Mechanics' Institute Chess Room Newsletter #75
"I have won many games that have not made me happy; and when I lose,
I am also not happy. My friends ask "so when are you happy?".
That's the way chess is; you are happy only rarely; the rest is grief." 1) Zilberstein and Donaldson tie for first at People's Open 2) Five way tie in MI Winter Marathon 3) Nick De Firmian ties for first in Copenhagen 4) Edmar Mednis 1937 - 2002 5) Jan Fischer - ???-2002 6) 1940 MI Club Championship 7) Cal Chess Membership 8) Upcoming Events 1) Zilberstein and Donaldson tie for first at People's OpenSM Dimitry Zilberstein and IM John Donaldson tied for first in the 29th Annual People's Chess Tournament held February 16-18 on the UC Berkeley campus. The two winners, who finished at 5-1, both beat Filipino IM Ricardo De Guzman and drew with each other and NM Michael Aigner. The latter tied for third at 4 1/2 with Igor Margulis, and had an excellent result. Besides the draws with the two winners, Aigner also drew De Guzman and beat NM Mauro Casadei. This result will put Michael over 2300 for the first time. Congratulations! This years People's event, directed by Michael Goodall and Richard Kopecke, attracted 155 players, up thirty from last year, which is an excellent turnout. During the Fischer years in the mid-1970s, this tournament routinely attracted 200 plus players, but those were different times and there was no competing US Amateur Team West on the same weekend in Los Angeles. Additionally, 148 kids showed up for a well-run three section scholastic on Monday. All in all, it was a very encouraging weekend for Bay Area Chess and the large number of flyers for upcoming events bodes well. Events are scheduled for the next few months in Sunnyvale, Vallejo, Fremont, Sacramento, San Francisco, Marin City, Hercules and Santa Rosa! Tom Dorsch has a big Memorial Day event set for the Holiday Inn on Van Ness (easily accessible by BART and MUNI - get off at Montgomery station and take the #38 Geary which runs frequently and drops you off two blocks from the site). Now if we can only find somebody to organize in San Jose! Results of class sections next week. 2) Five way tie in MI Winter MarathonNM Igor Margulis of San Francisco defeated Berkeley Expert Larry Snyder to force a five way tie for first at 5-1 with two rounds to go in the MI Winter Tuesday Night Marathon. Joining Margulis and Snyder on the leader board are Victor Ossipov, Peter Grey and Chad Sweeney. Chad (1849) has had an excellent result so far, knocking off several more highly rated opponents and was winning against Ossipov, but lost on time. 3) Nick DeFirmian ties for first in CopenhagenThe 75th Anniversary of the Copenhagen Chess Union was celebrated with a Category 9 tournament. Chris Ward and US Berkeley grad Nick DeFirmian tied for first. 1.Ward, Christopher g ENG 2486 5.5; 2. DeFirmian, Nick E g USA 2536 5.5; 3. Hector, Jonny g SWE 2507 5.0; 4. Schandorff, Lars g DEN 2545 5.0; 5. Gausel, Einar g NOR 2520 5.0; 6. Brinck-Claussen, Bjorn m DEN 2359 4.5; 7. Hoi, Carsten g DEN 2407 4.0; 8. Jakobsen, Ole m DEN 2405 4.0; 9. Mortensen, Erling m DEN 2441 3.5; 10. Kristensen, Bjarke m DEN 2406 3.0. Games and Internet coverage are available at: Games in PGN and http://www.ksu.dk . 4) Edmar Mednis 1937 - 2002Grandmaster Edmar Mednis died suddenly of cardiac arrest during a bout with pneumonia on Wednesday, February 13, 2002 at his home in Woodside, Queens, New York. Mednis, who was best known as the author of many excellent instructional works on the endings, appeared to be in robust health at recent chess events, and his death comes as a shock. 5) Jan Fischer - ???-2002Longtime MI member Jan Fischer passed away in early February. A musician by training, Fischer loved to spend days in the Chess Room kibitzing and talking about everything under the sun. His life underwent a marked change when he was evicted from his San Francisco apartment and forced to live on the street, but he never complained. 6) 1940 MI Club ChampionshipThe September-October 1940 issue of the American Chess Bulletin reports the results of the MI Club Championship. We notice such familiar names as Master Vladimir Pafnutieff, H. (Bip) Ralston - founder of the California Chess Reporter, noted correspondence player Nicolas Preo and science fiction writer and MI stalwart Carroll Capps. 1. H.Simon 9½; 2.V. Pafnutieff 8; 3.G. Lapiken 7½; 4.H. Ralston 7; 5-6. N. Preo and Wallace Smith 6½; 7-8.L.L. Boyette and C. Capps 6; 9-10. E.Fawcett and E.Tippin 5; 11.C.Howland 4½; 12.C.Hong 3½ ; 13. J.F. Yale 3 7) Cal Chess MembershipCal Chess, the official body representing the United States Chess Federation in Northern California, is becoming increasingly more active under President Tom Dorsch and California Chess Journal Editor Frisco del Rosario and deserves support. Members receive discounts on the entry fee to many chess tournaments in Northern California as well as a subscription to the bimonthly Journal which includes annotations by the likes of GM Alex Yermolinsky. The cost of a years membership is $15 ($13 for scholastic). Contact Frisco at 126 15th Ave, San Mateo, CA 94402, (650) 574-6029 frisco@appleisp.net. 8) Upcoming EventsAT THE MECHANICS' INSTITUTE:
The A. J. Fink Amateur Championship March 1-3, 2002 5 Round Swiss Open to
all rated under 2000 USCF
Print/Clip/Send NAME:_______________________________________________
The Max Wilkerson Open Saturday, March 30, 2002
Print/Clip/Send NAME:_______________________________________________ REGIONAL TOURNAMENTS
Mar. 23-24. 4th Annual Bay Area Ohlone Tourney.4SS, 30/90, SD/60
College Cafeteria, 43600 Mission Blvd., Fremont, CA. National Events
US MASTERS
*A U.S. Championship Qualifier* |