TEXAS KNIGHTS the Official Publication of the Texas Chess Association Volume 49, Number 3 P.O
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TEXAS KNIGHTS The official publication of the Texas Chess Association Volume 49, Number 3 P.O. Box 501, Helotes, TX 78023 January-February 2008 Ray Robson, 13, makes final IM norm at UT-Dallas Invitational A Message from the President; Texas K-12 Scholastic Grade/Collegiate champions ………………....3 UTD Grandmaster Invitational – IM Kuljasevic, GM Ramirez =1st ……………………………….……4 World Youth Championships – Sarah Chiang gets the silver ; Dachey Lin’s diary…………………….. 19 Vincent Zhang wins national 6th grade title – Notes by Vincent Zhang…….…… …………………... 22 Gallagher Memorial – FM Rylander wins in San Antonio ……………………………………………... 23 Treasure Chess quiz – WIM Alexey Root…………………………………………………..…………….26 Ken Smith Memorial – GM Bachmann wins in Austin ……………………………………...………….. 27 TEXAS CHESS ASSOCIATION www.texaschess.org President: Michael Simpson, 316 W. 12th St., Ste. 310, Austin, TX 78701; 512-779-5122; [email protected]. Vice-President: Clemente Rendon, P.O. Box 4988, Brownsville, TX 78523; [email protected]. Secretary: Drew Sarkisian, 8100 Cutler Ridge Pl., Austin, TX 78749-2834; [email protected]. Treasurer: Barb Swafford, 2709 Longhorn Trail, Crowley, TX 76036-4719; [email protected]. Editor: Selby Anderson, P.O. Box 501, Helotes, TX 78023; 210-695-2324; [email protected]. Webmaster: Peter Kappler, [email protected]. Tournament Clearinghouse: Clemente Rendon, crendon44@ hotmail.com. Postal Chess: Mario Leal, [email protected]. Texas Chess Association is a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit corporation dedicated to promoting chess in Texas. Membership Dues (annual): Regular $10, Junior (18 and under) or Student: $7.50. Foreign: Canada and Mexico $12.50, others $17.50. Patron: $25 (receives 1st class mailing and Hall of Honor listing). Family: $15. Non- subscribing: $5. Club: $25 (includes one free ¼ page ad a year). Scholastic Club: $10. Foreign Club: $40. Send to TCA Treasurer, 2709 Longhorn Trail, Crowley, TX 76036-4719. Give name, address, city, state and zip code; also phone and e-mail (optional). Contributions beyond membership fees are tax deductible. TCA Hall of Honor Selby Anderson Peter Kappler Eddie Rios James E. Berry John Kolts James Rohrbaugh Joe Bradford Tom Kuznierz Doug & Alexey Root family Clarence Callaway, Jr. Patrick Glen Lee Luis Salinas Michael E. Carpenter R. Lynne Leone family Drew Sarkisian San Benito CISD Chess Program Patrick C. Long Jose Luis Silva Geroge W. Church, Jr. Mark Marshall Michael Simpson Dr. Raymond Duque Mark E. McCue James Stallings Rheanna English family Rade Milovanovic family Robert Sturgeon Jose J. Guajardo George A. Mota Clayton Swafford Edward Guetzow Ken Muir Rodney J. Thomas Gerald Guillot Wilson Neil Harmon Throneberry J.P. Hyltin John Niven Louis Thurston Toshio Imai Richard Petty Rick Toenies Bob James Robert B. Potter Gordon Weintraub George C. John family Tim Redman William R. Williams ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Contributors this issue: Jeffrey Ashton, Axel Bachmann, ChessBase News, Chess Life Online, Franc Guadalupe, Davorin Kuljasevic, Dachey Lin, Alexey Root, Luis Salinas, Greg Wren, Vincent Zhang. Game annotations if not attributed are a collaboration of NM Selby Anderson and Fritz 5.32. Send submissions by e-mail to [email protected], or mail to P.O. Box 501, Helotes, TX 78023 (include phone). Deadline next issue: Feb. 15. All contents of Texas Knights Ó 2008 by the Texas Chess Association, Inc. No part may be reproduced in any way without express consent of the editor. Ad rates: $50/page, $35/half, $20/quarter, $1/line. The cover photo was taken in November 2007 at the FIDE Invitational in Chicago (ChessBase News). 2 probably mean playing some simuls at area elementary A Message from schools. I'd like to hear your thoughts about 2008 as well. I feel like I have not been as responsive to TCA needs the President these past few months as I would like, and as always, invite you to contact me to let me know ways I can im- The last two months of 2007 have brought some interest- prove the organization. Please contact me at msimpson ing news to Texas chess. In November, ten Texan scho- @gmail.com. Until I hear from you, have a Happy New lastic players participated in the World Youth Champion- Year. ship tournament, held near Antalya, Turkey. Sarah Chiang of Dallas won the silver in Girls’ Under 10 with Michael M. Simpson 8.5 out of 11. Her little brother Jonathan also had a fine TCA President result of 8-3 in Boys’ Under 8 for sixth place. Earlier this month, FIDE’s website indicated what Texans have known for a very long time: Joe Bradford Texas Grade & Collegiate Championsips knows how the pieces move. He's now been awarded the The 11th Annual Texas Grade and Collegiate Champion- IM title. ships were held Nov. 17-18 in The Woodlands (near The National Scholastic K-12 Grade and Collegiate Houston). Total attendance was 505, not counting side Championships were held in Houston, with Texas teams events. Here are the winners, co-champions if tied: winning in the 2nd, 6th, 10th, and 12th grades and in the K Elliot Glatman collegiate division and Vincent Zhang of Houston win- 1 Alekya Vejendla ning the first place trophy in 6th grade.. William Cooper, Jr. Last, and certainly not least, on the final weekend of Louis Fernandes the year (gives you an idea how long I've been putting off 2 Hannah Liu writing a column), UT Dallas defended its title in the Alex Liu 2007 Pan American games in Miami, holding off the 3 Edward Cen University of Maryland-Baltimore County yet again. This 4 Akshay Malhotra concludes a stellar year for UTD – victories in the Final 5 Becky Huang Four, the Transatlantic Challenge (vs. the University of 6 Derek Chang Belgrade) and even the U.S. Chess League, where the Jeffery Hung Dallas Destiny, comprised of UTD students, beat out the 7 Jason Jia Boston Blitz in the final match. 8 Mitchell Powell 9 Alexander Balkum As I write this message, it's literally hours until the 10 William Ong end of 2007. Some of you may be making your New Daniel Hung Year's Resolutions. Since I've only kept one New Year's 11 Abhishek Mallela resolution in my life (not to drink caffeinated beverages Kart Ramachandran in 1990), I've abandoned them and instead make goals. Christian Saco One of my goals is for the return of a TCA major to Aus- 12 Artur Safin tin in 2008, hopefully the State Championship and State C Francisco Guadalupe II Amateur Championship over Memorial Day. Another is to have at least 150 participants at both the State Cham- Francisco Guadalupe won the Collegiate with 5-1 pionship and the Southwest Open. A third is to make sure ahead of Ali Morshedi, Jeffrey DeJesus and Nelson Lo- that each TCA region is represented by a director and a pez, who finished with 4.5. scholastic committee representative. I think this goal is As clear winner in the 12th grade, Arthur Safin, a going to be met within the first few weeks, or even days, of 2008. For me, personally, I've added my goal to play senior at Lamar High School in Houston, won a four-year 30 or more rated games of chess this year, to get my rat- scholasrshp to the University of Texas at Dallas. ing back over 2000 (again), and to spend some time vol- Luis Salinas and the Dallas Chess Club organized the unteering for chess in my community. For me, this will event. Franc Guadalupe was the chief TD. 3 6th Annual UTD Grandmaster Invitational IM Kuljasevic ties with Ramirez, makes GM norm. Robson clinches IM title. 25 lines Nankai University coach Fushan Zhu, about to make the first move for GM Zviad Izoria. vs. IM Jacek Stopa Background: GM Magesh Panchanathan vs. IM Davorin Kuljasevic. Right: NU assistant coach WGM Chunhong Ning ?á IM Davorin Kuljasevic of Croatia Zhao Jun and WGM Hunchong Kuljasevic and Stopa) defeated the made a GM norm, tying for first with Ning; and the youngest player, FM Boston Blitz to take first. Kuljasevic his UTD teammate GM Alejandro Ray Robson, 13, from Florida. described the excitement: “When Ramirez of Costa Rica in this year’s UTD supplied two grandmasters, Christiansen resigned in the last blitz UTD Grandmaster Invitational. Both Ramirez and Panchanathan, whose match we were all jumping and cele- scored 7.5 out of 11 in the twelve- exploits in this state are well known. brating like we won the lottery.” player round robin, which included UTD also fielded five IMs: Drasko Kuljasevic credits his win in the four GMs and six IMs. Boskovic, Davorin Kuljasevic, John Invitational to consistency and doing The event, sponsored by the Bartholomew, Salvijus Bercys and his opening homework, reports Jen- University of Texas at Dallas, was Jacek Stopa; plus former team cap- nifer Shahade in Chess Life Online. held Dec. 6-14 at the First Bank of tain and graduate Dmitry Schneider. “Round robins require much Canyon Creek in Richardson. Luis For UTD this event ends a year more mental and psychological sta- Salinas organized and directed. of triumphs including first place in bility compared to open tournaments Four non-UTD players competed: the Final Four and an 11-5 win over .... I was also fortunate that I won my GM Zviad Izoria from the Republic the University of Belgrade at the two White games against Robson of Georgia, currently the fourth-rated Transatlantic Cup. Most recently, in and Jun fairly easily because they player in USCF; two players from the U.S. Chess League’s third season jumped right into my home prepara- Nankai University in China, GM the Dallas Destiny (with Boskovic, tion.” 4 He went to his home town of GR: At home Ray studies chess half-point before round nine he will Zagreb, Croatia for the holidays.