Mechanics' Institute Chess Room Newsletter #67

   Yefim Geller after winning the USSR Championship at the age of 54

1) Lindsborg Rotary Open

2) The 1939 Bagby-Fink Match

3) Upcoming Tournaments

1) Lindsborg Rotary Open

IM John Donaldson won the Lindsborg Rotary Open held December 22-23, in Lindsborg, Kansas, with a score of 4-1. Tying for second at 3.5 in the 24 player Open section were: GMs Alexander Onischuk, Igor Novikov and Yuri Shulman, IMs Michael Brooks and Enrico Sevillano, plus FM Emory Tate. Onischuk, the highest rated player in the United States, now living in Denver, played by far the toughest field, drawing with his two fellow GMs and Sevillano while beating Brooks.

This event, the strongest ever held in Kansas, was made possible by the Lindsborg Rotary Club, the Lindborg Chamber of Commerce and Bethany College. Mikhail Korenman organized the event with the help of GM Shulman, Wes Fisk and others. Jim Berry directed the multi-section event which attracted 74 players.

2) The 1939 Bagby-Fink Match

A.J. Fink was one of the strongest players in California in the 1920s and 1930s, winning the state championship and playing in the famous Pasadena 1932 tournament. By the late 1930s his supremacy at the MI was being challenged by Charles Bagby and a match was arranged which proved to be inconclusive.

The May 1939 issue of Chess Review reports that two of the MI players, Charles Bagby and A.J. Fink, drew a ten game match 5-5. Neither player was ever ahead by more than a game and Fink won the last to force the tie.

Here is one of the games from the match

Charles Bagby - A.J. Fink
Queen's Gambit D57
San Francisco 4.26.1939
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 Bb4+ 4.Bd2 Be7 5.Nc3 d5 6.Bg5 0-0 7.e3 h6 8.Bh4 Ne4 9.Bxe7 Qxe7 10.cxd5 Nxc3 11.bxc3 exd5 12.Qb3 c6 13.Bd3 Nd7 14.0-0 Re8 15.c4 dxc4 16.Bxc4 Nb6 17.Bd3 Be6 18.Qb2 Bd5 19.a4 Nc4 20.Qc2 Bxf3 21.gxf3 Nd6 22.Kh1 Qf6 23.Be2 Nf5 24.Rab1 Re7 25.Rg1 Rae8 26.Rg4 Nh4 27.Rbg1 g6 28.f4 Qf5 29.Qxf5 Nxf5 30.Bd3 Kh7 31.h4 Ng7 32.h5 Nxh5 33.f5 gxf5 34.Bxf5+ Kh8 35.Rh4 Ng7 36.Rxh6+ Kg8 37.Bd3 Rd7 38.Rh7 f6 39.Rh6 1-0

A portrait of Bagby greets you as you walk into the MI and a photo of Fink (with Capablanca) is located in the director's office.

3) Upcoming Events

Please note that the January 26-27 event in Hercules has been changed to four rounds instead of 5. A new listing is the annual tournament at Ohlone College in Fremont. This event will be held March 23 and 24.

Those looking for weekly rated games should check out the Berkeley Chess Club which meets at Epworth Church in North Berkeley just off MLK near Hopkins. Play starts at 8 pm but you need to register by 7:30. Gliman is the easiest exit off I-80 and bus #43 goes within a block of the site which is about a mile from the downtown Berkeley BART.
Call Alan Glascoe at (510) 652-5324 for more information.

For MI Tournaments go to (http://www.chessclub.org) for complete details.

January 5
Bob Burger Open (5 rounds G/45 at 1/2 k)

January 25 - 27, 2002.
Bay Area Masters Spring Grand Prix I (*)
Prizes: 1st $1000 2nd $500 3rd $200
Based on 22 paid entries.
Site: Mechanics' Institute Chess Room, 57 Post St.
4th Floor, San Francisco, Ca. 94104
Dates: January 25, 26 and 27, 2002.
Schedule: 5 round Swiss
Open to players rated 2200 USCF and above (December 2001 rating list) USCF and FIDE rated.
Time control: 30/90 + 30/1 + SD/15.
Rounds: Friday 1/25 at 5pm. Saturday 1/26 and Sunday 1/27 at 11 am and 5pm.
Entry fee: $100, if received by 1/22, $120 thereafter.
GMs and IMs free.
On site registration 1/25 4-4:30pm.
Send entries to: Guillermo Rey, 435 Firecrest Ave, Pacifica, Ca. 94044. Info: Guillermo at 650-355-0305 or reyg@ix.netcom.com
Organized by IM Guillermo Rey and directed by Mechanics' Institute Chess Room staff.
* Two other similar tournaments will be held during the first half of the year as part of the Grand Prix. The player who scores the most total points in all three tournaments will receive an additional $300. Tournaments dates will be announced soon.( Before the end of 2001).

REGIONAL TOURNAMENTS

PaloAlto Open Chess Festival
Sunday January 6, 2002
6 round G/30 event rated 1/2 K
Prizes based on 60 entries: Open:500-250, X:300, A:250, B:220, C:200 D/Unr: 180
Entry Fee: $50 if sent by 11/15, $60 if sent by 1/3, $65 at doors. Make checks payable to Lev Grzhonko 440, 9th ave, #3, San Francisco, Ca, 94118
Registration: 9am-10am
Rounds: 10am-11:30am-1pm-2:30pm-4pm-5:30pm
Where: Rollnick Auditorium, 655 Arastradero Rd, Palo Alto, Palo Alto Jewish Community Center. 3 blocks away from El Camino Real For More Information email Edmundich@hotmail.com

Hercules Amateur Championship
January 26th and 27th One section U2200,
4 rounds, G/2 $$1,200 (based on 45) 350-250-150, Best A $130, B $120, C $100, D/E/Unr. $100 E.F $35.00
If postmarked by 1/18/01 after $40.00 at site.
Send entries to:
Rico Adkins, Tourn Director
15696 Crestwood Dr. #172 San Pablo, CA 94806

Mar. 23-24. 4th Annual Bay Area Ohlone Tourney.4SS, 30/90, SD/60 College Cafeteria, 43600 Mission Blvd.,
Fremont, CA.$$(1620 b/100 full entries).
3 sects: Open, open to all. EF $35 if received by 3/21,$40 at site.
$$ 300-170-100, U2100 $$ 155, 100. Reserve, open to U1900. EF :
$ 35 if received by 3/21, $40 at site. $$ 200-80-70, U1700 $165, 80.
Booster, open to U1500. EF: $35 if received by 3/21, $40 at site,
$$ 100-60-40. Prizes: Trophy in each sect. +Trophy for best 3 mem. Team.
Special EF:Scholastic rated U1100 or new USCF mem., Collegiate/ USCF mem.
attending College, $30 in adv., $35 at site. All: $3 CalChess discount.
Reg.9-9:30 amRds. Sat. 10-3:30, Sun. 9:30-3. Ent/Info: Hans Poschmann,
4621 Seneca Park Ave., Fremont, CA 94538, hspwood2@attbi.com