Chess Room Newsletter #626

Mechanics’ Institute Chess Club News #626
May 1, 2013

Some people think that if their opponent plays a beautiful game, it’s OK to lose. I don’t.

—Magnus Carlsen, interviewed by Martin Sandbu in the Financial Times, Dec 8-9, 2012, page 3

Don’t miss the double-header in the Chess Room this weekend –
the Charles Powell G/45 on Saturday and the Ray Schutt Memorial Blitz on Sunday.

1) Mechanics’ Institute Chess Club News

Oleg Shakhnazarov defeated FM Andy Lee last night when the FIDE Master over-pressed after holding a sizeable advantage for much of the game. This, plus IM Elliott Winslow’s win over NM Romy Fuentes, sets up a last-round showdown between the Spring TNM leaders Shakhnazarov (6.5/7) and Winslow (6). The only two players on 5.5, Expert Aleksandr Ivanov and Class A player Michael Anderson, will face each other in the last round, with Ivanov perfect to date (4 wins and 3 half-point byes) and Anderson having a super tournament (2.5 from 3) against masters.

Here is a game of some theoretical interest from an earlier round.

Sicilian Najdorf B99
Romulo Fuentes (2220)–Jamieson Pryor (2112)
Mechanics’ Spring TNM (6) 2013

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Be7 8.Qf3 Nbd7 9.0–0–0 Qc7 10.Be2 b5 11.Bxf6

The variation starting with this move is not highly regarded by theory, but it has brought Fuentes many victories. Closely related to this variation is the immediate e5, without exchanging on f6.

One example of this still not well-tested idea is 11.e5 Bb7 12.exf6 Bxf3 13.Bxf3 gxf6 14.Bxa8 fxg5 15.f5 b4 (15...e5 16.Nd5 Qc8 17.Bc6 Bd8 18.Bxd7+ Qxd7 19.Ne2 Qxf5 20.Ng3 Qg4 21.Rhf1 0–0 22.Ne3 Qe6 23.Kb1 Bb6 24.Nef5 Rd8 25.Ne4 d5 26.Nxg5 Qf6 27.h4 Rd7 28.g4 h6 29.Ne4 Qe6 30.Nxh6+ Kh8 31.Nf6 Rc7 32.Rxd5 Rc4 33.Rxe5 Qd6 1–0 P. Whitehead–de Firmian, CalChess Masters 1981.

11...Nxf6 12.e5 Bb7 13.exf6 Bxf3 14.Bxf3 Bxf6

(a) 14...gxf6 15.Bxa8 d5 16.Bxd5 0–0 17.Bxe6! Fuentes-Jones, Fall TNM 2012 (1–0)

(b) 14...Rc8 ? 15.Bc6+ (15.fxe7 Qxe7 16.Nf5! Bondarevsky) 15...Kf8 16.fxe7+ Kxe7 17.Rhe1 Kf8? (17...Qb8) 18.Rxe6! Fuentes–Byambaa, Carroll Capps 2012 (1–0).

15.Bxa8 d5 16.Bxd5

16.Bc6+ Kf8 17.Nce2 Ke7 intending ...Rc8.

16...Qxf4+

16...Bxd4 17.Rxd4 exd5 18.Nxd5 Qc5 19.Re1+ Kf8 20.c3 h5! was the famous game Keres–Fischer from the 1959 Candidates’ tournament. It would be interesting to know what theoretical improvement Fuentes had prepared.

17.Kb1 exd5

17...Bxd4 18.Bc6+! Ke7 19.Ne2

18.Nxd5 Qxd4 19.Rhe1+ Qe5 20.Nc7+ Ke7 21.Nxa6 Rc8 22.Nb4 Ke6 23.c3 Rc4 24.Rxe5+ Bxe5 25.Re1

At this point, with White holding an advantage, both scoresheets become unreadable. White went on to win.

1–0

Steven Krasnov and Gary Luke tied for top honors in the Walter Lovegrove Senior Open last weekend with scores of 3-1. This was a fine performance by Luke who beat top-seeded Krasnov and drew with two higher-rated players. Rod McCalley, who has played in all 9 of the Lovegroves, was among those tied for third with 2.5 points.

Hello everyone,

Last chance tonight to “get some practice” for the Schutt Memoria.

The annual Schutt Memorial Blitz tournament is scheduled for this coming Sunday, May 5. Entries accepted between 1 pm and 1:45 pm. $10 entry. 5-round double Swiss. Free to GMs and IMs. Prizes $300-$200-$100-$75-$50-$25 Light refreshments will be served at the event.

Every Wednesday evening is the time for the weekly round-robin blitz tournament at Mechanics’ Institute Chess Club. As always, the last entry is accepted at 6:40 pm with sign-up beginning at 6:20 pm and games starting soon after. Entry is $7 with clock; $8 without clock. Non-member entry is $9 with clock; $10 without clock. Prizes are 50%, 30%, 20% of base entry fees ($7 per player) collected. Time control preferably is 3 minute, increment 2 seconds; otherwise 5 minutes, no increment.

Last week we had 9 players in the Blitz. The winners were

1st/2nd – IM Ray Kaufman and Carlos D’Avila
3rd - Jules Jelinek

Look forward to seeing you tonight.

Jules Jelinek
Weekly Wednesday Night Blitz Coordinator

2) Three to Be Inducted into World Chess Hall of Fame,
Two into U.S. Chess Hall of Fame at 2013 Ceremony
by Mike Wilmering

An induction ceremony on May 2, 2013, will recognize five exceptional chess players as three are inducted into the World Chess Hall of Fame and two into the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame.

The World Chess Federation (FIDE) nominated and selected Elizaveta Bykova, Nona Gaprindashvili, and Mikhail Chigorin for the World Chess Hall of Fame. They join 16 other players to receive the honor since the World Chess Hall of Fame’s creation in 2001. These are the first new inductees since 2011.

“This year’s World Chess Hall of Fame induction is particularly unique because it includes two women. The first and only woman who had previously received this honor was Vera Menchik”, said Beatriz Marinello, FIDE Senior Vice President.

The U.S. Chess Federation Hall of Fame Committee considers and sends candidates for the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame to the U.S. Chess Trust each year. The Trust votes on candidates, selecting Gregory Kaidanov and Mona May Karff to join the 50 other players currently in the Hall of Fame.

These two players join luminaries like Bobby Fischer and Frank Marshall as some of the top players in U.S. history. Their contributions to the sport are numerous and lasting, said Harold Winston, chairman of the U.S. Chess Federation Hall of Fame Committee.

We are thrilled to host the 2013 Induction Ceremony. It provides the opportunity to focus a spotlight on the significance of this game both to Saint Louis and the world, said Susan Barrett, director of the World Chess Hall of Fame.

About the 2013 World Chess Hall of Fame Honorees:

Elizaveta Bykova (1913-1989): Bykova was a Soviet chess player who began winning championships in the 1930s before taking the top spot at the Women’s World Chess Championships in 1953, a title she would win three more times by 1962. She received the titles of Woman International Master, International Master, and Woman Grandmaster. In addition, Bykova was a respected chess author and columnist.

Nona Gaprindashvili (1941- ): Gaprindashvili is a Georgian chess player who was a Women’s World Chess Champion and the first female to be named Grandmaster. She was a contributing player for the USSR team that dominated women’s chess Olympiads in the 1980s, personally winning as many as 11 team gold and 9 individual gold medals. She won as recently as 2009 at the World Senior Championship for Women in Condino, Italy.

Mikhail Chigorin (1850-1908): Chigorin was a Russian player credited as being the inspiration for the Soviet Chess School, which dominated the chess world in the 20th century. He began winning at tournaments across Russia, Europe, and the U.S. around the age of 26 and continued through the rest of the nineteenth century. He pioneered many chess concepts and was an unofficial ambassador of Russian chess, giving lectures, writing, and founding a chess club in Saint Petersburg.

About the 2013 U.S. Chess Hall of Fame Honorees

Gregory Kaidanov (1959- ): Kaidanov is a Grandmaster born in the Ukraine and currently living in Lexington, Kentucky. He won both the World Open and the U.S. Open in 1992. He was a member of the U.S. team that won the World Team Chess Championship in 1993 and received a silver medal at the 1998 Chess Olympiad, also as a member of the U.S. team. He currently has a USCF rating of 2673, placing him among the top 15 players in the country.

Mona May Karff (1908*-1998): Russian-born Karff moved to the United States in the 1930s and dominated women’s chess during the 1940s and 50s, winning four consecutive U.S. Open titles among many other honors. She was one of the first to be named a Woman International Master when FIDE established the title in 1950.

About the World Chess Hall of Fame www.worldchesshof.org

The World Chess Hall of Fame is a nonprofit organization committed to building awareness for the cultural and artistic significance of chess. It opened on September 9, 2011, in the Central West End after moving from previous locations in New York and Miami.

The WCHOF is housed in an historic 15,900 square-foot residence-turned-business and features the U.S. and World Chess Halls of Fame, displays of artifacts from the permanent collection, and temporary exhibitions highlighting the great players, historic games, and rich cultural history of chess.

It is a partner organization to the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis, which has become an acclaimed center for chess both in the U.S. and internationally.

3) 7th Ray Schutt Memorial Blitz Tournament – May 5th

A chance to remember and pay tribute to an old friend

When: Sunday, May 5th from 1 to 5 pm. The blitz tournament will be held from 2 to 4 pm. There will be a chance to reminiscence about Ray over light refreshments, both before and after the event.
Where: Mechanics’ Institute, 57 Post St, San Francisco (Montgomery BART)
Format: Five Double-Round Swiss. Time control is game in 4 minutes, with 2-second increment.
Prizes:
1st $300
2nd $200
3rd $100
4th $75
5th $50
6th $25

There will be book prizes for all participants, including several copies of new books by 6-time US Champion Walter Browne and 17-year-old IM (2 GM norms) Daniel Naroditsky, donated by Bill Schutt.

Entry Fee: $10; free to IMs and GMs.

Enter at tournament from 1 to 1:45 pm. Please take note: entries close at 1:45 pm. No phone entries.

Come honor Ray’s memory and help make this the largest and strongest blitz tournament in the history of Northern California chess!

Past Winners of the Ray Schutt Blitz and number of participants:

2007 GM Walter Browne (34)
2008 GM Melik Khachian (34)
2009 IM Ricardo DeGuzman (28)
2010 FM Andy Lee, ahead of 2 GMs and 5 IMs (46)
2011 GM Walter Browne and IM Daniel Naroditsky (50)
2012 IM Daniel Naroditsky (43)

4) Here and There

The US Chess League will be expanding to four divisions in 2013.

Eastern Conference:

Atlantic Division: Manhattan, New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia
Northeast Division: Baltimore, Boston, Connecticut, New England

Western Conference:

South Division: Carolina, Dallas, Miami, St. Louis
Pacific Division: Arizona, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle

During the ten game regular season each team plays its compatriots in its division twice and two of the teams from the other division in their conference one time, and one team from each of the divisions in the other conference.

The tremendous improvement in US Women’s chess over the past forty years can be seen by comparing the field for the 2013 US Championship with the 10 top-rated players in 1964.

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