Illinois Chess Bulletin Volume 27, Issue 5 September October 2004 NM Aleksandr Stamnov & CM Pete Karagianis Tie for First Place in the 2004 Billy Colias Memorial Master Invitational Tournament INSIDE THIS ISSUE 8 Englishman Playing in the USA 2004 Billy Colias Memorial Master 10 Invitational Tournament 29 GM Benjamin Simul About the Illinois Chess Bulletin and the Illinois Chess AssociatioAnd vertisement MIDWEST CLASS CHAMPIONSHIPS October 8-10 or 9-10 Hyatt Regency Oakbrook, Oakbrook IL (near Chicago) $15,000 PRIZE FUND UNCONDITIONALLY GUARANTEED! 13th annual Midwest Class Championships. 5SS, 40/2, SD/1 (2-day option, rds 1-2 G/75), Hyatt Regency Oak Brook, 1909 Spring Rd (near I-88 Cermak Rd exit), Oak Brook 60521. Free parking. $$G 15,000. In 7 sections. Master (2200/up): $1200-700-400-300, clear winner bonus $200, top U2400 $800-400. If tie for first, top 2 on tiebreak play speed game for bonus prize & title. FIDE rated, 60 Grand Prix points. Expert (2000-2199): $1000-500-300-200. Class A (1800-1999): $1000-500-300-200. Class B (1600-1799): $1000-500-300-200. Class C (1400-1599): $1000-500-300-200. Class D (1200-1399): $800-400-300-200. Class E (1000-1199): $700-300-200-100. Rated players may play up one class. Unrated may enter Class A or below, with prize limit $600 A, $400 B, $300 C, $200 D, $100 E. Entry fee: 3-day $83, 2-day $82 mailed by 10/2, all $81 online at chesstour.com by 10/5, $85 phoned to 406-896-2038 by 10/5 (entry only, no questions), $100 at site. No checks at site, credit cards OK. ICA memb. ($18, jrs $14) required for IL residents. IL maxi-tour event. Special EF: $60 less to unrated. $20 less to rated juniors under 18. Re-entry $50; not available in Master Section. GMs $80 from prize. Advance EF $10 less if paid with $49 USCF dues. 3-day schedule: Reg. ends Fri 6:30 pm, rds. Fri 7:30, Sat 11-6, Sun 9-3:15. 2-day schedule: Reg. ends Sat 10 am, rds. Sat 11-2:30-6, Sun 9-3:15. Half point byes OK all, rds 3-5 must commit before rd 2. 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Advance entries posted at chesstour.com 10/7. 2 Illinois Chess Bulletin Table of Contents Table of Contents NM Aleksandr Stamnov & CM Pete KaragianisTie for First Place in the 2004 Billy Colias Memorial Master Invitational Tournament………………………………………………. 10 Twin City Chess Club Letters Bloomington Normal Chess Camp……………………27 President’s Podium....................................................5 St. Charles CC………………………………………….29 Features ICA News Cheap Talk.................................................................6 ICA Tour…………………………………………………25 Englishman Playing in the USA..................................8 ICA Ex Urban Tour..……………………………………26 2004 Billy Colias Memorial Master Games Invitational Tournament…………….…………………..10 Games from the Games Editor ................................43 GM Carlsen vs. Machaj, B……………………………..31 Scholastics and the Soul of Chess Part 1…………….34 Where to Play Tournament Calendar..............................................49 Chess Clubs Affiliate Listing..........................................................51 Tournament Chess Club of Mensa …………………22 State Farm Employee Chess Club ICA Support India vs USA Round III………………………………. .23 Supporting Members and Businesses......................53 ICA Meeting and The ICA has a new Membership Secretary Location The meeting will be held on Sunday October 17, Jeff Smith: 2004 from 1:45 until 5pm, hopefully ending early. A brief officers meeting will be held prior to 202 South Adelaide the general meeting. St, Normal, IL 61761 The location will be Cuyler Covenant Church 309-451-9050 where the Lakeview Cuyler Chess Club meets. [email protected] 3901 N. Marshfield Ave, Chicago IL 60613. Marshfield is located in between Paulina and Ashland. The church is on the corner of Missing ICB’s and membership Marshfield and Byron, 1 block south of Irving Park Rd. Please try to make it. Larry Cohen issues should be directed to Jeff. Illinois Chess Bulletin 3 About the Illinois Chess Bulletin and the Illinois Chess Association Illinois Chess Bulletin Advertising Rates Published six times per year Back Cover: $125 Inside Front: $115 Copyright © 2004 Illinois Chess Association Full Page: $100 Next Deadline: October 15th. 2004 1/2 Page: $65 1/ Page: $50 3 Submissions 1/ Page: $40 4 1/ Page: $25 Send contributions to: 8 There is a $20 design charge for ads that are not Colley Kitson camera-ready. Allow 7 days for design. Allow 428 N Grant additional time if ad proofing is required. ICA affiliates Clinton, Il receive a ⅓ discount and ads that appear in 61727 consecutive issues receive a 10% discount. Payment [email protected] must accompany the ad. The ICA and the ICB reserve the right to refuse any specific advertisement. Electronic submissions are preferred. Preferred Membership Information formats for articles, stories or advertisements are Microsoft Word. The Illinois Chess Bulletin (ICB) is published by the Illinois Chess Association (ICA). ICA membership Game submissions are also preferred in electronic includes a subscription to the ICB. Memberships format. Games should be submitted in ChessBase marked 1st receive their magazine first class. archive format (.cbv) or in pgn. ChessBase 8 will Memberships marked P also receive a plaque. automatically send archive format if you e-mail from Affiliates also receive discounted advertising rates, ChessBase 8. In earlier versions of ChessBase you event advertising on Chess Phone and the ICA may archive a database to create a single file to e- website, and the right to run Tour events. mail. See your help materials. Corporate $500 1st Class & Plaque If you need a simple program to create pgn files. Most Organization $200 1st Class & Plaque chess databases will also produce text files in pgn Business $200 1st Class & Plaque format, as will many chess playing programs. The main Century Club $100 1st Class font for the ICB is Arial, and also using the Figurine Gold Card $50 1st Class Aries font and the US Diagram font from ChessBase. Patron $35 1st Class Editorial Staff Affiliate $25 Affiliate benefits Managing Editor: Colley Kitson Regular $18 Games Editor: Albert Chow Junior $10 Assistant Games Editor: Angelo Young Family $6 No magazine ICCA Coach $19 Also a member of ICCA Contributors Cochess $19 Also a member of Cochess Albert Chow Angelo Young Larry Cohen FIDE Master Albert Chow Dan Pradt Accepting games for the ICB Howard Fried games can be sent to: Ron Saurez Matt Nemmers Jon Burgess Albert Chow Tom Braunlich 3513 N Seminary, Chicago 60657. 773-248-4846, Blair Machaj [email protected]. Paul Smith Peter Stroyan Bradley Watts 4 Illinois Chess Bulletin President’s Podium President’s Podium President: Cohen, Lawrence S 23 1 S Villa Ave #3-B PRESIDENTS PODIUM Villa Park IL 60181-2941 63 0-834-2477 [email protected] I would like to begin by reminding everyone that there is an ICA election coming up. You will see a ballot Me tro VP: in the Nov/Dec issue of the ICB. As it turns out I Fried, Howard 26 35 N New England Av was mistaken about the need to hold up this issue of Chicago IL 60707 the ICB. I thought that ballots were suppose to go 773-889-8553 into this issue, but as it turns out that was not the [email protected] case. Please feel free to contact me if you have any problems or issues you wish to have addressed. I may Do wnstate VP: Bourgerie, Dennis still have delayed this issue, but only so those PO Box 157 rejoining at the Illinois Open do not miss an issue of Normal IL 61761-0157 the magazine. I am happy to report that we are 309-454-3842. finally catching up with all of the names and [email protected] addresses that had been missing. Se cretary: Robert Loncarevic, On the chess front, I hope you all had a good (77 3) 282-5148 tournament at the Illinois Open (unless you were one of my opponents), and a good time. There is a Treasurer: tournament at the Chess Club of Mensa (a new chess Co hen, Howard 10482 Anne Ct #2-E club) on the last Saturday in September. October Ro semont IL 60018-3520 looks to be filled with tournaments. There is, of 847-803-0941 course, the Midwest Class being run by Bill Goichberg Ch [email protected] over the weekend of October 8-10. Also, you can find tournaments this October in Normal, Springfield, ICA Tour Statistician Peoria, Grayslake [contact Tim Just], Chicago Sh eila Heiser. 847-526-9025. [Lakeview area, at the Cuyler Covenant Church), and of ske [email protected]. course, Tom Fineberg will be running something at the Tuley Park field house. ICA Membership Secretary Jeff Smith: 202 South Adelaide St, Normal, On the national front, Shaunessy and Bauer were elected IL 61761 to the USCF policy board in the special election. The 309-451-9050 USCF has computerized, so by the time you read this it ICA [email protected] should be possible to submit a tournament online and have the rating results available by the end of the Helen Warren Junior Chess Program day on the next non-weekend day after the tournament. PO Box 305 This will mean faster turn around times for rating We stern Springs, IL 60558-0305 tournaments, and also it will soon be possible to [email protected] correct all those old errors that are still out there from years ago. CHESS PHONE Chess results & announcements (630) 832-5222 Best "Chess" Regards, Larry S. Cohen WORLD WIDE WEB http://www.illinoischess.org Illinois Chess Bulletin 5 Cheap Talk . Disclaimer: This piece is not meant to put-down beginning types just aren't worth the effort. I used to think there players. It is meant to poke fun at those few people out there were a lot of stupid people in the Navy, but apparently who kibitz like they know it all but don't really know thing-one those who just want to be in the Navy are even dumber about the game, and don't want to learn. Please keep that in than some of those already serving. In more ways mind when reading this little observation of mine. than one, probably. Cheap Talk By now you're probably wondering what all this By Matt Nemmers has to do with chess. Well, since my understanding of chess has grown and the hobby that it once was has blossomed into a full-blown obsession, I've noticed that I've been in the Navy for almost ten years now, the same kind of thing happens when the topic of and I've found that there's one immutable, universal chess is brought to the table. But the people who don't truth: when someone in the service is overheard know jack about chess and still profess to be hardcore explaining their job, there's always a know-it-all in the woodpushers are more entertaining. Partly because crowd who has to put his two-cents in. they say the same types of things as the military wannabes who claim to be Rambo, but mostly Now this isn't a bad thing; I enjoy hearing because justice rules supreme on the chessboard; a about other's experiences, or "sea-stories," as we call lot of trash talk and a few lines from Searching for them in the Navy. Most people who've served our Bobby Fischer isn't going to save a hanging queen. country in the military have at least a dozen or so interesting tales to tell, usually involving a woman, a Let me ask you a question: when you tell fight, a bar, or a fight over a woman in a bar. people that you're a chessplayer, how many of them All fun stuff the recruiters feed to enthusiastic, blissfully tell you that they don't know how to play? Not many, ignorant young men before they send them off to a right? Most of the people I’ve talked to claim to be avid ship in the Persian Gulf to wash dishes for six months. devotees of the Royal Game. After all, ours is the "smart people's" game -- no one wants to be thought of However, the "two-cents" I'm referring to are as a poor player, or worse, totally ignorant of the game typically dished out by guys who have two fundamental that's considered the world's foremost test of the problems that mark them as stupid: 1)a complete lack intellectual faculties. "I love to play chess!" they'll of basic knowledge about their alleged branch of exclaim. For most people this can be accurately service; and 2) a ridiculously exaggerated notion of translated into, "Yeah, I know how the pieces move. their own abilities. They pick the most dangerous and Except for the horse. I always get confused with the difficult jobs the military has to offer and start telling horse." stories that they think sound like something they We've all met them: the self-proclaimed chess would've done if they were really there. If a Marine enthusiast who likes to say they're "pretty good" and initiates the conversation, Mr. X was part of Marine talk about how they know the "trick move" that can Force Recon; if it's a soldier talking, Mr. X was either a "beat anyone" in four moves. They're cocky, aloof, and Green Beret or an Army Ranger; and if a sailor shows a fall from the lofty perch on their high-horse is usually up, Mr. X was a fighting man of SEAL Team Two. fatal. They delight in every check, something they (Coincidentally, I’ve never met anyone who’s admitted never fail to announce boisterously and never without to being an Air Force veteran.) a self-satisfied smirk. To these guys, even the ego- deflating blow of a crushing defeat can be cushioned I'm in the Navy, so most guys like to tell me by the fact that they were able to yell "Check!" at their about when they were a SEAL. They'll start off with opponent three or four times in a game. things that sound feasible at first, but for some reason, these know-it-all types can't help but throw in They probably mean well; after all, they're just something they think will impress their listener. Like, "I trying to save face in the presence of a supposed was the only E-5 my commanding officer let fly the “intellectual," or they're just totally unaware of the planes," or "No, I didn't have to go all the way through depth of the game. I don't mind imparting some of the boot-camp; my uncle is a colonel and he got me a little knowledge I've accumulated to an eager mind waiver." Yeah, right. A colonel. In the Navy. I'm all for who's willing to listen. But what's entertaining is when embellishing a good sea-story and all (heck, it's almost they're too proud to accept the advice of someone who expected), but at least have enough information to actually knows something about chess because they make it reasonable. think they were taught everything they needed to know about the game by their Uncle Elmo in the Remarks like the ones I mention above are fourth grade. Here's a scenario: usually my cue to exit stage right. Granted, I enjoy waving the BS flag as much as the next guy, but these 6 Illinois Chess Bulletin Cheap Talk You stop in to Mickey D's on your way home With renewed determination he stares intently at the from your local club to grab a Supersized Number board, his eyes darting back and forth, desperately One. Carrying your roll-up board, the guy in line ahead calculating which opening trap to use. When his eyes of you asks you how long you've been playing chess. stop their frantic shifting, you glance up and see by the You tell him you've known how to play for a long time look on his face he’s decided on which weapon in his but have just recently discovered tournament chess. extensive arsenal of trickery he’ll use to teach his He grins and tells you he used to play in tournaments seasoned antagonist a much-deserved lesson. After a all the time, but hasn't played a serious game since he brief hesitation, he opens with the devastating 1. Na3. quit college to become a full-time Amway salesman. You nod politely, pay for your food and find a seat. Anyone care to guess the outcome? Somehow, you're not surprised to see he's followed you. After the game you offer to go over it with him. Since it only lasted a brief 13 moves before you stuck He's got all the characteristics of your typical, a royal fork in him, you’re eager to show your eccentric chessplayer, as he just sits down across from prospective pupil how a memory nourished on chess is you and looks around without saying anything. supposed to function and what he could’ve done to After a few bites of sandwich, you break the ice and prevent the loss of his queen and the game. Of ask him what his rating was when he quit playing. course, he just rattles off some lame excuse about not feeling well and says he has to go, stealing a couple of "Oh, I didn't have one," he says. fries from your tray before he bolts out the door. A typical response from an embarrassed wannabe "Really?" you ask, following up with the logical, whose bluff has been called. "Well, how did you play in tournaments then?" It’s interesting to think about the different "I only played in the big invitationals," he correlations between life and chess and all the replies, stretching his arms the length of the booth. symbolic life lessons one can experience from playing the game. Benjamin Franklin was obviously aware of With a knowing smile, you offer a game in the these when he wrote “The Morals of Chess*,” but I most sincere voice you can muster. While you set up doubt he knew just how far people would go to make your pieces and he places his, he tells you an exciting others think their tactical prowess OTB is tale about how he was the lunchroom champion at the extraordinary. Taco Bell on Locust Street "back in the day" and that he could've "gone professional" if he hadn't thrown out Much like the military, chess isn’t for everyone. his back winning the bench press championship in high Some people can’t handle busted egos and most self- school, which prevents him from sitting down for long proclaimed chess aficionados don’t have the desire to periods of time. As he's promising to take it easy on sit down and actually study the game. Knowing how you, you point down at his side of the board indicating the pieces move is good enough for them, and they’re that his king and queen are on the wrong colors. He content to impress their uninformed friends and family sheepishly corrects this oversight and the game begins members with all the variations of the Fool’s Mate. . . . And hey, 'to each his own' as far as I'm concerned. But the next time you’re pontificating the pros and cons of the Yugoslav Attack in the Sicilian Defense with one of your fellow chess geeks and one of these clowns "Well, at least I checked you a couple times," starts bragging himself up, talking about the “trick he says looking at the board, dejected. "I guess you move” and how many times he checked Mildred the know that trick." He tips his king in somber resignation Avon lady, break out your set and board and ask the after his over-simplified transposition of the Scholar’s sensei for a lesson. Mate failed to take you out. Talk may be cheap, but it sure is entertaining! “Yeah, I’ve seen it once or twice,” you say, thinking back to the K-3 scholastic tournament you * The Morals of Chess, by Benjamin helped direct a few months back. The kindergartener’s Franklin, can be found at: would’ve given his 2. Qh5 a double exclam. www.http://truth.wofford.edu/~kaycd/CHESS-GO/bf- “Let’s play another one –- I’ll play seriously this moral.htm time,” he says, resetting the pieces. This time he remembers 'queen to color.' Illinois Chess Bulletin 7 An Englishman playing chess in the USA An Englishman playing chess in 2230 standard so then my spirits were up. Then came the final round and I faced a strong player (2310) who the USA ! was about 17 years old and obviously improving after a good game I managed to lose and came away with By Jon Burgess 2.5/6. It’s like they say you always have a good tournament then a bad one. At the end of May 2004 I played in the Chicago Open tournament. It was my first big tournament in the USA I think chess in the USA is very nice, indeed, especially so I was eager to perform well. I entered the 2-day because you get to play so many good and interesting option for the open section thinking it would be a bit players. weaker than the 3 or 4-day options. Once I arrived at Northbrook I looked at who was in my section and Jon Burgess thought, wow, 4 GM’s and 1 IM. I knew at that stage my first four rounds would not be so easy. In the first (1) Burgess,J (2215) - Shulman,Y (2616) round I played GM Yury Shulman (rated 2616) and [C44] because I had no expectations of winning I just played, Chicago Open (1), 05.2004 and then I started finding great moves and eventually First Round Chicago Open May 2004. Open Section won the game. I was still in some shock from winning Jon Burgess rated 2215 V Grandmaster Yury Shulman the first round when I played GM Mitkov (2626) in rated 2616. 1.e4 e6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.Ngf3 Nc6 round 2.This time I was not so happy because I lost to 5.g3 e5 6.Bg2 dxe4 7.dxe4 b6 8.Qe2 Bc5 9.Nb3 Bd6 a trick in the endgame. Needless to say, one point 10.0–0 a5 11.Rd1 Ba6 12.c4 a4 13.Nbd2 Nd7 14.Nf1 from playing two GM’s is nothing to be ashamed of. Nc5 15.Ne3 The problem for black here is that if Nxe4 Then I got an easier game, I played the lowest rated then Nxe5 ! Plus the white knight is going to come to player a guy called Trower (2074) Even though it was d5 or f5. 15...0–0 16.Nf5 Ne6 17.Be3 Now bxb6 is still a tough game, I managed to win. In round 4 I got threatened followed by Rxd6 ! 17...Qb8 18.Ng5 Nxg5 the honor of playing GM Jaan Ehlvest (2674) although 19.Bxg5 f6 Now the hardest move of the game is hard I lost, it was an interesting experience considering he to see how white can continue an attack here with few won the tournament. Then the 2 day, 3 day and 4 day attacking pieces in play ! 20.Bh6 If gxh6 then am sure options merged for each section. By this time I was Qg4 check then Kf7 Qg7 check if Ke6 then Bh3 ! or if tired. I had played 3GM’s in one day and then I found Ke8 then still Bh3 with threats of Nxd6 followed by that I was playing Pete Bereolos (2340) from TN. Now mate on d7 ! 20...Rf7 21.Qg4 Bf8 22.Bxg7 Now if I had played him before and I knew he was a tough Bxg7 then Nh6 check Kf8 then Nxf7 Kxf7 Re7 check competitor. We had a long hard fought game that Ne7 Rxe7 check Kxe7 and Qxg7 ! 22...h5 23.Qg6 Now eventually petered out into a draw. Thus I had 2.5/5 Nh6 mate is threatened and black is in all kinds of not a bad score considering. In round 6 I played an IL trouble. 23...Rxg7 24.Nxg7 Bxg7 25.Rd7 Qf8 Now player A Stamnov (2293) and I found that after some how does white continue the attack considering black strategic chess moves I had a winning game. In the has his bishop defended nicely by the Queen ? 26.Bh3 last round I played a guy who was rated 2384 although Threats are Be6 check and Qh5 mate or Bf5 and Qh7 he didn’t play that well, and I found out that he had a mate ! 26...Nd4 Now what f or white ?. the Nd4 covers provisional rating like myself. So a final score of 4.5/7 E6 and f5 squares and holds blacks position together. with a tie for joining second in the Under 2300 Prize. 27.Rd1 Now the threat is R1xD4 removing the Not a bad weekend of chess at all, in addition my defender then Be6 check and Qh5 mate again ! 27...f5 rating performance was 2575 so it helped my rating go 28.R1xd4 exd4 29.Bxf5 Qf6 The only move that saves up about 140 points. Black for now but here comes the kill moves ! 30.Qh7+ Kf8 31.Be6 A diversion move diverting the Queen now Last month I played at the Continental Open in MA. I the important thing is if Qxe6 then Qxg7 check then had gone on vacation with my wife and thought, hey, Ke8 and Black gets away with it ! 31...Qxe6 32.Rxg7 why not play some more chess? So once again I Threat Qh8 mate winning on the spot so black is in a entered the 2-day option and found that many GM’s difficult position for sure now ! 32...Bxc4 33.Qh8+ Qg8 had done the same thing. In round 1 I faced GM Yury 34.Rxg8+ Bxg8 35.Qf6+ Bf7 Now white should play Shulman again. He wasn’t in the mood to lose to me Qxd4 but he forgot oops ! 36.e5 Re8 37.e6 Rxe6 again and after a long hard fought battle I lost an 38.Qxd4 Re1+ 39.Kg2 Rc1 Now forced win available interesting game. Thinking I would get an easier game the Rook on C1 is vulnerable toa check on H6 by the in round 2 was a joke because I played GM Sergey Queen ! 40.Qd8+ Be8 41.Qf6+ Bf7 42.Qh6+ Diagram Kudrin who somehow managed to lose the first round. I played very badly and lost. Round 3 I drew a game with a 1980. I guess I was despondent at having lost to 2 GM’s. Round 4 was a nice win against a master 8 Illinois Chess Bulletin An Englishman playing chess in the USA cuuuuuuuuC Re8 11.Re1 Nf8 12.Qd2 Ne6 13.d5 Nc5 14.Bg5 cxd5 15.Bxf6 Bxf6 16.Nxd5 Qd8 17.b4 Nd7 18.Red1 Bg7 {wdwdwiwd} 19.h4 Nf8 20.Ne3 f5 21.c5 f4 22.Nc4 d5 23.Nd6 Re7 24.Qxd5+ Be6 25.Qd3 h6 26.Kh2 Kh8 27.Bh3 Qd7 {dw0wdbdw} 28.Qf1 Qc6 29.Rac1 Bxa2 30.b5 Qc7 31.c6 b6 32.h5 {w0wdwdw!} Rd8 33.Nc4 Rxd1 34.Qxd1 Bxc4 35.Rxc4 g5 36.Rc2 Bf6 37.Bf5 Rg7 38.Kg2 g4 39.Nh2 f3+ 40.Kg1 1–0 {dwdwdwdp} {pdwdwdwd} (5) Burgess,J (2215) - Bereolos,P (2341) {dwdwdw)w} [C77] Chicago Open (5), 05.2004 {P)wdw)K)} Chicago Open Round 5. Jon Burgess V FideMaster Peter Bereolos 2341. Peter used to be as high as 2440 {dw4wdwdw} and I was glad of a draw in a complicated endgame. vllllllllV 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.Qe2 Be7 6.c3 b5 7.Bc2 0–0 8.d3 d5 9.h3 Re8 10.0–0 Bb7 Game over, I win the Rook and the point 1–0. 1–0 11.Re1 Bf8 12.Bg5 dxe4 13.dxe4 h6 14.Bh4 Nb8 15.Nbd2 Nbd7 16.Rad1 c5 17.Nf1 Qc7 18.N3d2 Be7 (2) Burgess,J (2215) - Mitkov (2624) [B07] 19.Bg3 g6 20.c4 Nh5 21.cxb5 Nxg3 22.Nxg3 axb5 Chicago Open (2), 05.2004 23.Qxb5 Bc6 24.Qe2 Rxa2 25.Nc4 Ba4 26.Bxa4 Round 2 of the Chicago Open. Jon Burgess V Rxa4 27.Qc2 Rb4 28.Nf1 Bg5 29.g3 h5 30.h4 Bh6 Grandmaster Mitkov 2624. A bad game for me 31.Nfe3 Bxe3 32.Nxe3 Nf6 33.Nd5 Nxd5 34.Rxd5 c4 outplayed in the endgame. 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5 35.Rc1 Qb6 36.Rf1 Rb3 37.Kg2 Qf6 38.Qxc4 Qf3+ 4.Nge2 Be7 5.f3 c6 6.dxe5 dxe5 7.Qxd8+ Bxd8 39.Kg1 Rxb2 40.Qc6 Reb8 41.Qc7 Ra8 42.Qxe5 Re2 8.Be3 Nbd7 9.Ng3 Bb6 10.Nf5 g6 11.Nd6+ Ke7 43.Rd7 ½–½ 12.Nc4 Bc7 13.a4 Ne8 14.Be2 Nd6 15.0–0 Nxc4 16.Bxc4 Bb6 17.Rfe1 a5 18.Rad1 Bxe3+ 19.Rxe3 (6) Burgess,J (2215) - Stamnov,A (2293) Nc5 20.b3 Bd7 21.Rf1 Rad8 22.f4 exf4 23.Rxf4 f6 [C42] 24.Rf2 Bc8 25.Ree2 Rd4 26.Kf1 Rhd8 27.Ke1 Nxa4 Chicago Open (6), 05.2004 28.Re3 Nxc3 29.Rxc3 Rxe4+ 0–1 Chicago Open Round 6. Jon Burgess V Aleksander Stamnov 2293. An interesting game especially the final (3) Trower (2076) - Burgess,J (2215) [B10] position. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 An opening by Black Chicago Open (3), 05.2004 known to go for a draw maybe ! 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 Round 3 of the Chicago Open. Trower 2076 V Jon 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.c3 Bg4 8.Nbd2 f5 9.0–0 Bd6 Burgess. At last not playing a Grandmaster and having 10.h3 Bh5 11.Re1 0–0 12.Qb3 A good move attacking a nice win. 1.e4 c6 2.c4 d6 3.Nc3 Qc7 4.d4 Nd7 5.Nf3 the D5 and B7 pawns winning one at least ! 12...Kh8 e5 6.Be2 Ngf6 7.h3 g6 8.Be3 Bg7 9.d5 Nc5 10.Bxc5 Now if Qxd5 then Bh2 check winning the Queen so dxc5 11.d6 Qa5 12.Nxe5 0–0 13.0–0 Rd8 14.f4 Ne8 have to take the b pawn 13.Qxb7 Rf6 Again if Qxc6 15.Nxf7 Bd4+ 16.Kh1 Kxf7 17.e5 Ng7 18.Ne4 Nf5 then Bh2 check winning the Queen 14.Kf1 Be7 19.Qd3 h5 20.Ng5+ Kg7 21.g4 hxg4 22.hxg4 Rh8+ 15.Qb3 Rg6 16.Bb5 A good move threatening Bxc6 23.Kg2 Ne3+ 24.Kg3 Nxf1+ 25.Rxf1 Qd8 26.b4 Bxe5 then Ne5 ! 16...Nxd2+ 17.Nxd2 Bh4 18.Bxc6 Rxc6 27.bxc5 Qxg5 28.d7 Qh4+ 29.Kf3 Qh3+ 30.Ke4 19.Re5 Winning either the D or F pawn ! 19...Rd6 Qxd3+ 31.Bxd3 Bxd7 32.Kxe5 Bxg4 33.Rg1 Rh5+ 20.Rxf5 Bg6 21.Re5 Bd3+ 22.Kg1 Bxf2+ A desperate 0–1 looking move and yet still dangerous for white who has little protection for his king ! 23.Kxf2 Qh4+ 24.Kg1 Rf8 (4) Ehlvest,J (2670) - Burgess,J (2215) 25.Nf3 If Rxf3 then Qb8 mating ! 25...Qg3 26.Rg5 A [E69] Chicago Open (4), 05.2004 great move trapping blacks Queen ! 26...Qxg5 27.Nxg5 h6 28.Nf3 Be4 29.Ne5 Kh7 30.Be3 Rb6 Chicago Open Round 4 Grandmaster Jaan Ehlvest 31.Qa3 Ra8 32.b3 a5 33.Rf1 a4 34.Rf7 axb3 35.Qxa8 2670 v Jon Burgess. For me a great honour to play a b2 36.Qf8 b1Q+ 37.Kh2 Black has his Queen back but player who has been around for so long and is a lovely mate is unavoidable ! 1–0 1–0 guy. True I lost badly, but he won the whole tournament in the end. 1.d4 c6 2.Nf3 d6 3.g3 Qc7 4.c4 Nd7 5.Nc3 e5 6.Bg2 Ngf6 7.e4 g6 8.0–0 Bg7 Jon’s 7th game followes the EX Urban tour Standings 9.h3 0–0 10.Be3 on Page 26 Illinois Chess Bulletin 9 2004 Billy Colias Memorial Invitational modest way with this event. Aleksander Stamnov So the process moved slowly, painfully forward. Several of the players who initially suggested interest & Pete Karagianis Wins at the beginning had, for one reason or another, been forced to bow out. Quality replacements had to be found at the last minute. This and other unexpected The 2004 Billy Colias Memorial turn of events taxed both Glenn and Len and put the event start date in jeopardy. But the problems were Master Invitational Tournament overcome, and the event was again scheduled to begin on 21 May 2004. By Paul Smith One of the solutions to some early difficulties was provided by Robert Loncarevic, an up and coming Chicago area Candidate Master. Robert graciously The concept for this tournament began as an online contributed to the sponsorship of the event in several discussion on US ChessLive between Pete Karagianis ways, and his assistance was also appreciated by the and Len Weber sometime in late 2003. The two primary (and anonymous!) sponsor, who thus far had discussed their wishes to play in strong round robin been handling the financial burden alone. events, which of course there is a serious lack of in the Midwest in general. Excitement was abounding as the pending event approached. Colors and pairing numbers were drawn However, in this case, Pete had located a sponsor who on 5 May 2004. The first round pairings, for was willing to cover the anticipated expense of holding organizational reasons, had to be played off-site, and such an event, and this, combined with Len's past this actually resulted in the very few complaints about successful experience in organizing and directing such the event. Two of the 4 first round games were events, resulted in a forward momentum that arranged at the Border's Book Store. Unfortunately the culminated in the first FIDE rated round robin futurity in site is not conducive to tournament chess, which is not Illinois in recent memory. The last one, as far as we the fault of the club's manager, Howard Fried, but only can tell, was in 1986, at the Orland Park Chess Club. to be expected of such a public place. There was also That one was organized in part by Glenn Panner (then a request for an off-site director to be present. Len briefly ICA Secretary), and directed by Glenn Panner, informed Glenn he would be willing to handle this, and assisted by Len Weber. dutifully did so. The games were concluded, but all players and directors involved agreed this would be the Once the concept was launched, Len turned to one of last time that off-site pairings were arranged in such the most experienced Tournament Directors in the events. South Suburbs, Glenn Panner, to provide expertise and contacts for getting the event registered as a The event can best be described in the letters sent to FIDE-ratable event. Since Len knew he had a history the participants before the event, as shown below: of finishing very poorly playing in events he had to expend energy to organize, the idea was to turn it over to Glenn completely once Glenn was on board. Gentlemen, Welcome to the tournament! Glenn also graciously offered the playing site, Panner Sales Company. His company’s home offices in The field for the tentatively named 2004 Colias Frankfort, Illinois proved to be an excellent playing site Memorial Master Invitation Tournament has been with perfect conditions for a small round robin event. finalized as follows (in alphabetical order): FM Albert Chow Some discussion was held on the potential names of the event, but the consensus was that it should have a CM Pete Karagianis distinctive Midwest flavor. Several ideas were CM Robert Loncaervic discussed and some of the participants wanted to use NM Tim McEntee the name to honor a player and friend, rival, and contemporary they had known in chess, but was taken NM Aleksander Stamnov from them at an early age, FM Billy Colias. Billy had NM Dr. Steven Tennant died at age 27 in 1993, a wound to Chicago area chess that still has not healed. A number of the NM Kenneth Wallach players had known him and competed with him. The NM Len Weber organizers decided to honor Billy's memory in a 10 Illinois Chess Bulletin