CALCHESS JOURNAL Summer 2012 Special Points of Interest: USCF President’s interview Queen’s Gambit Play Review Upcoming Events Researching for Chess Dryad INTERVIEW WITH MS. RUTH HARING Regular (Open) Howard Donnelly Memorial By Aditya Kumar Sept. 15 Ruth Haring is a Life Member of NHC Summer Championship USCF, an International Woman Sept. 16 Master and a member of the Ex- Exchange Open Sept. 22 ecutive Board and President of Fall Open Sept. 29 USCF—besides being a Calchess Board member. Yours truly had Western States Reno Oct.19 the opportunity to interview Ruth on a wide range of topics. Scholastic Aditya: Please tell me little bit Chess4Less BAC Sept. 15 about your childhood and how Cupertino Swiss Sept. 23 you got interested in chess. Kids Quads Sept. 30 Ruth: Initially, when I was a kid Cupertino Swiss Oct. 07 I lived in Alaska and there was- n’t a whole lot to do so our par- Weibel Elite Quads Oct. 13 ents encouraged us to play board games. Inside this issue: ……..Continued on Page 3 Ruth Haring 1 CHESS FOR LIFE: BRIDGING CHESS & LIFE Chess for Life 1 By Sydney Liu President’s Message 2 I want to become a business- Founded in 2011 by high man when I grow up. Or a doc- school chess players, Chess New Start for Chess League 4 tor. Or a lawyer. The truth is, I for Life’s goal is to figure have no idea what I want to be, out a way to use our knowl- but I want to be happy when I edge of the game and deploy Bay Area juniors qualify for World 7 get there. While the future re- it to advance scholastic Championship mains mysterious, I am confi- chess and the instruction of dent that the life skills I have life skills useful in real-life Getting to know GM Nick DeFirmian 9 developed and will continue to professions. develop on my journey will help me achieve my goals. ……...Continued on Page 11 The Queens Gambit Play 13 RESEARCHING FOR CHESS 16 DRYAD Page 2 CALCHESS JOURNAL PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE CalChess Board This is the start of a new school year, and the beginning of the Chess Scholastic President: Tom Langland year. This year we have another change Vice-President: Salman Azhar for the CalChess State Grade Level Cham- Treasurer: Paul Steiner pionship as it being organized by Eliza- Secretary: Roger Poehlmann beth Shaugnessy and the Berkeley Chess School. Held December 15-16 this year at Members at the outstanding Hilton in Pleasanton, it Large: David Lee looks to be an excellent event for all kids. Ken Zowal Lauren Goodkind Ruth Haring We are also looking forward to hosting Scholastic Rep: Aditya Kumar the U.S. Game/60 and U.S. Game/30 Championship in October as well as we CCJ Editor: Aditya Kumar just got word that we have been selected to host the 2013 US Amateur Team (West) Championship again! Your CalChess Board, put a lot of effort into bringing these National The California Chess Journal is published Championship events to Northern California and we hope you can periodically by CalChess, the Northern Cali- add your support with your attendance. Try to start forming your fornia affiliate of the United States Chess team for the Amateur Team Championship now. Even if you cannot Federation. A CalChess membership costs $5 for one year, and will include an email sub- find a partner or enough to fill a team, do not worry, we will be scription to the CCJ plus discounted entry happy to assist you in putting together teams that are short of play- fees into participating CalChess tourna- ers. So you have no excuse! ments. Subscriptions, membership informa- tion, and related correspondence should be addressed to CalChess Membership at 2046 Vivian Ct., Tracy, CA 95377-5395. The Cali- Our certification as a 501c3 organization is almost complete, as we fornia Chess Journal accepts submissions simply need the final verification from the State of California. This pertaining to chess, especially chess in will allow us to further benefit our local chess community and if you Northern California. Articles and photo- know of ways CalChess can add our support, please let us know. Of graphs should be submitted in electronic form. course, if you would like to help CalChess, we would appreciate all the encouragement, promotion and patronage and you can offer! Editor Contact: [email protected] Look for more updates of some big events coming at www.calchess.org , the winner of the best USCF Affiliate website for the 3rd year in a row. I look forward to seeing you out there! Tom Langland CalChess President Page 3 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2 Interview with Ruth Haring …...Continued from Page 1 chance of meeting now have chess experience, I felt I could the opportunity to play contribute and that I was an At one point my mother taught games. In addition, young advocate for the players. The me and my brother how to play people and people who are experience has been eye- chess and she took us to a local learning chess can utilize opening. chess tournament. I was around computers to aid in their ten at the time - we both learning, which is great. The main goal that I have had played, and found out we were- (and accomplished) is the set- n’t as good as we thought. But On the other hand, however, tlement of early lawsuit against that’s how I initially started there is a community of the United States Chess Fed- playing casual chess. chess players and there is a eration. Another member and social aspect to it – when I I were persistent in the need Aditya: Did you have any started playing tournament for the organization to imme- chess player as a role model chess again, I saw people I diately settle its debts. Right while growing up? hadn’t seen in 20 years. They now we are still paying off would ask me questions debts and starting to think Ruth: I was a product of the about old games that we about how we can promote Fischer boom. I read multiple played, which shows the chess in both scholastic chess books and games and went close-knit chess connection as well as involving women in through the games of Alekhine, that chess provides in- chess. Morphy, Capablanca, and person. other World Champions. We As for California chess, back in had chess newsletters to read Aditya: What prompted 70s I played here almost every every week and we didn’t grow you to join the USCF board weekend and I always had a up with computers that we cur- and then become its Presi- focus on the playing. I don’t rently use for broadcasting live dent? What are you goals at have any time to study as chess games. USCF and how did your ex- much, but I fundamentally perience at Calchess count love chess and that is the num- Aditya: Chess in general is in- towards it? ber one goal of USCF – we creasingly played online. Is this need to enlarge activities a problem for the future of Ruth: During the 70s I was around chess tournament. chess? one of the top women’s play- ers in the country and I was a Aditya: On the subject of Ruth: This is both good and long time player of the game. scholastic chess, in some coun- bad, because, on one hand, the After my kids got to college I tries such as Armenia, playing internet can network teams started to play chess again; I chess is almost integral to the across the country and around went to a chess tournament school curriculum. What is the world. People from different and saw that there were your opinion of the level of fo- parts of the country and world some financial problems in cus on Scholastic chess in US, who would normally have no the federation and, given my and how is USCF helping? work experience as well as Page 4 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2 Interview with Ruth Haring …...Continued from Page 3 by doing some outreach Aditya: What is your most events. memorable chess game and Ruth: We have an exciting why? level of scholastic membership, I have spoken with chess but we don’t have any integra- moms and asked them why Ruth: I’ve played so many tion into chess programs. We do not participate in chess. games. I could come up with are able to sell idea of why Essentially, they feel a social one, but I’ve played a lot of chess is so good and growing barrier between themselves games - I enjoyed notable that is a challenge and ulti- and chess, which is the fun- wins against women grand- mately depends on the commu- damental problem in the masters and other strong play- nity. Although the USCF can situation. Our main goal ers, however. coordinate, publicize, and ini- should be to break this social tially organize, it is the mem- barrier by using as many bers who ultimately take the means as possible. In addi- lead. tion, we have to make chess less about winning and more Chess is important because it about enjoyment of the allows us to teach young chil- game. dren about life skills such as critical thinking, decision mak- Aditya: Proponents of chess ing, and patience. as a spectator sport have at- tempted to accomplish this; Aditya: Similarly, how can we specifically, Jennifer Sha- encourage more women to join hade has done an excellent chess? job with her X Chess Cham- pionships.