Connecticut Chess Magazine: Setting our time machine to Aug 11, 1980 by Bob Cyr

1.e4 c5 2.Na3 g6 3.Nf3 { In the usual sort of strange coincidence that longtime readers of this column have come to expect, on the very same day in the Turkish League, Ali Bozbey(2126) tried the very same opening on Dincer Tasdogen(2280). } ( 3.c3 Bg7 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.e5 Nd5 6.Bc4 Nb6 7.O-O O-O 8.d4 cxd4 9.cxd4 d6 10.Bf4 dxe5 11.Bxe5 Nxc4 12.Nxc4 Be6 13.Bxg7 Kxg7 14.Ne3 Bd5 15.Ne5 Qd6 16.Qg4 Be6 17.Qe4 Nc6 18.Nxc6 bxc6 19.Rac1 Rfc8 20.b3 a5 21.Nc4 Qb4 22.Qe5+ Kg8 23.Qc5 Rd8 24.Qxc6 Rac8 25.Qb6 Bxc4 26.Qxb4 axb4 27.Rxc4 Rxc4 28.bxc4 Rxd4 29.Rc1 Rd2 30.c5 Rxa2 31.c6 Ra8 32.c7 Rc8 33.Kf1 b3 34.Rb1 Rxc7 35.Rxb3 { White played the ending poorly and was down three pawns when he resigned on move 59. } ) 3...Bg7 4.c3 d5 5.exd5 Qxd5 6.Bc4 Qe4+ 7.Kf1 $6 { +0.07/22 } ( 7.Be2 { +0.42/20 } 7...Nf6 8.Nb5 { 8. O-O Nc6 9. d4 cxd4 10. Nb5 O-O 11. Nbxd4 Nxd4 12. Nxd4 = Stockfish } 8...Nd5 9.d3 Qf5 10.d4 a6 11.Na3 Nf4 12.Bxf4 Qxf4 13.dxc5 Qc7 { 13... Nd7 14. c6 bxc6 15. O-O Qc7 16. Re1 O-O 17. Qa4 Rb8 18. Nc4 Nb6 19. Qa5 Rd8 20. Nxb6 Qxb6 21. Qxb6 Rxb6 22. Bc4 e6 = Stockfish } 14.Qa4+ Nd7 15.c6 Qxc6 16.Qxc6 bxc6 17.Nc4 O-O 18.Na5 c5 ) ( 7.Qe2 Qxe2+ 8.Bxe2 Nc6 9.Nb5 Kf8 10.d3 b6 11.O-O Nf6 12.Rd1 a6 13.Na3 h5 14.Nc2 Nd5 15.d4 Bf5 16.Ne3 Nxe3 17.Bxe3 cxd4 18.Nxd4 Nxd4 19.Bxd4 Bxd4 20.Rxd4 { +0.09 Stockfish } ) 7...Be6 8.Qa4+ Nd7 9.d4 Nf6 10.Bg5 Bxc4+ 11.Qxc4 Qd5 12.Re1 e6 13.Bxf6 Nxf6 14.Qb5+ $6 { -0.39/20 } ( 14.Qxc5 { -0.03/22 } 14...Qxc5 15.dxc5 O-O { 15...Ke7 16. c6 bxc6 17. g3 Nd7 18. Kg2 Rab8 19. Nc4 Rhd8 20. Rd1 Rb5 21. Nd4 Bxd4 22. Rxd4 Nb6 23. Rxd8 Kxd8 = Stockfish } 16.Ne5 Rfc8 17.c6 bxc6 18.h4 Nd5 19.h5 Bxe5 20.Rxe5 Rab8 21.Nc4 Nb6 22.Nxb6 axb6 23.Rh4 Rd8 24.a4 Rd3 25.Rb4 c5 26.Rxc5 ) 14...Nd7 15.Ne5 a6 $6 { 0.00/25 } ( 15...Bxe5 { -0.58/21 } 16.dxe5 Qxa2 17.Qe2 O-O-O { 17...O-O 18. h4 b5 19. Nxb5 Rab8 20. Kg1 a6 21. Nd6 Rxb2 22. Qe3 Qd5 23. h5 Qd2 24. Qxd2 Rxd2 -0.60 Stockfish } 18.Nb5 Kb8 19.f3 Qa5 20.Nd6 Rhf8 21.Kf2 Qb6 22.Rd1 f6 23.exf6 ) 16.Qc4 $6 { -0.57/23 } ( 16.Qxd7+ { 0.00/25 } 16...Qxd7 17.Nxd7 Kxd7 18.Nc4 Kc6 { 18...Ke7 19. Nb6 Rad8 20. dxc5 Rd2 21. Re2 Rd1+ 22. Re1 Rd2 = Stockfish } 19.Na5+ Kb6 20.Nc4+ Kc6 ) 16...Nxe5 17.dxe5 Rd8 18.Qxd5 Rxd5 19.f4 g5 20.fxg5 Ke7 21.h4 Rxe5 22.Rxe5 Bxe5 23.Ke2 b5 24.Nc2 Rd8 25.Ne1 c4 26.Nf3 Bg7 27.Nd2 $6 { -0.40/28 } ( 27.Rb1 { -0.08/25 } 27...Rd5 28.g4 Bh8 29.Ke3 a5 30.Rc1 Bg7 31.Rc2 Kd6 32.Rf2 Rd1 33.Rd2+ Rxd2 34.Nxd2 Kd5 35.Ne4 Be5 36.Kf3 b4 37.Ke3 Bh8 38.Kf3 Bg7 ) ( 27.a3 Rd3 28.g4 Ke8 29.Rd1 Rxd1 30.Kxd1 Ke7 31.Ke2 Kd6 32.Ke3 Kd5 33.Nd2 Be5 34.Ne4 a5 35.Kf3 Bg7 36.Ke3 Be5 { = Stockfish } ) 27...h6 28.Ne4 hxg5 29.hxg5 Rd5 30.a3 a5 31.Re1 $6 { -0.49/25 } ( 31.g4 { -0.20/25 } 31...Kf8 32.Nf6 Rd8 { 32...Re5+ 33. Kf3 Ke7 34. Ne4 Rd5 35. Ke2 = Stockfish } 33.Rh7 Rd3 34.Rh1 Rd6 35.Rh7 Rd8 36.Rh5 Ke7 37.Ne4 Rh8 38.Kf3 ) 31...Be5 32.g3 Kf8 33.Kf3 Kg7 34.Kg4 Kg6 35.Rf1 Rd3 36.Rf3 Rd1 37.Rf2 Rd5 38.Nd2 Bc7 39.Nf3 Bd8 40.Nh4+ Kg7 41.Nf3 Bb6 42.Re2 Bc7 43.Re4 Bd6 $6 { -0.01/32 } ( 43...Bb6 { -0.68/30 } 44.Re5 { 44. Re2 Ba7 45. Ne5 Bb8 46.

Alan Lasser blacklightmazes@icloud.com

Below is a picture of John Baclawski ("The Claw") playing against Ralph Holyst, one of the youngest members at that time, at the 1980 New Britain Summer Open. Ralph was filliing in for his brother, Kurt, another member, who represented the U.S. Junior Chess Team in Iceland, which they won! The photo was taken by the New Britain Herald, which granted me copyright permission to publish this article on the NBCC website.

John Baclawski ended up in second place in that year's summer open.,

Trivia question:

FREE MEAL ON BOB CYR AT OLIVE GARDEN

To first person to answer correctly.

Who was the youngest person to win the New Britain Summer Open Chess Championship? Level of difficulty is high.

Bob Cyr, Connecticut Chess Historian

I have to say that even I, as NBCC historian and someone who has an extensive knowledge of our family history and have compiled many trivia facts, found this question to be most challenging - a level 8 or 9.

I thought the answer was John Pires, who was age sixteen when he won the Summer Open in 1984. But Alex Fikeit, a national master, won the 2011 Summer Open when also was sixteen. Now, I am have absolutely no clue when then were born, so both players can considered correct answers.

Not bad guesses for Yogesh Raghunathan (who was around 18 or so when he won the Summer Open in 2006).

Unfortunately, Danny Rozovsky never won a Summer Open. Eric Godin was young in 1985 when he won the Summer Open, but he was his 20s I believe.

Mark Bourque was the first person to answer Alex Fikeit correctly. Refer to the 2011 NBCC newsletter.

Congrats, Mr. Bourque (director of the Stafford Springs Chess Club). Free meal at the Oliver Garden anytime.

Thanks for you playing.