Chess Room Newsletter #368

"We were in the fifth hour. He was lost, ruined, not a chance! I knew it, he knew it. But he sat there—almost an hour!—calculating, calculating, calculating! Inside he was screaming. He was pale, like a dead man, but this force was going through him like millions of volts. I could feel it smashing and smashing at me across the board. Well, it had an effect, I can tell you that. Five or ten minutes—all right. But an hour! In the end, I was the one screaming inside. When you play Bobby, it is not a question if you win or lose. It is a question if you survive."
~Boris Spassky after defeating Bobby Fischer at the Siegen Olympiad in 1970.

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1) Mechanics' Institute Chess Club News
2) Hikaru Nakamura lights up Barcelona
3) Rediscovered games of Jude Acers

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San Francisco 3 vs Seattle 1 The Mechanics' defeated Seattle on Monday night to move into second place in the Western Division of the US Chess League with one match remaining in the regular season. The first three teams in each division advance so if we tie 2-2 with Dallas next week Seattle will have to beat Miami 4-0 and Carolina will have to beat both Miami and Tennessee 4-0 to tie with us. To read more about this match and see photos of the team in action go to NM Dana Mackenzie's newly started blog.

1. IM Josh Friedel (SF) vs GM Gregory Serper (SEA) 1-0
2. IM Eric Tangborn (SEA) vs IM Vinay Bhat (SF) 0-1
3. IM John Donaldson (SF) vs FM Loren Schmidt (SEA) 1/2-1/2
4. Josh Sinanan (SEA) vs Daniel Naroditsky (SF) 1/2-1/2

Josh and Gregory have a real rivalry going in the USCL. The score after 5 games is 3-2 in Josh's favor with White having won every game! 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.Bd3 Nf6 7.0-0 Nc6 8.Nxc6 bxc6 9.Qe2 d5 10.Re1 Bb7 11.b3 Be7 12.Bb2 0-0 13.Na4 dxe4 14.Bxe4 Nxe4 15.Qxe4 c5 16.Qg4 g6 17.Qh3 Rfd8 18.Be5 Qc6 19.Nb2 Rd5 20.Nc4 Rad8 21.Qg3 Ba8 22.Ne3 R5d7 23.Ng4 f5 24.Nf6+ Bxf6 25.Bxf6 Rf8 26.Bc3 f4 27.Qg4 Rf5 28.Rad1 Rxd1 29.Rxd1 Rd5 30.Re1 Rf5 31.f3 Qd6 32.Qh4 Bc6 33.h3 e5 34.Qf2 h5 35.Qf1 Bb5 36.Rd1 Qe7 37.Qe1 Bc6 38.Bb2 g5 39.Qa5 Bb7 40.Qa4 Rf7 41.Qc4 Kh7 42.Rd8 Kg7 43.Qd3 Bc6 44.Rc8 Bb7 45.Rb8 Qc7 46.Rd8 c4 47.Qd2 cxb3 48.axb3 g4 49.Re8 Qc5+ 50.Kh1 gxf3 51.Bxe5+ Kg6 52.Qd3+ Kg5 53.Rg8+ Kh4 54.Qd8+ 1-0 Vinay improved his record this season to 6-0 with this win. 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nc3 c6 6.Bg5 Be7 7.Qc2 g6 8.e3 Bf5 9.Bd3 Bxd3 10.Qxd3 Nbd7 11.0-0 0-0 12.Nd2 Re8 13.Rab1 a5 14.Rfc1 Bd6 15.Nf1 Qb8 16.f3 Nh5 17.g4 Ng7 18.Kg2 b5 19.b3 Qb7 20.Bh4 Rac8 21.Bf2 Ne6 22.Ng3 Bf8 23.Rc2 Bg7 24.Nge2 b4 25.Na4 c5 26.Nxc5 Nexc5 27.dxc5 Nxc5 28.Qd2 Ne6 29.Rbc1 Rcd8 30.Qd3 d4 31.e4 Ra8 32.Rc6 Red8 33.f4 Rac8 34.Rxc8 Rxc8 35.Rxc8+ Qxc8 36.f5 Nc5 37.Qc4 gxf5 38.gxf5 d3 39.Bxc5 dxe2 40.Kf2 Qc7 41.Kxe2 Qxh2+ 42.Bf2 Bf6 43.Kf3 Qh3+ 44.Ke2 Qg2 45.Ke1 h5 46.Qc6 Bc3+ 47.Ke2 Bd4 48.Qe8+ Kg7 49.Kd3 Qxf2 0-1 I had a big advantage from the opening (11...Qc5? 12.b4! was a Kasparov-Kramnik blitz game) but then lost my advantage through a combination of good defense by my opponent and lack of energetic play by myself ( around move 15 or so I should have been thinking about e4 and f4. Going into the endgame was not a good idea for Black. At the end White was winning a second pawn with a very likely win. The score was 2.5-.5 and prudence dictated locking in a draw to secure the tiebreak advantage going into the last week. 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 c5 3.c4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 g6 6.g3 Bg7 7.Bg2 0-0 8.0-0 Ng4 9.e3 d6 10.Nde2 Qa5 11.Nd5 e6 12.Bd2 Qd8 13.Ndc3 Nge5 14.b3 Nd3 15.Rb1 a6 16.a3 Nde5 17.Qc2 Qc7 18.Rfd1 Ne7 19.Rbc1 Rb8 20.Qb1 b6 21.Ne4 f5 22.Ng5 h6 23.Nf3 Nxf3+ 24.Bxf3 Nc6 25.Bg2 Ne5 26.Nd4 Bd7 27.h3 Nf7 28.f4 e5 29.Ne2 Bc6 30.Nc3 Bxg2 31.Kxg2 b5 32.cxb5 Qb7+ 33.Kh2 axb5 34.Qd3 b4 35.axb4 Qxb4 36.Rb1 Rb7 37.Nd5 Qe4 38.Qxe4 fxe4 39.b4 exf4 40.gxf4 Nd8 41.Bc3 Rf5 42.Bxg7 Rxg7 43.Nc3 Nb7 44.Nxe4 g5 45.Ng3 Rb5 46.f5 d5 47.Ne2 Rc7 48.Nd4 Rb6 49.b5 Nd6 50.Rdc1 Nc4 51.e4 Rd7 52.exd5 Ne3 53.Rc6 Nxd5 54.Rbc1 Kf7 55.Kg3 Rbb7 56.Nf3 1/2-1/2 I though Josh had some advantage in the middlegame but Daniel defended very well. 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.d4 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0 Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.b4 Nh5 10.Re1 f5 11.Ng5 Nf4 12.Bf1 h6 13.Nf3 fxe4 14.Nd2 Nd3 15.Bxd3 exd3 16.Nde4 Bf5 17.Qxd3 g5 18.a4 Ng6 19.Ba3 Nf4 20.Qd1 Qc8 21.Re3 Bg4 22.Qd2 Qe8 23.c5 Qg6 24.b5 dxc5 25.Bxc5 Rfd8 26.Qa2 Qf7 27.f3 Bf5 28.d6 Qxa2 29.Rxa2 Bxe4 30.Nxe4 cxd6 31.Bxd6 Rac8 32.g3 Nd5 33.Rb3 Nf6 34.Nxf6+ Bxf6 35.Bb4 Rc4 36.a5 Rdd4 37.Bd2 e4 38.Be3 Rd3 39.Rxd3 exd3 40.Rd2 Rc1+ 41.Kf2 Rc2 42.Rxc2 dxc2 43.Bc1 a6 44.bxa6 bxa6 45.Ke2 Bc3 46.Kd3 Bxa5 47.Kxc2 Kf7 48.Kd3 Bb6 49.Kc4 Ke6 50.Bb2 h5 51.g4 hxg4 52.fxg4 Bc7 53.h3 Be5 54.Bc1 Bf4 55.Bb2 Be5 56.Ba3 Bd6 57.Bb2 Be5 Game drawn by repetition 1/2-1/2 NM Paul Gallegos defeated Expert Arthur Ismakov in the last round to win the 7th Annual J.J. Dolan Memorial with a 5-0 score last Saturday. IM Ricardo DeGuzman, who drew in round three with Ismakov, was second at 4 1/2 in the 49-player event.

The Mechanics' Institute Fall Tuesday Night Marathon featured upsets galore in the first round. Among them was 90-year-old Dan Litowsky's draw with NM Igor Margulis. It's not to late to enter the nine round event with a half point bye for round one.

NMs Daniel Naroditsky and Sam Shankland and Expert Louiza Livschitz will represent the United States in the World Youth Championships in Turkey this November.

Former Bay area players Hannelore and Duane Catania tied with Larry Sargeant for first place in the chess competition at the Huntsman Senior Games in St. George, Utah, earlier this month.

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Hikaru is on fire in a 10 player round robin in Barcelona which features an average rating of over 2600. He has 5 from 6, is a point and a half ahead of the field, and has played all the high rated competition. Hikaru is not just winning his games - he is doing it in style! It's not often you see the White King venture to h7 when the opponent still has Queen and Rook on the board, but that is what Hikaru did in round one. 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bg5 Ne4 5.Bh4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 dxc4 7.e3 Be6 8.Qb1 Qd5 9.a4 Nc6 10.Nf3 Bh6 11.Be2 g5 12.Bg3 g4 13.Nh4 f5 14.0-0 0-0-0 15.Bd1 Qa5 16.Bc2 Rhf8 17.Qb2 Bg5 18.Rab1 b6 19.Rbe1 Bxh4 20.Bxh4 Bd5 21.Bg3 h5 22.f3 gxf3 23.gxf3 f4 24.Bxf4 Nxd4 25.cxd4 Rg8+ 26.Kf2 Qd2+ 27.Re2 Rg2+ 28.Kxg2 Qxe2+ 29.Rf2 Rg8+ 30.Bg3 Bxf3+ 31.Kh3 Bg4+ 32.Kh4 Qxe3 33.Qb5 Qxd4 34.Qe5 Qd8 35.Rd2 Bd7 36.Rd4 e6+ 37.Kxh5 Be8+ 38.Kh6 Qe7 39.Rf4 Bf7 40.Qf6 Qf8+ 41.Kh7 Kb8 42.Rf2 e5 43.Qxe5 1-0 Did you see 21...Qxf2+! at move 15? 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Be7 5.0-0 0-0 6.b3 a5 7.Nc3 c6 8.d4 Nbd7 9.Qc2 b6 10.e4 Ba6 11.Nd2 c5 12.exd5 cxd4 13.Nb5 exd5 14.Nxd4 Rc8 15.Re1 b5 16.Bb2 Re8 17.Qd1 bxc4 18.bxc4 Qb6 19.Rb1 dxc4 20.Nc6 Rxc6 21.Bxf6 Qxf2+! 22.Kxf2 Bc5+ 23.Kf3 Rxf6+ 24.Kg4 Ne5+ 25.Kg5 Rg6+ 26.Kh5 f6 27.Rxe5 Rxe5+ 28.Kh4 Bc8 0-1 Hikaru grinds down his chief rival. 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e4 e5 4.Nf3 exd4 5.Bxc4 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Bxd2+ 7.Nbxd2 Qf6 8.0-0 Ne7 9.Nb3 Nbc6 10.Nfxd4 0-0 11.Nxc6 Nxc6 12.Qc2 a5 13.a4 Qe7 14.f3 Rd8 15.Rfd1 Bd7 16.Bd5 Qb4 17.Qc5 Be8 18.Qxb4 axb4 19.a5 Kf8 20.Rdc1 Ra6 21.Rc4 Rda8 22.Kf2 R8a7 23.Ke3 Nxa5 24.Rxa5 Rxa5 25.Nxa5 c6 26.Nxc6 bxc6 27.Bxc6 Bxc6 28.Rxc6 Ra2 29.Rc2 b3 30.Re2 Ra1 31.Kd2 Ra6 32.Kc3 Rb6 33.Kc4 Ke7 34.Re3 Rh6 35.h3 Rg6 36.Re2 Rb6 37.f4 h5 38.g3 h4 39.g4 Rd6 40.Re3 Rd2 41.Kxb3 Rf2 42.f5 f6 43.e5 fxe5 44.Rxe5+ Kf6 45.Re3 Kg5 46.Kc3 Kf4 47.Rd3 Ke4 48.b4 Rf1 49.Kc4 Rb1 50.Rc3 1-0

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1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.cxd5?! Nxd5 6.Bxe7 Qxe7 7.e4?! Nxc3 8.bxc3 0-0! 9.Nf3 c5 10.Be2 Rd8 11.0-0 cxd4 12.cxd4 Nc6 13.Qa4 Bd7 14.Rfd1! e5 15.dxe5 Nxe5 16.Qb3 Nxf3+ 17.Qxf3 Be6! ½-½Source: Northwest Chess, May 1971, page 8. The match was played November 15-20. Notes by Jude. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Be7?! 6.d4 d6?! 7.dxe5 Be6 8.Bxe6 fxe6 9.Qb3 Qd7 10.Qxb7 Rd8 11.exd6 Bxd6 12.0-0 Nf6 13.Nd4! Ne5 14.Qb3! Ke7 15.f4 Bc5 16.fxe5 Bxd4+ 17.cxd4 Qxd4+ 18.Kh1 Nxe4 19.Nd2!! Nxd2 20.Bxd2 Qxd2 21.Qa3+ Ke8 22.Qxa7 Qd7 23.a4 c6 24.Qf2 Qe7 25.Qb6 Qd7 26.a5 Rf8 27.a6 Rxf1+ 28.Rxf1 Ra8 29.Qc5 1-0Source: Northwest Chess, May 1971, page 7. This event was played January 1971, notes by Jude. 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.d4 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5 6.Bc4 Nb6 7.Bb5 e6 8.Be3 cxd4 9.Nxd4 Qc7 10.Qf3 Bd7 11.0-0-0 Bd6 12.Nxc6!! bxc6 13.Rxd6!! Qxd6 14.Ne4 Qc7 15.Bc5 f6 16.Nxf6+ gxf6 17.Qxf6 Nd5 18.Qxh8+ Kf7 19.Qxh7+ Kf6 20.Bd4+ e5 21.Bd3 Nf4 22.Qh6+ Kf7 23.Bc4+ 1-0Source: Northwest Chess, May 1971, page 7. According to Jude this was round 9 and played November 17, 1970 ( in the middle of the match with Walter. Jude called C. Bill his " personal second, trainer and top secret confidant.") 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.c3 dxc3 5.Bc4 cxb2 6.Bxb2 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 Nf6 8.Qc2 0-0 9.0-0-0 Qe7 10.e5! Nxe5? 11.Nxe5 Qxe5 12.Nd5 Ba3! 13.Bxa3 Nxd5 14.Bxd5 Re8 15.Bb2 Qf4+ 16.Kb1 c6 17.Qc3 Qh6 18.Rhe1! Rf8 19.Bf3 d5 20.Re7 b6 21.Rde1 Bf5+ 22.Ka1 a6 23.R1e5 Bc8 24.Rh5! Qg6 25.h4! h6 26.Rhe5! Rb8 27.Re1! Bb7 28.Qe5 Ba8 29.Bh5! Qxg2 30.Bxf7+ Kh8 31.Bxd5! 1-0Source: Northwest Chess, May 1971, page 8. Notes by Jude.