CHESS : U.S. CHAMPIONSHIPS
The 1995 U.S. Championship, the nation’s most prestigious invitational tournament, ended in a three-way tie Monday in Modesto. Grandmasters Nick de Firmian of New York, Alexander Ivanov of Massachusetts and Patrick Wolff of Massachusetts each scored 8 1/2-4 1/2 in the 14-player round robin. Wolff won a speed chess playoff on Tuesday for the championship ring, but the three players will reign as 1995 U.S. co-champions.
Ohio GM Alexey Yermolinsky went undefeated and finished fourth at 8-5. The 1994 U.S. champion, GM Boris Gulko of New Jersey, was next at 7 1/2-5 1/2. Other scores: GM Walter Browne (Berkeley), 6 1/2-6 1/2; GM Joel Benjamin (New York), GM Roman Dzindzichashvili (New York) and GM Dmitry Gurevich (Illinois), 6-7; GM Gregory Kaidanov (Kentucky) and IM Georgi Orlov (Washington), 5 1/2-7 1/2; IM Igor Khmelnitsky (Pennsylvania) and IM Josh Waitzkin (New York), 5-8; and GM Sergey Kudrin (Connecticut), 4 1/2-8 1/2.
The 1995 U.S. Women’s Championship also produced co-champions, as WIM Sharon Burtman of Orange and WGM Anjelina Belakovskaya of New York shared first place with scores of 6 1/2-2 1/2. Burtman was the only player to go undefeated. Third, at 5 1/2-3 1/2, was WIM Esther Epstein, who, with husband Alexander Ivanov, forms the strongest chess couple in the country.
Other scores: WIM Anna Khan (New York) and Natalia Tsodikova (San Francisco), 5-4; WIM Alexey Root (Texas) and Olga Sagalchik (New York), 4 1/2-4 1/2; Jennie Frenklakh (Monterey), Polina Kaganovska (Tennesee) and Irina Krush (New York), 2 1/2-6 1/2. Krush, who will turn 12 on Dec. 24, is the youngest participant ever in a national championship.
Both tournaments were organized by Robert Tanner for the U.S. Chess Federation. Interplay Productions, the Irvine software company that publishes Battle Chess, served as sponsor for the third year in a row.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Boris Gelfand of Belarus and Vladimir Kramnik of Russia scored 8-3 to share first place in one of the strongest tournaments of the year, the Investa Bank tournament in Belgrade. The all-grandmaster event averaged 2649 in rating.
Alexey Shirov of Spain took third place at 6 1/2-4 1/2, despite losing his last game. Other scores: Veselin Topalov (Bulgaria), 6-5; Michael Adams (England), Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukraine) and Jan Timman (Netherlands), 5 1/2-5 1/2; 16-year old Peter Leko (Hungary), 5-6; Ljubomir Ljubojevich (Serbia), 4 1/2-6 1/2; Alexander Belyavsky (Ukraine) and Joel Lautier (France), 4-7; and 1993 World Junior champion Igor Miladinovich (Greece), 3 1/2-7 1/2.
LOCAL NEWS
The official bulletins of the American Open, containing the moves of more than 200 games, are available from Alan Watson, 161 Oakwood Drive, Bolingbrook, Ill. 60440. The price is $12, which includes postage.
There is a new chess club at Valley Beth Israel, 13060 Roscoe Blvd. in North Hollywood. Players of all ages and strengths are welcome. Abo Shagalovich, a master who taught chess in the Soviet Union, will offer instruction. For more information, call Rick Young at (818) 891-8104.