Daniel Zhou won the Oct 19 Connecticut Harvest Open with a 3-0 score. Joe Bihlmeyer and Ben Amar drew their final round game and tied for 2nd place. 15 players entered the tournament.
Rob Roy serves as houseman so everyone can play every round. The houseman plays the person who would otherwise get the bye for that round. (When the number of entrants is even, then a houseman is not needed for that round, so then the houseman sits out.) It turns out the houseman was needed in each round, and Rob won each of the house games. Housemen are not eligible for prizes.
The next tournament at Mill Brook Place in Coventry CT is Nov 16.
Carissa Yip
America’s top-ranked female chess player
DANIEL ZHOU WINS 2019 CONNECTICUT HARVEST OPEN
USCF CROSSTABLE OF 2019 CONNECTICUT HARVEST OPEN
GAME OF THE WEEK BY ALAN LASSER
NBCC REPORT BY NORMAN BURTNESS
BIOGRAPHY OF DAVID LEES BY BOB CYR
LINKS TO OUR CHESS RESOURCES
CHESS COLUMNS FROM THE PAST
2019 CONNECTICUT HARVEST OPEN (201910197062)
COVENTRY, CT 06238 2019-10-19
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Pair | Player Name |Total|Round|Round|Round|
Num | USCF ID / Rtg (Pre->Post) | Pts | 1 | 2 | 3 |
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1 | DANIEL ZHOU |3.0 |W 6|W 11|W 10|
CT | 14927462 / R: 1973 ->1986 | | | | |
| Q: 1753 ->1781 | | | | |
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2 | ROB ROY |3.0 |W 16|W 15|W 14|
CT | 10574790 / R: 1400 ->1403 | | | | |
| Q: 991 ->1013 | | | | |
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3 | JOSEPH BIHLMEYER |2.5 |W 10|W 5|D 4|
CT | 12686352 / R: 2142 ->2145 | | | | |
| Q: 2002 ->2002 | | | | |
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4 | BENJAMIN HOVER AMAR |2.5 |W 9|W 12|D 3|
ME | 14789400 / R: 1985 ->1996 | | | | |
| Q: 1716 ->1738 | | | | |
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5 | NATHAN HSICHEN CHANG |2.0 |W 8|L 3|W 12|
CT | 14698034 / R: 1900 ->1904 | | | | |
| Q: 1650 ->1659 | | | | |
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6 | ZACHARY REGGIO |2.0 |L 1|W 16|W 11|
MA | 17126736 / R: Unrated->1718P3 | | | | |
| Q: Unrated->1576P3 | | | | |
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7 | BRANDON PATRICK AHL |2.0 |W 13|L 9|W 15|
CT | 17162311 / R: Unrated->1305P3 | | | | |
| Q: Unrated->1142P3 | | | | |
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8 | ARTHUR C NAGEL |1.5 |L 5|W 14|D 9|
CT | 10264669 / R: 1727 ->1718 | | | | |
| Q: 1476 ->1467 | | | | |
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9 | DENNIS PAUL HIMES |1.5 |L 4|W 7|D 8|
CT | 12570458 / R: 1717 ->1714 | | | | |
| Q: 1500 ->1500 | | | | |
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10 | MICHAEL SMITH |1.0 |L 3|W 13|L 1|
CT | 16903342 / R: 1803 ->1791 | | | | |
| Q: 1757 ->1735 | | | | |
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11 | PUNYAVRAT UPADHYAY |1.0 |W 15|L 1|L 6|
CT | 15975172 / R: 1476 ->1466 | | | | |
| Q: 1402 ->1386 | | | | |
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12 | ELIZABETH C SMITH |1.0 |W 14|L 4|L 5|
CT | 15913683 / R: 1407 ->1404 | | | | |
| Q: 1277 ->1271 | | | | |
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13 | STEVEN STEWART |1.0 |L 7|L 10|W 16|
CT | 17091420 / R: 891P6 -> 903P9 | | | | |
| Q: 753P6 -> 774P9 | | | | |
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14 | HANEESHA ATKURI |0.0 |L 12|L 8|L 2|
CT | 16282828 / R: 795 -> 791 | | | | |
| Q: 745 -> 730 | | | | |
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15 | NICHOLAS WRONA-LYTWYN |0.0 |L 11|L 2|L 7|
CT | 16967612 / R: 731P12-> 726P15 | | | | |
| Q: 707P12-> 692P15 | | | | |
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16 | RONAK G PRAKASH |0.0 |L 2|L 6|L 13|
CT | 17120481 / R: 597P5 -> 581P8 | | | | |
| Q: 599P4 -> 557P7 | | | | |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
On any given night at UMass Chess Club, the highest rated player with a real expert rating is Zubin Baliga.
Sure, there’s a player who is an internet master and a player who has a USCF provisional master rating and an old guy who is an ex-expert; but Zubin is the closest to our club-pro, he has played hundreds of tournament games over the last two years as a USCF-rated expert.
In this game he uses the threat of a queen-less mating net to clobber his opponent.
15...Qd5
[Event "game/15"]
[Site "UMass Chess Club"]
[Date "2019.10.07"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Zubin Baliga"]
[Black "Alan Lasser"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B00"]
1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 d5
3.exd5 Qxd5 4.Nc3 Qd6 5.Bc4 Be6 6.Qe2 Bxc4 7.Qxc4 e5 8.d3 Be7 9.Bd2 f5
10.O-O-O O-O-O 11.Rhe1 Bf6 12.Ng5 Bxg5 13.Bxg5 Nf6 14.f4 Rde8 $6 { +1.17/23 }
( 14...h6 { +0.19/24 } 15.Nb5 Qd5
{ 15...Qd7 16. Bh4 a6 17. Nc3 Qd6 18. Bg3 exf4 19. Bxf4 Qd4 20. Qxd4 Nxd4
+0.10 Stockfish } 16.Qxd5 Rxd5 17.Bxf6 gxf6 18.Nc3 Rdd8 19.Rf1 Rhf8 20.Rde1
h5 21.g3 Rde8 22.Nd1 Nd4 23.c3 Nc6 24.Kb1 Kb8 25.Rf3 Rd8 26.fxe5 fxe5 )
15.Nb5 $6 { +0.17/25 } ( 15.fxe5 { +1.17/23 } 15...Nxe5 16.Qf4 a6 17.Qxf5+
Ned7 18.Bf4
{ 18. g3 Kb8 19. Ne4 Qc6 20. Bxf6 Nxf6 21. Nxf6 gxf6 22. Re4 Rxe4 23. Qxe4
+1.74 Stockfish } 18...Qc6 19.Qg5 g6 20.Kb1 Nb6 21.Be5 Rhf8 22.Bxf6 )
15...Qd5 16.Rxe5 Rxe5 17.fxe5 Qxc4 18.dxc4 Nxe5 $2 { +1.46/29 } ( 18...Ne4
{ +0.12/26 } 19.h4
{ 19. Be3 Re8 20. Nd4 Nxe5 21. Nxf5 g6 22. Nd4 Nxc4 23. Bg1 Ncd6 24. Nf3 =
Stockfish } 19...Nxg5 20.hxg5 Re8 21.Rh1 a6 22.Nc3 Nxe5 23.b3 Rh8 24.Nd5
Kb8 25.Re1 Re8 26.Kb1 ) 19.Nxa7+ Kb8 20.Nb5 Nxc4 21.Bf4 Rc8
22.Nxc7 $2 { +0.69/27 } ( 22.Rd4 { +1.80/30 } 22...Nb6 23.Nxc7 Rxc7 24.Rd8+
Nc8 25.Rf8 Nd5 26.Bxc7+
{ 26. Be5 Ne7 27. Rf7 g6 28. a4 b6 29. Rxh7 Kb7 30. Bxc7 Kxc7 +3.26
Stockfish } 26...Nxc7 27.Rxf5 Nd6 28.Rf8+ Ka7 29.Rd8 Nde8 30.c4 b6 31.Rd7 Kb7
32.Rf7 Kc6 33.a4 Kd6 34.b4 Ke6 35.Rf4 ) ( 22.b3 Na5 23.Nxc7 Nh5 24.Ne6+ Nxf4
25.Nxf4 Nc6 26.Rd7 { +2.24 Stockfish } ) 22...Ka7 $2 { +2.87/24 } (
22...Nh5 { +0.69/27 22...Rc7 loses the exchange after 23.Re1 Kh7 24.Bf7 }
23.Ne6+ Nxf4 24.Nxf4 Ne3 25.Rd2 Nf1 26.Rd7 g5 27.Nd5 h6 28.Rd6 Nxh2 29.Rxh6
Nf1 30.b4 Re8 31.Rf6 Re5 ) 23.Nb5+ $6 { +2.33/26 } ( 23.Rd4 { +2.87/24 }
23...Na5 24.Ra4
{ 24. Be3 Nc6 25. Rd7+ Kb8 26. Rxg7 Nb4 27. Nb5 Rxc2+ 28. Kd1 Rc8 29. Nd6
Rd8 30. Rxb7+ Ka8 31. Rxb4 Rxd6+ 32. Rd4 +4.08 Stockfish } 24...Kb6 )
23...Kb6 24.a4 Ne4 $2 { +4.30/28 } ( 24...Nh5 { +2.35/25 } 25.Bg5 Ka6 26.b4
{ 26. b3 h6 27. Bd8 Na5 28. Rd6+ Rc6 29. Bxa5 Kxa5 30. Rxc6 bxc6 31. Nd4 c5
32. Nxf5 +4.32 Stockfish } 26...h6 27.Nd6 Nxd6 28.Rxd6+ Ka7 29.Be3+ Kb8
30.Rd5 f4 31.Bd4 g6 32.Be5+ Ka7 33.Rd4 Rf8 34.Rd6 Rg8 35.Kd1 Ka8 ) 25.b3 Na5
26.Be3+ Ka6 27.Kb2 Nc6 28.Rd7 g5 $2 { +7.64/30 } ( 28...Nf6 { +4.31/24 }
29.Rxg7 Nd5 30.Bg5 Re8 31.Rd7 Nb6 32.Nc7+ Ka7 33.Nxe8 Nxd7 34.Nd6 Ka8 35.Nxf5
Nc5 36.Nd6 Ne6 37.Be3 h5 38.g3 ) 29.Nc7+ Rxc7
{ 29...Ka5 gets mated by 30.Rd5 Kb4 31.Rb5 or by 30. Rd5+ Nc5 31. Rxc5+ Kb6
32. Nd5+ Ka6 33. Rb5 b6 34. Rxb6+ Ka7 35. Rxc6+ Kb8 36. Rb6+ Ka8 37. Rb5 f4
38. Nb6+ Kb7 39. Nxc8+ Kc7 40. Bf2 Kc6 41. Rb6+ Kc7 42. a5 f3 43. gxf3 h5
44. a6 Kd8 45. a7 Kd7 46. a8=Q h4 47. Qc6+ Kd8 48. Qd6+ Kxc8 49. Rb8# }
30.Rxc7 f4 31.Bg1 h5 $6 { +12.20/29 } ( 31...Nf6 { +7.64/28 } 32.Rf7 Ng4
33.Rxh7 Ne3 34.Bxe3 fxe3 35.Rh6 e2 36.Re6 e1=Q 37.Rxe1 ) 32.Rc8
{ The threat is 33.Ra8 mate. } 1-0
COVENTRY CHESS CLUB
Most Frequent Players
31 Joe Bihlmeyer
18 Art Nagel
18 Rob Roy
15 Derek Meredith
14 Mark Bourque
12 Hayes Goodman
11 Dan Smith
10 Joshua Berkun
10 Larry Lafosse
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
Norman Burtness, President
Armenian Church, 1910 Stanley St.
Tues. 6:30 pm
NBCC Training Classes 6:15-7:00 each Tuesday
Oct 22, 2019 Fischer Random (note the change from “Rival’s Challenge”)
5-Double Swiss, G/5;d5
Fischer's goal was to create a chess variant in which chess creativity and talent would be more important than memorization . His approach was to create a randomized initial chess position, which would thus make memorizing chess opening move sequences far less helpful.
https://dwheeler.com/essays/Fischer_Random_Chess.html
Oct. 29, 2019 Will Torres Quick
Will Torres Biography, by Bob Cyr
Nov 5, 12 & 19 David Lees Double Quads
David Lees Biography, by Bob Cyr
GOING BACK IN TIME by Bob Cyr
CHESS BIOGRAPHY OF DAVID LEES
For the past several years, the club has hosted an annual double quads event to memorialize a prominent chess player in our community who has been instrumental in promoting and advancing chess. This year, we share our memories about the late NM David Lees.
Mr. Lees was the key advocate and supporter of creating the Western Massachusetts Chess Association (MACA). Much of Mr. Lees life can be chronicled in his highly popular memoir, The Chess Games of David Lees.
Mr. Lees called Springfield, MA, home, and he belonged to his hometown club since 1959. He was introduced to the game of chess at the age of eight and played chess at summer camps, where he had the grand opportunity to play with players of his own age.
He entered the Air Force in the 1960s and won the 1965 Texas State Chess Championship and the 1965 U.S. Armed Forces Chess Championship in Washington, D.C.
For his victory in the 1960 Armed Forces Chess Championship, Mr. Lees received some chess playing equipment and a book inscribed: To the Chess Champion of the Armed Forces – with congratulations and best wishes from President Lyndon B. Johnson, 1965. How cool was that!
Mr. Lees suffered a heart attack in his thirties, but he still was determined to be an active and serious player and be heavily involved in chess politics throughout New England. The late Arkadijs Strazdins and David became best of friends over the decades, and Mr. Lees was invited annually to the NBCC to host a simultaneous chess exhibition usually in September to kick off the NBCC fiscal year in style.
MACA would not exist without Master Lees; MACA was David's bloodline. MACA became a non-profit entity in the 1990s with the help of Mr. Lees. To end my story about this larger than life man, who possessed such energy, passion, and a deep devotion to MACA, the legendary Dr. Platz once said of Dr. Lees, “so, you are the Dr. Platz of Springfield!”
May you rest in peace, Mr. Lees, and thank you for everything you have done to enrich this game for players of all skills.
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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.
