ORRIN HUDSON Cover Contest Winner
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Included With This Issue: Our 2016 Annual Buying Guide! ORRIN HUDSON Cover Contest Winner “I have a debt to pay and I’m doing it with my chessboard.” FineLine Technologies JN Index 80% 1.5 BWR PU DECEMBER $5.95 12 7 25274 64631 9 December 2015 | USChess.org IFC_chess life 11/6/2015 2:21 PM Page 1 2016 WORLD AMATEUR TEAM & U.S. AMATEUR TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP EAST FEBRUARY 13-15, 2016 PARSIPPANY HILTON, 1 HILTON COURT, PARSIPPANY, NJ 07054 Come help us celebrate team chess And All That Jazz! YOU DON’T HAVE TO WEAR YOUR ZOOT SUIT, BUT PLEASE BRING YOUR SET AND CLOCK, AND DON’T FORGET YOUR TEAMMATES! CL_11-2015_masthead_JP_R5_chess life 11/6/2015 2:30 PM Page 2 Main office: Crossville, TN (931) 787-1234 Advertising inquiries: (931) 787-1234, ext. 123 Tournament Life Announcements (TLAs): All TLAs should be e-mailed to [email protected] or sent to P.O. Box 3967, Crossville, TN 38557-3967 Letters to the editor: Please submit to [email protected] Receiving Chess Life: To receive Chess Life as a Premium Member, join US Chess or enter a US Chess tournament, go to uschess.org or call 1-800-903-USCF (8723) Change of address: Please send to [email protected] Other inquiries: [email protected], (931) 787-1234, fax (931) 787-1200 US CHESS Chess Life EXECUTIVE EDITORIAL STAFF BOARD Chess Life Editor and Director of Publications, Daniel Lucas [email protected] President Gary Walters Senior Digital Editor, Jennifer Shahade Walters & Wasylyna LLC [email protected] Shaker Finance Chess Life for Kids Editor, Glenn Petersen PO Box 20554 [email protected] Cleveland, OH 44120 [email protected] Senior Art Director, Frankie Butler [email protected] Editorial Assistant/Copy Editor, Alan Kantor Vice-President [email protected] Randy Bauer Editorial Assistant, Jo Anne Fatherly 10990 NW 115th Avenue [email protected] Granger, IA 50109 [email protected] Editorial Assistant, Jennifer Pearson [email protected] Technical Editor, Ron Burnett VP Finance Allen Priest TLA/Advertising, Joan DuBois 220 West Main Street [email protected] Suite 2200 Louisville, KY 40202 [email protected] US CHESS STAFF Executive Director, Jean Hoffman ext. 189 [email protected] Secretary Mike Nietman Director of Events, Francisco Guadalupe 2 Boca Grande Way 713-530-7820 [email protected] Madison, WI 53719 FIDE Titles and Ratings, Tracey Vibbert [email protected] [email protected] FIDE Youth Events, Member at Large National Education Consultant Michael Atkins & Special Projects, Jerry Nash PO Box 4894 ext. 137 [email protected] Baltimore, MD 21211 Scholastic Associate & Clubs, FIDE [email protected] Associate and OTB Ratings, Susan Kantor ext. 136 [email protected] Computer Consultant, Mike Nolan Member at Large [email protected] Anjelina Belakovskaia 6890 E. Sunrise Dr. Director of Administration, Judy Misner Ste. 120-118 ext. 126 [email protected] Tucson, AZ 85750 Affiliate Relations Associate, Joan DuBois [email protected] ext. 123 [email protected] Senior Accountant, Debra Robison Member at Large ext. 130 [email protected] Ruth Haring Membership Services Supervisor, Cheryle Bruce U.S. Chess Federation ext. 147 [email protected] Attn: Ruth Haring PO Box 3967 Mailing Lists/Membership Associate, Traci Lee Crossville, TN 38557- ext. 143 [email protected] 3967 Membership Associate, Jay Sabine [email protected] ext. 127 [email protected] Correspondence Chess, Alex Dunne [email protected] 2 December 2015 | Chess Life ED UYINGGU IDEE NCLOS USCF SALESSALES SPRING SPRING B BUYING GUIDE ENCLOSED PLAYPLAY IN THE U.S.U .S. OPENO P EN ININ ORLANDO!ORLANDO! SeeSee TLA on pages 53/54. MAY 2014 APRIL 2014 A USCF Public ation A USCF Publication $5.95 $5.95 CL_12-2015_TOC_AKF_r6.qxp_chess life 09/11/2015 18:45 Page 4 Chess Life DECEMBER PHOTO: WIKIMEDIA COLUMNS 14 LOOKS AT BOOKS / 1. d4 REPERTOIRE 1. d4. Now What? By John Hartmann 16 CHESS TO ENJOY / ENTERTAINMENT Trivia Time! By GM Andy Soltis 18 BACK TO BASICS / READER ANNOTATIONS The Science of the Trade By GM Lev Alburt 44 THE PRACTICAL ENDGAME / INSTRUCTION Hanging by a Thread By GM Daniel Naroditsky 48 SOLITAIRE CHESS / INSTRUCTION INTERNATIONAL EVENTS / 2015 WORLD CUP A Routine Botvinnik Win 20 By Bruce Pandolfini Karjakin Wins Chess Hunger Games in Baku By GM Ian Rogers Nakamura quelled in quarterfinals. DEPARTMENTS 6 DECEMBER PREVIEW / 26 IN THE ARENA / TOP POSITIONS THIS MONTH IN CHESS LIFE AND US 15 From ’15 CHESS NEWS GM Ian Rogers chooses his selection of the 15 most remarkable and significant positions from 2015. 8 COUNTERPLAY / READERS RESPOND 10 FIRST MOVES / 30 IN THE ARENA / 2015 U.S. MASTERS CHESS NEWS FROM AROUND THE U.S. Experts Need Not Apply By WIM Sabrina Chevannes 11 FACES ACROSS THE BOARD / With a field limited to master-level players and organizers committed to the BY AL LAWRENCE player’s experience, the U.S. Masters in North Carolina has fast become a prestige event for top players. 12 US CHESS AFFAIRS / NEWS FOR OUR MEMBERS 36 COVER STORY / COVER CONTEST 50 TOURNAMENT LIFE / DECEMBER Advancing the US Chess Mission and Vision 69 CLASSIFIEDS / DECEMBER Orrin Hudson of Stone Mountain, Georgia is our first cover contest winner. SOLUTIONS / DECEMBER 69 39 LOOKS AT BOOKS / PLAYERS AND PAWNS 2015 INDEX Overlapping Worlds 70 By Dr. Tim Redman 72 MY BEST MOVE / PERSONALITIES An interview with Dr. Gary Alan Fine about the sociology of chess THIS MONTH: IM GREG SHAHADE 42 PROBLEMS / CHRISTMAS MATES IN TWO ON THE COVER Benko’s Christmas Puzzles From GM Pal Benko, here are 12 mates in two for the 12 days of Christmas. In celebration of our new mission and vision statements, we When you have the 12 solutions, you’ll have a perfect Christmas tree to help announced a contest earlier this year in which you were celebrate this holiday season. invited to write us how you are advancing our US Chess goals. We’re pleased to announce Orrin Hudson of Stone Mountain, Georgia as our winner—see his entry and others beginning on page 36. If you did not receive a US Chess Sales 2016 Annual Buying Guide because you are outside of the U.S. but would like one, please contact US Chess Sales PHOTO BY JEFF WALTON directly at uscfsales.com or (888) 512-4377 (CHESS). 4 December 2015 | Chess Life adpage2_trophies plus_Layout 1 10/7/2015 7:05 PM Page 1 CL_12-2015_CLO_AKF_r6.qxp_chess life 09/11/2015 13:23 Page 6 December Preview / This month in Chess Life and US Chess News US CHESS NEWS PREVIEW DECEMBER CONTRIBUTORS WELCOME TO THE NEW USCHESS.ORG GM IAN ROGERS (World Cup and “15 from ’15”) frequently Our main news page now has a new look, including a game player with more features. Let us know what covers international events for you think of the changes on twitter.com/uschess and facebook.com/uschess. Chess Life and US Chess News. WIM SABRINA CHEVANNES (U.S. Masters) is director of the London Academy of Chess and Education. She is a regular for the England ladies’ Olympiad team and the author of two of the best- selling children’s books in the United Kingdom. DR. TIM REDMAN (Gary Fine Interview) is professor of literary studies in the school of arts and humanities at the University of Texas at Dallas, where he founded the chess program. He served twice as USCF president (1981- 1984, 2000-2001) and edited “Chess and Education: Selected Papers from the International Koltanowski Conference” and the Official Rules of Chess, 3rd edition). GM PAL BENKO (Christmas Puzzles) was Chess Life’s endgame PARKINSON’S columnist for 45 years. SEASON OF CHESS Follow our coverage of big HEALING MOVES tournaments held over the holidays, Thierry Kauffmann explains how chess including the Pan-American A DEGENERATIVE DISORDER OF helps him cope with Parkinson’s, in a Championship in Cleveland, Ohio personal essay you can find on our and the North American Open THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM redesigned website. in Las Vegas. FOLLOW OUR COVERAGE OF THE FINAL GRAND CHESS TOUR STOP AT THE LONDON CHESS CLASSIC. SEE HOW AMERICAN STARS FABIANO CARUANA (LEFT) AND HIKARU NAKAMURA (FAR LEFT) END UP IN THE INAUGURAL SEASON OF THE TOUR. 6 December 2015 | Chess Life CL_10-2015_FULLpg07_JP_r1_chess life 11/6/2015 2:15 PM Page 7 Susan Polgar with Grandmaster Ray Robson, at one time the youngest Grandmaster in U.S. history. Ray is the #4 player in the United States. Your Skills, UNCHECKED Susan Polgar Institutetutee forf ChessChChe Excellence WebsterWebster University’sUniversity’s NNo.o. 1 rrankedanked collegiatecollegiate cchesshess teamteam wonwoon its thirdthird straightstraight CollegiateCollegiate ChessChess championshipchampionship this year. UnderUnder CoachCoach SusanSusan Polgar,Polgar, tthehe wiwin cappedcapped a three-yearthree-year stretchstretch inin whichwhich thethe teamteam remainsremains undefeatedundefeaatede inin allll collegecollege chesschess matches. Combine youryouro chesschess skillskills withwith widelywidely recognizedrecognized academicacad emic progprograms.rams. MakeMake youryour nextnext move:move: webster.edu/spicewebster.edudu/spice CL_12-2015_Counterplay_AKF_r4.qxp_chess life 09/11/2015 11:41 Page 8 Counterplay / Readers Respond Teaching, Mentoring GLASS HALF EMPTY example, that it has a focusing affect reviewing it just on its face every few months. POST MORTEM One of the common traps to the instructional Absence of instructional moments is a problem value of a chess game is the “what would I play for both writers and chess teachers in general. There In the October 2015 “Practical Endgame” tangent.” We as chess players are constantly is a “battle in ideas” going on for every chess teacher column, we made a mistake in the analysis searching for the best move. What should White against the dad, uncle, grandpa that has “played” following 41.