"Playing for complications is an extreme measure that a player should only adopt when he cannot find a clear and logical plan."

   Alexander Alekhine

1) Nick DeFirmian ties for first in Rilton Cup
2) Winter Tuesday Night Marathon
3) January 2004 Bay Area FIDE Top Ten
4)  Here and There
5) Upcoming Events

1) Nick DeFirmian ties for first in Rilton Cup

Nick DeFirmian tied for first with fellow GMs Tomi Nyback and Ralf Akesson with scores of 7 from 9 in the 33rd Rilton Cup held in Stockholm over the New Years Holidays. Among the 143 player field, which included 23 GMs, were veterans Svetozar Gligoric (81 on February 2) and Mark Taimanov (78 on February 7) who played impressively finishing with 6 and 5 points respectively.

The following victory over German GM Phillip Schlosser in round eight put Nick in the lead with a round to go.

DeFirmian - Schlosser
Rilton Cup 2003-2004

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.f4 e6 7.a4 Nc6 8.Be2 Be7 9.Be3 0-0 10.0-0 Qc7 11.Kh1 Re8 12.Bf3 Rb8 13.g4 Bf8 14.g5 Nd7 15.Bg2 b6 16.Rf3 Bb7 17.Rh3 g6 18.Qg4 Bg7 19.Rd1 Nb4 20.Qh4 Nf8 21.Qf2 f6 22.f5 exf5 23.exf5 fxg5 24.f6 Bxg2+ 25.Kxg2 g4 26.Rg3 Bh8 27.Rxg4 Rxe3 28.Qxe3 Bxf6 29.Qf3 Be5 30.Nd5 Nxd5 31.Qxd5+ Kh8 32.Nc6 Re8 33.Nxe5 dxe5 34.Rc4 Qe7 35.Kh1 e4 36.Qd4+ Kg8 37.Qd5+ Kg7 38.Qd4+ Kg8 39.Qd5+ Kg7 40.Re1 e3 41.Rf4 Nd7 42.Rf3 Nf6 43.Qd4 e2 44.Kg1 1-0

2) Winter Tuesday Night Marathon

IMs Ricardo DeGuzman and Walter Shipman and FM Frank Thornally are the top seeds in the Mechanics' Institute Winter Tuesday Night Marathon which started last night. It's still possible to enter the eight round event with a bye for the first round.

3) January 2004 Bay Area FIDE Top Ten

The following list is restricted to players who have played at least 10 FIDE rated games over the last two years and excludes those who have been inactive like GMs Biyiasas and Tarjan as well as IMs Addison, Kaplan, McCambridge, Whitehead and Winslow.

1. GM Yermolinsky 2566
2. IM Donaldson 2460
3. GM Browne 2455
4. IM DeGuzman 2439
5. IM Bhat 2431
6. IM-elect Mezentsev 2385
7. FM Pruess 2376
8. FM Zilberstein 2370
9. WGM Baginskaite 2336
10. IM Rey 2334

4) Here and There

Congratulations to MI member Nicolas Yap who won an event at the Sacramento Chess Club the weekend of December 20-21 with a score of 3.5 from 4 to earn his USCF Master title.

Those looking to play in the South Bay will want to check out the Campbell Chess Club. Located at the Campbell Community Center at the intersection of Winchester and E. Campbell it attracts approximately 80 players every Thursday night. Expert Frisco Del Rosario gives weekly lectures at 6:45. USCF rated play runs from 7:30 - midnight.

Former Bay Area Master and Stamer Memorial winner Jude Acers has a new book out. Go to ttp://www.italiangambit.com/ for more information.

Mike Runyon writes: "I am around 1950 and would like to play a 4 game rated match at the MI on the week ends on Saturdays or Sundays, one game a week over four or five weeks at a time control of 40 in 2 followed by game in 1 hour. My opponent should be rated 1800+. Contact me at (707) 554-6069 or scamper2@netzero.net ."

David and De Knudson have announced they will no longer be running the annual Governor's Cup. Held every fall in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, this was one of the largest regional tournaments in the country.

The third issue of Bob Long's Squares is out. This 64 page glossy magazine includes articles by GMs Rowson, Nielsen, Mueller, an in-depth article on the European Club Championship, an interview with Chess Enterprises publisher Bob Dudley, tips on chess book collecting by MI member Andy Ansel and a 5-page piece on Tulsa 1931 by Frank Berry plus much more. Go to www.squares64.com for more information.

5) Upcoming Events

Upcoming Tournaments at the MI

Bob Burger Open - Jan. 17, 2004

Henry Gross Memorial - Feb. 7, 2004