Where Organized Chess in America Began
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Where Organized Chess in America Began EMPIRE CHESS Winter 2016 Volume XXXVIII, No. 4 $5.00 Telling it like it is. Empire Chess P.O. Box 340969 Brooklyn, NY 11234 NEW YORK STATE CHESS ASSOCIATION, INC. www.nysca.net The New York State Chess Association, Inc., America‘s oldest chess organization, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting chess in New York State at all levels. As the State Affiliate of the United States Chess Federation, its Directors also serve as USCF Voting Members and Delegates. President Bill Goichberg PO Box 249 Salisbury Mills, NY 12577 [email protected] Go Out and Play! Vice President Polly Wright Online chess is a wonderful addition to the chess landscape. Online allows 57 Joyce Road players to have a game at any time, and play competitors from all over the Eastchester, NY 10709 world from the comfort of your own home. [email protected] Treasurer Not only that, online web sites make it easier than ever to study chess and Karl Heck improve your play. Low-rated amateurs have access to databases and the 5426 Wright Street, CR 67 history of millions of games that Bobby Fischer would have only dreamed East Durham, NY 12423 [email protected] of. Even the former World Champion who was obsessed with chess couldn’t have played through them all. Membership Secretary Phyllis Benjamin P.O. Box 340511 Online chess, though, isn’t the same as playing live in a tournament. The Brooklyn, NY 11234-0511 face-to-face battle, likely with different time controls and conditions, is a [email protected] vastly different game than the online version. Neal Bellon did an article for Board of Directors us last year talking about the reasons he doesn’t play online anymore. That Upstate Downstate is one way to handle it, but not the only one. William Townsend Phyllis Benjamin Bill Goichberg Dr. Frank Brady Shelby Lohrman Margarita Lanides USCF has acknowledged that online is different, creating separate ratings Karl Heck Lenny Chipkin for Online Quick and Online Blitz activity. USCF has deals with the Ron Lohrman Ed Frumkin Brenda Goichberg Polly Wright Internet Chess Club and chess.com to run rated tournaments on their Steve Immitt platforms. Certainly on ICC, cheaters are thrown out of almost every Dolly Teasley USCF-rated event, showing that the concerns of some players regarding Sophia Rohde Harold Stenzel regular -rated USCF online play are certainly legitimate. The online Carol Jarecki platforms, though, remain a great way to get a rating and improve your Joe Felber play. Sunil Weeramantry It’s a new year in 2016, and if you didn’t play in a live event last year, you should make an effort to try one this year. Enjoy yourself and the Tournament Clearinghouses Zip Codes under 12000 (downstate) environment. Don’t be worried about losing to a child, or to anybody. Bill Goichberg Enjoy the community and the players. New York is fortunate to have active [email protected] chess areas in all of the major regions of the state. From New York City to NYS Zip Codes over 11999 (upstate) Arkport and many points in-between, traditional tournament chess activity Karl Heck lives and is vibrant in the Empire State. [email protected] Deadlines Chess is meant to be enjoyed face-to-face. Be a part of our chess December 15 for the Winter Issue community in 2016. We’re looking forward to seeing you! March 15 for the Spring Issue June 15 for the Summer Issue September 15 for the Fall Issue Advertising Manager Contact the Editor. 2 EMPIRE CHESS Where organized chess began in America Volume XXXVIII, Number 4 – Winter 2016 Cover: The NYSCA banner hanging proudly in Albany at the State Championship. Nobody in the USA started before us. From the Editor.............................................................................................................................................................. 2 Table of Contents ….......................................................................................................................................................3 Resurgence of the Weekend Swiss in Central New York by David A. Hater……………………………………4 An Instructive Draw by Neal Bellon……………………………………………….….................................................................7 NYSCA's Discount Program ....................................................................................................................….............8 Changing of the Guard at 2015 QCC Championship by Edward Frumkin…………………………….…..….....9 Capital Region News by Karl Heck…….……..............................................................................................................12 Manhattan Applesauce win USCL by Frank Romano……..................................................................................15 Kistler wins Watertown Championship by Don Klug………………………..…………………………….........................17 Kistler wins Jefferson Championship by Don Klug………………………..……………………………............................18 Notes from the Marshall by Frank Romano…….....................................................................................................20 Open Lines by Karl Heck………………………………..…..………………………………................................................................22 How to Punctuate a Chess Game by Dean Howard………..……………………………………………….........................24 History of the Evans Gambit by Ray Kuzanek……………………………………………….................................................26 New York Tournaments………………………………...................................................................................,,,,,....28 Editor: Karl Heck, [email protected]. Webmaster: Daniel Heck, www.nysca.net. Empire Chess, the official publication of the New York State Chess Association, Inc., is published quarterly. No liability is assumed with respect to the use of any information contained herein, or for any advertised products. Opinions expressed are solely those of the contributors, and not necessarily those of NYSCA. Empire Chess is COPYRIGHTED, 2015. Empire Chess accepts articles, games, tournament reports, art work and photos. No responsibility is assumed for unsolicited material. All material submitted for publication becomes the property of Empire Chess, and will not be returned unless accompanied by a selfaddressed, stamped envelope. Letters received by Empire Chess are accepted & subject to editing. Please send to: Karl Heck, [email protected]. Membership in the NYSCA: $20/year with four printed Empire Chess; $12/year with online Empire Chess (two printed). To join, write to: Phyllis Benjamin, P.O. Box 340969, Brooklyn, NY 11234. NYSCA membership now gets you discounts at Continental Chess Association events in New York State and all New York State Championship tournaments. Please send articles and advertisements in camera-ready format for publication. (TIF file, Adobe Photoshop, 100 lines per inch). Chess games should be in ChessBase, with boards and positions in final form. Articles should be sent via e-mail, in Microsoft Word, Times New Roman font, size 11. Deadline for the Spring issue is March 15, 2016, although earlier submissions are appreciated, and will more easily guarantee a space in the next magazine. 3 Resurgence of the Weekend Swiss in Central New York By David A. Hater New York is one of the top chess states in the country in terms of players, strong players, tournaments, size of prize fund and other metrics. However, Central New York has not enjoyed the same level of success. From 1995 until last year, there were no two-day or longer tournaments in the Syracuse area, the largest city in Central New York. Former NYSCA Treasurer 11.e5 Nxd5 12.exd5 Nxc3 13.Nxc3 Bxg2 14. Rg1 Joe Ball ran a long-running Saturday series of Re8” 15.Kf2 Bb7 16.f5 c4 17.Qd4 f6 18.Bh6 Re5 monthly tournaments from the 1980’s until 2012, but 18.Qxc4 1-0 two-day and Grand Prix events have been non- existent. The top two seeds were cruising along on Saturday and both were 3-0 entering the Sunday money Last year, New York State Chess Association and rounds. The two would faceoff on Sunday morning Continental Chess Association President Bill in Round Four, having overnight in order to prepare Goichberg sought to change that. He created the anything special that they might have in mind for the inaugural Central New York Open at Syracuse first round on Day Two. University, but the event was a bit of a disappointment. In spite of a $5,000 guaranteed prize Many times the top two seeds might agree to a quick fund, the turnout was modest and entry fees did not draw. That was not the case this year. The game was even cover the prize fund. Not to be deterred, Bill drawn, but not before 60 moves were played. Neither again organized the Second Central New York Open player achieved any significant advantage for the and the results were more promising. The entry fees entire game, but one has to admire that they both were reduced (with a reduction in prizes), and the continued to play for a win under grinding attendance not only remained the same with 63 conditions. Some may find the following game players, but the Central New York Open was a bit boring, but what I see is two strong players, neither stronger at the top of the wallchart. one of whom is able to get the upper hand. This year IM Colomban Vitoux and FM Dov Gorman IM Colmoban Vitroux (2519) – FM Dov Gorman headed the Open section. Gorman played in the (2411) Round Four inaugural event as the top seed, but “only” finished in Sicilian Defense second place due to an upset by eventual 2014 1.e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4