Dwyer played a Grandmaster!

Chess is sometimes a covert activity, and a quietly held secret by many people.  Some people are hesitant to play over-the-board games, unwilling to admit that they enjoy playing, afraid to ask about it, and have even poo-pooed tournaments without realizing what a tremendous activity it is.  I am continually surprised to find out from my students some of the activities they have participated in, including chess activities.  Typically, it is a unique and one-time experience that they share with me privately or in passing because they know how excited and enthusiastic I am about their experiences.  Chess has somehow become un-cool, but with me it changes chess for them.   I champion the game and make them proud to be involved in some way.  Chess is cool!

Julia Dwyer, Alexandra Kosteniuk, Kathrine Dwyer at simul with GM Alexandra Kosteniuk

One such student from my Anatomy and Physiology class allowed me to interview her about her one-time game of fame with Grandmaster Alexandra Kosteniuk on May 14, 2003.  Kathrine Dwyer, a Wood River High School Senior, was thirteen and was attending the Anglo-American School of Moscow.  She attended intermittently while visiting her father over a seven year period while he worked managing Russian operations for The Dannon Company, Inc.  Her step-mom is Russian and it was she that prompted Kathrine and her sister, Julia to enter a simul with Alexandra Kosteniuk.  Kathrine was unaware of what she was really participating in.  To her, she was going to "just play a game of chess."   In this particular event, she was about to play a Grandmaster.  Alexandra Kosteniuk played - simultaneously - 20 students from the school, including some of the faculty.

Alexandra Kosteniuk plays a simul in the Chicago Scholastics, 2003
(I used this picture without permission, so it may disappear soon)

Do you remember anything about the tournament?
I bought a souvenir book and the date says May 14th, 2003.  You see, she [Alexandra] signed it right here [pointing].  I remember the tables were in a big square and she moved around.  It took her like a minute to destroy everybody and she won every game.

Really?  
No, but about two hours.  The last game was with my teacher.

"How I Became a Grandmaster at age 14", by Alexandra Kosteniuk

What was Alexandra like?
She was sketchy at first - she is very intimidating, almost like meeting a President.  She was very quiet and focused.  She was also polite and shook all our hands.  She seemed nerdy but attractive.  Her outfit was really weird, though.

What color were you?
I think we were all black.  I don't remember much of the game other than I had to think so hard on what my next move was.

Did your school teach you chess?
I just knew.  I have always known how to play chess and I don't know how I learned.  My school common room had sofa's and chessboards, though.

Were you involved in any other chess tournaments?
No.  I just play my brother now.  We have a chess table at my house.

What do you think of this experience now?
I didn't realize how cool it was until now.  This was an awesome experience.  I guess it really is a big deal.

Despite the fact that Kathrine is not planning on any future tournaments, it was clearly evident that her game with Alexandra Kosteniuk was one she will always fondly remember.  Talking to students about their experiences and challenges always surprises me.  For example,  Kathrine is also a cancer survivor, has always been an outstanding student, and lived in American Embassies.  She plans to live in Russia when she graduates, and I suspect she has an apartment already picked out.   Hopefully, she will get to play some more chess in Russia.  Chess is Cool!

Morgan Rust and Kathrine Dwyer 

Interview by Adam Porth  

Novemember 11, 2010

Gameknot

Woot!  My 100th win on Gameknot.  Hopefully I won't timeout on anymore games!

Anatoly Karpov

Question: Why should children play chess?
 
Anatoly Karpov: Chess can develop very important characteristics, individual characteristics.  First of all, chess develops logic, memory, and then with chess you can easily understand the necessity of plan.  then you can learn how to make strategy, which is important for normal life, for any profession and that’s why chess is entering school programs in many countries because teachers realize that with help of chess you can give this knowledge much easier than with the help of other subjects.

Question: Why do you want to lead the World Chess Federation?
 
Anatoly Karpov: So this is a unique opportunity now to change the, change the situation. And chess is in danger as profession and so federation which is lacking now in leadership and so they made many mistakes and so now we have feeling that professional chess players have difficulties in financing and such prizes going down and then it’s difficult to keep this profession.  And, internationally, we have a very good situation now because we have grandmaster, Magus Carson from Norway who is one of the best chess players and most probably he will be next world champion, and then we have, we have American player, Hikaru Nakamura, who is also on the top, and then we have Sergey Karjakin in Russia, and then we have good players in China, in Holland, in India, and so it... and then Indian grandmaster, Vishy Anand, he just defended his title in match in Sofia against Bulgarian player, Topalov, and so he’s world champion for many years already and then this is very international view.  And chess, from a time it was just privilege of mostly Soviet players, and later Russian players, but now it became very international so it gives a lot of opportunities.  And these opportunities could be used with new team and I will have top professional team representing, of course different parts of the world.

Recorded on May 17, 2010
Interviewed by Paul Hoffman
from "Big Think" website

New Website

Here is a link to a new website I made for my brother-in-law:  SPASH Basketball

Illegal Moves: Chessmen fined and pinned!

The evidence keeps growing - chess prejudice is clearly part of American culture.  "Drop that bishop and come out with your hands up!"  Seven men were arrested for playing chess in a park in New York.  Some people just don't like the idea that normal people enjoy chess. Under the guise that alcohol and drugs were a problem, police officers ticketed the men whom now have to appear in court to defend themselves.  Chess players don't fit the mold that most people believe describe chess players - i.e., nerds, weirdos, paranoiacs, crazies, old men, schizos, etc.  and now pedophiles and druggies? Whenever something doesn't fit a paradigm, then individuals in denial try to beat the observations and actualities into submission so they do fit.  I think it is time to shift ideas and paradigms since the perceptions are different from the reality.  Maybe more people should play chess and enjoy the benefits of developing thinking skills?  Clearly, this is a case of not thinking.  (click this link to read more)

New Calender

If you are interested in staying informed of upcoming chess events, please visit our Calender.  Also, you are welcome to add an event by clicking on the date and creating a chess event.

Snow Day : )

I hope you all study or play some chess today.  Please see the updates to the WRHS Chess Club website and The Chessnut.  Please make sure to sign the guest book and indicate where you are from.  Appreciado.

Chess Club going well but gets ripped off

We had twelve students stop in to play some games tonight, and I think Ms. Wolfram was tempted to even play a game.  Nick Bruck and Esdras Santigao played three games with each other.  Max Mihalic played me and another new student, Emmett Say, and Alex.  Julia Broderick engaged in games with Alex Bates.  Miles Hendrix was able to play Alex as well.  There were also quite a few observers.  With my kids wrestling or at dance, the end of the semester crush with AP students missing, and Senior Project students scrambling to finish before their deadlines, it was a quiet night.  Check out the newly organized WRHS Chess Club site or stop in at the parent site, The Chessnut, to sign my guest book.

On the fund-raising front, Max sold a board and we have been selling lot's of snacks to students.  Today, we made $6 in sales and when I went to my desk to get the money to deposit in the office, it was gone!  Somebody stole money from our club!  I hope their conscience causes there genitals to shrivel up like a walnut!

I also advertised for Caleb Kircher's and Extreme Chess' camp offered this Christmas break.  Alex Chua is rated 2300+, a Life Chess Master, National Chess Master, 2010 Texas State Championship Runner-up, Texas Collegiate Individual Chess Champion, The University of Texas at Dallas Chess Team.  He is planning on teaching, conducting a simul, organizing a tournament.  Details can be found at ICA.

Alex Chua with his College Team

Alex Bates wins KMVT Academic Achievement Award

Alex plays in the Ogden Scholastic Chess Tournament this past month

I don't have all the details, yet, but Alex Bates, senior at WRHS, won an Academic Achievement Award from KMVT in Twin Falls.  They did a feature video this past week that is to be aired the day after Christmas.  Our club is proud of Alex's achievements and even prouder that KMVT donated $100 to the WRHS extra-curricular activity of his choice, the Chess Club!  We all thank you for your kind thoughts and efforts to improve the Chess Club.

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This might be the end!

Is anyone out there reading this blog??? Google analytics says there were only 2 visits since June.  If this is the case I might be done with this blogging business. . .

SIO: Toitey Tourney

The 2010 Southern Idaho Open

The Southern Idaho Open on Saturday, November 13 was a success for the Wood River contingent.  We arrived, awake, and awaiting the start of the first round.  We all had used the toilet before the trip began at my house.  One of my students, Nick Bruck, my son, Desmond, and one of his friends, Jake Whitlock all looked forward to what the games would offer us.

Once the chess matches started in the morning hours, the mammalian circadian rhythms took over and like clockwork the one-stalled bathroom of the Obenchain Building began to see more activity than the chess room.  As the men try their best to not eat 15-20 minutes of their G/60 time, they rush to void themselves of the ultimate chess distraction.  It sometimes looks like the march of the penguins with heads bowed in thoughts of the next move.

As the low-flush capacity of the facilities could not withstand the onslaught of chess players in very regular intervals, the toilet had had enough by round 2 and regurgitated its last load.  The offender must have had very little time left on his clock as he neglected to tell anyone, and further did not take the moment to stop the flush.  It continued to flush and empty onto the floor.  I was the first on the crime scene and had to rectify the situation.  I stopped the flow but there was already inches of water covering the entire floor and seeping under the wall to the adjacent rooms.

Me and Des paired for Round 1

During Round 1, I was paired with Desmond and decided to open with b4.  The orangutan.  He gave me a look of disgust as I moved, but by move 4 I snaked a bishop because he did not block the check with his knight and used his pawn instead.  After that blunder, he slowed down and was much more of a challenge.  Barry put a sign on the door of the bathroom, "Closed due to stupidity."

Nick Bruck, my protege'

During Round 2, it was my turn to blunder.  In the end game, I offered a rook exchange with Nick which he happily accepted.  He was a pawn up and my king was two files away.  His king began threatening my chain of pawns and all I could do was hope he messed up as many scholastic players do in end game.  Nick would not have anything to do with mistakes today.  I now felt constipated.

Play online chess

Last game with only seconds left on Jay's clock

Round 3 was exciting for me.  Not for my game, but for Desmond's and Nick's.  Desmond played a very solid game against Jay Simonson through the end game.  Black Bishops and equal numbers of pawns.  Jay only had seconds left to Desmond's 15 minutes.  At one point, in a display of great sportsmanship, Desmond reminded Jay to hit the clock.  I don't think most of the players watching would have been so gracious.  Or, maybe they would, as everyone is very friendly?  I was very proud of Desmond playing one of the longest games he ever has, nearly 2 hours.  Nick also made me proud to be his coach and friend.  He beat Jamie Lang in a long but decisive game.  Barry took his sign down and there were sighs of relief.

Kevin, Jay, and I hold an informal ICA meeting

In the last round, I faced off with Scott Featherston.  After losing my game to Nick, I was a bit competitive and decided to go on a queen hunt when Scott snatched one of my offered pawns with her.  I checked him with my knight and forked his queen.  And then rampaged to the end.  I finally got to use the bathroom and then watched Jake offer his rook to Jay in order to remove a guarding bishop.  Jay took the bait and Jake got checkmate.

Play online chess

Jeff Roland and Tom Booth

Nick ended with a perfect tournament and $63 in pocket.  I tied for 2nd place (actually got 3rd due to tie-breakers) with 3.0 pts.  Desmond scored 2.0 pts. and Jake got his first win in an ICA event.  Caleb Kircher wins > 1400 with a perfect score, as well.  To experience more of the games go to the ICA results link.

Caleb Kircher

Open Section
##	Player	ST	Rating	1	2	3	4	Score	Prize
1	Caleb Paul Kircher	ID	1650	W6	W2	W8	W5	4	1st
2	Gene L. Tatom	ID	1600	W9	L1	W7	D4	2½	2nd-3rd (tie)
3	Tom R. Booth	ID	1567	D7	D4	D5	W8	2½	2nd-3rd (tie)
4	Barry D. Eacker	ID	1600	D5	D3	-H-	D2	2	4th
5	Glen Buckendorf, Jr.	ID	1800	D4	D7	D3	L1	1½
6	Hugh S. Myers	ID	1533	L1	L8	W9	D7	1½
7	Jeffrey T. Roland	ID	1724	D3	D5	L2	D6	1½	Book
8	Fred Bartell	ID	1618	-H-	W6	L1	L3	1½
9	Aleksandr Vereshchagin	ID	1296	L2	-B-	L6	-N-	1

U1400 Section
##	Player	ST	Rating	1	2	3	4	Score	Prize
1	Nick Jon Bruck	ID	1097	W9	W3	W5	W2	4	1st
2	Kevin D. Ness	ID	1290	W6	W10	W4	L1	3	2nd-4th (tie)
3	Adam Porth	ID	1255	W7	L1	W8	W6	3	2nd-4th (tie)
4	Kevin R. Patterson	ID	1243	W12	W5	L2	W7	3	2nd-4th (tie)
5	Jamie Lang	ID	1376	W8	L4	L1	W10	2	Book
6	Scott Featherston	ID	803	L2	W11	W10	L3	2
7	Desmond Porth	ID	669	L3	W9	W12	L4	2
8	Katie Rae Patterson	ID	956	L5	W12	L3	W9	2
9	Dan Lee Daggett, II	ID	Unr.	L1	L7	W11	L8	1
10	Carmen Elizabeth Pemsler	ID	1122	W11	L2	L6	L5	1
11	Jake Whitlock	ID	218	L10	L6	L9	W12	1
12	Jay L. Simonson	ID	657	L4	L8	L7	L11	0

Essay from a student

How chess has changed my life

            My life was completely changed the first day I played chess in eighth grade. Within one year I began playing chess competitively and have never stopped. My life was utterly changed by the way chess helped me slow down and think about all the possibilities before jumping into a task. Chess also helped me build a strong team bond with all of my teammates. Lastly, chess taught me strong leadership abilities while I was president of the chess club.

            If you learn one thing from playing chess, it is take your time and look over every possibility before acting. This is why many jails and community correctional institutes offer chess to the inmates at the institution. “It forces you to think in difficult situation, you can’t just react,” said Davis an inmate serving in Howard County Detention Center. Making people slow down and think not only helps people play chess, it can help people make wiser decisions in everyday life like financial investments and choices that might lead them into trouble.

            Creating a strong team bond is one of the most important traits you can acquire because no matter where you work or what you do, there is always a team of people around you helping you with the task. Over the course of four years that I spent in my high school chess club I have met new people and have created friendships that will never go away. A strong team bond is like having a second family. No matter what happens, you can always count on your team to be there and support you during tough times.

            The last thing that I developed while in chess club is leadership skills. I served as the president of the Wood River High School Chess Team during my junior year, 2009 – 2010. While president some of my many responsibilities were to show up early to home tournaments to help set up, teach people how to play chess while in club, and to always support the team and keep a positive outlook within chess club. This skill will be invaluable while being in charge of a project.

            The way chess has changed my view and way of life is immeasurable and will have lifelong effects. Chess has taught me to slow down and consider all my options has kept me out of trouble and has led to many wise investments. I will never forget the friends that I have made in chess club and the way we all bonded and worked together as one during chess tournaments. The greatest contribution that chess has made to my life is the experience that I gained from being the president of my state winning chess team.

"In life, unlike chess, the game continues after checkmate."                           - Isaac Asimov

An Idaho Chess Icon passes

January 19, 1930 - November 7, 2010

I am very sorry to find out that Dick Vandenburg passed away last night at around 5:30 p.m.  Dick has been fighting a spreading cancer for quite sometime and his health has not been very good as he told me last March at the Scholastic Championships.

Dick was a very important figure in Idaho chess history and in the success of the Idaho Chess Association.  Dick was the trustee for Scholastic Development which he had held since 2005.  Previous to that he was past President, Vice President, and Secretary and Treasurer from 1957 until 1988 of the ICA, and he began Idaho Scholastics and successfully ran it during the 1980s for roughly 12 years, as well.  He was President of the Boise Chess Club for about 20 years and wrote a quarterly newsletter during the 1950s - 1960s for the ICA.  These are uploaded on the ICA website.  Another passion was the Correspondence Chess League of America and he was President for 10 years of that organization - Vice President until last year.  During this time he organized international tournaments and was also captain of many teams.  Last year, the ICA gave him a lifetime achievement award as Scholastic Trustee Emeritus of the ICA.

Dick Vandenburg was a very successful player as well as organizer and supporter.  He held the Idaho State Championship for 6 years and in 1965 he won both the Idaho Closed and the Idaho Open Championships.    I noticed no other player has successfully done that.  He began playing chess in high school in 1945, and participated in the first organized Idaho Championship with Glen Buckendorf in 1947.  "So I've been around it for around 65 years (I'm 80 now)," he indicated in an informal interview with me in August.  He was the first chess player in Idaho to have a lifetime membership in the ICA.   He continued, 


"C. H. Stewart, who was the strongest player in Idaho since he moved here somewhere in the teens - maybe about 1916?  He was about 60 years old at the time."  Dick says he won his first Idaho title in 1955 and "was kind of lucky to do it, at age 25.  I was playing an experienced fellow from Utah or Nevada who figured I would screw up the end game.  I offered him a draw, but he refused it.  Finally, he was the one to make a mistake and I won the game and the tournament."


"I don't really have a favorite opening and have been playing only correspondence chess these past many years, where you can consult opening books.  Possibly the Sicilian Defense might be my favorite, but I play others.  At the moment, I'm fighting advanced prostate cancer and am not playing any games."

Dick loved chess and chess players.  "Glen Buckendorf has been almost a lifelong friend," Dick confided in me in one e-mail.  I remember watching him tool around the skittles room with his chess team from Washington Elementary as he helped players find their boards.  After the games were done, I witnessed the little chess players run into the room and actively search Dick out to tell him of their triumphs.  Dick sat with kids and helped them with their games, as well.

I hope the void that has now formed for the chess community of Idaho is filled by someone with the same kind of love, care, and patience that Dick provided everyone.  Dick's wisdom invariably transcends chess when he wrote, "we all have different interests, time and energy, and none are superior to what someone else may be doing."  We will all miss you, Dick!

In the Skittles Room at the Idaho Scholastics, 2010

Dick gives Dylan her first trophy at her first chess tournament, Idaho Novice, 2006

Dick is helping my daughter at the Girl's Scholastic Championship, 2007

Dick with his players at the Girl's Scholastic Championships, 2010

Please also see the Idaho Chess Association website.

Ogden Scholastic Chess Tournament

For the third year, WRHS Chess Rage won the Ogden Scholastic Tournament.  This year was unique in that we brought a full middle school team for the first time.

After finding a suitable basecamp for our teams, we were surprised to see some familiar faces-Kevin and Katie Patterson greeted us with smiles.  We immediately decided that Katie should be an official member of the WRHS Chess Club.  Afterall, she has always been respected by our group and I was hoping she would develop a deeper camaraderie with her friends as she teamed up with our middle school team. It is nice to feel a part of a group at any age.

Katie plays to the end

WRMS Cheers Katie on

We have a total of thirteen players - 5 players on the high school team and 6 players on the middle school team.  Dylan and Darwin would have to forgo teammates again in the elementary section.  This is the first time I have ever had a full middle school team and I was excited to see the results.  Of the 13 players, six have never been involved in tournament before today.

Colby

Darwin

Alex

Max

____________________________________________________________

Hunter

Hunter is white on this board.  He won.

____________________________________________________________

Riley

Here is a position from Riley Clark's game (she is white, but lost)

____________________________________________________________

As round 1 approached, I could sense the nerves and adrenaline start to circulate in the players. Colby likened the experience to a start of his wrestling matches and was surprised to feel this in a chess tournament. His legs were antsy, he started sweating, and his senses heightened.  This was going to be an exciting tournament.

One of Colby's games as black.  Major problem in front of the king.

	Gr	Rnd 1	Rnd 2	Rnd 3	Rnd 4	Rnd 5	Total	Place
Darwin Porth	K	0	0	1/2	1/2	0	1.0	1st
Dylan Porth	5	1	0	1	0	0	2.0
Katie Patterson	7	1	1	1	0	0	3.0	2nd
Desmond Porth	8	0	1	1	1	1	4.0	3rd
Riley Neel	8	1	0	1	1	1	4.0	2nd
Hunter Frye	8	0	1	1/2	1	1	3.5	4th
Jake Whitlock	8	1	1	0	0	1	3.0	3pt.
Riley Clark	8	0	0	0	0	1B	1.0
Colby Guisasola	9	0	1	1	0	0	2.0	2nd
Max Mahlic	9	0	1	0	0	0	1.0
Andrew Uriarte	12	1	1	1	0	1	4.0	1st
Chris Ellis	12	1	1	0	0	1	3.0	2nd
Alex Bates	12	1	0	0	1	1	3.0	3rd

Darwin is white.  I spotted this triple check position in one of his games.  Don't ask me how???

The first few games for Darwin were tragedies and lot's of tears were flowing as he realized this was a competition and he wanted a trophy like his brother and sister.  After his second game, he sat by himself and thumbed through a book ("Chess Wisdom") and pondered.  I found great entertainment watching Darwin in the later games.  He lightened up his mood and decided to have fun.  This age group really knows how to enjoy playing a game of chess!  Darwin and his opponents spent time moving pieces like race cars, they then transformed them into airplanes, pieces frequently hit the floor, were misplaced or not even replaced, and the pen-ultimate move - shaking the rook you just took off the board at your opponent!  I wish I got some of the antics on film.  It was nice to see smiles from both players unlike earlier.  As this was a K-3 section, I think he was playing 3rd graders in the first few games as there was a huge difference in the approach to the game.  Overall, I noticed that Darwin really did move correctly and never misplaced a piece.  He struggled with checkmate and ended with Draws instead.

Andrew

Desmond

Curly

As I watched the older groups, I started seeing a pattern with my players.  Especially, with the newer tournament kids.  The quality of the game they played was very good until a blunder in the middle game would virtually wreck what they were building towards.  It was usually a long-diagonal bishop that grabbed a queen or a rook, or a discovered attack on two pieces simultaneously.  I really don't think the individual scores of the newer players really reflected how well they actually played.

Dylan uses a Grandmaster focusing technique

Even the experienced players had this happen.  Dylan felt like she was out playing her opponent in two games she lost, but a critical error in the games (a long-bishop checkmate, and a discovered attack on the queen) lost her the games (she was even pieces up).  Desmond even missed an illegal move in the first game that cost him the game and a perfect tournament score.  Andrew was playing very confidently, but lost his focus and his queen in Round 4 to a lesser player. With more experience and more tournament play, the mistakes will gradually disappear and all their efforts soon rewarded even more than they already are.

Andrew plays white.  There was a big oops somewhere!

Curly gives Max some suggestions

Max and Colby catch a point

As the last round approached, both the high school and middle school teams found themselves in the lead by only one point.  Andrew began calculating all the possible outcomes in order for us to win the team prize.  Plus, I said I would buy the pizza after the tournament if they won 1st place.  Free food is a great motivator!  Their 5th round games were vigorous and decisive and we brought home all 4 points in the middle school section and 3 points in the high school section.  We won the high school and the middle school section by 1.0 point in each case.  Out of the thirteen kids, 10 received trophies and three received medals for their scores.  I am very proud of the way they played and interacted on this trip.

On the way home we stopped at the PI for pizza on Porth.