My Senior Moment by Jim Eade

My Senior Moment by Jim Eade

I cant recall when it first dawned on me that I qualified (by turning 50) for the 2007 US Senior Open, but the idea of actually playing in it gradually grew on me.

My last tournament had been the 1999 Amateur Team East, so the possibility of embarrassing myself seemed entirely plausible, but on the other hand, playing only other old timers had a certain appeal.

The more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea of playing.  Id be playing people who learned to play chess the way I learned to play.

In the old days, before coaches and trainers, we were largely self taught.

Before computers and the Internet, we had to wait months for an Informant to arrive in order for us to study the latest games. It took us years to acquire the experience that todays players can get in a matter of months.

Upon arriving at La Quinta, Ca. for the tournament, I discovered that there were nine masters in total, including an IM and four FMs, and that I was the highest rated one.

Obviously, I did not think I could play to my old strength and I didnt like having a top seed bulls eye painted on my chest, but what could I do?

As Bill Russell once said about playing against Wilt Chamberlain, I had to show up.

After an extended absence from tournament chess, here was my first game back:

Carr,M – Eade,J [A37]
US Senior Open 16.08.2007

1.c4 c5 2.Nc3 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.g3 Nc6 5.Bg2 e5 6.d3 d6 7. 00 Nge7 8.Rb1 00 9.a3 a5 10.Bg5 h6

(This is a mistake. 10. …f6 is better)

11.Bxe7 Nxe7 12.b4 axb4 13.axb4 f5 14.Qb3 Bd7 15.bxc5 dxc5 16.Nd2 Bc6 17.Bxc6 bxc6

(Classical chess theory teaches that doubled isolated pawns are weak.  Modern chess theory argues that the pawns keep the White knights out of the key central squares.)

18.Rfd1 Qd6 19.Qc2 Ra3 20.Rb3 Rfa8 21.Rxa3 Rxa3 22.Qb2 Ra8 23.Qc2 Bf6 24.Rb1 h5 25.Nf3 g5 26.e4? f4 27.Ne2 g4 28.Nd2 f3 29.Nc1 Kf7 30.Ncb3 Rg8 31.Na5 Bg5 32.Nb7 Qh6 33.Nf1 h4 34.Qc3 hxg3 35.Qxe5 Bf4 36.Qb2 gxh2+ 37.Kh1 Qh3 38.Ne3 Bxe3 39.fxe3 g3 01

Carr is currently a class A player, but he used to be a rated expert.

It was certainly a relief to get the first game under my belt. I won my next game against another A player, and then drew my next two games against masters.

I needed to win with black in the fifth round to have a shot at winning the tournament.

Daud,H – Eade,J [A04]
US Senior Open, 19.08.2007

1.Nf3 c5 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.d3 Nc6 5.00 e5 6.e4 Nge7 7.c3 00 8.a3 d6 9.b4 a5 10.bxc5 dxc5 11.a4 Qd6 12.Na3 Rd8 13.Ne1 Be6 14.Qc2 b6 15.Rb1 Nc8 16.Nb5 Qd7 17.Qe2 N6a7 18.h4 Nxb5 19.axb5 c4 20.d4 exd4 21.cxd4 Bxd4 22.e5 Ra7 23.Bg5 Ne7 24.Nc2 Bc5 25.Rfd1 Qe8 26.Bc6 Rxd1+ 27.Rxd1 Nxc6 28.bxc6 Be7 29.Bf6 Qxc6 30.Nd4 Qc8 31.Nb5 Rd7 32.Nd6 Rxd6 33.Rxd6 Bxd6 34.exd6 Qc6 35.Qd2 Bh3 36.f3 Qxf3 37.Be5 f6 38.d7 Bxd7 39.Qxd7 fxe5 40.Qe8+ Qf8 41.Qe6+ Qf7 42.Qxb6 Qd5 43.Qb8+ Kg7 44.Qc7+ Kh6 45.Qe7 e4 46.Qf6 Kh5 47.Qe7 Kg4 48.Qxh7 Kxg3 49.Qxg6+ Kxh4 50.Qh6+ Kg4 51.Qg6+ Kf4 52.Qf6+ Qf5 53.Qc3 Qg4+ 54.Kh2 Qe2+ 01

That was one hard struggle!

It reminded me how difficult tournament chess can be.

White had numerous threats during the course of the game, and I had to trust my ability to calculate correctly.  I felt as though I had accomplished my objective, however, believing that I would be paired against the only 5-0 the next day.

It was not to be. The colors did not work, and I was back on second board.

NM Joel Johnson drew his game and finished in clear first, while I settled for a draw and a multiple tie for second.

Click here 2007 US Senior Championship (this link at PaloVerde.org is no longer available) for more information on what was an extremely pleasant tournament.

I expect that it will not take me eight years before I play in my next one!

Note: Jim Eade is the author of Chess for Dummies as well as other books.

To take a look inside this book, click here.

The Euwe Stimulus Tournament – Congratulations Amon !

The Euwe Stimulus tournament, a ten-player round robin, took place in Arnhem, the Netherlands, from August 17-26, 2007. This is an invitational tournament in the format of a nine round (round robin).

The following is the list of participants:

• IGM Dibyendu Barua 2462 India
• IM Willy Hendriks 2420 the Netherlands
• IGM Oscar Panno 2457 Argentina
• IM Helgi Dam Ziska 2408 Faroe Islands
• IGM Friðrik Ólafsson 2452 Iceland
• IGM Nona Gaprindashvili 2364 Georgia
• Vincent Rothuis 2441 the Netherlands
• IM Puchen Wang 2348 New Zealand
• IM Amon Simutowe 2421 Zambia
• WGM Bianca Muhren 2334 the Netherlands

This tournament ended with the sensational victory by a player from Zambia, Amon Simutowe!

Amon just completed his Bachelors degree in Finances and Economics at the University of Texas at Dallas.

Not only did Amon not lose a single game, but he also completed his third and final GM norm with this event !

Congratulations Amon !

Is Chess 99% Tactics?

IS CHESS 99% TACTICS?

According to Richard Teichmann this is the case..What do you think?

Lets take a look at the following position: White to move.

White wins with a remarkable Rook sacrifice! Try to find it…

Continental Championship for Ladies

Continental Championship for Ladies
August 28-September 7, 2007
San Luis, Argentina

Today is the start of the Continental Championship for Ladies. This year the event will take place in San Luis, Argentina. This event is a qualifier for the Womens World Championship.

The following link has all the information about the event, in Spanish.

Continental Championship for Ladies (Spanish)

The USA has one representative playing in this Championship, Chouchanik Airapetian.

Here is a brief bio and a photo of Chouchanik for your information.

Chouchanik Airapetian

Chouchanik (b. April 20, 1975) originates from Leninakan, Armenia and learned the royal game from her mother at the age of seven.

A talented youngster, she earned a place at the Armenian national team and eventually represented Armenia during the Women’s Interzonal tournament, a qualification tournament for the Women’s World Championship, in Georgia, 1993.

Arapetian came to the U.S. in August 1994. Chouchanik lives in Burbank, California with her husband, a former member of the Armenian national volleyball team.

Among her hobbies are swimming, tennis, and shopping.

Hikaru’s Lucky City

HIKARUS LUCKY CITY

Las Vegas seems to be GM Hikaru Nakamuras lucky city, he has won two consecutive American Opens and this years National Open.  GM Nakamura also won the 2007 National Open Blitz Championship with a final score of 12.5.

In this video clip, from the National Open Blitz 2007 between Akopian vs Nakamura.

When Akopian takes his Queen, insinuating that he can promote a Pawn, Hikaru Nakamura tells him: “Are you kidding?”

Note: If you experience problems with this youtube video clip, the YouTube server may be down, try again.

North America Chess Youth Championships

NORTH AMERICA YOUTH CHESS CHAMPIONSHIPS
October 5-7, 2007
Aguas Calientes, Mexico

Playing in an international tournament is a very exciting and rewarding experience for a young player.

The North American Youth Championships were created back in 2004.

The first event took place in the USA, in Boca Raton Florida and it was organized by Jon Haskel and Beatriz Marinello.

This years event will be held in Mexico.

For more information, I am enclosing the official information from the organizers.

The USA has the opportunity to send one official player in each category which will be provided with lodging and meals at the cost of the organization.

Additional players can participate, but they need to cover their own expenses.

Please contact the USCF Scholastic Director, Jerry Nash at Jnash@uschess.org more logistical details.

(You can also access the official invitation in pdf by clicking here – North America Youth Championships.)

Call for Chess in Education Presenters

Call for 2008 Chess in Education Presenters

For both the Texas Chess Association (TCA) Chess in Education workshop and the United States Chess Federation (USCF) Chess in Education workshop.

FOR BOTH WORKSHOPS: Presenters are encouraged to use 30 minutes, but one-hour presentations will also be considered. Topics should relate to chess in education. All presenters are required to submit an abstract (maximum 300 words) to Alexey Root alexey.root@gmail.com, workshop organizer.

Deadline for abstracts: 1/8/08 for TCA, 6/7/08 for USCF.

For the TCA workshop, co-organizers Alexey Root and Luis Salinas, sponsor TCA

Saturday, March 8, 2008:

Presenter 1: 1:00-1:30
Presenter 2: 1:30-2:30
Presenter 3: 2:30-3:00
3:00-3:30: refreshment break
Presenter 4: 3:30-4:00
Presenter 5: 4:00-4:30
Presenter 6: 4:30-5:00

Location: Held during the Texas Scholastic Chess Championships, March 8-9, 2008
Hilton Americas-Houston & George E. Brown Convention Center
1001 Avenida de las Americas
Houston, TX 77010
1-800-236-2905 and ask for chess rate

For the USCF workshop, co-organizers Drs. Alexey Root and Tim Redman, sponsor USCF

Thursday, August 7, 2008:

USCF Chess in Education committee business meeting: 1:00-1:30
Presenter 1: 1:30-2:00
Presenter 2: 2:00-3:00
3:00-3:30: refreshment break (if funds permit, otherwise just a break)
Presenter 3: 3:30-4:00
Presenter 4: 4:00-4:30
Presenter 5: 4:30-5:00
Location: Held during the U.S. Open, August 2—August 10 2008
The Westin Park Central
12720 Merit Drive
Dallas, TX 75251
1-888-627-7032
$99 Chess Rate

Participant fee and presenter honorarium information:

For the TCA workshop: Free to presenters, $15 for participants in advance, $20 at the door. Refreshments served during break at TCA workshop. For the TCA workshop, TCA will give presenters an honorarium of $25 (if presenter is local to the Houston area, to offset the cost of his or her meals) OR a hotel night ($75 towards presenter’s hotel cost, if presenter lives outside the greater Houston area).

For the U.S. Open workshop: Free to presenters, $10 for participants in advance, $15 at the door. No monetary honorariums or hotel room reimbursements for USCF workshop presenters.

Addresses for participant registration:

For TCA workshop, send advance fees to:
TCA Treasurer Barb Swafford
2709 Longhorn Trl
Crowley, TX 76036-4719
 214-533-0061
roundsie1@dot11net.net

For USCF workshop, send advance fees to:
Dr. Alexey Root
500 Sunrise Cove
Denton, TX 76209
940-484-2265
alexey.root@gmail.com

Can a Former World Champion Make an Illegal Move?

Can a Former World Champion Make an Illegal Move?

 

White: Karpov, Anatoli  /  Black: Chernin, Alexander  /  Tilburg Rapid 1992

Karpov just promoted his Pawn into a Queen and has only 10 seconds on his clock.

Chernin on the other hand, has 50 seconds on his clock and decides to play for a win with 53.Kd6+.

Karpov, under time pressure, without getting his King out of check makes an illegal move and replies with a 54. Qe6+ ???

Chernin immediately proceeds to capture Karpovs King, with 54. Rxf7.

The Tournament Director, Geurt Gijssen intervened and makes the following ruling:

This events time control is 25 minutes per player (Rapid Chess) so the players are not allowed to capture the King. However, since Karpov made an illegal move his opponent Chernin gains two minutes on his clock and since Karpov already touched the Queen, he is required to move it.

Therefore the game continues as follows:

53.. Kd6+
54 Qe7 Rxe7+
55 Kf6 Re6+
56 Kf7 Re5 – Winning the game (0-1)

It has been suggested that instead of 54 Qe7+, Karpov should’ve played 54 Qd7+ with the possibility of a draw.

What do you think? Comments are welcome !

Chess in Education- (Series 1, Dr. Robert Ferguson) by WIM Beatriz Marinello

CHESS IN EDUCATION – (Series 1, Dr. Robert Ferguson) By WIM Beatriz Marinello

This is a beginning of a series of articles based on chess personalities who have been contributing to the development and promotion of chess in education in the USA and the World. The series will begin with Dr. Robert Ferguson.

Although, I must admit that the first paper that I read on the subject of chess in education was in the early 80s by Mr. Rafael Tudela from Venezuela. I still have a copy of the article, which I will translate and share with you soon.

The work that I am about to present was developed by one of the pioneers of Chess in Education in the world and the United States of America.

Many of you may be familiar with Dr. Robert Fergusons chess research and his work in running the Castle Chess Camp.

Dr. Ferguson has served as the Executive Director for the American Chess School since 1991. He learned to play chess in 1958 at a Boy Scout winter camp, and it was “love at first touch” as he stated later on.

Dr. Ferguson started teaching high school in 1966. By 1968, he was taking his students to USCF rated tournaments, forming chess leagues, running chess events, and had even established a chess class that met during the school day three periods per week.

About a year after, he was hired to create and implement a program for gifted students in Bradford, it was then that he started his first major chess research, which ran from 1979-1983.

The following document is his latest work.

Only the introduction is posted here, however, you can find the article in its entirety in our Chess Articles Section.

Please feel free to submit your comments, and your personal contributions on this subject.

Educational Benefits of Chess Summary
Based on Research and Articles By Dr. Robert Ferguson
(Click for Full Article)

In modest forms thinking pervades, and to a degree rules, all activities of a human being. Why, then, are we so little concerned with the study of thought processes? Wolfgang Kohler

There is a pressing need, in the opinion of many educators, leaders, employers, and others, to teach young people how to think. Relevant to the assumed need for teaching thinking processes, this book will review two research projects and one pilot study that I designed and directed.

These studies propose that critical and creative thinking can be taught using chess as the vehicle. My 1987-88 research also asserts that chess can be utilized to develop memory.

These studies assume that chess can be employed to provide scientific verification for the theories of Dewey concerning human thought. Deweys theories of reflective thinking have persisted since 1910, but they remain largely absent of scientific validation (McGarry, 1961, p. 3).