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Chess Buddies

Relationships created over one’s chess career are probably a more important byproduct than the chess itself. Many of us OTB players have a friend or friends that we work with in analyzing games and with whom we travel and room with at tournaments. Your buddy is a sounding board that helps you prepare for that critical game the next round. For about five years Doug Southall and I went to the local major tournaments together. I know you can list many chess buddies who are regulars at tournaments.

Chess attracts intelligent people of all various types and backgrounds who are interesting and this adds to the experience of OTB. At the tournament we meet people and talk about a wide variety of things. Being a people person, I get great enjoyment from my chess comrades. And have learned many things about the world and the past based on their experiences.

I noticed in internet chess, especially the free chess game sites, many of my opponents are obnoxious. In fact I now play strictly on the ICC because people seem to be civil there. I think the fact you pay money for membership keeps out the riff raff.

The importance of this social component should not be underestimated as doctors and psychologists tell us that people who are part of a group and socialize tend be healthier and live longer. So I suggest that you invest in developing these chess relationships.

Being a member of a club also enhances this investment. Several years ago when the BCF had to leave the YWCA on Clarendon Street the fearful thought of no BCF flashed into my mind; the loss of the club to chess would have had a chilling effect. What would chess be like if the BCF were to disappear?

It takes people investing time and effort into these organizations to make them work. There are some volunteers, but never enough. Being a participating members makes the BCF and chess a better place. I give a great deal of credit to President Paul MacIntyre and the then board of directors who engineered a successful egress from Boston to Somerville. At that time there were no obvious answers about the future of the BCF, and with the help of many people, the BCF survived. Two other mainstays to the BCF are Bernado Iglesias and Robert Oresick who have contributed so much to the BCF.

What is your feeling about the social benefit of chess and chess buddies? How about experiences in OTB compared to internet chess? Is membership to a chess club beneficial?

Please Comment. 07/29/2008 Mike Griffin

Source: Susan Polgar Blog

SPNI 2008 Puzzle Solving Championship

Results - Players who got 7 or more correctly

Name Correct Time

Rebekah Liu 10/10 5:26
Rheanna English 10 6:55
Fiona Lam 10 6:56
Rita Mirchandani 10 9:21
Amelia Wheeless 10 12:41
Sonya Vohra 10 13:17
Shinan Jin 10 13:29
Ashbea Oyadomari 10 13:41
Alexa Lasley 10 13:44
Nisha Deolalikar 10 13:47
Mira Ensley-Field 16:50
Hannah Helwig 10 18:05
Morgan Mahowald 10 18:42
Rebecca DeLand 10 24:45
Susan Brown 10 25:18

Joanna Gossell 9.5 17:42
Ashley Carter 9 7:22
Sylvia Yang 9 7:55
Linda Diaz 9 9:51
Ananya Roy 9 12:09
Erica Barkell 9 12:10
Angel Bohanon 9 15:00
Crystal Qian 9 20:29
Emily Tallo 9 20:34
Dhrooti Vyas 9 25:47

Eve Zhurbinsky 8 13:37
Michelle Farell 8 16:44
Claudia Munoz 8 21:37

Sarah Garza 7 18:20
Georgia Olvera 7 20:12
Leanne Hwa 7 13:35
Ann Marie Fitch 7 30:00
Elizabeth Oliver 7 30:00
Hannah Whatley 7 30:00

Source: Susan Polgar Blog

Source: Susan Polgar Blog

1 Sayaka Foley [in blue] (1652 : w : 2.0) - Courtney Jamison [in red] (2046 : b : 2.0)
2 Rebecca Lelko [light blue] (1595 : w : 2.0) - Rita Mirchandani [orange] (1813 : b : 2.0)

Source: Susan Polgar Blog

Source: Susan Polgar Blog

Round 8 results:

Alekseev 0-1 Dominguez
Bacrot 1/2 Carlsen
Pelletier 1/2 Onischuk

Standings after 8 rounds:

1. Dominguez 6
2. Carlsen 5
3. Alekseev 4.5
4. Bacrot 4
5. Onischuk 3.5
6. Pelletier 1

Source: Susan Polgar Blog

Source: United States Chess Federation http://main.uschess.org/index2.php?option=com_rss&feed=RSS2.0&no_html=1
At the Chicago Class Championships (Oakbrook, July 25-27), Kiril Kuderinov and Alex Yermolinsky tied for first, but the young Kazakh player took the title on tiebreak.

Source: Susan Polgar Blog

Round 3 results:

Koneru, Humpy - Cramling, Pia 1-0
Ushenina, Anna - Stefanova, Antoaneta ½-½
Xu Yuhua - Muzychuk, Anna ½-½
Pogonina, Natalija - Sebag, Marie ½-½

Standings after 3 rounds:

1. Stefanova, Antoaneta g BUL 2550 2½
2. Ushenina, Anna m UKR 2476 2
3. Sebag, Marie m FRA 2530 2
4. Xu Yuhua g CHN 2483 2
5. Pogonina, Natalija wg RUS 2469 1
6. Muzychuk, Anna m SLO 2504 1
7. Koneru, Humpy g IND 2622 1
8. Cramling, Pia g SWE 2544 ½

Official website: http://www.northuralscup.ru/

Koneru, H (2622) - Cramling, P (2544) [D45]
5th North Urals Cup (3), 29.07.2008

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Nf3 a6 6.c5 b6 7.cxb6 Qxb6 8.Bd3 Nbd7 9.0–0 c5 10.b3 cxd4 11.exd4 Bd6 12.Bb2 0–0 13.Qe2 Bb7 14.Na4 Qa7 15.Ne5 Rfc8 16.Rac1 Bf8 17.Nxd7 Nxd7 18.Rc2 Rxc2 19.Qxc2 Nf6 20.Nc5 Rc8 21.b4 a5 22.Qa4 Ne4 23.Rc1 Ba8 24.a3 Rc7 25.f3 Nd6 26.Qxa5 Qxa5 27.bxa5 h6 28.Na6 Rb7 29.Bc3 Nc4 30.Bb4 Ra7 31.Nb8 Rc7 32.Na6 Ra7 33.Nc5 Bxc5 34.dxc5 Ne5 35.Bb5 Nc6 36.a6 e5 37.Kf2 f6 38.Bd2 Nd4 39.a4 Nb3 40.Rd1 Nxc5 41.Rc1 Nxa6 42.Rc8+ Kf7?? (42…Kh7 +=) 43.Ba5 +- Bb7 44.Rd8 Nc5 45.Bb6 1–0

Source: Susan Polgar Blog

Source: Susan Polgar Blog

The Second Round: All Games were Resulting (Decisive)!

In the second round all participants of the super tournament satisfied our expectations. All four matches were resulting.

Marie Sebag was the first to win. She magnificently outplayed Humpy Koneru. The Indian player is not so lucky in the tournament. She has the highest rating in the table and it was expected that she would be one of the obvious favourites. But at the first press conference Hupmy confessed that she doesn’t consider herself to be the favourite. She said, “The opponents are strong and it is difficult to predict who will be the leader”. Now after two defeats the holder of the second rating of the world is the last in the list. It is the first sensation of the “North Urals Cup 2008”!

The second match to finish was the one between Antoaneta Stefanova and Russian player Natalya Pogonina. Natalya playing black in response to d4 chose Volzhsky gambit. In the previous match of Bulgarian player and Pogonina Stefanova playing white took the sacrifice and won. At this time she decided to surprise the opponent and prepared rare but quite “poisonous” move Fс2. White did not have a spare Pawn in this variant but on the other hand black were not so active as usually in Volzhsky gambit. So white had insignificant but stable advantage. It was probably unexpected for the Russian player and she spent much time thinking when appeared in an unfamiliar position. Natalya tried to counterplay on the Queen field but Antoaneta managed to break the centre and a weak black Pawn d6 crushed. Stefanova confidently led the match to the victory and thus became the leader of the tournament with hundred-percent result.
Fans had no time to be bored because two remaining games finished unexpectedly.

Pia Cramling was pressing the world champion Xu Yuhua during the whole match. The position of white in the middle game looked as overwhelming. Xu Yuhua playing black had to defense her opened King. And though white “monarch” was in the centre of the board it was in quite a confident position. Pia opened the lines on the King`s field and attacked. Xu Yuhua had to demonstrate her imagination and persistent defense and the patience brought a positive result to her. Cramling began to make mistakes and world champion on the contrary used all chances that appeared. The balance turned to the opposite side and the Chinese player gained her first victory. Nobody could think that this match would end in such a way.

The matches are commented for fans every day at 17.00 in the cultural centre. The grandmaster Vladimir Georgiev (Antoaneta Stefanova`s coach) explains participants` plans and answers all questions. Almost after every move made by Cramling in the middle of the match he exclaimed “Bravo!” But sometimes chess are unpredictable. As they say it is necessary not only to climb the mountain but also to hold the position.

But it was not the only game that ended not the way it was expected after the opening.

The predicted Karo-Kann appeared in the match of two namesakes and compatriots Anna Muzychuk and Anna Ushenina. Muzychuk playing white got the advantage in the opening and was expanding it till the catastrophe suddenly happened. In two moves Anna (now representing Slovenia) lost the piece. She missed the moment when enemy Pawn attacked the Queen which was the only defendant of the Bishop on с4. All the rest was the matter of technique and Ushenina showed it. The only thing we can do now is to hope that this chess “incident” will not affect other matches of the tournament youngest player.

Hence now we have the leader and the outsider of the tournament. Only two rounds have passed. What can we expect? Stefanova`s advantage only half point from her nearest pursuers. So as the Koneru`s backlog. Everything can be changed.

Translation: Olesya Aleynikova
Anna Burtasova,
Press-attache of the “North Urals Cup 2008”
Anna_burtasova(at)hotmail.com

Source: Susan Polgar Blog

Source: Susan Polgar Blog

Press conference with A. Stefanova`s coach Vladimir Georgiev, provided by organizer

Despite the fact that the tournament has just started “North Urals Cup” already has the sole leader. The only resulting match of the first round is the victory of Antoaneta Stefanova in the match against Humpy Koneru. A. Stefanova`s coach grandmaster Vladimir Georgiev attended the first round’s press conference.

- Vladimir today Antoaneta played black with the rating-leader of the tournament. What instructions did you give before the match?

V.: Antoaneta plays all matches with the intention to win and it doesn’t matter whether she plays white or black and no matter with whom she plays. The same was with this match.

- But after the drawing procedure during the opening ceremony it seemed that Antoaneta was not so satisfied that she had to play black one more match when she got the 6th number.

V.: Yes, of course she was a bit upset. However to play black is a little more difficult. But I can say that in my opinion she plays black even better than white. Today’s match confirmed it. .

- Did she manage to use the prepared variant in this match?

V.: We examined the variant that happened in the match. But the great attention we paid to variants that appeared in games of the Indian player more often. That is why we can say that it was she who surprised us in the opening. But later she lost assurance and began to think too long. Most likely she chose this position because there is one match in which white won confidently. But Antoaneta doesn’t have to play the same way.

- Vladimir is it so difficult to be the coach of women?

V.: To be the coach is not so easy. The most important is trust and mutual understanding. It is exactly what we have with Antoaneta. Even if I give her some instructions just before the game she will follow it. In general I think that there are not so many talented coaches in the world. Chess players of post soviet countries have some advantage; there are more serious specialists here.

- Do you train somebody apart from Stefanova?

V.: I worked as a coach in America. But at that time Antoaneta lost 100 points of her rating. I decided to come back to Europe and now I train only her. She managed to get the rating back and I think we will have the success. We will go together to the World Championship that starts in August in Nalchik.

- Antoaneta has the active style of chess playing. What is your opinion as a coach is there any connection between the person’s character and way of chess playing?

V.: It seems to me that there is a connection here. Active chess player has also active way of life. And who prefers quiet life without risks plays chess the same way.

Translated by Olesya Oleynikova.

Source: Susan Polgar Blog

Source: Susan Polgar Blog

Picture and story provided by organizer

After the most resulting (decisive) round of the “North Urals Cup” history the press conference with the winners (Xu Yuhua, Marie Sebag, Anna Ushenina) took place. Vladimir Georgiev coach of the tournament leader Antoaneta Stefanova talked to us instead her.

Can you say some words about your today’s victory?

Marie Sebag: This victory was not easy for me, it only looked like easy.

Xu Yuhua: Today I had to defend a lot and I can say that only my opponent’s mistakes helped me to win.

Anna Ushenina: My match was very difficult too. Anna made a rude mistake owing to which I managed to win. But before it my position was extremely complicated.

Vladimir Georgiev: I am glad to see you again and hope that I`ll be at the winners` press conferences many times. Antoaneta managed to get the advantageous position but already in the endgame with the spare Pawn she had some technical problems. She managed to solve them to our pleasure.

Anna what do you think what made Anna Muzychuk make such a rude mistake?

Anna Ushenina: Both of us were in time trouble and I think that she so to say missed the moment. It is difficult to control everything when you are short of time.

Marie how are you today and did you manage finally to recover after the long way?

Marie Sebag: Of course I was very tired after such a long way but I had some rest and now I am ok.

How do you prepare for the match?

Marie Sebag: I have to prepare at night because my coach is in France and there is time difference.

Anna Ushenina: I train with computer, look through opponents` matches and plan probable opening.

Vladimir Georgiev: Surely we use computer, chess programs and data bases of matches as all professional chess players.

Was your preparation useful today?

Anna Ushenina: Anna Muzychuk plays various openings and it is not so easy to prepare. That is why I was ready for everything.

Vladimir Georgiev: Natalya Pogonina always repeats the same openings. So we managed to surprise her today. I think our preparation was useful.

Xu Yuhua: I prepared quite a long variant but in the middle game I made the wrong move which was on my board the previous day. I just forgot how I was going to play.

Translation: Olesya Aleynikova
Anna Burtasova,
Press-attache of the “North Urals Cup 2008”
Anna_burtasova(at)hotmail.com

Source: Susan Polgar Blog

Source: Jim West On Chess http://jimwestonchess.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss
Atomic Patzer shot this video at the New Jersey Futurity International 2008.