A man without frontiers. He didn't divide the East and the West, he brought them together in their admiration for him.
Ljubomir Ljubojevic ( talking about Bobby Fischer)
1) Mechanics' Institute Chess Club News
2) Hikaru wins in Gibraltar!
3) Our Men in Moscow
4) National Chess Championships Coming to Lindsborg
5) Here and There
6) Upcoming Events
1) Mechanics' Institute Chess Club News
IM John Grefe, FMs Frank Thornally and Daniel Naroditsky, NM Sam Shankland, Experts Jules Jelinek, Arthur Ismakov and Steve Gaffagan, and A players Adam Goldberg and Jeff Ensley are tied for first at 4-1 in the 80-player Winter Tuesday Night Marathon with 3 rounds remaining.
World Under 12 Champion Daniel Naroditsky was a guest on Michael Krasny's Forum on KQED Radio. You can list to the program, which also features Josh Waitzkin at
This Saturday the Mechanics' will be hosting its annual Henry Gross Memorial to honor the memory of one of the strongest Bay Area players from the 1930s to 1960s. The 5 round G/45 event starts at 10 am.
GM Gregory Kaidanov will be at the Mechanics' on Sunday, March 2. He will give a free lecture open to all from 2 to 3 pm. Don't miss this chance to listen to one of the top players in the US.
2) Hikaru wins in Gibraltar!
Things didn't look good for Hirkaru Nakamura midway through the Gibraltar Telecom Chess Festival as he stood at 3 from 5 but 5(!) consecutive victories over top quality opposition enabled him to catch Chinese 2700 GM Xinghzi Bu at the finish. Hikaru then won the playoff 2-0. Well done!
Los Angeles GM Varuzhan Akobian turned in a 2600 performance in finishing at 7-3 while Texans IM Joe Bradford and FM Mikail Langer ended on 5 and 4.5 points respectively.
Nakamura,Hikaru (2670) - Hebden,Mark L (2530) [C55]
Gibtelecom Masters Gibraltar (8), 29.01.2008
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 Nf6 5.e5 d5 6.Bb5 Ne4 7.Nxd4 Bc5 8.Be3 Bd7 9.Bxc6 bxc6 10.Nd2 Qh4 11.0-0 Bb6 12.N2b3 Qe7 13.Re1 0-0 14.f3 Nc5 15.Nxc5 Bxc5 16.Nb3 Bb6 17.Qd2 Rae8 18.a4 f6 19.e6 Bxe6 20.a5 Bxe3+ 21.Qxe3 Qb4 22.Qxa7 Bf5 23.Rec1 Bxc2 24.Nd4 Bd3 25.Nxc6 Qxb2 26.Qd4 Qxd4+ 27.Nxd4 Bc4 28.a6 c5 29.Nc6 Re6 30.a7 Rxc6 31.a8Q Rxa8 32.Rxa8+ Kf7 33.Ra7+ Kg6 34.Re1 Bd3 35.Rd7 d4 36.Rc1 Ra6 37.h4 Bf5 38.Rd5 Be6 39.Rdxc5 d3 40.R5c3 Kh5 41.g3 Ra2 42.Rxd3 Bh3 43.Rc7 Kh6 44.g4 Rg2+ 45.Kh1 Rf2 46.Rdd7 Bf1 47.Rxg7 Bd3 48.Rgd7 Rxf3 49.Kg2 1-0
Petrosian,Tigran L (2606) - Nakamura,Hikaru (2670) [B02]
Gibtelecom Masters Gibraltar (9), 30.01.2008
1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.g3 d6 4.exd6 Qxd6 5.Bg2 Nc6 6.Nc3 Nxc3 7.bxc3 e5 8.d3 Be7 9.Ne2 Be6 10.c4 Qd7 11.Rb1 0-0-0 12.0-0 Bh3 13.Bh1 Bxf1 14.Qxf1 f5 15.Nc3 Rdf8 16.Nd5 Bc5 17.Rb5 b6 18.c3 Nb8 19.Rb3 f4 20.d4 fxg3 21.hxg3 exd4 22.Bg2 Qf7 23.cxd4 Bxd4 24.Rf3 Qe8 25.Bf4 Rf7 26.Rd3 Bc5 27.Nc3 Re7 28.Rd1 c6 29.Bf3 Rf8 30.Qh3+ Kb7 31.Kg2 g5 32.Bxg5 Qf7 33.Rd3 Rd7 34.Rxd7+ Nxd7 35.Bf4 Ne5 36.Ne4 Nd3 37.Ng5 Nxf4+ 38.gxf4 Qxf4 39.Qh5 Rf5 40.Bxc6+ Ka6 41.Nh3 Qxf2+ 42.Nxf2 Rxh5 43.Ne4 0-1
Nakamura,Hikaru (2670) - Efimenko,Zahar (2638) [A22]
Gibtelecom Masters Gibraltar (10), 31.01.2008
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e5 3.g3 Bb4 4.Bg2 Bxc3 5.bxc3 0-0 6.d3 d6 7.e4 Nc6 8.Ne2 Bd7 9.h3 Ne8 10.0-0 a6 11.a4 b6 12.f4 exf4 13.Bxf4 Ne5 14.Nd4 g6 15.Nc2 Ng7 16.Ne3 f6 17.d4 Nf7 18.g4 c6 19.Ra2 Ne6 20.Bg3 Neg5 21.Qd3 Qe7 22.h4 Ne6 23.Rb2 Rab8 24.Rbf2 Nh6 25.c5 bxc5 26.dxc5 Nxc5 27.Qxd6 Qxd6 28.Bxd6 Nxa4 29.Bxf8 Rxf8 30.g5 Ng4 31.Nxg4 Bxg4 32.Rxf6 Rc8 33.R1f4 Bd7 34.Bf1 1-0
3) Our Men in Moscow
Mechanics' members IMs Josh Friedel and David Pruess made it safely to the site of the Moscow Open after a few adventures and have after 4 rounds have 3 and 2 points respectively. GM Gregory Kaidanov has 3 points while IM Irina Krush, playing in a strong all women's Swiss, has 3.5.
4) National Chess Championships Coming to Lindsborg
ANATOLY KARPOV INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF CHESS
106 South Main Street., Lindsborg, Kansas 67456
785-227-2224 - Internet site:
Contact: Tom Brownscombe 785-227-2224
Brownscombe@anatolykarpovchessschool.org or Wes Fisk 785-227-4121Lindsborg, Kansas will be the site of three major national chess championships in June and July. The Karpov Chess School’s Executive Director, Tom Brownscombe, said the United States Chess Federation (USCF) notified him that Lindsborg submitted the winning bids for three national championship events: the U.S. Junior Open, U.S. Junior Closed Championship, and the U.S. Cadet Championship. New York had been chosen as the site for these championships, but Lindsborg was given the championships after the organizers in New York failed to make the necessary arrangements. Tampa, Florida hosted these events in 2007.
“As to the U.S. Junior Open, the top junior chess players from throughout the United States will be coming to Lindsborg this summer. This is a great opportunity for the top young chess players in Kansas to play against the best young players in the country,” said Brownscombe. The U.S. Junior Open will be played on July 25-27 and is expected to bring about 150-200 players to Lindsborg.
The U.S. Junior Closed and U.S. Cadet Championships, unlike the U.S. Junior Open, are invitational events that will be held June 13-17. In the U.S. Junior Closed, USCF officials will select the top ten ranked players under 21 years of age who in turn will compete for national honors. The Cadet Championships will be similar except invitations will go out to the top eight ranked U.S. players under 16.
The U.S. Junior Open will immediately follow the second week of the Karpov Chess Camp, which has back-to-back camps scheduled from July 13 through July 25. Grandmaster Varuzhan Akobian, winner of the 2007 World Open, will be this year’s guest instructor. Akobian will be assisted by FIDE Master Tom Brownscombe, Executive Director of the Karpov Chess School.
“This is exciting,” said Marck Cobb, President of the International Chess Institute of the Midwest that operates the Karpov Chess School. “We are pleased to be part of the tradition of hosting these prestigious national events.”
The Lindsborg bid was made possible with the help of a grant from the Kansas Department of Commerce.
The Karpov Chess School, located at 106 South Main, hosts Social Chess nights at 7p.m. on the first and third Thursdays of each month. Beginners are welcome.
5) Here and There
The Berkeley Chess Club's new Sunday night tournament begins this Sunday,
the 10th. New players are always welcome and half-point byes are available by request.
Here are the standings for the six-week tournament that ended on January 27th ( mistakenly reported as 5 rounds in Newsletter #381). Expert Salar Jahedi took first place with 5.5 points with Steven Krasnov second at 4.5. h
ttp://www.berkeleychessschool.org/BCC/Standings.html
The book Bobby Fischer goes to War is going to be made into a movie. Go to
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117979908.html?categoryid=13&cs=1
NM Sam Shankland writes,
but I would need a team. I am looking for players rated between 2000-2250. Contact me at
samshankland@yahoo.com if interested.6) Upcoming Events
Events at the Mechanics'
Henry Gross Memorial - February 9Bay Area organizer Salman Azhar writes
Thanks for your regular newsletters… they have become my main source of local chess information. I would appreciate any comments or suggestions you have on a Journal that my son and I plan to publish every quarter. You can see the first attempt at http://www.bayareachess.com/newsletter/08-1-BayAreaJournal.pdf.
I will be running the following events in the first half of 2008.
Mar. 8 Bay Area Chess Tournament (Adult/Regular)
4SS G/60. 3003 Scott Blvd., Santa Clara, CA 95054. EF: $39, Juniors $35. $16 more after 3/4, $1 Cal Chess Discount, Additional discount if combined with other tournament entries. $850 b/40: Open 200-100, U1800 50, highest rating increase 50. Reserve (u1600): 200-100 U1400 50, U1200 50, highest rating increase 50. Reg: Sat 9:15-9:45 AM, Rds: 10:15-12:15, lunch, 12:50-2:50 PM, 3:00-5:00 PM, 5:10-7:10 PM. Ent: Online at
http://www.bayareachess.com/pay_online.php or mail to Azleena Azhar, 1551 Garvey Pl. San Jose, CA 95132. Payable to Azleena Azhar or paypal to sazhar@yahoo.com. Info: http://www.bayareachess.com/. NS NC WMay. 24 Bay Area Chess Tournament (Adult/Regular)
4SS G/60. 3003 Scott Blvd., Santa Clara, CA 95054. EF: $39, Juniors $35. $16 more after 5/20, $1 Cal Chess Discount, Additional discount if combined with other tournament entries. $850 b/40: Open 200-100, U1800 50, highest rating increase 50. Reserve (u1600): 200-100 U1400 50, U1200 50, highest rating increase 50. Reg: Sat 9:15-9:45 AM, Rds: 10:15-12:15, lunch, 12:50-2:50 PM, 3:00-5:00 PM, 5:10-7:10 PM. Ent: Online at
http://www.bayareachess.com/pay_online.php or mail to Azleena Azhar, 1551 Garvey Pl. San Jose, CA 95132. Payable to Azleena Azhar or paypal to sazhar@yahoo.com. Info: http://www.bayareachess.com/. NS NC WMay. 24-26 or 25-26 Bay Area Chess Tournament (Adult/Regular)
6SS 30/90 G/60 (2-day option first 3 rounds G/60 merges in round 4). 3003 Scott Blvd., Santa Clara, CA 95054. EF: $55, Juniors $49. $16 more after 5/20, $1 Cal Chess Discount, Additional discount if combined with other tournament entries. $1475 b/55: OPEN 300-150, u2000 100-75, u1800 100-75, highest rating increase 50. RESERVE (u1600): 200-100 u1400 100, 75, u1200 100, 75, highest rating increase 50. Reg: Sat 10-10:30 AM, Sun 8:15-8:45 AM, Rds: 3-day = 5/24 11am, 4pm; 5/25 11am, 4:30pm; 5/26 10am, 3pm. 2-day = 5/25 9:20, 11:30am, 2pm, round 4 merges with 3-day schedule. Ent: M
ail to Azleena Azhar, 1551 Garvey Pl. San Jose, CA 95132. Payable to Azleena Azhar or paypal to sazhar@yahoo.com. Info: http://www.bayareachess.com/. NS NC WFebruary 16-18