Chess Room Newsletter #753

Mechanics’ Institute Newsletter #753
July 1, 2016

"The human element, the human flaw and the human nobility—those are the reasons that chess matches are won or lost."

—Viktor Korchnoi

1) Mechanics’ Institute Chess Club News

FIDE Master Andy Lee defeated International Master Elliott Winslow in round 6 of the Summer Tuesday Night Marathon and the 123-player tournament is now up for grabs with two rounds remaining. Sharing first place with Lee and Winslow are National Masters Tenzing Shaw, James Sun, Josiah Stearman and Uyanga Byambaa.

Black to move (Winslow–Lee after 23 Nf3)	White to move (Askin–Paquette after 13...Rg6)
White to move (Drane–Chan after 33...bxc3)	White to move (Guduguntla–Shnaiderman after 30...g5)
White to move (McKellar–Batzel after 17...Qxc3)	White to move (Mays–Kondakova after 9...bxc6)
White to move (Enkh–Simpkins after 17...Nxe7)	Black to move (McEnroe–Erdenebileg after 11 Bd5)
	For the solutions, see the game scores for round 6.

Sam Shankland won the 2016 Edmonton International Chess Festival held June 17–26 on tiebreak over fellow Grandmaster Surya Ganguly. The two winners each scored 8–1 and had performance ratings just over 2800,but Sam got the nod due to his round-eight defeat of Ganguly.

Here is the deciding game of the event.

Queen’s Gambit Semi-Tarrasch D35
Sam Shankland (2646)–Surya Ganguly (2654)
11th Edmonton International Edmonton (8) 2016

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 c5 7.Rb1 Be7 8.Bc4 0–0 9.Ne2 Nc6 10.0–0 b6 11.Be3 Bb7 12.Nf4 cxd4 13.cxd4 Rc8 14.Nxe6 fxe6 15.Bxe6+ Kh8 16.Bxc8 Qxc8 17.Qa4 b5 18.Rxb5 Ba6 19.Rfb1 Bxb5 20.Qxb5 h6 21.h3 a6 22.Qb7 Qxb7 23.Rxb7 Bg5 24.Rc7 Nb4 25.a3 Nd3 26.e5 Rb8 27.Kh2 Kh7 28.Kg3 Rf8 29.Rc6 Bf4+ 30.Kf3 Ne1+ 31.Ke4 Nxg2 32.d5 Nxe3 33.fxe3 Bg3 34.d6 Re8 35.d7 Rd8 36.e6 Bh4 37.Kd5 Kg8 38.Rxa6 Kf8 39.Ra4 Bf6 40.Rc4 Ke7 41.Rc8 Bg5 42.a4 Bxe3 43.a5 h5 44.Kc6  1–0

Alexey Shirov (2682) was third with 6 points, followed by S.P. Sethuraman (2653) on 5½ and Bator Sambuev with 5 points.

Foster City Grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky is tied for first with one round remaining in a strong open (15 GMs) being held in Corsica. Daniel has an undefeated 6½ from 8 (performance rating around 2770).

Slav D15
Daniel Naroditsky (2634)–Viktor Laznicka (2654)
Corsica (4) 2016

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 a6 5.g3 e6 6.Bg2 dxc4 7.Ne5 b5 8.0–0 Bb7 9.b3 cxb3 10.axb3 Be7 11.Ne4 Nxe4 12.Bxe4 f6 13.Nf3 Nd7 14.Bd2 f5 15.Ba5 Qb8 16.Bc2 c5 17.dxc5 Nxc5 18.Qd4 0–0 19.Rad1 Qe8 20.Bc3 Rf7 21.Ne5 Rd8 22.Qe3 Rf8 23.Rxd8 Qxd8 24.Rd1 Qc8 25.Bb4 Rd8 26.Rc1 Rd5 27.Bxf5 exf5 28.Nd3 Qc6 29.Qxe7 Rxd3 30.f3 Qd7 31.Qxc5 Rd1+ 32.Kg2 h6 33.Qf8+ Kh7 34.Rxd1 Qxd1 35.Qxf5+ Kh8 36.Qf8+ Kh7 37.Qf5+ Kh8 38.Qe5 Qxb3 39.Bc3 Qf7 40.g4 Bd5 41.Kg3 Qb7 42.Qd6 Kh7 43.h4 Bc4 44.h5 b4 45.Bb2 a5 46.Qg6+ Kg8 47.Qe8+ Kh7 48.Qg6+ Kg8 49.Qe8+ Kh7 50.f4 Qb6 51.Qe4+ Kh8 52.Qxc4 Qe3+ 53.Kg2 a4 54.Bd4 Qe7 55.Qc8+ Kh7 56.Qf5+ Kh8 57.Qe5 Qb7+ 58.e4 a3 59.g5 b3 60.Qe8+ 1–0

You can follow the Corsica tournament at http://www.echecs.asso.fr/Resultats.aspx?URL=Tournois/Id/36595/36595&Action=Ga.

2) Chess Room Chair Appeal

Our Chess Room is the oldest dedicated chess club in the United States and needs new chairs. Many are broken or in poor condition after 80 years of constant use. In order to replace them we need your help.

Take advantage of this opportunity to commemorate a loved one, or honor a person, family, or business, by naming a chair in either the world-renowned Chess Room or the Meeting Room of the Mechanics’ Institute.

Your gift will entitle you to an engraved, brass, personalized nameplate mounted on the back of a Mechanics’ Institute chair.

This opportunity is available for a donation of $500 per chair.

When you sponsor a seat, we will acknowledge your gift to the recipient of your choice. Chair donations are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law.

You can dedicate a chair

• As an individual, couple, or family
• For your children, grandchildren, or parents
• In memory of a loved one
• With the name of your business or organization
• Marking a birthday, anniversary, or other special occasion
• To honor an employee, friend or colleague
• Or with your favorite quotation

Go to https://secure.milibrary.org/chair-appeal.php for more information.

3) Nation’s Top Chess Prodigies Head to Saint Louis for 2016 U.S. Junior Closed Championships

Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis hosts seventh consecutive Junior Closed tournament

SAINT LOUIS, June 16, 2016 -- The nation’s elite junior chess players are coming back to Saint Louis, the nation’s Chess Capital, this summer as the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis (CCSCSL) hosts the U.S. Junior Closed Championship July 7-18, 2016. The event is the most prestigious chess tournament in the country for junior players under the age of 21, and the 2016 lineup features the strongest field by rating for the U.S. Junior Closed to date.

“For students here in Saint Louis and students across the nation, it’s incredibly inspiring to see these top juniors compete,” said Tony Rich, Executive Director of the CCSCSL. “These players are proof that hard work, commitment and study can produce successful results. We are thrilled to again host these students during this prestigious chess event.”

Ten players are competing in the 2016 U.S. Junior Closed Championship (invitational rating):

GM Jeffery Xiong (2723)—Coppell, Texas
GM Kayden Troff (2639)—West Jordan, Utah
IM Ruifeng Li (2608)—Plano, Texas
IM Akshat Chandra (2583)—Inselin, N.J.
IM Luke Harmon-Vellotti (2527)—Boise, Idaho
IM Michael Bodek (2523)—New Rochelle, N.Y.
IM Awonder Liang (2515)—Madison, Wis.
IM Aleksandr Ostrovskiy (2508)—Brooklyn, N.Y.
FM Michael Brown (2506)—Trabucco Canyon, Calf.
FM Nicolas Checa (2502)—Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.

Players are competing for more than $20,000 in prizes, and the winner will also receive an automatic invitation to the 2017 U.S. Championship, the nation’s top invitational chess event. Two players from this year’s field, defending U.S. Junior Champion, Akshat Chandra, and Jeffery Xiong, competed in the 2016 U.S. Chess Championship.

The opening ceremony will take place Thursday, July 7 at the Chess Club and Scholastic of Saint Louis at 6:00 p.m. The round-robin tournament will begin on Friday, July 8 with the rounds starting daily at 1:00 p.m. CT.

Each round of the 2016 U.S. Junior Closed Championship will feature live commentary from Grandmaster Ben Finegold and FIDE Master Aviv Friedman. Viewers can watch in-person at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis or online at www.uschesschamps.com.

Previous winners of the Junior Closed Championship include the legendary GM Bobby Fischer, as well as GM Larry Christiansen, GM Patrick Wolff, IM Joshua Waitzkin, GM Tal Shaked, GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM Robert Hess, GM Ray Robson, GM Sam Shankland and GM Akshat Chandra.

For more information, visit www.uschesschamps.com.

4) Jeremy Silman 1974 Capps Memorial (Part One)

Thanks to Peter Grey’s archives some of the early games of International Master Jeremy Silman have recently been rediscovered.

Pirc B08
Jeremy Silman – T. Reikko
San Francisco (1) 1974

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.h3 0–0 6.Be3 c6 7.a4 Nbd7 8.Be2 e5 9.dxe5

The late Walter Browne pioneered this method. White aims for a slight but persistent advantage based on the bad bishop on g7.

9… Nxe5

9...dxe5 10.0–0 Qe7 11.Bc4 Nc5 was another way of handling the position.

10.Nxe5

10.Nd4 Ned7 11.0–0 Re8 12.f3? d5 is just what White wants to avoid.

10...dxe5 11.Bc4 Qe7 12.0–0 Be6 13.Qe2 b6?!

13...a5 was safer.

14.Bxe6 Qxe6 15.Rfd1

15...Rfd8?

15...Nh5 intending …Nf4 was the right plan.

16.Rxd8+ Rxd8 17.a5! c5?

This loses control of the d5 square. 17...Rb8 was more stubborn.

18.Bg5 h6 19.Bxf6 Bxf6 20.Nd5

White has a classic good knight versus bad bishop advantage.

20...Rd6 21.Qa6 Rd7?

21...Qd7

22.axb6 axb6 23.Qc8+

23.Nxb6 was also strong.

23...Kg7 24.Nxb6

24...Qxb6

Or 24...Rd2 25.Qxe6 fxe6 26.Ra7+ Kg8 27.Nd7 Be7 28.g3 (28.Nxe5 Bd6) 28...c4 29.c3 Rxb2 30.Rc7 and White should win.

25.Qxd7 Qxb2 26.Qd1 Qb4 27.Qe2 Bh4 28.Rd1 1–0

Jeremy Silman (L) vs Larry Christiansen, Golden Gate Open, San Francisco 1976 (Photo: Alan Benson)

Sicilian Accelerated Dragon B35
John Pope–Jeremy Silman
San Francisco (2) 1974

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 d6 10.f3 Nxd4 11.Bxd4 Be6 12.Nd5 Bxd5 13.exd5 Nd7 14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.Qd4+ f6 16.Kh1 Qb6 17.Qe4 Rf7 18.f4 Nc5 19.Qe3 a5 20.Rab1 Qa6 21.c3 a4 22.Bc2 Qc4 23.b4 axb3 24.axb3 Qxd5 25.b4 Ra2 26.Rf2 Na4 27.h3 Rb2 28.Rxb2 Nxb2 29.Rd2 Nc4 30.Qd4 Qxd4 31.Rxd4 Ne3 32.Bb3 Nf5 33.Rd5 e6 34.Rd3 d5 35.g4 Nd6 36.Re3 Ne4 37.c4 dxc4 38.Bxc4 f5 39.gxf5 gxf5 40.Bxe6 Re7 41.Bxf5 Nf2+ 42.Kg2 Rxe3 43.Kxf2 Rb3 44.Bg4 Rxb4 45.Kg3 b5 0–1

Sicilian Rossolimo B31
Jeremy Silman– William Bartley
San Francisco (3) 1974

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 4.0–0 Bg7 5.Re1 Nf6 6.c3 0–0 7.h3 a6 8.Bxc6 bxc6 9.d4 cxd4 10.cxd4 Rb8 11.Nc3 a5 12.b3 Ba6 13.Bf4 d6 14.Qd2 Qd7 15.e5 Ne8 16.Ne4 Rb4 17.a4 Rxb3 18.exd6 exd6

19.Bxd6! Nxd6 20.Nc5 Nc4

20...Ne4 21.Rxe4 Qd5 22.Nxb3 Qxe4 23.Rc1 is in White’s favor.

21.Qd1 Qd5 22.Qxb3 Bc8 23.Rac1 Nd6 24.Qxd5 cxd5 25.Nb3

25.Re7 or 25.Ne5 were good alternatives.

25...Nc4 26.Ne5 Be6 27.Nc5 Nxe5 28.dxe5 Bc8 29.Rcd1 Be6 30.Rc1 Bc8 31.Rb1 Bf5 32.Rb5 Rc8 33.g4 Bc2 34.e6

The prosaic 34.Rxa5 was also good.

34...fxe6 35.Nxe6 Bxa4 36.Rxd5 Bb3 37.Rb5?!

37.Rxa5 Re8 38.Ra6 Bc4 39.Rb6 Bf6 40.Re3 Bh4 41.Nd4 Rd8 42.Nf3 should win.

37...Bc4 38.Rc5 Rxc5 39.Nxc5 Bf8

40.Ne4?

40.Rc1 would have preserved a clear advantage.

40...a4 41.Ra1 a3 42.Nc3 Bb4 43.Na2 Bf8 44.Nc3 Bb4

½–½

5) This is the end

In this clever study, White’s doubled pawns are in jeopardy, and the bishop seems to be playing Pong.

White to move

Show solution

1 c6!

This key move frees the bishop. If White attempts to extract the bishop, e g 1 Bb4 Kb3 2 Ba5 Kxc4 3 Bb6 Kd5



White to move (analysis, after 3 ... Kd5)

Black will trade White’s only remaining pawn to draw.

Or, if If White goes after the e-pawn immediately 1 Ke3 Kb3 2 Bc1 Kxc4 3 Kxe4



Black to move (analysis, after 3 Kxe4)

and 3 ... Kxc5 is also drawn.

1 ... dxc6



White to move

Naturally Black must take.

2 c5!

Now the plan is to protect c5 with the bishop when necessary, and win the black e-pawn.

2 ... e3!



White to move

It looks like Black has made it easy, but taking the pawn is a mistake, because now Black draws. After 3 Kxe3, the white king blocks the g1–c5 diagonal, and 3 ... Kb3



White to move (analysis, after 3 ... Kb3)

4 Bc1 Kc4 5 Ba3 Kb3 repeats the position.

If White sacs the bishop, it’s still a draw, for example 4 Kd4 Kxa3 5 Kc3 Ka4 6 Kc4 Ka5 7 Kc3



Black to move (analysis, after 7 Kc3)

7 ... Kb5 8 Kd4 Kb4 9 Kd3 Kxc5 10 Kc3 draw.



Black to move (analysis, after 10 Kc3)

3 Bb4☐ Kb3



White to move

Seemingly, this is similar to the Kxe3 line, but now the bishop can go around the other way.

4 Ba5 Kc4
5 Bb6



Black to move

The pawn is protected, and since it is now safe for White to take the e-pawn, Black must guard it.

5 ... Kd4
6 Ba7 Ke4



White to move

After 6 ... Kc4 White will just capture 7 Kxe3 with an easy win.

7 Bb8 Kd4
8 Bd6 Ke4



White to move

9 Be7 Kd4
10 Bf8 Ke4
11 Bh6

Black to move

and White wins, because after capturing on e3, the c5-pawn will be protected.

This study was composed by Jan Timman, and appeared in his book Schaakwerk (“Chess Work”) I, 190, 1983. In addition to being a top GM, Timman is the founder and long-time editor of New In Chess magazine.