Gens Una Sumus!
~GM David Norwood , Chess and Education
1) Mechanics' Institute Chess Club News
2) Greg Young leads US Junior
3) A Historical Look at US Players Rated in the Top Ten in the World
4) A Poem by Dennis Fritzinger
This Sunday the first session of the San Francisco School of Chess will be held at the Mechanics' with IM David Pruess the instructor and NM Michael Aigner assisting. 24 of the Bay Area's best youngsters will meet in three classes of eight players. Similar sessions will be held in July (GM Nick DeFirmian), August (GM elect Josh Friedel) and September (GM elect Vinay Bhat). Go to http://www.fpawn.com/SFSchoolofChess.htm for more information.
The lecture by IM Irina Krush, scheduled for next Tuesday night at the Mechanics' has been canceled. We hope to have her at the MI later this year.
NM Michael Pearson had an outstanding tournament this past weekend defeating IM Ricardo DeGuzman and NM Andy Lee and drawing WIM Batchimeg Tuvshintugs in the last round to win the 45th Arthur Stamer Memorial with a score of 5.5 from 6. IM Ricardo DeGuzman and NM Paul Gallegos shared second with 5 points. 51 players competed in this annual event held to honor the memory of the Mechanics' first chess director.
Berkeley Master Andy Lee finished just out of the money with 4.5 but had the honor of playing the most entertaining game of the tournament.
This and the next game were played at a time control of G/45.
Arthur Stamer Memorial San Francisco (4), 2008
Arthur Stamer Memorial San Francisco (4), 2008
Arthur Stamer Memorial San Francisco (5), 17.06.2008
Michael writes, "In the last round, Gregory faces his main rival, NM Tyler Hughes from Colorado. They drew a wild contest two days ago and now they switch colors and play again. Tyler is a strong, talented and underrated (at 2264 USCF) young man who has played in several California tournaments. Gregory will no doubt have his hands full with the black pieces. If Tyler manages to win, they would be considered co-champions, but Tyler has an edge in the tiebreaks (Sonneborn-Berger)."
The game will be relayed live both on MonRoi and on ICC beginning at 8:00am Pacific time. Best of luck to Gregory!
The field for the 2008 US Junior in Lindsborg is:
- 1. FM Daniel Yeager, 2373, age 16 from Pennsylvania
- 2. NM Tyler Hughes, 2264, age 17 from Colorado
- 3. NM Edward Lu, 2227, age 16 from Virginia
- 4. NM Gregory Young, 2213, age 13 from California
- 5. Bradley Sawyer, 2192, age 19 from Texas
Bobby Fischer # 1 1971-1975
Gata Kamsky July 1990 ( #8 at 2650) January 1992 (# 8-10 with Salov and Jusupov at 2655), January 1993 as #10 with Azmai at 2655, January 1994 #6 at 2695, July 1994 as#6 at 2695, January 1995 #7 at 2710, July 1995 #4 at 2735, January 1996 #5 at 2735, July 1996 # 5 at 2735, January 1997 #7 at 2720, July 1997 #7 at 2720, January 1998 #7 at 2720, July 1998 at 2725, January 1999 #7 at 2720.
Lubos Kavalek 1974 # 10 with rating 2625. January 1980 tied for 10th at 2600.
Yasser Seirawan July 1990 #10 with 2635.
In issue #4, 1990 of the Polish magazine Szachy IM Andreij Filipowicz looked at the number of players rated over 2600 since the introduction of the FIDE rating system in January of 1971. Here is what he found:
January 1971 - 16 rated over 2600
January 1981 - 15 rated over 2600
January 1985 - 12 rated over 2600
January 1986 - 14 rated over 2600
January 1987 - 13 rated over 2600
January 1988 -18 rated over 2600
January 1989 - 28 rated over 2600
January 1990 - 29-rated over 2600
July 1990 - 32 rated over 2600
On the April 2008 rating list player number 100 was 2628.
The collapse of the Soviet Union, the growing popularity of chess among youngsters around the world, improved technology and simply the fact that more high rated players means more rating points floating around have all contributed to the rise in ratings but it is wise to not compare ratings from 2008 with 1978 - they don't correlate.
the legendary paul masson tournament
was held at the winery
at the very top of a hill
covered with grapevines.
the drive up by windy road
passed through them,
but i scarcely noticed,
thinking about the tournament.
games were played outdoors at picnic tables
with clocks and sets and boards, pencils and scoresheets.
early rounds you battled against the sun,
late rounds you fought against the darkness.
in between rounds there was wine tasting,
in case you wanted to take the sting from a loss;
after the sun set you could walk over
to the retaining wall, look down, and see stars.
wine and chess and natural beauty--
surely they were made to go together.
that was the idea, at least; but the publicist
who dreamed the whole thing up, quit or got fired,
and the new publicist didn't grasp the message.
so: one year you had a splendid tournament,
the next you had a hole where it had been,
with the grapevines asking. 'where are the chessplayers?'
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