Chess Room Newsletter #582

Mechanics’ Institute Newsletter #582
May 1, 2012

Nowadays the dynamic element is more important in chess—players more often sacrifice material to obtain dynamic compensation. Of course, such players were in my generation too and they existed before (for example, Alekhine) but then fewer people played like that than now. When I spoke with Alexander Nikitin, he said that players of my generation had a very good understanding of chess, but the game was slower then.
Nowadays there is more dynamism in chess, modern players like to take the initiative. Usually they are poor defenders though.

—Boris Spassky,  interviewed by Alex Baburin for Chess Today in 2000.

(1) Mechanics’ Institute Chess Club News

The Spring Tuesday Night Marathon had an exciting finish, with FM Andy Lee and Expert Demetrius Goins sharing top honors with 6.5 from 8. Tying for 4th at 6 in the 72-player event were International Master Elliott Winslow, FM Frank Thornally, and Experts Todd Rumph and Jorge Lopez

Thanks to the generosity of Tibor Weinberger the Mechanics’ Institute will be holding the Third Imre Konig Memorial on September 22-23. The event, which commemorates the 20th anniversary of the death of International Master Konig, the first top rate player to reside in San Francisco, will be held as a seven-player round-robin, featuring a rapid chess time control of Game in 25 minutes, with a 15-second increment from move one.

The invited players consist of the top six rated players from the Bay Area—Grandmasters Sam Shankland, Nick de Firmian, Vinay Bhat, Jesse Kraai and Walter Browne, and International Master Daniel Naroditsky.

The last player, Grandmaster Emil Anka of Hungary, pays respect to Konig’s ancestry as an international cosmopolitan who was born in the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in Kula, in today’s Serbia.

Konig studied in Vienna and improved his game in its chess cafe milieu, being particularly influenced by Richard Reti. Like the Czech, he earned a reputation as a fine author with his Chess from Morphy to Botvinnik: A Century of Chess Evolution serving as a useful instructional guide to several generations of chess players.

Konig was not only a fine writer, but also an excellent player, who twice represented Yugoslavia in Chess Olympiads. He is fondly remembered by Mechanics’ old-timers for his Old World courtliness and generosity of spirit in sharing his chess wisdom. The Mechanics’ Institute is honored to pay tribute to his memory.

2) Jay Whitehead 2 - Elliott Winslow 0

We are indebted to International Master Elliott Winslow for sending us two nice wins by the late Jay Whitehead (1961-2011). It’s not common for players to send in their losses, but Elliott thought these were good games by Jay that deserved to be remembered.

French/King’s Indian Attack C00
Jay Whitehead - Elliott Winslow
San Jose State University 1985
 
1.g3 d5 2.Bg2 Nf6 3.Nf3 e6 4.0-0 Be7 5.d3 c5 6.Nbd2 Nc6 7.e4 Qc7 8.Re1 h6?! 9.exd5 exd5 10.d4 c4
 
Black had a safer choice in 10...0-0.
 
11.Nxc4 dxc4 12.d5 Nxd5 13.Qxd5 Be6 14.Rxe6
 
Objectively White is not better after this sacrifice, but from a practical standpoint Black has difficulties.
 
14...fxe6 15.Qh5+
 
As 15.Qxe6 allows 15...Qd6.
 
15...Kf8 16.Bf4 Qd7 17.h4 Bf6 18.c3 Qf7 19.Qc5+ Kg8 20.Re1
 
Around here Black’s problems start to grow, but it is not easy to suggest concrete improvements.
 
20... Re8 21.Nd2 Bxh4 22.Nxc4 Bg5 23.Nd6 Qf8 24.Qc4 Na5 25.Qd3 Re7 26.Rxe6 Rxe6 27.Qd5 Qf6 28.Bh3 Bxf4 29.Bxe6+ Kh7 30.Ne4 Qe5 31.Bf5+ 1-0
 
 
Closed Sicilian B26
Jay Whitehead - Elliott Winslow
Rohnert Park 1986
 
1.Nf3 c5 2.g3 Nc6 3.Bg2 g6 4.0-0 Bg7 5.e4 e5 6.Nc3 Nge7 7.d3 d6 8.Be3 0-0 9.Qd2 Nd4 10.Nh4 Be6 11.Nd1 Qd7 12.c3 Ndc6 13.f4 exf4 14.gxf4 f5 15.Nf2 Rae8 16.Nf3 Kh8 17.h4 b6 18.h5 gxh5 19.Ng5 d5 20.Qe2 Rf6 21.e5 Rh6 22.d4 c4 23.Nfh3 Nd8 24.Bf3 h4 25.Qg2 Bg8 26.Kf2 Ne6 27.Rg1 Ng6 28.Ke2 Nc7 29.Nf2 Nf8 30.Kd2 Re7 31.Qh3 b5 32.Bd1 b4 33.Bc2 Rb6 34.Qxf5 Qb5 35.Rg4 Qa5 36.Rxh4 h6 37.a4 bxc3+ 38.bxc3 Nb5 39.Nd1 Ne6 40.Nxe6 Rexe6 41.Qh3 Bh7 42.f5 Nxc3 43.Nxc3 Rb2 44.Bxh6 Bxe5 45.Bg7+ Kg8 46.Bxe5 1-0

3) A Chess Poem by Dennis Fritzinger

shots

what we call
sacrifices that come out of nowhere—
they make a sound
(though soundless)
on the chess board,
like the pinging of a rifle bullet.
sound or not,
they invariably unnerve the opponent,
who has to respond,
and quickly,
all the while maintaining
his cool.
few do.
those that do
are probably
just as able to dish
it out,
and have been battle-tested.
at the first sound of rifle fire
some head for the bunkers,
others grab their own rifle
and head where the action is.