GOING BACK IN TIME by Bob Cyr
Sat. Nov. 16, 2019
Yankee Peddler Open
$160-1st, $80-2nd. Guaranteed.3 Round Swiss, G/60;d5 Affects both quick and regular rating. Round Times: 10:30, 1:30, 3:45. Entry Fees: $35 Cash Only On-site Only: 9:45 am - 10:10 am. No Advance Entry. One Section. Accelerated Pairings. Wheelchair Accessible. USCF TLASite: Mill Brook Place, 1267 Main St., Coventry, CT 06238 Across street from Bidwell Tavern is our stone building at rear of parking lot
Oct 26 Leaf Blower Open Amherst MA
Nov 16 2019 Yankee Peddler Open Coventry CT
USCF TLA
Dec 14 2019 Holiday Party Open Coventry CT
USCF TLA
COVENTRY CHESS CLUB 2020 CALENDAR
Mill Brook Place, 1267 Main St. (Rt 31)
JAN 18 2020 GREATER HARTFORD OPEN
FEB 22 2020 EASTERN CONNECTICUT OPEN
MAR 21 2020 CONSTITUTION STATE OPEN
APR 18 2020 MILL BROOK PARK OPEN
May thru August - No Tournaments
SEP 26 2020 CONNECTICUT HARVEST OPEN
OCT 17 2020 CHARTER OAK OPEN
NOV 14 2020 CONNECTICUT YANKEE OPEN
DEC 12 2020 NUTMEG STATE OPEN
OUR TOURNAMENTS ARE RATED BY USCF
CLICK HERE TO JOIN US CHESS FEDERATION
EACH PLAYER GETS A MEMBERSHIP ID #
PROVIDE YOUR ID# AT REGISTRATION
Tuesdays 6:30 pm
Armenian Church, 1910 Stanley Street
Please get our free email newsletter
LATEST CONNECTICUT CHESS NEWS
Long-time readers will recall the issues where I did an extensive statistical analysis of 500 chess games in an attempt to determine which was better, the bishop or the knight. The study revealed that the bishops averaged 2.75 captures per game compared to the knight’s 2.53, but it was the knight that took more queens and delivered more checkmates.
It seems that we are missing crucial information from the inventors of chess, that simple mathematical formula that explains why a piece that moves on diagonals and only plays on half the squares would be the rough equivalent of the piece that goes anywhere it wants and hops around in an “L”.
In the last round of the Saint Louis Fall Classic two grandmasters tried 1…Na6, giving White the chance to exchange a bishop for a knight on move three, with the question of whether the open file would be worth the two weak pawns. Both White players declined, preferring to keep the bishop with an opportunity to possibly castle queenside into a less hostile environment. Stockfish does not agree with them.
Perhaps on that day there was something in the water. One of the rarest of chess formations, the full rank, appeared on the board. That ridiculous rank lasted for more moves than any other I have seen as it evolved into an incredible full rank of pawns. You have to see it to believe it.
GM Hrant Melkumyan(2653)-GM Olexandr Bortnyk(2602)
9/18/19
2019 Saint Louis Fall Classic
1.d4 Na6
2.e4 c6
3.Nf3
3.Bxa6 bxa6 4.c4 e6 5.Nf3 d6 6.Qc2 Ne7 7.c5 dxc5 8.Qxc5 Qc7 9.Qc2 Ng6 10.h4 h5 11.Bg5 e5 12.Nxe5 Nxe5 13.dxe5 Bb4+ 14.Nd2 O-O 15.Bf4 Rd8 16.O-O Bxd2 17.Bxd2 Qxe5 18.Rac1 +1.26 Stockfish at 44 ply
3…g6
4.c4 Bg7
5.Nc3 d6
6.Be2
6.h3 e5 7.Be3 exd4 8.Nxd4 Nf6 9.Qd2 O-O 10.O-O-O Re8 11.f3 d5 12.cxd5 cxd5 13.e5 Nd7 14.f4 Nb6 15.Ndb5 Re6 16.Kb1 Qf8 17.g4 Bd7 18.Nd6 Bc6 19.Bxb6 axb6 20.Bxa6 Rxd6 21.Bd3 Rdd8 22.Rhe1 Qc5 23.a3 Re8 24.g5 Bf8 25.h4 b5 26.Na2 Qb6 27.Bc2 b4 28.Nxb4 Ra5 29.Re3 Rea8 30.Rb3 Qa7 31.h5 Ba4 32.hxg6 fxg6 33.Nxd5 Bxb3 34.Bxb3 Kh8 35.Rh1 b6 36.e6 Bg7 37.e7 1-0 Akobian-Ipatov 2019
6...Bg4
6...f5 7.exf5 Bxf5 8.Be3 Nf6 9.h3 O-O 10.O-O Nc7 11.a4 a6 12.Qb3 Ne4 13.Rfe1 Nxc3 14.bxc3 +1.10 Stockfish
6...Nf6 7.O-O O-O 8.Qc2 Qc7 9.Bf4 Nh5 10.Be3 e5 11.Rad1 Bg4 12.a3 f5 13.d5 f4 14.Bc1 Nf6 15.b4 +0.88 Stockfish
7.Be3 Bxf3
8.Bxf3 e5
9.d5 c5
10.Qb3 Rb8
11.Nb5 Ra8
12.g4 Nc7
13.h4 Nxb5
14.Qxb5+ Qd7
15.a4 a5
16.g5 h5
17.Bg2 f5
18.Bd2 Ne7
19.Ke2 Qxb5
20.axb5 b6
21.b4 the most ridiculous rank I have ever seen
21…cxb4
22.Bxb4 Kd7
23.Bd2 Rhf8
24.Be3 Rab8
25.f3 Kc7
26.Rhd1 Rbd8
27.Bh3 Rf7
28.Ra2 Bf8
29.Rad2 f4?! +0.60/28
29...Ra8 +0.24/24 30.c5 bxc5 31.Ra1 Nc8 32.Rda2 Kb6 33.Bd2 Rfa7 34.exf5 Ne7 35.f6 Nxd5 36.Be6
29...Rb8 30.Ra2 Rd8 31.Kd3 Bg7 32.Bf1 Rff8 33.Be2 Ra8 34.Kc3 Rfd8 35.Kb3 Rd7 36.Bd3 Rf8 37.Rf1 Rdd8 38.Be2 Rb8 39.Kc3 Ra8 Stockfish thinks White is up by 1.13 but the mindless maneuvering of this variation makes it apparent that the position is a draw.
30.Bf2 Nc8
31.Ra2 Kb7
32.Rda1 Rc7
33.Kd3 Be7
34.Be1 Kb8
35.Be6 Bf8
36.Bc3 Re8
37.Bxa5?! +0.28/30
37.c5 +0.98/29 37...Rxc5 38.Bf7 Rd8 39.Bxg6 Bg7 39...Be7 40. Be1 Rh8 41. Rb2 Rc7 42. Bf5 Bd8 43. Bf2 Rg8 44. Bxc8 Rxc8 45. Rbb1 +2.58 Stockfish 40.Be1 Rh8 41.Rb1 41. Bf5 Rd8 42. Bf2 Rxb5 43. Rc1 Na7 44. Rac2 Rb3+ 45. Kd2 Bh8 46. Rc7 Rb2+ 47. Ke1 +3.17 Stockfish 41...Kb7 42.Bf2 Rc7 43.Rc2 Rxc2 44.Kxc2 Na7 45.Bf7 Bf8 46.Kd3 Bg7 47.Kc3 Bf8 48.Kc4 Bg7 49.Be6 Nc8 50.Kb3 Rf8
37…bxa5
38.Rxa5 Nb6
39.Ra6 Rb7
40.Bf7 Rxf7
41.Rxb6+?! 0.00/31
41.c5 dxc5 42.Rxb6+ Rb7 43.Raa6 c4+ 44.Kxc4 Rc8+ 45.Rc6 Rbc7 46.Rb6+ Ka7 47.Kb3 Rxc6 48.Rxc6 Rd8 49.Ra6+ Kb7 50.Rxg6 Bd6 51.Rh6 Kb6 52.Kc4 Rc8+ 53.Kd3 Kc5 54.b6 Rb8 55.g6 Rg8 56.b7 Rg7 57.Rxh5 Rxg6 58.Rh8 Rg3 59.Rc8+ Kb6 60.b8=Q+ Bxb8 61.Rxb8+ Kc7 62.Re8
41…Rb7
42.Rba6 Kc7
43.c5 dxc5
44.Kc4 Reb8
45.Rf6 Be7
46.d6+ Bxd6
47.Rd1 Rb6
48.Rxg6 Bf8
49.Rxb6 Rxb6
50.Ra1 Kb7
51.Kd5 Rxb5?!
51...Rg6 -0.59/26 52.Ra4 Rd6+ 52...Rb6 53. Kxe5 Rxb5 54. Kxf4 Rb4 55. Ra5 Rb3 56. e5 c4 57. Ke4 c3 58. Kd3 c2+ 59. Kxc2 Rxf3 60. e6 Be7 61. Rd5 Kc6 62. Rd7 Bd6 63. Rh7 Rg3 64. Rxh5 Be7 65. Kd1 Kd5 66. Rh6 Bc5 67. Ke2 Kd6 68. g6 Kxe6 -0.23 Stockfish
52.Ke6 Kb8?! +0.76/29
52...Rb3 -0.04/30 53.Kf7 Bd6 54.g6 Rxf3 55.g7 Rg3 56.g8=Q Rxg8 57.Kxg8 Kb6 58.Kf7 c4 59.Kg6 c3 60.Rc1
53.Rc1? -0.37/26
53.Kf7 Bd6 54.Rd1 Rb7+ 55.Ke6 Be7 56.Rd7 Rxd7 57.Kxd7 Bf8 58.Ke8 Bg7 59.Kf7 c4 60.Kxg7 c3 61.g6 c2 62.Kh8 c1=Q 63.g7 Qe1 64.g8=Q+ Kc7 65.Qf7+ Kb6 66.Qf6+ Kb7 67.Qe7+ Kc6 68.Qe6+ Kb7 69.Qd5+ Kc8 70.Qxe5 Qxh4 71.Kh7 Kd7 72.Qb5+ Kd8 73.Qd5+ Kc7 74.Qc5+ Kb7 75.Kh6 Qg3 76.Qxh5 +5.77 Stockfish
53...Bg7?! 0.00/31
53...Rb7 -0.37/26 54.Kxe5 Kc7 55.Kf6 55. Kxf4 Kc6 56. e5 Kd5 57. Rd1+ Ke6 58. Rd8 Be7 59. Re8 Rb1 60. g6 Rg1 61. Rc8 Rxg6 -2.53 Stockfish 55...Kd7 55... Kd6 56. Rd1+ Kc6 57. Rc1 Rc7 58. Ke6 Bg7 59. e5 Rb7 60. Kf5 Re7 61. Kg6 Kd5 62. Kxh5 c4 63. Kg4 Bxe5 -3.84 Stockfish 56.Kg6 Ke6 57.Kxh5 Rb2 58.Rg1 Rh2 59.Ra1 Rg2 60.Ra8 Be7 61.g6
54.Kf5 Kc7
55.Kg6 Bf8
56.Kxh5 Rb3? +1.35/26
56...Rb6 +0.01/27 57.Kg4 Kd7 57...Rc6 58. h5 c4 59. h6 c3 60. Kh5 Kb6 61. g6 Rc7 62. g7 Bxg7 63. hxg7 Rxg7 64. Rxc3 = Stockfish 58.Kf5 Rb3 59.Rd1+ 59. Rf1 c4 60. h5 Rb8 61. Kg6 c3 62. h6 Rb6+ 63. Kh7 c2 64. Rc1 Rc6 65. g6 Bxh6 66. Kxh6 Ke6 67. g7 Kf7+ 68. Kh7 Rg6 69. Rxc2 Rxg7+ = Stockfish 59...Ke8 60.Rf1 c4 61.Kxe5 c3 62.Rc1 Ba3 63.Rc2 Bb4 64.Kd4 Rb2 65.Kd3 Rxc2 66.Kxc2 Kf7 67.h5 Kg7
57.Kg4? 0.00/31
57.Kg6 +1.35/26 57...Rb7 57...Rxf3 58. Kf7 Rh3 59. Kxf8 Rxh4 60. g6 f3 61. g7 Rf4+ 62. Ke7 Rg4 63. Kf7 Rf4+ 64. Ke6 Rg4 65. Rxc5+ +.09 Stockfish 58.Kf7 Bd6 59.h5 Kc6+ 60.Kg6
57…Rb2
58.h5 Kd7
59.Kf5 Rg2
60.Rd1+ Ke8
61.g6 Bh6
62.Ra1 c4
63.Ke6 Kd8? +1.19/27
63...Kf8 +0.17/31 64.Rc1 64. Ra7 c3 65. Ra8+ Kg7 66. Ra7+ Kf8 = Stockfish 64...Rg5 64... Rh2 65. Rxc4 Rxh5 66. Rc7 Kg8 67. Rh7 Rh2 68. Kf6 Rh1 69. Ra7 Rg1 70. Ra8+ Bf8 71. Rc8 Rb1 72. Kxe5 Kg7 73. Kxf4 = Stockfish 65.Rxc4 Rxh5 66.Rc7 Kg8 67.Rb7 Rh3 68.Kf6 Bf8 69.Rb8 Rg3 70.Ra8 Rh3 71.Rc8 Rg3 72.Rb8 Rh3 73.Ra8 Rg3 74.Rc8 Rh3 75.Rd8 Rg3 76.Rc8
64.Rd1+? +0.02/26
64.Ra8+ +1.19/27 64...Kc7 65.Ra4 Rc2 66.Kxe5 c3 66...Kc6 67. Kf6 Kc5 68. e5 c3 69. Ra1 Re2 70. Rc1 c2 71. g7 Bxg7+ 72. Kxg7 Kd5 73. Kf6 Rxe5 74. h6 Rh5 75. Rxc2 Rxh6+ +.09 Stockfish 67.Rc4+ Kd7 68.Kf6 Re2 69.Rxc3 Re3 70.Rc1 Rxf3 71.e5 Re3 72.Rd1+ Ke8 73.e6 f3 74.Ra1 Kd8
64...Kc7? +1.72/28
64...Kc8 +0.02/26 65.Rc1 Ra2 66.Kxe5 66. Rxc4+ Kb8 67. Rb4+ Ka7 68. Rb3 Ra6+ 69. Kf5 Ra4 70. Kxe5 Ra5+ 71. Kf6 Ra6+ 72. Ke7 Ra5 73. Rd3 +10.78 Stockfish 66...Ra5+ 67.Kd6 Ra6+ 68.Ke7 Ra7+ 69.Ke6 Rc7 70.Rc3 Rc5 71.e5 Kd8 72.Kf6 Rc6+ 64...Kc8 is a loss for Black
64...Ke8 The alternative loses, 64...Kc8 65.Rc1 Ra2 66.Rc4 Kb8 67.Rb4 Ka7 68.Rb3 Ra6 69.Kf5 Ra4 70.Ke5 Ra5 71.Kf6 Ra6 72.Ke7 Ra5 73.Rd3 65.Rc1 Rh2 66.Rxc4 Kf8 67.Kf6 Bg7+ 68.Kg5 Rh3 69.Rc8+ Ke7 70.Rc7+ Kf8 71.Rf7+ Kg8 72.Rb7 Bf8 = Stockfish
65.Rc1 Rg5? +4.83/29
65...Kd8 +1.72/28 66.Rxc4 Ra2 67.Rb4 Kc7 67...Ra6+ 68. Kxe5 Kc7 69. Rb3 Bg7+ 70. Kxf4 Ra8 71. Kg4 Bh6 72. f4 Kc6 73. Rd3 +9.72 Stockfish 68.Rb3 Ra6+ 69.Kxe5 Bg7+ 70.Kxf4 +11.29 Stockfish
66.Rxc4+ Kb7
67.Rc5 Rxh5
68.Rxe5 Rh1
69.Kf7
69.Kf6 Kc6 70.Re7 Bf8 71.Re8 Bh6 72.e5 Rh5 73.Rh8 Kd5 74.Rh7 Kc6 75.e6 Kd6 76.Rd7+ Kc6 77.Ra7 Kb6 78.Rh7 Kc6 79.Kf7 +54.17 Stockfish
69…Kc6
70.Re8 Ra1
71.Rh8? +0.68/32
71.e5 Ra7+ 72.Re7 Ra8 73.Kf6 Kc5 74.Rh7 +66.28 Stockfish
71…Ra7+
72.Ke6 Bg7
73.Rc8+?! +0.42/30
73.Rd8 +0.73/29 73...Kc5 74.Kf5 Kc4 75.Kxf4 Ra5 75... Ra6 76. e5 Rxg6 77. Kf5 Rg3 78. f4 Re3 79. Rg8 Bh6 80. Rc8+ Kd5 81. Rh8 Bg7 82. Ra8 Bh6 83. Rd8+ = Stockfish 76.e5 Bxe5+ 77.Ke4 Ba1 78.f4 Ra4 79.Rc8+ Kb5+ 80.Kf5 Ra2 81.Rc1 Bg7 82.Rc7 Ba1 83.Ke4 Kb6 84.Rc1
73.Rh7 This line is a draw, Stockfish looks out to move 110 without making real progress. 73...Kc5 74.Kf5 Rb7 75.Kg5 Ra7 76.Kxf4 Kd6 77.Kf5 Ra5+ 78.Kg4 Bf6 79.f4 Ke6 80.Rc7 Ra4 81.Rc5 Bg7 82.e5 Bh6 83.Rc6+ Ke7 84.Rf6 Re4 85.Kg3 Re3+ 86.Kh4 Re4 87.Kg4 Ra4 +0.47 Stockfish
73…Kb6
74.Re8 Ra3
75.Re7?! 0.00/28
75.Rg8 +0.42/24 75...Ba1 75...Bh6 76. Kf7 Kc5 77. e5 Rxf3 78. Rh8 Rh3 79. g7 Bxg7 80. Rxh3 Bxe5 +0.10 Stockfish 76.e5 Ra5 77.g7 Bxe5 78.Rb8+ Bxb8 79.g8=Q Bc7 80.Kd7 Rc5 81.Qf7 81. Qb3+ Ka5 82. Qb1 Be5 83. Qb7 Ka4 84. Qb6 Rc4 85. Qe6 Rc7+ 86. Ke8 Rc5 87. Qa2+ Kb5 88. Kd7 Kb4 Stockfish thinks White is winning here by 1.84 but it can't make any progress over the next 25 moves so I suspect that the Black position can hold the draw. 81...Be5 82.Qb3+ Ka5 83.Ke6 Bc7 84.Qb1 Re5+ 85.Kd7 Rc5
75…Ba1
76.g7 Bxg7
77.Rxg7 Rxf3
78.e5 Re3
79.Rf7 f3
80.Kd5 Rd3+
81.Ke4 Ra3
82.Kd5 Rd3+
83.Ke6 Kc6
84.Rf4 Re3
85.Rc4+ Kb5
86.Rc2 Re2
87.Rc3 f2
88.Rf3 Kc5
89.Rf4 Kc6
90.Rf3 ½-½
GOING BACK IN TIME by Bob Cyr
A wealth of historical data has been compiled about the NBCC over the decades. Below are some of the most interesting and unique facts about our organization.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| NBCC founding | January 26, 1901 |
| NBCC member who created the NBCC nickname "The Heart of Connecticut Chess" |
FM Richard Bauer |
| Highest membership in the NBCC | 119 (1973) |
| Most players competing in a NBCC tournament | 78 (2009 New Britain Summer Open Chess Championship) |
| Most players competing in a NBCC quick chess tournament | 34 tie (Quick chess tournaments for Richard Lee and Robert McDaniel) |
| Most scholastic players competing in a NBCC tournament | 35 (2018 New Britain Summer Open Chess Championship) |
| Most female players competing in a NBCC tournament | 5 (2019 New Britain Bughouse Chess Tournament) |
| Most NBCC past or present members competing in a non-club event | 32 (2017 Bradley Open Chess Championship) |
| Player to travel the farthest to play in a NBCC tournament | Alexander Polak (Alex is a resident of Leiden, the Netherlands) |
| Longest duration for the NBCC at a venue | 35 years (New Britain Quartette Club: 1975 - 2010) |
| NBCC's first presence in the newspaper | Early 1890s |
| NBCC's first presence on the internet | 1999 (The first NBCC website was created by William Grzesiak) |
| NBCC's first presence on television | May 14, 2009 (PBS series "All Things Connecticut" - This project was piloted by Rob Roy) |
| First use of pairing software for a NBCC tournament | 2007 New Britain Winter Open Quick Chess Tournament (The ideas were created by Randy Shane and Douglas Fiske) |
| First online registration for a NBCC tournament | 2016 New Britain Summer Open Chess Championship (The idea was created by Norman Burtness) |
| First outdoor NBCC tournament | 1975 New Britain Summer Open Chess Championship |
| First annual NBCC Christmas party | 2005 |
| First annual NBCC Oktoberfest dinner party | 2006 |
| First annual parties hosted by NBCC members at their home | 2005: Derek Meredith 2007: Kevin Zimmerman |
| First international chess trip offered by a NBCC member | Gert Hilhorst (Trip to Amsterdam, the Netherlands) |
COVENTRY CHESS CLUB by Rob Roy
Most Frequent Players in Coventry
30 Joe Bihlmeyer
17 Art Nagel
17 Rob Roy
15 Derek Meredith
14 Mark Bourque
12 Hayes Goodman
11 Dan Smith
10 Joshua Berkun
10 Larry Lafosse
CHESS NEWS LINKS
The GM diet: How to lose weight while barely moving
How Chennai became India’s ‘Soviet Union in miniature’
The Hardest 1 Move Mate In The World
Standing on the shoulders of giants
How To Sponsor An Event On Chess.com
Chess can burn hundreds of calories
Milwaukee Club For Young People
St. Louis Chess Club’s Fall Classic
FIDE World Fischer Random Championship
PAST ISSUES OF CONNECTICUT CHESS MAGAZINE
CHESS COLUMNS FROM THE PAST by Rob Roy
Rob Roy authored 1,300 chess columns for Waterbury Sunday Republican 1977-2000. The coverage enabled Waterbury Chess Club to be successful.
A different column will appear in Connecticut Chess Magazine each week.
