Tactics 3

Yesterday's position was from a simultaneous game by William Steinitz. As White, Steinitz played 1.Qh5 and won after 1..Rxh5 2.Ng8+ Ke8 3.Bxf7# In fact, 1.Ng8+ may be even better as after 1..Rxg8 2.Qf3, mate is unstoppable, a sample being 2..f5 3.exf6+ Ke8 4.Qh5+ Rg6 5.Qxg6# But who can deny the beauty of a move like 1.Qh5?

Today's Puzzle:

White to play and win

answer tomorrow ;)

MCC Endgame Group 20/7/2011

Tonight the group looked at some positions where both sides have a rook, and there is a 3 v 2 pawn situation, but all the pawns are passed on opposite sides of the board. These endings are very exciting, with the possibility of both sides promoting, and many other tactical possibilities. Games can reduce to rook versus pawns endings, or queen versus rook and pawns endings, or even crazy heavy piece endings (when both sides promote). I had the inspiration for this ending by analysing an endgame a couple of weeks ago.

I admit that I got a bit carried away analysing this endgame, but it gave me inspiration to show some interesting positions to the group.

This occurred in the game Yates-Watson London 1922 with white to make his 66th move. The Australian playing black escaped with a draw, but perhaps could have counted himself a little lucky. White's king and rook can do a comfortable job of stopping black's pawns, while the white pawns are threatening themselves.

This was Laurentius-Keres Latvian Ch 1936. The great Keres as black (about to play his 42nd move) wastes little time in pushing his outside pawns, demonstrating that a king generally would like to be stopping an opponents pawns, and white king is misplaced for this.

White here offered a draw, but we at the MCC endgame group came to the conclusion that he let his opponent off a bit easily and should have forced his opponent to find an accurate plan.. The game Grechkin-Lisitsin USSR 1938 could have continued 1..Kg6 2.Rh4 Rb1![The only way to try to draw] 3.Kxg4 Rxb3 4.Rxh3 Rb4 with the following position which is a tabebase draw, although without knowledge of the technique, it can still be difficult for black to hold:

Tactics 2

Yesterdays puzzle was from the game Vesselovsky-Misiuga Karvina op 2011. White played 1.Nc6! with the point being if black moves their queen to c7 or b6, then 2.Qxe6+ forces mate. 2..fxe6 3.Bg6#


Today's Puzzle:

White to play and win

Answer tomorrow ;)

Tactics

I am working on some tactics for Juniors, so I'll share some nice ones here.

White to play and win 

Answer tomorrow ;)

Edwin Malitis Memorial 2011

Victorian chess is at a bust time of year. The Victorian Championships and reserves are on the verge of starting, the Victorian Junior Championships have just finished, and we have just had a weekender at Croydon Chess Club, the Guy West Classic. Still the clubs move ahead with their own internal schedules, and the Melbourne Chess Club is no exception. On Monday nights, the MCC Grand Prix continues with the 7 round swiss Edwin Malitis Memorial. Now personally I never met Eddie Malitis, so I will take it upon myself to find some things out about the man and his relationship with the MCC during the course of the event.

The 3rd tournament of the year always has somewhat of a down turn in numbers compared to the 2 9-rounders that precede it, and this year was no exception. However, the tournament still attracted a field of probably more than was expected, especially seeing many of our higher rated regulars from Monday night (Mirko Rujevic, James Morris, Domagoj Dragicevic and Malcolm Pyke in the Championship, David Garner, Frank Lekkas, Roger Beattie and John Beckman in the Reserves) are participating in the State championship tournaments. We at the MCC wish all these players the very best of luck in their events, as well as newly returned Sylvester Urban playing in his first Victorian Championship after winning last year's reserve tournament, and Kerry stead and Sarah Anton who are masochistically playing in both the Victorian Reserves and the Malitis Memorial. Currently there are 30 players in the Malitis Memorial, including myself as player/arbiter, although I only played int he first round to even the numbers and should there be an even number to the field with more players entering, then I will happily withdraw and resume the task of arbiter and live blogger.

The field has Jesse Jager as its top seed, a number of Monday night regulars, and a few players newer tot he club, or at least to Monday nights. A few players took byes in round 1, but still 26 players competed. As usual, the majority of the games went according to rating, but still there were some giant killing feats. If Anthony Hain keeps giant killing, he will soon become a giant where others are looking to take him as a scalp. This round he took out experienced campaigner Richard Voon in a complex Poisoned Pawn Najdorf. Anthony's dad, Michael was also on the giant killing list. Michael needed the MCC Open to refamiliarise himself with tournament chess, and has started the Malitis Memorial off with a good win. Robert Frantzeskos is a new name to me, and a new name to Rad Chmiel who after their game described the unrated Robert as 'at least 1900 strength'. You can check out all the first round results at the MCC website, and here is a selection of games from the first round.

Back to work tomorrow

I'm lucky to work alongside schools in as much as I get school holidays off (mostly). But today is the day before work, when all the freedom comes to an end, and the daily routine changes. I will be getting up a couple of hours earlier each day, going to bed a couple of hours earlier each day and instead of being wherever I want and doing whatever I want, I will be where I'm supposed to be, doing what I need to do. To be honest, although it sounds bad on paper, I'm pretty lucky to have a job I love to do, so it's not exactly back to the grindstone for me.

 I wonder why it's called the Yellow Door Cafe?

Plenty of outdoor seating makes this area a great summer hangout, though it was bit cold for that today.

However, on my last day off, I was even luckier as my wife also had the day off, and with our best friends we went out for lunch to Albert Park Village. This is really a great place to eat, drink and hang out with short walks to Albert Park, Gasworks Park, and the Bay when you've finished pigging out. I wanted to go to the Dundas Place Cafe, but it was packed out, so we went to a place called Yellow Door, and weren't disappointed. Funnily enough, I've noticed in Melbourne that generally speaking, if an area has a great cafe, then most of the other cafes nearby are usually pretty good too. I suppose someone sets the standards so the others have to keep up, or at least stay close. We had 4 different breakfasts and we were all happy with our meals. The coffee was Grifffiths, and though it wasn't the best I've had, it was still full of body and without deep bitterness.

In fact, earlier in the week, I was here with Caroline and we went to a different cafe (which wasn't open today) and had one of the best coffees I've had in Melbourne. The Combi Coffee Espresso Window looks a bit quirky, and inside it is pretty minimal, but if you try it out, you'll be rewarded with an amazing coffee. My long black held its crema (I take a long time over my coffee), and the flavour oozed a great combination of sweetness and acidity.

 Doesn't look much? Amazing coffee inside.

Next to the cafe, if you want al fresco, you can sit in the combi garage.

Albert Park Village is a chilled out place to hang out on a nice day (or even a not so nice day), drinking coffee, good eating and people watching. From the green there is the dominating view of the Biltmore Apartments, with local historic interest, and to the side even an open air chess board, just in case someone like myself fancies a busman's holiday!

 The big colonnaded building behind this has an interesting history.

 Open air chess

Chess by the green. Across the road, the grey building in the centre is the Biltmore Apartments.

Another Day at the Victorian Juniors

What makes a chess tournament important? Well in global terms, the best players may be playing, or at least an interesting maverick. Or perhaps the tournament is of historic importance, such as a World Championship match. I have just seen a report for next years match on the chessbase site stating that the match will be played in the Champion's home country of India. This gives an interesting contrast to the last match played on the challengers home soil!

In local terms, the issue of what makes a tournament important is more complicated and may be different for each individual. At the Victorian Juniors, it is plainly evident that the players fighting on the top boards, in with a chance of winning a title, are fully focussed. Some players who are playing in their first State Junior Championship are relishing the experience. However, there are a group of players in the field (and no doubt many who didn't enter) for whom this is just another tournament, and to some extent a tournament that is not particularly exciting compared with the big adult weekenders, and even some local club tournaments. This is an issue that needs to be addressed and it may be that I will be hassling some people to answer the question, 'what can we do to make state title events more attractive?'.

Today, the tournament is reaching the pointy end. The number 1 and 2 seeds meet on the top board in the first game of the day, and it looks as if the top seed James Morris will prevail. There is a jostling for positions behind James, with Matthew Cheah and Sam Gluzman fighting above their weight. By the end of the day, the fight for age group titles will also be more clearly drawn.

Once again live games are being broadcast by Box Hill Chess Club the hosts for the event. Once again, the games are over running. There is still one game going from the first round of the day, and the second round was due to start 10 minutes ago. I have it from the arbiter that the second round will start at 1.30pm, a half hour late, but the game still going has some play left in it.

White has less than 1 minute and had to cope with the move 49..Nxf3 unleashing an attack on his queen along the long diagonal. Kyle Gibson as white responded with 50.Qc1, and black's knight jumped away having won a pawn. The game continues, black is also down to 5 minutes now, so nerves will be a big factor in who wins this game.

It is now 1.30pm and the game is still going, albeit in its final stages now. White has succumbed to the time pressure and is material down. The game should be over soon, but the next round is now going to start well over 30 minutes late. There is a lot of hanging around for the kids here, and a lot of nervous energy being used up. I really do believe that organisers have to consider their scheduling when multiple games are being played in a day. Well, let me eat my words. Zach Loh won material, then lost a piece when he played a double check, which wasn't in fact a double check anymore! Kyle was then an exchange up, and it was heading to a king and rook v king and knight ending, when Zach allowed his knight to get skewered. An amazing game, but both Kyle and Zach looked thoroughly exhausted, the round has over run by an hour and the boys are going to be made to play in 15 minutes. Not much of a break!

 Board 1, Michael Chan (left) against James Morris

 Sam Gluzman faces us and his opponent, Karl Zelesco.

 Matthew Cheah (left) and Max Chew Lee both punching above their weight.

 Alana Chew Lee (left) against Denise Lim

 Boys in blue and girls in pink!

Freak out your opponent by wearing the same top!

There isn't too much time between rounds for some players, but Maling Road is 5 minutes away, and well worth a visit for great coffee, good food, and award winning hot chocolate. It may not be brain food, but it certainly is soul food!

Walking around the hall, there is always a few interesting positions to look at. I wonder who will win this one?