Female Species Play Chess, Part II

This game features a game from the 2011 European Women’s Ind. Championship held in Tbilisi, Georgia.  The event is held annually and gathers together the finest women players in Europe.  After a good start Nazi was paired with the top rated player GM Nana Dzagrnidze, rated among the top ten women players in the world and inspiration for her growing up. Nazi had the black pieces and answered 1. d4 with the Semi-Slav Defense, the Meran System (D48).

l. d4  d5 2. c4  c6  3. Nf3  Nf6  4. Nc3  e6  5. e3  The other popular line is called the Botvinnik Variation 5. Bg5 d:c4.  The Moscow line is 5…h6. The text leads to the Meran (Bd3) or Anti-Meran (6. Qc2) Variation. This choice is played so as not to lose a tempo.

5. …Nbd7  6. Bd3  d:c4  7. B:c4  b5  8. Bd3  Bb7  9. O-O a6  10. e4  c5  11. d5 c4  (To open the c5 square for the Knight.) 12. Bc2  Qc7 =.

13. Ng5  Straying from the strong 13. d:e6 f:e6  14. Ng5.

13. … Nc5  14. b4  Should Black now avoid a pawn capture?

14. … c:b3 e.p.  15. a:b3  h6!  Because of the timid play by White, Black has time to ease the pressure on the e6 square.

16. Nf3  b4! Chasing away the other Knight and digging into the White Queen-side.

17. Ne2  Rd8  18. Ng3?  Necessary was 18. Bf4 Qb6 19. Ned4  Again, think square count!

18. … Be7  19. Qe2  e:d5  Avoiding White’s clever trap. 19. …O-O?? 20. d6! following a fork on e5.

20. e5  Nfe4!  21. Nf5  Ne6  With superior placed Knights.22. N/3d4?

Allowing transfer of the initiative. Better was to eye jump moves ..Bb2>Rfe1>etc.

22. …N:d4  23. N:d4  Bc5  24. Bb2  Qb6?  Tit for tat.  Black errs. 24….Q:e5 25. B:e4  Q:e4 26. Rfe1 O-O finally getting the King castled.

25. Rad1  Again, here White has sharper with 25. Nf5  O-O 26. N:g7 K:g7 27. e6+ Kh7 28. Qg4.

25. …O-O  Finally the King gets castled. But now White misplays; 26. Nf5 was still a square count choice.

26. Kh1?  a5!  27. f3  Ba6  28. Bd3  Nc3  29. B:c3  b:c3  30. Nf5 B:d3  31. R:d3 d4  32. f4  Rfe8  33. h4  Bf8  34. h5 Kh8 Some of my earlier articles dealt with the safety of the King which often was,  as here, h8 -the corner square.

35. Rfd1  Q:b3   36. N:d4  Qc4  37. Qc2  Bb4  38. e6? White was suffering under time pressure now for some time and finally this error comes up.

38. … f:e6  39. Qa4  Rf8  40. Qc2  R:f4  41. Nf3  R:d3  42. R:d3  Rh4+ 43. N:h4 Q:h4+ White resigns. (0-1).

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The chess classes I held years ago had about an equal number of boys and girls taking part. Schools and senior centers might be in need for experienced chess enthusiasts. It is a rewarding experience to teach chess or meet others.

 

 

The Female Species Play To Win

There is nothing more exciting than to see two ladies battle it out on the chessboard.  On my site I have devoted numerous times the contributions made by women of all ages to the joys for us all whose bookshelves are loaded with mostly male biographical  dominance of game play, stories, and chess problems.

Our 2016 US woman champion is Nazi Palkidze and she looks forward to helping the American women team in the upcoming Chess Olympics.   Her name is that of her grandmother and is pronounced “nah-zee” which translates in Georgian to mean “tender or delicate.” It is the first name often seen in Georgia.  (Well, Nazi, I hope you keep your name! and family heritage.)

She writes that as a girl of 12 growing up, she was a huge minority, often being one of the only girls competing and because of that, chess felt like a “men’s game.” She was even thinking of leaving chess.

Coming to America, winning the US title, her life has changed. The number of students she teaches has grown dramatically.  She continues her daily routine of study, diet and exercise.  Currently she works on chess study four hours a day reading chess books, improving tactical vision, and especially on endgame play.

She and her husband Gregory Barnes met while attending UMBC.  He is a huge chess fan. Since coming to the USA, she has switched her GEO federation to the USCF at the end of 2014 and now they reside in Nevada.

After high school and before college,  she did some traveling and playing tournaments. The following game was vs. GM Csaba Balogh, 5th Wroclaw Open, Poland. I had the white pieces.  Opening: Sicilian Defense, Scheveningen Variation (B82).

l. e4  c5  2. Nf3  e6  3. d4  c:d4  4. N:d4  Nc6  5. Nc3  d6  6. Be3  Nf6  7. f4  Be7  8. Qf3 Qc7  9. O-O-O Mr. Warburton of England did not favor castling Q-side.  O-O  10. Be2  a6  11. g4  N:d4  12. B:d4  Nd7  13. h4  White starts a K-side pawn rollup. Black plays smartly countering it with a Q-side demonstration. This leads to a hairy-scary position.

l3. …b5!  14. a3  Rb8  15. g5  b4  16. a:b4  R:b4  17.f5  Ne4! 18. B:e5 d:e5 19. f6!  White cannot afford anything but sharp play against the enemy King position.

19. … Bc5!  Threating …Bd4 striking terror in the White castled position.

20. f:g7  K:g7  Earlier game on my website showed Black leaving the pawn as a blockade but it fails here because of her note 20. …Re8 21. h5 Bd4  22. g6 and White still opens up the King position.

21. h5  Qe7 Black dismisses the superior 21…Be7, having an eye maybe still on a Bd4 idea. It seems vital to keep the Queen on the Q-side.

22. Qg3! Bd4  23. R:d4!! e:d4  24. Q:e5+ f6  25. g:f6+  Q:f6  26. h6+ The effect of this check was missed by the Grandmaster.

26. … Kf7 On 26…Kh8, 27. Rf1 exploits the 8th rank weakness.

27. Bh5+  Ke7  28. Nd5+ and mate cannot be answered.

This game sparked the spirit of a young girl in her traveling quest and goal.

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The most memorable game in her trip to play in the Open Master Tournament held in Biel, Switzerland in July 2011 was white against the Ukrainian prodigy GM Illia Nyzhnyk. Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Var. (B94)

l. e4  c5  2. Nf3  d6  3. d4 c:d4  4. N:d4  Nf6  5. Nc3  a6 6, Bg5 Nbd7  7. Bc4  Qa5  8. Qd2  e6 9. O-O-O!? h6? I’ve warned about loosening the K-wing pawn structure of my columns.  Usually Black tries for a spatial Q-side counter which is strategically the correct response to get a respectable counter to a K-side assault. Thus, best would seem to be 9….b5  10. Bb3 Bb7  11. Rhe1.

10. B:f6 N:f6  11. Rhe1  Be7  12. Kb1  Removing the King from the central complex is a sound strategy.

12. … Qc7  Castles here would be weak. 13. Nd5! Qd8  14. N:e7+ Q:e7 15. Bb3  Leaves the d6 pawn weak.

13. Bb3  O-O  14. f4  b5  15. a3  Rb8  16. g4 Nd7 Square count is 13/5.  Having strengthened her King position, she continues the assault with a healthy pawn storm.  Still, she missed the opportunity for a sac here: 17. B:e6! f:e6 18. N:e6 Qb7 19. Nd5  Nb6 20. N:e7+ Q:e7 21. N:f8 with the better game.  But, sometimes it is wiser to follow your plan.  It is called “stick-to-it-ness.”

17.  h4  Nc5  18. g5  N:b3  19. c:b3  h5  20. f5 g6  Black has not been able to increase square count but does have the advantage of the two-bishops versus 2-knights which could limit white somewhat.

21. Qd3  Kh7  22. Rc1 Qd7 23. Nce2!  Bb7 24. Ng3 This Knight now adds it’s power in the attack.

Rbc8  25. R:c8 B:c8  26. Qf3  e5 27. Nc2  Kg8  28. Ne3  Bb7  29. N:h5!  g:h5  30. f6 Rd8 31. f:e7 Q:e7  32. Nf5 Qe6  33. Nh6+ Kg7 34. Q:h5 Rc8 35. Nf5+ Kg8 36. Qg4  Rc7 37. h5  Bc8  38. Qf3  a5  39. g6  d5  40. Nh6+ Kf8 41. e:d5 Black resigns. (1-0).

Sometimes the appearance of quiet move can prove deadly.

 

 

GIVE HOPE THROUGH CHESS

Ever since starting my columns devoted to the area on chess history and values that the game promotes in education and mental health it seems, excepting for sporadic interest by professionals, to address issues placing them before the American public.

FACES  ACROSS  THE  BOARD

Lauren Goodkind is an accomplished class-A player.  She recently took 2nd place in the 2016 California Women State Championship.  She is a full-time chess instructor in the San Francisco Bay area. “I really enjoy seeing my students make progress.”  She has a website, http://www.laurengoodkindchess.com.  When I was growing up, I struggled in school because I was bullied. Playing chess at the club regularly was a positive outlet in my life.”

In 2010, she organized a chess blitz fundraiser for victims of the devastating Haitian earthquake. I enjoyed two-days of blitz chess with the public, raising $400 for UNICEF. (A raffle is a good fund raiser during such an event!!)…My personal goal is to improve my play and inspire more females to play chess.”

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Jessica Lauser finished right behind Lauren in the event. Sidelined by reduced vision, she completed a bachelor’s degree in history at San Francisco State University and started a master’s program in fraud and forensics, with a goal of working to prevent white-collar crime.  She stops in at the Mechanics Institute where she says the players are feisty and colorful. “What I enjoy most about chess is the sense of camaraderie it brings to those who play.”

By age 12, the word ‘game’ in her vocabulary became synonymous with chess. Despite various physical problems preventing physical sports, she found chess was a sport she could handle and succeed with effort given its practice and study.

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PALEOLITHIC CHESS TABLES

James Medeiros thinks that wherever parks and basketball hoops are seen, then too, one or more concrete chess board tables should be erected.  Chess is a mind game.  He learned to play from a patient at the John C. Corrigan Mental Health Center in Fall River, Mass. where he worked as a mental health worker.  A nurse employee also played with him.  This town is noted for its granite.  If my art grows, my chess tables will be around long after I am gone.  I want my business to be profitable.  But it can’t be successful if that is all it represents. It is only going to be successful if I die and there are thousands of chess pieces in parks and kids saying, “Check, check, check mate.” That will mean success to me.

When you polish concrete, it becomes fine art. Once you sand it up to about 3000 grit, it becomes polished.  Then I put a sealant into it and coatings of epoxy to really make it shine!  And it can be tailored any way you want. He hopes he can find corporate sponsors.

 

 

 

 

Don’s Comic Update

Life without humor would pain me.

Aries  – You’re so charismatic that people tend to do as you wish without even considering if it is best for them.  Luckily you’re kindhearted and have their best interests in mind–variety is the spice of Life!

Blondie and Dagwood – Dag gets a teeth cleaning checkup.  Dental/ We use the newest materials for improving patients smiles. They are awesome!  Let me show you what you would look like with new space-age choppers. Let me turn on our NuFace Virtual Digi-tooth image.  Dag/ Yikes! Dental/ Of course, we would have to fine-tune the fit.

Pickles – Earl takes his dog for a walk and come across a tree.  Go ahead boy, do your thing. Come on now, boy, we talked about this.  No response from his pooch brings out Earl’s frustration.  Okay!  Okay. Fine, have it your own way. I fully understand.  I have a shy bladder, too!

Watters World –  Watters meets Hagar and his Mermaid marooned on a rock in the ocean with sharks floating nearby.  Lucky you don’t live in my world says Hagar.  Everyday is dangerous and treacherous!  Yeah, adds the Mermaid. Lucky me?!

Dilbert – I heard that you self-identify as a woman.  No! I don’t!  Well, I need you to do that so the company can be supportive and win some awards.  They installed for me my own restroom?! 

From My Games — Dr. Max Euwe

This chess book was not my first but was in every way a revolutionary achievement in style and introduction of my then limited library of a truly remarkable chess player and writer by the name of Fred Reinfeld.   Chess publishing has produced many books featuring games, problems, openings, endgame studies, tactics, attacks and defense, I remember it being the first book that really stirred my appreciation of how a chess book should be organized.  In this regard, I am sure that Dr. Max Euwe, the fifth world champion, had much to do with its format structure which set the standard for chess literature to follow.

Garry Kasparov’s My Great Predecessors, Part II,  I place equally and in many ways superior in depth and quality of the concept for literary brilliance as a creative chess  artist, writer and author.  His style is unique and his pen will establish him forever on the literary scene at the very top for creative genius as player, journalist, and author.

 

 

 

Current Works By Media Are “Dastardly”

THERE IS NO OTHER WORD TO DESCRIBE IT!!  WE AMERICANS HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE SHAFT ALONG THE WHOLE ROUTE OF “POLITICAL CORRECTNESS” CRAP.

They have attacked Donald Trump with — observation, truth, half-truths and just out and out lies.  In a word: SHAFTING IS THEIR LOGO IN THESE TIMES OF GROWING PERIL.

This whole idea of parading a hero family before the public by the Democrat Party on the surface was quite nice.  However, yours truly goes deeper than the sham of it fed to the public.  When a father goes before TV cameras and holds up the copy of the Constitution and raves almighty hell at Donald Trump, I somehow know it was all set up on purpose to draw a sharp response.  I have never seen a man so viciously attacked by an individual who by all accords of people who know Trump’s brash behavior of never defending but counter attacking which is a good idea in a chess battle.  And believe me folks, this whole campaign has been one hell of a chess endgame struggle.  Notice how the media jumped on this completely dropping any investigation news on Clinton or the Clinton Fund.  Nice cover-up news media.  Only Fox News covered both campaigns honorably and thoroughly and continue to strike blows at the corruption and as Bernie Sanders said during their individual run for the nomination — Hillary Clinton cannot be president of the USA, citing specific reasons I am not going to rehash and backed up by a number of key personnel in both parties.  But to go back to this one instance, I think I hit the nail on the head which no newscaster is willing to tackle.

Running for President is not a celebrity toy. He was a successful businessman who traveled occasionally abroad meeting many powerful people in business or government with a solid reputation as a leader who demanded quality but also gave workers incentive and pride in their workmanship, personally meeting many on work sites–men and women both!

He loves America.  He loves his family, job, and devoted to his wife and children giving them as a father should, strong character and support toward their independence and life goals.  Somehow this seems to be a sore spot with the liberalistic progressive movement where quality is forsaken for mediocrity, blaming others for failing in tasks and shirking responsibilities as parents as government and social studies have stressed.

Yes, that news media shortchanges the American family in so many ways.  It turns a light on the evils of our socialistic tendencies of Democrat control of most major cities, schools, and  bureaucrats seem often to skirt the edge of improprieties or just plain corruption. This revelation has just begun to find light cast on why the American people have such a despondent feeling about federal, state, and city governments in Washington,  and across America.  The disrespect shown our congress and senate has shed a poor light for the world to witness as well as tuned in citizens interested in government and how it functions.  Is there any wonder why our allies especially look less and less approval of American policies and governance?  But the good point is that we are a free people who so far have been able to express our beliefs based upon our joint integrities and character as a People.  Scoundrels no longer can so easily work in the dark shadows of back street allies and behind closed doors thanks to the American philosophy of free enterprise and the American way.  Countries need to periodically cleanse themselves because corruption begets corruption and that is the way I see it.

Seeing the behavior and malpractice of good governance at every level, I sometimes feel like shucking the whole thing  but for the joy of being an American  and my readership.   For that I am blessed with living in a free society, one of Christian biblical or other religious belief which remain vigilant in light of that communist devil Saul Alinsky to whom I say: ” I hope you enjoy shoveling coal in the ovens of Lucifer so admired.”

Kindred’s Analysis Connection With Past & Present Times

I try to get away from politics but it sure ain’t easy!  No, Americans are fed a line of bull by the Democrat Party and other left wing ideologists lacking the ability to find an argument for a debating subject or having done so by plagiarizing opponents views as their own which defines a copycat.  Often, with politics, this has become mainstream of those supporting one candidate at the expense of another.  For which now, I have one very sharp rebuke: LIAR, LIAR, LIAR!! and; it grows harder and harder for journalists these days to provide cover-ups.  It is working less and less before the public who now recognizes the deceitful manipulation of a media that was once thought to be the watchdog for a “who cares” generation more attune to instantaneous gratification than to good citizenship.

Be it otherwise, there would be no purpose of my writing this article.  But I feel compelled with having several decades of being largely just an ordinary citizen in mind which proves all wrong–I, you and every American wherever you live and whatever your interests — family, friends, work, play demands, yes demands, our personal attention to what goes on in our communities, our local schools, and our tiers of government agencies where today, because of this lack of concern or caring, leave it to a bureaucracy set up during citizen inattention to what goes on in government that is characterized by specialization of functions aimed at policy, fixed rules, a hierarchy of authority filled with red tape and unelected bodies seen as a growing proliferation of control over the whole population.  That is wrong for a Republic to abide for long.

It started, if you even care, with deception, half-truths which each fits my terms LIES and LIARS.  Hide the truth and you wind up shortchanging yourself, loved ones, friends, and associates. Lies beget lies.  The more you fib, the easier it becomes but you face the danger of having your integrity and character always suspect no matter the circumstances.  And you find your own conscience troubled.

Sometime ago I suggested that Hillary should retire, spend her time and interests on being a good mom, grandmother and wife.  I add to it those politicians who think only of themselves, their personal power as well as power base without real care for our nation.  And now I confess I have to add a growing list of frauds who hide in the dark shadows of the news media.

In days of old, there were crooked folks, too.  Cheats, liars, criminals going back ever since man and woman sinned.  Human nature has never been better and yet maybe now even more evil having no fall back on blaming it on lack of morality and education.  The more civilized we have become, the more corrupt and clever the deceivers. The world globe turns and it seems to be the same wherever it is viewed.

Perhaps, in the final analysis, my current column goes to prove to my audience that there is much to be learned from study of the Bible and the Ten Commandments.  Just to think; just to wonder at the texts, the wisdom offered to each who open hearts gives hope for eternal happiness and joy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Newsmakers in US Chess

US CHESS VISION

Our vision is to enrich the lives of all persons and communities through increasing the play, study, and appreciation of the game of chess.

Climbing the chess ladder in USA chess after exiting European tournaments successfully, the new US Women’s Chess Champion, Nazi Paikidze, hopes to promote chess for girls in America.

Chess Life magazine gives the American chess public a picture of this talented and charmingly beautiful lady in the cover story: Chess, Gym, Eat, Sleep, Repeat which title refers to her work ethic that combines training with diet, exercise and health.

Rising Star in Princeton, New Jersey

I want to be very good at chess before middle school is over.

Young Winston Ni tied for first place at the National Amateur Championship.  The sixth- grader gained 60 rating points to move into the USCF expert class and jumped on the US Chess Top 11 Age Group list. He attends the chess camps run by coach Jon Edwards, now vying for the World Correspondence  Candidates  Championship held by the International World Chess Federation (ICCF).  I  think playing chess is fun and cool.  Chess has taught me that I need to work hard to be good.  Winning the under 12  section of the Manhattan Open when I was six, I was given a check.  I was disappointed and asked, where is my trophy? I learned a little about taxes that day!

Kindred speaks to readers of Kindred’s Kaleidoscope

The game of chess is seen by many educators across America but also the world as a good training tool for child developmental learning.  It was recognized as early as the 1500s when Jewish mothers taught their children to play chess.  It was enriched by Europeans and given birth in the 13 colonies of North America, Canada in the 1700s and even earlier in South America. It reached total recognition with the development of the rating system, with the rise of Bobby Fischer versus Boris Spassky World title match, spread of in-state clubs, and expansion of organized tournaments at every skill and age level. This, in turn, led to growth by immigration of or visitations of foreign talents.  See my articles that appear on these early chapters on chess history.

Chess can be likened to military service where the individual through guidance and training can reach maturity with principles and personal goals where study habits and family support can be recognized as contributing to success.  This may be why Dr. Tarrasch many years ago was quoted as saying that chess, like love and music has the power to make people happy.

 

 

 

IT’S ALL IN A NAME

The term often seen describing the American patriot referred by the news media and politicians is forever seemingly molded in the term: DREAM–The American Dream. But I wonder if this fits the best term to place on such a pedestal;  my simple point is that growing up, the books I read seemed to point to a term like ADVENTURE–The American Adventure.

Perhaps the two terms are interchangeable in elegance.  Certainly one word or the other describes the beauty that emerges out of a positive description that describes the words DREAM or ADVENTURE.   One can be looked upon as passive beauty in thought; the other is aimed at a thought of uncertainty requiring exertion into uncharted waters where success and failure is more defined through our life’s walk if seen from my perch of the close relationship with a chess struggle.

This whole writing is of no real consequence other than to view it as food for thought.  One could wonder if it sounds like something coming out of a Supreme Court debate.

 

 

Earth Studies & Human Tinkering

Of the 719 articles I have written I sit here thinking: Humans forever will seek and embrace change.  I touched on climate change issues, the consequences of man’s tinkering with blinders on that have far reaching consequences.

A recent report on the placement of power turbines strategically to benefit from windstorms that the Obama administration so widely hail as a great blessing, embraced also by the power industry, now finds a two-year study as to the effects on the environment…  It is not good.  I said that but nobody listened.  Well, I guess I can put a feather in my cap but I don’t wear caps and I do not wish to say: I told you so.  But darn anyway. I shall for my own unhappy sight of this government study.

Bird wildlife destroyed is what the headlines should read.  It is now verified that bird migratory routes are loaded with these power turbine windmills meant for serving our electric power needs.  The havoc created for flight patterns of many bird species has seen a severe decline in population.  What is the effect on the migratory habits of those species?   And how does it effect natural control of insects that the birds historically help control.  As I pointed out before my pond-lake birds feast on thousands of insects daily but their return every year migrating to and back from Brazil has drastically cut their numbers.  Butterflies,  once the joy of summer gardens now see an almost extinction due to the interrupted migration to and from Mexico where turbines interfere with their migratory habits.  And finally, how does the government and regulatory bodies plan to get rid of the enormous number due to their size as they age and require replacement? No one seems to weigh in on this at all!!

Professional planners or political bureaucrats living in their ivory towers in Washington D.C. have given the American people one heck of a headache and eyesore.  The bureaucrats nor politicians likely won’t suffer any such ill-effects.