Mechanics' Institute
Chess Club Newsletter
#574
March 7, 2012
Ultimately,
what separates a winner from a loser at the grandmaster
level is the willingness to do the unthinkable. A
brilliant strategy is, certainly, a matter of
intelligence, but intelligence without audaciousness is
not enough. Given the opportunity, I must have the guts
to explode the game, to upend my opponent's thinking
and, in so doing, unnerve him. So it is in business: One
does not succeed by sticking to convention. When your
opponent can easily anticipate every move you make, your
strategy deteriorates and becomes
commoditized.
Garry
Kasparov
1) Mechanics'
Institute Chess Club
The
Spring Tuesday Night Marathon starts this coming
Tuesday, March 13th. The 8-round event ends May1st.
Jules
Jelinek, the Mechanics' Weekly Wednesday Night
Blitz Coordinator writes:
It's
Wednesday! Time for the weekly blitz chess tournament
at Mechanics' Institute Chess Club. As
always, it starts no later than 6:40pm
with sign-up beginning at 6:20pm. Entry is $10 with
clock $11 without clock. Prizes are 50%, 30%, 20%
of entry fees. TIme control preferably is 3 minute
increment 2 seconds otherwise 5 minutes no
increment.
The
winners last week were:
1st
- Carlos D'Avila
2nd
- Jorge Lopez
3rd
- Jules Jelinek
A
game from the 20th David Collyer Open by the tournament
winner.
Catalan
E04
John
Donaldson (2402) - Paul
Bartron (2102)
20th
David Collyer Memorial (5), 2012
1.Nf3
Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 c6 5.d4 Nbd7
6.0-0
6.Qc2
Bd6 7.0-0 0-0 8.Nbd2 e5 9.cxd5 cxd5 10.dxe5 Nxe5 is a
reliable variation for Black. White wants to have his
queen on d1 and knight on c3 when fighting against an
isolated queen pawn.
6...dxc4
6...Bd6
7.Nc3 0-0 8.Nd2 intending e4 promises White good chances
for an advantage.
7.a4
7.Qc2
b5 8.b3 cxb3 9.Qxc6 Rb8 10.axb3 Bb7 11.Qc2 Rc8 is
acceptable for Black - Boris Avrukh in his famous work
on the Catalan contained in volume one on 1.d4 published
by Quality Chess.
7...Bd6
Or
7...Be7 8.Qc2 (8.Nc3 Bb4 9.e4 0-0 10.Qc2 Re8
11.Rd1 Qe7 12.e5 Nd5 13.Nd2 N7b6 14.Nce4 with a slight
edge - Aronian-Portisch, Warsaw 1995)
8...0-0 9.Qxc4 (9.Na3!?) 9...a5
10.Nc3 Nd5 11.e4 Nb4 12.Rd1 b6 13.Qb3 Ba6 14.Be3 Rc8
15.Rd2 Qc7 16.Qd1 Rfd8 17.Rc1 with a slight edge -
Avrukh.
7...a5
8.Qc2 Nb6 (8...b5 9.Ne5! Nxe5 10.dxe5 Nd5 11.axb5 cxb5
12.Nc3 Qd7 (12...Nb4 13.Qd2 Qxd2 14.Bxd2 Rb8 15.Rxa5 Bd7
16.Rd1 Be7 17.Ra7 Bc6 18.Ne4 Nd5 19.Nd6+ Bxd6 20.exd6)
13.Rd1 Bb7 14.Bg5 h6 (14...b4 15.Nxd5 exd5 16.e4) 15.e4!
winning) 9.Nbd2 Be7 10.Nxc4 Nxc4 11.Qxc4 0-0 12.Rd1 Qd5
13.Ne5 Qxc4 14.Nxc4 with a pleasant advantage for White.
8.Na3
0-0
8...Bxa3
9.Rxa3 0-0 10.Qc2 Qe7 11.Qxc4 a5 is better for White as
the weakness on b4 is more than compensated by the two
bishops and strong pawn center.
9.Nxc4
Bc7 10.Qc2 Nb6 11.Nce5
Normally
the player with more space wants to avoid exchanges, but
here 11.b3! was actually a better move.
11...Qe7
12.e4
Objectively
White's advantage is not huge but Black's position is
unpleasant to play as he has no counterplay.
12...Nfd7
13.Nd3 a5 14.Bg5 f6 15.Bd2 Nb8 16.Rfe1 Bd7 17.Nc5 Ra7
18.b4 Na6 19.Nxa6 Rxa6 20.b5
A
strong alternative was 20.bxa5 Nc8 21.Bf1 Ra7 22.a6 bxa6
23.a5 with a very nice advantage.
20...Raa8
21.bxc6 bxc6
As
21...Bxc6 is strongly met by 22.d5 Be8 23.Be3
22.d5!
Rfc8?!
Black
had to 22...c5 although 23.dxe6 Bxe6 24.e5 is much
better for White.
23.dxc6
Bd8 24.Nd4 Qd6 25.Be3 Be8 26.Qb3 Bf7 27.e5!
This
leads to a decisive win of material.
27...
Qxe5 28.Nb5 Nd5 29.Bf4 Qh5 30.Bxd5 exd5 31.c7
This
wins a piece and the game.
31...Bxc7
32.Bxc7 d4 33.Qd1 Qd5 34.Bf4 g5 35.Nc7 Qd8 36.Nxa8 gxf4
37.Qg4+ Bg6 38.Nb6 f5 39.Qxf4 Qxb6 40.Rab1 Qf6
41.Rb8
The
rest is simple technique.
41...
Rxb8 42.Qxb8+ Kg7 43.Qa7+ Kh6 44.Rd1 d3 45.Qe3+ f4
46.Qxf4+ Qxf4 47.gxf4 Kg7 48.f3 Be8 49.Rxd3 Bxa4 50.Ra3
Bc6 51.Rxa5 Bxf3 52.Kf2 Bh1 53.Ke3 Kf6 54.h4 Bg2 55.f5
Bf1 56.Kf4 Bd3 57.Rd5 Bc2 58.Rd6+ Kg7 59.h5 h6 60.Ke5
Ba4 61.Rg6+ Kh7 62.Kf6 Bd1 63.Ke7 Bxh5
64.Rg1
The
Black King is cut off and there is nothing to be done
about the f-pawn.
64...
Be2 65.f6 Bc4 66.f7 Bxf7 67.Kxf7 h5 68.Kf6 Kh6 69.Rh1
1-0
2)
Harry Benson and Marcel Dzama at the The World Chess
Hall of Fame
World
Chess Hall of Fame Debuts New Exhibits by
Internationally Acclaimed Artists Harry Benson and
Marcel Dzama
February
22, 2012 -- Saint Louis, MO -- The World Chess Hall of
Fame will open its doors on two new exhibits starting
March 9, 2012. Bobby Fischer: Icon Among Icons,
Photographs by Harry Benson CBE and Marcel Dzama: The
End Game explore the game of chess and its role in
society from dramatically different angles.
The
shows will run through August 12, 2012.
"We
selected these artists because of their
stunning talent and their unique
perspectives," said Susan Barrett, director
of WCHoF. "We hope the exhibitions will enlighten
visitors while also challenging their preconceived
notions of the significance of chess."
Harry
Benson: Icon Among Icons
Scottish-born
photojournalist Harry Benson's work ranges
from photographs of world leaders to pop stars, all
portrayed with an immediacy and naturalness that speaks
of a confidence and rapport between sitter and
photographer.
Benson
was the only person to have private access to Bobby
Fischer during the epic 1972 World Chess Championship
match in Reykjavik, Iceland. Fischer became a pop
culture sensation due to his incredible playing and the
Cold War matchup between him and Russian player Boris
Spassky, the defending world chess champion. News
outlets referred to the match as the Match
of the Century and used headlines such as Fischer vs.
Spassky: A Major Struggle in the Cold War.
As
the images in this exhibition show,
Benson's photography captures
a side of the elusive and controversial chess genius
that is rarely seen, and offers a window into the
private world of the man Benson calls "the most
eccentric and most fascinating person I have ever
photographed."
Rare
images of Fischer will be exhibited along with Benson's
photos of other pop culture icons such as Jerry Garcia,
Elizabeth Taylor, Barbara Streisand, Bill Clinton,
Muhammad Ali, and Jacqueline Kennedy. The juxtaposition
allows viewers to see Fischer's cultural
significance as virtually equal to that of
presidents, movie stars, artists, designers, and
leaders, whose impact has made them objects of great
attention and devotion in society.
Sample
images of Benson's work can be downloaded
at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/worldchesshof/sets/72157629066444378/.
Proper
photo credit must be given.
Marcel
Dzama: The End Game features the
artist's film, A Game of
Chess, alongside related drawings, paintings,
sculptures, and dioramas. The work draws from a diverse
range of references and artistic influences, including
Dada and Marcel Duchamp.
The
14-minute film incorporates ballet, stark landscapes,
and moments of violence to tell a story based on the
classic game of chess. Performers are dressed in
geometrically designed costumes of papier-mâché,
plaster, and fiberglass; they dance across a checkered
board to challenge their opponents in fatal
interchanges.
Some
new paintings were created especially for this exhibit,
which marks the first solo showing of
Dzama's work in the Midwest. A trailer for
the film can be viewed at http://youtu.be/D6mySi-vCHs. Still images
can be downloaded at http://www.flickr.com/photos/worldchesshof/sets/72157629066508546/.
Proper
photo credit must be given.
WCHoF
is pleased to be recognized as one of the
most exciting new additions to Saint
Louis's already-vibrant cultural scene. "We
look forward to welcoming visitors to these new
exhibitons throughout the spring and summer", Barrett
said.
About
the World Chess Hall of Fame
The
World Chess Hall of Fame is a nonprofit organization
committed to building awareness for the cultural and
artistic significance of chess. It opened on September
9, 2011 in the Central West End after moving from
previous locations in New York and Miami.
The
WCHoF is housed in an historic 15,900 square-foot
residence-turned-business and features the U.S. and
World Chess Halls of Fame, displays of artifacts from
the permanent collection, and temporary exhibitions
highlighting the great players, historic games, and rich
cultural history of chess.
The
WCHOF partners with the Chess Club and Scholastic Center
to provide innovative programming and outreach to local,
national, and international audiences.
For
more information, visit www.worldchesshof.org.
3) Philip Wang
Makes Final IM Norm by Ankit Gupta
Metropolitan
Chess, Inc. hosted an International Master norm round
robin tournament on February 22nd to 26th 2012. The
tournament was sponsored by California Market Center,
Fashion Business, Inc, Chess.com, MonRoi, LawyerFy, the
Law Offices of Steinfl & Bruno, and Betty Bottom
Showroom.
This tournament is the 16th in its
series and was held in Suite C1002 of the California
Market Center on 110 East 9th Street, Los Angeles 90079.
The tournament was organized by Ankit Gupta, FA, IO and
the chief arbiter was Randy Hough, IA. The participants
included: IM Zhanibek Amanov (KAZ), IM Andranik
Matikozyan (ARM), IM Larry Remlinger (USA), FM Alexander
Kretchetov (RUS), FM Kayden Troff (USA), FM Konstantin
Kavutskiy (USA), CM Giovanni Carreto (MEX), NM Michael
Bodek (USA), FM Philip Xiao Wang (USA) and Alexander
King (USA).
The
tournament was a 10 player round-robin (all play all),
with rounds scheduled as follows - 22nd: 7:00 PM, 23rd:
11:00 AM & 5:00 PM, 24th: 11:00 AM & 5:00 PM,
25th: 11:00 AM & 5:00 PM, 26th: 10:00 AM & 4:00
PM.
The
tournament was won by FM Philip Xiao Wang with a score
of 6.5-2.5, who also secured his third and final IM
norm. His final ninth round game, which ended in a draw
against fellow FIDE Master Konstantin Kavutskiy is shown
below.
Catalan
E04
Kavutskiy-Wang
Los
Angeles 2012
1.
D4 d5 2. C4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. G3 dxc4 5. Bg2 Nc6 6. O-O
Rb8 7. E3 b5 8. Qe2
Be7 9. Rd1 O-O 10. E4 Nb4 11. Ne1
Bb7 12. Nc3 Qe8 13. Bf4 Rc8 14. A3 Na6 15.
Nc2 c6 16.
H4 Qd7 17. Ne3 Rfd8 18. Bh3 Qe8 19. Bg5 h6 20. Bxf6 Bxf6
21. E5 Be7
22. F4 Rc7 23. F5 Bf8 24. Fxe6 fxe6 25.
Qg4 Bc8 26. Ne4 Kh8 27. Ng2 c5 28. Nf4
Kh7 29. Nh5
Qg6 30. Nhf6+ gxf6 31. Nxf6+ Kg7 32. Nh5+ Kh7 33. Nf6+
1/2-1/2
The
tournament was also notable for NM Alexander B King, who
in just a short few months has seen his rating
sky-rocket from around 2100 to over 2280. Through the
Metropolitan Chess FIDE Qualifier series, he earned
entry into the IM norm event, and ended with a
respectable final score of 4.0 out of 9.0.
Keep
updated with events by Metropolitan Chess, Inc, by
visiting www.metrochessla.com.
4) Here and
There
IM Ray
Kaufmann and FM Ryan Porter tied for first with 4 from 5
in the 2012 Winter Chess Championships held this past
February at the Nor Cal House of Chess. Ricardo deGuzman
and Kevin Moy shared third at 3.5 in the event which saw
Kaufmann beat DeGuzman, who beat Porter, who beat
Kaufmann.
March
FIDE 2012 Rating List
1.Carlsen
NOR 2835
2. Aronian ARM 2820
3. Kramnik RUS
2801
4. Anand IND 2799
5. Radjabov AZE 2784
6.
Nakamura USA 2771
7. Caruana ITA 2767
8. Karjakin
RUS 2766
9. Morozevich RUS 2765
10. Ivanchuk UKR
2764
11. Grischuk RUS 2761
12. Topalov BUL
2752
13. Mamedyarov AZE 2752
14. Gashimov AZE
2745
15. Svidler RUS 2744
16. Kamsky USA
2741
17. Tomashevsky RUS 2736
18. Adams ENG
2735
19. Wang Hao CHN 2733
20. Dominguez Perez CUB
2730
Ted Belanoff, who is
well-known to MI chess regulars, is well on his way to
playing tournaments in all 50 states. Frank Berry
reports "he has now played in 42 states
since the summer of 2011. Ted will soon play rated games
in Washington, Idaho, South Dakota, Nebraska, Florida,
Delaware, Arkansas and Mississippi to complete his USA
sweep in a 12 month time period."
The late Robert Feldmen and Jerry Dennison preceded
Belanoff in his quest to reach the
magic number 50 but it is
our understanding that it took them several years,
making Belanoff's achievement
unique.
