Chess Room Newsletter #574

Mechanics’ Institute Chess Club Newsletter #574

March 7, 2012

Ultimately, what separates a winner from a loser at the grandmaster level is the willingness to do the unthinkable. A brilliant strategy is, certainly, a matter of intelligence, but intelligence without audaciousness is not enough. Given the opportunity, I must have the guts to explode the game, to upend my opponent’s thinking and, in so doing, unnerve him. So it is in business: One does not succeed by sticking to convention. When your opponent can easily anticipate every move you make, your strategy deteriorates and becomes commoditized.

— Garry Kasparov

1) Mechanics’ Institute Chess Club

The Spring Tuesday Night Marathon starts this coming Tuesday, March 13th. The 8-round event ends May1st.

Jules Jelinek, the Mechanics’ Weekly Wednesday Night Blitz Coordinator, writes:


It’s Wednesday! Time for the weekly blitz chess tournament at Mechanics’ Institute Chess Club.  As always, it starts no later than 6:40pm with sign-up beginning at 6:20pm. Entry is $10 with clock $11 without clock. Prizes are 50%, 30%, 20% of entry fees. TIme control preferably is 3 minute increment 2 seconds otherwise 5 minutes no increment.

The winners last week were:

1st - Carlos D’Avila
2nd - Jorge Lopez
3rd - Jules Jelinek

Here is a game from the 20th David Collyer Open, annotated by the tournament winner.

John Donaldson (2402) – Paul Bartron (2102)
20th David Collyer Memorial (5), 2012

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 c6 5.d4 Nbd7 6.0–0

6.Qc2 Bd6 7.0–0 0–0 8.Nbd2 e5 9.cxd5 cxd5 10.dxe5 Nxe5 is a reliable variation for Black. White wants to have his queen on d1 and knight on c3 when fighting against an isolated queen pawn.

6...dxc4

6...Bd6 7.Nc3 0–0 8.Nd2, intending e4, promises White good chances for an advantage.

7.a4

7.Qc2 b5 8.b3 cxb3 9.Qxc6 Rb8 10.axb3 Bb7 11.Qc2 Rc8 is acceptable for Black—Boris Avrukh, in his famous work on the Catalan, contained in volume one on 1.d4, published by Quality Chess.

7...Bd6

Or 7...Be7 8.Qc2 (8.Nc3 Bb4 9.e4 0–0 10.Qc2 Re8 11.Rd1 Qe7 12.e5 Nd5 13.Nd2 N7b6 14.Nce4, with a slight edge - Aronian-Portisch, Warsaw 1995) 8...0–0 9.Qxc4 (9.Na3!?) 9...a5 10.Nc3 Nd5 11.e4 Nb4 12.Rd1 b6 13.Qb3 Ba6 14.Be3 Rc8 15.Rd2 Qc7 16.Qd1 Rfd8 17.Rc1, with a slight edge – Avrukh.

7...a5 8.Qc2 Nb6 (8...b5 9.Ne5! Nxe5 10.dxe5 Nd5 11.axb5 cxb5 12.Nc3 Qd7 (12...Nb4 13.Qd2 Qxd2 14.Bxd2 Rb8 15.Rxa5 Bd7 16.Rd1 Be7 17.Ra7 Bc6 18.Ne4 Nd5 19.Nd6+ Bxd6 20.exd6) 13.Rd1 Bb7 14.Bg5 h6 (14...b4 15.Nxd5 exd5 16.e4) 15.e4!, winning) 9.Nbd2 Be7 10.Nxc4 Nxc4 11.Qxc4 0–0 12.Rd1 Qd5 13.Ne5 Qxc4 14.Nxc4, with a pleasant advantage for White.

8.Na3 0–0

8...Bxa3 9.Rxa3 0–0 10.Qc2 Qe7 11.Qxc4 a5 is better for White as the weakness on b4 is more than compensated by the two bishops and strong pawn center.

9.Nxc4 Bc7 10.Qc2 Nb6 11.Nce5

Normally the player with more space wants to avoid exchanges, but here 11.b3! was actually a better move.

11...Qe7 12.e4

Objectively White’s advantage is not huge, but Black’s position is unpleasant to play as he has no counterplay.

12...Nfd7 13.Nd3 a5 14.Bg5 f6 15.Bd2 Nb8 16.Rfe1 Bd7 17.Nc5 Ra7

w________w
[whwdw4kd]
[4pgb1w0p]
[whpdp0wd]
[0wHwdwdw]
[Pdw)Pdwd]
[dwdwdN)w]
[w)QGw)B)]
[$wdw$wIw]
w--------w

18.b4 Na6 19.Nxa6 Rxa6 20.b5

A strong alternative was 20.bxa5 Nc8 21.Bf1 Ra7 22.a6 bxa6 23.a5 with a very nice advantage.

20...Raa8 21.bxc6 bxc6

As 21...Bxc6 is strongly met by 22.d5 Be8 23.Be3

22.d5!

w________w
[rdwdw4kd]
[dwgb1w0p]
[whpdp0wd]
[0wdPdwdw]
[PdwdPdwd]
[dwdwdN)w]
[wdQGw)B)]
[$wdw$wIw]
w--------w

22...Rfc8?!

Black had to play 22...c5,  although 23.dxe6 Bxe6 24.e5 is much better for White.

23.dxc6 Bd8 24.Nd4 Qd6 25.Be3 Be8 26.Qb3 Bf7

w________w
[rdrgwdkd]
[dwdwdb0p]
[whP1p0wd]
[0wdwdwdw]
[PdwHPdwd]
[dQdwGw)w]
[wdwdw)B)]
[$wdw$wIw]
w--------w

27.e5!

This leads to a decisive win of material.

27... Qxe5 28.Nb5 Nd5 29.Bf4 Qh5 30.Bxd5 exd5 31.c7

This wins a piece and the game.

31...Bxc7 32.Bxc7 d4 33.Qd1 Qd5 34.Bf4 g5

w________w
[rdrdwdkd]
[dwdwdbdp]
[wdwdw0wd]
[0Ndqdw0w]
[Pdw0wGwd]
[dwdwdw)w]
[wdwdw)w)]
[$wdQ$wIw]
w--------w

35.Nc7 Qd8 36.Nxa8 gxf4 37.Qg4+ Bg6 38.Nb6 f5 39.Qxf4 Qxb6 40.Rab1 Qf6 41.Rb8

The rest is simple technique.

41...Rxb8 42.Qxb8+ Kg7 43.Qa7+ Kh6 44.Rd1 d3 45.Qe3+ f4 46.Qxf4+ Qxf4 47.gxf4 Kg7 48.f3 Be8 49.Rxd3 Bxa4 50.Ra3 Bc6 51.Rxa5 Bxf3 52.Kf2

w________w
[wdwdwdwd]
[dwdwdwip]
[wdwdwdwd]
[$wdwdwdw]
[wdwdw)wd]
[dwdwdbdw]
[wdwdwIw)]
[dwdwdwdw]
w--------w

52...Bh1 53.Ke3 Kf6 54.h4 Bg2 55.f5 Bf1 56.Kf4 Bd3 57.Rd5 Bc2 58.Rd6+ Kg7 59.h5 h6 60.Ke5 Ba4 61.Rg6+ Kh7 62.Kf6 Bd1 63.Ke7 Bxh5 64.Rg1

The black king is cut off and there is nothing to be done about the f-pawn.

64...Be2 65.f6 Bc4 66.f7 Bxf7 67.Kxf7 h5 68.Kf6 Kh6 69.Rh1 1–0

2) Harry Benson and Marcel Dzama at the The World Chess Hall of Fame

World Chess Hall of Fame Debuts New Exhibits by Internationally Acclaimed Artists Harry Benson and Marcel Dzama

February 22, 2012 -- Saint Louis, MO -- The World Chess Hall of Fame will open its doors on two new exhibits starting March 9, 2012. Bobby Fischer: Icon Among Icons, photographs by Harry Benson CBE and Marcel Dzama: The End Game explore the game of chess and its role in society from dramatically different angles.

The shows will run through August 12, 2012.

“We selected these artists because of their stunning talent and their unique perspectives,” said Susan Barrett, director of WCHoF. “We hope the exhibitions will enlighten visitors while also challenging their preconceived notions of the significance of chess.”

Harry Benson: Icon Among Icons
Scottish-born photojournalist Harry Benson’s work ranges from photographs of world leaders to pop stars, all portrayed with an immediacy and naturalness that speaks of a confidence and rapport between sitter and photographer.

Benson was the only person to have private access to Bobby Fischer during the epic 1972 World Chess Championship match in Reykjavik, Iceland. Fischer became a pop culture sensation due to his incredible playing and the Cold War matchup between him and Russian player Boris Spassky, the defending world chess champion. News outlets referred to the match as the Match of the Century and used headlines such as Fischer vs. Spassky: A Major Struggle in the Cold War.

As the images in this exhibition show, Benson’s photography captures a side of the elusive and controversial chess genius that is rarely seen, and offers a window into the private world of the man Benson calls “the most eccentric and most fascinating person I have ever photographed.”

Rare images of Fischer will be exhibited along with Benson’s photos of other pop culture icons such as Jerry Garcia, Elizabeth Taylor, Barbara Streisand, Bill Clinton, Muhammad Ali, and Jacqueline Kennedy. The juxtaposition allows viewers to see Fischer’s cultural significance as virtually equal to that of presidents, movie stars, artists, designers, and leaders, whose impact has made them objects of great attention and devotion in society.

Sample images of Benson’s work can be downloaded at http://www.flickr.com/photos/worldchesshof/sets/72157629066444378/. Proper photo credit must be given.

Marcel Dzama: The End Game features the artist’s film, A Game of Chess, alongside related drawings, paintings, sculptures, and dioramas. The work draws from a diverse range of references and artistic influences, including Dada and Marcel Duchamp.

The 14-minute film incorporates ballet, stark landscapes, and moments of violence to tell a story based on the classic game of chess. Performers are dressed in geometrically designed costumes of papier-mâché, plaster, and fiberglass; they dance across a checkered board to challenge their opponents in fatal interchanges.

Some new paintings were created especially for this exhibit, which marks the first solo showing of Dzama’s work in the Midwest. A trailer for the film can be viewed at http://youtu.be/D6mySi-vCHs. Still images can be downloaded at http://www.flickr.com/photos/worldchesshof/sets/72157629066508546/. Proper photo credit must be given.

WCHoF is pleased to be recognized as one of the most exciting new additions to Saint Louis’s already-vibrant cultural scene. “We look forward to welcoming visitors to these new exhibitons throughout the spring and summer”, Barrett said.

About the World Chess Hall of Fame
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.

The WCHOF partners with the Chess Club and Scholastic Center to provide innovative programming and outreach to local, national, and international audiences.

For more information, visit www.worldchesshof.org.

3) Philip Wang Makes Final IM Norm, by Ankit Gupta

Metropolitan Chess, Inc. hosted an International Master norm round-robin tournament on February 22nd to 26th 2012. The tournament was sponsored by California Market Center, Fashion Business, Inc, Chess.com, MonRoi, LawyerFy, the Law Offices of Steinfl & Bruno, and Betty Bottom Showroom.

This tournament is the 16th in its series and was held in Suite C1002 of the California Market Center on 110 East 9th Street, Los Angeles 90079. The tournament was organized by Ankit Gupta, FA, IO and the chief arbiter was Randy Hough, IA. The participants included IM Zhanibek Amanov (KAZ), IM Andranik Matikozyan (ARM), IM Larry Remlinger (USA), FM Alexander Kretchetov (RUS), FM Kayden Troff (USA), FM Konstantin Kavutskiy (USA), CM Giovanni Carreto (MEX), NM Michael Bodek (USA), FM Philip Xiao Wang (USA) and Alexander King (USA).

The tournament was a 10 player round-robin (all play all), with rounds scheduled as follows - 22nd: 7:00 PM, 23rd: 11:00 AM & 5:00 PM, 24th: 11:00 AM & 5:00 PM, 25th: 11:00 AM & 5:00 PM, 26th: 10:00 AM & 4:00 PM.

The tournament was won by FM Philip Xiao Wang with a score of 6.5-2.5, who also secured his third and final IM norm. His final (ninth-round) game, which ended in a draw against fellow FIDE Master Konstantin Kavutskiy is shown below.
Catalan E04
Kavutskiy-Wang
Los Angeles 2012

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. g3 dxc4 5. Bg2 Nc6 6. 0-0 Rb8 7. e3 b5 8. Qe2
Be7 9. Rd1 0-0 10. e4 Nb4 11. Ne1 Bb7 12. Nc3 Qe8 13. Bf4 Rc8 14. a3 Na6 15.
Nc2 c6 16. H4 Qd7 17. Ne3 Rfd8 18. Bh3 Qe8 19. Bg5 h6 20. Bxf6 Bxf6 21. e5 Be7
22. f4 Rc7 23. f5 Bf8 24. fxe6 fxe6 25. Qg4 Bc8 26. Ne4 Kh8 27. Ng2 c5 28. Nf4
Kh7 29. Nh5 Qg6 30. Nhf6+ gxf6 31. Nxf6+ Kg7 32. Nh5+ Kh7 33. Nf6+ 1/2-1/2

The tournament was also notable for NM Alexander B King, who in just a short few months has seen his rating skyrocket from around 2100 to over 2280. Through the Metropolitan Chess FIDE Qualifier series, he earned entry into the IM-norm event, and ended with a respectable final score of 4.0 out of 9.0.

Keep updated with events by Metropolitan Chess, Inc, by visiting www.metrochessla.com.

4) Here and There

IM Ray Kaufmann and FM Ryan Porter tied for first with 4 from 5 in the 2012 Winter Chess Championships held this past February at the Nor Cal House of Chess. IM Ricardo de Guzman and Kevin Moy shared third at 3.5 in the event, which saw Kaufmann beat DeGuzman, who beat Porter, who beat Kaufmann.

March FIDE 2012 Rating List

1.Carlsen NOR 2835
2. Aronian ARM 2820
3. Kramnik RUS 2801
4. Anand IND 2799
5. Radjabov AZE 2784
6. Nakamura USA 2771
7. Caruana ITA 2767
8. Karjakin RUS 2766
9. Morozevich RUS 2765
10. Ivanchuk UKR 2764
11. Grischuk RUS 2761
12. Topalov BUL 2752
13. Mamedyarov AZE 2752
14. Gashimov AZE 2745
15. Svidler RUS 2744
16. Kamsky USA 2741
17. Tomashevsky RUS 2736
18. Adams ENG 2735
19. Wang Hao CHN 2733
20. Dominguez Perez CUB 2730

Ted Belanoff, who is well-known to MI chess regulars, is well on his way to playing tournaments in all 50 states. Frank Berry reports “he has now played in 42 states since the summer of 2011. Ted will soon play rated games in Washington, Idaho, South Dakota, Nebraska, Florida, Delaware, Arkansas and Mississippi to complete his USA sweep in a 12 month time period.”

The late Robert Feldmen and Jerry Dennison preceded Belanoff in his quest to reach the magic number 50, but it is our understanding that it took them several years, making Belanoff’s achievement unique.