4th W.M.C.A.Western Mass. Intra-Club Team Championship
Sponsored by the Western Massachusetts Chess Association
Saturday, June 7th
Hosted by the defending champion Pioneer Valley Chess Club!
NOT U.S.C.F. rated

Forbes Library
20 West Street
Northampton MA

Open to ALL clubs in the western Massachusetts area (Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire and Worcester counties). Each club fields a team (or teams) to compete for the David Lees Cup (a revolving trophy presented to the winning club team!!)

3 Rd. SS, G/60EF: $5 per player (donation to Forbes Library and snacks!)
Reg.: 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Rds.: 10:00 AM, 12:30 PM, and 3:00 PM

Team size to be determined prior to the start of theevent! ALL who attend WILL play!
Clubs may have more than 1 team in the event
[Bring as many players as you want!]

Mail check, payable to W.M.C.A., and entry form to: Tom Smith, 267A Turkey Hill Rd., Florence MA 01062
Any questions? Call Frank at 413-209-9450 or e-mail: horseyman5000@aol.com
New Official WMCA website: http://www.westernmassachusettschessassociation.org/

Hildebrand 1955, presented by Andreas

White to move. How should White proceed?

Kb6/4p3/2k1B3/P7/8/8/8/8 w – - 0 3

GM Ivanchuk (2740) – GM Shirov (2740) [B30]
Advanced Chess Leon – Game 1, 31.05.2008

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Bc4 Be7 5.d3 d6 6.0–0 Nf6 7.a3 Be6 8.Ng5 Bxc4 9.dxc4 0–0 10.b3 Nd4 11.Bb2 a6 12.a4 Qd7 13.Qd3 Bd8 14.Kh1 Ba5 15.Nd5 Nxd5 16.exd5 Qf5 17.Ne4 Qg6 18.g4 Bd8 19.f4 Qxg4 20.Nxd6 exf4 21.Bxd4 cxd4 22.Nf5 Qh5 23.Rxf4 g6 24.Qxd4 gxf5 25.Rg1+ Bg5 26.Qf6 h6 27.Rxf5 Kh7 28.Rfxg5 hxg5 29.Rxg5 Qxg5 30.Qxg5 f5 31.d6 f4 32.d7 f3 33.Qe7+ Kh6 34.Kg1 Rg8+ 35.Kf2 Raf8 36.c5 Rg2+ 37.Kf1 Rgg8 38.Qh4+ Kg6 39.Kf2 Rh8 40.Qe4+ Kg5 41.h4+ Kh5 42.Qxb7 Kxh4 43.Qe4+ Kg5 44.Qe5+ Kg6 45.c6 White wins 1–0

Click here to replay the game.

It’s Saturday Open Forum. A lot of things took place in the past 7 days.

Irina has an Open Letter to protest the US Women’s Championship results 9 days after the tournament ended. Here is her letter. Anna has yet to respond.

Shirov took a shot at the Topalov – Kamsky match with his own open letter here. Not to be outdone, Kamsky’s management fired back here. I spoke to Gata on the phone a few days and all I can say is you cannot always believe everything you read.

Yesterday, FIDE President Ilyumzhinov personally guarantees $935,000 with $750,000 going to the players. Hopefully everything will be finalized and resolved soon. This will be an exciting match.

GM Joel Benjamin made a comment about why some of the top players declined their invitations for the US Championship. You can read it here.

Morozevich has 5 wins and 2 draws after 7 rounds in Sarajevo against a field of 2680 average. His rating is now unofficially at the #2 spot in the world and he is closing in on 2800.

Carlsen defeated Leko in game 4 of their rapid match in Miskolc to lead 2.5-1.5 at the half way mark.

Anand got by Vallejo Pons in blitz tie-break at the Leon Advanced Chess event. Ivanchuk is up today against Shirov. It will be an exciting final no matter who wins.

It’s Saturday Open Forum. The forum is yours. What would you like to discuss?

ON CHESS
Reporter tracked elusive Fischer, then let him go
Saturday, May 31, 2008 2:56 AM
By SHELBY LYMAN

Bobby Fischer’s aversion to the media was legendary. He once famously asked a friend — while knocking on his hotel door at 3 a.m. — whether it was legal to kill journalists.

It was thus with no little emotion and trepidation that Bill Nack, a writer on assignment for Sports Illustrated, sighted Fischer at the Los Angeles Public Library in the spring of 1985.

It was more than the usual journalist work for Nack, as he admitted in his account. It was a “crazy and delirious obsession.”

He had been on watch for weeks; now, he had found him. Fischer’s long face, brown eyes and half-inch beard were unmistakable.

Following his quarry for more than five minutes through the streets of Los Angeles to a corner bus stop, Nack debated what to do.

But it was all in vain. At the end, his awe and respect held sway as he watched Fischer board a bus and did not approach him.

Several years later, Nack told me that he wasn’t able to bring himself to violate Fischer’s desperate need for privacy.

His reluctance had been reinforced by Madame Lulu, a clairvoyant he had consulted for help in finding Fischer.

“Have you ever thought he might want to be left alone?” she had asked.

“My editors were not happy with my decision,” Nack recalled.

Source: Columbus Dispatch

The following was posted on TWIC, one the best sites for tournament information and games:

The latest is that in a new phone interview with FIDE President Kirsan Iljumzhinov with Yury Vasilyev (who reliably reports the FIDE line) reported at the chess site chesspo.ru http://chesspro.ru/_events/2008/event3.html

The match Topalov – Kamski takes place in Lvov. Just I has called the president of International chess federation Kirsan Ilyumzhinov who has arrived to Athenes from Moscow for participation in Presidential Council, and has asked him a question which excites now all fans of a chess.

YV: Kirsan Nikolaevich, so where the match Topalov-Kamski takes place?

KI: In Lvov. Tomorrow I shall declare it on Presidential Council.

YV: And financial problems are solved?

KI: I give my personal guarantees. The prize-winning fund will be such what has been specified in the application of the manager of the grandmaster Gata Kamski Alexander Chernenko: 935 000 dollars. The players will receive together 750 000. Besides I shall declare tomorrow the world championship among women. It will take place in Nalchik from August, 28th till September, 18th. The prize-winning fund will be 630 000 dollars.

YV: thanks. Success.

Source: TWIC

The Marshall Chess Club
NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL
June 21–25, 2008
200 Grand Prix Points (enhanced)!!
9-round Swiss-System, 40/120, SD/60
open to all players rated 2200 and above (USCF or FIDE) and special invitees

May be limited to first 50 registrants
$10,000 GUARANTEED
$5000—2500—1500—1000
Plus special Brilliancy Prize

Awards ceremony to follow round 9. Every player will receive a special prize.
ENTRY FEE:
GMs, foreign IMs, and foreign WGMs ……………………………….. $100, returned on completion
…………………………………………………………. of tournament; no money deducted from prize fund
USA IMs, USA WGMs, and Foreign FIDE-rated players …………….$150 in advance / $200 at site
USA players with FIDE ratings over 2200 ………………………………….$200 in advance / $250 at site
Players with USCF ratings over 2200 and FIDE rating U2200………$250 in advance / $300 at site
Players with USCF ratings over 2200 with no FIDE rating …………..$300 in advance / $350 at site

All except first category:………………………………………..$25 less for Marshall Chess Club members

Enter:
In advance: … By mail (checks only, made payable to The Marshall Chess Club) postmarked by 6/14
………………… By phone (credit cards only) thru 6/18
………………… In person (cash, credit card, or check) thru 6/18
………………… On our website (credit cards only) thru 6/18
At site……….. No later 30 minutes before your first game (cash, credit card, or check)

Playing Schedule:
Round one: Saturday, June 21, 12:00 Noon
Round two: Saturday, June 21, 7:00 PM
Round three: Sunday, June 22, 12:00 Noon
Round four: Sunday, June 22, 7:00 PM
Round five: Monday, June 23, 12:00 Noon
Round six: Monday, June 23, 7:00 PM
Round seven: Tuesday, June 24, 12:00 Noon
Round eight: Tuesday, June 24, 7:00 PM
Round nine: Wednesday, June 25, 12:00 Noon
Byes: Must commit by rd. 3; limit 2; limit 1 bye rounds 8–9
Players taking byes cannot make norms
USCF and FIDE-Rated. IM/GM Norms may be possible.

Tournament director: Steve Immitt
Dr. Frank Brady, International Arbiter, officiating
This tournament is generously sponsored by Chess Teacher Fedor Khrapatin
Marshall Chess Club
23 West 10th Street
New York, NY 10011
Phone 212-477-3716 Fax 212-995-9281
www.marshallchessclub.org

I have made my opinion known during the playoff. I felt that it was absolutely ridiculous to have these 2 players play 5 playoff games after their last round’s match, especially when Irina played more than 100 moves in her final game.

In addition, I also think that it is unfortunate to decide the national championship by the form of Blitz then Armageddon blitz which have nothing to do with the format the US Women’s Championship.

There is nothing wrong with declaring co-champions. This has been done so many times in the past. However, in this case, the games were finished and the title was crowned. I am not sure what can be done to change the outcome.

I am sorry that both Irina and Anna have to go through this. The USCF President was there and so were tournament arbiters and organizers. If they approved this outcome at that time, how can they go back and change their position now?

On the technical point, both players committed violations. If you look at this video, you will see that around the 1:10 mark of the video, Irina knocked over a rook and did not pick it up. Anna also moved before Irina punched her clock. This looks like a normal blitz game. I do not see either player doing anything “illegal” on purpose.

What is your take? Please be respectful to both players! Thanks!

Open Letter by Irina Krush
By Irina Krush
May 30, 2008

Dear CLO,

I would like to explain what really happened in Tulsa, which has so far been obscured by the final tournament report that you published.

Anna and I were tied at 7.5/9 points at the end of the tournament. We started our G/15 +3 second increment playoffs approximately fifteen minutes after my six hour, 106 move game against Rohonyan ended. We split these rapid games with one win each, then went into the blitz stage of G/5 + 3 second increment, which we also split with one win each.

We then proceeded to the final Armageddon game, that was to be played without increment. As the defending champion, I was told by the organizers that I had to choose how the time would be divided, and Anna would choose the color she wanted to play. I decided that White would be given 6 minutes, Black 4:30. Anna chose to be Black with draw odds.

The relevant part of the game is not that I had the initiative throughout, and maintained a winning position until the end. The relevant part is, of course, the clock, since I was deemed to have “lost” the title of US Women’s Champion due to my time running out while Anna had 1 second left.

So, about the clock. Tom Braunlich, one of the organizers of the event, wrote in his report “At one point Anna had 2 seconds left compared to about 20 for Irina.” This is a plainly incorrect appraisal of the time situation. Then Tom, in an attempt to explain how my 20 seconds ran out before Anna’s 2, wrote that “Anna’s draw odds were a big advantage here – she could blitz out moves hardly thinking (just moving the piece nearest to the clock), while Irina actually had to do something with her moves since she had to win.” Unfortunately, this statement also has no basis in reality. Despite having a winning position, I didn’t need to “do something with my moves”- all I needed to do was move quickly and the person with much less time would flag first. And, in fact, that’s what I did. I moved instantly, as can be seen very clearly in the video you’ve posted of that game. I moved instantly, all the while having a significant time advantage until I got to 0 seconds while Anna had 1. How could this have happened?

First of all, let’s establish what the true clock situation was. Tom was certainly off in his estimate, but the essence of what he said was absolutely true: I had a large lead in time, let’s say 8 seconds to 3 at one point, or as Anna herself says in her interview, “I realized that I had two seconds. I was so shocked that I am going to lose right now. She has six (seconds). I played Rb8-e8 because it was so close to clock.” So let’s take 6 seconds to 2. Watching the video, seeing me move instantly, how could 6 seconds lose against 2?

And that’s the crux of the matter. My opponent, seeing herself on the verge of losing on time, began playing moves before I had completed mine. She made her moves before I hit my clock, and as soon as I pressed the clock, it was punched back at me. That is how my lead in time was chipped away at, and this process began during the advance of Anna’s c-pawn, quite a few moves before the game ended.

Obviously, making moves before your opponent completes theirs is illegal. Were it legal, White, having the “disadvantage” of the first move, would always lose on time to Black if the adversaries were to settle into the rhythm of Black using White’s time to move their pieces.

The sad thing is, no one stepped in as this was happening. No arbiter, no organizer, did anything to ensure that fair play was being observed in the final moments of the game. It was a free-for-all, where the person with the worse blitz habits “won.”

People have pointed out that I should have registered my protest during the game, or immediately after. Unfortunately, while I was certainly in disbelief as I watched my opponent complete 3 moves with her last remaining second and saw myself lose on time despite starting out with a large time lead, during the game and immediately after, I had no clear grasp of how she had accomplished this. It happened too quickly for me to understand, but that doesn’t mean that it didn’t happen, and that it should be ignored.

An injustice that wasn’t brought to light at the moment it occurred is no less of an injustice. Moreover, in our particular situation, it is not an injustice that is difficult to redress. As no one in our tournament was in any way affected by our playoff, no games need to be replayed, no scores adjusted, no ratings recalculated- all that needs to be changed is the way the ending of this story is told.

It has been announced that Anna, by virtue of conserving 1 second on her clock, is the 2008 U.S. Women’s Champion.

I fervently dispute Anna’s claim to the sole possession of this title. I do not believe that a Champion emerges through one second they have managed to keep on their clock through illegal means.

In my view, a winner of a tournament is someone who at some point, perhaps in some minuscule and barely perceptible way, lifts themselves above their competitors. I would be interested to hear any view that holds that Anna, through legal techniques, did anything to earn the title of Champion over me.

I’d also like to address my reaction at the end of this game, when I knocked a piece off to the side of the board before walking out of the room. This may seem like poor behavior to some, but I believe that my reaction was nothing compared to the aggression leveled at me by my opponent during the end of this game. Knocking off a piece and storming away had no power or intention to take away anything my opponent had been working for during this tournament. When my opponent moved on my time, however innocuous that may appear to be, I believe that she was committing one of the worst transgressions possible: depriving me, through unfair means, of the just rewards of my labor. That is where the aggression lies in this situation, and not in my expression of frustration and anger over being wronged.

I am pained that this incident has raised doubts about my sportsmanship. I have never in my entire career been accused of showing poor sportsmanship. I have never displayed any outward sign of anger or aggression at the end of a game, within sight of my opponent or spectators, or anywhere in the vicinity of the playing area. I have never failed to shake my opponent’s hand at the end of a game. I lost two games to Anna in the playoff, and both times I offered my hand in resignation, even though this isn’t even required protocol in blitz chess. And I have never been accused of cheating or violating my opponent’s rights in any way. I want this point to be clear: my reaction at the end of the final game had nothing to do with “losing” and everything to do with the way it happened and my perception of something unfair having occurred. And although the following piece of information is not entirely necessary as I feel perfectly capable of defending my sportsmanship all on my own, it is rather funny. Guess what Frank Berry, the sponsor and organizer of the US Championship, stated I should get an award for during his closing ceremony comments: that’s right, “sportsmanship.” Thanks, Frank.

I had hoped to resolve this matter in a friendly way, without being forced to voice my indignation in public. Four days ago, I wrote a letter to Anna explaining my position, urging her to study the video of our final game, and if she agreed with my conclusions about what happened, to write a few sentences for uschess.org where she’d communicate her non-objection to sharing the title with me. In any case, I told her, I looked forward to hearing what she had to say. Unfortunately, I have not heard back from her, and since there is no guarantee that I ever will, I decided to go ahead and make my views known to the chess community.

What do I hope to accomplish through this letter? First and foremost, I want the truth to finally be relayed to the American chess public. As I’ve mentioned, the final tournament report that was offered to you was misleading, and I have yet to see a retraction of its false assertions. Secondly, I believe that to continue into the future, unthinkingly parroting that Anna Zatonskih is the 2008 U.S. Women’s Champion with no regard for how she “won” this title, is a travesty of truth and justice. I believe I have at least as much right to this title as she does, and I would like this right to be acknowledged. To this end, I am asking for responses to this letter from Frank Berry and Bill Goichberg, the President of the USCF. This event was held under their auspices, and I would like to know what they think of the results, given the evidence of what transpired.

I’d like to use this opportunity to say that despite the unsatisfactory ending of the Championship for me, this letter in no way expresses my feelings about the organization of the Championship as a whole. I had a wonderful time in Oklahoma, and wish to thank Frank and Jim Berry for their unwavering kindness and hospitality on all my visits to their home state, as well as to Tom Braunlich, who, in his capacity as organizer, was solicitous and helpful throughout the event.

To conclude, I will state that sharing the title would be an acceptable outcome for me, but I would certainly welcome any initiative to decide the title in over-the-board games, with real time controls that don’t degrade the participants into clock punching monkeys.

Sincerely,
Irina Krush

Source: CLO

Anand, Kramnik, Morozevich, Topalov, Carlsen, and Ivanchuk. They are the top 6 players in the world. In your opinion, which one is the most exciting player? Which two would you like to see in a head to head match?

Morozevich just scored his 5th win in 7 games (2 draws) against players with average rating of 2680! He has surpassed Kramnik as the new #2 player in the world!

GM Morozevich (2774) – GM Predojevic (2651) [D10]
30.05.2008 – Sarajevo – Round 7

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.cxd5 cxd5 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Bf4 Qb6 6.Qd2 Nc6 7.e3 Bf5 8.f3 e6 9.Rc1 Bb4 10.h4 h5 11.a3 Bxc3 12.Rxc3 0–0 13.Be2 Rfe8 14.Bd1 e5 15.Bxe5 Nxe5 16.dxe5 Rxe5 17.Ne2 Rae8 18.Nd4 Bd7 19.0–0 Qd6 20.Bb3 R5e7 21.Rfc1 g6 22.Ba2 Kg7 23.Ne2 Bb5 24.Nf4 Qb6 25.Kf2 Bc4 26.b3 Bb5 27.Bb1 Bc6 28.Rd1 a5 29.Qd4 Qd8 30.e4 Qd6 31.exd5 Bb5 32.Bd3 Bxd3 33.Rcxd3 Re5 34.b4 Re4 35.fxe4 Rxe4 36.Nxh5+ gxh5 37.Rg3+ Kh8 38.Qc3 axb4 39.axb4 Re5 40.Kg1 Ng4 41.Rxg4 hxg4 42.Re1 f6 43.Rxe5 fxe5 44.Qc8+ White wins 1–0

Click here to replay the game.

Round 7 results:

Morozevich 1-0 Predojevic
Sokolov 0-1 Movsesian
Timofeev 0-1 Dominguez

This is the cover of the June 2008 Sports Illustrated Kids. The giant chess set is provided by Mega Chess.