New Chess Club in Hamden CT

Rod Groff has taught countless other kids and adults to play chess, and what was once a hobby has become a business. In October, he moved his growing chess academy, Play More Chess, to a new storefront in Hamden’s Whitneyville neighborhood. Housed in a former bank, the part-school, part-gathering place includes an old vault, now used for storage, and a teller’s window that’s the perfect nook for a table, two chairs and a chess board.

In total, there’s seating for about 22 players upstairs and down at Play More Chess. One corner of the main floor serves as a mini classroom, where Groff used a chessboard banner to demonstrate possible moves to a group of boys in the Intermediate I class, otherwise known as Knights, one recent afternoon. They’d brought their workbooks, and Groff had a lesson plan posted, starting with some new terms like “skewers” and “capped pieces.” These kids had already learned the basics of play, and they were ready to build in some strategy.

Younger students move through the curriculum—a series of published workbooks—at their own pace in four-week blocks. Small group lessons are $18 per hour. But Play More Chess isn’t just for kids. Adults make up about half of Groff’s clientele, both learners and experienced players looking for a place to play and new opponents to play against. Adults sign up for lessons through Hamden Adult Education (you don’t have to live in Hamden to register) or purchase a membership for $8 a month, which allows them to drop in during scheduled casual play hours or anytime Play More Chess is open for a pickup game. Groff also teaches in after-school programs at Hamden’s Spring Glen and Bear Path elementary schools.

Written and photographed by Kathy Leonard Czepiel. Read entire article here.

Play More Chess
1227 Whitney Ave, Hamden (map)
(203) 680-0657 info@PlayMoreChess.com

2020 GREATER HARTFORD OPEN SAT. JAN. 18

3SS, G/60 d5. Mill Brook Place, 1267 Main St. (Rt 31), Coventry, CT 06238. EF: $35 Cash Only Onsite Only. $$GTD: $160-80. Reg.: 9:45 am - 10:10 am. Rds.: 10:30, 1:30, 3:45. INFO: ConnecticutChess@Gmail.com Dir: One Section. Accel.Pairings. W.

If questionable weather; please double-check SNOW-PAGE

Connecticut State Chess Association

The CSCA-sanctioned National Nominations Grand Prix Northern Leg was hosted by Team DIG USA and held Dec.8 at Wethersfield Community Center. A huge upset win by Miles Wolfe (1162) who went 4-0 winning against top seeds Daniel Zhou (1996) and Nathan Chang (1981) along the way.

Miles qualified to the Candidates' Tournament for Elementary School that will be held early spring. Beatrice Low qualified to NNCT Middle School or Girls, Ethan Striff-Cave qualified to the NNCT High School and Peter Wolfe (Middle School) or Amithi Nair (Girls) qualified to NNCT pending Beatrice's decision which section to play at the NNCT as she can only participate in the Middle School or Girls NNCT.

FM Nelson Castaneda has won the 2019 Connecticut State Blitz Chess Championship on Dec 10 with a score of 6.5/8. This is Nelson's second state blitz title, almost twenty years after his first.

National Masters Harris Appelman and David Herscovici tied for second with 6/8. The tournament was organized by the New Britain Chess Club. Crosstable

New Britain Chess Club

Norman Burtness, President

newbritainchessclub@gmail.com

Armenian Church, 1910 Stanley St.

Tues. 6:30 pm

Christmas Party is Monday, Dec. 23 at 6:00, catered by Hall’s Market

Admission is free to members and 1 immediate family member.

2nd family member is $10, guest admission is $20.

Please bring hors d'oeuvres and/or desserts.

Following dinner will be a bullet tournament (G/1;d1).

PLEASE VOLUNTEER for set-up or clean-up after the event.

See Mario Guevara-Rodriguez who will coordinating this effort.

GAME OF THE WEEK by Alan Lasser

Grandmaster Larry Evans made a career out of asking, “what’s the best move?” Here, in the relatively simple position after White plays 17.Qe4, Black has many reasonable candidates vying for that distinction. Where might the rooks be best placed and which rook should be moved first? The queen might invade on a3, which will keep the White a pawn from attacking the Black b pawn when it advances to b5; or the queen could go 17…Qd5, because an exchange of queens on d5 will leave the White c pawn backward. If the Black knight moves away from c6, the White knight can take a powerful post on e5, but Stockfish lets that happen in several variations. Since it was game/15, I really couldn’t spend as too much time looking for the solution, and I chose 17…Rfd8 to keep the White c pawn from moving immediately. HIARCS doesn’t comment on this move or my next move, which only means that both are within the computer’s parameter of .25 pawns, but not necessarily the right move. I let the Stockfish software to examine all the candidates at 40 ply to reveal the positional truth. Instead of playing against the backward White c pawn, the best strategy is to exchange the White c pawn for the Black b pawn, leaving White with two isolated pawns to Black’s one.

Rayfield Rosner-Alan Lasser
12/6/15
New Paltz Chess Club
game/15
0-1
1.c4 c6
2.Nc3 d5
3.cxd5 cxd5
4.d4 Nc6
5.Nf3 Nf6
6.h3 Ne4
7.Bf4 Bf5
8.e3 a6
9.Bd3 e6
10.O-O Nxc3
11.bxc3 Bxd3
12.Qxd3 Bd6
13.Bxd6 Qxd6
14.Ng5?! -0.17/27
14.c4 +0.25/25 14...dxc4 15.Qxc4 b5 16.Qd3 h6 17.Rfc1 O-O 18.Rc5 Rfc8 19.Rac1 Ne7 20.Ne5 Rxc5 21.Rxc5 Rc8 22.Rxc8+ Nxc8 23.Qe4 Qd5 24.Qc2 Ne7 25.Qc7 f6 26.Nd3 Kf7
14…h6
15.Nf3 O-O
16.e4?! -0.27/27
16.c4 0.00/28 16...Nb4 17.Qc3 dxc4 18.Qxc4 b5 19.Qb3 Nd5 20.Rfc1 Rfc8 21.Nd2 Nf6 22.Nf3 Qd5 23.Ne5 Rxc1+ 24.Rxc1
16…dxe4
17.Qxe4 Rfd8
17...Na5 18.c4 Nxc4 19.Qxb7 Rab8 20.Qe4 Qa3 21.Rfd1 Rb4 22.Qe2 Nb6 23.Rd3 Qa4 24.Rc3 Nd5 -0.27 Stockfish
17...Rfe8 18.c4 b5 19.Rfc1 Rac8 20.cxb5 axb5 21.Qd3 Ra8 22.Qxb5 Nxd4 23.Nxd4 Qxd4 24.a4 Reb8 25.Qc4 Qxc4 26.Rxc4 Ra5 -0.14 Stockfish
17...Rfc8 18.c4 b5 19.Rac1 bxc4 20.Rxc4 Nb4 21.Rfc1 Qf8 22.Ne5 Rxc4 23.Rxc4 Nd5 24.Rc5 Qb8 25.Nc6 Nf6 26.Qc2 Qb6 27.Ne5 Rd8 28.Nc6 Re8 29.Ne5 Rd8 = Stockfish
17...Rfb8 18.Rfd1 Rd8 19.c4 Rd7 20.Rab1 Rad8 21.Rd3 Rc7 22.Rb6 Qe7 23.g3 Nb4 24.Rb3 Nc6 25.Rd3 = Stockfish
17...Rab8 18.Rfd1 Rfd8 19.c4 Qb4 20.Rac1 Rbc8 21.Qe2 Qa4 22.Rb1 Na5 23.c5 Rc7 24.Rd2 Nc6 25.Qe3 Rdd7 = Stockfish
17...Rac8 18.c4 b5 19.Rac1 Rfd8 20.Rfd1 bxc4 21.Rxc4 Ne7 22.Rdc1 Rxc4 23.Rxc4 Qb6 24.a4 Qb2 -0.12 Stockfish
17...Rad8 18.Rab1 b5 19.a4 Rb8 20.axb5 axb5 21.Rfc1 Rfc8 22.Qe1 Qd5 23.Qe2 Na5 24.Qe5 Qd8 25.Qh5 Nc4 26.Ne5 Nxe5 27.Qxe5 b4 28.Rb3 bxc3 29.Rcxc3 Rxb3 30.Rxb3 Qc7 -0.13 Stockfish
17...Rae8 18.Rfd1 b5 19.d5 exd5 20.Qxd5 Qf6 21.a4 bxa4 22.Rxa4 Re6 23.Qc5 Ne5 24.Nd4 Rd8 25.Ra5 Nc6 26.Raa1 Nxd4 27.cxd4 Red6 28.Ra4 Rd5 29.Qa3 a5 -0.03 Stockfish
17...Qa3 18.c4 Rad8 19.Rfd1 Rd7 20.Rab1 Rfd8 21.Rd2 Qa4 22.Rc1 Na5 23.Qe2 Rc7 24.Ne5 Nc6 25.Nf3 Ne7 26.Qd3 Rdc8 27.Rdc2 Nc6 -0.16 Stockfish
17...Qd5 18.Qxd5 exd5 19.Rfb1 Na5 20.Rb6 Rfd8 21.Ne5 Rac8 22.Rc1 Rc7 23.Nd3 Nc4 24.Rb4 Re8 25.Nf4 Rd8 26.Nd3 = Stockfish
17...b5 18.a4 Rac8 19.axb5 axb5 20.Rfb1 Ne7 21.Rxb5 Rxc3 22.Rb7 Nc6 23.Rab1 Rc8 24.Ne5 Nxe5 25.dxe5 Qc6 26.Qxc6 R8xc6 27.Rd1 Rc1 -0.10 Stockfish
18.Rfd1
18.Rab1 Na5 19.Rfc1 Rac8 20.c4 Nxc4 21.Qxb7 Rc7 22.Qe4 Qd7 -0.10 Stockfish
18…b5
19.Ne5?! -1.10/30
19.a4 -0.34/24 19...Ne7 20.Qe1 Nd5 21.Ne5 Rac8 22.axb5 axb5 23.Rdc1 Qc7 24.c4 bxc4 25.Rxc4
19…Nxe5
20.dxe5?! -1.46/28
20.Qxe5 -1.17/28 20...Rac8 21.Qxd6 Rxd6 22.Rd3 Rdc6 23.a4 Rxc3 24.Rxc3 Rxc3 25.axb5 axb5 26.Rb1 Rc4 27.Rxb5 Here Stockfish plays 27.d5 Rc5 28.de fe 29.Kf1 Kf7 -0.94 27...Rxd4 28.Rb8+ Kh7 29.Re8 g5 30.g4 Kg6 31.Kg2 Kf6 32.Rh8 Kg7 33.Re8 Rd2 34.Kg3 Rb2 35.Kf3 Rb3+ 36.Kg2 Rb1 37.Re7 Rb2 38.Rc7 e5 20.Qe5 Qe5 21.de Rd1 22.Rd1 Rc8 23.Rd6 a5 24.Rd3 Rc5 25.Re3 Kf8 26.f3 Rc4 -0.89 Stockfish
20...Qc5?! -0.54/25
20...Qxd1+ -1.46/28 21.Rxd1 Rxd1+ 22.Kh2 Rad8 23.c4 R1d2 24.c5 Rc8 25.c6 Rd5 26.Qc2 Rd4 27.f3 Rc4 28.Qd2 R8xc6 29.Qd8+ Kh7 30.Qd3+ g6 31.Qd8 Rc2 32.Qf8 Rc7 33.Qd6 R2c6 34.Qf8 Rc4 35.Qa8 R7c5 36.Qxa6 I didn't take the two rooks for the queen because I thought that the queen would gobble up my a pawn right away and perhaps the b pawn as well.
21.Rxd8+?! -1.34/28
21.Rd3 -0.54/25 21...Rac8 22.Rg3 Qf8 23.Qf4 Rc4 24.Qxh6 Rxc3 25.Rg4 Rc4 26.Rg3 Rc2 27.a4 Rd3
21…Rxd8
22.Qb7?! -2.03/29
22.Rc1 -1.42/26 22...Rd5 23.a4 Rxe5 24.Qa8+ Kh7 25.axb5 axb5 26.Qf3 Rf5 27.Qe2 Kg8 28.Qf1 Qc7 29.Qe2 Qc6 30.Qe1 Rc5 31.Qd2 Qe4 32.Ra1
22…Qxc3
23.Qxa6?? #-10/36
23.Rf1 -2.00/29 23...Qa3 24.Qc7 Rd4 25.Qc8+ Kh7 26.Qc2+ Qd3 27.Rc1 Qxc2 28.Rxc2 Rc4 29.Re2 b4 30.g3 a5 31.Kg2 h5 32.h4 Kg6 33.Rd2 a4 34.Kh3 a3
23...Qxa1+ 0-1

https://beta.chesstempo.com/pgn-viewer/

Cut & Paste the code below, and LOAD into webpage above

[Event "game/15"]
[Site "New Paltz Chess Club"]
[Date "2015.12.06"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Rayfield Rosner"]
[Black "Alan Lasser"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A11"]

1.c4 c6 2.Nc3 d5 3.cxd5 cxd5 4.d4 Nc6 5.Nf3 Nf6 6.h3 Ne4 7.Bf4 Bf5 8.e3 a6 9.Bd3 e6 10.O-O Nxc3 11.bxc3 Bxd3 12.Qxd3 Bd6
13.Bxd6 Qxd6 14.Ng5 $6 { -0.17/27 } ( 14.c4 { +0.25/25 } 14...dxc4 15.Qxc4 b5
16.Qd3 h6 17.Rfc1 O-O 18.Rc5 Rfc8 19.Rac1 Ne7 20.Ne5 Rxc5 21.Rxc5 Rc8
22.Rxc8+ Nxc8 23.Qe4 Qd5 24.Qc2 Ne7 25.Qc7 f6 26.Nd3 Kf7 ) 14...h6 15.Nf3 O-O
16.e4 $6 { -0.27/27 } ( 16.c4 { 0.00/28 } 16...Nb4 17.Qc3 dxc4 18.Qxc4 b5
19.Qb3 Nd5 20.Rfc1 Rfc8 21.Nd2 Nf6 22.Nf3 Qd5 23.Ne5 Rxc1+ 24.Rxc1 )
16...dxe4 17.Qxe4 Rfd8 ( 17...Na5 18.c4 Nxc4 19.Qxb7 Rab8 20.Qe4 Qa3 21.Rfd1
Rb4 22.Qe2 Nb6 23.Rd3 Qa4 24.Rc3 Nd5 { -0.27 Stockfish } ) ( 17...Rfe8 18.c4
b5 19.Rfc1 Rac8 20.cxb5 axb5 21.Qd3 Ra8 22.Qxb5 Nxd4 23.Nxd4 Qxd4 24.a4 Reb8
25.Qc4 Qxc4 26.Rxc4 Ra5 { -0.14 Stockfish } ) ( 17...Rfc8 18.c4 b5 19.Rac1
bxc4 20.Rxc4 Nb4 21.Rfc1 Qf8 22.Ne5 Rxc4 23.Rxc4 Nd5 24.Rc5 Qb8 25.Nc6 Nf6
26.Qc2 Qb6 27.Ne5 Rd8 28.Nc6 Re8 29.Ne5 Rd8 { = Stockfish } ) ( 17...Rfb8
18.Rfd1 Rd8 19.c4 Rd7 20.Rab1 Rad8 21.Rd3 Rc7 22.Rb6 Qe7 23.g3 Nb4 24.Rb3 Nc6
25.Rd3 { = Stockfish } ) ( 17...Rab8 18.Rfd1 Rfd8 19.c4 Qb4 20.Rac1 Rbc8
21.Qe2 Qa4 22.Rb1 Na5 23.c5 Rc7 24.Rd2 Nc6 25.Qe3 Rdd7 { = Stockfish } ) (
17...Rac8 18.c4 b5 19.Rac1 Rfd8 20.Rfd1 bxc4 21.Rxc4 Ne7 22.Rdc1 Rxc4 23.Rxc4
Qb6 24.a4 Qb2 { -0.12 Stockfish } ) ( 17...Rad8 18.Rab1 b5 19.a4 Rb8 20.axb5
axb5 21.Rfc1 Rfc8 22.Qe1 Qd5 23.Qe2 Na5 24.Qe5 Qd8 25.Qh5 Nc4 26.Ne5 Nxe5
27.Qxe5 b4 28.Rb3 bxc3 29.Rcxc3 Rxb3 30.Rxb3 Qc7 { -0.13 Stockfish } ) (
17...Rae8 18.Rfd1 b5 19.d5 exd5 20.Qxd5 Qf6 21.a4 bxa4 22.Rxa4 Re6 23.Qc5 Ne5
24.Nd4 Rd8 25.Ra5 Nc6 26.Raa1 Nxd4 27.cxd4 Red6 28.Ra4 Rd5 29.Qa3 a5
{ -0.03 Stockfish } ) ( 17...Qa3 18.c4 Rad8 19.Rfd1 Rd7 20.Rab1 Rfd8 21.Rd2
Qa4 22.Rc1 Na5 23.Qe2 Rc7 24.Ne5 Nc6 25.Nf3 Ne7 26.Qd3 Rdc8 27.Rdc2 Nc6
{ -0.16 Stockfish } ) ( 17...Qd5 18.Qxd5 exd5 19.Rfb1 Na5 20.Rb6 Rfd8 21.Ne5
Rac8 22.Rc1 Rc7 23.Nd3 Nc4 24.Rb4 Re8 25.Nf4 Rd8 26.Nd3 { = Stockfish } ) (
17...b5 18.a4 Rac8 19.axb5 axb5 20.Rfb1 Ne7 21.Rxb5 Rxc3 22.Rb7 Nc6 23.Rab1
Rc8 24.Ne5 Nxe5 25.dxe5 Qc6 26.Qxc6 R8xc6 27.Rd1 Rc1 { -0.10 Stockfish } )
18.Rfd1 ( 18.Rab1 Na5 19.Rfc1 Rac8 20.c4 Nxc4 21.Qxb7 Rc7 22.Qe4 Qd7
{ -0.10 Stockfish } ) 18...b5 19.Ne5 $6 { -1.10/30 } ( 19.a4 { -0.34/24 }
19...Ne7 20.Qe1 Nd5 21.Ne5 Rac8 22.axb5 axb5 23.Rdc1 Qc7 24.c4 bxc4 25.Rxc4 )
19...Nxe5 20.dxe5 $6 { -1.46/28 } ( 20.Qxe5 { -1.17/28 } 20...Rac8 21.Qxd6
Rxd6 22.Rd3 Rdc6 23.a4 Rxc3 24.Rxc3 Rxc3 25.axb5 axb5 26.Rb1 Rc4 27.Rxb5
{ Here Stockfish plays 27.d5 Rc5 28.de fe 29.Kf1 Kf7 -0.94 } 27...Rxd4
28.Rb8+ Kh7 29.Re8 g5 30.g4 Kg6 31.Kg2 Kf6 32.Rh8 Kg7 33.Re8 Rd2 34.Kg3 Rb2
35.Kf3 Rb3+ 36.Kg2 Rb1 37.Re7 Rb2 38.Rc7 e5
{ 20.Qe5 Qe5 21.de Rd1 22.Rd1 Rc8 23.Rd6 a5 24.Rd3 Rc5 25.Re3 Kf8 26.f3 Rc4 -0.89 Stockfish }
) 20...Qc5 $6 { -0.54/25 } ( 20...Qxd1+ { -1.46/28 } 21.Rxd1 Rxd1+ 22.Kh2
Rad8 23.c4 R1d2 24.c5 Rc8 25.c6 Rd5 26.Qc2 Rd4 27.f3 Rc4 28.Qd2 R8xc6 29.Qd8+
Kh7 30.Qd3+ g6 31.Qd8 Rc2 32.Qf8 Rc7 33.Qd6 R2c6 34.Qf8 Rc4 35.Qa8 R7c5
36.Qxa6
{ I didn't take the two rooks for the queen because I thought that the queen would
gobble up my a pawn right away and perhaps the b pawn as well. }
) 21.Rxd8+ $6 { -1.34/28 } ( 21.Rd3 { -0.54/25 } 21...Rac8 22.Rg3 Qf8 23.Qf4
Rc4 24.Qxh6 Rxc3 25.Rg4 Rc4 26.Rg3 Rc2 27.a4 Rd3 ) 21...Rxd8 22.Qb7 $6
{ -2.03/29 } ( 22.Rc1 { -1.42/26 } 22...Rd5 23.a4 Rxe5 24.Qa8+ Kh7 25.axb5
axb5 26.Qf3 Rf5 27.Qe2 Kg8 28.Qf1 Qc7 29.Qe2 Qc6 30.Qe1 Rc5 31.Qd2 Qe4 32.Ra1
) 22...Qxc3 23.Qxa6 $4 { #-10/36 } ( 23.Rf1 { -2.00/29 } 23...Qa3 24.Qc7 Rd4
25.Qc8+ Kh7 26.Qc2+ Qd3 27.Rc1 Qxc2 28.Rxc2 Rc4 29.Re2 b4 30.g3 a5 31.Kg2 h5
32.h4 Kg6 33.Rd2 a4 34.Kh3 a3 ) 23...Qxa1+ 0-1

Alan Lasser

blacklightmazes@icloud.com

website: blacklightmazes.com

JOE BIHLMEYER WINS 2019 YANKEE PEDDLER OPEN

COVENTRY CHESS CLUB

Most Frequent Players (after tnmt #45)

33 Joe Bihlmeyer

19 Rob Roy

18 Art Nagel

15 Derek Meredith

15 Mark Bourque

14 Hayes Goodman

13 Dan Smith

10 Dan Zhou

10 Joshua Berkun

10 Larry Lafosse

USCF History of the Coventry Chess Club

2020 EASTERN CONNECTICUT OPEN FEB. 22

3SS, G/60 d5. Mill Brook Place, 1267 Main St. (Rt 31), Coventry, CT 06238. EF: $35 Cash Only Onsite Only. $$GTD: $160-80. Reg.: 9:45 am - 10:10 am. Rds.: 10:30, 1:30, 3:45. One Section. Accel.Pairings. W. INFO: ConnecticutChess@Gmail.com