NOV 16, 10-6 - USCF TOURNAMENT, COVENTRY
UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS IN COVENTRY
BREAKING WORLDWIDE CHESS NEWS
GAME OF THE WEEK, BY ALAN LASSER
NBCC REPORT BY NORMAN BURTNESS
NBCC 3rd QUARTER REPORT - BOB CYR
CAPTIONS AND LINK TO NBCC PHOTOS
COACH DAN STARBUCK PELLETIER
LINKS TO OUR CHESS RESOURCES
CHESS COLUMNS FROM THE PAST
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
Connecticut State Chess Association
Notice: 2019 CSCA Annual Meeting
The 2019 CSCA Annual Meeting will take place from 12-4 P.M. on Sunday October 20, 2019 at the Weston Public Library (56 Norfield Rd, Weston, CT 06883).
The meeting is open to the public and all chess players, parents, organizers and other interested parties are invited to attend. Among other items, the adult CSCA members present will elect two Directors, the Board will elect the Officers and a number of 2019- 2020 State Championship events will be assigned to interested outside organizers. Read the full notice
10/4
Three scholastic players from Connecticut are representing the US at the 2019 World Youth Chess Championship held October 1-13 in Mumbai, India. IM Hans Nieman is the top seed in the Open 16 category. He started with 2,5 out of 3 and features in an interview here. In the Open 18 category twin brothers George and Jake Wang from Chess Haven are participating. After missing the first three rounds they will start the event in round 4. Tournament website - Live games - Pairings & results Open 16 - Pairings & results Open 18.
9/29
Joe Bihlmeyer and Michael Uwakwe tied for first at the 2019 Charter Oak Open in Coventry. Crosstable.
9/22
IM Justin Sarkar of NYC took clear first with 4.5-0.5 at the 2019 Hartford Open. Best Connecticut player was H.S. Champion Zachary Tanenbaum who scored 3-2. The U2010 was won outright by Connecticut's K-8 representative Peter Wolfe with a 4.5-0.5 score. Scott Sheff and Justin Trey of NY state tied for first in the U1610, while Connecticut's Michael Boisselle took clear first in U1210 with perfect 5-0.
Standings: Major, Under 2010, Under 1610, Under 1210 and Rating Report.
Connecticut State Chess Association
BREAKING WORLDWIDE CHESS NEWS
Announcing The New PRO Chess League
World Youth Chess Championship Set For Thrilling Finish
Britannica: The Evolution of Chess Theory (Part 1)
The Road Taken: Reflecting On Our Allenwood Chess Tournament
The most enthralling game in round one of this week’s Isle of Man tournament was this sacrificial attack that defeated a former world champion. In the final position, both kings lack cover, but a broad simplification will make the White passed pawns decisive.
GM Evgeniy Najer(2625)-GM Viswanathan Anand(2765)
10/10/19
2019 Isle of Man Grand Swiss
1.d4 Nf6
2.c4 e6
3.Nc3 Bb4
4.e3 O-O
5.Bd2 d5
6.Nf3 b6
7.Rc1 Bb7
8.cxd5 exd5
9.Bd3 Be7
10.O-O Nbd7
11.Ne5 Nxe5
12.dxe5 Nd7
13.f4 Nc5
14.Bb1 d4
15.Nb5 d3
16.Nd4 a5
17.Qg4 g6
18.f5 Ne4? +1.15/21
18...h5 -0.01/20 19.Qh3 Qd5 19...Bg5 20. e6 Bd5 21. exf7+ Bxf7 22. fxg6 Bxg6 23. Rxf8+ Qxf8 24. Ne6 Bf5 25. Rxc5 bxc5 26. Qxh5 Bxe6 27. Qg6+ Qg7 28. Qxe6+ Kf8 29. Bxd3 Qxb2 30. Qd5 Qxd2 31. Qxc5+ = Stockfish 20.f6 Bd8 21.Bc3 Qxe5 22.Nb3 Qd6 23.Nxc5 bxc5 24.Rf4 Bd5 25.Qg3 c4 26.Qg5 Re8 27.Rd1 c5 28.b3
19.Bxd3 Nxd2
20.fxg6 fxg6
21.Bxg6 Kh8?! +1.72/23
21...Bc8 +1.05/21 22.Nf5 22. Rf5 Rxf5 23. Bxf5+ Kh8 24. Bxc8 Qxc8 25. Nf5 Bf8 26. Rd1 Qd7 27. e6 Qxe6 28. Rxd2 +1.50 Stockfish 22...Bxf5 23.Bxf5+ Kh8 24.Qh5 Rxf5 25.Rxf5 Qd3 26.Kh1 Rg8 27.Rf7 Bc5 28.Qh6 Qg6 29.Qxg6 Rxg6 30.Rxc7 Re6 31.Rd7 Ne4 32.Rf1 Kg8 33.Rff7 h6 34.Rg7+ Kf8 35.Rdf7+ Ke8 36.Rc7 Kf8 37.Rgf7+ Kg8 38.Rf5
22.Bxh7 Rxf1+
23.Rxf1 Bg5
24.Nf5 Qd3
25.Re1
25.Rc1 Bxe3+ 26.Kh1 Bh6 27.Nxh6 Qxh7 28.Qf4 Qg6 29.Qxd2 Rf8 30.h3 Bxg2+ 31.Kh2 Bf1 32.Ng4 Rf3 33.Qd8+ Qg8 34.Qh4+ Qh7 35.Qxh7+ Kxh7 36.Rxc7+ Kg6 37.Rc3 +4.08 Stockfish
25…Bxe3+
26.Kh1 Bh6
27.Qg6? +0.62/23
27.Bg6 +2.42/24 27...Qf3 27...Ne4 28. Qh4 Qd2 29. Qxh6+ Qxh6 30. Nxh6 Nc5 31. Bc2 Bd5 32. a3 Rf8 33. Kg1 Be6 34. g4 +2.81 Stockfish 28.Nxh6 Qxg4 29.Nxg4 Nf3 29...Rg8 30. e6 Rxg6 31. e7 Bc6 32. Ne5 Bxg2+ 33. Kg1 Rg8 34. e8=R Rxe8 35. Ng6+ Kg7 36. Rxe8 +3.91 Stockfish 30.Re3 Kg7 31.Be4 31. gxf3 Kxg6 32. Kg2 Bd5 33. Kg3 Kf7 34. f4 Be6 35. Rf3 Bf5 36. Rc3 c5 37. Ne3 +5.00 Stockfish 31...Bxe4 32.Rxe4 Ng5 33.Rd4 Kg6 34.Rf4 Re8 35.h4 Nf7 36.h5+
27...Bxg2+
28.Kxg2?! 0.00/25
28.Qxg2 +0.59/23 28...Kxh7 29.Qxa8 29. Nxh6 Nf3 30. Rc1 Rd8 31. Ng4 Nh4 32. Nf2 Nxg2 33. Nxd3 Rxd3 34. Kxg2 +0.54 Stockfish 29...Qxf5 30.e6 Nc4 31.e7 Nd6 32.Qg2 Ne8 33.a3 Qf7 34.Qc6 Bg5 35.b4 axb4 36.axb4 Nd6 37.Qc2+ Kh8 38.Qc3+ Kg8 39.Qh3 Qd5+ 40.Qg2 Qxg2+
28...Qd5+? +2.38/23
28...Qf3+ 0.00/25 29.Kg1 Qf4 30.Kg2 30.Qh6 Nf3 31.Kf2 Ng5 32.Kg1 = Stockfish 30...Qf3+
29.Kh3 Qd3+? +5.80/23
29...Qf3+ +2.38/24 30.Ng3 30. Kh4 Qf2+ 31. Kh5 Qxh2+ 32. Nh4 Bf4 33. Rg1 Qe2+ 34. Qg4 Qxg4+ 35. Rxg4 Rd8 36. Rxf4 Kxh7 37. Rf7+ Kg8 38. Rxc7 +4.86 Stockfish 30...Qf4 31.Qc6 Rf8 32.Be4 Bg5 33.Qxc7
30.Kh4 Stockfish thinks White is winning by 11.48 after 30... Qd8+ 31. Kh5 Qg5+ 32. Qxg5 Bxg5 33. Bg6 Nf3 34. Re2 a4 35. e6 Bf6 36. e7 Ne5 37. e8=Q+ Rxe8 38. Bxe8 Kg8 39. Bxa4 Kf8 40. Rd2 b5 41. Bxb5 1-0
COVENTRY CHESS CLUB
Most Frequent Players
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
UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS
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
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
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
THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR 2019
JANUARY
The first club meeting of 2019 was pushed to Wednesday, January 2, since New
Year’s Day fell on a Tuesday. That evening, twenty-eight players of all ages and
skills representing all corners of the state competed in the 2018 Connecticut State
Open Blitz Chess Championship. The competition was very strong, with many
masters, experts, and high-ranked class players vying for the crown in the eightround, 5; d/3 event. After nearly two-and-one-half hours of intense but spirited
action, veteran member USCF National Master Ted McHugh earned a perfect 8-0
to win the coveted title of 2018 Connecticut State Blitz Chess Champion, marking
Teddy’s tenth title win or tie for first place in this tournament. The event had to be
held in 2019 since there was insufficient time to promote the tournament because
of the late bid by the newly formed Connecticut State Chess Association, with a
new board of directors and officers. All prize winners were presented with glowin-the-dark crystallized trophies with the club logo embroidered on them. Many
thanks to Norman Burtness, NBCC president, for his excellent, efficient job as
tournament director.
Whenever something new happens at the club, I am overjoyed to report on it. Well,
the latest change is the time control for the annual club championship. For the first
time in NBCC history, the club used an increment instead of a delay. The time
control of the seven-round heritage event was G/75 + 30 seconds. That is cool.
Prior to the rounds of the club championship, which is the club’s longest
tournament, lectures were offered on a variety of topics. USCF NM Derek
Meredith historically is the presenter from January through March. He engages his
students and is so energetic in his delivery. He has an extensive knowledge base
and is so thrilled to provide these sessions.
FEBRUARY
Every Presidents Day weekend since 2007, the club has fielded teams to the
grandest team chess tournament in the history of this ancient game - the
World/U.S. Amateur Team East Chess Championship (USATE). Amateur because
the average team rating must be below 2200.
This year, we had three-and-one-half teams from the club. Connecticut’s Finest
(2197) combined Joe Bihlmeyer and Will Torres of the NBCC with USCF NM
Alexander Ochiyev and USCF NM Ian Harris of the Chess Club of Fairfield
County. They wound up playing for the overall title in the final round. The match
hinged on who would win on won board one. Unfortunately, USCF NM Ochiyev
lost his game, but the team still took home the prize of Top Connecticut Team. The
highest rated team from the club, Rybka Being Questioned by Mueller (2180),
consisted of USCF NM Ted McHugh, FIDE Master Richard Bauer, USCF NM
Derek Meredith, and Doug Fiske and received an honorable mention for the best
team name. On the second club team, Prawn Sacrifice (1970), which won the best
gimmick prize, we had Suhas Kodali, Mario Guevara-Rodriguez, Mike Pascetta,
and Norman Burtness. This team ended up with 3.5 out of six match points and had
to face top-25 teams in three of the rounds and narrowly missed a big upset when
Suhas missed a draw against a 2400+ rated player when he captured the wrong
pawn at the end of a five-hour match during a time scramble in round five. On the
final NBCC team, we had newcomers Joseph Mansigian and Bill Campbell and
veterans Bill Montross and Bob Cyr. Despite losing their first two matches, the
NBCC Crusaders fought hard to win their next two matches to play in the grand
ballroom. We were also graced with the presence of two spectators, FM Nelson
Castaneda and USCF NM Harris Appelman, who made the two-and-one-half hour
drive to cheer on our teams. The NBCC provided players from each of the teams
representing the club with customized shirts to commemorate the event.
Directing a tournament with more than 300 teams is a daunting task. And we thank
Mr. Doyle and his professional team for doing such an incredible job in putting this
event together. This is the largest team chess tournament in the world and allows
for a rare aspect in chess, namely camaraderie. Chess is such an individual
endeavor, but this format allows players to socialize, support each other, and enjoy
chess like no other. It is great for kids too, with hundreds of them participating. If
you haven’t played in USATE before, consider it for next year. I hope to see you in
Parsippany, New Jersey, next year for USATE’s golden anniversary.
The club’s first honoree tournament of 2019 was held for Laurent “Larry” Lafosse.
Larry joined our community when our club was still holding meetings at the New
Britain Quartette Club back in 2008, but he started playing chess as a youngster in
France. When he arrived in the USA, Larry received Fred Reinfeld’s book for
Christmas, which he read and tried to emulate the sacrifices of the old masters. He
remembers that his opponents got scared when he sacrificed his queen and bishop.
Larry took a decade hiatus from chess, and after his break, he attended George
Koltanowski’s lectures at the Mechanics Institute in San Francisco and actively
returned to the chess scene. When he moved to Connecticut, he was so thrilled to
join the NBCC family, where he made numerous friendships. He first saw
tournament action at the club in the 2008 New Britain Summer Open Chess
Championship. Larry has participated in 140 tournaments, either at the club or
beyond, in just a span of a decade. An amateur player, Larry reached an all-time
high rating of 1382 in 2013. But like many of our class players, Larry’s
performance far exceeds his rating. For many years, Larry spoke to me about
volunteering for the club. Well, in 2016, he became a certified club tournament
director. He has a solid command of the USCF rules. Today, with only a few years
of experience under his belt, he is directing the club championship solo and has
been training other members to utilize Swisssys. Talk about initiative! In 2018, he
was voted to serve as NBCC secretary, a position that I know he will carry out his
duties in a professional manner. On a lighter note, Mr. Lafosse, who really enjoys
his new club responsibilities, is a very warm and welcoming person. His is a downto-earth person who is highly respected throughout our growing community, and
we eagerly look forward to having Laurent continue playing a supportive role in
club management in the years to come. No entry fee was charged for Laurent’s
even, thus no prizes were awarded. USCF NM Derek Meredith won the
tournament. Thanks to Suhas Kodali, our newest TD, for directing.
MARCH
On March 10, USCF NM Derek Meredith and USCF NM Mikhail Koganov played
a two-game playoff to decide the inaugural Connecticut State Senior Open Chess
Championship. After two exciting games seen live on DGT feed from the CCFC,
the match remained tied with each player winning one game. The players were
declared co-champions. USCF NM Koganov will be the Connecticut
representative to the National Senior Tournament of Champions, and USCF NM
Meredith will be the alternate. Congratulations to both of them. The main event
was hosted by the NBCC on March 2.
Back at the club, we concluded the annual championship event. The tournament
drew a high level of turnout, with forty-four players competing. After nearly two
months of play, here were the winners: Congratulations to FM Richard Bauer,
going 7-0 to win the 2019 NBCC Championship (his 9th championship win or tie
for first place), and to one of our newest youths, Nakul Ramaswamy, who also
went 7-0 and took home first place in the candidates section. This was Nakul’s first
major tournament win in NBCC history.
Keeping with tradition, the club champion usually hosts a simultaneous chess
exhibition shortly after winning the tournament. This year, of course, it was FM
Richard Bauer. Prior to the simul, Mr. Bauer reviewed his pivotal game with FM
Nelson Castaneda in this past club championship event. Even though he was not
able to take advantage in the opening and the middle game, Mr. Bauer got a
favorable advantage in the endgame. Due to severe time pressure, Mr. Castaneda
dropped a minor piece and lost the game. Nineteen players battled it out with Mr.
Bauer in his simul, with Bill Campbell being the only person to defeat the master.
Draws were earned by Nakul Ramaswamy and new member Michael Smith.
Thanks to Mr. Bauer for his wonderful lecture and simul, combined which lasted
five hours.
APRIL
We continue the story of FM Richard Bauer, who, as of early April, has attained
thirty wins or ties for first place in major club events for winning the 2019 NBCC
Unrated Tournament.
Also keeping with tradition, the club hosted its 3rd annual Class Championship.
Players were grouped into sections based on rating. Many players seemed to enjoy
this format. Without further ado, the 2019 NBCC class winners were:
• Masters/Experts: FM Nelson Castaneda
• Class A: Mark Bourque
• Class B: Michael Smith
• Class C: Bob Cyr
• Class D and below: Yogi Jegadeeswaran
Our club ended the month of April with an honorary event for Bill Campbell. Bill
learned the game from his father, played it until his teenage years, and then
rediscovered the game as an adult in his 30s, when he thought that he was good at
the game. But he was totally wrong! What ended up happening was that his friend
Tom Pasim introduced Bill to one of his friends, Charles “Carol” Wojtywaik, who
came over Tom’s house and beat both Tom and Bill really bad. Charles showed
Bill how much he needed to improve his game, enough to the point where Bill
became very serious about playing chess competitively. Carol introduced Bill to
the club. So, in 2008, Bill joined our family. It was then, after seeing so many
strong players, that Bill realized the NBCC was the place to improve his game. Bill
is one of our more active and competitive members.
Two of his most memorable moments were when he defeated FM Nelson
Castaneda in his simultaneous chess exhibition in 2017 and last month in FM
Richard Bauer’s simul, but mostly he is thrilled to meet and make new friends at
the NBCC. He also experienced chess action on the grand scene at USATE this
past year for the first time, and he was overjoyed with the event, seeing players
from around the globe compete in this three-day chess vacation. Bill is a class C
chess player who aspires to continue to climb the rankings, attaining class B or
higher in his 40s and 50s. He is also a frequent patron of the Friday night informal
chess club at Barnes and Noble in Farmington and is always up for a friendly
game. Bill is a nice person who is warm and welcoming to all players. Bill favors
the faster time controls and no delay, so that is the format that he chose for his
special event. A complete surprise was when he purchased two cakes for the
winners of each section. That is the first time that food was awarded as prizes.
Thanks, Bill! FM Nelson Castaneda, who now has forty wins or ties for first place
in quick chess events at the club, won the open section. Four members tied for first
place in the lower section: Carter Clayton, Dan Golda, Arijit Chakraborty, and Bob
Wooster. This was an unrated tournament.
MAY
The club’s first event in May was hosted at the club not on a Tuesday but on a
Saturday with the annual Connecticut State Championship. There were two
sections. In the championship (O1800) top section, high schooler Yoon-Young
Kim took clear first place with a score of 3.5-.5. In the amateur section (U2000),
middle schooler Nakul Ramaswamy also went undefeated but with a perfect score.
Additional cash, book, and clock prizes were generously donated by Hanon Russell
and DGT North America. Many thanks to Norman Burtness for directing this statesanctioned tournament.
On Saturday, May 11, the club hosted a get-well tournament for member Gaetano
Bompastore, who was recovering at a rehabilitation center in Agawam,
Massachusetts, after his severe automobile accident that he was in on the way
home from the 2018 New Britain Summer Open Chess Championship. Despite his
limited mobility, his spirits remain high. And his chess game is better than ever!
The winner of Gaetano’s event was Suhas Kodali. The NBCC community wishes
our friend Gaetano a speedy recovery.
We want to take a moment to sincerely thank rejoining member and former
secretary, Carl Heineman, who graciously donated many chess sets to the club. The
club intends to present these lovely sets as prizes for future tournaments. Thanks!
We also want to take a moment to recognize our veteran instructor, Joe Bihlmeyer,
and our newest instructor, Will Torres, for educating our crew with their excellent
lectures. Their sessions are both engaging and informative. Thanks!
All of May and the first week of June was devoted to honoring the two most
significant contributors in the club, father-son Arkadijs and Andris Strazdins. The
event is held each year to recognize these gentlemen for their many decades of
loyal and devoted service to the NBCC. Without their steadfast leadership, the club
would not be as strong and solid as it is today. FM Nelson Castaneda won the
Strazdins Cup, adding to his impressive resume of wins in the club. Member
Elizabeth Smith won her first major club tournament for winning the Andris
Strazdins Stein section.
JUNE
Like in May, the first event held at the club in June was not on a Tuesday. It was
on June 2, a Sunday, with the club’s first holding of the Connecticut State Open
Rapid (G/15) Chess Championship. Only ten players competed, but there were a
few masters and experts who dominated the field. After five rounds of spirited
play, FM Nelson Castaneda edged one of our youngest members, Danny Pascetta,
on tie-breaks. Their scores were 4-1. A special thanks to Norman Burtness for
directing.
Historically in June, the club officers hold an annual business meeting for the
membership. Here were some of the highlights from the meeting held on June 11.
• Tony Yablonski will be recognized later this year as the longest-standing
member in NBCC history, with fifty-seven years of membership.
• Members John Twombley and Will Torres will have quick tournaments
named in their honor.
• Training classes paid for by a donation to the club have been held virtually
every week this past year. Members Suhas Kodali, Joe Bihlmeyer, Mike
Smith, Kyle Triplett, Mario Guevara-Rodriguez, and David Herscovici have
completed the TD training class held by USCF NM Derek Mederdith.
• New sets and customized boards are in the process of being purchased.
• Joseph Mansigian was given a lifetime membership for his service and
dedication to the club. He will be presented with a plaque to commemorate
the event.
• Club’s financial health is good. Membership is close to ninety.
7
• Club vice president Suhas Kodali passed out a survey to evaluate the
training program.
• Club officers were elected unanimously. Elected was Norman Burtness,
president; Suhas Kodali, vice president; Laurent Lafosse, treasurer; Mario
Guevara-Rodriguez, secretary.
• Gert Hilhorst is stepping down from his role as club treasurer due to work
commitments. The club thanks Gert for the tremendous job he did as
treasurer. We are thankful to have Laurent Lafosse take over this role.
• A motion passed unanimously to keep the dues structure the same as last
year: $65 regular membership, $50 scholastic membership, $35 for
65+/hardship/2nd family member/out-of-state college student.
We want to thank Kyle Triplett for running his first club tournament, the NBCC
Double Quads event.
JULY
The club started its second half of the year with now its 4
th annual July Knockout
and Swiss event. FM Nelson Castaneda put forth his maximum effort for his event.
Afterall, he created it. He also organized and directed the event and annotated
games that players submitted to him and those that were posted on lichess.org (a
website where players can analyze and play games). The professor literally did it
all! The rules for this tournament were quite simple. Players were initially grouped
into one section (knockout bracket). After each round, the winner would advance
in the knockout bracket. In the case of a draw, a two-game blitz match would have
to be played to determine the winner of the match. If the draw persisted after the
blitz match, then the person who played with black in the classical game would
advance. Anyone eliminated or knocked-out would be placed into an open Swissstyle event. The final round in the knockout section featured two FMs, a first for
this event, with FM Richard Bauer and FM Nelson Castaneda. Their game ended
in a draw, so there had to be a blitz playoff. Since Nelson played as black against
Richard in the original game, he only needed one win in the playoff to clinch the
time. Nelson convincingly won the playoff and thus was crowded the 2019 NBCC
Knockout Champion. In the Swiss section, we had a tie for first place between
Jithu Sajeevan and Joe Bihlmeyer. Of historical note, this was Jithu’s first tie for
first place in a major (G/30 or longer) time-controlled club event. I imagine that
some of the games from the event will be considered for nomination for the best
game of the year contest.
It should be noted at this point in our story of 2019 that Laurent Lafosse decided
not to be the next club treasurer due to increased work demands. David Herscovici
was appointed club treasurer to handle the transition of duties for this position.
The great philosophers say that variety is the spice of life. That saying could not be
farther from the truth at the historic NBCC. On the final meeting in July, the club
held a bughouse tournament. The main condition was that the average rating of the
teams be less than 1800 rating points. Overall, it is a wild and entertaining evening,
with players of all ages competing in this extraordinary event. And it is always nice
to break away from traditional chess and have some crazy fun with bughouse chess
once in a while. Michael Smith and Suhas Kodali went over the ground rules for
this event. An amazing twenty-six players participated in this tournament,
including five young women, the most to compete in any event held in NBCC
history. Even though the club held a bughouse tournament in 2011, it was not
official because there were no winners. Therefore, this bughouse event, we
declared the team of Norman Burtness and Carter Clayton the first NBCC
bughouse champions, who swept the competition and won the event with a perfect
6-0. Way to go! Everyone had a blast, indeed!
AUGUST
The club started the month of August with its fortieth honorary member
tournament, this one for John Twombley. John has been a member of our club for
more than a decade, a regular and active tournament player who prefers the longer
time-controlled events. But John’s involvement with chess spans many years
earlier, well before he joined our family. His father taught him the game at the very
young age of ten. He remembers playing in his middle school chess club at Granby
Memorial, his first USCF tournament at that time. He has been steadily playing in
about four USCF tournaments per year now for the past two decades. He has also
been climbing the rating ladder as well, having competed with many strong players
at the club and in local and regional tournaments. His most memorable tournament
victory, by far, was clinching the 2013 Planet Earth Reserve Chess Championship,
a victory that he is most proud of indeed. Like prior members who the club has
paid tribute to, John heard about our club through friends and our presence on the
internet. John is very glad to have made many friendships throughout our
community and to have learned new playing styles. John is a pleasant person who
has a positive attitude and a mild-mannered disposition. But do not let his
friendliness fool you as he plays like a tiger on the chess board! All levity aside,
we are fortunate to have nice people like John as part of the NBCC, and we hope
that he will continue his membership in our organization in the years to come.
We thank you John for supporting the club and for the kindness that you have
shown to your friends in our ever-growing chess community. In spite of the fact
that John prefers the long-time controlled events, he chose a 10 0 rated blitz time
control for his tournament, which attracted thirty-one players. In the open section,
our newest master and member, Dmitry Leykekman, took clear first place,
smashing the competition. And one of our youngest and brightest scholastic
members, Carter Clayton, took home the gold with a score of 5-1 in the U1600
section. It should also be noted for the record that this tournament was Mario
Guevara-Rodriguez’s first experience as an assistant director and Michael Smith’s
first experience as a chief tournament director. Way to go, guys!
Can you believe this? Another new member and master, Yelfrey Torress, went 8-0
in the XXII NBCC Rated Blitz Tournament, shattering the competition, defeating
our resident masters and class players. Amazing!
On a seasonably warm and pleasant day on the last Sunday of the month, fifty
chess enthusiasts gathered at the beautiful Wickham Park in Manchester to
compete in our club’s annual Summer Open. It takes a lot of volunteerism to
ensure the success of this heritage event. The following people deserve recognition
for making the 54th Summer Open one for the record books. First, we sincerely
thank our tournament directors, Suhas Kodali and Doug Fiske, for their
outstanding work that they did to direct this event so seamlessly. Second, we thank
our food and beverage crew, Chef Mario Guevara-Rodriguez and Gert Hilhorst for
making sure the participants had plenty to eat and drink. We also thank Rob Roy,
who sent out many advertisements about this event via his Connecticut Chess
magazine blasts. We also want to thank Suhas for ordering the lovely trophies and
for bringing in the club sets and boards. Of historical note, Kyle Triplett, one of
our newest members and president of the Central Connecticut State University
Chess Club, took home clear first place in the Under 1619 section, making this his
first major win in a club tournament. Overall, it was a delightful day of food,
family, and fun, and we look forward to seeing you next year!
David Herscovici got his first real tournament directing training for running the
2019 NBCC Quick Chess Championship.
The club reached its highest membership mark with 101 members for the 2018-
2019 fiscal year. Wow!
SEPTEMBER
The club began its new fiscal year with another “odds” tournament. The rules for
this fun event have never changed since its first one held in September 2010.
Basically, higher-rated players give time odds to their lower-ranked opponents to
equalize the playing field. For every 100-point difference in rating between the
players, the lower-rated players receive one extra minute and the higher-rated
players give up a minute, up to a maximum of 400 rating points, where the lowerranked players receive nine minutes and the higher-ranked players receive one
minute. If the ratings are within one-hundred points between the players, there is
no time adjustment (5-5). These blitz rated events, of course, are not rated by the
United States Chess Federation. After the dust settled in this exciting tournament,
there was a four-way tie for first place: Shaina Mezheritzsky, Phiron Hin, FM
Nelson Castaneda, and Arijit Chakraborty. At age eleven, Shaina became the
second-youngest player in club history to tie for first place in any club event.
Our final major club tournament of the year has historically been one of the club’s
most popular events, the annual Oktoberfest Open Chess Championship. This
year’s event broke and all-time attendance record, with close to fifty players of all
ages and levels competing in the six-week tournament, normally a five-week
tournament. We had an extra week in our schedule, thus the reason to hold one
more week for Oktoberfest. The idea for Oktoberfest was created by former club
president Joseph Mansigian to celebrate the club long German’s heritage.
NBCC PICTURE GALLERY
The following photos were taken by Doug Fiske, Suhas Kodali, and Bob Cyr.
CT STATE OPEN BLITZ CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP
BACK ROW: Masters Ted McHugh and Richard Bauer
FRONT ROW: Joseph Mansigian and Immad Sadiq
PRAWN SACRAFICE – BEST GIMMICK PRIZE AT USATE 2019!
NBCC CHAMPIONS ALONG WITH CHIEF TD LAFOSSE AND NBCC OFFICERS
Suhas Kodali, Laurent Lafosse, Arijit Chakraborty, Nakul Ramaswamy, Norman Burtness,
Richard Bauer, and Nelson Castaneda
RICHARD BAUER HOSTS SIMUL 2019
Richard Bauer ponders his next move against Jozef Madej
Left of Bauer: Dennis Himes and Norman Aldrich
Right of Bauer: Roger Bassette and Lucas Kollen
CT STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
Yoon-Young Kim vs. Nelson Castaneda
Richard Bauer vs. Max Lu
FINAL ROUND OF JULY KNOCKOUT TOURNAMENT
Knockout finalists: Richard Bauer and Nelson Castaneda
NEW BRITAIN SUMMER OPEN
Joe Bihlmeyer and Mario Guevara-Rodriguez
Mark Bourque and Derek Meredith
Suhas Kodali, TD, with NB Summer Open winners, Mark Bourque and Joe Hricko
AN INSPIRATIONAL CT CHESS PROGRAM
BY COACH DAN STARBUCK PELLETIER
“DIG, Inc. was founded in 2013 by Dan Starbuck Pelletier in Connecticut. DIG
stands for Determination, Integrity, Growth. DIG (www.TeamDIGUSA.com)
initially focused on individual and small group soccer and chess practices in
Wilton and Weston, training over 1,000 different players since 2013.
In December 2015, a DIG coach and I were having dinner together in South
Norwalk, Connecticut. They decided that it was time to give back on a regular
basis. DIG then went on to launch ‘DIG Lesson for Lesson’ on January 1, 2016.
The ‘DIG Lesson for Lesson’ mission statement is: For every DIG lesson paid for,
a kid in economic need can attend a DIG lesson for free. Since that night in the
restaurant, DIG has hosted over fifty free soccer lessons in Bridgeport, CT, over
forty free chess lessons in Bridgeport, CT, over 150 free chess lessons in Hartford,
CT, and nine free chess lessons in Framingham, MA. The total attendance at these
free lessons has surpassed 5,000.
We have written some stories of chess players successes in my biography on our
website: https://www.teamdigusa.com/coach-dig-chess-soccer-dan-pelletier/.
USCF NM Derek Meredith has done tons for these kids in Hartford by driving
them, sponsoring them, and teaching them. Same with Kevin Zimmerman. Rob
Roy has sponsored them and provided food for them. When these kids go to
tournaments, they go with nothing. It is very expensive to get them registration,
food, and transportation, but I have great people with us to help. Clean and Green
Laundromat in Glastonbury gave $500 for three of them to go to the Boston Chess
Congress Tournament, where one of them won the U1250 division, winning $372.
Other people helped sponsor that too. I could list another ten people who have
given time or money to help these kids, and that is just Hartford.
I am really focused on Bridgeport now, and we are growing fast. I just got two of
our chess players in elementary school who are from Nigeria and received full
scholarships to Easton Country Day School, which I think is $21,000 a year. We
are taking some of the Bridgeport kids to tournaments like the Hartford kids and
will have success.
OUR TOURNAMENTS ARE RATED BY USCF
CLICK HERE TO JOIN US CHESS FEDERATION
EACH PLAYER GETS A MEMBERSHIP ID #
PROVIDE YOUR ID# AT REGISTRATION
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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.
