TABLE OF CONTENTS: April - May, 2005

• 05.30 - FORMER IDAHO PLAYER PLACES WELL IN US AMATEUR WEST
• 05.29 - MOUNTAINEERS MAINTAIN LEAD IN CCLA TEAM TOURNAMENT
• 05.29 - YET ANOTHER BOBBY FISCHER COMEBACK?
• 05.29 - NEW SUSAN POLGAR CHESS BLOG
• 05.25 - FOLLOW UP TO PREVIOUS NEWS ITEMS
• 05.23 - PRISON CHESS
• 05.23 - TWIN FALLS CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS - WEEK 3
• 05.18 - IDAHOANS AT GLOBAL CHESS CHALLENGE TOURNAMENT
• 05.16 - FORMER IDAHO PLAYER SECOND IN 2005 AIR FORCE PLAYOFF
• 05.15 - 2005 WYOMING OPEN RESULTS
• 04.29 - DONALDSON WINS IDAHO OPEN
• 04.23 - BENYAL, WEYLAND TIE AT 70TH MONTANA OPEN
• 04.09 - IDAHOANS AT THE 52ND INLAND EMPIRE OPEN
• 04.09 - SUTTON WINS 2005 MAGIC VALLEY UNIT CHAMPIONSHIP
• 04.06 - VANDENBURG'S NEW CHESS COLUMN IN THE BOISE WEEKLY

FORMER IDAHO PLAYER PLACES WELL IN US AMATEUR WEST

Posted: 2005.05.30

By: Nomen Nescio

TUCSON, ARIZONA -- Staff Sgt. Robert Keough notched another excellent result at the US Amateur West Championship held in Tucson, Arizona, on May 28-30. He played in the Championship section and finished with a 4½-1½ score - finishing in a tie for third through sixth place.

Suphachai Chris Leeisaranukul, California, and Benjamin A. Marmont, Arizona, finished in a tie for first and second places with a 5-1 score. Fifty-one players competed in the Championship section.

MOUNTAINEERS MAINTAIN LEAD IN CCLA TEAM TOURNAMENT

Posted: 2005.05.29

By: Nomen Nescio

BOISE -- The Idaho Mountaineers, captained by Dick Vandenburg, have maintained the lead in the Division 3 section of the Correspondence Chess League of America (CCLA) XIII Team Championship. The Mountaineers have a score of 52 - 37 with 11 games remaining. The second place Karo-Kannvicts, also captained by Vandenburg, are in second place with a 45 - 31 score and have 24 games remaining. The tournament will end on June 30, 2005 and adjudications may be requested after June 22, 2005; therefore, final results should be available soon.

In previous years the Mountaineers have won the I and XII Team Championships and the Idaho/Montana Mountaineers won the IX championship, all in Division 3.

YET ANOTHER BOBBY FISCHER COMEBACK?

Posted: 2005.05.29

By: Nomen Nescio

REYKJAVIK, ICELAND -- According to a news item at the ChessBase News Site, former World Champion Bobby Fischer may be seeking another match with his old opponent Boris Spassky.

Discussions are underway for a match later in the year using Fischer Random Chess Rules. Briefly, Fischer Random Chess changes the initial arrangement of the pieces on the back row created by chance. This variation is felt to reduce the amount of opening theory required to successfully play at a high level.

It is yet to be determined exactly how much interest the chess world will really has in this kind of match between two rather elderly opponents. Just kidding! It is Bobby Fischer, isn't it?

NEW SUSAN POLGAR CHESS BLOG

Posted: 200505.29

By: Nomen Nescio

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK -- Four time Women's World Champion Susan Polgar has started a blog at Susan Polgar Chess.

The blog currently has only a few posts; however, it does give interesting insights into the life of a chess professional. There are current entries concerning some of her views of the United States Chess Federation (USCF); women in chess; tips on how to improve and her life as a scholastic chess promoter. Give it a read.

FOLLOW UP TO PREVIOUS NEWS ITEMS

Posted: 2005.05.25

By: Nomen Nescio

BOISE -- The cross table for the 2005 Idaho Open is now available at Idaho Open Results- remember you got it here first

The games for the 2005 Magic Valley Championship are now available at Magic Valley Chess Club Championship

PRISON CHESS

Posted: 2005.05.23

By: Nomen Nescio

ONTARIO, OREGON -- I have recently started playing occasional chess at the Snake River Correctional Institution in Ontario, Oregon. The activities coordinator Claud Maness would like to expand their chess activities. If any of you are interested in playing there occasionally (now, Saturdays 2:00-4:00), let me know.

If you e-mail me at tombooth1076@msn.com, I will send you the background check form that you can forward to the prison. It takes 2 - 3 weeks for them to check it, and give permission to proceed. The prisoners really appreciate volunteers from outside. Some are very good chess players. A few years back some of us went there for a Saturday afternoon. It was fun. Stewart Sutton was one of those attending.

If you have questions: 453-2032 or tombooth1076@msn.com

Hope you are winning all your chess games.

Tom Booth, Caldwell

TWIN FALLS CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS - WEEK 3

Posted: 2005.05.23

By: Nomen Nescio

TWIN FALLS -- Alexander Veryschagin, Twin Falls and Ryan Sandberg, Rupert, are now tied with Steve Hinton, Filer, for the early lead in three of the 2005 Twin Falls City Championship. All of those players have an undefeated 2-0 score.

The tournament started May 9, 2005 at Barnes and Noble Bookstore in Twin Falls and will continue through August.

This is the first true Twin Falls city championship in the last twenty-five years. The tournament format has returned to a round-robin format from the more usual Swiss System pairings to provide a more competitive tournament and to facilitate scheduling games. As you might see from the pairings table, several games were played out of strict round order.

A number of the top finishers from this tournament will be seeded into the Idaho Chess Union championship series to be held later in the year.

Click the chessboard or here to play through the games of the 2005 Twin Falls City Championship Games

IDAHOANS AT GLOBAL CHESS CHALLENGE TOURNAMENT

Posted: 2005.05.18

By: Nomen Nescio

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA -- Grandmaster Zviad Izoria, Republic of Georgia, won the the $50,000 Open prize at the HB Global Chess Challenge tournament this past weekend with an undefeated 7½-1½ score. Following closely behind were grandmasters Smirin, Kamsky, Beliavsky, Harikrishna, Ehlvest, Najer, Ibragimov, Yusupov, Yudasin, and Fridman, each with identical 7-2 scores and those players received $5000.00 for their efforts.

The tournament, held at the Minneapolis Convention Center on May 18-22, 2005, was a four-day, nine round tournament with a guaranteed prize fund of over $500,000. Total attendance was over 1400 players.

Three Idaho players were known to have played. Expert Dan E. Mayers, Sun Valley, scored a respectable 4½-4½ score in the Under-2200 Section. Boisean Dan Gregson had an even 4½-4½ score in the Under-1400 section. Also playing was Dylan Smith, currently at school in Oregon, who finished with a 5-4 score in the Under-2000 section.

Former Twin Falls resident, Daniel Pocol, now residing in Washington State, finished with a score of 3½ in the Under 2000 section.

For further news of this event, check the following web site: Official HB Challenge Website

FORMER IDAHO PLAYER PLACES SECOND IN 2005 AIR FORCE CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYOFF

Posted: 2005.05.16

By: Nomen Nescio

DAVIS-MONTHON AIR FORCE BASE, ARIZONA -- Staff Sgt. Robert Keough, formerly of Mountain Home Air Force Base, finished with an undefeated 5-2 score in the 2005 Air Force Chess Championship held at Davis-Monthon Air Force Base, Arizona, on May 1 through May 5, 2005. Also finishing with identical 5-2 scores were Technical Sgt. Brian Smith, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, and Staff Sgt. Nathaniel Ola, based at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado.

In an ensuing playoff, Sgt. Ola finished first with a 1½-½ score, followed by Keough with a score of 1-0 and Sgt. Smith with a score of ½-1½.

Ola, Keough, and Smith were chosen for the 2005 Air Force Team and were scheduled to play in the 2005 Interservice Championship that was held in June at Fort Meyer, Virginia. Also selected for the Air Force Team were Col. Sam Echaure, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana; Master Sgt. Oliver Dela Cruz, Bolling Air Force Base, District of Columbia; and Technical Sgt. Dan Ranario, Royal Air Force, Mildenhall, England.

Results from the Interservice Championship will be posted when available.

WYOMING OPEN RESULTS

Posted: 2005.05.15

By: Nomen Nescio

CHEYENNE, WYOMING -- Colorado expert Jesse R. Cohen won the 2005 edition of the Wyoming Open with an undefeated 4½-½ score. Close behind Cohen in second through fourth places were David A. Wallace, Colorado; James E, Kulbacki, Wyoming; and John F. Schultz, also from Colorado, each with identical 4-1 scores.

This year's open was held May 14-15 on the campus of Laramie County Community College. Forty-three players from six different states attended and the attendance was up eleven players from the 2004 tournament.

Tournament directors were Brian L Walker and Jonathan Ray Fortune.

No players from Idaho attended this year's event; however, the Idaho Chess Union might consider renting a van and sending a team to next year's tournament.

DONALDSON WINS IDAHO OPEN

Posted: 2005.05.16

By: Nomen Nescio

POCATELLO, IDAHO -- International Master John Donaldson, Berkley, California, won the 2005 Idaho Open Championship held April 29-30, 2005 at Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho.

You can read about the tournament by reading the following online sources:

• Idaho State Journal April 29
• Idaho State Journal May 1
• KPVI Channel 6 News May 01

BENYAL, WEYLAND TIE IN 70TH MONTANA OPEN

Posted: 2005.04.23

By: Nomen Nescio

GREAT FALLS, MONTANA -- Haluk Beyenal, Bozeman, finished first on tie-breaks in the 70th Montana Open Championship, held on April 23-24, 2005 in Great Falls, Montana. He had an undefeated 4-1 score, winning three games and drawing two.

Idaho’s own Phillip Weyland finished second with an identical undefeated 4-1 score. This result follows excellent results in the 2005 David Collyer Memorial and 2005 Supernations. Weyland also won the 2005 Idaho State Scholastic championship with an undefeated 6-0 score!

Three other players finished with idential 4-1 scores. John Julian, Washington, Robert Feldstein, New York and former Idaho resident and current Montana resident Andy Shuck.

Northern Idaho player Ron Weyland took the first C-trophy on tiebreaks.

Attendance was 33 players.

IDAHOANS AT THE 52ND INLAND EMPIRE OPEN

Posted: 2005.04.09

By: Nomen Nescio

SPOKANE, WASHINGTON -- NM Curt Collyer and Class-A player John Julian took top honors at the 52nd Inland Empire Open held in Spokane, Washington on April 9-10, 2005. Both players finished with undefeated 4½-½ scores.

Idaho resident Brad Bodie and former Idaho resident Michael Cambareri tied for second and third in Class-B with a 3-2 score. Other Idaho players attending were Marc Anderson and Kenneth Erickson. Also participating was our Montana friend Robert Martin.

Twenty-eight players competed for the $1000.00 guaranteed prize fund. The event was directed by David Griffin and John Julian.

SUTTON WINS MAGIC VALLEY UNIT CHAMPIONSHIP

Posted: 2005.04.09

By: Nomen Nescio

TWIN FALLS -- Stewart Sutton, Boise, won the 2005 Magic Valley Championship. The tournament was held at the Obenchain Insurance Building, Twin Falls, on April 9 through 10. Sutton had an undefeated score of 3-1, having been held to only two draws.

Second and third places were taken by Jeff Roland and Jim Stark, Boise, both with scores of 2½-1½. Stark was initially scheduled to play in the Reserve Section, but was raised up to the Open Section to even out the numbers in both sections. He acquitted himself very well for starting at the bottom of the section.

Hansen resident Don Shouse won the Reserve Section with an undefeated score of 3½-½. This result promotes Shouse from the Reserve Section to the Open Section for next year's tournament.

The tournament director for this event was Barry Eacker.

DICK VANDENBURG’s NEW CHESS COLUMN IN THE BOISE WEEKLY

Posted: 2005.04.06

By: Nomen Nescio

BOISE -- Dick Vandenburg has noted that he has obtained a new chess column in the Boise Weekly.

According to Vandenburg "The second monthly chess column in the Boise weekly was printed this Wednesday, April 6. It is in the Sports section. These columns will continue monthly, the first Wednesday of each month, and will contain a chess problem, Idaho tournament results and announcements of coming events, plus other information as space permits during the months where we have less activity to report."

Vandenburg continued "Please tell your chess clubs and everyone you know that plays chess about the column! Take copies of it to your next club meeting and distribute, while telling everyone to watch for it in the future. If the Boise Weekly feels it is being read, they will keep it running. Later on, I'll probably ask you write the paper that you like the chess column, but you can do so anytime now if you wish. Remember, it will come out every first Wednesday of each month."

Please support Dick's efforts! The url for the Boise Weekly is: http://www.boiseweekly.com/gyrobase/index