WORLD YOUTH & WORLD CADET TEAMS SHOW THEIR FIGHTING SPIRITS FACE OFF MAGNUS VS. FABI First American world championship contender in decades loses a heartbreaker to Carlsen. February 2019 | USChess.org 13th annual OPEN at FOXWOODS April 17-21 (Open), 18-21 or 19-21 (other sections) EASTER WEEKEND - RETURNING AFTER 5 YEARS! Open: 9 rounds, GM & IM norms possible! Lower sections: 7 rounds At the elegant, ultra modern FOXWOODS RESORT CASINO In the Connecticut woods, 1½ hours from Boston, 2½ hours from New York Prizes $100,000 based on 650 paid entries, $75,000 minimum guaranteed! A SPECTACULAR SITE! Foxwoods Resort Casino, in Prize limits: 1) Under 26 games rated as of April 2019 the woods of Southeastern Connecticut near the Mystic official, $800 in U1100, $1500 U1400, $2500 U1600 or coast. 35 restaurants, 250 gaming tables, 5500 slot U1800. 2) If post-event rating posted 4/15/18-4/15/19 was machines, non-smoking casino, entertainment, shopping, more than 30 pts over section maximum, limit $1500. world’s largest Native American museum. Mixed doubles: $1200-800-600-400-200 projected. Open Section, April 17-21: 9SS, 40/2, SD/30 d10. FIDE Male/female teams, must average under 2200, only rounds rated, GM & IM norms possible. 1-7 of Open count, register before both begin round 2. Other Sections, April 18-21 or 19-21: 7SS, 40/2, SD/30 Schedules: 5-DAY (Open only): Late reg. ends Wed. d10 (3-day option, rds 1-2 G/60 d10). 6 pm, rds Wed 7, Thu 12 & 7, Fri/Sat 11 & 6, Sun 10 & 4:15. 4-DAY: Late reg. ends Thu 6 pm, rds. Thu 7, Fri/Sat 11 & 6, In 7 sections. Prizes based on 650 entries, else Sun 10 & 4:15. 3-DAY: Late reg. ends Fri 10 am, rds. Fri proportional; minimum guarantee 75% each prize. Seniors, 11 & 2:30, merges with 4-day Fri at 6 pm. re-entries, GMs, IMs, WGMs, foreign FIDE rated, & U1100 Half point byes OK all rounds, limit 4 (limit 2 in last 4 Section count as half entries toward prize fund. rds.). Open must commit before rd 3, others before rd 4. Open: $10000-5000-2500-1500-1000-700-600-500-400- Hotel rates: Grand Pequot Tower (closest, very 400, clear/tiebreak 1st $200 bonus, FIDE 2250-2399 $3000- luxurious): Fri/Sat $205, others $149. Fox Tower (5-7 1500, FIDE U2250/Unr $3000-1500. 200 GPP. FIDE rated, minute walk in connected building): Fri/ Sat $175, others FIDE ratings used in this section. $119. Two Trees Inn (15-20 minute walk, free shuttle): U2200/Unr, U2000/Unr, U1800: Each $5000-3000-1600- Fri/Sat, $145, others $99. All: $4.95 resort fee. Includes 1000-700-600-500-400-300-300. Unr limit in U2000, $2000. wired internet, fitness center, pool, spa, in room coffee, etc. U1600: $4000-2000-1300-900-600-500-400-400-300-300. Reservations: link at chesstour.com or 1-800- U1400: $3000-1800-1000-800-600-500-400-400-300-300. FOXWOOD; must reserve by April 4 or rate will increase. U1100/Unr: $1500-800-600-500-400-300-300-200-200- Entry fees, titled player minimum prizes, other 200; unrated limit $400. details: See TLA or www.chesstour.com. www.uschess.org 1 CHESS LIFE STAFF EXECUTIVE BOARD !-#(*+,!+%%"-& ##-*,)(-&% Publications Editor President [email protected] PO Box 436787 Louisville, KY 40253 )+*(-,$%#-) [email protected] ##+ +"")(*+)'+ )'*+ +&*+ #+##+ Senior Art Director [email protected] +*,+$-) Vice President ")(+!)*$+Crossville, TN (931) 787-1234 +%+&"+, '-)%& 10990 NW 115th Avenue %*''+"(+!()"&)!('+ ()%)*'$+[email protected] (931) 200-5509 Creative Content Granger, IA 50109 Coordinator [email protected] *%&)')(+)()%)*'$+(931) 787-1234, ext. 123 [email protected] "$,*)$" *&&*%'+&!+&*+*)&!%$+Please submit to [email protected] #+*,+*%') VP Finance Editorial Assistant/ P.O. Box 340 !%("*(&+)*+((!(**(&'+'$++All TLAs should be emailed Copy Editor Collinsville, OK 74021 to [email protected] or sent to P.O. 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[email protected] [email protected] 931-200-9477 ext. 127 )+*%,-* ")(&%(*-,)--*, FIDE Events Manager Membership Associate Q [email protected] [email protected] ext. 138 $&+*,+*%') Scholastic Associate #-,$**- ~US CHESS # ~ & Clubs, FIDE Associate Correspondence Chess and OTB Ratings [email protected] [email protected] Tournament Director Certification Our vision is to enrich the lives ext. 136 [email protected] $,!(&*-) of all persons and communities through Director of Administration [email protected] increasing the play, study, and ext. 126 appreciation of the game of chess. 2 February 2019 | Chess Life <& SUHVHQWV .&)·VWK$QQXDO$OO*LUOV 1DWLRQDO&KDPSLRQVKLSV $SULO+<$770&&250,&.3/$&(&+,&$*2,/ )LUVWSODFHZLQQHUVRIHDFKVHFWLRQZLOOTXDOLI\WRSOD\DWWKH:RUOG<RXWK&DGHWV&KDPSLRQVKLSV 0$,1(9(17 ϲͲ^^͕'ͬϵϬ͕Ěϱ &ƌŝĚĂLJƉƌŝůϭϮ Ϯ͗ϯϬWDKƉĞŶŝŶŐĞƌĞŵŽŶLJ ϯ͗ϬϬWDZŽƵŶĚϭ ^ĂƚƵƌĚĂLJƉƌŝůϭϯ ϭϬ͗ϬϬDZŽƵŶĚϮ Ϯ͗ϯϬWDZŽƵŶĚϯ ϲ͗ϯϬWDZŽƵŶĚϰ ^ƵŶĚĂLJƉƌŝůϭϰ ϵ͗ϬϬDZŽƵŶĚϱ ϭ͗ϬϬWDZŽƵŶĚϲ ϱ͗ϬϬWDǁĂƌĚƐĞƌĞŵŽŶLJ 6(&7,21$:$5'6 +<$770&&250,&.3/$&( ŐĞĂƐŽĨϭͬϭͬϮϬϭϵ ϮϮϯϯ^DĂƌƚŝŶ>ƵƚŚĞƌ<ŝŶŐƌ (175<)(( hŶĚĞƌϴƚŽƉϭϱŝŶĚŝǀŝĚƵĂůƐ ŚŝĐĂŐŽ͕/>ϲϬϲϭϲ ΨϲϱƉŽƐƚŵĂƌŬĞĚďLJϯͬϭϭ͕Ψϴϱ ƚŽƉϱϬϬʹϳϵϵ͕ƚŽƉhϱϬϬ͕ƚŽƉϲƐĐŚŽŽůƐ ďLJϰͬϭ͕ΨϵϱĂĨƚĞƌͬŽŶͲƐŝƚĞ͘ +27(/5(6(59$7,216 hŶĚĞƌϭϬƚŽƉϭϱŝŶĚŝǀŝĚƵĂůƐ ƐŝŶŐůĞͲƋƵĂĚΨϭϲϱ ƚŽƉϳϬϬʹϵϵϵ͕ƚŽƉhϳϬϬ͕ƚŽƉϲƐĐŚŽŽůƐ 6,'((9(176 ;ϴϴϴͿϰϮϭͲϭϰϰϮ͕ŽŶůŝŶĞĂƚ hŶĚĞƌϭϮƚŽƉϭϱŝŶĚŝǀŝĚƵĂůƐ ƵŐŚŽƵƐĞdŽƵƌŶĂŵĞŶƚ ǁǁǁ͘ƌŬŶŝŐŚƚƐ͘ŽƌŐͬĂůůŐŝƌůƐ ƚŽƉϵϬϬʹϭϭϵϵ͕ƚŽƉhϵϬϬ͕ƚŽƉϲƐĐŚŽŽůƐ &ƌŝ͘ƉƌŝůϭϮϭϭ͗ϬϬD ZĞƐĞƌǀĞĞĂƌůLJŚŽƚĞůŵĂLJƐĞůů ŶƚƌLJĨĞĞ͗ΨϯϱƉĞƌƚĞĂŵ hŶĚĞƌϭϰƚŽƉϭϱŝŶĚŝǀŝĚƵĂůƐ ŽƵƚͬƌĂŝƐĞƌĂƚĞƐ ƚŽƉϭϭϬϬʹϭϯϵϵ͕ƚŽƉhϭϭϬϬ͕ƚŽƉϰƐĐŚŽŽůƐ ůŝƚnjdŽƵƌŶĂŵĞŶƚ;'ͬϱ͕ĚϬͿ hŶĚĞƌϭϲƚŽƉϴŝŶĚŝǀŝĚƵĂůƐ ,1)2 &ƌŝ͘ƉƌŝůϭϮϳ͗ϬϬWD ƚŽƉϭϯϬϬʹϭϱϵϵ͕ƚŽƉhϭϯϬϬ͕ƚŽƉϯƐĐŚŽŽůƐ ǁǁǁ͘ƌŬŶŝŐŚƚƐ͘ŽƌŐͬĂůůŐŝƌůƐ ŶƚƌLJĨĞĞ͗ΨϮϱϰͬϭ͕ΨϯϬ hŶĚĞƌϭϴƚŽƉϴŝŶĚŝǀŝĚƵĂůƐ͕ ;ϳϳϯͿϴϰϰͲϬϳϬϭ/ŝŶĨŽΛ ĂĨƚĞƌͬŽŶͲƐŝƚĞ͘ ƚŽƉϭϱϬϬʹϭϳϵϵ͕ƚŽƉhϭϱϬϬ͕ƚŽƉϯƐĐŚŽŽůƐ ƌĞŶĂŝƐƐĂŶĐĞŬŶŝŐŚƚƐ͘ŽƌŐ KŶůŝŶĞZĞŐŝƐƚƌĂƚŝŽŶ͗ǁǁǁ͘ƌŬŶŝŐŚƚƐ͘ŽƌŐͬĂůůŐŝƌůƐ DĂŝůĞĚZĞŐŝƐƚƌĂƚŝŽŶ͗ŵĂŬĞĐŚĞĐŬƐƉĂLJĂďůĞƚŽ͗ZŬŶŝŐŚƚƐ͕ƚƚŶ͗ůůͲ'ŝƌůƐ͕WKŽdžϭϬϳϰEŽƌƚŚďƌŽŽŬ͕/>ϲϬϬϲϱ ǁǁǁ͘ŬĂƐƉĂƌŽǀĐŚĞƐƐĨŽƵŶĚĂƚŝŽŶ͘ŽƌŐ www.uschess.org 3 Chess Life FEBRUARY PHOTO: IM ERIC ROSEN COLUMNS FEATURED: WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 14 CHESS TO ENJOY / ENTERTAINMENT Evolve By GM Andy Soltis 16 BACK TO BASICS / READER ANNOTATIONS Beyond Their Years By GM Lev Alburt COVER STORY / WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 18 IN THE ARENA / 22 PLAYER OF THE MONTH 2018 World Championship, London Variation Anything but Dull BY GM IAN ROGERS By GM Robert Hess GM Magnus Carlsen Retains World Championship after a bruising battle with GM Fabiano Caruana. 20 BOOKS AND BEYOND / SHOULD I BUY IT? IN MEMORIAM / RUTH HARING Instant Gratification 38 By John Hartmann Remembering Ruth BY FRANCISCO GUADALUPE 46 SOLITAIRE CHESS / INSTRUCTION Former US Chess Executive Board president devoted her time, America’s Rising Star energy, and talent to all aspects of chess. By Bruce Pandolfini 40 INTERNATIONAL / WORLD YOUTH AND WORLD CADET 48 THE PRACTICAL ENDGAME / INSTRUCTION Procrastinate at Your Own Risk The Next Generation By GM Daniel Naroditsky BY IM KOSTYA KAVUTSKIY (WORLD CADET) AND FM AVIV FRIEDMAN (WORLD YOUTH) The United States was well-represented at the World Youth DEPARTMENTS and World Cadet tournaments. 6 FEBRUARY PREVIEW / THIS MONTH IN CHESS LIFE AND CHESS LIFE ONLINE 8 COUNTERPLAY / READERS RESPOND US CHESS TURNS 80 THIS DECEMBER! Chess Life is turning this milestone birthday into a 9 US CHESS AFFAIRS / NEWS FOR OUR MEMBERS year-long celebration. Throughout the year, look for fun facts on our infographics page as well as 10 FIRST MOVES / features and tidbits that revisit our organization’s CHESS NEWS FROM AROUND THE U.S. rich history. Want to join in the fun? Send your best 11 FACES ACROSS THE BOARD / memories, stories, and photos to [email protected]. BY AL LAWRENCE Your story may appear in our December issue! 52 TOURNAMENT LIFE / FEBRUARY CLASSIFIEDS / FEBRUARY 71 ON THE COVER 71 SOLUTIONS / FEBRUARY Contenders for the unified World Championship, GM Magnus Carlsen and GM Fabiano Caruana, display the determination and focus that MY BEST MOVE / PERSONALITIES 72 resulted in 12 drawn games. COVER PHOTOS: ERIC ROSEN THIS MONTH: POLLY WRIGHT 4 February 2019 | Chess Life The United States’ Largest Chess Specialty Retailer 888.51.CHESS (512.4377) www.USCFSales.com It took AlphaZero only a few hours of self-learning