Freestyle Chess Cures a Mid Life Crisis
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New Zealand Chess Magazine of the New Zealand Chess Federation (Inc) October 2008 Volume 35 Number 3 Chris Benson Organiser of Successful South Island Championship Plus - Introducing new column on the endgame by IM Herman van Riemsdijk Inside – George Trundle, National Schools and South Island Tournament Reports Official publication of the New Zealand Contents Chess Federation (Inc) Published 1 April, 1 July, 1 October, 1 January 3 South Island Championship Report by Bill Forster Please send all reports, letters and other 7 George Trundle IM Qualifier contributions to the Editor at Tournament Report by Alan [email protected]. Aldridge Please use annotated pgn or ChessBase 10 Mark Noble gains Corry Title format exclusively for chess material. by Ross Jackson 11 National Schools teams Editorial Championship Report by Editor Alan Aldridge Martin Sims Technical Editor Bill Forster 14 Junior Chess Column by Daniel Baider Annual Subscription Rates 16 Freestyle Chess by Nelson NZ: $24.00 plus postage $4.00 total Hernandez $28.00 International: NZD24.00 plus postage 19 Readers' Anecdotes NZD12.00 20 Bill's Puzzles Page by Bill Forster Advertising Rates 21 Queenstown Preview by Full page $50.00 Helen Milligan and Bill Half Page Horizontal $30.00 Forster Quarter page Horizontal $20.00 22 Puzzle Solutions 23 Endgame Column (new) by IM NZCF Contact Details Herman van Riemsdijk New Zealand Chess Federation (Inc) 27 Annotated Games Column PO Box 216 Shortland Street 31 From the Kingside Column – A Auckland Dead Draw, by FM Roger Secretary: Bob Mitchell email Nokes [email protected] Play through published games and others online at NZChessmag.com NZ Chess Magazine October 2008 2 2008 South Island Champs Another Stunner Kaikoura Beauty Backdrop Wows Visitors Chandler, Johansen and Solomon in 3 Way Tie By Bill Forster he Kaikoura International Tincorporating the 2008 South Island The Wine Cellar Venue with Mountain Championships was held from the 8th to View Backdrop the 12th of October in Kaikoura. The event was unusual, exciting and studying the play avidly. I wouldn’t be innovative and was a more than worthy surprised if he rocks up to a future successor to the similarly successful tournament as a player. Nelson event of 2007. With exciting second tier events like this playing a Other sponsors were Chris’ company supporting role to the wonderful Benson Insurance Brokers, and Kaikoura Queenstown tournaments, there is plenty Winery, which also served as the venue. to enthuse about in the tournament chess And what a venue it was, it really might scene in New Zealand at the moment. be the most beautiful vineyard in the world, perched between majestic snow Christchurch chess promoter and all capped mountains and the blue expanse around good guy Chris Benson was the of the Pacific Ocean. In a gracious and main organiser of the event. His friend well received speech at the tournament Kevin Tetley played a major role as well, dinner on Saturday night, regular visitor the Kaikoura motelier sponsoring the Melbourne GM Darryl Johansen said it event through his recently reopened was definitely the most beautiful Sunrise Bungalow motel operation. tournament venue he had experienced in Kevin was ever-present at the event, I am his career to date. sure no non-chessplaying sponsor has ever taken such a hands-on role in a A good field of forty four players showed chess tournament in New Zealand. When up for the first round of the tournament. there were no jobs to do he could be seen (Did I mention it was held in a wine cave? Another innovative feature). Well NZ Chess Magazine October 2008 3 actually not all the players made it, there and Hungarian IM Andras Toth, currently were a couple of half point byes, and resident in Canberra. Justin Davis was lucky to avoid a zero point bye after deciding to walk to the The next tier down comprised two New venue without first establishing whether Zealand FMs and Olympiad players, Bob it was north or south of the town. (He Smith and Roger Nokes. guessed wrong – by my calculations he managed to get about 5% of the way to A host of competitive players around the Picton before deciding to consult with a 2000 Elo mark were present and bemused member of the local agricultural expected to provide stiff competition (or community. The result of the chat with a to serve as cannon fodder, depending on farmer was a call to the cavalry [Chris your point of view). Benson again] for a rescue operation). In the first round the top half of the field GM Darryl Johansen managed a picket fence against the bottom half, although on the very bottom Takes Trophy on Tiebreak board, your humble correspondent came At the end of the day Chandler, Johansen close to losing his scalp to Edward and Solomon top scored with 7 out of 9. Rains. My young opponent, one of a Chandler showed his class with a healthy swag of juniors Chris had grandmasterly unbeaten showing. He has recruited from Christchurch, reeled off a contributed an annotated win against disturbingly large number of book Roger Nokes for this issue. For a second moves, and when later faced with an week (after the George Trundle IM in inferior position pursued a worrying (for Auckland) Johansen and Solomon me) policy of activity at all costs that had couldn’t be separated, and finished on top me staring down the barrel at one stage. together. Actually, strictly speaking this This was enough to earn him the first isn’t true, the top three were separated for upset prize, at least one of which was the purpose of allocating the trophy. The awarded for each round. method chosen was the round robin results within the group, and Johansen And so began five days and nine rounds emerged with the trophy, since he had of keen competition. beaten Solomon in their individual game whilst Chandler had drawn both games As is the tendency in these events, the with the top Aussies. Johansen’s sole cream quickly rose to the top. The top loss came after a mistake against Nokes seed for the event was New Zealand in round 5, after which he made amends number one Murray Chandler. The other by not getting mad but getting even and favourites were the overseas contingent; winning three in a row, including defending champ Johansen, plus the very Solomon and Smith. strong IM Stephen Solomon of Brisbane NZ Chess Magazine October 2008 4 Toth was alone in fourth place with 6.5 his normal combative self, playing best out of 9. He and Chandler were the only against the top players. He had the best unbeaten players, but Toth drew too of a draw with Chandler and bought the many games to claim a share of the top best out of Johansen as Darryl just dollars. managed to convert an extra pawn in a tricky and exciting double rook ending Roger Nokes and Justin Davis shared which drew a large crowd. fifth and sixth places. Roger claimed the South Island trophy as top South Island Others to do well were young South resident. After listening to Roger’s one Islanders Chao Qi and Andy Machdoem, eyed view of the state of rugby in New and also Peter van Dijk, Ross Jackson Zealand during the tournament dinner and Hilton Bennett. Peter was (concise summary: Canterbury rules competitive after a long absence from the supreme, other teams are completely competitive arena. Ross and Hilton were unworthy) I can confirm he is very much hovering around the top boards a South Island resident. Roger was a little throughout the tournament, serving as taken aback by his draw for the last five worthy opposition rather than cannon rounds, (in which he played all the other fodder. After doing so well last year top players: Johansen, Solomon, Toth, Quentin Johnson and John van Ginkel Chandler, Smith – as Mike Steadman will be a little disappointed with their would say, there’s nowhere to hide there), results this time. but at the same time he recognised this was excellent Olympiad preparation. Hamish Gold takes U1800 Maybe it was the fresh country air but Popular Dunedinite Hamish Gold has whatever the reason Justin Davis had a been a steady and gradual improver over great tournament, drawing with IM Toth the years. Winning the under 1800 grade (see annotated games) and beating a prize on his own with five points is a range of decent players (and yours truly). great result for Hamish and just reward He finished up with a frighteningly brutal for the effort he puts into his game. demolition of Gino Thornton’s Queens 2nd = U1800 Chris Benson, Allan Indian in the last round. This completed a Mulligan and Arie Nijman. Junior quiet tournament for Gino after a great grading prizes went to Boyd result the week before at the George Siripornpitak and James Francis. Trundle Qualifier. Arbiter Craig Hall did a great job of smoothly running proceedings. Helen Bob Smith deservedly finished top of a Milligan did her normal superb job large group on 5.5, given the tough field keeping the online world informed in a he played. Like Roger he played all the timely fashion at newzealandchess.co.nz. other top players, which hopefully will Andras Toth – Justin Davis help our cause at the Olympiad. Bob was Kaikoura 2008 Annotated by J Davis NZ Chess Magazine October 2008 5 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 Be7 21...Nb3! A good move equalising 5.Bf4 c6 IM Toth criticised this move as (again!) the position 22.Nxb3 Qxc6 being passive, however IM Russell 23.Nd4 Qd5 A nice centralising move - Dive's advice from the Wellington Easter White has a serious concern with his Open rang in my ears - "It's crazy to play weak b-pawn 24.Ra5 Qd8! The idea is if into sharp lines against higher rated white plays 25 Rb1 then Bxb4 leaves the players without knowing what you are a5 rook hanging to the queen.