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"It is even more important to look around than to look ahead. " C.S. Purdy 1) Nakamura shines in Libya 2) Shahade wins US Womens Championship 3) James Al-Shamma wins William Addison Open 4) Ossipov and Tserendorj lead Summer TNM 5) Salvatierra first in Wednesday Blitz 6) Jude Acers visits Santa Rosa 7) Mechanics' Institute Chess Directors 8) Here and There 9) Chess Camps 10) Upcoming Events 1) Nakamura shines in LibyaHikaru Nakamura shined brightly in the FIDE World Championship Knockout in Tripoli, Libya, advancing to the round of 16 before being eliminated by world top ten player Michael Adams of England. Hikaru defeated Russian 2600s Volkov, Aleksandrov and Lastin. This result is the best by an American player in the World Championship knockout series since Boris Gulko reached the fourth round in 2000. This result will propel Hikaru solidly into the ranks of FIDE 2600 players and clearly establishes him as one of the best players in the world under 21. It may be premature to predict exactly how far Hikaru will go but clearly the US has not had a player with this potential at this age since Gata Kamsky. Last Wednesday, US Champion Alex Shabalov gave a lecture at the Mechanics' in which he was scheduled to go over some of his own games from recent events. He modestly declined and instead went over Hikaru's wins over Aleksandrov. This included Nakamura's epic 102 move win in the first game which Shaba said "You could write a book on this game alone." Here it is:
Nakamura,H (2580) - Aleksandrov,A (2668) [A18] 1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.e4 d5 4.e5 d4 5.exf6 dxc3 6.bxc3 Qxf6 7.Nf3 b6 8.d4 Bb7 9.Bd3 h6 10.0-0 Nd7 11.Nd2 Bd6 12.Qg4 Qg5 13.Qh3 Qe7 14.Ne4 Ba3 15.Qg3 0-0-0 16.c5 Bxc1 17.cxb6 axb6 18.Rfxc1 e5 19.a4 f5 20.Nd2 e4 21.Bb5 g5 22.Qe3 Nf6 23.a5 f4 24.Qe2 e3 25.fxe3 Qxe3+ 26.Qxe3 fxe3 27.Nc4 Nd5 28.a6 Ba8 29.Ne5 Rhf8 30.Be2 c5 31.dxc5 Kc7 32.Nc4 bxc5 33.Ra5 Kc6 34.Re1 Nxc3 35.Bf3+ Rxf3 36.gxf3 e2 37.Kf2 Rd4 38.Ne5+ Kb6 39.Ra3 Nb5 40.Re3 Bd5 41.R3xe2 Kxa6 42.Rb2 Rb4 43.Rd2 Rd4 44.Rc2 c4 45.Ke3 Rh4 46.Rb1 c3 47.Nd3 Ka5 48.Ra1+ Kb6 49.Rf2 Nd4 50.Rb1+ Kc7 51.Nb4 Bxf3 52.Rc1 Ne2 53.Rc2 Bh5 54.Nd5+ Kd6 55.Nxc3 Rh3+ 56.Kd2 Nd4 57.Rb2 Nf3+ 58.Kc1 Ne5 59.Rf6+ Kc5 60.Ne4+ Kd4 61.Nf2 Rc3+ 62.Rc2 Rxc2+ 63.Kxc2 Bg6+ 64.Kd2 h5 65.Ke2 g4 66.Kf1 Bc2 67.Kg2 h4 68.Rh6 h3+ 69.Kg3 Be4 70.Rd6+ Ke3 71.Nd1+ Ke2 72.Kf4 Bf3 73.Nc3+ Kf1 74.Rd2 Ng6+ 75.Kg3 Ne7 76.Nb5 Ke1 77.Ra2 Nc6 78.Rb2 Kf1 79.Rd2 Ke1 80.Rd6 Kf1 81.Re6 Nd8 82.Re3 Nc6 83.Re8 Be2 84.Nd6 Nd4 85.Ne4 Kg1 86.Nc3 Nf5+ 87.Kf4 Bf3 88.Kxf5 Kxh2 89.Kf4 Kg2 90.Ne2 h2 91.Ng3 Kh3 92.Rh8+ Kg2 93.Rb8 Kh3 94.Rb5 Be2 95.Rb3 Bd1 96.Ra3 Bf3 97.Nh1 Kh4 98.Nf2 Be2 99.Re3 Bd1 100.Re1 g3 101.Rxd1 g2 102.Rd6 1-0 It will be interesting to see what sort of team the US fields in Spain for the Olympiad this fall. As mentioned in a previous newsletter, the USCF has not been rating foreign FIDE events for USCF rating for several years. This lapse first started when FIDE was slow in getting information to the USCF, but that has no longer been the case for quite some time. An exception was made to rate Rusa Goletiani's victory in the women's Pan American last year. One would hope that Hikaru's excellent performance in Libya will be counted. It's hard to imagine a more significant event for a chess player. It also begs the question why games played at time controls as fast as G/25 should count but high quality events that Hikaru has played in, like Wijk aan Zee and Pamplona, don't. As I said before the system of selection is due for a serious overhaul. Normally the invitations for the Olympiad team would be out by now. Since they haven't, a very complicated situation is developing. Gata Kamsky seems to have returned to the tournament arena making the short list for the Olympiad (with Shabalov is seeded as US Champion) in no particular order: Onishuk, Kamsky, Novikov, Goldin, Kaidanov, Seirawan, Gulko and Nakamura competing for five spots. 2) Shahade wins US Womens ChampionshipJennifer Shahade won the 2004 US Womens Championship and a spot on the Olympiad team by scoring 4.5-1.5. Taking for second were top seeds IMs Anna Zatonskih and Irina Krush at 4-2. Other scores: 4. Battsetseg 3; 5. Goletiani 2.5; Abrahamiyan 2 and 7. Belakovskaia 1. For games and more information go to: http://facpub.stjohns.edu/~kerrt/2004/sjuchess_main.html A concurrent GM norm tournament, also held at the St. John's campus in New York, was won by Leonid Yudasin at 7-2 with fellow GMs Joel Benjamin and John Fedorowicz sharing second with IM Eli Vovsha at 6-3. 3) James Al-Shamma wins William Addison OpenExpert James Al-Shamma won the 4th annual William Addison Open held June 26 at the Mechanics' with a 5-0 score. Tying for second at 4-1 were Nicolas Yap, Drake Wang, Edward Pereplitsky, Ted Castro and Jonathan Soo Hoo. Anthony Corrales and Alex Yermolinsky directed the 43-player event for the Mechanics' Institute. 4) Ossipov and Tserendorj lead Summer TNMVictor Ossipov and Batsaikan Tserendorj are tied for first at 4.5 from 5 in the 85-player Summer Tuesday Night Marathon. Four rounds remain in the event. 5) Salvatierra first in Wednesday BlitzRey Salvatierra won the 20-player Wednesday Night Blitz on June 23rd with a score of 9.5 from 12 in the 6-double round Swiss. Top MI Blitz ratings: 1. IM Deguzman 2649; 2. NM Salvatierra 2374; 3. NM Shibut 2256; 4. NM Margulis 2229; 5. A. Ibraginmov 2158. The MI will host a special blitz event on Sunday, July 11.
Louie Ladow Memorial Louie Ladow, a well-known cab driver and blitz chess specialist, passed away on April 7, 2003. His friends would like to remember him with a special blitz (5-minute) tournament at the Mechanics' Institute. Free entry to all cab drivers, $10 for others. Best cab driver $100, best overall $100, best Expert/A $50, best B/C $50, best D/E/Unr. $50. Format 5 double round Swiss. Registration 11-11:30 AM. Rounds 12:30, 1:30, 2:00 and 2:30 PM. 6) Jude Acers visits Santa RosaDateline - Saturday, June 26 Coddingtown Mall and Santa Rosa Rec and Parks Department co-sponsored a 15-board simul conducted by "The Man in the Red Beret," New Orleans King of Street Chess, Master Jude Acers. For the last 25 years, Acers has taken on all challengers at his Decatur Street Chess Tables near the Gazebo Cafe in New Orleans' famous French Quarter Market. Acers has given over 1,000 such exhibitions in 46 states and 4 foreign nations. At the peak of his tournament career, Acers was #43 in the world, sporting a World Chess Federation rating of 2554. His opponents on Saturday were Santa Rosa student chess players. The R.L. Stevens Elementary School Dolphin Kings Chess Club supplied their top ranks - Cody Bagley, Alex Breeden, Phillip Brenner, Jennaty Him, Brandon Lankhorst, Billy Nicoll, Parik Tep, and Fabian Vazquez. The Santa Rosa Rec Department supplied players from its Spring Youth Chess Tournament winners circle - James Hochstetler, Charlie Kuok, Richard Liang, Thomas Stuart, Robert Stuart, Calvin Thigpen, and Josh Truax. Master Acers delivered an enthusiastic and informative lecture, "The Move I Will Never Forget." He also strongly recommended that all young players read two special chess books: "Logical Chess (Move by Move)" by Irving Chernev and "Chess Secrets I Learned From The Masters" by Edward Lasker. Then Acers began making moves on each of the 15 chessboards, circling around the tables like a formula race car zooming around the track. As the simultaneous exhibition proceeded, Master Acers was seen to pause for thought at one table a bit longer and more frequently than at the others. When the dust finally settled on the whole affair, there was one wonderful surprise in store for everyone. Student chessplayer Robert Stuart, age 14, from Occidental, California, claimed a draw when he discovered a triple repetition of the board position. This is a legitimate chess rule. Master and Challenger shook hands and then Acers signed Stuart's chess scoresheet. Stuart was one of three students who annotated the moves on the complimentary scoresheets provided by the simul organizers. A draw is neither a win nor a loss and Robert Stuart should enjoy long-time bragging rights for tieing against a chess grandmaster! Acers won all 14 games on the other boards. After the last game ended, Acers posed for photos and autographed copies of his latest chess book, The Italian Gambit System. And then off zoomed Master Jude Acers, red beret a blur and wheels screeching 'round another corner on his nationwide "Four Corners Tour" to conduct similar events in San Francisco, San Leandro, and Los Angeles. Keith Halonen 7) Mechanics' Institute Chess DirectorsThe Mechanics' Chess Club has been around since 1854 but has only had a chess director since 1951. Max Wilkerson is the longest serving with 16 years of service.
Arthur Stamer 1951-63 8) Here and ThereAndy Ansel sends in the following duel between two of New England's best players that was not featured in either Vukcevich's or Curdo's books. It comes from the long-running New England magazine Chess Horizons.
Vukcevich, M. Massachusetts Championship (Brokton) 1964 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. a4 Bb7 9. d3 d6 10. c3 Nd7 11. d4 Bf6 12. d5 Ne7 13. axb5 axb5 14. Rxa8 Qxa8 15. Na3 Nc5 16. Nxb5 Rd8 17. Bc4 c6 18. Nc7 Qc8 19. dxc6 Bxc6 20. Nd5 Qb7 21. Ng5 Nxd5 22. exd5 Bb5 23. Bxb5 Qxb5 24. Ne4 Nxe4 25. Rxe4 Ra8 26. Rb4 Qa5 27. Be3 h6 28. h3 Qa2 29. Qf3 Qb1+ 30. Kh2 Qd3 31. Bc1 Qb1 32. Bxh6 Ra1 33. Be3 Qg6 34. Qg4 Qxg4 35. hxg4 g5 36. Rb6 e4 37. b3 Be7 38. Rb4 1-0 Chess Horizons April 1964 Vol III, #2 9) Chess CampsAdvanced 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: Grandmaster Alex Yermolinsky, International Master John Donaldson, and MI Scholastic Director Anthony Corrales.
Who: Open to all ages from 8 and up. 10) Upcoming EventsUpcoming Tournaments at the MI Charles Bagby Memorial - July 17 http://www.chessclub.org/Bagby.html Mechanics' Institute Scholastic Quads 2004 Tournaments: April 17, May 8, June 19 and July 24 Open to players age 18 and under (Limited to first 80 players) Game/45 Rounds : 10:30am, 12:15pm, 2:00pm Late Registration: 9:30am - 10:15am Open: to the first eighty players Note: Quads based on rating. USCF Rated. Unrated players face each other. You must be a USCF member to play in the quads. Time Control: Game in 45 minutes Entry Fee: $20 / $30 day of tournament/ $15 for MI members Checks payable to Mechanics' Chess Club Prizes: Trophies for the winners of each quad. California Events The Sacramento Chess Club will be hosting the Sacramento Chess Championship July 3-5 at the Best Western Expo Inn, 1413 Howe Avenue, in Sacramento. For a complete flyer, please visit the Weekend Events page of the Sacramento Chess Club website: http://sacramentochessclub.org/ For questions or further information, please contact John McCumiskey at sactochess@sacramentochessclub.org /ym/Compose?To=sactochess@sacramentochessclub.org . Or, if you prefer, the on-line TLA information is below: July 3-5 2004 Sacramento Chess Championship GPP: 6 N. California 6SS, Full-K. Best Western Expo Inn, 1413 Howe Avenue, Sacramento, CA. On-site Reg: 7/3, 8:15-9:30am; 7/4, 8:15-9:10am. Rds: 3-day: 7/3, 10 & 3:30; 7/4, 11 & 5; 7/5, 10 & 3:30. 2-day: 7/4, 9:30, 11:45, 2, & 5; 7/5, 10 & 3:30. Time Controls: 3-day: 30/90 G/1. 2-day: Rds 1-3, G/60, Rds 4-6, 30/90 G/1. 5-second delay on all time controls. Sections: Master/Expert (above 1999), Reserve (1600-1999), Amateur (U1600). EF: 3-day $65 (Juniors $35) postmarked by 6/26. $75 (Juniors $40) after 6/26. 2-day $66 (Juniors $36) postmarked by 6/26. $76 (Juniors $41) after 6/26. IMs/GMs free. Entrants may play up one section for $10. $5 discount to CalChess members. Reentry after round 2 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 $2810 b/o 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).. HR: Best Western Expo Inn, (916) 922-9833 or 1-800-643-4422. Ask for the Sacramento Chess Club rates. Adv. Ent & Info: John McCumiskey (TD), 6700 50th St, Sacramento, CA 95823-1306; e-mail: sactochess@sacramentochessclub.org /ym/Compose?To=sactochess@sacramentochessclub.org ; phone: (916) 428-5532, checks payable to Sacramento Chess Club. Full flyer: sacramentochessclub.org http://sacramentochessclub.org/ under Weekend Events. Other Info: 06/04 rating list only. Please bring clocks and equipment. Maximum of two ½ point byes per entry and are available in any round. ½ point byes for rounds 5 & 6 must be requested prior to round 1. NS, NC, W.
July 3-5 or 4-5 44th Annual Pacific Southwest Open |