NATS2.jpg
North Alabama Team Scholastic Championship K-6 teams start the round, push forward their pawns, press their opponent's chess clock to start and write their chess moves down. 34 teams competed in the Madison City Chess League event. (Photo: Scott Wilhelm)
Threats of snow, and a delayed start of the first round, did not dampen team members' enthusiasm that came to play in the North Alabama Team Scholastic Championship.
Madison City Chess League organized and sponsored the Feb. 21 team tournament which attracted 34 teams. Four players played on each team with top scoring teams winning their sections.
Madison City Chess League hosts many tournaments and chess activities for individual players. The team tournament was a first. "It's so different playing in the four-person team format. Usually the only opportunity to play a team event is the Alabama State Scholastic Team Championship," said Ranae Bartlett, executive director of the Madison City Chess League.
Madison Mayor Troy Trulock and Madison City Schools Superintendent, Dr. Dee Fowler speaking to the K-3 section before starting the first round. Madison City Chess League director, Ranae Bartlett is on the left. (Photo: Scott Wilhelm)
Bartlett says the North Alabama Team Scholastic Championship tournament was excellent practice and preparation for the upcoming state scholastic championship on March 14-15, in Mobile. "The team members immediately understand the impact of a win, loss or draw on the overall team score," she said.
The K-3 section played four rounds. The K-6 and K-9 sections played three rounds. The tournament was held at James Clemens High School in Madison and was United States Chess Federation rated.
Tournament final standings
K-3 Section: 1st Place - Rainbow Elementary Red Team; 2nd Place - Columbia Elementary 1 Team; 3rd Place - Heritage Elementary Black Team; 4th - Heritage Elementary White Team; 5th - Rainbow Elementary Blue Team. The Columbia Elementary 2 Team was recognized for their final score.
K-6 Section: 1st Place - Rainbow Elementary Red Team; 2nd Place - Rainbow Elementary Blue Team; 3rd Place - Rainbow Elementary Green Team; 4th - Horizon Elementary B Team; 5th - West Madison Elementary; Heritage Elementary Gold Team, Mill Creek Elementary Blue Team, Blossomwood Elementary A Team, and Columbia Elementary 1 Team were also recognized in this section.
K-9 Junior High Section: 1st Place - Discovery Middle School; 2nd Place - Liberty Middle School; 3rd Place - Covenant Christian Academy
Chess Calendar
March 7, Alabaster Scholastic Chess Tournament. Location: Thompson Intermediate School, 10019 Hwy 119, Alabaster. Sections - Rated: Knight (K-12); Not Rated: Novice (K-8) and Primary (K-4). 5 rounds. Open to all public, private, and homeschool students. Beginners welcomed. For more information check the Alabama Chess Federation tournament calendar or contact CaesarChess@yahoo.com.
March 14 & 15, Alabama Scholastic Chess Championships. Location: Alabama School of Mathematics and Science, Mobile. Registration information for the individual scholastic championships and the team championship can be found at Alabama Chess Federation homepage and calendar section. Email questions to: scholastic@alabamachess.org.
Chess simultaneous fundraiser
Former Alabama state chess champion, chess master Bradley Denton, recently gave a simultaneous chess display to help raise funds for the Hogan Family YMCA, in Madison.
Chess master Bradley Denton played a simultaneous chess exhibition against some of the best scholastic chess players in north Alabama. The event was a fundraiser put on by the Madison City Chess League to help raise funds. (Photo: Ranae Bartlett)
The Madison City Chess League organized and sponsored the event and Denton donated his time. To play chess master Denton, scholastic chess players contributed to the fund. A simultaneous exhibition is where a strong player contests a number of games at one time, each on a different board against a different opponent.
'Simuls' are opportunities for chess players to match their skills against a very strong player. The Hogan Family YMCA provides free meeting space for the Madison City Chess League every Monday night. The fundraiser was a thank you to the YMCA for the space they provide for chess playing and chess instruction.
Scholastic chess player, Om Badhe, of Huntsville, drew his game with Denton.
America's number one takes Zurich
American Grandmaster Hiakru Nakamura won the Zurich Chess Challenge that was held from Feb. 13 to 19. Six of the world's top players competed with each other in blitz, classical and rapid chess. Each of these formats are played with different time limits.
Russian Grandmaster Sergej Karjakin versus United States number one Hikaru Nakamura at the Zuirch Classic. Nakamura defeated Karjakin. (Photo: Eteri Kublashvili)
In the finals, Hikaru Nakamura had tied with former world champion Vishy Anand, of India. The deciding, tie-breaks game was a single blitz game that Anand lost. With that final victory, Nakamura won the event and added another prestigious tournament first to his impressive 2015 tournament victories.
Nakamura defeats Russian rival Karjakin
Grandmaster Sergey Karjakin, 25-year old, has long been considered Russia's most promising chess talent to win the world chess title. His game with Hikaru Nakamura was a highlight of the Zurich tournament as both are potential competitors for the world title.
The players deliberately chose one of the most complex lines in the English Opening to test the resolve, and memory, of one another. It worked for Nakamura who won the psychological battle early in the game. Karjakin later admitted that he did not remember his home analysis of this extremely sharp line and lost his way in the maze of complications.
9.Qa4! is the contemporary way to play this variation. The older 9.e3 a6 10.Nc7+ (10.h3 axb5 11.hxg4 Nxc4 12.Qb3 is safer)...Qxc7 11.Qxg4 Qxc4! gives White no real compensation for the pawn.
Karjakin's 9...g5!? is the choice of the brave few who take up this line, the injudicious capture 9...Qxf2+ 10.Kd2 Qb6 11.h3 g5 12.Bxg5 f6 (12...Nf2 13.Rh2) 13.Bf4 Nh6 14.Ne4, despite White's king on d2, it will be Black who suffers in this position.
The 'book line' that Karjakin understandably forgot, starts 15...Qd2+ 16.Kb3 Qxb2+ 17.Kxc4 (or 17...d5+ 18.Kd3 Bg7 19.Ne2 with wild complications)...Bg7 18.Qa5+ b6 19.Qxg5+ f6 20.Qxa6 f5 with computer engines proclaiming as "equal" in several variations. On the other hand, Nakamura was thoroughly prepared and was willing to demonstrate that his home preparation would be better than his opponent. Karjakin's moment of forgetfulness leads to catastrophe.
Prolonging the inevitable with 24...Ke8 25.Rdxd7! Bxd7 26.Rxd7 wins as Black has no defense to eventually losing his b-pawn and White's two queenside passed pawns.
If 26...Bxd7 27.Rc3+ Bc6 (Kd8 28.Rcd3) 28.Rdc1 and Black is lost.
Nakamura's 27. Rc3 convinced Karjakin his position was beyond repair and he resigned as 27...Rxd7 28. Rdc1! Rd6 29. e5 is decisive.
Hikaru Nakamura v. Sergey Karjakin, 4th Zurich Chess Challenge Classical event
1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 e6 6. g3 Qb6 7. Ndb5 Ne5 8. Bf4 Nfg4 9. Qa4! g5 10. Bxe5 Qxf2+ 11. Kd1 Nxe5 12. Nc7+ Kd8 13. Nxa8 Qd4+ 14. Kc2 Nxc4 15. e4! Ne3+? 16. Kb3 Qd2 17. a3! Qc2+ 18. Ka2 Qxa4 19. Nxa4 Nxf1 20. Rhxf1 b5 21. N4b6! axb6 22. Nxb6 Bb7 23. Rxf7 Bc6 24. Rd1 Be7 25. Rf3 Kc7 26. Nxd7! Rd8 27. Rc3 1-0
Chess Challenge - Winning Moves
Solution to last al.com puzzle: Stanchev - Bankov, Bulgaria 1948. 1.Rc6!! and Black resigned as 1...bxc6 2.Nxf6 mates. White's rook move is a nice example of the chess tactic known as "interference." An "interference" is where a piece is sacrificed to block, or to cut, an opponent's piece from defending a more valuable piece, or with a time-gaining threat.
Chess Challenge
White has given check with Qa5+. Black (to move) has a choice between 1...Qb5+ and 1...Kd6. Which would you choose?
