Remembrance of Mikhail Tal Who Died This Day In 1992

http://en.chessbase.com/post/tal-in-memoriam

Tal as a young man, above, and in middle age with the ever present cigarette, bottom.

Tal won a brilliancy prize for this game.

[Event "Bled-Zagreb-Belgrade Candidates"]
[Site "Bled, Zagreb & Belgrade YUG"]
[Date "1959.09.18"]
[EventDate "1959.09.07"]
[Round "8"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Mikhail Tal"]
[Black "Vasily Smyslov"]
[ECO "B10"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "51"]

1.e4 c6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 e5 4.Ngf3 Nd7 5.d4 dxe4 6.Nxe4 exd4
7.Qxd4 Ngf6 8.Bg5 Be7 9.O-O-O O-O 10.Nd6 Qa5 11.Bc4 b5 12.Bd2
Qa6 13.Nf5 Bd8 14.Qh4 bxc4 15.Qg5 Nh5 16.Nh6+ Kh8 17.Qxh5 Qxa2
18.Bc3 Nf6 19.Qxf7 Qa1+ 20.Kd2 Rxf7 21.Nxf7+ Kg8 22.Rxa1 Kxf7
23.Ne5+ Ke6 24.Nxc6 Ne4+ 25.Ke3 Bb6+ 26.Bd4 1-0

David Carter Simul Update

David and I are discussing a date in late July or early August for his simul at The Grindstone. Stay tuned................

The Lyndonville Street Fair

The Lyndonville Street Fair last evening was fun. I hung out around The Grindstone for a while handing out LCC flyers. I think we'll see a few more new faces in the coming weeks. Good bluegrass music too. Good weekend to all!!!

Carlsen Loses Again-------to Anand!

[Event "Norway Chess 2015"]
[Site "Stavanger"]
[Date "2015.06.19"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C84"]
[WhiteElo "2804"]
[BlackElo "2876"]
[Annotator "Robot 3"]
[PlyCount "93"]
[EventDate "2015.??.??"]
[EventCountry "NOR"]
[TimeControl "40/7200:3600+30"]

1. e4 {12} e5 {7} 2. Nf3 {5} Nc6 {6} 3. Bb5 {7} a6 {5} 4. Ba4 {5} Nf6 {6} 5.
O-O {9} Be7 {8} 6. d3 {8} d6 {41} 7. c3 {33} O-O {8} 8. Nbd2 {8} Re8 {37} 9.
Re1 {116} b5 {126} 10. Bc2 {62} Bf8 {45} 11. Nf1 {575} g6 {1298} 12. h3 {505}
Bb7 {110} 13. Ng3 {134} Nb8 {279} 14. d4 {33} Nbd7 {6} 15. a4 {26} c5 {117} 16.
d5 {22} c4 {7} 17. Bg5 {40} Bg7 {79} 18. Qd2 {83} Rb8 {740} 19. Nh2 {881} Bc8 {
523} 20. Ng4 {630} Nc5 {76} 21. Nh6+ {353} Bxh6 {34} 22. Bxh6 {21} bxa4 {69}
23. Ra2 {275} a3 {315} 24. bxa3 {20} Nfd7 {21} 25. f4 {634} a5 {718} 26. Rf1 {
382} f6 {459} 27. f5 {98} Nd3 {99} 28. Bxd3 {519} cxd3 {1} 29. Qd1 {45} Re7 {
383} 30. Raf2 {530} Rf7 {57} 31. Qxd3 {145} Nc5 {95} 32. Qf3 {148} Ba6 {141}
33. Qg4 {393} g5 {56} 34. h4 {34} Bxf1 {89} 35. Rxf1 {9} Qd7 {357} 36. hxg5 {54
} fxg5 {10} 37. Qh5 {166} Kh8 {102} 38. f6 {11} Rg8 {28} 39. Bg7+ {17} Rfxg7 {6
} 40. fxg7+ {0} Qxg7 {0} 41. Nf5 {927} Qg6 {9} 42. Qxg6 {39} Rxg6 {261} 43. Ne7
{23} Kg7 {82} 44. Nxg6 {19} Kxg6 {3} 45. Rf8 {149} a4 {10} 46. c4 {184} h5 {19}
47. Kf2 {47} 1-0

Norway Round 3--Nakamura and Topolov Lead

Carlsen languishes in last place with .5 after a Round 3 draw.

The standings are below preceeded by Nakamura vs. Caruana in which, according to one commentator, Caruana committed suicide.


[Event "Norway Chess 2015"]
[Site "Stavanger"]
[Date "2015.06.18"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Nakamura, Hikaru"]
[Black "Caruana, Fabiano"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A35"]
[WhiteElo "2802"]
[BlackElo "2805"]
[Annotator "Robot 3"]
[PlyCount "111"]
[EventDate "2015.??.??"]
[EventCountry "NOR"]
[TimeControl "40/7200:3600+30"]

1. Nf3 {5} Nf6 {7} 2. c4 {5} c5 {5} 3. Nc3 {32} Nc6 {7} 4. g3 {15} d5 {14} 5.
cxd5 {6} Nxd5 {4} 6. Bg2 {6} g6 {33} 7. O-O {143} Bg7 {78} 8. Nxd5 {7} Qxd5 {5}
9. d3 {5} O-O {133} 10. Be3 {78} Bd7 {78} 11. Nd4 {363} Qd6 {13} 12. Nxc6 {14}
Bxc6 {4} 13. Bxc6 {14} Qxc6 {5} 14. Rc1 {6} Qa6 {66} 15. Qb3 {546} b6 {50} 16.
Rc4 {11} Rfd8 {692} 17. Rfc1 {135} Rd7 {1411} 18. a3 {484} Rad8 {592} 19. Rf4 {
1537} Bf6 {739} 20. h4 {364} Qb7 {216} 21. Rc2 {98} Qb8 {549} 22. Rf3 {515} Rd5
{366} 23. Bg5 {48} Qd6 {100} 24. Bxf6 {106} exf6 {39} 25. Qa4 {36} a5 {154} 26.
Qf4 {207} f5 {225} 27. Qxd6 {119} R8xd6 {8} 28. Rf4 {7} Rd4 {543} 29. Rxd4 {142
} Rxd4 {6} 30. Kg2 {4} Kg7 {189} 31. Rc3 {24} Kf6 {91} 32. e3 {54} Rd6 {19} 33.
Kf3 {30} Ke5 {49} 34. a4 {101} Kd5 {86} 35. Ke2 {26} Rd7 {317} 36. Kd2 {47} h6
{62} 37. Rc1 {50} Kc6 {161} 38. Kc3 {16} b5 {27} 39. axb5+ {11} Kxb5 {3} 40. b3
{0} g5 {0} 41. hxg5 {123} hxg5 {27} 42. Rh1 {12} Ra7 {1322} 43. Rh7 {570} f4 {
186} 44. gxf4 {527} gxf4 {6} 45. e4 {5} a4 {870} 46. bxa4+ {29} Rxa4 {5} 47.
Rxf7 {3} Ra3+ {21} 48. Kd2 {6} Ra2+ {21} 49. Ke1 {4} Ra3 {424} 50. Ke2 {175}
Ra2+ {5} 51. Kf3 {27} Rd2 {41} 52. Rd7 {681} Kc6 {8} 53. Rd5 {5} Kb6 {19} 54.
e5 {75} Kc6 {6} 55. Rd8 {69} Kc7 {10} 56. Rd6 {90} 1-0

Norway Chess--Nakamura Tied In First; Carlsen Dead Last 0-2

In round one Carlsen lost a winning position against Topolov............On Time!!!!

The end as reported at Chessbase.com

[Event "3rd Norway Chess 2015"]
[Site "Stavanger NOR"]
[Date "2015.06.16"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Carlsen, M."]
[Black "Topalov, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D43"]
[WhiteElo "2876"]
[BlackElo "2798"]
[Annotator "Ramirez Alvarez,Alejandro"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1b6/1P4k1/8/7Q/5p2/6PK/4Bq2/8 w - - 0 60"]
[PlyCount "2"]
[EventDate "2015.06.17"]
[SourceDate "2015.02.07"]

60. Qg5+ {After a long defence, Topalov can resist no more. The combined threats of the queen and bishop are decisive.} Kf7 {And White lost! He believed to have an extra 15 minutes given to him on move 60, but they simply did not exist.} (60... Kf7 61. Bc4+ Ke8 62. Bb5+ Kf7 63. Qf5+ Ke7 64. Qd7+ Kf6 65. Qd8+ Kg7 66. Qe7+ Kh6 67. Qf6+ Kh7 68. Bd3+ Kg8 69. Bc4+ Kh7 70. Qf7+ Kh6 71. Qf8+ Kg5 72. Qg7+ Kf5 73. g4+ Ke4 74. Qg6+ Ke5 75. Qe6+ Kd4 76. Qb6+ {And Black loses. It might seem like a long sequence, but White should somehow stumble upon it when he sees that other moves are not winning.}) 0-1

Then in Round 2, Fabio Caruna defeated Carlsen. Here's the Round 2 game in pgn format.

[Event "Norway Chess 2015"]
[Site "Stavanger"]
[Date "2015.06.17"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Caruana, Fabiano"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C67"]
[WhiteElo "2805"]
[BlackElo "2876"]
[Annotator "Robot 3"]
[PlyCount "89"]
[EventDate "2015.??.??"]
[EventCountry "NOR"]
[TimeControl "40/7200:3600+30"]

1. e4 {3} e5 {5} 2. Nf3 {4} Nc6 {6} 3. Bb5 {5} Nf6 {6} 4. O-O {11} Nxe4 {4} 5.
d4 {4} Nd6 {8} 6. Bxc6 {7} dxc6 {6} 7. dxe5 {5} Nf5 {6} 8. Qxd8+ {4} Kxd8 {6}
9. h3 {15} h6 {7} 10. Rd1+ {15} Ke8 {9} 11. Nc3 {5} Ne7 {5} 12. b3 {23} Bf5 {18
} 13. Nd4 {11} Bh7 {8} 14. Bb2 {17} Rd8 {160} 15. Nce2 {20} Nd5 {486} 16. c4 {
14} Nb4 {50} 17. Nf4 {8} Rg8 {852} 18. g4 {644} Na6 {1392} 19. Nf5 {1445} Nc5 {
49} 20. Rxd8+ {460} Kxd8 {2} 21. Rd1+ {51} Kc8 {81} 22. Ba3 {557} Ne6 {584} 23.
Nxe6 {1030} Bxa3 {9} 24. Nexg7 {34} Bf8 {240} 25. e6 {334} Bxf5 {17} 26. Nxf5 {
9} fxe6 {4} 27. Ng3 {66} Be7 {22} 28. Kg2 {73} Rf8 {96} 29. Rd3 {355} Rf7 {193}
30. Nh5 {269} Bd6 {178} 31. Rf3 {104} Rh7 {12} 32. Re3 {151} Re7 {26} 33. f4 {
242} Ba3 {142} 34. Kf3 {89} Bb2 {12} 35. Re2 {146} Bc3 {13} 36. g5 {186} Kd7 {5
} 37. Kg4 {121} Re8 {31} 38. Ng3 {77} Rh8 {40} 39. h4 {112} b6 {6} 40. h5 {0}
c5 {0} 41. g6 {225} Re8 {164} 42. f5 {132} exf5+ {34} 43. Kf4 {117} Rh8 {63}
44. Nxf5 {56} Bf6 {2} 45. Rg2 {107} 1-0

50th Capablanca Memorial Tournament in Havana Begins Today

The first round is under way. It can be followed live on Chessbase's Playchess site.
http://www.endgame.nl/capamem.htm

Vermont National Master, David Carter, Agrees to Play a Simul at the LCC

Vermont's only ranked National Master has agreed to play a simul for the LCC at The Grindstone Cafe. Remuneration would be a donation to the Vermont Chess Association per board. A very gracious offer on David's part. Stay tuned for more details.

Of Simuls and Round Robins

We at the Lyndonville Chess Club are looking at the possibility of having a local National Master visit to give a simul for club members and as a draw to bring in new adult and scholastic players. Feelers are out.........stay tuned.

Mike suggested Tuesday evening that we run a round robin rapid tournament some evenings at The Grindstone. I think this is a terrific idea and will be looking at my tournament software to see how best to do this. More to follow. Ideas/suggestions as to possible prizes are welcome---maybe a trip to the Netherlands to play in the coffee houses there??????

Chess Tonight at The Grindstone Cafe

See you all there tonight!!

A Wonderful Swindle by Boris Gelfand

As annotated by GM Lubomir Kavalek in The Huffington Post.

[Event "FIDE Grand Prix "]
[Site "Khanty-Mansiysk "]
[Date "2015.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Jakovenko, Dmitry"]
[Black "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B90"]
[WhiteElo "2738"]
[BlackElo "2744"]
[Annotator "GM Lubomir Kavalek/The Huffington Post"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5q1k/3n4/3PQ3/4nPp1/8/1B5P/PP6/7K b - - 0 45"]
[PlyCount "16"]
[EventDate "2015.??.??"]

{Gelfand could have played the objectively best move 45...Kg7. Instead he went for a desperate, but tricky counterplay, sacrificing a knight.} 45... Nd3 $6 46. Qxd7 Qa8+ 47. Kg1 ({After} 47. Kh2 $6 Nf4 48. Bd5 Qxd5 49. Qd8+ Kh7 50. Qxg5 (50. Qe7+ Kh6 51. Qf6+ $11) 50... Qxd6 {black can hold.}) 47... Nf4 $1 { Amazingly, White has no checks and can't protect the square g2. His king has to move.} (47... Ne1 $2 48. Kf2 {White wins.}) 48. Kf2 g4 $5 {Black seemingly creates a support point on f3, but Gelfand's move is a tricky attempt to get rid of all his pieces.} ({After} 48... Qg2+ 49. Ke3 Qe2+ 50. Kd4 Qxb2+ 51. Kc5 {the white king escapes.}) 49. hxg4 $2 {Jakovenko falls for the trap. The black king is stalemated in the corner and Gelfand easily finds a way to lose all his pieces.} ({To win the game, the white king has to run either to} 49. Kg3 Qf3+ (49... Nxh3 50. Kh4 $18) (49... gxh3 50. Qe7 $18) 50. Kh4 Qf2+ 51. Kg5 $1 Nxh3+ 52. Kg6 Nf4+ 53. Kf7 $18) ({or to} 49. Ke3 Qf3+ 50. Kd4 Qf2+ 51. Kc4 Qe2+ 52. Kc5 $18) 49... Qg2+ 50. Ke3 Nd5+ $1 {For the moment, the black knight blocks the diagonal a2-g8, but Jakovenko will be forced to take the horse in a few moves.} 51. Kd4 (51. Bxd5 Qd2+ 52. Kf3 Qf2+ 53. Ke4 Qe3+ 54. Kxe3 { stalemate.}) 51... Qf2+ {Gelfand selects a more stylish move.} (51... Qxg4+ { also lead to a draw.}) 52. Kxd5 Qd4+ $1 {Forcing the stalemate.} 53. Kxd4 {The diagonal opens up again, but the stolen goods make the thief unhappy.} (53. Kc6 Qb6+ $11) (53. Ke6 Qf6+ $11) 1/2-1/2

LCC In The Caledonian-Record Today!!

Nice of the editors to use the photo sent to them last week. Here it is.

Best Turnout So Far At The Grindstone Cafe

Thank you to all who came out tonight supporting the Lyndonville Chess Club!!

A New 14 Year Old Grandmaster Crowned in Chicago

Oh, to have a young mind again. Congratulations to this young man! And nice to see it happen at one of Bill Goitchberg's tournaments. Bravo!!
http://en.chessbase.com/post/jeffery-xiong-rocks-chicago