Spring– May 22, 2023

Jump for Joy! It’s a National Championship Title for

Spring 2023 the Oak Hall School’s Under-8 All-Girls Team!!! Page 1
FC A BO ARD OF DIRECTO RS [term till]
President
Contents
Bryan Tillis (S) [2023]
W est Palm Beach, FL
[email protected] Editor Speaks & President’s Message .............................................. .........3

Vice President 2023 Florida Scholastic Championship ............................................ ....... 4

Kevin J. Pryor (NW ) [2023]
Gainesville, FL Florida’s Top Players ..................................................................................13
[email protected]
All Girls National Championship ...............................................................14
Secretary Games from Recent Events ........... ........................................................... 16
Anthony Cipollina (NE) [2023]
Port Orange, FL Florida Collegiate Championship ............................................................ 20
[email protected]
GM Sam Shankland at Univ. of Florida ....................................................21
Treasurer
Nicholas Lewis (C) [2024] Regional Reports ....................................................................................... 22
Bradenton, FL
[email protected] Florida Senior Open ................................................................................... 30
Book Reviews by Miguel Ararat ............................................................... 32
Regional Vice Presidents (5)
USCF Roles, TDs, & more.......................................................................... 34
Central
Andrew Rea (C) [2024] Calendar of Events & FCA 2023 Affiliates .............................................. 35
Merritt Island, FL
[email protected]

Northeast
Ray Ratliff (NE) [2023]
Jacksonville, FL FCA Membership Dues
[email protected]

Northwest
Send to the FCA (c/o Treasurer) or online (Memberships/Join FCA)
Derek Zhang (NW ) [2024] Regular — $20 (for two years)
Gainesville, FL Scholastic (under 20) — $15 (for two years)
[email protected]
Club Affiliate — $30 (for two years)
West Family — $30 (for two years)
Timotey Gospodinov (W) [2024] Life — $200 (10 times Regular Dues)
St. Petersburg, FL
[email protected]
Florida Chess Association (FCA) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization devoted
South exclusively to the promotion of chess in Florida. FCA is the official USCF
Matthew Kolcz (S) [2024] affiliate for the state of Florida. FCA web site — http://www.floridachess.org
GreenAcres, FL
[email protected] floridaCHESS is a publication of the Florida Chess Association and is available
four times a year online. Contact Editor for advertising rates.
The opinions expressed are those of the contributors and do not necessarily
Directors at Large (3) reflect the views of the Florida Chess Association, its Board, or anyone else.
Mike Moschos(C) [2024]
The Villages, FL Contributors
[email protected]

George Foote (NE) [2024] Timotey Gospodinov, Matthew Kolcz, Mike Moschos, Ray Ratliff, NM Andrew
Jacksonville, FL Rea, Thomas Slaten, NM Bryan Tillis, Tim Tusing, and NM Derek Zhang.
[email protected]
Chief Editor - George Foote
Jon Haskel (S) [2024] Games Editor - Miguel Ararat
Boca Raton, FL Book Reviewer - Miguel Ararat
[email protected]
Top Player Lists: Jonathan Cagle and Brooks Chandler
Cover Masthead - Mike Halloran
Software - Microsoft Adobe Photoshop, ChessBase, Microsoft Publisher,
USCF DELEGATES Cover Credits: All Girls National Championship. Oak Hall National Girls’ team
Jon Haskel, Kevin Pryor, Bryan Tillis, George
in front of Alexander Calder’s Flamingo Sculpture at Federal Center Plaza,
Foote, Garrett Foote, Charles Hatherill, and Chicago, IL.
Andrew Rea. Team members from L to R: Emma Flores, Nora Thomas, Catalina Mcmillen,
Leighann Hood, Ayuna Phillips, & Myka Solberg
Cover Photo by: Caitlyn Hood

Page 2 Spring 2023

Editor Speaks from the President’s desk
If you have been around
Dear FCA members and Florida Chess Community,
scholastic chess in Florida for
I am pleased to share chess
any period of time, you have has been experiencing a
probably heard of the Oak surge in popularity in
Hall School. Coach Tim Florida. Thanks to the hard
Tusing has lead the team to work and dedication of
success for decades and his tournament directors,
efforts continue to bear fruit. coaches, organizers, and
At this year’s Florida supporters like you, Florida
Scholastic Championship his Chess is thriving and
teams reached a new continues to grow at an
milestone by sweeping all five impressive pace.
of the Elementary school
sections. This is the first time One of the main factors
in the tournament’s history driving this growth is the
that this feat has been increase in experienced
accomplished and the school, the coach, the parents, and tournament directors across
most of all, the students, are to be congratulated. NM Andy the state. There are now
Rea covered this year’s event and his account starts on more tournaments offering players of all levels the
page 4. The attendance for this tournament continues to opportunity to compete and refine their skills. In addition,
many school and university programs have started to
trend up as does the skill level of participants.
incorporate chess providing students with a unique and
engaging way to develop critical thinking and problem-
Not just competing on the State level, the Oak Hall Girl’s solving skills. If you would like assistance in starting a
under 8 team traveled to Chicago in late April for the All- program or would like directions for the next steps, contact
Girls National Championship. They too delivered (details on the board! We have also prepared resources for
page 14) and brought home a National Title. We have tournament directors on YouTube: US Chess Tournament
featured them on this quarter’s magazine cover. In addition Director Workshop to assist in opening the door for new
to the under-8 National team title, Sophie Li won the under- tournament directors in our state.
10 National title! Well done all!
Another positive trend in the Florida chess scene is the rise
of female participation. Thanks to initiatives such as “The
Queen’s Cup” in Jacksonville and the Florida State Women
and Girls Championships, more and more women and girls
are getting involved in the game and finding a welcoming
and supportive community. I am hoping that organizers in
other parts of the state will also place an annual event on
their calendar and we are happy to assist in promotion.

This is also the first year in memory that we have had more
than one senior tournament on the books. We recently
completed the Florida Senior Open and at the end of May,
our representative to the Irwin Tournament of Senior
Champions will be decided in Boca Raton at the 2023
Florida State Senior Championships! I again encourage
Coach Tim Tusing & his National Championship All-Girls team. organizers to host an annual event for our more seasoned
chess enthusiasts. We are actively looking for tournament
directors who have an interest in hosting our state
Other highlights this quarter include coverage of the championship events for 2024 and beyond.
Florida Collegiate Championship (Many thanks to NM Derek
Zhang for his efforts with this event). Regional reports from I would like to congratulate all members of the Florida
our 5 RVPs, coverage of the Florida Senior Open, and a Chess community and look forward to working together to
glimpse of the GM Sam Shankland event held at the build on our success. Whether you are a seasoned player
University of Florida. We also have our ongoing games or just starting out, your contributions to Florida Chess are
analysis from recent events, chess book & DVD reviews, invaluable, and I look forward to seeing the community
and a look at the funny side of chess with our feature “Light continue to thrive.
on the Right.” Enjoy!
Yours in Chess, Sincerely,

George Foote Bryan Tillis

Editor, floridaCHESS Magazine President, Florida Chess Association

Spring 2023 Page 3

 2023 Florida Scholastic Championship!
By Andrew Rea

The second weekend of March, March 10-12, saw a gathering of players from all over Florida
to Orlando for the Florida Scholastic Championship- 476 players in nine sections! Of course this
also entails a few additional hundreds of parents, coaches, siblings, and fans as well; turns out the
hotel site, Wyndham Orlando, was well chosen, able to handle the masses! The event kicked off
with the Blitz Championship. A perfect 10/10 in the K-5 Section by Akeras Overlingas, while
Vincent Stone scorched the K-12 with 10/10 as well. Dozens of other players were not able to
keep up, but all were ready to play Saturday and Sunday.

As noted, nine sections, and as can be observed, all were closely contested. The margins for
wins/losses/draws are narrow, and while its completely normal to celebrate the obvious success of
those who won their sections, all of our players are to be congratulated for taking on the bruises and
stress of their games. We start with our K-1 group, where Mihai Holcomb was able to win all five of
his games! Well chased by 4 players at 4/5, but when the dust settled Mihai proved to be
unstoppable. (Cont. on page 14)

K-12 Blitz Champion - Bughouse Champions -

K-5 Blitz Champion—
Vincent Stone Aaron Marian & Advait Nair
Akeras Overlingas

Page 4 Spring 2023

 (181) Li,Sophie (1799) - 10.Qe2 [After this move it is now a back-rank issues for the rest of the
Datta,Riyaan (1768) [B41] good French position for Black game.]
2023 Florida State Scholastic (5), where the e-pawn will be weak.]
12.03.2023 [nmbtillis] 27.Bxe5 Bxe2 28.Bxd4 b5 29.axb5
[10.Nxe6! A beautiful tactic missed [29.Rxe2 Another opportunity to
[This is the 5th round championship by both players. 10...fxe6 11.Qh5+ change the character of the game.
game in the K-5 section. In the previ- Ke7 12.Bg5+] 29...Rxe2 30.axb5 axb5 31.Rxb5 Black
ous round Riyaan Datta defeated the will need to seriously work here to
top seed that was over 400 points 10...Bc5 11.Nf3 Nc6 [All the army come away with the full-point.]
higher rated, he was clearly on a roll begins to eye e5.]
going into this game.] 29...axb5 30.Rbc1 [30.Rxe2 The last
12.0–0 Qc7 13.Bf4 Nd4 14.Qd1 opportunity in the game to muddy the
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nxf3+ 15.Qxf3 Bd4 [A strong move waters.]
a6 [The Sicilian Kan, one of the saf- hitting multiple weaknesses.] XABCDEFGHY
est Sicilians.]
XABCDEFGHY
XABCDEFGHY 8-+-+k+r+(
8rsnlwqkvlntr( 8r+-+k+-tr( 7+-+-+p+p'
7+p+p+pzpp' 7+lwqn+pzpp' 6-+-+p+-+&
6p+-+p+-+& 6pzp-+p+-+& 5+p+-+-+-%
5+-+-+-+-% 5+-+pzP-+-% 4-+-vL-+-+$
4-+-sNP+-+$ 4P+-vl-vL-+$ 3+-+-+-zP-#
3+-+-+-+-# 3+-sNL+Q+-# 2-+r+lzP-zP"
2PzPP+-zPPzP" 2-zPP+-zPPzP" 1+-tR-tR-mK-!
1tRNvLQmKL+R! 1tR-+-+RmK-! xabcdefghy
xabcdefgh xabcdefghy
16.Qg3 [16.Rfe1 This is best and 30...Rxc1 31.Rxc1 Bc4 32.Ra1 Rg5
maintains the balance. 16...Bxc3 33.f4 Rd5 34.Be3 [34.Bc3 It was es-
5.a4 [A good practical move to step Very rarely is it worth parting with sential to stop the progression of the
away from preparation.] the bishop pair for a pawn in this passed pawn.]
type of position. 17.bxc3 Qxc3
[5.Bd3 Seems to be the best theoret- 18.Qg4 This is much better for the 34...b4 [Passed pawns must be
ical move lately. 5...Bc5 6.Nb3 Ba7 attacker with the bishop pair.] pushed! Black is now winning.]
The other choice Be7 has fallen way
out of favor with modern engines. 16...Bxe5 17.Qxg7 Bxg7 18.Bxc7 35.Rb1 Rb5 36.Kf2 b3 37.Bd4 Ra5
7.Qg4 Nf6 8.Qg3 The g-pawn cap- Rc8 19.Bf4 Bxc3?! [19...e5 It is not [The rest is a matter of technique.]
ture is somewhat poison, this move worth the pawn to capture on c3.
results in an interesting position fol- This move results in a one-sided 38.Ke3 Kd7 39.Kd2 Kc6 40.Kc3 Ra4
lowing 1–0 (26) Mekhitarian,K (2562) game. 20.Rfe1 0–0 21.Bf5 exf4 41.Re1 Bd5 42.Rb1 Kb5 43.Bg1 f5
-Harika,D (2517) Chess.com INT 22.Bxd7 Rc5 Black is winning with 44.Bf2 Rc4+ 45.Kxb3 Rb4+ 46.Kc2
2022.] the bishop pair.] Be4+ 47.Kd2 Rxb1 [With this win, Ri-
yaan took clear first and will be our
5...b6 6.Nc3 Bb7 7.Bd3 [7.g3 This is 20.bxc3 Rxc3 21.Rfe1 d4 [21...h5 A representative to the Rockefeller Tour-
arguably better development to play practical move to slowly attempt to nament of Elementary School State
against the d5–break.] get rid of the isolated pawn.] Champions.]

7...Nf6 8.Bd2 [8.e5 Black can't allow 22.Bd2 Rc5 23.Rab1 Rg8 [The 0–1
this move! 8...Nd5 9.Nxd5 Bxd5 10.0 threat on g2 must be stopped.]
–0 Nc6 11.Nxc6 Bxc6 12.Qg4 Black
is struggling to finish development, 24.g3 Ne5 25.Be2? [25.Rxe5 A nat-
White is much better here.] ural sacrifice as the bishops will be
strong in this ending. 25...Rxe5
8...d5 [A good practical move which 26.Rxb6 Bc8 27.Bxh7 White is the
is double-edged.] aggressor here.]
25...Rxc2 26.Bf4 Bf3 [26...Nf3+ The
9.e5 Nfd7?? [9...Ne4 Is the best.] better choice as White will have

Spring 2023 Page 5

 More Games from the Florida Scholastic Championship
(194) Bach Ngo (2409) - Vincent term weakness that is white's b2 25...Nd3?! [25...Qd8 26.Qd1 Rc8 27.f4
Stone (2180) [E70] pawn.] Nd3 28.Bxd3 cxd3 29.Qxd3 Bxg4 And
2023 Florida State Scholastic black has all the play.]
Champions https://lichess.org/study/ 16.Be3 b5 17.axb5 axb5 18.b4!
Kvc (5.1), 0003 XABCDEFGHY 26.Bxd3 cxd3 27.Rc1 Rc8 28.Na2
[Derek ZHang] Qd8 29.Qxd3 Rxc1+ 30.Nxc1 Qf6
8-trl+r+k+( [Bach has picked up the loose pawn
[Going into this game in the fifth and on d3 while continuing to maintain a
final round, both players were part of a
7+-wqn+pvl-' solid position. In addition, he holds a
4–way tie for first with 3.5/4. A win 6-+-zp-snp+& 47 to 7 minute advantage on the clock.
would guarantee either player at least His conversion from this point forward
a share of the state high school title.] 5+p+P+-+p% is not perfect according to the engine,
4-zPp+P+-+$ but it is excellent when considering
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 Vincent's impending time trouble, as
5.Nge2 [The Kramer variation of the 3+-sN-vLPsN-# Bach never lets the position get out of
King's Indian Defense, where white will 2-+-wQL+PzP" control.]
place the knight on g3 instead of its
usual perch on f3.] 1+-+-tRRmK-! 31.Bd2 Rc7 32.Nge2 Qh4 33.Ra8+
Nf8 34.Ng3 Qf6 35.Ra2 [Preventing
5...0–0 6.Ng3 c5 7.d5 [The best move. xabcdefghy any forays of the black queen into b2.]
With the knight on g3 instead of f3, Bach finds the only move that does not
white should not allow a trade on d4.] leave white clearly worse. Black 35...Rc4 36.Nce2 Qd8 37.Nf1 Qb6+
cannot take the pawn en passant 38.Ne3 Rc8 39.Kf1 [Side stepping the
7...e6 8.Be2 a6 9.a4 exd5 10.cxd5 because the b5 pawn will hang with black queen's pin.]
[The preferred way to recapture on d5, tempi after Nxb5, so white has
keeping stronger control of the center successfully halted black's kingside 39...Nh7 40.Nd1 Be5 41.f4 Bg7
when compared to exd5.] attack.] 42.Ne3 Re8 43.g5?! [Perhaps Bach's
only inaccuracy in his conversion.
[10.exd5?! Ne8 11.0–0! f5 12.Bd2 Nf6] 18...h4 [18...cxb3? 19.Nxb5 Qc2 Vincent correctly responds with f6!,
20.Qxc2 bxc2 21.Nxd6±] which slightly opens up the game in a
10...Re8 11.0–0! [Though white lacks position where black's king is safer.]
a clear, forcing plan in this 19.Nh1 h3 20.g4 Nh7 [Here, Bach has
middlegame, white holds a long-term built up a clear advantage on the 43...f6! 44.gxf6 Nxf6 45.Ng3 Ng4
space advantage and a pleasant board, and perhaps more importantly 46.Nxg4 Bxg4 47.Be3 Qd8?! [Alas,
position. On the other hand, black's in this sudden death time control, he's with just one minute and 21 seconds
position is cramped, but black's also built up a 58 to 21 minute left on the clock, Vincent errs by going
weaknesses are easily defensible for advantage on the clock.] for activity on the kingside with a future
now and black has a clear long-term Qh4 instead of keeping his queen on
plan with an eventual b5 pawn break.] 21.Ng3?! [A slight inaccuracy. Here the c-file by playing Qc7.]
the best move was Nf2, as black's h3
11...h5 12.Bg5 [Black threatens to pawn cannot be defended and will [47...Qc7 48.Qxb5 Rc8 49.Qd3 Qb7
gain space and kick the g3 knight eventually fall.] 50.Bd2 Ra8 51.Ra5 Rxa5 52.bxa5
away with h4, but white prevents it.] Qb2² With the two bishops and white's
[21.Nf2 Ne5 22.Nxh3²] somewhat exposed king, black still has
12...Nbd7 13.Qd2 Qc7 14.f3 Rb8 good chances of holding here.]
15.Rae1 [A slight misstep, moving 21...Ne5 22.Ra1 Bd7 23.Ra7 Rb7
pieces away from the queenside, 24.Rfa1 Reb8 25.R7a3 [With limited 48.Qxb5 Bf3 49.Qc6 Rf8 50.Kg1 Qh4
where the immediate action is about to time on the clock, Vincent has done 51.Qxd6 Kh7 52.Ra7 Rg8 53.Qe7
happen.] well to equalize from a worse position. Qg4 54.Qg5 Qc8 [With a queen trade
White would like to play f4 to make resulting in an obviously lost ending,
15...c4 [Preparing b5 by blocking the progress, but white will have trouble Vincent instead chooses to force Bach
e2 bishop's view of b5. Also interesting defending the g4 pawn while also to find the mate, which he does.]
was b5:] keeping Nd3 at bay. Instead, with time
running low on his clock, Vincent 55.Qh4+ Bh5 56.Nxh5 g5 57.Nf6+
[15...b5!? 16.axb5 c4 17.bxa6 Bxa6„ understandably goes for the active Kg6 58.Qxg5# [A valiant defensive
Black is down a pawn but has approach right away and errs with effort by Vincent, but Bach kept up the
sufficient compensation with weak Nd3.] pressure throughout the game and
squares on b3 and d3 and the long- brought home the point and the state

Page 6 Spring 2023

high school title by pressing an XABCDEFGHY Qc2 41.Bb6 Rc8 42.Qf3 Ndb4?
ultimately decisive advantage on the 43.Rd7 [Suddenly, white has
clock.] 8-mk-tr-+-tr( counterplay again. Brejesh has done
well to hang in the game and make
1–0
7snp+n+-zpp' things difficult.]
6p+-wq-zp-+&
43...Ka8 44.Rxg7 a5 45.Qh5? [I'm
(195) Brejesh Chakrabarti (2368) - 5+-+-zp-+-% very hesitant to call this move a
Ubaldo Lopez-Naranjo (1943) 4-zP-zpPzP-+$ mistake (even though the engine
[A05] marks it as a blunder), and only do so
2023 Florida State Scholastic 3+-+P+QzPP# because white had an alternative that
Champions https://lichess.org/study/ 2-+PvL-+L+" equalizes. Qh5 is a very intuitive
Kvc (3.1) move that I might have played in this
[Derek Zhang] 1tRR+-+-mK-! position as well.]

[A huge upset in Round 3 of the K-8

xabcdefghy [45.g4! With the idea of creating a
section that shook up the standings The critical move. Suddenly, white's passed f-pawn. 45...h6 (45...Nd3
and threw the fight for the state attack has been halted, and it is 46.g5 fxg5 47.f6 Nf4 48.f7+–) 46.Rg6
middle school title wide open.] actually white who will have problems a4 47.Rxf6 Qb2 48.Rd6 a3 49.f6=]
on the queenside, specifically in
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 e6 3.Bg2 d5 4.0–0 regards to the weak pawn on c2.] 45...a4 46.Qf7 Rb8 47.Bc7 Nd4!
c5 5.d3 Nc6 6.Nbd2 e5?! [I only [Threatining Nf3+ with mate coming
mark e5 as dubious because Ubaldo 20.c4?! [Brejesh tries to solve this soon after.]
moved his e-pawn twice in the first problem right away while opening up
six moves. It's not actually a bad lines for his bishops, but this move 48.h4 Nd3 49.Kh3 Nf2+ 50.Kh2 Nd3
move, though.] only creates more problems in the 51.Bxb8 [A curious decision to go for
form of an outpost on d4 for black's this instead of repeating with Kh3 and
7.e4 d4 8.Nc4 Bd6 [8...Qc7 Would knights and a weak pawn on d3.] forcing black to find the mate with
have preserved the bishop pair.] Nd1:]
[20.Rb2 Rc8 21.h4 Rc6 22.Bh3³
9.Nxd6+ [Taking the bishop pair Better was this plan of defending c2 [51.Kh3 Nf2+ 52.Kh2 Nd1 53.Bxb8
before black can retreat the bishop and slowly activating the g2 bishop by Nf3+ 54.Kh3 Nf2#]
to c7.] creating an opening for it on h3.]
51...Nf3+ 52.Kh3 Nf2# [Ubaldo's
9...Qxd6 10.Nd2 Be6 11.f4 0–0–0 20...dxc3 21.Bxc3 Nb5 22.Bd2 Nf8 huge upset shook up the top of the K-
12.Nf3 Bg4 13.h3 Bxf3 14.Qxf3 [Rerouting the knight to d4.] 8 section, with more than a dozen
Nd7 15.Bd2 f6 [And we reach a 23.Be3 [23.f5!? Would have at least players realistically in play for the
position that reveals much about the posed black some problems by state title going into Sunday's fourth
resulting middlegame. It feels like preventing the f8 knight from jumping and fifth rounds.]
white should be much better - white to e6 and then d4.]
has the two bishops and it feels like 0–1
white's pawn storm will be much 23...Ne6 24.f5? [The previous move
faster - but actually proving that was the time to play f5. f5 now does
advantage will be an entirely nothing to stop black's knights from (196) Oscar Williams (2029) - Aaron
different matter.] dominating d4, and instead ensures Marian (1833) [B40]
that white's own light squared bishop 2023 Florida State Scholastic
16.a3 Kb8 17.Rfb1 a6 18.b4?! [The will never get into the game.] Champions https://lichess.org/study/
first mistake. Given that black's Kvc (4.1), 0003
kingside attack is not going 24...Ned4 [From here, black's play is [Derek Zhang]
anywhere anytime soon, white straightforward and powerful.]
needed to be more patient.] [The top board clash in Round 4 of
25.Qf2 Rc8 26.Rb2 Rc3 27.Bf1 the K-8 Championship. Oscar, the
18...cxb4 19.axb4 [19.Bxb4 Nxb4 Rhc8 28.Raa2 Rb3 29.Rxb3 Nxb3 higher rated player, came into the
20.axb4 (20.Rxb4 Rc8 21.Rab1 30.Qe1 N5d4 31.Bg2 Nc2 32.Qd1 game with 2.5/3, while Aaron had
Rc7µ) 20...b5!³] Nbd4 [32...Nxe3?! 33.Qxb3 Still 3/3.]
winning for black, but more difficult to
19...Na7! play from a human perspective.] 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4
Nf6 5.Bd3 [5.Nc3 The more popular
(Diagram Next Column) 33.Bf2 Qxb4 34.Kh2 Qb3 35.Ra5 reply to Nf6. 5...d6 6.Be3 a6 7.f3 b5
Nb4 36.Qg4 Ndc6 37.Ra1 Nxd3 8.g4‚]
38.Bg1 Rc7 39.Qh5 Qb2 40.Rd1

Spring 2023 Page 7

5...Nc6 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.c4 [Black arguably already make this position Qh5+ 57.Kg3 Qh1 58.Qb8+ Ke7
has already equalized (white's d3 technically winning for white.] 59.f6+ Kf7 60.Qd6 Qg1+ 61.Kf3
bishop looks especially misplaced!) Qh1+ 62.Kf4 Qc1+ 63.Kf5 Qf1+
but some accurate center pawn 19...Rxe6 20.Rd2 Ba6 21.Rcd1 64.Qf4 Qh1 65.Ne5+ Kf8 66.Qg4
moves will be needed to maintain [Establishing control over the d6 Qf1+ 67.Nf3 Qxf3+ 68.Qxf3 d5
equality.] outpost.] 69.Qg4 Ke8 70.Qg7 Kd8 71.Qe7+
Kc8 72.f7 Kb8 73.f8R# [An
7...Qc7 [7...e5 8.0–0 Bc5 9.Qe2 21...Re7 22.Rd6 Rd8 [Unless white interesting game that was largely
d6=; 7...d5 8.Nd2 Bd6 9.Qc2 Qc7=] errs, black's pieces will be forever decided in moves 12–16, where both
tied down to the defense of the d7 players refused to claim control of the
8.Nc3 Be7 9.0–0 0–0 10.Qe2 e5 pawn. White can spend as much c5 and d6 squares until white finally
11.Be3 Bb7?! [Bb7 allows c5, which time as he desires preparing his did so on move 16. From there, white
traps in both of black's bishops and eventual breakthrough.] showed excellent technique to bring
establishes greater central control.] home the win. Both players would go
23.Qg3 Kh7 24.Kh1 Bc4 25.f4?! on to tie for second place in the K-8
[11...d6 12.a3 a5 13.b4 axb4 [Allows exf4, but black does not take Championship.]
14.axb4 Rxa1 15.Rxa1²] this opportunity.]
1–0
12.Rfd1?! [At the risk of appearing 25...f6?! [25...exf4 26.Qxf4 Qa5
overly repetitive, I won't mark each 27.Qf2² This is essentially the same
of the next four moves as dubious, position as before, except that (190) Honmurgi,Viraj -
even though all of them allow or black's e7 rook has a semi-open file Holcomb,Mihai (999) [C55]
miss c5 until white finally played c5 and white's e4 and c5 pawns are 2023 Florida State Scholastic (5),
on move 16. Suffice it to say that weaker than before. White is still 11.03.2023
both players had ample opportunity better here, but not by nearly as [nmbtillis]
to take control of the c5 square for much as before.]
themselves!] 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bc4
26.f5 Bf7 27.R1d3 Qa5 28.Qf2 Qc7 [One of the most common opening
12...Rfe8 13.Rac1 h6 14.h3 Nh7 29.Qd2 [Patient buildup by white, mistakes in chess.]
15.a3 Bg5 16.c5! first tying down black to the defense
of the d7 pawn.]
XABCDEFGHY
XABCDEFGHY 8r+lwqkvl-tr(
8r+-+r+k+( 29...Qb7 30.Kh2 Bc4 31.Rg3 Bf7
7zppzpp+pzpp'
32.Nd1 Rf8 33.Nf2 Bh5 34.Rgd3
7zplwqp+pzpn' [White has taken great advantage of 6-+n+-sn-+&
6-+p+-+-zp& the immobility of black's pieces to
5+-+-zp-+-%
position his own pieces on the
5+-zP-zp-vl-% optimal squares.] 4-+L+P+-+$
4-+-+P+-+$ 3+-sN-+N+-#
34...Rd8 35.g4 [A great illustration of
3zP-sNLvL-+P# the principle of two weaknesses.
2PzPPzP-zPPzP"
2-zP-+QzPP+" White has focused as much attacking
power as possible on the weak d7 1tR-vLQmK-+R!
1+-tRR+-mK-! pawn, and black is barely holding on.
xabcdefghy
All white needs to do is to create a
xabcdefghy second weakness (in this case, by [4.Bb5 The mainline of the 4–
Finally! making black's king weak) to break Knights.;
16...Bxe3?! [Bxe3 trades black's through.] 4.d4 The popular secondary move.]
only immediate defender of the d6
square, allowing white to easily 35...Bf7 36.h4 Bc4 37.Rg3 Rh8 4...Nxe4 5.Nxe4 d5 6.Nxe5? [6.Bd3
establish an outpost on d6.] 38.g5 hxg5 39.hxg5 Kg8+ 40.Kg2 This is the best attempt. 6...dxe4
Kf7 41.gxf6 gxf6 42.Rg6 [And white 7.Bxe4 Bd6 Black has easy
17.Qxe3 Nf8 18.Bc4 Ne6 breaks through. The rest is simple.] development and better control of the
19.Bxe6!? [The engine doesn't love center.]
this move, but I do. It simplifies the 42...Ke8 43.Rdxf6 Reh7 44.Rh6
position to a middlegame with two Qb3 45.Rxh7 Rxh7 46.Qg5 Rh8 6...Nxe5 7.d4 dxc4 [Black was
major advantages for white: 1) a 47.Rh6 Rg8 48.Rg6 Rh8 49.Rg7 winning and got in a bit of a hurry.]
good knight vs a bad bishop, and 2) Bf7 50.Qf6 a5 51.Qxe5+ Kd8
a strong outpost on d6. For two 52.Rxf7 Rh2+ 53.Kxh2 Qxf7 [7...Nxc4 Black is a clean piece up
human players, these advantages 54.Qb8+ Ke7 55.Qd6+ Kd8 56.Ng4 with no compensation for the

Page 8 Spring 2023

opponent.] 11...Bg4 12.Be3 Bxf3 [12...0–0 XABCDEFGHY
Keeping the tension could inflict even
8.dxe5 Qxd1+ [When up material, more damage as White may very well 8-+-+-+k+(
trade down.] have a knee-jerk reaction to attempt 7+-+-+p+p'
to fix the problem.]
9.Kxd1 Be7 10.b3 cxb3 11.cxb3 6-+-tr-+p+&
[11.axb3 It is much better to capture 13.gxf3 Nc4 14.Rb1 Nxe3 15.fxe3
with the a-pawn to activate the rook.] Bc5? [White's king will never find 5+R+p+-+-%
safety, keeping the queens on the 4-+-+-zP-zP$
11...0–0 12.Bf4 Bf5 13.f3 Bxe4 board will favor the attacker.]
14.fxe4 [White's pawn structure is 3+-+-zPK+-#
compromised.] [15...Nh5 Would be the editor's first 2-+-+-+-+"
choice.]
14...f6 15.exf6 Bxf6 16.Bxc7?? 1+-+-+-+-!
Bxa1 [There were many more 16.Qxd8+ Rxd8 17.Ke2 [The tide
moves but Mihai converted without has quickly changed, White went
xabcdefghy
issue going on to win the K–1 from a very shaky middlegame
Championship.] position to a solid endgame with an 39.e4 [Simplification is a good idea for
active king.] the defender.]
0–1
17...0–0 18.b4 Be7 19.a4 a6 39...dxe4+ 40.Kxe4 Kg7 41.h5
20.Rhg1 [20.f4 Retains a big edge.] Another move showing great
(201) Sha,Yi (1762) - Mulay,Vivian technique.]
(1735) [D47] 20...Nd7 21.axb5 axb5 22.f4 Nb6
2023 Florida State Scholastic (5), 23.Bd3 Ra8 [The position is 41...Rf6 42.Rg5 h6 43.Rg2 Rf5
11.03.2023 balanced.] 44.hxg6 fxg6 [As the dust settles
[nmbti] Black has the outside h-pawn. Rarely
[23...Rd6 Best is to pile up on the d- in rook and pawn endgames will a rook
[This was the titan matchup in the K- file activating all of the pieces.] pawn be telling.]
3 Championship section.]
24.Rgc1 Rfc8 25.e5 Bf8 [25...Ra3 45.Rh2 h5 46.Rh4 Kf6 47.Rh3 Ra5
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 e6 Black again needs to be looking to 48.Rc3 Ra4+ 49.Kf3 Ra5 50.Ke4 h4
5.e3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 pressure targets.] [This is a question of technique and
[Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line, time. Black is not obliged to push the
Meran Variation] 26.h4 Ra3 27.Ne4 Ra4?? [27...Nd5 pawn too quickly. Very often in these
Necessary to maintain the balance.] endings best technique is to shuffle
8.Bd3 Bd6 [The third choice move in and wait, Silman once stated if you can
the database favored by Kramnik 28.Nd6 Ra2+ 29.Kf3 Bxd6 30.exd6 do it in 2 moves or 10 moves in an
and Shankland.] Rd2 31.Rd1 Rxd1 32.Rxd1 Nd5 endgame do it in 10.]
33.Rc1 [This quickly gets back to
9.e4 [9.0–0 This move is far more equality.] 51.Rc6+ Kg7 52.Kf3 Rh5 53.Rc1 h3
flexible than the main game. 9...0–0 54.Kg3 Kf6 55.Rc6+ Kg7 56.Rc2 [The
10.Qc2 Bb7 11.a3 Rc8 12.b4 [33.Bxb5 A simple deflection, the pawn is going nowhere.]
Retains a small plus for White as machine gives nearly +7!]
there is active plan against the 56...Rf5 57.Rh2 Kf6 58.Rxh3 [Many
natural c5–break. Following 1–0 (70) 33...Rd8 34.Ra1 Nxb4 35.Be4 g6 more moves were played but
Mamedyarov,S (2782)-Shankland,S 36.Rb1 Nd5 [36...c5 This maintains eventually a draw was agreed from the
(2709) Saint Louis 2021.] the tension and the better minor 0.00 position. A great fight by both
piece in this ending. Black should win young players! Yi edged Vivian out on
9...e5 [White can't gain space in the with the two connected passed tiebreaks with the players finishing as
center, Black has fully equalized.] pawns on the queenside.] co-champions at 1 and 2 along with a
number of other players.]
10.dxe5 Nxe5 11.Bc2 [White loses 37.Bxd5 cxd5 38.Rxb5 Rxd6
the thread, good preparation by [This is by no means a trivial rook ½–½
Black.] and pawn draw. The engine may give
0.00 but there are many ways to go
[11.Nxe5 Bxe5 12.0–0 Ng4 Though wrong.]
the engine is giving equality this
seems far more comfortable for (Diagram top of next column)
Black.]

Spring 2023 Page 9

K-1 Championship Section

K-3 Championship Section

K-5 Championship Section

K-8 Championship Section

K-12 Championship Section

Page 10 Spring 2023
K-1 Championship K-5 Under 700 K-12 under 1100
1. Mihai Holcomb 1. Nicholas James Vu 1. Cole Carin
2. Artsiom Parkhats 2. Prajwal Redd Chintamam 2. Robert Abel
3. Leighann Hood 3. Cole Tecau 3. Bhagyesh Jethwani
4. Mark Wang 4. Max Ulmer 4. Kenneth Wu
5. Anaya Atara 5. Pradosh Swain 5. Dylan Nguyen
6. Rajiv Honmurgi 6. Zhassurbek Azazkhanov 6. Vanessa Bajo
7. Jaiden Luo 7. Asher Austin 7. Viswambhar Janapati
8. Ty Parker 8. Mae Travers 8. Aarush Tripathi
9. Suraj Jani 9. Jack Eisenmenger 9. Grayson Chambers
10. Yash Ravishankar 10. Gus Bleakley 10. Ivan Yuk
K-3 Championship K-8 Championship K-5 Blitz
1. Yi Sha 1. Advait Nair 1. Akeras Overlingas
2. Vivan Mulay 2. Ubaldo Lopez-Naranjo 2. Arthur Peraud
3. Aakash Jani 3. FM Brejesh Chakrabarti 3. Winston Wu
4. Damian Alexander 4. Arav Patel 4. Riyann Datta
5. Ryan Ratliff 5. Oscar Williams 5. Nicolas Lie
6. Addison Baumstark 6. Aaron Marian 6. Hrehaan Waghmode
7. Winston Wu 7. Om Mishra 7. Platon Kaidash
8. Tanisha Saha 8. Santiago Cesares 8. Max Ulmer
9. Daniel Tal 9. Brian Bird 9. Prajwal Chintamani
10. Celine Chen 10. Agrim Kumar 10.Zhassurbek Azazkhanov
K-3 Under 600 K-8 Under 1000 K-12 Blitz
1. Michael Wang 1. Catherine Jiang 1. Vincent Stone
2. Asa Bodlak 2. Parvati Chakrabarti 2. Vikram Rajmohan
3. Shyam Garg 3. Vincent Hubacheck 3. Advait Nair
4. Knox Wilder 4. Arthur Peraud 4. Arav Patel
5. Sajoli Ghosh 5. Ethan Hsu 5. Aaron Marian
6. Hendrix Smith 6. Deetya Thummala 6. Raghav Venkat
7. Sara Bauyrzhan 7. Kahla Morales 7. Sritej Sattaru
8. David Greene 8. Luke Wright 8. Oscar Williams
9. Rowan Slifer 9. Tristan Cary 9. Antony Gospodinov
10. Julian Moguillansky 10. Tristan Squire 10. Maxwell Yang
K-5 Championship K-12 Championship Bughouse
1. Riyaan Datta 1. FM Bach Ngo 1. NBAnerds (Aaron & Advait)
2. Diego Jimenez 2. Nicolas De La Colina 2. TheMafia (Ethan & Vincent)
3. Akeras Overlingas 3. Raghav Venkat 3. WW (Winston & William)
4. Platon Kaidash 4. Vikram Rajmohan 4. FLkings (Oscar & Akeras)
5. Saatvik Dasari 5. Michael Guan 5. A&S (Akshat & Sritej)
6. Sophie Li 6. Anthony Gospodinov 6. Neel & Amit
7. Maxwell Yang 7. Taban Chin 7. Aakash & Henry
8. Aashish Jagan 8. Vincent Stone 8. Anthony & Derrick
9. Rui Sha 9. Jose Cesares 9. Lui & Max
10. Achyuth Madhu 10. Adel Abdullina 10. KingMonkeyKlothers.com
(Sebastian & Noah)

Spring 2023 Page 11

 5. Benito Middle School
6. BAK Middle School of the Arts

K-5 Championship Teams

1. Oak Hall School
2. Everglades Elementary
3. The Greene School K-8 under 1000 Teams
4. Williams Elementary 1. Divine Savior Academy
K-1 Championship Teams 2. Miami Country Day School
1. Oak Hall School 3. Julia Landon College Prep
2. The Green School 4. FR Co-op
3. Downtown Doral Charter 5. BAK Middle School of the Arts
6. Academy Prep Tampa
7. Glen Ridge Middle School
8. Audubon Park
9. The Green School
10. Audubon Park

K-5 Under 700 Teams

1. Oak Hall School
2. Divine Savior Academy
3. The Greene School
4. South Miami K-12 Championship Teams
K-3 Championship Teams 5. Baldwin 1. Buchholz High School
1. Oak Hall School 6. Queen Of Peace 2. Hillsborough High School
7. Lake Highland Prep 3. Seminole High School
8. Carrollwood Day School 4. St. Petersburg High School
9. Corbett Prep School 5. Boone High School
6. Miami Country Day School
7. WIN High School

K-3 Under 600 Teams K-12 Under 1100 Teams

1. Oak Hall School 1. Lake Nona High School
2. Lake Highland Prep 2. Divine Savior Academy
3. Queen of Peace 3. FAU High School
4. Audubon Park 4. King High School
5. The Greene School 5. Crestview High School
6. South Miami Heights Elementary K– 8 Championship Teams 6. Grace Family HomeSchool Co-op
7. Baldwin 1. Abraham Lincoln Middle School 7. Hillsborough High School
8. Deer Park Elementary 2. Academy Prep Center of Lakeland 8. Belen Jesuit Prep
9. Orlando Science Elementary 3. Fruit Cove Middle School 9. WIN High School
10.Windermere Elementary 4. Liberty 10. Miami Country Day School

Page 12 Spring 2023

 FLORIDA’S TOP PLAYERS
(“Top 100” Current Player Lists)
Players from National Top 100 lists age rating GIRLS OVERALL ACTIVE (5/2023)
Kumar, Nikhil 18 2442 GM FABIANO CARUANA 2834
Ngo, Bach 14 2413 Shama Yisrael 19 2071 IM WILLIAM HERNANDEZ-GONZALEZ 2595
Chakrabarti, Brejesh 12 2368
Sisira Yerrajennu 15 1855 IM ARNOALDO FERNANDEZ DE LA VARA 2508
Venkat, Raghav 18 2362
Sophie Li 9 1818 GM JULIO J BECERRA 2507
De La Colina, Nicolas Alejandro 17 2277
Kumar, Naman 16 2205 GM MR. DANIEL FERNANDEZ 2500
Alice Wu 15 1817
Gao, Marvin 14 2196 GM RENIER GONZALEZ 2472
Jolie Huang 13 1801
Stone, Vincent William 17 2182 FM JORGE LEON OQUENDO 2455
Chen, Benjamin Lj 18 2164 Zoe Zelner 18 1756
IM NIKHIL KUMAR 2442
Wu, William 14 2142 Priya Anna Gutta 18 1726 ROBERT M PEREZ 2441
Hernandez, Ronald 15 2137
Aarna Warekar 13 1678 IM SAUDIN ROBOVIC 2412
Gospodinov, Antony 16 2134
Shukla, Aniket 14 2131 Grace Yang 9 1588 FM BACH NGO 2402
Guan, Michael Xukun 14 2105 FM EIGEN WANG 2394
Chloe Min 16 1570
Overlingas, Akeras 10 2092 IM AUGUSTO CESAR CAMPOS 2394
Pothuri, Abhiram Sai 13 2091 Maya Behur 16 1566
IM YUNIER LEYVA RIVERA 2382
Sattaru, Sritej Sai 13 2091 Elena Anastasia 12 1506
FM BREJESH CHAKRABATI 2369
Shen, Jason(Haohan) 16 2074
Hannah Ciupe 18 1442 FM FERNANDO LARRUA 2367
Ligotti, John Joseph 16 2056
Drum, Robert David 17 2031 Alison Solik 17 1422 FM COREY BRYAN ACOR 2347
Nair, Advait 14 2028 NM RAGHAV VENKAT 2347
Shalom Yisrael 17 1405
etlyaev, Aleks 16 2017
FM ALEXANDER ZELNER 2344
Farragut, Cannon 12 2017 Celine Chen 7 1395
FM DALTON PERRINE 2331
Ziegler, Nate 13 1997 Scarlett Asselta 10 1389
Sabrina Chile Paz 15 1366 FM MAXIMO CABRERA 2329
Lang, Jayden 15 1993
Reddy, Satvik 18 1991 Varshini Venkat 15 1353 NM NICOLAS DE LA COLINA 2316
Kurbanov, Abror 17 1987 SENIORS (65+) NM SCOTT RAMER 2301
Amaya, Brayan Angel 17 1987 DOUG R MCCLINTOCK 69 2288
PAUL H FIELDS 66 2264 FM RENZO GUTIERREZ 2288
Patel, Arav 14 1969 STEPHEN STOYKO 75 2215 NM LEE J PHELPS 2286
Bynum, Jacorey 15 1958 CONSTANTINE XANTHOS 76 2200
A.J. GOLDSBY 65 2200 FM JEAN MARCO CRUZ 2272
Yang, Maxwell Z 10 1935 JAVIER ANTONIO TORRES 70 2200
Lopez-Naranjo, Ubaldo 14 1927 FM ARNALDO FERRAGUT 2263
Suresh, Akshat 14 1914 WOMEN (CURRENT MEMBERS ACTIVE) FM CESAR VALIDO BOUZA 2262
BAHAR HALLAYEVA 2293
Roy, Ayush 11 1802 NM NICKOLAS ARTHUR MOORE 2260
WFM AMELIA HERNANDEZ 2101
Datta, Riyaan 11 1781 JESSICA SHOR REGAM 2076 NM NAT KELLEHER 2258
Mishra, Om 12 1780 SHAMA YISRAEL 2071
WFM VLADLENA CIUBARA 2069 NM PEDRO HERNANDEZ-PEREZ 2256
Sha, Yi 8 1729 ALICE WU 1817
Li, Sophie 9 1715 DR. VARINIA CABRERA 1814 NM OSVALDO PENO CABRERA 2253
SISIRA S YERRAJENNU 1799
Jani, Aakash 8 1686 NM BRYAN TILLIS 2250
Muneepeerakul, Analaya 11 1640 TOP BLITZ GM RASHID ZIATDINOV 2247
Ratliff, Ryan 9 1580 GM Fabiano Caruana 2881
NM JACOB CHEN 2245
GM Julio Becerra 2645
Alexander, Damian 9 1516 FM Corey Acor 2510 NM BRITT RYERSON 2241
Wu, Winston 8 1469
Thomas, Henry 9 1460 TOP QC FM ROBERTO ALVAREZ FERREIRO 2238
GM Fabiano Caruana 2665 FM JONATHAN DAVID SARFATI 2234
Zang, Flynn 9 1436
GM Julio Becerra 2544
Sha, Rui 9 1423 Renier Gonzalez 2513 NM MEL GOSS 2222
Mulay, Vivan Prakash 8 1421 NM RYAN EDWARD HAMLEY 2220
Kumar, Ishir 9 1380 CORRESPONDENCE
CM ANTONIO ARENCIBIA 2220
Yang, Grace Siqi 9 1373 KEITH RODRIQUEZ 2366
BORIS RATNER 2282 NM CARLOS GASTON ANDRETTA 2217
Luini, Lucio 8 1357
PAUL B OTT 2179
Liu, Richard 9 1322 NM TODD CHARLES BRYANT 2213
ALLEN WOOLLEN 2079
Saha, Tanisha 8 1229 NM MARVIN GAO 2208
LINDA DECHAINE 1706
Chen, Celine 7 1195 FM WALDO SERRANO 2204
Baumstark, Addison 8 1182 NM RODELAY MEDINA 2201
Holcomb, Mihai 6 985 NM RONALD HERNANDEZ 2201

Spring 2023 Page 13

 Girls Nationals
By Tim Tusing

The Oak Hall Chess Club Girls Team won the 18th Annual All Girls National Chess Championship in
Chicago (April 28-30). The event was sponsored by the Kasparov Chess Foundation, The Renaissance
Chess Foundation, and the United States Chess Federation and determines champions in different age sec-
tions. There were 471 players from 35 different states participating in this event.

The Oak Hall Girls Team won the under 8 Championship in a very competitive field. Throughout the
6 round event one point separated 3 different teams.

The tournament came down to the final game in the final round that pitted OHS first grader Emma
Leah Flores against a higher rated New York Dalton School opponent. Late in the 2+ hour long game Emma
found herself in a losing position that seemed hopeless but managed to fight her way to an amazing come-
back victory! That win gave the Eagles the point they needed to finish with 11 ½ points , enough to defeat
New York PS77 Lower Lab (11 points), and New York Dalton School (10 points).

The team was anchored by 2nd grader Celine Chen who finished in 7th place overall with 4.5 points.
Emma Flores finished 17th overall (first place rated under 500) with 4 points. First graders Nora Thomas,
Catalina Mcmillen, and Leighann Hood finished with 3 points each. Myka Solberg scored 2 ½ points and
Ayuna Phillips 2 points. The team victory earns Oak Hall its 3rd national chess title this year and 21st in the
club's 26 year history.

Sophie Li (3rd grade) successfully won every game in the 6 round tournament to place first and be
crowned as the All Girls Under 10 National Champion! Last year Sophie placed 2nd in the same section and
was determined to come back this year and win it all. Her hard work certainly paid off!

Both Celine and Sophie attend Logic Lab (after school) in Gainesville and they are trained under the guid-
ance of coach Britt Ryerson.

Page 14 Spring 2023

 Top Row L to R: Myka Solberg, Leighann Hood, Emma Flores, & Coach
All Girls Under 10 National Champion Sophie Li.
Tim Tusing Bottom Row L to R: Celine Chen, Ayuna Philips, Catalina
Mcmillen, & Nora Thomas

L to R: : Myka Solberg, Nora Thomas, Catalina

Mcmillen, Emma Flores, Leighann Hood, Ayuna L to R: Leighann Hood & Myka Solberg.
Phillips, Celine Chen

Spring 2023 Page 15

 Games From Recent Events by Miguel Ararat
f4 25.f3 Bc2 26.Re1 Qc6 27.Qxf4 Bxa4 –d5 using the Bh7+ trick because
28.b5 Qc5+ 29.Qe3 Qb4 30.Reb1 Qa5 black can use the same tactical motif
31.c5 Nd5 32.Qd4 Nc3 33.Rc1 1–0 and come up on top.]
(33) Kramnik,V (2753) -Gukesh,D
(2730) Berlin 2023] [12.d5 exd5 13.Nxd5 Nxd5 14.Bh7+
Kxh7 15.Qxd5 Bxh2+ 16.Kxh2 Qxd5]
4.e5 Nd5 5.d4 cxd4 6.cxd4 d6 7.exd6
e6 8.Nc3 Bxd6 9.Bd3 0–0 10.0–0 12...Nb4 13.Be2 b6 14.a3 Nbd5
XABCDEFGHY 15.Rc1 Bb7 [Black control the d5
square after a timely redeployment of
8r+lwq-trk+( both knights and development of his
light square bishop to b7.]
7zpp+-+pzpp'
6-+nvlp+-+& 16.Nxd5 Nxd5 17.Bd3 Qf6 18.Bb1
Nf4 [After, Qf6, I expected Rfd8 with
5+-+n+-+-% pressure on the IQP. Black aims to
(178) Nadir,Advait (1983) -
4-+-zP-+-+$ capture the pawn on g2 to remove the
Pothuri,Abhiram (2091) [B22] defender of the f3 knight. I lost a game
The Villages Open 2023, 3+-sNL+N+-# as white in the World Open 2012 to a
26.02.2023 [Ararat,Miguel] similar tactic. My opponent played
2PzP-+-zPPzP" Bc8xh3 and removed the guard of my
This game is a model game in the 1tR-vLQ+RmK-! Nf3 (ouch) A similar idea is play by
modern approach against the isolated black in the open Sicilian against a
queen pawn (IQP). Modern players Xabcdefghy white knight on c3. Black plays Nc4xb2
refrain from the old recipe stop,block Out of the opening white has an followed by Rc8xc3.]
and capture the IQP.] isolated queen pawn (IQP) and should
attack the white king and avoid 19.Bxf4 Qxf4 20.Qd3 [White creates a
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 [White refrains from simplifications. Against the IQP black bigger threat than BxNf3 followed by
the popular 3.Bb5 and save the want to transition to a favorable Qxh2.]
theoretical duel in the Rossolimo for endgame, secure his king, prevent the
another day.] pawn break d4–d5 and control the d5 20...Rfc8 21.Rxc8+ [21.Qh7+ Kf8
square. About the control of the square 22.Qh8+ Ke7 23.Qxg7 Rxc1 24.Rxc1
3.c3 [A move that keeps the game in in front of the IQP. The modern Bxf3 (24...Qxc1+ I founded the move
positional waters and recently used by approach does not required placing a while going for the main variation that
Kramnik to beat a 2700 rated player.] blockading piece in front of the IQP. missed Qg1.) 25.gxf3 Qxh2+ 26.Kf1
For example, in some variations of the Qh1+ 27.Qg1]
[The following games are good Queens Gambit Accepted a black
examples of the level of play in the knight goes to Nb6 instead of d5.] 21...Rxc8 22.Qd2 [22.Ne5 After going
Rossolimo these days. 3.Bb5 g6 4.0–0 over the game the queen exchange
Bg7 5.c3 Nf6 6.Re1 0–0 7.d4 d5 8.e5 10...h6 11.Re1 [11.Qe2 Nf6 12.Rd1 was bad for white because it does not
Ne4 9.Be3 cxd4 10.cxd4 0–1 (49) Nb4 13.Bb1 b6 14.a3 Nbd5 15.Qd3 I reduces black's initiative. The white
Caruana,F (2792)-Carlsen,M (2865) founded this alternative after the 12.d5 knight finally reaches his ideal square
Wijk aan Zee 2022 10...Qb6 11.Bxc6 move did not work. This type of in an IQP position.]
Qxc6 12.Qb3 Bg4 13.Rc1 Qd7 14.Ne1 analysis can be used by any player to
f5 15.Nd3 g5 16.f3 f4 17.fxe4 fxe3 annotate his games before using a 22...Qxd2 [22...Qg4 with the threat
18.Nc5 Qe8 19.Nc3 e2 20.Nxd5 e6 computer engine. You go over the Bxf3.]
21.Ne3 Rf4 22.Nxg4 Rxg4 23.h3 Rh4 game see how the game develops and
24.Nxe6 Kh8 25.Qxb7 Qg8 1–0 (25) then try to predict a critical position. 23.Nxd2 Bf4 [[#] White transition to a
So,W (2760)-Gukesh,D (2725) Kolkata Then, you go back and improve the worse endgame with an IQP facing a
2022] game of a player or suggest a new bishop pair. The threat is to exchange
plan. This process allow you to rooks on c1 then take on b2 or a3 (I
3...Nf6 [3...d5 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.Na3 Nf6 compare your ideas with the engine used this motive in a tournament game
6.Be2 e6 7.0–0 Be7 8.d4 cxd4 9.Nb5 suggestions, instead of any added the when I was 1300–1400 rated)]
Qd7 10.Nbxd4 Nxd4 11.Nxd4 0–0 computer variations to your chess
12.Bf4 Bd6 13.Bb5 Qe7 14.Nf5 exf5 game pgn file. Yes, it takes time and
15.Bxd6 Qd8 16.Bxf8 Qxf8 17.Qd4 will improve your game.] (Diagram Next Page)
Be6 18.Rfd1 Qc8 19.h3 a6 20.Be2 Bd5
21.c4 Be4 22.Bf1 h5 23.b4 Qe8 24.a4 11...Nf6 12.Be3 [White can not play d4

Page 16 Spring 2023

 XABCDEFGHY 32...Bxd4 33.Kf1 a5 34.Ke2 Ke7 (179) Ngo,Bach - Rajmohan,Vikram
35.f3 f5 36.g4 [White needs this [D52]
8-+r+-+k+( pawn on g4 sooner (see variation at Florida Scholastic State 2023 (1),
move 32) . Now g4 is not good 19.03.2023
7zpl+-+pzp-' because white opens up a second [Ararat,Miguel]
6-zp-+p+-zp& theater of operations on the kingside.
Fighting on both flanks stretch white's 1.d4 [White handles his queen
5+-+-+-+-% forces and black can convert his extra effectively in this game.]
4-+-zP-vl-+$ material easily despite the presence
of opposite color bishops.] 1...c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.c4 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6
3zP-+-+-+-# [Black goes for the Semi-Slav and it is
2-zP-sN-zPPzP" 36...Kf6 37.h4 g6 38.Bd3 [38.Kd3 up to white to decide the type of
Be5 39.Bb5 Bg3 40.h5 gxh5 41.gxh5 middlegame. For instance, 5.cxd5 is
1+L+-tR-mK-! Kg5] the exchange variation and the pawn
structure becomes a Carlsbad
xabcdefghy 38...a4 39.Bc4 h5 40.gxh5 gxh5 formation with well defined plans for
24.Ne4 Rc1 25.Rxc1 Bxc1 26.Nd6 41.f4 Ke7 [with the idea Bd4–f6–h4.] each player. White can go for more
Bd5 27.Nc8 [I missed this counter 42.Kd1 Be3 43.Be2 Bxf4 complicated middlegames with 5.e3
play by white.] 44.Bxh5 Be5 [[#]] (Meran) or 5.Bg5 the Anti-Meran
27...Bxb2 28.Ne7+ Kf8 29.Nxd5 XABCDEFGHY gambit challenging black to take on
exd5 30.Ba2 Bxa3 31.Bxd5 [[#] c4.]
XABCDEFGHY 8-+-+-+-+(
[4...dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.e3 e6 7.Bxc4 We
8-+-+-mk-+( 7+-+-mk-+-' have a Classical Slav.]
7zp-+-+pzp-' 6-zp-+-+-+& 5.Bg5 [[#] Bach goes for the sharpest
option, The Anti Meran gambit.]
6-zp-+-+-zp& 5+-+-vlp+L% XABCDEFGHY
5+-+L+-+-% 4p+-+-+-zP$ 8rsnlwqkvl-tr(
4-+-zP-+-+$ 3+-+-+-+-# 7zpp+-+pzpp'
3vl-+-+-+-# 2-+-+-+-+" 6-+p+psn-+&
2-+-+-zPPzP" 1+-+K+-+-! 5+-+p+-vL-%
1+-+-+-mK-! xabcdefghy 4-+PzP-+-+$
45.Be2 a3 46.Bc4 b5 47.Ba2 [This
xabcdefghy encounter is very instructive in three 3+-sN-+N+-#
White fights back and makes the phases of a chess game. 1. In
transition to an opposite color bishop opening, the reader can learn the 2PzP-+PzPPzP"
ending. My evaluation is that black's importance of knowing profoundly the 1tR-+QmKL+R!
connected passed pawns tip the kind of middlegame structure
balance in his favor. However, resulting from the aperture he is xabcdefghy
opposite color bishops are playing. Above all, players must be 5...Nbd7 6.e3 Bd6 [Black can play the
notoriously drawish as the defender skilled in the methods for playing the Cambridge Spring Variation of the
uses blockade and wrong bishop preferred chess structures of their Queens Gambit Declined as Carlsen
themes to save the game. The choice. 2. The middlegame this game did against Gelfand, scoring a nice
question is how many technical is a great example about the dynamic win with the black pieces.]
difficulties can set white to black to way to play against the IQP. Black
avoid defeat?] plays dynamically, instead of [6...Qa5 7.cxd5 Nxd5 8.Rc1 Nxc3
following the old method of blocking 9.bxc3 Ba3 10.Rc2 b6 11.Bd3 Ba6
31...Bb2 32.Bc4 [The problem I see the IQP and slowly grind his 12.0–0 Bxd3 13.Qxd3 0–0 14.e4 0–1
with Bc4 is that White wants his king opponent down. 3.This game shows (57) Gelfand,B (2740)-Carlsen,M
in the fight quickly and preparing for two major aspects of modern chess. (2872) London 2013]
Bxd4 with f3 save a tempo First, to defended difficult or losing
compared to the game continuation.] positions by transitioning to a 7.Bd3 [If we use this position to select
technical demanding endgame. the 19 top games we discover that
[32.f3 Bxd4+ 33.Kf1 a5 34.Ke2 b5 Second, to win above the 2000 mark most of the black players that prefer
35.Kd3 Bc5?! 36.Bc6 For example, a chess player needs both a solid end 6...Bd6 over Qa5 are rated below
36...b4 37.g4± [#] White is closer to -game foundation to convert 2400 than white. Importantly, black
set up a light square blockade.] complicated endgames and good only scores 0.5 points out 19 with
time management skills.] 0–1 Bd6. In contrast, a similar game

Spring 2023 Page 17

sample shows that black players 13.Qxc6 N7b6 14.Bxe7 Qxe7 [The control of the c file translates in
rated over 2400 favor 6...Qa5 and 15.Qc5 [[#] this penetration to the back rank with
they score 10.5/19 . This data XABCDEFGHY the queen.]
suggest that above master level
black goes for the Cambridge Spring 8r+l+-trk+( 28...Re8 29.Qd7 Nf6 30.Qc7 Ne4
and below master level player prefer 31.Nf4 Qg5 32.Qd7 [Please notice
6...Bd6]
7+-+-wqpzpp' that in the conversion of the
6psn-+p+-+& advantage white does not try to
7...0–0 8.0–0 dxc4 9.Bxc4 b5 promote a pawn or use his rook on f1.
10.Bd3 a6?! [Black loses the threat 5+pwQn+-+-% Bach goes for a direct attack on the
of the game and wasted a move. 4-+-zPN+-+$ queen exploiting the superior mobility
Instead, 10...Bb7 neutralizes white's of the queen! As a coach, I am guilty
plan with Ne4 because Black can 3+-+LzPN+-# of encourage my students to use "all
execute the thematic maneuver 2PzP-+-zPPzP" their pieces". This game shows that
Nxe4 and the exchange of dark there is more that brute force in chess
square bishops that solve all black 1tR-+-+RmK-! and it is call harmony.]
problems out of the opening.
However, Black still losing in 17 xabcdefghy 32...Re7 33.Qd8+ Kf7 [33...Re8
moves if he gets carried away with White starts a series of instructive 34.Qxe8#]
"killing the game"] queens moves that take the dynamic
potential out of black's queenside 34.Nd3 g6 35.Qh8
[10...Bb7 11.Ne4 Be7 12.Qc2 units.]
(12.Bxf6 Bxf6 13.Rc1 e5 14.Nd6 1–0
Qb6 15.dxe5 Nxe5 16.Nxe5 Bxe5 15...Qd8 16.Rac1 Ra7 17.Qa3 [white
17.Qh5 [#] 1–0 (17) Alonso Rosell,A vacates the c5 square for the knight
(2509)-Bello Castano,D (1911) San and position the queen on a5 to (180) Davydov,Neryk (1861) -
Sebastian 2010. The double attack prevent Nb6–c4 (queens will be Patel,Soham (1679) [C50]
on h7 and the dark square bishop exchange)] Southern Class, Orlando,FL 2023 (4),
ends the game.) 12...Nxe4 13.Bxe7 19.03.2023 [Ararat,Miguel]
Qxe7 14.Bxe4=] 17...Bd7 18.Qa5 Ne7 19.Ne5 [White
has a material advantage, good 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 [At this
11.Ne4 [11.Rc1 Qb6 12.e4 e5 squares for both knights on e5 and point in the game white can direct the
13.Bxf6 taking with the knight runs c5 and controls the only open file. game to an active or calm
into a pawn fork. 13...gxf6 14.Nh4 White is winning.] middlegame. For instance, Davydov
Nb8 15.Qh5 Kg7 16.dxe5 Bxe5 can play 4.b4, the Evans gambit
17.Kh1 Rg8 18.f4 Bxc3 19.Rxc3 19...f6 20.Nxd7 Nxd7 21.Qa3 Nd5 creating open lines and a strong
Be6 20.e5 Nd7 21.exf6+ Kf8 22.Bxb5 f5 23.Bxd7 Rxd7 24.Nc5 center as compensation for the pawn.
22.Qh6+ Ke8 23.Be4 Rc8 24.Nf5 [[#] This double attack on a6 and e6 Alternatively white can proceed as in
Kd8 25.Ne7 Qd4 26.Rxc6 Nxf6 seals black's fate. It is instructive how the game and play a slow positional
27.Nxg8 Rxc6 28.Nxf6 Rc8 29.Qg5 white wins this game without allowing game. In the Evans gambit two
Rc5 30.Qg8+ Ke7 31.Qe8+ 1–0 (31) any counterplay from his opponent.] games by Nakamura are clear
Cesal,J (2200)-Kuba,J (2278) Czech example of the type of active
Republic 2015] 24...Re7 25.Qxa6 Qe8 26.Nd3 Qg6 middlegames this gambit creates.
27.Rc8 Rxc8 28.Qxc8+ Nakamura - Anand 2011 and
Nakamura Hess in 2012.]
11...Be7 12.Qc2 [12.Nxf6+ Nxf6 XABCDEFGHY
13.Ne5 Bb7 14.Qf3 is an alternative
to Qc2, yet it is unnatural to post 8-+-wq-trk+( 4.0–0 [4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 (5...Bd6
your queen on the gaze of an 6.d4 Qe7 7.0–0 Nf6 8.Nbd2 0–0
enemy bishop.]
7+-+r+-zpp' 9.Re1 Ba3 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.dxe5
6p+-+p+-+& Ne8 12.f4 Bxc1 13.Rxc1 1–0 (33)
12...Nd5 [12...Nxe4 Black can Nakamura,H (2775)-Hess,R (2635)
simplify the game with this thematic 5+-sNn+p+-% Saint Louis 2012) 6.d4 d6 7.Qb3 Qd7
8.dxe5 Bb6 9.a4 Na5 10.Qa2 Nxc4
simplification at the cost of a pawn 4-+-zP-+-+$ 11.Qxc4 Ne7 12.exd6 cxd6 with a
and fight for a draw. In any case you
can get more promising positions 3wQ-+-zP-+-# dynamically balanced position with
out of the main variations of the chances for both sides, thanks to the
Queens gambit declined. in a few
2PzP-+-zPPzP" asymmetrical pawn structure and the
words, Black's opening did not go 1+-tR-+RmK-! bishop pair versus knight and bishop.
his way. 13.Bxe7 Qxe7 14.Bxe4 Bb7 1/2–1/2 (36) Nakamura,H (2775)-
15.Bxh7+ Kh8 16.Bd3]
xabcdefghy Anand,V (2793) London 2014]

Page 18 Spring 2023

4...Nf6 5.d3 [The modern and more lasting pressure on the weak a3 21...Qh4+ [[#]Try to calculate the
popular interpretation of the Italian pawn.] forced win from this diagram.]
opening. White wants a positional XABCDEFGHY
middlegame with a board full of 15.Bxe6 fxe6 16.Bb2 [Bb2 defends
pieces. The middlegame make take the weak pawn on a3 originated after 8r+-+-trk+(
different shapes, from a full attack 14. bxa5, yet it is a positional 7vlpzp-+-zp-'
against the king to slowly conquering mistake. The best square for this
more space.] bishop is e3.] 6-+-zpp+-zp&
5...d6 6.h3 h6 [Black avoids the pin [16.Be3 The dark square bishop
5+-+-zp-+-%
after Bg5, nevertheless the move is positioned on e3 has more influence 4-+N+PsnPwq$
not the only option. For example,] on both the flanks and the center
than on the diagonal a1–h8. White's 3zP-+P+-sN-#
[6...Bb6 7.Nc3 Be6 8.Bb3 0–0 9.Be3 king can be under a lot of pressure 2-vLPwQ-zPPmK"
Bxe3 10.fxe3 Bxb3 11.axb3 d5 after Ng6–f4 and Qf7–g6.]
12.exd5 Nxd5 13.Qe1 Ndb4 14.Rc1 1+R+-+R+-!
f5 0–1 (64) Rathnakaran,K (2453)- 16...Bb6 17.Nd2 Nf4 18.Nc4 Ba7
Mikhalevski,V (2592) Philadelphia 19.Qd2 [A very instructive moment in
xabcdefghy
2008] the game. Black has several good 22.Kg1 Nh3+ 23.gxh3 Qxg3+ 24.Kh1
continuations such as Qf7 with the Qxh3+ 25.Kg1 Qxg4+ 26.Kh2 Rf3
7.Nc3 0–0 8.a3 Ne7 9.Ne2 [Ne2 is idea of Qg6 mounting a strong attack 27.Qe3 Bxe3
not a bad move. Yet if white wants to and b5 forcing the knight out of the
play b4, the exchange of knight for stron c4 square. The best practical 0–1
bishop after Na4 is the standard plan move is Qe7 because it has a hidden
in this position.] tactical idea that forces white to find
the only move f3 protecting the g4
[9.Na4 Bb6 10.Re1 Ng6 11.b4 Qe8 square. If white fails the game will be
12.Nxb6 axb6 13.c3 Be6 14.Bxe6 over.]
Qxe6 15.a4 b5 16.Be3 1/2–1/2 (16)
Abasov,N (2635) -Esipenko,A (2705) 19...Qe7!? [19...Qf7 is a solid choice
Chartres 2022] to build the attack against the white
king. 20.Rab1 Qg6; 19...b5 This
9...Be6 10.b4 Bb6 11.Ba2 Ng6 pawn push has not individual
12.Ng3 Qd7 13.Kh2 a5!? [This significance, but is playable as part of
move highlights the downside of the Qf7 plan. 20.Ne3 Qe8 21.Rab1
9.Ne2, black attacks on the dark Qg6]
squares to force white to release the
tension on the a2–g8 diagonal. 20.Rab1?? [White makes a Private Chess Lessons for
White is not losing, but lost control of catastrophic blunder and the game is Scholastic Students
the position too early in the over. This is the main danger when a
middlegame.] player wants to play positional chess (kindergarten and up)
out of 1.e4. Tactics can spring at any Bilingual -
14.bxa5 Bxa5 [[#]] time and the positional player needs English/Spanish
XABCDEFGHY always to be tactically alert.]
Gainesville Chess
8r+-+-trk+( [20.Qd1 h5; 20.f3 Qe8] Training
7+pzpq+pzp-' 20...Ng4+ 21.hxg4 [21.Kg1 Qh4
6-+-zplsnnzp& black is going to capture on g3 Miguel Ararat,
thanks to the bishop on a7. White MS, MPharm
5vl-+-zp-+-% pay a heavy cost for allowing black's
4-+-+P+-+$ king side bishop to stay in the game
(9.Na4, Nxb6) 22.Ne3 Bxe3 23.fxe3 US National
3zP-+P+NsNP# Qxg3–+] Chess Coach
2L+P+-zPPmK" & FIDE Instructor
1tR-vLQ+R+-! 352-213-9707
xabcdefghy gainesville.chess.training
[14...Rxa5!? 15.Bxe6 fxe6 16.Bb2 @gmail.com
Bc5 17.Nd2 Ra4 18.c4 Rfa8 with

Spring 2023 Page 19

 2023 Florida Collegiate Championship
By Derek Zhang
The first ever Florida State Collegiate Championship took place on April 16th, online on Chess.com. 24 play-
ers competed from six schools: the University of Florida (UF), the University of South Florida (USF), Florida
State University (FSU), Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), the University of Miami (UM), and Florida
State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ). The tournament succeeded in its goal of bringing together college
clubs from around the state, and plans are already underway for future in-person collegiate events!

USF dominated the championship section, with Ryan Putney (USF) winning the indi-
vidual state title, Daniel Pimienta (USF) taking second, and USF winning the team
state title by half a point over UF. Peyton Kromash (UF), Brandon Pina (FSU), and
Mason Derwitsch (UF) tied for third, with FSU finishing as the third place team.

In the U1500 section, Christopher Krause (UF) took first with

a perfect score, with Joseph Layrisson (FGCU) finishing sec-
ond and Dylan Truver (FSU), Bharath Venkatachalam (UF),
Jackson Sparks (FSU), and Xavier Banos (FGCU) tying for
third. UF was the top team in the U1500, with FGCU and
FSU taking second and third.
Ryan Putney
The evening blitz tournament was popular, with almost all of
the morning tournaments’ participants joined by a few additional players. Derek
Zhang (UF) won first, Luke Lyle (FSCJ) took second, James Shen (UF) finished third,
and Joseph Layrisson (FGCU), Daniel Pimienta (USF), and Dylan Truver (FSU) took
the top three prizes in the U1500 category. UF was again the top team, with FSU tak- Christopher Krause
ing second and USF and FGCU tying for third.

Congratulations to all of our participants, awardees, and especially our new state collegiate champi-
ons!
(197) Ryan Putney (1839) - James move preventing Ng4, but James gives 27...Rxb2+ 28.Rf2 Rxf2+ 29.Nxf2 Rg8
Shen [A36] him another opportunity to play f5 and 30.Ra8!!
2023 Florida Collegiate Championship Ryan obliges on the second opportuni- XABCDEFGHY
https://lichess.org/study/Kvc (1.2) ty.]
[Derek Zhang] 8R+-+-+rmk(
12...Nd4?! 13.f5 gxf5 14.Bg5! Be6?
[2023 Florida State Collegiate Champi- [Be6 simply wastes a tempo after ex-
7+-+q+p+p'
on Ryan Putney's first round win over f5.] 6-+-zp-zP-wQ&
the unrated but strong James Shen
was his best game of the tournament, [14...fxe4?? 15.Nxe4 Nf5 16.g4+–] 5+-zpNzp-zP-%
with no less than two brilliant moves 4-+psn-+-vl$
identified by Chess.com's Game Re- 15.exf5 Bc8 16.g4 Qe8 17.Ng3 Bb7
view!] 18.Bxb7 Rxb7 19.Bxf6 [Eliminating 3+-+P+-+P#
the defender of the e4, d5, and h5 2-+-+-sN-mK"
1.c4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 d6 squares, allowing white's knights to run
5.d3 g6 [The Symmetrical English, a rampant over black's kingside.] 1+-+-+-+-!
deceptively calm start to a brilliant at-
tacking game.] 19...Bxf6 20.Nge4 Qd8 21.Nd5 Bh4 xabcdefghy
22.f6 [Cutting off black's bishop from 30...Nf5 [30...Rxa8?? 31.Qg7#]
6.e4 Bg7 7.Nge2 0–0 8.0–0 Rb8 the rest of black's army. The bishop
9.Be3 a6 10.a4 e5 11.f4 [Ryan shows will be lost, sooner or later.] 31.Qf8!! Bg3+ [31...Rxf8 32.Rxf8#]
his attacking intentions. Best for
James was Ng4 or exf4, but he makes 22...Kh8 23.g5 Qd7 24.Kh2 b5 32.Kh1 Ne7 33.Qg7# [A flashy finish
the mistake of allowing f5.] [Black's best attempt at counterplay, to an excellent first game of the tour-
but it comes too late.] nament from the eventual collegiate
11...b6?! [11...exf4 12.gxf4 Ng4 champion!]
13.Bd2 f5=; 11...Ng4 12.Bd2 exf4 25.axb5 axb5 26.Qh5 bxc4 27.Qh6!?
13.gxf4 f5=] [Qxh4 is technically better according to 1–0
the engine, but Qh6 wins the most
12.h3?! [Ryan unnecessarily spends a style points.]

Page 20 Spring 2023

 GM Sam Shankland at UF
By Thomas Slaten

On April 1st and 2nd, the Gator Chess Club hosted the first grandmaster to visit the University of Florida
since the days of Gabriel Schwartzman: GM Sam Shankland. Shankland is a US Olympiad gold medalist and 2018
US champion who at the time of writing is ranked 30th in the world. Shankland came for the electrifying two-day
event, hosting a simul, all-comers blitz challenge, and various lectures. The event saw nearly a hundred participants,
with plenty of action in the simul.

Far from being complete domination by Shankland (excluding, of course, the author’s abysmal showing),
Shankland was on the brink of defeat in several games. One such game was played by Aidan Burchard against the
GM.GM Sam Shankland (2787) - Aidan Burchard (1646) Simul 02.04.2023

1.e4 d6 [For a bit of context, Aidan’s chess.com username is Mr. Pirc, so he was delighted to be able to play his fa-
vorite opening - the pirc - against Sam]

2.d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Be3 c6 5. F3 b5 6. Bd3 [The position is solid for both sides, though white controls the center
and has a slight development advantage.

6. … Nbd7 7. Nge2 Bb7 8. Qd2 Qc7 9. O-O Bg7 [Now that Sam had castled, Aidan was
free to castle as well]

10. Bh6 O-O 11. Bxg7 Kxg7 12. f4 e5 13. a3?

[Sam makes a rare mistake with 13. a3, as 13. dxe5 is a far superior move. 13. dxe5
avoids the d4 pawn being pinned by the queen and being a permanent target for the
moves to come. Luckily for Sam, Aidan didn’t capitalize by playing Qb6. However, a seri-
ous change in momentum is to come.]

13. … a6 14. Rf3? [Here, 14. …exd4 is crushing, with no real response to black’s central
pawn dominance. Taking the pawn with the knight will lose after 14. … exd4 15. Nxd4
c5, and one of 16. Nd2 c4 trapping the bishop, or 16. Nb3 c4 forking the knight and bishop]

14. exd4 15. Nxd4 [The hype train officially departs the station at supersonic speeds, as
Shankland will be losing a minor piece with optimal play by Aidan.]

15. … c5 16.e5 Ng8? [The hype train starts to slow, with speeds comparable to a turn of
the century cargo train. 16. …dxe5 is the best alternative, as it prevents counterplay by
white after 16. … dxe5 17. fxe5 Qxe5. 16. … cxd4 is also a viable option, as 16. … cxd4
17. exf6 Nxf6 leaves the rook threatened by the b7 bishop and the c3 knight is on the brink
of capture.]

17. Nf5+ [To quote the great GM Ben Finegold: “rawr”.]

17. …gxf5 18. Rg3+ kh8 19. Bxf5 dxe5? [Black trades into a fairly even endgame,
though white is a pawn down.]

20. Qxd7 Qxd7 21. Bxd7 exf4 22. Rd3 Nf6 23. Bh3 Rad8 24.
Rad1 Rxd3 25. Rxd4 Re8 [Black holds a slight advantage but
the position is drawn.]

26. Kf2 Ne4+ 27. Nxe4 Bxe4 28. Rd2 f5 29. c3 Re7 30. Rd6
Ra7 31. g3 fxg3+ 32. hxg3 b4 [Although black has an extra
pawn, the position is dead even, as the queenside pawns will
get traded off and white’s g pawn will prevent black from ad-
vancing his pawns any further. Here the hype train gets delayed at its station indefinitely,
with a lone pawn blocking the tracks. Now the trades begin and the position simplifies to a
draw]

33. cxb4 cxb4 43. axb4 Rb7 35. Rd4 a5 36. bxa5 ½-½

Spring 2023 Page 21

 Central Region Report
By NM Andrew Rea, Central RVP

Scholastic Championship (Continued from page 4)

Lets take a brief pause now to note why we have 'Under' sections in the next four
groups. This is a Tournament Novelty introduced in New York City some 15 years ago, giving more
players reason to play- players are aware that most of the participants will vie for the very top, but if
one category can be made into two, there can be more incentive. Add in the team element, and it
can be seen there are typically more players who choose to play. Regards the team competition,
these champions will be noted later in this recap. For now, on to K-3 u600. Here we have 2 players
at 5/5, Michael Wang and Asa Bodlak, chased hard by 7 others at 4/5! Congrats to Michael and Asa,
with Michael narrowly having the better tiebreak. Re tiebreaks, please be aware there is not yet a
perfect tiebreak system, and that the Rating Report posted on US Chess is just that, a rating report-
the players are not listed in tiebreak order, they are listed in rating order.

If K-3 was close, how to designate K-3 Championship? Maybe not quite off the charts, but 6
players tied for first at 4/5! Well played by Yi Sha, Vivian Mulay, Aakash Jani, Ryan Ratliff, Damian
Alexander, Addison Baumstark, with Yi Sha landing overall first on tiebreak. As with our other sec-
tions, our players get to realize that Plan A is not always correct and have to then navigate on the fly
through plenty of resistance.... and then do it again, rinse and repeat! Of course in some instances a
player might have had one oversight in the whole tournament and as a result there goes the perfect
marks, ouch! Of course our players, in this section and the others, learn early and often to deal with
adversity at the board.

It isn't easy, but our players typically showed strong perseverance, ready for that next round-
and then for the next event! In the K-5 u700 Section, it would seem like smooth sailing for Nicholas
Vu, 5/5! Of course its five wins in the box score, but given there were 4 players at 4/5, its fairly likely
there were some nervy moments for Nicholas- and we can see he steered clear of the obstacles
when all was said and done. Similarly in the K-5 Championship group, one player at 5/5, Riyaan Dat-
ta- of course this was anything but easy as there was one player at 4.5/5 and 3 at 4/5.

As we move to K-8 u1000, the players are stronger, more experience- and it is not getting any
easier to score points, seeing as the sense of danger is better with experience, as is recognition of
opportunity. This section may well have been the most closely contested- 11 players at 4/5, close, no
cigar..... as we have 3 players at 4.5/5! Congrats to Parvati Chakrabarti, Catherine Jiang, and Vin-
cent Hubacheck, with the better tiebreak going to Parvati. Well played by our trio! Regards the K-8
Championship, this was also highly contested, with Advait Nair finishing alone at 4.5/5, holding off the
charges of the 6 players at 4/5! Nary a dull moment in these sections!

K-12 u1100 had one player, Cole Carin, at 5/5, very well played! He needed that big score as
there were 2 at 4.5/5 and 7 others at 4/5. Speaking of close competition, on to the K-
12 Championship, with various and sundry Fide Masters, National Masters, Experts..... and as with
other sections, there are lower rated players who also played well and scored well! In the end, FM
Bach Ngo won the K-12 Championship at 4.5/5 , with 6 players ( not all Masters!) chasing hard,
chasing skillfully, at 4/5.

On to the Team Competition- lets note that the pairings are done on an individual basis, with
team standings then gleaned from how the players score. Yes, players from same team can be
paired against each other, though this tends to be the exception. From our 9 sections, there were
dozens of teams- another way for players not able to compete for first place to still contribute to the
event by dusting off some early mishap and score points later to help their team. In the K-1 Champi-
onship, it is Oak Hall School, in from Gainesville, scoring the Team Championship- well done by
Mihai Holcomb, Leighann Hood, Mark Wang, and Suraj Jani.

Page 22 Spring 2023

 Oak Hall evidently has a strong chess program (Editor’s note: and the evidence is strong), as they
also won the K-3 Team Championships! K-3 u600, they were led by Julian Moguillansky, Myka Sol-
berg, Emma Flores, and Rhett West. In the K-3 Team Championship, Oak Hall was well represented
by Aakash Jani, Damian Alexander, Celine Chen, and Addison Baumstark - well played!

Oak Hall also led the way in the K-5 sections! K-5 u700 it is Nicholas Vu, Asher Austin, Jack Ei-
senmenger, and Aayan Patel leading the way, while in the K-5 Championship Oak Hall was
well represented by Sophie Li, Ishir Kumar, Henry Thomas, and Curtis Hood- again, congratulations,
well played!

K-8 u1000 Team Championship was won by Divine Savior, making the trip north from Miami-
well done by Karla Morales, David Cabrera, Evan Bello, and Roshni Alvarez. As for the K-8 Team
Champion, say hello- and more congratulations!- to Abraham Lincoln HS, in from Gainesville. Brian
Bird, Nick Liu, Ezra Sawicki, and Garrick Wu, again, well played! And now for our K-12 u1100, a
Champion effort by Lake Nona HS, Orlando! Bhagyesh Jethwani, Kenneth Wu, Dylan Nguyen, and
Aaron Storcher scoring this honor, well done! We close the team event with congratulations to Buch-
holz HS, Gainesville, well played by Bach Ngo, Jason Shen, Andrew Xing, and Ahan Mishra.

Best wishes to all of our participants, may thanks to the event Organizer, Kevin Pryor- there is always
much happening in advance and during the event that is best left not disturbing the players so that
the players can maintain concentration on their games! Its not a one person operation, there were
several other contributors, they know who they are- I prefer the focus to be on our players, as there
is not an event without them- thanks, and wait til next year!

Spring 2023 Page 23

 Putting the Pieces Back Together
How a “Never Resign” approach led the Volusia County Chess Club through Hurricane Ian
By Ray Ratliff Northeast RVP

In September 2022, Hurricane Ian ravished parts of Florida.

Many homes were destroyed, lives were lost and normal every-
day life was drastically changed. Anthony “Tony” Cipollina, Volu-
sia County Chess Club owner, lived through that carnage. He re-
calls at one point standing on his bed holding his wife and 3 cats
just to escape the flooding. The damage to his home and belongs
were devastating. In chess terms, he had lost his queen and the
game was fully in his opponents favor. I spoke with Anthony
about how he was able to pull himself up and start the process of
getting back on his feet. I’ll never forget his words “Just like in
chess Ray, I never resign!” He salvaged what he could and start-
ed the slow process of putting the pieces back together. He has
lived in this area his entire life and was not going to let this storm
change that. When I asked about the chess club, he quick re-
sponded by saying “We only missed one Tuesday meet up”. He
knew that his club members needed chess as an escape. A
sense of normalcy in all of the chaos. He pushed his pieces for-
ward.

Today, his Tuesday meet-up attendance has double

and he is hosting major events again like his up-
coming Blitz Championship. I have heard the saying
“life is like chess” and in this case, nothing could be
further from the truth. I commend Tony for his resili-
ency and determination through this life altering or-
deal. Events like hurricane Ian remind us of the im-
portance of community and togetherness. Over the
board and in life, you can find yourself in seemingly
impossible situations that push you to your limits.
Like Tony, continue to push your pieces forward
and never ever resign. Thank you Tony.

If you would like to help the Volusia Chess Club put their pieces back together, you can donate on
their website http://www.volusiacountychessclub.com/ or you can contact Tony at to-
[email protected].

Page 24 Spring 2023

 Unearthing South Florida's Thriving Chess Community:
From Hidden Gems to Budding Talent
By Matthew Kolcz, South RVP

South Florida is renowned for its sun-kissed beaches and dynamic culture — but did you know it al-
so boasts a flourishing chess community that encourages friendly competition? Alongside several
distinguished chess clubs throughout the region, there are some lesser-known gems eager to wel-
come avid players.

Miramar
One such hidden treasure is Miramar Chess Club (https://
miramarchessclub.com/), founded by Roberto L. Montanez with the goal
of connecting passionate enthusiasts within a congenial environment.
Built on principles of good sportsmanship and community spirit, this club
is poised for growth as word spreads among local players.

If you're seeking an exhilarating event while engaging with fellow mem-

bers from our vibrant community, look no further than the Rapid Chess
Tournament hosted by Miramar Chess Club on May 28th. Registration is
hassle-free; simply head over to chessregister.com!

Miami
For those interested in more established clubs offering regular tournaments
year-round, Miami School of Chess (https://miami-school-of-
chess.negocio.site/) will surely impress. Located at 300 Southwest 107th
Avenue Suite 205 in Miami, this reputable club often hosts Quads events
and weekend competitions – check out their listings on chessregister.com!

Miami School of Chess sets itself apart by occasionally hosting prestigious

Norm tournaments that captivate top talent from across the region.

South Miami
Another esteemed name in South Florida’s thriving chess scene is South Mi-
ami Chess Club (https://www.southmiamichessclub.com/), catering mainly to
scholastic initiatives. Owned by Diego Milla and featuring expert tutelage
from International Master Alejandro Moreno, this club provides an excellent
platform for young chess enthusiasts to hone their skills under expert guid-
ance.

The ever-growing popularity of these clubs attests to South Florida’s enthusiasm, dedication, and
community spirit in fostering a thriving chess scene. With Miramar Chess Club advocating for friend-
ly competition and camaraderie, Miami School of Chess attracting accomplished players via their top
-notch tournaments, and South Miami Chess Club nurturing young prodigies — it's no wonder that
this southern paradise has become a haven for chess aficionados!

Spring 2023 Page 25

 North West Regional Report
By Derek Zhang, Northwest RVP

Sojourns, Startups, and Stalemate Studies

As my relatively brief time in Florida and on the FCA board draws to a close this month, I would be
remiss if I did not mention how impressed I am with the strength of the chess community in Florida.
Florida is a very diverse and geographically dispersed state, and yet there are chess players
meeting for games on every weekend in every corner of the state. In the northwest region, two
recent startup clubs deserve special recognition: Jacob Sperber’s Capital City Chess Club in
Tallahassee and Shaun Blevins and Zachary Bruley’s Project Chess Club in Milton. Jacob has run
three editions of the Capital City Open with increasing attendance each time (no easy feat, as many
organizers will attest to!), and Shaun and Zachary recently organized the first Blackwater Chess
Championship in Milton with an impressive 31 players in attendance. Organizers like Jacob, Shaun,
Zachary, and dozens of others across the northwest region and the state are a critically important
part of our chess community.

This quarter, in lieu of any tournament recaps or lengthy reports, I’ve included a few of my favorite
form of chess puzzles: studies. Studies are different from most puzzles in that they are composed or
created instead of taken from real games, and as such they often offer solvers an opportunity to
develop their calculation skills through uniquely creative (and often beautiful) solutions. The studies
below are all stalemate studies, all white to play and draw and ordered in difficulty from
easiest to most difficult. Solutions are provided later on in this issue. I would recommend giving
yourself at least 10 minutes on a study before looking at the solution. Think creatively and please
enjoy!
(Editor’s Note: Derek, I want to extend the thanks of the entire FCA Board of Directors for your time and effort spent as
the Northwest Regional V.P. Your leadership and work ethic have been greatly appreciated and will be missed. We wish
you well as you move on to the next chapter in life’s journey.)

Study 1 (Easy) Study 2 (Medium)

Page 26 Spring 2023

 Study 3 (Medium) Study 4 (Hard)

Northwest Florida Chess Clubs:

Capital City Chess Club (Tallahassee) - https://www.thechessdrum.net/blog/2022/12/18/2022-capital-city

-chess-open-tallahassee-fl/

FSU Chess Club (Tallahassee) - [email protected], Regular meetings on Friday nights from 5-
6:30 on Landis Green

Gator Chess Club (Gainesville) - https://gatorchessclub.com, Regular meetings

on Thursday nights from 6-9 in Larsen Hall Room 234

Panama City Chess Club - [email protected]

Pensacola Chess Club - [email protected]

Perkins Restaurant Chess Meetup (Gainesville) - Regular meetings on Friday

nights from 7-11 at Perkins Restaurant

Project Chess Club (Milton) - [email protected] or

[email protected]

Tallahassee Chess Club - http://www.tallahasseechess.com, Regular meetings

on Saturday afternoons at the Black Dog Cafe at Lake Ella

SOLUTIONS
Study 1 – 1. Rh5 d5 (Qxh5 is stalemate) 2. Rh2 d4 (Qxh2 is stalemate) 3. Rh5 d3 (Qxh5 is, again, stalemate) 4. Rxh6+ Kxh6 ½-½ by stalemate
Study 2 – 1. Nc7 c3 2. Ne6 c2 3. Nd4 c1=Q 4. Nf3+ gxf3 ½-½ by stalemate (other ways of bringing the knight to f3 in four moves are also correct)
Study 3 – 1. Bf6+ Kb1 2. Bb2 Kc2 (Qxb2 or Kxb2 are both stalemate) 3. Bxa1 Kb1 4. Kb3 Kxa1 5. Kc2 a4 6. Kc1 a3 7. Kc2 ½-½ by stalemate
Study 4 – 1. Nf2 Bxf2 2. Rh1+ Be1 3. Rh2 d1=Q 4. Rb2+ Kc1 (If Ka1, Ra2+ will either lead to a perpetual or eventually force Kc1) 5. Rb1+ Kxb1 ½-
½ by stalemate

Spring 2023 Page 27

 West Regional Report
By Timotey Gospodinov, West RVP

Chess, Chess, Chess!!!

Chess has never been more popular in West Florida than now. Every weekend we have a chess
tournament (some weekends we have a couple tournaments at West Florida). We have more and
more chess clubs. One of the strongest players at West Florida Corey Acor created a new club and
began to run monthly chess tournaments. Here is more information Corey sent to me:

Chasing Checkmate Chess Tournament is a new dual rated G/30;d5 (standard rating and quick
rating) tournament being held in Tampa each month. The tournament is run by Fide Master Corey
Acor and his wife Amber. There are three sections to choose from including a unrated beginner K-5
section, K-12 open rated section, and a adult open rated cash prize section. The cash prizes depend
on how many players sign up but 60 percent payout is guaranteed. Cash prizes b/20 players: 1st:
$200 2nd: $100 3rd: $50 Top u1500: $50 Top u1200: $50. The scholastic sections play for trophies
and all children will receive a participation prize. This tournament is growing fast over the last two
months and space will be limited to first 80 players to sign up. You can find more information about
future tournaments as well as the sign up form on www.chasingcheckmate.com. This tournament is
also listed on chessregister.com.

We have many chess clubs at schools. My wife, Petrunka Gospodinova, who is a teacher at
Riverview, created a chess club at her school. Here is what one magazine published about her
initiative:

GIUNTA CHESS ACADEMY CLUB

By Mrs. Gospodinova

The click of the timer as you select your next move and strategically watch your opponent, it’s
all a dance, a dance that makes up the name of chess. I found out that many of my English
Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) students don’t do well at speaking perfect English, but they
know the “dance of chess” well. I would love to see more young people playing chess and staying
focused with their life. We are all informed of the benefits of playing chess, but most importantly it
exercises both sides of the brain, improves concentration and helps children realize the
consequences of their actions. Growing up playing the game turned into a hobby for me, and I would
like to give a chance for my Second Language Learners at Giunta Middle School to get exposed to
the game. The beauty of chess is very complex – there are more than 200 billion possible board
positions; each one has infinite potential outcomes. I like to inspire my ESOL students so that one
day they can challenge themselves and succeed. I am a mother of two boys who both became
National Chess players and helped me improve my chess skills. So, for the second semester I
opened my classroom during lunchtime and students can come to play chess. We chose a name for
our Chess Club - Giunta Chess Academy (GCA Club). I do some tutorial chess as well. I guide them
with resources, and I enjoy watching them exercise their brain while playing. I want to teach young
people to refocus their mindset and to win and lose with grace.

I want to finish my article about the Saint Petersburg Chess Club. Right now, the club runs
tournaments every Saturday, and we also meet every Tuesday and Friday for a casual game and
every Sunday for group chess lessons. This summer, Saint Petersburg Chess will offer a 7-week
half-day chess and art camp. Visit the club website for more information about chess in Saint
Petersburg: https://chessclubjoy.webs.com/.

Page 28 Spring 2023

One of the biggest TV networks in Tampa Bay visited the Saint Petersburg Chess Club and made a
movie about the club. A part of this movie was the interview with National Champion and Florida
State Champion and member of this club, Lyubomir Gospodinov. Here is what Bay News 9 said
about the club:
What You Need To Know
• The St. Pete Chess Club is open to all
• The club is the longest running for a single location
• A member shares his story

Lyubomir Gospodinov knows that dance and strategy well. Growing up playing this game, he made
it more than a hobby, going on to win a national chess championship in 8th grade and a Florida
state championship. He attributes much of that success to the chess club he grew up playing at, the
St. Pete Chess Club. “I remember coming here in 9th and 10th grade of high school and I would
play for fun on Fridays and even had a chess coach here,” Lyubomir said. Playing chess at the St.
Pete Chess Club, a spot where his own father, also an avid chess player, is currently the chess club
President. Showcasing that the love of this game is a family affair. “I appreciate now that I’ve moved
back to St. Pete permanently after college, that I have the opportunity to come here and see old and
new faces and play games and even challenge myself and play in some tournaments.”

The St. Pete Chess Club first opened its doors in 1930 in the very same building they still gather in
today. It's the oldest chess club to remain in the same place in the United States. The club has had
international grand masters play here, like Sammy Reshevsky, Bobby Fischer, and Larry
Christiansen, just to name a few.

You can try your hand at this game alongside the greats during their open chess play days or even
enter into one of their tournaments that has been taking place for the past 30 years. “You’d be
surprised, you can meet a lot of people younger, older, or your own age.. you can make some
really great friends and it’s just a great environment. We are very inclusive,” Lyubomir said. The St.
Pete Chess club is open on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays for open play. They also host a
number of tournaments and lectures.

Spring 2023 Page 29

 Florida Senior Open
By Mike Moschos

The Florida Senior Open was has on April 29 th and April 30th
at the Laurel Manor Recreational Center in The Villages. The
tournament consisted of two sections an Open and a U1800
with a total of 43 players. This tournament provided an oppor-
tunity for aged 50+ to play prior to the Florida State Senior
Championship which will be
held on May 27-28 in Boca
Raton, Fl. The winner of the
championship will be the
Florida representative to the
Irwin Tournament of Senior
Champions held at the US Laurel Manor Recreational Center at The
Open. Villages.

The winner of the Open section of the Senior Open was Con-
stantine Xanthos with 3.5 points out of a possible 4.0. The sec-
ond place finisher was Jonathan David Sarfati. The U1800 winner
was Anthony (Tony) Reed finishing with 4.0 points out of a possi-
Tony Reed— U1800 Winner
ble 4.0. There was a 6 way tie for second place with player accu-
mulating 3.0 points.

Constantine Xanthos at age 76 is still a highly competitive

chess player as demonstrated by winning the2023 The Florida
Senior Open, 2022 Florida State Senior Championship. The
following are excerpts from the Sun Sentinel PUB-
LISHED: March 10, 1991 at 5:00 a.m. | UPDAT-
ED: September 25, 2021 at 1:41 p.m. entitled “NAPLES WINS
GIVE PLAYER MASTER RATING”

Constantine Xanthos played his first chess tournament 24

years ago. On Tuesday, he achieved a master rating. “I just re-
ceived my new rating, 2204,” Xanthos said. Anything over 2200
is considered master — a level attained by fewer than 3 per-
cent of all tournament players in the United States. Xanthos, of
Hillsboro Beach, broke the 2200 rating barrier with four straight
victories at the Naples Winter Open Tournament .“I won the
first prize of $80 and raised my rating from 2193 — the first
time I’ve had a master rating,” Xanthos said. His goal is not
only to increase his rating, but also to become a World Chess
Federation master by playing opponents with international rat- Charles Hatherill (National TD) &
ings. Constantine Xanthos

Today we bring you one of Xanthos’ games in the Naples tournament, a victory against veteran tour-
nament player Robert Eastwood, a former Florida champion. In an ending with Bishops of opposite
colors — normally drawish — Xanthos forced the victory with precise play. “We had equal material
and Bishops of opposite color, but Black was paralyzed and positionally lost because of his weak-
ness on the dark squares, and my King’s invulnerability,” he said.

Page 30 Spring 2023

Xanthos’ 36. Rb7 was decisive. If 36..Kg7 37. Qf6+ wins.
And if 36…Kg8 37. Qb1 Rxb7 38. axb7 Qb8 39. Bc7! wins.

White (EQ) Xanthos Black (EQ) Eastwood

1.d4 d5 2.e3 Nf6 3.c4 c6 4.Nc3 e6 5.f4 Bd6 6.Nf3 Ne4 7.Bd3 f5
8.0-0 0-0 9.c5 Bc7 10.Ne2 Nd7 11.b4 Ndf6 12.a4 Bd7 13.Ne5 b6
14.Ba3 bxc5 15.bxc5 Rb8 16.h3 Ba5 17.Bxe4 Nxe4 18.Qd3 Rf6
19.Rab1 Be8 20.Rxb8 Qxb8 21.Rb1 Qc8 22.Bb4 Bc7 23.a5 Bxe5
24.fxe5 Rf7 25.a6 Re7 26.Be1 Bh5 27.Nf4 Bf7 28.Rb3 g5 29.Ne2
Bh5 30.Kh2 Rg7 31.Ng3 Bg6 32.Nxe4 fxe4 33.Qe2 h5 34.Ba5
Kh7 35.Qf1 Rf7 36.Rb7 Rxb7 37.axb7 Qxb7 38.Qf6 Qf7 39.Qxg5
a6 40.Be1 Bf5 41.Qd8 Bg6 42.Bh4 Qe8 43.Qc7+ Kh6 44.Bf6 Qg8
45.Qxc6 Bf5 46.Qxa6 h4 47.Bxh4 Kh5 48.Bg3 Qg5 49.Bf4 Qg7
50.c6 Bg4 51.Qb7 Qg6 52.hxg4+ Kxg4 53.Qe7 Kf5 54.Qf6 Black
Resigns
Interior—Laurel Manor Recreational
Center
Florida Senior Open Game :

White :Jonathan David Sarfati (2237 P20)

Black : Constantine Xanthos (2213)

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 e6 4.Nc3 f5 5.Bf4 Nf6 6.e3 Be7 7.Qc2 O-O 8.h3 Ne4 9.Bd3 Nd7 10.O-O h6
11.Rab1 Qe8 12.b4 a6 13.a4 a5 14.b5 Nxc3 15.Qxc3 Bb4 16.Qc2 cxb5 17.cxd5 bxa4 18.dxe6 Nb6
19.Bxf5 Bxe6 20.Bh7+ Kh8 21.Ne5 Rf6 1/2-1/2

2nd Place Finisher

“Jonathan David Sarfati is a FIDE Master in chess,
and achieved a draw against former world champi-
on Boris Spassky during a tournament
in Wellington in 1988, and was New Zealand's nation-
al chess champion in 1987–88.

Although tied with Rey Casse for first place in

the Australian Junior Championship of 1981, he was
not eligible to share the title as he was a resident of
New Zealand at the time. He represented New Zea-
land in three Chess Olympiads: the 27th in Dubai in
1986, the 28th in Thessaloniki in 1988, and the 30th
in Manila in 1992. He also represented New Zealand
on top board at the 5th Asian Teams in Delhi.
“Provided by Wikipedia

Jonathan David Sarfati

Spring 2023 Page 31

 Book Reviews
by Miguel Ararat

In this edition of floridaCHESS, I will review three books and a DVD set

Understanding Middlegame Strategies Vol 1-4 by FST Ivan Sokolov (ChessBase)

The Hidden Laws of Chess by IM Nick Maatman (New in Chess)
Rock Solid Chess by GM Tiviakov and FM Gökbulut (New in Chess)
Beating the Hedgehog System by WFM Hanna Ivan-Gal & IM Hazai (New in Chess)

The main topics in all materials under review are pawn structures and the positional factors that influence
them. Two of the key positional factors associated with pawn structures are space and piece exchanges.
Amateur players will benefit from all the books. Advance players and amateurs that play the English and the
Sicilian will get the most out of Sokolov’s DVD and Beating the Hedgehog System.

Understanding Middlegame Strategies Vol 1-4 by Dutch GM and Chess

Trainer Ivan Sokolov. In this set of DVDs, the author discusses several
middlegame themes such as pawn play, decision making, the advantage of
space and the practical approach to the game among other themes. Sokolov is
considered a great calculator by my former chess coach Lars Bo Hansen.
However, in this work Solokov does not rely on calculation as the main resource
to understand and play a chess position. Sokolov explains very model game in
detail and critical positions are assessed in words and variations. Sokolov’s
explanations are not “nuggets” of chess wisdom but a way to clarify and show
how to play for and against a particular positional feature.

From Understanding Middlegame Strategies Vol 1-4, I absorbed enough

material in one session to impress my trainer from Ivanchuck Chess Academy.
During one lesson, we were working on a complicated middlegame from a
Sicilian Defense. I managed to find several viable alternatives to the moves
played in the game. Although precise calculation was required to analyze the
game identifying the relevant factors in the position (dark squares and weak king)
helped me to understand what was happening in a chaotic position. I explained to my trainer that our game
was similar to Anand – Nikolic, 1997 and the key was to play against black weak dark squares. My coach
was surprised that I was talking about a structure coming from a French Defense in a Sicilian middlegame,
raise his eyebrow and searched the game online. My coach went over the Anand – Nikolic game,
acknowledged my answer and added the game to his coaching file. Sokolov’s vast experience as a player
and coach helps to make the material in Understanding Middlegame Strategies Vol 1-4 understandable
and useful to chess players rated 1800 and up. Easy 5 stars.

In Rock Solid Chess Sergey Tiviakov and Yulia Gökbulut explain pawn structures under the premise that
understanding chess by the study of typical positions has more practical value that following a chess engine
recommendation. Rock Solid Chess provides the reader with high-quality examples and special playing
methods associated with a particular pawn structure. Examples are explained and assessed based on the
experience and skills of a top GM. The evaluation of the positions according to Tiviakov’s skill instead of
computer evaluation is one of the strongest features of Rock Solid Chess. Amateur players are in most cases
unable to discern when a computer suggestion is beyond human or practical feasibility resulting in confusion.
Tiviakov and Gökbulut show the amateur why and how to develop their own analytical and evaluation skills to
get better practical chances in their games.

Page 32 Spring 2023

A fun fact about my own experience while reviewing this book. Last year,
ScholasticChess.org invited me to coach their top players on a series of eight
Sundays. The game Karpov – Sax, 1983 was featured in two of the training
sessions on open files. A year forward, I finish reading my review copy of Rock
Solid Chess and recommended it to one of my top students from Jacksonville.
To my surprise, he pointed out the Karpov’s game mentioned above after more
than a year! I am happy about three things regarding this story. One, at least
couple of the students out of eight suggested 13…0-0. Second, a game can be
the example of different themes to different trainers and finally, we analyzed
extensively with the kids the decision to keep or not the black king in the center
which turned out to be a great coaching point. Rock Solid Chess will teach you
a lot about pawn structures and how to think on your own while evaluating chess
positions. As a result of working with this book you can become a better chess North Florida scholastic chess
player and chess coach. A must read this summer after the school is over. :) standout, Brooks Chandler.

The Hidden Laws of Chess Volume One by IM Nick Maatman is a book on pawn
structures and several aspects that influence their evaluation such as space and
pieces exchanges. Maatman is an international chess master and trainer with
degrees in business and philosophy. The author annotate forty-five master games as
well as seventy-four training positions blended with clear explanations (90% in
words) to make an amateur friendly book about pawn structures.

As the book progresses, the reader learns about the fundamental pawn structures
and how to play them according to the “hidden laws of chess.” Maatman, together
with Tiviakov and Gökbulut in Rock Solid Chess, warn the reader of the danger of
following the chess engine evaluations without questioning it. For example, Maatman
makes a good case about the misleading valuations of a chess engine in openings
like the Indian Kings where the machine overestimates space. The author supports
his point of view with the game Gelfand- Nakamura, Bursa 2010. At move 12.f3 the
author indicates why the computer assessment of the move does not reflect the
practical value of the position. This is the only game out of forty-five in which the author enters the nitty-gritty
of a single chess game with a significant number of variations.

The author’s discussion of the role of space and all the chess areas it influences is worth the price of the
book. This key feature of the book is very important to developing players in the 1400 – 1600 rating range.
Improving players have difficulty grasping the concept of space in chess, particularly, when a space
advantage is relevant and when is not and to what extent the computer evaluation reflects the practical value
of space in a given chess position.

It is important to note that advanced players also have blind spots when it comes to
the importance of space in a given position. As mentioned by Sokolov in
Understanding Middlegame Strategies, the hedgehog is a challenging structure
to play, particularly the estimation of space. A training complement to Sokolov
material is Beating the Hedgehog System by Ivan-Gal & Hazai. Beating the
Hedgehog System emerged as a Chessable course and the book is the printed
version. In Beating the Hedgehog System the writers help the reader to develop
the positional skills to successfully play against the hedgehog. For example, the
authors explain the methods of active control against the d5 and b5 thematic black
liberation pawn breaks. Importantly, the writers give a verbal explanation at the end
of each suggested variation. The inclusion of words at the end of long variations
helps the reader to understand what he needs to do next and the nature of his
advantage. Beating the Hedgehog System is more than a traditional opening
manual. It bridges an overlooked gap between opening study and middlegame play
in the Hedgehog. Beating the Hedgehog System is worth the reader's time and effort, no doubt about it.

Spring 2023 Page 33

 CHESS COACHES
Professional - Level V In Passing...
Mark Ritter
We are sad to report the
National - Level IV passing of friend and for-
Tania Kranich-Ritter mer FCA Board member,
Tim Tusing Steve Cernobyl, of South
Miguel Ararat Florida. We have been
Thomas Mikolyzk informed that he passed
Lawrence Goodall away earlier this year.
Thanks, Steve for all you
FIDE Instructor License did for chess in our state.
Miguel Ararat
NM Bryan Tillis

Floridians with USCF Roles:

Executive Board:
Kevin Pryor, Vice President
TOURNAMENT FIDE ACCEPTED *
DIRECTORS International Organizer &
Committees: Arbiter
• Audit: Jon Haskel, Chair National TDs
Jon Haskel
Jon Haskel
• Barber K-8: Jon Haskel, Co-chair
Harvey Lerman International Coordinator
• By-laws: Andrew Rea Anthony Coddell Elizabeth Tejada
• College Chess: Jon Haskel, Matt Kolcz, Members Ervin Sedlock National Arbiter
• Endowment Fund Investment: Peter Dyson, Member Stephen Lampkin Harvey Lerman
• Finance: Jon Haskel, Member Charles Hatherill Stephen Lampkin
• FIDE Events: Jon Haskel, Member NM Andrew Rea
Senior TDs NM Bryan Tillis
• National State Invitationals: Jon Haskel, Chair Michael Hutsko
• Scholastics: George Foote, Elizabeth Tejada & Kevin Pryor National Instructor
NM Bryan Tillis, Members NM Andrew Rea Miguel Ararat
* Active and USCF certified
• Senior: Jon Haskel, Member NM Bryan Tillis
• E.B. Nominations Committee: Daaim Shabazz Paul Tomaino
• States & Affiliates: NM Bryan Tillis, Member Steven Vigil
• Life Member Asset Trust: Peter Dyson, Member
• Reserve Fund & PPHB Investment: Peter Dyson,
Member
• US Open: NM Andrew Rea “Light on the Right”

Other Organizations Busted hitting the books! You finally understand why
ACP : American Chess Promotions (478)973-9389 your cat is always one step ahead ...
BRCC: Boca Raton Chess Club (561)302-4377
CACC : Castle Chess Camp (404)314-3142
CCA : Continental Chess Association (914)496-9658
CFCC : Central Florida Chess Club (407)312-6237
CCJ : Chess Club Joy (727)776-5583
CFCJ : Chess for Charity Jax (904)677-1445
FSCL : Florida Scholastic Chess League (786)444-2467
GCC : Gator Chess Club [email protected]
HCA : Hanley Chess Academy (714)925-3195
JAXCC: The Jacksonville Chess Club (904)607-9111
VILLC : The Villages Chess (407)497-2261
KCF : Kasparov Chess Foundation (773)844-0701
MCC : Manasota Chess Center (941)313-5589
OCC : Orlando Chess Club (407)721-4262
OCG : Orlando Chess & Game Center (407)248-0818
PBC : Palm Beach Chess [email protected]
SCO : ScholasticChess.Org (904)304-1639
SCF : Space Coast Chess Foundation (321)431-3060
TCC : Tallahassee Chess Club (850)345-7838
USCF : US Chess Federation (800)903-8723
VCCC : Volusia County Chess Club (386)316-3700
SOCC: South Ocala Chess Club (404)242-6728

Page 34 Spring 2023

 Florida Chess Tournaments
[email protected]

Date Event Location ________ Contact

May 27-29 2023 Florida Senior Championship West Palm Beach, Florida PBC

June 17-18 2023 Sunshine Open Orlando, Florida CFCC

July 8-9 North Florida Class Tournament Jacksonville, Florida JaxCC

July 15-16 2023 National Junior Chess Congress Orlando, Florida HCA

*Additional Tournament info at FloridaChess.org and ChessRegister.com

FCA Florida 2023 Affiliates

Academy Prep Center of Lakeland Palm Beach Chess
Alton Academy 4 Chess Paradise Chess Club
B & B Chess Club ScholasticChess.Org
Boca Raton Chess Club Space Coast Chess Foundation, Inc.
Bortnik's School of Chess LLC South Shore Chess Club
Capablanca Chess Academy Statz Chess Academy of Tampa
Chess Club Bobby Fischer South Ocala Chess Club
Chess Club Joy The Stormont Kings Chess Program
CHESS 4 US Club The Villages Chess Club
CHESS4LESS Strong Chess of Tampa
Chess For Charity Jax SW Florida Chess Club
Chessregister.com Venetian Bay Chess Academy
Chess with Cochez Volusia County Chess Club
Christian Chess Fellowship Varina Cabrera
Code Ninjas of Ponte Vedra Scott Campbell
Florida Scholastic Chess League Richard Francis
Jacksonville Chess Club Richard Illsley
Hanley Chess Academy Shang Shu Jiang
Manasota Chess Center of Sarasota Aaron Marian
Miramar Chess Club Maggie O’Hara
Oak Hall School Chess Club Zahina Porto (affiliate)
Ocala Chess Club Rodolfo Rodriquez
Michael Sheroff

Magazine due dates: Summer - July 30, Fall - October 30, Winter - January 30
Spring 2023 Page 35
Florida Chess Association, Inc.
4446 Hendricks Ave #141
Jacksonville, FL 32207

Page 36 Spring 2023