Mechanics' Institute Chess Room Newsletter #65

"A master sweats and squirms to find the right square for a piece. A grandmaster tosses a piece in the air and it lands on the right square!"

   Olaf Ulvestad

1) Aigner wins 2nd Koltanowski Memorial
2) Wong and Gaffagan Lead Kurt Bendit Tuesday Night Marathon
3) Browne Dominates Peninsula Quick Chess Events
4) Western States Open Revisit
5) Upcoming Events

1) Aigner wins 2nd Koltanowski Memorial

Michael Aigner of Stanford University won the 2nd Koltanowski Memorial held December 8-9. Aigner took home $300 for his 4-0 score in the Master/Experts event which included victories over fellow National Masters Eugene Levin and Igor Margulis. Sharing second at 3 in the 20-player field were Margulis and IMs Walter Shipman and Ricardo de Guzman. Mikhail Semionenkov and rapidly improving Monty Peckham divided the top under 2200 and top junior prizes. GM Alex Yermolinsky and Anthony Corrales directed for the MI.

2) Wong and Gaffagan Lead Kurt Bendit Tuesday Night Marathon

NM Russell Wong and Expert Steven Gaffagan won in round seven to maintain their lead in the Kurt Bendit Tuesday Night Marathon with one round to go. The two leaders have 6 points with NM David Blohm right behind at 5.5.

3) Browne Dominates Peninsula Quick Chess Events

GM Walter Browne dominated Steve Cohen's Peninsula Chess Challenge held December 8 in San Mateo. The Six-time US Champion won the G/15 and 5 Minute events, while tying for first in the G/1 tournament with SM Vladimir Mezentsev. Other MI members also did well. Drake Wang won the Amateur (Under 2000) section of the G/15 with Mariusz and Ewelina Krubnik sharing second with H. Gazit. Emilia Krubnik was second in the Junior Amateur behind Robert Hsu.

4) Western States Open Revisit

Michael Aigner covered this event a few Newsletters ago, but we would like to add to it by sharing the following game and reporting top MI finishers.

GM Alex Yermolinsky-SM Emory Tate (round 4)
1.d4 c5 2.d5 e6 3.Nc3 exd5 4.Nxd5 Ne7 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 Qa5+ 7.c3 Nf5 8.Qa4! Qxa4 9.Nc7 CHECKMATE!

OPEN:

=10-16. GM Yermolinsky, GM Browne, SM Strugatsky 4-2 ;=17-29. NM WAng, FM Keatinge-Clay, IM De Guzman, SM Morkunaite , SM Pruess, IM Rey 3.5

EXPERT:

=2-5 Ossipov 4.5-1.5; =6-10. Fomin 4

Class A

=3-6. Krasnov and Zimmerman 4.5

Class B

1. Bukh 5.5-.5; 2-4. Leotaud 5

5) Upcoming Events

Please note that the January 26-27 has been changed to four rounds instead of 5. A new listing is annual tournament at Ohlone College in Fremont. This event will be held March 23 and 24. We will have more details shortly.

Those looking for weekly rated games should check out the Berkeley Chess Club which meets at Epworth Church in North Berkeley just off MLK near Hopkins. Play starts at 8 pm but you need to register by 7:30. Gliman is the easiest exit off I-80 and bus #43 goes within a block of the site which is about a mile from the downtown Berkeley BART.

MI Tournaments go to (http://www.chessclub.org) for complete details

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

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, 4 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

March 23/24 4th Annual Bay Area Ohlone Tourney.
Ohlone College - Fremont
4SS 30/90, G60 EF $35. Prizes: $1620 if 100 players.
hspwood2@attbi.com