Chess Room Newsletter #990

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Scholastic Chess Bulletin

The scholastic news is covered in a dedicated publication:
Mechanics' Institute Scholastic Chess Bulletin

Scholastic Chess Bulletin #5 is out!

In this issue:

• 2021 Fall Enrichment - Report on the Start
• 2021 Fall & Winter Holiday Camps
• Special Event: Halloween Tournament @ Mechanics' Institute on Oct 30
• Understanding Tournaments - Byes & Forfeits
• Upcoming Tournament Schedule
• ​Tournament Results & Featured games analyzed by GM Nick de Firmian

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FM Paul Whitehead's Column

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A little chess in California and Virginia, 1997

In mid-1997, 37 years old, I moved with my wife and two daughters to Staunton, Virginia, and started a new life.  Right before leaving I thought to myself: “Why not give chess another shot, and see if I still enjoy playing?”

It had been seven years since I’d played a tournament game, and that had been a close shave against former MI Chess Room Director IM John Donaldson at the Peoples' Tournament in Berkeley: https://www.milibrary.org/chess-newsletters/927#paularticle

Naturally I made my way down to the Mechanics’ Institute where it all began, and signed up for the 34^th Arthur Stamer Memorial.  This classic 5-round tournament was directed by my old friend Mike Goodall.  Looking back at the cross-table here:  http://www.uschess.org/msa/XtblMain.php?199706154000-10478936. It is a nice trip down memory lane.  A bunch of the club’s old-timers are there, and though some are gone they are not forgotten: Peter Grey, Dr. Benjamin Gross and MI trustee Neil Falconer participated, as did that recently departed club stalwart, Felix German. 

Other players, young and old, are still playing in tournaments here to this day. I remember the tournament as relaxed, easy-going. Playing chess wasn’t knocking my socks off like it did when I was 12, but it wasn’t as bad as sitting in the dentist’s chair either, as I had feared.  I was rusty, but not too bad, and a score of +3 =2 -0 put me in a 10-way tie (!) for second place behind the sole winner NM Igor Margulis, who finished with 4.5.

In the last round I pushed a little, and won with a tricky sacrifice against NM Larry Snyder:

Whitehead – Snyder, 34^th Stamer Memorial 1997.

Not certain how to proceed against black’s long and careful defense, I speculated with 1.Nxb7!? Nxb7 2.Qxa6 and was immediately rewarded for my nerve. Black erred with the natural 2…Qc7? when instead 2…Nd8! followed by …Ne6! gives enough counter play for a sure draw. But in the game after 3.Qa7!! black was all pinned up on his 2^nd rank with no defense. 3…Qc8. As good as anything else. 4.a6 1-0.

Sharing my prize, among other familiar names, was IM Walter Shipman and a young expert by the name of David Pruess.

Heartened, I played in the 7^th Charlottesville Open almost immediately upon my arrival in Virginia, and to my amazement I won the darned thing!  See here for the cross-table: http://www.uschess.org/msa/XtblMain.php?199707135380.1-10478936

OK, it wasn’t the strongest tournament (I was the only rated Master), but confidence means a lot to a chess player, and with that confidence I went to the ‘Capitol of the Old South’, Richmond VA, a month later - determined to show everyone that there was a new kid in town.

This time I was in direct competition with some formidable opposition, but in this ‘Action Chess’ format (game in 30 minutes) I made a bit of my own luck by offering FM Leonid Filatov a draw in this position (accepted). Black certainly is better, but he was way behind on the clock:

Whitehead – Filatov, Richmond VA 1997.

Then I outplayed the top-seed, IM Alexander Reprintsev, in a time-scramble from this rather even position with white to move (the score is lost):

Whitehead – Reprintsev, Richmond VA 1997.

Not wanting to push my luck, I accepted a draw from a position of strength against the legendary IM Emory Tate.  Back should win quite handily with 37…c3.

Tate – Whitehead, Richmond VA 1997.

The final result was like a fairy tale, a triumph of my return to competitive chess:

However life is no fairy tale, and as time wore on it seemed the Royal Game couldn’t really hold me.  I had some chops, I knew a few moves, but I lacked the passion and drive.  It was an old story with me.

I played in a few more tournaments in Virginia, but with indifferent results.  Continuing to throw my hat in the ring every so often, I did tie for 1^st place in the Charlottesville Open in 2007 – ten years after winning it outright: http://www.uschess.org/msa/XtblMain.php?200707150431-10478936

I have seen many, many people returning to chess after long absences, and this never-ending return to the game embodies the spirit of the chess player, who has the heart of a fighter and will not give up. I like to think I have that spirit - if only sometimes!

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GM Nick de Firmian's Column

The US Championship October 5-19

The biggest chess event of the US year is in full swing as our star players face off against one another in St. Louis. The US Championship is such a world class event nowadays. It is stronger than the Russian Championship – a concept that would have been laughable in the Soviet days and also the times of Kramnik and Kasparov. Yet now we Americans have more of the world’s top players than anyone else, so the world eagerly watches our championship.

Here in the Bay Area we take particular interest in how our local heros perform. I was personally hoping for another Sam Shankland victory as he did in 2018. That seems unlikely this year as Sam has a minus score, and the tournament is in the second half. We count Daniel Naroditsky also as a local even though he moved to Charlotte. Daniel grew up and learned chess here, and we hoped for a good result this time as his first two appearances in the US Championship were rather rough. This year Daniel also started slowly, but bounced back with a great win over Fabiano Caruana in round 5.

At of this writing the leaders are Alex Lenderman, who plays in our MI online events, along with Wesley So and Sam Sevian. Fabiano Caruana was the pre-tournament favorite (along with Wesley So) but has had a difficult start and has lost his world #2 ranking. He came back in round 7 win a great endgame win, so perhaps he will make a run at the end and win the championship again. We have a new entrant in the championship, former Cuban Bruzon Batista. Seems we have taken Cuba’s top two players to add to our already world leading field. Thank you Rex Sinquefield for the sponsorship that brings top chess players to American!

The Women’s Championship is showing young star Carissa Yip as a leading force in US women’s chess as she battles with 8 time champion Irina Krush to take this year’s title. There should be great excitement in both the women’s and overall event as we get to the final rounds with close races to follow.

(1) GM Caruana,Fabiano - GM Naroditsky,Daniel [C79]
US Championship, 11.10.2021

Before this game one thinks young Daniel will be struggling with Black against the number 2 player in the world. Certainly a tough asignmnet. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 d6 The Steinitz Defense Deferred to the Ruy Lopez is not so popular now, but it is as good as any of the other variations. 5.0-0 Bd7 6.c3 [I always preferred the direct 6.d4] 6...Nf6 7.Re1 g6 8.d4 Bg7 9.Nbd2 exd4 10.cxd4 0-0 11.h3 Nb4 12.Bxd7 Qxd7 13.Qb3 a5 [13...Nc6 may be better] 14.a3 Nc6 15.Nf1 a4 16.Qd3 Na5 17.Bg5 Nb3 18.Rad1 h6 19.Bxf6 Bxf6 20.N1d2

(2) GM Caruana,Fabiano - GM Robson,Ray [A25]
US Championship, 13.10.2021

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g3 Bb4 4.e4 Nc6 5.Bg2 d6 6.h3 Be6 7.d3 Nd7 8.Nge2 f5 9.0-0 0-0 10.f4

71.Bxg5! Caruana chooses to make the breakthough now with a piece sacrifice. His king is far better than the black counterpart. 71...Nxg5+ 72.Kc5 Bd5 73.Bc8 Ne6+ 74.Kd6 The white pieces dominate. Though he has only one pawn for the knight Caruana is winning. The black queenside pawns fall. 74...Kf7 75.Bxb7 Bc4 76.Bxc6 Nd4 77.Bd5+ Bxd5 78.Kxd5 Three pawns for the knight is an easy win here. The slow black king and knight can't deal with all the passers. 78...Nb5 79.g5 Ke7 80.g6 Nc3+ 81.Kc6 Na2 82.b5 axb5 83.Kxb5 Nc3+ 84.Kc4 Na4 85.Kb4 Nb2 86.a6 Nd3+ 87.Kb5 Nf4 88.g7 Kf7 89.a7 Nd5 90.g8B+! Fine engame play by Caruana. This victory still gives him some chance to catch the leaders. 1-0

Solution to Tony's Teaser

1. Bf8!! (threatens Qa1 mate) Bxb2  2. Bxh6#

if ...1 Nxd3, then 2. Qc2 #