Congrats Ron Bruno
Congratulations to Ron Bruno for his second win of the club championship. What a way to top off a win against GM Khachian in LA the previous weekend. You are turning into a major San Diego chess force. Now you are even making us Gambito guys nervous when you show up on Saturdays!
Also, I wanted to add congratulations to my friend and student John Funderburg for a fantastic performance to take clear second place. We came close!
ReplyDeleteI echo the congrats to Ron and I believe that this year has perhaps the strongest group of players than before. I would like to give honorable mention to Carey Milton who not only had recent medical problems and then struggled with work schedules without proper transportation(no car) did remarkably well to qualify and play in all but the last game.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to Ron on winning a second club championship!
ReplyDeleteI hope to make your Simul - I might have a chance of beating you!
I would also like to acknowledge John's fine performance in coming second.
Finally, I'd like to thank Rick for his great reports! I may not have been there (Ball-and-chain and all that) but at least I can put the
games in my database...
Adam
Congrats to Ron. If you did not see the end of his game w/ Zeigler, I highly recommend looking at the annotation. He sac'd the exchange for a mating attack with rook, bishop and pawn. Very pretty and a terrific way to win the championship. Erik
ReplyDeleteCngratulations again Ron,
ReplyDeleteI think all former champions should congratulate the new champ, if they're breathing. But its not out of a sense of obligation that I write. It isn't that the young are beating the old farts. It isn't because I'm only marginally involved in chess at this time and think I could still be a factor. No, its because you're Italian like me. And everybody knows or should know that Italians are creative and lets face it, the best at just about everything. For those who aren't, I recommend an olive oil massage. Perhaps it will get under your skin.
former co-champ 1922,
Bob Richard
To Bob Richard, I could not resist but reply to your witty and humorous message especially your comments extolling your proud Italian heritage - so in the same jocular vein, let me first agree with you: The Italians are singularly the most creative and artistic people that have ever graced this planet. In the realms of art, cuisine, architecture, engineering, literature, music, religious theology and the sciences; the Italians have made tremendous contributions to civilization and technology. For which we are deeply appreciative and sufficiently awed. From this great people has Julius Caesar, Dante Allegheri (writer), Marco Polo (explorer), Thomas Aquinas (theologian), Galileo Galelei (astronomer), Michaelangelo (artist) , Leonardo DaVinci, Pellegrino Turri (not the water but invented carbon paper in 1806), Guglielmo Marconi (radio communications) Enrico Fermi, Luigi Brugnatelli (invented electroplating in 1805), Achilles Gaggia (invented the modern day expresso machine in 1946 ...'Grazia, Signor Gaggia', Roy Jacuzzi ...now what did this guy invent in 1964? , Sophia Loren (actress), Dr. Giorgio Fischer ( a "Fischer" no less..invented liposuction in 1974), Pavarotti (opera) and a legion more of great men and women. It is only in the field of chess (ahem) that the Italians have proven to be (ahem, how shall I say it delicately without getting a ton of hate mail? ).... 'Less than world class in stature'. I vaguely recall, and I could be wrong, that it was only in the 1600's that some Spaniards moved to Italy to make it briefly a 'chess power'. The bottom line is what are you or Ron Bruno going to do about this state of affairs? Your fellow Co-champion from 2004. P.S. "1922" that was a nice, funny touch.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to Ron Bruno for winning the club championship. His recent victory over GM "Catch-me-if-you-can" was a brilliant one too. A comprehensive and accurate win (thanks for posting it here) that complemented his fine tournament play nicely. There will be many more titles for Ron in the years to come. John Funderburg played very well too and deserves his share of accolades. The rest of the field played inspired fighting chess too. Thanks to Rick and Chuck for the colorful commentary and for getting the games on the site.
ReplyDeleteThe Italian lovefest needs a bit of tempering though I'm afraid.
Italians have provenance over many things, but they have not made the best soldiers -- at least in modern times. Churchill, upon learning about Italy's alliance with Germany in WWII, is quoted as saying: "It's only fair. We had to have them in the last war."
Incidentally, how is "Bob Richard" an Italian name? I always thought it was French-Canadian.
-Andrew
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ReplyDeleteCongrats Master Bruno, to think that I could have had an edge in our game had I play a move 2 moves earlier in the Markowski, according to IM Cyrus's analysis, gives me encouragement. Thank you for the offer to analyze the game together. You stand tall in your humbleness. It is always a pleasure to sit across from you, as I remember in the 2006 Markowski we had a good game as well. So maybe next year I shall savor the thrill of victory, I humbly hope so! Good chess for and from you in 2008! You represent the essence of the Taoist proverb: "...Accomplish but don't boast. Accomplish without show. Accomplish without arrogance. Accomplish without grabbing. Accomplish without force. When things flourish they decline..." Damani
ReplyDeleteHi everybody,
ReplyDeleteMy dad tells me Richard was originally Riaccardi. Italians aren't good soldiers because knowing better than anybody else what you go for after the fight, they get a head start. Smart right?
See you soon,
Roberto Riaccardi
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ReplyDeleteI had an all-around good time playing in championship and simul, and thanks to everyone I'm very grateful for having such wonderful opponents to play! On another note, here's an interesting Italian proverb: "It is no time to be playing chess when the house is on fire" Somehow that reminds me of when my car got towed after round 2 at a gambito and I played the last two rounds. Anyway, thanks again, see you at club!
ReplyDeleteI just read a cool passage about Italy, from a book I'm reading "From Stonehenge to Samarkand: An Anthology of Archaelogical Travel Writing". In the 18th century, it was popular to visit the birthplaces of classical European civilization, Greece and Italy, as an essential part of a gentleman's education. One of the visitors, an englishman by the name of Samuel Johnson, remarked that "...a man who has not been to Italy is always conscious of an inferiority, from his not having seen what it is expected a man should see. The grand object of travelling is to see the shores of the Mediterranean." And Florence I may add!
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