St. Louis has an amazing chess club, but at least we have Larry and the Church's Chicken Blindfold Chess Challenge Poster

Rex Sinquefield's Chess Mecca in the CWE
Thu Jul 17, 2008 at 05:50:42 PM

As promised, the über-rich libertarian political activist and philanthropist Rex Sinquefield has created a beauty of a chess club.
BMEzine.com Shannon Larratt

The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis, located in the heart of the heart of the Central West End, opens to the public tonight. At a media preview/schmoozefest last night, I contemplated plunking down $80 for the annual membership, just to escape the sticky St. Louis summer in this cool, futuristic world.

The décor is black and white -- what else? -- with accents of fashionable chartreuse. Plasma TV sets play in the lobby's huge display window overlooking Maryland Avenue. The basement is equipped with a lounge and classroom, where even the hard-backed chairs get a touch of class: mahogany-color hardwood with a contrasting motif of a king's piece on their backs. Another plasma TV monitor will relay the moves being made by tournament players on the second floor. There, a cluster of freshly matted and framed photographs of famous chess players, mid-think, adorn one wall. A door opens into an even more lavish setting, the board room. Here the chess tables and pieces are handmade by St. James craftsman Nate Cohen. The chairs are high wingbacks, set on zebra-striped and fur rugs. Six plasma screens show close-ups of disembodied hands moving pieces through historic chess matches. It's the work of video installation artist Diana Thater.

The $1 million-plus digs are a little surreal, especially when you start talking to the chess aficionados in attendance. Ten-year-olds Joshua Wiedner and Christopher Haberstroh keep gazing around They didn't hesitate to start a game at one of the tables in the lobby, but this room has a museum quality. "It's a really cool place," Haberstroh finally concludes.

Cesareo Rodriguez, a Class A player from Belleville, is taking the tour with his wife Meiko. Rodriguez wears gold-rimmed glasses in a vertical egg shape, which give him the look of a quirky comic-book villain. Rodriguez is drawn to the club for the competition, not the swank. "I beat the U.S. champion when I was seventeen," he notes. (Granted, Rodriguez's victory over then-champion Larry Christiansen

occurred during a 30-player simultaneous exhibition, but he won lifetime bragging rights and a 16-piece bucket of Church's fried chicken.)

Hearing that story, I wonder whether the long-standing, somewhat grittier Delmar Loop chess (more info here) games will migrate to 4657 Maryland Avenue. The chess club does offer sidewalk tables.
I'm told Sinquefield -- who serves on the boards of the Missouri Botanical Garden, Missouri History Museum, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Saint Louis Art Museum, Saint Louis Symphony and Saint Louis University (his alma mater) -- is sharpening his game with lessons from an international champion, but I don't learn much else about his personal experience.

He asks that I arrange an interview at a later date with his public relations consultant, Laura Slay. Sporting an electric-blue knit shirt, Sinquefield makes a short speech, which reveals his mischievous personality. Tongue in cheek, he says the club will bring "cultural uplifting" to a neighborhood that is so otherwise lacking. "Probably it's going to be known as 'The St. Louis Chess Club: Where egos are shattered on a daily basis,'" he says, grinning.

The St. Louis area has a long tradition of chess in schools, but Sinquefield laments that scholastic chess doesn't get enough media attention. The club will lend supplies and volunteers to city schools that want to expand chess programs or start new ones.

Sinquefield acknowledges that there's been no "rigorous, scientific study" of the purported benefits of chess, but he'll take care of that, too: The club is sponsoring a five-year study of chess and schoolchildren. "It would be shocking if they didn't show huge discipline and cognitive improvements in children, even if they only stayed in it a few years," he predicts.

Tony Rich, a chess player who left his job doing tech support at a major law firm to become the club's executive director, tells me that Mike Podgursky, a University of Missouri economics professor who directs the Show-Me Institute (a libertarian think tank underwritten by Sinquefield), and SLU educational studies professor Michael Grady, are to design and conduct the study.

-Kathleen McLaughlin

Chess Nicknames

One of the things chess is missing: good nicknames.

Boxing has used nicknames forever and it makes for great theater and stories read so much better with nicknames. All positive aggressive macho (for the guys) nicknames. A lot of color would be added to the game if we reported using them.

For instance the current players in the Reuben's Landey:

Ben "Bull Dozer" Goldberg

Simon "Nuculur" Warfield

Cary "Ticking Still Ticking Timebomb" Theil

Alex "the Almighty" Slive

Philip "Go" Nutzman

Jason "Un" Rihel

"Wiley" Kyle Clayton

Lior "The Taimer" Rozhansky

Kenny "The Killer" Newman

Zaroug "So Long" Jaleel

Ed "AX man" Astrachan

Jon "Dr Jon" Lee

Adam "the Assassin" Yedidia

Directed by: Robert "Winning Chances" Oresick and backed up by Bernado "the Blessed" Iglesias

As a perk of a kind, we should probably have a BCF nicknaming committee that bestows nicknames following a player's 5th tournament at the BCF as a member. And we won't use the Animal House lottery system either.

Please Comment. Be nice.

"Psycho" Mike Griffin 07/15/2008

BCC Summer Open

TD Bernardo Iglesias changed the format of the Summer Open to only one day. It was a popular move, more than doubling previous turnouts at the two-day version.

IM David Vigorito swept the field of 28. Daniel Shapiro played in his first tournament in 9 years.

Dan Leach was in the bunch tied for second, having surpised NM Chris Williams with an upset.

# Name Rtng Post Rd 1 Rd 2 Rd 3 Rd 4 Tot

• 1 VIGORITO,DAVID 2426 2429 W14 W4 W13 W3 4.0
• 2 ZENG,BEI 2191 2190 W22 W21 D8 D7 3.0
• 3 LEACH,DANIEL F 1862 1884 W28 W7 W18 L1 3.0
• 4 SHIVA,VIKAS 1834 1847 W20 L1 W22 W12 3.0
• 5 CHEN,MICHELLE 1762 1767 W27 L13 W23 W15 3.0
• 6 TICHENOR,ANDREW 2077 2083 H--- H--- W14 W8 3.0
• 7 WILLIAMS,CHRIS 2351 2333 W9 L3 W17 D2 2.5
• 8 LUNG,JAMES 1883 1892 W26 W12 D2 L6 2.5
• 9 YEDIDIA,ADAM 1707 1724 L7 W16 D10 W18 2.5
• 10 KLEGON,MATTHEW 2089 2069 L12 W25 D9 W17 2.5
• 11 LU,MAX 1254 1304 H--- L17 W25 W21 2.5
• 12 DING,DARWIN 1674 1701 W10 L8 W21 L4 2.0
• 13 SHAPIRO,DANIEL 1906 1913 W19 W5 L1 U--- 2.0
• 14 XIANG,JINGEN 1753 1751 L1 W28 L6 W23 2.0
• 15 LUNG,GENESIS 11776 1749 L23 W26 W19 L5 2.0
• 16 NEOGY,CHIRANTAN 1098 1194 L21 L9 W26 W25 2.0
• 17 LUNG,TIMOTHY 1400 1412 H--- W11 L7 L10 1.5
• 18 ORESICK,ROBERT 1536 1527 H--- W23 L3 L9 1.5
• 19 LEE,ALEXANDER K 1547 1537 L13 W27 L15 H--- 1.5
• 20 LEE,MATTHEW R 1253 1254 L4 L22 W27 H--- 1.5
• 21 CAMY,GARRY 1781 1743 W16 L2 L12 L11 1.0
• 22 ROZONOYER,ILYA 1688 1681 L2 W20 L4 U--- 1.0
• 23 LIU,ANDREW 1065 1114 W15 L18 L5 L14 1.0
• 24 IGLESIAS,BERNDO 1737 1737 U--- U--- X28 U--- 1.0
• 25 LUNG,CHRISTINE 1201 1165 H--- L10 L11 L16 0.5
• 26 LIEBERMAN,SETH 1507 1470 L8 L15 L16 H--- 0.5
• 27 VADLAMUDI,SDEEP 934 925 L5 L19 L20 H--- 0.5
• 28 BAUER,PHILLIP 1288 1284 L3 L14 F24 U--- 0.0
• 
  

Charles Hertan to speak at the BCC on Forcing Moves - This Tuesday

The Boylston Chess Club Presents:

“Forcing Chess Moves

- The Key to Winning Calculating!”
FM Charles Hertan

Tuesday, July 22, 2008 at 7 pm

Boylston Chess Club, 240B Elm Street, Suite B9, Somerville, MA

Charles Hertan will talk about and demonstrate the ideas, concepts and approaches to tactical calculation that he has discoved and written about in his new book: “Forcing Chess, Moves, The Key to Better Calculation” (New in Chess Press, 2008.)

GM Joel Benjamin wrote the forward and he says this about Charles’ tactical approach:“… The beauty of Hertan’s achievement lies in the quality of both the positions selected, and the analysis. While the examples of each ‘computer eyes’ theme will interest even the strongest master, they are explained and analyzed at a level which unlocks their mysteries for even the average club player. Beyond this, the text is liberally spiced with Hertan’s pithy, and often humorous, commentary. Entertainment, and very likely enlightenment, awaits.”

So, come, listen and learn a new approach to calculating that very well may make you a better player!

Charles Hertan is originally from New Jersey. He received his chess "education" playing in New York tournaments during the Fischer boom. He became a master at age 19, and received his FM title and Senior Master rating soon afterward. Charles moved to the Boston area in 1984 and became a fixture in New England tournaments for 16 years, before moving to Western Mass. and retiring from active play. His titles include Massachusetts champion, 2-time New England open winner, 2-time Eastern Class Championship winner, and firsts in several International events including the New York March International in 1986. He has played most of the top American players of the 1970's through 90's including Dzindhichasvili, Alburt, Benjamin, Rohde, Fedorowicz, Ibragimov, both Ivanovs, and many others, and managing the occasional win or draw against many of them. He began the research for my book “Forcing Chess Moves” in 1994. He has also edited a book of poetry and is currently researching a book on Men and Trauma recovery.

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Free to BCC Member$10 to Non –Members

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Refreshments will be served.

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Books will be available for purchase at the lecture.

For More Information:Chris Chase: Chris@sixty-four.com, 617-417-8800. Web: Boylstonchessclub.org

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Why is it that your brain so often refuses to consider winning chess tactics?

Every chess fan marvels at the wonderful combinations with which famous masters win games. How do they find those fantastic moves? Do they have a special vision? And why do computers outwit us tactically?

This rich book on chess tactics proposes a revolutionary method for finding winning moves. Charles Hertan has made an astonishing discovery: the failure to consider key moves is often due to human bias. Your brain tends to disregard many winning moves because they are counter-intuitive or look unnatural.

We can no longer deny it, computers outdo us humans when it comes to tactical vision and brute force calculation. So why not learn from them? Charles Hertan’s radically different approach is: use COMPUTER EYES and always look for the most forcing
move first!

By studying forcing sequences according to Hertan’s method
you will:
-- develop analytical precision
-- improve your tactical vision
-- overcome human bias and staleness
-- enjoy the calculation of difficult positions.
In short: by recognizing moves that matter, you will win more games!

Charles Hertan is a FIDE master from Massachusetts with several decades of experience as a chess coach. Instead of rehashing the usual classic examples he has unearthed hundreds of instructive combinations which appear here for the first time in print.

Joel Benjamin, from the Introduction:
"By organizing and explaining the nature of great chess moves Hertan has brought us all closer to being able to find them."

Danny King, The Guardian:
"Hertan encourages us to think with 'computer eyes', by first examining all the forcing moves (checks, captures, threats), no matter how daft they seem. Why? Not because forcing moves are always the best, but when they do work, they tend to work better and quicker than non-forcing options."

Marsh Towers Chess Reviews:
"Hertan develops the reader's skills methodically, thus enabling each tactical lesson to be learned and absorbed properly."

Erik Bouwmans, Schaaknieuws:
"Entertaining and instructive (..) you simply cannot stop looking."

Dr Erik Rausch, Rochade Europa:
"An intensive training course for advanced players to improve their tactical vision and calculation (..) You will increase your tactical striking powers a lot."

Chess Horizons:
"This book deserves the highest of recommendations."

British Chess Magazine:
"This weighty tome is all about improving your tactical play."

Cor Jansen, Provinciaalse Zeeuwse Courant:
"Thrilling, instructive and witty. Right on target."

Steve Goldberg, ChessCafe:
"When the clock is ticking away, and you have too many viable candidate moves to choose from, remember Hertan's advice."

Francesco Benetti, Torre & Cavallo:
"Complete and entertaining."

Carl Portman, FOCUS Magazine:
"A super book."

Harold Dondis, The Boston Globe:
"The categories in this book are quite unusual."

Mark Weeks, About.com:
"Develops creative, little explored ideas about how to improve your tactical vision (..) with outstanding positions from master practice."

IM John Donaldson, Jeremy Silman.com:
"A superior combination book."

Stephen Dann, Worcester Telegram & Gazette:
"The price is low for a volume with so many pages and so much content."

What is the best way to learn chess?

What is the best way to learn chess?

"Any way is good: You'll eventually get to where you have to go."

- David Dymond approximately 1999

David Dymond was asked that question by a new player and responded in above fashion when the BCF was on Clarendon Street. And for most chess hobbyists, this is probably what we do most of the time. We study in the way that motivates us. Looking here, picking there, avoiding end game study at all costs. Usually we end up spending too much time and money on opening books. But if we have time to invest we will get better.

What is the best approach? Being trained as a teacher I took many courses in child psychology and two key lessons learned were: 1. Never force anything on to a child before they are able to handle it. 2. Conversely, press the child to embrace the most complex ideas they can handle because the lower in cognitive development they can master things; the faster and higher their abilities will grow. It's interesting that being a good teacher is being sensitive to the moment a child has moved from not ready to learn, to ready to learn. And because of this point, probably the most effective way for a child to learn anything is to have a good teacher/coach; a person at the ready to recognize the key moment. And if play is involved, many children will be motivated. Because playing is the best medium to learn things.

The first time I ever swung a golf club was under the instruction of a golf Pro. It was my grandfather's philosophy that one should never develop bad habits only to have to unlearn them or be stuck with them. I wonder if it's better to learn chess that way?

And as some beginners are not children, should the approach vary when dealing with adults?

It seems with most players there is the six year window of learning chess: it seems that most people have about six years to get to their level of ability; it holds steady; then progress begins to decline slowly (usually beginning about the age of 63- according to Mark Glickman rating czar of the USCF), as you advance to play your final round.

One of my heroes Jim Sfougaris began playing chess at the age of 40 and became an A class player. A very astounding feat.

I ask everyone, especially chess teachers, what do you think is the best way to learn chess? Or add any other insights. Please Comment.

Mike Griffin 07/09/2008

Reubens Landey round 1

Round 1 of the Reubens Landey is completed.

12 players, to be joined by Zaroug and possibly Julian Chan (2122), will play next Monday.

It is not too late to join in the tournament with a 1/2 point bye. With such a competitive field, you would be sure to have interesting and challenging games. Come play.

#	Name/Rtng/ID	Rd 1	Rd 2	Rd 3	Rd 4	Rd 5	Tot
1	GOLDBERG,BENJAMIN D	W 7	B 5
	2140 12671059	1.0					1.0
2	WARFIELD,SIMON K	B 8	W 11
	2131 12625572	0.5					0.5
3	THEIL,CAREY M	W 9	B 6
	2118 12594672	1.0					1.0
4	SLIVE,ALEX	B 11	W 10
	2018 10014522	0.0					0.0
5	NUTZMAN,PHILIP A	W 12	W 1
	2012 12842960	1.0					1.0
6	RIHEL,JASON M	B 13	W 3		bye
	2001 12551205	1.0					1.0
7	CLAYTON,KYLE LEIGH	B 1	W 12
	1996 12749581	0.0					0.0
8	ROZHANSKY,LIOR	W 2	bye	bye
	1956 12825910	0.5					0.5
9	NEWMAN,KENNETH W	B 3	W 13
	1948 10349346	0.0					0.0
10	JALEEL,ZAROUG	bye	B 4
	1946 12938203	0.5					0.5
11	ASTRACHAN,EDWARD	W 4	B 2
	1938 12430870	1.0					1.0
12	LEE,JONATHAN MARK	B 5	B 7
	1787 12742928	0.0					0.0
13	YEDIDIA,ADAM	W 6	B 9			bye
	1707 12871990	0.0					0.0

BCC Quads 8-7 July 2008

Bernardo Iglesias directed a field of 27 players in this month's quads at the club, a format that seems to be increasingly popular.

FM Chris Chase (3.0) defeated Carey Theil (1.0), Jason Rihel (1.0) and Andrew Wang (1.0).

Benedict Smail (2.0) here for the summer from the University of Wisconsin beat Vikas Shiva (1.5), Howard Goldowsky (1.5), and Mika Brattain (1.0).

Michelle Chen (2.5) topped her quad, over Adam Yedidia (2.0), Embert Lin (1.0), and Harold Dondis (0.5).

David Sculley (2), Danny Moraff (2), and Tony Cortizas (2) pushed Alexander Lee (0.0) to the side and shared the $50 prize.

Seth Lieberman (2.0) and Nicholas Plotkin (2.0) took their share, over Robert Oresick (1.5) and Matthew Lee (0.5)

The remaining quad was really a Swiss, dominated by Tony DiNosse (3.0) who ran the table. Chirantan Neogy (2.0), Andrew Liu (2.0), Dr. Nick Afshartous (2.0), Keith Ammann (1.0), Rupayan Neogy (1.), and Jack Goldsmith (1.0) comprised the Swiss.

Dream Positions

The comments to my essay about the Spassky Bishop prompted me to discuss dream positions: a position that you wish you could achieve in a game.

One of my favorites can be obtained by playing the hedgehog defense where the bishop is finachettoed on b7 the c file is open with a rooks doubled on c7 & 8 and the queen behind the bishop on a8. I saw a Karpov game where he had this setup and I felt it was way cool and wished some day to create this within the context of a game.

I waited many years then had the fortune to do it amazingly twice in one tournament!! The first time was against master Lawyer Times vs his Colle, where I beat him in one of my best efforts ever.

Later Paul MacIntyre told me that Karpov was not the inventor of this setup but in fact Richard Reti in the 1924 New York tournament

where the position occurred against both Emanuel Lasker and also vs Frederick Yates playing this setup from the white side of a Reti [Reti-Yates, 1924.]

Ever generous MacIntyre having had several extra copies about, gifted me the 1924 book. Reti won the game against Yates but lost to Lasker. Lasker won the tournament at age 55 losing only one game; his effort in beating the best in the world out of his usual semi-retirement is one of chess's great accomplishments. Hopefully every player will have an opportunity to view Lasker's feat from the old man perspective, as I now do.

Do you have any dream positions that you are willing to talk about? Please comment Mike Griffin 07/01/2008

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My dream position stems, I think, from reading Fred Reinfeld's Complete Book of Chess when I was a boy. It is the setup below in the Stonewall Attack.



From this position I always have the feeling that I can beat anyone. Obviously I don't, but it is always an enjoyable attacking game, with opportunities to sack the Bishop, Rook, or Knight while Black's pieces are helplessly sealed off from the field of action. It is a kind of simple-minded plan - brutally simple and invigorating.
.
It is amazing how often the position arises online or in club play, because an unwary Black can play what seems like natural, reasonable developing moves until he finds himself positionally lost. At least in this case, I agree with Weaver Adams - White is to play and win.

robert oresick

Reubens Landey U2200 BCC Championship

The Reubens Landey round of the Boylston Chess Club championship cycle is about to begin. Club members rated under 2200, i.e. not masters, are invited to contend for the BCC U2200 Championship and entry into the BCC Championship (to which all club masters are invited.)

We urge club experts and A players to make this year's 5 round Swiss another very competitive tournament.

Dr. Jon Lee and 15 year old Adam Yeddia, winners of the first part of the cycle - the Weaver Adams Under 1800 Championship, were seeded into the Reubens Landey by virtue of their victories.

Monday, July 7, 14, 21, 28
August 4: Reubens/Landey
BCC Qualifier U2200 Championship5SS; 40/90, G/20;
Open to BCC members rated 2199-1800; EF: $25: Winner receives free entry into the BCC Championship beginning on 9/8. Registration: 6:30 to 6:50; Rounds: 7:00

Below is some context for this tournament: two biographical articles by Bernardo Iglesias and a listing of past winners.
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EMIL M. REUBENS
by Bernardo Iglesias

"....Chess appeals to our emotions and brings us joys and sorrows."

Emil Reubens was born in a beautiful land very far away, in Yelisavetpol (Kirovabad) Russia, in 1886, on September 23 and, died in Massachusetts in Norwood Hospital in 1973, on August 29 after a brief illness. Emil Reubens was 86 years old when he died, an extraordinary man who believed that mankind could become rehabilitated through Chess. Chess is more than life and can change a person to benefit Society.

He was a chess master emeritus and one of the founding member of the United States Chess Federation, a member of the Boylston Chess Club, the Brockton Chess Club and his dear Sharon Chess Club.

Reubens received his formal education at the University of Prague. In 1906 he immigrated to the United States and worked for a time in steel mills in Detroit. Eventually he moved to Boston and graduated from Boston University in 1922 with a degree in business administration. Much later, in June of 1973 he received his Master's degree in business administration, he was the oldest person in the university's history to obtain such a degree at 86.

He lived in Sharon, Mass. for many years. Emil Reubens was a U.S.C.F. life director and authored a wonderful book on chess play, entitled Chess - Trick and Treat in 1965. This book is a treasure, a precious jewel for any novice player. At the end of the book he recommends that every young player should “Join a chess club. Meet chess players of differing skill and style. Subscribe to a periodical that will keep you abreast of the important events in Chess world."

In 1964, he helped to bring the U.S. Open to Boston. He was an honorary Chairman of the Committee, along with a lot of the great chess organizers of the time: Robert Goodspeed (Brockton C.C), Harold Dondis (Johnson C.C.), Eleanor Goodspeed, Eleanor Terry, Frank Ferdinand (Harvard C.C.), James Burgess (Boylston C.C. ),Harry Goober (Clarendon C.C.), Beverly Jarnigan and Joseph Hurvitz (Boylston C.C.). That year, the U.S.C.F. was celebrating the silver anniversary of its foundation, in which Emil Reubens had been a strong force in promoting chess in this country.

Emil had a long time interest in prison reform and was instrumental in assisting many prisoners get back into society. In his book, mentioned above, he thought that “When I was drafted into becoming a "leader" in youth clubs, I employed chess and chocolate bars to lead the youth into the paths of righteousness. There are no available data to estimate the effect of chess on juvenile delinquency, nor are there statistics to gauge the collateral effects of chocolate bars freely rewarded for chess merits."

Reubens combined a lifelong interest in better prisons, rehabilitation and parole systems with chess activities. He organized many teams of players who visited several penal institutions to play against teams of inmates, or just to play simultaneous exhibitions against the inmates. On one occasion, he took Steve Frymer, John Curdo, and R. Gleason to Norfolk Prison, delighting one inmate in particular so much that he became an active player and organizer in Norfolk area.

Emil Reubens loved the youth, kids of all ages, -- they are our future joys and sorrows in life. The second Brockton Open, on September 25 & 26, 1971 in Brockton, Mass. William Lombardy, former World Junior Champion, had agreed to participate in the selection and awarding of a special Lombardy - Reubens “best played game” trophy to some player under the age of 21 (Harry Lyman was present in this ceremony). The winner of the award trophy was won by the young John Peters. The third Brockton Open, on September 23 & 24,1972, the Lombardy-Reubens award trophy was won by John Stopa. For the Boylston C.C. member’s information, at this event Alex Slive and Andrew Anisimov, two new youngsters showed up in the chess arena. After this event, it seems that such award stopped being awarded by the Brockton Chess Club, since he became sick and died shortly.

The "MASS STATE JUNIOR CHESS CHALLENGE TROPHY PRESENTED BY EMIL M. REUBENS " is a silver trophy cup at the Boylston Chess Club to preserve his memory for future generations. In 1988, William Lukowiak, treasurer of the Boylston Chess Club and long time an officer on the board of MACA, introduced a motion to the Executive Board of MACA that the winner’s name of the Junior Scholastic Champion from Massachusetts be inscribed in this trophy and that MACA will help to pay for traveling expenses to the National Championship whenever it was to be held. The MACA board turned down this motion, and denied youngsters of this State such an honor.
After his death, the Mass State Chess Association, organized a one time "the Emil Reubens Memorial" at the Massachusetts Open at the new Brockton High School in 1974. The winner of this event was John Peters.

Emil founded the Steinberg-Reubens Educational Foundation. The Boylston Chess Club Board of Directors decided that in 1986 to pay tribute to Emil Reubens and Ben Landey by naming a qualifier cycle of the B.C.C. championship qualifier in their honor, for players rated 1800 to 2199. The winners of the Reubens/Landy move on to play against the club’s masters for the club championship.

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BENJAMIN LANDEY
by Bernardo Iglesias

Benjamin Landey was born in 1912 and died on January 20, 1981 in Quincy. From his high school days he worked for the Sharon Bolt and Screw Company founded by Emil Reubens, reaching the position of board chairman, which he held at his death. According to Harry Lyman, Benjamin married Reubens’ daughter.

For many years, he was the ceremonial chess leader of New England: Landey was President of the MSCA, the Boylston Chess Club, the Boston Metropolitan Chess League, the New England Chess Association, and the USCF Regional Vice-President.

He was a truly regional chess entrepreneur, a notable chess organizer, a man of remarkable poise and intelligence, a master of parliamentary procedure and a skillful politician, that is, a leader among leaders in the region. He worked for long hours at his job and then spend evenings and weekends on numerous chess projects and clubs.

While Ben Landey was a tournament director for M.S.C.A., he brought to Boston the U.S. Open in 1970 and the U.S. Junior Open in 1965 and 1969, held at Northeastern University. Ben Landey's most active years were from 1965 to 1970; after this year his health impeded more time in his passion for the royal game of chess. Despite his failing health, he was an extremely successful teacher of chess for beginners, though he himself was rated only about 1500 during most of his over the board career; he also, worked with the Massachusetts Association for Retarded Citizens and several local groups.

Along with Emil Reubens, Landey was a major sponsor of prison chess programs, and the two of them sought the parole of a number of inmates who were avid chess players. In addition to being a regular tournament player, Ben Landey was very active in postal chess with the Nights of the Square Table (NOST).

Landey was the first person to compete with a computer in chess at a U.S. Chess Federation rated tournament. He lost.

Landey’s most glorious moment in the spotlight as an organizer was winning the bid for the 1970 US Open for Boston. It was Ben Landey’s rhetoric that easily won the bid at the 1969 U.S.C.F. meeting in Lincoln, Nebraska. It was unfortunate that the then M.S.C.A. was not ready to host such a major event. The host site, Boston's Parker House, was a less than welcoming host, and a great number of participants complained about the space designated for the playing room, that the light was not good enough for many, etc. Also, Ben Landey got sick a few months before the event along with his co-organizer Lewis Icenogle. It was not Landey's shining hour. `

Ben was treasurer of the Greater Boston Committee of the U.S. Peace Council, past President of the South Shore Assn. for Retarded Citizens. He was the President of the Boylston Chess Club at the time of his death.

After his death in 1981, M.A.C.A. organized a memorial tournament at the Mass. Open in April; the winner of this tournament was the young James Rizzitano in North Darmouth.

The Boylston Chess Club has honored Ben Landey since 1986, when the Board of Directors dedicated a qualifier tournament to those members of the club rated 1800 to 2199 plus the winners of the Weaver Adam's; the winner to participate in the fall championship. His memory will endure for ever at the Boylston Chess Club along with that of Emil Reubens.

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Gregory Kaden, 2007

Brian Salomon
Kenneth Newman, Carey Theil
Simon Warfield
Edward Astrachan
Simon Warfield
Edward Astrachan, Kimani Stancil
Simon Warfield
Daniel J. Woods
Paul Mishkin
Robert Armes
Larry Schmitt
Miguel Angel Santana
Alex Slive
Timur Feinstein
Daniel J. Woods
Larry Schmitt
Alex Slive
Thomas Durnan
Thomas Durnan
Harold Dean Lawton
Charlie Mays, 1986 1st BCC Reubens Landey U2200 champion

New York International

FM Paul MacIntyre and NM Chris Williams of the Boylston Club played in the very strong New York International at the historic Marshall Chess Club. Paul finished with 5 points in the 9 round Swiss, including a draw with IM Jay Bonin pictured here in the photo by Larry Price. Chris Williams scored 3 1/2.

Chris Bird posted a nice bunch of photos from the event as well.

Weaver Adams 2008 Winners Move on to the Ruebens Landey

2008 Weaver Adams

The month of June is coming to a close and the traditional first phase of the BCFchampionship the Weaver Adams has come to a close. A hard fought four round event was co-won by Jonathan Lee and Adam Yedida (age 15)
tied for first with 3.5 points winning U1800 BCC Championship.

Jonathan Lee took the lead by winning three games in a row but drew in round four, unable to break through Ken Ho's super solid black defensive Ruy formation - Ken having knights on c6 and e7. 2008
Meanwhile Adam Yedidia out maneuvered Mike Griffin in a strategic French battle to win in round four catching up to Lee.

The usual band of WA contestant's Ed Foye, Bob Oresick, Tony Cortizas, Ted Gorczyca were complemented with the addition of Seth Lieberman, Nicholas Lesieur, Tom Pendergast, along with the very solid Khikmet Sadykov.

The new Weaver Adam's trophy was unveiled and presented by director Mike Griffin playing "Take me out to the ballgame" by blowing into said trophy. The trophy will be retired to the WA trophy archive with Jonathan and Adam's names attached as the 2008 winners.

Jonathan and Adam will move up having free entry into the Reubens/Landey BCC Qualifier U2200 Championship beginning 7/7. We wish them great success.


USCF ID PAIR NAME ST PRERATE PSTRATE 1 2 3 4 TOTAL

12742928 1 LEE, JONATHAN MAR MA 1787* 1818* W--10 W---6 W---5 D---3 3.5
12871990 2 YEDIDIA, ADAM MA 1746* 1779* D---3 W---8 W--10 W---5 3.5
12436950 3 HO, KENNETH MA 1700* 1742* D---2 W--12 W---6 D---1 3.0
13897647 4 SADYKOV, KHIKMET MA 1498/11 1619/15 W---7 L---5 W---8 W---9 3.0
10017793 5 GRIFFIN, MIKE MA 1769* 1758* W---9 W---4 L---1 L---2 2.0
13246294 6 LESIEUR, NICHOLAS MA 1646* 1630* W--11 L---1 L---3 X---0 2.0
12378850 7 CORTIZAS, ANTHONY MA 1551* 1542* L---4 L---9 W--12 W--11 2.0
12642210 8 GORCZYCA, THADDEU MA 1374* 1401* W--12 L---2 L---4 B---0 2.0
12659519 9 ORESICK, ROBERT J MA 1512* 1511* L---5 W---7 H---0 L---4 1.5
12604895 10 LIEBERMAN, SETH MA 1603* 1591* L---1 W--11 L---2 F---0 1.0
13869178 11 PENDERGAST, THOMA MA 1237/14 1220/17 L---6 L--10 B---0 L---7 1.0
12888390 12 FOYE, EDWARD FRAN MA 1659* 1606* L---8 L---3 L---7 U---0 0.0

Chess was invented in India

The Indian Defense

By VISWANATHAN ANAND
[from Time magazine]

Illustration for TIME by Scott Menchin

Where did chess begin? For many who play the sport at its highest, most obsessive levels, that's not just a question of history — it's a matter of ownership, of dominion. We're so completely lost in our universe of 64 black and white squares that we like to think every move we make changes the way the world exists. So it's easy for Russians to imagine that chess began when they started to play it. In 1991, at my first international tournament, in Reggio Emilia in northern Italy, a Russian grandmaster condescendingly told me I could at best be a coffee-house player because I had not been tutored in the Soviet school of chess, which then dominated the sport. With the arrogance of youth — I was 21 — I thought to myself, "But didn't we Indians invent chess? Why shouldn't I have my own route to the top of the sport?"

It would take me 17 years to find that route, and along the way I've had hundreds of conversations about the origins of chess — with players, fans, officials, taxi drivers, barbers and who knows how many people who sat next to me on a plane. I've heard the ownership of chess being claimed by Russians, Chinese, Ukrainians, Arabs, Iranians, Turks, Spaniards and Greeks. My own view is that the sport belongs to everybody who plays it, but the question of its origins is easy enough to answer: chess comes from India.

Our claim is based not on dominance — although the Indian school is now producing lots of high-quality players, including (ahem) the world No. 1. Some of the oldest references to the sport are found in ancient Indian texts. In the great epic Ramayana (which, according to some sources, was orally transmitted sometime between 750 B.C. and 500 B.C.), the demon king Ravana invents chess to amuse his wife Mandodari. A brilliant mind, she promptly beats him at it. My grandmother told me that story when I first began to play the game at age 6. Chess also features in the Arthashastra (3rd century B.C.), perhaps the world's oldest political treatise. Its author, Chanakya, describes chess as a game of war strategy, known as chaturanga, played on an 8-by-8 board. Think of it as the world's first virtual war game.

I believe chess traveled westward out of India, through what is now Afghanistan into Persia, where it arrived during the Sassanid Empire — an Indian king is believed to have sent a chessboard as a gift to his Persian counterpart. At the royal court in Ctesiphon, the game was known as chatrang. The Arabs learned it (they called it shatranj) when they conquered Persia in the 6th century A.D. and carried it across northern Africa. They introduced the game to Europe when the Moors crossed the Mediterranean into the Iberian peninsula. It grew immensely popular in Moorish Spain, where it was played in the street — a practice still seen in parks and other squares in cities around the world.

Iberia underwent a major change after the 15th century reconquista by Catholic forces led by Queen Isabella I — and chess changed, too. On the board, the queen became the most important piece; the bishop replaced the camel and flanked the king and queen. (Modern chess is still played by rules formalized under Isabella's reign.) Around this time, the Spanish player Luis RamÍrez de Lucena wrote what may have been the first book about chess theory — the Lucena Position remains to this day the cornerstone of rook and pawn endings.

Ironically, Russia may have been one of the last places in the Old World to receive chess, likely through the Volga trade route. It became popular there during the reign of Peter the Great. The late introduction didn't stop the Russians from becoming the game's superpower, though, and it wasn't until 2000 that an Indian — yours truly — finally brought the title of world chess champion back to the land of the sport's birth.

I like to think that the arc of my own career has in some ways mirrored the journey of chess. I learned to play in India, then moved to Spain so I could play the European circuit, and won my first world championship in Iran. It's nice when your place in chess history has something to do with the bigger picture.

Viswanathan Anand, 39, is an Indian chess grandmaster and the current world chess champion

Chess was invented in Iran

IRANIAN SPORTS

CHESS; Iranian or Indian Invention?

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(fig. 1) Seven pieces set, ivory, dated CE 762 (fig. 2) A Knight chess-piece (7th c. CE) from Afrasiab

(fig. 3) Elephant and Bull (or Knight or Vizier ?), ivory , dated as early as 2nd c., found at Dalverzin-Tepe. Their use is unknown, some scholars think they can be game pieces (fig. 4) A Rukh piece found in Ferghana 8th to 10th c.

(fig. 5) Elephant in carved dolomite-stone circa 7th c. (fig. 6) A Rukh from Nishapur 9th c. (fig. 7) Fragment of a Chess piece, probably the head of a King, found at Afrasiab, ivory 7th-8th c. (fig. 8) Vazir (Bishop), found in Saqqizabad, Iran 7th to 8th c. (fig. 9) Rock crystal CE 800 (possibly chess pieces) found at Basra (fig. 10) Jami's 15th century Persian manuscript of Haft Awrang depicting two Persian chess players. (fig. 11) An Indian manuscript depicting Krishna and Radha playing chaturanga on an 8x8 Ashtāpada (fig. 12) A pair of Achaemenid dices from Dahan-e Gholaman

The Origin of Chess

Chess is one of humanities popular pastimes and has been described not only as a game, but also as an art, a science and a sport. Chess is sometimes seen as an abstract war-game – as a ‘mental martial art’ – and teaching and playing chess have been advocated as a way of enhancing mental prowess.

It is very unlikely that Chess, almost as it is played today, suddenly came into existence or invented by one person. The idea of it being a combination of elements from other board-games has merit. Since almost all known board games have religious backgrounds the astrological component is entirely possible, even though one prefers the version that all elements come from other games, as the basis for the counters. Iran as the area of origin is highly possible, especially because of the two excavated debated pieces from the second century CE, which were found in the area of the Iranian cultural realm.

However, "chess is an ancient game which is first mentioned in documents dating back to the early years of the seventh century A.D. and associated with North West India and Persia. Before the seventh century of our era, the existence of chess in any land is not demonstrable by a single shred of contemporary evidence" (Fiske, the Nation).

Claiming the glory

Various scholars have proposed various origins for chess: Bidev states that “chess comes from China”, while Samsin suggests that there was hybridisation of Eastern and Western games in the post Alexander kingdom of Bactria in c180-50BCE. Josten is geographically between the two of them, favouring the Kushan empire in ca. 50BCE – 200CE.

However, possibly the strongest – or perhaps most vociferous – arguments have come from those who consider that chess originated in the Indian subcontinent in around 600CE. This view was propagated by Murray and van der Linde in the late 19th – early 20th centuries, and has subsequently been supported by Averbak.

This brief paper examines some etymological, literary and archaeological evidence for the Iranian origin of chess – and so suggests that the question of the origin of the famous game is still unanswered.

Etymological evidence

Various names have been, and are now, used for chess-like games. Chaturanga, for example, is a chess-like game, but it is played on an eight by eight board (rather than the modern chess twelve by twelve board) and it uses slightly different pieces and rules to those in the modern game. It has been suggested to be a proto-game for chess, of Indian origin.

The word chaturanga means ‘quadripartite’ or ‘army’. This reflects the four components in Vedic army platoons, which are themselves reflected in the types of pieces used in the game. Ricardo Calvo notes that the first unmistakeable reference to the game of chaturanga is in the Harschascharita by the court poet Bina, writing between 625 and 640CE. The word’s early literary use and its origin in the ancient language of Sanskrit have been suggested to provide supporting evidence for the Indian origin of chess. Murray specifically suggested that the Pahlavi word chatrang – used for a game equivalent to the current chess – was derived from chaturanga.

However, one of the most etymological evidences can be identified in the terminology of chess pieces which are Persian such as Rook.

Rook which is a Western derivative of Rukh is another term for Iranian mythical bird Sên-Murv (Persian) Simurgh. In Irnaian literature (Avestan) Sên-Murv identified as Homâ and in Arabic introduced as Rukh. The Simurgh or Rukh, was depicted as a winged gigantic creature in the shape of a bird, that could carry an elephant or a camel. The functionality of the Rook piece in game of chess and its iconography in Iranian world is quite significant. The bird which Iranian believed imparted fertility to the land and the union between the earth and the sky. In India, the piece is more popularly called haathi, meaning "elephant".

Another hint is the nomenclature of the pieces, persistently related to different sorts of animals rather than to components of an army: In the "Grande Acedrex" of King Alfonso of Castile (1283) lions, crocodiles, giraffes etc. play over a board of 12x12 cases with peculiar jumping moves, and the invention of it is connected to the same remote period in India as normal chess. They are very atypical in any context referring to India (De Gruyter, p.).

Other chess terminologies are also deeply rooted in Persian language, such as “checkmate” (the English rendition of shāh māt, which is Persian for "the king is frozen") as well as “bishop” and “queen” pieces.

"Bishop" chess piece which is a western innovation, derived from the elephant, most likely in the 15^th century - it is from the Persian pīl meaning "the elephant". In Europe and the western part of the Islamic world people knew little or nothing about elephants, and the name of the chessman entered Western Europe as Latin alfinus and similar, a word with no other meaning.

This word "alfil" is in fact is an Arabic loanword from Persian pīl < fil , and in turn the Spanish word alfil would most certainly have been taken from Arabic. Chess was introduced into Spain by Ali ibn-Nafi the famous Persian poet, musician and singer (also known as Zaryāb or Ziryab, “gold finder”) in the 9th century – it is described in a famous Libro de los juegos the 13th century manuscript covering chess, backgammon, and dice.

Some argue that since one of the pieces are being referred to as "elephant", must of an Indian origin - on the other hand, elephants are not at all exclusive to India (Gowers, p.173 ff; Walbank, p. 205-6.). However, Iranians were the first nation that introduced cavalry and they had also foot-soldiers, chariots and elephants as well as river and battle-ships. In Egypt, the Ptolemaic Kings obtained elephants regularly from Somalia. Strabo (16,4,5) mentions the foundation of several cities in Africa with the main purpose of hunting elephants (Gowers, p.173 ff; Walbank, p. 205-6.). The English name "bishop" is a rename inspired by the conventional shape of the piece.

The chess piece known as "queen" is (Persian) farzīn also vizier. It became (Arabic) firzān, which entered western European languages as forms such as alfferza, fers, etc – then later it was replaced by "queen" - possibly brought to West by British during the British rule of India; aince the Indian equivalent of "queen" is rani.

Historical and Literary Evidence
Pre-Islamic written references to Chess or its development have all point out to it Iranian origin, in particular to two Persian records of about 600CE. These documents have solidly connected chess with the last period of the Sasanian rulers in Iran (224-651 CE).