According to this article in today's Boston Globe, a state commission studying the daily fantasy sports market (think: DraftKings & FanDuel) is voting on a draft report which declares that "all games played for money are illegal gambling" regardless of whether luck or skill is involved. Seems as though chess tournaments would meet that definition.
While I doubt the state police will be knocking down our doors anytime soon, this might be an issue worth monitoring going forward.
The Chess Blog of the Boylston Chess Club... The Boylston Chess Club (BCC) is a part of the Boylston Chess Foundation (BCF).
Monday, July 31, 2017
BCC SENIOR CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP: AGE COUNTS // STEVE STEPAK BY A HALF POINT // 2017 BCC SENIOR CHAMPION //
REVISED EDITION:
3SS GAME 80 / 10" DELAY
CHAMPIONSHIP: ONE DAY EVENT!
INTENSE AND POWERFUL
AGE PREVAILS
Steve Stepak nips the field with 2.5 points
out of 3 for the title of 2017 BCC
Club Senior Champion. Steve is at
least a decade older than the rest with
a few brain cells still firing.
[PHOTO: BOB ORESICK]
[PHOTO: BOB ORESICK]
David G. Bird, from Swindon, England plays
Natasha Christian in Round 2.
Natasha Christiansen views the board in the afternoon
sunlight vs Bob Oresick, Round 1.
UNDER THE GAZE OF HAROLD DONDIS, ESQ.
Bob Oresick plans his attack vs Steve Stepak,
Round 2. [Photo:D.G. Bird]
David Bird, black vs Bob Oresick: draw!
NATASHA CHRISTIANSEN TD
PHOTOS: STEVE STEPAK
BCC RAPIDS: FM STEVE WINER CLEAR 1ST WITH 6/7 // NM FARZAD ABDI CLEAR 2ND / 5.5/7 // 38 PLAY
GAME 30 / 5" DELAY 7 SS IN ONE SECTION
OPEN SECTION
(38 PLAYERS)
CRITICAL GAME
FM Steve Winer vs NM Chris Williams, Round 5.
Steve won this game and went on to take clear 1st place
in the event. Bravo, Steve!
RISING STAR
Steve Winer vs Zubin Baliga, Round 7: draw!
Zubin scored 4.5/7 for a +8 to 2060 rating.
Bravo, Zubin!
NM Farzad Abdi, black vs BCC President and event TD
NM Andrew Hoy, Round 5: draw. Farzad scored 5.5 points
to claim clear 2nd place. Andrew was 4/7 on the day with a
+6 to 2253 rating! Bravo, Farzad and Andrew!
NM Chris Williams, black vs Matthew Meredith, Round 4: draw!
Matt scored 5 points to share 3-5th place with Aravind
Ponukumati and David Milliern.
William Schreefer, black vs Aravind Ponukumati, Round 5.
Aravind finished with 5 points to share 3-5th place.
SCENES FROM AROUND
THE HALL
SITTING UP!
7 yr old Lawrence Tu, strong to the very end in this
tense, complex endgame, vs NM Chris Williams.
[Note: the "Red" Romanian Chess set being used
belongs to Chris Williams and is featured at the BCC
for the first time: nice!]
DOWN TO THE WIRE
Lawrence Tu plays Thomas Ha, Round 5: 1-0 !
Lawrence finished with 4 points for a +16 to 1717 rating!
Bravo, Lawrence!
Lydia Shen, black vs David Martin, Round 7.
Lydia scored 3 points for a +97 to 1480 rating!
Bravo, Lydia!
Tom Shneer ready to do battle with Steve Stepak,
Round 7 of the event. Tom played at the BCC
Somerville, for many of his young years. He is
all grown up now and studying physics at UMass, Amherst.
Bravo, Tom. Thanks for the reunion. [The game
ended amicably in a draw.]
CHIEF TD: NATASHA CHRISTIANSEN
ASSISTANT TD: DAVID MILLIERN
PHOTOS: STEVE STEPAK
Masters Sunday
 |
| Banner: Tony Cortizas, Jr. |
| Date | Sunday, August 6, 2017 |
| Event Format | 4SS |
| Time Control | G/60 d5 |
| Sections | Masters |
| Entry Fee | $50 for BCF members, $70 for non-members, $5 more if not registering online |
| Prizes | $700 based on 18 paid entries: $450-$250 |
| Registration | 9:15am - 9:45am |
| Round Times | 10:00am, 1:00pm, 3:30pm, 6:00pm |
| Description | Open to players rated at least 2000 on the July or August supplement or live MSA rating. Free entry for GMs and IMs with no deduction from any prize won. |
| Entry List | Current Pre-Registration List |
Senior Sunday
 |
| Banner: Tony Cortizas, Jr. |
| Date | Sunday, August 6, 2017 |
| Event Format | 3SS |
| Time Control | G/80 d10 |
| Sections | TBA |
| Entry Fee | $35, $20 for BCF members, $5 more at the door |
| Prizes | TBA |
| Registration | 9:15am - 9:45am |
| Round Times | 10:00am, 1:45pm, and 5:00pm |
| Description | Open to all players born before August 6, 1967 |
| Entry List | Current Pre-Registration List |
Note: This is not the Senior Championship. That is completed.
This is a new event, a regular one-day Senior Sunday.
Quads
 |
| Banner: Tony Cortizas, Jr. |
| Date | Saturday, August 5, 2017 |
| 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 registered online |
| Prizes | $$80 First place in top quad, $$50 First place in each of the other quads |
| Registration | 9:15am - 9:45am; ABSOLUTELY NO ONSITE REGISTRATION AFTER 9:45AM |
| Round Times | 10:00am, 1:00pm, and 3:30pm |
| Entry List | Current Pre-Registration List |
Thursday Night Swiss
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| Banner: Tony Cortizas, Jr. |
| Date | August 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, 2017 |
| Event Format | 5SS |
| Time Control | 40/90, SD/20 d10 |
| Sections | Open & U1900 |
| Entry Fee | $35, $20 for BCF Members, $5 more if not registered online |
| Prizes | $300 based on 25 paid entries: Open 1st $125, 2nd $75 U1900 1st $60, 2nd $40 |
| Registration | 6:30pm - 7:00pm |
| Round Times | 7:15pm |
| Entry List | Current Pre-Registration List |
Wednesday, July 26, 2017
July Scholastic
 |
| Banner: Tony Cortizas, Jr. |
BCF July Scholastic - 07-23-2017
Fellow BCF Players,
Thanks to the group of kids, some of whom were new to chess tournaments, who came to play in the BCF July Scholastic, and thanks to all the parents.
As of this writing, the final results have not been published. This was my second Scholastic at Boylston Chess Club, and I thank Andrew Hoy for the opportunity to supervise this excellent event.
I'll be back again for the August Scholastic and hope to see these kids back again.
Nicholas P. Sterling, Ph.D.
BCF, Chess Tournament Director
BCF, Chess Tournament Director
Tuesday, July 25, 2017
$15 open photos
 |
| Banner: Tony Cortizas, Jr. |
$15 Open Photos
by
Bernardo Iglesias
The July $15 Open was another big success - a good turnout - 51 players.
Directed by Nick Sterling,
and assisted by Natasha Christiansen and
Bernardo Iglesias, who also took the photos below.
Open:
1 | FARZAD ABDI |3.5 |W 16|W 10|D 6|W 8| MA | 12868372 / R: 2327 ->2327 | |W |B |W |B | | Q: 2218 ->2217 | | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 |LINH NGUYEN |3.5 |W 3|W 9|D 4|W 11| MA | 15702603 / R: 1884P25->1992 | |W |B |B |W | | Q: 1839P19->1927P23 | | | | |
U1800
1 | EOGHAN DOWNEY |4.0 |W 13|W 6|W 4|W 2| MA | 16333152 / R: 1669P16->1747P20 | |W |B |W |W | | Q: 1533P16->1591P20 | | | | |
Sunday, July 23, 2017
Senior Championship
 |
| Banner: Tony Cortizas, Jr. |
| Date | Sunday, July 30 and August 6 | |||
| Event Format | 6SS; accelerated pairings will be used | |||
| Time Control | G/80 d10 | |||
| Sections | Open | |||
| Entry Fee | For 6 rounds: $70, $40 for BCF members; For 3 rounds: $35, $20 for BCF members. All: $5 more at door. | |||
| Prizes | To be announced | |||
| Registration | 9:15am - 9:45am | |||
| Round Times | 10:00am, 1:45pm, and 5:00pm | |||
| Description | BCF senior club championship; open to all players born before July 31, 1967. | One day option: pay the 3-round entry fee at the door with up to 3 half-point byes, with no eligibility for title or prizes. For two-day option, bye for last round must be requested before start of Round 2. | Note: free parking on Sundays | |
| Entry List | Current Pre-Registration List |
Summer Action Swiss
 |
| Banner: Tony Cortizas, Jr. |
| Date | Saturday, July 29, 2017 | |||
| Event Format | 7SS | |||
| Time Control | G/30 d5 | |||
| Sections | One section | |||
| Entry Fee | $35, $20 for BCF Members, $5 more at the door | |||
| Prizes | $300 based on 25 paid entries: Open 1st $150, 2nd $100 U1800 1st $50 | |||
| Round Times | 10:00am, 11:20am, 1:00pm, 2:15pm, 3:30pm, 4:45pm, 6:00pm | |||
| Entry List | Current Pre-Registration List |
Friday, July 21, 2017
Mika tactic
Nice tactic ...
Swindles and Surprises at the US Junior Champs
US Junior Championship
July 17, 2017
Brattain, Mika
Troff, Kayden
Mika Brattain’s excellent opening preparation against Troff gave him a comfortable initiative, which he pressed to his first victory of the tournament.
Wednesday, July 19, 2017
Grand Prix #3 photos
 |
| Banner: Tony Cortizas, Jr. |
Photos by
Gabriel Birzu (also TD)
of the
Grand Prix #3:
Mass Open Musings, Part 2: No Country for Old Men (G/45, d/5)
A twist in English Opening preparation
Round 1, playing White:
When I arrived at the board, my young opponent Andrew, whose legs didn't reach the floor from the chair, was slumped over the board. Asleep? No. Tactically asleep? Hopefully.
Before we started, Andrew set me straight on having configured my clock incorrectly for increment instead of delay. Not as "equivalent" as I'd once thought. Onward...
After 5 Nf3
He's not going to blunder with 5...Bb7??, is he?
Yes, he is! After 6 Nxe5, I was up a clean, no strings attached, pawn.
After 22...Rc8
Here, 23 Ne2 (for instance) controlling d4 would have avoided trouble. Instead, after 23 Nd5 Bb2
24 Rc2?? I think at this point I had seen Black's next move coming (24...Rxc5, to be followed by 25 Rxc5 Bd4+ and 26...Bxc5), but I was too flustered, feeling time-pressured, to find 24 Ne7!, when White is still winning (+-). I may be giving myself too much credit, but I think that if the time control had been slower (maybe even just the 40/100, G/60 of the last three rounds), I would have seen the right move. By forking the two rooks, White ensures he will get back the exchange that he'd lose to Black's bishop after 24 Ne7 Bxc1. If, after 24 Ne7, 24...Nb7, then 25 b4 +-.
Assistant Regional Grandmaster Dwight Schrute from The Office, from whom I could apparently stand to learn a thing or three:
Whenever I’m about to do something, I think, 'Would an idiot do that?' And if they would, I do not do that thing.After 27...Kxd6
Here, I played 28 bxc5+??, failing to notice that 28 Rd1! would have avoided losing a piece. I was, quite unreasonably, still psychologically rocked from not having foreseen the 24...Rxc5 and 25...Bd4+ moves earlier in the game.
Eventually, 0-1, with me playing the last moves quite quickly, illogically worried about losing on the clock after having already gotten a lost position on the board. Probably part of me just wanted the end to arrive more quickly.
This grizzled warrior found it cute that, after the game, Andrew innocently suggested to me that I needn't have hurried with my last moves, because I had plenty of time left. "Plenty of time left" is in the eye of the beholder....
Round 2, playing Black:
Of course, that doesn't mean I know it well.
Years ago, I bought a used, marked-up Cambridge Springs book online. I was not deterred by the markings which the seller had noted, although I didn't know their full extent until after I received it.
The book was expensive, and I stubbornly refused to pay full price. These are not my markings, but my approach is similar: I play through the variations, assessing, based on my own personal style, how I feel about them, then write in my preferences so that I can more easily find my known preferences later (often enough, long years later). Unfortunately, that is not a task that I'd gotten around to for this opening variation prior to this game (Hmm, still haven't gotten around to that...).
1 d5 d5 2 c4 e6 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 Nc3 c6 5 Bg5 Nbd7 6 e3 Qa5
My young opponent Amy seemed a bit surprised by 6...Qa5, suggesting a lack of familiarity with the position. After some thought she played 7 Bxf6.
Ken seemed a bit surprised by 7 Bxf6, suggesting a lack of familiarity with the position.
:-(
Let me tell you, G/45, d5, is *not* when you want to be chewing up precious minutes contemplating at length which of several broad strategies are appropriate for your position, but that's exactly what I found myself doing. I was rapidly smothered, and resigned without much ado.
Round 3, playing Black:
After 3 Bc4
I suspected, but couldn't remember, if 3...Nxe4 was valid. Bologan calls this Zukertort's Strike in Black Weapons in the Open Games.
After 5 Nxe4, Bologan (Did I earlier mistype that as Bologna, or did autocorrect do that?) gives a number of lines beginning with 5...d5. Naturally, I didn't remember them, and couldn't realistically expect to work them out myself in this time control, and I also didn't want to get blown out of the water by known opening tactics, so I played the timid 5...Be7, and aimed to make the best of things. My opponent Noah also played less than aggressively, then after a time scramble (no surprise there!), I won the ending. Noah is older than I, so I guess this win still fits under "No country for old men."
And so, thankfully, ended the faster time control half of the tournament. In my case, age did comparatively better vs youth in the second half. To be continued....
Mass Open Musings, Part 1: Journey to the West (西遊記, 哈哈)
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