MINUTES TO CSCA ANNUAL MEETING
NBCC PRESENTS NEW EVENT TUE NOV 23
TOP PLAYERS AT COVENTRY CHESS CLUB
GAME OF THE WEEK BY ALAN LASSER
THIS WEEK IN WORLD CHESS
NOV 5, 12, 19. TUESDAYS DAVID LEES TNMT
SAT NOV 23 CHESS CAMP WEST HARTFORD
TUE DEC 10 CT STATE BLITZ CHAMPIONSHIP
SAT DEC 14 HOLIDAY PARTY OPEN
REMEMBERING THE STRAZDINS BY BOB CYR
DR EMANUEL SZTEIN AT WOLCOTT SPEED-CHESS
CHESS CLUB CHANGES MEETINGS TO FRIDAYS
At the Annual Meeting held on October 20th at the Weston Public Library the CSCA welcomed two new Directors, Nevena Lanzo and Bryant Mercado, to the Board.
IM Jan van de Mortel ran for re-election unopposed and will continue as President of the CSCA for the year 2019-2020.
See the draft Meeting Minutes including Officer Reports; the Treasurer's Report is pending.
New Britain Chess Club
Norman Burtness, President
newbritainchessclub@gmail.com
Armenian Church, 1910 Stanley St.
Tues. 6:30 pm
Adult/Student Opening Partnership - A NEW EVENT
On Tuesday, Nov. 23, the NBCC will be having a new activity designed to use the vast chess knowledge of the club to help our up and coming scholastic players. Adults who are willing (I’m hoping we get a good turnout for this) will pair up with a scholastic player and teach them a favorite opening of theirs. In a series of 5 minute games, the adult can show a number lines and strategies of an opening they know best (so you don’t need to be an expert, just show what you know as you play through some games). Following the teaching time, students will play in a G/10;d5 tournament (no entry fee) where they can test their newfound skills.
The games will not be rated, so the student can practice the openings without worrying about their rating. Adults will also have a G/10;d5 2-game match with a competitor of their choice (or nearest rated). Adults can indicate the openings they are comfortable teaching, and kids can choose an adult or an opening.
Signup sheet for adults to indicate their openings. Adults, please fill in your info before Nov 21, and students, wait until after Nov 21 to sign up.
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
Recently Active Players
Ben Amar
Dan Zhou
Nathan Chang
Mike Smith
Dennis Himes
Lisa Smith
Punya Upadhyay
Steven Stewart
Haneesha Atkuri
Nick Wrona
Dan Tamburro
Zach Reggio
BREAKING NEWS - CONNECTICUT CHESS MAGAZINE
Above link displays our past 9 editions, along with a short summary.
GAME OF THE WEEK by Alan Lasser
It may seem like a warp in the chess/time continuum, but sometimes two highly improbable bits of chess geometry can occur at the same time in the same place. The odds of this game occurring must be a gazillion-to-one. First of all, the latest Benko-file I have ever observed in a game is there on move 29.
If that wasn’t rare enough, one of the reasons that the Benko-file exists is that neither queen has been moved. It could be some kind of a record, 57 ply and the most powerful pieces on the chessboard don’t want to get involved.
When the grandmasters finally move their queens, it’s the end of the Benko-file, and one of the rarest chess positions ever seen vanishes from the board and into your chess column.
GM Erwin L’Ami(2619)-GM Luke McShane(2682)
10/27/19
2019 European Teams
Batumi, Georgia
1.d4 Nf6
2.c4 g6?
3.Nc3 Bg7
4.e4 d6
5.Nf3 O-O
6.Be2 e5
7.O-O Na6
8.Be3 c6
9.d5 Ng4
10.Bg5 f6
11.Bh4 Nh6
12.Ne1?! +0.67/22
12.c5 +1.07/20 12...g5 12... Nxc5 13. b4 Nd7 14. dxc6 bxc6 15. Qxd6 Nf7 16. Qxc6 Nb6 +0.70 Stockfish 13.Bg3 dxc5 14.dxc6 bxc6 15.Qa4 Qb6 16.Rac1 Nf7 17.Rfd1 Nc7 18.Nd2 Nb5 19.Nc4 Qb7 20.Na5
12.Nd2 Bd7 13.a3 cxd5 14.Nxd5 g5 15.Bg3 f5 16.f3 Nc5 17.Bf2 Ne6 18.exf5 Nxf5 19.Bd3 +1.09 Stockfish
12…c5
13.Nd3 g5
14.Bg3 f5
15.exf5 Bxf5
16.Bf3 b6
17.Be4 Bd7
18.f3 Nf5
19.Bf2 Nd4
20.a4 Nc7
21.Be3 Rf7
22.Nf2 Bf8
23.Bd3 Be7
24.Nfe4 Kh8
25.Nb5 Ne8
26.Nxd4 cxd4
27.Bd2 Nf6?! +1.65/25
27...a5 +0.89/21 28.b4 28. h4 gxh4 29. f4 exf4 30. Bxf4 Bf5 31. Bc2 Bxe4 32. Qxd4+ Bf6 33. Qxe4 Raa7 34. Bh6 Qe7 35. Rae1 Qxe4 36. Rxe4 Be5 37. Rxh4 Rxf1+ 38. Kxf1 +2.12 Stockfish 28...axb4 29.Bxb4 Bf5 30.Ng3 Ng7 31.Nxf5 Nxf5 32.Bd2 Ng7 33.Qb3 Nh5 34.Rfb1 Nf4 35.Bxf4 gxf4 36.Qxb6
27...Rf8 28.b4 +1.75 Stockfish
28.Nxg5 Rg7
29.f4 Qg8
30.Qe2?! +0.87/21
30.fxe5 +1.35/21 30...dxe5 30...Ng4 31. e6 Bxg5 32. Bxg5 Rxg5 33. Rf7 Rg7 34. Rxd7 Rxd7 35. exd7 Ne5 +2.52 Stockfish 31.d6 Bd8 32.Qf3 Rc8 33.Ne4 33. Bf5 Bxf5 34. Qxf5 Rc6 35. Rae1 Rxd6 36. Qxe5 Be7 37. Qf4 +4.37 Stockfish 33...Bc6 34.Rae1 Rg6 35.b3 Qg7 36.Re2 Bxe4 37.Bxe4 Nxe4 38.Qxe4 Rxd6 39.Qf5 Rc5 40.Qh5 Rf6 41.Ref2 Qg6
30...Re8?! +1.45/21
30...Bg4 +0.87/21 31.Qf2 31. Qe1 Nh5 32. Be4 Rf8 33. Ne6 Bxe6 34. dxe6 Qxe6 35. Bd5 Qg6 36. fxe5 Rxf1+ 37. Kxf1 +1.19 Stockfish 31...Rf8 32.h3 Bc8 33.Qe2
31.Rae1 Ng4
32.Kh1? -0.03/24
32.Ne4 +1.45/21 32...Rf8 33.Kh1 33. Rf3 exf4 34. Bxf4 Rgf7 35. Ref1 Ne3 36. Bxe3 dxe3 37. b3 Rxf3 38. Rxf3 Rxf3 39. Qxf3 +2.46 Stockfish 33...exf4 34.Bxf4
32…exf4
33.Ne6 Bh4
34.Bxf4? -1.87/23
34.Bf5 0.00/22 34...Bxe1 35.Bxe1 Nh6 35...Ne3 36. Nxg7 Qxg7 37. Bxd7 Qxd7 38. Rxf4 Nxg2 39. Re4 Rxe4 40. Qxe4 Nxe1 41. Qxe1 = Stockfish 36.Bh3 Ng4 37.Bxg4 Rxg4 38.Bf2 Qg6 39.h3 Bxe6 40.dxe6 f3 41.Qxf3 Re4 42.e7 R4xe7 43.Bxd4+ Kg8 44.Qd5+ Qe6 45.Qg5+ Qg6 46.Qd5+
34…Bxe1
35.Rxe1?! -2.83/25
35.Qxe1 -1.87/23 35...Bxe6 36.dxe6 Qxe6 36...Rxe6 37. Qd2 Ne3 38. Rf2 Qe8 39. Bf1 Re4 40. g3 Nxf1 41. Rxf1 Qc6 -3.46 Stockfish 37.Qxe6 Rxe6 38.g3 Ne5 39.Bf5 Rf6 40.Be4 Ng6 41.Bxg6 Rgxg6 42.Rd1 Re6 43.Rxd4 Re1+
35…Bxe6
36.dxe6 Rxe6
37.Qd2 Ne3
38.g3?! -4.38/27
38.Re2 -2.88/22 38...Qe8 38...Qa8 39. Bxe3 dxe3 40. Qe1 Qe8 41. a5 bxa5 42. Qxa5 Qf8 43. Kg1 Qf6 44. h3 Rf7 45. c5 Re5 46. Qe1 dxc5 -4.54 Stockfish 39.Rf2 Qxa4 40.h3 Qd1+ 41.Qxd1 Nxd1 42.Rd2 Rf7 43.g3 Re1+ 44.Kh2 Rf6 45.b4 Nc3 46.Rf2 a5 47.bxa5 bxa5
38...Qa8+
39.Kg1 Qf3
40.Qf2 Qxf2+
41.Kxf2 Ng4+
42.Kf1 Nxh2+
43.Kf2 Ng4+
44.Kf1 Rxe1+
45.Kxe1 Ne5
46.Kd2 Kg8
47.b3 Kf7 0-1
Cut and paste the text below for input to a PGN viewer.
[Event "2019 European Teams"]
[Site "Batumi, Georgia"]
[Date "2019.10.27"]
[Round "?"]
[White "GM Erwin L'Ami"]
[Black "GM Luke J McShane"]
[Result "0-1"]
[BlackElo "2682"]
[ECO "E94"]
[WhiteElo "2619"]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Be2 e5 7.O-O Na6 8.Be3 c6 9.d5 Ng4
10.Bg5 f6 11.Bh4 Nh6 12.Ne1 $6 { +0.67/22 } ( 12.c5
{ +1.07/20 } 12...g5
{ 12... Nxc5 13. b4 Nd7 14. dxc6 bxc6 15. Qxd6 Nf7 16. Qxc6 Nb6 +0.70
Stockfish } 13.Bg3 dxc5 14.dxc6 bxc6 15.Qa4 Qb6 16.Rac1 Nf7 17.Rfd1 Nc7
18.Nd2 Nb5 19.Nc4 Qb7 20.Na5 ) ( 12.Nd2 Bd7 13.a3 cxd5 14.Nxd5 g5 15.Bg3 f5
16.f3 Nc5 17.Bf2 Ne6 18.exf5 Nxf5 19.Bd3 { +1.09 Stockfish } ) 12...c5
13.Nd3 g5 14.Bg3 f5 15.exf5 Bxf5 16.Bf3 b6 17.Be4 Bd7 18.f3 Nf5 19.Bf2 Nd4
20.a4 Nc7 21.Be3 Rf7 22.Nf2 Bf8 23.Bd3 Be7 24.Nfe4 Kh8 25.Nb5 Ne8 26.Nxd4
cxd4 27.Bd2 Nf6 $6 { +1.65/25 } ( 27...a5 { +0.89/21 } 28.b4
{ 28. h4 gxh4 29. f4 exf4 30. Bxf4 Bf5 31. Bc2 Bxe4 32. Qxd4+ Bf6 33. Qxe4
Raa7 34. Bh6 Qe7 35. Rae1 Qxe4 36. Rxe4 Be5 37. Rxh4 Rxf1+ 38. Kxf1 +2.12
Stockfish } 28...axb4 29.Bxb4 Bf5 30.Ng3 Ng7 31.Nxf5 Nxf5 32.Bd2 Ng7 33.Qb3
Nh5 34.Rfb1 Nf4 35.Bxf4 gxf4 36.Qxb6 ) ( 27...Rf8 28.b4 { +1.75 Stockfish }
) 28.Nxg5 Rg7 29.f4 Qg8 30.Qe2 $6 { +0.87/21 } ( 30.fxe5 { +1.35/21 }
30...dxe5
{ 30...Ng4 31. e6 Bxg5 32. Bxg5 Rxg5 33. Rf7 Rg7 34. Rxd7 Rxd7 35. exd7 Ne5
+2.52 Stockfish } 31.d6 Bd8 32.Qf3 Rc8 33.Ne4
{ 33. Bf5 Bxf5 34. Qxf5 Rc6 35. Rae1 Rxd6 36. Qxe5 Be7 37. Qf4 +4.37
Stockfish } 33...Bc6 34.Rae1 Rg6 35.b3 Qg7 36.Re2 Bxe4 37.Bxe4 Nxe4 38.Qxe4
Rxd6 39.Qf5 Rc5 40.Qh5 Rf6 41.Ref2 Qg6 ) 30...Re8 $6 { +1.45/21 } ( 30...Bg4
{ +0.87/21 } 31.Qf2
{ 31. Qe1 Nh5 32. Be4 Rf8 33. Ne6 Bxe6 34. dxe6 Qxe6 35. Bd5 Qg6 36. fxe5
Rxf1+ 37. Kxf1 +1.19 Stockfish } 31...Rf8 32.h3 Bc8 33.Qe2 ) 31.Rae1 Ng4
32.Kh1 $2 { -0.03/24 } ( 32.Ne4 { +1.45/21 } 32...Rf8 33.Kh1
{ 33. Rf3 exf4 34. Bxf4 Rgf7 35. Ref1 Ne3 36. Bxe3 dxe3 37. b3 Rxf3 38.
Rxf3 Rxf3 39. Qxf3 +2.46 Stockfish } 33...exf4 34.Bxf4 ) 32...exf4 33.Ne6
Bh4 34.Bxf4 $2 { -1.87/23 } ( 34.Bf5 { 0.00/22 } 34...Bxe1 35.Bxe1 Nh6
{ 35...Ne3 36. Nxg7 Qxg7 37. Bxd7 Qxd7 38. Rxf4 Nxg2 39. Re4 Rxe4 40. Qxe4
Nxe1 41. Qxe1 = Stockfish } 36.Bh3 Ng4 37.Bxg4 Rxg4 38.Bf2 Qg6 39.h3 Bxe6
40.dxe6 f3 41.Qxf3 Re4 42.e7 R4xe7 43.Bxd4+ Kg8 44.Qd5+ Qe6 45.Qg5+ Qg6
46.Qd5+ ) 34...Bxe1 35.Rxe1 $6 { -2.83/25 } ( 35.Qxe1 { -1.87/23 } 35...Bxe6
36.dxe6 Qxe6
{ 36...Rxe6 37. Qd2 Ne3 38. Rf2 Qe8 39. Bf1 Re4 40. g3 Nxf1 41. Rxf1 Qc6
-3.46 Stockfish } 37.Qxe6 Rxe6 38.g3 Ne5 39.Bf5 Rf6 40.Be4 Ng6 41.Bxg6
Rgxg6 42.Rd1 Re6 43.Rxd4 Re1+ ) 35...Bxe6 36.dxe6 Rxe6 37.Qd2 Ne3 38.g3 $6
{ -4.38/27 } ( 38.Re2 { -2.88/22 } 38...Qe8
{ 38...Qa8 39. Bxe3 dxe3 40. Qe1 Qe8 41. a5 bxa5 42. Qxa5 Qf8 43. Kg1 Qf6
44. h3 Rf7 45. c5 Re5 46. Qe1 dxc5 -4.54 Stockfish } 39.Rf2 Qxa4 40.h3
Qd1+ 41.Qxd1 Nxd1 42.Rd2 Rf7 43.g3 Re1+ 44.Kh2 Rf6 45.b4 Nc3 46.Rf2 a5
47.bxa5 bxa5 ) 38...Qa8+ 39.Kg1 Qf3 40.Qf2 Qxf2+ 41.Kxf2 Ng4+ 42.Kf1 Nxh2+
43.Kf2 Ng4+ 44.Kf1 Rxe1+ 45.Kxe1 Ne5 46.Kd2 Kg8 47.b3 Kf7 0-1
Wesley So Wins Fischer Random World Championship
Trevor Noah making movie about 8-Year Old Nigerian Prodigy
World Chess Calendar - November 2019
Carissa Yip Youngest American Female IM Ever
Do Chess Arbiters Intervene Too Much?
Shtembuliak, Shuvalova, World Junior, Girls' Champs
The Brilliant, Young Samuel Reshevsky
Are Bad Openings Good For Your Chess?
Wang Hao Wins Grand Swiss, Qualifies For Candidates
Sasha Chapin's memoir All the Wrong Moves
Hans-Walter Schmitt interview
Radjabov Wins 2019 FIDE World Cup
So Wins Speed Chess Championship
Kid Chess Champions Share Their Secrets
The Early Life Of Pal Benko
UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS
Saturday, November 23, 2019
West Hartford Scholastic Chess Camp and Tournament
At Hall High School 975 N. Main St. West Hartford, 06117
$45 Entry Fee; Pizza Lunch Included*
Chess Camp: 9:00 a.m. to Noon
8:45-9:00 a.m. Check in and registration (same day registration $55)
Starting at 9 am there will be 3 ~ 1hr training classes (for details see "Training Classes" below) taught by experienced chess teachers and coaches. Coaches: NM Derek Meredith, Expert Suhas Kodali, Expert Joseph Bihlmeyer. Certificates of Completion awarded to all participants.
Lunch: Noon -12:30
Lunch is included in the registration fee. Parents who stay may add $5 to the registration fee for their lunch.
Chess Tournament: 12:30 - 3:30
3-SS G/25;d5 In 2 sections, rated and unrated, with accelerated pairings.
3 round tournament where everyone plays 3 games and has 25 minutes to make their moves. Bring a clock if you have one.
Rated Section: (USCF membership is required). (May be split into 2 sections if there are enough players) Trophies to top High School, Top Middle School, Top Elementary, Top Grade K-3 (conventional tie-breaks used). Affects both quick and regular rating. Trophy to players from the top school (3 players per school team)
Unrated Section: (USCF membership is not required) Trophy to 1st place.
Entry Fee Schedule:
Full Day: Camp + Lunch + Tournament: $45 (2nd child family rate: $30), $55 on-site (8:30-9:00)
Camp Only: $30
Tournament Only: $15
Same Day Reg. fee, add $10.
When registering, include Player Name, USCF ID & Expiration date, school and grade, and Section. Pay by secure PayPal link https://www.paypal.me/NBChess or mail to Norman Burtness c/o Hall High School, 975 N. Main St. West Hartford, CT 06117.
Training Classes
Hippopotamus, Monkey’s Bum, Dragon, Orangutan, Hillbilly Attack, Toilet Variation, Wild Bull, Sicilian Pterodactyl, Creepy Crawly Formation, Fried Liver Attack. These are all names of chess openings. NM Derek Meredith will teach you many of the craziest named openings and give you ideas for how to hone your opening repertoire.
Maneuvers, Tactics, Pawn Breaks, Sacrifices. Expert Suhas Kodali will conduct his session on the middle game where maneuvers can improve your piece positions, tactics can win material, pawn breaks can open up lines of attack and sacrifices can lead to a massive advantage or checkmate.
Beware of German Words. Expert Joe Bihlmeyer will teach you critical aspects of the endgame; how to Zugswang your opponent and critical endgame positions you should know how to win or defend against.
Tuesday Dec 10, 2019
NBCC - Armenian Church
1910 Stanley St
New Britain, CT 06053
G/5;d5 Pairings and Prizes based on Blitz Ratings.
Unrated players not eligible for class prizes.
- Prizes:
- Trophy + $20 to top 3 and top U2000
- Format:
- 8 Round Swiss, G/5;d5 Byes: No final round byes
- Entry Fees:
- $10. State Affiliate membership required, dues $2 of each entry goes to CSCA (and purchases membership).
- Entries To:
- On-site Reg: 6:45-7:00
- E-mail:
- newbritainchessclub@gmail.com
- Official Web Site:
- http://newbritainchessclub.com
- Event Limitations and Site Conditions:
- No Smoking. Wheelchair Accessible.
SAT. DEC. 14 2019 HOLIDAY PARTY OPEN
3SS, G/60 d5. Mill Brook Place, 1267 Main St. (Rt 31), Coventry, CT 06238. EF: $35 Cash Only Onsite Only. $$GTD: $160-80. Reg.: 9:45 am - 10:10 am. Rds.: 10:30, 1:30, 3:45. INFO: ConnecticutChess@Gmail.com Dir: One Section. Accel.Pairings. https://ConnecticutChess.blogspot.com W. USCF TLA
SAT. JAN. 18 2020 GREATER HARTFORD OPEN
3SS, G/60 d5. Mill Brook Place, 1267 Main St. (Rt 31), Coventry, CT 06238. EF: $35 Cash Only Onsite Only. $$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. https://ConnecticutChess.blogspot.com W.
SAT. FEB. 22 2020 EASTERN CONNECTICUT OPEN
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. https://ConnecticutChess.blogspot.com W.
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
GOING BACK IN TIME by Bob Cyr
More NBCC history about two of the greatest NBCC contributors in history.
REMEMBERING ARKADIJS STRAZDINS
The New Britain Chess Club has been blessed to have great leaders throughout its history. By far, the greatest was the legendary Arkadijs Strazdins (“Straz”). Mr. Strazdins was born in Latvia, and he achieved chess master strength as a young man. Early in his career, he drew a game with Efim Bogoljubov, the challenger in the 1929 and 1934 World Chess Championship matches. “Straz” served in the Latvian Army during WWII and moved to the United States in 1951. Soon after becoming a New Britain resident, “Straz” joined the city’s chess club. In the first few decades, he gave many simultaneous chess exhibitions and served as club treasurer, secretary, and team captain. In 1970, “Straz” was elected NBCC president, a position that he passionately served for thirty-one years. In addition to this major role, “Straz” was instrumental in establishing a relationship with the newspapers to cover club-sponsored events and local chess news. Under his leadership, the club became the largest chess organization in Connecticut by the mid-1980s. In addition to his work as president and chief tournament director, he meticulously kept and preserved the club records dating back to his joining. Beyond the club, “Straz” was a stanch ambassador of Connecticut chess, having served on the Connecticut State Chess Association Board of Directors and competed in many state championships. For his decades of service to chess in our community, the CSCA honored “Straz” with a special banquet in 1997. He also received a lifetime NBCC membership in 2001. Mr. Strazdins is etched numerous times in the NBCC archives. His biggest achievement, as noted in the NBCC Hall of Fame, was earning the most wins or ties for first place in classical time-controlled tournaments - an astounding seventy-two spanning nearly fifty years, more than double of anyone before or since. Generations of chess players have been inspired by Mr. Strazdins’ devotion and zeal for the club. For five decades, his tireless efforts in this cause enriched the NBCC and chess throughout the region. In 2007, the club held the 1st Arkadijs Strazdins Cup, an annual tournament that is still held today to remember this amazing man. No matter who you were, Mr. Strazdins would always welcome everyone with his charm, warmth, and old-world gentility. He was truly a compassionate and altruistic man and a staunch member advocate. On behalf of everyone whose lives were touched by “Straz,” let us take a moment to reflect on the life of this special person. His spirit lives on!
REMEMBERING ANDRIS STRAZDINS
Andris “Andy” Strazdins was another great contributor in the annals of the New Britain Chess Club. Like his father, his passionate efforts in this respect tremendously benefited our organization. Born in Germany, Andy was only a year old when he moved with his family to New Britain, where he resided since 1951. During high school and college, Andy competed on the school chess team, which did quite well under Andy’s leadership. Of course, he could not have had a better mentor than his father! Andy’s history with the club was one of the longest of any member. He joined the club as a teenager in the 1960s and competed on many team matches and tournaments in his early years. In 1973, he earned second place behind his father in the annual Jan Cendrowski event. Later that year, Andy was elected to the position of club treasurer. At that time, he was the youngest officer in club history. For fortytwo years, a club record, Andy worked besides his fellow officers to ensure that the club ran efficiently. Besides his normal treasurer duties, Andy carried out many other unpaid volunteer tasks. No matter the job, Andy performed it with sheer spirit and enthusiasm, always putting the best interests of the membership first. Because of the enormous amount of time and effort that Andy dedicated to the club, the membership honored him with a lifetime membership in 2011. During the club's social gatherings, Andy would display his comical side by playing songs on his harmonica and regaling his friends with tales and stories about the good old days. It was such a delight to see his boyish charm and to hear his infectious sense of humor enliven the atmosphere at those events. He truly loved the club in every way possible. Andy's compassionate and selfless attitude and approach to life was also evident beyond the club, as much of his free time, especially during retirement, was devoted to providing financial support and spiritual comfort to the less fortunate. Beyond chess, Andy was immensely active in community programs like the boy scouts, the church, and political and environmental causes. He was a busy man who lived life to the fullest, constantly devoting his time to the greater good. Starting in 2016, the lower section of the Strazdins Cup was held in memory of Andy. The lower section was called the Andy Strazdins Stein. Andy treated everyone with dignity and respect and had a big heart like his father. On behalf of everyone whose lives were touched by Andy, let us take a moment to reflect on the life of this special person. His spirit lives on!
PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDAR - SAT NOV 16
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE - NEW BRITAIN CHESS CLUB
DANIEL ZHOU WINS 2019 CONNECTICUT HARVEST OPEN
GAME OF THE WEEK BY ALAN LASSER
HIGHLIGHTS OF YEAR 2019 BY BOB CYR
BIOGRAPHY OF BOB CYR, CHESS HISTORIAN
REPORT - 2019 CHARTER OAK OPEN
FUN FACTS ABOUT THE NBCC BY BOB CYR
INSPIRATIONAL CHESS PROGRAM BY DAN PELLETIER
GOING BACK IN TIME BY BOB CYR
FROM NBCC PRESIDENT NORMAN BURTNESS
CHESS COLUMNS FROM THE PAST by Rob Roy
Rob Roy did 1300 columnsWaterbury Sunday Republican 1977-2000. Enabling Waterbury Chess Club to be successful.
