Boylston Chess: Centennial Lecture -- Christiansen on Pillsbury

banner:  Tony Cortizas, Jr.

Hi all,

Thanks to GM Larry Christiansen for his lecture on Harry Pillsbury, and thanks to Charles Slade and Andrew Hoy for the excellent dinner — the sliced sausages were great.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/9eWvjCh4koaBQFQa8

- Tony Cortizas Jr.

 

 

 Tweets by Tim Sage on Larry's talk:



 
 

Boylston Chess: April Thursday Night Swiss

banner:  Tony Cortizas, Jr.

April Thursday Night Swiss  

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Date	Thursdays, April 4, 11, 18, 25
Event Format	4SS
Time Control	G/105 d10
Sections	Open & U1900
Entry Fee	$35, $20 for BCF members; $5 more if not registering online in advance. Club members rated 2200+ may play in the Thursday Night Swiss with no entry fee and no prize deductions.
Prizes	$300 based on 25 paid entries: 1st $125, 2nd $75; U1900 1st $60, 2nd $40
Registration	6:15pm - 6:45pm
Round Times	7:00pm
Description	Bye and withdrawal requests must be received by 6:45pm. Sections with fewer than 10 players may be merged
Entry List	Current Pre-Registration List

Boylston Chess: Centennial Quads in March

banner:   Tony Cortizas, Jr.

Centennial Quads in March  

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Date	Saturday, March 30, 2019
Event Format	3RR
Time Control	G/65 d10
Sections	Players will be arranged into quads by rating
Entry Fee	$35, $20 for BCF members, $5 more if not registering online in advance. Free entry for BCF members rated 2300+, but entry fee deducted from won prize.
Prizes	$80 First place in top quad, $50 First place in each of the other quads
Registration	9:15am-9:45am
Round Times	10:00am, 1:15pm, 4:00pm
Description	ABSOLUTELY NO ONSITE REGISTRATION AFTER 9:45AM ** No byes or withdrawals are allowed. All rounds must be played
Entry List	Current Pre-Registration List

Yip wins, Sevian draws in Round 1 of U.S. Championships in St. Louis

Yip wins, Sevian draws in Round 1

of U.S. Championships in St. Louis

The two Massachusetts players competing in this year's U.S. Championships got off to a good start on Wednesday, March 20th, in Round 1 of the round-robin event being played at the Saint Louis Chess Club. Fifteen-year-old WIM Carissa Yip of Andover, 2014 Wachusett CC champion and 2016 Boylston CC champion, defeated WGM Sabina Foisor in the Women's Championship, while 18-year-old GM Sam Sevian of Holden held the top seed and the world's No. 2 player, Fabiano Caruana, to a draw in the main event. All the games in the women's division were decisive, with the following results in addition to Carissa's win with White over Foisor: GM Irina Krush 1-0 Emily Nuguyen, Anna Zatonskih 1-0 Akshita Gorti, WGM Tatev Abrahamyan 0-1 FM Maggie Feng, WIM Ashrita Eswaran 0-1 WIM Annie Wang, WGM Anna Sharevich 0-1 WIM Jennifer Yu.

In the all-GM main event, the only decisive game was Jeffrey Xiong's win (with Black) over Timur Gareev. In addition to Sevian's draw with Caruana, results of the others games were as follows: Hikaru Nakamura 1/2-1/2 Wesley So, Sam Shankland (defending U.S. champion) 1/2-1/2 Ray Robson, Awonder Liang 1/2-1/2 Aleksandr Lenderman, Varuzhan Akobian 1/2-1/2 Leinier Dominguez.

George M

[ Editor's note:  there is a very nice interview with George in the Telegram.]

Boylston Chess: Centennial Lecture - GM Larry Christiansen on Pillsbury

banner:  Tony Cortizas, Jr.

Centennial Lecture: 

GM Larry Christiansen 

on Pillsbury  

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Date	Friday, March 29, 2019
Entry Fee	$5
Round Times	7:00pm
Description	The first lecture of the BCF's Centennial Lecture Series will feature GM Larry Christiansen exploring the history of Harry Pillsbury. A full dinner will be served, and games will be analyzed.
Entry List	Current Pre-Registration List

George Mirijanian  

I hope that Larry mentions the fact that MACA held a ceremony on June 17, 2006 - exactly on the 100th anniversary of his death - at Laurel Cemetery in Reading, Mass., at Pilsbury's gravesite. A memorial marker was placed at his grave, identifying Pillsbury as a former U.S. Champion but also as the winner of the 1895 Hastings International Tournament. Harold Dondis, who was unable to attend the ceremony, had a statement read about Pillsbury. Various MACA officials attended and spoke about Pillsbury, including President George Mirijanian and former President Stephen Dann. Pillsbury's great-granddaughter, who lives in western Mass., attended the ceremony!

Boylston Chess: Spring G/80

banner:  Tony Cortizas, Jr.

Spring G/80  

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Date	Saturday, March 23, 2019
Event Format	3SS
Time Control	G/80 d10
Sections	Open, U2000, & U1500
Entry Fee	$35, $20 for BCF members; $5 more if not registering online in advance. Free entry for BCF members rated 2300+, but entry fee deducted from won prize.
Prizes	$$240 guaranteed: Open $100 - $50, U2000 $50, U1500 $40
Registration	9:15am - 9:45am
Round Times	10:00am, 1:45 pm, 5:00pm
Description	In accordance with BCF policy, unrated players may play in any section. Rated players rated within 200 points of the lower section maximum may play up one section. Sections with fewer than 8 players may be combined.
Entry List	Current Pre-Registration List

China wins Women's World Team Championship; USA defeats Egyptian team to finish in 7th place

China wins Women's World Team Championship;

USA defeats Egyptian team to finish in 7th place
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The Chinese women's team dominated this year's World Team Championship by winning on Thursday, March 14, the 10-team round-robin event in Astana, Kazakhstan. The Chinese won all nine matches, with Russia, scoring 6 match wins, 2 draws and 1 loss, ending up in 2nd place. The U.S. women's team finished in 7th place, with a 2.5-1.5 win over Egypt in the final round. Drawing on board 1 was WGM Katerina Nemcova, losing on board 2 was WIM Carissa Yip, winning on board 3 was WGM Sabina-Fransceca Foisor and on board 4 WCM Rochelle Wu. Carissa's loss was to 21-year-old WGM Shrook Wafa (FIDE-rated 2166), a former Women's African chess champion.

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George M

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Great news report, George, even though it wasn't the happiest news for the American women's chess team. Virtually every woman player that Carissa competed was titled and noted in her home country. What an experience this was for Carissa Yip!!!

Thanks for the concise reports on all 9 rounds! I'm so, so, so glad that someone did it.

Stephen Dann

Despite the losses, the U.S. team still remains in 7th place in the standings, with two rounds left to play.

U.S. women's team "routed" in Round 7

by India in World Team Championship

The U.S. women's team was soundly defeated, 4-0, by India in Round 7 of the World Team Championship, played Tuesday, March 12, in Astana, Kazakhstan. All members of the U.S. team, WGM Tatev Abrahamyan on board 1, WGM Katerina Nemcova on board 2, WIM Carissa Yip on board 3, and WGM Sabina-Francesca Foisor on board 4 lost to their Indian opponents. Carissa lost to 17-year-old International Master and Woman Grandmaster Padmini Rout (FIDE rated 2332), four-time Indian women's champion (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017). Despite the loss, the U.S. team still remains in 7th place in the standings, with two rounds left to play.

George M

U.S. women's team loses to China,

3-1, in World Team Championship

The U.S. women's team suffered another loss in the World Team Championship by falling to China, 3-1, on Wednesday, March 13, in Round 8 of the 10-team event in Astana, Kazakhstan. WGM Tatev Abrahamyan lost on board 1, WIM Carissa Yip drew on board 2, WGM Sabina-Francesca Foisor lost on board 3, and WCM Rochelle Wu drew on board 4. Carissa's draw was with 32-year-old WGM Qian Huang, Chinese women's champion in 2012 and a 5-time Women's World Champion contender. With the loss, the U.S. team still remains in 7th place going into the 9th and final round on Thursday, March 14, when they face the women's team from Egypt, which is currently in last place.

George M

U.S. women's team loses to Russia in World Team Championship - Rd. 6

Carissa Yip, 2017  photo:  Tony Cortizas, Jr.

U.S. women's team loses to Russia

in World Team Championship - Rd. 6

The U.S. women's team lost to Russia on Monday, March 11th, in round 6 of the World Team Championship in Astana, Kazakhstan. Draws were gained by WGM Tatev Abrahamyan on board 1, WGM Katerina Nemcova on board 2, and WCM Rochelle Wu on board 4. 

Suffering the team's only loss was 15-year-old WIM Carissa Yip on board 3. Carissa, a former Wachusett CC and Boylston CC champion, lost to 20-year-old GM Aleksandra Goryachkina (FIDE rated 2504), a two-time Russian women's champion and a two-time World Girls Under-20 champion. The loss now puts the U.S. women's team in 7th place in a field of 10 teams, with three rounds yet to play.

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George M

2019 Champions of the Spiegel Cup

Nicholas Sterling added 105 photos to the album: MACA Barry S. Spiegel Cup 2019 - 03-10-2019 in Bay State Chess Kings Facebook Group.

12 hrs

Fellow MACA Championship players,

In the crowded congested quarters of Boylston Chess Club on a snowy and rainy Sunday of Daylight Savings Time, MACA crowned the 2019 Champions of the Spiegel Cup year, including the MACA representatives to the Denker and Barber Championships. 

Thanks very much to Oleg Poliannikov (dad to the winner Danila), Steve Frymer, and Nathan Smolensky for helping to direct. 

Though we'll need a bigger and better space next year to accommodate both parents and waiting players in bulk, in general the tournament went smoothly and was wonderfully competitive. We appreciate the generous gesture of BCF to host in a pinch for MACA.

Winners:

High School & Denker Representative: Evan Meyer
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14 & Under & Barber Representative: Danila Poliannikov
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11 & Under: Raymond Xu
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8 & Under: Y Luke Ji
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This concludes the 2018-2019 Spiegel Cup season, and I'll see many of you in two weeks at the Hurvitz Cup.
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Nicholas P. Sterling, Ph.D.
MACA, Local TD

103 more photos by Nick can be viewed at  

MACA Barry S. Spiegel Cup 2019 - 03-10-2019

Boylston Chess: March Scholastic

banner:  Tony Cortrizas, Jr.

March Scholastics  

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Date	Sunday, March 17, 2019
Event Format	4SS
Time Control	G/30 d5
Sections	14 & Under and 8 & Under
Entry Fee	$25, $20 for BCF members, $5 more at door if not registering online in advance
Prizes	Trophies for 1st/2nd each age group section, medal for 3rd
Registration	10:00am - 10:20am
Round Times	10:30am, 11:50am, 1:00pm, 2:00pm
Entry List	Current Pre-Registration List

Boylston Chess: Shamrock Open

banner:  Tony Cortisas, Jr.

Shamrock Open  

 

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Date	Saturday, March 16, 2019
Event Format	4SS
Time Control	G/60 d5
Sections	Open & U1900
Entry Fee	$35, $20 for BCF members, $5 more if not registering online in advance. Free entry for BCF members rated 2300+, but entry fee deducted from won prize.
Prizes	$$360 GUARANTEED: Open 1st $150, 2nd $90 U1900 1st $70, 2nd $50
Registration	9:15am-9:45am
Round Times	10:00am, 1:00pm, 3:30pm, 6:00pm
Description	In accordance with BCF policy, unrated players may play in any section. Rated players rated within 200 points of the lower section maximum may play up one section.
Entry List	Current Pre-Registration List

Carissa's victory against Woman FIDE Master Anna M. Sargsyan in round 5

U.S. women's team back on winning path;

defeats Armenia in World Team Championship

The U.S. women's team rebounded from its loss to Kazakhstan on Friday to defeat Armenia, 3-1, in Round 5 of the 2019 World Team Championship on Saturday, March 9, in Astana, Kazakhstan. Winning for the USA were WGM Tatev Abrahamyan on board 1, WGM Katerina Nemcova on board 2, and WIM Carissa Yip on board 3. WGM Sabina-Francesca Foisor suffered the team's only loss on board 4. Carissa's victory was against 17-year-old Woman FIDE Master Anna M. Sargsyan.
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George M

________

Percy Yip

Sat, Mar 9, 10:23 PM

http://chess-results.com/tnr421067.aspx?lan=1&art=46

All info can be found there.

USA Open team is now at 4th place, and Women team at 6th place.

Women team will face Russia, India, China and then Egypt.

Carissa Yip suffers first loss in World Team Championship

Carissa Yip suffers first loss

in World Team Championship

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After scoring 2.5 points in the first three rounds, Carissa Yip suffered her first loss on Friday, March 8, in round 4 of the women's division of the World Team Championship in Astana, Kazakhstan. The 15-year-old WIM and former Wachusett CC and Boylston CC champion from Andover, Mass., lost on board 3 to 15-year-old WFM Bibisara Assaubayeva of Kazakstan. Carissa's team mates, WGM Tatev Abrahamyan lost on board 1, WGM Katerina Nemcova won on board 2, and WGM Sabina-Francesca Foisor drew on board 4, giving Kazakhstan a 2.5-1.5 win against the United States.

George M

Carissa Yip still undefeated in World Team Championship.

Carissa Yip   photo:  Tony Cortizas, Jr.

Carissa Yip still undefeated in World Team Championship.

Draws former Georgian women's champion in round 3.

Carissa Yip remained undefeated in the women's division of the 2019 World Team Championship in Astana, Kazakhstan, as she drew the former women's champion of Georgia, 32-year-old WGM Nino Batsiashvili, in round 3 of the nine-round team event on Thursday, March 7. Carissa split the point on board 3 with Batsiashvili, who was Georgian women's champion in 2015 and 2018, while her team mates, WGM Tatev Abrahamyan on board 1, WGM Katerina Nemcova on board 2, and WCM Rochelle Wu on board 4, lost their games, giving Georgia a 3.5-0.5 win over the American team.

George Mirijanian

This is quite a performance so far by Carissa.  This should put her back over 2300 FIDE for the moment.

https://ratings.fide.com/id.phtml?event=2090732

David Couture

Carissa wins again! Defeats former Hungarian women's champion.

photo:  Tony Cortizas, Jr.

Carissa wins again! Defeats former Hungarian women's champion.

 

Carissa Yip scored again! In Round 2 in the Women's Division of the 2019 World Team Championship in Astana, Kazakhstan on Wednesday, March 6th, the ex-Wachusett CC champion beat the former Hungarian women's champion, 34-year-old WGM Ticia Gara, in a match that ended in a 3-1 victory for the United States. Carissa and team mate WCM Rochelle Wu scored the wins for the U.S. team, while higher-titled team mates, WGM Tatev Abrahamyan and WGM Katerina Nemcova. scored draws against their Hungarian opponents.

 

George M

Carissa Yip defeats ex-Women's World Champion Anna Ushenina

Carissa Yip   2017   photo:  Tony Cortizas, Jr.

Former Wachusett CC champion Carissa Yip

beats ex-Women's World Champion Ushenina

Carissa Yip, the 2014 champion of the Wachusett Chess Club, got off to an excellent start in Round 1 in the Women's Division of the 2019 World Team Championship in Astana, Kazakhstan by defeating former Women's World Champion GM Anna Ushenina of Ukraine on Tuesday, March 5th. The 15-year-old Women's International Master from Andover, Mass. beat 33-year-old Ushenina with the black pieces on board 4 in the USA vs. Ukraine match, which ended in a 2-2 tie. Carissa scored the only win for the U.S. team, with fellow team mates WGM Tatev Abrahamyan losing on board 1, WGM Sabina Foisor drawing on board 2, and 12-year-old Woman Candidate Master Rochelle Wu splitting the point on board 3.

George M

Here is the raw game score ....Looks like Ushenina was in severe time pressure, and walked into a sham sacrifice. Still, impressive game by Carissa.

[White "Ushenina, Anna"]

[Black "Yip, Carissa"]

[Result "0-1"]

[ECO "E73"]

[Opening "King's Indian Defense: Averbakh Variation, Geller Defense"]

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 g6 3. e4 d6 4. d4 Bg7 5. Be2 O-O 6. Bg5 Nbd7 { E73 King's Indian Defense: Averbakh Variation, Geller Defense } 7. Qd2 c6 8. Nf3 e5 9. d5 Nc5 10. Qc2 a5 11. O-O Rb8 12. a3 cxd5 13. cxd5 Qc7 14. Nd2 Bd7 15. Nb5 Bxb5 16. Bxb5 Rfc8 17. Rac1 Qd8 18. Qb1 a4 19. Be3 Qa5 20. Be2 b5 21. f3 Nfd7 22. Rc3 Bf6 23. Qc2 Bd8 24. Rb1 Qa6 25. Qd1 Ba5 26. Rc2 Bb6 27. Bf2 Kg7 28. Rbc1 Rc7 29. Qf1 Ba7 30. Rc3 Rcc8 31. Kh1 Qb7 32. R1c2 Rf8 33. b4 axb3 34. Nxb3 Qa6 35. Bh4 Qa4 36. Qb1 b4 37. axb4 Qxb4 38. Qa2 Nxb3 39. Qxa7 Nd4 40. Qxd7 Qxc3 { White resigns. } 0-1

Note:  The board number was corrected by her father Percy:   Ushenina and Yip played on board 2.


Also, Carissa was the first woman to win the championship of the Boylston Chess Foundation.

rjo

MACA Spiegel Cup Finals

MACA Spiegel Cup Finals

 

 

Date	Sunday, March 10, 2019
Description	The annual MACA scholastic championship. See the MACA Scholastic webpage for more information.

Boylston Chess: March $15 Open

banner:  Tony Cortizas, Jr.

$15 Open  

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Date	Saturday, March 9, 2019
Event Format	4SS
Time Control	G/60 d5
Sections	Open, U2000, & U1500
Entry Fee	$15 in advance, $30 at door, $20 for BCF members at door. Free entry for BCF members rated 2300+ but entry fee deducted from prize won.
Prizes	$$300 Guaranteed: Open: $150-$50, U2000: $60, U1500: $40
Registration	9:15am-9:45am
Round Times	10:00am, 1:00pm, 3:30pm, 6:00pm
Description	OPEN TO FIRST 56 PLAYERS TO REGISTER; no refund of advance entries. Sections with fewer than 10 players may be merged. In accordance with BCF policy, unrated players may play in any section. Rated players rated within 200 points of the lower section maximum may play up one section.
Entry List	Current Pre-Registration List