Hales Corners Challenge X part I

October 17^th, 2009

4 round swiss

Total Players:75

Organizer: Southwest Chess Club

Tournament Directors: Robin Grochowski & Tom Fogec

PRIZEWINNERS:
1st Place - GM Mesgen Amanov
2nd Place - NM Erik Santarius, NM Steve Tennant and NM Ashish Vaja
Class A - Richard Martin III and Yingming Liang
Class B - Troy Zimmermann
RESERVE:
1st Place - Steve Etzel
2nd Place - Joanna Huang
Class D - Bryan Dotzour, Rachel Ulrich, and Alena Huang
Class E - Ken Pagenkopf and Ryan Thomas

Best Game Prize won by Evan Seghers, for his win over Derek Sachs.

Goddesschess prizes:
Open:
1st - Nicole Niemi
2nd -Sandra Pahl
Reserve:
1st - Joanna Huang
2nd=3rd - Alena Huang, and Rachel Ulrich

Once again the Southwest Chess Club put on a first class event with at total of 75 players showing up, including 5 NM’s (National Master) and one young, improving GM (Grandmaster) from Turkmenistan, Mesgen Amanov. Clearly this is a sign that the formula of higher entry fee, $35 in this case for the open and higher prizes is the way to go. Not only has the Southwest Chess Club organized some of the strongest tournaments that I can remember being held in Wisconsin, but also organized some of the largest tournaments in Wisconsin; the previous Hales Corners Challenge drew 107 players! For those in the scholastic community this may seem like a small number, but since I learned to play chess in 1999, I have seen very few Wisconsin tournaments draw over 100 players. Usually 61-70 is a great turnout for the organizer and 40-60 is the average turnout. The only exceptions to this have been the Western Open organized by Arlen Walker, with higher entry fees and higher prizes and Alexander Betaneli again, with higher entry fee’s and higher prizes. Luke Ludwig and Mike Selig are the only other organizers I can remember that have events with a similar idea, and had some great turnouts.

The open section was won by Turkmen Grandmaster Mesgen Amanov with a perfect score of 4/4. In his first round he faced one of Wisconsin’s most talented and improving players Yingming Liang. When I see Yingming play I am not sure if I should be more impressed by his son Adream rated 1350 who is about 9 years old, or his son Awonder, rated 1600 who is about 7 years old, or him. In the Wisconsin state championship he was simply cutting through higher rated players like a hot knife through butter and at some point in the tournament he had a performance rating over 2450! It looked like GM Amanov did not have a easy game, having to muster all his GM powers to take the full point. In round two he faced local Milwaukee powerhouse Garry Aaronovich got an equal position out of the opening, but it did not take long to show why he was a Grandmaster and won rather quickly. Round 3, may have been his easiest round (I was playing NM Santarius on the board next to him) as 1 out of 3 times I would glance over to look at his game he would have an unusual look on his face, which would lead me to believe something is wrong, but when I would look at the board he could just take a pawn for free or easily improve his position. Naturally, every time he would improve his position or win a pawn. In round 4 he faced the powerful, but inconsistent Macedonian FIDE Master Alexander Stamnov. FM Stamnov showed why even Grandmasters need to fear him, without much trouble he created wild complications and it looked like he may have even had an advantage, but blundered at the very end, giving GM Amanov the full point and clear first place.

Other highlights in the open section include the very bright up and coming Junior Troy Zimmerman becoming Wisconsin’s newest class A player increasing his rating from 1717 to 1822! I can remember in July NM Santarius saying to me: “Troy is good, he plays solid moves constantly improving his position he is like a class A player, why is he only 1600?” Well, Erik the answer is simple, he isn’t JIf it were not for Troy’s ascent to the top of the WI chess scene, certainly, junior Tommy Schneider would have had the highlight of the event cementing his Class A status increasing his rating from 1812 to 1859! Yingming Liang increasing his rating from 1957 to 1983, will this be Wisconsin’s newest expert? Of course this would not be an objective article if I did not include one of my student’s. One of my pupils, Evan Seghers had a phenomenal tournament and won the best game prize for his victory over Derek Sachs another extremely talented junior from Green Bay to watch in the near future. Congratulations to Evan for the prize and increasing his rating from 1481 to 1578. His game is provided below:

Seghers, E (1512) - Sachs, D (1850) [B01]
HCC X Milwaukee, WI, 17.10.2009

Analysis by NM Ashish Vaja

1.e4 d5 ?! There was once another Wisconsin Junior who used to think this was the opening to play, but finally took the advice of his coach and decided to become a better chess player and not play this opening (cough, cough, silly Ashish Vaja)

2.exd5 Qxd5

3.Nc3 Qa5

4.d4 Nf6

5.Bd2 c6

6.Bc4 Bf5

7.Nd5 Qd8

8.Nxf6+ gxf6 The worse part about playing Scandinavian is the fact that white can basically make any set up set up he wants and probably still maintain a small advantage. What’s even worse if displayed in this game, when your lower rated opponent unexpectedly knows the theory you get a miserable position out of the opening.

9.c3 Rg8 ?? When you play the Scandinavian, especially as a younger chess player just learning you feel very comfortable, because you get very solid positions where you are behind in development, but most your opponents, including higher rated ones cannot take advantage of their lead in development. Often you draw higher rated opponents and beat lower rated ones because they feel they must attack. When the attack fails you are equal or better and you win. Unfortunately, this results in a distortion of your own position understanding, trust me I know first hand as the effects of playing this opening so long still has me fighting off bad habits I developed while playing this opening as a up and coming Junior. In this position white has the only pawn in the center, one extra piece developed, and black has doubled pawns and a weakness on b7 and h7. Black should be trying desperately develop his minor pieces before white can use his extra development to launch an attack. The problem in this line is even if black survives the opening his long term prospects are not great due to the doubled pawns and weakness on h7.

10.Qb3! e6 What happens in war when one general sees that the enemy’s forces are not ready to fight? He attacks! In chess if you do not develop your pieces you are not ready to attack nor are you ready to defend, just because your pieces are next to your king when you start the game, it does not mean they are actually protecting him. After 10.Qb3 white has a large advantage.

11.Qxb7 Nd7

12.Qxc6 Rc8

13.Qa6 Rxg2

14.Qb7?? Rg8?? Believe it or not there is a reason your chess coach tells you to always examine EVERY check and EVERY capture even if it looks bad. 14.Bb5 or even Bf1 would have kept the advantage for white. After the move in the game black missed: 14…Rxg1+! 15. Rxg1 Rxc4 when black is not only back in the game with two minor pieces for the rook, but probably winning, for example: 16. Qxa7? Qc8 17. Rg8 Qc6 18. Bh6?? Rxc3 and black is winning; or 17. 0-0-0 Rc6!! Threatening Rc6 winning the queen 18. Qa4 Ra6 and black is winning. This was the only chance black had, as after this white didn’t make any mistakes and won.

15.Bb5 Rc7 16.Qf3 Bd6 17.c4 Bxh2 18.Ne2 Bd6 19.Ba5 Qb8 20.Bxc7 Bxc7 21.Qc6 e5 22.Ng3 Ba5+ 23.Ke2 Bg4+ 24.f3 exd4 25.fxg4 Qxg3 26.Qxd7+ Kf8 27.Qe8+ Kg7 28.Rxh7+ Kxh7 29.Qxf7+ Kh6 30.Qxf6+ Kh7 31.Rh1+ 1-0

The reserve section was won by Steve Etzel with a dominating 4/4. Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to really see the games in the reserve section as we were playing in different rooms so I cannot provide a more detailed report.

The most unique thing about this tournament was the sponsorship by Goddesschess which awarded prizes for the top females in the open and reserve section. Not only has this organization provided financial prizes, but got GM Alexandra Kosteniuk to donate some prizes. If you do not know who Kosteniuk is, shame on you! Google her immediately.

Overall, the tournament was very well run, all the rounds started on time, good lighting, and even a posting of a time scramble onto YouTube! Hopefully next year the hotel will not attempt produce dried chess players by heating the playing rooms like sauna’s, but I know all too well how it feels as an organizer what it feels like when you ask the hotel to do something multiple times and they don’t do anything. So for anyone who complained about that, I personally saw Robin ask the hotel more than once to do something about the temperature, so let’s not hold it against him.

In other news: hotels solve their decreasing occupancy sales by entering the communal sauna business. I hear it’s the new fad to lose weight.

By Ashish Vaja