Chess Room Newsletter #365

"Recently, I've had a lot of critics saying I should concentrate more during the game. But I'm usually very nervous, that's why I walk around. Chess is a horrible game. I mean, the game is very nice, but for a profession it's something else. It's not easy to concentrate, you know? If you try to over-concentrate, you can break down. It must be a balance. In American chess, concentration is not so important."
~Jaan Ehlvest
From an interview with Elizabeth Vicary at USCL news and gossip(http://lizzyknowsall.blogspot.com/2007/09/interview-with-jaan-ehlvest.html).

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1) Mechanics' Institute Chess Club News
2) Michael Aigner wins Cal Chess Masters
3) Gary Kasparov
4) US Players Title Norm Request by Ernie Schlich
5) Here and There

Don't forget the Western States Open in Reno is coming up (October 12-14). Contact John Donaldson ([email protected]) if you would like to play for the Mechanics' team.

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IM Ricardo DeGuzman defeated Victor Ossipov in the last round of the Ben Gross Tuesday Night Marathon to win the event with a score of 7.5 from 9. Tying for second at 7 were Romulo Fuentes and Daniel Naroditsky. It looks like Daniel, the top rated 11-year-old player in the country, earned his master rating from the event. Here is his last round upset of SM Craig Mar. 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 0-0 6.Bg5 Nbd7 7.Nh3 a6 8.Nf2 Rb8 9.Be2 c5 10.d5 b5 11.Qc2 bxc4 12.Bxc4 h6 13.Bd2 Nb6 14.Be2 e6 15.dxe6 Bxe6 16.0-0 d5 17.exd5 Nbxd5 18.Na4?! 18.Rad1 looks much more solid. 18...Nb4! 19.Bxb4 cxb4 20.Nc5 20.Rfd1 Qa5 21.Qc6 Nd5 looks very good for Black whose Bishops are raking White's position.. 20...Rc8! 20...Bf5 is not nearly as energetic. This pin is most unpleasant for White. 21.Bxa6 21.Nxe6 Rxc2 22.Nxd8 Rxe2 23.Nc6 Nd5 24.Rad1 Rc8 25.Rxd5 Rxc6 is winning for Black . 21...Qe7 22.Bxc8 Rxc8 23.Rac1 23.Nfd3 Nd7 24.Rac1 Nxc5 25.Nxc5 Bd4+ 23...Nd7 24.Qe4 Nxc5 25.Qxb4 Qa7 It's two very active pieces versus Rook and two pawns. 26.Kh1 Kh7 27.a3 Bf8 28.Qd4 Qa6 29.Ne4?? In likely time pressure ( TC was 30/90 followed by G/30) White commits the fatal blunder. Craig had to play something like 29.Qe3 when Black is for choice but matters are hardly decided. 29...Nb3! 30.Nf6+ Kh8 31.Qe5 Nxc1 32.Nh5+ f6 0-1The Winter Tuesday Night Marathon starts October 23 and runs 9 rounds finishing on December 18. The Mechanics' rebounded from their round four loss to Seattle, sweeping Tennessee last Wednesday. Tonight the MI faces the league leading Boston Blitz led by former Californian Larry Christiansen. Action starts at 5:30 pm and spectators are most welcome. You can also catch this match and others in the league by going to the Internet Chess Club. The US Chess League is sponsored in part by PokerStars. 1. IM Ron Burnett (TEN) vs GM Patrick Wolff (SF) 0-1
2. IM John Donaldson (SF) vs FM Todd Andrews (TEN) 1-0
3. FM Jerry Wheeler (TEN) vs NM Sam Shankland (SF) 0-1
4. Daniel Naroditsky (SF) vs James Wu (TEN) 1-0 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Qd2 Be7 8.0-0-0 0-0 9.f3 Nxd4 10.Qxd4 Qa5 11.h4 Bd7 12.Qd2 b5 13.e5 b4 14.Bxf6 gxf6 15.Qh6 Qxe5 16.f4 Qe3+ 17.Kb1 Qg3 18.f5 bxc3 19.Rh3 Qg7 20.Qe3 Rfb8 21.Rg3 Rxb2+ 22.Ka1 d5 23.Rxg7+ Kxg7 24.Qxc3 Rb6 25.fxe6 Bxe6 26.Qg3+ Kf8 27.Qf4 Rab8 28.Qh6+ Kg8 29.c3 Bf5 30.a4 Rb3 31.Bb5 Be6 32.Qf4 Rc8 33.Rd3 Kh8 34.Rg3 Rbxc3 35.Rxc3 Rxc3 36.Qb8+ Kg7 37.Qxa7 Bd6 38.Qf2 Bg3 39.Qf1 Be5 40.Kb1 Ra3 41.Kc2 Bg4 42.Kd2 Ra1 43.Qd3 Rd1+ 0-1 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Qc2 g6 5.Bf4 Bg7 6.Nc3 0-0 7.e3 a6 8.Bd3 dxc4 9.Bxc4 Nbd7 10.0-0 c5 11.dxc5 Nxc5 12.Rfd1 Qb6 13.Nd4 Bd7 14.a3 Rac8 15.Rac1 Ne6 16.Nxe6 Bxe6 17.Bxe6 Qxe6 18.h3 Nd5 19.Rxd5 Rxc3 20.bxc3 Qxd5 21.c4 Qc6 22.a4 Rc8 23.Qb3 h5 24.Rb1 e5 25.Bg3 Rc7 26.Rc1 Qc5 27.f4 Bh6 28.Kh1 b5 29.axb5 axb5 30.fxe5 bxc4 31.Qc2 Qxe3 White resigns 0-1 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 e6 6.Be3 d6 7.Qd2 Nd4 8.Nd1 Ne7 9.c3 Ndc6 10.Ne2 0-0 11.0-0 Rb8 12.d4 b6 13.Bh6 Ba6 14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.Re1 b5 16.Ne3 f5 17.Nf4 Bc8 18.exf5 exf5 19.dxc5 dxc5 20.Qc2 g5 21.Rad1 Qe8 22.Nfd5 f4 23.Nxe7 Qxe7 24.Nf5+ Bxf5 25.Rxe7+ Nxe7 26.Be4 Bh3 27.Qe2 f3 28.Qe3 h6 29.Qxc5 Kf7 30.Bxf3 a6 31.Bh5+ Kf6 32.Qd6+ Black resigns 1-0 1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.e4 Bg7 6.Be3 d6 Much like the line 6...Nf6 7.Nc3 Ng4 8.Qxg4 Nxd4 9.Qd1 Ne6 Black forgoes ...b5 or f5 breaks to play on the dark squares. 7.Nc3 Nf6 8.Be2 0-0 9.0-0 Bd7 10.Rc1 Nxd4 10...a5 11.Ndb5. 11.Bxd4 Bc6 12.f3 12.Qd3 Nd7 13.Bxg7 Kxg7 14.b4 Nf6 15.Kh1 a5 16.b5 Bd7 17.f4 Be6 18.Qd4 Kg8 19.f5 Bc8 20.Rcd1 Nd7 21.Nd5 f6 22.b6 Nc5 23.fxg6 hxg6 24.e5 fxe5 25.Rxf8+ Qxf8 26.Qh4 Kg7 27.Rf1 Bf5 28.g4 Be4+ 29.Kg1 Qd8 30.Nxe7 Nd7 31.c5 d5 32.Bb5 Nxc5 33.Qf6+ Kh7 34.Qf7+ Kh8 35.Rf3 1-0 Smyslov-Golz, Polanica Zdroj 1968, is a beautiful example of White's exploitation of his space advantage in the Maroczy. 12...Nd7?!12...a5 intending ...a4 and stopping b4 is essential here. 13.Bxg7?! The right idea but not the most precise. Correct is the immediate 13.b4! Bxd4+ 14.Qxd4 and now Black must grovel with 14...b6 as(14...Qb6 15.Qxb6 Nxb6 is met by 16.e5! dxe5 17.b5 Be8 18.c5 Nd7 19.Nd5 e6 20.Ne7+ Kg7 21.c6 bxc6 22.bxc6 Nb6 23.c7 Bd7 24.Rfd1 Ba4 25.Rd6 Kf6 26.Rxb6 Kxe7 27.Rb7 Kf6 (27...Bd7? 28.c8Q Raxc8 29.Rd1; 27...Kd6? 28.Ba6 Bd7 29.Rd1+ Kc6 30.Rxd7 Kxd7 31.c8Q+) 28.Rcb1 Bc6 29.Rb8 Rc8 30.Rc1 Raxb8 (30...Bd7 31.Rxa8 Rxa8 32.Ba6 Bc8 33.Rb1!) 31.cxb8Q Rxb8 32.Rxc6 Rb2 33.Bc4 h5 34.h4 g5 35.hxg5+ Kxg5 36.Kh2 Rb4 37.Bb3 a5 38.Ra6 Rb5 39.Ra7 Kf6 40.Ba4 1-0 Razuvaev-Honfi, Cienfuegos 1976. 13...Kxg7 14.Qd4+?! Kg8?! 14...f6 is Black's second chance covering the e5 break and meeting 15.b4 with 15...Qb6 15.b4! Qb6?! Again 15...b6 was solid but passive. 16.Qxb6 Nxb6 17.e5! Rfd8 Played after a long thought by Andrews. No matter what Black decides here he faces a long and unpleasant defense. 17...dxe5 18.b5 Be8 19.c5 Nd7 20.Nd5 e6 21.Ne7+ Kg7 22.c6 bxc6 23.bxc6 Nb6 24.c7 is the Razuvaev game with an extra move pair added in. 17...Na4 18.b5 Nxc3 19.Rxc3 Be8 20.exd6 exd6 21.Rd1 wins a pawn. 18.exd6 exd6 19.Rfd1 f5 Black stops Ne4 and prepares ...Kf7 but creates some weaknesses. 20.Rd4 a5 21.b5 Be8 22.f4 22.Kf2 Rac8 23.Nd5 Nxd5 24.Rxd5 Bf7 and Black's pressure against c4 counterbalances the weaknesses on d6. 22...Rac8 22...Bf7 23.Bf3! (23.Rcd1 Rac8 24.Rxd6 Rxd6 25.Rxd6 Nxc4=) 23...Rab8 24.Rcd1 Nxc4 25.Nd5 Na3 26.Ra4 Nc2 27.Rxa5 with a clear advantage. 23.Bf3! Bf7 24.Bxb7 Rxc4 25.Rxc4 Bxc4 25...Nxc4 26.Nd5 Rb8 27.Bc6 Nb6 28.Nxb6 Rxb6 29.Kf2 Bxa2 30.Ra1 Bc4 31.Rxa5 and White's King comes quickly to d4. 26.Na4! Nxa4 27.Rxc4 White has a typically advantageous R+B versus R+N ending with a very useful passed b-pawn. 27...Nc5 28.Bc6 Kf7 29.Kf2 Kf6 30.Ke3 h6 31.Rc2 White repositions his Rook to support the advance of his passed pawn. 31...Ne6 32.Bd5 Nc5 33.Kd4 Re8 34.b6 Re1 35.Rb2 Rd1+ 36.Kc4 Rc1+ 36...Na4 37.b7 Nxb2+ 38.Kc3 Rxd5 39.b8Q Nd1+ 40.Kb3 Rd2 41.Qd8+ Ke6 42.Qxa5 and the a-pawn quickly decides things. 37.Kb5 Nd7 38.Bf3 38.Kxa5 was also possible. By this time both players were short of time. 38...g5 39.g3 gxf4 40.gxf4 a4 40...Rc5+ 41.Ka6. 41.b7 Rc3 42.Bg2 a3 43.Rd2 Ke7 44.Re2+ Kd8 45.Kb4! Rc1 46.Kxa3 Rc4 47.Kb3 Rxf4 48.Rc2 Rg4 49.Bc6 Rg8 50.Bd5 Rg1 51.Kb2 Rd1 52.Be6 1-0 Newsletter #364 incorrectly reported that NM Paul Gallegos scored 3.5 in the MI's Summer FIDE Rating Tournament. In fact he scored 5.5 . Tournament winner Kimani Stancil saw his rating jump from 2119 to 2195.

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NM Michael Aigner of Davis won the Cal Chess Masters this past weekend with a 3.5 from 4 score to take home the $700 first prize. Sharing second in the 24 player event, which attracted 2 IMs and 1 SM were NMs Daniel Schwarz and Nicholas Yap and Expert Daniel Naroditsky. John McCumiskey and Richard Koepcke directed and organized the event which was held at the Mechanics'. Cal Chess sponsored the prize fund. 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Bc4 c6 6.Nf3 Bg4 7.h3 Bh5 8.Bd2 Qc7 9.Qe2 Bxf3 10.Qxf3 e6 11.0-0-0 Nbd7 12.g4 Bd6 13.g5 Nd5 14.Nxd5 cxd5 15.Bd3 0-0 16.h4 Qb6 17.Be3 f5 18.gxf6 Nxf6 19.Rdg1 Kh8 20.Rg2 Qc7 21.h5 Ne4 22.Qg4 Bf4 23.Bxe4 dxe4 24.Rhg1 Rf5 25.Qxg7+ Qxg7 26.Rxg7 Bxe3+ 27.fxe3 Rxh5 28.R7g4 Rh2 29.Rxe4 Rc8 30.c3 b5 31.Rxe6 b4 32.Kb1 bxc3 33.bxc3 a5 34.c4 Rb8+ 35.Ka1 Rg8 36.Rxg8+ Kxg8 37.c5 Kf7 38.d5 h5 39.c6 1-0 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.f4 Nf6 7.h3 0-0 8.g4 Rb8 9.Nce2 Bd7 10.Ng3 b5 11.Nf3 b4 12.0-0 a5 13.Rb1 Ne8 14.f5 Nc7 15.h4 Nb5 16.h5 a4 17.Ne2 Nbd4 18.hxg6 hxg6 19.Nf4 Nxf3+ 20.Rxf3 Ne5 21.Rh3 e6 22.Be3 Rc8 23.Qe2 Re8 24.Kf2 d5 25.Rbh1 exf5 26.gxf5 gxf5 27.Nxd5 Ng4+ 28.Kf1 Be6 29.Bf3 Bxd5 30.Bxg4 fxg4 31.Qxg4 Qf6+ 32.Rf3 Be6 33.Qg2 Qxb2 34.Rg1 Kf8 35.Qg5 Qa1+ 36.Ke2 Qc3 37.Bd2 Qe5 38.Qh5 Rc6 39.Rxg7 Kxg7 40.Bf4 Qc3 41.Qh6+ Kg8 42.Rg3+ Bg4+ 43.Rxg4+ Rg6 44.Rxg6+ fxg6 45.Qxg6+ Kf8 46.Bd6+ Re7 47.Qf5+ 0?-0?

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Garry Kasparov may no longer be playing chess but he is hardly retired. The former World Champion is gearing up to run in the Russian Presidential elections this fall, was recently on the news program 60 Minutes, has a new book out, How Life Imitates Chess ( written with Michael (Mig) Greengard) who grew up in the Bay Area) and a East Coast book tour planned for late October. The latest issue of the New Yorker has a 12-page article on G.K. by the respected writer David Remnick that is worth checking out.

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The following comes from Ernie Schlich who processes many of the norm applications for the USCF.

I have problems in submitting complete title applications to FIDE forour players and need your help.

I would like to see something both on our website and in Chess Lifetelling our players to immediately submit any outstanding normcertificates to the office. This is important as first, FIDE hadmandated that old norms be submitted by the end of '05. They are verynicely continuing to accept the old norms, but I have no hope that theymay continue. The main problem we have it verifying that the oldcertificates meet the FIDE regulations at the time of the event andfinding the supporting data. We need a complete crosstable with correctFIDE information and preferably some sort of public document thatsupports the submitted information would also be great.

It would also be a good idea to have a place on our website where we canlist the norms we have for our players so they can see if we have them.We also need to inform our players that if they get norms from foreignevents, they have to let us know and send a copy so we can follow upwith the organizers to get the properly signed federation copy of thecertificates.

The second important point is we now get them along with a request tosubmit the title application when time is short and everyone wants thenorms submitted in time for the next PB meeting. This often does notgive us much time if any for the necessary research. Your assistance ingetting this request to our players attention will be greatlyappreciated.

Regards, Ernie

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MI Members IMs Josh Friedel and David Pruess played in The Miami Chess Open held September 26-30 and won by GM Hikaru Nakamura on tiebreak. David just finished out of the 8-way tie for first with 6 points while Josh had 5.5.

October Rating List

FIDE has published a new rating list.
The new World Champion Vishy Anand fortified his position at the top—he crossed the 2800 barrier.
Top 20 (name/country/year of birth/rating/number of rated games):
1. Anand IND 1969 2801 21
2. Ivanchuk UKR 1969 2787 20
3. Kramnik RUS 1975 2785 21
4. Topalov BUL 1975 2769 0
5. Leko HUN 1979 2755 21
6. Morozevich RUS 1977 2755 19
7. Mamedyarov AZE 1985 2752 11
8. Radjabov AZE 1987 2742 9
9. Aronian ARM 1982 2741 14
10. Shirov ESP 1972 2739 11
11. Gelfand ISR 1968 2736 21
12. Svidler RUS 1976 2732 25
13. Adams ENG 1971 2729 16
14. Kamsky USA 1974 2724 9
15. Alekseev RUS 1985 2716 17
16. Grischuk RUS 1983 2715 23
17. Carlsen NOR 1990 2714 25
18. Akopian ARM 1971 2713 5
19. Jakovenko RUS 1983 2710 23
20. J. Polgar HUN 1976 2708 9

Women, Top 10:
1. J. Polgar HUN 1976 2708 9
2. Koneru IND 1987 2606 27
3. P. Cramling SWE 1963 2531 20
4. Zhu Chen QAT 1976 2531 9
5. Zhao Xue CHN 1985 2530 36
6. Kosteniuk RUS 1984 2515 0
7. Sebag FRA 1986 2509 12
8. Hou Yifan CHN 1994 2502 19
9. Chiburdanidze GEO 1961 2500 10
10. T. Kosintseva RUS 1986 2492 10

Bay Area Top Players (active):
1. GM Alex Yermolinsky 2512
2. GM-elect Vinay Bhat 2483
3. IM Josh Friedel 2477
4. GM Walter Browne 2440
5. IM John Donaldson 2420
6. IM Dmitry Zilberstein 2418
7. IM David Pruess 2417
8. IM Alan Stein 2405
9-10. IMs Vladimir Mezentsev and Ricardo DeGuzman 2398

Bay Area Top Women:
1. WGM Kamile Baginskaite 2309
2. WIM Batchimeg Tuvshintugs 2278

Michael Aigner writes: New local FIDE rated players include Gregory Young (2194), Batsaikhan Tserendorj (2021), Louiza Livschitz (2005), and David Chock (1999). Of the local juniors over 2000 USCF, I believe that only Nip, Agarwal and Zavortink lack FIDE ratings.

The recently concluded World Senior Championship in Gmunden, Austria, was won by IM Algimantas Butnorus with 9 from 11 in a field of 233 players. The top scoring American was Jude Acers of New Orleans at 7 followed by GM Anatoly Lein on 6.5, NM Edward Zelkind had 6 as did Leonid Bondar, Dan Mayers (possibly the oldest competitor in the event in his late 80s) and NM Carl Wagner had 5.5. WIM Esther Epstein had 6 points in the womens competition won by Hanna Erenska-Barlo of Poland. Men had to be over 60 and women over 50 to be eligible.

Jude had a fine result (2289 FIDE performance rating) in what was probably his first tournament with a slow time control since the 1970s. For more on Jude here is a recent e-mail from Rusty Miller:

Some of you might not have read the article Casey Bush wrote about his visit with Jude Acers in New Orleans. Casey mixes in some from the Oxford American Magazine article about Jude from the March/April 2000 issue which one can purchase online, find via a Google search "Oxford American Jude Acers." http://www.nwchess.com/articles/dinner_with_Acers.htm