Sardinia Quick Chess Tournament

Sat. Jan 3, 1-4pm At the Sardinia Community Center(Town Hall),12320 Savage Rd, Sardinia NY 2 sections: Adults: 3SS, G29,EF $20, Rds 1,2,3 pm. Prizes based on entries Scholastic: Round Robin-Play as many games as possible in 3 hrs! EF $10,Trophy for 1st place. All Scholastic players will receive a prize! For info call Tom Warner 716-496-5230 E-mail warner689@roadrunner.com

Happy New Year

With this my last win online in 2008 I wish you Blessed New Year 2009 and many chess victories. Marijan

With Much Thanks!

Jeff White's wife-Mrs. Candy White being presented with a check for the Scholarship Fund for the children of Jeff White

by Dr. Mark Mieth at this evening's Niagara Falls Chess Club meeting at the Niagara Falls Wegmans.

Long time member of the NFCC-William Storr is in the foreground

Not only was the JWM3 chess event this past Saturday a great time for the players and spectators but also it was quite a success in raising donations for the Scholarship Fund for the Children of Jeff White. Jeff was survived by three children- Nicole who is studying at Buffalo State, Alex who is a senior at Niagara Falls High School, and Jordan who is in the 5th Grade. All tolled over $500 dollars were raised this year. Thank you one and all.

The following is the list (in alphabetical order) of those who contributed:

• Grandmaster Level ($50 and higher)

1. Douglas DuBose
2. Ms. Deborah Miller
3. Rev. Marijan Procyk
4. IM Ken Regan
5. "the chessdoctor"

• International Master Level ($25 and higher)

1. Mr. Vic Bahl
2. The Dolan Family
3. The Havey Family
4. Dr. Johnston
5. Mr. Bob Simpson
6. Mr. William Storr

• National Master Level ($20 level)

1. Mr. Tom Warner

• Candidate Master Level ($10)

1. Mr. Mark Clark
2. Dr. James Paul
3. Mr. Harish Srivivasan

Chess on the night before the night before?

Because the normal night for chess this Wednesday is Christmas Eve, is there any interest in playing chess tomorrow Tuesday 12/23 at the Niagara Falls Wegmans instead? Anyone up for a game or two and some last minute shopping? Perhaps go over Marijan's games from this weekend? If so comment below.

E.O.C. Christmas Open cancelled

The EOC Christmas Open which was scheduled for Saturday, December 27, 2008 has been cancelled due to state budget cuts. All advanced entries will be refunded.

The next "Old School" event will be 1-31-09.

BORDERS SCHOLASTIC CHESS LEAGUE FINAL ROUND

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2008 BORDERS BOOKSTORE - ORCHARD PARK QUAKER CROSSING PLAZA, RT 219 AND MILESTRIP GAMES START AT 1PM UNTIL 4:30PM. ADVANCE REGISTRATION WITH FULL NAME, AGE AND GRADE TO http://www.buffalonians.com/, SIGN UP THEN REGISTER. ENTRY FEE: $5.00

JWM3 Results

Scene of the Award Ceremony for the Scholastic Section from this year's Jeff White Memorial Event.

In the front row far left holding his trophy is Third Place winner Ravo Root, while the far right trophy holder is Shakyle Topps.

In the center holding his big trophy is First Place Winner Christopher Darling.

The adults in the back row (from left to right) are IM Ken Regan, The WNY Chess Ambassador- Michael Mc Dufffie,

and Tournament Director Dr. Mark Mieth

Many chess players , parents, and spectators braved this weekend's weather to attend The Third Annual Jeff White Memorial this past Saturday at Buffalo's Main Place Mall. Winning the coveted Jeff White Memorial Trophy with a performance rating of 2552 was International Master Brian Hartman (2441). He was undefeated and his only blemish was a round 3 draw with last year's winner International Master Ken Regan(2411). IM Regan was second while third place was captured by rising Canadian scholastic player Aquino Inigo (2045). The Open section was won by Aquino's father-Inigo Assaripallam (2032 Canadian) who after taking a mandatory 1/2 point bye in the first round, as he was late in registering, won all 3 of his games. Sharing 2nd-4th place were Tom Warner (1765), Harish Srinivasan (1743) and David Miller(1600). Erik Lubas (1314) was another player to win all of his games at this event and took home Top Honors in the U1450 Section. Sharing 2nd -4th place in this section were rising scholastic player Ryan Madden (1352), Brady Shannon (1081), and Steven Baer (1076). The most wins by any player this weekend was Pioneer Chess Club member Christopher Darling (516) who won all 6 of his games in the double round robin Scholastic Section. Second was Shakyle Topps (648) , Third- new player Ravo Root, and the fourth player in the Scholastic Section was Shaka Davis (292). Davis, however, did win the Fighting Spirit and also the Sportmanship Titles at this event.

Shaka Davis being awarded a new digital clock as the winner of the "Fighting Spirit" and Sportsmanship Awards.

• JWM3 Invitational

1. IM Brian Hartman (2441) 3.5/4
2. IM Ken Regan (2411) 3/4
3. Aquino Inigo (2045) 2.5/4
4. NM Matt Parry (2262) 2/4
5. Steven Dygert (2105) 2/4
6. NM Lionel Davis (2232) 1.5/4
7. Mark Clark (2026) 1/4
8. Rev. Marijan Procyk (2073)0.5/4

• Open

1. Inigo Assaripallum (2032) 3.5
2. David Miller (1600) 3/4
3. Tom Warner (1765) 3/4
4. Harish Srinivasan (1743) 3/4
5. Evan Ashton (1743) 2.5/4
6. Josh Rofrano (1679) 2.5/4
7. Albert "Pat" Patterson (1731) 2/4
8. John Dolan (1365) 2/4
9. Daniel Johnston (1610) 1.5/4
10. James Paul (1279) 1.5/4
11. Tom Callea (1320) 1.5/4
12. David Biddle (1504) 1.5/4
13. Michael Mc Duffie (1123) 1
14. Ben Havey (1504 ) 0.5/4

• U1450

1. Erik Lubas (1314) 4/4
2. Ryan Madden (1352) 3/4
3. Brady Shannon (1081) 3/4
4. Steven Baer (1076) 3/4
5. Don Gregory (1352) 2/4
6. James Davis (1389) 2/4
7. Vic Bahl (655) 2/4
8. Trevor Cohn (733) 1.5/4
9. Ryan Palmisano (895) 1/4
10. Nathan Palmisano (681) 1/4
11. Austin Kossow (770) 1/4

• Scholastic

1. Chris Darling (516) 6/6
2. Shaklee Topps (648) 4/6
3. Ravo Root -NEW 1.5/6
4. Shaka Davis 0.5/6

Will there be a White out?

Please note that if there is a driving ban in place for Buffalo or Erie County this Saturday morning then there will be no chess event at the Main Place Mall. How ironic would that be that the White Memorial would be "whited out"! Arrangements to reschedule the event would then be forthcoming. Stay tuned and pray that the snow (as forecasted) is done by Friday evening so the road crews can then clear the highways and byways in time for chess.

This is the latest forecast for Buffalo from the Weather Channel.

Dec 19 Today Snow will be heavy at times along with gusty winds. Snowfall rates of an inch or more per hour. High 24F. Winds ENE at 25 to 35 mph. Additional snow accumulating 6 to 10 inches. Dec 19 Tonight Mainly cloudy with snow showers around before midnight. Low 16F. Winds NE at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of snow 50%. Snowfall around one inch. Dec 20 Tomorrow Cloudy. NO SNOW. High 22F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Dec 20 Tomorrow night Cloudy with snow developing after midnight. Low around 20F. Winds E at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 90%. Some snow accumulation possible.

FOOD BANK OF WNY CHESS TOURNAMENT SERIES FINAL ROUND 3

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Entry fee: 3 CANNED goods to be donated to the Food Bank of WNY.

Clarence Public Library

3 Town Place

Clarence, NY

Check in between 5:30pm till 6pm.

Games start at 6pm. USCF memberships must be current.

Play 4 to 5 games depending upon time allowed. Must be out of library at 9pm.

Please bring chess board, chess set, (optional-chess clock)

Advance registration to http://www.buffalonians.com/, sign in and register for this event, with full name, USCF ID Number, USCF rating, expiration date and contact number. Thanks for your continued support. Mc Duffie, Chess Ambassador WK Kellogg Foundation, Kellogg Fellow

Buffalo Bob Best in the Nation!

I just received this email from Bob Shao's father. Bob is the former two time Buffalo Scholastic Player of the Year. He just won the 9th Grade section at the USA Nationals in Florida. Way to go Bob!

Dear Dr. Mieth, Long time no see, hope all are going well with you. Over this summer, Bob Shao and the rest of my family have moved from Buffalo to Houston. Bob has done well in his high school as a freshman, and continued to play chess. To share with you the latest chess news about him: Last month, he has won the Texas State 9th grade championship; Over this past weekend in Orlando, Florida, he just became the 2008 9th grade National Champion as a clear first place winner. Above is a bit blurred photo taken yesterday during the award ceremony. The following is the link for the final standing of 2008 Natinoal K-12 Grade Championships: http://main.uschess.org/content/view/8980/500/ He has always appreciated his chess root stated from Buffalo area, and the fact of his first tournament in 2007 Free April organized by you. He still constantly checks the Buffalo/Niagara chess corner and pays attention to the news over there, and especially feels closely connected with many players he has competed and be friended with. Best wishes for the succes of coming 2008 JWM tournament, and happy Christmas! Sincerely, Sam Shao

Pillsbury's Brain

I found this article interesting, I hope you do too.

H. N. Pillsbury was actually the first player that I studied. I went over 100 of his games. ... Pillsbury's Brain

N versus B

This is an interesting batle between N & B. How accurate was it?

2008 Jeff White Memorial Tournament

Get ready to watch or play some great chess for a good cause! Next Saturday 12/20 at the Main Place Mall The Third Annual Jeff White Memorial event will take place.

This year the coveted Jeff White Memorial Trophy will be contested by 8 top players in a closed invitational section. They are:

1. IM Ken Regan (2411)-2008 Buffalo Mayor's Cup and 2007 Jeff White reigning champion
2. IM Brian Hartman (2441) - invited guest from Canada
3. NM Matt Perry (2297) -2008 NYS High School Champion
4. NM Lionel Davis (2232) -10 time Buffalo Grand Prix champion or co-champion within the past 12 months
5. Marijan Procyk (2094) 2 time Buffalo Grand Prix champion or co-champion within the past 12 months
6. Stephen Dygert-(2085) promising scholastic player from Rochester.
7. Aquino Inigo (2045p) -Canadian rising junior and November 2008 Buffalo Grand Prix co-champion.
8. Mark Clark- (2026) many times Jamestown Champion

All others can compete in the following sections:

Open

U1450 and

Jeff White Memorial Scholastic

OPEN and U1450 Sections are Game/45 with ROUNDS AT 9:30AM, 11:15AM, 1:30 PM, and 3 PM. ENTRY FEE $10.00 with CASH PRIZES for 1st- 2nd and 3rd BASED UPON ENTRIES Registration 830-915AM.

JEFF WHITE MEMORIAL SCHOLASTIC SECTION is Game/30 with Rounds at 930AM, 1045AM, 1215 PM, and 130 PM ENTRY FEE $5.00 with TROPHIES FOR 1ST, 2ND AND 3RD PLACE WINNERS. Trophy Presentation at 245PM. ( Tiebreaks will be determined by performance score.)

• On site registration is from 830-915. One ½ point bye available if requested prior to Round 3. All entries after 915 AM will be forced to take a 1/2 point first round bye. You could also either post a comment below indicating your intent to play below or email me at drmarkmieth@aol.com with your name USCF ID # and section you wish to play. Remember Round One for all sections begins at 930 AM.
• $5 of each entry fee will go to the scholarship contributions of the children of Jeff White. He was the recently deceased president of the Niagara Falls Chess Club and a great friend of chess.

Jamestown Rated Tournament this Saturday

I just received the following from Mr. Mark Clark of the Jamestown Chess Club:

The Jamestown Chess Club will by holding a Rating Tournament Saturday at the Jamestown Boys & Girls Club on Allen Street in Jamestown, NY. There will be an Entry Fee of $2 for the rating fee. Play will be Game/30. Registration starts at 10:30 but play goes till 3PM. Mark Clark mclark85@stny.rr.com

Newly established East Aurora Monthly Chess Club

Tonight, The East Aurora Monthly Chess Club was established at the East Aurora Public Library, 550 Main Street, East Aurora, NY 14052. It will meet every second Tuesday of the month. Our next meeting will be Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 6pm.

Along with me, Paul Kielich, a US Chess Federation member, will be Co-Directors of the club. Today we want to welcome: Paul Kielich, his son- Noah Cosimano, Isabella Koch, Tristan Koch and Nick Corie. All of these new members came out eager and ready to learn and play.

Mom and Dad Koch also watched their children pick up the game after their first chess lessons.

Thank you for your support and dedication to the promotion of the game of chess in East Aurora, NY.

Mc Duffie, Chess Ambassador WK Kellogg Foundation, Kellogg Fellow

Paul Kielich, Co-Director, USCF Member

Riverside Chess Club

The Riverside Chess Club will be meeting every Tuesday of the month at the Riverside Public Library 820 Tonawanda Street, Buffalo, NY from 5-7 pm. Contact Glenn Luba at 875-0562 or Douglas Dubose at 836-4364 for more information.

Warner Wins in Sardinia

Tom Warner won the Quick (G29) chess tournament held in Sardinia Dec 6th. He won all 3 games, defeating Ryan Palmisano, Ryan (mad dog) Madden, and then Pat Patterson in a close game when Patterson's time ran out. Patterson took second, while Madden won the u1500 prize and Palmisano the u1000. Other players were Robert Becker, Carl Raymore, Austin Kossow, and Dillon Smith.

In the scholastic section Nathan Palmisano was perfect,winning all 6 games. Brothers Wes and Chris Darling finished tied for second/third with 3. Other players were newcomers Carl Raymore, John Beyer, and Jakob Thomas.

Next tournament Jan. 3. See you there!

EAST AURORA CHESS CLUB & CHESS LEAGUE

A new chess club in the Buffalo-Niagara Region will open its doors on Tuesday, December 9, 2008 at the East Aurora Public Library on Main Street in East Aurora, NY.

Beginners are welcome to join and have chess lessons scheduled.

Time: 6pm until 8pm

Meets every second tuesday of the month. Please pre-register by arcangel8chess@yahoo.com or www.buffalonians.com.

Please bring chess sets, chess clocks and chess boards.

Thanks, Mc Duffie, Chess Ambassador WK Kellogg Foundation, Kellogg Fellow

BORDERS WNY SCHOLASTIC CHESS LEAGUE REMINDER

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Borders Bookstore - Orchard Park NY Rt 219 and Milestrip Road (Quaker Crossing Plaza)

Register: 12:30pm until 1pm

Games and Group lessons start at 1pm until 4:30pm.

Group lesson fee is $5.00 per player per session.

Please bring Chess Set, Chess board and scoresheets. Optional Chess Clock.

Advance registration to arcangel8chess@yahoo.com with full name, age, grade and school. Thanks for your continued support and participation.

Mc Duffie, Chess Ambassador <[>W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Kellogg Fellow

FOOD BANK OF WNY CHESS TOURNAMENT SERIES RESULTS

Thirteen donors came out to support this tournament series.

Clarence Public Library, 3 Town Place, Clarence NY.

Round One results had First Place - Gary A. Boye, renewed USCF 1674, OPEN SECTION.

Scholastic Turkey Section; First Place Tie - Chase Gifford and David E. Primosch Jr., both from Global Concepts Charter Chess Club, Third Place Tie - Preston Gifford, Olmstead School and Newcomer Jacob P. Frederiksen, Transit Middle School.

Beginners Club welcomed Clare, Liam Sharkey and parents for chess lessons. We want to thank them for their donations to the "Cause".

Round 2 will be Thursday, December 11, 2008, games start at 6pm until 8:45pm. Advance registration by email to arcangel8chess@yahoo.com no later than Wednesday, December 10, 2008 with full name, uscf id number, uscf rating and expiration date. Entry fee: Three CANNED GOODS to be donated to FOOD BANK OF WNY.

Please bring Chess Set, Chess Board, Optional Chess Clock and Scoresheets. Thanks to all who came out to support this effort to help those in need. Keep the "Faith" and join us next Thursday, December 11, 2008.

FOOD BANK OF WNY TOURNAMENT SERIES

EVERY THURSDAY NIGHT IN DECEMBER

CLARENCE PUBLIC LIBRARY

3 TOWN PLACE, CLARENCE NY

Registration:5:30pm until 6pm

Games will start at 6pm, will try to get in at least 4games during the 6 - 8:45pm Must be out of the library by 9pm.

ENTRY FEE: 3 CANNED GOODS TO BE DONATED TO FOOD BANK OF WNY.

For more info about this wonderful charity organization see http://www.foodbankwny.org/public/html/home/index.htm

Please pre-register by email to arcangel8chess@yahoo.com. Every thursday during the month of December. Just one way to help those families in need during the holiday season. If you can't play just drop off your donation. Register with full name, USCF ID number, USCF Rating and contact number.

Next tournament dates are Thursday, December 11th, and December 18th, 2008. Please bring chess boards, chess sets, and chess clocks, notations are optional.

KLCC JEFF WHITE MEMORIAL, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20TH, 2008, MAIN PLACE MALL, UPPER LEVEL, 390 MAIN STREET, BUFFALO NY. FOR MORE INFORMATION, REPLY TO ARCANGEL8CHESS@YAHOO.COM.

Thanks for all your continued support.

Mc Duffie, Chess Ambassador

WK Kellogg Foundation and Kellogg Fellow

Sardinia Quick Chess Tournament

Saturday Dec. 6, 1-4pm. At the Sardinia Community Center,12320 Savage Rd, Sardinia NY

Two sections: Adults: 3SS, G/29,EF $20,Prizes per entries,Rds 1,2,3pm

Scholastic: Round Robin, Play as many games as possible in 3 hrs! EF $10.Trophy for 1st. All scholastic players will receive a prize!

For info call Tom Warner 716-496-5230 e-mail warner689@roadrunner.com

Brain teaser

Click on the following link:

http://chessactivityinwny.blogspot.com/2008/11/brain-teaser.html

Results from the Thanksgiving Weekend Classic

James Davis making his move against scholastic winner Partho Bhattacharya at The Thanksgiving Classic while spectators David Biddle, Vic Bahl, Rev. Davis, and some Dallas supporter look on.

NM Barry Davis (2163) won the Thankgiving Weekend Classic held 11-29-08 at the Educational Opportunity Center with a perfect 4-0 score. Second place was taken by Vince Woodard (1835) with 3 points. David Biddle (1496) took the C prize with 2 points and George Barton (1066) took top Class D with 2 points. Partho Bhattacharya (1118) took the Scholastic prize. Congratulations to all!

The cross table is at http://main.uschess.org/assets/msa_joomla/XtblMain.php?200811299961

E.O.C. Christmas Open

E.O.C. CHRISTMAS OPEN E.O.C. 465 WASHINGTON ST.BUFFALO,NY 14215 6th Floor DECEMBER 27,2008 5-swiss system,G/45 Open , Reserve ,Scholastic sections Open:open to all Reserve:open to under 1600 Entry fee for open and reserve sections $15.00 if received by 12-22-08 $7.00 more at the site all prizes based on 20 entries Entry fee for the Scholastic section $8.00, trophies for 1st and 2nd Registration:9-9:45 rounds 10:00,12:00,2:00,4:00 Send entries to Old School Chess Enterprises;3587 Harlem Road,Buffalo,NY 14215 ContactDouglas Dubose at (716)836-4364 or e mail at douglasdubose@gmail.com for more information

Welcome to the BRONZE Age!

Well that is more like it. Both the men's and women's teams from the USA finished third in this year's Chess Olympiad. A fantastic accomplishment indeed. I hope this continues to inspire the chess players in the US to continue to compete at a high level. Hopefully it will also cause more in this country to take notice and thus increase the interest (and sponsorship money) to chess.

Now if GM Gata Kamsky-USA's Board One were to beat Topalov in the World Championship semifinals, wow what a thing that would be!

A new blog

This new site has been created not to compete with the Buffalo Niagara Chess Corner, but to offer players some variety and to provide instruction and another tool to improve their game.

Contributors will be IM Dr. Ken Regan, Expert Barry Davis, and Expert Douglas Dubose. If you have a question, or would like a game annotated, or have a contribution please contact Douglas Dubose at zugzwang92857@yahoo.com . The new blog is http://www.chessactivityinwny.blogspot.com/ Your comments are welcome.

Happy Thanksgiving! Support Chess-Support Wegmans

Does anybody plan to prepare for Thanksgiving by playing chess at the Niagara Falls Wegmans this Wednesday- the day before Thanksgiving, and then go and shop for the next day's meal?

As for me - I will stop and see who is there.

Happy Thanksgiving to all! Marijan

Results of the 9th Southern Tier Scholastic

45 Scholastic players participated in the 9th Edition of the Unrated Southern Tier Scholastic Tournament in Olean, NY this past weekend It was once again run by "the old woodpusher," Garry Reynolds, who can be seen in the picture at left. (Just kidding.)

• Pioneer Chess swept the top five spots in the K-6 section as Ryan Palmisano was first with an undefeated 5-0. Sharing 2nd -4th were Chris Darling, Austin Will, and Austin Kossow with a 4-1 score. 5th place was Nathan Palmisano who went 3.5-1.5.
• In the 7-12 grade section, first place was once again captured by Olean High School senior Holden Berstein with a perfect 5-0. Tying for 2nd-4th with a 4-1 score were Bradford, PA seventh grader Leah Swineford, Cody Hennard a sixth grader from Bradford who "played up," and Pioneer's eighth grader Wesley Darling.
• Mr. Reynolds wished to send out "Much thanks to the chess coaches: Ray Valeri (Olean), Tom Warner (Pioneer), Robert Ferguson (Bradford), Lyn Van Tassel (Genesee Valley), Karen Insley (Scio), Vong Boussa (Wellsville) and all the parents that accompanied their students to this event. We had a pretty fair turnout for this event, although I would hope that more of our western New York schools would become more involved with promoting this event to their students."

Reminder Thanksgiving Weekend Classic

Aside from the traditional thanksgiving turkey leftovers sandwich, I can think of little else as good as playing chess after the holiday.

Thanksgiving Weekend Classic

Saturday, November 29, 2009

465 Washington Street, Buffalo N.Y. 14203 6th floor auditorium 4 Round Swiss G/45

Open, Reserve, and Scholastic sections

1st round 9:30 AM

½ point bye available if requested prior to round 1.

Unpaid late entries must take a ½ point bye in round 1.

• Open section open to all EF:$15, if received by 11/22/08 or $7 more at site. Prizes based on 20 entries, 1st place, 2nd place, and class C and class D.
• Reserve section U1800 and under EF:$15, if received by 11/22/08 or $7 more at site. Prizes based on 20 entries, 1st place, 2nd place and class C and class D.
• Scholastic section EF: $8. If received by 11/22/08 or $2 more at site. Time control G/30 cash and trophies based on 20 entries.
• Direct all enquiries to Douglas Dubose at zugzwang92857@yahoo.com or call (716) 848-0779. Send all advanced entries to Old School Chess Enterprises 3587 Harlem Road, Cheektowaga, N.Y. 14215.

BORDERS NOVEMBER SCHOLASTIC CHESS LEAGUE REMINDER

Saturday, November 22, 2008

BORDERS BOOKSTORE - ORCHARD PARK RT 219 and MILESTRIP ORCHARD PARK, NY

Register from 12:30pm and 1pm. Entry Fee:$5.00 per player.

Games start at 1pm until 4:30pm. You can find the chess players at the Cafe area.

Please bring your chess set, chess board and pencil for written notations. Swiss format, Game 30, next round will start when all games are completed.

Please RSVP ASAP to reply to arcangel8chess@yahoo.com with full name, USCF ID number, Expiration Date and contact number no later than Friday, November 21, 2008 by 6pm.

Thanksgiving Classic

Thanksgiving Weekend Classic Sat. 11/29/2008 Four Rd SS:G/45, 1st Rd 9:30 am for all sections. ½ point bye available if requested prior to round 1, Unpaid late entries must take a ½ point bye in round 1. Please bring your own sets ,boards and clocks none will be provided. Open section : open to all EF : $15.00 if received by 11-22-08 $7.00 more at the site .All prizes based on 20 entries 1st ,2nd ,and class A and B. Reserve section 1800 and under EF : $15.00 , if received by 11-22-08 $7.00 more at the site. Prizes based on 20 entries 1st 2nd and class C and D. Scholastic section EF: $8.00 if received by 11-22-08 $2.00 more at the site. Time control G/30 cash and trophies based on 20 entries. Send all advance entries to Old School Chess Enterprises 3587 Harlem Rd. Cheektowaga, NY 14215. Direct all inquiries to Douglas Dubose at zugzwang928572@yahoo.com or call (716)836-4364.

Can anyone name the chess player pictured who could carve you up at the board as easily as this turkey?

CLARENCE "FREE" CHESS TOURNAMENT

Tuesday, November 18, 2008 Clarence Public Library, Three Town Place, Clarence NY 716 - 741 - 2650

ENTRY FEE: 3 CAN GOODS TO BE DONATED TO THE FOOD BANK OF WNY. THINKING OF THOSE LESS FORTUNATE DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON.

This is a FREE Tournament for USCF members. Games every 40 minutes. Can join/renew USCF memberships on site, cash only.

Registration: 5:30pm until 6pm. Public Library closes at 9pm.

Games start at 6pm and every 40 minutes or as games are completed.

Four/Five games, possible Quad play (play those with same ratings) or SWISS FORMAT.

Please bring Chess board, Chess set and Chess Clock. Notations are Optional.

Please RSVP by reply to Arcangel8chess@yahoo.com, no later than 4pm on Tuesday, November 18, 2008 with full name, USCF ID number and USCF Rating. USCF membership must be current.

Now you can help an IM!

IM Dr. Ken Regan just put out a request to the chess community. He is in need for the older version of Junior from Chessbase. It is version 9 (not the current version 10) that he needs for a research issue. If you can help him please comment below.

KWRegan said... Does anyone have a Junior 9 CD? I own a Junior 10 CD and would be happy to swap. I have a particular need for that version, and have been unable to obtain one by other means.---Ken Regan (contact info)

KLCC NOVEMBER GRAND PRIX RESULTS 2008

Turnout has improved indeed as 32 total players participated this month!

In honor of our new President Elect, the top section was named the BARACK OBAMA OPEN GRAND PRIX SECTION. It was an interesting (some might say crazy) section as it ended with a three way tie for first as National Master Lionel L. Davis (2242), 13 year old Canadanian Aquino Inigo (2038p), and scholastic up and comer Meghesh Pansari (1626) all had 3 points out of 4. Upsets were the order of the day. In Round 3, Aquino Inigo defeated NM Lionel L. Davis and appeared to be on his way to the title only to himself be upset in the last round by Meghesh! Other upsets were Josh Rofrano (1602) defeating Thomas A Warner (1775), Meghesh Pansari defeating Daniel Johnston (1659), and David Miller (1576) defeating Daniel Johnston. New to the section were three members of the Rochester Chess Center-Josh Rofrano, Meghesh Pansari, and Daniel Johnston (age 11).

A new attendance record of 24 players (of which 14 were had ratings under 1000) competed in the LT COLONEL MATT LOUIS URBAN U1600 SECTION. LTC Urban, a World War II veteran , was a graduate of East High School and remains Buffalo's most highly decorated veteran. This section's champion was David Biddle (1421) who went undefeated. A five player tie for 2nd place occurred between Benjamin W. Havey (1503), Ryan Madden (1330), Erik W. Lubas (1316), Thomas C Callea ( 1304p) and Terrence Adams (1189p). The newcomers to this section were: Terrence Adams who recently relocated to Rochester, NY from Syracuse, NY; William J. Deuschle - Nardin Academy; Austin Will - Pioneer; Shakyle E. Topps - Buffalo United Charter School; and from coach Tom Warner's Pioneer Chess Team-Samuel F. Tillinghast, Robert Becker, and Christopher A. Darling. Upset winners (who were given a Dove Chocolate Bar for their efforts) included-in Round 2- Steve Baer (1065) drawing against William Rich (1377), in Round 3- Dr. James J. Paul (1332) revenging a past defeat against William Rich, in Round 4, Deacon James E. Gibson (1089) defeated William Rich.

The DAVID EVANS JR MEMORIAL U1000 SECTION also had a three way for 1st PLACE. The November Champions were George P. Barton (1078), unrated William J. Deuschle of Nardin Academy, and Austin Kossow (693) from Pioneer School.

Our next Chess Event will be Saturday, November 22, 2008 at the Orchard Park Borders for our monthly Scholastic Chess League. Games start at 1pm until 4:30pm.

Thanks to all of you who continue to help us grow our Buffalo Niagara Chess Community. 14 players joined us this month and their rating were U1000. Nice Job!

Results for the Ron Cozzi Old Editions Bookshop

On October 25th, fifteen players in two sections competed in the Ron Cozzi Old Editions Bookshop Chess Tournamnet in the fine playing hall of the downtown Educational Opportunity Center. The tournament was directed by Doug DuBose.

• NM Barry Davis (2153) won the Open section with a perfect 4/4. Tying for 2nd-4th with 2.5/4 were Tom Warner (1772), Albert "Pat" Patterson (1721), and Mark Mieth (1312). Upset winners were Josh Rofrano (1601) over Marijan Procyk (2094), James Paul (1287) over Rofrano, Mark Mieth over David Miller (1589), and James Davis (1376) over David Biddle (1449).
• The U1400 section title was shared by unrated Rayford Pearson (>>>1447p) and Ryan Madden(1280) both with undefeated 3.5/4 scores. Third place went to Partho Bhattacharya (1118). Upsets in this section were: Partho and later George Barton (1067) both over Steven Baer (1122).
• See http://main.uschess.org/assets/msa_joomla/XtblMain.php?200810254701

RESULTS FROM 1ST ANNUAL WNY FALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Twenty nine (29) scholastic players turned out for the Championship held at the Main Place Mall, in Downtown Buffalo New York. USCF memberships made up 62% of the players in the tournament.

BISHOP TIMON HIGH SCHOOL AND PIONEER MIDDLE SCHOOLS TAKE CHAMPIONSHIP TITLES!

Bishop Timon High School Chess Team are WNY FALL SCHOLASTIC CHESS CHAMPIONS 2008, of the Lt. Colonel Matt Louis Urban (7th - 12th Grades) Section. In honor of Veterans Day the section was named after the most highest decorated World War II veteran, a graduate of East High School and native of Buffalo New York. Second Place went to Pioneer High School from Arcade New York.

Pioneer Middle School Chess Team are WNY FALL SCHOLASTIC CHESS CHAMPIONS 2008, of the Demone A. Smith (K - 6th Grades) Section. Demone A. Smith, Councilman of the Masten District in the City of Buffalo New York. Second Place went to Community School #53 from the Buffalo Public School District.

INDIVIDUAL HONORS for the DEMONE A. SMITH (K - 6th Grades) Section:

1st Place and Undefeated - AUSTIN WILL, PIONEER MIDDLE SCHOOL

2nd Place - NATHAN PALMISANO, PIONEER MIDDLE SCHOOL

3rd Place - AUSTIN KOSSOW, PIONEER MIDDLE SCHOOL

4th Place - CHRISTOPHER DARLING, PIONEER MIDDLE SCHOOL

INDIVIDUAL HONORS for the LT. COLONEL MATT LOUIS URBAN (7th - 12th Grades) Section.

1ST PLACE and Undefeated - PARTHO A. BHATTACHARYA, CITY HONORS SCHOOL

2nd Place - BENJAMIN W. HAVEY, KENMORE WEST HIGH SCHOOL

3rd Place - WILLIAM W. DEUSCHLE, NARDIN ACADEMY

4th Place - DANIEL T. HUZINEC, BISHOP TIMON HIGH SCHOOL

A Special Thank You goes to Buffalo Councilman Demone A. Smith for being our Chess Trophy Sponsor. Also Thanks to Willie "Hutch" Jones Educational and Sports Programs, Thomas A. Warner and Coach Bowers for all their help and support. I wish to personally thank all the parents, friends, and players who chose to participate in this event. With your continued support "WE CAN" grow a stronger and dedicated chess community one move at a time.

Our next chess event is Saturday, November 15th, 2008, KLCC NOVEMBER GRAND PRIX, Main Place Mall, Upper Level, 390 Main Street, Buffalo New York, Free Parking Under Mall, Food Court Open during the tournament. Four Rounds, SWISS, Game 45, Rounds start at 9:30am. Unpaid late entries must take on half point bye.

Three Sections - KLCC OPEN Section - Entry Fee -$40 ADVANCE OR $50 AT THE DOOR.

U1600 - Entry fee $10.00, CASH PRIZES AND TROPHIES, based upon 20 entries.

Demone A. Smith Scholastics - Entry Fee $8.00, TROPHIES. UNRATED PLAYERS.

To register please email to arcangel8chess@yahoo.com with full name, section, USCF ID Number, USCF October Supplement Rating.

Josh Waitzkin

If you have an hour to spare go to the following link. Scroll down to - You Tube - to listen to an interview with Josh Waitzkin from the Authors@Google series. It is definitely interesting. http://www.chess.com/members/view/SonofPearl

First Annual Fall Scholastic Reminder

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2008

MAIN PLACE MALL - UPPER LEVEL

390 MAIN STREET, BUFFALO, NEW YORK

REGISTRATION: 9 AM UNTIL 10AM, GAMES START AT 10:30AM.

ENTRY FEE $10.00 PER PLAYER, 4 PLAYERS PER TEAM

TWO SECTIONS: K - 6TH GRADE AND 7TH - 12TH GRADE

5 ROUNDS, UNRATED, GAME 30, NO ELIMINATION

TEAM TROPHIES FOR 1ST PLACE FINISHERS (ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL) SPONSORED BY DEMONE A. SMITH, MASTEN DISTRICT - CITY OF BUFFALO COUNCILMAN

INDIVIUAL TROPHIES FOR 1ST, 2ND AND 3RD PLACE IN EACH SECTION

Email Advance registration are greatly appreciated with full names, school, grade, (USCF ID Number and USCF Rating if member),

USCF Tournament Directors: Thomas A. Warner and Michael A. Mc Duffie

White to move

White is piece down. What can he do? Is he lost? or can he draw or win?

Mark Clark wins in Sardinia

Mark Clark (on left)

Expert Mark Clark from Jamestown won all three games to win the Sardinia Quick adult section last saturday. He had little trouble in dispatching Ryan(Mad Dog) Madden, Tom Warner, and Pat Patterson. Warner won 2 games to finish 2nd while Madden won the u1500 prize with 1.5.

In the Scholastic section, Ryan Palmisano won with 6pts. Robert Becker took second with 5.5 while 4th grader Chris Darling, in his first tournament, stole the show with 4.5. Trust me - we will be hearing more from this kid!

Many thanks to Doug Bowers for bringing his Bishop Timon team from Buffalo. He tells me he will be coming to the Scholastic tournament at the Main Place Mall next Sat Nov 8. Pioneer will be there also. Coaches get your teams together and lets make this a fun tournament!

Alekhine: Happy Birthday

The following link gives interesting trivia about one of the greatest players to ever play chess. http://www.chess.com/article/view/happy-birthday-alekhine

Sardinia Quick Chess Tournament

• Saturday Nov. 1 at the Sardinia Community Center, 12320 Savage Rd.,Sardinia NY 1-4pm Two sections:
• Adults: 3Round swiss Game/30 EF $20 Rounds 1,2,3 pm, Prizes based on entries
• Scholastic: RR- Play as many games as possible in 3 hrs! Trophy for 1st place. All scholastic players will recieve a prize!
• For info call Tom Warner 716-496-5230

It is Over! Anand is Still King!

Unable to win three straight games in order to force a tiebreak to then quick games, former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik could only draw today. Thus Vishy Anand of India remains the Chess World Champion.

Congratulations to him and his countryman Harish.

Now our hope is with American Gata Kamsky to beat Bulgarian Topalov in their match in the Ukrain with the winner to then challenge Anand for the title. Unless, of course, FIDE decides to change the rules again.

Kramnik Komeback?!

Faced with losing the match with either a loss or even a draw, former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik finnaly won a game against Vishy Anand today. The score is now 6-4. He has to do it two more times to force a tie-breaker playoff or Anand keeps the crown. Can he do it? Stay tuned.

Here is GM Susan Polgar's commentary given live during the match.

Kramnik, V (2772) - Anand, V (2782)World Championship - Game 10

Many have asked me if I think Kramnik will try 1.e4 today. I do not think so. It is not his style.1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Nf3 c5 5.g3 cxd4 6.Nxd4 O-O 7.Bg2 d5 8.cxd5 Nxd5 9.Qb3 Qa5 So far, the players are within Opening Books. Bd2 here is the common move.10.Bd2 Black's best choice is 10...Nc6 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.O-O =/+=10...Nc6 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.O-O Bxc3 13.bxc3 Ba6 14.Rfd1 If 14... Bxe2 15.c4 Qa6 16.cxd5 Bxd1 17.Rxd1 +=14...Qc5 15.e4 Bc4 16.Qa4 Nb6 17.Qb4 Qh5 18.Re1 I do not recall off the top of my head of seeing this move before. I assume that this is a novelty. I believe 18.Bf4 and 18.Be3 have been played in a number of games before. In fact, Kasparov played 18.Be3 against Anand in 2000.White's advantage is the Bishop pair. Black's plan is to play Be2 then Bf3 to trade off one Bishop. Therefore, 18.Re1 stops the threat of Be2. If 18...Be3 19.h3 Bf3 then 20.g4. This is the kind of position Kramnik is very comfortable with. He has a small edge and he is at liberty to squeeze his opponent all day long.The reason why both players played very quickly so far is they have followed opening books until White's 18th move. This is the first time Anand is taking any significant time for a move.18...c5 Anand found a sound move when faced with a novelty.19.Qa5 Rfc8 20.Be3 = Anand is down by approximately 30 minutes on the clock. It is obvious that he was caught off guard.20...Be2 There are several threats with this move: 1. Black wants to eliminate one of White's Bishop pair with Bf3. 2. Black also has Nc4 with the same idea of trading off one of the Bishops. White's most logical move is 21.Bf4 to get out of the Nc4 threat.21.Bf4 Some people are asking why Kramnik doesn't go nuts and play wildly? Well, that is not his style. His best chance to win is to go back to what suits him best. He lost the first 2 games in this match playing Anand's style and it did not work out well.I just glanced at the evaluation of Fritz. It gives the position as equal. I disagree. I think White is slightly better and Anand has an uncomfortable position with White's Bishop pair pointing at his Rooks and his pieces are not very coordinated. In addition, it is not so simple for Black to come up with a sound strategic plan here. He just has to be careful.21...e5 This is a possible continuation 22.Bxe5 Nc4 23.Qa6 Qxe5 24.Rxe2 Qxc3 25.Ree1 +=22.Be3 If 22...Nc4 23.Qa6 Nxe3 24.Rxe2 Nxg2 25.Kxg2 +=22..Bg4 I like 23.Qa6 here to prevent Nc4. Kramnik is still slightly better. Kramnik has an option to play 23.Bxc5 Nc4 24.Qb5 Nd2 25.Be7 Rab8 26.Qd3 and Black has compensation. The c3 pawn is weak and Black has some play on the Kingside.23.Qa6 This is a much better choice for Kramnik than 23.Bxc5. A possible idea for Black here is play f6 to allow his Queen to retreat to f7 and possibly move the Queenside. He can also attempt to trade the g2 Bishop with Bf3 or Bh3.23...f6 White has a real threat with a4-a5. Black's Knight has few good squares to get to. In addition, White is basically trying to eliminate counter chances for Black while gaining space advantage. This is another promising game for Kramnik. 24.a5 Qf7 White can play 25.Bf1 with the idea of pushing a5 and after the Knight moves away, White has Bc4.25.Bf1 And now Black may need to play Be6 to prevent the Bf4 threat.25.Be6 26.Rab1 c4 I am not so keen on his move but the alternatives also give White an excellent game.27.a5 There are other options but I like this move the best. As I mentioned earlier, Black has a tough time finding a good square for his Knight.27...Na4 28.Rb7 I think Kramnik smells a victory here. If he succeeds, the pressure is back on Anand's side, especially with the way how Kramnik has played in the past 2 games.28...Qe8 The only move to protect the e6 Bishop. 29.Qd6 +/-The threat is Qb4 to go after an out of place Knight.29...Black resigns. He simply cannot get out of this mess. Well played game by Kramnik. He finally broke through to score his first win. The score is now 6.0 -4.0 in favor of Anand with 2 games to play. Tomorrow will be a day off and they will resume game 11 on Wednesday with game 11.

BORDERS OCTOBER SCHOLASTIC CHESS LEAGUE RESULTS

Three new members joined the league yesterday. New members were Joseph W. Vucic from East Aurora Middle School, Julius T. Spencer from St Augustines Scholars School, and Joel M. Hair from City Honors.

The October results were 1st Place and undefeated Joseph W. Vucic, 2nd Place Julius T. Spencer and 3rd Place Shakyle E Topps.

2008 League Standings: 1st Place - Joseph W. Vucic - 3pts. 2nd Place tie - Julius T. Spencer - 2pts. 2nd Place tie - Richard H. Herko - 2pts. 4th Place tie - William J. Deuschle - 1.5pts 4th Place tie - Trevor D. Cohn - 1.5pts 6th Place tie - Shakyle E. Topps - 1.0pts 6th Place tie - Preston Gifford - 1.0pts 6th Place tie - David E. Primosch Jr. - 1.0pts 6th Place tie - Chase Gifford - 1.0pts 6th Place tie - Marissa L. Herko - 1.0pts 6th Place tie - Samuel E. Santora - 1.0pts 12th Place tie - Joel Hair - 0pts. 12th Place tie - Mikayla C. Brown - 0pts

The next Borders Chess League meeting will be Saturday, November 22, 2008 starting at 1pm until 4:30pm. Borders Bookstore (Orchard Park) Rt 219 and Milestrip at Quakercrossing. To register for the league please email full name, age, grade and school to arcangel8chess@yahoo.com. Advanced Entry fee only $5.00 per monthly session. Checks made payable to Archangel 8 Chess Academy, BSCL, 60F Guilford Lane, Buffalo NY 14221.

1ST ANNUAL WNY SCHOLASTIC FALL TEAM CHESS CHAMPIONSHIPS

• SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2008
• MAIN PLACE MALL - UPPER LEVEL 390 MAIN STREET, BUFFALO NEW YORK
• UNRATED
• TWO SECTIONS - K -6th Grades and 7th -12th Grades
• Schools may have more than one team. A team consist of 4 players
• Advance Entry fee is $10 per player by Tuesday November 4, 2008
• Check in/Registration is from 9am until 10am
• Rounds at 10:30am, 11:30am, 1:15pm and Championship round at 3:15pm
• Awards and Team Trophies for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place will be awarded immediately after the final round
• Lunch break 12:30pm till 1pm FOOD COURT WILL BE OPEN DURING TOURNAMENT PLAY
• Tournament Directors are Thomas A Warner and Michael A Mc Duffie
• USCF Rules and "Touch Move" will be ENFORCED. Written notations are optional.
• Players should bring chess sets, chess board, and chess clocks.

To register you team , please email each players full name, age, grade, and section of play to arcangel8chess@yahoo.com no later than Tuesday November 4, 2008. Please make checks payable to Archangel 8 Chess Academy and mail to 60F Guilford Lane, Buffalo NY 14221.

KLCC OCTOBER GRAND PRIX RESULTS

A first in the Hal Payne Scholastic Section, as 3 girls sweep the topp three spots! Dakaylah Winfied, daughter of Ken "The Don" Winfield, won her second consecutive monthly tournament. Second place was Daja Vu Romer and third place was Doshlynn Romer (Cousins of Dakaylah). All three are members of the chess federation. Dakaylah, 5th grader at Martin Luther King Jr Multicultural Institute #39, Daja Vu and Doshlynn also 5th graders at PFC William J Grabiarz School of Excellence are also the first African-American females to earn the top three places. Julius T. Spencer, 6th Grader from St. Augustine Scholars School, also tied for third place but lost out on tie breakers.

We would also like to welcome newcomer Allena Harris, from D'Youville Porter Campus School #3 to her first chess tournament. D'Youville Porter Campus School #3 has started a lunchtime volunteered chess program. On a sad note, The St. Augustine Scholars Chess Club has been cancelled due to lack of funding.

The Antoine M Thompson U1600 Section got a new undefeated champion- Benjamin W. Havey(1331) from Kenmore Middle School. Tying for second were David M Biddle (1426), David S. Miller(1574), and Thomas C. Callea Jr.(1003). Ben, your preparation and persistence do payoff! Keep up the good work, lets see if you can make it two monthly wins.

Tournament Upsets: Round 1: Thomas Callea defeated Jerome Barton for 381 points, Erik Lubas draw with Ferdinand Supsup (Canada) for 141 points. Round 2: Michael A Mc Duffie defeated Ferdinand Supsup (Canada) for 396 points, George Barton defeated Glenn Conlin for 386 points, Benjamin Havey defeated David Miller for 243 points, Erik Lubas defeated Jerome Barton for 187 points. Round 3: Thomas Callea defeated Steve Baer for 177 points, Jerome Barton draw with Ferdinand Supsup(Canada) for 47.5 points. Round 4: Thomas Callea defeated Sept. Champion James P Davis for 363 points, Steve Baer tied Ferdinand Supsup for 149.5 points and Benjamin Havey defeated David Biddle for 95 points.

The next KLCC November Grand Prix Tournament will be Saturday, November 15th, 2008. I just returned from Rochester Chess Center where I spoke with Ron and Shelby, inviting the Rochester Chess members to join us next month. Advanced entry fee for the Open Section is $40.00 v. $50, no later than Tuesday November 11th, 2008. Guaranteed Cash Prizes $200, $100 and $60.00.

Reminder Saturday November 8, 2008 will be the first annual WNY Scholastic Fall Team Chess Championships at the Main Place Mall. Two Sections K - 6th Grade and 7th - 12th Grades. Five rounds, Swiss, Game 30. Entry fee is $10 per player, Teams of 4 players, Schools may have more than one team from their school. Individuals and Team Trophies will be awarded. Sponsorships are available. Advanced entry only no later than Tuesday, November 4th, 2008. To register your team, please email full name, age, grade and section to arcangel8chess@yahoo.com.

Kramnik's chances are now very slim

After another draw in game 8 of the World Chess Championship Match in Bonn, Germany, Vladimir Kramnik has only 4 games remaining to get back the 3 points that he is trailing to Vishy Anand. Another win by Anand or even two more draws and it is over.

Here is GM Susan Polgar's live annotation:

World Championship Game 8 Bonn, Germany 2008.10.24

White-Kramnik, V. Black-Anand, V.

[ECO "D39"]

1.d4 Kramnik chose to open with d4 again.1...Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 dxc4 Surprise! Anand chose to take. This is not solid opening one would expect Anand to play given the current score. He instead goes for the sharp Vienna Variation. 5.e4 Bb4 6.Bg5 c5 The most popular responses for White are 7.Bxc4 and 5.e57.Bxc4 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Qa5 White has a few choices: 9.Bd2, 9.Bxf6, 9.Bb5+, all are playable.9.Bb5+ Bd7 White's best choice here is to take the Knight with Bxf6 10.Bxf6 Black can either play 10...Bxb5, 10...Bxc3+ or 10...gxf6. I think Bxb5 may surprise Kramnik the most :) It may not be the best move but the surprise element sometimes is very important as we have seen in the match so far.10...Bxb5 One again, Anand is first to surprise his opponent. The 2 most logical responses for White are 11.Nb3 Qb6 12 Bxg7 Rg8 13.Bd4 += and 11.Ndxb5 gxf6 12.O-O Nc6 13.a3 Bxc3 14.Nxc3 +=11.Nxb5 gxf6 12.O-O Nc6 White has a few playable continuation such as 13.a3 and13.Qf3 although I prefer 13.a3 better.13.a3 Bxc3 14.Nxc3 The key question for Anand now is will he castle Kingside or will he leave his King in the middle again. Both 14...0-0 and 14...Rg8 are playable. I think this is probably the most "comfortable" position Kramnik has so far in this match. This is the type of position which suits him best. Unfortunately, it should have come much earlier.14...Rg8 True to his form in the match, Anand chose NOT to castle and instead try to create counter play on the g file and the Kingside. If I have to choose a side to play, I would pick White in this position although Black's position is fine. What White may want to do is to make sure Black does not castle on the Queenside. Therefore, it may make sense to make a move like Qf3 to attack the f6 pawn to gain a tempo to get the Rook to d1 to make sure that the Black King cannot escape to the other side.15.f4 A somewhat surprising move. One guess is he does not want Black to be able to put his Knight on e5 to support a Kingside attack. Black has a number of fine moves here 15...Rd8, 15...Qb6+, or 15...Qc5+.15...Rd8 16.Qe1 Black has a number of playable moves such as 16...Qb6+ 17.Rf2 Na5 or something else like 16...Rd4, 16...Rd3.16...Qb6+ 17.Rf2 This is the kind of position which is the hardest for the average player, sometimes even for more advanced players, to come up with the right plan.17...Rd3 One possible explanation for this move is to creatively get the Rook to the Kingside with Rh3. I am not convinced of this plan if it is indeed his plan.18.Qe2 Qd4 This move allows White to play Nb5 and if the Queen moves back to d8 the White can proceed with e5 to build a strong d6 post for the Knight. I am still unsure of Anand's plan here.19.Re1 This position reminds me of watching a heavyweight boxing bout where the two heavyweight boxers are feeling each other out in the early rounds. I am still curious about the Rd3 then Qd4 sequence for Black. It will be interesting to listen to what Anand has to say about this at the press conference. I hope someone will ask this question :) White is now threatening to play Nb5 next with excellent advantage. Perhaps Black should consider playing a6 to stop it.19...a6 An interesting possibility for White is 20.Nd5 exd5 21.exd5+ Kd7 22.dxc6+ Kxc6 and White has a small edge.20.Kh1 Obviously it is to get out of the pin. Based on the time on the clock, I think both players are having a hard time coming up with concrete plans.20...Kf8 Black is doing the same in getting the King out of the e file to avoid the possibility of Nd5. I do not see anything convincing for either player in this position. I still think 20.Nd5 gives Kramnik better chances. 21.Ref1 The plan is to go for f5. If Black takes, White would have the double Rooks in good position. If Black avoids the exchange with e5 then the d5 square would be vulnerable. Black can defend with 21...Rg6 22.f5 exf5 23.exf5 (23. Rxf5 Rd2 -+) 23...Rg4 the position is unclear.21...Rg6 22.g3 A cautious move. Another possible line is 22.Rd1 Rxd1+ 23.Nxd1. I think White has a very small advantage.22...Kg7 23.Rd1 Rxd1 24.Nxd1 White is better because 1. Black's Rook is not in an ideal place 2. Black has double f pawns. But the advantage is very small. White's goal should be to trade Queens. Then his advantage will be enhance a great deal because his Rook can get to the d file faster. Black will do everything possible to avoid trading Queens here.24...Kh8 The idea of this move is make room for his Rook to go back to g8.25.Nc3 A very interesting and logical idea is 25.Rf3 then Rd3.25...Rg8 26.Kg2 Rd8 Now Black controls the d file. Very curious play by Kramnik in the past few moves. One would have expected him to go for the d file a few moves ago. One idea is he will get his Queen h5 but I fail to see a real attack.27.Qh5 Kg7 Here is a possible line 28.Qg4+ Kh8 29.Qh4 Kg7 30.f5 exf5 31.Rxf5 Ne7 32.Qg4+ Kh8 28.Qg4+ Kh8 29.Qh5 Kg7 30.Qg4+ Kh8 31.Qh4 Kg7 Some of these moves are just to gain time on the clock.32.e5 If Black plays 32... fxe5 33. Qg5+ Kf8 34. f5 exf5 35. Qxf5 +=. Best for Black is 32...f5 32...f5 The biggest problem for White is he cannot get his Rook and Knight to involve in the Kingside attack, in spite of Black's weak King. 33.Qf6+ is obvious but then what?33.Qf6 + Kg8 34.Qg5+ Kh8 Perhaps draw will come after move 40 when Kramnik will have more time to figure if there is any possible for him to get his pieces coordinated. I see nothing for White right now.35.Qf6+ Kg8 36.Re2 I expect White will continue with the g5 - f6 check again to gain time.36...Qc4 37.Qg5+ White has nothing here even though Kramnik is trying. I am confident that this will be a draw. I think Kramnik missed a few possibilities in this game: 1. 20.Nd5 and 2. 25.Rf3. It would have given him much better chances.37...Kh8 38.Qf6+ Kg8 39.Qg5+ Kh8 1/2-1/2 The score now is 5.5 - 2.5 in Anand's favor. He needs one more point in the final 4 games to retain his title.

Ron Cozzi this Saturday

Ron Cozzi Old Editions Bookshop Open The Ron Cozzi Old Editions Bookshop Open will be held this Saturday October 25, 2008 at the Educational Opportunity Center 465 Washington St. Buffalo,NY 14203. This will be a 4 round swiss system event, G/60 EF $22,$5 discount each additional family member after one full price entry. On site registration 8-8:30,Rds 9-11:30-2:30-5:00 Prize fund $500 b/50 entries . Four sections, Open, U1800,U1400,U1100. One 1/2 pt bye if requested before Rd 1. USCF membership required (memberships and renewals taken on site). For more information contact Douglas Dubose at (716)836-4364 or (716)848-0779 or e-mail at zugzwang92857@yahoo.com. Trophies donated by four time City Champion Ron Cozzi of Old Editions Bookshop and Cafe.