Friday, January 31, 2014

BCC: QUADS // BEST LOCAL CHESS // THE WORLD PLAYS CHESS // YOU CAN TOO // WOMEN /VETERANS ENCOURAGED TO PLAY //

BOYLSTON CHESS CLUB HOSTS
3 ROUND GAME 60 ROUND ROBIN
THIS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1st 2014
THE WORLD PLAYS CHESS
The Massachusetts Chess Association schedules the 
Winter Team Tournament for K-12, also
on Saturday, the 1st of February. Many of
the BCC star chess players will be at this event
in Marlboro, MA
Yet! There are many BCC regulars who are not
qualified for this event. So you can play quality chess
at the BCC: 3 rounds, 60/SD; finish at 5:30 PM!
This tournament is open to all, yet if there are 
going to be many children not playing at the BCC, 
you veteran chess players can come over to the 
Club and take over. Women of all ages are
encouraged to play this event!
AND: follow the progress of the
Zurich, Switzerland, This even is indeed the
strongest professional chess tournament ever!
World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen is tied for 1st
with Lev Aronian at this time.
So men and women of New England,
come over to the BCC for a serious chess challenge!
See you tomorrow for some chess
and chatter on 

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

In-school chess program opportunity


The Boylston Chess Foundation has been promised a grant of $1000 from Harry Lyman's trust for an in-school chess program. 
 .
The BCF Board hereby requests proposals for such a program from area chess coaches. 
 .
 Please describe an in-school program you would like to implement if selected to run the program under the grant, including the name of the school(s), schedule of activities, and a budget for how the $1000 will be spent, i.e., fee and name of coach(es), equipment to be purchased, etc. 
.
All local coaches are encouraged to apply, with the understanding that any coach selected to implement the in-school chess program will become a member of the BCF ($125/year), if he/she is not already a member, within a week of being selected.
.
The BCF would like to implement this program in Spring 2014. Accordingly, the deadline for proposals is Sunday, February 24, 2014. 
 .
 Please e-mail your proposal to natashaus@alum.mit.edu.

Sunday, January 26, 2014

BCC HOSTS 1ST GRAND PRIX EVENT OF 2014 // 39 PLAYERS // NEW FACES // YOUTH DOMINATE // STRENUOUS EVENT // UPSETS // BRILLIANCIES //

OPEN SECTION: BCC GRAND PRIX
Aashish Welling (right) on the move scored 3.5/4 to take
clear 1st in the January BCC Grand Prix.
Here he is seen playing Alex Yu who finished
with 2 for 4. Aashish up'd his rating 50 points;
Alex's rating was +20.
NEW FACE AT BCC EVENT
 
Yongjoo Kim played a very strong game
scoring 3 out of 4 points to share 2-4th place
with NM Hal Terrie and Mark Neale.
Yogjoo up'd his rating +42 to 2011.
COMING OF AGE AT THE BCC
CRITICAL GAME
Nithin Kavi played solid chess but suffered from severe
time pressure ceding the full point to Mark Robert Neale
in the last round.  Mark scored 3 out of 4 and up'd his
rating +136 points from 1675 to 1811. Bravo, Mark.
[Alex Yu, (red), observes.]
NM Hal Terrie also took a full point from Nithin Kavi
in a complicated position in Round 3 to finish with 3 for 4,
sharing 2-4th place with Kim and Neale.
BCC GRAND PRIX: U1800 SECTION
Jacob Gillis (left), a new face at the BCC (welcome Jacob!
gave a strong showing to score 3.5 out of 4 to take
clear 1st in the U1800 Section.  Here Jacob is playing
white vs David Martin (GP U1800 Category prize winner 2013)
in Round 4.  In time pressure, Jacob won this complex endgame 
and the section and up'd his rating +84 for his efforts.
Suraj Ramanathan (left) plays the black pieces vs Joy Cao
in Round 2. Suraj scored 3 out of 4 points to share 2-6th place
with Steve Stepak, Michael Yu, Mark Buckles and David Zhu Sun.
A GRUELING, EXHAUSTING EVENT
Steve Stepak finds some interesting play in a QGD vs 
Daniel Wang in Round 4.  Daniel held things together well
and was even slightly better until he dropped a piece.
(Though I was up considerable material, I was totally 
exhausted--out of gas--so to speak. My head was spinning.
I struggled to play adequate moves; at the same time, Daniel let
me finish with a mating flourish.  He was a good sport about the game. 
We were both very tired after 4 rounds of chess.)sps 
Daniel went 2 for 4 and Stepak scored 3 out of 4, sharing 2-6th place.
Mark Buckles (red) plays Suraj Ramanathan in Round 4: draw.
Mark also scored 3 points to share 2-6th place.
BCC #117 TORNADO WINNER KEEPS PACE
Michael Yu (right) seen here playing black vs David Martin
in Round 2 (draw) impressed as he scored 3 out of 4 points
to share 2-6th place in the U1800 Section. Michael won the
BCC #117 Tornado on the weekend of the Boston Chess Congress.
Michael is maturing into a very strong player (age 10); he is
well schooled and armed with good technique, playing a 
solid game, consistently.  Keep up the good work Michael Yu!
David Zhu Sun (left) plays Aaron Huang in Round 2.
David Zhu is also becoming a strong and consistent player
over the months. The age of these tallented chess kids is
around 10!  Bravo, David. He scored 3 out of 4 points
sharing 2-6th place and up'd his rating +43.
[background]: Mark O'Brien vs Daniel Zhou.
MORE NEW FACES AT THE BCC
15 yr old Tom Shneer from Andover, MA, plays black vs
Daniel Lukason in Round 2. Tom scored 2 out of 4
points to up his rating +56. This was Daniel's
first rated chess tournament in his life.
Welcome to our world!  Hope to see you both
back at the BCC for more tournament chess!
AMAZING KIDS
Youngest player at the January Grand Prix is
Winston Zhao, age 6. He scored 1.5 out of 4
and up'd his rating +39. (I played Winston last year
when he was 5!)sps  These kids are truly amazing.
#1 "7 and Under" in Massachusetts: Derek Jin (below)
Derek Jin (right) plays black against Boshen Li. Boshen
was poised to take the full point from Derek, who actually
had a won game out of the opening. 
 (Derek just turned 7 on the 12th of January.)
Well these kids are just  that: kids. Tournament chess is always a
 learning experience. From critical analysis, we all are motivated to learn from 
our mistakes, on the road to improving our chess and gaining future victories.
(#1 "8 and Under" in Massachusetts:)
Eddie Wei, at Boston Chess Congress 2014
MORE KIDS: IN THE OPEN SECTION
Lucy Cai (1582), black vs Maxwell Zhao (1692)
 (average age here: 10), play in Round 3. Max won a
complicated endgame, as you can see.
Edward Chiu plays black vs Aaron Huang, Round 3.
Daniel Wang vs David Tianyi Zhou, Round 3.
(background): Jacob Gillis.
PARTING SHOTS: "FEARLESS"
He may be little, but he's right in the game: Winston Zhao
plays the U1800 Section winner, Jacob Gillis in Round 1.
POISED
Mark O'Brien plays 7 yr old Joy Cao in Round 3.
ON THE ROAD TO VICTORY
ENDGAME: Fridrick Karlsson (1980) plays Aashish Welling (1907)
in Round 3. Yongjoo Kim and Bernardo Iglesias, event TD
observe. Aashish won this encounter on his way to
clinching the top spot in the the Open Section.
PHOTOS BY STEVE STEPAK
See you all next Saturday
for QUADS!

Thursday, January 23, 2014

BCC: GRAND PRIX EVENT // FIRST OF 2014 // FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY // KIDS AND ADULTS // BUILD YOUR LEAD EARLY // REASONABLE ENTRY FEE //

BCC GRAND PRIX
4SS 60/SD
SATURDAY, JANUARY 25th 2014
WHO WILL FILL THESE SEATS?
WILL YOU? SURE YOU WILL!
DON'T BE SHY, COME ON OVER!
FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
ESPECIALLY THE KIDS
(Point total from this event is 
added to the 11 succeeding months
Grand Prix totals
for your grand total to win
a prize in your rating category. So
it's time to start, now! Get a jump
on the competition!)
The temperature will be over 32 degrees
this Saturday, so come on over to the
BCC for some winter-time fun.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

BCC GAME 80 // 20 STAR PLAYERS // 2 SECTIONS // GODIN / KAVI / OPEN // FRICKER // U1950 // JIN 21ST IN USA 7U // AFTERNOON SNOW // VETERANS / KIDS / SHINE // SHARP ENDGAME PLAY // GOOD FUN !

OPEN SECTION
NM Eric Godin vs Jasen Tang R2: 1-0.
Eric scored 2.5 points to share 1-2nd place with Nithin Kavi.
Jason scored 2 points to share 3-4th place with Nathan Smolensky.
CRITICAL GAME
Ames Abbot (1906), black vs Nithin Kavi (2043), Round 3.
Kavi won the game in a hard-fought struggle.
Nithin scored 2.5 points to share 1-2nd place with NM Eric Godin.
Ames Abbot scored 1.5 points and up'd his rating 12 points!
                                                                     Photo: Lucy Cai
MACA president, Nathan Smolensky, scored 2 out of 3 
to share 3-4th place and up'd his rating 16 points.
UNDER 1950 SECTION
                                                                               Photo: Lucy Cai
Terrence Fricker scored 2.5 points out of 3 to 
take clear first place in the U1950 Section. Bravo, Terrence!
CHESS LESSON: DUTCH A95
Steve Stepak vs Terrence Fricker (I proved one thing,
playing this game: you learn most from playing, not studying!
In my post mortem analysis, it seems that I made most of the 
master moves to set up and maintain equality. I had a chance
to sacrifice a piece for an attack, for equality, or even more. 
I saw the move but took too long to do it! 
{Strike while the iron is hot! I didn't.} Once I let Terrence
unwind, he punished me for my tardy play. Bravo, Terrence!
That's a real chess game! sps)
(background, center): Suraj Ramanathan. Round 2.
CRITICAL GAME
Terrence Fricker plays a solid engame to take the full
point from Tim O'Malley. Tim scored 2 points to share
2-5th place with Harold Dondis, Lucy Cai and Derek Jin.
Harold found the key: one glove! Scored 2 wins
and up'd his rating 4 points.
Lucy Cai scored 2 out of three to be in the money,
sharing 2-5th place in the U1950 section; and 1-2nd U1650 prize.
Lucy also took some very fine photographs of this event, too!
Derek Jin scored 2 out of 3 to share 3-5th place in the U1950
section and share 1-2nd in the U1650 prize.
Derek just had a birthday, January 12th: happy birthday Derek!
Now he is no longer 6!  So Derek is nationally ranked No. 21
in the USA for kids 7 and under!  Bravo, Derek!
SURPRISE RESULT: 
Keep your eye on this boy!
Derek Jin vs Natasha Christiansen: 1-0!
Each Saturday, Derek has the tremendous ability to
sit down at the chess board and laser-focus on the game.
No distractions.  That's the key! He's got the right stuff
to become a master (prediction); It's just a question of when!
PARTING SHOT:
Carissa Yip: a challenging position.
BCC GAME 80: 20 PLAYERS
TD: BERNARDO IGLESIAS
PHOTOS BY STEVE STEPAK
SEE YOU ALL NEXT SATURDAY
FOR THE FIRST GRAND PRIX 
OF THE 2014 SEASON

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

BCC: GAME 80 // 3SS // FAIR WEATHER // SATURDAY / JANUARY 18, 2014 // LONG THINK // ENDGAME TIME //

GAME 80: ENDGAME TIME!
This event gives you maximum time to think,
to plan your strategy, to convert to a 
competitive endgame position.
Check the facts:
SQUEEZE YOUR BRAIN
CALCULATE YOUR LINE
PLAY CHESS LIKE THE PROFESSIONALS!
TAKE YOUR TIME
CREATE AN ARTISTIC COMBINATION
EXECUTE A PRECISE ROOK AND
PAWN ENDING
ENGAGE THE COMPLEX DEPTH
OF A KNIGHT AND PAWN ENDING

TIME TO BRING YOUR CHESS
TO A NEW LEVEL
SEE YOU THIS SATURDAY!

Monday, January 13, 2014

BCC ADDS OVER 30 PLAYERS TO THE 173 TOTAL FOR BOSTON CHESS CONGRESS 2014 / LOGAN AIRPORT // ALEXANDER IVANOV / DAVID VIGORITO / STEVE WINER SHARE 1-5th PREMIER // LEONID TKACH 1ST U2100 // RAY BEHENNA SHARES 1-4th U1500

GM CORNER: BEST GAME
GM Elshan Moradiabadi vs GM Alexander Ivanov,
Round 4. Elshan, with 20 minutes on his clock,
 had a win in the complicated rook and pawn
 endgame, (yet!) with less than a minute
on his clock (with a 10 second delay) Alex
played solid looking moves and the game ended in a draw.
Michael Isakov (center) observes.
IM Jonathan Yedidia holds the fort with the black
pieces vs GM Hungaski
GM QUARTET: ROUND 5
GM Perelshteyn, black vs GM Alexander Ivanov: draw!
GM Moradiabadi, black vs GM Hungaski: draw!
ROUND 5 GM CORNER
IM Yedidia vs IM David Vigorito (0-1)
GM Eugene Perelshteyn, black vs GM Alexander Ivanov (draw)
GM Moradiabadi, black vs GM Robert Hungaski (draw)
BCC PLAYERS AROUND THE HALL
NM Hal Terrie finds the draw in Round 4.
FM Nathan Resika wins with black on his
 Hungarian chess set in Round 5 vs Peter Henner.
Dan Schmidt, Round 5.
NM Farzad Abdi, black vs Daniil Mosiyenko, Round 5.
FM Steve Winer, (Nor'Easters) Round 5.
PLAYING WHITE
NM Siddharth Arun and NM Chris Williams, Round 5.
Matthew Meredith vs Fridrik Karlsson
Aidan Sowa (2.5 points U2100 Section), winning
with black vs Michael Mahoney, Round 4.
Carissa Yip, black vs Robert King, Round 5.
Chess journalist/teacher Larry Eldridge plays Maxwell Zhao;
Alex Yu, center, winning his game vs John Stengrevics
Round 5.
Arthur Tang, 2.5 points in U2100 Section.
Eddie Wei, just back from Dubai, enjoys a drink
of water in Round 5.
Natasha Christiansen says 'hello' to all her fans
from Hyatt Logan, Round 5.
Winston Zhao
Leonid Tkach, 1st U2100 Section
NM Ahmet Bolat vs NM Hal Terrie
2012-13 BCC Champion NM Lawyer Times 
plays white vs Aravind Kumar, Round 5.
Alex Yu makes the draw in Round 4 vs D G Bird.
Aashish Welling, black, vs Ryan Sowa Round 4.
Aashish Welling, black vs Ryan Sowa, Round 4.
Suraj Ramanathan, Round 5.
Brandon Wu plays black vs Tom Hartmayer.
Max Zhao (center) is in attendance: Round 5.
Ray Behenna scored 4 points to share 1-4th place in U1500 Section.
Evan MacLure (2 points, U1700 Section) plays Round 5.
Carlos Ennis, black vs Jonathan Lee, Round 5: draw!
Achyuta Rajaram, Round 5.
BCC's own Ed Foye (upper right) watches GM games:
Moradiabadi-Ivanov; Hungaski-Yedidia;
Markovits-Perelshteyn, Round 4
KIDS JUST WANN'A HAVE FU'UN: BUGHOUSE!
CHESS LECTURE
WIM Sharon Burtman, long-time 
BCC player talks about the benefits
of chess for the whole family.
THE CHESS PRESS
International Arbiter George Mirijanian and 
Chess Organizer Stephen Dann are in
attendance for WIM Sharon Burtman lecture.

 COOKIE MONSTER
a.k.a. Carissa Yip enjoys a chocolate chip!
BOSTON CHESS CONGRESS: BLITZ!
NOTABLE BCC PLAYERS
NM Ahmet Bolat, clear first with 7.5 points.

NM Chris Williams, clear 2nd with 7 points.
NM Lawyer Times, 3-6th with 6 points.
Professor Timothy Sage, 3-6th with 6 points.
PHOTOS BY STEVE STEPAK
See you all next Saturday 18 January 2014
for the BCC Game 80 3SS