|
For me, this personality, notwithstanding his fundamentally optimistic attitude, had a tragic note. The enormous mental resilience, without which no chess player can exist, was so much taken up by chess that he could never free his mind of this game, even when he was occupied by philosophical and humanitarian questions. Albert Einstein, in his foreword to Hannak's biography of Emmanuel Lasker |
1) Mechanics' Institute Chess Club News 2) Russia Wins World Team Championship 3) State Champion of Champions Event 4) Here and There 5) Upcoming Events The Mechanics' will host the Pierre Saint-Amant G/45 this Saturday starting at 10am. |
|
A Tale of 2 Moves: Miami scrapes by the Mechanics after two missed chances. by IM Greg Shahade San Francisco vs Miami
1. IM Vinay Bhat (SF) vs GM Julio Becerra (MIA) 1/2-1/2 San Francisco had been storming along in the past weeks and came into the playoffs as the hottest team in the league. The Mechanics had won four straight matches to win the division at the last moment. On top of this, they held a 2-0 record against the Sharks and would have draw odds in their playoff match. One would think this could spell trouble for the Sharks, but with their 3 top boards all being competitors in last years US Championship, you can never count them out. David Pruess got the Mechanics off to a fast start with a quick win over IM Blas Lugo. Pruess got way ahead on the clock early in the game and this cost Lugo once the position became complicated. This game was really insane and very difficult for me to give any comments on.
Pruess,D (2432) - Lugo,B (2426) [A21] 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Bb4 3.Qc2 Nf6 4.a3 Bxc3 5.Qxc3 Nc6 6.b4 0-0 7.e3 d5 8.cxd5 Nxd5 9.Qc5 Re8 10.Bb2 Nb6 11.Qc2 Bg4 12.Nf3 e4 13.b5 exf3 14.bxc6 Qg5 15.cxb7 Rad8 16.h4 Qd5 17.Rg1 h5 18.gxf3 Qxf3 19.Rg3 Qh1 20.f3 Qh2 21.Rg2 Qxh4+ 22.Ke2 Nd5 23.Qc4 Qg5 24.Kf2 Nxe3 25.dxe3 Qxe3+ 26.Kg3 Bxf3 27.Bc1 Qe5+ 28.Kxf3 Rd4 29.Qc6 Qf5+ 30.Kg3 Qe5+ 31.Kh3 Rd6 32.Qf3 Rf6 33.Qg3 Qf5+ 34.Kh2 Rg6 35.Qf4 Qxf4+ 36.Bxf4 Rb6 37.Ba6 Rxa6 38.Bxc7 f6 39.Rb2 g5 40.Rd1 Kf7 41.Bd8 Rxa3 42.b8Q h4 43.Qc7+ 1-0 Pruess vs Lugo after 24...Nxe3 As you can see the position is completely out of control, with pieces placed in crazy positions, I mean what is the white pawn doing on b7!. Lugo sacrificed two pieces at this point and it seemed as if he would have enough to draw and perhaps win, but due to his slow play earlier in the game, he was down to only one minute on the clock and was unable to sift through the complications. Pruess fought back the attack and scored a crucial victory for San Francisco.
Bhat,V (2485) - Becerra,J (2622) [D13] 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.cxd5 cxd5 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.Bf4 e6 7.e3 Nh5 8.Bg5 Qb6 9.Bb5 h6 10.Bh4 Bd7 11.0-0 g5 12.Bxc6 Bxc6 13.Ne5 Ng7 14.Bg3 f6 15.Na4 Qb5 16.Nxc6 bxc6 17.Qc2 Kf7 18.Rfc1 Rc8 19.Nc5 h5 20.a4 Qb6 21.Nd7 Qd8 22.Nxf8 Qxf8 23.f3 Qe7 24.Ra3 h4 25.Bf2 Rc7 26.Rc3 Rb8 27.Rc5 Rb6 28.Be1 Rcb7 29.b4 Nf5 30.Qd3 a5 31.Rxa5 Rxb4 32.Bxb4 Qxb4 33.Rac5 Qxa4 34.Rxc6 Rb3 35.R6c3 Rb2 36.R3c2 Rb3 37.Rc3 Rb2 38.R3c2 Rb3 39.Rc7+ Kg6 40.Qc2 Ra3 41.Qxa4 Rxa4 42.Kf2 Ra3 43.R7c3 Ra2+ 44.R1c2 Ra1 45.Rc6 Kf7 46.Rc7+ Kg6 47.g4 hxg3+ 48.hxg3 Rh1 49.g4 Nh4 50.R2c6 Rh2+ 51.Kf1 Nxf3 52.Rxe6 Rd2 53.Ree7 Nh2+ 54.Ke1 Nf3+ 1/2-1/2 With an early 1-0 lead, it seemed as though there was simply no chance for Miami to pull this one out, as their positions on the other boards didn't look so great. The next game to finish was between IM Bhat and GM Becerra. Bhat played the quiet exchange variation of the Slav, and perhaps feeling that his team needed him to win, Becerra went all out to create complications yet in the process played some pretty ugly moves. Bhat is a strong and solid player and is not likely to be easily confused by such tactics, so with a few precise moves Vinay gained a clear advantage. If Bhat could have finished Becerra off, then San Francisco would immediately head to the finals, however Becerra found a nice practical defensive resource: Things look dreadful for Becerra. White is simply going to win the c-pawn and crash through black's position. With Vinay Bhat very low on time (about 1-2 minutes left, with the 30 second increment) Miami's first board now found a nice practical chance with 30...a5!? 31. Rxa5 (31.e4 Ng7 (forced) and then capturing on a5 was an easy win - Vinay) 31...Rxb4!?!. Becerra gave up the exchange but in return gained some serious activity for his pieces. Bhat could find no effective way to simplify to a won position and the following exchange ahead endgame was reached: Despite the extra exchange, it's very difficult for white to break through, as black has no weaknesses. Bhat attempted to make something happen with 47.g4 hxg3 48. hxg3 Rh1 49. g4 Nh4 50.R2c6 (after this white has no hope) Rh2+ 51.Kf1 Nxf3 (now the game is drawn easily) 52.Rxe6 Rd2! (the king is in an inescapable net) 53. Ree7 Nh2+ 54.Ke1 Nf3+ 1/2-1/2 Becerra displayed some very impressive defensive skills here as he saved a lost position with some well timed sacrifices. Things still looked bright for San Francisco however, as there was no reason to suspect they would lose both of their final two games, which is precisely what would have to happen for Miami to advance to the finals. Unfortunately for the Mechanics they reverted to their early season play, instead of displaying the technique that they've shown during their 4 match winning streak. The Mechanics had two chances to immediately draw/win the two remaining games and missed them both. With just one accurate move at the right moment by Zilberstein or Lee, the entire course of the league would have been changed. Instead San Francisco will watch online, while the Miami Sharks have a chance to become League Champion. Let's take a look at the chances San Francisco missed:
Cabrera,J (2093) - Lee,A (2231) [A16] 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.g3 0-0 5.Bg2 d6 6.0-0 Nc6 7.d3 Nh5 8.Rb1 f5 9.e3 e5 10.Nd5 Ne7 11.b4 c6 12.Nxe7+ Qxe7 13.b5 c5 14.Nd2 Be6 15.a4 Rad8 16.b6 a6 17.Nb3 Qf7 18.Na5 Rd7 19.Bb2 Rfd8 20.Qe2 d5 21.Rfd1 e4 22.cxd5 Bxd5 23.dxe4 fxe4 24.Bxg7 Nxg7 25.Qc2 Ne6 26.h4 Qf5 27.Rxd5 Qxd5 28.Bxe4 Qe5 29.Nxb7 Rd2 30.Qc4 R8d4 31.exd4 Qxe4 32.Rf1 Rxd4 33.Qxa6 Rd7 34.Nxc5 Nxc5 35.Qc8+ Kg7 36.Qxc5 Qxa4 37.Re1 Rd1 38.Qe7+ Kg8 39.b7 Rxe1+ 40.Qxe1 Qb5 41.Qe6+ Kg7 42.Qe7+ Kh6 43.Qg5+ Kg7 44.Qxb5 1-0 On board 4 the Mechanics were hoping that Lee would defeat his much lower rated opponent. Lee had performed quite well in the USCL up to this point, and Cabrera's results were not spectacular. Cabrera showed some power in this game with an impressive exchange sacrifice that put Andy Lee on the defensive. Cabrera is close to winning but Lee has a chance to force an immediate draw with 33....Nf4!! 34.gxf4 Qf3!. After this series of moves, white has absolutely no chance to stop perpetual check, and Lee would draw the game and send the city of San Francisco to the USCL finals. Instead Lee blundered with 33....Rd7? which loses quickly to 34. Nxc5! Nxc5 35. Qc8, regaining the knight on c5 and forcing an endgame with a whopping 3 extra pawns! Dmitry Zilberstein had the chance to bail out Andy Lee by drawing with FM Marcel Martinez, but wasn't able to come through in the clutch:
Martinez,M (2469) - Zilberstein,D (2435) [C66] 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 d6 5.c3 g6 6.0-0 Bg7 7.Re1 0-0 8.Nbd2 Bd7 9.Nf1 Qe8 10.Ne3 a6 11.Ba4 Ne7 12.Bb3 Bc6 13.Nc4 b5 14.Na5 Bd7 15.d4 Nc6 16.Nxc6 Bxc6 17.Bc2 h6 18.a4 Qe7 19.h3 Rfe8 20.d5 Bd7 21.Bd2 c6 22.dxc6 Bxc6 23.axb5 axb5 24.Rxa8 Rxa8 25.Bd3 Qb7 26.Qc2 Nd7 27.b4 Nb6 28.Bf1 Nc4 29.Bc1 d5 30.exd5 Bxd5 31.Nd2 Nd6 32.Nb3 Kh7 33.Na5 Qc7 34.Rd1 Be6 35.Be3 f5 36.f3 Nb7 37.Nxb7 Qxb7 38.Rd6 Ra6 39.Qd2 e4 40.Rxa6 Qxa6 41.fxe4 fxe4 42.Qd8 Qc6 43.Bd4 Bxd4+ 44.Qxd4 Bd5 45.Kf2 Kg8 46.Ke3 Qd6 47.Qc5 Qg3+ 48.Kd4 Bf7 49.Bxb5 Qxg2 50.Bc6 Qf2+ 51.Kxe4 Qe2+ 52.Kd4 Qd2+ 53.Ke5 Qh2+ 54.Kf6 Qxh3 55.Ke7 Qc8 56.Qd6 Qf8+ 57.Kd7 Qg7 58.Qd4 Qf8 59.b5 Qe8+ 60.Kc7 Qe7+ 61.Bd7 Be6 62.Qd6 Qxd6+ 63.Kxd6 Bc4 64.Be6+ 1-0 After a long and hard fought game, both players were down to about 2 minutes on their clock (although you still have time to search for good moves due to the 30 second increment). Marcel's last move was actually a blunder which loses a pawn for nothing if Zilberstein had found 42....Qa1, threatening the c3 pawn and threatening ...Bc4. Dmitry would have almost no chance to lose such a position and a great chance to win, either which would have been sufficient to send San Francisco to the finals. However with his clock ticking, Dmitry opted for 42...Qc6, allowing Marcel to make a very favorable bishop trade with 43. Bd4!. Now suddenly white had some advantage although there were still plenty of defensive resources for black. Fans thought that Zilberstein had escaped the worst when he played 54...Qxh3, threatening Qe6 checkmate, however Martinez boldly advanced his king to e7 and found a nice haven on the opposite side of the board. After black ran out of checks, the queenside pawns were simply too fast. The game continued: 54....Qxh3 55.Ke7 Qc8 56. Qd6! Qf8 57. Kd7 Qg7 58.Qd4 Qf8 59.b5 Qe8+ 60. Kc7 Qe7 61.Bd7 Be6 62.Qd6! Qxd6 63.Kxd6 Bc4 64.Be6 1-0 Suddenly Miami was headed to the USCL finals after an improbable turn of events. A lot of credit has to be given to Marcel Martinez for his determination to win this game, in what was a pretty difficult position at times. Also Cabrera has to be commended for coming back after last week's awful performance, and playing aggressive and dynamic chess this week to send his team to the finals. The match between Miami and Baltimore will take place in 2 weeks, as there is an International Tournament happening in Miami next Wednesday. The Sharks and Kingfishers haven't played since Week 1, when the Sharks won by the score of 2.5-1.5. Baltimore has become much improved since then and most pundits believe they are now the favorite to win the title. However anything can happen under such pressure and Sharks have shown they have some serious bite behind them. A matchup of GM Becerra and IM Charbonneau on Board 1 should be a tremendous matchup and will likely occur in the finals. Will Miami and their largely Cuban born lineup take down the first ever USCL Championship or will it go to the Baltimore Kingfishers, led by league MVP Pascal Charbonneau? Tune in and find out in 2 weeks! 2) Russia Wins World Team ChampionshipIn the dramatic final round Russia defeated China with the required score 3½-½ to become the World Champion. Grischuk and Bareev scored convincing wins with White, while Morozevich outplayed Ni Hua with Black in the game, which was the last to finish. In total Morozevich scored 5½ out of 7, winning only with Black. Bareev was another hero, scoring 5½ points in 6 games. The Russian team won all 8 matches. China took the silver medals with Zhang Zhong scoring 5 out of 7. The was the first time the Chinese men have ever medalled in a World Team or Olympiad competition. High-rated Israel playing on home ground was undoubtedly disappointed with its result.
Final standings: The US team's finish was right in the middle with three match wins, three losses and two drawn matches and was in medal contention until a disastrous 3.5 -.5 loss to the Chinese men. A final round defeat of a strong Israeli team allowed the US to finish on a positive note. US Team Members scores and average opposition faced
1. Onischuk 3.5/7 vs. 2692 The results of Onischuk, who showed once again he had can hold down the first board against the world elite, and new-comer Ibragimov (+3!), were the highlights of a solid team performance. It would have been interesting to see where the US team would have finished with Kamsky and Nakamura playing. Perhaps next May's Olympiad in Turin will answer this question. 3) State Champion of Champions Eventby John Henderson 50 State Champions, 1 U.S. Championship Qualifier Seattle - November 10, 2005 - The America's Foundation for Chess and the Internet Chess Club are again pleased to announce the running of the second State 'Champion of Champions' event, the winner of which will win through to a guaranteed spot in the 64-player field battling it out for the $250,000 U.S. Chess Championship to be held next March at the NTC Promenade in San Diego. The U.S. Chess Championships was first held in 1845, and is rightly regarded as one of the world's most famous national titles. Now, with our online partners at the ICC, state champions from Alaska through California to Hawaii and from Maine through to New York and Florida will come together as one over the internet for a unique online event that will run 19-20 November at www.chessclub.com, with four qualifying zone winners going forward to the knockout finals held 3-4 December. "Chess is the ultimate mind sport and the Internet is the ideal medium for chess," said AF4C President and co-founder Erik J. Anderson. "We have always looked at ways to bring all of American Chess together to feel part of the U.S Championship experience - and thanks to this perfect symbiosis with our online partners at the ICC, the State Champion of Champions event helps us work towards that goal." This innovative event demonstrates that online chess and over-the-board (o.t.b.) chess can indeed be a perfect mix - even for one of the world's most famous national championships. First, each player in the tournament had to prove themselves o.t.b. by winning their relevant state championship to be invited, then they have to play online on the ICC (both double-round all-play-all Blitz in the 4 zonal groups, and then Game 60 in the finals), with the player being crowned State Champion of Champions going forward to the U.S. Championship next March in San Diego. "The Internet Chess Club has long been the icon for reliability and service in the continually growing world of online chess," added Joel M. Berez, President and CEO of the ICC. "For 10 years, we have run thousands of tournaments in a club house that never closes its doors - and thanks to the partnership between the ICC and AF4C, we can now offer a unique chance for a state champion to play for a spot in the U.S. Chess Championship." All the rules and regulations for this U.S. Championship Qualifying event can be found at www.uschesschampionship.com, and at the ICC site www.chessclub.com. For more information about the U.S. Chess Championships or the events surrounding the 2006 games, please visit http://www.uschesschampionship.com/ America's Foundation for Chess Founded on the hope of making chess a subject taught in every school in the United States, AF4C, http://www.af4c.org/ a nonprofit organization, is committed to making chess a larger part of America's cultural fabric - accessible in schools and in popular culture. AF4C hopes to elevate the profile of chess in America so that it will soon become a regular part of every child's classroom experience. Internet Chess Club Founded in 1995 in Pittsburgh, the for-profit ICC (http://www.chessclub.com/) is one of the first premium sites on the Internet with a club house that's open 24/7. Now in its 11th year, the ICC is regarded as the premier online chess service, with over 30,000 members, 1,600 Grandmasters, more volunteers, and more loyalty from its members than any other classical game service on the Internet. About NTC Foundation The NTC Foundation, a 501[c][3] nonprofit organization, is responsible for the renovation of the 26 historic buildings on 28 acres at the former San Diego Naval Training Center in Point Loma into a new arts, civic and cultural district called NTC Promenade. NTC Promenade will be the permanent home for the U.S. Chess Championship. Contacts: John Henderson, US Championship Coordinator & Press Relations, 206.229.9233, info@uschesschampionship.com Joel Berez, ICC President & CEO, 847.440.7628, joel@chessclub.com 4) Here and ThereIt looks like FIDE will have a competitive election for the first time in many years next May. Anatoly Karpov is thinking of running and the following news just appeared. A new and serious bid for the Presidency of FIDE has emerged, jointly launched by Bessel Kok, representative of the Dutch Chess Federation; and Ali Nihat Yazici, President of the Turkish Chess Federation. The election take place in May 2006, with the incumbent Kirsan Ilyumzhinov running for a further term. Press release. The next election for FIDE President will be held during the Chess Olympiad in Turino, Italy, which will take place from from May 20th to June 4th 2006. The Olympiad will be hosting the FIDE Congress, where the incumbent President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov is standing for reelection ). Press release The Right Move The Royal Dutch Chess Federation and the Turkish Chess Federation, supported by the Czech, Maltese and Slovak Federations, announce the candidature of Mr. Bessel Kok and Mr. Ali Nihat Yazici for the posts of President and Deputy President of FIDE (The World Chess Federation) at the forthcoming elections in Turin in May 2006. The Federations express their confidence in the success of this highly accomplished team. The key objectives of the new team have been laid out below.
Sam Sloan reports that NM Barry Popik (2291 USCF) received more than 44,000 votes but finished second to Scott Stringer, who received more than 200,000 votes, in the race for Manhattan Borough President. Stringer spent more than $1.5 million on his election campaign, whereas Popik spent less than $10,000. Popik's showing is respectable in a heavily Democratic city where the Republican Party did not even bother to run candidates for Comptroller, Public Advocate or District Attorney. MANHATTAN Borough president 100%
Barry Popik (R, L) 17% Mongolian IM Ganbold Odondoo, who have been living in Oakland, recently relocated to Los Angeles where he won the latest LA Masters with a 3.5 from 4 score, good for $200. Strong Round Robin in Miami, 4 Sharks are competing! by IM Greg Shahade On the dates of November 16-20th there will be a closed GM norm tournament in Miami Florida at the World Chess Hall of Fame. The tournament features 3 experienced GM's along with many norm hopefuls. Boston Blitz player, IM Eugene Perelshteyn is one of the strongest IM's around and will be shooting for a GM norm. Sharks 2nd board Marcel Martinez is clearly IM level and it's just a matter of receiving the opportunities for him to receive his title. IM Blas Lugo of the Sharks will be going for his second GM norm, as he earned one in sparkling fashion many years ago at the New York Open. Other USCL players in the event are Miami's first board GM Julio Becerra, who will be shooting for first place as the highest rated, and Dr Eric Moskow, whom despite being outrated quite a bit by the field, just narrowly missed an IM norm in a recent European tournament, and hopes to have a similar performance here. One nice feature to this event is that no draws will be allowed before move 30. I believe that such standards should always be set in such tournaments, as although there is more fighting chess these days at the top level, in "norm" tournaments you often find players coasting just to get the required score necessary for the norm. Below are the details of the tournament as given to me by Marcel Martinez: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From November 16th till November 20th the World Chess Hall of Fame in Miami, Florida will host a closed invitational tournament with chances to obtain IM and GM norms. There will be ten players, nine rounds under the round-robin system (all play all ). During 4 days double-rounds will take place and one day will be single rounded. Probably the singled rounded day will be around the middle of the event. The 3 GM's taking part in the event will get a playing fee of $500.00 dollars. All of the games will be shown live on the Internet on ICC ( Internet Chess Club) the most active chess playing site on the net. There will also be an enforced dress code as a show of appreciation from the players to the sponsors and the venue itself. All the players must commit to play in suit and tie attire.There will also be in effect the 30-move draw rule. The players should not agree to a draw beforehand. They should at least play 30 moves.The prizes will be as follows:
1st $1500 USD The complete roster for the event it's as follows:
GM Julio Becerra 2549(USA) Average rating is 2445 FIDE which will probably give GM norms scoring 6.5 out of 9. 5) Upcoming Events
Pierre Saint-Amant - Nov. 19
A Heritage Event!
Nov. 25-27 or 26-27 EBCC Thanksgiving Swiss GPP: 20 N. California National THE ST. GEORGE CHESS CENTER PRESENTS
St. George Chess Club North American Warm-up 5SS, G/60
Date: December 18, 2005
Prize fund: $1200 absolutely guaranteed.
Rounds: 1st round 9:00 am. Next rounds ASAP.
What to bring: chess clocks and a pen. The Susan Polgar Foundation and the South Texas Chess Center proudly present the First Annual Susan Polgar National Open Championships for Girls under 21Format: 6 SS | Sections: K-2, 3rd-5th, 6th-8th, Open section (for girls under 21 as of 1-27-06) Time control: G/45 or G/40 with 5 seconds delay Prizes: Trophies to top 20 individuals and top 4 teams in each section. Special medals to 21st - 30th place individuals and 5th - 7th teams. 3 or more from the same school & section or same chess club and section (top 3 scores added to give team final standings). Every player receives a special hand signed certificate from Susan. Special Prizes: Any school with 20 or more participants will receive a set of 6 Winning Chess the Easy Way Training DVDs by Susan Polgar ($175 retail value). In addition, there will be 2 beautiful trophies for the schools with the most students competing in the championship (Top from Texas and top outside of Texas). Addition Individual Prizes to each section: A desktop or laptop computer to 1st!! $200 in prizes to 2nd | $150 in prizes to 3rd | $100 in prizes to 4th | $50 in prizes to 5th! Any player with 6-0 score in the main event will also receive a digital chess clock!! Prizes for Blitz / Puzzle Solving Championships: Trophies to top 5 players in each section. Special medals to 6th - 20th place. Blitz / Puzzle Solving Championships will be only 1 section but trophies to separate categories. Schedule: Friday, Jan. 27: 3:30 PM Lecture for players/parents/coaches by Susan / 5:00 PM Puzzle Solving Championships / 6:15 PM Tandem Simul (Maximum 70 players) Saturday, Jan. 28: 10:00 AM Opening Ceremony / Rounds: 11:00 AM, 1:30 PM, 4:00 PM / 7 PM Blitz Championships (G/5 - 7 SS) Sunday, Jan. 29: Rounds: 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 1:30 PM / 4:00 PM Closing Ceremony Main Event Entry Fees: $28 if received by December 1, 2005 | $38 if received by January 1 | $48 if received by January 15 | $58 on site (On site registration: 2:00 PM - 9:00 PM Friday and up to 9:30 AM on Saturday) Blitz EF: $10 - Puzzle Solving EF: $10 - Simul: $15 | Special $25 entry fees for all 3 side events (Blitz, Puzzle and Simul) or $18 for Blitz and Puzzle Hotel: Ramada Inn Bayfront and Convention Center 601 N. Water Street Corpus Christi, Texas 78401 (361) 882-8100 or 800-688-0334 or www.ramada-cc.com. For chess rate, please mention: "SPNO". Reserve by 12/ 27/2005 or rate may increase. Rates starting at $59 - 2 family Suite for $89.00. Info: Dan DeLeon (361) 883-3930 or email to PolgarFoundation@aol.com. |