Chess Room Newsletter #415

~ William Napier

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1) Mechanics' Institute Chess Club News
2) Mechanics' in Miami
3) UFC Fighters to Wu-Tang Clan at HHCF 2nd Annual Chess Kings Invitational
4) Here and There

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NM Michael Pearson enters the eighth round of the Irving Chernev Memorial Tuesday Night Marathon with a full point lead (6.5 to 5.5) over Hayk Manvelyan.Here is Michael's latest win. 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bf4 c6 4.h3 Bf5 5.Nbd2 Qb6 6.b3 e6 7.e3 c5 8.Be2 Nc6 9.0-0 9.c3 cxd4 10.cxd4 was safer 9...cxd4 10.exd4 Bb4! 10...Nxd4 11.Nxd4 Qxd4 12.Bb5+ offers White compensation for the pawn in the form of Black's displaced King. 11.c4 Bc3 11...0-0 was safer. 12.cxd5 exd5 12...Nxd5 is strongly met by 13.Nc4 13.Rc1 Bb2 13...Bb4 was again safer but Michael is fearless. Now things start to heat up. 14.Rc5 a6 15.Bc4? ! Ultimately this seems to fall short so attention should be focused on 15.Nc4 which after a long sequence (mostly forced) leads to an ending where White's Bishops just about compensate for the pawn in the ending: 15...dxc4 16.Rxf5 cxb3 17.Qb1 Bxd4 18.Nxd4 Nxd4 19.Re5+ Ne6 20.Qxb3 Qxb3 21.axb3 0-0 22.Be3 Rfd8 23.Bf3 Rab8 24.Rc1 15...Nxd4 16.Re1+ Be6 17.Rc7 Black a pawn up in the ending after 17.Rxd5 Nxd5 18.Bxd5 0-0 19.Nc4 Nxf3+ 20.Qxf3 Bxd5 21.Nxb6 Bxf3 22.Nxa8 Bxg2 23.Kxg2 Rxa8 24.Re7 b5 17...0-0 18.Bd3 Rac8 19.Qb1 Bc3 20.Rxc3 Rxc3 21.Ng5? The final mistake. More chances were offered by 21.Be5 Nxf3+ 22.Nxf3 Rcc8 23.Bxf6 gxf6 24.Bxh7+ Kg7 25.Bf5 or 23.Ng5 h6 24.Bxf6 hxg5 25.Qa1 Bf5 26.Bxf5 Qxf6 27.Qxf6 gxf6 28.Bxc8 Rxc8. 21...h6 22.Nh7 Nxh7 23.Bxh7+ Kh8 24.Be5 Rfc8 25.Nf1 Rc1 26.Qd3 Rxe1 27.Bxd4 Qb5 0-1 Here are the top three boards from round 6 courtesy of Tuesday Night Marathon regular Peter Sherwood who has kindly been entering all the games from the Irving Chernev Memorial. 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.Be2 Be7 7.Be3 0-0 8.0-0 a6 9.f4 Q c7 10.Bf3 Nc6 11.Kh1 Na5 12.Qe1 Nc4 13.Bc1 e5 14.Nf5 Bxf5 15.exf5 exf4 16.Bxf4 Rac8 17.g4 Nxb2 18.g5 Qxc3 19.Qxe7 Ne8 20.g6 Nf6 21.Bxd6 Nc4 22.Bb4 Qxc2 23.Rac1 Qd3 24.Qxb7 Ne3 25.Qxf7+ 1-0 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.d3 Bg4 8.h3 Bh5 9.Nbd2 Nd7 10.b3 0-0 11.Bb2 f6 12.Re1 Nc5 13.Nf1 Ne6 14.Ng3 Qe8 15.Kh2 Rd8 16.Nf5 Bc5 17.Rf1 g6 18.Ng3 g5 19.Nxh5 Qxh5 20.Ng1 Qg6 21.Ne2 g4 22.f3 gxh3 23.g3 Kh8 24.f4 exf4 25.Nxf4 Nxf4 26.Rxf4 Bd6 27.Rg4 Qf7 28.Qf3 Be5 29.c3 c5 30.Rd1 Qd7 31.Rf4 Rg8 32.d4 Qd6 33.Rf1 Bxf4 34.Qxf4 Qxf4 35.Rxf4 Rg6 36.d5 Kg7 37.c4 Re8 38.Kxh3 b5 39.Bc3 b4 40.Bb2 a5 41.a4 bxa3 42.Bxa3 Rb8 43.Rf3 a4 44.bxa4 Rb1 45.Bxc5 Ra1 46.Ba3 Rh6+ 47.Kg4 Rh2 48.Kf5 Kf7 49.Re3 Rf1+ 50.Kg4 h5# 0-1 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.c3 Nc6 7.Ndf3 Qb6 8.g3 cxd4 9.cxd420Bb4+ 10.Kf2 f5 11.Ne2 Nf8 12.Nc3 Bd7 13.Na4 Qc7 14.Bd2 Be7 15.Rc1 a6 16.a3 Qd8 17.Nc5 Bxc5 18.Rxc5 Qb6 19.Qc2 Ng6 20.b4 0-0 21.Be2 Rfc8 22.Rb1 Na7 23.a4 Qd8 24.Qb3 b5 25.a5 Nc6 26.h3 Ra7 27.Be3 Rac7 28.Ne1 Nf8 29.Rbc1 Be8 30.Nd3 Nd7 31.R5c3 Ne7 32.Rxc7 Rxc7 33.Rxc7 Qxc7 34.Nc5 Nxc5 35.dxc5 Nc6 36.Qc3 Qd8 37.Bd4 Bf7 38.Qd2 h6 39.Bf3 Kf8 40.Ke2 Qe8 41.Bc3 Bh5 42.Kf2 Bxf3 43.Kxf3 Qh5+ 44.Kg2 Ke7 45.Qd3 Kd7 46.Qf3 Qg6 47.Qd3 Kc7 48.Qd2 Qe8 49.Bd4 Qd8 50.h4 Qe8 51.Bc3 Qh5 52.Qd3 g5 53.hxg5 hxg5 54.fxg5 Qxg5 55.Bd2 Qg4=2 056.Qe3 d4 57.Qh6 Qg8 58.Qf6 Qe8 59.Kf2 Qd7 60.Ke1 Ne7 61.Kd1 Nd5 62.Qh6 Ne3+ 63.Kc1 Qd5 64.Qf8 Qc4+ 65.Kb1 Qb3+ 0-1Bob Jordan, who many Mechanics' Chess Club members know as the guy who always set up the sets every day at the club for years, is now in the St. Francis Convalescent Pavilion Long Term Care, 99 Escuela Dr., Daly City, CA, 94015, (650) 994-3200. He is in room 110 and welcomes visitors to talk and play chess (he has his own equipment). If you plan to visit please give him a call first or e-mail his wife Vicky at [email protected]

Many thanks to Dushyanth Reddivari who very kindly donated several boxes of high quality chess books that have found a new home in the Mechanics' Institute Library.

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13-year-old Ray Robson had a spectacular tournament in tying for first at 7-2 with GM Darmen Sadvakasov in the recently concluded Miami Open. Four Bay area players made the trip with IM Andrei Florean of Menlo Park the top scorer at 6 , GM-elect Vinay Bhat and David Pruess on 5.5 and GM-elect Josh Friedel at 5 (from 8).

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Media Contact:
Meko Gaborski
(323) 335-4497
[email protected]

UFC Fighters to Wu-Tang Clan at HHCF 2nd Ann ual Chess Kings Invitational

Chess Masters, Rappers and MMA Fighters Come Together for Charity Chess & Grappling
Sept. 15, 2008 - San Francisco, CA- The Hip-Hop Chess Federation is proud to announce the 2nd Annual Chess Kings Invitational. The Hip-Hop Chess Federation fuses music, chess and martial arts to promote unity, strategy and non-violence. The Chess Kings Invitational is a charity chess tournament where celebrities and youth interact through a variety of avenues. Due to the popularity of the event, the HHCF will host the 2nd Annual Chess Kings Invitational at the San Francisco Cow Palace. Everyone is invited to join the team on Saturday October 11, 2008 starting with a scholastic tournament.

UFC Fighters Rich Franklin and Jeff Monson , RZA & GZA from the Wu-Tang Clan, Rakaa from Dilated Peoples and pioneer female MC Roxanne Shante are just some of the stars participating in the celebrity tournament. Best selling author of The Art of Learning and chess master Josh Waitzkin, Rich Franklin, RZA20and Ralek Gracie will participate on a panel called Fitness of Body & Mind. A second panel Art and Education will feature Roxanne Shante, Josh Waitzkin, author of children's book Chess Rumble Greg Neri and Def Poetry Jamâ Amir Sulaiman.

There will be a standard scholastic chess competition for youth and adults. Additionally, four schools20selected by the HHCF will play in the HHCF Scholarship Invitational for scholarship money. A Brazilian jiu jitsu exhibition by MMA fighter Ralek Gracie and Rakaa will also take place. There will be open free chess gaming all day and those who do not know how to play can learn the basics from HHCF chess mentors.

“We are enthusiastic and grateful to all the celebrities, kids and educators coming toget her for the Chess Kings Invitational said CEO Adisa Banjoko. This Invitational is going to be an incredible event. These are tough times for many of America's youth. Nevertheless the HHCF remains unflinching in our goal to share the countless educational and artistic life options for them in this world. People are flying in from all over the country to participate. We are are grateful for all the rappers, chess masters and martial artists who have donated their time to teaching kids healthy alternatives to violence on the streets.

UFC a's Rich Franlkin stated, "I am excited to a part of the Hip-Hop Chess Federation event. Anything that can help young people better their lives is worth it for me."

Fellow UFC vet Jeff Monson is eager to attend after missing last years event due to a car accident. I look forward to coming out to the Chess Kings Invitational and teach the kids about staying focused and having fun said Monson. I want them to know that it is equally important to train your brain and body to get the most out of life.

To sign up for the tournament visit: http://www.hiphopchessfederation.org/kings2008.

Partners for the 2nd Annual Chess Kings Invitational include Scion and Bay Area Chess. Other sponsors include JW Foundation, www.thechesspiece.com, www.onthemat.com, www.friendster.com and Cal Chess.org. To be a sponsor for this event or for more information on how to participate visit www.hiphopchessfederation.org/kings2008 today!

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Dear Chess Friends,

May we please ask your attention for the upcoming World Chess Championship Match between Viswanathan Anand (India) and Vladi mir Kramnik (Russia). The match is played in Bonn, Germany, from October 14 to November 02, 2008.

You can follow this match LIVE on the Internet, including TV streams, professio nal comments and more!

The tickets for this Live service are available with 30% discount, when registering before September 15, 2008 (0:00 CET Paris time).

For details on this offer, visit http://www.foidoschess.tv/purchasetickets.aspx

For the FoidosChess homepage with all information regarding the match including a free demo of the service, visit http://www.foidoschess.tv/default.aspx and http://www.uep-worldchess.com

Chief sponsors of the US Olympiad teams which will play in Dresden this fall include the Kasparov Chess Foundation, the US Chess Federation and Mr. Frank Berry. The latter, who sponsored the 2007 and 2008 US Championships, is one of the great patrons of American chess. Frank resembles Jacqueline Piatigorsky, not only in making great financial contributions to the game but also in doing much of the leg work for his events. American chess players owe him a big thanks.

Happy Birthday to the following players who celebrated or will soon celebrate a milestone:

Grandmaster Elmars Zemgalis who turned 85 on September 9
Correspondence Grandmaster Jonathan Berry who turned 55 on September 11.
Grandmaster John Fedorowicz who turns 50 on September 27.

Grand Slam Final, Bilbao
Final Standings:
1. Topalov – 17
2-3. Carlsen and Aronian – 13
4. Ivanchuk – 12
5. Radjabov – 10
6. Anand – 8

Final standings with a conventionalscoring system:
1. Topalov – 6½/10
2-4. Carlsen, Ivanchuk, Aronian – 5
5. Radjabov – 4½
6. Anand - 4.

Prizes:
1st place: 150,000 euro
2nd place: 70,000 euro
3rd place: 60,000 euro
4th; place: 50,000 euro
5th place: 40,000 euro
6th place: 30,000 euro

Unofficial FIDE Ratings after Bilbao

1. Topalov 2790,6
2. Morozevich 2787,0
3. Carlsen 2786,1
4. Ivanchuk 2785,6
5. Anand 2783,2
6. Kramnik 2771,9
7. Aronian 2756,8
8. Radjabov 2751,5
9. Leko 2746,6
10. Wang Yue 2735,5

IM Jack Peters writes from his column in the LA Times:

Three former champions and California's best female star tied for first place in the 30th Southern California Open in Pasadena. Grandmaster Melikset Khachiyan and International Masters Andranik Matikozyan and Enrico Sevillano each won four games and drew among themselves, while Tatev Abrahamyan matched their 5-1 scores despite a loss to Sevillano by defeating master John Daniel Bryant in the final round. For the second consecutive year, Sevillano earned a share of the title in both the invitational and open state championships.

The turnout of 147 players for the main event was the best in four years, and 112 more players competed in the scholastic tournaments. John Hillery and Elie Hsiao directed.