NM Yian Turns Heads in Agoura Hills

(Top board in the final round: Yian plays white against GM Khachiyan.)

As expected by many, including the majority of voters in a poll on this blog, 12 year old Yian Liou became the newest CalChess junior to earn the USCF master title. He did so in style, scoring 4.0 against 6 masters at the Pacific Coast Open in Agoura Hills, defeating IM Edward Formanek while losing merely once, to GM Melik Khachiyan on top board in the money round. Despite the last round loss, Yian tied for top U2300. With an amazing performance rating over 2450, his USCF rating will jump about 50 points to an estimated 2212. Congratulations Master Yian!

• Name: Yian Liou
  
• Title: National Master
  
• Current ratings: 2212 USCF (estimated) and 2188 FIDE (estimated)
  
• National ranking: #3 for age 11 (he turned 12 in June)
  
• CalChess ranking: #6 under 18
  
• State championships: K-12 in 2009, K-6 in 2008 and K-3 in 2005
  
• First tournament: July 2004
• First established rating: 1022 in March 2005
  
• Last 12 months: gained 224 points in 93 rated games at 18 tournaments
• Latest tournament: Scored 4.0/6 in Open at Pacific Coast Open
• Biggest scalps: IM DeGuzman (11/08 and 4/09), IM Formanek (7/09)
  

It has been a real pleasure for me to watch Yian grow up from a shy 8 year old rated 1200 to reach the hallowed rank of chess master. He developed steadily in all disciplines of the game, as he demonstrated this weekend by crushing NM Julian Landaw (2278) after an opening mistake yet also easily drawing an endgame down a pawn versus NM Garush Manuykan (2357). Anyone who watches Yian play or analyze will quickly become inspired by his pure enthusiasm for the royal game. The sky is truly the limit for Yian with two full years to improve before he goes to high school.

Final standings of Pacific Coast Open:

• 5.5 GM Khachiyan
• 4.5 IM Matikozyan and IM Tate
• 4.0 IM Sevillano, NM Manukyan, NM Tanaka, NM Kudryavtsev and NM Y.Liou

Regretably, both Michael Zhong (U2100) and Tanuj Vasudeva (U1900) lost their last game to finish outside of the prizes. However, Arthur Liou (U2100) won his last three games to finish in the money at 4.5. He probably also hit the 2000 rating milestone. Way to go dude!

Photos from Agoura Hills

The top row of players are Bay Area teens while the bottom row of youngsters are still in elementary school. Two things that they all have in common: love and talent for the game of chess. They all entered in the top three sections (Open, U2100 and U1900) at the Pacific Coast Open just for the challenge and experience.

• top row left to right: Evan Sandberg, Michael Zhong and Arthur Liou
• bottom row left to right: Tanuj Vasudeva, Samuel Sevian and Daniel Liu
  

Brief Update from Agoura Hills

(Playing on top board, Yian Liou concentrates against IM Edward Formanek)

More than a dozen Northern California players drove down to Agoura Hills (near Los Angeles) for the Pacific Coast Open. Four of my students and a carload of precocious Chesspunks have arrived, eager to snatch rating points from unsuspecting opponents. Their names are well known around the Bay Area, and soon our friends down south will know them too: Tanuj, Vignesh, Kesav, Allan, Armaan, Samuel, Evan and Yian.

Two stars have done especially well so far. 12-year old Yian Liou has an undefeated 3.0 out of 4 in the Open section for a performance rating around 2500! He crushed IM Edward Formanek in the first round and easily drew as black against NM Garush Manukyan (2357) in the fourth. If Yian plays well on Sunday, then he will become the Bay Area's latest preteen master! In the U1900 division, 8 year old Tanuj Vasudeva won his first three games and is tied for the lead at 3.5 out of 4. The kids keep getting younger and better!

Partial results after round 4:

• Open: IM Emory Tate 3.0, Yian Liou 3.0, NM Michael Aigner 2.5
  
• U2100: Michael Zhong 3.0, Arthur Liou 2.5
• U1900: Tanuj Vasudeva 3.5, Daniel Liu 2.5

Mid afternoon update: Yian Liou, Michael Zhong, Arthur Liou and Tanuj Vasudeva all won to put themselves in contention for money.

Danya Scalps GM in Holland

As a former World Champion, FM Danya Naroditsky struts his stuff at tournaments all around the planet. After a mixed performance in Philadelphia at the biggest Open in the World, the young star flew across the Pond to play in the Leiden Open in Holland, where he now has 4.0 out of 5. He struck gold in his round 5 game against Ukrainian Grandmaster Yuri Vovk (2567). After a lightning kingside combination that began with 50.Qg5 and ended with 54.Rc5, Danya finally could claim his first ever GM scalp. Congratulations!

Play chess online

Fremont Chess Club on Friday Nights

The New Fremont Chess Club announces the launch of a website created by teenager Aditya Kumar. The club offers unrated play on most Fridays evenings with occasional special events. The USCF rated April swiss was won by rapidly improving junior Hayk Manvelyan (2071) ahead of 12 other participants. On June 26th, popular IM Emory Tate (see photo at right) gave a simul for 12 players and 8 spectators, scoring 11 wins and a single loss to Francisco Anchondo (1954).

• What: New Fremont Chess Club
• When: Friday nights from 7 to 11pm
  
• Where: 3375 Country Drive in Fremont
• Who: Rated and unrated players of all ages
• Website: http://www.newfremontchessclub.org
  
• Contact: Send email to Kenneth Zowal at kenneth.zowal (at) sbcglobal (dot) net

Kramnik Channels Tal and Blows Away Carlsen

(Photo of the ceremonial first move. Kramnik plays white while Carlsen has black.)

Former world champion Vladimir Kramnik frequently faces criticism from chess fans about his boring approach and far too many short draws in the Catalan or Petroff openings. At the Dortmund tournament in Germany, Kramnik defied his usual style and demonstrated that even a positional genius can entertain with a flurry of tactics when the position warrants. His opponent was none other than Magnus Carlsen, the 18 year old Norwegian superstar whom most pundits pick to soon become world champion.

The action begins with a simple pawn sacrifice 18. f5 to weaken the king and culminates with a decisive rook sacrifice on e6. Your silicon monster may demonstrate that black seems to survive with 25... Qc5, but no human would find the variation 25... Qc5 26. Ne4 Qxc4 27. Nf6 and now Ke7!?!? Amazingly, white can't exploit the discovered check.

Enjoy the game below! I most certainly did.

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CalChess FIDE Rated Juniors - July 2009

The number of FIDE rated juniors in the Bay Area shrunk dramatically after the graduation of a strong class of High School seniors. Consequently, 13 year old FM Danya Naroditsky (photo at left) climbs to the top spot with FM-elect Steven Zierk (photo at right) close behind. Special kudos to Steven for cracking 2300 FIDE and thereby earning the FIDE master title! Ironically, the two state K-12 co-champions Evan Sandberg and Yian Liou appear at the bottom of the FIDE rankings--a sure sign that they still have plenty of room for improvement as they both seek the master title.

1. FM Danya Naroditsky 2356
2. FM-elect Steven Zierk 2306
3. NM Gregory Young 2264
4. NM Rohan Agarwal 2197
5. NM Nicholas Nip 2147
6. Evan Sandberg 2146
   
7. Yian Liou 2134
   

Five FIDE rated local juniors graduated from High School in June. Congratulations to Adarsh Konda (2115), Alan Naroditsky (2113), Michael Zhong (2113) and Louiza Livschitz (1963) for each leaving their mark on Northern California chess. Of course, the big name in the graduating class of 2009 was IM Sam Shankland (2448, see photo at right), who recently earned a pair of GM norms and now stands at the verge of the most prestigious title in the world.

Agarwal Shoots for Cadet Title

NM Rohan Agarwal of Fremont sits in first place at the US Cadet Invitational (under 16) in Crossville, Tennessee. He beat Jarod Pamatmat (Texas) and Deepak Aaron (New York) and drew with Christian Tanaka (Southern California). All three of his young opponents are rated in the low 2200s; in fact, two earned the NM title within the past month. Master or not, they were unable to handle the wild tactical complications that Rohan prefers in all of his games. A special mention goes to Rohan's mentor Richard Shorman, who inspired his aggressive playing style. (Photo by Shorman at ChessDryad.)

Update on July 10: Congratulations to national U16 champion Andrew Ng from New Jersey! Rohan finished in 3rd place at the US Cadet, losing a pivotal contest in a 100+ move queen endgame. Final standings: Ng 5.5, Shen 5.0, Agarwal 4.5 (all out of 7).

Roster for US Cadet Invitational
(age as of May 1, but the eligibility cutoff was Jan 1)

• Victor Shen, 2320, 16, NJ
  
• Deepak Aaron, 2216, 14, NY
  
• Christian Tanaka, 2212, 15, CA/S
  
• Rohan Agarwal, 2207, 16, CA/N
  
• Jarod Pamatmat, 2201, 12, TX
  
• Michael Yang, 2191, 14, MN
  
• Andrew Ng, 2168, 14, NJ
  
• Matthew Dahl, 2122, 15, MN
  

I will maintain round-by-round updates on my Twitter feed at the right sidebar of my blog. For more information, check out this press release and a brief report on Chess Life Online.

Fpawn Rolls Over Opponents in Sacramento

(Left: Fpawn holds the trophy and 1st place check. Right: Masters Koepcke and Lazetich battle on top board in the final round.)




The annual Sacramento Chess Championship on 4th of July weekend provides a leisurely opportunity to push pawns on a holiday weekend. Even the mild weather was enjoyable this year! The 72 player attendance was down nearly 20% from last year, but that did not decrease the competition in the top section. I was paired with three veteran masters and three talented youngsters who all may be over 2200 by next summer. At the end of three days, I finished at 5.0 out of 6 for undisputed 1st place. NM Zoran Lazetich, NM Richard Koepcke and 11 year old Kyle Shin (rated only 1956 officially) shared 2nd at 4.5, with Kyle earning the top prize for players under 2200.

As a scholastic coach, I focus attention on the many up and coming local juniors. Two earned 2250+ performances in their quests to become masters themselves! 12 year old Yian Liou (first photo at left) started out hot with a perfect score after three rounds, beating FM Kenan Zildzic. However, he lost twice to finish with a modest rating gain, leaving him 39 points short of his goal of 2200. Not to be outdone, 11 year old Kyle Shin (second photo at left) picked up the slack. After losing badly in the first round, he recovered to win four straight games, including a pivotal victory against Yian. Kyle was even tied for the lead going into the final round, but only was able to draw. With an impressive 2273 performance rating, Kyle gained 48 rating points to 2045, and he may be near 2100 when the ongoing Tuesday Night Marathon is rated next week!

Several other youngsters gained both experience and rating points in the Master/Expert section. Honorable mention goes to Roland Zhu (3.0 points, +14 rating) and 8 year old Tanuj Vasudeva (2.5 points, +26 rating). Kudos to everyone who fought hard!

On a personal note, I must mention how difficult it is to play a serious game against your own students. On one hand, I want the kids to do well and improve; on the other hand, I really hate to lose or even draw! Making matters worse, the kids know my favorite openings, forcing me to improvise. This led to disaster in round 2, when Yian beat me after a stupid blunder--I hung an undefended knight on c6 to a simple fork with Qd5 check. I reentered into the 2-day schedule and was determined to atone for my mistake; unfortunately for Kyle, he was first in line to play an angry fpawn. The fresh start worked out well for me, and luckily Kyle was able to bounce back from the loss.

The 48 player Reserve (under 2000) section saw stiff competition between the A players and the up-and-coming adult B players. With the elite juniors all playing up in the Master/Expert section, this was the opportunity for Sacramento resident Robert Russo (see photo at right) to dominate. By scoring 5.5 out of 6, Robert certainly earned his promotion to A player! Mathew Benson (rated only 1646 going in) and Michael Da-Cruz shared second place at 5.0. Amazingly, the only junior to win money in the Reserve section was Ted Xiao at 4.0--who won the "top junior" prize.

• Click for USCF rating report.
• Check out my photo album on Flickr.
  

A few readers have commented how rare it is to see a photo of me on this blog. It makes sense considering that I am usually behind the camera. After I won the final round in Sacramento, the tournament organizer John McCumiskey and some others insisted that I pose for the candid camera. Thanks to parent Jung Shin for taking the photo at the top of this article.

The Young and the Younger

(Tanuj at left prepares to write down IM Shipman's latest move.)

A total of 72 chess enthusiasts of all ages turned up for the Sacramento Championship on the 4th of July. The 25 player Master/Expert section features a competition between 5 masters and 11 nationally ranked juniors. After four rounds, 3 masters are tied for first at 3.5/4: NM Zoran Lazetich, NM Richard Koepcke and this writer, who took the reentry option. The top kids are just half a point behind at 3.0, both losing to one of the leaders. 12 year old Yian Liou already beat two masters while 11 year old Kyle Shin defeated a pair of experts. The final two rounds are scheduled for Sunday.

The exciting pairing that I hoped for in my blog post three days ago did indeed occur. The tournament's youngest player, 7 year old (edit: he turned 8 recently) Tanuj Vasudeva (1800), challenged the sly veteran 79 year old IM Walter Shipman (2209) in a battle for the ages. They traded into an endgame of queens, rooks and pawns that should have been drawn by best play. In the end, the young kid got greedy and took a poisoned pawn, allowing the more experienced master to deliver a mating attack. No doubt that's a lesson that the kid will now know.

Battle of Generations in Sactown This Weekend

(The young and the old! 7 year old Tanuj Vasudeva next to 79 years young IM Walter Shipman.)


The Sacramento Chess Championship is one of the stalwarts on the Northern California tournament calendar, occupying the 4th of July weekend since 2001. In an era when one-day G/45 or G/60 events have become the norm, it is a relief to still find long games (30/90, SD/60) against serious competition, directed by well-respected TD John McCumiskey. The relaxed atmosphere at the Best Western Expo Inn on Howe Avenue contributes to the fighting spirit seen on dozens of 8x8 boards.

The advance entry list sets the scene for two intriguing subplots in the Master/Expert section. It will be nationally ranked juniors against masters and kids under 10 versus seniors over 65. Both CalChess K-12 co-champions, Yian Liou and Evan Sandberg, will no doubt hunt for master scalps and rating points as they near 2200 themselves. Another exciting pairing could pit the nation's top 7 year old, Tanuj Vasudeva, against a legend dating back to the 50s and early 60s, 79 years young IM Walter Shipman.

It is not too late for procrastinators to enter. A total of 58 players have signed up by Thursday afternoon; some others intend to sign up at the door. Players may choose between the leisurely 3-day schedule or the more economic 2-day option with three G/60s on Saturday. I would not be surprised to see IM Ricardo DeGuzman, defending champion NM Daniel Schwarz (see photo at left) and another two or three masters show up on Saturday morning for the 2-day schedule.

The annual Cal Expo fireworks show is scheduled for Saturday (July 4) evening at 9:30, but I expect to see fireworks at the chess boards begin much sooner. Be there!

Blog Poll: National Master Watch

(Photos from left to right: Yian Liou, Evan Sandberg and Samuel Sevian.)

I just opened up an exciting new poll on the right sidebar of my blog, underneath my tournament calendar. Which Bay Area junior will become the next National Master? A brief look at recent results shows a tight two-way race with a third highly talented kid quickly closing the gap to the leaders. Who will reach the 2200 mark first? Please vote in this poll by the end of June.

• 6th grader Yian Liou (2147) earned 1st on tiebreaks in the High School section of the CalChess Scholastics, defeating the top seed and defending champion in the final round. In his last 10 tournaments, Yian finished with six 2200+ performances, including three over 2350. He gained 76 rating points in just the past two months. Most impressively, Yian has already defeated my longtime nemesis IM Ricardo DeGuzman not once but twice, and also drew a third game!
• 10th grader Evan Sandberg (2136) also shared 1st in the High School section of the CalChess Scholastics and will attend the Denker Tournament for High School Champions. Playing in five tournaments over the last six weeks, Evan gained a grand total of 101 points. On the way to 2nd place at the Stamer Memorial, he scored an undefeated 3.0/4 against 2100+ opponents for a 2385 performance rating.
• 2nd grader Samuel Sevian (2049) is rated nearly 100 points lower than Yian and Evan, but is also much younger and perhaps the most talented of all three. He is already the youngest expert ever in America and has an excellent chance to break Nicholas Nip's record for the youngest master. Samuel gained 80 rating points in the last two tournaments, notably drawing against five masters in a row (IM DeGuzman, two FMs and two NMs) at the Bay Area Chess Memorial Day event for a 2308 performance rating!
  

Class of 2009

Congrats High School Graduates 2009!!!
(From left to right: Mike Zhong, Jeff Young and Aaron Garg.)
(Update June 12: New photos of Jeff and Aaron.)

As the 2009 graduating class moves on, it is time to briefly reflect on one of the largest classes of chess players ever in Northern California. The graduating seniors include the highest rated local junior ever and five additional players who have been rated over 2000.

They also achieved many noteworthy successes over the years. Sam Shankland flew all the way to Vietnam and came home with a share of first place at the 2008 World Youth U18, thereby earning the esteemed title of International Master. Michael Zhong battled four straight teenage masters en route to a tie for first place at the 2007 National High School Championship. Jeff Young stared down IM Salvijus Bercys to help Saratoga High School earn third place at the 2006 National High School Championship. Veni, vidi, vici!

Here is a list of all of the Bay Area's chess players who are graduating from high school this month. For those whom I know, I included the university that they will attend. Please contact me if I left someone out.

1. IM Sam Shankland 2474 - Brandeis University (Boston)
   
2. Adarsh Konda 2108 - ?
   
3. Mike Zhong 2092 - Columbia University (New York City)
   
4. Alan Naroditsky 2058 - UCLA
5. Jeff Young (Saratoga H.S.) 1990 - UC Berkeley
6. Louiza Livschitz 1981 - ?
   
7. Sreekar Jasthi 1905 - Emory University (Atlanta)
   
8. Greg Bodwin 1882 - ?
   
9. Aaron Garg (Saratoga H.S.) - Stanford University
10. Ken Law - ?
    
11. Alex Lun (Saratoga H.S.) - UC San Diego
12. Avinash Kumar (Saratoga H.S.) - Marquette University (Milwaukee)
    

I had ties to almost everyone on this list. Four were private students: Jeff, Alan, Aaron and Ken. Then Alex, Avinash and Greg participated in some group classes in Saratoga. And although I never formally taught Sam and Mike, I developed friendships with both at tournaments and on ICC. Here's my brief tribute to some of the graduates.

• Jeff, I knew you since you were in 7th grade. You have grown from 1200 to 2000, and from a scrawny kid into a confident and outgoing young man. For many years, you and David Chock were the heart and soul of the Saratoga team, climaxing with a magical result in Milwaukee. Congratulations on your engineering scholarship!
• Alan, you amazed me by cheerfully accepting your role in your family's chess hierarchy, and yet you managed to step out of the shadows to become a star in your own right. You defied the trend of cutting back in chess during the later years of high school, despite your talent in piano and a heavy courseload at a prestigious school.
  
• Aaron, I worked with you for two years but knew you much longer. You always were the genius, but in many ways a gentle giant. I can't believe you got accepted at MIT, Harvard, Yale and literally everywhere else. Go Stanford! Beat Cal!
  
• Alex and Avinash, I didn't know you two as well as your teammates. You contributed to the positive chemistry that made the Saratoga team so enjoyable for everyone. From time to time, your games made us laugh, both brilliancy and blunder.
  

Western Invitational Chess Camp

(Photo of skittles action from 2008 camp. Click here for more pictures.)

For those readers who have not yet made up their summer plans, I have one more option to consider. I am posting this for my friend FM Robby Adamson from Tucson, Arizona.

For yet another year, Robby hosts the Western Invitational Chess Camp that he bills as the strongest in the USA. Players must be rated a minimum of 1500 to be invited and the top group of participants should have an average rating near 2200. The instructors include Grandmasters Alexander Onischuk, Alex Yermolinsky and Alejandro Ramirez plus other veteran masters.

The dates for this year are July 12-16 (yes, it starts on a Sunday) with the optional Ye Olde Pueblo Open tournament on the following weekend. The camp schedule includes two daily lectures, a GM simul, a G/35 tournament (USCF quick rated), blitz and various fun activities each evening. For more information, please visit the Western Invitational Chess Camp website or contact Robby Adamson by email. A couple of folks from Northern California already attended and came back with enthusiastic reviews.

CalChess Top 20 List for July 2009

(Photos of nationally #1 ranked 8-year old Samuel Sevian on left and #1 ranked 7-year old Tanuj Vasudeva on right.)

This post contains two lists of the top juniors in Northern California on the July USCF rating supplement. These ratings include the CalChess Scholastics, Powell G/45 plus Spring Tuesday Night Marathon from the Mechanics Institute, and the Bay Area Chess Memorial Day tournament.

(Nationally ranked gold, silver and bronze medalists are highlighted in color.)

CalChess Top 20 Elementary School -- July 2009

1	Yian Liou	2140
2	Samuel Sevian	2037
3	Kyle Shin	1956
4	Jack Zhu	1934
5	Daniel Zheng	1902
6	Jerome Sun	1867
7	Daniel Liu	1829
8	Tanuj Vasudeva	1821
9	Hemang Jangle	1804
10	James Kwok	1798
11	Cameron Wheeler	1780
12	Paul Richter	1776
13	Vignesh Panchanatham	1714
14	Allan Beilin	1713
15	Neel Apte	1703
16	Kesav Viswanadha	1700
17	Colin Chow	1675
18	Daniel Ho	1637
19	Armaan Kalyanpur	1633
20	Eric Chen	1599

CalChess Top 20 Junior High and High School -- July 2009

1	IM Sam Shankland	2474
2	FM Danya Naroditsky	2378
3	NM Steven Zierk	2312
4	NM Greg Young	2249
5	NM Rohan Agarwal	2214
6	Adarsh Konda	2108
7	Evan Sandberg	2098
8	Michael Zhong	2092
9	Hayk Manvelyan	2071
10	Alan Naroditsky	2058
11	Jeff Young	1990
12	Arthur Liou	1985
13	Michael Lin	1984
14	Sam Bekker	1958
15	Louiza Livschitz	1956
16	Andrew Yeh	1951
17	Nicholas Karas	1909
18	Sreekar Jasthi	1905
19	Mukund Chillakanti	1903
20	Rahul Desirazu	1898

• Check USCF ratings here.
• Check USCF Top 100 lists here (for June).
• Based on the CalChess Top 20 lists (come out in June and August but not July).
  

Fpawn Rating Lists -- July 2009

(CalChess K-12 co-champions Yian and Evan shared a laugh in my team room.)

I updated the Fpawn Rating List for the July USCF supplement which is already available at the MSA website. The names on top of the list have not changed this year, although the ratings keep moving upwards. I also included the rating gains over the past seven months. Bearing in mind how difficult it becomes to improve above 2000, the +84 and +68 jumps by CalChess K-12 co-champions Yian Liou and Evan Sandberg look even more impressive.

Top 5 Students Overall

1. NM Steven 2312 (+54, photo at right by Richard Shorman)
   
2. NM Gregory 2249
   
3. Yian 2140 (+84)
4. EvanS 2098 (+68)
   
5. Alan 2058 (+6)
   

(Honorary: FM Danya 2378 and NM DanielS 2313)

My group of students gained 68 points on average just since December. Eight moved up by 100 or more points. Kudos to Daniel Chen for going from 892 to 1337 in half a year!

Largest Rating Gain (Past 7 Months)

1. DanielC +445 (see photo at right)
   
2. EvanY +138
3. Arthur +135
   
4. Roland +128
   
5. Neel +126
   
6. DanielL +117
   
7. MichaelM +101
8. Andrew +100
9. Brian +98
10. Yian +84
    

Practice Tactics at ChessTempo.com

(Black to move and win. Final position from Mamedyarov vs Kurnosov at the Aeroflot Open in Moscow. White resigned in disgust and then accused his opponent of cheating. Instead of being a bad sport, maybe he should have worked on tactics puzzles instead.)

This post has been reprinted from May 2008. The internet has so many cool websites that it is impossible to know each one. Sometimes you stumble on a new site either by luck or upon a suggestion. I came across the chess tactics server www.chesstempo.com on advice from one of my opponents. This chess tactics website is nearly everything that I could have dreamed of!

This Chess Tactics Server allows users to solve tactics puzzles and receive a rating. The standard rating requires only accuracy (get the correct solution) while the blitz rating requires accuracy plus speed (lose points if you take too long). The interface is quite easy to use. They are still growing; since last year, they added two endgame puzzle categories. Best of all, registering for this exciting website is free!

Advantages:

1. Nearly 40,000 problems! You won't run out anytime soon.
2. A new problem pops up automatically (click on "last problem for session" to stop).
3. Wide variety of puzzles so that you won't get bored.
4. Harder problems have a higher rating and you get more points for solving.
5. All problems are from real games.
6. Some positions are easy (e.g. 1-movers) but the correct move is difficult to spot.
   
7. Can view your solving history and go back to problems you missed.
8. Solve endgame puzzles, both theoretical and practical.
   

Disadvantages:

1. A few problems are dumb (e.g. a piece is hanging).
2. It is frustrating when you find an easily winning move, but there is a better one (e.g. winning queen instead of checkmate or different mates in 2). This has improved.
   
3. There is no partial credit if you get the first move but mess up in the full variation.
   
4. Standard ratings are lower than USCF. Ratings seem to be closer to USCF now.
   
5. Blitz ratings are higher than USCF.
6. Can't search the database for specific types of tactics. Premium option.
   

I highly recommend this site to all of my students as well as other chess players. One hint: When you find a good move, first stop and try to find a better one!

USCF Top 100 Juniors (U21) for June

A whopping ten Northern California juniors are ranked in the top 50 of the USCF Top 100 Juniors (U21) list for June! For those mathematically challenged, this statistic means 20% of the nation's elite juniors play in the Bay Area!

Five of these ten stars are still in K-12 school; the other five attend local universities. In fact, four of the top 100 young chess players in the country can be found on the Stanford University chess team (see photo above). I guess that's just one more reason to get good grades and apply to Stanford. Except for those offering chess scholarships, I wonder if any other universities can match this feat?

• #6 IM Sam Shankland, 2481, 17
  
• #11 FM Elliott Liu, 2405, 19 (attends Stanford; from S. California)
• #15 FM Danya Naroditsky, 2378, 13
  
• #20 NM Steven Zierk, 2333, 15
  
• #26 NM Daniel Schwarz, 2313, 19 (attends Stanford)
  
• #36 NM Julian Landaw, 2284, 19 (attends UC Berkeley; from S. California)
• #42 NM Drake Wang, 2262, 19 (attends Cal Poly SLO)
  
• #46 NM Greg Young, 2249, 14
• #48 NM Jimmy Heiserman, 2236, 20 (attends UC Davis; from Texas)
• #50 NM Rohan Agarwal, 2231, 16
• #53 NM Vaishnav Aradhyula, 2226, 18 (attends Stanford; from Arizona)
• #96 Christopher De Sa, 2158, 18 (attends Stanford; from Arizona)
  

June Top 100 Lists

(Left: NM Rohan Agarwal and IM Sam Shankland. Center: FM Danya Naroditsky and NM Steven Zierk. Right: Vignesh Panchanatham and Cameron Wheeler.)

The USCF posted the June Top 100 lists, including all tournaments rated by May 1 and an age cutoff also on May 1. Please note that the CalChess Scholastics on May 2-3 did not make the cutoff and will be rated on the July rating supplement.

I also finally updated the CalChess Top 100 lists for the first time since last October. Sadly, nobody else appears willing to dedicate 2-3 hours every other month to maintain these rankings, leaving the dirty work to me. Gee thanks!

Nine Northern California players have earned my gold medal distinction for being ranked in the top 5 of the country for their age. Three kids are ranked #1 in June: Tanuj Vasudeva (1767 at age 7), Samuel Sevian (2003 at age 8) and the veteran FM Danya Naroditsky (2378 at age 13). Congratulations to these three stars and best of luck in pursuit of their goals (IM title for Danya, NM for Samuel and 1800 + 2000 for Tanuj). A fourth #1 would have been NM Nicholas Nip, but his USCF membership expired at the end of February and, regretably, his family and coaches apparently chose other activities.

The two highest rated high school students in the Bay Area, IM Sam Shankland and NM Steven Zierk, are both ranked #2 at their age. Two middle school students, NM Greg Young and CalChess K-12 champion Yian Liou, check in at #3. Finally, I would like to welcome National K-3 champion Cameron Wheeler and the "master gambiteer" NM Rohan Agarwal as they earn their first gold medals on my blog!

GOLD MEDAL (top 5)
Tanuj Vasudeva (#1 age 7)
Samuel Sevian (#1 age 8)
Cameron Wheeler (#5 age 8)
Yian Liou (#3 age 11)
FM Danya Naroditsky (#1 age 13)
NM Greg Young (#3 age 14)
NM Steven Zierk (#2 age 15)
NM Rohan Agarwal (#5 age 16)
IM Sam Shankland (#2 age 17)

Players ranked in the top 10 and top 25 of the country also deserve a special recognition. The names shown in bold and italics are all current or former students of mine.

SILVER MEDAL (top 10)
Rayan Taghizadeh (#7 age 6)
Arun Khemani (#9 age 6)
John Canessa (#10 age 7)
Kesav Viswanadha (#9 age 9)
Jack Zhu (#8 age 10)

BRONZE MEDAL (top 25)
Alisha Chawla, Jeffrey Tao, Allan Beilin, Vignesh Panchanatham, Armaan Kalyanpur, Neel Apte, Kyle Shin, Daniel Zheng, Jerome Sun, Daniel Liu, Hemang Jangle, Hayk Manvelyan, Adarsh Konda, Michael Zhong

USCF Election and Endorsements

(From left to right: FM Bill Goichberg, WIM Ruth Haring and Jim Berry.)

Update on June 3. I included my most relevant USCF forum posts in the comments section at the bottom of this item. They offer additional insight into the entire legal mess.

The US Chess Federation faces a severe leadership crisis during which two elected members of the Executive Board have neglected their responsibilities to the Federation and, instead, filed a lawsuit against the USCF, other Board members and several third parties. In my opinion, the $25 million (later reduced to $10M) lawsuit by GM Susan Polgar is frivolous and without merit, especially as it pertains to the Federation.

To the contrary, I believe that Polgar and her husband FM Paul Truong engaged in a pattern of selfishness and deception dating back to the previous election two years ago. They hid the nature of their relationship from the voters and later Truong declined to cooperate with an investigation of allegedly slanderous internet posts. I deeply regret endorsing Polgar in 2007 and I am further disappointed that the electorate made the mistake of also electing her husband.

The lawsuits must end for the USCF to move forward and promote chess in a positive manner. Unfortunately, Polgar and Truong remain on the Board for another two years. If two candidates loyal to them get elected, then they have the potential to destroy the USCF as we know it. That makes the election so highly important.

All USCF adult members (age 16 and older) will receive a ballot in the June issue of Chess Life magazine, or through a separate mailing if they don't receive the periodical. Please vote! One contributing cause to this mess is that less than 15% of eligible voters do, in fact, vote, increasing the odds of a fringe candidate being elected (e.g. Sam Sloan in 2006).

Here are my endorsements for the 2009 USCF Executive Board election. You may vote for up to 4 candidates.

• Bill Goichberg. A FIDE master and a veteran of chess politics, Goichberg owns the Continental Chess Association and organizes many of the largest tournaments around the country, including the World Open, Chicago Open and North American Open (plus lesser events such as Concord and Agoura Hills). He is the ultimate insider, but has the knowledge and leadership to guide the Federation in this time of need. While owning the CCA does present a conflict of interest on the Board, he has demonstrated the ability to manage both roles well over the years. Goichberg currently serves as USCF President, but term limits would prevent him from continuing in that role if reelected.
• Ruth Haring. Living in Chico, Haring is the local candidate in this election. She holds the international title of WIM and recently returned to the chess community after a layoff of over 20 years. During this time off, she managed large projects for well-known corporations such as IBM, Lockheed and eBay, gaining skills that she seeks to apply to the USCF crisis. Her commitment to chess is also unquestioned; she played in the US women's championship many times in the 1970s and represented the USA at five Olympiads. Haring's husband is GM Peter Biyiasas and one son, Theodore Biyiasas, is an active 1600 level player.
  
• Jim Berry. Hailing from Oklahoma, Berry came to national prominence when he and his brother Frank personally organized and financed the US Championship in 2007 and 2008. He is an easygoing man who loves chess, playing in about 10 tournaments a year. As the second incumbent in the race (Goichberg is the other), Berry has contributed his lifelong expertise in business and finance to the USCF.

I only endorsed three candidates. Readers may wish to vote for a fourth, choosing between Mike Atkins, Mike Nietman and Mikhail Korenman. However, I have modest reservations about each of these individuals and cannot give them my stamp of approval.

I strongly oppose the other candidates in the election: IM Blas Lugo, Eric Hecht, Brian Mottershead, Brian Lafferty (he withdrew recently) and Sam Sloan. I do not believe any have the skills or temperment needed to promote chess and get us out of the legal mess.

Long Weekend of Chess in Chicago

(The Westin Chicago North Shore was my home this weekend.)

For the second year in a row, I chose the Chicago Open as a place to relax and play chess after coaching my students at the CalChess Scholastics and Supernationals. With no students or close friends in attendance, this was the perfect opportunity to concentrate on my own games. I ended up with a respectable 5.0 out of 7, good enough for a share of 6th place in the U2300 division.

The field was extremely competitive with many strong players; the winner, 18 year old Tyler Hughes of Colorado, just came from the US Championship last week in St. Louis, where he finished at 4.0 out of 9. I started out poorly with a short win, two ugly draws and a painful opening mistake against veteran FM Renard Anderson. Fortunately, I recovered with three straight wins, culminating with the black side of a b3 Sicilian against young Cuban-American WFM Liulia Cardona. The highlight of my tournament was a marathon win against NM Ariel Levi of Michigan in round 6--a game full of wild tactics and time scrambles both at move 40 and at the end. (Click on links to view games on Chess Publisher.)

Somehow, I managed to score 3.5 out of 4 against teenagers (two masters and two experts) but merely 1.5 out of 3 against three floored 2200 adults, all 55 or older. I gained about 8 rating points USCF for my 2324 performance, but lost about the same points FIDE because my last two wins came against FIDE unrated opponents. Sigh!

Update: Here's a link to the Chicago Open rating report.

As a side note, it was a great weekend to be named Samuel at the Bay Area Chess Memorial Day tournament. Kudos to my student Sam Bekker (see photo at right) for winning the Expert section, jumping nearly 100 points to 1958! FM Kenan Zildzic of Sacramento won the Master section, ahead of IM Ricardo DeGuzman, NM Arjoe Loanzon and 8 year old Samuel Sevian. The young rising star drew with five masters including IM DeGuzman and even beat one of the state K-12 co-champions! His new rating is 2036. Simply amazing!

Time to Conquer Chicago

(Photo taken from the 95th floor of the Hancock Building.)

The fpawn has landed in Chicago. In fact, he has already been in the area for several days to visit and relax. The 18th annual Chicago Open chess tournament begins on this evening at the spacious Westin Chicago North Shore hotel in Wheeling, IL.

This weekend is one of the flagship events organized by USCF President Bill Goichberg and his Continental Chess Association. Despite the weak economy, nearly 600 players have already registered. Counting on-site entries, the total attendance will probably be near last year's 703. The prize fund of $100,000 is unconditionally guaranteed, including $8000 for 1st in the Open section and $6000 for 1st in each of the lower classes.

I signed up in the U2300 division again, hoping to improve on my tie for 3rd place last year with 5.5 out of 7. I know that it won't be easy! Hopefully I won't need to reenter into the wild 2-day schedule as I did a year ago. Fortunately, with no students here, I can focus strictly on myself without any coaching distractions. Wish me luck!

Those of you back in California, don't forget the Bay Area Chess Memorial Day event in San Jose. Choose between 3-day and 2-day (Sunday and Monday only) schedules. The top section will feature IM DeGuzman, FM Zildzic, NM Loanzon and one or two other masters.

Danya 6.0/11 at Young Stars!

Our local star FM Daniel Naroditsky played the final round of the Young Stars of the World (also called Somov's Memorial) invitational today in Kirishi, Russia. Check out the list of invitees here or read my report after round 3 at Chess Life Online.

After a topsy-turvy two weeks, Danya finished at "plus 1" or 6.0 out of 11 with 4 wins, 3 draws and 3 losses. While the 2406 FIDE performance was not enough meet the strict requirements for an IM norm, Danya proved worthy of competing among some of the best young chess masters in Russia and the World. In fact, he drew against both of the co-champions, FM Daniil Dubov (2372) and GM Aleksandr Shimanov (2519), both from the host country. I wonder how many of the players in this tournament will become Grandmasters, perhaps even 2700+!?

IM John Donaldson accurately describes the way the event progressed in his weekly newsletter for the Mechanics' Institute. "He started off well scoring two and a half points from his first three games before castling queenside (three straight defeats). Daniel then showed excellent character by not losing another game in the event, closing with three and a half from five against the higher rated players in the competition."

The turning point of the tournament came in round 7 when, after three straight losses, Danya faced the top rated GM Shimanov with black. He trusted his pet Najdorf and earned a solid 20 move draw to stop the bleeding. With renewed confidence, he essayed his most spectacular win in the very next round against FM Vladimir Belous (2414). Danya was especially pleased after finding the tactic 35.Ng4!! with merely seconds on his clock. (Click on the hyperlinks to play through the games on java game viewer by Chess Publisher.)

Check out all of the tournament games at the official website or play through Danya's wins and draws in my ICC library. (Type /liblist fpawn and start at #70.)

Last Call for Summer Session I in June

Updated May 21: I have 14 sign-ups for Summer Session I. Most of the six students in Advanced class are rated 1400-1650 while eight students in Intermediate class are 1000-1300. Surprisingly, the average age seems to be quite young, around 9.

FPAWN CHESS
INTERNET CHESS CLASSES AND SUMMER TOURNAMENT

MICHAEL AIGNER
USCF Life Master
www.fpawn.com and fpawn.blogspot.com

Coach of Many Elite Juniors............................Each Class Begins with a 60-75 Min Lecture
Intermediate Class for Students 1000 to 1600...Three Homework Assignments per Session
Advanced Class for Students 1400 to 1800.......One G/30 Game Each Class (Not Rated)
Class Size Restricted to 10 Students................Internet Chess Club is $30/year for Juniors

Session I in June (dates have changed!!!)

• Advanced Class (1400-1800) on Monday evenings

• Dates 6/8, 6/15, 6/22, 6/29 from 8:00 to 10:30 PDT
  
• Lecture Topic: Modern Chess Champions: From Kramnik to Topalov, Anand and now Carlsen
  

• Intermediate Class (1000-1600) on Tuesday evenings

• Dates 6/9, 6/16, 6/23, 6/30 from 8:00 to 10:30 PDT
  
• Lecture Topic: Intermediate Endgames: King + Pawns and Rook + Pawns

Session II in July (tentative dates)

• Advanced Class (1400-1800) on Monday evenings

• Dates 7/6, 7/13, 7/20, 7/27 from 8:00 to 10:30 PDT
  
• Lecture Topic: Advanced Endgames: Rooks, Minor Pieces and Queens
  

• Intermediate Class (1000-1600) on Tuesday evenings

• Dates 7/7, 7/14, 7/21, 7/28 from 8:00 to 10:30 PDT
  
• Lecture Topic: Importance of Gaining Tempo
  

Update May 6: The early entries fall into the ranges 1400 to 1700 for Advanced and 1000 to 1300 for Intermediate, with quite a few kids under age 10.

FEE: $80 per 4-week Session. 25% discount to private students or if you attend both Sessions.

REGISTRATION: Send email to michael (at) fpawn (dot) com with your real name, ICC username, age, USCF rating, email address, phone number and the session you wish to sign up for. I will reply with further info, including the final dates and how to pay. First come, first served.

IMPORTANT INFO: All classes will be conducted on the Internet Chess Club. The instructor examines a board for students to follow. He sets up a position or studies a game, communicating through text (kibitz) and by drawing on the board. The students may also speak with the instructor through text (kibitz or tell). Newcomers to online chess should check out this tutorial.

WARNING: Online classes are not for everyone! It is easy for students to become distracted and it is difficult for the teacher to monitor them. Parents are expected to watch their children closely.

QUESTIONS? Send email to Michael Aigner at michael (at) fpawn (dot) com.

34th CalChess Scholastics Winners 1-3

Top 10 trophies plus ties for 10th place
Top 3 school teams
Click for official Crosstables and USCF Rating Report.
Photos of top individuals plus top team (click on thumbnails to enlarge).
Primary -- Elementary -- Secondary

1-3 Championship

1. Alvin Kong (3) 5.5 -- co-champion, MSJE
2. Art Zhao (3) 5.5 -- co-champion
3. Pranav Nagarajan (3) 4.5-- Forest Park
4. Steven Yuan (3) 4.5
5. Kevin Moy (3) 4.0
   
6. Rayan Taghizadeh (1) 4.0
7. Jeffrey Tao (3) 4.0
8. Udit Iyengar (3) 4.0
9. Chris Xiong (3) 4.0 -- Foster City
10. Aadeesh Shastry (3) 4.0 -- Forest Park
11. Joseph Wan (1) 4.0 -- MSJE
12. Leyton Ho (2) 4.0
13. Siddharth Banik (3) 4.0 -- Foster City
    

Top 1-3 school teams

1. Mission San Jose Elementary, 15.5
2. Forest Park Elementary, 15.0
3. Foster City Elementary, 13.5

34th CalChess Scholastics Winners 4-6 and 4-5

Top 10 trophies plus ties for 10th place
Top 3 school teams
Click for official Crosstables and USCF Rating Report.
Photos of top individuals plus top team (click on thumbnails to enlarge).
Fpawn current students in bold.
Primary -- Elementary -- Secondary

4-6 Championship

1. James Kwok (6) 5.0 -- co-champion, MSJE
   
2. Vignesh Panchanatham (3) 5.0 -- co-champion
3. Max Chen (6) 5.0 -- co-champion
4. Daniel Zheng (6) 4.5
5. Aakaash Rao (6) 4.5
   
6. Michael Meng (6) 4.5 -- Weibel
   
7. Hemang Jangle (6) 4.0 -- MSJE
   
8. Vikram Ganesh (6) 4.0 -- Forest Park
   
9. Austin Cheng (5) 4.0
   
10. Muhammed Mohideen (6) 4.0
11. Taylor McCreary (6) 4.0
12. Truman Leung (5) 4.0
13. Trisha Agrawal (6) 4.0 -- Forest Park
    

Top 4-6 school teams

1. Mission San Jose Elementary, 14.0
   
2. Weibel Elementary, 12.0
3. Forest Park Elementary, 11.0

4-5 Championship

1. Daniel Liu (5) 5.0 -- co-champion
   
2. Neel Apte (5) 5.0 -- co-champion
   
3. Colin Chow (4) 5.0 -- co-champion
4. Tanuj Vasudeva (2) 5.0 -- co-champion
5. Armaan Kalyanpur (4) 4.5 -- MSJE
   
6. Cameron Wheeler (3) 4.5
7. Hun Klotz-Burwell (5) 4.5
8. Joshua Chan (5) 4.0
9. Kevin Zhangxu (5) 4.0 -- MSJE
   
10. John Guiragossian (5) 4.0
    
11. Naveen Janarthanan (5) 4.0
    
12. Richard Yi (5) 4.0
    
13. Justin Wang (5) 4.0 -- Weibel
    
14. Rahul Mohan (4) 4.0 -- Stratford-DeAnza
    

Top 4-5 school teams

1. Mission San Jose Elementary, 14.5
   
2. Weibel Elementary, 12.5
3. Stratford-DeAnza Elementary, 7.5

Danya Wins Round 1

(Danya is on the left in the first photo and third from left in second photo. Click on each thumbnail for a clearer image.)

FM Danya Naroditsky won his first game at the Young Stars of the World invitational. His central pressure on the black side of the Sicilian Najdorf was just too much for his opponent Ganichev. Readers may check out all of the games at the official website.

Sunday update: Danya also won round 2 and is now the only player at 2-0. I uploaded Danya's games to my ICC library (type: /liblist fpawn) starting at game 30.

US Championship Begins in St. Louis

(On left, Friedel versus Onischuk. On right, Shankland vs Benjamin. Photos taken by official photographer Betsy Dynako.)

The 2009 US Championship began on Friday at the brand new Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis. The competitors were welcomed during an impressive opening ceremony on Thursday evening, featuring many celebrities.

This year's elite field of 24 includes 15 Grandmasters and 4 talented teenagers. The top players include defending champion GM Yury Shulman (2697 USCF) plus three fellow members of the Olympiad team: GM Gata Kamsky (2798), GM Hikaru Nakamura (2757) and GM Alexander Onischuk (2736). The prize fund of over $130,000 includes a whopping $35,000 for first place, plus an additional $64,000 if that player can match Bobby Fischer's legendary perfect score in 1963-64.

Two Northern California masters earned a spot in the premier chess tournament in America. GM Josh Friedel received a wild card entry, no doubt on the strength of his fourth place showing (and GM norm) last year. CalChess State Champion IM Sam Shankland qualified by winning the State Champion of Champions tournament on ICC.

Both Josh and Sam had some chances to draw blood in the first round, but split the point against former US champions with white. Josh drew with GM Onischuk (2006 winner) while Sam drew versus GM Joel Benjamin (1997 and 2000). The round 2 pairings should prove just as challenging: Josh black against veteran GM Gregory Kaidanov and Sam black versus GM Larry Christiansen (2002).

Click to read the full round 1 report on Chess Life Online or to download the games.

Watch the games live on ICC beginning at noon Pacific time. If you can't find the games, look for the Events list under the menu options. Hopefully the relay from St. Louis will be better than it was today. And don't forget to cheer on our two local gladiators!

34th CalChess Scholastics Winners 9-12 and 7-8

Top 10 trophies plus ties for 10th place
Top 3 school teams
Click for official Crosstables and USCF Rating Report
Photos of top individuals plus top team (click on thumbnails to enlarge).
Fpawn current students in bold.
Primary -- Elementary -- Secondary

9-12 Championship

1. Yian Liou (6) 5.5 -- co-champion
2. Evan Sandberg (10) 5.5 -- co-champ and Denker representative
   
3. Arthur Liou (9) 5.0 -- MSJHS
   
4. Charles Sun (11) 4.5 -- Saratoga
   
5. Rohan Agarwal (10) 4.0
   
6. Steven Zierk (10) 4.0
7. Brian Wai (9) 4.0 -- Saratoga
   
8. Greg Bodwin (12) 4.0
   
9. Alan Naroditsky (12) 4.0
   
10. Evan Ye (9) 4.0 -- Saratoga
11. Paul Richter (6) 4.0
12. Kyle Shin (5) 4.0
13. Jeff Young (12) 4.0 -- Saratoga
    
14. Vincent Tian (9) 4.0 -- MSJHS
    

Top 9-12 school teams

1. Saratoga High School, 16.5
   
2. Mission San Jose High School, 14.5
   
3. Hanford High School, 9.5
   

7-8 Championship

1. Ted Xiao (8) 5.5 -- co-champion
2. Rahul Desirazu (8) 5.5 -- co-champion
3. Samyukta Bhat (8) 5.0 -- Polgar representative
   
4. Ojas Chinchwadkar (8) 4.5
   
5. Sudarsha Seshadri (8) 4.5
   
6. Kevin Garbe (8) 4.5
   
7. Sam Bekker (7) 4.0
8. Andrew Chen (8) 4.0 -- Windemere Ranch
   
9. Roland Zhu (7) 4.0 -- Windemere Ranch
   
10. Christopher Wu (8) 4.0
11. Kevin Hui (8) 4.0
12. Jonathan Uesato (8) 4.0
13. Aditya Kumar (8) 4.0
14. Thomas Gonda (7) 4.0
15. John Clara (8) 4.0
16. Ajaiyanand Rajendran (8) 4.0

Top 7-8 school teams

1. Windemere Ranch Middle School, 14.0
   
2. Hopkins Junior High School, 11.0
3. Foothills Middle School, 10.5
   

Blitz Tournament at Mechanics on Sunday

I just received this note from Chess Room director IM John Donaldson:

3rd Ray Schutt Memorial Blitz Tournament A chance to remember and pay tribute to an old friend May 10th (Sunday) at the Mechanics' Institute.

• When: Sunday, May 10th. Blitz tournament will be held from 2 to 4 pm. There will be a chance to reminiscence about Ray over light refreshments both before and after the event.
• Where: Mechanics' Institute
• Format: Five Double-Round Swiss or Round-Robin depending on entries.
• Guaranteed Prizes: 1st $300, 2nd $200, 3rd $100, 4th $75, 5th $50, 6th $25
• Entry Fee: $10. Free to IMs and GMs. Enter at tournament from 1pm to 1:45. Entries close at 1:45 pm please take note. No phone entries.

Come honor Ray's memory and help make this the largest and strongest blitz tournament in the history of Northern California chess!