Mechanics' Institute Chess Club News 544

"The stupidest rule in chess is losing on time. The idea of the chess clock was to make the players move more quickly, not to decide the out-come of the game."

Yasser Seirawan (New In Chess - 2011, issue 4, page 106)

Note - The Mechanics' Institute Chess Club Newsletter will take a three week break while MI Chess Director John Donaldson travels to China to captain the US entry in the 2011 World Team Championship

1) Mechanics' Institute Chess Club Newss

2) Two Ches Poems by Dennis Fritzinger

3) GM Alex Baburin visiting Bay Area

4) Jacqueline Piatigorsky

5) Upcoming Special Events at the Mechanics' Institute

6) Upcoming Events

1) Mechanics' Institute Chess Club News

Photographs from the early 1900s to the present are displayed on the walls of the Mechanics' Institute Chess Club. Some of the classiest and most distinctive were taken by Nancy Roos who ranks among the best chess photographers of all. The following short bio, written for her induction into the California Chess Hall of Fame (www.chessdryad.com) , offers a quick summary of this remarkable individual's most important accomplishments.

NANCY ROOS (1905-1957):

Nancy Roos packed a lot of living into a relatively short life. Born Nancy Krotoschin (mother Cohn) in Germany she later moved to Belgium before immigrating to the United States in the late 1930s. Mrs. Roos was active in New York City between 1939 and 1944 distinguishing herself not only at chess (=2-3rd in the 1942 US Womens Championship) but also at Go where she was also recognized expert.

Mrs. Roos and her husband Martin moved to Los Angeles in 1944 where she opened a photo studio in the Wilshire district. Her artistic eye and skill in photography played an important role in promoting chess in her new home state of California. She served as staff photographer, first with George Koltanowski's publications California Chess News and Chess Digest and later with the California Chess Reporter. She took all the photos that appeared in the tournament book of Hollywood 1952 edited by H.J. Ralston and Guthrie McClain. Many of her timeless black and white photos from the late 1940s and the first half of the 1950s can be found hanging on the walls of the Mechanics' Institute Chess Club in downtown San Francisco. They provide ample evidence that Nancy Roos belongs on the short list of the great chess photographers of all time.

Besides being an outstanding photographer Nancy Roos was also the first women from California to win a US Women's Championship, tying for first with Gisela Gresser (who she beat in their individual game) in the 1955 event. The next Golden State winner would be Diane Savereide twenty years later. What made this victory particularly significant for Mrs. Roos is that she did it near the end of a nine year battle with cancer.

2) Two Chess Poems by Dennis Fritzinger

fourth of july

fourth of july
chess:
look out for the fireworks.
look out,
because that bishop move
might be a skyrocket
streaking across the sky.
look out,
because the opening moves
are tentative,
and the first fireworks
are tentative.
look out
because the cannon roars,
the rook moves,
and the night
is pierced with explosions.
the knights, like helicopters,
dance from one square
to the next.
the pawns move like sparklers
marching across a field,
while the queen--it's impossible
to adequately describe the queen,
except to say
whatever seems most extravagant, is hers.

chess moves

there's a lot
of chess moves
i wish i could
take back.

3) GM Alex Baburin visiting Bay Area

Irish-Russian GM Alex Baburin is currently visiting the Bay Area through July 22. The seven-time Olympiad participant and founder of the online daily Chess Today (www.chesstoday.net) currently in its 11th year of operation, is available for lessons during his stay.

Baburin is an experienced coach who worked for some time with super GM Alexander Morozevitch.

Contact GM Baburin at baburin@gmail.com.

4) Jacqueline Piatigorsky

Jacqueline Piatigorsky, one of the most important sponsors in the history of American chess, will be 100 on November 6.

A woman of many talents, Mrs. Piatigorsky is best remembered in the chess world for organizing the Piatigorsky tournaments with her husband Gregor. These two events, held in 1963 and 1966 respectively, featured many of the elite players in the world at the time with Tigran Petrosian and Paul Keres tying for first in the earlier event and Boris Spassky winning the latter with Bobby Fischer a close second. These were not the only major competitions Mrs. P. (as she was often called) was involved with. The 1961 Fischer-Reshevsky match and the 1967 playoff between Sammy Reshevsky, Leonid Stein and Vlastimil Hort are two others that quickly come to mind.

Jacqueline Piatigorsky was mentored in chess by Herman Steiner and when he died suddenly in 1955 she took over the operation of his club, The Hollywood Chess Group. Mrs. P. was a perfectionist who was heavily involved with the organizational nuts and bolts of all the events she was engaged in. These ran the gamut from creating an innovative relay system for transmitting moves from the stage to the analysis room at the Piatigorsky Cups to the mundane day to day activities of keeping a chess club going for twenty plus years. Mrs. P. even designed the cup that the winners of the Piatigorsky Cup received.

Mrs. Piatigorsky did not only confine her chess activities to elite competitions. The Piatigorsky Foundation, which she founded with Gregor, sponsored chess in public schools and for underprivileged and disabled children throughout Southern California for several decades. This was in many ways her most lasting legacy as tens of thousands of children were exposed to the Royal Game thanks to her efforts.

One of the highest rated women in the United States in the 1950s and 60s, Mrs. P. played in many US Womens Championships these two decades. Her best performance came in 1965, when at the age of 53, she finished half a point out of first with the excellent score of 7 1/2 - 2 1/2. She represented the United States internationally in the first womens Chess Chess Olympiad held in Emmen in 1957 where she scored 7.5 from 11 to win the bronze medal on second board.


5) Upcoming Special Events at the Mechanics'Institute

MI Advanced Chess Camp with GMNick deFirmian, IMsVince McCambridge and John Donaldson, FM Mark Pinto and MI Scholastic CoordinatorAnthony Corrales from July 24-29 Go to www.chessclub.org for more information.

July 31st Neil Falconer Blitz

6) Upcoming Events

MECHANICS' TOURNAMENTS (go to www.chessclub.org for more information)

2011 Events

Charles Bagby Memorial - July 16Vladimir Pafnutieff Memorial - August 6Bernardo Smith Memorial - August 20-21Howard Donnelly Memorial - September 17J.J. Dolan Memorial - October 8Carroll Capps Memorial - November 5-6Pierre Saint-Amant Memorial - November 19Guthrie McClain Memorial - December 3

July 23-24 Freedom Open

3 Sections: 1900+, 1500-1899, u1500. Prizes: $2020 b/55. 1900+: 300-200-70 (u2100 100-70). 1500-1899: 300-200-70 (u1700 100-70). Under 1500: 200-100-70 (u1300 100-70). Sched: Reg. Sat 10-10:30. Rounds Sat 11, 4:30, Sun 10 3:30. EF: Pre-reg $66 by 7/21, Onsite $85. Jul '11 Supp & TD discretion to assign ratings. Chess Center, 1590 Oakland Rd., Ste B213, San Jose. Info/flyer: BayAreaChess.com/july11. NS NC

September 3-5 2011 Labor Day Chess Festival 6-SS, 30/90, SD/1 (2-day option rds 1-3 G/60). Golden Geteway Holiday Inn. Van Ness at
Pine, San Francisco. $$B 160 paid entries (not counting free or unrated entries). Six Sections: Master $1500-750-400-350 U2300 $300; Expert $700-350-200-150. "A" $700-350-200-150. "B" $700-350-200-150. "C" $700-350-200-150. "D/E" $700-$350-$200 U1200 $200-150. Unr:
Trophy First. Trophy to top finisher (State Champion) in each section. All, EF: postmarked
by 8/29 $115. $125 at site. Unrateds $20 in the D/E section or may play up to the Master
section for the regular fee. $5 discount to CalChess members. USCF memb. req'd. May
play up one section for add'l $10. GM/IM free entry. Reg.: Sat 9/3 8:30-9:30am, Sun 9/4
8-9am. RDS.: Choice of schedules- 3-day, 2-day merge at round 4, all compete for the same prizes. 3-day schedule: Sat 10:00-3:30; Sun 11:00-4:45; Mon 10:00-3:30. 2-day schedule: Sun 9:30-11:45-2:00-4:45; Mon 10:00-3:30. 1/2 pt bye(s) any round(s) if requested in advance
(byes rds 5-6 must be requested before rd 1). 2011 September Ratings List, CCA minimums and Directors discretion will be used to place players as accurately as possible. Please bring
clocks and equipment. HR: Golden Gateway Holiday Inn (415)-441-4000. INFO: Richard
Koepcke (650)-224-4938. Ent: Richard Koepcke, P.O. Box 1432, Mountain View, CA 94042. No Phone entries. Master Section FIDE Rated. Chess Magnet School JG

October 1st - 2011 U.S. Game/60 Championship - Santa Clara 4SS, G/60 - $4,000 b/117 fully paid entries - 75% guaranteed. Hotel rate $99 by 9/16: Hyatt Regency, 5101 Great America Pkwy, Santa Clara, CA 95054. Free Parking. In 3 sections, Open Section: $500-201-105, u2300 $200-110, u2100 $150, u2000 $130, u1900 $100. 1400-1799 Section: $500-201-100, u1700 $200, u1600 $150, u1500 $100. Under 1400 Section: $500-201-100, u1300 $200, u1200 $150, u1100 $100. Unrated may play in any section but maximum prize is $100 except no limit in the Open Section. Trophies for top 3 places in each section. Entry Fee: Mailed by Mon 9/26 or online by Tue 9/27: $60. Online 9/28-29 or onsite: $75. Add $20 to play-up in a higher section. DISCOUNTS: $10 off each event if also registering for G/30 on Oct 2. $10 cash rebate onsite if staying at the hotel under chess rate. Byes: One 1/2 pt bye allowed must commit by start of Rd 2. Reenter with 1/2pt bye in Rd 1 for $39. September 2011 Supp, CCA min, TD discretion used to place players accurately. SIDE KIDS EVENT for K-12 students rated under 1000: 4SSxG/60 in 2 sections, 600-999 and under 600. Prizes: Trophies to Top 10 players and Top 5 teams in each section. Best 4 players count for team score. Also trophies to top u800, top u700 in 600-999 section and top u400, top u300, and top u200 in u600 section. EF by Mon 9/26 or online by Tue 9/27: $39. Online 9/28-29 or onsite: $54. Add $10 to play-up in a higher section. Schedule: Onsite Registration 8:30-9:30am; Round Times: 10:00am, 12:30, 3:00, and 5:30pm. Mail payments to: Bay Area Chess, 1590 Oakland Rd., Suite B213, San Jose 95131. $20 for refunds. T: 408-786-5515. E: ask@BayAreaChess.com, Info/Form/Entries: BayAreaChess.com/usg60g30. NS, NC, W.

October 2nd - 2011 U.S. Game/30 Championship - Santa Clara 4SS, G/30 - $3,006 b/88 fully paid entries - 75% guaranteed. Hotel rate $99 by 9/16: Hyatt Regency, 5101 Great America Pkwy, Santa Clara, CA 95054. Free Parking. In 3 sections, Open Section: $400-200-102, u2300 $101, u2100 $101, u2000 $100, u1900 $99. 1400-1799 Section: $400-200-102, u1700 $101, u1600 $100, u1500 $99. Under 1400 Section: $400-200-102, u1300 $101, u1200 $100, u1100 $99. Unrated may play in any section but maximum prize is $100 except no limit in the Open Section. Trophies for top 3 places in each section. Entry Fee mailed by Mon 9/26 or online by Tue 9/27: $60. Online 9/28-29 or onsite: $75. Add $20 to play-up in a higher section. DISCOUNTS: $10 off each if also registering for G/60 on Oct 1. $10 cash rebate onsite if staying at the hotel. Byes: One 1/2 pt bye allowed must commit by start of Rd 2. Reenter with 1/2pt bye in Rd 1 for $39. September 2011 Supp, CCA min, TD discretion used to place players accurately. SIDE KIDS EVENT for K-12 students rated under 1000: 5SSxG/30 in 2 sections, 600-999 and under 600. Trophies to Top 10 players and Top 5 teams in each section. Best 4 players count for team score. Also trophies to top u800, top u700 in 600-999 section and top u400, top u300, and top u200 in u600 section. EF by Mon 9/26 or online by Tue 9/27: $39. Online 9/28-29 or onsite: $54. Add $10 to play-up in a higher section. Schedule: Onsite Registration 8:30-9:30am; Round Times: 10:00am, 12:30, 3:00, and 5:30pm. Mail payments to: Bay Area Chess, 1590 Oakland Rd., Suite B213, San Jose 95131. $20 for refunds. T: 408-786-5515. E: ask@BayAreaChess.com,

Info/Form/Entries: BayAreaChess.com/usg60g30. NS, NC, W.

2012 Northern California International Presented by NorCal House of Chess

Dates: January 2nd - January 8th


Location: NorCal House of Chess at Northwestern Polytechnic University
47655 Warm Springs Blvd.
Fremont, CA 94539
Rounds: Jan 2nd: 6:00; Jan 3rd, 5th: 11:00 & 6:00; Jan 4th, 6th, 7th: 4:00; Jan 8th: 11:00


Time Control: 40/90, SD/30 with 30 second increment


Organizers: Arun Sharma <asharma AT math.berkeley.edu> and Ted Castro <ted0712 AT yahoo.com>
Section A (GM-norm Round Robin)


Section B (Swiss)



GM and IM norms possible in both sections!


GMs interested in playing and potentially receiving conditions should contact Arun as soon as possible if they wish to have the best chance of doing so.


The Northern California International begins only a couple of days after the North American Open in Las Vegas ends so is a very convenient event for those who are playing in the latter.

http://dotq.org/chess/


Southern California Events

Upcoming events at the Metropolitan Chess Club:

July 8-10, July 22-24, July 29-31 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th Metropolitan ChessFIDE Qualifier
Qualify into an International Norm Event! FIDE Rated!
Run under Metropolitan Chess, Inc (2011 USCF Chess Clubof the Year)
Organized by National Master Ankit Gupta (2011 USCF Organizer of the Year) Invitation Based. Minimum of 1800 USCF and maximum of 2249 FIDE to participate. Requires organizer approval to participate.
Two (2) qualification seats per event.
E-mail ankit.gupta@metrochessla.com to inquire into specific details about event or visit www.metrochessla.com.

July 9-10, July 23-24, July 30-31 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th Metropolitan Chess Booster Qualifier
Run under Metropolitan Chess, Inc (2011 USCF Chess Club of the Year)
Organized by National Master Ankit Gupta (2011 USCF Organizer of the Year) Invitation Based. Minimum of 1200 USCF and maximum of 1899 USCF to participate. Requires organizer approval to participate.
E-mail ankit.gupta@metrochessla.com to inquire into specific details about event or visit www.metrochessla.com.

Aug 17-21
1st Metropolitan Chess International
GM, IM, WGM, WIM Norm Event!
GM Michael Adams, GM Loek Van Wely, GM Ilya Smirin, GM Timur Gareev, and other GMs committed to the tournament.
Currently has 27 foreign players, 10 grandmasters, and 37 titled players registered/committed.
9-SS, 40/90, SD/30 + 30 second increment from move 1
Sheraton Downtown Los Angeles, 711 South Hope Street, Los Angeles, CA 90017.
$$14,100 Unconditionally Guaranteed prize fund. 1 Section.
Prizes: $5,000-3,000-1,300-900-800-600, BU2500 $1000-500, BU2300 $1,000 Plus Best Game Prizes: Various Apple Products (iPods, iPads, iShuffles, iTouches, etc).
Reg: Must be done in advance. No on-site registration. Contact ankit.gupta@metrochessla.com. July official FIDE ratings used.
Rds: 7:30 PM on Wed, 11:00 AM and 5:30 PM on Thur-Fri-Sat, and 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM on Sun.
EF: Based on FIDE rating. Visit www.metrochessla.com for details. Free entry for GMs and Foreign WGMs/IMs, no entry fee deducted from prizes, but you must register in advance.
Ent: Metropolitan Chess, Inc., PO Box 25112, Los Angeles, CA 90025 or e-mail ankit.gupta@metrochessla.com. For more info call Ankit Gupta at (650) 823-1681 or visit www.metrochessla.com.
Hotel Rates: Special rate of only $139 single or double, (213) 488-3500 if booked by 7/16/11, book ASAP, as rates will go up and rooms may sell out by mid-July. Great hotel in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles.