Mechanics' Institute Chess Room Newsletter #90

"Castle if you will, or if you must, but not when you can."
   Napier

1) San Francisco - Seattle 1899
2) Maurice Ashley is Coming to Oakland
3) Upcoming Events

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: This edition of the Newsletter is coming out early as MI Chess Director John Donaldson is going to Bolivia this Monday where he will be coaching Hikaru Nakamura and Cindy Tsai at the Pan American Junior Championships.

Don't forget the Summer Tuesday Night Marathon starts this coming Tuesday. Next weekend the MI will be hosting the 39th Arthur Stamer Memorial.

1) Seattle vs. San Francisco May 1899

The following article was discovered by Chess Director Donaldson during a visit to the J.G. White Collection in Cleveland. It features several prominent names including Dr. Lovegrove, one of the top San Francisco players for several decades, and W.A. Dickey. The latter is the subject of a monograph by MI member Robert Moore entitled W.A. Dickey: Alaska's First Champion. Dickey is perhaps best known for rediscovering, naming and estimating within 300 feet the height of Mt. McKinley, the highest mountain in North America.

A match by telegraph was played in May between the leaders of chess of San Francisco and Seattle, which proved a most interesting contest.

Seven games were played, with the result that San Francisco won three games, drew three and lost one. J. M. Babson was the fortunate Seattleite to have a victory fall on his shoulders. He played a very brilliant game. The result of the match was not as disappointing to Seattle as figures would indicate. San Francisco is supposed to be much stronger in chess.

Table No. 1- J. M. Babson, Seattle, defeated W. J. Manson. San Francisco, in a King's Gambit Declined . Manson resigned on the fifty-first move. Babson's attack was very brilliant and sustained throughout the entire play.

Table No. 2- C. B. Bagley, Seattle, played a draw with Rodney Kendrick of San Francisco, who is well known on Puget Sound. The game was a Queen's Gambit Declined.

Table No. 3- A. M. Cadien, Seattle, was defeated by Oscar Samuels, San Francisco in a Ruy Lopez opening. Mr. Cadien resigned on the fifty-eighth move.

Table No. 4- W. A. Dickey, Seattle, was defeated by W. R. Lovegrove, San Francisco, in a Ruy Lopez game.

Table No. 5- Frank Steele, Seattle, and A. J. Kuh, San Francisco, played a draw in a Sicilian Defense. Steele had much the better of the ending.

Table No. 6- J. W. Fitts, George Linder and Dr. C. W. Baldwin in consultation against Marshall, Cowdrey and Dolan of San Francisco, in consultation. The Seattle contingent resigned. The game was called a French Defense.

Table No. 7- R. W. Barto, A. C. King and E. Lerch, Seattle, played a draw with Yerworth, Lyons and Mitchell, San Francisco. The game was a Queen's Gambit Declined.

American Chess Magazine, July 1899

2) Maurice Ashley is Coming

The Windsor East Bay Chess Academy of Oakland is bringing African-American GM Maurice Ashley back to the Bay Area!

Saturday, June 15, 2002
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
PeopleSoft Building
Knowland Park & Zoo, Oakland, CA
General Admission $5.00
(WEBCA Members Free)

PROGRAM

*Q & A Session*

* IGM plays simuls Blindfolded vs 3 Scholastic Club Teams*

*IGM plays simuls vs 20 players selected by raffle drawing*

*Skittles*

*Photos and Autographs*

For more information call 510-568-8262 or 510-569-2806

On Friday, June 14, 2002 at Parker Elementary School, 7229 Ney Avenue in Oakland there is an "Evening with Maurice" planned only for kids who are members of the Windsor East Bay Chess Club. This will be a private affair for the Club kids, sponsors, special guests, media representatives, and representatives from the schools where my chess classes are being held. Pizza will be served from 5:30 to 6:30 PM. Following that, Maurice will talk to and play with the kids.. Of course you are invited to Friday as well as Saturday.

3) Upcoming Events

MI Events

Jun. 7-9 GPP: 6 N. California
39th Annual Arthur Stamer Memorial. 5SS, Rd. 1 G/2, Rds. 2-5 30/90, G/1. Mechanics' Institute, 57 Post St., SF. $1600 $$b/50 pd ents: $400-250-150, Expert $200, A $150, B $125, C $115, D $110, E $60, Unr. $40. EF: $45, $40 MI membs, $2 off Cal Chess membs, add $5 after 6/4. 1 discount per player. Reg: 6/7 5-6pm, Rds: 6:30, 10-3:30, 10-3:30. Ent/Info: 415-421-2258, chessroom@milibrary.org

Jun. 14-16 GPP: 15 N. California
Bay Area Masters Summer Grand Prix III.
Open to players rated 2200 & above on the June 2002 USCF rating list. 5SS, 30/90, 30/60, SD/15. Mechanics' Institute, 57 Post St., San Francisco. $$1700 b/22 pd. ents: $1000-500-200. EF: $100 by 6/11, $120 after, GMs & IMs free. Reg: 5/10 4-4:30, Rds: 5pm, 11-5, 11-5. Ent/Info: Guillermo Rey, 435 Firecrest Ave., Pacifica, CA 94044. (650) 355-0305, reyg@ix.netcom.com/ FIDE rated

June 22 2nd William Addison Open G/45 - go www.chessclub.org

August 12-16 3rd Annual Mechanics' Institute Chess Camp for Intermediate and Advanced 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: Grandmasters Alex Yermolinsky, International Masters John Donaldson and Guillermo Rey, and MI Scholastic Director Anthony Corrales.

Who: Open to all ages from 8 and up.
When : August 12-16, from 9am to 5pm
Where: 57 Post Street, 4th floor (Montgomery BART station)
Cost: $320 for Mechanics' members, $355 for junior (under 21) non-members, $405 for adult non-members. All non-members will receive a one year membership in the MI. There is a limit of 40 players for this camp. If you can't attend the whole camp there is a drop in fee of $80 a day

Regional Events:

Jun. 29-30 GPP: 6 N. California
Jessie Jeans Open. 4SS, G/120. Jessie Jean's Coffee House " Deli, 1426 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa (parking on south side of Burger King lot). $$1000 Gtd! Open: (All) $250-175. Reserve: (1500-1900) $200-125. Booster: (U1500) $150-100. All: EF: $35 if rec'd by 6/22, $40 at site (no phone ents). Reg: 6/29 8:30-9:30am, Rds: 10-3, 10-3. Time delay preferred, bring equip., none supp. Unr. must play in Open sect. One 1/2 pt. bye avail. Ent/Info: Mike Goodall, 461 Peachstone Terr., San Rafael, CA 94903-1327. 415-491-1269, mike.goodall@worldnet.att.net. NS,NC,W,FIDE.

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