Religious Sexism Rears Its Ugly Head With FIDE

I hope US Chess and other Western chess federations will call foor a boycott of this event with its offensive religious discrimination against non-Muslim women participants. Our women's national champion is apparently not going to participate. Brava!!!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/09/29/female-chess-players-accuse-governing-body-of-sex-discrimination/

Anand Beats Back A Speculative Piece Sacrifice By Mamedyarov At The Tal Memorial

Mamedyarov sacrifices a piece for three pawn, but Anand plays well and wins. From Chessbase.

[Event "10th Tal Mem 2016"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "2016.09.27"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Anand, V."]
[Black "Mamedyarov, S."]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2776"]
[BlackElo "2761"]
[PlyCount "107"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3
O-O 9. h3 Bb7 10. d4 Re8 11. Nbd2 exd4 12. cxd4 Nd7 13. Nf1 Na5 14. Bc2 Bf6 15.
Rb1 c5 16. d5 Nc4 17. b3 Nce5 18. N3h2 Ng6 {As Svidler mentioned on commentary,
this is all following the game between Giri-Svidler, a crucial victory for the
Russian in the World Cup last year!} 19. Ne3 (19. Ng3 Bc8 (19... Bc3 $5 {Was
perhaps an improvement by Bu against Hou Yifan in July.}) 20. Rf1 {
Giri-Svidler, 2015.}) 19... Bc8 (19... Bc3 {was played in Macieja-Berczes,
2015. The Hungarian player, Berczes, won at the end.}) 20. Bd2 b4 21. Nhg4 a5
22. Nxf6+ Qxf6 23. g3 a4 {Anand didn't understand this move. He was happy to
see a4.} (23... Nde5 24. f4 (24. Nf5 $5) 24... Nxf4 25. gxf4 Qxf4 26. Nf1 Qh4
27. Re3 Bxh3 {is similar to the game, but without the a4 pawn sacrifice. More
analysis will be needed to determine the differences.}) 24. bxa4 Nde5 25. f4 {
It is clear that after this move Black must sacrifice his piece. Anand
considers this version to be better for White than without the a4 break.
Thorough analysis will be found in a future ChessBase Magazine edition, but
for now it seems that the former World Champion is correct.} Nxf4 26. gxf4 Qxf4
27. Nf1 Qh4 28. Re3 Bxh3 {Vishy thought it was hard to collect a4 in this
position.} 29. Qe2 Qg4+ {A surprising decision, to exchange queens in this
material balance.} (29... h5 30. a3 $1 {Is a nice break that activates White's
pieces.}) 30. Qxg4 Bxg4 31. a3 Nf3+ 32. Kf2 Nd4 33. Rb2 bxa3 34. Rxa3 Nxc2 35.
Rxc2 Rxe4 36. a5 {Even though Black has three pawns for the pieces, the
combination of the power of the passed a pawn and the possibility for White's
pieces to activate give him an almost winning advantage.} Bc8 37. Re3 {Based
on a miscalculation.} (37. Rb2 $1 {was easier.}) 37... Rf4+ 38. Rf3 (38. Kg3
Rg4+ 39. Kf3 h5 40. Re8+ Kh7 $16 {is not that clear just yet.}) 38... Re4 39.
Rb2 Ba6 40. Bc3 h5 41. Ng3 Rh4 42. Rb6 Rh2+ 43. Kg1 Rc2 44. Nf5 Bc4 45. Re3 $1
Kh7 46. Rxd6 $1 {The start of a study-like win.} Rb8 47. Rb6 Rxb6 48. axb6 Bxd5
49. Nxg7 Rg2+ (49... h4 50. Nh5 Kh6 51. Nf4 Bc6 52. Bf6 {and Black is in an
annoying mating net.}) 50. Kf1 Rg6 51. Nxh5 Bc4+ 52. Kf2 Rxb6 53. Nf6+ {The
point of the combination. Both king moves lose to different things.} Kh6 (53...
Kg6 54. Nd7 {and Black cannot defend the rook and check on e5, taking the
bishop, which incidentally also cannot be defended.}) 54. Rg3 {Nothing to to
against impeding mate but sacrifice the rook, so Mamedyarov called it quits.} (
54. Rg3 Rd6 55. Be5 Rd2+ 56. Ke1 Re2+ 57. Kd1 Rxe5 58. Ng4+ Kg5 59. Nxe5+ Kf4
60. Rg4+ $18) 1-0

Mark Dvoretsky of Endgame Manual Fame Has Passed Away At Too Young An Age

RIP
http://en.chessbase.com/post/r-i-p-mark-dvoretsky-9-12-1947-to-26-09-2016

Vermont Open Chess Tournament 10/29-10/30

Vermont Open
Date: October 29-30, 2016
Location: Contois Auditorium, Burlington City Hall, Burglington, VT
Organizer: Vermont Chess Association   
Summary: Three sections, top Vermonter becomes State Champion.  See details here:  http://www.uschess.org/tlas/16972.ctla

REMINDER--Lyndonville, VT Quick Rated Tournament 10/2, One Week From Today

US Chess quick rated only, 6 rounds, G-25 d3, at The Grindstone Cafe, 102 Depot Street, Lyndonville, VT.
http://www.relyeachess.com/flyers/Lyndonville%20Oct2016.pdf

"Chess is just a bitch that bites you in the arse.”

And the girls prefer rugby players anyway............
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/sep/14/truth-beauty-and-annihilation-a-life-in-chess

Samuel Lipschütz--Gone, But No Longer Forgotten

A new biography of this Manhattan Chess Club champion from the 1880's and 1890's is available from the specialty publisher McFarland. It looks like an excellent biography. An interesting review can be found here:
http://www.kingpinchess.net/2016/08/the-forgotten-american/