Mechanics' Institute Chessroom Newsletter #40"Chess is like life." Boris Spassky"Chess is life." Bobby Fischer 1) Stamer Memorial 2) Pandolfini in The New Yorker 3) Odds and Ends 4) Frank Marshall at the MI 5) Chess Camps 6) Upcoming Events 1) Nine-Way Tie for First in Stamer MemorialThe 38th Stamer Memorial, held June 8-10 at the M.I., finished in a nine-way tie for first at 4-1 between IM Walter Shipman, NM Eugene Levin, Experts Jennie Frenklakh, Larry Snyder, Steve Gaffagan, Rey Salvatierra, and Andy Lee, visiting Austrian player Guenther Steinmuller and 15-year-old Monty Peckham. The latter was the sensation of the tournament as he defeated two masters. Larry Snyder had slightly the better of it almost the entire game against Jennie Frenklakh in the last round, and came very close to winning the tournament outright with a win. Solid defense by the several-time US Womens Championship participant held the draw and made her the first female player ever to ever tie for first in a Stamer. The field of 61 players included 17 participants under the age of 18 and six women. The Brett, Haun, Ho, Karnazes and Krubnik clans made this a real family event. Peter Brett and his daughter Jamie tied for first Class D. Zachary Karnazes had an excellent result defeating Master Rudy Hernandez in a nice game. 2) Bruce Pandolfini Featured in the New YorkerArticles on chess are popping up all over. The June 4th issue of the New Yorker has an eight page article on noted chess teacher Bruce Pandolfini by Paul Hoffman. Among other things the reader learns that Mr. Pandolfini makes $250,000 a year teaching chess and that corporate executives once paid him $7500 an hour for a conference to see how a chess master thinks and to apply these concepts to business. Who said all chess masters were starving! The article is well written and pretty accurate, but there are a few glitches. The author claims Steinitz boasted of having defeated God in spite of odds of pawn and move. Actually Steinitz is alleged to have made the challenge, but, as far as I know, God never accepted. This anecdote seems to be a favorite of non-chess playing authors. It was also used by Rudolph Chelminski in his 7 page article "Your Opponent Must be Destroyed" which appeared in the January 1998 Smithsonian. The New Yorker article is fairly positive, but the final paragraph may make you wonder whether some of Bruce's students are distant relatives of Steinitz. One of his young prodigies, pleased as punch after winning his last round game, is quoted as saying "I wish I could fly so that I could play chess with God." 3) Odds and EndsNewsletter #38 reported on the results of Vinay Bhat, David Pruess and Kayven Riese in the Chicago Open. They were not the only success stories. Vivek Nambiar tied for the top finish in the U2200 section, and Shivkumar Shivaji finished 5-2 in the Open section to tie for the top U2400 prize. Both players hail from Milpitas and are playing in the MI Summer FIDE Rating Tournament. International Arbiter Mike Goodall writes in reference to the Stamer piece in Newsletter #39 that contrary to the California Chess Reporter's obituary, Stamer won the 1905 MI Club Championship and not 1908. Guthrie McClain's history of the MI supports Michael. How did Mr. Goodall know this? Stamer showed him the medal that he was given for taking first. One wonders what happened to it. By the way Stamer repeated his victory in the 1923 Club Championship. Longtime MI member Pam Ford, who played in many US Womens Championships in the 1980s is an accomplished painter of note. Her work appears on the cover of the May/June issue of the magazine Open Exchange. Articles on chess are popping up all over. The June 4th issue of the New Yorker has an eight page article on noted chess teacher Bruce Pandolfini by Paul Hoffman. Among other things the reader learns that Mr. Pandolfini makes $250,000 a year teaching chess and that corporate executives once paid him $7500 an hour for a conference to see how a chess master thinks and to apply these concepts to business. Who said all chess masters were starving! The article is well written and pretty accurate, but there are a few glitches. The author claims Steinitz boasted of having defeated God in spite of odds of pawn and move. Actually Steinitz is alleged to have made the challenge, but, as far as I know, God never accepted. This anecdote seems to be a favorite of non-chess playing authors. It was also used by Rudolph Chelminski in his 7 page article "Your Opponent Must be Destroyed" which appeared in the January 1998 Smithsonian. The New Yorker article is fairly positive, but the final paragraph may make you wonder whether some of Bruce's students are distant relatives of Steinitz. One of his prodigies, pleased as punch after winning his last round game, is quoted as saying "I wish I could fly so that I could play chess with God." 4) Frank Marshall at the Mechanics' Institute (1913 and 1915)The MI has a long tradition of hosting famous players from around the world. MI Chess Room staff member Steve Brandwein recently unearthed two visits by the American Champion Frank Marshall not too long after the Institute opened its new quarters. San Francisco had no regular chess column until the 1920s, but the Call, Chronicle and Examiner did write up special events. Often the details in local papers didn't quite tally with the accounts rendered in the American Chess Bulletin, the only national chess magazine at the time. Brilliant Play of Chess Master Champion Marshall Meets Thirty-one Players at Once Playing up to his great reputation for brilliance and combinations, Frank J. Marshall, champion chess player of America, met 31 players in a simultaneous exhibition at the Mechanics' Institute Tuesday Night. A count of boards at the conclusion of play showed that the visiting master had won 25, lost 1, while five games were drawn. The performance was witnessed by a large gallery, who filled the large library room of the Institute. Unfortunately, a lack of boards and pieces prevented a record number of simultaneous games for this city. Marshall fully lived up to his reputation, and time and again evoked the unstinted praise of the spectators as he evolved a brilliant mating combination or else cleverly frustrated a well laid plan for his destruction. A feature of the exhibition was the participation of a 9 year old devotee of Caissa, Miss Marie Silvius, at board No. 20, who secured a well played draw. Bernardo Smith, a member of the Mechanics' Institute Chess Club, was the single player to defeat the master. Those drawing beside Miss Silvius were George Hallwegen, A.J. Fink, E.J. Clarke and Mr. Haring. Marshall will repeat his performance on Thursday evening at the Mechanics' Institute, when every effort will be made to surpass the record of 57 boards simultaneously, which Marshall recently played at Pittsburgh, Pa. Players desiring to meet the champion are requested by the committee to bring their own boards and men. San Francisco Examiner July 8, 1913 Marshall in the Far West Under the caption of "Veni, Vidi, Vici - Marshall," the San Francisco Call , in its issue of July 6, prints the following account of the United States champion's doings while at the Golden Gate: Frank J. Marshall is no longer a stranger to San Francisco chess players. If perchance he should return to the coast next year he will be greeted by friends who, previous to his four-day visit as the guest of the Mechanics' Institute, were of necessity his admirers only. The American champion arrived here last Tuesday morning. Although somewhat fatigued by the railroad journey from Portland, Marshall gave a brilliant exhibition of his skill at simultaneous play at the Institute Tuesday evening, when he met by a strong field of thirty-one players. The master won 25, 6 were drawn and B. Smith alone succeeded in vanquishing the visitor. The performance attracted about 300 spectators. Wednesday afternoon Marshall played two exhibition games simultaneously against Professor A.W. Ryder and E.W. Gruer in consultation at board No. 1, wile at board 2 he was opposed by A.B. Stamer and A.J. Fink. The allies at board No. 1, defending against Marshall's pet Danish attack, held the expert to a well-played forty-move draw. Messrs. Stamer and Fink, with the white pieces, were met by Marshall's favorite Petroff. This game was also declared drawn, although the master had probably a winning advantage. Thursday evening Marshall repeated his simultaneous peformance, playing against thirty-eight opponents, winning 27, with 5 drawn and 6 lost. Friday the visitor entertained with some rapid transit chess at five and ten seconds per move. A.B. Stamer succeeded in putting one over on the champion during the five-second seance. American Chess Bulletin 1913, page 177 Marshall visits MI February 27 and 28, 1915 Quite the best showing was made against Marshall at San Francisco, where no less than eight "nicked" his escutcheon, so the report goes, to the tune of a win apiece. There were also four drawn games. The winners were Dr. W.R. Lovegrove, Dr. Henry Epsteen, R.C. Stephenson, S.C. Chandler, J. Drouillard, F.Sternberg, B. Smith and F.C. de Long. The drawn games were scored by F.W. Huber, G. Branch, A. Epsteen and E.W. Gruer and E.J. Clarke in consultation. Marshall also gave a "private" performance against fifteen opponents, making a score of 13 wins and 2 losses. An exhibition game between Marshall and Dr. W. R. Lovegrove, at twenty games an hour, at the Mechanics' Institute Chess Club, resulted in a draw after a great battle lasting 81 moves. A similar game with E.W. Gruer, the new club champion, at twenty-five moves an hour, was scored by Gruer in consequence of Marshall's capturing a "hot" pawn. Taken altogether, the Golden Gate gave the champion a warm reception. A trip to the Exposition grounds was not the least interesting portion of the programme. American Chess Bulletin 1915, page 75
Marshall,F - Lovegrove,W [C51] 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Bc4 Bc5 5.0-0 d6 6.b4 Bxb4 7.c3 Bc5 8.cxd4 Bb6 9.Nc3 Na5 10.Bd3 Ne7 11.Bb2 Ng6 12.Nd5 f6 13.h4 Bg4 14.Qa4+ Qd7 15.Nxb6 axb6 16.Bb5 c6 17.Be2 b5 18.Qc2 Nf4 19.e5 Nxe2+ 20.Qxe2 fxe5 21.dxe5 0-0 22.exd6 Bxf3 23.gxf3 Rae8 24.Qd3 Nc4 25.Bc3 Re6 26.Rad1 Rg6+ 27.Kh2 Rf4 28.Qxg6 Rxh4+ 29.Kg1 hxg6 30.Rd4 Rxd4 0-1
Marshall ,F - Gruer and Clarke [C44] 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Bc4 Bc5 5.0-0 d6 6.b4 Bb6 7.a4 a6 8.a5 Ba7 9.b5 axb5 10.Bxb5 Bg4 11.a6 Qc8 12.c3 Bxf3 13.Qxf3 Nge7 14.e5 0-0 15.exd6 cxd6 16.Bf4 Bc5 17.axb7 Qxb7 18.Rxa8 Qxa8 19.Qg3 Rd8 20.h4 Ng6 21.Bg5 f6 22.h5 fxg5 23.hxg6 h6 24.Re1 Ne5 25.cxd4 Bxd4 26.Nd2 Rf8 27.Re2 Nxg6 28.Qxd6 Nf4 29.Re4 Bc3 30.Bc6 Qd8 31.Qxd8 Rxd8 32.Nc4 Bd4 33.Ne3 Bxe3 34.Rxe3 h5 35.g3 Nh3+ 36.Kg2 g4 37.Re8+ Rxe8 38.Bxe8 h4 1/2-1/2
Lovegrove,W - Marshall,F [C43] 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4 exd4 4.e5 Ne4 5.Qxd4 d5 6.exd6 Nxd6 7.Bg5 f6 8.Bf4 Nc6 9.Qd2 Bg4 10.Nc3 Qe7+ 11.Be2 0-0-0 12.Qe3 Nf5 13.Qxe7 Bxe7 14.0-0 g5 15.Bc1 Rhe8 16.h3 Bxf3 17.Bxf3 Nfd4 18.Bxc6 bxc6 19.Rb1 Nxc2 20.Ne4 Rd4 21.f3 f5 22.Nxg5 Bc5 23.Kh1 Re2 24.f4 Rf2 25.Rg1 Rd3 26.Ne6 Bb6 27.b4 Rg3 28.Rb2 a5 29.bxa5 Ba7 30.Rd1 Rg8 31.a6 Rfxg2 32.Rd8+ Rxd8 33.Kxg2 Rg8+ 34.Kf3 Ne1+ 35.Ke2 Ng2 36.Kd3 Rg3+ 37.Kc4 Ne3+ 38.Bxe3 Rxe3 39.Nc5 Ra3 40.Re2 Bxc5 41.Kxc5 Rxa6 42.Re7 Rxa2 43.Rxh7 Ra4 44.Kxc6 Rc4+ 45.Kd5 Rxf4 46.Ke5 Rf1 47.h4 Kb7 48.h5 f4 49.Ke4 f3 50.h6 Kc6 51.Rf7 Re1+ 52.Kd3 Rh1 53.Rf6+ Kd5 54.Ke3 c5 55.Rxf3 Rxh6 56.Kd3 Rh4 57.Rf5+ Kc6 58.Kc3 Kb5 59.Rf3 Ra4 60.Kb2 Rb4+ 61.Kc3 Ra4 62.Kb2 Ra7 63.Rf8 Kb4 64.Rb8+ Kc4 65.Rb3 Rg7 66.Rh3 Rg2+ 67.Kc1 Kb4 68.Rh8 c4 69.Rh3 Ra2 70.Kb1 Re2 71.Kc1 Rf2 72.Rg3 Rh2 73.Rf3 Kc5 74.Rg3 Ra2 75.Rh3 Kb4 76.Kb1 Rg2 77.Rf3 c3 78.Rf8 Rd2 79.Kc1 Rd5 80.Kc2 Rd2+ 81.Kc1 1/2-1/2 5) Chess CampsA camp for intermediate and advanced youngsters will be held July 30-August 3 and a camp for beginners and novices from August 6-August 10. Information about these camps is available at the Chess Room website under programs for children. Mechanics' Chessroom 6) Upcoming Events at the MI
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