The vast majority of players will have some degree of laziness in their thoughts both during and in between games; they talk about chess a lot, skim through lots of books but don't actually sit down, get a board and pieces out and analyze chess positions.

Nigel Davies

Note - This is the second Newsletter this week due to the holiday season. The regular schedule will resume on Wednesday, January 10th.

1) Mechanics' Institute Chess Club News 
2) North American Open 
3) Jim Berry Announces his Candidacy for USCF Executive Board 
4) John Grefe improving 
5) Upcoming Events 

1) Mechanics' Institute Chess Club News

The Mechanics' Chess Club will resume its regular schedule on January 3rd with a lecture by GM Alex Yermolinsky. The Winter Tuesday Night Marathon starts January 9 and runs eight rounds. The next G/45 event, the 7th Bob Burger Open, is January 20.

2) North American Open

Hikaru Nakamura appears to be heading for a smashing victory with a round to go in the North American Open in Las Vegas. MI Grandmaster-in-Residence Alex Yermolinsky is well positioned for a strong finish and a spot in the US Championship.

North American Open (3) 2006
Sharavdorj - Shabalov
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 c6 4.Nc3 e6 5.Bg5 dxc4 6.e4 b5 7.e5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Nxg5 hxg5 10.Bxg5 Nbd7 11.g3 Bb7 12.Bg2 Qc7 13.exf6 c5 14.d5 b4 15.d6 Qb6 16.Ne4 O-O-O 17.O-O Bd5 18.Qe2 Qc6 19.b3 Nb6 20.Bf4 Bh6 21.Be5 Bd2 22.f4 c3 23.Nxd2 cxd2 24.Qxd2 Kb7 25.Rac1 Rc8 26.Rf2 a5 27.Qe3 Rhd8 28.h4 c4 29.Bxd5 Nxd5 30.Qf3 c3 31.g4 a4 32.g5 axb3 33.axb3 Qa6 34.Rcc2 Qa3 35.f5 Qxb3 36.fxe6 fxe6 37.f7 Qb1 38.Kh2 Qe1 39.Rce2 Qb1 40.d7 Ra8 41.f8Q Rxf8 42.Qxf8 Rxf8 43.Rxf8 Qd3 44.Ref2 Nf4 45.R8xf4 1-0

North American Open (5) 2006
Milov-Sharavdorj
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 c5 5.Bd3 Nc6 6.Nge2 cxd4 7.exd4 d5 8.cxd5 Nxd5 9.a3 Bd6 10.Ne4 Be7 11.Bc2 O-O 12.Qd3 Qc7 13.O-O Rd8 14.Ng5 g6 15.Qf3 Bf8 16.Rd1 Bg7 17.h4 h6 18.Ne4 Nce7 19.N4c3 Bd7 20.h5 g5 21.Nxd5 Nxd5 22.Qd3 Bb5 23.Qh7 Kf8 24.Nc3 Bc6 25.Nxd5 Rxd5 26.a4 Re8 27.b3 f5 28.Ba3 Kf7 29.Bd3 Qd7 30.Rac1 g4 31.Bc4 Qd8 32.Bxd5 Qxd5 33.Rxc6 Qxc6 34.d5 Qd7 1-0

North American Open (5) 2006
Yermolinsky - Onyekwere
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.Bg5 dxc4 6.e4 b5 7.e5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Nxg5 hxg5 10.Bxg5 Nbd7 11.g3 Rg8 12.h4 Rxg5 13.hxg5 Nd5 14.g6 fxg6 15.Qg4 Qe7 16.Bg2 Qf7 17.Be4 Ne7 18.Nxb5 cxb5 19.Bxa8 Nb6 20.Be4 Nbd5 21.f3 Kd8 22.Kf2 Kc7 23.Rh8 Bg7 24.Rh7 Kb6 25.Rah1 Bd7 26.a3 a5 27.Qg5 Bc6 28.R1h4 b4 29.axb4 axb4 30.Kg2 Qf8 31.Rh1 c3 32.bxc3 Nxc3 33.Bxc6 Nxc6 34.Qe3 Kb5 35.Qd3 Kb6 36.Qc4 Bxe5 37.Ra1 Nb5 38.Ra6 Kxa6 39.Qxc6 Ka5 40.Rb7 1-0

North American Open (6) 2006
Nakamura -Milov
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Bd3 Ne7 6.O-O Nbc6 7.Nxc6 Nxc6 8.f4 d6 9.Nd2 g6 10.Nf3 Bg7 11.c3 O-O 12.Qe2 Re8 13.Qf2 Qc7 14.Nh4 b5 15.Be3 Bb7 16.Rad1 Qe7 17.Bb6 Bf6 18.Nf3 e5 19.g3 Bg7 20.Bb1 Nd8 21.f5 Bf8 22.Nh4 Bc6 23.a3 Qb7 24.Ba2 g5 25.Ng6 Bxe4 26.Nxf8 d5 27.Qe3 h6 28.Nd7 1-0

3) Jim Berry Announces his Candidacy for USCF Executive Board

The deadline for filing for the USCF Executive Board is January 10 and presently it looks like there will be nine candidates for the four vacant spots. These include Susan Polgar, Paul Truong, Mikhail Korenman, Sam Sloan, Don Schultz, Randy Bauer, Joe Lux, Mike Goodall and Jim Berry.

The latter, from Stillwater, Oklahoma, brings an interesting set of skills to the EB race. A member of the USCF for over 40 years, James Berry is both a active player ( 225 tournaments since 1991) and director (72 events since 1991). He and his twin brother Frank, who were mentored by the late USCF President Jerry Spann in their youth, have made Oklahoma a mecca for top level chess the past fifteen years. Among the players to compete in their events are current US Champion Alex Onischuk and runner-up Yury Shulman and the entire 2004 US Women's Olympiad teams including Susan Polgar.

Besides a lifelong interest in the game Mr. Berry has a varied business career. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Stillwater National Bank (OKSB on Nasdaq) and since 1988 has been the owner of Shading Concepts, which manufactures and sells solarium draperies. From 1973 to 1988, Mr. Berry was a stockbroker in Oklahoma City with a major Wall Street firm.

4) John Grefe improving

John Grefe, who tied for first with Lubosh Kavalek in the 1973 US Championship, is trying to battle back from a very serious case of diabetes that caused him to be hospitalized for over 6 weeks and lose over 70 libs the past half year. The New Jersey native, who has made the Bay Area his home since the late 1960s, is eager to hear from old friends. You can contact John at (415) 845-4038 or (510) 326-2390.

5) Upcoming Events

Mechanics' Events

Bob Burger Open - January 20
Henry Gross Memorial - February 10
A.J. Fink Amateur - March 3 and 4
Max Wilkerson Open - March 24

Feb 17, 18 19 President's Day FIDE Open OK GP # 1 Stillwater
*80 USCF GP Points* *$11,000 Prize Fund Guaranteed *2007 OCF GP #1 *7-SS*, G/120+10 sec, Holiday Inn 2515 W. 6th Ave (Hwy-51) Stillwater, OK 1-405-372-0800. HR: 60-60-60. EF: $40 if postmarked and PAID before Feb 14, $50 at door. Free EF for FIDE rated players, Reg: Sat 8-10AM. Rds: Sat 12-5, Sun 10-2:30-7, Mon 9-1:15. *$$G 11,000 *will not be lowered. $$G $900, $800, $700, $600, $500, $400, $100 $$G 600 each class A,B,C,D & below. Unr competes in D & below. $100 Okla under age 16. Women's Prizes**: $1,000, 900, 800, 700, 600, 500; $10 OCF required from all players, 2 byes rds 1-5; Free Parking, Ent: Frank Berry, 402 S. Willis, Stillwater, OK 74074 NC, CMV, LS, W, USCF, FIDE. Note: Women FIDE players contact FKimBerry@AOL.com for free lodging arrangements at hotel and $500 appearance fees. Transportation for all available from and to Tulsa > airport to Stillwater Friday before and Monday/Tuesday afterward.