Gens Una Sumus!
Mechanics’ Institute Chess Club Newsletter #722
October 2, 2015
Are you happy with the current World Championship selection cycle of players getting selected for the Candidates from different tournaments like the World Cup, FIDE Grand Prix etc. And then competing in a round robin Candidates tournament to determine the challenger culminating in a twelve-game World Championship match? If not, what would you change?
I think the current system of the Championship Cycle is more or less balanced. The Candidates tournament and the following match is fine. Qualification to the Candidates might be a bit better. In fact, I strongly dislike the wild cards which are distributed not according to some sportive criteria. (Ed: referring to the wild card into the Candidates, for a player who never qualified either by rating or result, while all other players need to earn their spot). Ideally they'd be removed. Also, it would be a nice idea to add some qualification tournament, for example for the players in the Top-100, to have a couple of spots to the Candidates from there. But I am afraid it is not going to happen anytime soon, as I foresee a reduction in the money flow into top chess - Russia and Azerbaijan are involved very heavily in conducting the majority of the top events, but with the present oil prices it is not likely to continue the same way.
—Israeli Grandmaster Emil Sutovsky, interviewed by Dorsa Derakhshani.
For the full interview go to http://en.chessbase.com/post/interview-with-emil-sutovsky.
The 15th Annual J.J. Dolan Memorial will be held this Saturday at the Mechanics’ Institute.
The Newsletter will take a two-week break with the end of the Leighton Allen Tuesday Night Marathon and resume with the beginning of the Fall TNM.
1) Mechanics’ Institute Chess Club News
The last round of the Leighton Allen Tuesday Night Marathon was one of the wilder ones in the history of the 52-year-old series, with upsets galore, including games won by Sammy Greene and Erkhes Erdenebileg against opponents rated respectively 739 and 728 points higher.
International Master Elliott Winslow, who was a point out of first with two rounds to go, ended up taking first place all alone. His 7½–1½ score, which included a last-round win over Natalya Tsodikova, earned him $650. Tying for second at 7 were National Masters James Critelli and Uyanga Byambaa with Tsodikova and 80-year-old Peter Grey. The latter two split the prize for best Expert.
Four players (with established ratings) gained 100 or more rating points in the Leighton Allen Tuesday Night Marathon led by James Paquette (coached by FIDE Master Eric Schiller) who went from 1456 to 1620 (164 points!). Right behind him were Erkhes Erdenebileg (162 points), Shant Tokatyan (113 points) and Daniel McKellar (100 points). Well done! The Fall Tuesday Night Marathon, a 9-rounder (for a $50 entry fee), starts October 20 and finishes December 15.
From round 9 of the Leighton Allen Tuesday Night Marathon:
 |  |
| Black to move (Alvarez–Newey after 14 Qg5) | White to move (Sarafian–Krasnov after 18...Rac8) |
 |  |
| White to move (Standen–Maser after 16...Qh4) | White to move (Gaffagan–Ebert after 20...Nxe5) |
 |  |
| White to move (Paquette–Clemens after 39...Re2) | White to move (McKellar–Bayaraa after 27...Bd7) |
 |  |
| Black to move (Ayinala–Walder after 23 Rxc1) | White to move (Simpkins–Harris after 21...Kg7) |
 |  |
| White to move (Tan–Koga after 12...a6) | Black to move (Ayinala–Brown after 50 Nf5) |
| For the solutions, see the game scores for round 9. |
The Mechanics’ entry in the U.S. Chess League, minus Grandmasters Daniel Naroditsky and Vinay Bhat, lost its third match in a row, for the first time in its 11-year history in the league, to Arizona 2½–1½. Cameron Wheeler, playing Grandmaster Rogelio Barcenilla on board one, nearly won to equalize the match after James Critelli won on board four and David Pruess and Andy Lee lost on boards two and three.
Jules Jelinek runs the Wednesday Night Blitz each week at the Mechanics’. Sign-up starts at 6:30 pm and round one begins at 6:40. Late entries are accepted. It will be every Wednesday night (no interruptions) from here on out until Thanksgiving.
Results for September 23:
1st - Jules Jelinek
2nd – James Sun
3rd – National Master Tensing Shaw
Thanks to the efforts of Diane Lai and Kris Ashley placards with information on the 80 photos hanging on the walls of the main chess room and room 407 are now available for viewing.
Grandmaster Sam Shankland will be the special guest lecturer before the start of the Fall Tuesday Night Marathon on October 20. Sam’s talk, which runs from 5:15 to 6:15 pm, is free and open to all.
2) Browne-Acers Match 1967
Walter Browne’s chess archives continue to bear fruit. Below are the four games of the first match between Walter and Jude Acers.
Walter writes in his book The Stress of Chess (page 26) about his adventures in the summer of 1967 (Walter was 18).
In August I took an all expenses paid trip to Atlanta to compete in the U.S. Open, courtesy of the USCF for coming second in the US Junior Closed. In a so-so performance I tied for fourth.
Afterwards I visited a friend in New Orleans and then got talked into hitching a ride ninety miles up to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in the rain. On the way up my friend and I first got a ride from a trucker, quite likely a KKK member, who swore almost non-stop for a good thirty minutes, lamenting mostly of his hatred toward fellow human beings in the South. A few minutes later in the rain we get a ride from a black family that was so tranquil and low-key; it was a complete and highly appreciated change!
I stayed with my friend in what seemed like a mansion, a huge three-storey house in Baton Rouge. I met the infamous master and organizer/showman Jude Acers, who is an incredible character with boundless infectious energy. Jude and I ended up playing a four game match which I won handily: 4–0.
Here, for the first time, are the games of this USCF-rated match, played at a time control of 40 moves in 2 hours.
Note: Walter’s scoresheets for games 1, 3 and 4 match the information provided in The Stress of Chess, but the fourth score is confusing. The other games are dated August 29 and 30, but this has August 27 written on it and ends in a draw. Unlike the other three games there is nothing on the scoresheet to indicate it was game two (although the colors match perfectly). No other scores between Walter and Jude from 1967 were found in Walter’s records. It seems quite possible this other scoresheet was game two and we have presented it below as such.
King’s Indian Attack A08
Walter Browne (2323)–Jude Acers (2300)
Baton Rouge (1) Aug 30, 1967
1.e4 e6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.g3 g6 5.Bg2 Bg7 6.Ngf3 Ne7 7.0–0 Nbc6 8.Qe2 0–0 9.Re1 b5 10.e5 Nf5 11.c3 c4 12.d4 a5 13.Nf1 h6 14.Ne3 Nxe3 15.Bxe3 Bd7 16.h4 Qe7 17.Nh2 b4 18.Ng4 bxc3 19.bxc3 Kh7 20.Qd2 h5 21.Bg5 Qa3 22.Nf6+ Bxf6 23.exf6 Rfb8 24.Rab1 Qf8 25.Bf3 Rxb1 26.Rxb1 Rb8 27.Rxb8 Nxb8 28.Bxh5 gxh5 29.Qe2 Qh8 30.Bf4 e5 31.Qxh5+ Kg8 32.Qxe5 Be6 33.Qxb8+ Kh7 34.Qe5 Kg8 35.h5 Kh7 36.Qg5 Qf8 37.f3 a4 38.g4 Kh8 39.h6 Qg8 40.Qg7+ Qxg7 41.hxg7+ Kg8 42.Kf2 Bd7 43.Bd6 Bc8 44.Kg3 Bd7 45.f4 Bb5 46.f5 Bd7 47.Kf4 Bb5 48.Ke5 Bc6 49.Bb4 1–0
Sicilian Accelerated Dragon B35
Jude Acers (2300)–Walter Browne (2323)
Baton Rouge (2), August 30, 1967
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 Qa5 8.0–0 0–0 9.Bb3 Ng4 10.Qxg4 Nxd4 11.Qd1 Nc6 12.Bd2 Qd8 13.Bg5 d6 14.Qd2 Be6 15.Bxe6 fxe6 16.Bh6 Rc8 17.Bxg7 Kxg7 18.Kh1 Qb6 19.f4 Qxb2 20.Rab1 Qa3 21.Rxb7 Rf7 22.Rf3 Qa6 23.Rb1 Qc4 24.a3 ½–½
King’s Indian A08
Walter Browne (2323)–Jude Acers (2300)
Baton Rouge (3), August 31, 1967
1.e4 e6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.g3 g6 5.Bg2 Bg7 6.Ngf3 Nc6 7.0–0 Nge7 8.Qe2 0–0 9.Re1 b5 10.h4 c4 11.exd5 exd5 12.d4 Bg4 13.c3 Re8 14.Nf1 Qd7 15.Bf4 Nf5 16.Qd2 Rxe1 17.Rxe1 Re8 18.Rxe8+ Qxe8 19.N3h2 Be2 20.Bxd5 Nd8 21.Ne3 Bd3 22.Nxf5 Bxf5 23.Qe3 Ne6 24.Nf3 Qd7 25.Be4 Nxf4 26.Qxf4 Bxe4 27.Qxe4 f5 28.Qa8+ Bf8 29.Ne5 Qe6 30.Qxa7 f4 31.Qd7 Qxd7 32.Nxd7 Bd6 33.Nf6+ Kf7 34.Ne4 Be7 35.Kg2 fxg3 36.fxg3 Ke6 37.Kf3 b4 38.Nf2 b3 39.axb3 cxb3 40.Ne4 Kd5 41.Nd2 h5 42.Nxb3 g5 43.hxg5 Bxg5 44.Ke2 Be7 45.Nd2 Bd6 46.Kf3 Bf8 47.b3 Be7 48.Ne4 h4 49.gxh4 Bxh4 50.Ke3 Be7 51.c4+ Kc6 52.d5+ Kb6 53.Kd4 Ba3 54.c5+ Kb5 55.d6 Kc6 56.Kc4 Bb2 57.b4 Be5 58.b5+ Kb7 59.Kd5 Bh2 60.c6+ Kc8 61.b6 Bf4 62.b7+ Kb8 63.Nc5 1–0
Sicilian Richer Rauzer B66
Jude Acers (2300)–Walter Browne (2323)
Baton Rouge (4), August 31, 1967
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Qd2 a6 8.0–0–0 h6 9.Bh4 Nxe4 10.Nxe4 Qxh4 11.Qe3 d5 12.Nxc6 bxc6 13.Qb6 Qf4+ 14.Kb1 Rb8 15.Qxc6+ Bd7 16.Qxa6 Qxe4 17.Qa7 Qb4 18.b3 Bc5 19.Qc7 Bd6 0–1
3) Here and There
Grandmaster Yaroslav Zherebukh, currently studying at Texas Tech University, won the U.S. Game in 60 minutes event held September 26 at the Santa Clara Convention Center with a 4–0 score. Finishing second in the top group of the multi-section event, which attracted 239 competitors, was Los Angeles Grandmaster Melik Khachian.
The following day the U.S. Game in 30 minutes Championship was held at the same site and won by El Cerrito Grandmaster Ioan Christian Chirila with a score of 4½ from 5. Tying for second at 4–1 were Grandmasters Zerebukh and Carlos Matamoros and International Masters Keaton Kiewra and Faik Aleskerov. The event attracted 165 participants. John McCumiskey, Tom Langland and Judit Sztaray directed both events for Bay Area Chess.
International Master Jeremy Silman has just written an interesting article on the late Walter Browne and Dennis Waterman. All three have long Mechanics’ Institute connections, dating back to the early 1970s. The article can be found at http://www.chess.com/article/view/cracked-grandmaster-tales .
The Western States Open will be held October 16–18 in Reno at the Sands Regency Hotel and Casino. Go to https://sites.google.com/site/renochessclub/ for more information.
Long-time Mechanics’ member and noted chess book collector and historian Robert S. Moore writes: “In looking over the artist Valentin Popov's (born 1956) book Valentin Popov (San Francisco, Modernism, 2008—no pagination), the illustration number 68 Chess Board (1993) showed a problem by C.M.B. of Dundee (Crichton M. Baxter, died 1881) that was part of Popov's Batman series done in part for the Saisset Museum, Santa Clara University.”
East Bay players looking to improve will want to check out Grandmaster Jesse Kraai’s Thursday Seminar at the Berkeley Chess School at 1845 Berkeley Way in Berkeley. Jesse is a strong believer that the study of our own games is the one true path to chess improvement, and each session will look at a game of one of the participants. The class is composed mostly of players between 1900 and 2300 and runs from 7 to 9 pm. Pre-register with Jesse at [email protected]. Each class is $40.
Portland Grandmaster James Tarjan will be returning to play in the Poker Stars International chess tournament on the Isle of Man from October 3 to 11.
The event, sponsored by PokerStars and the Scheinberg family, has over 100 players from 27 countries entered for the Masters with a week to go. The 63 titled players, including 35 GMs, 18 IMs and 10 players in the world’s top 100, make it the strongest event ever held in the British Isles. Follow the action at http://www.iominternationalchess.com/.
The following forgotten Frank Marshall simul game was discovered by Eduardo Bauza Mercere.
Danish Gambit C44
Frank James Marshall–Edmund Bayly Seymour
Philadelphia (simul) December 12, 1916
1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Bc4 cxb2 5.Bxb2 d6 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. O-O Be6 8. Bxe6 fxe6 9. Qb3 Qd7 10. Ng5 Nd8 11. Nd2 h6 12. Nh3 Nf6 13. Nf4 Qf7 14. Rac1 c6 15. g3 e5 16. Nd5 cxd5 17. f4 d4 18. Nc4 Nc6 19. fxe5 dxe5 20. Qb5 Qc7 21. Nxe5 Qxe5 22. Qxb7 Rb8 23. Qxc6+ Nd7 24. Qg6+ Kd8 25. Rf5 Qd6 26. Qxd6 Bxd6 27. Bxd4 Rg8 28. Rd1 ½-½
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer October 21, 1917, page 6.
Las Vegas Master John Blackstone passes on the following win by Walter Shipman, played at the Marshall Chess Club and published in the Christian Science Monitor on March 7, 1966.
Morrison–Shipman
New York 1966
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e6 3.g3 d5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bg2 c6 6.Nf3 Bd6 7.0-0 0-0 8.a3 Re8 9.b4 Nbd7 10.Rb1 Nf8 11.a4 Ng6 12.Qb3 Bg4 13.d3 Qd7 14.Bg5 Bh3 15.Bxf6 gxf6 16.e4 Bxg2 17.Kxg2 Qg4 18.Ng1 Nf4+ 19.Kh1 d4 20.f3 Qh5 21.Nce2 Nxe2 22.Nxe2 f5 23.Rbe1 Kh8 24.Kg2 Rg8 25.Nxd4 Bxg3 26.hxg3 Rxg3+ 27.Kxg3 Rg8+ 28.Kf2 Qh2+ 0-1
4) This is the end
This is from the game Miles–Schneider, Philadelphia, 1980. Watch out for Black’s b-pawn.
White to move
Show solution
You can browse through our archived newsletters using the "next" and "previous buttons".
Want to save this newsletter for reading at a later time? Click here to learn how.
Want to be notified when the next newsletter is published? Join Our Email List →