.
1. e4 Nc6
2. Nc3 Nf6
3. f4 d5
4. e5 d4
5. Nce2 Nd5
6. c4 Nb6
7. d3 h5
8. Ng3 h4
9. Ne4 Bf5
10. Qe2 e6
11. Nf3 Be7
12. a3 a5
13. b3 Nd7
14. Nfd2 Nf8
15. Bb2 b6
16. Rg1 g5
17. g3 Ng6
18. Bg2 Qd7
19. Qf3 Rd8
20. Nf6+ Bxf6
21. exf6 Nge5
22. fxe5 Nxe5
23. Qb7 Nxd3+
24. Kf1 Kf8
25. Ra2 hxg3
26. hxg3 e5
According to FRITZ-7, this is the first serious misstep in the game. White now has a usable edge (.69). Instead, FRITZ-7 suggests the following long line, evaluated as even: 26... Qd6 27. Ne4 Qe5 28. a4 Nxb2 29. Rxb2 d3 30. Rd2 Qa1+ 31. Kf2 Qd4+ 32. Kf1. I am not convinced.
27. Qc6 ...
FRITZ-7 is unhappy with this choice, giving black now the plus (-0.91). The machine lists the following way to keep the .69 advantage: 27. Rh1 Rxh1+ 28. Bxh1 Nc5 29. Qf3 Qe6 30.Kg1 g4 31. Qe2 Qxf6.
27. ... Qxc6
28. Bxc6 Rd6
29. Be4 ...
White continues the downward spiral, according to FRITZ-7: he now stands at -2.00. Continuing with 29. Bg2 would keep him closer (-1.03).
I am not too sure. I can see why the defender would want to trade down material. Yet, white’s white-squared bishop is a pretty nice defensive piece.
29. ... Rxf6
30. Bxd3 Bxd3+
31. Kg2 Rfh6
32. Nf3 ...
According to FRITZ-7, this is a serious blunder, giving black a huge advantage (-4.72). However, after the following suggested improvement, FRITZ-7 still gives black a winnable edge (-2.62): 32. Kf2 c5 33. a4 Rh2+ 34. Rg2 e4 35. Nf1 Rh1 36. Rg1 Bxf1 37.Kxf1 Rxg1+.
32. ... f6
FRITZ-7 catches this one dead on: the pin 32... Be4 looks pretty devastating and it is the reason behind the almost 5 point evaluation. This is the complete suggested line: 32... Be4 33. a4 g4 34. Kf1 Bxf3 35. Bc1 Rd6 36. Rf2 e4 37. Bf4 Rd7. I can see nothing better. The major tries to prevent the win of the knight run aground pretty quickly: 33. g4 Rh2+ and 33. Kf2 Rf6.
Of course, black is still winning after the game move (FRITZ-7 says -2.03), but it will be much more of a struggle. I get the feeling that time trouble was at play in this phase of the game.
33. Kf2 c5
34. Bc1 e4
35. Ne1 e3+
36. Bxe3 Rh2+
37. Ng2 dxe3+
38. Kxe3 Bg6
39. Rd2 Ke7
40. Re1 Re8
41. Kf2+ Kf8
42. Rxe8+ Kxe8
43. Kg1 Rh3
Better than 43…Rh6. ;-) (The version of the score in the online database mistakenly had the rook moving to the wrong rank.)
44. Re2+ Kd7
45. Re3 Rh8
46. Rf3 Rf8
47. g4 Be4
48. Re3 Re8
49. Kf2 Re6
50. Ne1 Kd6
51. a4 f5
52. gxf5 Bxf5
53. Rg3 Rf6
54. Ke3 Re6+
FRITZ-7 somehow evaluates the position as dead even with this continuation. However, I do not see it. Further, FRITZ-7 lists no more “blunders” for either side, yet black wins in a few more moves. This doesn’t quite add up…
My best guess is that the computer was seeing the upcoming (second) repetition of positions (same as after White’s 53rd move). This does not totally wash since Black can vary—which he then does—and keep the plus as long as he avoids a third repeat.
Here is the suggested continuation, for whatever it is worth: 54... g4 55. Ng2 Ke5 56. Nf4 Rd6 57. Nd5 Be6 58. Ne7 Rd1 59. Ke2 Kf4; with advantage to black (-1.31).
55. Kf2 g4
56. Nd3 Re4
57. Nc1 Rd4
58. Rc3 Rd1
59. Kg3 Re1
60. Kf4 Ke6
61. Nd3 Rf1+
62. Kg5 Rf3
The game seems pretty well wrapped up. White’s only reasonable attempt is 63. Nf4+ Ke5 64. Nd5 Rxc3 65. Nxc3. However, black can then simply divert the knight by pushing the g-pawn and then scoop up all the queen-side pawns with his bishop.
0-1
4) Upcoming Events