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8-16-2008

US Open

Commentary this week has centered around the decline of this event, from some dozen GMs 5 years ago, to just 2 in 2008.  This is also indicated in numbers of participants which parallel USCF’s membership: the overall attendance took a downward trend: 543 players in 2006, 408 in 2007 and 379 in 2008.

USCF membership numbers also took a dive from 2003, membership was around 95,000.  In 2008, it is around 80,000.

Leaders after 8 rounds:

1 Shabalov, Alexander PA 2656 7.0
2 Sevillano, Enrico M CA 2546 7.0
3 Bradford, Joseph Mark TX 2467 7.0
4 Mulyar, Michael A CO 2454 7.0
5 Milovanovic, Rade TX 2422 7.0
6 Vaidya, Chaitanya N TX 2324 7.0

New England Masters

First of all, Chessville’s columnist [1^st caption] has taken part and reports by blog, see http://newenglandmasters.com/blog/ where Andy Hortillosa writes:

“Before round six, my performance rating was 2373. I got three points going into the 6th round against IM Sarkar who already has a GM norm. I lost the game. By the way, I had four chances to make FIDE master in this tournament if I could score just one more point.”

Did he get it?  I’m sure Andy will tell us and also make a detailed report on the tourney in his own column.  2nd caption is of organizer Chris Bird.

Parker Zhao (USA) [3^rd caption] and Victor Kaminski have both scored IM norms with one round to spare.  Alisa Melekhina needs half-point in her final game to score a WGM norm.  Congratulations to Parker and Victor!  Good luck Alisa!  Here is a huge result for Parker [captioned].

Final top-5 standings:
1 Erenburg, Sergey ISR 2563 7.5
2 Gareev, Timur UZB 2570 7.0
3 Vovsha, Eli ISR 2461 6.5
4-7 Kritz, Leonid GER 2610 6.0
4-7 Friedel, Joshua E USA 2524 6.0
4-7 Stopa, Jacek POL 2440 6.0
4-7 Zhao, Parker USA 2242 6.0 (IM norm)

Photo Credits: Tony Cortizas.  Official Site

Chess Media – Edward Winter cannot claim

Chessbase reports as a result of its survey by Edward Winter, columnist, on ‘very best chess books’ the results were (1) Complete Idiot’s Guide to Chess, and then followed a list somewhat downhill from there.  One possibility explanation of the survey is that despite the rather abstruse material usually favored by the article’s author, people who write in are of other sympathy.

RYBKA shows off, again

Rybka alread gave GM Dzindzichashvili pawn and move odds then won by 2.5 -1.5

Could the top chess program give away a pawn and 2 moves to an IM? In a series of games against IM Eugene Meyer, Rybka scored 3.5 – 0.5 and concluded the match with this miniature: [Important! See diagram for start position.  Remove black’s f-pawn and establish a white pawn at e4.]. 1.d4 Nc6 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Qe2 e5 5.dxe5 Nxe5 6.Nxe5 dxe5 7.Nc3 c6 8.Bg5 Bc5 9.f4 Bg4 10.Bxf6 Bxe2 11.Bxd8 Bxc4 12.Bc7 exf4 13.Bxf4 0-0 14.Bg3 Rad8 15.Rd1 Bd4 16.Ne2 Bxb2 17.Rb1 Bf6 18.Rxb7 Bg5 0-1.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1      a      b      c      d      e       f       g      h

The 4 games were played Potomac/Maryland 09.08.2008.

I was informed this past weekend that at least one of the U.S. players has withdrawn due to safety reason. I do really hope that this can be changed ASAP.  Chess news from Susan Polgar.

Final round results:

Aronian, Levon - Grischuk, Alexander 1-0
Karjakin, Sergey - Radjabov, Teimour 0-1
Ivanchuk, Vassily - Wang Yue ½-½
Gashimov, Vugar - Svidler, Peter 0-1
Jakovenko, Dmitry - Cheparinov, Ivan 1-0
Navara, David - Kamsky, Gata 0-1
Al-Modiahki, Mohamad - Gelfand, Boris ½-½

Final standings:

1. Aronian, Levon g ARM 2737 8½
2. Radjabov, Teimour g AZE 2744 8
3. Wang Yue g CHN 2704 7½
4. Kamsky, Gata g USA 2723 7½
5. Svidler, Peter g RUS 2738 7
6. Jakovenko, Dmitry g RUS 2709 7
7. Karjakin, Sergey g UKR 2727 7
8. Ivanchuk, Vassily g UKR 2781 6½
9. Gashimov, Vugar g AZE 2717 6½
10. Grischuk, Alexander g RUS 2728 6
11. Cheparinov, Ivan g BUL 2687 6
12. Gelfand, Boris g ISR 2720 5½
13. Navara, David g CZE 2646 4
14. Al-Modiahki, Mohamad g QAT 2556 4

The Official website is very slow, and in fact rarely worked at all.  These reports courtesy Susan Polgar’s blog.  Official website.

World Junior - Result:

1 GM GUPTA Abhijeet 2551 IND 10
2 GM NEGI Parimerjan 2529 IND 9½
3-7 IM BRAUN Arik 2533 GER 9
GM HOWELL David 2561 ENG 9
GM SAFARLI Eltaj 2527 AZE 9
WGM HOU Yifan 2557 CHN 9
GM AMIN Bassem 2561 EGY 9

World Girl's Championship Final Standings:

1 IM HARIKA Dronavalli 2461 IND 10½
2-5 WGM MUZYCHUK Mariya 2413 UKR 9
WFM OZTURK Kubra 2188 TUR 9
WIM GOMES Mary Ann 2316 IND 9
WFM PAIKIDZE Nazi 2277 GEO 9

Official website

MORE BRIT ACTION – STAUNTON MEMORIAL

The Category 13 Staunton Memorial takes place from August 7-18 2008, with the rest day on August 13. There will be eleven Grandmasters and 87- year-old IM Bob Wade participating.

Standings after 6 rounds:

1. Adams, Michael g ENG 2735 5
2. Van Wely, Loek g NED 2644 4
3. Smeets, Jan g NED 2593 3½
4. Timman, Jan g NED 2562 3½
5. Short, Nigel g ENG 2655 3½
6. Speelman, Jon g ENG 2524 3½
7. Wells, Peter g ENG 2526 3
8. L'Ami, Erwin g NED 2610 2½
9. Sokolov, Ivan g NED 2658 2½
10. Werle, Jan g NED 2591 2½
11. Cherniaev, Alexander g RUS 2431 2½
12. Wade, Robert m ENG 2167 0

Chessville’s columnist GM Ray Keene, OBE, is also reporting the tournament in his regular Times [of London] column.  Official website

TheParrot Squaawks….!

More Monkey Business

USCF’s blog site is running an article by TD Tom Braunlich who officiated the recently concluded US Championship, titled Playoff Theory, with contributions by Joel Benjamin, who opined:

"The criticism directed at the U.S. Championship organization for the unfortunate events of the Armageddon playoff is ridiculous and overblown.  People may not like what happened, but the playoff procedure was fairly standard and spelled out for the players, despite the contentions of many Internet ‘commentators'."  This contrasted sharply with many of the online statements, which flatly declared the playoff method was "boneheaded," "degrading," or "demeaning to chess."

The article then continued to ‘discuss’ at extraordinary length, rules and regulations, including those from soccer [!] including important people contacted for their views.

As with many USCF ‘surveys’ the survey failed to include actual critics, dismissing them much as the non-playing Joel Benjamin did above.  So what’s new about USCF’s Circle the Wagons approach to chess life?

This approach is new.  What is entirely absent from the article is the slightest sense that the game has traditionally belonged to its players – and players views are paramount.  In this article they do not even get a mention, and the irony of Benjamin’s dismissal above is that he himself decided not to play this year, because of organization factors, and he himself is no more than an ‘internet commentator.’

If USCF really wanted to address the issue they would have asked the mostly European commentators [which included some senior TDs] why they thought their own tournament degraded and demeaned chess.

If they really wanted to know what players thought they might have asked Irina Krush.

But no.  The organization can’t be wrong, and when the Parrot exchanged substantial questions with the organizers they were entirely defensive, suggested I was being personal and ‘attacking’ them, rather than clarifying who and why organized a national final this way – and if USCF had the slightest interest in what WE THE PLAYERS think of them.

They did not then, nor now.  See for yourself if official thinking is all about officials, or if any substantial criticism is represented in the Braunlich article on behalf of the players of the game.

I know the issue is just women’s chess, and I know that these are just 2 male writers, but I note that As Above, So Below, seems like Fide have just the same attitude about the women’s game.  And hey!  Whether its just a few bombs Russian-style World Championship, or just US-style Monkey Business, where are the just criticisms?

One writer to USCF’s forum asks what level of critique is invited? “It appears the forum has devolved to the same ol' glad-handers and back-slappers.  Rarely is read a contrary viewpoint.  Is that not be the point of a forum?”

This writer was then excoriated by the other writers of the forum, including challenges to compare himself to officials of the game!  Instead he replied that Fischer didn’t let sponsors dictate chess conditions to officials and players…

Well… deaf ears to that one, the same nothing that was offered to Krush - but who wants another era that can produce the quality chess of a Fischer?  Nope!

No Fischer no Krush
Its rush rush rush
Down Armageddon street...

I was going to re-show a picture here of Fide Officials, but on Googling the site I found only other investigators asking what happened to it?

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The Parrot's Archives

TheParrot's Special Reports

• Polgar & the USCF:  A Parrot Special Report combines the text of GM Susan Polgar's remarks, published in last week's Squaawk, and the USCF's carefully worded response.  Also, a further response from Ms. Polgar.

• Scholastics - the Soul of Chess?:  Is the Scholastic chess movement actually bad for chess?  Maybe, or so argues Tom Braunlich in an article extracted here at Chessville (Scholastics and the Soul of Chess).  TheParrot's Special Report addresses some very strongly worded reader opinions, along with Braunlich's reply.

• USCF's Book & Equipment Deal with Chess Cafe:  It all started with the following posting by Larry Parr in one of the public newsgroups last week:  "Gentlemen, The USCF Executive Board has caved to the ChessCafe.  That is the report I received from a source.  By a 5-1 vote the EB has decided WITHOUT OFFERING A PUBLIC TENDER to alter favorably for the Cafe the terms of its contract and to extend the Cafe's sales agreement until 2012. Further, the Cafe will have over $100,000 of its $250,000-plus debt to the USCF forgiven. The vote was 5 to 1."

• USCF's Fingerfehler:  A related issue has also surfaced, the alleged blacklisting or boycotting of certain authors by USCF Sales.  USCF Sales is the name of the business entity, operated by Hanon Russell of Chess Café, which has contracted with the USCF to provide book & equipment (B&E) sales on their behalf.  TheParrot received this message (12/29/2005) from GM Raymond Keene, regarding the controversy on USCF Sales...

• Who Cares? - Women and Children in Chess:  Months ago the Parrot wrote to the USCF board via Bill Hall Executive Director of USCF, asking after standards in place to avert offense to women and children in chess.  These concerns, although according to Hall were delivered to the board, have not been addressed nor even acknowledged.  Perhaps this is a cultural thing, but in some cultures is not dishonorable nor some game of politically correct words, to actively protect women and children from offence - in fact it is considered manly.  The issues before the board were about the treatment of women and children, and the lack of standard evident in the works of USCF agents paid and unpaid – and who even sometimes wrote anonymously, but let it be known that they wrote as USCF agents.  And what happens if you don’t …  Now we have a collision of speculations about new board member Sam Sloan's standards with these non-existent USCF standards...

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