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"A young player, specifically because he is so inexperienced, naturally fears an established master. Only the ambitious player becomes a solid master, and that by breaking that fear. How? By being prepared to play out every game. He must gamble on losing; there is no other way of winning. We all make mistakes. A determined player makes fewer, and those he does make are more often overlooked simply because of the pressure and tension he exerts on his rival!" William Lombardy 1) Kudrin and Nakamura wins Western States Open 2) Yasser Seirawan to talk at MI 3) Ralston Memorial 4) Fall Tuesday Night Marathon 5) Upcoming Events Some readers of the Newsletter have had trouble receiving recent issues. We apologize for the inconvenience and are trying to fix the problem. Archives of back issues can be found at the MI Chess room website (www.chessclub.org) and www.chessdryad.com . 1) Kudrin and Nakamura wins Western States OpenA full report of this event, which included the participation of over 50 MI members will appear in the next Newsletter. Standings for the Western States Open (406 players) October 17-19 in Reno at the Sands Regency Hotel and Casino
1-2. GMs Nakamura and Kudrin 5-1
Pavel Blatny - Chouchanik Airapetian 1.e3 The Vant Kruijs opening, named after the Dutch master from the 19th century, is not exactly a common choice for Grandmasters. Its chief virtue is its ability to transpose into many different openings which probably explains its attraction for the Czech GM. Though today he is know for unconventional openings, Blatny can go either way. He knows a lot of classical openings and can open 1.e4 and defend double King and Queen Pawn games very successfully, but he also enjoys setting new challenges for his opponents. In particular he loves formations characterized by advancing his f-pawn two squares and fianchettoing his Queen Bishop. 1...e5 2.b3 d5 3.Bb2 Bd6 4.f4!? exf4 Taking up the challenge! The next few moves are forced for both sides. 5.Bxg7 Qh4+ 6.g3 fxg3 7.Bg2 gxh2+ 8.Kf1 If this position seems vaguely familiar it may be because you are confusing it with the Queen's Fianchetto Defense: 1.e4 b6 2.d4 Bb7 3.Bd3 f5 4.exf5 Bxg2 5.Qh5+ g6 6.fxg6 Bg7 7.gxh7+ Kf8 8...hxg1Q+ 9.Kxg1 Qg5 10.Bxh8 Its time to count material. White is an Exchange up and hopes to win time by the attack against the pawn on h7. Black has an extra pawn and chances to trap the Bishop on h8. Who has evaluated the position correctly? 10...Bg4 11.Qf1 If White can improve his play, it may be here with 11.Qe1!?, trying to deny Black's Queen h4. 11...Nd7! This theoretical novelty is a substantial improvement over the previously played 11...h5. Airapetian offers the h-pawn, and more, as she concentrates on development at all cost. 12.Nc3 White could also capture on h7 immediately which could lead ton play very similar to the game: 12.Rxh7 Ngf6 13.Bxf6 Nxf6 14.Rh8+ Ke7 15.Rxa8 Qh4. 12...c6 13.Rxh7 Ngf6! Please take my other Rook! 14.Bxf6 Nxf6 15.Rh8+ Ke7 16.Rxa8 Qh4 17.Qe1 Bg3 Now Black seems to have an overwhelming attack but Blatny finds a nice resource that he must have foreseen before capturing the Rook an a8. 18.Rh8! Take my Rook! 18...Nh5 19.Qxg3 Qxg3 20.Rf1 Bh3 21.Rf2 Bxg2 Black must force the perpetual before White consolidates. 22.Rxg2 Qe1+ 23.Kh2 Qh4+ 24.Kg1 Qe1+ 25.Kh2 Qh4+ 26.Kg1 Qe1+ Draw A game that reflects well on both players. 2) Yasser Seirawan to talk at MITwo-time World Championship Candidate Yasser Seirawan will be giving a free talk at the Mechanics Institute on Saturday, November 1, at 3pm. Seirawan, who recently announced his retirement from tournament play, will talk about the world of top level chess and the problems it is currently facing. Yasser played often in Northern California tournaments during his formative years and has many ties to the area. We hope his many friends in the Bay Area will come out to hear him in his first appearance in San Francisco since the 1999 Bronstein Jubilee Action Tournament. Among those expected to attend Yassers talk is Mikhail Korenman, organizer of the Lindsborg Chess Festival this December and director of the first Karpov Chess School in North America. The Lindsborg Open promises excellent norm hunting opportunities with GMs Onischuk, Andersson, Atalik, Yermolinsky, Yudasin, Shulman, Blatny, Baburin, Kudrin and Sharavdorj all signed up to play. Details for the Festival may be found below. 3) Ralston MemorialThe MI will be hosting a round robin tournament offering IM norm possibilities starting in late October. The field for the Category 3 (2320) event is GM Yermolinsky, IM DeGuzman, IM Ilic, FMs Evans, Keatinge-Clay, Zilberstein, Mezentsev and Lobo plus NMs Poehlmann, Ishkhanov and Shivaji. Vladimir Mezentsev will be gunning for his third and final IM norm. Among other contestants Lobo and Keatinge-Clay each have one norm. Play starts October 25. This will be one of only a handful of tournaments held in the USA this year offering norm possibilities and continues an annual MI tradition dating back to 1995. Vinay Bhat, Cyrus Lakdawala, Jesse Kraai and Mark Paragua are among those who earned their title at the Mechanics. Running these events is expensive when you factor in the cost of travel to bring in foreign players, a prize fund and honoraria for titled participants. If you would like to help to support these events consider sending a tex-deductible donation to the MI (57 Post St., Room 408, San Francisco, CA 94104) which enjoys 501 (c) (3) status as an officially recognized nonprofit educational organization. 4) Fall Tuesday Night MarathonIM Walter Shipman, FM Frank Thornally and NM Win Ye of Myanmar are three of the top seeds in the Mechanics Institute Tuesday Fall Marathon which began last night and continues until December 16. It is still possible to ernter the 9 round event with a half point first round bye. 5) Upcoming Events
Upcoming Tournaments at the MI
33rd Carroll Capps Memorial - Nov. 8-9 Oct. 24-26 8th Annual Governors Cup GPP: 80 South Dakota 5SS, 40/2, All/1. Holiday Inn City Centre, 100 West 8th St., Sioux Falls, SD. 605-339-2000. Ask for chess rate $79.00. EF: $55 if by 10/20; $75 at site; GMs, Ims, and over 2400 free. (18 & under preregistering in Reserve section pay $35). Reg: 10/24, 4-5pm. Rds: 6; 10-4:30; 9-9:30. Byes: One + point bye allowed in Rds 1-3 if requested in advance. Total prize fund: $10,000, Unconditionally guaranteed. Open section: $1200-1000-800-600; Master: $500-300-100; Expert: $400-250-100; Under 2000: $200-100. FIDE Premier section (Under 2000): PZ: $700-500-300; Top B: $300-200-100; Under 1600: $175-100. Reserve section (Under 1600): PZ: $600-450-300; Top D: $250-150-75; Under 1200: 150-100. Info/Ent: Sioux Empire Chess Federation, 2100 Slaten Court, Sioux Falls, SD 57103. 605-338-9431. knudson1@sio.midco.net or www.sdchess.org/govcup
November 27-30 American Open in Los Angeles Dec. 19-23. GPP: 60 Kansas 2nd Annual Lindsborg Open. 9SS, 30/90, SD/1.First two rounds accelerated pairing. 3,500 guaranteed prize fund! GM & IMnorms are available! FIDE rating 1st - $1,200, 2nd - $800, 3rd - $600, 4th 400, 5th 200. U2400: $100 75; U2200: $100 75EF: GMs & IMs free. Membership at KCA is required for Kansas residents.Before 11/15/03: FIDE >2300, $80. FIDE, USCF >2200, $90. FIDE <2200, $100. non-FIDErated, USCF <2200 *, $130. Before 12/1/03: $90, $100, $110, $140, respectively. At site: $100, $110, $120, $150, respectively. * number of players in this section will be limited. Schedule: Opening Ceremony December 19, 2003 at 11:00am. Rds: 12/19 - 12:00noon & 6:00 pm; 12/20, 21, 22 - 10:00am & 5:00pm; 12/23 9:00am 1/2-pt byes OK at ALL. Limit 3. FIDE, USCF. NS, NC. Ent: INTECS,Inc. (232 N. Main St, Lindsborg, KS 67456) 785-906-0402 Dec. 19-21. GPP: Kansas 3rd Annual Lindsborg Rotary Open. 6SS, $1,500 guaranteed prize fund! Open: G/120. 1st - $300, 2nd - $200, 3rd - $100; U1800: $100 75 50; U1600: $100 75 50; U1400: $100 75 50; U1200-UNR: $100 75 50 EF: $50 (paid before 11/15); $60 (before 12/15); $70 (at site) Schedules: Reg: 12/19 by 5:30pm. Rds: 12/19 6:00pm; 12/20 9:00, 1:30, 7:00; 12/21 9:00, 1:30. 1/2-pt byes OK at ALL. Last bye must commit before round 4. USCF. NS, NC. Ent: INTECS, Inc. (232 N. Main St, Lindsborg, KS 67456) 785-906-0402, http://www.intecsus.org/. Info: intecsus@yahoo.com HR: http://www.lindsborg.org/ 1-888-227-2227. Dec. 13. Karpov Chess School Scholastic Tournament. Presents tournament guests: 12th World Champion Anatoly Karpov; 2003 World Championship Qualified Grandmasters Alexander Onischuk, Yury Shulman, and Ivan Morovic (Chile). 5SS, G/30. Sections: K-3, K-5, K-8, K-12. Trophies for each category: 1-3 (teams and individuals); medals 4-20. Schedule: Reg: Ends at 9:30am. Opening Ceremony: 9:45am. Rds: 10:00am; 12:45pm, 2:00pm, 3:15pm, 4:30pm. Closing ceremony: 5:45pm EF: $25, including tournament registration, tournament brochure, autographed photo with Grandmasters, and free tickets to the Invitational tournament (details on www.lindsborg.org). Ent: INTECS, Inc. (232 N. Main St, Lindsborg, KS 67456) 785-906-0402, http://www.intecsus.org/. Info: intecsus@yahoo.com HR: http://www.lindsborg/.org, 1-888-227-2227. |