Mechanics' Institute Chess Room Newsletter #31

1) Sergey Shipov wins Second Internet Chess Tournament "Dos Hermanas"

Sergey Shipov defeated fellow Russian Grandmaster Alexander Rustemov 1 1/2 - 1/2 to win a major Internet chess tournament run in conjunction with the Dos Hermanas event in early April. This cyberspace spectacle, which attracted 4424 entries from 70 countries, was very strong. Among the participants were 48 Grandmasters and 85 International Masters! Thirty-two players qualified for the knockout finals and four Americans qualified including Bay Area stars GM Roman Dzindzihashvili of Sausalito and IM Guillermo Rey of Pacifica as well as IM Mark Ginsburg of Tucson and GM Max Dlugy of New York. All the American players lost in the first round except Dzindzhi, who lost to GM Lev Psakhis 2-1 in the Round of Sixteen. IM Rey lost his match 1/2 - 1 1/2 to the eventual winner Shipov.

2) April-May Tuesday Night Marathon Starts

The April-May Tuesday Marathon got under way this past Tuesday evening. The 57-player field is lead by National Masters Kenneth Hills, David Blohm, Rudy Hernandez and Russell Wong. Russell has won the last two Marathons outright. It is still not too late to enter this eight-round tournament which runs every Tuesday evening through the end of May. Half point byes are available for round one. Call (415) 421-2258 or e-mail imwjd@aol.com for more information.

3) Luzhin's Defense comes to the Bay Area

The San Francisco Film Festival is screening The Luzhin Defense on April 23 and 24 at the AMC Kabuki Theaters. The adaptation of the Vladimir Nabakov novel, starring John Turturro, has received excellent reviews. English Grandmaster Jonathan Speelman served as the technical consultant for the movie which was directed by Marleen Gorris.

4) IM Donaldson wins Konig Memorial

International Master John Donaldson won the Imre Konig Memorial held April 7 at the Mechanics' Institute. The 42-year-old Donaldson won his first four games before drawing in the last round with second seed FIDE Master Andrey Chumachenko of Sacramento to take home the $200 first prize. Veteran master Keith Vickers turned back several promising junior players in route to capturing second prize with a score of 4-1. The Game in 45 Minutes event, rated at 1/2 K by the USCF, attracted 28 players. Events with similar time controls will be held at the club on May 13 (Charles Powell Memorial) and June 2 (William Addison Open).

The event was held to honor the memory of Imre Konig. International Master Konig, who came to the Bay Area from England in the early 1950s, was the first internationally recognized player to settle in San Francisco. He played for his native Yugoslavia in the Chess Olympiads and authored several outstanding books, including Chess from Morphy to Botvinnik and Frank J. Marshall - J. R. Capablanca Match 1909. The latter was one of a series of pamphlets on World Championship Matches produced by the California Chess Reporter in the 1950s under the direction of Guthrie McClain and Dr. H. J. Ralston. Konig is still well remembered by old-timers at the MI for his kindness, patience and deep understanding of the game. He moved to Southern California around 1970 and died in the early 1990s.

5) Thursday Afternoon Talks Start

IM John Donaldson has started a series of lunchtime chats on recent chess events. The talks are held Thursdays from noon to 1pm and are free to all.

6) Upcoming Tournaments

April 28-29 Walter Lovegrove Senior Open (players 50 and over)

May 13 Charles Powell Memorial (G/60)

June 2 William Addison Open (5 rounds G/45 at ½ K)

June 8-10 Arthur Stamer Memorial

July 21 Charles Bagby Memorial (G/29- QC)

August 18 Vladimir Pafnutieff Memorial (5 rounds G/45 at ½ K)

7) Technical Problems with Chess Room Website

The Mechanics' Institute Chess Room website has been done the last two weeks due to problems with the collapse of the Internet provider company Northpoint. This problem should be rectified shortly. We apologize for any inconvenience. Call (415) 421-2258 or e-mail imejd@aol.com if you have any questions.

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