Gens Una Sumus!
~ Jose Capablanca in My Chess Career quoted in Questions of Modern Chess Theory (page 95) by Isaac Lipnitsky
1) Mechanics' Institute Chess Club News
2) 2009 Frank P. Samford, Jr. Chess Fellowship by Allen Kaufman
3) Chess Diva
This promises to be a fascinating talk by a dynamic speaker. Don't miss Jesse!
IM Ricardo DeGuzman scored 4.5 from 5 to win the 8th Annual J.J. Dolan Memorial held October 11th at the MI.
FM Frank Thornally and NM Andy Lee and Nicholas Nip are the top seeds in the Fall Tuesday Night Marathon. It is still possible to enter the 10 round event with a half point bye for round 1.
The Mechanics' won another hard fought match, this time against Tennessee, to move to 6 1/2 from 8 and 1 1/2 point lead with two matches left in the regular season against top division rivals Dallas and Miami.
![]() | San Francisco Mechanics (5.5-1.5) vs Tennessee Tempo (2.0-5.0) | ![]() |
All Time Series Record: (San Francisco leads 3-0)
Starts at 8:30 PM ET Time Control - Game 75 with 30 second increment
San Francisco Mechanics | Tennessee Tempo | ||
GM Patrick Wolff: 2623 | 0.0 | 1.0 | GM Jaan Ehlvest: 2668 |
GM Vinay Bhat: 2481 | 1.0 | 0.0 | FM Todd Andrews: 2350 |
FM Sam Shankland: 2364 | 1.0 | 0.0 | FM John Bick: 2249 |
NM Gregory Young: 2232 | 1.0 | 0.0 | NM Jim Al-Shamma: 2127 |
Avg Rating: 2425 | Avg Rating: 2349 | ||
San Francisco Total ------- | 3.0 | 1.0 | ------- Tennessee Total |
EASTERN DIVISION | W | L | GamePoints | Opp Avg Rating | Opps Record | |
@ Queens | 6.5 | 1.5 | 21.0/32 (66%) | 2399 | 25.5-28.5 (47%) | |
@ Carolina | 5.5 | 2.5 | 19.5/32 (61%) | 2396 | 22.0-32.0 (41%) | |
New Jersey | 4.5 | 3.5 | 17.5/32 (55%) | 2415 | 26.5-25.5 (51%) | |
Boston | 4.0 | 4.0 | 16.5/32 (52%) | 2408 | 25.5-28.5 (47%) | |
New York | 3.0 | 5.0 | 12.5/32 (39%) | 2415 | 27.5-24.5 (53%) | |
Philadelphia | 2.0 | 6.0 | 12.5/32 (39%) | 2433 | 25.5-28.5 (47%) | |
X - Baltimore | 1.5 | 6.5 | 11.5/32 (36%) | 2398 | 27.5-24.5 (53%) |
WESTERN DIVISION | W | L | GamePoints | Opp Avg Rating | Opps Record | |
@ - San Francisco | 6.5 | 1.5 | 20.5/32 (64%) | 2400 | 27.0-29.0 (48%) | |
Miami | 5.0 | 3.0 | 21.0/32 (66%) | 2406 | 27.5-26.5 (51%) | |
Dallas | 4.5 | 3.5 | 16.0/32 (50%) | 2417 | 27.0-27.0 (50%) | |
Seattle | 4.5 | 3.5 | 15.0/32 (47%) | 2395 | 28.5-27.5 (51%) | |
Chicago | 4.0 | 4.0 | 17.0/32 (53%) | 2390 | 26.5-27.5 (51%) | |
Arizona | 2.5 | 5.5 | 12.0/32 (38%) | 2396 | 33.0-23.0 (59%) | |
X - Tennessee | 2.0 | 6.0 | 11.5/32 (36%) | 2399 | 28.5-25.5 (53%) |
# = clinched Division Title
X = Eliminated from the Playoff Race
Whoever has the most points in the "W" (win) column, is in the lead in the standings.
Total game points are used as a tiebreaker. To see the rest of the tiebreak procedures click here.
Playoff Procedures:
The top four teams in each division qualify for the postseason.
-1st place in each division players 4th place. 1st place gets draw odds and chooses colors.
-2nd place in each division plays 3rd place. 2nd place gets draw odds and 3rd place chooses colors (if the very rare case occurs that the higher seed feels colors are more valuable to choose, they can do this instead)
-In semifinals, the higher seeded team gets draw odds, and the lower seeded team chooses colors ONLY if they are just one seed lower than the higher seed. Otherwise the higher seed gets draw odds and chooses colors. So 1 vs 2 = 1 gets draw odds, 2 chooses colors, but 1 vs 3 = 1 gets draw odds AND chooses colors
-In the final match the team with the better regular season record chooses colors but neither team gets draw odds, and if the match is tied 2-2, it goes to a blitz tiebreaker.
Leaders After Week 8, 2008 | Pts. |
1. IM Alex Lenderman: QNS | 21.5 |
2. GM Sergey Erenburg: BAL | 19 |
3. GM Julio Becerra: MIA | 15 |
4. FM Sam Shankland: SF | 14.5 |
5. GM Jaan Ehlvest: TEN | 14 |
6. GM Hikaru Nakamura: SEA | 13 |
7. FM Oleg Zaikov: CAR | 12 |
8. SM Marc Esserman: BOS | 12 |
9. NM Eric Rodriguez: MIA | 11 |
10. FM Osmany Perea: MIA | 10.5 |
a win on board 1 is worth 4 points, a loss on board 1 is worth -4 points
a win on board 2 is worth 3 points, a loss on board 2 is worth -3 points
a win on board 3 is worth 2.5 points, a loss on board 3 is worth -2.5 points
a win on board 4 is worth 2 points, a loss on board 4 is worth -2 points
if you draw or win with the black pieces you receive 1 bonus point.
Ties are broken by
1. Total games played
2. Overall Team Record
3. Avg Board Number. 1st beats 2nd and so on.
4. Avg Opponent's Rating
For the twenty-third consecutive year, the Frank P. Samford, Jr. Chess Fellowship announces its annual award.Designed to identify and assist the most promising American chessmasters under the age of twenty-five, this program was created by the late Frank P. Samford, Jr. of Birmingham, Alabama.It is now guided by Mr. Samford’s son, Frank P. Samford III of Atlanta, Georgia and administered by Barbara DeMaro of the U. S. Chess Trust.In the past one new Fellow was selected each year to serve a two-year term. This year two Fellows were chosen; they were intended to represent the 2008 and 2009 winners.However, it has been found possible to add yet another winner for next year and we are therefore seeking applications for a new Samford Fellow to begin his or her two-year term on July 1, 2009.The 2009 Samford Chess Fellow will receive a monthly stipend for living expenses, training by leading chess coaches, chess books and other study materials as well as opportunities to travel and compete in tournaments and/or matches at20the highest levels. The value of each fellowship (stipend, training, materials and tournament expenses) will approximate $36,000 per year.The winner will be selected by the Samford Chess Fellowship Committee (”Committee”), consisting of Frank P. Samford III, Grandmaster Arthur Bisguier and International Master John Donaldson.Each applicant must have been a permanent resident of the U.S. for at least one year prior to June 30, 2009 and must not have reached his or her 25th birthday by that date.The applicants, w ho can be male or female, must be able to demonstrate talent, achievement and commitment to chess. The winner must spend the majority of his time studying and playing chess beginning July 1, 2009. He or she must be willing to make the effort required to become a leading grandmaster and possible challenger for the World Championship.Applicants must have a chess rating (either USCF, FIDE or both).For further details and an application form write to:Allen Kaufman, Secretary
Samford Chess Fellowship
108-37 71st Avenue, #8G
Forest Hills, NY 11375-4512Completed applications for the 2009 Fellowship must be received no later than Janua ry 15, 2009.We expect to announce the winner during April, 2009. All decisions by the Committee will be final.The late Mr. Frank P. Samford, Jr. created the Samford Fellowship as a way of making a significant contribution in America to the game he loved.If qualified applicants can be found a new Fellow will be selected every year. It is expected that the Samford Fellowship will continue to produce very strong players, some of whom will joi n the elite group of world supergrandmasters.Funding for this program has been provided by the generosity of Mrs. Virginia Donovan, widow of the late Frank P. Samford, Jr., and by Torchmark Corporation.
We finally put "Chess Diva" #7 on the internet now.Learn about some cool chess positions, watch Barbara and Lauren play afive minutes blitz game, and learn what you need to know to play in aUnited States Chess Federation chess tournament. We explain how touse the clock, good sportsmanship, and other basic rules.Please go to our website to watch:
http://www.geocities.com/chessdiva.show/Episode7.html
Over the summer, we also entered episode #6 in the Western Access VideoExcellence Award contest. The contest was open to the Western UnitedStates: Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, and New Mexico.Their website is: http://www.accesswithoutborders.org/wave
Episode #6 is one of the finalists in this contest and we are veryexcited about this! Let's take the award home on October 24th inDenver, Colorado!!
- Enjoy,
- Lauren and Barbara
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