CHESS

Caltech wins amateur team championship

By Jack Peters
International Master

February 23, 2003

The western regional of the U.S. Amateur Team Championship, which attracted a record 83 teams in 1996, continues to suffer from the attendance problems that struck chess events in the late 1990s. The 2003 version, held last weekend at the Radisson Hotel in Los Angeles, drew only 42 teams and 180 players, the smallest turnout since 1986. The slump is especially puzzling because many clubs make plans months in advance to participate in this tournament.

Nevertheless, the tournament produced plenty of exciting matches. The clear winner, with a match score of 5 1/2- 1/2, was "CALTECHnically Won," a team composed of Caltech students Whee Ky Ma, Eugene Yanayt, Graham Free and Howard Liu. They will represent the West in an Internet playoff against the winners of the East, South and Midwest regionals.

Four teams tied with match scores of 4 1/2-1 1/2. On tiebreak, "AAA Harry People and the Secret Chamber" (Tatev Abrahamyan, Harutyun Akopyan, Minas Nordanyan and Harut Keshishian) received second prize. "Mate and Run" (IM Melikset Khachiyan, Lernik Manukyan, Marina Asami and Arkadiy Onikul) finished third.

Individual prizes went to Whee Ky Ma, 5 1/2- 1/2 on tiebreak over Jack Peters on first board; Harutyun Akopyan, 5-1 on tiebreak over Charles Van Buskirk on second board; Tim Hanks, 6-0 on third board; Ed Cohen, 5 1/2- 1/2 on tiebreak over Howard Liu; and Derek Tan, 3-3 as best alternate.

The team "Unable to Mate (Is That Why We're Still Single?)" won the vote for best name.

The Scholastic Amateur Team Championship drew a good turnout of 24 teams and 102 players. "Academic Chess" (Walter Medling, Christian Tanaka, Theodore Medling and Kevin Johnson) took first prize with a score of 5-1. Melinda West, Christian Tanaka, Igor Gampel and Kevin Johnson won individual honors.

Local News

The Eduard Gufeld Memorial, the Santa Monica Bay Chess Club's eight-round club championship, begins at 7 p.m. Monday in Joslyn Park, 633 Kensington Road, in Santa Monica. Call Pete Savino at (310) 827-2789 for more details.

Robert Bolias won the 40-player New Year tournament at the Arcadia Chess Club. Bolias scored 5 1/2- 1/2, a full point ahead of Tim McCarron and top B player Gary Hall. Other prizes went to Denton Anderson, James Boren, Gordon Brooks and Dave Matson, tied for best Class A; Tony Grauso and Andras Mohai, tied for best C; and Carmelo Go, best D-E-unrated.

The Arcadia Chess Club runs tournaments continuously on Monday evenings in the Senior Citizens building, 405 S. Santa Anita Ave., in Arcadia. The six-round club championship begins Monday. Call Fred Brock at (818) 331-1638 for information.

Fereidon Geula scored 6-1 to win the West Valley Chess Club championship. Dan Wong, top Class A, finished with 5 1/2-1 1/2. Other winners: Rusty Krutik, best over 2000; Immanuel Singuillo, best B; Duane Cooper, best C; James Grey, best under 1400; Sam Ilagan, best unrated.

The West Valley Chess Club will begin a six-round tournament on Thursday at the Jewish Community Center, 22622 Vanowen St., in West Hills. For details, call John Price at (818) 363-1379 or Duane Cooper at (818) 999-0837.

The Exposition Park Chess Club plans a free tournament at 1 p.m. next Sunday in the public library, 3665 S. Vermont Ave., in Los Angeles.

Today's Game

GM Karjakin (Ukraine) -- WGM Kosteniuk (Russia), Game #4, Switzerland 2003: 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 e5 5 Nb5 d6 Similar to the Sveshnikov variation of the Sicilian Defense, but Black delays ... Ng8-f6. 6 N1c3 a6 7 Na3 b5 Or 7 ... Nf6. 8 Nd5 Nce7 9 c4 Nxd5 10 exd5 bxc4 11 Nxc4 Nf6 12 Be3 Rb8 13 Be2!? Safer is 13 a4, but White invites 13 ... Rb5 14 a4 Rxd5 15 Qb3 Be6 16 Qb7, stranding Black's Rook. Be7 14 a4 0-0 15 0-0 Bb7 16 Nb6 White has the edge on the Queenside while Black has not yet caused trouble on the Kingside. Nd7 17 a5 f5 18 f3 Nxb6 19 Bxb6 Qd7 20 b4 Bd8 21 Be3 Bf6 22 Rb1 Qf7 23 Bc4 Rfc8 24 Qd3 Ra8 Solid defense. 25 Rfc1 Qh5 Instead, 25 ... Rxc4? 26 Qxc4 Bxd5 27 Qc7 gives Black little compensation. 26 Bb3 Bg5 27 Qd2 Bxe3+ 28 Qxe3 Qf7 29 Qb6! Bxd5 Accepting the challenge. Not 29 ... Qd7? 30 Rc6, but 29 ... Qe7 30 Ba4!? Rxc1+ 31 Rxc1 Bxd5 is playable. White can keep an edge with 32 Rd1 Qe6 33 Bd7! Qxd7 34 Rxd5. 30 Qxa6! Rxc1+?? The correct 30 ... Rcb8! 31 Qd3 Bxb3 32 Rxb3 e4 (not 32 ... Rxa5?? 33 bxa5 Qxb3 because of 34 Rc8+!) 33 fxe4 fxe4 34 Qh3 d5 should survive. 31 Rxc1 Rxa6 White's passers win routinely after 31 ... Rf8 32 Bxd5 Qxd5 33 Qc4. 32 Rc8+ Qe8 33 Rxe8+ Kf7 34 Ra8!, Black resigns. What a shot from the 13-year-old prodigy!

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