Gambito #376

Gambito #376   6/21/08

Notes by Chuck Ensey: Good turnout today of 27 players, although of course we always wish for more.  We will also post some games on Cyrus Annotates later on. I wanted to have 2 sections, but we didn't have enough players for a good Reserve Section. The numbers weren't quite right for a McMahon either (too many Class A players, not enough of other types) so we went with 1 big section. In retrospect, I probably should have used a "mini-McMahon", but I wanted the Class A players to have a shot at the GM. I didn't think it would be me! 

 

GRANDMASTER GREGORY KAIDANOV at the SAN DIEGO CHESS CLUB. For more pics click here

Commentary by Rick Aeria

June 21st 2008 marks the longest day of the year and this day was made special by the appearance of Grandmaster Gregory Kaidanov, formerly of the Soviet Union - the Ukraine, to be more specific, and now one of America's premier grandmasters.  To have such a world class grandmaster in our midst was certainly cause for celebration and excitement.  To my recollection, the Gambito tournament series which started back in 2000 and now just completing its 376th running,  has had only two other grandmaster participants: GM Alex Yermolinsky in 2005 and the late and much-lamented GM Alex Wojotkiewicz in 2006.  GM Yermolinsky and IM Cyrus Lakdawala tied for first and "Wojo" won outright 4-0 without encountering either IM Enrico Sevillano or IM Cyrus Lakdawala at the NTC Promenade.  Such are the vagaries of the pairing systems.

Round 1

Speaking about the pairing system, the was a howl of disappointment and protest (in a jocular, good-natured vein) when the first player paired with GM Kaidanov was.....Chuck Ensey, our own wood chucking Gambito founder.  Chuck has been playing on a higher plateau of chess understanding lately and cannot be regarded any longer as the `Jessica Simpson' of the chess club.  However, GM Kaidanov did what he was paid to do and defeated our stalwart organizer.

In a dark and dank corner of the hall, away from the fanfare and fawning, IM Cyrus Lakdawala dispatched Richard Jensen. Likewise under falling ceiling tile, NM Bruce Baker gave the returning "saw bones" George Spellman a rough 'welcome back--where have you been?' thumping.  NM Peter "Mission Impossible" Graves lit a fuse on club president Ron Rezendes and watched Ron's position go "BOOM"! (Add your own Mission Impossible theme music.)

Former club Reserve Champion, Vincent Broman was most unfortunate.  After shredding my pet Old Indian Defence and achieving a promising position he blunders into a freak checkmate with his king surrounded by his own entourage on g5 and my bishop on d2 delivering the assassin's bullet. Oh, I have a joke about the Old Indian Defence.  Cyrus: " I play the Old Indian because I am an old Indian."

Round 2

 The cognoscenti nodded approvingly at Kaidanov's next pairing: Carey Milton!  If anyone can work their voodoo and pull out an upset win in this club, it's Carey.  after all, our wonder boy has the scalps of  IM Cyrus Lakdawala, IM Jack Peters and NM Bruce Baker to name a few, hanging in his trophy room.  Alas, it was not to be this time as Grandmaster Kaidanov did not hang any of his pieces.  Nonetheless, good sport Carey spirited the grandmaster away after the game to lunch at Red Lobster.

Meanwhile, toiling in the salt mines, Lakdawala roughs up his own 10-year old student and future grandmaster, Varun Krishnan, who put up remarkable resistance with only two seconds remaing on his clock (there was a five second time delay per move).

NM Bruce Baker manhandled another Cyrus student, Robert Aiello.  NM Peter Graves completed the trifecta by beating Alan Tsoi, another Cyrus student and future grandmaster. Up and comer, Dan Grazian, trotted out his Taimanov Sicilian against me. We skipped the middlegame and went directly to the endgame where Daniel found himself to be at a disadvantage dropping pawns. Tough round for the younglings.

Round 3

GM Kaidanov meets his first master class player, our own club manager, NM Bruce Baker and "Zounds!"  Baker holds his larger-than-life opponent to a draw!  For those in the know, this was not such a great surprise as Bruce Baker has a very deep and profound understanding of the game of chess.  Although many years past his prime, Bruce is quite capable of flexing his muscles and showing us what he can do.  Congratulations, Bruce!

Across the room, in that same dingy corner, Cyrus Lakdawala quietly overwhelms Peter Graves for a 3-0 score. Another day in the office. Down the hall, Vincent Broman goes 2-1 after his first round debacle and beats a very good chess player, Roberto Aiello.  More on Vince later.

I ruin the expected match-up between Cyrus Lakdawala and Kaidanov by beating Reshevsky...Ooops! I mean Lenny Sussman. When Leonard Sussman has the White pieces, he plays in the style of the late, great Samuel Reshevsky.  Queen Pawn Opening, quick, very positional, tactically alert, pugnacious and no speculative sacrifices - but he will gladly take what you want to donate to him.  It must have been the heat.  In a double-edged King's Indian, Lenny abandons the known theoretical plan (see? I told you.....Reshevsky!) and plays for a direct queenside campaign.  Naturally, I launch a lightning fast Kingside assault.  Lenny sees the danger and falls back to defend.  Boy! Lenny can DEFEND....but not today. Not in this heat. I break through, score 3-0.  Cyrus gets a cupcake for his last round opponent and we do not get to see the marquee match-up of Lakdawala and Kaidanov.  Sigh! I wanted to see Cyrus play Kaidanov!  Chess pairings have a mind of their own.

Round 4

GM Gregory Kaidanov gets paired with another club big-wig, ex-USCF policy board member, David Saponara!  If I didn't know any better I would suspect that the bureaucrats have setup a little grandmasterly boondoogle for themselves.  Round 1-Club Vice-President, Round 2-<NEVERMIND>, Round 3 -Club Manager and now Round 4 Ex-Club President.  Hmmmmmmm.

NM Bruce Baker was not to be denied this day as he wins a very nice encounter from NM Peter Graves to go 3 1/2-1/2 a second place tie with Grandmaster Kaidanov and a $70 payday.  For the effort, expertise and energy Bruce put out today, $7,000 would be a more equitable reward!

In the lower rating depths, Vincent Broman, completes his monster day by beating Leonard Sussman to earn a 3-1 score and a paycheck!  I want Vince checked for steroids.

On 'Board 1' the battle is virtually over after (I have White pieces) 1.  e4  c6  2.  d3  d5  3.  Nd2  g6  Ack!  What in God's green earth is this???  Expert Peter Hodges a well-meaning but misguided soul answered my rhetorical question later.  "Gurgenidze System!" Peter cooed helpfully.  Not!  So I spend five minutes trying to figure out what to do. The position eventually evolves in a Reversed King's Indian.  I felt that I was playing blindman;s buff.  When he was good and ready, Cyrus snipped off my loose a4-pawn and then calmly and unhurriedly sashayed his passed a-pawn down prompting me to capitulate and ponder what Irina Krush, US Women's Co-Champion, wrote about "clock punching monkeys".

Wall Chart

	Name/Rtng/ID	Rd 1	Rd 2	Rd 3	Rd 4
2	IM Cyrus Lakdawala	W 17	B 8	W 3	B 6
	2491 2498 1st Place $100	1	2	3	4
1	GM Gregory Kaidanov	B 16	W 7	B 4	W 12
	2670 2664  appearance fee	1	2	2쩍	3쩍
4	Bruce Baker	W 19	B 11	W 1	B 3
	2275 2297  U2400 $70	1	2	2쩍	3쩍
6	Rick Aeria	B 21	W 13	B 5	W 2
	2052 2070  U2200/2nd* $65	1	2	3	3
7	Carey Milton	W 22	B 1	W 15	B 13
	2047 2059  U2200/2nd* $65	1	1	2	3
21	Vincent Broman	W 6	B 27	W 11	B 5
	1773 1831  U2000 $60	0	1	2	3
12	David Saponara	bye	B 20	W 9	B 1
	1901 1925	쩍	1쩍	2쩍	2쩍
10	Alan Tsoi	W 24	B 3	W 17	B 18
	1946 1952	1	1	2	2쩍
18	Ron Rezendes	W 3	B 25	W 8	W 10
	1871 1890	0	1	2	2쩍
9	Peter Hodges	bye	W 14	B 12	W 22
	1953 1955	쩍	1쩍	1쩍	2쩍
3	Peter Graves	B 18	W 10	B 2	W 4
	2313 2304	1	2	2	2
8	Varun Krishnan	B 23	W 2	B 18	W 14
	1969 1964	1	1	1	2
11	Roberto Aiello	B 25	W 4	B 21	W 16
	1916 1910	1	1	1	2
13	Daniel Grazian	W 27	B 6	W 24	W 7
	1890 1883	1	1	2	2
17	Richard Jensen	B 2	W 23	B 10	W 24
	1872 1869	0	1	1	2
15	Jeff Turner	B 28	W 5	B 7	W 23
	1891 1882	1	1	1	2
5	Leonard Sussman	bye	B 15	W 6	W 21
	2068 2051	쩍	1쩍	1쩍	1쩍
22	Jason Arbeiter	B 7	W 28	bye	B 9
	1748 1740  U1800* $30	0	1	1쩍	1쩍
14	Jason Qu	bye	B 9	W 20	B 8
	1875 1866	쩍	쩍	1쩍	1쩍
20	Pejman Sagart	bye	W 12	B 14	W 25
	1775 1761  U1800* $30	쩍	쩍	쩍	1쩍
24	Ray Viernes	B 10	W 16	B 13	B 17
	1529 1587  U1600* $20	0	1	1	1
23	Tom Kuhn	W 8	B 17	W 27	B 15
	1529  1528  U1600* $20	0	0	1	1
28	Fred Cleveland	W 15	B 22	W 26	B 27
	1299 1307  U1600* $20	0	0	0	1
16	Chuck Ensey	W 1	B 24	W 25	B 11
	1872 1846	0	0	1	1
26	Gene Fernando	----	----	B 28	----
	1434 1448  (house)	0	0	1	1
25	David Whitten	W 11	W 18	B 16	B 20
	1409 1398	0	0	0	0
27	Donald Klaas	B 13	W 21	B 23	W 28
	1418 1376	0	0	0	0
19	George Spellman	B 4	----	----	----
	1840 1838	0	0	0	0

Total Prizes $480                          *tie