#567 Coroner Subs, Goes +10-0=1 In Simul

I was a last-minute sub for Ernie Labate at yesterday's simul in Scotch Plains and yielded just 1 draw in 11 games. Scott Seyffarth, 1 of 3 players to beat Chitra Sridhar on June 27th, was the only opponent to avoid defeat.

Since I am scheduled to give another simul at the same venue on Sunday, November 1st (12 noon-4 p.m., 16 boards, free), the inpromptu display was great practice.

Here's some additional info about my understudy performance :

- I was White on all boards & started each game with 1.Nf3!

- I had to keep score for 7 opponents.

- 2 sore-losing adults didn't submit their scores but I was able to reconstruct them.

- 6 players were lost before move 9 & there was 1 kid who made MANY illegal moves. However...

- The field was stronger than the one I, Greg Tomkovich, Max Sherer & Mike Wojcio went a collective 25-0 against at the Kenilworth Centennial Celebration of 2007.

- Robert Vinson lasted the longest of any player - 46 moves & 1 hour, 55 minutes.

I don't know if I will upload all the games or just those that were competetive. Check-back here tonight or tomorrow.

P.S. - Mr. Labate, who is a spry 86 years old, arrived an hour & 45 minutes late yet still managed to steal the show with some magic tricks; including 1 that involved a lighter & handkerchief!

#566 KCC's Fall Calendar

The Kenilworth Chess Club's Calendar has been filled as follows :

September 17th - casual games & GSCL rosters discussion

September 24th - Sy Fish Memorial : rounds 1 & 2

USCF-rated, G/30, 4-SS, EF: $10,

Prize Fund : 75% of fees, Prizes : TBA

This event was previously scheduled to begin on 10/1. Please note the change.

October 1st - Sy Fish Memorial, : rounds 3 & 4

October 8th - Garden State League match : Karpovs vs. Kortchnois & Staten Island vs. Kramniks

October 15th - Lecture by FM Steve Stoyko

Topic : "Evaluating Chess Positions, An Introduction".

Admission : $5

October 22nd - to be determined

October 29th - Lecture by NM Scott Massey

Topic : "How to Improve".

Admission : $5

November 5th - Kenilworth Quads #2 : 1st round

USCF-rated, G/60, 3-RR, EF: $10,

Prizes : $30 to 1st in each quad

November 12th - Kenilworth Quads #2 : 2nd round

November 19th - Kenilworth Quads #2 : 3rd round

November 26th - Closed (Thanksgiving Day)

December 3rd - Lecture by NM Yaacov Norowitz

Topic : "Color Complexes".

Admission : $5

December 10th - Annual Business Meeting

December 17th - Holiday Party

December 24th - Closed (Christmas Eve)

December 31st - ?? (NewYear's Eve)

The club will likely be closed. If we are open, it will only be until 10:30 or 11 p.m.

Calendar updated 10/6 @ 10:50 p.m.

#565 Garden State Chess League Blog

I'm constructing a blog to replace the Garden State Chess League site that Geocities will be closing on October 26th.

Much of the data from the 2009 season has already been transferred & the framework for the upcoming 2009-2010 season is in place.

Please take a sneak peek & vote on the polls in the sidebar.

#564 Summer Tourney Wrap-Up

To conclude my coverage of the 2009 Kenilworth Summer Tournament, here are the links to round by round...

reports - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
crosstables - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
replays - 1 2 3 4* 5 5a 6 6a 7 8 9 9a 10 11 12 13

PGN - 1 2 3 4* 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

... and a ChessBase archive with all 64 collected games + results of the 35 other pairings.

* updated with notes to my loss vs. Tomkovich

#563 Anti-Global Warming Fund-Raiser

On Sunday, September 13th, Citizens For Global Warming Research and Development, Inc. will be having a fund-raising meeting and chess tournament.

Here are the details :

Site -

McDonald's Restaurant

Central Ave.

East Orange, NJ

(the flier given to me says it's "almost across from East Orange General Hospital" & Google says the address is 375 Central Ave.)

Time of meeting - 3:00 p.m.

Fee - $10.

Format - 4/SS, non-rated

Time Control - G/15

Prizes -

1st place : 40% of proceeds

2nd place : 20% of proceeds

3rd place : 10% of proceeds

Bring sets & clocks.

Dislclaimer : I am not affiliated with this organization & will not be attending the event.

#562 Ernesto Labate Simul

On Sunday, September 13th, from 1-4 p.m, Ernesto Labate will be giving a simultaneous exhibition at the Scotch Plains Public Library.

Mr. Labate, a 3-time Westfield Chess Club Champion & 9-time Bell Systems Chess Champion who once defeated GM Bobby Fischer (in judo), will play up to 16 players.

To participate, you must pre-register by calling 908-322-5007 extension 204.

photo credit : Al Lawrence, Chess Life 1997

#561 Really Strange Factoid

Here's a really strange factoid for you to ponder...

I have drawn my only games against the 2009 New Jersey co-champions, Tom Bartell & Dean Ippolito, but have lost my last 2 games vs. the U1300 champ Joe Renna!

#560 GSCL Meeting on Thursday

The Garden State Chess League is seeking additional teams and players for the 2009-2010 season, which starts on Tuesday, October 6th.

Current and prospective Club Presidents/Team Captains are invited to attend our organizational meeting at the Kenilworth Chess Club on Thursday, September 10th, 8 p.m.

In addition to admitting new teams & confirming the return of existing ones, we will be discussing possible rule changes, drafting a schedule and electing officers.

#559 STC Championship sf - Wrap-Up

Final WCL Section standings

1. HaimPilosof 7.5
2. jpmoldovan 7.0
3. oswald137 4.5
4. jps7 4.5
5. chessforlove 4.0
6. BrianWood 4.0
7. gotleib 3.0
8. JoshLawson 1.0 (withdrew after round 2)
9. McKnights 0.0 (withdrew after round 1)

CBV with all 24 WCL games & results of the 13 other pairings.

PGN from rounds 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

In the ICC Championship section, my USATE teammate knightrunner (Arunas Simonaitis) tied for 3rd place at 6.5-2.5.

The finals take place on FICS this week & next.

#558 Summer Tourney Stats

Most Points Scored

• Total - 14.0 Ian Mangion (+13-4=2)
• With White - 5.0 Mangion (+5-1=0)
• With Black - 9.0 Mangion (+8-4=2), Mark Kernighan (+9-1=0)

Highest Scoring of Possible Points (minimum 5 games)

• Total - .923 Kernighan (+12-1=0)
• With White - 1.000 Kernighan (+3-0=0)
• With Black - .900 Kernighan (+9-1=0)

Highest Plus Score

• Total - +11 Kernighan (+12=1=0)
• With White - +4 Mangion
• With Black - +8 Kernighan

Longest Unbeaten Streaks

• Total - 11 Kernighan (+11-0=0 in weeks 1-11)
• With White - 5 Mangion (+5-0=0 in weeks 1-12)
• With Black - 9 John Moldovan (+5-0=4 in weeks 7-13)

Longest Winning Streaks

• Total - 11 Kernighan
• With White - 5 Mangion
• With Black - 8 Kernighan

Most Games Played

• Total - 20 Mangion
• With White - 10 Joe Renna
• With Black - 14 Mangion

Most Wins

• Total - 13 Mangion
• With White - 5 Mangion
• With Black - 9 Kernighan

Most Losses

• Total - 10 Bert Shiffman
• With White - 6 Renna
• With Black - 5 Shiffman

Most Draws

Total - 6 Moldovan
With White - 3 Max Sherer
With Black - 5 Moldovan

Biggest Upset

• With White : Renna (-541) 1-0 Moldovan in round 6
• Draw With Black : Sherer (-188) vs. Mangion in round 10
• Win With Black : Tomkovich (-114) vs. Moldovan in round 5

honorable mentions :

• Bill Sokolosky (-537) vs Geoff McAuliffe in round 3
• David Pawlowski (-445) vs. Kernighan in round 12
• Shiffman (-388) vs. McAuliffe in round 4
• Renna (-329) vs. Lou Sturniolo in round 12
• Gordon Agress (-323) vs. Sturniolo in round 9

Game Length

• Fastest Win By White : Jim Cole... 21 moves vs. Shiffman, in round 2
• Fastest Win by Black : Moldovan... 10 moves vs. Kruglyak, in round 11
• Shortest Draw : Moldovan-Mangion... an 18 move fizzler in round 2
• Longest Game : Pawlowski 1-0 Kernighan... 118 moves in round 12

Results Breakdown

• Total Number Of Games - 99
• Decisive Games - 89 (89.9%!)
• White wins - 45 (45.5%)
• Black wins - 44 (44.4%)
• Draws - 10 (10.1%)
• Pct. of Points Scored By White - .505
• Pct. of Points Scored By Black - .495
• W-L-D Record of the Higher-rated Player : 65-24-10
• Pct. of Points Scored By the Higher-rated Player - .707

Miscellaneous (minimum 5 games)

• Highest pct. of games won - .923 Kernighan
• Highest pct. of games won or drawn - .923 Kernighan
• Highest pct. of draws - .316 Moldovan

• Scores Collected - 64 (64.6%)
• Most Popular Openings : Nimzo-Indian Defense (10 of the 64 games collected; 12 if we include hybrid Q's Indians) & Queen's Gambit (10 games)
• Most Popular e4 Defense : French Defense (7 games, including 2 by transposition)
• Latest novelty : White's 14.Bd3 in round 10's McAuliffe-Moldovan

The 99 games played in this year's KST smashed the previous, unofficial record of 86; which was set in 2006's 14-week event.

#557 Summer Tourney - Round 13

Greg Tomkovich won twice to gain a share of 3rd place as I could manage just 0.5/2 against Max Sherer.

Mark Kernighan, David Pawlowski & Lou Sturniolo also took full points.


Results

• Mangion 0-1 Kernighan
• Moldovan 0-1 Sherer
• Sherer ½-½ Moldovan
• Tomkovich 1-0 Mazzillo
• Wojcio 0-1 Tomkovich
• Pawlowski 1-0 Renna
• Shiffman 0-1 Sturniolo

Final Standings

• 1. Mangion 14.0
• 2. Kernighan 12.0
• = 3. Moldovan, Tomkovich 11.0
• 5. Carrelli 7.0
• 6. Sherer 6.5
• = 7. Pawlowski, Mann 5.0
• 9. Renna 4.5
• = 10. Sturniolo, Mazzillo 3.5
• 12. Shiffman 3.0
• 13. Cole 2.5
• = 14. Lewis, Wojcio, Agress, Sokolosky 2.0
• 18. McAuliffe 1.5
• 19. Zhu 1.0
• = 20. Hart, Kruglyak, Balint, Castillo, Ruales 0.0

Java replay
PGN
Final Crosstable

#556 STC Championship Semis - Round 9

Yesterday afternoon, I beat JP Singh with the Q's Gambit Exchange Variation to finish with a +5-1=2 record & a 7/9 score.

Here is the fully annotated replay & PGN.