Mechanics' Institute Chess Room Newsletter #93

1) De Guzman and Baja tie for first in William Addison Open
2) Wong leads Summer Tuesday Night Marathon
3) GM Sisniega coming to Bay Area
4) Robert Haines ties for second in New Mexico Open
5) Benson library up for sale
6) Upcoming Events

This weekend, the Mechanics' will be hosting the Providian MI Bay Area Scholastic Chess Championship. Entry fee is free and there are still a few spots open. Contact Anthony Corrales at apcorrales@hotmail.com for more information.

Honor Roll of Imre Konig Memorial donors:
Tibor Weinberger, Mark Pinto, Jim Eade, Neil Falconer, Toshio Imai, Bryan Bilby, Bear Stearns, Haluk Akol, Mike Goodall, Dr. Ben Gross and Peter Stevens.

1) De Guzman and Baja tie for first in William Addison Open

IM Ricardo De Guzman and NM Victor Baja tied for first at 4 1/2 - 1/2 in the 38-player William Addison Open held June 22 at the MI. Ironman Anthony Corrales directed. A complete list of prize winners follows.
Prize Winners: 1st - 2nd Overall De Guzman and Baja - $150 each
1st - 2nd Expert Hammer and Lazar - $45 each
1st "A" Argishti - $75
1st through 4th "B": M.Krubnik, Gross, Sowell, E.Perpelitsky - $17.50 each
1st - 2nd Garg and Wilkowski - $32.50 each

2) Wong leads Summer Tuesday Night Marathon

NM Russell Wong defeated FM Frank Thornally in the fourth round of the Mechanics' Summer Tuesday Night Marathon to grab the lead at 4-0. NM David Blohm and Expert Victor Ossipov share second at 3 1/2. A record 68 players are competing in this eight round event. This marks the third consecutive Marathon with more than 60 players.

3) GM Sisniega coming to Bay Area

Marc Newman from the Berkeley Chess School writes:
The Berkeley Chess School is offering scholastic summer camps (grades K-8) in the cities of Berkeley, Fremont, Walnut Creek, and San Carlos. Featured teachers are GM Marcel Sisniega (coming in from Mexico), IM Elliott Winslow, national master Roger Poehlmann, and high expert Nicholas Proudfoot.

Starting dates are June 24 except for San Carlos and weekly sessions run well into July.

More information can be found here:
http://www.berkeleychessschool.org/Pages/summer_camp/summercamp.htm
We can be reached at (510) 843-0150

4) Robert Haines ties for second in New Mexico Open

Long time Bay Area resident NM Robert Haines, who moved back to his native New Mexico a short while ago, tied for second in last weekends Albuquerque Open, which was won by rapidly improving youngster NM Lior Lapid.

5) Benson library up for sale

Alan Benson, director of innumerable Peoples' Opens and the 1984 US Championship in Berkeley, is putting his library up for sale. Complete details can be found at Kerry Lawless' website: Click here: ChessDryad.Com

6) Upcoming Events

Charles Bagby Memorial: July 20
Vladimir Pafhutieff Memorial: August 17

Both these events are 5-round, G/45, Swiss system events starting at 10 AM. The links for these two tournaments will be up shortly.

August 12-16 3rd Annual Mechanics' Institute Chess Camp for Intermediate and Advanced Players (1200-2200)

This is not a camp for players that want to jump two rating classes in five days. You won't learn how to win against the Sicilian every time using the Grand Prix Attack. So why our camp and not others? At the MI camp you will get a look inside a GM's laboratory and get a feel for how they work on their game from the ground up. You will learn not only the importance of analyzing your own games, but also how to do it properly. You will learn to identify the critical points of the game and to understand when and why things went wrong.

You will learn how to use ChessBase and Fritz efficiently as part of a daily training program as well as utilizing resources on the Internet such as TWIC and the Internet Chess Club. Today chess books are cranked out at an incredible rate. Some of them are very good, many are quite bad. We will help students learn to select that which is truly useful.

On the fun side our instructors have unique experience in international competition. Expect to hear stories and anecdotes about what it's like to play against Kasparov and defend first board in a Chess Olympiad. Instructors: Grandmasters Alex Yermolinsky, International Masters John Donaldson and Guillermo Rey, and MI Scholastic Director Anthony Corrales.

Who: Open to all ages from 8 and up.
When : August 12-16, from 9am to 5pm
Where: 57 Post Street, 4th floor (Montgomery BART station)
Cost: $320 for Mechanics' members, $355 for junior (under 21) non-members, $405 for adult non-members. All non-members will receive a one year membership in the MI. There is a limit of 40 players for this camp. If you can't attend the whole camp there is a drop in fee of $80 a day

Regional Events:

Jun. 29-30 GPP: 6 N. California
Jessie Jeans Open. 4SS, G/120. Jessie Jean's Coffee House & Deli, 1426 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa (parking on south side of Burger King lot). $$1000 Gtd! Open: (All) $250-175. Reserve: (1500-1900) $200-125. Booster: (U1500) $150-100. All: EF: $35 if rec'd by 6/22, $40 at site (no phone ents). Reg: 6/29 8:30-9:30am, Rds: 10-3, 10-3. Time delay preferred, bring equip., none supp. Unr. must play in Open sect. One 1/2 pt. bye avail. Ent/Info: Mike Goodall, 461 Peachstone Terr., San Rafael, CA 94903-1327. 415-491-1269, mike.goodall@worldnet.att.net. NS,NC,W,FIDE.

Jul. 5-7 GPP: 6 N. California
2002 Sacramento Chess Championship. 6SS, Rds: 3-day 30/90, G/1; 2-day Rds. 1-3 G/60, 4-6 30/90 G/1. 5-sec. delay on all TC's. Best Western Expo Inn, 1413 Howe Ave., Sacramento. HR: 916-922-9833 or 1-800-643-4422. Ask for Sacramento Chess Club rates. 3 Sections: Master/Expert (above 1999), Reserve (1600-1999), Amateur (U1600). $$: 1st place in ea. sect. $300 & trophy, 1st prize in Master/Expert Gtd. Reg: 7/5 8:15-9:30am, 7/6 8:15-9:10. Rds: 3-day 10-3:30, 11-5, 10-3:30; 2-day 9:30-11:45-2-5, 10-3:30. EF: 3-day $55, Jrs. $27 postmarked by 6/29, $65, Jrs. $32 after 6/29 and on-site. 2-day $56, Jrs. $28 postmarked by 6/29, $66, Jrs $33 after 6/29 and on site. IMs/GMs free. Entrants may play up one section for $10. $5 disc. to CalChess membs. Re-entry after rd. 2 of the 3-day sched: $40 (no other discounts). 6/02 Rating List only. Please bring equipment. Max. two 1/2 pt. byes avail. in all rds., rds. 5-6 must be requested prior to rd. 1. Ent/Info: John McCumiskey (TD), 6700 50th St, Sacramento, CA 95823-1306. jmclmc@lanset.com, 916-557-7053 (days), 916-428-5532 (eves). Cks payable to Sacramento Chess Club. Full flyer: http://www.lanset.com/jmclmc/default.htm under Weekend Events.

Aug. 24-25 GPP: 6 N. California
Frank Harris Memorial Chess Tournament. 4SS, 40/2, SD/30. Vallejo Chess Club, 333 Amador St., Vallejo (From San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley- Sacramento-Fairfield: Take I-80 toward Vallejo, exit on Georgia St., go west toward Central Vallejo, 3 lights make rt on Amador, 1/2 blk. on left). $$b/60 pd. ents. Open: (2000+) $$400-250, Best X $200. Reserve: (1600-1999) $$350-200, Best B $200. Booster: (1599/Unr.) $$300-150, Best D/Unr. $200. EF: $50 by 8/20, $55 later. Reg: 8:30-9:30am Sat. Ent: Cks payable to Maximo Fajardo, 127 Missouri St., Vallejo, CA 94590. 707-980-0311. Bring sets/boards, none supplied!

Aug. 31-Sept. 2 GPP: 15 N. California
2002 CalChess Labor Day Festival. 6SS, 30/90, SD/1 (2-day option rds 1-3 G/60). Golden Geteway Holiday Inn, Van Ness at Pine, San Francisco. $$b/130 pd. adult, 20 paid jr. ents. 7 Sects: Master: $700-$350-$200; U2400, $300. Expert: $400-$200-$100. A: $350-$175-$100. B: $350-$175-$100. C: $350-175-100. D/E: $350-$175-$100; U1200 $225. Unr: Trophy 1st. Trophy to top finisher (State Champion) in ea. sect. All: EF: $60 postmarked by 8/27 (Jrs. $50), 3-day: $59 (Jrs $49), 2-day: $70 at site (Jrs. $55). Unr: $40 in the D/E sect. or may play up to the Master section for the regular fee. $5 disc. to CalChess membs. USCF memb. req'd. May play up 1 sect. for add'l $10 (Jrs $5). GM/IM free ent. Reg: Sat. 8-9:30am, Sun. 8:15-9:15am, Rds: All compete for the same prizes. 3-day: Sat 10-4, Sun 11-4:30, Mon 10-3:30. 2-day schedule Sun 9:30-11:45-2 then merges. 1/2 pt bye(s) any rd(s) if req'd in adv., byes rds 5-6 must be req'd before Rd 1. 2002 August Ratings List, CCA minimums & Directors discretion will be used to place players as accurately as possible. Please bring clocks & equipment. HR: Golden Gateway Holiday Inn, 415-441-4000. Info: Richard Koepcke 415-964-2640. Ent: Richard Koepcke, 2047 Montecito Ave #30, Mountain View, CA 94043. No Phone entries. FIDE.