#1344 Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays to all my chess friends, acquaintances and readers.

#1343 Kenilworth CC Holiday Party & Elections Tomorrow

Good news!

The Kenilworth Chess Club's business meeting, officer elections & holiday party will take place, as scheduled, tomorrow night, beginning at 8 p.m.

#1342 NEW VENUE & TIME FOR UNION COUNTY FINALE

NEW VENUE AND TIME FOR UNION COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP FINALE

Thursday 12/13 at 7:30 p.m.

Chess Mates Academy 
75 East Cherry St.
Suite 11
Rahway, NJ 07065


You can park in The Waiting Room's lot across the street. 


There will be no chess at the Kenilworth Recreation Center again this week, due to continued construction.

The center's availability for Thursday, December 20 will be known by Tuesday, the 18th.

#1341 TOMORROW'S KCC MEETING CANCELED

TOMORROW'S KENILWORTH CHESS CLUB MEETING HAS BEEN CANCELED!

THE REC CENTER WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE DUE TO CONSTRUCTION & SAFETY CONCERNS.

The December 13th meeting will be canceled or moved to a different venue or day.


Revised Kenilworth Chess Club Schedule for December & Early January:

December 6 - Meeting canceled. 4th Round of Union County Championship postponed. Make-up date & venue TBA.
December 13 - To be announced. A substitute venue is being sought. If that attempt fails, the meeting will be canceled.

December 20 - Annual Business Meeting & Holiday Party
December 27 - To be announced.
January 3 - To be announced.
January 10 - LM Scott Massey's lecture on the Magnus Carlsen-Fabiano Caruana match. Admission: $5.

#1340 TOMORROW'S KCC MEETING CANCELED!

TOMORROW'S KENILWORTH CHESS CLUB MEETING HAS BEEN CANCELED!

 

A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect from 1 to 9 p.m. 3.3 inches of snow are expected in Kenilworth.

 

ROUND 3 OF THE UNION COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP HAS BEEN RE-SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER 29TH.

 

Round 4 has been re-scheduled for December 6th.

The club's business meeting has been re-scheduled for December 20th.

#1339 ChessBase Shop Sale: 25% Off For 24 Hours!!

For the next 24 hours, items in the ChessBase Shop are 25% off.

Big savings on some great products!

Unfortunately, I bought my ChessBase 15 upgrade, MegaBase 2019 upgrade & Komodo 12 from other vendors 8 days ago. 😟

#1338 World Championship Underway!

The World Chess Championship is underway!

I recommend chess24.com's coverage, with commentary by GM Peter Svidler & IM/WGM Sopiko Guramishvili.

https://chess24.com/en/watch/live-tournaments/carlsen-caruana-world-chess-championship-2018/1/1/1

#1337 Lecture Tonight At Kenilworth CC

I will be giving a lecture at the Kenilworth Chess Club tonight.

The topic: My Best Games 2017-18
 

Time: 8:15 p.m.
 

Admission: $5.

Here's a preview of the accompanying 5-page handout.

 

#1336 Kenilworth Summer Open & Scholastic - Round 3

Kenilworth Summer Open & Scholastic
August 2-30

Round 3

Open Section

Results
Kernighan 1-0 Camejo
Vargas 1/2-1/2 McAuliffe
Gottlieb 0-1 Benitez
Renna 1/2-1/2 Mazzillo
Malko 0-1 Fricker
Hunt withdrew
Moldovan: 1 point bye


Open Standings
1. Kernighan 3.0
= 2-4. Benitez, Vargas, McAuliffe 2.0
= 5-9. Camejo, Fricker, Moldovan, Renna, Mazzillo 1.5
= 10-11. Gottlieb, Malko 1.0
= 12-14. Hunt, Yarava, Ruales 0.5

With Yarava to receive a partial refund & Moldovan playing as a filler, prizes will be based on 12 players.


Scholastic Section

Changed to Scholastic & U1200 Section
+ Ruales (filler)

Results
Zeng 1-0 Singh
Ruales 0-1 Raghavan (transferred from Open)

Scholastic & U1200 Standings
1. Raghavan 3.0
2. Zeng 2.0
= 3-4. Nallapareddy, Singh 0.5

3 trophies to be awarded: 1st, 2nd, 3rd.
Withdrawn players & fillers ineligible.

Round 4 is on Thursday 8/23, at 7:30 p.m.
Scholastic/U1200 fillers welcome.

Info updated 8.30 @11:13 p.m.

#1335 Kenilworth Scholastic Update

Kenilworth Summer Scholastic update:

Entry fees for the Scholastic Section has been waived!

Those who paid an EF in that section will receive credit toward a Westfield CC tournament!

Late-joiners & fillers will be accepted until the end of the event!

#1334 Kenilworth Summer Open & Scholastic - Round 2

Kenilworth Summer Open & Scholastic
August 2-30

Round 2

Open Section

Ashrit Yarava withdrew.

Results

Benitez 0-1 Kernighan
Camejo 1-0 Fricker
Hunt 0-1 Vargas
Gottlieb 1-0 Ruales
Moldovan 0-1 Renna
Malko: 1 point bye (?)

Standings

1. Kernighan 2.0
= 2-4. Camejo, Vargas, McAuliffe 1.5
= 5-9. Benitez, Gottlieb, Renna, Mazzillo, Malko (?) 1.0
= 10-14. Fricker, Moldovan, Hunt, Yarava, Ruales 0.5


Scholastic Section

Ajitesh Nallapareddy Gari withdrew
+ Hannah Malko (filler)

Results

Singh 0-1 Raghavan
Malko 0-1 Zeng

Standings

1. Raghavan 2.0
2. Zeng 1.0
= 3-5. Nallapareddy, Singh 0.5


Round 3 is TONIGHT AT 7:30 p.m.!

#1333 Kenilworth Summer Open & Scholastic - Round 1

Kenilworth Summer Open & Scholastic
August 2-30

Round 1

Open Results

Kernighan 1-0 Gottlieb
Renna 0-1 Benitez
Fricker 1/2-1/2 Yarava
Mazzillo 1/2-1/2 Hunt
McAuliffe 1-0 Malko

1/2 point byes: Camejo, Moldovan, Vargas, Ruales

Open Standings

= 1-3. Kernighan, Benitez, McAuliffe 1.0
= 4-11. Camejo, Fricker, Moldovan, Vargas, Hunt, Yarava, Mazzillo, Ruales 0.5
= 12-14. Gottlieb, Renna, Malko 0.0

Scholastic Results

Nallapareddy 1/2-1/2 Singh
Raghavan 1-0 Zeng

Scholastic Standings
1. Raghavan 1.0
= 2-3. Nallapareddy, Singh 0.5
4. Zeng 0.0

#1332 Kenilworth Summer Open & Scholastic - Participants List

Kenilworth Summer Open & Scholastic

August 2-30

Open Section:

 

1. LM Mark Kernighan 2274

2. NM Mauricio Camejo 2103 (joined in round 2)

3. Gilberto Benitez 1896

4. Terry Fricker 1816

5. John Moldovan 1816 (filler?)

6. Humberto Vargas 1729 (joined in round 2)

7. Bob Hunt 1695

8. Geoff McAuliffe 1625

9. Paul Gottlieb 1516

10. Ashrit Yarava 1483 (withdrew)

11. Joe Renna 1411

12. Pat Mazzillo 1257

13. Hannah Malko 1164

14. Luis Ruales 570 (joined in round 2)

Scholastic Section:

 

1. Ajitesh Nallapareddy Gari 1109 (withdrew)

2. Daven Zeng 879

3. Gurkaran Singh 834

4. Surya Raghavan 748

Rounds are at 7:30 p.m. on August 2, 9, 16, 23, 30.

Late-joins accepted until the start of round 3 on 8/16.

For more information visit http://www.kenilworthchessclub.org/calendar/index.html#aug or http://www.uschess.org/tlas/upcoming.php?STATE=NJ

#1331 Kernighan Wins Kenilworth Summer Tournament

LM Mark Kernighan won the 2018 Kenilworth Summer Tournament held May 3-July 26.

Sam Abujawdeh finished 2nd, despite missing the last 5 weeks.

Dave Lazarus and I tied for 3rd.

Hannah Malko was the Under Age 18 winner.

Pat Mazzillo earned U1600 honors.

The Age 65+ prize is to be determined.

Prize list updated 7/28 @ 4:07 p.m.

Week 13 Results, by board number:

1. Tomkovich 0-1 Kernighan
2. Moldovan 1/2-1/2 Lazarus
    McAuliffe 1/2-1/2 Moldovan
3. Malko 0-1 Benitez
    Benitez 1-0 Lazarus
4. Dovydaitis 0-1 Mazzillo


Final Standings:

1. Kernighan 14.0
2. Abujawdeh 11.0
= 3-4. Lazarus, Moldovan 10.0
= 5-7. Camejo, Benitez, Malko 7.0
= 8-9. McAuliffe, Tomkovich 3.5
= 10-11. Hunt, Mazzillo 3.0
= 12-13. Gottlieb, Pluviose 2.5
14. Dovydaitis 2.0
= 15-18. J. Renna, Vinson, Advani, Ruales 0.0


REMINDER: The 5-round, USCF-rated Kenilworth Summer Open and Scholastic begins next week, on Thursday, August 2nd. Rounds are at 7:30 p.m.

For details visit http://www.kenilworthchessclub.org/calendar/index.html#aug

#1330 Christian Brothers Academy Seeks Chess Coach

#1329 Kenilworth Summer Tournament - Round 12 Results

Kernighan clinched a tie for first when I blundered in a winning position against him.

Despite the loss, I secured a top 4 finish for the 13th straight year.


Results, by board number:

1. Tomkovich 0-1 Moldovan
    Moldovan 0-1 Kernighan
2. Dovydaitis 0-1 Lazarus
3. Malko 1/2-1/2 Mazzillo
4. Mazzillo 1/2-1/2 Malko


Standings after round 12 of 13:

Corrected 7/28 @ 9:26 a.m.

1. Kernighan 13.0
2. Abujawdeh 11.0
3. Lazarus 9.5
4. Moldovan 9.0
= 5-6. Camejo, Malko 7.0
7. Benitez 5.0
8. Tomkovich 3.5
= 9-10. Hunt, McAuliffe 3.0
= 11-12. Gottlieb, Pluviose 2.5
= 13-14. Mazzillo, Dovydaitis 2.0
= 15-18. J. Renna, Vinson, Advani, Ruales 0.0


The current prize amounts and leaders for them are:

1st place $34 (Kernighan)
2nd place $17 (Abujawdeh)
3rd place $8.50 (Lazarus)
U1600 $8.50 (Pluviose, Gottlieb)
Under age 18 $8.50 (---)
Under age 13 $8.50 (Malko).

If we do not get another U18 player we shall instead award a 65+ prize.

THE SUMMER TOURNAMENT CONCLUDES NEXT WEEK.

A 5-round, USCF-rated swiss & scholastic will begin on August 2nd. For details visit http://www.kenilworthchessclub.org/calendar/index.html#aug

#1328 Kenilworth Summer Tournament - Round 11 Results

With Abujawdeh absent for the 3rd straight week, Kernighan took clear possession of first.


Results, by board number:

1. Lazarus 0-1 Kernighan
2. Moldovan 1-0 Dovydaitis
3. Malko 1-0 Gottlieb
4. Tomkovich 1-0 Mazzillo


Standings after round 11 of 13:

Corrected 7/28 @ 9:16 a.m.

1. Kernighan 12.0
2. Abujawdeh 11.0
3. Lazarus 8.5
4. Moldovan 8.0
5. Camejo 7.0
6. Malko 6.0
7. Benitez 5.0
8. Tomkovich 3.5
= 9-10. Hunt, McAuliffe 3.0
= 11-12. Gottlieb, Pluviose 2.5
13. Dovydaitis 2.0
14. Mazzillo 1.0
= 15-18. J. Renna, Vinson, Advani, Ruales 0.0


The current prize amounts and leaders for them are:

1st place $34 (Kernighan)
2nd place $17 (Abujawdeh)
3rd place $8.50 (Lazarus)
U1600 $8.50 (Pluviose, Gottlieb $4.25 ea.)
Under age 18 $8.50 (---)
Under age 13 $8.50 (Malko).

If we do not get another U18 player we shall instead award a 65+ prize.

Registration is expected to remain open for the entire tournament.

A REMINDER: ROUNDS BEGIN AT 7:15 P.M.!

For full event details see post #1308.

#1327 Kenilworth Summer Tournament - Round 10 Results

Kernighan defeated Hunt and is now tied for first.

Lazarus scored 1.5/2 and is now clear 3rd.

I had win and a draw, improving my record to +6-1=2.


Results, by board number:

1. Hunt 0-1 Kernighan
2. Lazarus 1-0 Benitez
3. Mazzillo 0-1 Moldovan
3. Lazarus 1/2-1/2 Moldovan
4. Pluviose 1/2-1/2 McAuliffe
5. Gottlieb 1-0 Dovydaitis


Standings after round 10 of 13:

Corrected 7/28 @ 9:13 a.m.

= 1-2. Kernighan, Abujawdeh 11.0
3. Lazarus 8.5
= 4-5. Camejo, Moldovan 7.0
= 6-7. Benitez, Malko 5.0
= 8-9. Hunt, McAuliffe 3.0
= 10-12. Tomkovich, Gottlieb, Pluviose 2.5
13. Dovydaitis 2.0
14. Mazzillo 1.0
= 15-18. J. Renna, Vinson, Advani, Ruales 0.0


The current prize amounts and leaders for them are:

1st place $34 (Kernighan & Abujawdeh $25.50 each)
2nd place $17
3rd place $8.50 (Lazarus)
U1600 $8.50 (Gottlieb, Pluviose $4.25 ea.)
Under age 18 $8.50 (---)
Under age 13 $8.50 (Malko).

If we do not get another U18 player we shall instead award a 65+ prize.

Registration is expected to remain open for the entire tournament.

A REMINDER: ROUNDS BEGIN AT 7:15 P.M.!

For full event details see post #1308.

#1326 Kenilworth Summer Tournament - Round 9

Kernighan beat Camejo twice and now trails Abujawdeh by 1 point.

Lazarus defeated Mazzillo & is now tied for 3rd.

Results, by board number:

1. Camejo 0-1 Kernighan
    Kernighan 1-0 Camejo
2. Mazzillo 0-1 Lazarus
3. Dovydaitis 0-1 Malko
    Malko 0-1 Dovydaitis

4. Benitez 1-0 Tomkovich

Standings after round 9 of 13:

Corrected 7/28 @ 9:07 a.m.

1. Abujawdeh 11.0

2. Kernighan 10.0
= 3-4. Camejo, Lazarus 7.0

5. Moldovan 5.5

= 6-7. Benitez, Malko 5.0

8. Hunt 3.0

= 9-10. McAuliffe, Tomkovich 2.5
= 11-12. Pluviose, Dovydaitis 2.0

13. Gottlieb 1.5
14. Mazzillo 1.0 

= 15-18. J. Renna, Vinson, Advani, Ruales 0.0

The current prize amounts and leaders for them are:

1st place $34 (Abujawdeh)

2nd place $17 (Kernighan)
3rd place $8.50 (Camejo, Lazarus $4.25 ea.)

U1600 $8.50 (Pluviose, Dovydaitis $4.25 ea.)

Under age 18 $8.50 (---)

Under age 13 $8.50 (Malko).

If we do not get another U18 player we shall instead award a 65+ prize.

Registration is expected to remain open for the entire tournament.

A REMINDER: ROUNDS BEGIN AT 7:15 P.M.!

For full event details see post #1308.

#1325 Kenilworth Summer Tournament - Round 8 Results

Abujawdeh won twice and extended his lead to 3 points.

I returned to action, scoring 1.5/2 in a simul.

Results, by board number:

1. Camejo 0-1 Abujawdeh
2. Moldovan 1/2-1/2 Lazarus
3. Moldovan 1-0 Mazzillo

4. Dovydaitis 1/2-1/2 Gottlieb
5. Malko 1-0 Pluviose
6. Kernighan 1-0 Camejo
7. McAuliffe 0-1 Abujawdeh
8. Lazarus 1-0 Malko

Standings after round 8 of 13:

Corrected 7/28 @ 9:02 a.m.

1. Abujawdeh 11.0

2. Kernighan 8.0
3. Camejo 7.0

4. Lazarus 6.0

5. Moldovan 5.5
= 6-7. Benitez, Malko 4.0

8. Hunt 3.0

= 9-10. McAuliffe, Tomkovich 2.5
11. Pluviose 2.0
12. Gottlieb 1.5

= 13-14. Mazzillo, Dovydaitis 1.0

= 15-18. J. Renna, Vinson, Advani, Ruales 0.0

The current prize amounts and leaders for them are:

1st place $34 (Abujawdeh)

2nd place $17 (Kernighan)
3rd place $8.50 (Camejo)

U1600 $8.50 (Pluviose)

Under age 18 $8.50 (---)

Under age 13 $8.50 (Malko).

If we do not get another U18 player we shall instead award a 65+ prize.

Registration is expected to remain open for the entire tournament.

A REMINDER: ROUNDS BEGIN AT 7:15 P.M.!

For full event details see post #1308.

#1324 Kenilworth Summer Tournament - Round 7 Results

There was no change in the top 6 places.

Luis Ruales (590) late-joined, bringing the number of participants to 18.

Hannah Malko (1164) won twice, defeating Ruales & upsetting Geoff McAuliffe (1625)!

I arrived late and didn't play.

Results, by board number:

1. Abujawdeh 1-0 Benitez

2. Mazzillo 0-1 Kernighan

3. Lazarus 0-1 Camejo

4. Dovydaitis 1/2-1/2 Pluviose

5. Malko 1-0 Ruales  (played with the wrong colors)

    Malko 1-0 McAuliffe

Standings after round 7 of 13:

1. Abujawdeh 9.0

= 2-3. Kernighan, Camejo 7.0

4. Lazarus 4.5

= 5-6. Benitez, Moldovan 4.0

= 7-8. Hunt, Malko 3.0

= 9-10. McAuliffe, Tomkovich 2.5

10. Pluviose 2.0

= 11-13. Gottlieb, Mazzillo 1.0

14. Dovydaitis 0.5

= 15-18. J. Renna, Vinson, Advani, Ruales 0.0

The current prize amounts and leaders for them are:

1st place $34 (Abujawdeh)

2nd place $17 (Kernighan and Camejo $12.75 ea.),

3rd place $8.50

U1600 $8.50 (Pluviose)

Under age 18 $8.50 (---)

Under age 13 $8.50 (Malko).

If we do not get another U18 player we shall instead award a 65+ prize.

Registration is expected to remain open for the entire tournament.

NOTE: BEGINNING NEXT THURSDAY ROUNDS WILL BEGIN AT 7:15 P.M.!

For full event details see post #1308.

Kernighan's win over Mazzillo & my 3 games from rounds 4 & 5 will be forthcoming.

#1323 Kenilworth Summer Tournament - Round 6

Abujawdeh still leads. Camejo won twice & is now tied for 2nd, with Kernighan.

Joe Renna (1411)  joined, bringing the number of participants to 17.

I arrived early (7:35!) but could not get a tournament game & fell into 5th place.


6th round results, by board number:

1. Dovydaitis 0-1 Abujawdeh
2. Benitez 0-1 Kernighan
3. J. Renna 0-1 Camejo
    Abujawdeh 0-1 Camejo
4. Malko 0-1 Lazarus
    McAuliffe 1/2-1/2 Lazarus
5. Vinson 0-1 Hunt
6. Mazzillo 1/2-1/2 Pluviose


Standings after round 6 of 13:

1. Abujawdeh 8.0
= 2-3. Kernighan, Camejo 6.0
4. Lazarus 4.5
= 5-6. Benitez, Moldovan 4.0
7. Hunt 3.0
= 8-9. McAuliffe, Tomkovich 2.5
10. Pluviose 1.5
= 11-13. Gottlieb, Mazzillo, Malko 1.0
= 14-17. J. Renna, Vinson, Advani, Dovydaitis 0.0


The current prize amounts & leaders for them are: 1st place $34 (Abujawdeh), 2nd place $17 for 2nd, 3rd place $8.50 (Kernighan & Camejo $12.75 ea.), U1600 $8.50 (Pluviose), Under age 18 $8.50 (---), Under age 13 $8.50 (Malko).

If we do not get another U18 player we shall instead award a 65+ prize.


Registration is expected to remain open for the entire tournament.

For event details see post #1308.

P.S. -  My 3 games from rounds 4 & 5 will be posted as time permits. Been rather busy of late.

#1322 IM Zlotnikov To Lecture At West Orange CC, On 6/12

International Master Mikhail Zlotnikov will be giving a lecture at the West Orange Chess Club on Tuesday June 12, 2018 at 8:00 p.m.

A $10 per attendee donation is requested. If you are a West Orange resident, are under age 18 or age 65+, the requested donation is $5.

For more information please contact club president and tournament director John Hagerty at buickchess@gmail.com or alternatively call him at 973-736-3433 between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.

#1321 Kenilworth Summer Tournament - Round 5 Results

Abujawdeh extended his lead with a pair of victories. Kernighan defeated Camejo to take clear possession of 2nd. I played yet another lousy game yet won & moved-up a notch.

Hannah Malko (1117)  joined, bringing the number of participants to 16.


5th round results, by board number:

1. Pluviose 0-1 Abujawdeh
    Abujawdeh 1-0 Pluviose
2. Camejo 0-1 Kernighan
3. Advani 0-1 Benitez
4. Dovydaitis 0-1 Moldovan
5. Malko 0-1 Tomkovich
6. McAuliffe 1-0 Vinson
    Malko 1-0 Vinson


Standings after round 5 of 13:

1. Abujawdeh 7.0
2. Kernighan 5.0
= 3-5. Camejo, Benitez, Moldovan 4.0
6. Lazarus 3.0
7. Tomkovich 2.5
= 8-9. Hunt, McAuliffe 2.0
= 10-12. Gottlieb, Pluviose, Malko 1.0
13. Mazzillo 0.5
= 14-16. Vinson, Advani, Dovydaitis 0.0

My 4th & 5th round games will follow.

Registration is expected to remain open for the entire tournament.

For event details see post #1308.

#1320 25% Off, 24 Hour Sale At Chess Base!

25% off, 24 hour sale at ChessBase!

 https://en.chessbase.com/post/discount-day-may-29-2018

#1319 Kenilworth Summer Tournament - Round 4 Results

Abujawdeh lost his re-match against Kernighan but retained the lead. NM Mauricio Camejo won twice to move into a tie for 2nd. I picked-up a pair of simultaneous victories in the Caro-Kann, & am now tied for 4th, but was clearly worse in both games.


Arun Advani (1001 p/6)  joined, bringing the number of participants to 15.


4th round results, by board number:

1. Kernighan 1-0 Abujawdeh
2. Pluviose 0-1 Camejo
    Camejo 1-0 Lazarus  (Played with the wrong colors)
3. Mazzillo 0-1 Moldovan
4. Advani 0-1 Moldovan
5. Dovydaitis 0-1 Tomkovich
6. Vinson 0-1 Gottlieb
    Vinson 0-1 McAuliffe


Standings after round 4 of 13:

1. Abujawdeh 5.0
= 2-3. Kernighan, Camejo 4.0
= 4-6. Benitez, Lazarus, Moldovan 3.0
7. Hunt 2.0
8. Tomkovch 1.5
= 9-11. McAuliffe, Gottlieb, Pluviose 1.0
12. Mazzillo 0.5
= 13-15. Vinson, Advani, Dovydaitis 0.0

My wins will follow.

Registration is expected to remain open for the entire tournament.

For event details see post #1308.

#1318 Kenilworth Summer Tournament - Round 3

Sam Abujawdeh extended his lead to 2 points by defeating LM Mark Kernighan. Dave Lazarus beat Bob Hunt and is now tied for 2nd. I arrived late and didn't play.


3rd round results, by board number:

1. Abujawdeh 1-0 Kernighan
2. Hunt 0-1 Lazarus
3. Vinson 0-1 Camejo
    Camejo 1-0 Vinson
4. Mazzillo 1/2-1/2 Tomkovich
5. Dovydaitis 0-1 Pluviose


Standings after round 3 of 13:

1. Abujawdeh 5.0
= 2-4. Kernighan, Benitez, Lazarus 3.0
= 5-6. Camejo, Hunt 2.0
= 7-8. Moldovan, Pluviose 1.0
= 9-10. Tomkovich, Mazzillo 0.5
= 11-14. McAuliffe, Gottlieb, Vinson, Dovydaitis 0.0


Registration is expected to remain open for the entire tournament.

For event details see post #1308.

#1317 KST - Round 2 Annotations

My loss to Abujawdeh & Vinson 0-1 Lazarus:

[Event "Kenilworth Summer Tournament"] [Site "Kenilworth, NJ"] [Date "2018.05.10"] [Round "1"] [White "Abujawdeh, Sam"] [Black "Moldovan, John"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C02"] [WhiteElo ""] [BlackElo "1816"] [Annotator "Moldovan,John"] [PlyCount "55"] [EventDate "2018.05.03"] [EventRounds "13"] [Source "The Chess Coroner #1317"] [SourceVersion "1"] [SourceVersionDate "2018.05.16"] [SourceQuality "1"] {Board 3.2 G/55+5 (delay) C02 French Defense Advance Variation Despite arriving at 8:10 I could not catch a game until 9:30.} 1. e4 e6 $6 {This, of course, is okay} ({but there was little or no reason to vary from the highly successful (+12-0=2!)} 1... g6 {of my 14 previous KST Blacks.}) 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Qb6 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. Be2 cxd4 7. cxd4 Nh6 {[#]} (7... Nge7 8. Na3 Nf5 9. Nc2 Bd7 {is a less demanding alternative.}) 8. Bxh6 $5 {"Better than its reputation." - J. Watson 2012; ?! ECO 1997; ? J. Watson 1984, Minev 1988, Psakhis 2003, S. Pedersen 2005} (8. Nc3 Nf5 9. Na4 {is the main line.}) { Now Black wins a P.} 8... Qxb2 9. Nbd2 {The most complex continuation & the best one, to boot.} (9. Nc3 Qxc3+ 10. Bd2 Qa3 11. O-O $44 {keeps Black's P structure intact}) ({&} 9. Bxg7 $2 Bxg7 10. Nbd2 Nxd4 {is =/+.}) 9... gxh6 { "White has hardly anything for the P." - Gligoric/Uhlmann 1975} 10. O-O { "Unclear." - Sveshnikov 2007} ({RR} 10. Nb3 Bb4+ 11. Kf1 Be7 $146 12. a3 a5 13. a4 Nb4 14. Ne1 Bd7 15. h4 b6 16. Rh3 Rc8 17. Rb1 Qa2 18. Ra1 Qb2 {Durarbayli - Harikrishna : Baku (ol) 2016} 19. Nxa5 $1 bxa5 $140 20. Rb3 Bxa4 $8 21. Rxa4 Qc1 $8 22. Rxa5 Qxd1 23. Bxd1 $11) 10... Bg7 (10... Nxd4 $142 {-/+ ECO} 11. Rb1 Nxe2+ 12. Qxe2 Qa3 {Virag - Nagy : Miskolc 2004} (12... Qxa2 13. Qb5+ {T. Szabo -J. Horvath : correspondence, Poland 1991} Bd7 $8 14. Qxb7 $44 Rc8 $8)) 11. Nb3 $44 {[#]} O-O $2 (11... Qa3 $142) 12. Bd3 $2 (12. a3 $142 $14) 12... Nb4 $2 $146 (12... f6 $6 13. exf6 Rxf6 {Meinhardt - Juergens : Bad Bevensen 2005} 14. Bb5 $14) (12... Qa3 $142 $146 13. Qc2 Bd7 14. Bxh7+ $140 Kh8 15. Bd3 Nb4 16. Qd2 Nxd3 17. Qxd3 b6 $11) 13. Re1 $2 (13. a3 $142 Na2 $8 14. Bc2 Nc3 15. Qd3 Ne4 16. Rfc1 $16) 13... Nxd3 14. Qxd3 Bd7 $2 (14... Qa3 $142 $17) 15. Re2 $2 (15. a4 Rac8 16. Nc5 Rxc5 $8 17. dxc5 $16) 15... Qa3 16. Re3 Rac8 (16... b6 $142 $17) 17. h3 $5 (17. Qb1 $142 $15) 17... a6 $2 (17... b6 $142 $17) 18. Nh2 (18. Qb1 $142 $44) 18... Bb5 19. Qd2 Qe7 20. Rg3 Kh8 {[#]} 21. Ng4 $2 (21. a4 $142 Bc4 22. Nc5 $15) 21... Qh4 $2 (21... h5 $142 $17 22. Nh6 $140 $4 f6 $19 ) 22. Qe3 (22. Nc5 $142 $44) 22... Qg5 $6 (22... b6 $17) 23. f4 Qf5 24. Nd2 $2 (24. a4 $142 $15) 24... Rc2 $2 (24... h5 $17) 25. Nf3 $4 (25. Qf2 $142 $15) 25... Rfc8 $6 (25... Re2 $142 26. Qc1 h5) 26. a4 R8c3 $6 (26... Bd7 $142) 27. Qe1 {[#]} Re2 $4 {This drops a R & the game.} (27... Qxf4 $142 $1 $19 28. axb5 $140 $2 Rc1) 28. Qxc3 {Black resigns Time left - Abujawdeh 39:14, Moldovan 24: 01 Estimated time used - Abujawdeh 31:18, Moldovan 25:57 Longest thinks: White - 2 minutes (4x) Black - 9 minutes for 25...Rfc8?! Thanks to my ridiculous blunder I trail the leader by 3 points instead of 1 & am probably out of the running for 1st already. Will I be able to finish in the top 2 for an 8th straight year or top 4 for a 14th straight year??} 1-0 [Event "Kenilworth Summer Tournament"] [Site "Kenilworth, NJ"] [Date "2018.05.10"] [Round "1"] [White "Vinson, Robert"] [Black "Lazarus, David"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C01"] [WhiteElo "1200"] [BlackElo "1872"] [Annotator "Moldovan,John"] [PlyCount "62"] [EventDate "2018.05.03"] [EventRounds "13"] [Source "The Chess Coroner #1317"] [SourceVersion "1"] [SourceVersionDate "2018.05.16"] [SourceQuality "1"] 1. d4 e6 2. e4 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. Nf3 Bd6 5. Bd3 Ne7 6. Be3 {Better is 0-0, here or next.} (6. O-O $142) 6... Bf5 7. Bxf5 Nxf5 8. Bd2 $6 $146 (8. Qd3 $142 Qd7 9. Nc3 c6 10. O-O-O) 8... Qf6 $6 (8... Qe7+ $142 9. Qe2 Nc6 $15) 9. c3 Nd7 10. O-O O-O 11. Re1 Rfe8 12. Qc1 Qg6 $2 (12... h6 $142 13. a4 Re4 $17) 13. Bf4 Qg4 (13... Rxe1+ $142 14. Nxe1 $8 Re8) 14. Bxd6 Nxd6 15. Na3 c6 16. Qg5 (16. h3 $142 $11) 16... Qxg5 17. Nxg5 h6 (17... Nb6 $142 $15) 18. Nf3 Ne4 (18... Nb6 $142) 19. Nc2 a5 $1 20. Ne3 a4 21. Nf5 $2 (21. c4 $142 $11) 21... a3 22. b3 $2 (22. bxa3 $142 $15) 22... g6 $2 (22... Nxc3 $142 23. Nd6 Rxe1+ 24. Nxe1 Ne2+ 25. Kf1 Nxd4) 23. Nxh6+ Kg7 24. Ng4 Nxc3 25. Nge5 $4 (25. Ne3 $142 $17) 25... Nxe5 26. Nxe5 $2 (26. dxe5 $142) 26... f6 27. Nf3 Rxe1+ 28. Rxe1 $2 (28. Nxe1 $142 Re8 29. Kf1) 28... Nxa2 29. Ra1 Nb4 30. Nd2 a2 31. Kf1 Nc2 0-1

#1316 Kenilworth Summer Tournament - Round 2 Results

I had a winning position vs. tournament leader Sam Abujawdeh but blundered away a Rook & the game.

Pat Mazzillo (1257) joined. The tourney now has 14 players.


2nd round results, by board number:

1. Pluviose 0-1 Kernighan
2. Tomkovich 0-1 Benitez
3. Abujawdeh 1-0 McAuliffe
    Abujawdeh 1-0 Moldovan
4. Gottlieb 0-1 Hunt
5. Vinson 0-1 Lazarus
    Lazarus 1-0 Vinson


Standings after round 2 of 13:

1. Abujawdeh 4.0
= 2-3. Kernighan, Benitez 3.0
= 4-5. Lazarus, Hunt 2.0
6. Moldovan 1.0
= 7-14. Camejo, McAuliffe, Tomkovich, Pluviose, Gottlieb, Mazzillo, Vinson, Dovydaitis 0.0


My loss will follow.

Registration is expected to remain open for the entire tournament.

For event details see post #1308.

#1315 KST - Round 1 Annotations

My win over Wedley Pluviose & Vinson 0-1 Benitez:

[Event "Kenilworth Summer Tournament"] [Site "Kenilworth, NJ"] [Date "2018.05.03"] [Round "1"] [White "Pluviose, Wedley"] [Black "Moldovan, John"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "A40"] [WhiteElo "1528"] [BlackElo "1816"] [Annotator "Moldovan,John"] [PlyCount "98"] [EventDate "2018.05.03"] [EventRounds "13"] [Source "The Chess Coroner #1315"] [SourceVersion "1"] [SourceVersionDate "2018.05.05"] [SourceQuality "1"] {Board 3 G/55+5 (delay) A40 Modern Defense Colle System} 1. d4 g6 2. Nf3 Bg7 3. c3 d6 (3... Nf6 4. Nbd2 $140 d5 {ECO code: D03} ({or} 4... d6 5. e4 {B07 Pirc}) 5. e3 O-O 6. Be2 c5 $1 {(Frank - Claus : Moerlenbach 2004) is a good alternative.}) 4. e3 {The triangle setup isn't very effective vs. the Modern & K's Indian.} ({He should've played} 4. e4 {or, going back a step, 3.e3 /\ c2-c4.}) 4... Nd7 5. Bb5 $6 {This gives me a tempo or 2.} (5. Be2 $142 e5 6. O-O {House - Helbig : Weymouth, ENG 2006} e4 $140 $146 7. Nfd2 Qe7 8. c4 { + Nc3.}) 5... c6 {[#]} 6. Bc4 $146 (6. Be2 $142 Ngf6 7. O-O O-O {Bester - Andraschko : correspondence, LSS 2012} 8. c4 {+ Nc3.}) 6... e5 7. O-O (7. e4 $142 $11) (7. dxe5 $143 d5 $1 8. Bb3 Qe7 9. Nbd2 Nxe5 10. Nxe5 Qxe5) 7... Qe7 $6 {This turns-out well} ({but} 7... e4 8. Nfd2 d5 $15 {was best.}) 8. Nbd2 $2 (8. e4 $11 {was right.}) {Now my central expansion will be even more advantageous.} 8... e4 9. Ne1 d5 10. Bb3 $2 (10. Be2 $142 $15) 10... Ndf6 $1 11. c4 Nh6 12. cxd5 Nxd5 {[#]} (12... cxd5 $142) 13. f3 $4 (13. Bxd5 $142 cxd5 14. Qb3 $17) 13... exf3 $4 (13... Nxe3 14. Qe2 Nxf1 $19 {would've won an Exchange but, being over-heated & tired, I just forgot to play it.}) 14. Qxf3 $4 (14. Bxd5 $142 Qxe3+ 15. Kh1 cxd5 16. Ndxf3 $17) 14... Qxe3+ $2 {This forces a Q trade but} (14... Nxe3 $142 15. Rf2 (15. Kh1 $143 $2 Bg4) 15... Bxd4 $19) 15. Qxe3+ Nxe3 16. Rf3 (16. Rf2 $142 O-O ({Not} 16... Bxd4 $2 17. Ndf3 Bb6 18. Re2 $16) 17. Ndf3 $17) 16... Bxd4 $19 17. Kh1 Nef5 18. Ne4 O-O 19. Ng5 Kg7 20. Nd3 f6 21. Ne4 {[#]} Bd7 $2 (21... Re8 $142) 22. Bc2 $2 (22. Nec5 $142 Bxc5 23. Bxh6+ Kxh6 24. Nxc5 Bc8 25. Re1) 22... Rae8 23. Ng3 $2 (23. Ndc5 $142 Bc8 24. Nb3) 23... Nxg3+ 24. Rxg3 (24. hxg3 $142) 24... Nf5 25. Rf3 (25. Rh3 $142) 25... Ne3 $6 (25... c5 $142) 26. Bxe3 Rxe3 27. Rxe3 Bxe3 28. h3 Re8 29. Re1 Bb6 30. Rxe8 Bxe8 31. Nf4 Bf7 32. b3 Be3 33. g3 Bxf4 34. gxf4 Bd5+ 35. Kh2 f5 36. Kg3 Kf6 37. h4 h6 38. a4 $2 Be4 39. Bd1 a5 40. Be2 $2 {>= Kf2, here & at turns 42, 43.} Bd5 41. Bd1 Ke6 42. Bc2 $2 h5 43. Bd1 $2 Kd6 44. Kf2 Kc5 45. b4+ (45. Ke3 Kb4 46. Kd4 Bxb3 {is little or no better.}) 45... axb4 46. Ke2 b3 47. Kd2 Kb4 48. Kc1 Kc3 49. Be2 Be4 {White resigned. Time left - Pluviose 27:47, Moldovan 24:01 Estimated time used - Pluviose 31:18, Moldovan 34:59 Longest thinks: White - 3 minutes for 9.Ne1, Black - 7 minutes for 17...Nef5. I passed-up 2 opportunities to play a 2nd game.} 0-1 [Event "Kenilworth Summer Tournament"] [Site "Kenilworth, NJ"] [Date "2018.05.03"] [Round "1"] [White "Vinson, Robert"] [Black "Benitez, Gilberto"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "D56"] [WhiteElo "1200"] [BlackElo "1896"] [Annotator "Moldovan,John"] [PlyCount "60"] [EventDate "2018.05.03"] [EventRounds "13"] [Source "The Chess Coroner #1315"] [SourceVersion "1"] [SourceVersionDate "2018.05.05"] [SourceQuality "1"] {Queen's Gambit} 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 e6 4. Nc3 c6 5. Bg5 Be7 (5... dxc4 6. e4 {The Anti-Meran Gambit} b5 7. e5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Nxg5 hxg5 10. Bxg5 { was a much sharper alternative. Novelties have been introduced at move 43 in this line, perhaps beyond!}) 6. e3 Nbd7 {[#]} 7. cxd5 {This was better played on the 4th or 5th turn as Black can now recapture with the N, trade some pieces & free his game.} ({I prefer} 7. Qc2 O-O 8. a3 {which was 1st seen in Marshall - Tarrasch : Ostend 1905.}) 7... Nxd5 8. Bxe7 Qxe7 9. Rc1 Nxc3 10. Rxc3 (10. bxc3 $142 {(Harwar - Kindt : Sas van Gent), strengthening the center & opening the b-line, which is more useful than than the c-file.}) 10... e5 ( 10... O-O $142 {Neikirkh - Gereben : Sopat 1951}) 11. dxe5 (11. d5 $142 $146 cxd5 12. Qxd5 O-O 13. Be2) 11... Nxe5 12. Nxe5 Qxe5 13. Bd3 O-O 14. Qc2 (14. O-O $142 Be6 15. Qc2 {Sommer - Kirst : Bad Duerkheim 1993} Bxa2 $140 $4 16. b3 $18) 14... h6 (14... g6 $142 {Dyner - Dunkelbaum : Ostend 1937}) 15. O-O Be6 { [#]} 16. b3 $2 $146 {This was unnecessary as the a2P is poisoned.} (16. h3 $11 {improves upon the aforementioned & the 4 previous tries.}) 16... Rfd8 17. Rc5 Rd5 $2 (17... Qf6 $142 $1 $15) 18. Rxd5 Qxd5 19. Rd1 Qa5 20. h3 Rd8 21. Bh7+ Kh8 22. Rxd8+ Qxd8 23. Bf5 (23. Qd3 Qa5 ({The engine prefers} 23... Qxd3 24. Bxd3 Kg8 {but keeping Qs on is more likely.}) 24. Be4 Qxa2 $140 $4 25. Qd8# { was an option.}) 23... Bxf5 24. Qxf5 Kg8 25. Qe4 {This is ok} ({but I'd rather move the K off the 1st row} 25. Kh2) ({or attack Black's Q-side Ps} 25. Qc5) 25... a5 {[#]} 26. a4 $2 {This drops the b3P.} (26. Kh2 $142 $11) 26... Qd1+ 27. Kh2 Qxb3 28. Qe8+ $2 (28. Qe7 $142 $16) 28... Kh7 $19 29. Qe4+ g6 30. Qe7 $2 (30. f4 $142) 30... b5 {& Black went on to win.} 0-1

#1314 Kenilworth Summer Tournament - Round 1 Results

The Kenilworth Summer Tournament got underway on last night with a 13 player field.

List of participants, by USCF rating:

1	LM Mark Kernighan	2260
2	NM Mauricio Camejo	2000
3	Gilberto Benitez	1896
4	Dave Lazarus	1872
5	John Moldovan	1816
6	Bob Hunt	1702
7	Geoff McAuliffe	1625
8	Greg Tomkovich	1600
9	Wedley Pluviose	1528
10	Paul Gottlieb	1516
11	Robert Vinson	1200
12	Sam Abujawdeh	unrated
13	Joseph Dovydaitis	unrated

Opening round results, by board number:

1. Lazarus 0-1 Kernighan
    Kernighan 1-0 Lazarus
2. Vinson 0-1 Benitez
    Benitez 1-0 Camejo
3. Pluviose 0-1 Moldovan
4. Hunt 1-0 Gottlieb  (Played with incorrect colors!)
5. Aabujawdeh 1-0 Tomkovich
    Tomkovich 0-1 Abujawdeh


Standings after round 1 of 13:

= 1-3 Kernighan, Benitez, Abujawdeh 2.0
= 4-5. Moldovan, Hunt 1.0
= 6-13. Camejo, Lazarus, McAuliffe, Tomkovich, Pluviose, Gottlieb, Vinson, Dovydaitis 0.0


My win will follow.

Registration is expected to remain open for the entire tournament.

For event details see post #1308.

#1313 Kenilworth Summer Tournament Starts Tonight!

The Kenilworth Summer Tournament starts tonight!

Be there or be square.

#1312 Game From The Westfield Quads

On Sunday, I was a filler in the last round of Westfield's G/45 Quads.

Here is the game:

[Event "Westfield Quads, Extra Game"] [Site "Westfield, NJ"] [Date "2018.04.29"] [Round "3"] [White "Moldovan, John"] [Black "Prestia, Sebastian"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "D06"] [WhiteElo "1817"] [BlackElo "1817"] [Annotator "Moldovan,John"] [PlyCount "83"] [EventDate "2018.04.29"] [EventType "game"] [EventCountry "USA"] [Source "Moldovan, John"] [SourceDate "2018.05.03"] [SourceVersion "1"] [SourceVersionDate "2018.05.03"] [SourceQuality "1"] {Board 8 G/40+5 (delay) D06 Queen's Gambit Baltic Defense Another terrible game. I missed an opening refutation (7.dxc6! +-), made 5 more mistakes (beginning with 16.Bxd3?), got away with a blunder (26.Bxf5+?? -+) & was winning at the end but taking a draw was best for business & my soul.} 1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Bf5 3. c4 e6 4. Nc3 Nc6 5. Bf4 (5. a3 {is a good alternative.}) 5... Nf6 6. e3 Ne4 $6 (6... Bb4 $142 $11) 7. cxd5 $1 Bb4 $4 $146 {[#]} ({He should have played} 7... Nxc3 8. bxc3 Qxd5 $14) ({or} 7... exd5 8. Bd3 (8. Qb3 $143 Bb4 {transposing to the game.}) 8... Bb4 9. Qc2 O-O 10. O-O Bxc3 11. bxc3 Re8 $14) 8. Qb3 $4 (8. dxc6 $1 Nxc3 9. bxc3 Bxc3+ 10. Nd2 Bxa1 $2 11. cxb7 $1 (11. Qxa1 bxc6 {also wins.}) 11... Rb8 12. Qa4+ Kf8 13. Qc6 $18 {was right.}) 8... exd5 9. Bb5 (9. Bd3 $142 Nxc3 $140 $6 10. Bxf5 $14 Ne4+ 11. Kf1 $16) 9... O-O 10. O-O (10. h3 $142) 10... Bxc3 11. bxc3 g5 $1 $146 (11... Na5 12. Qb4 c6 13. Be2 Bg4 14. Rfe1 {was played in Milonakis - I. Miladinovic : Chania 1999.}) 12. Bg3 g4 $6 {This wins an Exchange} ({but} 12... Na5 $142 13. Qb2 a6 $11) 13. Nh4 Nd2 14. Qd1 Nxf1 15. Nxf5 Qg5 {[#]} 16. Bxc7 $2 (16. Bxf1 $142 Qxf5 17. Bd3 Qd7 18. Qb1 $14) 16... Qxf5 17. Bd3 $2 (17. Bxf1 $142 $44) 17... Qd7 $6 (17... Nxe3 $142 $1 18. Bxf5 Nxd1 19. Rxd1 h5 $17) 18. Bf4 Nxh2 (18... Nxe3 $142 $1 19. Bxe3 f5 $15) 19. Kxh2 f5 $2 (19... Ne7 $142 $15) 20. Kg3 $2 (20. Qa4 $142 $44) 20... h5 $2 (20... Ne7 $142 $17) 21. Qh1 $44 Qh7 22. Qh4 Kf7 $2 (22... Ne7 $142 ) 23. Rh1 $2 (23. c4 $142 $16) 23... Rh8 $4 (23... Ne7 $142 $14) 24. Qg5 $4 ( 24. c4 $142 $18) 24... Ke6 $2 (24... h4+ $142 $1 25. Kh2 (25. Rxh4 $143 Qxh4+ 26. Qxh4 Rxh4 27. Kxh4 Kf6 $17) 25... Rhg8 26. Qxf5+ Qxf5 27. Bxf5 Ne7 $15) 25. c4 Rag8 $4 {[#]} (25... h4+ $142 26. Kh2 Rag8 27. cxd5+ Kxd5 28. Qf6 Qg6 29. Qxg6 Rxg6 $16) 26. Bxf5+ $4 (26. cxd5+ $142 Kxd5 27. e4+ $3 (27. Qh4 $143 Qe7 28. Rc1 Qxh4+ 29. Kxh4 {though that is winning, as well.}) 27... Kxd4 28. Qf6+ $8 Kxd3 29. Qd6+ $18) 26... Kf7 $4 ({After} 26... Qxf5 {& White can resign as the intended deflection} 27. cxd5+ {is simply refuted by} Qxd5) 27. Bxh7 $18 Rxg5 28. Bxg5 Rxh7 29. cxd5 {White offers a draw.} Nb4 {Black declines.} 30. d6 $6 (30. e4 $142) 30... Ke6 31. Be7 $6 (31. e4 $142) 31... Nc6 32. Rb1 b6 33. Rc1 (33. Bg5 $142 Kxd6 34. Rb5) 33... Nxe7 34. dxe7 Rxe7 35. Kh4 (35. Rc6+ $142 Kf5 (35... Kd5 $143 36. Rh6) 36. Kh4) 35... Kf5 $6 (35... Kd5 $142) 36. Rc6 ({ Not} 36. Kxh5 $4 Rh7#) 36... Rh7 (36... Ke4 $142) 37. d5 $6 (37. f3 $142) 37... Ke5 38. d6 Rd7 39. Kxh5 {White offers a draw.} Rxd6 $2 {Black declines.} (39... Rf7 $142) 40. Rxd6 Kxd6 41. Kxg4 b5 42. Kf3 {Black offers a draw. White accepts. Game drawn by agreement. Time left - Moldovan 2:14, Prestia 2:45 Estimated time used - 41:16, Prestia 40:45 Longest thinks: White - 9 minutes for 16.Bxc7? Black - 7 minutes for 25...Rag8?} 1/2-1/2