29th North American Masters

The 29th North American Masters just wrapped up at the North Shore Chess Center; Sevan Muradian reports on Chess Life Online. Both co-champions scored an IM norm: it's Eric Rosen's second norm, and Tom Bartell has earned the title. You can download the games on the North American Chess Association website.

It takes two to "Tango"

My opponent in the following game found a new way to lose a pawn as White against the Black Knights' Tango (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 Nc6!?). He began with 3.d5!?, which IM Richard Palliser calls "The Lunge" in his book on the opening, tango! At first blush, the move looks strong. White hopes to chase Black's knights with his pawns and force them back in disarray, à la Borochow-Fine, Kujoth-Fashingbauer, Marshall-Rogosin, and various games in the Halloween Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5?! Nxe5 5.d4). Something like that did happen in Tate-Orlov, 1995. But if Black plays correctly, White gets little or no advantage with 3.d5. 3.Nf3 and 3.Nc3 are much more commonly seen, and more successful in practice.

White's 4.Qc2 was not in the spirit of The Lunge. White should continue his aggression with 4.e4 (when 4...Nxe4?? 5.Qd4 wins for White) or even Tate's 4.f4!?, offering the c-pawn as a gambit (4...Nxc4 5.e4). White's 7.a3? was an unfortunate theoretical novelty. Another passive, time-wasting move, it dropped a pawn to the simple tactic 7...Bxd2+ 8.Nxd2 exd5 9.cxd5 Nxd5! The lost pawn should have been the extent of the damage. Surely no one would be so naïve as to take the knight, which would give me the choice of two mates in two, or a mate in four? To my astonishment, my opponent fell into it hook, line, and sinker. I'm now 110-0-0 on GameKnot, with an Orwellian 1984 rating.

Krakatoa!

Yet another of my Internet opponents provides a fine example of how not to play chess: play passively, castle into a strong attack, and never develop your queenside. Predictably, mate ensues. I'm now 95-0-0 on GameKnot. It looks like I'll be able to get to 100-0-0 before I start giving up points.

In playing this game, I was inspired the following slaughter by GM Atalik of a QGD, Marshall Defense(!), which I saw in Valeri Bronznik's excellent book 1.d4 - Beat the Guerrillas!

Unofficial: GMs Robson, Friedel, Mitkov win 2013 Chicago Open

GM Nikola Mitkov held up the local honor this year. Here's his very nice win in the money round (finished just a few minutes ago).

ADDENDUM: The cross-tables for the event are available here.

The double-pawn advantage, redoubled

It is not fun to defend a Bishop's Opening against one of its foremost practitioners, GM Nikola Mitkov. Even GM Vladimir Georgiev, who knew very well what to expect, has serious problems....

We're all taught that when in doubt, we should make pawn captures towards the center.  Consider the diagram below: White has two sets of doubled pawns, and no central pawns at all, as he's captured away from the center twice.  Yet White's rooks both sit on semi-open central files.  Who has the pressure?

Not so drawish

GM Mesgen Amanov and IM Florin Felecan are not only two of the strongest players in Illinois, they're two of the nicest people in Chicagoland chess.  Over the board, however, no quarter is given or expected.

Opposite-color bishop endings are not nearly as drawish as some assume they are, especially when a pair of major pieces remain on the board,  Make the enemy bishop irrelevant, and you're attacking with an extra piece!  In achieving this end, a well-timed pawn sacrifice is useful: activity trumps materialism.

Grünfeld Defense, Russian Variation, Hungarian Defense

5.Qb3 is the Russian Variation.  I am old enough to remember the "Hungarian" 7...a6!? as a wild cutting-edge idea by some Hungarian players in the 1970's.  (Wikipedia attributes its popularization to Leko, but the name was coined before Leko was born.)  As a couple repertoire books recommend this move, you should expect to face it if you play 5.Qb3 as White.

Sam Schmakel was ready (or at least ready enough) and wins a nice game.

Crunch

From tonight's round: you can follow on Monroi.  Hmm, Yury Shulman makes me want to switch to 9.Nh4.

Defending a difficult position against a grandmaster

Sometimes the mundane losses are as impressive as the spectacular wins.  Earlier today, ten-year-old Awonder Liang held out for forty moves against GM Mesgen Amanov.  Not just forty moves... forty moves after a monster knight landed on d6.

From the Chicago Open

GM Nikola Mitkov responds to the Caro-Kann with the Two Knights Variation and demolishes the Georgian GM Mikheil Kekelidze.  Game score via Monroi.

Day two: much better!

 
Check out the photos on CCC's Facebook page.

Bid early, bid often

Three Kasparov classics, autographed by The Man.  All proceeds to Chicago Chess Center!

Today's Federal Plaza event called on account on wind

We could deal with rain just fine, but 50 mph gusts are another thing.  One of the tables became airborne, and our wise promoter pulled the plug for safety reasons.

We'll be here tomorrow!

Rain or shine....today & tomorrow at Federal Plaza

CHESS AT FEDERAL PLAZA

WHERE:

Federal Plaza
Dearborn and Adams Streets
Chicago

WHEN:

This Thursday and Friday!
Thursday, May 23, 2013, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Friday, May 24, 2013, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
(You're welcome to stay as long you like)

WHO:

Chicago Chess Center NFP Inc. is a new nonprofit with the mission of opening a chess center in the city, offering a full calendar of chess classes and USCF-rated tournaments. Learn more about us at www.chichess.org.

WHAT:

• Come play skittles in the heart of the Loop
• Teach a child the rules of the game
• Demonstrate the smothered mate to a tourist
• Do some sightseeing before and shopping afterward
• Help the Chicago Chess Center's public outreach

WHY:

• See old friends and make new friends
• Warm up for this weekend's Chicago Open
• Demonstrate your support for the Chicago Chess Center's mission to make affordable chess instruction accessible to all Chicagoans
• Have fun!

QUESTIONS?

Contact us:
Chicago Chess Center NFP Inc.
230 W. Monroe St., Suite 330
Chicago, IL 60606
info@chichess.org

Bill Brock: (773) 294-1709

Winning a drawn game

In the following game, I could have played a promising exchange sac on move 11, and could have won a clear pawn on move 12. Instead, I played several inferior moves, giving White close to a winning position by move 18. White in turn played some inferior moves, allowing me to escape into what should have been a dead-drawn ending with rook and three pawns against rook and three pawns on the same same of the board. Oh well, beats a loss, right? But much to my surprise, White played extremely passively and I was able to eke out a win. I'm now 87-0-0 on GameKnot, though as I keep saying, my perfect score will come to an end soon. (This was one of the games that was supposed to end it.)

My opponent was no GM, to be sure, but even the best players can screw up simple rook endings. GM Alex Onischuk (in)famously lost a "dead drawn" 3 pawns versus 2 pawns ending at last year's Olympiad, and even then-World Champion Kasparov once lost a 4 pawns versus 3 pawns ending, another easy theoretical draw. On Facebook, NM Gopal Menon recently annotated his game against GM Alex Shabalov. After a long fight, Shabalov accepted Gopal's draw offer. When Gopal later analyzed the game, he was shocked to realize that Shabalov was completely winning in the final position! Chess is a hard game.

2013 U.S. Open in Madison

114th United States Open

Chess Championship

27 July - August 4, 2013 · Madison, WI

Location:

Madison Marriott West

1313 John Q Hammons Drive

Middleton, WI 53562

Chess Rate:  $99 UNTIL 12 July 2013 THEN regular rates apply!!!

Hurry and book your hotel rooms now!

Entry Fee: $145 Online by Sunday, July 16, 2013,

$147 if mailed by Sunday, July 16, 2013, or

$150 by phone by Sunday, July 16, 2013

Half-Point Byes:

Must commit before Round 4 and MUST be submitted AT LEAST two hours before the round(s) in question.

Limit of one half-point bye in the last two rounds!

          Number of Half-Point Byes Available:

2000/up:                     Up to 3 half-point byes

1400-1999:                  Up to 2 half-point byes

Under 1400/UNR:      Up to 1 half-point bye

Zero point byes are always available in any round if requested at least two hours before the start of the desired round!

Entry Fee:

          Online: $145 by 6/16, $165 by 7/14, $185 after 7/14

By Mail: $147 postmarked by 6/16, $167 postmarked by 7/14, $187 postmarked by 7/21; DO NOT MAIL AFTER 7/21!

By Phone: $150 by 6/16, $170 by 7/14, $185 by 7/26. No phone entries after 7/26 (close of business at the USCF Office!)

                   Enter by Phone: 1-800-903-8723

At Site: $190

GMs are free, please call or mail-in entry.

All Entries must be made at least two hours prior to your first game played.     

Three different schedules for the first six rounds!:

Traditional: 40/2, SD/1 d5. [7/27] - [8/3] One round daily at 7PM then the final round [8/4] at 3PM.

6-day Option: 40/2, SD/1 d5. [7/30] 7PM; [7/31] to [8/2] Two games per day - one at 12 NOON and the second at 7PM.

4-day Option: G/60 d5. [8/1] 12 NOON, 3PM, 7PM, & 10PM; [8/2] at 12 NOON & 3PM.

All schedules MERGE after Round 6 and compete for the same prizes.

Round 7 [All schedules]: [8/2] 7PM.

Round 8 [All schedules]: [8/3] 7PM.

Round 9 [All schedules]: [8/4] 3PM.

Other National Tournaments at the U.S. Open

For More Information: http://uschess.org/tournaments/2013/usopen/

28 July: U.S. Open Scholastic - G/30 d5

31 July - 4 August: The 2013 U.S. Women’s Open - G/90+30 sec

Open to all female members of the U.S. Chess Federation

Side Events at the U.S. Open

27-28 July: U.S. Open Weekend Swiss - G/60 d5

27 July: U.S. Open Bughouse - G/5 d0

29, 30, & 31 July & 1 & 2 August: U.S. Open Quads - G/30 d5

31 July: U.S. Open G/15 Championship - G/15 d5

3 August: U.S. Open Blitz Championship - G/5 d0

All sections have a 5 second delay, except the Blitz and the Bughouse which have no delay and the U.S. Women’s Open is G/90+30 sec.

Notes:

            The July Rating Supplement will be used.

            Current USCF membership through August 2013 required.

            This year’s U.S. Open will not be FIDE rated.

            Bring a clock - none supplied.

            Sets/Boards supplied for tournament, but not for skittles.

For more information or to register: http://main.uschess.org/content/view/10014/95

Questions: 

National Events Assistant, Ashley Knight: aknight@uschess.org or 931-787-1234, ext. 138.

Save a buck: preregister for the Chicago Open

Today is the last day to enter the top seven sections for $227.  (Of course, you can still enter after today, but it'll cost you more.)

$18,000 guaranteed at Greater Midwest Classic July 5-7

And the advance entry fee is only $89: very reasonable! It's good to see Fred Gruenberg organizing in Illinois again....

The Greater Midwest Classic $18,000 Guaranteed to U2200 players! July 5-6-7, 2013 Hyatt Regency O'hare $99/room rates Register online at http://www.nachess.org/classic Simul with Grandmaster Sergey Kudrin! Blitz Tournament! Raffle Prizes!

Beginning a new tradition in Chicago and Putting the Fun Back into Chess! U2200 (FIDE rated): Overall - $1500-1200-1000-700; 1951-2100 - $400-200-100; 1800-1950 - $400-200-100; Biggest Upset - $200 U1800: Overall - $1500-1200-1000-700; Top 1551-1700 - $400-200-100; Top 1400-1550 - $400-200-100; Biggest Upset - $200 U1400: Overall - $1500-1200-1000-700; 1151-1300 - $400-200-100; 1150 and below - $400-200-100; Biggest Upset - $200 6R-SS Game-90 + 30/sec Fri: 12pm and 5:30pm, Sat-Sun 10am & 3:30pm each day.  On-site reg: 9:30-11:30am Fri or 8:30-9:30am Sat. Limit 2 byes. Last rd. bye must commit prior to start of Rd 3.  Side Events: Grandmaster Simul (9am Fri), Blitz Tournament Game-3 + 2/sec increment (8:30pm Sat).  FREE raffle prizes before round 6 with free entry, free room and free airfare to 2014 tournament.  Site: Hyatt Regency O’Hare, 9300 Bryn Mawr Ave., Rosemont, IL 60018. HR: $99/night – call 847-696-1234 and ask for CHESS rate. Reserve by June 1.  Discounted parking – only $5. 10 minute walk from CTA Blue Line. FREE hotel shuttle from/to O’Hare airport. Rivers Casino in Des Plaines, less than one mile away.  Entries for main event: If postmarked or online by 06/01 $89; $109 online or postmarked by 06/15; $129 thereafter. Re-entry $50. $25 to play up 1 section only; Credit Cards onsite OK. No checks onsite.  Mail entries to: North American Chess Association (payable to), 4957 Oakton St., Suite 113, Skokie, IL 60077. Register online at http://www.nachess.org/classic.  Other info: Boards, sets, and clocks provided. None for skittles. Must use organizer provided equipment. Chess store onsite. July rating supplement used.  Questions: sevan@nachess.org or 847-423-8626.  Organizers: Sevan A. Muradian, Glenn Panner and Fred Gruenberg. Register online: http://www.nachess.org/classic

"Chess Program at Marshall, Faraday Has Been Crowning Success"

Read about Joseph Ocol's great work at Marshall and the talented young players at Marshall's sister school Faraday.

"Two Days of Chess in the Loop"

Details here!