The Kamikaze Rook

Few things are more frustrating in chess than to outplay an opponent for an entire game only to fall for a stalemate trick. This postion occurred on 6th Board at the recent IHSA State Tournament.

After Black played 52...c2 rather than 52...Rf1#, White uncorked 53.Rxg6+! and Black cannot capture the kamikaze rook without allowing stalemate. Black's first thought is to maneuver the White rook to a square where one of the pieces confining the White king can capture it, but the White king is too thoroughly trapped. Can Black still gain the full point? The solution can be found here.

Deerfield Park District news and classes

Info in the Deerfield Review.

CCA Tournament Location Survey

Want to see more CCA events in the locations you prefer?  Take this survey!

"Chess X-Men Win USAT North"

Two smilers and three tough guys

Maret Thorpe reports on the ICA website.

Credit where credit is due for this great event: "The tournament was organized by Tim Just and Glenn Panner, directors were Just, Panner, Maret Thorpe and Keith Ammann. Bookseller was Checkmate Chess Supply and sets and clocks for the event were supplied by North Shore Chess Center."

May 7-20 in St. Louis: U.S. Chess Championship

Press release at Chess Life Online: time for a road trip!

The field is incredibly strong: our own Yury Shulman is seeded tenth, and GMs like Shankland, Christiansen, Benjamin, and Shabalov did not make the cut (don't know whether GM Jaan Ehlvest declined an invitation or missed the cut).

 The women's field is equally impressive. It's nice to see the U.S. Championship return to an élite event!

March 3: Evanston Tri-Level

Another email cut-and-paste.  ($5, such a deal.)

Levy Senior Center, 300 Dodge Ave., Evanston, IL 60202


Evanston Chess Presents:
March 3, 2012 9:00am-5:00pm
Tri-Level: 4SS G/40 d5
Three Sections, USCF Dual Rated
Guest master: NM Jon Burgess
 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 determines 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.


Four rounds. Digital clocks are required and will be set to G/40 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. 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.

An astounding tactical resource

ChessCafe.com recently named Invisible Moves by Yochanan Afek and Emmanuel Neiman its 2011 Book of the Year. Invisible Moves beat out very tough competition, including fellow finalists How to Reassess Your Chess (4th edition) by Jeremy Silman and Lessons With a Grandmaster by Boris Gulko and Dr. Joel R. Sneed.

Here is a remarkable position from that book. In the diagrammed position, White's position looks hopeless, with his poor king under siege. Unsurprisingly, White immediately succumbed with 36.Qxg3? Qh1#. White missed an amazing resource that would have saved the game! Can you see it?

US Amateur Team North - well, that was fun!

It's tax season, so this post is going to be far shorter than it deserves to be.  

171 players on 39 teams had a lot of fun this weekend!  GM Alexander Shabalov played for a team from Pittsburgh: GM Dmitry Gurevich (who won Saturday night's Illinois Blitz Championship) was a constant spectator.

GM Dmitry Gurevich 

2012 Illinois Blitz Champion

(swiped from Brad Rosen's Facebook page)

Full team results are here.  The event is already rated: MSA reports here.
Congratulations to the Chess X-Men (NM Mariano Acosta, MN Tenzing Shaw, NM Scott Allsbrook, and Dmitri Sergatskov) for keeping the USAT North title in Chicagoland!

Maret Thorpe was both an assistant TD and the sponsor of two Evanston Chess Club teams: her report is here. If you friend the South Suburban Chess Club of Greater Chicago, you can see lots of cool event photos! Thanks to TDs and organizers (who I'm not naming only because I'm afraid I'll leave a key person out!) for a very smooth and enjoyable event!

Downers Grove tournament for grades 1-8 on March 10

Kristi Kattapong sends us an email: the organizer is Downers Grove FRoG (Friends of the Gifted and Talented).

Top 200 players in Illinois

Here's the February list!

1	GM YURY SHULMAN	2666
2	GM MESGEN AMANOV	2586
3	GM NIKOLA MITKOV	2586
4	GM DMITRY GUREVICH	2533
5	FM ERIC S ROSEN	2423
6	FM LEO KAUSHANSKY	2412
7	IM FLORIN FELECAN	2406
8	TANSEL TURGUT	2385
9	IM ANGELO YOUNG	2372
10	FM NIKHILESH KUMAR KUNCHE	2362
11	WIM VIKTORIJA NI	2349
12	TIMUR ALIYEV	2346
13	FM AUNG THANT ZIN	2323
14	ADARSH JAYAKUMAR	2320
15	FM IGOR TSYGANOV	2298
16	WILLIAM J ARAMIL	2275
17	FM ALEKSANDA STAMNOV	2256
18	JEREMY KANE	2253
19	FM ANDREW KARKLINS	2252
20	SAM A SCHMAKEL	2246
21	STEVEN TENNANT	2240
22	GOPAL MENON	2231
23	TREVOR S MAGNESS	2230
24	PETROS DEMETRIOS KARAGIANIS	2230
25	FM ALBERT C CHOW	2229
26	FM DAN WOLF	2218
27	TENZING W SHAW	2205
28	AUDRIUS MACENIS	2205
29	KENNETH T WALLACH	2202
30	FREDERICK S RHINE	2201
31	FM KEVIN BACHLER	2200
32	LEN J WEBER	2200
33	STEVEN J SZPISJAK	2200
34	MARIANO A ACOSTA	2200
35	JON L BURGESS	2187
36	MATTHEW E MICHAELIDES	2179
37	ALEX ZIQI DING	2178
38	MINDRAG M JEVRENOVIC	2155
39	JONATHAN S KOGEN	2151
40	STEFFEN HELMUT KLUG	2132
41	MATTHEW K WILBER	2129
42	MICHAEL W AUGER	2128
43	TIMOTHY E KRAS	2126
44	TAM NGUYEN	2115
45	WILLIAM H BROCK	2115
46	KEITH B HOLZMUELLER	2112
47	FM ANDREW D HUBBARD	2106
48	MARK ROBLEDO JR	2106
49	GLEN E GRATZ	2105
50	GEOFFREY CAVENEY	2101
51	RENE ANCHETA	2083
52	ZACH KASIURAK	2081
53	FRED SCOTT ALLSBROOK	2078
54	JAMES MICHAEL PAVESE	2077
55	GAVIN JACOB MC CLANAHAN	2077
56	SEDRICK PRUDE	2074
57	FLORENTINO V INUMERABLE	2073
58	ISAAC MAURICE BRASWELL	2067
59	KRZYSZTOF FLAGA	2065
60	D GREGORY BUNGO	2063
61	AAKAASH MEDURI	2060
62	ZHAOZHI LI	2051
63	ROBERT JAMES RASMUSSEN	2048
64	ROBERT LONCAREVIC	2045
65	THOMAS D MURPHY	2037
66	SERGE MININ	2037
67	CHRISTOPHER A MERLI	2034
68	ROBBIE S KLEINMUNTZ	2033
69	CHRISTOPHER GIRARDO	2031
70	JORDAN S COHEN	2030
71	ERIK KARKLINS	2028
72	KEVIN JOSEPH VELAZQUEZ	2028
73	DAVID LONG	2027
74	YULIY KLEBAN	2027
75	YURI FRIDMAN	2023
76	ROBERT D MORRIS	2021
77	VINCENT J HART	2020
78	ROBBY HECHT	2020
79	MIOMIR STEVANOVIC	2019
80	GENE G SCOTT	2018
81	PAUL D MECHEM	2015
82	YANJINLKHAM BAYARSAIKHAN	2011
83	KENT Y CEN	2010
84	JAMES B FAGAN	2010
85	DUSAN TUTUSH	2008
86	THOMAS WOODROW KACZYNSKI	2005
87	GADDIEL TAN TAN	2003
88	WALLACE GORDON	2002
89	WILLIAM A NAFF	2001
90	GHULAM DASTGIR-BUTT	2000
91	LAWRENCE S COHEN	2000
92	ALEX BIAN	2000
93	MARK MAROVITCH	2000
94	LEONID BONDAR	2000
95	SITARAM AUDIPUDY	1999
96	JEFF S DIXON	1990
97	MIKHAIL KORENMAN	1986
98	DANIEL MC NALLY	1974
99	ROBERT MOSKWA	1965
100	TODD A PLAGEMANN	1956
101	JOSHUA DUBIN	1955
102	CHENGLIANG LUO	1953
103	DANIEL R DUGOVIC	1951
104	JEFF K WIEWEL	1949
105	MAXIMILIAN JOSEPH ZINSKI	1948
106	CHRISTOPHER WOOD	1947
107	BRIAN THOMAS	1941
108	ETHELBERT P GAZMEN	1940
109	DR JOE CIMA	1939
110	LUIS M PERALTA	1937
111	JAMES EGERTON	1936
112	DMITRI A SERGATSKOV	1935
113	HARRY A SMITH	1932
114	RUDY NEIL ENRIQUEZ	1922
115	DUSHYANTH REDDIVARI	1921
116	MICHAEL A BARKDOLL	1921
117	VALDIS M TUMS	1921
118	DOUGLAS ALAN MIDDLETON	1920
119	DEREK H LYON	1916
120	RAJIV S DESHPANDE	1914
121	DAVID L LEE	1908
122	DANIEL EDWARD PARMET	1908
123	SCOT L HENDERSON	1907
124	NATHANIEL AUSTIN KRANJC	1905
125	ZACHARY HOLECEK	1905
126	DAVID J MASON	1903
127	STEVEN CRAIG MILLER	1901
128	DAVID TIANJIAN PENG	1901
129	JOSEPH O ALFORD	1900
130	LEON SHERNOFF	1900
131	JAMES K CONDRON	1900
132	JOE DAMOCLES	1900
133	RICHARD K KUJOTH	1900
134	DENNIS PLOTT	1899
135	ROBERT HILL	1899
136	ABE SUN	1899
137	SAM FORD	1896
138	DANIEL R MODES	1895
139	RAFEH R QAZI	1893
140	CHRISTOPHER BAUMGARTNER	1892
141	THOMAS FRISKE	1882
142	MIKE CRONIN	1881
143	MICHAEL LEALI	1880
144	SAAGAR GUPTA	1878
145	RYSZARD GRABOWSKI	1878
146	GEORGE WILLIAM STONE	1876
147	AKSHAY INDUSEKAR	1873
148	JAMES WEI	1872
149	WILLIAM LYLE HAYHURST	1872
150	JOSEPH CYGAN	1870
151	JUAN HERNANDEZ III	1870
152	CONRAD OBERHAUS	1869
153	JACK M MALLERS	1869
154	MIKE MEI 13301021	1867
155	DAVID KASSIN	1865
156	YUE XU	1864
157	DAVID C HINTERLONG	1862
158	KYLE J MILES	1862
159	BENJAMIN P STERN	1859
160	PAUL SEET	1859
161	JONATHAN BONWELL	1858
162	BRYCE MC CLANAHAN	1858
163	CHARLES SWAN	1858
164	MARK STEVEN ENGELEN	1857
165	BILL SMYTHE	1855
166	DAVID S GILCHRIST	1852
167	MATTHEW Y YANG	1851
168	ANSHUL ADVE	1849
169	FRANCISCO III CABALLERO	1849
170	WILLIAM G COX	1848
171	MICHAEL GRANATA	1847
172	HECTOR R HERNANDEZ	1842
173	NIDAL M AKER	1841
174	PETER MC CONAGHIE	1840
175	RISHI SETHI	1838
176	ADAM LEVINE-WEINBERG	1837
177	BRUCE T DAWSON	1834
178	HOWARD COHEN	1830
179	KEVIN J POTTS	1830
180	MICHAEL J BRUN	1827
181	MARTIN WILBER	1820
182	CALEB S LARSEN	1820
183	TOM TAYLOR	1819
184	JAMES M THOMSON	1819
185	DAVID W FERRIE	1819
186	TARANIKANTA MOHAPATRA	1818
187	JIRI V KABELAC	1817
188	JOHN DE MASTRI	1816
189	GEORGE RUAN	1816
190	MICHAEL A CHINITZ	1816
191	JEFFREY P BRUNELLE	1813
192	JOSEPH R GUTH JR	1813
193	DAVID ROCKWELL	1809
194	EVAN SPIEGEL	1805
195	STANISLAN KAMYS	1802
196	JOSEPH G ZEMGULYS	1801
197	ROMAN, M KUPERMAN	1801
198	PHIL JARRETTE	1800
199	VINCE SPRINGER	1799
200	MATTHEW JAMES STEVENS	1797

Request for bids: 2012 Illinois All Grade Championship

Details on ICA website.

Chicago Public Library Chess - King Branch, Bronzeville

Thursdays from 4:00-5:30 p.m. at 3436 S. King Drive.  Contact info here.

Question: is there a place where all the various programs at CPL branches are listed?

Illinois Elementary School Association championship

Today and tomorrow in Bloomington at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum: details here.

The Quietest IHSA Sport?

Not to be pedantic, but to IHSA, chess is an "activity."

Article here.

Carlsen on 60 Minutes

Story on Chess Life Online.

Preview available on the 60 Minutes website.  If Carlsen is the "Mozart of Chess," then Kasparov is Beethoven?  (Yeah, I realize that "Mozart" is often shorthand for "prodigal talent," but Magnus is twenty, which is like being forty in most careers.)

Games from IHSA State Tournament

In the first round, Prospect's Robert Moskwa had the Black pieces against Benet Academy's 1968 rated Max Zinski.  By a somewhat circuitous route, the players wound up in a Sicilian Dragon with White playing the system with Bc4, h3 and 0-0.  Max played the opening well and put Robert in a very cramped position by landing a White pawn on f6.  However, Robert defended well and as often happens in the Sicilian, if White cannot find a way to convert his space advantage into an attack on Black's king, he often finds himself over extended and vulnerable.

This win turned out to make the difference in the competition for the the top medal on first board as Max didn't lose another game and finished 5.5-1.5.  As none of Eric Rosen or Matt Wilber's opponents finished with scores that good, Robert ended up getting the edge on tie break points.

In the last round, Robert played White against Stevenson's 2043 rated senior Kent Cen.  Again Robert found himself in a tough position out of the opening, and again he defended well.  The game wound up in a king and pawn ending where Kent played an instinctive move with less than ten seconds on his clock that turned out to be the losing move.

Black to play and draw.  Kent instinctively played to get his king in front of the White pawns with the natural looking 56...Ke4?? which lost to 57.Kc4 Ke5 58.Kb5 Kd6 59. Kxb6.  He could have drawn with 56...Ke2! 57.Kc4 Kd2, when White has nothing better than 58.Kb5 Kc3 59.Kxb6 Kb4=.

U.S. Amateur Team North in Northbrook this weekend!

Details here! You still have just enough time to put a team together, or come and kibitz.

Preview on Chess Life Online. Again, the location is Crowne Plaza Hotel, 2875 N. Milwaukee Ave., Northbrook, IL 60062. But there's a very dangerous typo in the article: if you go to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and not Milwaukee Avenue, you will be disappointed....

 I'll be playing for Evanston on Friday and Sunday: see you there!

Lotsa Latvian

If the Latvian Gambit is unsound, then why doesn't four-time U.S. Champion Alexander Shabalov refute it? OK, Shabalov may be an ethnic Russian, but he was born and raised in Latvia, and was a student of Tal.

The Grandmaster escapes with the full point.

The Latvian lives!

The Latvian Gambit, that is.  I had a pleasant Sunday afternoon analyzing with Andrew Karklins.
Here's one of the games we looked at:

"Niles North team, Prospect’s Moskwa are state’s best in chess"

Read all about it.