CHESS
Feb. 11, 2001
Position #5624: Black to play and win. From the game S. Pierce - S. Rubin, Los Angeles 2001.
Solution to Position #5623: White wins with 1 h5 (threatening 2 h6 Nf5 3 Rh8 mate) gxh5 2 Ra5! Nd7 3 Be4+ Kg8 4 Ra8+ Nf8 5 Bb4. Or, if 2 . . . Nb3, then 3 Be4+ f5 4 gxf6+ Kh6 5 Re5 wins a piece.
NATIONAL NEWS
Looking for a fun tournament? The U.S. Amateur Team Championship offers six games at a normal time rate, a reasonable entry fee, plenty of trophies and even a shot at a national title. The lack of prize money only enhances the tournament’s strange charm.
The USAT West, one of the four regional championships, will be held Feb. 17-19 at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel, 6101 W. Century Blvd. in Los Angeles. About 50 teams are expected to compete. Any four players may form a team. The rating limit (teams must average less than 2200) encourages masters and amateurs to join forces to create a contending team. The mix adds to the excitement. No one can predict whose game will decide a match.
The Scholastic Amateur Team Championship will be held alongside the USAT West, but on Feb. 18-19 (Sunday and Presidents’ Day) only. It’s a six-rounder for teams of four averaging less than 1200 in rating.
For details on either event, or for help in joining a team, call Randy Hough at (626) 282-7412 or Mike Carr at (949) 768-3538.
The Grand Prix, a program that the U.S. Chess Federation had planned to cancel, will continue in 2001 after all. The Grand Prix awards points to prize winners in larger open tournaments throughout the country. The players who collect the most Grand Prix points receive a cash prize at the end of the year. The USCF, at the urging of Continental Chess Assn. founder Bill Goichberg, began the Grand Prix in 1980 to encourage masters to compete frequently and to set minimum standards for major events.
For most of the last two decades, the USCF recruited a sponsor to pay Grand Prix bonus money of about $20,000 each year. Last fall, the USCF announced that they had not found a sponsor for 2001 and would end the Grand Prix. In response, Goichberg began his own fund-raising drive. He has promised to contribute at least $10,000 in prize money to the 2001 Grand Prix. He supplies more background at the new Website, https://www.chessnews.org.
LOCAL NEWS
Local chess organizers are creating the Southern California Scholastic Chess Fund, a nonprofit organization. Their goal is to distribute the interest from the fund every year to worthy scholastic chess programs. They must raise $5,000 by June 1 to start the fund. For more information, or to make a tax-deductible contribution, write to Michael R. Carr, 25601 Chrisanta Drive, Mission Viejo, CA 92691.
The Southern California Senior Open, a state championship for those over age 50, took place last weekend at the Chess Center in Costa Mesa. The turnout of 32 players was the best ever. Tom Fries, Robert Richard, Carl Wagner and defending champion Stephen Jones tied for first with scores of 3 1/2- 1/2. All four share the title of 2001 state senior champion.
Class prizes went to Werner Belke, Neil Bershad, Mike Carr, Terry Nunez, David Hartman and Frank David. The tournament was sponsored by the Southern California Chess Federation (SCCF), the nonprofit organization that oversees most local tournaments.
Top-rated Vanessa West swept the Championship (grades K-12) section of the Warner Winter tournament, held Feb. 3 in Westwood, with a perfect 4-0 score. Ilya Malinskiy finished second with 3 1/2- 1/2.
Jessica Lee and Michael Mezhebovsky shared first place at 4 1/2- 1/2 in the Intermediate (grades K-5) section. Dylan Neel scored 5-0 to lead the Booster (grades K-2) section, a point ahead of Mark Gofman and Alexander Boules. John Surlow directed the 107-player event, now in its seventh year.
The SPA Winter Classic, a three-section scholastic tournament, takes place Feb. 17 at St. Paul the Apostle School, 1536 Selby Ave. in Westwood. Students may enter the Championship (grades K-12), Junior Varsity (K-6) or Novice (K-3) section. For full information, send a message to surlows@ix.netcom.com. Registration at the site closes at 8:55 a.m.
Dave Matson scored 4-1 to win the Dr. Richard Lewis Memorial at the Pasadena Chess Club. Next at 3 1/2-1 1/2 were Gordon Brooks, James Hilliard, Neil Hultgren, John Rowell and Tim Thompson. J.C. McFadden, Edward Witten and Joseph Zuzow shared the Class B prize. Trevor Rose (best C-D) and Dave Mitchell (best E-unrated) led their categories.
The Pasadena Chess Club runs tournaments continuously on Friday nights in the Pasadena Senior Center, 85 E. Holly St. in Pasadena. For details, call Neil Hultgren at (818) 243-3809.
The 31-player Richard Morris Memorial ended in a tie among David Argall, best “A” Art Drucker and best “B” Thurlo Mishler at 4-1. Harry Gaul and Miles Wong earned class prizes in the Arcadia Chess Club event.
The six-round Arcadia Club Championship begins Feb. 12 in the Senior Citizens Building, 405 S. Santa Anita Ave. in Arcadia. For information, call Fred Brock at (626) 331-1638.
Ramon Tolentino, Mark Mehlert and Thomas Landry tied for first with perfect 3-0 scores in a tournament held last Sunday at the Exposition Park Chess Club. The club meets from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sundays in the public library, 3665 S. Vermont Ave. in Los Angeles. Call the library at (323) 732-0169 for more information.
The La Palma Chess Club’s latest event ended in a 5-0 sweep by Gregg Fritchle, who extended his club winning streak to 11 games. Leigh Hunt and Bill Martino tied for second place, and Mike Brady, Bob Engler and Eizo Hoshino received class prizes. The club meets Friday evenings in Central Park, 7821 Walker St. in La Palma. For details, call Brian Scanlon at (714) 523-2550.
Chess Academy, 1335 N. La Brea Ave. in Hollywood, will conduct a tournament and an Eduard Gufeld exhibition today. Call (323) 883-0164 or (323) 512-4564 for information.
TODAY’S GAME
Smolovich (Yugoslavia) - GM Rajkovich (Yugoslavia), Bajmok 2001: 1 e4 c5 2 Nc3 Nc6 3 Nge2 g6 4 d4 cxd4 5 Nxd4 Bg7 6 Nde2 A safe system against the Dragon Sicilian. Often the game continues 6 . . . Nf6 7 g3 0-0 8 Bg2 d6 9 0-0 Rb8 10 a4. h5!? Discouraging 7 g3, as 7 . . . h4 8 g4 Nf6 9 h3 b5 counterattacks quickly. 7 h3 h4 8 Be3 Nf6 9 Qd2 Also reasonable is 9 Nd4. However, 9 Nf4 Qa5 10 Qd2 is met strongly by 10 . . . Rb8 11 a4 b5! 12 Bxb5 Nxe4 13 Nxe4 Rxb5. b5!? 10 f3 Qa5 Preventing 11 0-0-0. 11 Nd4 After 11 Nd5 b4! 12 c4 bxc3 13 Nexc3 Rb8, Black applies annoying pressure against White’s Queenside. b4 12 Nxc6!? Ambitious. The simpler 12 Ncb5 Nxd4 13 Nxd4 coordinates White’s pieces but does not mangle Black’s pawns. dxc6 13 Ne2 Nh5 14 Nd4 0-0 15 Nxc6 Again, White plays aggressively. He could nearly force a draw with 15 Nb3 (hoping for 15 . . . Qc7?! 16 0-0-0) Qa4 16 Nc5 Qa5 17 Nb3 Qe5 18 Bd4 Qg3+ 19 Bf2 Qe5 20 Bd4. Qc7 16 Nxb4? Too optimistic. After 16 Nd4 Rd8 17 0-0-0 (not fearing 17 . . . e5 18 Nb5) Qe5 18 Bc4, Black cannot exploit the pinned Knight. Ng3 17 Rg1?! Only 17 Nd5 Qb7 18 Rg1 resists. Then 18 . . . e6 19 Nb4 and 18 . . . Qxb2 19 Rd1 e6 20 Ne7+ Kh7 21 Kf2 survive, although Black has plenty of compensation for the pawn. Nxf1 18 Rxf1 If 18 Kxf1 Bxb2 19 Rb1, Black takes command with 19 . . . Bc3 20 Qc1 (not 20 Nd5?? Ba6+) Rb8 21 Nd3 Be6. Bxb2 19 Nd5 Qg3+ 20 Bf2 Qxg2 21 Qh6? Threatening 22 Nxe7 mate, but inadequate. Most logical is 21 Rb1 Ba6! 22 Rg1 Qxf3 23 Rxb2 Qxe4+ 24 Ne3 Rfd8 25 Qa5 Rd6 or 25 Qb4 Qf3 26 c4 Rd3 27 Rb3 Rad8, although Black’s attack appears unstoppable. Note that 22 Ne3? Qxf3 23 Rxb2 definitely loses to 23 . . . Rfd8 24 Nd5 Qxe4+. Re8 22 c3 Setting the trap 22 . . . Bxa1?? 23 Bd4 f6 24 Rg1. White rejects 22 Rb1 because 22 . . . Ba6 23 Rg1 Qxf3 24 Qe3 Qxe3+ 25 Bxe3 Be5 26 Bg5 Bg3+ 27 Kd2 f6 leaves Black a solid pawn ahead. The trickier 27 Rxg3 hxg3 28 Nc7 lets Black force a winning endgame by 28 . . . Rab8! 29 Rc1 Rec8! 30 Nxa6 Rb6 31 Nc5 Rxc5 32 Be3 Re5. Ba6 23 Rg1 Qxf3 24 Rxg6+ No worse than 24 Qd2 Bxa1. fxg6 25 Qxg6+ Kf8 26 Qh6+ Kf7 27 Qh7+ Ke6 28 Nc7+ Kd7 29 Nxa6 Bxa1 30 Qh6 Or 30 Nc5+ Kc6 31 Qh6+ Qf6, and White’s threats end. Bxc3+ 31 Kf1 Qd3+ 32 Kg1 Rg8+ 33 Kh2 Be5+, White Resigns. A slugfest!