See our 2016 Summer Chess Camp Advertising Section in the center of this issue! The Struggle The struggle of chess is quite simple: you can work tirelessly for extensive periods of time, give all you have to give, and make only incremental progress. March 2016 | USChess.org CL_03-2016_editorial_NR_r1_chess life 2/3/2016 8:59 PM Page IFC1 CL_03-2016_editorial_NR_r1_chess life 2/3/2016 7:54 PM Page 1 25th annual CHICAGO OPEN May 26-30, 27-30, 28-30 or 29-30, 2016 Open 9 rounds, others 7 rounds, Memorial Day weekend at luxurious Westin North Shore Hotel GM and IM norms possible! Free lectures & analysis of your games by GM John Fedorowicz! $100,000 PRIZE FUND UNCONDITIONALLY GUARANTEED! Open Section: 9 rounds, 5/26-30, 40/2, Top 7 sections entry fee: $207 online at SD /30 d10, open to a l l , F I D E norms possible. chessaction.com by 3/21, $227 online by U2300 to U1300 Sections: 7 rounds, 5/25, $250 online until 2 hrs before rd 1 or choice of 5/27-30, 5/28-30 or 5/29-30. at site until 1 hr before rd 1. Open $100 40/2, SD/30, d10 except rounds 1-2 of 3 day more for US players not FIDE or USCF are G/60, d10, and rounds 1-4 of 2 day are 2200/over. No check at site, credit card OK. G/30, d10. No unrateds in U1300 to U1900. Special entry fees: GMs in Open, $200 U1000 Section: 7 rounds, choice of 5/28- from prize. IMs & WGMs in Open $100, 30 or 5/29-30. G/90, d10 except rounds 1-4 another $100 deducted from prize. $100 less of 2 day are G/30, d10. to seniors 65/over, except U1000 Section. 4-day, 3-day & 2-day schedules merge & U1000 Section entry fees: $57 online at compete for same prizes. chessaction.com by 5/25, $80 online until 2 Westin Chicago North Shore Hotel, 601 hrs before rd 1 or at site until 1 hr before. N Milwaukee Ave, Wheeling IL 60090. Free Mailed or phoned entries: See parking. In 8 sections: Tournament Life or chesstour.com. Online or mailed EF $5 less to ICA Open Section: $10000-5000-2500-1300- members; join a t il-chess.org. I CA tour event. 1000-800-600-500-400-400, clear/tiebreak USCF membership required. Special winner bonus $300, top FIDE U2400/Unr dues, see TLA or chesstour.com. $2000-1000. FIDE rated, GM and IM norms possible, 200 Grand Prix Points. 5-day schedule (Open only): Late entry to U2300: $5000-2500-1200-800-600-500- Thu 6 pm, rds Thu 7 pm, Fri 12 noon & 7 400-300-300-300. pm, Sat 11 & 6, Sun 11 & 6, Mon 10 & 4. U2100: $5000-2500-1200-800-600-500- 4-day schedule (U2300 to U1300): Late 400-300-300-300. Unrated limit $1000. entry to Fri 6 pm, rds. Fri 7 pm, Sat 11 am & U1900: $5000-2500-1200-800-600-500- 6 pm, Sun 11 am & 6 pm, Mon 10 & 4. 400-300-300-300. 3-day schedule (U2300 to U1300): Late U1700: $5000-2500-1200-800-600-500- entry to Sat 10 am, rds. Sat 11 am, 2:30 pm 400-300-300-300. & 6 pm, Sun 11 am & 6 pm, Mon 10 & 4. U1500: $4000-2000-1000-700-500-400- 3-day schedule (U1000): Late entry to 300-300-300-300. Sun 1 pm, rds. Sat 2 pm & 6 pm, Sun 10 am, U1300: $4000-2000-1000-700-500-400- 2 pm & 6 pm, Mon 10 am & 2 pm. 300-300-300-300. 2-day schedule (U2300 to U1300): Late U1000: $ 1 000-500-300-200-200-150-150- entry to Sun 9 am; rds. Sun 10 am, 12 noon, 100-100-100, unr limit $200, trophies to top 2 pm, 3:45 pm & 6 pm, Mon 10 am & 4 pm. 10, 1st U800, U600, U400, Unrated. 2-day schedule (U1000): Late entry to Prize limits: if under 26 lifetime games: Sun 9 am; rds. Sun 10 am, 12 noon, 2 pm, U1300 $1000, U1500 $1500, U1700 $2000, 3:45 pm & 6 pm, Mon 10 am & 2 pm. U1900 $2500. If any post-event rating Half point byes OK all rounds, limit 4 (2 posted 5/25/15 to 5/25/16 was more than in last 4 rds). Open must commit before 30 pts over section maximum, limit $1500. round 2, others before round 4. Mixed Doubles: best male/female combined 2-player “team” score: $2000- Hotel rates: $107 for 1-4 /room, 800- 937- 1000-500-400-300. Must average under 8461, 847-777-6500. Reserve by 5/12; rate 2200, same section not required. Only rds 1- may increase or hotel sell out. 7 count for Open. See TLA for details. All: Bring sets, boards, clocks- none supplied. $15 charge for refunds. Entries Ratings: May official USCF ratings used posted at chessaction.com (online entries for U2300 & below, FID E for Open. Unofficial posted instantly). Q u estions: chesstour.com, web ratings usually used if otherwise chesstour.info, D [email protected], 3 4 7 - 2 0 1 - unrated. Foreign ratings see chesstour.com. 2269. Junior GP points available. CL_02-2016_masthead_NR_R1_chess life 1/31/2016 2:11 PM Page 2 T Main office: Crossville, TN (931) 787-1234 AdvertisingS inquiries: (931) 787-1234, ext. 123 Tournament Life Announcements (TLAs): All TLAs should be e-mailed to [email protected] or sent to P.O. 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Sunrise Dr. Director of Administration, Judy Misner Ste. 120-118 ext. 126 [email protected] Tucson, AZ 85750 Affiliate Relations Associate, Joan DuBois [email protected] ext. 123 [email protected] Senior Accountant, Debra Robison Member at Large ext. 130 [email protected] Ruth Haring Membership Services Supervisor, Cheryle Bruce U.S. Chess Federation ext. 147 [email protected] Attn: Ruth Haring PO Box 3967 Mailing Lists/Membership Associate, Traci Lee Crossville, TN 38557- ext. 143 [email protected] 3967 Membership Associate, Jay Sabine [email protected] ext. 127 [email protected] Correspondence Chess, Alex Dunne [email protected] 2 March 2016 | Chess Life CL_03-2016_editorial_NR_r1_chess life 2/3/2016 8:05 PM Page 3 www.uschess.org 3 CL_03-2016_TOC_AKF_r6.qxp_chess life 08/02/2016 18:23 Page 4 ChessLife MARCH COLUMNS 14 LOOKS AT BOOKS / THE DRAGON The Theory and Practice of the Sicilian Dragon By John Hartmann 16 CHESS TO ENJOY / ENTERTAINMENT You’ve Got My Number By GM Andy Soltis 18 BACK TO BASICS / READER ANNOTATIONS 20 The Pin Is Mightier Than The Sword By GM Lev Alburt The The struggle of chess is quite simple: you can work tirelessly for extensive 46 SOLITAIRE CHESS / INSTRUCTION Struggle periods of time, give all you have to Cruising Away give, and make only incremental By Bruce Pandolfini By PETE KARAGIANIS progress, if that. 48 THE PRACTICAL ENDGAME / INSTRUCTION Of Knights and Men By GM Daniel Naroditsky 28 OPENINGS / NEW JERSEY OPEN Openings for Amateurs—and Grandmasters By Pete Tamburro DEPARTMENTS A look at the fighting openings used at the 2015 MARCH PREVIEW / New Jersey Open 6 THIS MONTH IN CHESS LIFE AND US CHESS NEWS 32 SCHOLASTICS / MAX LU 8 COUNTERPLAY / READERS RESPOND Master Max Max Lu is the latest prodigy to break the record for 10 FIRST MOVES / youngest US Chess master. CHESS NEWS FROM AROUND THE U.S. By jamaal Abdul-Alim FACES ACROSS THE BOARD / 11 TACTICS / EASTERN OPEN BY AL LAWRENCE 35 Tactical Fun at the Eastern Open US CHESS AFFAIRS / 12 The 42nd Eastern Open featured 160 players with NEWS FOR OUR MEMBERS GM Sergey Erenburg winning by a full point over GM Alexander Shabalov. Here are a selection of tactical TOURNAMENT LIFE / MARCH 53 highlights from the Bethesda, Maryland event held 71 CLASSIFIEDS / MARCH just after Christmas.