Alberta Chess Report Publication of the Alberta Chess Association June 2008 INSIDE THIS ISSUE HANSEN NEW ALBERTA CHAMPION 2008 Alberta Championship Eric Hansen of Calgary went undefeated to win the 2008 Alberta Championship. At 15 years of age, Eric is likely the youngest winner of this event in Alberta history! Read Chess Federation of Canada Vlad’s report on page 3. Changing # Name Old Perf New Results Tot 25th Annual Trumpeter Classic 1 Hansen, Eric 2326 2541 2347 X 1 1 1 = = 4.0 2 Huber, Gregory 2348 2457 2358 0 X 1 = 1 1 3.5 Tribute to Vonnie Eng 3 Reeve, Jeff 2325 2381 2330 0 0 X 1 1 1 3.0 Next Canadian Championship 4 Gardner, Robert J. 2279 2230 2275 0 = 0 X = 1 2.0 5 Kaminski, Victor 2291 2228 2285 = 0 0 = X 1 2.0 2008 Lethbridge Open 6 Kazmaier, Daniel 2262 1994 2236 = 0 0 0 0 X 0.5 Best Game from the Calgary Closed ALBERTA CHESS LEGEND DIES 2008 Schleinlich Memorial Canadian and Albertan chess legend Walter Holowach of Edmonton passed away on April 9, 2008 at the age of 98. Mr. Holowach was accomplished in many fields, includ- ing music and chess, and was also a track and field athlete in his youth. Walter was Calgary International Open also a team-mate of the late G.M. Abe Yanofsky during the 1939 Chess Olympics in Buenos Aires where Canada tied with Iceland for the Silver Cup. Walter lived a rich and varried life, and will be missed by all who knew him. A com- TOURNAMENT ADS plete report will appear in the next edition of the ACR. 2008 Alberta Tournament CALGARY INTERNATIONAL OPEN Schedule The first Calgary International wound up over the Victoria Day weekend. This seven round swiss featured three international masters, $2,500 in 2008 Battle at the Border prizes and some fighting chess! The top rated players didn’t exactly run away with things as anticipated. Victor Kaminski was the real story as he 3rd Edmonton Chess Festival defeated two of the masters and drew the other! Had Victor survived his last round encounter against Rob Gardner he could have had clear first all to himself. In the end it was John Donaldson who captured the big prize taking clear first with 5.5, with 2nd through 4th being split between For more info on chess in Day, Kaminski, and Alberta visit Gardner. Both Donaldson and Day www.albertachess.org annotate in this issue. Look for this tourna- ment again next year. Alberta Chess Report ● June 2008 Page 2 WHERE TO PLAY CHESS IN ALBERTA! Calgary Chess Club Grand Prairie Chess Club New site of the Calgary Chess Club is: #274, Golden Age Centre 10222-101 Avenue. 3359—27th St. NE Hours: Thursdays from Hours: Thursdays from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. 6:00 to 11:00 p.m. Dean Chess tournaments held the second (Parma Tech Centre, North Building) Dean Thursday of each month, starting 7 p.m. Chess tournaments held the second Tuesday nights from 6:30 - 11 p.m. Thursday Hanna Chess Club of each month, starting 7:00 p.m. Contact Jon (403) 854-3412 United Church Friday nights from 6:30 -11 p.m. on Centre St. at 6:30 p.m. Alberta Chess More information: www.calgarychess.com Association Hinton Edmonton Castle Downs Contact: Peter Bundscherer Castledowns Public Library program room, Phone: (780) 865-5050 President 106 Lakeside Landing, 15379 Castle Downs Queen’s Bakery and Café, 124 Market St. Mike Sekuloff Road. Tuesdays 1:00 to 4:30 p.m. Casual chess - no clocks, no ratings; open to all Lethbridge ages, up to 16 players involved. Contact: Kent Karapita Past President Email: [email protected] Ford Wong Edmonton Chess Club #204, 10840-124 St., (780) 424-0283 Mon- Lloydminster days and Thursdays, 7 p.m.-11 p.m. Satur- Contact: Eugene, (780) 875-6352 Vice-President days, 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Micah Hughey Medicine Hat Chess Club Edmonton Casual Chess Contact: Bill Taylor, (403) 526-5484. Hours, For general information or if you are inter- Wednesdays, 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., South- Secretary ested in setting up a new casual site in North- ridge Village, 550 Spruce Way SE Paul Viminitz ern Alberta, contact: Bruce Thomas (780) 474-2318. Email: rovingchessnuts.com Okotoks Chess Club Contact: Richard Bradley Treasurer Blackspot Café: 15120 Stony Plain Road Email: [email protected] Tim Pradzinski Sundays, 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sets are available. Sherwood Park ChessMart: 12015-76 St., open weekdays Contact: Les Jones, (780) 467-7393 Second Directors 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and some evenings Cup on Baseline Road, Wednesdays, 4 p.m. Mark Cole and weekends. Casual games can be ar- to closing time. ranged and evaluation of players of all ages. Jim Daniluk Wainwright Chess Club Jack Davies Millwoods: Seniors Drop-in Centre inside Contact: Allen Tinio, (780) 842-4123. Email: Millwoods Town Centre Mall, Thursdays, Anastasia Kazakevich [email protected]. Hours: Thursdays 7 p.m. starting 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. Showtime Video, #701 10 Main St. Richard Pua Vladislav Rekhson University of Alberta: HUB Mall, Garneau Dale Haessel Lounge. Mondays 7:20 p.m. Contact Stephen Stone, Email: [email protected] or Bob Davies phone (780) 436-3402. ALBERTA CHESS REPORT The Alberta Chess Report is published quarterly in March, June, September, December. Deadline for submission of articles and changes is one week prior to the month of publica- tion. We want your submissions! We are always looking for articles on chess as they pertain to the province of Alberta. Submissions are acceptable in any electronic text form, while pictures can be submitted in the following formats: tiff, jpeg, bmp, gif. The Alberta Chess Association in partner- ship with the Alberta Sport, Recreation, All articles are written by the editor unless otherwise credited. Parks and Wildlife Foundation, provides a Submit your request by email to: [email protected] or fax to: 403-568-7173 To speak to the more active lifestyle to Albertans by pro- editor, call 403-568-7173, please leave a message. If you wish to receive the ACR by email, viding programs to enhance living through let me know be emailing [email protected] playing chess. The ACA greatly acknowl- edges the support provided by ASRPWF Editor: Tony Ficzere, 58 Martin Crossing Court NE, Calgary, AB, T3J 3P3 Alberta Chess Report ● June 2008 Page 3 This year's Alberta Chess Championship could still hope to catch up to Eric, if Eric was the first time that the event took place lost his last game. Eric and Victor battled in the new Edmonton Chess Club. Tradi- hard and in the end it was a draw. Jeff tionally, besides the main event we also Reeve on the other hand had a great chance had the Alberta Reserves, which was an to join Eric for first place which would open to all Swiss system tournament, as force a playoff match, however he missed well as for the first time in three years we a winning plan and went on to lose the organized the Alberta Women's champion- game. All of that allowed Eric Hansen to ship. become arguably Alberta's youngest ever It all started on a Friday night as the Al- champion at a tender age of 15. berta Championship got under way. This AB Championship Final standings year's event was among the strongest in and prize winners: history. The average rating was 2305 CFC 1. Eric Hansen 4/5 $300 plus a free trip to and it had a very interesting mix of players. the Canadian Championship The tournament included 3 juniors; Eric 2. FM Greg Huber 3.5/4 $180 Eric Hansen secures a spot in the next Hansen, Victor Kaminski and Daniel 3. JeffReeve 3/5 $120 Canadian Championship Kazmaier, as well as three veterans; FIDE 4. Rob Gardner 2/5 Master Greg Huber, Jeff Reeve and Rob Victor Kaminski 2/5 each. Gardner. All the participants had very 6. Daniel Kazmaier 0.5/5 Best under 1800: similar ratings as only 86 points separated On Saturday, March 22nd two more events MarioGonzalez 2.5/5 $23.33 each Jonathan the first ranked from the outsider. Still, the have gone under way. The Alberta Re- Mrugala 2.5/5 Aaron Sequillion 2.5/5, pre-event forecasters focused mainly on serves had 26 players including one master $23.33 each. three people: FM Greg Huber, who was the and 6 experts. In the end there was a three Best under 1600: rating favourite, the defending champ Jeff way tie between National Master Nic Mike Sekuloff 2.5/5 $55 Reeve and the fast rising youngster-Eric Haynes and experts; Micah Hughey and And last but not least after 3 years we had Hansen, who had a 15 game winning Roy Yearwood. A special mention has to the first women's championship. The first streak going into the tournament. The pre- be given to Aaron Sequillion who had 5 prize of $100 and a name on the AB dictions seemed to work this time as head- tough games against higher rated oppo- Women's Championship trophy was con- ing into the last round those three were oc- nents (all of those games were among the tested by an Edmontonian Srivalli Indrani cupying the top three positions. Eric Han- last to finish) and all of which ended in and a Calgarian Nicka Kalaydina. Even sen was ahead of the pack with 3.5/4 as he draws! That must be some kind of record though Srivalli's rating was slightly higher just beat FM Greg Huber to knock him off by itself! she couldn't hold off Nicka who ran away the lead.