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R ank & File NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2008 VOLUME XXXI, NO. 6 $3.00 Southern California Open IM Enrico Sevillano Tired of high entry fees? Play in the 10th Annual Joseph Ileto Memorial December 13-14 5-SS, rds. 1-3 30/85, SD/30, rds 4-5 40/2, SD/1 SIERRA VISTA PARK 311 N RURAL DR. at E. Emerson, Monterey Park, CA 91755 Prize Fund $300-200-100 U2300 $100 U1500 $100 U2100 $100 U1300 $75 U1900 $100 U1100 $75 U1700 $100 Unrated $50 Entry fee: $30 if received by 12/11, $40 at door. Special Entry Fee: Juniors not eligible for cash prizes $10 (trophies to top 5). Full details on page 23. A State Championship Qualifier Entries: SCCF, P.O. Box 205, Monterey Park CA 91754 2 RANK & FILE NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2008 AroundAround thethe NationNation 44th Annual the flyer in this issue, and on our SPICE Cup webpage (www.americanopen.org). American Open The site also includes a list of the This 10-player round robin, held luminaries who have won the tour- at Texas Tech University in Lubbock Since 1965, the American Open nament, including Gata Kamsky, September 19 through 28, ended in has been a Southern California fix- Yasser Seirawan, Pal Benko, Rob- a 4-way tie among GMs Varuzhan ture over Thanksgiving weekend. ert Byrne, and Walter Browne. Akobian, Alexander Onischuk, Leo- This year, the beautiful LAX Re- Organizer Randy Hough is nid Kritz and Harikrishna Pentala, naissance Montura Hotel will again happy to answer your questions all with 5½-3½. The all-GM event host the event. ([email protected]). We reached Category 15, making it the The American Open offers a look forward to seeing you at this strongest such tournament held in number of features lacking in other special event! the U.S. in at least three decades. tournaments. These include dem- onstration boards, lectures (IM Jer- emy Silman, a perennial favorite, will be speaking Sunday afternoon, November 30), and chess videos and CONTENTSONTENTS DVDs. The Chess Piece (http://www. thechesspiece.com/) will be provid- ing beautiful wood sets and boards AROUNDAROUND THETHCE NATIONNONTENTSATION ........... .........................................................3 for the top ten boards in the Open section, with one to be auctioned off 330THA0ROUNDTH AANNUALN NTHEUAL NATION . 3 after the tournament. 21 SOUTHERNSSTOU ATHNNUALERN CALIFORNC U.S.ALIFO ARNMATEURIAIA OOPENPE NT .............................EAM 5 The prize fund, with a mini- mum of $18,000 guaranteed, is the TTACTICS A WCTESTICS . 5 largest in the state. There are also BYBY TIMIM HANKSANKS .................................. .......................................................................9 $1,400 in special prizes in memory WESTERN CLASS CHAMPIONSHIPS . 10 of the late Joyce Jillson, including TTHEHE LLONGONG VVIEWIEW TACTICS $400 for biggest rating gain by a BYBY JOHNOHN HILLERYILLERY .......................... .....................................................................1212 female player, and $200 for biggest by Tim Hanks . 12 gain by a player under age 13. HEREHERE & THERETHERE Players may choose between HERE & THERE ClubClub news,news, locallocal tournaments,tournaments, the four-day (two rounds a day at 40/2) and three-day (beginning the sscholc h Clubolaasticstic eevents vnews,ents andan dlocal moremore ............................................................................. tournaments, 1 4 day after Thanksgiving, with the scholasticPINIONPINION CHESSCH EeventsSS BLINDNESSBLIN D. .N . .E . .S . S. .& . BLUB. .L . U. .NDERSN . .D . .E . .R . .S . 15 first four rounds at Game/1) sched- O : BYBY HUCKHUCK NSEYNSEY ................................. ..................................................................... ules. Chess Palace will be offering a S TATE C C EHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIERS . 191717 full selection of books, DVDs, and ................. equipment, as well as special Amer- SSTATEGTAMESATE CHAMPIONSHIPC FHROMAMP IRONECENTSHIP QEUUALIFIERSVENTSALIFIE. R. .S . 211818 ican Open T-shirts. TINTERNATIONALINHETE RLNIGHTERATIONA SL IDENEWSNE.W . .S . ................................................................ 24191 9 Side events include a scholastic in four sections (Saturday, Novem- UUPCOMINGPPCOMINGCOMING EEVENVVENTSENTTSS ............................................................................. 262 2 ber 29), a Quick rated tournament Saturday night, and an Action CCHESSHHESSESS QQUIZQUUIZIZ ............................................... ........................................................ 242 4 (Game/30) event on Sunday after- noon. Full details can be found in 3 RANKANK & FILEILE NOVEMBEROVEMBER-D-DECEMBERECEMBER 20082008 The tournament was organized 28. Qg5 g6 29. Re7 Qd8 30. Rae1 by the Susan Polgar Institute for Kh8 31. Nd6 Kg8 32. Ne8 1–0 Southern California Chess Chess Excellence. Final standings: Federation 1-4. GMs Harikrishna Pentala, GM Hannes Stefansson (2598) President Elliot Landaw IND 2668, Alexander Onischuk, – GM Varuzhan Akobian (2656) Vice President Ron Rezendes USA 2670 5½, Leonid Kritz, GER SPICE Cup, Lubbock 2008 Secretary Chuck Ensey 2610 and Varuzhan Akobian, USA D34 QUEEN’S GAMBIT DECLINED, Treasurer John Hillery 2610 5½-3½ Tarrasch Defense Executive Board 5. GM Julio Becerra, USA 2598 5- 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. cxd5 Randy Hough 4 exd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. g3 Nf6 7. Bg2 Mike Nagaran 6. GM Victor Mikhalevski, ISR Be7 8. 0–0 0–0 9. Bg5 c4 10. Ne5 Rick Aeria 2592 4½-4½ Be6 11. Nxc6 bxc6 12. e3 Nd7 13. Jim Bullock 7. GM Eugene Perelshteyn, USA Bxe7 Qxe7 14. Na4 Rab8 15. Qc2 Mick Bighamian Jerry Yee 2555 4-5 Rb4 16. b3 Rfb8 17. Rfd1 g6 18. Qc1 Anthony Ong Qd6 19. Rd2 Bf5 20. Nc3 cxb3 21. 8-9. GMs Gregory Kaidanov, USA Takashi Iwamoto axb3 Rxb3 22. Rda2 Qb4 23. Ra3 2605 and Kamil Miton, POL 2580 3½-5½ Rb2 24. Ra4 Qb3 25. R4a3 Rc2 26. Rank & File 10. GM Hannes Stefansson, ISL Qe1 Qb4 27. Bf3 Rb7 28. g4 Be6 29. Editor John Hillery 2566 2½-6½ Na4 Qe7 30. Be2 h5 31. Bd3 835 N. Wilton Pl. # XIIIIIIIIY Los Angeles CA 90038 GM Victor Mikhalevski (2673) [email protected] – GM Kamil Miton (2702) 9-+-+-+k+0 SPICE Cup, Lubbock 2008 9zpr+nwqp+-0 Publisher David Argall D47 QUEEN’S GAMBIT DECLINED, 9-+p+l+p+0 Contributing Editors Semi-Slav Defense Jack Peters 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. 9+-+p+-+p0 Tim Hanks Nc3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. 9N+-zP-+P+0 Al Pena Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 Bb7 9. a3 b4 10. Ne4 9tR-+LzP-+-0 Contributors bxa3 11. 0–0 Nxe4 12. Bxe4 Bd6 13. Chuck Ensey Nd2 0–0 14. b3 Ba6 15. Re1 Bb5 16. 9-+r+-zP-zP0 Randy Hough Cyrus Lakdawala Bf3 a6 17. Nc4 Bb4 18. Bd2 Qe7 19. 9tR-+-wQ-mK-0 Anthony Ong Qc1 Bxd2 20. Qxd2 e5 21. Qa5 exd4 xiiiiiiiiy Chris Roberts 22. exd4 Qd8 23. Qxa3 Nf6 24. Nd6 Ra7 25. Qc5 Qb8 26. Nf5 Nd7 27. 31. ... Qh4 32. Bxc2 Qxg4+ 33. Subscriptions/Address Changes Qc1 Rc7 Kf1 Qf3 34. Qa5 Nb6 35. Ke1 Nc4 Randy Hough, Membership Secretary 36. Qd8+ Kg7 37. Qg5 Bg4 0–1 P.O. Box 205 XIIIIIIIIY Monterey Park CA 9754 9-wq-+-trk+0 (626) 282-742 9+-trn+pzpp0 [email protected] 9p+p+-+-+0 Rank & File — ISSN 8750-964 USPS 738-230, published bimonthly by the 9+l+-+N+-0 Southern California Chess Federation, 300 9-+-zP-+-+0 Ballista, La Puente CA 9744. Periodical Photos: Cover, p. 4: John Hillery. P. 13: postage paid at Industry, CA. POST- 9+P+-+L+-0 Randy Hough. P. 14: Anthiony Ong. MASTER: Send changes of address to 9-+-+-zPPzP0 Pp. 15, 16, 17: Ric Aeria. Pp. 19, 20: SCCF, PO Box 205, Monterey Park CA 9tR-wQ-tR-mK-0 chessbase.com. 9754. Subscriptions: $8 adult, $0 junior. Copyright © SCCF 2008. One-time only xiiiiiiiiy publication rights have been obtained from signed contributors. All other rights are Advertising Rates: Full page $80, half page hereby assigned to the authors. The opinions $45, 1/4 page $25, 1/8 page $15, back cover (3/4 SCCF Online expressed are strictly those of the contribu- page) $80. (All rates are for camera-ready copy.) tors and do not necessarily reflect the views Flyer insert $50 (advertiser must supply flyers). The SCCF Web 50% discount for tournaments requiring SCCF of the SCCF, its officers or members. membership. Display ads should be sent to the page is located at: Editor, flyers to the Publisher (addresses at right). Payment should be sent with order to the Editor. www.scchess.com SCCF reserves the right to reject any advertising. 4 RANK & FILE NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2008 30th Annual Southern California Open he 30th Annual Southern California Open, held at the Shera- ter 12. ... Nxc6 13. Bf4! e5 14. axb6 Tton Pasadena Hotel from August 30 through September 1, Qxb6 15. Bxc6 Qxc6 16. Bxe5. ended in a 4-way tie among GM Melikset Khachiyan (2561), IMs Andranik Matikozyan and Enrico Sevillano, and Tatev Abraha- 13. Nd4 Bxa3 myan, all with 5-1. Sevillano took the championship trophy on Maybe 13. ... Rd8, preparing ... e6-e5, improves. tiebreak, adding another to the state invitational championship 14. 0-0 Bc5 15. Rxa5 bxa5 16. trophy he took home the week before. Bxf6 gxf6 17. f4 f5 Next at 4½-1½ were masters Alexandre Kretchetov and Garush Ma- Not 17. ... Bxd4? 18. Qxd4 Nxc6 nukyan and experts Vadim Kudryavtsev, Lawrence Stevens and Christian because 19. Bxc6 Qxc6 20. Qxf6 Tanaka. David Leinbach (4-2) took the Class A prize. sets up Rf1-f3-g3, but 17. ... Kh8 is In the Amateur (U1800) section, Jeffrey Ding and Gonzalo Roberts Cer- reasonable. vantes tied for first with 5-1. Class prizes went to Benjamin Rosenfeld, Der- 18. Rf3 f6? rick Lee Sia, Vartan Shamirian, Jonathan Meaglia and James Norwood. XIIIIIIIIY Sean Manross topped the Scholastic Open, and Arissa Jad Torres the Scholastic Reserve. First in the Action (G/30_ tournament went to Henry 9-snl+-trk+0 Castro, while Elston He headed the Hexes (G/90. 9+-wq-+-+p0 The new site saw good turnouts of turnout of 147 for the main event (the 9-+P+pzp-+0 best in four years), and 112 more competed in the scholastics.