Happy New Year 2015!!

Bright winter day in the Austrian Alps.

Wishing Everyone Many Brilliant Moves for 2015!

The first Bay Area chess event of 2015 is in the books.  The New Year Championship drew 180 players to the San Francisco Airport Hyatt for $13,000 in prizes.  Elite Chinese Grandmaster Xiangzhi Bu dominated the strong Open section, finishing a full point ahead of the other two GMs.  Yours truly finished with a respectable but unsatisfying performance.  Click here for USCF rated results.

The largest local adult tournament of the year is just 10 days away!  The Golden State Open, which attracted almost 300 participants a year ago, guarantees a $25,000 prize fund.  Note that this event moved 25 miles south from Concord to the Dublin-Pleasanton Holiday Inn, near BART.  Register soon and view the advance entries at ChessAction.com.      

If you enjoy following top level international chess festivals, then you're in luck!  The Tata Steel Tournament at Wijk aan Zee (Netherlands) begins this weekend.  The Masters section features World Champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway plus four more of the Top 10: Italian-American Fabiano Caruana, defending champion Levon Aronian of Armenia, Dutch-Russian Anish Giri, and the young American immigrant (from the Philippines) Wesley So.  The Challengers include the Czech David Navara, the young Chinese star Wei Yi, and a pair of American Grandmasters with strong ties to the Bay Area: Orinda native Sam Shankland and the now 14-year old prodigy Sam Sevian.  Each section is a 14-player round-robin, meaning 13 rounds, beginning on Saturday at 4:30am PST.  Make sure to check out the live internet coverage when you wake up (especially Twitter and Instagram).

Happy New Year to All!

Golden State Open THIS WEEKEND in Concord

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This weekend's Golden State Open is the most exciting annual adult chess tournament in Northern California. Popular national organizer Bill Goichberg and his Continental Chess Association guarantee a minimum prize fund of $21K, with a projection of $30K based on 290 fully paid entries. The past two years saw an average of 250 participants and they hope for a modest increase.

Players may opt to stay at the comfy Concord Hilton while commuters benefit from easy access to I-680 at Willow Pass Road. Dining options are plentiful: Willows Shopping Center across the street (Claim Jumper, Quiznos and Jamba Juice), Sun Valley Mall just off the freeway, and family restaurants in almost every direction.

• Event: Golden Gate Open
• Dates: January 13-16 with 3-day and 2-day schedules (no Open in 2-day)
  
• Location: 1970 Diamond Blvd, Concord CA
  
• Format: 7 rounds in 5 sections (Open, U2100, U1800, U1500, U1200)
• Primary Time Control: 40/2, G/1, d/5
  
• 4-day schedule: Reg by Fri 6PM. Rds: Fri night, Sat (2), Sun (2), Mon (2)
  
• 3-day schedule: Reg by Sat 10AM. Rds: two G/75, then Sat night, Sun (2), Mon (2)
  
• 2-day schedule: Reg by Sat 9:30AM. Rds: four G/40, then Sun night, Mon (2).
• Entry fee: $150 on site
  
• Prize fund: guaranteed $21,000; projected $30,000
  
• Information: http://www.chesstour.com/gso12.htm
• Advance Entries: http://www.chesstour.com/ae-gso12.htm
  

No doubt, I would have played in this event. Alas, my long term health issues do not permit it. Sigh! However, I plan to visit for a few hours on either Sunday or Monday afternoon. It would be just my second Bay Area chess tournament since May 2010. I'm looking forward to seeing lots of old friends and former students! Please say hi!!