Chess Life 2023-09

AMERICAN CUP CHESS IN TRANSLATION HIKARU GETS MARRIED
AmazingAnna! SEPTEMBER 2023 USChess.org

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dĂůĞƐŽĨĂǇŐŽŶĞŚĞƐƐƌĂ ^ƉĂƐƐŬǇ͛ƐĞƐƚ'ĂŵĞƐʹŚĞƐƐŝŽŐƌĂƉŚǇ
'ĞŶŶĂ^ŽƐŽŶŬŽ ůĞǆĞǇĞǌŐŽĚŽǀΘŵŝƚƌǇKůĞŝŶŝŬŽǀ
͚ĂĐŚŶĞǁƐƚŽƌǇŽĨ'ĞŶŶĂ^ŽƐŽŶŬŽŝƐƚŚĞƉƌĞƐĞƌǀĂƟŽŶ tŽƌůĚŚĂŵƉŝŽŶŽƌŝƐ^ƉĂƐƐŬǇǁĂƐĂĐŚĞƐƐŐĞŶŝƵƐ
ŽĨŐƌĂŝŶƐŽĨŽƵƌĐŚĞƐƐůŝĨĞ͕͛ƐĂǇƐ'ĂƌƌǇ<ĂƐƉĂƌŽǀ͘EŽ ĂŶĚĂƉĞƌĨĞĐƚŐĞŶƚůĞŵĂŶ͘,ĞǁĂƐ͕ĨŽƌĞǆĂŵƉůĞ͕
writer can tell you more about legends such as Tal, ŐƌĂĐŝŽƵƐŝŶĚĞĨĞĂƚĂŌĞƌŚĞůŽƐƚŚŝƐƟƚůĞƚŽƚŚĞ
<ŽƌĐŚŶŽŝŽƌƌŽŶƐƚĞŝŶĂŶĚƉĞƌƐŽŶĂůŝƟĞƐƐƵĐŚĂƐ ŵĞƌŝĐĂŶŽďďǇ&ŝƐĐŚĞƌŝŶϭϵϳϮ͘
ŚĞƉƵŬĂŝƟƐŽƌEŝŬŽůĂĞǀ͘dŚŝƐϴϰϬͲƉĂŐĞŚĂƌĚĐŽǀĞƌ This wonderful new biography includes more than
ĞĚŝƟŽŶŝƐĂĐŽůůĞĐƟŽŶŽĨƚŚĞƉŽƌƚƌĂŝƚƐ^ŽƐŽŶŬŽǁƌŽƚĞ sixty of his best games and a biographical sketch of
ĨŽƌEĞǁ/ŶŚĞƐƐ͕ƉůƵƐϭϬϬƉĂŐĞƐŽĨƐƚŽƌŝĞƐƉƵďůŝƐŚĞĚ more than a hundred pages.
Et͊ ĞůƐĞǁŚĞƌĞ͘ŵƵƐƚͲŚĂǀĞĨŽƌĞǀĞƌǇĐŚĞƐƐĂĮĐŝŽŶĂĚŽ͘
dŚĞ'ŝǀĞĂŶĚdĂŬĞŽĨŚĞƐƐdĂĐƟĐƐ dƌŝďƵƚĞƚŽƚŚĞ&ŝŌŚtŽƌůĚŚĂŵƉŝŽŶ
:ŽĞůĞŶũĂŵŝŶ :ĂŶdŝŵŵĂŶ
ĐŚĞƐƐƚĂĐƟĐƐŵĂŶƵĂůǁŝƚŚĂƚǁŝƐƚ͘hƐƵĂůůǇ͕ƚĂĐƟĐƐ dŚĞĮƌƐƚŽƵƚƐƚĂŶĚŝŶŐĐŽůůĞĐƟŽŶŽĨŐĂŵĞƐŽĨƚŚŝƐ
ƚƌĂŝŶŝŶŐŝŶǀŽůǀĞƐƉƵǌǌůĞƐǁŝƚŚĂĐůĞĂƌƐŽůƵƟŽŶ͘tŚŝƚĞ ͚ĞĸĐŝĞŶƚ͕ŵĂŶͲĞĂƟŶŐƟŐĞƌ͕͛ĂƐŵĞƌŝĐĂŶŵĂƐƚĞƌ
wins brilliantly, or Black wins. But in real life, chess is tŝůůŝĂŵEĂƉŝĞƌŽŶĐĞĐĂůůĞĚƵǁĞ͕tŽƌůĚŚĂŵƉŝŽŶ
ŵĞƐƐǇ͘^ŽŵĞƟŵĞƐƚĂĐƟĐƐǁŽƌŬ͕ĂŶĚƐŽŵĞƟŵĞƐƚŚĞǇ ĨƌŽŵϭϵϯϱƵŶƟůϭϵϯϳ͘/ƚŽīĞƌƐĞŝŐŚƚǇŽĨŚŝƐŐĂŵĞƐ
ĚŽŶ͛ƚ͘dŚĂƚ͛ƐǁŚǇĨŽƌŵĞƌh^ŚĂŵƉŝŽŶ:ŽĞůĞŶũĂŵŝŶ ĂŶŶŽƚĂƚĞĚďǇ:ĂŶdŝŵŵĂŶ͕ǁŚŽŬŶĞǁƵǁĞǀĞƌǇ
ƚĞůůƐƚŚĞĐŽŵƉůĞƚĞƐƚŽƌǇŽĨĂƩĂĐŬ͕ĚĞĨĞŶĐĞ͕ĂŶĚ ǁĞůů͘dŝŵŵĂŶŵĂĚĞŵĂŶǇĚŝƐĐŽǀĞƌŝĞƐŝŶƵǁĞ͛Ɛ
ĐŽƵŶƚĞƌĂƩĂĐŬ͊ most famous games but has also unearthed several
lesser-known brilliancies.
tŚŝƚĞZĞƉĞƌƚŽŝƌĞǀƐƚŚĞKƉĞŶ^ŝĐŝůŝĂŶ New Insights in Classic Games

/ǀĂŶ^ĂƌŝĐ DĂƩŚĞǁ^ĂĚůĞƌΘ^ƚĞǀĞ'ŝĚĚŝŶƐ
dŚĞKƉĞŶ^ŝĐŝůŝĂŶ is not a phonebook crammed with DĂƩŚĞǁ^ĂĚůĞƌĂŶĚ^ƚĞǀĞ'ŝĚĚŝŶƐƵƐĞĚƚŚĞ
computer lines, but a textbook full of 21st-century ĐŽůůĞĐƟǀĞƉŽǁĞƌŽĨ>ĞĞůĂ͕<ŽŵŽĚŽ͕ĂŶĚ^ƚŽĐŬĮƐŚ
ĐŚĞƐƐǁŝƐĚŽŵ͘'D/ǀĂŶ^ĂƌŝĐĐŽǀĞƌƐƚŚĞĞŶƟƌĞƌĂŶŐĞ to re-engineer classic games of fan favorites such
ŽĨ^ŝĐŝůŝĂŶƐ͕ĨƌŽŵŽďƐĐƵƌĞƐŝĚĞůŝŶĞƐƚŽƚŚĞŵĂŝŶůŝŶĞƐ͗ ĂƐ&ŝƐĐŚĞƌ͕^ƉĂƐƐŬǇ͕>ĂƌƐĞŶ͕ĂŶĚĂƉĂďůĂŶĐĂ͘tŝƚŚ
ƚŚĞEĂũĚŽƌĨ͕ƚŚĞdĂŝŵĂŶŽǀ͕ƚŚĞZĂƵǌĞƌ͕ƚŚĞ<ĂŶ͕ƚŚĞ these modern engines, the authors have generated
^ǀĞƐŚŶŝŬŽǀĂŶĚƚŚĞƌĂŐŽŶƐ͘,ŝƐĂƉƉƌŽĂĐŚŝƐǀĞƌǇ ĚŽǌĞŶƐŽĨŶĞǁŝŶƐŝŐŚƚƐĂŶĚƉŽƐŝƟŽŶĂůĐŚĞƐƐůĞƐƐŽŶƐ
ĂŵďŝƟŽƵƐ͕ĂŶĚŚĞƐƵƉƉŽƌƚƐŚŝƐĐůĂŝŵƐǁŝƚŚĚĞĞƉ that will help every club player and expert to
ĂŶĂůǇƐŝƐĂŶĚŝůůƵŵŝŶĂƟŶŐǀĞƌďĂůĞǆƉůĂŶĂƟŽŶ͘ improve their game.
Chess.com 2022 Book of the Year &ƵŶĚĂŵĞŶƚĂůdĂĐƟĐƐĂŶĚŚĞĐŬŵĂƚĞƐĨŽƌ/ŵƉƌŽǀĞƌƐ

Ramesh RB WĞƚĞƌ'ŝĂŶŶĂƚŽƐ
Coach Ramesh has won the 2022 Chess.com Book of dŚĞƉĞƌĨĞĐƚĮƌƐƚĐŚĞƐƐǁŽƌŬďŽŽŬĨŽƌĂĚƵůƚŝŵƉƌŽǀĞƌƐ
the Year Award, in a vote with thousands of chess ĂŶĚŽƚŚĞƌďĞŐŝŶŶĞƌƐ͘ŽĂĐŚĞƐŵŝŐŚƚĮŶĚƚŚĞďŽŽŬ͕ǁŝƚŚ
players. It is well deserved. But beware! It is a tough ϳϯϴĞǆĞƌĐŝƐĞƐ͕ǀĞƌǇƵƐĞĨƵůĂƐǁĞůů͘/ƚĨĞĂƚƵƌĞƐĂĐŽŵƉůĞƚĞ
ďŽŽŬƚŚĂƚǁŝůůƌĞƋƵŝƌĞƐŽŵĞƌĞĂůĞīŽƌƚ͘ƌĞǇŽƵƵƉĨŽƌ ƐĞƚŽĨĨƵŶĚĂŵĞŶƚĂůƚĂĐƟĐƐĂŶĚĐŚĞĐŬŵĂƚĞƉĂƩĞƌŶƐ͘
the challenge? ͚ĞĂƵƟĨƵůůǇĨŽƌŵĂƩĞĚǁŝƚŚϯĚŝĂŐƌĂŵƐƉĞƌƉĂŐĞĂŶĚ
ƚƌĞŵĞŶĚŽƵƐĞǆĂŵƉůĞƐ͛͘
͞ŶĂďƐŽůƵƚĞĚŝǀŝŶĞŵĂƐƚĞƌƉŝĞĐĞ͟ʹAndras Toth. &ƌĞĚtŝůƐŽŶ͕dŚĞDĂƌƐŚĂůů^ƉĞĐƚĂƚŽƌ
ǆĐŝƟŶŐKƉĞŶŝŶŐdĂĐƟĐƐ dŚĞƵŶďĞĂƚĞŶŐƌĂŶĚŵĂƐƚĞƌ
ĞĂŶ/ƉƉŽůŝƚŽ ^ĞƌŐĞŝdŝǀŝĂŬŽǀ
dŚŝƐďŽŽŬŝŶƚƌŽĚƵĐĞƐǇŽƵƚŽĞǆĐŝƟŶŐǁĞĂƉŽŶƐƐƵĐŚ ^ĞƌŐĞŝdŝǀŝĂŬŽǀǁĂƐƵŶďĞĂƚĞŶĨŽƌĂĐŽŶƐĞĐƵƟǀĞϭϭϬ
as the &ƌŝĞĚ>ŝǀĞƌƩĂĐŬ and the ĞŶƚĞƌ&ŽƌŬdƌŝĐŬ. ƉƌŽĨĞƐƐŝŽŶĂůĐŚĞƐƐŐĂŵĞƐĂƐĂŐƌĂŶĚŵĂƐƚĞƌ͘tŚŽ
ǆƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞĚŵĞƌŝĐĂŶĐŚĞƐƐĐŽĂĐŚĞĂŶ/ƉƉŽůŝƚŽ ďĞƩĞƌƚŽƚĞĂĐŚǇŽƵƌŽĐŬͲƐŽůŝĚĐŚĞƐƐƐƚƌĂƚĞŐǇƚŚĂŶ
knows how adult improvers should play the opening, dŝǀŝĂŬŽǀ͍/ŶŚŝƐĮƌƐƚďŽŽŬ͕ŚĞĞǆƉůĂŝŶƐĞǀĞƌǇƚŚŝŶŐŚĞ
and what they can expect from your opponent. The knows about the fundamentals of chess strategy:
ƚĂĐƟĐĂůĮƌĞǁŽƌŬƐǁŝůůĂůƐŽŚĞůƉǇŽƵƚŽĚĞǀĞůŽƉǇŽƵƌ pawn structures.
general understanding of the opening.
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September
18 FIRST PERSON DORTMUND

Chess in Translation
Ater cutting her teeth in Iowa,
our author goes global in
Dortmund.
BY ELISE BICKFORD
24 EVENTS AMERICAN CUP

A Ringside Seat
Krush and Nakamura take top
spots at the American Cup.
BY JOHN BREZINA
ANNOTATIONS BY GM
ELSHAN MORADIABADI
32 COVER STORY
CAIRNS CUP
Amazing Anna!
Zatonskih steps up to win 2023
Cairns Cup.
BY IM CARISSA YIP
AMERIC AN CUP CHESS IN TRANSLATION

HIKARU GETS MARRIE
D
AmazingAnna!
SEPTEMBER 2023 USChess.org
CL_09-2023_Cover_r02_JH
CL_09-2023 Cover r02 JH.indd
indd 1
8/15/2023 11:55:31 AM
PHOTO: COURTESY SLCC / CRYSTAL FULLER
It’s hard to think of four-time U.S.

Women’s Champion IM Anna Zaton-
skih as an underdog, but after some
diffident performances, few were
picking her to win the 2023 Cairns
Cup. But champions persist, and
that’s what Anna did, finishing first in
a very strong event.
PHOTOGRAPH BY CRYSTAL FULLER
USCHESS.ORG SEPTEMBER 2023 1

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CONTRIBUTORS
I M C A R I SS A
September YIP
(Cover Story)
is a three-time
COLUMNS
U.S. Girls’ Junior
Champion and the
14 CHESS TO ENJOY 2021 U.S. Women’s
Champion. Origi-
ENTERTAINMENT
O Say, Can You See? 06 nally from Andover,
Massachusetts, she
BY GM ANDY SOLTIS is ranked number
16 INSTRUCTION 24 two among women and first among girls

on the July US Chess rating lists. Currently
GETTING TO WORK she is a student at Stanford University.
Now for Rook Endings
EL I S E B I C K FO RD
BY WGM TATEV ABRAHAMYAN
(Dortmund) began her
46 ENDGAME SCHOOL over-the-board career at
the 2021 Iowa Open. Since
INSTRUCTION then, she has played regu-
Decisions, Decisions larly in the Midwest, with her most recent
BY GM JOEL BENJAMIN event being her first European tournament
at the Sparkassen Chess Trophy B-Open.
48 SOLITAIRE CHESS With degrees from MIT and the University
INSTRUCTION of Iowa, currently she is a student in the
PHOTOS: COURTESY SINGER (CAMP), SPARKASSEN CHESS TROPY (NAMETAGS), SLCC / ADAMS (BIRD, NAKAMURA), SLCC / C. FULLER (KRUSH)
Alekhine the Magician German department at Iowa.

BY BRUCE PANDOLFINI
J O H N B R EZI N A
50 BOOKS AND BEYOND 24
(American Cup) is the edi-
tor of the Colorado Chess
SHOULD I BUY IT?
Informant and the organiz-
Streamers on the King’s er of the Parker Chess Club
Pawn, Part III in Parker, Colorado. An accomplished pho-
BY IM JOHN WATSON tographer, his work can be see in his state
journal, on his website, and accompanying
53 PUZZLES his article in this month’s Chess Life.
MAKE YOUR MOVE!
BY FM CARSTEN HANSEN G M ELS H A N
MORADIABADI
DEPARTMENTS (American Cup) is an active
5 COUNTERPLAY coach and player. Original-

ly from Iran, Elshan came
READERS RESPOND to the U.S. for graduate school and to join
6 FIRST MOVES Texas Tech’s chess program. He has twice
qualified for the U.S. Championship at the
CHESS NEWS FROM 2019 and 2022 U.S. Opens. He was proud
AROUND THE U.S. to be named the 2022 Chess Journalist of
8 US CHESS AFFAIRS the Year by the Chess Journalists of Amer-
ica. Visit his website for more information:
NEWS FOR OUR MEMBERS gmelshan.com.
12 IN THE NEWS
54 TOURNAMENT LIFE
62 CLASSIFIEDS
63 SOLUTIONS
64 MY BEST MOVE
18
PERSONALITIES 24
PAUL GOLD

A B L E E D E A L S
U N B E A T A G A Z I N
A N D M S
BOOKS CHESS SA er 700 Titles
L E
AT U Ov
ing at
Start $ !
ust 1
J
s
t Sold Basi
C o m e, Firs plies Last
a First le Sup
d on W hi
ol ly -
Limited - S counts App
ies are al Dis
Suppl No Addition
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COUNTERPLAY
TOO MUCH?
T
Y
Your contributions in the Au-
gust issue of Chess Life Kids are
g
ccommendable to say the least.
I think, however, that naming
such editions for “kids” is mis-
su
leading. “Juniors” is perhaps
le
E D I TO R I A L better. There are rare gifted chil-
b
C H E S S L I F E / C L K E D I TO R John Hartmann (john.hartmann@uschess.org) dren (4-10) who enjoy chess
d
A R T D I R E C TO R Natasha Roberts analysis at the depth given in
a
M A N A G I N G E D I TO R Melinda Matthews
contents such as the current
c
issue. I think a true magazine
is
G R A P H I CS A S S I STA N T Nicole Esaltare
for “children” would focus most-
fo
T E C H N I C A L E D I TO R IM Ron Burnett
ly on basics, rules, and puzzles.
S E N I O R D I R E C TO R O F ST R AT E G I C CO M M U N I C AT I O N Dan Lucas
Oh well, critics are a dime a
dozen. Keep up the good work!
d
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Mike Carney
P R E S I D E N T Randy Bauer (president@uschess.org) PIN TO WIN? Via email
V I C E P R E S I D E N T Kevin Pryor (vp@uschess.org)
Regarding the solution to the
V I C E P R E S I D E N T O F F I N A N C E Chuck Unruh (vpfinance@uschess.org) first of Soltis’ problems in the John Hartmann responds:
S E C R E TA R Y Mike Hoffpauir (secretary@uschess.org) June issue: the solution says Thanks for writing, Mike. We have
M E M B E R AT L A R G E Leila D’Aquin (chessnola@gmail.com) that after 14. … b4, Black “wins three target audiences in mind
M E M B E R AT L A R G E John Fernandez (john.fernandez@gmail.com) the pinned knight.” with CLK: scholastic players from
M E M B E R AT L A R G E David Hater (dhater1@aol.com) 8 to 13, their parents, and their
M E M B E R AT L A R G E Lakshmana “Vish” Viswanath (vish@viswanath.us) coaches. We’re finding that be-
E X E C U T I V E D I R E C TO R Carol Meyer (cmeyer@uschess.org) ginner-level adults are reading
the magazine too.
Contact membership@uschess.org or call 1-800-903-8723 for assistance and see Some of what’s in the August
uschess.org for the full staff listing. issue is advanced indeed, but other
CHESS LIFE IS THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE US CHESS FEDERATION
material isn’t quite as demanding.
The opening material is accompa-
nied by online studies and videos
to help with digestibility. We’re
U.S. CHESS TRUST WHITE TO MOVE always trying to modulate our

complexity and voice, so we’ll take
But what if White plays 15. your comments under advisement.
“I’d like to thank the U.S. Chess Trust
Na4? What is to prevent White We welcome other opinions
for their support in my chess career. from either removing the pesky on the ongoing revamp of CLK.
I have had the honor of receiving bishop or exchanging into a rel- As a US Chess member, you can
the prestigious Samford Fellowship, atively equal endgame? After always read the digital version,
which has given me encouragement all, in this scenario, if queen’s even if you don’t take the CLK
and support for my chess.” are exchnged, the threatened print add-on.
bishop on e4 can caputre the
rook!
U.S. Chess Trust Samford Fellow Ron Gravatt
& Ursula Foster Award Winner Via email OUR BAD
We had a few gremlins creep
John Hartmann responds: into the August issue. First, we
Thanks for your note, Ron, misspelled “Yakubboev” on
and for taking the time to work page 11... right above a correct
through the problems! Here I spelling of the same name. We
think you missed a trick: if 15. misspelled WFM Kinga Polak’s
Na4 Black plays 15. … Bxf2+ first name on our table of con-
with a discovery on the queen. tents. And we have no good ex-
Play continues 16. Rxf2 Rxc2 planation for the font, spacing,
17. Nxb6 Nxe4 and Black is up and editorial issues in the cen-
a pawn and soon more. ter of page 46. Apologies to all.
Send your letters to letters @uschess.org. Letters are

subject to editing for style, length, and content.

FIRST MOVES Chess news from around the U.S.
The Camp
That Could
Chess and community in Huntington,
n,
West Virginia
BY BENU RELLAN
W HAT DO YOU GET WHEN

you cross 18 young chess en-
thusiasts, one grandmaster,
a 100-year-old chess club, 62
hours. The following week,
he stayed for a few hours
more. That March, O’Hanlon
suggested that Boylin competee
bottles of Gatorade, and one pair of broken in the 50th West Virginia Chess
ss
eyeglasses? Association Championship for or
Answer: a chess camp! grades K-5, where Boylin fin- n-
Our story begins in the 1920s, when a ished in a three-way tie for second
econd place.
place A participated in the storied Sinquefield Cup
chess club convened in Huntington, West few months later, in September 2019, Boylin in 2021. He has authored a few books and
Virginia. By the 1950s, the club was firm- won the West Virginia Junior Championship. more recently created a Chessable course.
ly ensconced at the local YMCA. Those In 2020 and 2022, Boylin represented West He also happens to be a really great guy. For
were the days when Siegfried Werthammer, Virginia at the Dewain Barber National John, learning from GM Swiercz for a week
M.D. — winner of 13 state championships, Tournament of Middle School State Cham- was — just as O’Hanlon promised — both
a record yet to be broken — served as the pions. He participated in the Arnold Den- game- and life-changing.
unofficial head of the club until he passed ker National Tournament of High School Upon our return from St. Louis, O’Hanlon
away in 1978. The 1980s welcomed Dan State Champions this year in Grand Rapids, and Hathaway revealed that they had been
O’Hanlon, a newly-minted circuit court Michigan. hoping to run a chess camp in Huntington.
judge and Marshall University chess cham- Full disclosure: John Boylin is my son. Indeed, the club hosting a camp was some-
pion, to the club. Around the same time, The club calls me its “chess mom.” “The thing they had envisioned for 35 years. I
Mark Hathaway — who would win the state guys” (as I call the club’s members) forgive immediately rolled up my sleeves…
championship seven times and earn his my noisy entrances and exits, my lack of Over the next nine months, the Hun-
national master title in 1992 — returned understanding of the intricacies of the game, tington YMCA Chess Club Camp came into
to the club and began informally coaching and my clumsy efforts to speak chess. They being. First, I asked GM Swiercz if he could
O’Hanlon. In 1993, O’Hanlon became part have all supported, encouraged, and taught teach. Then we got down to details. Always
of the winning team at the U.S. Amateur my son as he began competing in chess. At ready to assist the club and the community,
Team Championship. the club, Hathaway is the teacher; O’Hanlon, the YMCA provided the space. Wade Midkiff,
The club continued to meet weekly at the the sage advisor. Both are endless fonts of a local hotel owner who plays chess, offered
YMCA through the early 2000s. Hathaway chess history, strategy, and talent. accommodations for our guest GM. Gener-
coached a high school chess team in Co- So, when O’Hanlon told me to take John ous donors, including O’Hanlon, Mountain
lumbus and mentored other members of to St. Louis for chess camp in the summer Health, and Camden Park contributed to
the club. However, in 2019, Hathaway recalls of 2021, I did. O’Hanlon had attended a few defray the costs of the camp. Paris Signs
PHOTOS: COURTESY SHOLTEN SINGER
that he “was ready to quit.” But O’Hanlon had such camps and assured me that the trip donated signs. The club was excited; I was
another idea. He told Hathaway that he knew would be a game- and life- changing expe- cautiously optimistic.
a kid who needed coaching: John Boylin. rience. As always, he was correct. On a hot, humid morning in June of
Boylin learned chess from his grandfa- John was taught in St. Louis by GM Dar- 2022, 14 middle and high school chess fa-
ther, Dev Rellan, M.D., on Saturday morn- iusz Swiercz, one of the top players in the natics gathered at the YMCA to work with
ings. O’Hanlon happened to be at Rellan’s United States. Swiercz became a GM at the GM Swiercz for three days. It was incredi-
home one such morning, challenging the age of 14 and has a US Chess rating over ble! When it was over, we asked ourselves,
then-11-year-old Boylin to a chess game and 2700. He won the U20 World Champion “Would we do it again?” The answer was a
inviting him to attend the club. in 2011 and the U18 World Champion in resounding, “Why not?”
Soon Boylin visited the club for a few 2012. He won Millionaire Chess in 2016 and By January 2023, GM Swiercz had com-

mitted to the second round of camp. The tactics and strategies. There’s been a simul, and the surrounding area, we are trying to
YMCA once again offered a home for the more puzzles, discussions, and challenges, answer a need in our chess community. To
camp. The donors returned, joined by WV culminating in an end-of-camp tournament. have an instructor of GM Swiercz’s talent
Chess. O’Hanlon contributed t-shirts for And, of course, we had snacks — lots of and ability is an unprecedented and amaz-
the campers, and Mrs. Brewster, whose late snacks. Thank you, Mrs. Brewster! ing opportunity for these young players.
husband was a member of the club, donated I observed the camp both years, from As Craig Timmons, vice president of the
snacks. Camden Park, the only amusement beginning to end. There was concentration West Virginia Chess Association noted,
park in the state, even provided free admis- and laughter, determination and humor. “It’s really exciting that we are able to have
sion passes to the campers. Kids at every level learned, grew, and formed a grandmaster come to West Virginia and
Registration for the 2023 session of chess friendships. First-time camper Natasha teach scholastic players. It significantly
camp was full before I even had a chance Bradley, age 12, said, “I learned how to helps raise the quality of play and interest
to advertise. For a brief time in March, correctly calculate moves and I had a lot of in over-the-board chess.”
we even had a waiting list. At one point fun.” Clay Thompson, 14, who has attended Still, we are intensely aware that there
during the preparations, I looked up and the camp twice, said, “Camp was a great would be no camp without the club. The
asked the spirit of Dr. Werthammer, “Can experience thanks to GM Swiercz.” John club carries a century-old torch of friend-
you believe this?” Boylin, now 15, said, “Camp was fantastic, ship, mentoring, and a pure love of the
Fast forward to June 29, 2023: We’ve and everyone learned a lot from it.” Every game. Together with the community, the
just wrapped up our second year of the single camper said they want to come back club founders created something that had
camp. Eighteen middle school and high next year — even the one whose eyeglasses only been imagined. Looking back, we see
school students have spent 3½ days with were broken during a brief basketball recess! that, as is frequently the case in chess, the
GM Swiercz solving puzzles and learning As the only chess camp in West Virginia will became the way.

US CHESS AFFAIRS News for our Members
2023 Chess Journalist

of America Awards
Writers, columnists, photographers and analysts from US Chess had much to celebrate at the annual Chess Journalists of America (CJA)
meeting on August 2 in Grand Rapids. US Chess took home 27 awards, including two of the “big three” – John Hartmann won Best Story
of the Year for his January 2023 “L’affaire Niemann,” while WGM Tatev Abrahamyan was awarded the Best Column prize in her first year
of eligibility.
Here is the full list of awards won by US Chess. For complete results, visit the CJA website at chessjournalism.org. Congratulations to all!
BEST COLUMN, WINNER: BEST REVIEW, WINNER:

TOP AWARDS WGM TATEV ABRAHAMYAN, “GETTING TO IM JOHN WATSON, “BUT DOES IT ACTUALLY
BEST STORY OF THE YEAR, WORK” (CHESS LIFE) WORK?” (CHESS LIFE, SEPTEMBER 2022)
WINNER:
JOHN HARTMANN, “L’AFFAIRE NIEMANN”
(CHESS LIFE, JANUARY 2023) PRINT VISUAL ARTS
BEST FEATURE ARTICLE, BEST PHOTOJOURNALISM
BEST STORY OF THE YEAR, WINNER: ARTICLE, WINNER:
HONORABLE MENTION: JOHN HARTMANN, “L’AFFAIRE NIEMANN” IM SANDEEP SETHURAMAN / DAVID LLADA,
IM ROBERT SHLYAKHTENKO, “FISCHER (CHESS LIFE, JANUARY 2023) “RECORD AND RIVALRIES” (CHESS LIFE,
VERSUS SPASSKY, 50 YEARS ON” (CHESS LIFE, MARCH 2023)
AUGUST 2022) BEST SINGLE ARTICLE OF LOCAL
INTEREST, WINNER: BEST ART, HONORABLE
STEVE ERBACH, “THE GREEN BAY OPEN” MENTION:
(CHESS LIFE, JUNE 2022) NATASHA ROBERTS, “100K!” (CHESS LIFE,
MAY 2023)
BEST INTERVIEW, HONORABLE
MENTION: BEST COMIC, WINNER:
JOHN HARTMANN, “HIKARU NAKAMURA” NICOLAS BARRIOS, MELINDA MATTHEWS,
(CHESS LIFE, JUNE 2022) NATASHA ROBERTS, “THAT NAKAMURA LIFE”
PHOTOS, THIS PAGE: COURTESY SLCC / OOTES (TATEV); FACING: COURTESY SURESH (NAKAMURA)
(CHESS LIFE KIDS, FEBRUARY 2023)
JOHN HARTMANN, “ANDY WOODWARD”
(CHESS LIFE, NOVEMBER 2022) BEST SINGLE CHESS MAGAZINE
COVER, WINNER:
BEST INSTRUCTIVE LESSON, DAVID LLADA / NATASHA ROBERTS, “THE
WINNER: K-12 GRADES” (CHESS LIFE KIDS, APRIL 2023)
WGM TATEV ABRAHAMYAN, “HOW TO STUDY
TACTICS” (CHESS LIFE, FEBRUARY 2023)
ONLINE
BEST OVERALL CHESS WEBSITE,
WINNER:
USCHESS.ORG
BEST NATIONAL /
INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT
REPORT, WINNER:
JJ LANG, “LAST MINUTE SUBSTITUTE
WINS MOST PRESTIGIOUS ONLINE EVENT
OF THE YEAR”
BEST NATIONAL /
INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT
REPORT, HONORABLE MENTION:
AAKAASH MEDURI, “WHEN GAMBLING PAYS
OFF: MEDURI GOES ALL-IN ON VEGAS”

BEST STATE / LOCAL
TOURNAMENT REPORT,
HONORABLE MENTION:
BRIAN KUEHL, “SHERIDAN OPEN BRINGS BIG
CHESS TO SMALL TOWN”
BEST SINGLE PODCAST, WINNER:

WGM JENNIFER SHAHADE, “LADIES KNIGHT /
LAUREL ARONIAN”
BEST PERSONAL NARRATIVE,

WINNER:
ABHINAV SURESH, “OUR MAN IN MADRID”
BEST EDUCATIONAL LESSON,

24
CO-WINNERS:
JULY 2023 USCHES S.ORG
CL_01-2023_Sinq_r03_J
H.indd 24
JOHN HARTMANN, “GRANDMASTER 12/19/2022 3:08:43

PM
VERSUS AMATEURS: LESSONS FROM THE

2022 U.S. OPEN”
JJ LANG, “15 TEACHABLE MOMENTS FROM

THE PRO CHESS LEAGUE”
BEST TOURNAMENT / MATCH

COVERAGE, WINNER:
CLO COVERAGE OF THE 2023 WORLD
CHAMPIONSHIP
JUNIOR
BEST ONLINE ARTICLE BY A
JUNIOR, WINNER:
IM MAX LU, “MR. PRESIDENT, SEÑOR
PRESIDENTE! 3 AMERICANS WIN SPOTS AT
THE WORLD CUP!”
BEST ONLINE ARTICLE BY A

JUNIOR, HONORABLE MENTION:
DAVIS ZONG, “USATE 2023 – TWO TEAMS AT
TOP”
BEST PERSONAL NARRATIVE BY

A JUNIOR, WINNER:
IM ANDY WOODWARD, “ANDY WOODWARD’S
IM TITLE QUEST”
BEST PERSONAL NARRATIVE

BY A JUNIOR, HONORABLE
MENTION:
IM MAX LU, “MR. PRESIDENT, SEÑOR
PRESIDENTE! 3 AMERICANS WIN SPOTS AT
THE WORLD CUP!”
SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENTS
US CHESS, “FACES” | NEW.USCHESS.ORG/
FACES-US-CHESS
US CHESS, 2023 WORLD CHAMPI-

ONSHIP COVERAGE | NEW.USCHESS.
ORG/2023-FIDE-WORLD-CHAMPIONSHIP

US CHESS AFFAIRS News for our Members
US Chess to Require Safe

Play Training
US CHESS HAS ENTERED INTO PARTNER- rectly by US Chess, all Tournament Directors will no longer accept TD applications for
ship with the U.S. Center for SafeSport, a must complete the training before a contract persons who are not at least 13 years old.
Congressionally chartered organization that will be offered.
is dedicated exclusively to ending sexual, The U.S. Center for SafeSport offers a When a US Chess National event is award-
physical, and emotional abuse on behalf of variety of free resources for minor players ed to a third party, who must complete the
athletes everywhere. It was established in and their families. US Chess will provide training?
2017 to help abuse prevention, education, information on how to access the training
■ The Organizer, their employees and/
and accountability take root in every sport as soon as our account is fully established
or contract staff, and all tournament
covered by the U.S. Olympic movement. at the U.S. Center for SafeSport.
directors
The U.S. Center for SafeSport makes its
training and education resources available ■ Independent Contractors and vol-
to other organizations outside of the Olym- unteers working at the event for the
pic movement.
FREQUENTLY Organizer
Beginning October 1, 2023, US Chess will
require all US Chess certified Tournament ASKED QUESTIONS How often is the training required?
Directors to complete the authorized core Why is US Chess requiring SafeSport training? Annually, beginning October 1, 2023.
training from the U.S. Center for SafeSport, US Chess adopted Safe Play Guidelines in
with annual refresher training required 2019. Training was always envisioned to be For alleged violations of the US Chess Safe
thereafter. This policy applies to persons part of the program. Recent safe play viola- Play Guidelines, to what organization do
who already hold Tournament Director tions have highlighted the ongoing need for complainants report the allegations — US
credentials and those who are seeking cer- education and awareness about providing Chess or the Center for Safe Sport?
tification. According to the U.S. Center for a safe environment for all chess players. US Chess will continue to receive complaints
SafeSport, “the core training offers a com- about violations of the Safe Play Guidelines
prehensive 90-minute overview of facts, Note: US Chess adopted Safe Play Guidelines and will apply its internal procedures to
principles, and strategies to help you pro- that are modeled after the SafeSport code. As reviewing and imposing sanctions, if war-
vide safe and positive sport environments.” a non-Olympic sport, US Chess is ineligible ranted. As an organization that is outside
Units include: to access the full resources offered by the U.S. the formal Olympic movement, US Chess
Center for Safesport. Therefore, all reporting, is not eligible for having the U.S. Center for
■ Sexual Misconduct Awareness and
investigations, and sanctions will come from SafeSport review, investigate, and sanction
Education
US Chess. its members.
■ Mandatory Reporting
Who is required to take the training? What is the cost of the training?
■ Physical and Emotional Misconduct
(including bullying, hazing, and ha- ■ All US Chess Certified Tournament ■ $19 for the core course
rassment) Directors, regardless of level
■ $9 annually thereafter, provided that
Tournament Directors and candidate direc- ■ any independent contractor working your training is current when you take
tors will complete the core training online. at a US Chess National Event the refresher
The required annual refresher training is
■ all US Chess employees
shorter and also completed online. Both Who pays for the training?
types of training require questions to be ■ Certified Chess Coaches The covered person pays for the training.
answered and scored before advancing to
the next topic. By June 1, 2024, only Tour- Are there age requirements associated with If you are made to feel unsafe at a US Chess
nament Directors who have completed the this training? If so, how does it affect certi- sanctioned event, please report this under
required training will be able to direct US fied TDs? the US Chess Safe Play Guidelines. You have
Chess rated tournaments. Any certified To take the training a person must be at least three options for reporting:
Tournament Director, contractor, vendor, 13 years old. Furthermore, parental consent
or volunteer working a US Chess National is required from ages 13- through 17-years- ■ Email: abuse@uschess.org
Event beginning on or after October 1, 2023 old due to the explicit nature of the course. ■ Phone: 314.661.9500, extension 8
is required to have their training complet- Effective October 1, 2023, US Chess will
ed one week before the event begins. This suspend Certified TDs who are under 13 ■ By Web: use the reporting form avail-
includes US Chess National events awarded years old until they reach the age of 13 and able at new.uschess.org/us-chess-safe-
to third parties. For National events run di- complete the required training. US Chess play-guidelines

2023 Executive Board
Election Results
AFTER OVERSEEING THE COUNTING OF
ballots on July 14 in Smyrna, Georgia, and
after a recount on July 19 due to the close
NEW US CHESS BOARD
margins between two nominees, 2023 Elec- After the 2023 Delegates Meeting was completed on August 6, 2023,
tion Chief Teller Ben Johnson reported the the Executive Board elected the following officers:
final vote tally to the Elections Committee
and the office. PRESIDENT: RANDY BAUER
VICE PRESIDENT: KEVIN PRYOR
DAVID HATER, 1008 VOTES VICE PRESIDENT OF FINANCE: CHUCK UNRUH
JOHN FERNANDEZ, 872 VOTES SECRETARY: MIKE HOFFPAUIR
VISH VISWANATH, 819 VOTES

COMPLETING THE NINE-MEMBER BOARD ARE:
LEILA D’AQUIN, 789 VOTES MEMBER-AT-LARGE: LEILA D’AQUIN
FUN FONG, 746 VOTES MEMBER-AT-LARGE: JOHN FERNANDEZ
DAVID DAY, 696 VOTES MEMBER-AT-LARGE: DAVID HATER
MEMBER-AT-LARGE: LAKSHMANA “VISH” VISWANATH
The top four vote getters are thereby elected EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: CAROL MEYER
to four-year terms, contingent upon the cer-
tification of the election results at the 2023 Please visit new.uschess.org/about/board for more information about the Board
US Chess Delegates Meeting on August 5 in and its responsibilities.
Grand Rapids, Michigan.
JOIN THE
MOVEMENT!
As an individual, community club, nonprofit, small busi-
ness, or state affiliate, there are many ways to express
your love for chess! Host a tournament, a special club
meeting, a chess festival, a community lesson, volunteer
locally, or just play a game or two with friends. Connect
with us to share your event details, see what others are
doing, and find ideas and resources.
new.uschess.org/news/celebrate-national-chess-day
social@uschess.org #NATIONALCHESSDAY

BY JOHN HARTMANN
Robson Wins Prague

Masters
GM Ray Robson took top honors at the 2023

Prague Masters (June 21-30, 2023) after win-
ning a two-game tiebreak against GM Bog-
dan-Daniel Deac. Both finished with 5½/9,
a half-point ahead of third-place finisher
PHOTOS: INSTAGRAM (NAKAMURA / POURKASHIYAN), COURTESY TWIC (CROWTHER), COURTESY PRAGUE CHESS FESTIVAL (ROBSON)
GM Pentala Harikrishna. American GM Sam
Shankland was one of four players with an
even score in the 10-player round-robin.
With three wins and one loss (to Deac), Rob-
son’s play in Prague was ambitious. His first
victory came at the expense of former world
championship challenger GM Boris Gelfand.
Mergers and SICILIAN DEFENSE (B40)

GM Ray Robson (2689)
Milestones GM Boris Gelfand (2668)
Congratulations to GM Hikaru Nakamura 5th Prague Masters (3), Prague,
and WGM Atousa Pourkashiyan, whose mar- 06.23.2023
riage was announced on the bride’s Insta-
gram account (seen above) on July 26, 2023. 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6
At 2787 and 2310 FIDE, respectively, Na- 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. e5 Nd5 8. Ne4
kamura and Pourkashiyan are almost cer- Bb7 9. Nd6+!?
tainly the most highly-rated chess couple A very rare move, almost never played be-
in the United States. They still have a bit of fore Robson chose it here. Since then he
work to do to catch GM Alexander Grischuk has played this idea twice more — including
(2736) and GM Kateryna Lagno (2552), who once by transposition — and has an overall
are generally assumed to be the highest-rat- score of 2½/3 with it!
ed married couple in the world.
Congratulations are also in order for TWIC has been for modern chess play- 9. ... Bxd6 10. exd6 c5 11. c4 Nb4 12. a3
Mark Crowther, the driving force behind ers. Former world champion GM Vladimir Nc6 13. Be3 Qf6 14. Qd2 Rb8! 15. Bxc5
the indispensable The Week in Chess (TWIC) Kramnik, for example, is said to have played Qe5+ 16. Be3 Ba6 17. Rb1 Rb3 18. Bd3 0-0
website. Each week Crowther, seen at right, through every single game in each edition 19. Bc2 Rfb8 20. Bxb3 Rxb3 21. Rc1 Rxb2
produces a summary of recent tournament for years, and it is one of the main sources 22. Qc3 Qxc3+ 23. Rxc3
and match results along with a download- used by the US Chess editorial team in cre-
able file of edited games, completely free ating both print and online content. (see diagram top of next column)
of charge. He delivered his 1,500th consec- For more on the history of TWIC, or to
utive issue on August 7, 2023. make a donation to help support Crowther’s White is up the Exchange, but has poor
It is hard to overstate just how critical continued efforts, visit theweekinchess.com. pawns and worse pieces. It is instructive to

databases, a back-and-forth battle that is Matanovic was one of the founders of
typical of rapid time controls. the Chess Informant, which revolutionized
the world of chess information when the
first volume was released in 1966. Using a
RUY LOPEZ, COZIO system of languageless symbols to repre-
DEFERRED (C70) sent key chess terms, each issue featured
GM Hans Niemann (2577) annotations by leading players that could
GM Viorel Iordachescu (2498) be read by fans around the globe.
Foisor Memorial Rapid (5), Timisoara, Asked about his life in May for the Ser-
08.06.2023 bian newspaper Politika, Matanovic wrote:
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nge7 5. “When you set out on a journey of
see how Robson soaks up the pressure and Nc3 g6 6. h4 h6 7. d4 exd4 8. Nxd4 Bg7 9. no return, who and what you are de-
makes the material count. Be3 Ne5 10. Bb3 d6 11. a4 Ng4 12. Bf4 Nc6 pends on what you leave behind. When
13. Nxc6 bxc6 14. Qe2 0-0 15. Bg3 h5 16. my time comes, I will leave behind my
23. ... f6 24. 0-0 Kf7 25. h3 h5 26. f4 Kg6 27. 0-0-0 Rb8 17. f4 Qe8 18. Rhe1 Be6 19. Bxe6 wife, son, three grandchildren, three
Rf2 Rb1+ 28. Kh2 h4 29. Bc1 Kf5 30. Rb2 Qxe6 20. e5 dxe5 21. fxe5 Rb4 22. b3 Rfb8 daughters-in-law, four great-grandchil-
Rxb2 31. Bxb2 Kxf4 32. g3+ Kf5 33. gxh4 23. Ne4 Qe7 24. Nc3 Bh6+ 25. Kb2 Ne3 26. dren, the chess language, and count-
Kg6 34. Bc1 e5 35. c5 Be2 36. Rb3 Kf7 37. Rd3 Nc4+ 27. Ka1 R4b7 28. Nb1 Nb6 29. e6 less games played...
Rb7 Ke6 38. Rc7 Bh5 39. Rc8 Kd5 40. Rg8 g6 Nd5 30. exf7+ Qxf7 31. Rf3 Bg7+ 32. Be5 And the hope that everything that
41. Rg7 Kxc5 42. Rxd7 Kd5 43. Be3 Ke6 44. Bxe5+ 33. Qxe5 Qg7 34. Na3 Qxe5+ 35. Rxe5 directed our lives will be better than
Rb7 Kxd6 45. Bxa7 f5 46. a4 f4 47. Bb6 Ke6 Rf8 36. Rxf8+ Kxf8 37. Nc4 Kf7 38. Rg5 Kf6 it was.”
48. a5 Be2 49. Bc7 Kd5 50. Rb6 Kc5 51. a6 39. Ne5 Ne7 40. Nd7+ Kf7 41. Nc5 Rb4 42.
Bd3 52. Kg1 e4 53. a7 Nxa7 54. Rxg6 e3 55. Nxa6 Rxh4 43. Nxc7 Nf5 44. a5 Kf6 45. a6 Here is one of Matanovic’s lesser-known
Rg5+ Kc4 56. Bxf4 e2 57. Kf2 Nc6 58. h5 Nd4 Rd4 46. a7 Rd8 47. b4 Rc8 48. Rxf5+ gxf5 games, a lovely positional victory that was
59. Bd2 Be4 60. Ke3, Black resigned. 49. c4 f4 50. b5 f3 51. gxf3 h4 52. b6 h3 53. analyzed in Informant #2.
b7 h2 54. bxc8=Q h1=Q+ 55. Ka2 Qg2+ 56.
Ka3 Qxf3+ 57. Kb4, Black resigned.
QUEEN’S INDIAN DEFENSE
The only other player competing under the (E12)
Niemann First at American flag was Jeevan Karamsetty, who Burkhard Malich
Foisor Memorial finished with a solid 6½ points and an ap- GM Aleksandar Matanovic
proximate 26 FIDE rapid rating points gained. Havana Olympiad, 1966
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 Bb7 5.

Nc3 d5 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. e3 Nd7 8. Nxd5
PHOTOS: CIURTESY FEDERAȚIA ROMÂNĂ DE ȘAH (NIEMANN), US CHESS ARCHIVES (MATANOVIC)
exd5 9. Bd3 Bd6 10. 0-0 0-0 11. b4 Qe7 12.

GM Aleksandar Qc2 g6 13. Bb5 a5 14. Bd2 axb4 15. axb4
Matanovic (1930-2023) Nf6 16. Bc6 Bxc6 17. Qxc6 Qe8 18. Qxe8
Rfxe8 19. Rfc1 Ne4 20. Be1 f6 21. g3 Kf7
22. Kg2 Ke6 23. Ng1 f5 24. Ne2 Kd7 25. h3
h5 26. h4 Rxa1 27. Rxa1 Kc6 28. f3 Nf6 29.
Kf2 Rc8 30. Nc1 Kb5 31. Nd3 Re8 32. Ke2
Ng8 33. Nc1 Ne7 34. Na2 Kc6 35. Nc1
After a few months away from the board
early this year, GM Hans Niemann’s col-
lection of frequent flyer miles is growing
once more. The latest feather in his cap
is a first-place finish at the Cristina Foisor
Memorial (August 5-6, 2023) in Timisoara,
Romania. The tournament honors the five-
time Romanian women’s champion (and
mother of frequent Chess Life contributor We learned of the passing of GM Aleksandar
WGM Sabina Foisor) who sadly passed away Matanovic as we were going to press.
in 2017 at the age of 49. Matanovic was a three-time Yugoslav
Niemann scored a thunderous 9½/10, a champion, and a four-time runner-up. The
full point ahead of second-place finisher GM winner of many international tournaments,
Haik Martirosyan. Only GM Shant Sargsyan he participated in four Interzonals and 35. ... f4! 36. exf4 Nf5+ 37. Kf2 Nxd4 38.
was able to hold him to a draw. competed in 11 Olympiads. He was, at time Bc3 Nc2 39. Rb1 d4 40. Bd2 Na3 41. Ra1
Here’s one of Niemann’s games from the of death on August 9, the world’s oldest Nc4 42. Be1 Nb2 43. Bd2 Kd5 44. Ra2
Foisor Memorial that is not (as of yet) in the grandmaster. Nd1+, White resigned.

CHESS TO ENJOY Entertainment
O Say, Can You See?

Looking at the board takes many skills.
BY GM ANDY SOLTIS
T WO PLAYERS SIT AT THE

same table. They look at the
same pieces on the same
board. And yet they play
heavy pieces.
The faster you see the check and those
other big-deal factors, the faster you can
improve as a player. It’s not just important
moves based on seeing very different things. in blitz chess. A Soviet-era grandmaster,
Why? Grigory Levenfish, said quick sight is simply
Because there are different kinds of chess “the foundation of chess.”
vision. Each is a different skill to learn. Fortunately, it is one of the easiest chess
First — and most important — is “quick skills to acquire. You can train yourself by
sight.” This is the ability to look at a position clicking on a game on a friendly website.
you’ve never seen before and speedily notice Scroll down 20 or 30 moves to a random po-
the most important features. sition. Look at it. What do your eyes tell you?
If it is White’s move, can he deliver check? WHITE TO MOVE
What could he capture? Checks and captures
SEE CLEARLY are the most forcing moves. That makes Quick sight and calculation yield nothing.
GM Magnus Carslen them the building blocks of tactics. There are no checks, captures, or threats
GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov Next on the priority list are threats. How to be made.
World Rapid Championship, Almaty, many different moves can White make that But visualization tells us a lot. White would
12.26.2022 threaten to do something serious? And make huge progress if his king reaches a key
which attractive-looking White moves cannot square such as g5 without trading any pawns.
be played because they would immediately Then he would have a good winning plan.
lose material? He could advance his f-pawn and trade it for
This may sound like calculation. But true the g6-pawn. Then the black h5-pawn would
calculation examines what can happen two almost certainly be lost. With two connected
or more moves into the future. Quick sight passed pawns, White would win.
looks at the present. Once White visualizes that, he might see
In the last diagram, Black has only two why, for example, 37. f3? or 37. Kh2? would
legal replies to the knight check. Even if endanger the win after 37. ... h4!. But win-
you have excellent quick sight you might ning was fairly easy after 37. h4!.
not quickly see how 29. ... Kg8 is far better The rest was 37. ... Kg7 38. Ne4 Kf7 39.
than 29. ... Qxf7. It takes calculation to see Kh2 Bd3 40. f3 Bf1 41. Kg3 Ke6 42. Nd2 Bd3
how 29. ... Kg8? loses to 30. Qc4!. 43. Kf4 Kf6 44. Ne4+ Kf7 45. Kg5 Bf1 46. g3
BLACK TO MOVE Quick sight and calculation are two kinds Be2 47. Nd2 Kg7 48. f4 Bd1 49. Nc4.
of chess vision. A third is visualization. It
A beginner who clicks on this position on a is distantly related to calculation because it (see diagram top of next column)
website would be overwhelmed. There is an does not rely on forcing moves. It foresees a
awful lot of information for his eyes to take position several quiet moves into the future. Here Black resigned because of what he
in. He might not even realize immediately could visualize. White can advance f4-f5.
that Black is in check. After a trade of pawns he would win the h5-
A more experienced player would recog- NO FREEZE pawn. For example, 49. ... Bc2 50. Ne3 Be4
nize that quickly, as well as the other vital GM Peter Leko 51. f5 gxf5 52. Nxf5+ Kh7 53. Nd4 followed
elements of the position. Black is ahead GM Michael Adams by Nd4-e2/e6-f4xh5.
in material, to the tune of a bishop. And Dortmund, 2001 Yet another kind of vision is the ability to
his knight has forked all three of White’s see the invisible. To be more exact, it’s the

QUIZ FOR PROBLEM 1 PROBLEM 2 PROBLEM 3
SEPTEMBER Orest Popovych
Gary Lane
Orest Popovych
Marc Diesen
Edward Durrant
Orest Popovych
FOR FIVE DECADES OREST
Popovych was one of Ameri-
ca’s foremost amateur mas-
ters. He blended a career as a
college professor, accomplished
musician, and authority on
Ukrainian culture with a history
as a fearless attacking player.
His long list of victims included
grandmasters like Pal Benko and
WHITE TO MOVE WHITE TO MOVE BLACK TO MOVE
William Lombardy. This month’s
quiz honors Popovych, who died
at age 90 in March. (See IM Tony PROBLEM 4 PROBLEM 5 PROBLEM 6
Orest Popovych Spartaco Sartori Orest Popovych
Saidy’s obitiuary in the June is-
Jack O’Keefe Orest Popovych John Jacobs
sue for more. ~ed.) In each of the
six diagrams you are asked to
find the fastest winning line of
play. Solutions are on page 63.
WHITE TO MOVE BLACK TO MOVE WHITE TO MOVE
ability to see the implausible. WHITE TO MOVE If you have been training your board sight,
These are moves that put a piece or pawn you will note the threat of Bd2xg5+.
on a square where it can be taken. Players points. A player with good visualization Dubov certainly did, playing 48. … Nf4
who are strong in other vision skills can be skills would appreciate how Black’s blockade to stop that threat, but soon resigning after
at a disadvantage here. discourages invasion of any white pieces. 49. Rxf6+ Kg7 50. Bxf4 gxf4 51. Kxf4 d3 52.
Both of those players might move on Ke3 Rb8 53. Rg6+ Kh7 54. e6 Rg8 55. Rxg8.
and try to calculate the sacrifice 45. Bxa5 There’s a feast for your eyes in every po-
BREAKING BAD bxa5 46. Rxc5. sition if you take the time to look. As that
GM Le Quang Liem A third player would look instead at the noted scholar Lawrence Peter Berra put it,
GM Daniil Dubov implausible possibility, 45. d4!. “You can observe a lot just by watching.”
Gibraltar Masters (10), 02.01.2018 Then 45. ... cxd4 would allow a crushing
46. c5! bxc5 47. Rxc5, with a c-file pin that For up-to-date chess news
(see diagram top of next column) wins after Rb1-c1, for example. and information, check out
In the game, White was victorious after Chess Life Online at uschess.
A player with quick sight would see that 45. ... exd4 46. e5! Rdd8 47. Rxb6! Bxb6 org/clo on a regular basis.
Black has protected all of his potential weak 48. Rxb6.

GETTING TO WORK Improvement
role when on the defensive side, but let’s

take a look at an example where passive
Now for Rook defense (keeping the rook on the back rank)
is sufficient.
PASSIVE DEFENSE #1
Endings
Part one of a multi-issue look
R OOK ENDGAMES ARE DIF-

ficult to master — and even
more difficult to play. While
it is possible to calculate king
only a limited number of pieces, eliminating
your opponent’s king from the action will
give you a big advantage. As an added bonus,
on the second or seventh rank the rook will
1. b7
WHITE TO MOVE
A check doesn’t help: if 1. Rb7+ Ka8 2. Ra7+

and pawn endgames to their conclusions, be attacking your opponent’s pawns. Kb8 and now if 3. b7?? Rg6+ wins the rook.
the addition of this powerful piece makes
matters much more complicated, and often ROOK BEHIND PASSED 1. ... Rg6+ 2. Kb5
gives the defensive side additional resources PAWNS Black can either keep checking the king or
to save the game. This is the optimal placement of the rook, simply wait on the sixth rank. White can’t
There are key theoretical positions that you whether it is your or your opponent’s passed make progress with the knight’s pawn.
need to know, some of which pawn. If it is your passed Now, let’s shift everything to the right
I will cover in this column pawn (the “attacking side”), by one file.
and those following. I would the rook will assist in push-
again recommend practicing ing it and still remain ac- PASSIVE DEFENSE #2
them to the point where you All rook endings tive. If it is your opponent’s
feel confident that you can passed pawn (the “defend-
execute them properly in
are drawn” ing side”), your rook can
a real game. Chess.com has — Siegbert stop the pawn from queen-
a section dedicated to rook Tarrasch. ing while remaining an ac-
endgames under the learn tive piece.
tab that will allow you to play
out known positions. The Chess.com drills are PASSED PAWNS MUST BE
another excellent tool to practice various PUSHED
positions that may happen in your game. The farther advanced the pawns are, the
Lichess also has a special section for rook more dangerous they become. Ideally, you
endgames in its puzzles database. would have your rook behind the passed
The good news is that learning these end- pawn, pushing it down the board and para- WHITE TO MOVE
games well will help you save many points lyzing your opponent’s rook. If you are on the
from worse positions. Keep in mind some defending side, it is better to have your king 1. Rb7+
key elements of rook endgames: blocking your opponent’s passed pawn and The additional file gives White an extra
keeping your rook active for counter play. option.
ACTIVITY OF THE ROOK IS OF
UTMOST IMPORTANCE MAINTAIN AT LEAST THREE 1. ... Kc8
There are many scenarios when giving up a SQUARES BETWEEN YOUR Here running to the corner doesn’t help:
pawn is better than accepting a long-term ROOK AND THE OPPONENT’S 1. ... Ka8 2. Ra7+ Kb8 3. c7+ Kc8 4. Ra8+ Kd7
inferior placement of the rook. Even with KING 5. Rxg8 and wins.
an extra pawn, many of the positions are This is a rule for a defense mechanism
drawn or at the very least, tricky to win. where the rook keeps checking the oppo- 2. Ra7
nent’s king to prevent a passed pawn from Threatening checkmate from the other side.
CUTTING OFF YOUR OPPO- promoting. Being three squares or files from
NENT’S KING ON THE SEV- the king allows the rook to check when the 2. ... Kb8 3. c7+ Kc8 4. Ra8+
ENTH AND SECOND RANKS king is disconnected from the pawn. Winning the rook. Two takeaways: (1) this
This is a huge achievement. As there are Ideally, the rook would take an active is a typical pattern, so know it; (2) passive

defense does not work against bishop or the extra g- and h- pawns, as every other White’s idea is to play Kd5-d6, followed by
central pawns. In order to defend here, pawn is a simple win. Knowing this helps Ra7-a8+, e5-e6 and promote the pawn. But
Black would need the rook to check the us understand the next example. Black can shut everything down with the
white king from behind. following.
In some positions, two extra pawns are TWO CAPTURES
not enough to compensate for a poorly 1. ... Rh6!
placed rook. The key move in the Philidor position. By
cutting the king off on the sixth rank, Black
STAY SAFE KING! stops White from advancing and using the
pawn as a shield from checks.
It’s useful to see why the natural 1. ...
Rd1+ fails. After 2. Ke6 Kf8 3. Ra8+ Kg7 4.
Ke7 clears the path for the pawn. Black can
look for activity with 4. ... Rb1 5. e6 Rb7+ but
because the distance between the king and
rook is only two squares / files, the checks
will soon run out, i.e., 6. Kd6 Rb6+ 7. Kd7
WHITE TO MOVE Rb7+ 8. Kc6 Rb1 9. e7.
1. gxf4! 2. e6
Choosing an f-pawn over a g-pawn. If 1. Kxf4 If White tries to pass the move to Black, the
BLACK TO MOVE we use our knowledge of the above position rook simply shifts on the sixth: 2. Rb7 Rg6
and hold the draw. 3. Rh7 Ra6 etc.
All Black has to do here is wait behind the
pawn along the a-file while not moving the 1. ... Ra2? 2. ... Rh1
king. This position is also drawn if White’s Pinning the pawn with 1. ... Ra4 only post- Now that the pawn has advanced, Black
extra pawn is on the h-file, when the black pones the inevitable, as the king will zigzag returns to active defense with checks from
king would simply stand on h7 and the rook closer to the black rook: 2. Kf3 Ra3+ 3. Ke4 behind. The white king can no longer hide
would shift up and down the a-file. As long Ra4+ 4. Kd3 and so forth. The f4-pawn is behind the pawn.
as Black has the g7 and h7 squares available untouchable, of course: if 4. ... Rxf4? 5. Rb8.
for the king, he is safe. 3. Kd6 Rd1+ 4. Ke5 Re1+
2. f5 Ra1 3. f6+ With an easy draw.
1. ... Ra2 Now the black king is driven from the safe
Remember the typical mistake 1. ... Kxg6?? g7- and h7-squares. The Lucena position is as important a posi-
— now the white rook moves off a8 with tion as it is instructive. Again, I would highly
check, and wins with 2. Rg8+ Kf7 3. a8=Q. 3. ... Kf7 recommend practicing this endgame to the
Now we see another typical motif. Note that point where you can execute the win quickly
2. Kc6 if 3. ... Kxf6 4. Rf8+ and wins. and without hiccups.
White tries to have the king defend the pawn,
allowing the rook to move and the pawn to 4. Rh8 Rxa7 5. Rh7+ LUCENA
queen. But Black can thwart that plan. With a winning skewer or x-ray.
2. ... Ra1 There are two absolutely critical positions

Continuing to mark time, far from the black you must know, and learning them will pay
king. great dividends in your chess-playing career.
Losing is 2. ... Ra6+?? 3. Kb7 as Black must The first is the Philidor position.
be able to check the king when it touches the
pawn. Now after 3. ... Ra1 4. Rb8 Rb1+ 5. Kc6 PHILIDOR
Rc1+ 6. Kd5 the king will zigzag towards the
rook and promote the a-pawn when Black
runs out of checks.
3. Kb7 Rb1+ WHITE TO MOVE

As soon as the king defends the pawn, free-
ing the rook, Black needs to deliver a check, The white king is boxed in: the rook is cover-
separate the king from the pawn. ing the a-file and the black king is covering
the c-file. But White can drive it away.
4. Ka6 Ra1+ 5. Kb6 Rb1+ 6. Kc5 Ra1
And so on. 1. Rd1+ Ke6
This drawing technique only works with BLACK TO MOVE (continued on page 52)

CHESS IN
TRANSLATION
PHOTO: TKTK CTRL + SHIFT CLICK TO UNLOCK BOX
After cutting her teeth in Iowa, our

author goes global in Germany.
BY ELISE BICKFORD

AM A PRODUCT OF mare just for the sake of a game. Maybe I dramatic story in German about God putting
I
the pandemic chess kept returning with the hope that I might the first seed into the earth.
boom, one of the finally understand what this unlikely mix As I entered the playing venue, I was
many adults who got of people doing this unlikely activity all immediately overwhelmed by the sheer
into the game at the amounted to. number of chess boards. The first hundred
height of COVID-19 or so were in a giant auditorium, with the
after watching “The Fast forward to earlier this summer. I was top five elevated on a big stage with a DGT
Queen’s Gambit” on Netflix. For most of us, still playing chess, and my studies in liter- display behind. The hall was lit with a dim
chess began as a solitary, online pursuit. It ature and translation brought me to Berlin, red light that was moody but slightly imprac-
was a personal escape and a distraction to Germany, where of course I wanted to find tical — so much so, that later in the week,
while away the time in isolation. I learned some OTB tournaments. One of my close an older participant brought his own janky
the game by watching videos, playing against friends suggested I play in the Sparkassen setup of reading lamps to better illuminate
bots, and reading whatever books I could Chess Trophy. She had grown up in Dort- his board. The outside lobby was filled with
find in my dusty basement or local library. mund, the city where it was hosted, and even more boards. As I’ve come to learn at
Maybe there would be a few over-the-board her parents had helped run the event since these events, the worse you play, the more
games here and there, but most people in she was a kid. Her stepdad even played in likely you are to be relegated to uglier, nois-
my small social bubble were reluctant to the higher-rated Open A section before he ier environments.
play and quickly grew tired of my constant got sick with brain cancer and had to retire. We powered down our phones, took our
requests. My friend told her parents I was interest- seats, and after a quick greeting from the
For seasoned players, the recent re-opened in participating, and they were generous arbiters in German and tersely translated
ing of in-person chess events meant the enough to open their home to me during the English, the round started. I had never been
return of something old and familiar. But nine-day event, the only caveat being that around so many chess games played at once.
for me, over-the-board (OTB) chess tour- they didn’t speak any English. This would be I felt like I was inside the mind of an engine
naments were a new and alluring endeavor. a bit of a hurdle, as I can read and under- that was crunching variations. I wanted to
After my first Rated Beginners Open at the stand German fluently, but I speak with the walk around and take it all in, but I was too
University of Iowa in 2021, I soon found linguistic sophistication of a third grader. stressed. My opponent had a FIDE rating
myself traveling to US Chess tournaments Still, I booked my travel and tried to spend of around 1600, and back in the U.S., I had
within whatever radius friends or even ran- some of early June training. played primarily in reserve tournaments
dom acquaintances were willing to drive When it was time to head west to Dort- with a rating limit of only 1500.
me, whenever my schedule as a graduate mund, I worried the weather was a bad I decided to play the Scotch and was hit
student allowed it. omen. Most of Germany got slammed with with an early ... Qd8-h4 sideline that I hadn’t
My travels brought me to mall basements, torrential rain. I had to slosh my way to the studied too closely beforehand. I ran down
student unions, chain hotels, a high school Hauptbahnhof (Berlin Central Station) in a my clock in the opening trying to figure out
library with a large and foreboding oil paint- hurry, since my train’s departure time had what to do and got a decent position, but
ing of Kramer from Seinfeld, and even been pushed back by two hours, probably when things simplified, I was in serious
a medical practice. I saw adults playing to compensate for all the delays that were time trouble (I probably practiced too much
against kids who needed stacks of seat cush- to come (the stereotype that German trains Geduld) and played inaccurately, losing a
ions to reach the board. I eavesdropped on are punctual is a total lie). I arrived at Uwe
sore losers and gloating winners recounting and Najeeba’s house so much later than ex-
their games in a passionate flurry of alpha- pected that there was only enough time to Elise Bickford at
numeric coordinates. I had conversations say “Hallo,” eat a quick dinner, and glance at the board in
about science, history, etymology, travel, some of Uwe’s antique chess sets and books. Dortmund
and politics with people from small towns The next day I forced myself out of bed
I had never heard of. at 6:30 to make it across town to Westfallen-
It was fascinating to uncover new aspects hallen in time for Anmeldung (registration)
of the game of chess. For the first time, I had for the Open B tournament. I wasn’t sure
to read my opponents’ psychology, make what to expect, but what I certainly did not
complex plans, and manage stress over lon- anticipate seeing was a convention center
PHOTOS: COURTESY SPARKASSEN CHESS TROPHY
ger time controls. But just as fascinating was filled with droves of Jehovah’s Witnesses
the atmosphere. It wasn’t merely the desire alongside all the chess players. Emerging
to improve my chess that kept bringing me from the metro, the first thing that came
back. There was some other ambient rea- into my view was a giant sign that said: “Übt
son, one I couldn’t quite articulate to myself Geduld” (Practice Patience), the theme of
but that I often would ponder while staring their nearby conference. Not terrible advice
out onto the barren I-80 highway or some for the lot of us, I thought. At various points
Marriott lobby between games. Maybe it was during the tournament, it was tempting to
my amazement at the fact that a bunch of sneak in and observe their event. I refrained,
amateurs who could be doing anything else but after a particularly rough loss later in the
with their lives decided, again and again, to week, I did spend some time loitering next
mentally exhaust themselves for a weekend to a parking attendant who was listening to a
in some fluorescently lit architectural night- radio broadcast of a speech from inside — a

FIRST PERSON Dortmund
few pawns, and allowing my position to of the Two Knights Caro-Kann, and then a round, always bookended by some chit-
crumble. Not the best start, but my opponent wandered out with a little wave. In the NRW chat, mostly in German. Over the course
was very kind, so it was hard to be too upset. Cup, 12-year-old FM Hussain Besou was of my rounds, I met a few fellow graduate
He offered me some of his mints halfway competing formidably against much more students from around Nordrhein-Westfalen,
through the game and chatted with me in experienced players, including the famed including one who was going to move to the
German after. He was excited to hear that I German streamer IM Georgios Souleidis, Midwest soon for a Ph.D. in mathematics.
came all the way from the U.S., and he made also known as “The Big Greek.” WGM Dina- I also talked with a man whose wife was a
a point to wish me “Viel Erfolg” (Germans ra Wagner and IM Ruben Gideon Koellner literature professor up near Rostock and
wish you “much success” instead of “good also put up thrilling fights in an attempt to an engineer who studied technical English
luck”) before each coming round. secure GM norms. in the 1960s.
After finishing my early morning round, I I came to enjoy the cadences and pecu- One pre-game interaction was slightly
decided to stay and watch the games starting liarities of German chess-speak. Exchange less cordial after I accidentally addressed
in the afternoon. Around 3 p.m., hundreds sacrifices were quality sacrifices or “Qual- my opponent with the informal du instead
of strong and titled players flooded the con- itätsopfer.” Castling was “Rochieren,” a word of the formal Sie. I couldn’t tell if he was
vention center for the Open A tournament, historically linked to the word rook, which offended, but he almost crushed my hand
the closed NRW Cup, and the No Castling the Germans strangely refer to instead as with a forceful handshake afterward, and I
Masters event. I was starstruck and didn’t the “Turm” or tower. A draw was a “Remis,” think he was upset later when I beat him in a
know where to look. Fortunately, after tell- derived from the French but close to the En- tricky bishop and pawn endgame. I had fun
ing this to Uwe, he brought me upstairs, glish remit. You don’t play on the kingside discussing the Catalan with one of my other
where GM Klaus Bischoff was providing but in the elegant sounding “Königsflugel,” opponents but was a bit shocked to hear him
excellent live commentary in German that the “king’s wing.” Pieces “schlagen” or strike say that during our game, he kept trying to
gave a narrative arc to the tournament. each other rather than taking or capturing. remember if it was true that Stephen King
The iconoclasts — GMs Fabiano Carua- When doing post-game analysis with my came from Maine, and was wondering if I
na, Pavel Eljanov, Vladimir Kramnik, and opponents, I kept having to remind myself was from the same part of Maine as Stephen
Dmitrij Kollars — explored new intricacies to use the word “Dame” rather than “Köni- King, thinking, “Hmm, she is also a writer, it
and ideas in no-castling chess. In the Open gin” (to my chagrin, the Germans say “lady” would be cool if she knew him, but she probably
A section, English GM Michael Adams con- rather than “queen”). Little phrases from den doesn’t do that kind of writing, who knows?”
sistently remained dominant, playing almost Klaus got stuck in my head. Geht’s schon los. Meanwhile, I felt like I was on the ropes
all his games on board three. Germany’s #2 Das kommt nicht in Frage. Schwer zu sagen, and couldn’t let my mind stray from the
and #3 players, GMs Matthias Bluebaum and wer hier besser steht. I would repeat them to board for one moment. Chess is cruelly
Alexander Donchenko, also had a close fight myself while I was playing. Er sagt sich da nonreciprocal.
for the top; on a later day, after Donchenko drüben, bin ich in Sicherheit. Es ist noch nicht On the days when I was too tired and
made a quick draw, he wandered into the ganz zu Ende. Es ist schon vorbei. downtrodden to bear hanging around the
commentary room, looked at a random playing hall, I would walk, zombie-like,
analysis board for a half-second, launched The days to come followed a roughly sim- into town to acquire some cake or other re-
into a mile-a-minute, theoretical explanation ilar pattern. In the morning, I would play fined carbs. As I ate them in the park to the
faint sound of a trombone, I thought I was
hallucinating my own circus background
music until I spotted the street musician
A blindfold exhibition
at the closing producing the noise through some distant
ceremony for 2023 trees. Otherwise, I would linger around the
playing hall, where I entered my games into
Lichess or looked at the chess books on
display until the afternoon rounds began.
After watching the commentary for a few
hours, I would take the metro back out to
PHOTO: COURTESY SPARKASSEN CHESS TROPHY / LUNIG

the suburbs and go to sleep almost immedi-
ately, with the hopes that somehow, I could
restore enough energy to continue playing
the next day.
One welcome wrinkle in my routine was
my dinner with fellow American players
WGM Tatev Abrahamyan, WGM Gulrukhbe-
gim “Begim” Tokhirjonova, and GM Fabiano
Caruana. We all decided to meet for a late
meal on Sunday, the hottest day of the week,
and Germany’s Ruhetag (rest day), when
many restaurants and businesses are closed.
It was over 80 degrees with what felt like
80% humidity. After my long metro ride to
their hotel, we walked for more than a half

Bickford (center) at
her first tournament
in 2021
Kramnik (L) and Caru-

ana (R) as seen from
the trenches.
hour in search of a place to eat. “freelance writer” doesn’t carry much pres- versary of the Sparkassen tournament. The
First, we followed Fabiano’s lead in the tige, and it was difficult to tell a bunch of closing ceremony was half entertainment
direction of a good Italian restaurant he chess professionals that I was interested variety show and half chess laudation. Se-
remembered going to in 2016. (I was going in their sport mainly by accident, after rious German speeches by various public
to make a joke that I felt like a human chess following some vague, yet consuming, aes- officials about the importance and value
piece, but I thought that would be weird.) thetic whim. At that time, I thought maybe of the game were interspersed with puzzles
The restaurant did exist, and he impressive- a more noble angle for the article could be from Sparkassen games of old and bullet and
ly got us there without the help of a map, chess and translation or “Chess as a Multi- blindfold exhibitions played by GMs Artur
but it wasn’t open. We continued to wander lingual Nexus.” Yusupov, Klaus Bischoff, and WIM Fiona
until we found a Tunisian restaurant where On my walk back to the metro, I chatted Steil-Antoni. I couldn’t help but chuckle
the waiter only spoke German (and French, with Begim about our shared love of lan- internally when the mayor of Dortmund
but that helped none of us). I was somewhat guages. She learned chess in Uzbek, then referred to the city as a chess “Hochburg”
grateful for this since it meant that my ex- Russian, then English, and she said she (stronghold), which sounds eerily like “Hüp-
istence was not entirely superfluous. As I always enjoyed hearing a mix of different fburg” (bouncy castle).
translated what the appetizer of the day was, vocabularies at tournaments and trying And despite my love for the game, some
and that, no, the waiter said Fabi couldn’t to decipher what people were saying. I of the well-meaning remarks about how
have the Arabic coffee now, because it is completely agreed and felt excited when “exciting” it was to finally see more women
best served after dinner, I wondered what I heard stray bits of Polish or French or in attendance (as if it was some divine acci-
my life would be like if I had come to the Dutch — languages I had a bit of familiarity dent, and not the result of a hard struggle
game of kings earlier. with — at this tournament. But while I had for equity), and remarks about how chess
I wish I could say that we had a deep a messy, interesting bilingual experience in could be a diplomatic alternative to war,
conversation about chess, philosophy, and Dortmund, one that I hope to have someday rang hollow. Obviously, we should champion
life, but I felt on the verge of a heat stroke in other countries with other languages, I fairness and peace, but whether anything
and didn’t want to be irksome by turning don’t know if it was universal. Chess, like we accomplish over the board can bring
PHOTOS: COURTESY SPARKASSEN / GORZINSKI (L), IOWA CHESS (R)
the dinner into an interview. So we talked any sport, is a way to bring speakers of many about any real social or material change,
a bit about cheating scandals, openings languages together, but it is not always a and whether successes in the chess world
that are good when castling is off-limits, place of much linguistic exchange. At chess can ever reflect something greater — well,
Begim’s upcoming game against former tournaments, people make things work with let’s say that I am skeptical.
world champion Ponomariov, Friends, and the often-limited bandwidth and language Regardless of where it takes place, am-
Marvel movies. Tatev and Fabi sat facing resources that they have. ateur chess strikes me as a fundamentally
the window and were distracted by a man marginal activity. Chess is a prime excuse,
on the upper floor of the building across As the tournament came to a close, I felt really, for people like me to dwell on the
the street who was cleaning his house in both disappointment and relief. My per- edge of real life, if only for a short while. If
his underwear. When the waiter asked me formance was middling, but I was proud of anything became clearer to me over these
how Begim wanted her steak cooked, the the decent chess I played before hitting my nine days, it’s that the amateur chess tour-
necessary words exited my mind, and I wall of tiredness around game six. Now that nament doesn’t have to be a utopia where
ended up saying something like “with an I’ve built more stamina, I’m excited to play the ideals of contemplation and restraint
average level of bloodiness.” in further FIDE tournaments —next stop, are fully realized. It is a place of useless and
I was finding it hard to justify to the group the Kieler Open. exceptional interactions, mostly awkward
exactly why I was there, in Dortmund, play- Before dispersing, we all came together and alienating, but sometimes profound,
ing chess and writing this article. The label to celebrate the victors and the 50th anni- and that is enough.

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basis of gender, race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies,
scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.
It is the mission of the Saint Louis Chess Club, an educational organization, to maintain a formal program of instruction to
teach the game of chess and to promote and support its educational program through community outreach and local and
national partnerships to increase the awareness of the educational value of chess.
SCHEDULEOpening Ceremony
10.4 | 6 pm
Round 1
10.5 | 1 pm
Round 2
10.6 | 1 pm
Round 3
10.7 | 1 pm
Round 4
10.8 | 1 pm
Rest Day
10.9
Round 5
OCTOBER 4–18
10.10 | 1 pm
Round 6
10.11 | 1 pm
Round 7
10.12 | 1 pm
Round 8
10.13 | 1 pm
Rest Day
10.14
Round 9
10.15 | 1 pm
Round 10
10.16 | 1 pm
Round 11
10.17 | 1 pm
Playoff
10.18 | 1 pm
Closing Ceremony | 6 pm
Building Champions | saintlouischessclub.org It is the mission of the Saint Louis Chess Club, an educational organization, to maintain a formal program of in-
struction to teach the game of chess and to promote and support its educational program through community
#STLChessClub #USChessChamps outreach and local and national partnerships to increase the awareness of the educational value of chess.
@STLChessClub DCTX\ The Saint Louis Chess Club admits students of any gender, race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights,
USCHESSCHAMPS | YOUTUBE | TWITCH

privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not
discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational pol-
icies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.
EVENTS
E V E N TS American
Am
A mer
erric
iicca
ann Cup
Cup
up
A
RINGSIDE SEAT
Krush and Nakamura take top
spots at the American Cup.
JOHN BREZINA
BY
ANNOTATIONS BY GM ELSHAN MORADIABADI
HE AMERICAN CUP RETURNED FOR A SECOND YEAR TO

the Saint Louis Chess Club in what has become the strongest
tournament for American players. With its unique double elimina-
tion format, featuring classical time controls in the championship
bracket and rapid time controls in the elimination bracket, it’s one
of my favorite events on the chess calendar.
Last year’s inaugural American Cup was the first to have spectators return to
the club after COVID-19. This year no spectators were allowed, but for good rea-
son — the club is going through a major expansion and was forced to move the
playing hall across the street to the World Chess Hall of Fame (WCHOF), limiting
the space for fans to get up close. As the editor of the Colorado Chess Informant,
I was fortunate to obtain a media pass, allowing me access to the playing hall to
photograph the players.
I always enjoy making my way to the Central West End, where chess is a neighbor-
hood activity. The club is open seven days a week, with many chess tables for one to
find an old friend or a game. There is seating in front of a large television, allowing
fans to follow the excellent commentary team (IM Jovanka Houska and GM Yasser
Seirawan, with GM Cristian Chirila on the analysis board) covering the American Cup.
This year’s fields were much the same as last year’s, with three new players joining
for 2023: GM Hikaru Nakamura in the open section, along with IM Nazi Paikidze and BOX
OX
O
WGM Atousa Pourkashiyan in the women’s event. And while fans were not allowed
T UNLOCKCK B
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OC
into the playing hall, there was still ample opportunity for them to meet their
favorite players either before or after their games.
C K TO
Many fans waited outside the WCHOF,

C ICK
FT CLICK
near the world’s largest chess piece,

CL
hoping to catch an autograph as

SHIFT
H IFT
the players made their entrances.

T R L + SH
S
Others hung out in front of the

CTRL
TR
club, hoping to meet the players

T K CT
C
after their post-game interviews to

TKTK
TKK TK
ask for a photo. This kind of access

PHOTO:O:: T
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is what makes events in St. Louis

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USCHESS.ORG
SEPTEMBER 2023
25
EVENTS American Cup
so compelling — the chance to meet the off in the first Open final, while — in an echo
GM Levon best players in the world, up close and of last year’s event — number one seed and
Aronian personal. defending champion GM Irina Krush faced
All players started in the championship the young IM-elect Alice Lee in the first
bracket, playing two game classical matches women’s final. Nakamura and Krush won,
over two days. If those matches were drawn, sending Lee and So over to the elimination
the players would immediately move to a bracket, where Aronian and Paikidze were
series of rapid tiebreaks, with the result that waiting for them.
half the field would get knocked out and be The American Cup is a long event — ten
moved to the elimination bracket, which in- days in all! — and I could not stay for the
volved one day rapid matches. Number one whole thing. But I managed to get back on
seed Nakamura won his first match against March 25 for the final weekend, where Na-
GM Sam Sevian, his first step as he cruised kamura met So in the Open “Grand” Final,
to the Open finals. On day three the first while it was a rematch between Krush and
rapid elimination rounds took place, with Lee in the Women’s “Grand” Final. The
GM Levon Aronian sending Sevian home, format for these final showdowns was the
while GM Sam Shankland defeated GM Ray same as the champion’s bracket: two classi-
Robson after an epic struggle. cal time-control games, followed by a rapid
In the women’s elimination bracket, WGM showdown immediately thereafter. Because
Tatev Abrahamyan scored two victories, this was a double elimination event, a final
sending WGM Katerina Nemcova home, “elimination match” would be required if
while newcomer Pourkashiyan won her sec- the elimination bracket seed was at first
ond game and eliminated four-time women’s victorious.
champion IM Anna Zatonskih. One of the I returned in time to see Krush defend
interesting features of the American Cup is her American Cup title in a rapid playoff.
that the brackets run concurrently — while After winning the first classical game, she
all these exciting games were taking place was defeated by the indefatigable Lee in the
on the elimination side, the other side of the return pairing, forcing a rapid playoff on the
room featured the championship bracket spot. Krush won the first game with Black
players competing. For me, having all three and held a draw in the second game to claim
formats (classical, rapid, and blitz) taking victory. I watched as a jubilant Krush and a
place at once was a real feast. saddened but even-keeled Lee analyzed for
On the Championship side of the tourna- a moment before Irina headed across the
ment, Nakamura and GM Wesley So faced street for her interview.
On the other side of the room, Nakamura
WGM Katerina
Below: Lennart Ootes photographs Alice Lee and So were locked in intense battle. After
Nemcova
and Irina Krush (R); Brezina photographs two classical time-control draws, it was time
Ootes photographing Lee and Krush (L). for rapid chess. So struck first, winning the

first game, and then Nakamura went too far Correct! The knight is heading to c4 via the
in a must-win game, and had to resign. But SICILIAN DEFENSE, KAN d2-square.
because this was his first match loss in the VARIATION (B43)
event, he got “another life,” with the result WGM Tatev Abrahamyan (2403) 10. ... Bc5 11. Nd2 Ne7?!
being a final, winner-take-all rapid match GM Irina Krush (2515) Here 11. ... Qh4! is necessary per the engines,
on Sunday the 26th. American Cup (Match 1.2), St. Louis, but has not been tested yet. Play might contin-
Kicking off at the same time as the Ameri- 03.18.2023 ue 12. Nf3 (if 12. Nc4 Nf6 and Black plays for
can Cup Blitz tournament, held at the Chase an attack with ... .h7-h5 and ... Nf6-g4, or she
(or should it be “Chess?”) Park Plaza, Na- I like this game for a number of reasons, but can castle and prepare the ... d7-d5 break.) 12.
kamura and So drew the first two rapid primary among them is this: both players ... Qh5 13. Qe2 Nf6 14. a5 0-0 15. h3 h6 16. Re1
games, played at a leisurely G/25+10 time stuck to their repertoires despite the match d6 17. Bd2 Rfb8 18. Qf1 Nd7! with counterplay.
control. This required the players to move situation, which was a must-win for Abra-
to a two-game G/10+5 match, where Na- hamyan and a “draw is ok” for Krush. 12. Nb3
kamura held with black in the first game I think 12. Qh5 Ba7 13. Nc4 0-0 14. Bd2 would
and then won in short order after So’s queen 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. have been more promising.
got trapped. Nc3 b5
These two champions know each other An uncommon choice by Krush. This line 12. ... Bd6 13. Qe2
well and have played many games togeth- was considered risky when I became a GM, Here 13. Qh5 could still give chances for
PHOTOS: COURTESY BREZINA (ARONIAN, NEMCOVA, OOTES),SLCC / A. FULLER (OPENING SPREAD), C. FULLER (OPENING SPREAD), OOTES (LEE / KRUSH, ABRAHAMYAN)
er. They both sat and analyzed after all was but thanks to modern engines, Black is White. Now the move Nb3-a5 is also an op-
said and done, but soon it was time to go. considered safe here. It might also be seen tion for White. Instead, Abrahamyan sticks
Nakamura’s stepfather, FM Sunil Weera- as a good psychological choice by Krush, to the traditional setup.
mantry, congratulated the new American as it plays against Tatev’s usual repertoire
Cup champion, and together they headed choices. 13. ... Ng6 14. f4 0-0 15. a5?!
off for the post-match interview with Yaz
and the gang. 6. Bd3 Bb7 7. 0-0 Nc6 8. Nxc6 Bxc6 9. a4
Last year’s Open champion, Fabiano More critical is 9. Re1!?, but one cannot play
Caruana, did not have his best event in this this without prior preparation. Black has
go-around, but “Fabi” was able to console three main options: (a) 9. ... Ne7 10. Bf1!
himself with an outstanding showing at the (10. Qh5 Ng6 11. a4 bxa4 [11. ... Bb4 is also
American Cup Blitz. At a tremendous 8½/9, good] was seen in Sevian – Smirin, St. Louis
a full point ahead of second-place finisher 2022) 10. ... Ng6 11. Be3 f6 12. Nd5 Kf7 13.
GM Levon Aronian and two points ahead of c4! with advantage to White; (b) 9. ... Bc5
GM Leinier Dominguez Perez, who finished 10. Qh5; (c) 9. ... Qb8 is quite playable, with
in sole possession of third, Caruana domi- Black getting counterplay after 10. a4 b4 11.
nated a star-studded field that included no Nd5 Bd6 12. Qh5 Nf6 13. Nxf6+ gxf6 14. b3
fewer than 29 grandmasters. His only draw Be5 15. Rb1 Rg8 16. g3 Bd4.
came in round six against Aronian. Thematic, but ill-timed. Instead, 15. g3 was
They say that timing is everything, and I 9. ... b4 10. Nb1! necessary, covering the f4-square.
experienced another example of that max-
im’s truth that Sunday. One of the hallmarks
of a Saint Louis Chess Club event is the
closing ceremony, often held at a restaurant
nearby the club. I ran into Krush, who was
in great spirits and dressed to the nines,
outside the WCHOF as she posed for pho-
tos taken by Lennart Ootes; immediately I
grabbed my camera, and captured it all in a
very “meta” moment. Friends like Houska,
Lee, So, and GM Var Akobian stopped to
chat as they passed by, making for some
truly memorable photos.
What the Sinquefields and the team at
the Saint Louis Chess Club have created
for American chess is nothing short of
amazing. My visit there, some 10 years
ago, brought me back to our beloved game;
since then, I’ve been inspired to open my
own chess club, to return to photograph the A pre-match hand-
players, and now, to share my passion for shake between Abra-
hamyan and Krush.
the game through the written word. I can’t
wait for next year’s event to begin!

EVENTS American Cup
15. ... Qb8? 33. ... Rxa5 34. Nf5 h5 35. Rd7 Rxc3 36.
Also thematic, but ill-timed! Nh6+ Kh7 37. Rxc3 Bxc3 38. Nxf7 Bf6
The right move was 15. ... e5!, when Black
turns the tables after 16. f5 Nf4 17. Qf3 Nxd3
18. cxd3 Bb5 and she plays for the win. Her
plans include ... f7-f6, ending any hopes of
a kingside attack, followed by putting a rook
on c8 and rerouting the dark-squared bishop
to the a7-g1 diagonal, preparing ... d7-d5.
16. e5?
A mistake that is not immediately evident.
One can see that White might not get much 31. Bxe5?
after ... Bd6-e7 and ... d7-d6, but I was really With time pressure approaching, this is a
surprised to see the engines give White an mistake. Now White’s queenside falls apart.
advantage after 16. g3 Re8 17. h4 and White Instead, White would have headed for a The a-pawn is the key factor in Black’s ad-
is much better after continuing to improve draw with 31. Bb6 Rxd1 32. Rxd1 Rxc3 33. vantage.
her pieces. Perhaps an expert in this posi- Nc5 Rc2 34. Rd5.
tion would be able to note the weaknesses 39. h4 Kg6 40. Kg2 Ra2+ 41. Kh3 Re2 42.
in Black’s camp, but for me, it’s another 31. ... Rxe5 32. Rf3 Ra7 Re7!
example of how incredibly nuanced our White could have perhaps saved the game Good technique! Make it simple!
game can be in all types of positions! All too (but not the match) with 32. Rd6!! Re6 33.
often the window of good options is narrow Rfd1 Kf8 34. Rxe6 fxe6 35. Nd4 Ke7 36. Re1 43. Nh8+ Kh7 44. Ra8 Rd7 45. Kg2 Rd8 46.
for both sides. Kd7! 37. Kf2 e5 38. Nc2! Rxc3 39. Nb4, win- Rxd8 Bxd8 47. Nf7 Bc7 48. Ng5+ Kg6 49.
ning the a-pawn and substantially reducing Ne6 Bd6 50. Kf3 a5 51. g4 hxg4+ 52. Kxg4
16. ... Be7 17. Be3 d6 18. exd6 Bxd6 19. Qh5 Black’s winning chances. a4, White resigned.
With her advantage gone, and desperate A good win for Krush. Abrahamyan had her
for a win, Abrahamyan begins to take risks. 32. ... Rb5?! share of chances, but Black’s opening choice
Rushing a bit. The prophylactic 32. ... h6! worked out well.
19. ... Qb7 20. Rf2 Be4 21. Rd1 Be7 22. Bxe4 was better, with ... Re5-b5 to follow.
The stronger 22. Nc5 Bxc5 23. Bxc5 Rfe8 24.
Bxe4 Qxe4 25. Rd4 Qe1+ 26. Rf1 Qe3+ 27. Kh1 33. Nd4? SICILIAN DEFENSE, KALASH-
was surely uncomfortable for Black, but this Here 33. c4 Rxc4 34. Rd6 h5 35. Rxa6 Ra4 is NIKOV VARIATION (B32)
was hard to see! hard to play over the board, but White has GM Leinier Dominguez (2811)
good drawing chances with Ra6-b6, h2-h4, GM Hikaru Nakamura (2855)
22. ... Qxe4 23. Qf3 Qxf3 24. Rxf3 Bf6 25. and Kg1-g2 to come. For example, the po- American Cup (Match 7.2), St. Louis,
Bd4 Rfd8 26. g3 e5 27. fxe5 Nxe5 28. Rff1 sition is equal after 36. h4 Be5 37. Rb6 Rxb6 03.20.2023
Rac8 29. c3 bxc3 30. bxc3 Rd5 38. axb6 Rb4 39. Kg2 Rxb6 40. Nc1.
With only two decisive classical games,
both won by the eventual winner, Hikaru
Nakamura, I chose the one with greater
strategic intrigue. It’s interesting to see how
Nakamura’s mastery of shorter time controls
pushes his opponents to really go for it with
White in classical games.
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6
A bit of a surprise. Nakamura usually opts
for the Najdorf, but ok, the Sveshnikov
is not an uncommon choice among the
PHOTO: COURTESY SLCC / LENNART OOTES
world’s elite...
3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e5
But instead, we get the Lowenthal-Kalash-
nikov! This has gained popularity in recent
years, in no small part to avoid well-trod
Sveshnikov lines like 4. ... Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6.
Ndb5 d6 7. Nd5 or 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6.
5. Nb5 d6 6. N1c3
Dominguez and Na- Players interested in this opening with either
kamura wait for the
round to begin.
color must analyze the engine favorite 6. c4. ognize that the two bishops will not cause 43. ... Qb2??
Look at games by Radjabov and Maghsoodloo. Black any trouble. Nakamura mixes up the move order. After
the correct 43. ... Rxe3 44. fxe3 Black has the
6. ... a6 7. Na3 Be6!? 26. Qd3 Ra2 27. Rd1 Nf6 28. Bg5 Kg7 29. wonderful 44. ... Nh6!!, when two knights
A slick psychological choice! I’m sure Bh3 Nd4 30. c3 Nc2 31. Qf3 dominate the board. Mate follows after 45.
Dominguez didn’t expect this move; prob- White would acquiesce to a draw with 31. Qa4 Ng4 46. Qb3 Ne1+.
ably he thought Nakamura would transpose Rd2 Ra1+ 32. Rd1.
to the Sveshnikov with 7. ... Nf6 8. Bg5. 44. Qa6
31. ... Ng8 32. Bf1 Ra3 33. Bc1 White could have held with 44. Bf4! Nd4
8. Nc4 Rb8 9. Nd5 Bxd5 10. exd5 Nce7 11. g3 A sign that Dominguez still plays for the win! 45. Rxd4 Qxd4 46. Bxd6, but this is a big ask
This is the most common way of playing, with the remaining seconds ticking away.
but there are other options. 33. ... Rb3 34. Qe4?
Stockfish is adamant about 11. a4 Nf6 and 44. ... Nf6 45. h3 h5 46. Kf1 Qe5 47. Kg2
now 12. g4!!, which is a lovely idea. White is Rxe3!
willing to lose the d5-pawn for the sake of Nakamura doesn’t miss this the second
active play on the light squares. time around!
11. ... b5 12. Ne3 g6 13. a4 Nf6 14. axb5 48. fxe3 h4 49. gxh4 Qh2+, White resigned.
axb5 15. Bg2 Bh6! A fine victory for the American number one.
QUEEN’S GAMBIT, CATALAN

OPENING (E06)
IM Nazi Paikidze (2403)
WGM Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova
A mistake, losing a pawn without gaining (2417)
any counterplay in return. American Cup (Match 12.4), St. Louis,
03.22.2023
34. ... Rxc3 35. Bb2 Nf6
It is possible that Dominguez had forgotten This game caught my eye because of the
about this move and was counting on 35. ... strategic battle on display: if Black manag-
Rc7 36. Bxe5+, which is equal. es to play ... c6-c5, she achieves complete
Nakamura has outprepared his opponent. equality. For her part, White can secure a
Now the position is totally balanced. 36. Qh4?? large advantage by preventing the black
And now a blunder in perpetual time pres- pawn advance. It’s an entertaining and ed-
16. 0-0 0-0 17. Qd3 Nd7 18. Bd2 Nc5 19. sure. (With a time control of G/90+30, there ucational battle.
Qe2 Qc7 was no move 40 safe haven available.)
Here 19. ... b4, securing the knight on c5, 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Nf3 Be7 5.
was more solid. 36. ... Rb3?! Bg2 0-0 6. Nc3!?
The stronger 36. ... Rf3 37. Bc1 h5 would have Provoking Black’s next move.
20. b4 Nd7 21. Ra5 Bxe3! sealed the deal more quickly, as the white
This move shows deep understanding, and queen is completely offside. For example, 6. ... dxc4 7. Ne5 c6?!
required accurate calculation. 38. g4 Qc8 39. gxh5 Nxh5 and Black wins. Here 7. ... Qd6! 8. Nxc4 Qa6 9. Ne5 Rd8 ap-
pears to be the best response for Black. 10.
22. Bxe3 Nf5 23. Ra7 Rb7 24. Rxb7 Qxb7 37. Bc1 Ng8 38. Qd8! Qe7 39. Qa5 Nd4 40. Qc2! Nbd7 (10. ... Rxd4 is possible too) 11. Bf4
25. Bd2 Ra8 Be3 Nf3+ 41. Kg2 Qf6 42. Be2 e4 43. Qxb5 was seen in Svane – Deac, Dortmund, 2022,
and here 11. ... Nd5 is an interesting option.
8. Nxc4 b5 9. Ne5
This is a fascinating position, and it takes Losing, but it’s hard to suggest anything else
significant positional understanding to rec- with such little time on the clock.

EVENTS American Cup
9. ... Qb6?! 14. Qe2 Nb4?! 15. Bd2 a6? 18. Ng5
Black is already in trouble. After 9. ... Bb7 This was the last moment for 15. ... c5, and Also strong is 18. Nc5.
10. 0-0 Qc8 (10. ... Qb6 11. Be3) 11. Be3 Nbd7 while it wasn’t enough for equality anymore,
12. Nxd7 Qxd7 13. Qc2 Rac8 14. Ne4 Nxe4 15. it would have led to a much more comfort- 18. ... Rf8 19. e4 Nc7 20. Be3 c5
Bxe4 h6 16. Rac1 White is better because able game than occurred over the board!
Black cannot free her pieces with ... c6-c5 After 16. Bxb7 Qxb7 17. Qxb5 Qa8! 18. dxc5
for the foreseeable future. Nc2 19. Rac1 Rxc5 20. Qa4 Rxe5 21. Qxc2
(21. Rxc2 is probably more accurate but a
10. 0-0 Rd8 11. Qc2!? bit artificial feeling) 21. ... h5 Black is down
I think 11. Be3! would have ensured a more a pawn, but she has practical chances.
promising advantage for White after 11. ...
Nd5 12. Rc1 Bb7 13. Ne4 Nd7 14. Nxd7 Rxd7 16. a3?!
15. Nc5 Bxc5 16. Rxc5. Black’s light-squared This only helps Black. White should have
bishop is not going to see the light of the day started with a thematic maneuver that puts
anytime soon! an end to Black’s hope to unwind with ... c6-
c5: 16. Ne4! Nxe4 (16. ... c5? does not work
11. ... Bb7 12. Rd1? because of 17. dxc5) 17. Bxe4 g6 (17. ... c5?
Not concrete enough — now Black could loses to the “Greek Gift” beginning with 18. 21. Rac1?
equalize. Here 12. Be3 would have trans- Bxh7+) 18. Qf3 f5 19. Bxb4 Bxb4 20. Rac1! and Already in time pressure and with a lot at
posed to the line I suggested above. now taking the bishop with 20. ... fxe4 fails stake, Paikidze misses a cute tactic.
to 21. Qf7+ Kh8 22. Qf6+ Kg8 23. Qxe6+ Kg7 After 21. dxc5! Bxc5 22. Bxc5 Qxc5 23.
12. ... Na6 24. Qf7+ Kh8 25. Qf6+ Kg8 26. d5!. Rac1 Qb6 (one key point is that 23. ... Qxe5
Good enough but it leaves the burden of is met with 24. f4, trapping the queen in the
proof on Black. 16. ... Nbd5 17. Ne4?! middle of the board!) 24. Rc2 h6 25. Ngxf7
Mamedyarov equalized with 12. ... Nbd7 Perhaps a bit untimely in this particular Rxf7 26. Nxf7 Kxf7 27. e5 Nfd5 28. Qg4 and
against So, i.e., 13. Be3 Nd5 14. Nxd5 cxd5 position. White has a crushing attack, although seeing
15. Rac1 Rac8 16. Qd3 b4 (So – Mamedyarov, all of this in a rapid game is difficult indeed.
Berlin 2018). 17. ... a5?
Back to a losing position. Here Black must 21. ... Na6
13. e3 Rac8 try 17. ... Nxe4 18. Bxe4 c5! and now 19. Here 21. ... c4 was a better practical deci-
More principled was 13. ... Nd7, here or on Bxh7+ Kxh7 only leads to a perpetual, some- sion, but White is still better after 22. a4.
the next move. Black needs to take all rea- thing I missed in my initial review of the
sonable measures to play ... c6-c5! game. Not an easy line to see! 22. d5?!
Thematic, but again, untimely!
Here 22. Ngxf7! is even more powerful.
Play continues 22. ... Rxf7 23. dxc5 Bxc5 24.
Nxf7 Kxf7 25. e5! and the Black defenses fall
apart. If 25. ... Bxg2 26. exf6 Bd5 27. Qh5+
Kf8 (27. ... Kxf6 28. Bg5+ is soon mate) 28.
fxg7+ Kxg7 29. Bh6+ Kf6 30. Qg5+ Kf7 31.
Qg7+ Ke8 32. Rxd5! exd5 33. Re1+ and mate
will follow shortly.
22. ... exd5 23. exd5 Bd6 24. Nd3?

White needs to eliminate Black’s kingside
defenses; therefore, the right move is 24.
Ng4! Ne8 (24. ... Nxg4 25. Qxg4 h6 26. Ne4
is pretty hopeless; if 26. ... f5 27. Qg6! fxe4
28. Bxh6 Rf7 29. Bxe4 and wins) 25. Bd2
Nac7 26. b4 c4 (if 26. ... axb4 27. axb4 c4
PHOTO: COURTESY SLCC / LENNART OOTES
28. Be3 and the queen will be trapped on

the a-file) 27. Bc3. What an agonizing po-
sition for Black!
24. ... h6
Now White’s advantage is gone, but after
some back-and-forth moves, she regains it.
Paikidze concentrates
in her game with
25. Ne4 Nxe4 26. Bxe4 Rfe8
Tokhirjonova.
Right square, wrong rook. 26. ... Rce8 gives
life to the b7-bishop.

27. Qg4 Bf8 28. b4 axb4 29. axb4 h5
30. Qf3! g6 31. g4! hxg4 32. Qxg4 Rc7
33. bxc5?
Stronger is 33. Qh4 Be7 34. Qg3 Bd6 35. Qg2
with h2-h4-h5 coming.
33. ... Nxc5 34. Nxc5?!

Again 34. Qh4! gives decent winning chances
after 34. ... Rxe4 35. Qxe4 Nxe4 36. Bxb6 Rxc1
37. Rxc1 Bxd5 38. Rc8 f6 39. Nf4 Bf7 40. f3.
34. ... Bxc5 35. Bxc5

White needed to try 35. Rxc5 Rxc5 36. Bd4
with a scary, if fizzling, attack.
35. ... Rxc5 36. Rxc5 Qxc5 37. Bxg6 Kf8?
Of course, 37. ... fxg6 38. Qxg6+ Kf8 is just a

perpetual. Now time pressure induces errors.
38. Bxf7?!
38. Qf4! introduces unstoppable threats.
38. ... Kxf7 39. Qf5+ Kg7?

There’s no win (here or on move 41) after
39. ... Kg8! 40. Rd3 Re1+ 41. Kg2 Qe7 42.
Rg3+ Kh8, etc.
40. Qg5+? Kf7 41. Qf5+ Ke7?? 42. d6+ Kd8

43. Qxc5, Black resigned.
IMAGES: COURTESY SLCC
For more on the American Cup,

check out our online coverage at
new.uschess.org/2023-
american-cup.

32
SEPTEMBER 2023
USCHESS.ORG
AMAZING
Anna!

Zatonskih
steps up to
win 2023
Cairns Cup.
BY IM CARISSA YIP
FTER BEING SHUT DOWN for

two years due to the COVID-19
pandemic, the third edition of the
Cairns Cup was held in St. Louis
in early June. Ten of the best

women chess players in the
world, from rising young talents
to veterans and even world cham-
pions, did battle at the World Chess
Hall of Fame for bragging rights and
a $180,000 prize fund.
Hosted by the Saint Louis Chess Club,
and with its name honoring club co-founder
Dr. Jeanne Sinquefield’s maiden name, the
Cairns Cup is perhaps the most prestigious
women’s event on the international chess
calendar. This year’s tournament had a

COVER STORY Cairns Cup
bit of everything, from brilliant games to While the pawn structure is less than ideal, 19. h5 Be8 20. h6
heartbreaking misses, along with bit of Black has play along the a-file and with the Now the power of the e4-knight becomes
controversy and an unexpected winner. two bishops. clear. By undermining the pawn chain with
Let’s dive right in and see what happened. h5-h6, the f6-square becomes an easy target.
Round one began with four out of five 16. Ne4 Rhe8 17. Ng3 Bg6
decisive games — an early harbinger of 20. ... gxh6
the fighting chess in store. GM Alexandra Case in point: if 20. ... g5 21. Ne4 with an
Kosteniuk, the 12th women’s world cham- advantage.
pion, started well with a great win over GM
Humpy Koneru, the world’s second high- 21. Ne4 Bg6 22. Nxf6+ Kd6
est-rated female player.
ITALIAN GAME (C55)

GM Alexandra Kosteniuk (2523)
GM Humpy Koneru (2567)
Cairns Cup (1), St. Louis, 06.03.2023
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 d5 18. h4

A rare move! Though Black typically waits on Kosteniuk’s play is instructive. With the
this break, opting first for dark-squared bish- dark-squared bishop locked down on c5,
op development on e7 or c5, the early center and White’s strong light-squared bishop, she
strike leads to some more forcing lines. begins gaining more space on the kingside,
seeking to damage the Black kingside pawn White has improved her position, while
5. exd5 Nxd5 6. 0-0 Be7 7. Re1 f6 8. d4 structure. Here is the first critical point of Black’s position has become practically
Nb6 9. Bb3 the game. difficult. All of Black’s pawns are now dou-
Here 9. Bb5 is more common, where the bled or isolated; further, the knight on f6
game may continue 9. ... 0-0 10. Bxc6 bxc6 18. ... Re5?! proves annoying to dislodge. Here ... Ra8-f8
11. dxe5 Qxd1 12. Rxd1 Bg4. Despite Black’s Allowing the push to continue. Instead 18. ... is impossible because of Re1xe5 followed by
lacking pawn structure and the loss of ma- h6 would have been more precise, keeping a fork on d7, while moving the e5-rook off
terial, White’s pieces are underdeveloped the bishop on the important c2-h7 diago- the file allows Re1-e6.
and Black’s bishops wreak havoc. nal. White’s knight should not be allowed
into Black’s position via e4 or f5, and this 23. Rad1 h5 24. g3 Rd8
9. ... Nxd4 10. Nxd4 Qxd4 11. Qxd4 exd4 stops the h5-h6 push as well. After 19. h5 Engines suggest 24. ... Rxe1+, which leads to
12. Bf4 Bf5 13. Bxc7 Kd7 14. Nd2 Bc5 15. Bh7 White has trouble remanuevering the a more active defense at the cost of material.
Bxb6 axb6 knight; for example: 20. Ne2 (or 20. Rxe8 Play continues 25. Rxe1 Rf8 26. Re6+ Kc7 27.
Black must generate the most dynamic play Kxe8 21. Re1+ Kf8 with ... Ra8-e8 coming in Nd5+ Kd7 28. Nxb6+ Kd8 and after this forcing
possible in order to maintain the balance. this equal position) 20. ... Re4 with equality. sequence, Black has ideas with ... d4-d3 and
the weak f2-square which are difficult to stop.
To this human eye, however, it feels a bit
The round one match- dubious. Still, after 29. Na4 Be7 the position
up between Kosteni- looks unpleasant, but Black has just enough
PHOTOS, THIS PAGE AND PREVIOUS: COURTESY SLCC / CRYSTAL FULLER

uk and Koneru. resources to keep the balance. ... h5-h4
comes, while the knight on a4 is misplaced,
and the two bishops have an open board to
generate play.
25. Kg2 Rf5

With the rook on d8, this is possible as
White does not have Nf6-d5 after Re1-e6+
and ... Kd6-c7.
26. Ne4+
The position is level after 26. Re6+ Kc7 27.
Ne4 Rdf8.
26. ... Kc7 27. f4!

Eyeing Ne4-g5. Here, Black has only one
move to hold equality.
27. ... Be7?!

Missing White’s threat of c3, giving her 38. ... Be5+ 39. c3 force an exchange of rooks into a drawn
knight more squares and opening up lines The only move. After 39. Ka2? Rg1 we see endgame: 48. ... axb4 49. axb4 Rxh3 50. Kc2!
in front of the weak black king. the danger of opposite-colored bishops: (preparing the exchange) 50. ... Rh2+ (if 50.
Necessary was 27. ... Bb4, stopping c2-c3. they are absolute killers when the king is ... Rh1 51. Rd1) 51. Rd2 Rxd2+ 52. Kxd2 h3
After 28. Re2 h4 the tactics work out because vulnerable. 53. Bf1 h2 54. Bg2 with equality.
... Bg6-h5 is a threat. 29. Ng5 Rxg5 30. fxg5
Bh5 with equality. 39. ... Kc7 40. Rf2 Rg1 48. ... Ke4 49. Rxa5 Rxh3
Krush comes for the h2-pawn.
28. c3 dxc3 29. Nxc3
Once the knight reaches d5, White’s position 41. Bf1 Rh1 42. h3 Bg3 43. Rf3 Rh2+ 44.
is dominating. Black’s king also proves to be Kb1
surprisingly vulnerable.
29. ... Rxd1 30. Rxd1 Bc5 31. Nb5+ Kc6 32.
Na7+ Kc7 33. Nb5+ Kc6 34. Ba4!
Driving Black’s king out into the center.
34. ... Rf8 35. Nd4+ Kd5 36. Bb3+ Ke4 37.
Ne6 Rc8 38. Bc2+ Ke3 39. f5
Finishing up with a nice tactic and mating
combination. 50. Bxf7?
The final mistake; now White cannot stop
39. ... Be7 40. Rd3+ Ke2 41. Nd4+, Black the passer.
resigned. Necessary was 50. Bd5+, as White can
If 41. … Ke1 42. Rd1 mate. A brilliant win! It seems White is holding her position to- bring the rook back to the defense via Ra5-
gether with this defense, but more active a4-c4, while keeping the bishop locked on
Another intriguing game was American measures must be undertaken shortly. the promotion square. Here’s a sample of
number one GM Irina Krush’s matchup how play might continue:
against the young Kazakstani star IM Zhan- 44. ... Kd6 45. c4! bxc4 46. Bxc4 a5 (a) 50. ... Kd3 51. Ra4 Rh2 52. Rg4 with
saya Abdumalik. After a tumultuous mid- Or 46. ... Rxh3 47. Bxa6. equality.
dlegame, the two entered a fascinating (b) 50. ... Kd4 51. Bb7 Rh2 52. Rd5+ Ke3
opposite-colored bishops endgame where 47. Rd3+ Ke5 48. Rd5+ 53. Rc5 and the rook heads back to the
Krush instructively outplayed her opponent An inaccuracy. The rook cannot wander to first and second ranks to exchange
to eke out the win. capture the queenside pawn, as it must stay itself off.
close to defend. (c) 50. ... Ke3 51. Rc5 Kd4 (or 51. ... Be5
White should have started pushing her when 52. Rc4! is most precise, not
EXPERIENCE COUNTS own passer on the queenside with 48. b4 allowing the rook to get off the h-file)
IM Zhansaya Abdumalik (2497) with the point that White is almost able to 52. Bg2 Rh2 53. Rc2 h3 54. Bb7.
GM Irina Krush (2436)
PHOTO: COURETSY SLCC / A. FULLER
BLACK TO PLAY
After a topsy-turvy middlegame, we enter

a rook and opposite-colored bishops end-
game with equal material. It seems, at first IA Chris Bird watches
glance, to be a draw, but this is much less the game between Ab-
dumalik and Krush.
straightforward in reality. Let’s see how
Krush demonstrates her technique!

50. ... Rh1+ 51. Kc2 Rh2+ 52. Kb1 h3 53. opponent in an opposite-colored bishops
GM Bella Be8 Be5! endgame, Kosteniuk demonstrated great
Khotenashvili Black has the passed h-pawn, while White technique in her endgame conversion.
has the problem of a weak king. Krush ex-
pertly deploys all her pieces (rook, bishop,
and king) to torture White with checkmate SICILIAN DEFENSE, TAIMAN-
threats. OV VARIATION (B45)
GM Alexandra Kosteniuk (2523)
54. Bc6+ Kd3 55. Rd5+ GM Harika Dronavalli (2510)
Black also wins after 55. Ba8 Rb2+ 56. Kc1 Cairns Cup (2), St. Louis, 06.04.2023
Rxb3 as, with ... Be5-f4+ coming next,
White’s king is too weak: 57. Ra4 Bb2+ 58. 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6
Kd1 Bd4 etc. 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. e5 Nd5 8. Ne4
Bb7
55. ... Bd4 56. Rd6 Rb2+ 57. Kc1 Rc2+ 58. Uncommon, but gaining in popularity recently.
Kb1
Black has one last shot to wrap up the game. 9. Be2 c5 10. 0-0 Qc7 11. c4 Ne3 12. Nd6+
More common is 12. Bxe3 Bxe4 13. Bf4, when
58. ... Rxc6! 59. Rxc6 h2 60. Rc1 Bg1, White seeks to generate play on the kingside
White resigned. and along the d-file with the strong e5-pawn.
GM Harika Round two saw an interesting finish to the 12. ... Bxd6 13. exd6 Qc6 14. Bf3 Nxd1 15.
Dronavalli game between GM Bella Khotenashvili and Bxc6 Bxc6 16. Rxd1
four-time American champion IM Anna
Zatonskih. After a few inaccuracies by Kho-
tenashvili, both players missed how Khote-
nashvili could have saved a half-point in the
following position.
NEAR-MISS
GM Bella Khotenashvili (2470)
IM Anna Zatonskih (2327)
PHOTOS: COURTESY SLCC / B. ADAMS (KHOTENASHVILI), C. FULLER (DRONAVALLI, KOSTENIUK)

We have reached an equal, opposite-col-
ored bishops endgame with rooks on the
board. But the game is far from dead and
dry; White hopes that the queenside pawns,
particularly on c5, will be a weakness. Mean-
while, Black can try something with ... f7-f6,
... e6-e5, and ... Ke8-f7 when the d6-pawn
becomes a weakness once the c1-bishop
cannot protect it.
16. ... 0-0 17. Be3 Rfc8 18. Rd2

WHITE TO MOVE If 18. Bxc5? Ba4 with serious advantage.
62. Ra6+?? 18. ... Bb7 19. Rc1 a5 20. Rc3 a4 21. Ra3 f6
Instead the correct 62. Rxa3! Rb2 (capturing 22. f3 Kf7 23. Kf2 e5
the rook is stalemate) 63. Ra6+ Kf7 64. Kg5 Black is taking over.
is a well-known draw.
24. f4 Ke6?!
62. ... Kf7 63. Kg5 Rb2 64. Kxf5 a2 65. It would have been more accurate (and ad-
Ra7+ Ke8 66. Ke6 Re2+ 67. Kd5 b3 68. Kc4 vantageous) for Black to retake on e5 with a
Re1, White resigned. rook, beginning action in the center while
White’s pieces are jumbled, i.e., 24. ... Re8
GM Alexandra Meanwhile, Kosteniuk took the early lead 25. fxe5 Rxe5 with a clear edge.
Kosteniuk with a win over GM Harika Dronavalli. After
posing many practical difficulties to her 25. g4 g6 26. fxe5 fxe5 27. Bh6 Rc6

28. Rad3 Rb6 29. Ke1 Rb4 30. Rc3 Rb6 to the eigth rank and prevent the pawn from as effective with the g3-bishop protected: 45.
31. Re3 queening. To wit: 42. Kd1 Rxb3 43. Rxg6+ ... Rb1+ 46. Kd2 Rb2+ 47. Ke3 Rb3+ 48. Kxe4.
White declines the implict draw offer in d6! (opening up the d-file later for the rook
favor of playing against the weak e5-pawn! to reroute via ... Rb3-d3-d8) 44. Rxd6+ Kb7 46. Kf2 Rd3 47. g6
45. Rxa6 Kxa6 46. g5 Kb7 47. g6 Kc6 48. g7 White’s win is simple once the g-pawn reach-
31. ... e4 32. Rh3 Rd3+ 49. Ke2 Rd8 and Black makes it in time! es the seventh rank.
Switching gears to eye the kingside pawns.
42. Rxg6+ Kb7 43. Rxa6 Kxa6 44. g5 47. ... Rxd5 48. g7 Rg5 49. Be5 Kb5 50.
32. ... Ba6 33. Re3 Bb7 34. Rh3 Ba6 35. b3 Ke3 Kc6 51. h4 Rg4 52. Bf6 Rg6 53. h5 Rg4
axb3 36. axb3 Rxd6 54. h6, Black resigned.
Another possibility was 36. ... Bb7, attempt-
ing to bring the a8-rook into the game. Per- The bloodbath slowed in round three, with
haps Harika was afraid of 37. Bf4 h5 38. gxh5 “only” two decisive games instead of the
gxh5 39. Rxh5 Rxb3 40. Rxc5, which does previous precedent of four, but the sharp
look dicey, but Black generates enough play positions prevailed once more in round
with the active rooks and White’s less-than- four. Khotenashvili defeated Krush in an
ideal king. Call it equal after 40. ... Ra1+ 41. attacking game, and Zatonskih took over
Ke2 Rf3 42. Bg3 Rg1. the lead with a key victory over Kosteniuk.
Though caught off-guard with an opening
37. Rxd6+ Kxd6 38. Bf4+ Kc6 39. Rxh7 surprise, Zatonskih played a brilliant French
Defense — trading off light-squared bishops,
Black to play and save the game. dominating the c4-square, and showing
some classic positional prowess.
44. ... d5
The right move was 44. ... Rb6! 45. h4 d5!,
when Black’s idea is to only play ... d7-d5 FRENCH DEFENSE, ADVANCE
when White’s bishop is no longer defended VARIATION (C02)
by the h-pawn; that way, Black can success- GM Alexandra Kosteniuk (2523)
fully drive the white king over to the king- IM Anna Zatonskih (2327)
side and then start pushing the c-pawn. For Cairns Cup (4), St. Louis, 06.06.2023
instance: 46. cxd5 Rb1+ 47. Ke2 Rb2+ 48. Ke3
(or 48. Kf1 Rb1+ 49. Be1 c4) 48. ... Rb3+ 49. 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3
Kf4 (here 49. Kf2 Rf3+ 50. Kg2 c4 51. g6 c3 is Qb6 6. Na3
While the engine calls this equal, Black faces also equal) 49. ... c4 50. g6 c3 and the posi- A very rare move, designed to catch Za-
practical challenges. The king is too far away tion is balanced after both sides promote. tonskih off-guard in her favored French
to really defend the kingside pawns, and Defense.
the bishop is misplaced on a6. Meanwhile, 45. cxd5 Re3+
Black must be on the lookout for the loose Note that the idea in the analysis above is not 6. ... cxd4 7. cxd4 Bd7 8. Be2
g6-pawn and White’s fast-marching h-pawn.
39. ... Rf8 40. Bg3 Rf3

Perhaps postponing ... Rf8-f3 would be safer.
With 40. ... Rf6 first, Black sets to defend the
g6-pawn, and White cannot play h2-h4 as
then ... Rf8-f3 comes with tempo. At some
point, Black will plan to play either ... d7-d6
and then reroute the bishop via c8, or ...
d7-d5 (when there is no Rh7-c7 possible).
For instance: 41. Rh8 (41. h4? Rf3 42. Be5
Rxb3 and wins) 41. ... d5 42. cxd5+ Kxd5 43.
Rd8+ Ke6 is equal.
41. Rg7 Rxb3?!

Now things get very rough for Black; though
not losing just yet, she must find some very
difficult moves!
Here 41. ... Re3+ should be played first
if Black wants to take on b3! The very dis- Zatonskih defends
creet point is difficult to see from afar, but the French against
Kosteniuk.
at the very end of the variation, Black has a
check, allowing her to bring the rook back

More common is 8. Nc2, preventing ... Bf8-

b4+ and perhaps rerouting the knight to e3.
8. ... Bb4+ 9. Kf1 Bxa3 10. bxa3

It’s typically risky to give up the dark-squared
bishop in the French, as there are critical
weaknesses in the black position that the
bishop can defend. But if Black can gener-
ate enough play before White consolidates,
then she will be doing well.
10. ... Na5

Now White must figure out a plan, and two 17. Bd1??
are viable. The first is to play on the kingside, The decisive mistake in an already tricky
developing the rook via h2-h4 and Rh1-h3, position, allowing Black to dominate the
while the second is to try to get play on the queenside with the c4-knight.
queenside with the dark-squared bishop. White needed to try 17. Kg1 Nf5 18. g4
Ne7 19. h4 with the renewed idea to play
11. Qd3 on the kingside.
Both 11. a4 Ne7 12. Ba3 and 11. Bd2 Ne7 12.
Rb1 Qc7 13. Bb4 are equal. 17. ... Bxd1 18. Rxd1 Qa6
Now White loses the a3-pawn and Black
11. ... Ba4 12. Bd2 Nc4 13. Rb1 Qc6 enters a winning endgame.
Now Black is threatening ... Ba4-c2!
PHOTOS, THIS PAGE AND NEXT: COURTESY SLCC / B. ADAMS (KRUSH, ZATONSKIH), A. FULLER (SINQUEFIELD, MAMMADZADA), C. FULLER (GIRL)
19. Kg1 Nc6 20. Qb3 Qxa3 21. h4 Qxb3 22.
14. Qc3 axb3 Na3 23. h5 h6 24. Bd2 Nb5 25. Rh4
Kosteniuk tries to get play on the queenside, 0-0 26. Rg4 Kh7 27. Be1 Rfc8
but this is the wrong idea. Better is 14. Kg1 Readying the invasion on the c-file.
Ne7 15. h4 Rc8 16. Rh3, completing develop-
ment. White must start playing dynamically 28. Rd3 Ne7 29. Bd2 Rc2 30. Bb4 Nc6 31.
on the kingside, as she is positionally worse Bd2 Ne7 32. Bb4 R8c7 33. Nh4 Nc3 34. Bd6
on the queenside. Rd7 35. Bb4 Rc7 36. Bd6 Rd7 37. Bb4 Ne4
A nice rerouting of the knight to a key cen-
14. ... Ne7 15. Qb4 Rc8 16. Bg5 Rc7 tral square.
38. Rf4 Nc6 39. Ba3 Ra2 40. b4 a6 41. f3

This page: the event namesake rings in play Ng3 42. Rg4 Nxh5 43. b5 axb5 44. Bc5 g5
(below), as does the next generation (above). 45. f4 Nxf4
Refusing to grant White even a sniff of coun-
terplay by taking the free piece, although
Black is still totally winning after 45. ... gxh4
46. Rxh4 Ng7 47. g4 Ne7.
46. Re3 Ne7 47. Nf3 Nf5 48. Rb3 Kg6 49.
Kh2 Kh5 50. Rxf4 gxf4
Zatonskih wraps things up nicely.
51. Ne1 Ne3 52. Kh3 Kg5 53. g3 Nf5 54.

Nf3+ Kg6 55. gxf4 Rf2 56. Bb6 Re7 57. Ba5
Re8 58. Be1 Re2 59. Rxb5 Ra8 60. Ba5 b6
61. Bb4 Re3, White resigned.
A shock reverberated throughout the tour-

nament room before the fifth round got un-
derway: Koneru was forced to withdraw for
health reasons. As it was before the halfway
point, and following FIDE regulations, none
of her results would count for the tourna-
ment standings; instead, everyone would
be granted a “free round.” This worked to
Dronavalli and Krush’s advantage, as they’d

drawn with Koneru, but Dzagnidze and previously, prompting Mammadzada to play 13. Bc6 Ba6 14. Nc2 Rb6 15. Nxb4 Bxb4 16. e4
Kosteniuk’s wins were annulled. her new move. and the game remains sharp, but Black has
The effect was that Kosteniuk dropped Perhaps a more accurate try is 9. Nbd2 the upper hand. After 16. ... Bd6 17. Qf3 Ne8
from second place to sixth in the standings; Nxd4 10. Nxd4 Qxd4 11. Nxc4 Nd5 12. Rd1 18. Rxa6 Rxa6 19. Bxb5 Rb6 20. Bxc4 White
speaking after both her round five draw with Qf6 13. e4 when White gets active play as sacrifices an Exchange for a pawn and the
Abdulmalik and her round nine win over GM compensation for the pawn. two bishops along with the strong center
Elisabeth Paehtz, she did not hide her irrita- pawns. It is by no means simple for Black
tion. For her part, Dzagnidze was similarly 9. ... b5 10. Ne5 Nb4 11. Qd1 Rb8 to convert the material advantage.
displeased, calling the ruling about Koneru’s Now Black has both a pawn and the advantage.
games “nonsense” after round seven. 13. ... cxb3
With the leaders all drawing in a sub- 12. axb5 axb5 Note that 13. ... c3 does not work for tactical
dued fifth round, the excitement began to reasons: 14. Nc2 Bb7 (14. ... Nxc2 15. Qxc2 is
ramp back up in round six. Playing with equal; White wants both Ne5-c6 and Qc2xc3,
the black pieces, Zatonskih defeated Mam- and Black can’t stop both at once) 15. Bxb7
madzada with an advantage straight out of Nxc2 (15. ... Rxb7? 16. Nxb4 Bxb4 17. Nc6 Qd6
the opening. 18. Nxb4 Qxb4 19. Ba3 and White wins) is
the only move, as trying to avoid the knight
exchange does not work. Play continues 16.
CATALAN OPENING (E05) Qxc2 Rxb7 17. Qxc3 with equality.
IM Gunay Mammadzada (2456)
Cairns Cup (6), St. Louis, 06.09.2023 IM Anna
Zatonskih
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. g3 Nf6 4. Bg2 Be7 5.
Nf3 0-0 6. 0-0 dxc4 7. Qc2 a6 8. a4 Nc6 Let’s pause and consider White’s possible
A bit offbeat. The main move is 8. ... Bd7 plans. Right now, her advantage is in devel-
which is played 10 times more frequently opment, along with Black’s slightly discom-
according to the database! bobulated pieces. Therefore, the best idea
is for White to capitalize on the fact that
9. Na3 the b5-pawn is a bit weak and the issues in
A novelty that Mammadzada cooked up on developing Black’s bishop normally.
the spot, but not a good one.
A typical idea would be 9. Qxc4 Qd5 10. 13. b3
Nbd2 Rd8 11. e3 Qh5. Here Black is always This makes it too simple for Black to con-
looking at possible ... e6-e5 or ... b7-b5 tinue development.
breaks to fight back against White’s space White must utilize dynamics to keep the
advantage. But this might be difficult to game in a closer balance, ensuring Black’s
navigate without having seen this position pieces cannot develop normally. Therefore:
IM Gunay
Mammadzada
A deep-in-thought
Irina Krush ponders
her next move.

14. Bb2 Bb7 15. Qxb3 Bxg2 16. Kxg2 Rb6 black queen cut off, White manages to hold
With her development completed, Black can everything on the queenside.
focus on converting the extra pawn.
23. ... Nb6 24. Be5 Qd8 25. Nb3 Nc4 26.
17. Rfc1 Nd7 18. Nf3 Qb8 19. Nb1 Rd1 Qc8 27. Bd4?
Rerouting the knight back into the epicenter A mistake, as the real danger is the c4-
of the game. knight. So it is necessary to remove it with
27. Na5.
19. ... Nd5 20. Nbd2 c5 21. dxc5 Nxc5 22.
Qc2 Rb7?! 27. ... Nxb3 28. Qxb3 Bc5?
Returning the favor. Generally speaking,
it’s easier to hold a rook endgame a pawn
down than a rook and minor piece ending.
Black should aim to keep the dark-
squared bishops (and the dynamism) on
the board with 28. ... Qc6, which supports
the ... b5-b4 push. After 29. Re1 Rc8 Black
prepares to push the pawn and keeps pieces
on the board.
29. Rac1 Qc6 30. Qc3 Bxd4 31. Qxd4 Qb6

32. Qxb6 Rxb6 33. Nd4
White should have activated the rook with
Better to keep the pressure on White with 33. Rd7 for better drawing chances, i.e., 33.
22. ... Rc6 23. Be5 Qb7 24. Qb2 f6 25. Bd4 ... Rfb8 34. Nd4 h6 35. Rc7 Nd2 36. Re1 b4
Na4 and a healthy edge. 37. Rc2 with chances to hold.
PHOTOS: COURTESY SLCC / CRYSTAL FULLER

23. e4 33. ... h6 34. Re1 Rfb8 35. Re2 Ne5 36. f4
Here 23. Be5 equalizes on the spot, taking Rd8 37. Nxb5 Rxb5
advantage of the misplaced b7-rook: 23. ... The engine deems 37. ... Nd3 38. Rb1 Rdb8
Qd8 24. Qb2 Nf6 25. Bd4. This forces the 39. Rd1 Nxf4+ 40. gxf4 Rxb5 to be winning
knight back, as Black can’t play ... Nc5- for Black, but it’s unclear to humans just
a4 due to the pin. We continue 25. ... Qd5 how to proceed. The idea seems to be to
26. Bxc5 Bxc5 27. e4 Qh5 28. e5 and with the put pressure on the weak h-pawn, and then
break with a timely ... g7-g5 or ... e6-e5 to
separate the pawns further.
This page: scenes from the player’s meeting,
held the day before play began. 38. fxe5 Rxe5

Kosteniuk, who could not keep pace after
losing to Dzagnidze. Meanwhile, Khote-
nashivili defeated Paehtz to land at 4/6, just
a half-point behind Zatonskih.
In the penultimate round, Kosteniuk
caught up to Khotenashvili by defeating her;
both were now at 4/7 along with Krush. But
it no longer mattered for first place — Za-
tonskih defeated Abdumalik in one of the
most impressive games of her tournament,
clinching not only the GM norm, but also
the Cairns Cup title!
White should hold with best play, but (this Now we reach the first key moment. Black
is becoming a theme in this article) it’s a played very naturally so far, trying to hold
difficult task, practically speaking. NIMZO-INDIAN, CAPABLANCA the f6-pawn. But instead, she should have
VARIATION (E32) been focusing on rapid development and
39. Rce1 IM Anna Zatonskih (2327) getting the pieces to active squares; other-
Passive defense. Instead White should have GM Zhansaya Abdumalik (2497) wise, White gets too much pressure (as we
pulled out the stops and activated her pieces Cairns Cup (8), St. Louis, 06.11.2023 see in the game!).
with 39. Rc7! f6 (if 39. ... Rd4 White plays
40. Ra2!, giving up the e-pawn to get to the 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 0-0 13. ... f5
f-pawn: 40. ... f6 41. Ra8+ Kh7 42. Rf8 Rd2+ 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. Qxc3 b6 7. Bg5 c5 The engine suggests 13. ... Rd8 14. Nxf6+ Kf8
[42. ... Kg6 43. Rg8 is equal] 43. Kf3 Rxh2 A rare move, meant to catch Zatonskih off- 15. 0-0-0 d6 16. Ne4 Ke7 17. e3 Rb8, which at
44. Rxf6 and while Black is still better, the guard. By striking earlier than usual in the first glance, I did not find terribly convincing
game goes on) 40. Rc3 Rd4 41. Kf3 Kf7 (41. center, Black offers White the chance to for Black. Now I think she gets just enough
... g5 allows 42. Rc7! which was the point break up her pawn structure in return for play with her pieces, and combined with
of provoking ... f7-f6! Now the black king more dynamic play. the open b-file, there’s sufficient pressure
cannot get out after 42. ... h5 43. Rb2) 42. The more typical continuation is 7. ... for the pawn.
Ree3 Kg6 43. h4. Here, by forcing the black Bb7 8. f3 h6 9. Bh4 d5 10. e3 with a perfectly
king to g6 and stopping the advance of the playable position for both sides. 14. 0-0-0 f6
g5-pawn, White holds on. Another natural move, with White threaten-
8. dxc5 bxc5 9. Nh3 ing Nh5xf6+ to get to the d7-pawn. But active
39. ... g5 Another rare move, and one that likely gets play was still best: 14. ... Na5 gets the knight
Now Zatonskih systematically improves Abdumalik out of prep. With what follows off the awkward c6-square, avoiding what
her position. she decides to head to the endgame. happens in the game. After 15. Nf6+ (15.
e3 Rd8 is equal, as g2-g4 is not dangerous)
40. Rf2 Rd4 41. Ref1 Rd7 42. Re1 Kg7 43. 9. ... h6 10. Bxf6 Qxf6 11. Qxf6 gxf6 12. 15. ... Kg7 16. Nxd7 Bxd7 17. Rxd7 Nxc4 Black
Rfe2 Rd4 44. Kf3 Ra4 45. Kg2 Kg6 46. Kf2 Nf4 Nc6 13. Nh5 is doing fine with such an active knight.
h5 47. Kg1 g4 48. Kg2 f6 49. Kg1 Kg5 50.
Kg2 Rb4
At some point, Black will break with ... h5-h4
and the position will fall apart.
51. Kg1 Reb5 52. Rf1 Rb2 53. Rxb2 Rxb2

The task is simple after the exchange of rooks.
54. Ra1 Re2 55. Ra4 e5 56. Rb4 h4 57.

Ra4 h3 58. Rb4 Kg6 59. Ra4 Rg2+ 60. Kh1
Rd2 61. Kg1 Rd4 62. Ra8 Rxe4 63. Kf2 Rb4
64. Ra2 Rb1 65. Ke3 Re1+ 66. Kd3 Kf5 67.
Rf2+ Ke6 68. Ra2 Rg1 69. Ke4 f5+ 70. Ke3
Rg2 71. Ra6+ Kf7 72. Ra5 Kf6 73. Ra6+
Kg5, White resigned.
At 4½/6 with two games (and a “free day”)

remaining, the leader Zatonskih needed just
one point for a GM norm. Close behind her
were Khotenashvili and Kosteniuk, each with Zatonskih concentrates
three points, but also with all three games in her game against GM
Abdumalik.
remaining.
But the seventh round was not good for

15. g4! 26. Rh7+ Kd6 27. Ng3

With this pawn sacrifice White gets a tempo Perhaps a bit premature. Instead 27. b3 was
to demolish Black’s queenside structure due more challenging. Now if 27. ... a5? (27. ...
to the pin on the long diagonal. Rg8 is the only move, stopping knight jumps
after 28. Nf6 Bf5) 28. Ng3 is crushing.
15. ... fxg4 16. Bg2 Kf7
Worse are 16. ... Bb7 17. Rxd7 and; 16. ... 27. ... Bxc4 28. Ne4+ Kd5 29. Nc3+ Kd6
Rb8 17. Bxc6 dxc6 18. h3 gxh3 19. Rxh3 when 30. Ne4+ Kd5 31. Rh4 Ba6 32. Nc3+ Kd6
Black’s pawns and king are weak, and the 33. Rh6+ Kd7 34. Kd2 Bc4 35. Ne4 Kc7 36.
bishop is poor compared to the h5-knight. Nxc5 Bg8 37. Kc3 a5 38. Rg6
17. h3! Rg8

Here 17. ... gxh3 nearly loses, as the king is
weak. Black must avoid opening the king-
side files unless it’s on her terms. To wit:
18. Rxh3 Rb8 19. Bxc6 dxc6 20. Rg3 with a
fantastic position.
18. Nf4?!
This misplaces the knight and gives Black a
chance to get back into the game. After 18.
Ng3 Rb8 19. Bxc6 dxc6 20. Ne4 the knight is
dominating the bishop.
38. ... Bd5??
18. ... g3 By allowing White’s rook onto the seventh
The correct 18. ... Rb8! equalizes immedi- rank, Black risks becoming ensnared in a
ately, as it forces White to decide whether dangerous net with the knight and rook.
or not to capture on c6. Both options work It was necessary to block the seventh with
for Black: (a) 19. Bxc6 dxc6 20. Nd3 e5 un- 38. ... Bf7 39. Rg7 Kd6 40. b4 axb4+ 41. axb4
leashes an attack on the h3-pawn and grabs Ra3+ 42. Kb2 Ra7 with an equal position.
the initiative, while (b) 19. hxg4 19. ... Rxg4
20. e3 Ne5 is at least equal. 39. Rg7+ Kb6
White is winning after 39. ... Kc8 40. e4 Ba2
19. fxg3 Rxg3 20. Bxc6 dxc6 21. Rd6 e5 41. b3, threatening both Kc3-b2 and Rg7-g8+.
22. Nh5 Rxh3 23. Rxf6+ Ke7 24. Rxh3
Bxh3 25. Rxh6 Be6 40. b4??
Black has managed to fight back to equality, A stumble!
but she is not out of the woods yet! The right move is 40. Nd7+! , with a lovely
geometric motif. Black’s bishop is in a pre-
carious state. 40. ... Kc7 (40. ... Ka6 41. e4 Bg8
PHOTOS: COURTESY SLCC / C. FULLER (TOP, MIDDLE), SLCC / B. ADAMS (BOTTOM)

42. a4 sets up a mating net, and Black has
to pitch pawns to avoid losing on the spot)
41. e4 Ba2 (if 41. ... Bxe4 42. Nc5+, while 41.
... Be6 42. Nc5+ Kd6 43. Nb7 mate is an un-
expected but beautiful idea) 42. Nc5+ Kb6
43. Na4+ Ka6 44. b3 and now the bishop is
trapped. White wraps things up with 44. ...
Bb1 (or 44. ... Rb8 45. Nc5+ Kb6 46. Nd7+) 45.
Kb2 Bd3 46. Nc5+.
40. ... axb4+??

And a stumble in return. White now forces
a winning minor piece ending.
The most stubborn defense was 40. ...
Ra7 41. Rxa7 (41. bxa5+ Rxa5 42. Nd7+ Kb5
is equal) 41. ... Kxa7 42. bxa5 Bf7 43. Nd7
(43. e4 Bg6) 43. ... Be8 44. Nxe5 Ka6 and with
This page: scenes from the dramatic final

round game between Krush and Zatonskih.

the black king getting into the game and facing off against her perpetual opponent,
pressuring the a3-pawn (after taking on a5) Zatonskih.
there’s enough to hold the draw. In a long game where she was pressing an
opposite-colored bishops endgame, Zaton-
41. Kxb4 Ra7 42. Rxa7 Kxa7 skih defended admirably and held the draw.
QUEEN’S GAMBIT, TARRASCH

VARIATION (D33)
GM Irina Krush (2436)
Cairns Cup (9), 06.12.2023
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. cxd5 exd5 5.

Nf3 Nc6 6. g3 Nf6 7. Bg2 cxd4 8. Nxd4 Bc5
9. Nxc6 bxc6 10. 0-0 0-0 11. Na4 Bb6 12.
Qc2 Bd7 13. b3 Qe7 14. Bb2 Rfe8 15. e3
Ne4 16. Nxb6 axb6
43. e3??
Giving Black one last chance.
White has to try to grab the pawn imme-
diately, as every tempo matters. Therefore
the correct path is 43. Nd7 Bh1 (43. ... e4
44. Nf6 picks up the pawn and covers the
c5-square as well) 44. Nxe5 Ka6 45. Nd3
controlling c5, and not allowing the black
king to get to a5.
Why is it so important for the knight
to defend the c5-square exactly when the
black king lands on a6? Here’s an illustra-
tive line: after 45. e3 c5+ 46. Kxc5 Ka5 Black
can sacrifice the bishop for the e-pawn and Black has a strong knight on e4, but has
pick up the a-pawn with the king, achiev- given up the two bishops. White’s kingside
ing the draw. is a bit vulnerable as it lacks a knight on f3,
and Black has ideas of ... h7-h5-h4 which
43. ... Ba2 44. Nd7 e4? are promptly enacted.
Missing the drawing idea. Now White doesn’t
let the win go. 17. Rfd1 h5 18. h4 Rac8 19. Re1 Bf5 20.
Necessary was 44. ... Ka6 45. Nxe5 c5+ 46. Qd1
Kxc5 (46. Ka4 Bd5 is equal) 46. ... Ka5 and Clever, pressuring Black via the weak b6- and
the king grabs the a3-pawn. g7-pawns. For her part, Black cannot avoid
material loss, but she can count on excellent
45. Nc5 Bb1 counterplay on the kingside.
The bishop soon runs out of squares.
The sterner 45. ... Bd5 loses as well, as 20. ... Qe6 21. Qd4 Qf6
Black runs out of tempi with the bishop’s The alternative 21. ... Qg6 also works, hold-
defense of the e4-pawn, while also trying to ing through dynamic play. It’s admittedly
keep the king ready to go to a6. For instance, not easy to see in advance, but Black gets a
46. a4 Kb6 47. a5+ Ka7 48. Kc3 Kb8 49. Kd4 fantastic attack on the king with a sacrifice
Ka7 50. Ke5! Black can’t get to the a-pawn, on g3: 22. Qxb6 Re6 23. Qd4 Rce8 24. Rf1
PHOTOS: COURTESY SLCC / AUSTIN FULLER
and White wins the e-pawn. Nxg3 25. fxg3 Be4 and here White should
bail out into an equal ending via 26. Qxg7+
46. a4 Kb6 47. a5+ Ka7 48. Kb3 Bd3 (if instead she tries to hold the material
49. Nxd3 exd3 50. e4 Ka6 51. e5, Black with 26. Kh2, she won’t get far: 26. ... Bxg2
resigned. 27. Kxg2 Rxe3 and now forced is 28. Qxg7+
Qxg7 29. Bxg7 Kxg7) 26. ... Qxg7 27. Bxg7
The last round, then, became a battle for Kxg7 with equality.
second place. With Khotenashvili drawing
Dronavalli, and Kosteniuk defeating Paehtz,
the score to aim for was 5/8. Now, it was up This page: the winner, seen alone (below)
to Krush to secure herself a shared second, and with Dr. Jeanne Sinquefield (above).

22. Bxe4 dxe4 23. Qxf6 gxf6 24. Bxf6 Bg4 If 37. Be1 Rb1 38. Kf1 Kg6 White can’t improve Kg6 66. Bb4 Rb6 67. Kc5 Re6 68. Kd4 Rb6
Rerouting the bishop to the f3-square, where the position despite being two pawns up. 69. Bc5 Rb1
it will pressure the king for the long run. While this is still a draw, it was much easier
37. ... Rc5 38. Bd4 Rc2 39. g4 Rxf2+ 40. to defend by keeping the rook posted on the
25. b4 b5 26. a4 bxa4 27. Rxa4 c5 28. b5 Kg3 Rg2+ 41. Kf4 Rxg4+ 42. Kf5 sixth rank, with the bishop covering the e6-
Rb8 29. Rb1 Re6 30. Bc3 Reb6 31. Rc4 Be2 Now material is equal, but White’s pieces square. Now White brings in the king and it
Here 31. ... Rxb5 would also have worked: are menacing the black king. Some preci- gets more difficult.
32. Rxb5 Rxb5 33. Rxe4 Bf3 34. Re8+ Kh7 35. sion is required.
g4 hxg4 with equality. 70. Ra6+ Kf7 71. Rf6+ Kg7 72. Kd5 Rd1+?
42. ... Rg8
32. Rxc5 Rxb5 33. Rg5+ Kh7 34. Rbxb5 For instance: 42. ... Rg1? 43. Be5 Bg4+ 44.
Rxb5 35. Rg7+ Kf6 and Be5-f4+ is unstoppable.
43. Be5 Bg4+ 44. Kxe4

Note that if White tries the same checkmate
idea now, it fails: 44. Kf6?? Rg6+ followed
by ... Rg6-e6+.
44. ... Re8 45. Kf4 Re6

And with White’s king forced back, Black
just needs to hold the opposite-colored
bishops endgame.
This move misplaces the rook, and allows
46. e4 Kg6 47. Rg7+ Kh6 48. Rg8 Kh7 49. the pawn to march forward. Black is still
Rb8 Kg6 50. Rb5 Ra6 51. Bd4 Re6 52. fine after the correct 72. ... Rb8 73. Rd6 Bf3+
White wins a pawn, but Black regains it with Rg5+ Kh6 53. Ra5 Kg6 54. Ra7 Kh6 55. e5 74. Kd4 Re8.
the mating threats. Rc6 56. Ke4 Kg6 57. Ra3 Re6 58. Ra2 Rc6
59. Rf2 Ra6 60. Kd5 Be6+ 61. Kc5 Bf5 62.
35. ... Kh6 36. Rxf7 Bf3 37. Kh2 Bc3 Re6 63. Ra2 Bg4 64. Ra8 Kf7 65. Kd4 Below: the players at the opening ceremony.
... Zatonskih dominated

a field of legends to finish
undefeated ...”

73. Bd4 Re1 74. e6 Kg8 75. Rg6+
Here 75. Rh6 Kf8 76. Kd6 wins on the spot
IM Nazi Paikidze (L)
due to the mate threat on h8. and GM Yasser Seir-
wan (R) in the studio
75. ... Kh7 76. Rg7+ Kh6 77. e7 Bd7 78.
Kd6 Ba4
After 78. ... Rd1 79. Kxd7 Rxd4+ 80. Kc7 Re4
81. Rf7 Kg6 Black’s king is in time for the
rook to win the e7-pawn.
79. Rg8 Rd1 80. Kc5 Re1 81. Bf6 Kh7 82.
Ra8 Kg6 83. Bg5 Bd7 84. Kd6 Bb5 85. Ra5
Be8 86. Kc7 Bf7 87. Ra6+ Kh7 88. Rh6+
Kg7 89. Rd6 Rb1 90. Bf6+ Kh7 91. Bd4 Rb4
92. Bf6 Be8 93. Rd8 Kg6 94. Bg5 Rc4+ 95.
Kb6 Kf7 96. Rd2 Re4 97. Rf2+ Kg6 98. Kc7
Bf7 99. Rf6+ Kg7 100. Rd6 Ra4 101. Bf6+
Kh7 102. Bd4 Be8 103. Rd8 Bf7
104. ... Rxh4 105. Rf8 Kg6 [105. ... Bg6 106. 128. Kd6 Ra6+ 129. Kd7 Ra7+ 130. Kd8,
Rh8 mate] 106. Rxf7 Kxf7 107. Kd7) 105. Kd6 draw.
Ra6+ 106. Kd7 Ra7+ 107. Bc7 and promotion
cannot be prevented. Speaking to IM Almira Skripchenko after the
game, Zatonskih described the tournament
104. ... Kg6 105. Bg5 Rc4+ as “the best achievement of my career,” and
Now Black takes control of the e8-square, it’s hard not to agree. The lowest-rated seed
and doesn’t let it go (after kicking the White entering play, Zatonskih dominated a field
king back first). of legends to finish undefeated, achieve a
performance over 2600 FIDE, and make
106. Kd7 Rd4+ 107. Kc6 Rc4+ 108. Kd6 history as the first American to be crowned
Re4 109. Rb8 Kg7 110. Rb7 Re1 111. Kd7 a Cairns Cup champion.
104. Bf6 Rd1+ 112. Kc7 Re1 113. Rb6 Rd1 114.
After a flourish of moves, with both players Bf6+ Kh7 115. Rc6 Be8 116. Ra6 Rd7+ For up-to-date chess news
in time trouble, this is White’s final chance 117. Kc8 Kg8 118. Bg5 Rd4 119. Rf6 Bf7 and information, check out
to win the game. Rather than give Black time 120. Rf1 Rc4+ 121. Kd7 Rd4+ 122. Kc6 Chess Life Online at uschess.
with Bd4-f6 and ... Kh7-g6, she should have Rc4+ 123. Kd6 Rd4+ 124. Ke5 Rd5+ 125. org/clo on a regular basis.
first cut off the e-file with 104. Be5! Ra7+ (or Ke4 Ra5 126. Rf6 Ra4+ 127. Ke5 Ra5+
3rd Cairns Cup

JUNE 3-13, 2023
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1 IM Anna Zatonskih 2327 * 1 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 6/8
2 GM Alexandra Kosteniuk 2535 0 * 1 1 0 1 1 ½ ½ 1 5/8 (6/9)
3 GM Bella Khotenashvili 2478 0 0 * 1 1 ½ 1 0 1 4½/8
4 GM Irina Krush 2436 ½ 0 0 * 1 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ 4½/8 (5/9)

5 GM Nana Dzagnidze 2513 ½ 1 0 0 * ½ 0 1 1 1 4/8 (5/9)
6 GM Harika Dronavalli 2501 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ * 1 ½ ½ ½ 3½/8 (4/9)
7 GM Elisabeth Paehtz 2479 ½ 0 0 ½ 1 0 * 1 ½ 3½/8
8 IM Gunay Mammadzada 2449 0 ½ 1 ½ 0 ½ 0 * ½ 3/8
9 GM Zhansaya Abdumalik 2497 0 ½ 0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ * 2/8
10 GM Humpy Koneru 2567 0 ½ 0 ½ * 1/4

ENDGAME SCHOOL Instruction
44. ... b5 45. Rb7 Rb2 46. a4 b4 47. Rb5) 45.

a4 Ra2 46. h4 Ra1.
Decisions,
Decisions
Using what you know to guide POSITION AFTER 46. ... Ra1
your moves This could be a stumbling block for ama-

teurs, who tend to think to take pawns at
BY GM JOEL BENJAMIN every opportunity. The b6-pawn doesn’t
matter much, but distracting the Black
rook from checking away White’s king is
paramount. After 47. Rb7! Rxa4 48. Kg4!
D
(not 48. Rxb6? Kf7 and Black can defend his
remaining pawns) 48. ... Ra3 49. Kg5 Rxf3
50. Kxg6 it is surprising how helpless Black
ECISION MAKING IS A CRU- is with only two White pawns on the board.
cial part of endgame tech-
nique. Amateur players often
gravitate towards “move-by-move” play,
often leading into unexpected and undesired
situations. Quality endgame play involves
assessing where you want to get to. It often
helps to step back and consider the great-
est strengths of your position, which can
help in preserving and maximizing these
advantages.
The following game is full of transforma- POSITION AFTER 50. Kxg6
tions and the vital decisions that accompany Chess to illustrate decision making in end-
these possibilities. games, but started from the position two The stark difference in the king position
moves later. But this is actually a very makes all the difference. A few possibilities:
critical moment in the ending. White can a) After 50. ... Rf4 51. h5 Rxe4 52. Rb8+
ENGLISH OPENING (A34) force a win by appreciating what his best (even 52. h6 Rg4+ 53. Kh5 Rg1 54. h7
GM Vladimir Belous (2587) assets are. Rh1+ 55. Kg6 Rg1+ 56. Kf6 Rf1+ 57. Ke6!
IM Zhansaya Abdumalik (2420) Rh1 58. Rf7+! Ke8 59. Rg7 wins) 52. ...
Saint Louis Spring-B (5), 05.20.2017 43. Rb7? Ke7 53. h6 Rg4+ 54. Kh5 Rg1 55. h7 the
Even grandmasters can be lured by natural h-pawn costs Black her rook.
1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 but incorrect moves. In lessons my students b) If 50. ... Kg8 51. Rb8+ Rf8 52. Rxf8+ Kxf8
5. g3 Nc6 6. Bg2 g6 7. Qa4 Bg7 8. Ng5 e6 always chose this move first; I believe the 53. Kf6 b5 54. Kxe5 Kf7 55. Kd4 Ke6 56.
9. Nge4 Bf8 10. d3 Be7 11. Bh6 Nb6 12. instinct to play direct moves like attacks and Kc5 Ke5 57. h5! Kf6 58. Kxb5 and the
Qd1 Nd4 13. 0-0 Nf5 14. Qc1 f6 15. Be3 captures in endgames is strong and difficult king escorts the e-pawn home.
Nd4 16. b4 cxb4 17. Bxd4 bxc3 18. Bxc3 to overcome. In reality this move is worse c) The best try is 50. ... Rg3+ 51. Kf6 Kg8
Na4 19. Bd2 Bd7 20. Bh6 Kf7 21. Qf4 Nb6 than not moving at all! as 52. Rxb6? Rg4 is drawable. But 52.
22. Rfc1 Qb8 23. Qf3 Nd5 24. Ng5+ Ke8 White is positioned very strongly on the Rb8+ Kh7 53. Kxe5 Rg4 54. Kd5 leaves
25. e4 Nf4 26. gxf4 fxg5 27. Bxg5 Bxg5 kingside. The extra pawn is the obvious fea- the e-pawn unstoppable.
28. fxg5 Rf8 29. Qg3 e5 30. Rc5 Rf4 31. ture, but the confinement of Black’s king to
Rac1 b6 32. Rc7 Qd8 33. Bh3 Bxh3 34. the back rank gives White tremendous op- 43. ... Rd4!!
Qxh3 Qxg5+ 35. Kh1 Qg4 36. Qxg4 Rxg4 portunities to press an attack in the sector. Belous may have only accounted for 43. ...
37. Rxh7 Rf4 38. Kg2 Rf7 39. Rh8+ Rf8 40. White has a natural and potentially fruitful Rd6 44. Kg3 and White will advance as he
Rxf8+ Kxf8 41. Rc7 Rd8 42. Rxa7 Rxd3 plan of invading with his king, though it likes. But now it’s too late to shift gears, as
is not trivial to execute it correctly. 43. f3 after 44. Kf3 Rd3+ 45. Kg4 Rd2 White can’t
(see diagram top of next column) would be a good start: 43. ... Rd2+ 44. Kg3 defend his pawns.
Rb2 (Black can’t advance the b-pawn because
I used this game in Better Thinking, Better White would gain access to the e5-pawn, e.g. 44. Rxb6 Rxe4

Ra3 would be an interesting try. White would
have to avoid the impatient 67. Kf5?? as he
must preserve the f-pawn to be able to dis-
lodge Black’s king. But the king could walk
to Black’s rook — say, 67. Kd4 — come back to
the kingside and win with an eventual h2-h4.
65. Kf6
We have a legit zugzwang here because the
White king can freeze both the rook and the
POSITION AFTER 62. ... Kg7 king at the same time.
Quality of pawns matters! After 45. Rxg6 Here White can tempo the king to f6, but 65. ... Ra6+ 66. Kxe5 Kg7 67. Kf4 Ra4+ 68.
Ra4 46. Rg5 Rxa2 47. Rxe5 White has the then the e-pawn is not attacked and Black Kg3 Kh7 69. h4 Kg7 70. f4 Ra3+ 71. Kg4
infamous rook, f-, and -h-pawn versus rook can move her rook. With the king on e5, Ra5
ending. It may not be critical to study the Black can always shuffle her king between
ending (I’ve never reached it in a serious the g7- and h7-squares.
game) but if you know it is drawn with prop-
er play, you know whether to avoid it or run 51. f3 Kh7??
for it! As long as Black does not let her king White now has a straightforward win. The
get pinned to the back-rank she should be last chance to hold was 51. ... Ra2+! 52. Kg3
able to hold. (52. Kg1 Ra1+ stymies White; the pawn has
Belous decided his practical winning not reached a7 yet, so Black’s rook will grab
chances would be greater by keeping the the h-pawn when the king escapes checks)
a-pawn on the board. Given the ultimate Kf6 53. a7 Kg7 54. h4 Kh7
result, it seems he made the right decision.
45. Ra6 Kg7 46. a4 Rf4 47. Ra7+ Kh6 48.

Ra8 Kg7 49. a5 Ra4 50. a6 Here again knowledge of endgame funda-
mentals helps solve a complicated endgame.
72. h5! gxh5+

It is worth mentioning, as so many of my
students fail this test, that 72. ... Rxh5 should
not be met by 73. Rg8+ with a complicated
POSITION AFTER 54. ... Kh7 queen versus rook ending, but with 73. Rb8
which produces a rook against nothing!
White’s king is walled in, and the attempt to
break out comes up short: 55. h5 gxh5 56. 73. Kh4 Kh7 74. f5 Ra4+ 75. Kxh5 Ra5 76.
Kh4 Ra5! with an instant draw, though even Kg4 Ra4+ 77. Kf3 Ra3+ 78. Ke4 Ra4+ 79.
56. ... Ra4+ 57. Kxh5 Ra3 58. Kg5 Kg7 denies Kd3 Ra3+ 80. Kc4 Ra4+ 81. Kb3 Ra6 82.
White’s king a path to cross over. Kb4 Rb6+
Pushing a rook pawn with the rook in After 82. ... Ra1 83. f6+ Kf7 84. Rh8! Black
front is a hit-or-miss strategy. White will 52. a7 Kg7 53. Kf2 Kh7 54. Ke2 Kg7 55. loses her rook.
either reach a lethal zugzwang or hit a wall. Kd2 Kh7 56. Kc2 Kg7 57. Kb2 Ra6 58. Kb3
White has only one other decent pawn Kh7 59. Kb4 Kg7 60. Kb5 Ra2 61. Kb6 83. Ka5, Black resigned.
(on f2) left, so Black has some margin for Rb2+ 62. Kc6 Ra2 63. Kd6 Ra5 64. Ke6 Kh7
error here.
50. ... Ra3

This does not harm anything but Black
could reach a fortress with 50. ... e4. As 51.
Kg3 g5! (51. ... Ra2 also holds) would keep
White’s king walled in, 51. Kf1 is the route
to take. White’s king will escape its prison,
but the necessary zugzwang will elude him.
Play continues 51. ... Ra2 52. Ke1 Kh7 53. a7
(otherwise the king cannot go further) 53.
... Kg7 54. Kd1 Kh7 55. Kc1 Kg7 56. Kb1 Ra4
57. Kb2 Kh7 58. Kb3 Ra1 59. Kb4 Kg7 60. Kc5 Surprisingly the a-pawn wins on its own
Kh7 61. Kd5 Ra4 62. Ke5 Kg7. In this position 64. ... g5 65. Kf5 e4+ 66. Kxe4 after 83. ... Rb1 84. Rb8.

SOLITAIRE CHESS Instruction
10. Nxd7
As expected, knights are traded, though 10.
Nc4 was possibly a little better.**
Alekhine the 10. Par Score 4 Qxd7

Alekhine has a nice position. His advanced
e-pawn gives him more space and some op-
portunities for a kingside attack.
Magician 11. Nd2

White develops, with an eye on the
e-pawn.**
The fourth world champion conjures a 11. Par Score 5 Qe6
fine victory. Black adds some protection to the e4-square,
but a more promising way was 11. ... Qf5,
BY BRUCE PANDOLFINI with greater kingside prospects. Give your-
self 1 bonus point if your realized White was
threatening to win the e-pawn, starting
with 12. Bxf6.
A
12. e3
LEXANDER ALEKHINE This fixes the black e-pawn but spawns light
(1892-1946) was a deadly at- square weaknesses. Alekhine wastes no time
tacking player. Once he got trying to exploit them.**
going, his initiative could be-
come overwhelming. Nonetheless, his open- 12. Par Score 6 h5
ings could be bland and not threatening at Alekhine finally gets going. He plans to open
all. Opponents might get complacent, seem- the h-file. You may accept full credit for
ingly falling asleep at the board. But then, 12. ... 0-0-0 or 12. ... Be5.
just like that, a mental switch was turned on
and Alekhine would shift gears and begin to 13. Qe2
go about mounting an attack. It might seem White connects the rooks. He instead might
innocent at first, but one harmless move have tried 13. Nc4.**
after the other and suddenly the opponent for second-best moves, and there may even
was hit with a surprise finish. Consider this be bonus points — or deductions — for other 13. Par Score 5 h4
1921 game played in Triberg against Alfred moves and variations. Note that ** means The attack proceeds. The h-file is going to be
Brinckmann (White). After an innocuous that Black’s move is on the next line.** opened. You may indeed accept full credit
beginning, with a roughly equal position, for 13. ... 0-0-0.
Alekhine the magician abracadabras his 7. Par Score 4 dxe5
way to a pretty finale. Black avoids a simplifying trade of queens 14. Nc4
and clears the way for the dark-squared It’s natural for White to think of trading off
bishop, but you may accept full credit for some pieces.**
QUEEN’S INDIAN DEFENSE 7. ... Nxe5.
(A47) 14. Par Score 5 Bc5
Alfred Brinckmann 8. 0-0 Black wants to keep the dark-squared bishop,
Alexander Alekhine By castling, White protects the g2-bishop, thinking it might still be useful. Accept full
Triberg, 1921 which means the e5-pawn is now threat- credit for 14. ... Be7.
ened.**
1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 b6 3. g3 Bb7 4. Bg2 d6 5. 15. Rfd1
b3 Nbd7 6. Bb2 e5 7. dxe5 8. Par Score 5 e4 This stops Black from castling queenside,
Black saves the pawn with a threat. Accept while also clearing f1, in case White’s king
(see diagram top of next column) full credit for 8. ... Bd6. needs to run away.**
Now ensure that the position above is set up 9. Ne5 15. Par Score 5 Bd5
on your chessboard. As you play through the White is not averse to trading a few pieces.**
remaining moves in this game, use a piece of A good centralizing move that possibly
paper to cover the article, exposing Black’s 9. Par Score 5 Bd6 threatens to take the knight and enables
next move only after trying to guess it. If Alekhine develops and threatens, while queenside castling.
you guess correctly, give yourself the par readying kingside castling. Accept full credit
score. Sometimes points are also awarded for either 9. ... Nxe5 or 9. ... Bc5. 16. Na3

ABCS OF CHESS PROBLEM 1
Mating net
PROBLEM 2
Mating net
PROBLEM 3
Mating net
THESE PROBLEMS ARE ALL
related to key positions in
this month’s game. In each case,
White is to move. The answers
can be found in Solutions on
page 63.
SEPTEMBER EXERCISE:
There’s a right way to do things,
but there’s also personal style.
Each of us prefers certain types
of positions, opening variations, PROBLEM 4 PROBLEM 5 PROBLEM 6
etc. At the same time, there Mating net Mating net Mating net
are setups and situations liked
by others that we don’t like.
To broaden your overall game,
try to become better aware of
your likes and dislikes. Prepare
yourself to contest reasonable
positions in which you’re un-
comfortable. That way, opening,
middlegame, endgame, you’re
ready no matter what.
White has visions of an attack (Qe2-a6+) if Better to remove the knight with 20. Bxf6.** 25. Qe2
Black plays 16. ... 0-0-0. But it’s not going The queen comes back to where it was,
to work.** 20. Par Score 5 Bxa3 hoping to keep out Black’s queen.**
This trades pieces, but it’s good for Black,
16. Par Score 5 hxg3 since White winds up wasting time with his 25. Par Score 7 Qf3
Alekhine opens the h-file as planned. displaced knight. But no deal! Mate is threatened at g2, and
taking the black queen doesn’t save the
17. hxg3 21. Nxa3 ** day. On 26. Bxf3 exf3, White has no de-
Taking back with the f-pawn isn’t any better. fense against the looming rook check at
It might even be worse. 21. Par Score 6 Ng4 h1. A rather nice conclusion. But you may
As expected, the knight invades. accept full credit for 25. ... Rh1+, which also
17. Par Score 6 a6 forces mate.
For now, this stops queen and knight in- 22. Nc2
vasions so Black can move ahead with his White tries to get his knight back for defense 26. White resigned.
kingside campaign. and attack.**
18. c4 22. Par Score 6 Rh2

TOTAL YOUR SCORE
White pries open the d-file, stopping queen- A rook on the 7th!
TO DETERMINE
side castling. He’s ready to shift his knight
to c2 and then d4. 23. Qd2 YOUR APPROXIMATE
On 23. Nd4, Alekhine had 23. ... Qh5, threat- RATING BELOW:
18. Par Score 5 Bb7 ening 24. ... Rh1+ (1 bonus point).** Total Score Approx. Rating
This is a bit better than 18. ... Bc6 since it 95+ 2400+
secures the a6-pawn, just in case. 23. Par Score 6 Ke7
81-90 2200-2399
Alekhine clears the home rank, preparing
19. Nc2 ** to double on the h-file. 66-80 2000-2199
51-65 1800-1999
19. Par Score 5 Qf5 24. Nb4 36-50 1600-1799
Black gets ready for further kingside oper- With the idea of being able to check on d5.**
21-35 1400-1599
ations. You certainly may accept full credit
for 19. ... Ng4. 24. Par Score 5 Rah8 06-20 1200-1399
The threat is 25. ... Rxg2+, followed by 0-05 under 1200
20. Ba3 26. ... Qf3+ (1 bonus point).

BOOKS AND BEYOND Should I Buy It?
Streamers on the
King’s Pawn, Part III
Wrapping up with Kraai and Rozman
BY IM JOHN WATSON
I N THIS COLUMN I CONCLUDE

my review of the 1. e4 rep-
ertoires on Chessable by IM
Levy Rozman (Gotham Chess
6. Ne5 Nbd7 7. Nc4 Qc7 8. a4 Nb6!?
The alternatives 8. ... g6 and 8. ... Nd5 have
been played with better results.
should have analyzed it. In particular, there
have been hundreds of hard-fought battles
after 9. Ne4 dxe5 10. Bg5 (the rarer 10. dxe5
may well be better) 10. ... Qb4+ 11. c3 Qa5, a
on the web) and GM Jesse Kraai (of Chess 9. Ne5 a5 10. Bf4 Qd8 11. Be2 g6 12. 0-0 position that rewards deep preparation.
Dojo) by looking at their solutions to de- Bg7 13. Qd2 0-0 14. Rad1
fenses other than 1. ... e5 and 1. ... c5. It’s This is the kind of classical development 9. Qh3 h6 10. Nf3
not possible to give a lot of detail here for that serves well for a repertoire. White’s Kraai stops here and says, “It’s a very terrible
reasons of space, but I’ll show a few typical space advantage ensures comfortable play. situation for Black and there is no counter-
variations and then make some general com- play. You will get this position.” Fair enough,
ments on these repertoire courses. Against the Alekhine Defense, 1. e4 Nf6, but in that case, one shouldn’t go in blind.
Against the Scandinavian Defense, 1. e4 d5, Rozman chooses the Four Pawns Attack 2. e5 In practice, for example, even masters have
both Rozman and Kraai opt for main lines: Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4 dxe5. Although failed to find the best moves after 10. ... dxe5,
this is a strong line, well-analyzed, and very when many ideas have been tried, but what
2. exd5 Qxd5 much in line with his tactical proclivities, it is likely the best sequence, 11. dxe5 c5 12.
Here they show ways to get some advantage may not be appropriate for everyone, since Bxh6! c4, is a piece sacrifice that only works
after 2. ... Nf6 3. d4 Nxd5, while Rozman also it requires an awful lot of memorization. out due to 13. Be3! cxb3 14. Ng5 and although
covers 3. ... Bg4. The average player might prefer Kraai’s 2. it’s still messy, the attack should succeed.
e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3, the traditional main
3. Nc3 Qd6 line. Still, like Rozman, Kraai sometimes For the Caro-Kann, 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5, Rozman
The move 3. ... Qd8 is sound and gets con- assumes a high level of skill and/or knowl- and Kraai make choices that are ambitious
siderable analysis from both. edge from his reader. Take, for example, 4. but not too theory-laden. Rozman uses 3.
The old main line is 3. ... Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 ... g6 5. Bc4 Nb6 6. Bb3 Bg7 7. Ng5 e6 8. Qf3. f3, the Fantasy Variation, which has gained
5. Nf3, when Kraai meets 5. ... c6 with acceptance among masters after years as an
6. Bd2 Bf5 7. Bc4 and Rozman gives the most “irregular” line. He backs it up with plenty
attention to 5. ... Bf5, continuing with the of analysis, sufficient to get White to a fully
frequently-played variation 6. Ne5 c6 7. Bc4 playable game with chances for both sides.
e6 8. g4 Bg6 9. h4 Nbd7 10. Nxd7 Nxd7 11. h5 Kraai recommends 3. e5 Bf5 4. h4, which
Be4 12. 0-0 Bd5 13. Nxd5 cxd5 14. Bd3 Bd6 became very popular about a decade ago
15. a4 Qc7 16. Qf3. This is roughly equal; and is currently hotly contested:
arguably White has more long-term chances
due to the bishop pair. You will have to do (see diagram top of next column)
some independent study in this line.
Let’s take a look at his sharp main line:
4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3
Now both authors cover 5. ... a6 well, but 4. ... h5
only Rozman analyses the solid move: 8. ... 0-0 Kraai directs his attention to this and 4. ...
Kraai shows only this defense, but 8. ... Qe7 has h6, which is met by 5. g4! and is the subject of
5. ... c6 been by far the main move over the years, and thousands of games. After 4. ... Qb6, he sug-
His main line continues: the most successful one (even recently), so he gests 5. g4 Bd7 6. c4 and says merely, “White

ChessDojo site. White is intending to go for equal) 10. 0-0 Rc8 (one of several setups)
broke after 9. ... f6 10. c4 fxg5 11. cxd5 cxd5 11. a4 Ng6 12. g3 (12. Ba3 Nf4) 12. ... Qe7
12. Nc3! with a strong attack for the piece, 13 Ba3 Bc5 with equality.
which Kraai analyses in detail. b) Rozman turns to the gambit idea 6.
On the other hand, I notice that in several Bd3 cxd4 7. cxd4 (7. 0-0 dxc3 8. Nxc3
recent games Black has done well with 9. Nge7 is another version of the gambit
... Nd7, a natural developing move Kraai beginning with 5. ... Qb6 6 Bd3 cxd4
doesn’t mention. Then 10. c4 is again critical, 7 0-0; this has been contested quite a
e.g., 10. ... e6 11 Nc3 Be7 or 11. ... dxc4 12. bit, but I think Black’s chances are bet-
Re1 Ne7 13. Ne4 Nd5. These positions are ter without having used a tempo and
messy and unclear. exposed the queen with ... Qd8-b6) 7.
... Qb6 8. 0-0 Nxd4 (the Milner-Barry
is clearly much better.” That is probably true In the French Defense, 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5, Kraai Gambit) 9. Nbd2.
on the super-grandmaster or silicon level, but explains that 3. Nd2 and 3. Nc3 give Black too
White lags in development and I wonder how many options, so he opts for 3. e5, as does
practical it is to play such a position without Rozman. In fact, nine of the 1. e4 repertoire
deeper analysis and a lot of examples. authors in Chessable make the same choice,
although they take varied approaches.
5. Bg5 After 3. ... c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3, for exam-
Kraai’s favorite. Much more popular are 5. c4 ple, Giri, who has the luxury of extra videos
and 5. Bd3. It’s always nice to have options with which to do detailed analysis, picks
if your main line doesn’t work out. well-established main lines with 5. ... Bd7
6. Be2 and 5. ... Qb6 6. a3. But most of the
5. ... Qb6 6. Bd3! others who choose 3. e5, including Rozman POSITION AFTER 9. Nbd2
A fun gambit. This is practically the only and Kraai, recommend one or another of the
move White ever tries. fashionable and aggressive 6. Bd3 gambit Rozman calls 9. Nbd2 the “Smerdon Gambit.”
variations. Here are a few examples: He gives massive analysis; a couple of the sim-
6. ... Qxd4 pler playable lines for Black are 9. ... Nxf3+ 10.
Here 6. ... Bxd3 7. Qxd3 is often played, when 5. ... Qb6 Nxf3 Bb5 11. Be3 Qa6 12. Bxb5+ Qxb5 13. Rc1
the thematic 7. ... Qa6 8. Qh3 e6 is complex, After 5. ... Bd7, the authors go in different Qd7 with equality, and 9. ... Bc5 10. Nxd4 (10.
e.g., 9. Nc3 Nh6 10. Nge2 Nf5. directions: b4 Nxf3+ 11. Nxf3 Qxb4 12. Rb1 Qa4 13. Qxa4
a) Kraai suggests 6. dxc5 Bxc5 7. b4 Bb6 8. Bxa4 14. Rxb7 Ne7) 10. ... Bxd4 11. Qh5 Ne7
7. Nf3 Qg4 b5 Na5 9. Bd3, which is unbalanced, (11. ... Bb5 is also satisfactory) 12. Nf3 Ng6 13.
Black shouldn’t even consider trying to defend e.g., 9. ... Ne7 (or 9. ... Qc7, one dou- Bd2 Rc8. As you might guess, these positions
the position after 7. ... Qxb2 8. Bxf5 Qxa1 9. e6!. ble-edged line going 10. 0-0 Nc4 11. a4 are wide-open for creative play.
Nxe5 12. Bf4 Nxf3+ 13. Qxf3 Qd8 14. Qg3
8. Bxf5 Qxf5 9. 0-0 Nf6!? 15. Qxg7 Rg8 16. Qh6 Ng4 17. Qxh7 6. Bd3 cxd4 7. 0-0
Kraai says that this is well-tested on his Nf6 18. Qh4 Rg4, which is ultimately Introducing the fashionable “Hector Gam-

BOOKS AND BEYOND Should I Buy It? NOW FOR ROOK
ENDINGS
bit.” The traditional 7. cxd4 Bd7 8. 0-0 Nxd4 These solutions to moves other than 1. ... e5
is the Milner-Barry Gambit given above. and 1. ... c5 generally fulfill their purpose
well without being too demanding. In a few
7. ... Bd7 8. Re1 Nge7 9. h4 instances both authors can’t resist commit-
This move, discouraging ... Ne7-g6, has be- ting to entertaining but forcing lines that (continued from page 17)
come the main line and is recommended by aren’t very flexible. In those cases, if Black is
both authors. There is a great deal of theory well-prepared, it’s difficult for White to create Having forced the king away from the pawn,
after 9. Nbd2 Ng6 and I see untrodden paths difficulties without risk. Perhaps that problem White still needs a way to give the king cover
like 9. ... dxc3 10. bxc3 Qc7!? 11. Nb3 Nc8 is simply in the nature of the modern game, from the active black rook. The way to do
with the idea ... Nc8-b6. and still more of an issue with 1. e4. this is by “building a bridge.”
These two Chessable courses are adver-
tised as “recommended for intermediate and 2. Rd4
advanced players.” That seems right, since Here the rook can serve as a shield from
they are too advanced for beginners and checks.
not always well suited for the professional Trying to win straightforwardly with 2.
player. I think that players in the 2000-2400 Kc7 fails as the rook can check the king in-
range could find much of the analysis useful, definitely, i.e., 2. ... Rc2+ 3. Kb6 Rb2+ 4. Kc6
however, with the proviso that they will only Rc2+ 5. Kb5 Rb2+ and the king cannot sepa-
want to use selected lines and have alter- rate from the pawn. (Note that the black rook
natives so as not to become an easy target. is more than three squares / ranks from the
Chessable products can be purchased with white king!) If this happens in your game,
or without the full-length video. If you buy don’t worry: you can always go back to b8
the MoveTrainer course with the free video, and restart the winning method!
9. ... h6 which is much shorter than the full-length
Both sides have useful slow moves, includ- version, you still get all the moves in the rep- 2. ... Ra1
ing 9. ... Rc8. ertoire with exercises and sample games, but If Black attacks the rook with 2. ... Ke5
After 9. ... a6, Rozman gives (a) 10. Nbd2 only a very limited amount of direct guidance White can play 3. Rc4 and grab control of
dxc3 11. bxc3 Ng6 12. Nb3 Qc7 13. Qe2 f6 and explanation from the instructor. the c-file.
14. exf6 gxf6 15. c4 0-0-0 16. cxd5 exd5 17. This saves money, and it’s all you might
Be3, although this is only equal after 17. ... need if your main purpose is to see what
Nf4 (or 17. ... Rg8) 18. Bxf4 Qxf4 19. Bxa6 moves are recommended. For these two
Rg8, when 20. Bxb7+ Kxb7 21. Qb5+ Kc7 22. courses, however, the full-length videos
Nbd4 Rxg2+ leads to a draw. The other main have a great deal to offer. Seeing all of these
move (b) 10. h5 might even be met by 10. complex lines played out on the screen
... g6!, e.g., 11. Nbd2 gxh5 12. Nb3 dxc3 13. makes them easier to understand and learn.
bxc3 Ng6 14. Rb1 Qc7 15. Nbd4 h4 16. Nxc6 Both presenters take a great deal of time
Bxc6 17. Nd4 Bd7 with equality or 17. ... Rg8. explaining weaker alternatives and Rozman
emphasizes which parts need to be memo-
10. h5 Rc8 rized, with useful recaps. His pace can be
Another of Rozman’s main lines here is 10. rather frenetic, because he wants to leave
... a6 11. a3 Rc8 12. b4 dxc3 13. Nxc3 Nxb4 no stone unturned. POSITION AFTER 3. Rc4
14. Na4 Bxa4 15. Qxa4+ Nbc6 16. Rb1, and By contrast, Kraai presents the concrete
here instead of 16. ... Qa5?!, Black can try continuations more slowly and in somewhat The winning method now is 3. ... Kd5
the solid 16. ... Qc7! 17. Bd2 Qd7. less detail, but also discusses the reasoning 4. Rc1 Rf2 5. Ra1! taking control of the
behind the moves as they’re presented, a-file. The king will go to a8 and the pawn
11. Nbd2 with an emphasis on pawn structure. He will promote.
The alternative 11. Na3 a6 12. Nc2 dxc3 13. is more concerned with giving the reader
bxc3 Na5 14. Be3 Qc7 15. Rb1 looks great after a grasp upon the position than covering all 3. Kc7 Rc1+ 4. Kb6 Rb1+ 5. Kc6 Rc1+
15. ... b5? 16. a4! (Rozman), but Black can get the bases. Both courses can teach the devel- Or 5. ... Ke5 6. Rd5+ Ke4 7. Rb5.
satisfactory play with 15. ... Ba4! 16. Nfd4 Nc4, oping player a great deal, while providing
or even the greedy 16. ... Qxc3 17. Qe2 Bxc2. some serious weapons for practical use. 6. Kb5 Rb1+ 7. Rb4
The bridge is built, and the rook blocks the
11. ... dxc3 12. bxc3 Na5 13. Rb1 Qc7 14. Kraai, Jesse. ChessDojo’s 1. e4 Repertoire for checks. Promotion cannot be stopped.
Ba3 Qxc3 15. Nb3 Nxb3 16. Rxb3 Qa5 White. 24,167 words, 250 variations. 9:02
We have reached a position that has arisen paid video, 1:07 free video. Available from One benefit to knowing these theoretical
several times: Rozman gives 17. Qb1 (17. Chessable.com. positions is that it assists with your decision
Qa1 Nc6 18. Bxf8 Rxf8! 19. Rxb7 Nb4 20. Qd4 making, as you will begin to recognize which
Nxd3 21. Qxd3 Rc3 22. Qb1 Ke7 is equal) 17. Rozman, Levy. The GothamChess 1. e4 Reper- positions to avoid and which to strive for.
... Rc3 18. Rxc3 Qxc3 19. Qxb7 Qxd3 20. Rc1 toire. 175,812 words. 1085 trainable variations. We’ll continue with more rook and pawn
Nc6 21. Rxc6 Bxa3 22. Rc8+ Bxc8 23. Qxc8+ 17:12 paid video, 2:03 free video. Available versus rook positions next month. In the
Ke7 24. Qc7+ Ke8 with equality. from Chessable.com. meantime, practice what you have learned!

September 2023 PUZZLES
BY FM CARSTEN HANSEN Try first to solve the puzzle before reading the text at the bottom
of the page. If unsuccessful, play through the solution, but return to
THIS MONTH’S PUZZLES ARE TAKEN FROM VARIOUS ONLINE the puzzle in one or two weeks to see if you can now solve it. That way
and over-the-board events in July 2023. you gradually expand your tactical vision, and it will be more likely
The puzzles start from easy and gradually move toward being that you will spot tactics as they occur in your own games. Whatever
difficult. It is worth noting that “easy” is a relative term. If you are you do, do not use an engine to solve the puzzles. You will only cheat
new to the game, the easy ones can also represent a challenge. yourself out of improving your game. Solutions are on page 63.
TACTIC 1. TACTIC 2. TACTIC 3.
WHITE TO MOVE WHITE TO MOVE WHITE TO MOVE
BLACK TO MOVE WHITE TO MOVE WHITE TO MOVE
WHITE TO MOVE BLACK TO MOVE WHITE TO MOVE
Position 1: NO ROOM TO ESCAPE Position 4: TRAPPED MAJESTY Position 7: DIRECT, THREAT-BY-THREAT

Position 2: BREAK THAT WALL Position 5: BRUTE FORCE Position 8: OPEN FILES
Position 3: HER MAJESTY IN PERIL Position 6: PRECISE MOBILIZATION Position 9: OBVIOUS START, AND THEN?

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OCTOBER 6-8, 2023, NEVADA
Event site: Circus Circus Reno Hotel Casino Address:
500 N. Sierra Street, Reno, NV 89503 Overall prize
fund: $27,500 GP Points: 150 FIDE Rated: Y Hand-
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT • GRAND PRIX fund: $3,750 GP Points: 30 FIDE Rated: N Handicap icap accessible: Y Residency restriction: N Orga-
GRAND PRIX • STATE CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT accessible: Y Residency restriction: N Organizer: nizer: Jerome V. Weikel Email: wackyykl@aol.com
• ENHANCED GRAND PRIX
2023 Peter P. Lahde Tennessee Open Christina Schweiss Email: cschweiss2@gmail.com Phone: 775-747-1405 Website: http://www.renoch-
2023 U.S. Class Championship Phone: 757-535-3880 Website: https://hrchessclub. ess.org TLA ID: 38535
SEPTEMBER 15-17, 2023, TENNESSEE
SEPTEMBER 22-24, 2023, CALIFORNIA, Event site: UTK Student Union Address: 1502 Cum- org/ TLA ID: 39213
SOUTHERN berland Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37996 Overall prize GRAND PRIX • ENHANCED GRAND PRIX •
Event site: Sonesta LAX Address: 5985 W Century fund: $4,000 GP Points: 15 FIDE Rated: N Handicap GRAND PRIX JUNIOR GRAND PRIX
Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90045 Overall prize fund: accessible: Y Residency restriction: N Organizer:
$25,100 b/297 GP Points: 80 FIDE Rated: Y Handicap CFCC 2023 Autumn Open & Scholastic 12th annual Hartford Open
Danny Mullinax Email: dcmullinax@gmail.com Phone: SEPTEMBER 29-OCTOBER 1, 2023, FLORIDA OCTOBER 6-8, 2023, CONNECTICUT
accessible: N Residency restriction: N Organizer: 8652929701 Website: https://tnchess.us TLA ID: 38862
BayAreaChess Email: events@bayareachess.com Event site: Holiday Inn at Lake Buena Vista Address: Event site: Sheraton Hartford Hotel at Bradley Air-
Phone: 408.409.6596 (voicemail/text only) Website: 13351 State Road 535 Orlando, FL 32821 Overall port Address: 1 Bradley Airport (visible at airport en-
GRAND PRIX • STATE CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT prize fund: $9,000 GP Points: 50 FIDE Rated: Y trance), Windsor Locks CT 06096 Overall prize fund:
http://bayareachess.com/usclass TLA ID: 38947
2023 PA State Game/60 Championship Handicap accessible: Y Residency restriction: $10,000 GP Points: 60 FIDE Rated: Y Handicap
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT • HERITAGE SEPTEMBER 15-17, 2023, PENNSYLVANIA N Organizer: Larry Storch Email: larrystorch88@ accessible: Y Residency restriction: N Organiz-
EVENT Event site: William Pitt Union, Univ. of Pittsburgh Ad- gmail.com Phone: 407-312-6237 Website: https:// er: Continental Chess Association Email: director@
dress: 5th Ave. & Bigelow Blvd., Pittsburgh PA 15213 www.centralflchess.org TLA ID: 38641 chess.us Phone: director@chess.us Website: http://
2023 U.S. Armed Forces Open Chess Overall prize fund: $695 GP Points: 6 FIDE Rated: www.chessevents.us TLA ID: 38519
Championship N Handicap accessible: Y Residency restriction: N GRAND PRIX
OCTOBER 7-9, 2023,VIRGINIA Organizer: Tom Martinak Email: martinak_tom_m@ HERITAGE EVENT • GRAND PRIX • ENHANCED
5th Annual LVCA Ruben Shocron
Event site: Washington Dulles Airport Marriott Ad- hotmail.com Phone: 412-908-0286 Website: http:// Memorial $1050 Gtd. (2 Sections) GRAND PRIX • JUNIOR GRAND PRIX
dress: 45020 Aviation Dr., Dulles, VA 20166 Overall www.pscfchess.org/clearinghouse/ TLA ID: 38401 31st annual Midwest Class
prize fund: Trophies GP Points: n/a FIDE Rated: Y SEPTEMBER 30, 2023, PENNSYLVANIA
Event site: College Hill Moravian Church Address: Championships
Handicap accessible: N Residency restriction: N GRAND PRIX • ENHANCED GRAND PRIX
Organizer: John F. Farrell, USMC (Ret.) Email: john.f. 72 W. Laurel St, Bethlehem, PA 18018 Overall prize OCTOBER 6-8, 2023, ILLINOIS
farrell1@usmc.mil Phone: n/a Website: http:\\ Columbia Tunnelvision XII fund: $1,050 GP Points: 15 FIDE Rated: N Handicap Event site: Westin Chicago North Shore Hotel
www.vachess.org TLA ID: 39368 SEPTEMBER 16, 2023, SOUTH CAROLINA accessible: Y Residency restriction: N Organizer: Address: 601 North Milwaukee Ave., Wheeling, IL
Event site: First Church of the Nazarene Address: Bruce R Davis Sr Email: bdavis@lehighvalleychess- 60090 Overall prize fund: $20,000 GP Points: 120
901 St Andrews Rd, Columbia, SC 29210 Overall club.org Phone: 4848663045 Website: http://www. FIDE Rated: Y Handicap accessible: Y Residen-
Grand Prix
The Grand Prix continues in 2023. For information vis-
prize fund: $1,000 gtd GP Points: 10 FIDE Rated:
N Handicap accessible: Y Residency restriction:
N Organizer: Columbia Chess Club Email: info@
columbiachess.org Phone: 8035690938 Website:
lehighvalleychessclub.org/ TLA ID: 38850
GRAND PRIX • ENHANCED GRAND PRIX •

JUNIOR GRAND PRIX
cy restriction: N Organizer: Continental Chess
Association Email: director@chess.us Phone:
director@chess.us Website: http://www.chessev-
ents.us TLA ID: 38522
it new.uschess.org/us-chess-grand-prix-program https://columbiatunnelvision.com TLA ID: 38151 2023 Skyline Open
GRAND PRIX • ENHANCED GRAND PRIX
OCTOBER 5-9, 2023, VIRGINIA
GRAND PRIX GRAND PRIX • ENHANCED GRAND PRIX • Event site: Washington Dulles Airport Marriott Ad- 9th annual Midwest Class Blitz
Charm City Chess Club 2023 Fall JUNIOR GRAND PRIX dress: 45020 Aviation Dr., Dulles, VA 20166 Overall OCTOBER 7, 2023, ILLINOIS
Action Tournament 9th annual Central New York Open prize fund: $12,500 GP Points: 120 FIDE Rated: Y Event site: Westin Chicago North Shore Hotel Ad-
SEPTEMBER 10, 2023, MARYLAND SEPTEMBER 22-24, 2023, NEW YORK Handicap accessible: Y Residency restriction: N dress: 601 North Milwaukee Ave., Wheeling, IL 60090
Event site: The DoubleTree Hilton Hotel Address: 4 W Event site: Quality Inn & Suites Fairgrounds Ad- Organizer: Anand Dommalapati Email: bso2023@ Overall prize fund: $500 GP Points: 10 FIDE Rated:
University Parkway, Baltimore, MD 21218 Overall prize dress: 100 Farrell Road, Syracuse, NY 13209 Overall capitalareachess.com Phone: 7036275314 Web- N Handicap accessible: Y Residency restriction: N
site: https://www.capitalareachess.com/Skyline- Organizer: Continental Chess Association Email: di-
Open TLA ID: 38992 rector@chess.us Phone: director@chess.us Website:
http://www.chessevents.us TLA ID: 39350
PLEASE NOTE
HERITAGE EVENT • STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
EVENT • GRAND PRIX GRAND PRIX • ENHANCED GRAND PRIX
84th Klaus Pohl Memorial South Gulf Coast October Open, A National
Carolina State Championships 2023 Chess Day Event
DEADLINE FOR PRINT TLA SUBMISSIONS OCTOBER 6-8, 2023, SOUTH CAROLINA OCTOBER 13-15, 2023, FLORIDA
Event site: Hilton Garden Inn Columbia/Harbison Ad- Event site: Embassy Suites Hotel Address: 10450
dress: 434 Columbiana Dr., Columbia, SC 29212 Over- Corkscrew Commons Drive, Estero, FL 33928 Over-
TLAs appearing in Chess Life must be uploaded online all prize fund: see TLA GP Points: 6 FIDE Rated: N
Handicap accessible: Y Residency restriction: N Or-
all prize fund: $8,500 GP Points: 40 FIDE Rated:
Y Handicap accessible: Y Residency restriction:
on the 10th, two months prior to the issue cover date ganizer: Ernest E. Nix, Jr. Email: eenixjr@yahoo.com N Organizer: Jon Haskel Email: jon@bocachess.
Phone: 864-905-2406 Website: https://www.scchess. com Phone: 561-302-4377 Website: http://www.bo-
in which the ad is to appear. (For example, October org/ TLA ID: 39249 cachess.com TLA ID: 39333
TLAs must be uploaded no later than August 10th.) TLAs GRAND PRIX • ENHANCED GRAND PRIX GRAND PRIX • ENHANCED GRAND PRIX
uploaded past this deadline cannot be published without Harold Steen Memorial Columbia Tunnelvision XIII
OCTOBER 6-8, 2023, MICHIGAN OCTOBER 14, 2023, SOUTH CAROLINA
special approval by US Chess. Event site: Crowne Plaza Address: 1500 N. Opdyke Rd., Event site: First Church of the Nazarene Address:
Auburn Hills, MI 48326 Overall prize fund: $6,000 - 2/3 901 St Andrews Rd, Columbia, SC 29210 Overall
gtd. GP Points: 20 FIDE Rated: Y Handicap accessible: prize fund: $1,000 GP Points: 10 FIDE Rated: N

Handicap accessible: Y Residency restriction: OCTOBER 21, 2023, PENNSYLVANIA GRAND PRIX GRAND PRIX • ENHANCED GRAND PRIX
N Organizer: Columbia Chess Club Email: info@ Event site: William Pitt Union, Univ. of Pittsburgh Ad-
columbiachess.org Phone: 8035690938 Web- dress: 5th Ave. & Bigelow Blvd., Pittsburgh, PA 15213 2023 Dan Marble Memorial Columbia Tunnelvision XIV
site: https://columbiatunnelvision.com/tunnelvi- Overall prize fund: $690 GP Points: 6 FIDE Rated: N NOVEMBER 10-12, 2023, CALIFORNIA, NOVEMBER 18, 2023, SOUTH CAROLINA
sion-xiii-oct2023 TLA ID: 39263 Handicap accessible: Y Residency restriction: N Or- SOUTHERN Event site: First Church of the Nazarene Address:
ganizer: Tom Martinak Email: dmartinak_tom_m@ Event site: Bakersfield Racquet Club Address: 1660 Pine 901 St Andrews Rd, Columbia, SC 29210 Overall
GRAND PRIX • STATE CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT hotmail.com Phone: 412-908-0286 Website: http:// St, Bakersfield, CA 93301Overall prize fund: $5,000 GP prize fund: $1,000 gtd GP Points: 10 FIDE Rated:
www.pscfchess.org/clearinghouse/ TLA ID: 39230 Points: 30 FIDE Rated: Y Handicap accessible: Y Res- N Handicap accessible: Y Residency restriction:
2023 Illinois Quick Chess Championship idency restriction: N Organizer: John Marble Email: N Organizer: Columbia Chess Club Email: info@
OCTOBER 14, 2023, ILLINOIS marblus@pacbell.net Phone: 661-421-8568 Website: columbiachess.org Phone: 8035690938 Web-
Event site: Joliet Junior College Address: 1215 HERITAGE EVENT • AMERICAN CLASSIC • GRAND
PRIX • ENHANCED GRAND PRIX • JUNIOR http://dmmchessopen.com TLA ID: 39546 site: https://columbiatunnelvision.com/tunnelvi-
Houbolt Rd, Building J lower floor, Joliet, IL 60431 sion-xiv-nov-2023 TLA ID: 39264
Overall prize fund: $2,000 b/100 pd entries GP GRAND PRIX
HERITAGE EVENT • GRAND PRIX • ENHANCED
Points: 6 FIDE Rated: N Handicap accessible: 27th annual Eastern Chess Congress GRAND PRIX • JUNIOR GRAND PRIX HERITAGE EVENT • AMERICAN CLASSIC • GRAND
Y Residency restriction: N Organizer: Joshua OCTOBER 27-29, 2023, NEW JERSEY
32nd annual Kings Island Open PRIX • ENHANCED GRAND PRIX
Flores Email: squarehopper@gmail.com Phone: Event site: Westin Princeton at Forrestal Village Ad-
8156505960 Website: https://www.facebook.com/ dress: 201 Village Blvd, Princeton, NJ 08540 Overall NOVEMBER 10-12, 2023, OHIO 58th American Open
groups/squarehopperchessevents/TLA ID: 39332 prize fund: $25,000 GP Points: 150 FIDE Rated: Y Event site: Embassy Suites Cincinnati NE Address: NOVEMBER 21-26, 2023, CALIFORNIA, S.
Handicap accessible: Y Residency restriction: N 4554 Lake Forest Dr, Blue Ash OH 45242 Overall Event site: Hyatt Regency Orange County Address:
GRAND PRIX • ENHANCED GRAND PRIX • Organizer: Continental Chess Association Email: prize fund: $25,000 GP Points: 150 FIDE Rated: Y 11999 Harbor Boulevard, Garden Grove, CA 92840 Over-
JUNIOR GRAND PRIX director@chess.us Phone: director@chess.us Web- Handicap accessible: Y Residency restriction: N all prize fund: See TLA GP Points: 150 FIDE Rated: Y
13th annual Washington Chess site: http://www.chessevents.us TLA ID: 38532 Organizer: Continental Chess Association Email: Handicap accessible: Y Residency restriction: N Or-
Congress director@chess.us Phone: director@chess.us Web- ganizer: ChessPalace Email: play@americanopen.org
GRAND PRIX • ENHANCED GRAND PRIX site: http://www.chessevents.us TLA ID: 38563 Phone: 714-643-8828 Website: https://americanopen.
OCTOBER 20-22, 2023, VIRGINIA org/ TLA ID: 38900
Event site: Sheraton Reston Hotel Address: 11810 10th annual Eastern Chess Congress
Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston VA 20191 Overall prize GRAND PRIX • STATE CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT
Blitz HERITAGE EVENT • AMERICAN CLASSIC • GRAND
fund: $20,000 GP Points: 120 FIDE Rated: Y Hand- 2023 PA State Game/15 Championship
OCTOBER 28, 2023, NEW JERSEY PRIX • ENHANCED GRAND PRIX • JUNIOR
icap accessible: Y Residency restriction: N Orga- NOVEMBER 11, 2023, PENNSYLVANIA
Event site: Westin Princeton at Forrestal Village Ad- GRAND PRIX
nizer: Continental Chess Association Email: direc- Event site: William Pitt Union, Univ. of Pittsburgh Ad-
dress: 201 Village Blvd, Princeton, NJ 08540 Over-
tor@chess.us Phone: director@chess.us Website: dress: 5th Ave. & Bigelow Blvd., Pittsburgh PA 15213 54th annual National Chess Congress
all prize fund: $500 GP Points: 10 FIDE Rated: N
http://www.chessevents.us TLA ID: 38550 Overall prize fund: $690 GP Points: 6 FIDE Rated: NOVEMBER 24-26, 2023, PHILADELPHIA
Handicap accessible: Y Residency restriction: N
Organizer: Continental Chess Association Email: N Handicap accessible: Y Residency restriction: N Event site: Loews Hotel Address: 1200 Market St,
GRAND PRIX • ENHANCED GRAND PRIX director@chess.us Phone: director@chess.us Web- Organizer: Tom Martinak Email: martinak_tom_m@ Philadelphia PA 19107 Overall prize fund: $45,000
8th annual Washington Chess site: http://www.chessevents.us TLA ID: 39378 hotmail.com Phone: 412-908-0286 Website: http:// GP Points: 200 FIDE Rated: Y Handicap accessible:
Congress Blitz www.pscfchess.org/clearinghouse/ TLA ID: 39231 Y Residency restriction: N Organizer: Continental
OCTOBER 21, 2023, VIRGINIA GRAND PRIX • ENHANCED GRAND PRIX • Chess Association Email: director@chess.us Phone:
Event site: Sheraton Reston Hotel Address: 11810 JUNIOR GRAND PRIX GRAND PRIX director@chess.us Website: http://www.chessevents.
Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston VA 20191 Overall prize us TLA ID: 38941
18th annual Los Angeles Open Turkey Shoot
fund: $500 GP Points: 10 FIDE Rated: Y Handicap
accessible: Y Residency restriction: N Organiz- NOVEMBER 3-5, 2023, CALIFORNIA, NOVEMBER 17-19, 2023, TEXAS GRAND PRIX • ENHANCED GRAND PRIX
er: Continental Chess Association Email: director@ SOUTHERN Event site: La Quinta by Wyndham San Antonio
Event site: Hilton Orange County Airport Address: Riverwalk Address: 303 Blum Street, San Antonio, Columbia Tunnelvision XV
chess.us Phone: director@chess.us Website: http://
www.chessevents.us TLA ID: 39362 18800 Macarthur Blvd, Irvine CA 92612 Overall prize TX 78205 Overall prize fund: $5,200 GP Points: 30 DECEMBER 16, 2023, SOUTH CAROLINA
fund: $20,000 GP Points: 120 FIDE Rated: Y Hand- FIDE Rated: Y Handicap accessible: N Residency Event site: First Church of the Nazarene Address:
icap accessible: Y Residency restriction: N Orga- restriction: N Organizer: Jesse Lozano Email: 901 St Andrews Rd, Columbia, SC 29210 Overall
GRAND PRIX • STATE CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT
nizer: Continental Chess Association Email: direc- CompleteChess@gmail.com Phone: (210) 393-3056 prize fund: $1,000 GP Points: 10 FIDE Rated: N
2023 PA State Action Chess tor@chess.us Phone: director@chess.us Website: Website: https://completechesseducation.com/ Handicap accessible: Y Residency restriction:
Championship http://www.chessevents.us TLA ID: 38547 event/turkey-shoot-2023/ TLA ID: 39443 N Organizer: Columbia Chess Club Email: info@
Continental Chess OTB Tournament Schedule

See www.chessevents.us for details, possible changes, other events
CENTRAL NEW YORK OPEN, Sept LOS ANGELES OPEN, Nov 3-5,
22-24, Quality Inn Fairgrounds, Hilton Orange County Airport, Irvine.
Syracuse. $5,000 guaranteed prizes. $20,000 guaranteed prizes.
MIDWEST CLASS, Oct 6-8, Westin KINGS ISLAND OPEN, Nov 10-
Chicago North Shore Hotel. $20,000 12, Embassy Suites Cincinnati
guaranteed prizes. Northeast, Blue Ash, Ohio. $25,000
guaranteed prizes.
HARTFORD OPEN, Oct 6-8,
Sheraton Hartford Hotel at Bradley NATIONAL CHESS CONGRESS,
Airport. $10,000 guaranteed prizes. Nov 24-26, Loews Philadelphia. 6
rounds, $45,000 guaranteed.
WASHINGTON CHESS CONGRESS,
Oct 20-22, Sheraton Reston Hotel, near EASTERN OPEN, Dec 26-29,
Washington, DC. $20,000 guaranteed Hyatt Regency Crystal City, near
prizes. DC. 8 rounds, $30,000 guaranteed.
EASTERN CHESS CONGRESS, Oct NORTH AMERICAN OPEN, Dec

27-29, Westin at Forrestal Village, 26-30, Horseshoe Las Vegas. Open
Princeton, NJ. $25,000 guaranteed 9 rounds, others 7 rounds. $130,000
prizes. guaranteed prizes, norms possible.

TOURNAMENT LIFE See Previous Issue for TLAs appearing September 1-14
GRAND PRIX • ENHANCED GRAND PRIX • 2023 Skyline Open (VA)

For complete details on individual events, please visit JUNIOR GRAND PRIX See Grand Prix.
new.uschess.org/node/[TLA ID]. You will find the event’s unique 15th annual Golden State Open
five-digit TLA ID at the end of each TLA. JANUARY 12-15, 2024, CALIFORNIA,
NORTHERN ARIZONA
Event site: Embassy Suites San Rafael Marin County OCTOBER 5-9, 2023
Address: 101 McInnis Pkwy, San Rafael CA 94903 2023 Skyline Open (VA)
columbiachess.org Phone: 8035690938 Web- 714 925 3195 Website: http://hanleychessacademy. Overall prize fund: $25,000 GP Points: 150 FIDE See Grand Prix
site: https://columbiatunnelvision.com/tunnelvi- com/2023WCF.html TLA ID: 38682 Rated: Y Handicap accessible: Y Residency restric-
sion-xv-dec-2023 TLA ID: 39265 tion: N Organizer: Continental Chess Association NOVEMBER 3-5, 2023
HERITAGE EVENT • GRAND PRIX • ENHANCED Email: director@chess.us Phone: director@chess.us
GRAND PRIX Website: http://www.chessevents.us TLA ID: 39226 18th annual Los Angeles Open (CA-S)
HERITAGE EVENT • AMERICAN CLASSIC • GRAND
See Grand Prix or chessevents.us.
PRIX • ENHANCED GRAND PRIX • JUNIOR 32nd annual North American Blitz
GRAND PRIX
33rd annual North American Open
DECEMBER 26-30, 2023, NEVADA
Event site: Horseshoe Casino Resort (formerly Bally’s)
DECEMBER 29, 2023, NEVADA
Event site: Horseshoe Casino Resort (formerly Bally’s)
Address: 3645 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Las Vegas, NV 89103
Overall prize fund: $3,000 GP Points: 30 FIDE Rated:
Regional NOVEMBER 21-26, 2023
58th American Open (CA-S)
See Grand Prix.
Address: 3645 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Las Vegas, NV 89103 Y Handicap accessible: Y Residency restriction: N
DECEMBER 26-30, 2023
Overall prize fund: $130,000 GP Points: 300 FIDE Organizer: Continental Chess Association Email: di-
rector@chess.us Phone: director@chess.us Website:
ALABAMA 33rd annual North American Open (NV)
Rated: Y Handicap accessible: Y Residency restric- OCTOBER 5-9, 2023 See Grand Prix or chessevents.us.
tion: N Organizer: Continental Chess Association
http://www.chessevents.us TLA ID: 39363
2023 Skyline Open (VA)
Email: director@chess.us Phone: director@chess.us DECEMBER 29, 2023
GRAND PRIX • ENHANCED GRAND PRIX • See Grand Prix.
Website: http://www.chessevents.us TLA ID: 38602
JUNIOR GRAND PRIX 32nd annual North American Blitz (NV)
12th annual Boston Chess Congress See Grand Prix or chessevents.us.
HERITAGE EVENT • GRAND PRIX • ENHANCED
GRAND PRIX • JUNIOR GRAND PRIX JANUARY 5-7, 2024, MASSACHUSETTS
ALASKA
OCTOBER 5-9, 2023 JANUARY 12-15, 2024
48th annual Eastern Open Event site: Hyatt Regency Boston Harbor Address:
101 Harborside Dr, Boston MA 02128 Overall prize 2023 Skyline Open (VA) 15th annual Golden State Open (CA-N)
DECEMBER 26-29, 2023, NEVADA fund: $12,000 GP Points: 80 FIDE Rated: Y Handicap See Grand Prix. See Grand Prix or chessevents.us.
Event site: Hyatt Regency Crystal City Address: 2799 accessible: Y Residency restriction: N Organizer:
Richmond Highway, Arlington, VA 22202 Overall prize Continental Chess Association Email: director@chess. OCTOBER 14, 2023
fund: $30,000 GP Points: 150 FIDE Rated: Y Handicap
accessible: Y Residency restriction: N Organizer:
us Phone: director@chess.us Website: http://www. Fairbanks National Chess Day ARKANSAS
chessevents.us TLA ID: 39219 Tournament OCTOBER 5-9, 2023
Continental Chess Association Email: director@chess.
Event site: University of Alaska, Wood Center, Carol
us Phone: director@chess.us Website: http://www. HERITAGE EVENT • AMERICAN CLASSIC • GRAND 2023 Skyline Open (VA)
Brown Ballroom Address: 1731 S Chandalar, Fair-
chessevents.us TLA ID: 39208 PRIX • ENHANCED GRAND PRIX • JUNIOR See Grand Prix.
banks, AK 99709 Overall prize fund: n/a GP Points:
GRAND PRIX n/a FIDE Rated: N Handicap accessible: Y Residen-
GRAND PRIX • JUNIOR GRAND PRIX cy restriction: N Organizer: Fairbanks Chess Club
56th annual Liberty Bell Open CALIFORNIA
2023 World Chess Festival Email: fairbankschessclub@gmail.com Phone: fair-
JANUARY 12-15, 2024, PHILADELPHIA bankschessclub@gmail.com Website: https://www.
DECEMBER 28-31, 2023, HAWAII Event site: Sonesta Hotel Address: 1800 Market St, Phil- SEPTEMBER 19, 2021-ONGOING
facebook.com/ChessFairbanks/ TLA ID: 39675
Event site: Neal Blaisdell Center Address: 777 Ward adelphia 19103 Overall prize fund: $25,000 GP Points: PCC LBX Hangar Sunday Action
Avenue, Honolulu, HI 90630 Overall prize fund: $5,000 150 FIDE Rated: Y Handicap accessible: Y Residency Event site: LBX Hangar Building (inside and out) Ad-
GP Points: 30 FIDE Rated: Y Handicap accessible: restriction: N Organizer: Continental Chess Associa- dress: 4150 McGowen St, Long Beach CA 90808 Over-
Y Residency restriction: N Organizer: Joe Hanley tion Email: director@chess.us Phone: director@chess. AMERICAN SAMOA all prize fund: 80% of total entry fee GP Points: n/a
Email: hanleychessacademy@gmail.com Phone: us Website: http://www.chessevents.us TLA ID: 39349 OCTOBER 5-9, 2023 FIDE Rated: N Handicap accessible: Y Residency

restriction: N Organizer: John Tan Email: para- 1455 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 1125, Washing-
mountchessclub@gmail.com Phone: 3107356871 ton, DC 20004 Overall prize fund: TBD GP Points: ILLINOIS LOUISIANA
Website: n/a TLA ID: 31701 n/a FIDE Rated: N Handicap accessible: N Resi- OCTOBER 5-9, 2023 OCTOBER 5-9, 2023
dency restriction: N Organizer: Malik F. Johnson 2023 Skyline Open (VA) 2023 Skyline Open (VA)
OCTOBER 5-9, 2023 Email: iconchess@aol.com Phone: 2025578266 See Grand Prix.
See Grand Prix.
2023 Skyline Open (VA) Website: https://caissachess.net/online-registra-
See Grand Prix. tion/index/2858 TLA ID: 38863 OCTOBER 6-8, 2023
Harold Steen Memorial (MI) MAINE
OCTOBER 28, 2023 OCTOBER 5-9, 2023
See Grand Prix. OCTOBER 5-9, 2023
9th Annual USC Invitational Chess 2023 Skyline Open (VA) 2023 Skyline Open (VA)
Tournament See Grand Prix. OCTOBER 6-8, 2023 See Grand Prix.
Event site: University of Southern California, Mi-
chelson Center 101 & 102 Address: 1002 Childs Way, 31st annual Midwest Class
Los Angeles , CA 90089 Overall prize fund: 70% of FLORIDA Championships (IL)
collected GP Points: n/a FIDE Rated: N Handicap See Grand Prix or chessevents.us. MARYLAND
accessible: Y Residency restriction: N Organizer: OCTOBER 5-9, 2023 MARYLAND CHESS TOURNAMENTS (NORTH
Ben Eubanks Email: ben.eubanks@alumni.usc.edu 2023 Skyline Open (VA) OCTOBER 7, 2023 PENN CHESS CLUB)
Phone: (310) 968-4459 Website: n/a TLA ID: 39206 See Grand Prix. 9th annual Midwest Class Blitz (IL) Maryland Chess runs 21+ annual K-12 tournaments
every other Saturday from September through June
NOVEMBER 3-5, 2023 OCTOBER 14, 2023 & 12+ annual 1-day or multi-day open tournaments
18th annual Los Angeles Open (CA-S) for adults & K-12 players on weekends. See www.MD-
2023 FSCL National Chess Day OCTOBER 13-15, 2023 Chess.org for tournament announcements, registra-
See Grand Prix or chessevents.us. Event site: Hialeah Gardens High School Address: Gulf Coast October Open, A National tion for tournaments, updated wallcharts, live stand-
11700 Hialeah Gardens Blvd, Hialeah Gardens, FL Chess Day Event (FL) ings, signup for K-12 & open e-newsletters, lists of
NOVEMBER 10-12, 2023 33018 Overall prize fund: n/a GP Points: n/a FIDE coaches & clubs, camp announcements, & news. K-12
See Grand Prix.
2023 Dan Marble Memorial (CA-S) Rated: N Handicap accessible: N Residency re- MD players who compete in the Varsity section (for
See Grand Prix. striction: N Organizer: Florida Scholastic Chess NOVEMBER 10-12, 2023 players rated 1600+) of 1 of 8+ annual MD-Sweet-16
League (FSCL) Email: tejada@fsclchess.org Phone: Qualifiers can qualify for the $48,000+ scholarship to
NOVEMBER 21-26, 2023 786 755 3725 Website: https://www.fsclchess.org
32nd annual Kings Island Open (OH) the University of Maryland, Baltimore County award-
See Grand Prix or chessevents.us. ed annually. UMBC is a perennial top-10 contender for
58th American Open (CA-S) TLA ID: 39366
See Grand Prix. the collegiate national chess championship.
DECEMBER 29, 2023 GEORGIA 33rd annual North American Open SEPTEMBER 10, 2023
32nd annual North American Blitz (NV) (NV) Charm City Chess Club 2023 Fall
APRIL 8, 2023-ONGOING MONTHLY See Grand Prix or chessevents.us. Action Tournament (MD)
Pizza Scholastic See Grand Prix.
JANUARY 12-15, 2024 Event site: The Boardroom Address: 1675 Peachtree
15th annual Golden State Open (CA-N)
Pkwy, Suite #180, Cumming Georgia 30041 Over- INDIANA OCTOBER 5-9, 2023
all prize fund: n/a GP Points: n/a FIDE Rated: N 2023 Skyline Open (VA)
See Grand Prix or chessevents.us. Handicap accessible: Y Residency restriction: N SEPTEMBER 30-OCTOBER 1, 2023
See Grand Prix.
Organizer: ThinkChess, LLC Email: info@myThink- 2023 Golden Buckeye Senior Open &
Chess.com Phone: 770.744.8595 Website: https:// Adult U1800 (OH) OCTOBER 13-15, 2023
COLORADO mythinkchess.com/ TLA ID: 37216 See Ohio. Gulf Coast October Open, A National
OCTOBER 5-9, 2023 Chess Day Event (FL)
2023 Skyline Open (VA) OCTOBER 5-9, 2023 OCTOBER 5-9, 2023 See Grand Prix.
See Grand Prix. 2023 Skyline Open (VA) 2023 Skyline Open (VA)
See Grand Prix. See Grand Prix. OCTOBER 14, 2023
DECEMBER 26-30, 2023 MCA Rockville Quads for K-12
33rd annual North American Open (NV) OCTOBER 13-15, 2023 OCTOBER 6-8, 2023 Event site: Bender Jewish Community Center Ad-
See Grand Prix or chessevents.us. 2023 “Thad Rogers Georgia Class 31st annual Midwest Class dress: 6125 Montrose Rd, Rockville, MD 20852 Overall
Championships (IL) prize fund: n/a GP Points: n/a FIDE Rated: N Hand-
Championships” icap accessible: N Residency restriction: N Orga-
Event site: The DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel – North- See Grand Prix or chessevents.us.
nizer: Magnus Chess Academy Email: divyanshu@
CONNECTICUT lake Address: 4156 LaVista Road, Tucker, GA 30084 chessacademy.com Phone: n/a Website: https://
OCTOBER 5-9, 2023 Overall prize fund: $8,000 GP Points: n/a FIDE OCTOBER 6-8, 2023 chessacademy.com/tournaments TLA ID: 39023
Rated: Y Handicap accessible: Y Residency Harold Steen Memorial (MI)
2023 Skyline Open (VA) restriction: N Organizer: Georgia Chess Associ-
See Grand Prix. See Grand Prix. OCTOBER 20-22, 2023
ation Email: gaclass@georgiachess.org Phone:
13th annual Washington Chess
OCTOBER 6-8, 2023 770.744.8595 Website: http://www.georgiachess. OCTOBER 14, 2023 Congress (VA)
org/ TLA ID: 39297 See Grand Prix or chessevents.us.
12th annual Hartford Open (CT) 2023 Illinois Quick Chess Championship
See Grand Prix or chessevents.us. OCTOBER 13-15, 2023 (IL)
JANUARY 5-7, 2024 Gulf Coast October Open, A National 27th annual Eastern Chess Congress (NJ)
Chess Day Event (FL) NOVEMBER 10-12, 2023 See Grand Prix or chessevents.us.
12th annual Boston Chess Congress (MA) See Grand Prix.
See Grand Prix or chessevents.us. 32nd annual Kings Island Open (OH)
NOVEMBER 24-26, 2023
OCTOBER 14, 2023 See Grand Prix or chessevents.us.
54th annual National Chess Congress (PA)
DELAWARE 2023 “Georgia Class Championships See Grand Prix or chessevents.us.
Scholastics” IOWA
SEPTEMBER 10, 2023 Event site: The DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel – Northlake DECEMBER 26-29, 2023
Charm City Chess Club 2023 Fall Address: 4156 LaVista Road, Tucker, GA 30084 Overall OCTOBER 5-9, 2023 48th annual Eastern Open (VA)
Action Tournament (MD) prize fund: n/a GP Points: n/a FIDE Rated: N Handi- 2023 Skyline Open (VA) See Grand Prix or chessevents.us.
See Grand Prix. cap accessible: Y Residency restriction: N Organiz- See Grand Prix.
er: Georgia Chess Association Email: gastatechamp@ JANUARY 5-7, 2024
OCTOBER 5-9, 2023 georgiachess.org Phone: 770.744.8595 Website: 12th annual Boston Chess Congress (MA)
See Grand Prix.
http://www.georgiachess.org/ TLA ID: 39298 KANSAS See Grand Prix or chessevents.us.
OCTOBER 5-9, 2023
JANUARY 12-15, 2024
GUAM 2023 Skyline Open (VA) 56th annual Liberty Bell Open (PA)
DIST. OF COLUMBIA OCTOBER 5-9, 2023
See Grand Prix. See Grand Prix or chessevents.us.
SEPTEMBER 9, 2023 2023 Skyline Open (VA)
2023 Emory Tate Prize for American See Grand Prix. KENTUCKY
Scholastic Chess MASSACHUSETTS
Event site: The Willard Office Building Address: 1455 SEPTEMBER 30-OCTOBER 1, 2023 OCTOBER 5-9, 2023
Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 1125, Washington, HAWAII 2023 Golden Buckeye Senior Open & 2023 Skyline Open (VA)
DC 20004 Overall prize fund: $900 GP Points: n/a Adult U1800 (OH) See Grand Prix.
FIDE Rated: N Handicap accessible: N Residency OCTOBER 5-9, 2023 See Ohio.
restriction: N Organizer: Malik F. Johnson Email: 2023 Skyline Open (VA) OCTOBER 6-8, 2023
iconchess@aol.com Phone: 2025578266 Website: See Grand Prix. OCTOBER 5-9, 2023
https://caissachess.net/online-registration/in- 12th annual Hartford Open (CT)
dex/2858 TLA ID: 38864 2023 Skyline Open (VA) See Grand Prix or chessevents.us.
See Grand Prix.
SEPTEMBER 9, 2023 IDAHO REGIONALS
2023 Emory Tate World Series of Blitz OCTOBER 5-9, 2023 NOVEMBER 10-12, 2023 OCTOBER 21, 2023
Skills Challenge 2023 Skyline Open (VA) 32nd annual Kings Island Open (OH) 1st Pioneer Valley Autumn Class
Event site: The Willard Office Building Address: See Grand Prix. See Grand Prix or chessevents.us. Event site: St. John’s Lutheran Church Address:

OCTOBER 5-9, 2023 OCTOBER 5-9, 2023

For complete details on individual events, please visit 2023 Skyline Open (VA) 2023 Skyline Open (VA)
new.uschess.org/node/[TLA ID]. You will find the event’s unique See Grand Prix. See Grand Prix
five-digit TLA ID at the end of each TLA. OCTOBER 6-8, 2023
MISSOURI 12th annual Hartford Open (CT)
OCTOBER 5-9, 2023 See Grand Prix or chessevents.us.
60 Broad Street, Westfield, MA 01085 Overall prize OCTOBER 14, 2023
fund: $1,000 prizes based on 30 entries GP Points:
2023 Skyline Open (VA) OCTOBER 13-15, 2023
2023 Illinois Quick Chess Championship See Grand Prix.
n/a FIDE Rated: N Handicap accessible: Y Residen- (IL) Gulf Coast October Open, A National
cy restriction: N Organizer: Western Massachusetts See Grand Prix. Chess Day Event (FL)
Chess Association Email: dgbompastore@gmail. See Grand Prix.
com Phone: 4133560303 Website: http://www. MONTANA
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT
wmass-chess.us/ TLA ID: 38674 SEPTEMBER 16-17, 2023 OCTOBER 20-22, 2023
OCTOBER 14, 2023 Big Sky Country Open 13th annual Washington Chess
JANUARY 5-7, 2024 2023 Michigan Scholastic Club Event site: Red Lion Hotel Address: 20 North Main Congress (VA)
12th annual Boston Chess Congress (MA) Championships Street, Kalispell, MT 59901 Overall prize fund: Cash See Grand Prix or chessevents.us.
See Grand Prix or chessevents.us. Event site: Lansing Center Address: 4333 E Michi- prizes based on entries GP Points: n/a FIDE Rated:
gan Ave, Lansing, MI 48933 Overall prize fund: n/a N Handicap accessible: Y Residency restriction: N OCTOBER 27-29, 2023
GP Points: n/a FIDE Rated: N Handicap accessi- Organizer: Montana Chess Association Email: gl.sol-
ble: Y Residency restriction: N Organizer: Mich- omon@yahoo.com Phone: 406-253-3883 Website: 27th annual Eastern Chess Congress (NJ)
MICHIGAN igan Chess Association Email: jeffchess64@gmail. www.montanachess.org TLA ID: 38919 See Grand Prix or chessevents.us.
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT com Phone: 810-955-7271 Website: https://www.
michess.org/ TLA ID: 39019 SEPTEMBER 30-OCTOBER 1, 2023 OCTOBER 28, 2023
SEPTEMBER 30, 2023
2023 Golden Buckeye Senior Open & 10th annual Eastern Chess Congress
2023 Michigan Women’s Championship & NOVEMBER 10-12, 2023 Blitz (NJ)
Men’s Side Event Adult U1800 (OH)
32nd annual Kings Island Open (OH) See Ohio. See Grand Prix or chessevents.us.
Event site: Twin Knights Gaming Address: 4955
Rochester Rd, Troy, MI, 48085 Overall prize fund: NOVEMBER 19, 2023
see TLA GP Points: n/a FIDE Rated: N Handicap
OCTOBER 5-9, 2023
2023 Skyline Open (VA) 2023 New Jersey Grade School
accessible: Y Residency restriction: N Organiz- Championship
er: Michigan Chess Association Email: jeffchess64@ MINNESOTA See Grand Prix.
Event site: Brookdale Community College Address:
gmail.com Phone: 810-955-7271 Website: https:// OCTOBER 5-9, 2023 Lot #7, Arena Dr., Lincroft, NJ 07738 Overall prize fund:
www.michess.org/ TLA ID: 39310 NOVEMBER 11-12, 2023
2023 Skyline Open (VA) n/a GP Points: n/a FIDE Rated: N Handicap accessi-
See Grand Prix. 41st Missoula Turkey Open ble: Y Residency restriction: N Organizer: Alessan-
SEPTEMBER 30-OCTOBER 1, 2023 Event site: Holiday Inn Missoula Downtown Ad- dro De Marchi-Blumstein Email: tournaments.njscf@
2023 Golden Buckeye Senior Open & dress: 200 S Pattee St, Missoula, MT 59802 Overall gmail.com Phone: n/a Website: http://www.njscf.org
Adult U1800 (OH) MISSISSIPPI prize fund: $2,000 GP Points: n/a FIDE Rated: N
Handicap accessible: N Residency restriction: N
TLA ID: 38879
See Ohio.
SEPTEMBER 23, 2023 Organizer: Eric Walthall Email: eric.m.walthall@ NOVEMBER 24-26, 2023
OCTOBER 5-9, 2023 MS Action Championship gmail.com Phone: 4068309524 Website: https:// 54th annual National Chess Congress (PA)
Event site: Franklin Chess Center Address: 63 Main missoulachess.com/ TLA ID: 38320 See Grand Prix or chessevents.us.
2023 Skyline Open (VA) Street, Meadville, MS 39653 Overall prize fund:
See Grand Prix. 75% of entry fees returned as prizes GP Points: n/a DECEMBER 26-29, 2023
OCTOBER 6-8, 2023
FIDE Rated: N Handicap accessible: N Residen- NEBRASKA 48th annual Eastern Open (VA)
cy restriction: N Organizer: Mark Nicholas Email: OCTOBER 5-9, 2023
Harold Steen Memorial (MI) See Grand Prix or chessevents.us.
mark@mcachess.org Phone: 6156313876 Website:
See Grand Prix. https://www.mcachess.org TLA ID: 39257
See Grand Prix. JANUARY 5-7, 2024
12th annual Boston Chess Congress (MA)
NEVADA
OCTOBER 5-9, 2023 JANUARY 12-15, 2024
2023 Skyline Open (VA) 56th annual Liberty Bell Open (PA)
See Grand Prix. See Grand Prix or chessevents.us.
NOVEMBER 3-5, 2023

18th annual Los Angeles Open (CA-S) NEW MEXICO
See Grand Prix or chessevents.us. OCTOBER 5-9, 2023
NOVEMBER 21-26, 2023 See Grand Prix.
See Grand Prix.
NEW YORK
SEPTEMBER 30-OCTOBER 1, 2023
33rd annual North American Open (NV) 2023 Golden Buckeye Senior Open &
Adult U1800 (OH)
See Ohio.
DECEMBER 29, 2023
32nd annual North American Blitz (NV) OCTOBER 5-9, 2023
See Grand Prix.
JANUARY 12-15, 2024
15th annual Golden State Open (CA-N) OCTOBER 6-8, 2023
12th annual Hartford Open (CT)
NEW HAMPSHIRE OCTOBER 13-15, 2023
OCTOBER 5-9, 2023 Gulf Coast October Open, A National
2023 Skyline Open (VA) Chess Day Event (FL)
See Grand Prix. See Grand Prix.
OCTOBER 20-22, 2023

NEW JERSEY 13th annual Washington Chess
JANUARY 14-DECEMBER 30, 2023 Congress (VA)
Hamilton Chess Club Quads
Dates: Feb. 11, Mar. 18, Apr. 29, May 20, Jun. 3, OCTOBER 27-29, 2023
Aug. 19, Sep. 30, Oct. 21, Nov. 18, Dec. 30. Event
site: Switlik Park Pavilion Address: Fischer Place/Joe 27th annual Eastern Chess Congress (NJ)
Dimaggio Drive, Hamilton, NJ 08610 Overall prize See Grand Prix or chessevents.us.
fund: n/a GP Points: n/a FIDE Rated: N Handicap
accessible: N Residency restriction: N Organizer: OCTOBER 28, 2023
Edward Sytnik Email: edmendou@aol.com Phone: 10th annual Eastern Chess Congress
54 609-758-2326 Website: https://sites.google.com/
site/hamiltonchessclub/ TLA ID: 35704
Blitz (NJ)

NOVEMBER 24-26, 2023 SEPTEMBER 10, 2023 STATE CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT OCTOBER 21, 2023
54th annual National Chess Congress (PA) Charm City Chess Club 2023 Fall OCTOBER 14-15, 2023 8th annual Washington Chess
See Grand Prix or chessevents.us. Action Tournament (MD) South Dakota Closed Congress Blitz (VA)
See Grand Prix. See Grand Prix or chessevents.us
Event site: Hy Vee Grocery Store Address: 3000 S
DECEMBER 26-29, 2023 Minnesota Ave, Sioux Falls, SD 57105 Overall prize
SEPTEMBER 30-OCTOBER 1, 2023 OCTOBER 27-29, 2023
48th annual Eastern Open (VA) fund: Trophies, medals GP Points: n/a FIDE Rated:
See Grand Prix or chessevents.us. 2023 Golden Buckeye Senior Open & N Handicap accessible: Y Residency restriction: Y 27th annual Eastern Chess Congress (NJ)
Adult U1800 (OH) Organizer: South Dakota Chess Association Email: ter- See Grand Prix or chessevents.us.
JANUARY 5-7, 2024 See Ohio. ryandjilllikens@gmail.com Phone: cell; 605-593-7337,
main phone; 605-753-5464 Website: n/a TLA ID: 39660 NOVEMBER 24-26, 2023
12th annual Boston Chess Congress (MA) OCTOBER 5-9, 2023
See Grand Prix or chessevents.us. 54th annual National Chess Congress (PA)
2023 Skyline Open (VA) See Grand Prix or chessevents.us.
JANUARY 12-15, 2024 See Grand Prix. TENNESSEE
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT
56th annual Liberty Bell Open (PA) 48th annual Eastern Open (VA)
See Grand Prix or chessevents.us. OCTOBER 6-8, 2023 SEPTEMBER 15-17, 2023
Harold Steen Memorial (MI) 2023 Peter P. Lahde Tennessee Open
See Grand Prix. See Grand Prix.
NORTH CAROLINA WASHINGTON
OCTOBER 13-15, 2023 OCTOBER 5-9, 2023
OCTOBER 5-9, 2023 OCTOBER 5-9, 2023
Gulf Coast October Open, A National 2023 Skyline Open (VA)
2023 Skyline Open (VA) Chess Day Event (FL) See Grand Prix. 2023 Skyline Open (VA)
See Grand Prix. See Grand Prix. See Grand Prix.
NORTH DAKOTA
OCTOBER 27-29, 2023 TEXAS NOVEMBER 21-26, 2023
27th annual Eastern Chess Congress (NJ) OCTOBER 5-9, 2023 58th American Open (CA-S)
OCTOBER 5-9, 2023 See Grand Prix or chessevents.us. See Grand Prix.
2023 Skyline Open (VA) See Grand Prix.
OCTOBER 28, 2023 DECEMBER 26-30, 2023
See Grand Prix.
10th annual Eastern Chess Congress NOVEMBER 21-26, 2023 33rd annual North American Open (NV)
Blitz (NJ) See Grand Prix or chessevents.us.
N. MARIANA ISLANDS See Grand Prix or chessevents.us. See Grand Prix. JANUARY 12-15, 2024
OCTOBER 5-9, 2023 15th annual Golden State Open (CA-N)
NOVEMBER 24-26, 2023 DECEMBER 26-30, 2023
2023 Skyline Open (VA) 54th annual National Chess Congress (PA) See Grand Prix or chessevents.us.
See Grand Prix. 33rd annual North American Open (NV)
See Grand Prix or chessevents.us. See Grand Prix or chessevents.us.
DECEMBER 26-29, 2023 WEST VIRGINIA
OHIO 48th annual Eastern Open (VA) U.S. MINOR OL ISLS. SEPTEMBER 10, 2023
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT See Grand Prix or chessevents.us.
OCTOBER 5-9, 2023 Charm City Chess Club 2023 Fall
SEPTEMBER 30-OCTOBER 1, 2023 Action Tournament (MD)
JANUARY 12-15, 2024 2023 Skyline Open (VA) See Grand Prix.
2023 Golden Buckeye Senior Open & See Grand Prix.
Adult U1800 56th annual Liberty Bell Open (PA)
See Grand Prix or chessevents.us. SEPTEMBER 30-OCTOBER 1, 2023
Event site: Salt Fork State Park Lodge Address: 14755
2023 Golden Buckeye Senior Open &
Cadiz Rd, Lore City, OH 43755 Overall prize fund: Tro- UTAH Adult U1800 (OH)
phies GP Points: n/a FIDE Rated: N Handicap acces-
sible: N Residency restriction: N Organizer: Grant PUERTO RICO OCTOBER 5-9, 2023 See Ohio.
Neilley Email: grant@neilley.com Phone: 6143141102 OCTOBER 5-9, 2023 2023 Skyline Open (VA)
Website: http://www.neilley.com/chess TLA ID: 39242 2023 Skyline Open (VA) 2023 Skyline Open (VA)
See Grand Prix. DECEMBER 26-30, 2023 See Grand Prix.
OCTOBER 5-9, 2023
2023 Skyline Open (VA) 33rd annual North American Open (NV)
See Grand Prix or chessevents.us. JANUARY 12-15, 2024
See Grand Prix. RHODE ISLAND 56th annual Liberty Bell Open (PA)
OCTOBER 5-9, 2023 See Grand Prix or chessevents.us.
OCTOBER 6-8, 2023
Harold Steen Memorial (MI)
2023 Skyline Open (VA) VERMONT
See Grand Prix.
WISCONSIN
OCTOBER 14, 2023 OCTOBER 20-22, 2023 See Grand Prix. OCTOBER 5-9, 2023
2023 Illinois Quick Chess Championship 13th annual Washington Chess 2023 Skyline Open (VA)
Congress (VA) See Grand Prix.
(IL)
See Grand Prix. See Grand Prix or chessevents.us. VIRGIN ISLANDS, U.S.
OCTOBER 6-8, 2023
OCTOBER 5-9, 2023
NOVEMBER 10-12, 2023 2023 Skyline Open (VA) 31st annual Midwest Class
32nd annual Kings Island Open (OH)
SOUTH CAROLINA See Grand Prix.
Championships (IL)
SEPTEMBER 16, 2023 See Grand Prix or chessevents.us.
Columbia Tunnelvision XII (SC) OCTOBER 6-8, 2023
See Grand Prix. VIRGINIA Harold Steen Memorial (MI)
OKLAHOMA SEPTEMBER 10, 2023 See Grand Prix.
OCTOBER 5-9, 2023
OCTOBER 5-9, 2023 Charm City Chess Club 2023 Fall
2023 Skyline Open (VA) Action Tournament (MD) OCTOBER 14, 2023
See Grand Prix. See Grand Prix. 2023 Illinois Quick Chess Championship
See Grand Prix.
(IL)
OCTOBER 14, 2023 SEPTEMBER 30-OCTOBER 1, 2023 See Grand Prix.
OREGON Columbia Tunnelvision XIII (SC) 2023 Golden Buckeye Senior Open &
Adult U1800 (OH)
See Grand Prix. STATE CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT
OCTOBER 5-9, 2023 See Ohio. NOVEMBER 4-5, 2023
2023 Skyline Open (VA) NOVEMBER 18, 2023
OCTOBER 5-9, 2023 2023-2024 Wisconsin Junior Open
See Grand Prix. Columbia Tunnelvision XIV (SC) Event site: Gruenhagen Conference Center, UW-Os-
See Grand Prix. 2023 Skyline Open (VA) hkosh Address: 208 Osceola Street, Oshkosh, WI
NOVEMBER 21-26, 2023 See Grand Prix. 54901 Overall prize fund: Trophies GP Points: n/a
58th American Open (CA-S) DECEMBER 16, 2023 FIDE Rated: N Handicap accessible: Y Residency
OCTOBER 13-15, 2023 restriction: N Organizer: Mike Nietman Email:
See Grand Prix. Columbia Tunnelvision XV (SC)
See Grand Prix. Gulf Coast October Open, A National mike.nietman@charter.net Phone: 16084678510
Chess Day Event (FL) Website: https://www.wischess.org/ TLA ID: 39077
See Grand Prix.
PENNSYLVANIA NOVEMBER 4-5, 2023
North Penn Chess Club
SOUTH DAKOTA OCTOBER 20-22, 2023 WCA Veterans’ Tournament
Main & Richardson - St. John’s UCC, 500 West Main St., OCTOBER 5-9, 2023 13th annual Washington Chess Event site: Gruenhagen Conference Center, UW-Osh-
Lansdale, PA 19446. See www.northpennchessclub. 2023 Skyline Open (VA) Congress (VA) kosh Address: 208 Osceola Street, Oshkosh, WI 54901
org for schedules & info or 215-699-8418 See Grand Prix. See Grand Prix or chessevents.us. Overall prize fund: $875 GP Points: n/a FIDE Rat-

ed: N Handicap accessible: Y Residency restric-

tion: N Organizer: Mike Nietman Email: mike.niet-
man@charter.net Phone: 16084678510 Website:
https://www.wischess.org/ TLA ID: 39079 THANK YOU TO OUR BENEFACTORS
WYOMING
OCTOBER 5-9, 2023
Thank-you for being the sustainingg
See Grand Prix.
force behind all our initiatives,
and for making all of our
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MEMBERSHIP APPRECIATION PROGRAM

US Chess gratefully acknowledges the support of our our Affiliates and Members and offers congratulations to
these 2021 MAP Winners. Look for an upcoming article about the winners in Chess Life.
(MAP)
Name State Count Name State Count Name State Count
Overall Affiliate Standings State Chapter Affiliate Standings Scholastic and Youth Membership Standings
CONTINENTAL CHESS ASSOC NY 1,666 WASHINGTON CHESS FEDERATION WA 269 CONTINENTAL CHESS ASSOC NY 483
BAY AREA CHESS CA 332 MICHIGAN CHESS ASSOCIATION MI 113 BAY AREA CHESS CA 295
CHESS CLUB AND SCHOLASTIC CTR MO 279 MINNESOTA STATE CHESS ASSOC MN 44 WASHINGTON CHESS FEDERATION WA 194
WASHINGTON CHESS FEDERATION WA 269 MASSACHUSETTS CHESS ASSOC MA 33 NEW ENGLAND CHESS SCHOOL MA 157
CHESSPALACE CA 218 IOWA STATE CHESS ASSOC IA 29 CHESS CENTER OF NEW YORK NY 143
NEW ENGLAND CHESS SCHOOL MA 160 OREGON CHESS FEDERATION OR 28 CHESSPALACE CA 142
CHESS CENTER OF NEW YORK NY 156 MARYLAND CHESS ASSOC MD 27 CINCINNATI SCHOLASTIC CHESS OH 112
BOCA RATON CHESS CLUB FL 153 PENNSYLVANIA ST CHESS FED PA 18 BOCA RATON CHESS CLUB FL 108
SAN DIEGO CHESS CLUB CA 151 MAINE CHESS ASSOCIATION ME 17 CHESS CLUB AND SCHOLASTIC CTR MO 96
ROCHESTER CHESS CENTER NY 145 ARKANSAS CHESS ASSOCIATION AR 14 HAMPTON ROADS CHESS ASSOC VA 96
Small State Affiliate Standings Adult Membership Standings Member Standings

ENDGAME CHESS NM 25 CONTINENTAL CHESS ASSOC NY 1,183 CARTER LARSON NC 1
TOURNAMENT IN A BOX NH 22 CHESS CLUB AND SCHOLASTIC CTR MO 183
KNIGHTS CHESS CLUB NH 20 SAN DIEGO CHESS CLUB CA 119
MAINE CHESS ASSOCIATION ME 17 ROCHESTER CHESS CENTER NY 109 PCT GAIN STANDINGS
LIKENS CHESS SD 9 VEGAS CHESS FESTIVALS NV 82 State Dec20 Dec21 PCT
HAWAII PHOENIX CHESS HI 7 CHESSPALACE CA 76 DE 148 423 185.81
ND 64 130 103.13
WVSCA WV 7 WASHINGTON CHESS FEDERATION WA 71 MT 87 127 45.98
OMAHA CHESS COMMUNITY NE 4 SOUTH MIAMI CHESS CLUB FL 47 AR 193 274 41.97
HARRISON COUNTY CHESS CLUB WV 4 TWIN KNIGHTS CHESS CLUB MI 47 SD 59 81 37.29
OK 358 482 34.64
NORTH DAKOTA CHESS ASSOC ND 3 BOCA RATON CHESS CLUB FL 45 WY 52 68 30.77
DOWNRIVER CHESS CLUB LA 45 LA 409 511 24.94
IA 413 511 23.73
NE 221 273 23.53

Gold & Silver
Affiliates
US CHESS would like to recognize and thank
all of our Affiliates for their commitment and hard work.
US CHESS GOLD AFFILIATES

Bay Area Chess ChessNYC.com New Millennium Chess Club and
San Jose, CA New York, NY Chess LLC Scholastic Center
408-409-6596 212-475-8130 New York, NY of Saint Louis
www.bayareachess.com www.chessnyc.com 212-475-8130
www.NewMillenniumChess.org St. Louis, MO
314-361-CHESS
Berkeley Chess Continental Chess www.saintlouischessclub.org
School Association Ocean State Chess
Berkeley, CA Pelham, NY Association San Diego Chess Club
510-843-0150 201-347-2269 Riverside, RI
www.berkeleychessschool.org www.chesstour.com 401-212-1335 San Diego, CA
www.oceanstatechess.com 619-752-4377
www.sandiegochessclub.org
Capital Area Chess Manasota Chess
Centreville VA PaperClip Pairings Washington Chess
703-627-5314 Center Brownsville, TX
www.capitalareachess.com Sarasota, FL 956-621-0377 Federation
941-900-3296 rrferrari@bisd.us Redmond, WA
www.manasotachess.org 206.769.3757
Caveman Chess, LLC www.wachess.com
Park Ridge, IL Sacred Heart Uni-
224-985-5244
Marshall Chess Club versity Chess Club
New York, NY Williamsburg
www.cavemanchess.com Fairfield, CT
212-477-3716 203-365-4827 Tutoring.com
www.marshallchessclub.org www.sacredheartclubsports. Brooklyn NY
Charlotte Chess com/sports/Chess
www.WilliamsburgTutoring.com
Center
Charlotte, NC
980-265-1156
https://www.charlottechess-
center.org/
US CHESS SILVER AFFILIATES
Chess Center of New York (NY) Jersey Shore HS Chess League (NJ) Oklahoma Chess Foundation (OK)
www.chesscenter.cc shorehschessleague@yahoo.com www.OCFchess.org
CHESS4u (GA) Little House of Chess, Inc. (NY) Regents School of Austin Chess Club (TX)
770-939-5030 littlehouseofchess.com www.regentsaustin.org/chess
Dark Knight Chess Club (TX) Long Island Chess Nuts (NY) Rochester Chess Center (NY)
www.dkchess.com 516-739-3907 www.chessset.com
En Passant Chess Club (TX) Mechanics’ Institute (CA) Sparta Chess Club (NJ)
td_edg@twc.com www.milibrary.org/chess www.spartachessclub.org
Evangel Chess Club (AL) Michigan Chess Association (MI) TLA CHESS (VA)
www.evangelchurch.me www.michess.org tla.chess.llc@gmail.com
For all information on becoming a Gold or Silver Affiliate, please visit https://new.uschess.org/gold-and-silver-affiliates.

CLASSIFIEDS September 2023
CORRESPONDENCE CHESS Two ways to enter:

Check out these US Chess Rated Events! • Visit us online at uschess.org
• Mail in the form below
7-Player Championship Events

2023 Golden Knights (Postal) | 2023 Electronic Knights (Email) GENERAL INFORMATION
FORMAT: Players play 6 games as single round robin, groupings based on order entries received. • US Chess membership must remain current for the duration
Players start in Preliminary round and qualify for Semi-final and then Final rounds based on scores in of all events.
previous round. ENTRY FEE: $25 per entry. Players can enter up to a maximum of 10 times per event. • Postal events are open only to US Chess members who
PRIZES: Prize fund of $2300 based on 200 entries. $10 correspondence chess gift certificate to reside on the contiguous USA, Alaska, Hawaii or have an APO/
players knocked out in Preliminary round. FPO postal address.
• Email events are open to all US Chess members with an
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Septmeber 2023 SOLUTIONS
Qxd5 With Black’s bishop hanging on d5, it would also be

Solutions logical to consider running with the king, but that runs
PAGE 15 CHESS TO ENJOY into a brutal refutation: 25. Kf2 Bxf3 26. exf3 Rxf3+ 27.
PROBLEM 1. 29. Nd2! followed by Rd4-d8 makes a Kxf3 Qxf1+ 28. Ke3 Qe1+ 29. Kf3 g4+ 30. Kxg4 Qd1+ 31.
queen. PROBLEM 2. 31. Bc4+! Kf8 32. Rd8+ Ke7 33. Kh3 Qh1+ 32. Kg4 Qh5 mate. 25. ... Qxg3+ 26. Kh1 Rf5! Membership Rates
Qxh7+ mates (but Black resigned after 33. Rd5). Also 31. The game continuation was 26. ... Rc2?? 27. Qe4?? (27.
(U.S., CANADA, MEXICO)
... Qxc4 32. Rd8+ Kf7 33. Qxh7+ leads to mate. PROBLEM Ra2 defends!) 27. ... Kh7?? (27. ... Rc7 wins) 28. Nb5??
3. White resigned after 49. ... Rh6+ 50. Kc7 fxg4 51. Rxe4 Rh8! and White resigned in Pantsulaia – Gledura, Aim-
Type 1 yr 2 yr
Rg6! because the g-pawn can freely advance. PROBLEM chess Rapid, 2023. Black needs to double the rooks on
Adult (ages 25-64) $45 $87
4. Take credit for both 21. Rd1! (followed by 22 Rxc6!) the f-file, but 26. ... Rcf6? is not the way to do it either,
and the immediate 21. Rxc6! Bxc6 22. Bf3 or 22. Bb5. as White has 27. f4!! exf4 28. Qg2 and White survives. 27. Senior (age 65+) $40 $77
PROBLEM 5. Black wins with 26. ... Be5! followed by Bd2 If 27. f4, then 27. ... e4 28. Qxe4 gxf4 and Black wins. Young Adult (ages 19-24) $27 $51
a sacrifice on g2. For example, 27. Qe2 Bxg2! 28. Bxg2 27. ... Rcf6 28. Be1 Or 28. f4 Qh4+! 29. Kg2 exf4 30. Qe4 Youth (age 18/under) $20 $37
Rxg2+! 29. Kxg2 Rg8+. PROBLEM 6. Don’t take full credit Qg3+ 31. Kh1 f3 and Black wins 28. ... Qh3+ 29. Kg1 e4!
Family Plan 1* $85 N/A
for 17. Rxf7+! (17. ... Rxf7 18. Ne6+ and Ne6xc7) unless 30. Qxe4 Rf4 and thanks to the threat of ... Rf4-g4+, Black
Family Plan 2** $55 N/A
you also saw 17. ... Kg8! 18. Rg7+! Kh8 19. Rxh7+ Kg8 20. wins White’s queen. TACTIC 5. 26. Ne4! Nxe4 Black has
Rg7+! Kh8 21. Rxg6, when Black resigned. no good alternative. 27. Rxf7! Now White forces mate. 27. Printed copies of Chess Life or Chess Life Kids
... Kxf7 28. Qxh7+ Kf6 29. Qxg6+ and Black resigned in will be available as an add-on to any Adult, Senior,
PAGE 49 ABCS OF CHESS Andriasian – Niemann, Philadelphia Intl., 2023. TACTIC Young Adult, Youth, or Family Plan membership.
PROBLEM 1. Mating net: White mates in two, one of 6. 23. Kg2! Preparing to add the rook via h1 to the attack Membership entitles you to purchase one or both
magazines at the member rate, set at no more
two ways: 1. Qf6+ Nxf6 2. Bxf6 mate or 1. Qh6+ Nxh6 on Black’s king. 23. ... Rac8 The alternatives also do not
than 105% of printing and mailing costs. For
2. Bf6 mate. PROBLEM 2. Mating net: White wins in work: 23. ... Qc7 24. Rac1! Rxc1 25. Rxc1 Qd7 26. Nh5 Rc8
the year beginning January 1, 2023, the annual
two moves: 1. Rh8+ Bxh8 2. Rxh8 mate. PROBLEM 3. 27. Rxc8! Qxc8 28. Bh6 Kf7 29. Qf4+ Ke8 30. Nf6+ Kd8 31. subscription cost for Chess Life is $12/year (12
Mating net: White scores in two: 1. Ra8+ Bxa8 2. Qa7 Ng8 and White wins, or 23. ... Kf7 24. Rh1 Ke8 25. Rxh7 issues) and for Chess Life Kids, $6/year (6 issues).
mate. PROBLEM 4. Mating net: Black loses in two: 1: Nxh7 26. Qxg6+ Kd7 27. Qxc2 and White wins easily. 24. Current premium members will continue to receive
1. Rxg7+ Kxg7 2. Qh7 mate. PROBLEM 5. Mating net: Rh1 R8c3 25. Rxh7! Boom! 25. ... Kxh7 26. Rh1+ Kg7 their print magazines; only when you renew your
It’s mate in two with: 1. Nc6+ Ka8 2. Ra7 mate. This 27. Nxg6 Kf7 Or 27. ... Nxg6 28. Rh6 with forced mate. 28. membership will you need to select the add-on
option to continue receiving your print magazine.
is known as the Arabian mate. PROBLEM 6. Mating Nxf8 Ke8 29. Nxe6 Kd7 30. Nf4+ and Black resigned on
See www.uschess.org for other membership
net: White mates in two: 1. Bh7+ Kh8 2. Ng6 mate. account of 30. Nf4+ Kc6 31. Rh6+ and it is over for Black.
categories. Dues are not refundable and may be
Koellner – Saltaev, Dortmund, 2023. TACTIC 7. 19. h5! changed without notice.
PAGE 53 MAKE YOUR MOVE Ne7 20. Ng5 It seems slow, but once the attacking train
TACTIC 1. 22. Bxd6! A queen sacrifice! But with Black’s is in motion, there is no stopping it. 20. ... g6 21. hxg6 * parents and children under age 19, may
king trapped, the consequences are easily calculated. Nxg6 Or 21. ... hxg6 22. Qd3 Kg7 23. Qg3 and all of a include college students up to age 24
22. ... Qxg4 23. Rc7+ and Black resigned. The finish sudden, Black, despite his solid-looking position, is de- **all children under age 19 living in a house-
hold at the same address
could have been 23. Rc7+ Kd8 (or 23. ... Kb8 24. Rxc4+, fenseless, for instance, 23. ... Nc6 24. Rxe6 fxe6 25. Qc7+
winning Black’s queen) 24. Ne5 Qf4 25. Rxb7 threaten- Kf6 26. Nh7+ Kf5 27. Re1 and Black gets mated. 22. f4
ing Rb7-b8 mate, ending the game. Akash – Stalmach, Rae8 23. f5 exf5 24. Rxe8 Rxe8 25. Qxf5 Re7 26. Nxf7
CHESS LIFE USPS # 102-840 (ISSN 0197-260X). Volume 79
Prague Challengers, 2023. TACTIC 2. 22. f5 Straight for Black’s position is completely falling apart. The conclu-
No. 09. PRINTED IN THE USA. Chess Life, formerly Chess
the heart of Black’s position. 22. ... Rd7 If Black takes sion comes swiftly. 26. ... Qxb2 27. Qxd5 Qb6 28. Nh6+ Life & Review, is published monthly by the United States
the knight, it is soon over: 22. ... hxg5 23. Qh3 Bg7 24. Kh8 29. Qg8, mate. Abdusattorov – So, Aimchess Rapid, Chess Federation, PO Box 775308, St. Louis, MO 63177-5308.
Bxg7 Kxg7 25. f6+ and Black gets mated. 23. Ne6! fxe6 2023. TACTIC 8. 18. ... Bc5!! The conclusion of the game Chess Life & Review and Chess Life remain the property of
USCF. Annual subscription (without membership): $112.
24. Qxg6+ Rg7 25. Bxg7 and Black resigned in Martinez saw 18. ... Rfe8 19. Be3 Rad8 20. exf5 Nxd4 21. Qxd4 Periodical postage paid at St. Louis, MO 63177-5308 and
Alcantara – Kevlishvili, Aimchess Rapid, 2023. TACTIC Qxf3 22. Rg1 Bg3! Game over. 23. hxg3 Rxd4 24. gxh4 additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address
3. 19. Bc2! Black’s queen is surprisingly vulnerable, in Rxe3+ 25. fxe3 Qxe3+ 26. Ne2 Rd2 27. Rg2 Rxe2+ and changes to Chess Life (USCF), PO Box 775308, St. Louis, MO
63177-5308. Entire contents ©2023 by the United States
part because of the loose bishop on c5. 19. ... Qh6 Or White resigned (Karthik – Souleidis, Dortmund, 2023). 19.
Chess Federation. All rights reserved. No part of this pub-
19. ... Qg4 20. Re5, threatening the bishop and Rg5, 20. dxc5 Or 19. exf5 Rfe8+ 20. Be3 Nxd4 21. Be4 Rad8 22. Rg1 lication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
... Qc4 21. Bb3 and the bishop falls. 20. Bd2 Qh5 21. Re5 Rxe4 23. Nxe4 Nf3+ 24. Qxf3 Qxf3 25. Nxc5 Re8 and Black or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise without the prior
A fork to the bishop and queen. 21. ... Bxf2+ 22. Kf1! has a decisive advantage. 19. ... Rad8 20. exf5 Rfe8+
written permission of USCF. Note: Unsolicited materials are
Not 22. Kxf2?? Ng4+ and Black is still in the game. 22. 21. Be2 Rxd1+ 22. Kxd1 Rd8+ and Black is winning. submitted at the sender’s risk and Chess Life accepts no re-
... Qg4 23. Kxf2 Now there is no knight fork on g4. 23. TACTIC 9. 24. Rd1!! The game conclusion was 24. Ng3 sponsibility for them. Materials will not be returned unless
... h6 24. Rae1 Qc4 25. Kg1 Bg4 26. Bb3 Qc6 27. Nd4 h5?? (24. ... Nd3 25. Qd2 h5 was correct with chances to accompanied by appropriate postage and packaging. Address
all submissions to Chess Life, PO Box 775308, St. Louis, MO
Qb6 28. Ba5 and Black resigned. Ponkratov – Vetokhin, both sides) 25. Rd1?? (White should have played 25. Qc2
63177-5308. The opinions expressed are strictly those of the
Russian Higher League, 2023. TACTIC 4. 24. ... Qh3! 25. h4 26. Rd1 with a large advantage) 25. ... Nd3 26. Rxd3 contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the
Qxd3 27. Re8+ Kh7 28. Nxh5 Rc7 29. Qf1 Qf5 30. Bd4 United States Chess Federation. Send all address changes
to: U.S. Chess, Membership Services, PO Box 775308, St.
CHESSMATE® POCKET & TRAVEL SETS Qxh5 and White resigned in Khubukshanov – Kobalia,
Louis, MO 63177-5308. Include your USCF I.D. number and
Perfect chess gifts for Russian Higher League, 2023. 24. ... Qxf5 Or 24. ... Nd3 a recent mailing label if possible. This information may be
the chess lover in your life: 25. Qc4 and White wins. 25. Rd8+ Rf8 26. Qc4+ Qf7 Or e-mailed to addresschange@uschess.org. Please give us eight
The finest magnetic chess sets available. 26. ... Kh8 27. Ree8 Ne6 28. Rxf8+ Nxf8 29. Qc3 Qb1+ 30. weeks advance notice. PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO.
HANDMADE IN THE USA 41473530 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES
Qc1 Qf5 (also 30. ... Qxc1+ 31. Bxc1 Kg8 32. Ba3 wins) 31.
30-DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE! TO EXPRESS MESSENGER INTERNATIONAL P.O. BOX 25058
Ba3 and White wins material 27. Ree8! Boom! 27. ... LONDON BRC, ONTARIO, CANADA N6C 6A8
WWW.CHESSMATE.COM Phone: 425.697.4513
Nd7 28. Rxd7 BOOM! White forces mate.

PAUL GOLD
NATIONAL MASTER, CHESS
...I have never
TEACHER, ORGANIZER
gotten chess
out of my
system.”
M Y FATHER TAUGHT ME HOW

to play chess around age eight;
I would eventually compete in
high school events in the 1970s.
I started playing rated chess relatively late,
earning my first US Chess rating (1493!) at
age 17. After that it took me four years to
break expert and another four to make it
over 2200. I also tutored students during
those years.
Not long after I reached my peak rating
of 2347, I began organizing events — chess
gave me a lot and I wanted to give back. I
also wrote articles and tournament reports
for Chess Life. By the time I played this game
with a young Jesse Kraai, there would be
just a few tournaments left for me, but I
have never gotten chess out of my system.
I still enjoy playing online blitz, watching
chess videos, and reading Chess Life every
month. After a career in aerospace work, I
now publish short run regional art books
in Tucson. 21. Rac1 Nxe4 22. fxe4 Bd7 23. b4 Ng5
24. Qe3 Qf6 25. Rc3 h6 26. h4 Nh7 27. Nd3
Rg8 28. Rf1 Qe7 29. bxc5 bxc5 30. Rb3 g5
BOGO-INDIAN DEFENSE (E11) 31. h5 Nf6 32. Rb7 Rgf8 33. Bh3 Rcd8
Jesse Kraai (2373) 34. Rxa7 Kg7 35. Be6 Ra8 36. Rb7 Rab8
Paul Gold (2256) 37. Rfb1 Rxb7 38. Rxb7 Qe8 39. Nf2
Ye Olde Pueblo Open (3), Tucson, A bit of a miss in time pressure? A line like
07.18.1992 39. Nxe5 dxe5 40. Qxc5 Qxh5 41. Qe7+ Rf7
42. Qxf7+ Qxf7 43. Bxf7 Kxf7 44. a4 looks
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4+ 4. Bd2 Qe7 fatal for Black.
5. g3 Nc6 6. Bg2 Bxd2+ 7. Nbxd2 d6 8. 0-0
0-0 9. e4 e5 10. d5 Nd8 39. ... Qc8 40. Ra7 Kh8 41. Bxd7 Nxd7 42.
The other move is 10. ... Nb8. Databases Ng4 Qe8 43. Nxh6 Qxh5 44. Rxd7 Qxh6 45. POSITION AFTER 46. Qe2
cite many games here, with White on top Kg2 Qf6 46. Kh3?
in most. Here 46. Qe2 looked forced, and would have A very fortunate result on my part. I’ve heard
led to MY BEST MOVE: people say that there is no luck in chess, but
11. Ne1 Ne8 12. Nd3 f5 13. exf5 to me, I was lucky at least twice in this game.
More common is 13. b4 with White planning (see analysis diagram top of next column) Today, of course, Kraai is a grandmaster and
to roll on the queenside. a founder of a very interesting website, the
PHOTO: COURTESY SUBJECT
I planned 46. ... g4!, and a spectacular draw Chess Dojo <www.chessdojo.club>.
13. ... Bxf5 14. Ne4 Nf6 15. f3 c6 16. Qb3 could have resulted after 47. a4 Qh6 48. Qxg4
Kh8 17. Ndf2 c5 Rf2+ 49. Kxf2 Qe3+ 50. Kg2 Qxg3+, but in- You can read archival copies of
Perhaps I could have tried 17. ... cxd5 18. stead White perished. “My Best Move” on uschess.org,
cxd5 b6, followed by ... Nd8–b7–c5. click on “Chess Life Magazine,”
46. ... Qf1+ 47. Kg4 Qd1+ 48. Kxg5 Rg8+ and then “Archives.”
18. Qc3 Nf7 19. a3 Rac8 20. Rfd1 b6 49. Kf6 Qf1+ 50. Ke6 Rg6+, White resigned.

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Under 2300 through Under 1000 U1500 or U1700 $3000.
Sections: 7 rounds, choice of 12/26-29 or
12/27-29. 40/90, SD/30, d30 (3-day option, Top 7 sections entry fee: $245 online at
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and compete for same prizes. $300 online or at site until 1 hr before round
Horseshoe Casino Resort, 3645 Las 1. Open $500 more to US players if not FIDE
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Open: $10000-5000-3000-2000-1300- Titled players in Open: GMs & foreign
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600-500-500-400-400. games without byes: foreign GMs $800.
Under 2100: $7000-4000-2000-1200-800- U1000 Section entry fees: All $150 less
600-500-500-400-400. Unrated limit $2000. than above.
Under 1900: $7000-4000-2000-1200-800-
600-500-500-400-400. Unrated limit $1500. USCF membership required. Special
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combined team score: $2000-1000-500-300- 3-day schedule: (Late entry to 12/27 10
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in last 4 rds). must commit by round 3.
Ratings: December official USCF ratings
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AMERICAN CUP CHESS IN TRANSLATION HIKARU GETS MARRIED

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USCHESS.ORG SEPTEMBER 2023 15

role when on the defensive side, but let’s

R OOK ENDGAMES ARE DIF-

A check doesn’t help: if 1. Rb7+ Ka8 2. Ra7+

16 SEPTEMBER 2023 USCHESS.ORG

2. ... Ra1 There are two absolutely critical positions

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