It turns out that my fourth move is a novelty, deviating from the more subtle 4...Bd6 of Krebs-Diemer, Germany 1974 (0-1, 13). Diemer (1908-90), a Nazi, shares billing credit for the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit and wrote the 1957 book "Playing for Mate From the First Move."
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Chess: The Song!
Don't miss Chess: The Song! Amusing, though I don't think it'll be a mainstream hit like One Night in Bangkok.
20th annual Chicago Open
Another cut-and-paste from my email: make your plans for Memorial Day weekend! Please remember that Illinois Chess Association membership is required for all rated Illinois residents. You get a discount when you renew your ICA membership at the same time you register for the Chicago Open!
Enter here!
CHICAGO AREA CHESS FESTIVALFull details (in many garish colors) here!
Memorial Day Weekend
20th annual CHICAGO OPEN
Open Section: May 26-30, 9 rounds, norms possible
Other Sections: May 27-30, 28-30 or 29-30, 7 rounds
At the luxurious, AAA four diamonds Westin North Shore Hotel, Wheeling, Illinois. Special chess rates $99 for 1-4 in room. Reserve your room as early as possible by calling 800-937-8461 or 847-777-6500. The reservation deadline is May 13, but the chess block may sell out earlier.
$100,000 GUARANTEED PRIZE FUND
NEW THIS YEAR!
1) FREE ANALYSIS OF YOUR GAMES by Grandmaster John Fedorowicz. Begins two hours after the start of each 4-day round and continues for about three hours. All players are welcome to submit their game scores for analysis.
2) FREE LECTURES by Grandmaster John Fedorowicz each day May 27-30, beginning 5 pm May 27, 9 am each day May 28, 29, 30.
3) QUICK OR BLITZ side events twice daily May 28, 29, 30.
4) LARGE CLASS PRIZES in each section in addition to the place prizes. This event has had Master class prizes in the past, but this year will also have a $1000 class prize for U2000 in the U2100 Section, U1800 in the U1900, U1600 in the U1700, U1350 in the U1500, and $800 for U1000 in the U1200. In 6 sections. FIDE ratings used for Open Section, USCF official May list for other sections. ENTER BY MARCH 15 FOR LOWEST FEE.
OPEN SECTION: $10000-5000-2500-1200-1000-700-600-500-400-400, clear or tiebreak 1st $200 bonus, top FIDE 2300-2499 (NOT 2449) $2500-1500-1000, top FIDE Under 2300 or unrated $2500-1500-1000. 300 Grand Prix Points (enhanced).
UNDER 2100 SECTION: $6000-3000-1500-1000-700-500-400-300-300-300, top U2000 $1000. Unrated may not win over $2000.
UNDER 1900 SECTION: $6000-3000-1500-1000-700-500-400-300-300-300, top U1800 $1000. Unrated may not win over $1500.
UNDER 1700 SECTION: $6000-3000-1500-1000-700-500-400-300-300-300, top U1600 $1000. Unrated may not win over $1000.
UNDER 1500 SECTION: $5000-2500-1300-1000-700-500-400-300-300-300, top Under 1350 $1000. Unrated may not win over $600, provisional (4-25 lifetime games) may not win over $2500.
UNDER 1200 SECTION: $4000-2000-1000-700-600-500-400-300-300-300, top Under 1000 $800. Unrated may not win over $300, provisional (4-25 lifetime games) may not win over $1500.
RATING DROP PRIZE LIMIT: Players who have had official ratings more than 30 points above section maximum any month May 2010 through April 2011 may not win over $1500.
Enter here!
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Natalie Broughton?
Illinois Chess Association Treasurer Carl Dolson is the managing trustee of the ICA's Broughton Fund, which periodically awards the Natalie Broughton Life Achievement Award. Carl's been asked to write a short biography of Natalie for the ICA website, and was stumped. He writes:
The only thing I can find on the internet is from a Time Magazine article from 1972 on “Why They Play: The Psychology of Chess” in which Natalie Brougton, “a Chicago suburban housewife” is quoted as saying “My favorite gambit against male opponents is Sitzfleish. If you sit long enough, staring and pondering, you don’t have to have a fast mind. The other person will become so annoyed and tired that he finally slips.” I thought you, or other Chicagoans you know, would be able to fill in some of the blanks on Ms. Broughton.I moved to Chicago in 1979, and I don't recall having met Mrs. Broughton. Readers?
I also found a notice of death from the June 7, 2002 Chicago Tribune for Natalie W. Broughton of Evanston, age 85, beloved wife of the late Donald B. Broughton, burial at Memorial Park Cemetery, Skokie. No obituary.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Downers Grove Swiss April 9th
Cut and pasted from Daniel Parmet's email!
Downers Grove Chess Swiss #7 tournament on April 9th is now up to 4 Guaranteed Masters participating!!! IM Florin Felecan, NM Trevor Magness, FM Albert Chow and NM Mariano Acosta will be in attendance! A great warm-up for the Chicago Open!!See the ICA Tournament Calendar for more info!
I'm running on April 9th [sic] in Downers Grove Chess Club. Time control will be G/60 with 5 second delay. 4 round swiss, boards, sets and clocks provided.
Quiz answer
Here's the answer to the quiz that I flunked in over-the-board play:
Hayhurst-Brock
Chicago Industrial Chess League, 2011
After 71...g5: White to play and win
It would have been time for me to throw in the towel after the simple but difficult 71.hxg5! hxg5 72.Nd5! It would have been a well-deserved victory for the Bh3, which had been engaged in a domination struggle with the Ne3 for a couple dozen moves.
Both players knew that White could not afford to trade away all his pawns, so we both overlooked that in certain situations, White might want to initiate the trade. (Hayhurst was in severe time pressure, but I had a good twenty minutes.)
Sunday, March 6, 2011
"Taking It Up a Level"
Do you have the proper mindset when you sit down to play a higher-rated player?
Check out NM Jon Burgess's article on the ICA website, based on his recent lecture to the Evanston Chess Club.
Check out NM Jon Burgess's article on the ICA website, based on his recent lecture to the Evanston Chess Club.
Schmakel-Felecan, Skokie 2011
Today I had the pleasure of co-annotating Sam Schmakel's fascinating game with IM Florin Felecan. Look for the article shortly on the ICA website!
Friday, March 4, 2011
Soap opera not involving Charlie Sheen
Bobby Fischer's estate has been awarded to Miyoko Watai, pending appeal to the Icelandic Supreme Court.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
"Chess Without Borders Help Build Future for Meher "
Rishi Sethi gives us an update at Chess Life Online.
But doesn't every 501(c)(3) need a PayPal link? :-)
But doesn't every 501(c)(3) need a PayPal link? :-)
"Watson Still Can't Think"
Hubert Dreyfus himself contributes to the discussion on Stanley Fish's blog at the New York Times. The philosopher who famously marked the limits of artificial intelligence forty years ago observes that computers still lag humans in understanding contexts.
And human beginners are capable of understanding the position below (recycled yet again!) far better than the best chess computer programs.
Here's another example from the 2006 World Computer Championship: check out Black's horrible 71st move, a move that no human master would ever allow.
And human beginners are capable of understanding the position below (recycled yet again!) far better than the best chess computer programs.
Here's another example from the 2006 World Computer Championship: check out Black's horrible 71st move, a move that no human master would ever allow.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Yet another silly Internet game
This game has an unusual concluding move. Equally good was 17.Nh6! - but no points for 17.Nxd8?, which would have let Black play on for a few moves.
Another game from the DRW-AMARS match
Steve Goredetskiy and Rob Eaman finished just after Hayhurst-Brock was agreed drawn, and the match was drawn 3-3....but not for want of trying on both sides!
Blood on the board, redux
On my way to last Tuesday's Chicago Industrial Chess League match (DRW Trading Group vs. the AMA Rogue Squadron), I was carelessly crossing Wacker Drive (under construction) while checking my iPhone for DRW's address. Just south of the Lyric Opera on Madison, I tripped on the curb and hit the sidewalk hard. It was fortunate that I only bloodied an elbow and not my noggin.
When I told my wise wife that I'd tripped, she said that I needed to spend more time in the real world. I strategically "forgot" to confess the part about not looking where I was going. Fortunately for me, she does not read this blog.
The hospitable folks at DRW help me dress my wound and had Lou Malnati's pizza waiting for us. My clumsiness carried over to the game. After I made my 23rd move, I realized I'd dug a strange little trap for myself, which Lyle Hayhurst of DRW quickly found. The tactic is memorable for being an immediate killer that takes several moves to come to fruition--is that a contradiction?
I sacked a piece in desperation, after which the cool 30.Ng5! would have won immediately. The ending after 41.Nxd2 should also be won for White, but it's nontrivial. Your computer will mislead you if you don't have a tablebase installed: remember that king plus bishop plus rook pawn of the wrong color vs. king is a draw. But if Black sacks the knight for White's g3 pawn, White can blockade the pawns, win them, and then win the KBN vs. K ending (not as hard as it sounds). One idea for White, therefore, is to play h4-h5 an an opportune moment. However undeservedly, I escaped with a draw.
In other February 2011 blood-on-the-chess-board-in-Chicagoland news, NM Pete Karagianis led a his students into battle at the U.S. Amateur Team North. One of his young teammates lost a tooth, and Pete had to render first aid during play.
P.S. White still had a win as late as move 71. Can you find it?
When I told my wise wife that I'd tripped, she said that I needed to spend more time in the real world. I strategically "forgot" to confess the part about not looking where I was going. Fortunately for me, she does not read this blog.
The hospitable folks at DRW help me dress my wound and had Lou Malnati's pizza waiting for us. My clumsiness carried over to the game. After I made my 23rd move, I realized I'd dug a strange little trap for myself, which Lyle Hayhurst of DRW quickly found. The tactic is memorable for being an immediate killer that takes several moves to come to fruition--is that a contradiction?
I sacked a piece in desperation, after which the cool 30.Ng5! would have won immediately. The ending after 41.Nxd2 should also be won for White, but it's nontrivial. Your computer will mislead you if you don't have a tablebase installed: remember that king plus bishop plus rook pawn of the wrong color vs. king is a draw. But if Black sacks the knight for White's g3 pawn, White can blockade the pawns, win them, and then win the KBN vs. K ending (not as hard as it sounds). One idea for White, therefore, is to play h4-h5 an an opportune moment. However undeservedly, I escaped with a draw.
In other February 2011 blood-on-the-chess-board-in-Chicagoland news, NM Pete Karagianis led a his students into battle at the U.S. Amateur Team North. One of his young teammates lost a tooth, and Pete had to render first aid during play.
P.S. White still had a win as late as move 71. Can you find it?
After 70...g5
White to play and win
Former USCF President Harold Winston, Chairman/CEO of the U.S. Chess Trust
You can read a bit about Harold here. His office is a few blocks away from my office.....
And you can donate to the U.S. Chess Trust here! It's a 501(c)(3) organization, and money donated to the Trust goes to good use!
March 5: $5 event at Evanston Chess
Yet another email cut-and-paste:
Levy Senior Center, 300 Dodge Ave, Evanston, IL 60202
Evanston Chess Presents:
Mar 05, 2011, 9:00am-5:00pm
Three x Three
3SS G/65
Three Sections, USCF Regular Rated
Section Gold: 1700 and over
Section Silver: 1200 - 1699
Section Bronze: Under 1200 and Unrated
1600 - 1699 may play up to Gold.
1100 - 1199 may play up to Silver.
Published USCF Regular Rating determins eligibility.
Unrated players may be placed up at TD discretion.
From time to time Evanston Chess pays one or more titled players to play in our events. We usually do not pair them against each other. Even if they should lose (it does happen) we may pair them with the highest score groups.
Three rounds. Digital clocks are required and will be set to G/65 plus 5 seconds delay. Accelerated or decelerated pairings at TD discretion. Sections may be combined at TD discretion.
Registration from 9:00 to 9:30 AM. Players must check in by 9:30 am; players who arrive late will receive a half-point bye for the first round. First Round 9:45 am, last round over roughly 5:00 pm. No Lunch Break: We need to be finished by 5:00 PM, so there will be no extra time between rounds for lunch.
You may take one half-point bye in any round but the last.
Entry fee is $5, please pay cash (no checks) at the door. Masters and Experts play free.
Send name, USCF number, and telephone number to enter@evanstonchess.org
Junior players (under fourteen years) rated 900+ are welcome. Sorry, but we do not accept junior players rated under 900. Must be accompanied by a parent throughout the event.
Bring clocks. -- Wheelchair accessible. No Smoking.
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