Mechanics' Institute Chess Room Newsletter #62

"Ivan Sokolov complained to me 'I can't understand how they play. What are people doing with White?' I retorted, 'Ivan, everyone knows that if Black gains the initiative after building his defenses, it is usually decisive. So modern players play with White as if they are Black and only then do they look for the initiative!'"    Yasser Seirawan

1) Kasparov vs. Kramnik Match 
2) Igor Margulis Leads Kurt Bendit Tuesday Night Marathon 
3) Bay Area Grandmasters 
4) Upcoming Tournaments 

1) Kasparov vs. Kramnik Match

Mark Crowther reports on TWIC:
"There was a press conference in Moscow to
announce the Kasparov vs. Kramnik match in
honour of Botvinnik in December. The event will
consist of three matches: classical, fast chess and
blitz. Four classical games 2 hours for 40 moves,
1 hour for 20 and 30 minutes to the end of the
games (in this last control the players will receive
10 more seconds per move). These four games
will take place 1 st , 2 nd , 4 th and 5 th December 2001.
Six rapid games (30 minutes for the entire game)
will take place 7 th & 8 th December. The ten blitz-games
will be on December 9 th & 5 minutes per
game + 2 seconds per move (without
accumulation) when at one of the players has less
than 20 seconds (as in their blitz match in 1998).
The winner of the Botvinnik memorial will be the
one with the most points at whatever time rate.
The prize fund is $500,000 ($250,000 & classic
games, $200,000 rapid and $50,000 blitz). The
money is shared in a ratio of 3:2 to the winner."

2) Igor Margulis Leads Kurt Bendit Tuesday Night Marathon

National Master Igor Margulis defeated fellow veteran Victor Ossipov in round four of the Kurt Bendit Tuesday Night Marathon to grab the lead in the eight round event. Margulis has four points, followed by NMs Russell Wong and David Blohm and Expert Steve Gaffagan with three and a half. The big news of the evening was the hat trick turned in by the Krubnik clan. Father Mariusz's defeat of MI stalwart Jack Regan was no upset, but victories by twelve-year-old Ewelina (over an Expert!) and ten-year-old Emilia were! Ewelina is currently rated = 8th on the October 2001 USCF list for top girls under 13 in the country at 1481. Her latest USCF rating is 1574, so she should move up in the standings shortly. Younger sister Emilia is also nationally ranked and seems poised for a breakthrough.

3) Bay Area Grandmasters

We have just learned that former MI GM-in-Residence Roman Dzindzhihashvili has relocated from Sausalito to Denver. This action, coupled with the move of GM Patrick Wolff to Washington, DC, reduces the number of active Bay Area Grandmasters to two - six time US Champion Walter Browne and MI GM-in-Residence Alex Yermolinsky. Northern California also has two other GMs who have been inactive for many years, Peter Biyiasas who lives in the San Jose area, and James Tarjan of Santa Cruz.

Tarjan is featured in the latest column by MI Chess Director John Donaldson on the Chess Cafe http://www.chesscafe.com/ic/donaldson/donaldson.htm. The Chess Cafe also features a review of IM Donaldson's latest book Elmars Zemgalis: Grandmaster Without the Title. http://www.chesscafe.com/reviews/books.htm

4) Upcoming Tournaments

The latest issue of the California Chess Journal mentions that the Mechanics' will be hosting a memorial tournament for Bob Burger on December 1st. We are very happy to inform everyone that Bob is in fact quite alive and doing very well. We do hold a lot of memorial events at the MI and this may account for the mix-up. By the way the tournament will actually be held on January 5, 2002, and not December 1 which is the date set to honor the late Pierre Saint-Amant, one of the top players in the world in the 1840s, who served as the French consul for California in San Francisco during the Gold Rush.

Bob Burger, best selling author of The Chess of Bobby Fischer, is a world famous problemist and has held the USCF Master title for almost half a century. He has been involved with Bay Area chess through the California Chess Reporter, Mechanics' Institute and Castle Chess Club his entire adult life.

The modern day equivalent of the California Chess Reporter, The California Chess Journal, is going very well under the editorship of Frisco del Rosario. Membership in Cal Chess, which includes a subscription to the Journal, is available for $15 a year for adults and $13 for juniors. Mail to: CalChess, 2030 Mills Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025. For Additional Information E-Mail: dshaker@batnet.com

We are very happy to list new events in Palo Alto and Hercules this coming January. Look below for more information.

December 1
Pierre Saint-Amant Memorial (5 rounds G/45 at 1/2 k)

December 8-9
2nd Koltanowski Memorial Masters/Experts (4 rounds, open to 2000 and over)

January 5
Bob Burger Open (5 rounds G/45 at 1/2 k)

January 25 - 27, 2002.
Bay Area Masters Spring Grand Prix I (*)
Prizes: 1st $1000 2nd $500 3rd $200
Based on 22 paid entries.
Site: Mechanics' Institute Chess Room, 57 Post St.
4th Floor, San Francisco, Ca. 94104
Dates: January 25, 26 and 27, 2002.
Schedule: 5 round Swiss
Open to players rated 2200 USCF and above (December 2001 rating list)
USCF and FIDE rated.
Time control: 30/90 + 30/1 + SD/15.
Rounds: Friday 1/25 at 5pm. Saturday 1/26 and Sunday 1/27 at 11 am and 5pm.
Entry fee: $100, if received by 1/22, $120 thereafter. GMs and IMs
free.On site registration 1/25 4-4:30pm.
Send entries to: Guillermo Rey, 435 Firecrest Ave, Pacifica, Ca. 94044.
Info: Guillermo at 650-355-0305 or reyg@ix.netcom.com
Organized by IM Guillermo Rey and directed by Mechanics' Institute Chess Room staff.

* Two other similar tournaments will be held during the first half of the year as part of the Grand Prix. The player who scores the most total points in all three tournaments will receive an additional $300. Tournaments dates will be announced soon.( Before the end of 2001).

REGIONAL TOURNAMENTS

NOTE: THERE WILL BE A WBCA BLITZ TOURNAMENT AT THE AMERICAN OPEN ON NOVEMBER 21, STARTING AT 8:30 PM, REGISTRATION BY 8 PM, WITH $400 GUARANTEED. ENTRY FEE, $25 ($20 WBCA MEMBERS)

PaloAlto Open Chess Festival
Sunday January 6, 2002
6 round G/30 event rated 1/2 K
Prizes based on 60 entries: Open:500-250, X:300, A:250, B:220, C:200 D/Unr: 180 Entry Fee: $50 if sent by 11/15, $60 if sent by 1/3, $65 at doors. Make checks payable to Lev Grzhonko 440, 9th ave, #3, San Francisco, Ca, 94118 Registration: 9am-10am Rounds: 10am-11:30am-1pm-2:30pm-4pm-5:30pm Where: Rollnick Auditorium, 655 Arastradero Rd, Palo Alto, Palo Alto Jewish Community Center. 3 blocks away from El Camino Real For More Information email Edmundich@hotmail.com

Hercules Amateur Championship

January 26th and 27th One section U2200, 5 rounds, G/2 $$1,200 (based on 45) 350-250-150, Best A $130, B $120, C $100, D/E/Unr. $100 E.F $35.00 If postmarked by 1/18/01 after $40.00 at site. Send entries to: Rico Adkins, Tourn Director 15696 Crestwood Dr. #172 San Pablo, CA 94806

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