I always disliked the fierce competitive spirit embodied in chess.

Albert Einstein

1) Mechanics' Institute Chess Club News
2) US Chess League
3) Hans Poschman 1932-2006
4) U.S. Chess Federation and America's Foundation for Chess Announce Partnership
5) Upcoming Events

1) Mechanics' Institute Chess Club News

Expert Josh Gutman is on a quest to gain his Master's title. The recent Cal Tech graduate, who works in San Francisco as a computer programmer, has defeated top seeds NMs Batchimeg Tuvshintugs and Russell Wong in consecutive rounds to lead the Paul Vayssie Tuesday Night Marathon with a score of 5.5 from 6 with two rounds to go. Tied for second at 5 are veterans Victor Ossipov and Peter Grey. The latter has bounced back from a second round upset to Tom Allen and reeled off four consecutive victories including the scalps of Experts Romulio Fuentes and Larry Snyder.

The following game witnesses a rare miniature against NM Russell Wong, one of the TNM's steadiest and most experienced players.

Gutman,J - Wong,R [B05]
Paul Vayssie Memorial Tuesday Night Marathon 2006

1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 Bg4 5.Be2 c6 6.0-0 Bxf3 7.Bxf3 dxe5 8.dxe5 e6 9.Nd2 Nd7 10.Re1 Qc7 11.Nc4 N7b6 12.Qe2 Bc5 13.a3! a5?

13...0-0 14.Nd2 with c4 to follow gives White a pronounced space advantage but the text fatally weakens Black protection of the Knight on b6.

14.Nd6+! Bxd6 15.exd6 Qxd6?

15...Qd8 avoids the loss of the piece but allows White to fortify the pawn on d6 with c4, Bg5 and Rad1 with an overwhelming position.

16.c4 Nf6 17.c5 Qxc5 18.Be3 1-0

IM Ricardo DeGuzman won the 6th Annual Howard Donnelly Memorial held September 23rd at the Mechanics'. DeGuzman defeated Slovak NM Peter Zavadsky to finish with 4.5 from 5 and the $200 top prize. Tying for second at 4 in the 49-player event were NMs Nicolas Yap, Chris Von Krogh, Paul Gallegos, Expert Romulio Fuentes and Class A player George Sanguinetti. The result of Fuentes, who defeated WIM Batchimeg Tuvshintugs and drew with DeGuzman and Von Krogh, should help him regain his master's title.

6th grader Gabriel Lee of San Ramon won the spot donated by Mike Goodall for the Boris Spassky simul this Saturday. The qualifying event was organized by the Berkeley Chess School.

Mechanics' Institute US Chess League stalwarts IMs Josh Friedel and David Pruess have joined the field for the Slugfest Invitational to be held in mid-October in Bellevue, Washington. The strength of the 16 player, six round Swiss, can be judged by the prospect that Josh may get paired up in round one.

The Mechanics' Institute will be fielding a team in the upcoming Western States Open in Reno. If you would like to play notify the MI Chess Room staff. There will be a sign up sheet in the Chess Room.

10-year-old Expert Daniel Naroditsky of Foster City will be representing the United States in the World Youth Championships under 12 section in Batumi, Georgia, in mid-October. We wish Daniel the very best of luck and a safe journey.

Former World Champion Boris Spassky and his wife Marina will be guests of the Mechanics' Institute from September 28 to October 3. During this time Spassky will give a clock simul, lectures, answer questions, work with junior players and sign books. He will give a clock simul on Saturday, September 30 on 25 boards starting at two PM. Spectators are welcome and encouraged to attend this. The simul, which is sold out, will likely run to at least 6 pm. Spassky will also be doing a talk and autographing books people have written about him on Sunday from 2 PM to 3:30 PM. This is also free to all as part of a Mechanics' Chess Club policy to encourage development of chess in the area. We hope to have a large turnout for Spassky and bring many players who no longer play in tournaments to the MI for the day. Please try to make it

Fundraising for the Spassky's visit has gone well but there is still a deficit of $600. Donations to help cover this are warmly welcomed and tax deductible. You can send checks payable to the Mechanics' to MI Chess Club, 57 Post Street, Room 408, San Francisco, CA 94104.

2) US Chess League

The Mechanics' team won last night 3-1 over the Tennessee Tempos and this result, coupled with Seattle's 3-1 loss to New York, has finally made us clear Western Division leaders for the first time this season. The match with the Tempos was pretty clear. Josh, Vince and David all outplayed their opponents and Gerald Larson of Tennessee defeated Daniel in a well-played game. For Vince this was his fourth straight win in USCL competition over the past two seasons. Last year he started slowly, losing his first three matches ( albeit against opposition averaging over 2550 FIDE) but now he is on fire. The turning point seems to have been his lost to IM Pascal Charbonneau last season. Vince lost the game but played very creatively and that seems to have set the tempo for his subsequent efforts. IM McCambridge puts in a long day as a bond trader for RBC Dain Rauscher and hasn't played in regular tournaments in years, which makes his performance all the more remarkable.

The Mechanics' faces stiff opposition its next two matches. First up in round six, next Monday night at 5:30 pm, are the New York Knights led by IMs Pascal Charboneau and Irina Krush. The Knights defeated our round seven opponent the Seattle Sluggers, 3-1 this week. The match, pitting two likely playoff teams. had a one-sided score, but if you look at the games it was a tough battle most of the way until their top two Seattle boards blundered in the way that players often do when they have seconds on the clock. Reports indicate that Seattle had terrible problems with their internet connection and suffered from very bad lag. Such distractions never help a team and this was the second week in a row for the Sluggers that they have had this problem. They will need to resolve this situation before next week as they face a tough and motivated Miami team that will be looking to make up ground in the standings.

Philadelphia's win over Baltimore gave notice that the Masterminds are going to battle for the last playoff spot in the East. The season is half over and Philly's record is 1-4 but all of their losses were 1.5-2.5. If they finally get top board Jaan Ehlvest back from Europe and into their lineup they will be a force to be reckoned with likely rating advantages on boards 1 and 4 in almost every match and gritty defenders on the interior boards like IM Richard Costigan, one of the league's top overachievers.

Count Tennessee as one team that really loves to play chess. While the rest of the league is comprised of big cities the Tempos come from all over Tennessee to Nashville, and one player, Gerald Larson, actually makes the trip from Huntsville, Alabama, a 152 miles away!

Don't miss the match next against New York Monday night at the Mechanics' starting at 5:30 pm. MI Grandmaster-in-Residence Alex Yermolinsky will be doing his usual excellent commentary work ( note there will be no Wednesday night lecture next week) and Former World Champion Boris Spassky will be taking in the action.

3) Hans Poschman 1932-2006

Alan Kirshner writes:

On September 22, 2006 Hans Poschmann passed away less then a month after his 74th birthday. Hans was a good friend and a man who was admired and respected by all that knew him both within and outside the chess community. A few hours back, a chess mother called me to ask me a question and I told her about Hans' death. She broke down in tears much like so many of us have done-if not externally than inside.

Hans was born in Germany in 1932 and as a young man his parents moved to Berlin. He was trained as a Cabinet Maker, but joined the Berlin police force at 19. There he loved to compete in track and field.events. However, one of his fellow officers told him he had to develop his mind as well and taught him how to play chess. Hans took to the game with a passion even taking lessons from a German champion. He, his wife and baby daughter emigrated to the United States around 1959. His second daughter was born in the U.S.

Hans and his family settled in Fremont where he became part of the local chess scene. He helped to organize the Fremont Chess club and continued, up until his death, to be the moving spirit behind its continued life. He got involved in the politics of Northern California and help draft the motion to separate the State into two. He held every office there was to hold over the years in the Northern California Association that later was renamed CalChess. He started the organizations journal and ran numerous tournaments-another of his passions. He became a senior Tournament Director. Across the chess board he reached the A level and through the mail he became a correspondence Chess Master. In recent years, he continued playing correspondence chess internationally via e-mail.

Hans for the last 9 years developed a new passion-teaching. His ever present smile and the warmth he exuded made him a natural. The kids loved him in the same manner we all did. He enjoyed taking photographs of his charges and posting them on the net.

The thing I loved most of about Hans was that he was real. His smile, his laugh, his warmth, his love of people and his extrovert personality in social situations was really him. Damn he will be missed.

A little over a year ago a short while after he was diagnosed with a form of leukemia I asked him to allow me to produce his oral autobiography. I have placed a four minute QuickTime video on the web: http://www.CalChessScholastics.org/Hans-Condensed.mov. You can view the complete interview at http://www.CalChessScholastics.org/HansPoschmann-2005.mov

NOTE: http://www.ChessDryad.com has set up a page a memorial page where you can post your feelings & thoughts. Please send them to Mark Shelton for posting: marks26thmed@yahoo.com

4) U.S. Chess Federation and America's Foundation for Chess Announce Partnership

AF4C to Provide In-School Chess Curriculum; USCF to Expand Membership Channel Through Co-Marketing Program

CROSSVILLE, TN and SEATTLE, WA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- September 19, 2006 -- The U.S. Chess Federation (USCF) and America's Foundation for Chess (AF4C) today announced that they have entered into a partnership agreement. Through this partnership, AF4C's unique First Move™ chess curriculum becomes a USCF-sanctioned in-school program for teaching elementary level children the game of chess. Together, the two organizations will work to expand the interest of chess and help make the intellectually challenging game an integral part of class curriculum. Co-marketing activities will help drive the awareness level and advantages of membership in the USCF as well.

"AF4C has delivered an effective in-class chess curriculum with a proven track record in schools across the country and we're pleased to establish a partnership with a top quality organization," said Joel Channing, a USCF board member, and Vice President of Finance. "Through our joint marketing efforts with the AF4C, we plan to increase the awareness of the USCF and benefits of membership, while demonstrating the advantages to students and teachers of integrating chess into the class curriculum."

About America's Foundation for Chess

America's Foundation for Chess (AF4C) is a nonprofit organization committed to improving the lives of our children by providing high quality educational programs, as well as top flight professional development and training for elementary school teachers. AF4C's unique First Move™ program offers a professionally designed, standards-based class curriculum utilizing the game of chess as a learning tool for all 2nd and 3rd grade students. For more information visit www.af4c.org.

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CONTACT:
Alane Moran
America's Foundation for Chess
Phone: 425/216-0051
Email Contact
Bill Hall
U.S. Chess Federation
Phone: 931-200-3410
Email Contact

5) Upcoming Events

Mechanics' Events

J.J. Dolan Memorial - October 28
Carroll Capps Memorial - November 11 and 12
Saint-Amant Memorial - November 18
Guthrie McClain Memorial - December 2
Jim Hurt Amateur - December 16 and 17

Oct 6-9 24th Annual SANDS REGENCY RENO-WESTERN STATES OPEN GPP: 200 Enhanced Nevada

6SS, A US Championship Qualifying Event! Sepcial Guest: 10th World Chess Champion GM Boris Spassky!!! 3rd year in a row!! (This year’s tournament is dedicated to GM Igor Ivanov) 6SS, 40/2, 20/1, G/1/2. Sands Regency Hotel/Casino, 345 N Arlingotn Ave, Reno, NV 89501.1-800-648-3553 or (775) 348-2200. $$50,000 b/500, $$32,350 GTD. G-$5,000-2500-1200-1200-1000-900-800-700-600-500 in Open Section plus ½ of all other prizes. 6 sections: Open: EF: GMs and IMs free, Masters $139, (2000-2199) $201,(1999-below) $301. $$ Prizes 1-10 listed above, (2400-2499)$1000, (2300-2399) $1000-600-400, (2299-below) $1000-600-400. If a tie for 1st overall then 2 (G/10) playoff for $100 prize fund. (Note: GM/IM w/free entry not eligible for class prizes 2499 and below, may elect to pay entry fee and become eligible. EXPERT: (2000-2199) EF: $138. $$$2,000-1000-500-400-300-200-200-200-200-100-100 (under 2100) $700 “A” Sec. (1800-1999) EF: $137, $$1,900-1000-500-400-300-200-200-200-200-100-100-100. “B” Sec. (1600-1799) EF: $136, $$1,800-1000-500-400-300-200-200-200-200-100-100-100. “C” Sec. (1400-1599) EF: $134, $$1,700-1000-500-400-300-200-200-200-100-100-100-100. “D/Under” Sec.(1399/below -including unrateds) EF: $134 (unrated EF:10 + must join USCF or increase membership for 1 additional year($49 adults, $25 juniors). $$1,500-800-500-400-300-200-200- 200-100-100-100-100, (Under 1200) 700-400-300-500-100 (top unrated wins 1 yr USCF membership plus trophy). Senoirs (65/over) $$500-300-200 (Srs not eligible: provisionally rated, unrated & masters); Club Championship $$1000-500-300-200 decided by total score of 10 (and only 10) players from one club or area ( not eligible -masters and unrated). Trophies to Top 3 (A-D Sections). All: $11 more if mostmarked after 9/10 and $22 more if postmarked after 09/28 or email after 10/04. $20 off EF to Sr 65/over and Jrs 19/under. Players may play up. Unrated players not eligible for cash prizes except Open 1-10. CCA ratings may be used. Note pairings not changed for color alteration unless 3 in a row or a plus 3 and if the unlikely situation occurs 3 colors in a row may be assigned. Reg: (10/05) 5-9 pm, (10/06) 8:30-10 am. Rds: 12-7, 10-7, 9:30-6. Byes available any round (2 byes max) if requested before 1st round. Side Events: Thursday (10/05) 6-7:30 pm GM Larry Evans lecture (free, and dedicated to GM Igor Ivanov). 7:30 Simul ($20) GM Ludomir Kavalek 7:30 Blitz (5 min).

Nov. 25-26 California Classic Thanksgiving Chess Festival GPP: 10 California Northern

4SS, G/45. University of San Francisco-Cupertino, 20085 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino, CA 95014. 3 Sections: Expert, Reserve, Booster. All entry must be received by 11/18/2006. All Prizes Guaranteed. Expert (1800+) Grand Prix section, Prizes: $$670; 1st $320-2nd 150-3rd 50. Top U2100, U2000, U1900-$50 each. Available 1-Day Option. 30/90 G/1, 30/90 G/30. Rds: Sat: 10am-3pm. Sun: 1:45pm-5:45pm. On-site Reg: 8:30am-9:30am. Reserve (1200-1800) Prizes: $720; 1st-$320-2nd-$150. Top U1700, U1600, U1500, U1400, U1300-$50 Available 1-Day Option. 30/90 G/1, 30/90 G/30, Rds: Sat: 10am-3pm; Sun: 1:45pm-5:45pm. On-site Reg: 8:30am-9:30am. Booster (U1200): Prizes: Trophies to Top 5 overall. Top U1000, U900, U800, U700- all receive trophies. Max: 1 Trophy/Player. G/45. Available 1-Day Option. Rds: Sun: 10:00am, 12:15am, 2:00pm, 3:45 pm. All Entries To: Jason Gurtovoy, 34249 Fremont Blvd. #158 Fremont, CA 94555 On-site Reg: 8:30am -9:30am. Standard USCF Tie-Breaks will be used for trophies. For More Information: Jason at sfchessclassic@yahoo.com http://www.geocities.com/sfchessclassic for info/advance entries. E-mail: sfchessclassic@yahoo.com. Web Site: http://www.geocities.com/sfchessclassic. Entry: Discounts on Entry Fee for entering Multiple Events in Festival. Please download flyer from www.geocities.com/sfchessclassic for more information. NS, NC, W.