Chess, like any creative activity, can exist only through the combined efforts of those who have creative talent, and those who have the ability to organize their creative work.
Mikhail Botvinnik
1) Mechanics' Institute Chess Club News
2) Irving Chernev to be inducted into US Chess Hall of Fame
3) Richard Shorman Honored
4) Jerry Hanken is ill
5) GM Danny King Simul in Berkeley
6) Here and There
7) New England Masters
8) Upcoming Events
1) Mechanics' Institute Chess Club News
Congratulations to National Master and Mechanics' Trustee Mark Pinto who celebrates his 50th birthday tomorrow. Mark has supported the Mechanics' in many ways the past decade - volunteering his time and money while also winning lots of games for the MI in the US Chess League. Happy Birthday Mark!
Three rounds into the Summer Tuesday Night Marathon only three players remain with perfect scores - FM Frank Thornally and Experts William Gray and Nicholas Nip.
IM Vinay Bhat, one of the key members of the Mechanics' Institute team that won the 2006 US Chess League, will be off to Spain in a few weeks in search of his third and final GM norm. Vinay will play back to back events in Sort, Benasque and Balaguer. Good luck Vinay!
The MI will be holding its Summer camps for intermediate players July 16-20 and for advanced July 23-27. Go to
http://www.chessclub.org/CampA.html and http://www.chessclub.org/CampB.html for more information.Congratulations to 6-time US Champion Walter Browne of Berkeley who has won close to $200,000 the past couple of weeks playing in various poker tournaments in Las Vegas. One of the world's top games players, Browne has been playing poker professionally for over 30 years and can be seen regularly at the Oaks Club in Emeryville. This past April Walter won the Imre Konig Memorial G/45 and the Ray Schutt Memorial Blitz at the MI, both in convincing fashion.
MI Chess Director IM John Donaldson will be heading north this summer to play in a round robin invitational:
Edmonton International 2007:
1. GM Aveskulov, Valery (2539, Ukraine)
2. IM (GM Elect) Kraai, Jesse (2477, USA)
3. GM Khachiyan, Melikset (2475, USA)
4. IM Bachmann, Axel (2470, Paraguay)
5. IM Donaldson, John (2413, USA)
6. FM Yanayt, Eugene (2332, USA)
7. FM Huber, Greg (2211 FIDE, 2336 CFC, Canada)
8. Reeve, Jeff (2205 FIDE, 2344 CFC, Canada)
9. Haessel, Dale (2151 FIDE, 2256 CFC, Canada)
10. Li, Zhichao (2143 FIDE, 2254 CFC, Hong-Kong)
2) Irving Chernev to be inducted into US Chess Hall of Fame
Irving Chernev is remembered for his books and efforts to popularize the game. His Logical Chess , Move by Move, The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played and Invitation to Chess (co-authored with Kenneth Harkness) are three of the best selling chess books of all time but Chernev was more than an author. He played in two US Championships ( 1942 and 1944) and was among the top twenty American players during World War Two.
One example of Chernev's play in the 1942 event can be found in Logical Chess , Move by Move where he annotates his win over Hahlbohm (game 21). The following lesser-known game is also from his US Championship debut, where he scored 6-9 to tie for 10th-11th places with Carl Pilnick. Pilnick, who was only 18 at the time, is still an active tournament player 65 years later!
We note that Chernev spent the last years of his life (1968-1981) living in San Francisco.
Queen's Indian [E17]
Harry Baker - Irving Chernev
US Championship, 1942
Annotations by Irving Chernev
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 Be7 6.0-0 0-0 7.Qc2
The usual move is 7.Nc3 If black tries to get back into "book play' by 7...Ne4 , then 8.Nd2 wins a pawn.
7...Be4 8.Qb3 Nc6
This stops 9.Nc3 9.Rd1 [9.Nc3 Bxf3 10.Bxf3 Nxd4 11.Qa4 Nxf3+ wins a pawn.
9...d5
Threatening to win a pawn by 10...Na5.
10.Qa4 Nb4
And now white has to worry about 11...Bc2 or 11...Nc2 as well as 11...dxc4. As a result of one move (7.Qc2) white after ten moves of a Queen's Indian, has a bad game.
11.Ne1 dxc4 12.a3
Of course not 12.f3 Bc6 13.Qa3 Nc2.
12...Bxg2 13.Nxg2 b5! 14.Qxb5 Nc2 15.Ra2 Nxd4
Threatening 16...Nxe2+ and 17...Qxd1+.
16.Qa4 Nxe2+ 17.Kf1 Nd4
Simpler and better than 17...Nxc1 18.Rxc1! and black loses his attack and has three isolated pawns to nurse. Instead of 18.Rxc1, if White should get ambitious and play 18.Rxd8 then the continuation might be 18...Raxd8 19.Qxc4 (19.Ra1 Nb3 20.Ra2 Rd1+ 21.Ke2 Rxb1 22.Qxc4 Nc1+ and black wins.) 19...Rd1+ 20.Ne1 Nxa2 21.Qxa2 and black has a shade the better of it.
18.Qxc4 c5 19.Be3 Qb6 20.b4
White cannot win his pawn back by 20.Bxd4 cxd4 21.Rxd4 (or 21.Qxd4 Qb3 22.Nc3 Rad8) 21...Rac8 followed by ...Rc1+]
20...Rfd8 21.Nc3 Ng4! 22.bxc5
22.Na4 Nxh2+ 23.Ke1 (23.Kg1 Ndf3+ 24.Kh1 Rxd1+) 23...Qc6 24.Bxd4 Qxa4 and the white Bishop is curiously pinned.
22...Nxh2+ 23.Kg1 Ndf3+ 24.Kh1 Rxd1+ 25.Nxd1 Qb1 26.Qc2 Qb5 27.Qe2 Qc6 28.Rb2 Rd8 29.Nc3 Bf6 30.Rb3 g5!!
Preventing any attempts to exchange queens by spreading a mating net. In addition, the move is important in preventing white from moving his Knight to f4 after the black queen gets to h3.
31.Nb5
31.Qb5 Bxc3 32.Qxc6 Rd1+ 33.Ne1 Rxe1+ 34.Kg2 Rg1+ 35.Kh3 g4 mate.
31...Qd5 32.Rb1 Qf5
With the double threat of ...Qxb1 and ...Qh3.
0-1
The Chess Correspondent
, July-August 1943, page 13 and Chess Review June-July 1942, page 143.
3) Richard Shorman Honored
The USCF Executive Board will be honoring the following individuals during the US Open in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, this summer. We note that long-time Bay Area chess teacher and photographer extraordinaire Richard Shorman will be recognized for his many accomplishments.
Chess City of the Year – Stillwater, OK
Chess Club of the Year - Atlanta Chess Center
Committee of the Year – 2007 Financial Review Committee
Distinguished Service Award – Fred Gruenberg
Friend of the USCF – Garry Kasparov
Gold Koltanowski Medal – Frank K. Berry
Grandmaster of the Year – Gata Kamsky
Frank J. Marshall Ambassador Award – Gregory Kaidanov
Meritorious Service Award – Richard Shorman, John Hilbert, Dan Heisman, Grant Perks
Organizer of the Year – Sevan Muradian
Outstanding Career Achievement – Fred and Carol Kleist, Gordon Barrett, Stephen Dann
Scholastic Services Award – Susan Polgar, Brownsville, TX School District
Society of Chess Mates – Donna Gruenberg, Jan Rogers
Special Services Award – Steve Doyle, Ernie Schlich
Tournament Director of the Year – Mike Atkins
The following piece appears at the wonderful website
www.chessdryad.com which is devoted to the history of chess in California.
RICHARD SHORMAN:
A chess columnist for the Hayward Daily Review for 14 years (1967 - 1981), he also occasionally ghosted several other SF Bay Area chess columns. Co-instigator of that famous SF East Bay legend, the Cherryland Café; Harold James (proprietor and cook) provided the place and a sarcastic wit, Richard provided the chess and a dry wit. His amazing chess classes at Chabot Junior College were very well attended, despite the dense curriculum; Pawn Endings by Maizelis, Masters of the Chessboard by Reti, Chess the Easy Way by Fine, were among the required textbooks. He also was, at various times; Editor of the Oakland YMCA Chess Bulletin (1959-60), Director/Instructor of the Lera late night chess group, Hayward Chess Club Instructor/Lecturer, Hayward Chess Club President, Chess in Action Games Editor, Chess Voice Games Editor, Lera Brilliancy Prize Judge, Tournament Director-Junior Divisions for Chess Friends of Northern California, and teacher to thousands of SF East Bay adults and kids for over 35 years. Also, was the major photo contributor for most of the Northern California chess magazines for the last 30 years. He has added more games to the CalGames Chess Database than anybody else. Recently he consented to become the Senior Advisor to ChessDryad.com.
4) Jerry Hanken is ill
NM Jerry Hanken who has served Caissa in many ways including as a organizer, writer and teacher is hospitalized in Las Vegas and would dearly love to hear from friends. He hopes to be released soon but for now can be reached at 1- (702) 731-8000 room C527.
5) GM Danny King Simul in Berkeley
The Berkeley Chess School is sponsoring a simul by GM Daniel King at 7:00 PM on Friday, June 29th in Berkeley. This is in conjunction with GM King's visit to teach the top class for two weeks of summer camp at the Berkeley Chess School the weeks of June 18th and June 25th. The simul is limited to 30 boards and the cost is $15. Location is room 17 at Hillside School, 1581
LeRoy Avenue, Berkeley. To register please contact the Berkeley Chess School at 510-843-0150 or bcschool@pacbell.net. Our mailing address is The Berkeley Chess School, PO Box 10073, Berkeley, CA 94709.
6) Here and There
2006 US Champion Alex Onischuk will be one of the farthest traveled players in the second Aerosvit tournament but he will also be coming home. Onischuk grew up in Sevastopol, not far from Foros where the event will be held June 18-28.
The organizers have attracted a powerhouse field. The following twelve GMs will play:
Svidler (RUS, 2736)
Ivanchuk(UKR, 2729)
Jakovenko (RUS, 2708)
Shirov (ESP, 2699)
Nisipeanu (ROM,2693)
Sasikiran (IND, 2690)
Eljanov(UKR, 2686),
Karjakin (UKR, 2686)
Rublevsky (RUS, 2680)
Dominguez (CUB, 2678)
Van Wely (NED, 2674),
Onischuk (USA 2663).
Average ELO 2693.6
The event can be followed at:.
http://www.ukrchess.org.ua/aerosvit2007/index_e.htmIM Mladen Vucic will be teaching a chess camp in Sunnyvale this July. If you would like more information or are interested in private lessons contact him at (914) 414-6355.
IM Ricardo DeGuzman went 4-0 to win the top section of the Bent Creek Winery Open held June 9-10 in Livermore. Michael De-Cruz was second at 3.5 followed by Glenn Leotaud at 3 with NM Danny Krystall coming out of retirement to tie for 4th at 2.5. Richard Koepcke and Cesar Tamondong organized the 34 player event, the first in Livermore in many years.
Hyman ‘Rogie’ Rogosin is best known to the chess world for his game with Frank Marshall but he also wrote one of the more popular introductory chess treatises of all time. During WWII Rogosin served in the Army Psychological Research Unit in Santa Ana, California, Denver, Colorado, and Langley Field, Virginia performing psychological testing and evaluations. He would remain in this position for three years (1943-1945), during which time he wrote Chess for G.I.’s. The pamphlet was extremely popular among the enlisted men in Army hospitals and over 80,000 copies were distributed. Rogosin’s volunteer effort was praised and he was awarded the Army’s Citation of Commendation. Rogosin's son Donn was a well-known player in Southern California in the 1960s.
7) New England Masters
Dear Chess Player,
We are now just 2 months away from the start of the New England Masters that will be held near Boston, Massachusetts, from August 13-17, 2007!
Please remember that the deadline to qualify for the early entry discount is July 13, 2007. If you are planning on playing, you can save yourself some money by entering before then!
Also, the deadline to guarantee room availability and the low $69/night hotel rate at the tournament venue, the Holiday Inn Boston-Peabody, is July 23, 2007. Online hotel booking is available at the New England Masters website www.NewEnglandMasters.com.
There are 4 Grandmasters who have agreed to participate, Leonid Kritz from Germany (FIDE 2593), Eugene Perelshteyn from USA (2531), Bosko Abramovic from Serbia (2509) and Nigel Davies from England (2501). GM norms are a real possibility, the rest is up to you!
Also, IM norms will be up for grabs as there are already 7 IMs in the field along with the GMs!
Complete tournament information is available at the New England Masters website, www.NewEnglandMasters.com.
I look forward to receiving your entry soon!
Sincerely,
Chris Bird
Organizer, New England Masters Chess Tournament
8) Upcoming Events
William Addison Open - June 23rdJuly 6-8
2007 Sacramento Chess Championship GPP: 6 California NorthernSITE: Best Western Expo Inn, 1413 Howe Avenue, Sacramento, CA. ON-SITE REGISTRATION: 7/6 – 8:30 am - 9:45 am; 7/7 – 8:30 am - 9:15 am. ROUNDS: 3-day: 7/6 – 10 & 3:30, 7/7 – 11 & 4:30, 7/8 – 10 & 3:30. 2-day: 7/7 – 9:30, 11:45, 2, & 4:30, 7/8 – 10 & 3:30. TIME CONTROLS: 3-day: 30/90 G/1. 2-day: Rounds 1-3, G/75, Rounds 4-6, 30/90 G/1. 5-second delay on all time controls. SECTIONS: Master/Expert (above 1999), Reserve (U2000). ENTRY FEES: 3-day $65 (Juniors $45) postmarked by 6/29. $75 (Juniors $50) after 6/29. IMs/GMs free. Entrants may play up one section for $10. $5 discount to CalChess members. Reentry after round 1 of the 3-day schedule: $40. PRIZES: 1st Place in each section $325 & trophy (1st prize guaranteed in the Master/Expert section). Prize fund of $2570 based on 75 full paid adult entries and 10 full paid junior entries overall (with 60 full paid adult entries and 10 full paid junior entries, the prize fund will be $1,900). HOTEL: Best Western Expo Inn, (916) 922-9833 or 1-800-643-4422. Ask for the Sacramento Chess Club rates. ADVANCE ENTRIES & INFO: John McCumiskey (TD), 6700 50th St, Sacramento, CA 95823-1306; e-mail:
sactochess@sbcglobal.net; phone: (916) 524-9479, checks payable to Sacramento Chess Club. Full flyer and advance entries: http://sacramentochessclub.org/ under Weekend Events. OTHER INFO: No Smoking, No Computers, Wheelchair Access. 07/07 rating list only. Please bring clocks and equipment. Maximum of two ½ point byes and are available in all rounds, maximum 2 byes per entry. ½ point byes for rounds 5 & 6 must be requested prior to round 1. For more info, contact: John McCumiskeyClark Harmon Memorial Open
July 14-15
$1500 Guaranteed!
Sponsored by Portland Chess Club and contributors to the
Harmon Memorial Fund
5-round Swiss: One open section
Time Control: Saturday 40/90, SD/30; Sunday 40/120, SD 60
Registration: Saturday 9-9:45 am. Registration is limited to first 50 entrants. Advanced registration is strongly encouraged.
Rounds: Saturday 10:00; 2:30 & 7:00; Sunday 9:30 & 4:30
Location: Portland Chess Club, check
http://www.pdxchess.org/ for directionsByes: 2 half-point byes available if requested before 1st round. GMs & IMs may enter in round 2 with 1 point or round 3 with 1.5 points.
1st $425 2nd $250 3rd $150
U2000, U1700, U1400 each 1st $150, 2nd $75
Entry: $50; $40 for PCC members.
Memberships: USCF and OCF/WCF required (OSA). Harmon NW Grand Prix.
This is the First Annual Harmon Memorial. We hope players will join in this tribute to one of the Northwest’s premier players and ambassadors of the game. The prize fund is underwritten through the generosity of contributors to the Harmon Memorial Fund. To date the following have contributed:
Sherry Harmon; Alexey Root; Neil Dale; Jonna Schuder; Taylor Bailey; Mike Morris; Shirley Venhaus; Marvin Hayami; Russell Miller; Mike Schemm; Grisha Alpernas ; Jon & Barbie Fortune; Michael Ratliff; Laszlo Szalvay; Ted Lundin
Any net proceeds from this tournament will be added to the fund, so that this will become an annual event