Gens Una Sumus!
Mechanics’ Institute Chess Club Newsletter #573
February 29, 2012
Though most people love to look at the games of the great attacking masters, some of the most successful players in history have been the quiet positional players. They slowly grind you down by taking away your space, tying up your pieces, and leaving you with virtually nothing to do!
—Yasser Seirawan
This is an abbreviated newsletter, while the editor is on vacation. Things will return to normal on March 7th.
1) Mechanics’ Institute Chess Club News
Congratulations to Jules Jelinek, who won the February 21st edition of the Mechanics’ Wednesday Night Blitz with the excellent score of 11 from 14. Tom Stevens was second with 10 points, followed by International Master Elliott Winslow at 9. Winslow had the satisfaction of beating the tournament winner 2-0, but was blanked in kind by Michael Hertetz.
The Wednesday Night Blitz is held weekly and starts promptly at 6:40 pm. The event is open to all MI members, and the entry fee is $10, with a 100 percent payout to the prize fund.
Nick deFirmian, the new Mechanics’ Institute Grandmaster-in-Residence, starts work this week.
Mechanics’ Institute Chess Director John Donaldson won the David Collyer Memorial in Spokane this weekend with a 5-0 score. The annual event, the 20th in the series, attracted 64 players.
King’s Indian Attack A04
John Julian – John Donaldson
20th David Collyer Memorial (4), 2012
1.e4 c5 2.d3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.Nf3 e5 6.0–0 Nge7 7.c3 0–0 8.Nbd2 d6 9.a4
9.a3, intending 10.b4 was more flexible.
9...h6 10.Ne1
10.Nc4 Be6 11.Bd2 Qd7 12.Qe2 f5 13.b4 cxb4 14.cxb4 fxe4 15.dxe4
w________w
[rdwdw4kd]
[0pdqhwgw]
[wdn0bdp0]
[dwdw0wdw]
[P)NdPdwd]
[dwdwdN)w]
[wdwGQ)B)]
[$wdwdRIw]
--------
15...Rxf3 0-1, was a short and strange miniature that occurred in McLaren–Donaldson, Vancouver 1978, and Joyce–Donaldson, Dublin 1995.
10...Be6 11.h3
w________w
[rdw1w4kd]
[0pdwhpgw]
[wdn0bdp0]
[dw0w0wdw]
[PdwdPdwd]
[dw)Pdw)P]
[w)wHw)Bd]
[$wGQHRIw]
w--------w
11...a6
11...d5 and 11...f5 were the alternatives.
12.Nc4 Rb8 13.a5 f5
White has good compensation for the pawn after 13...Bxc4 14.dxc4 Nxa5 15.Qd3.
14.Qa4 f4 15.gxf4?! exf4 16.Nb6?!
w________w
[w4w1w4kd]
[dpdwhwgw]
[pHn0bdp0]
[)w0wdwdw]
[QdwdP0wd]
[dw)PdwdP]
[w)wdw)Bd]
[$wGwHRIw]
w--------w
16.Nf3 was a better try.
16...g5
16...Nxa5 17.Nd5 recovers the missing pawn.
17.Nd5 Ne5 18.Nxe7+
18.d4 cxd4 19.cxd4 f3 20.dxe5 fxg2 21.Nxg2 dxe5 favors Black, but not as much as the game continuation
18...Qxe7 19.Qd1
w________w
[w4wdw4kd]
[dpdw1wgw]
[pdw0bdw0]
[)w0whw0w]
[wdwdP0wd]
[dw)PdwdP]
[w)wdw)Bd]
[$wGQHRIw]
w--------w
19...g4 20.hxg4 f3 0–1
In view of 21.Bxf3 (21.Nxf3 Bxg4 22.Qb3+ c4) 21...Nxf3+ 22.Nxf3 Bxg4 23.Qb3+ c4 24.Qxc4+ Be6, winning.
The Mechanics’ Chess Club will be holding four chess camps this summer. The dates are
June 25-29 Beginners
July 9-13 Elite Advanced
July 30-August 3 Intermediate-Advanced
August 13-17 Beginners
Book and equipment donations to the Mechanics’ are always welcome. All donations to the Mechanics’ are tax deductible, due to the M.I.’s 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. If you have any chess books or equipment that has been lying around unused for some time, consider donating to the Mechanics’. You will not only get a tax write-off, but also the satisfaction of seeing things put to good use.
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