Carlsen Interview

About an hour, very interesting.

Hear what he thinks about blitz chess among other things..........

Click here

2013

2013 was an interesting year.

Start	1888
End	1871
Peak	1962

I started with a nice rating gain in January that got me to 1962.  2000 seemed tantalizingly close.

But things turned out otherwise!

I was around 1950 by the US Open in August.  Since then, despite the fact that I have lost only one game to a player rated below me, my rating has plummeted to 1878!

Paying too much attention to rating is a fruitless endeavor.

One's emphasis should be on being a better player. But that is easier said than done.  Improving a rating class as an adult is not a easy task at all.

2014 Iowa Closed Qualifying (To determine the 2014 Iowa Champion)

Top 20 (Top 6 qualify for the 2014 Iowa Closed. They play a round robin event to determine the champion)

Some observations with just one event to go

• Only the top 2 spots are guaranteed. 

• Not all that qualify may play. 

• Mathematically even the person in the 15th spot can qualify.(Provided at least one of the top 6 don't play)

Winter Open (IASCA Mini-Qualifier) Jan 11, Iowa City, IA

Results here

Koenig vs Mc Entee (Rnd. two  0-1)

Spacious playing hall (Only negative : No skittles area) 

IA Fide Invitational Dec. 7-8, 2013 Cedar Rapids, IA

FIDE/USCF Rated

Time Control: G/90; 30i

Results

                                                                                     

Ben Gradsky   Ziwen Zhou Arshaq Saleem Dusan Tutush James Neal Ivan Wijetunge	2120 2035 UNR 1964 UNR 1950	2091 2028 1992 1986 1963 1926
	FIDE	USCF
Bob Keating Dan Brashaw Jeremy Madison Jim Ellis Chris Baumgartner Gokul Thangavel	2082 UNR 1983 1952 1792 UNR	2197 2077 1976 1969 1796 1696

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Past Iowa FIDE events

201201086252	1	IA	DAVENPORT	2012-01-07 - 01-08	6	IOWA FIDE ROUND ROBIN #2
200812216891	5	IA	AMES	2008-12-19 - 12-21	18	AMES FIDE FESTIVAL
200801137971	1	IA	AMES	2008-01-11 - 01-13	12	1ST IOWA FIDE SWISS
200509187951	1	IA	AMES	2005-09-16 - 09-18	6	AMES FIDE QUALIFIER

Garry Kasparov: A Win For Carlsen In The Upcoming World Championship Match Will Be A Huge Win For The Chess World

http://www.businessinsider.com/garry-kasparov-previews-the-anand-carlsen-match-2013-11

Greg Knutson MemorialSep. 28-29 Madison, WI

Results here

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The picturesque playing hall

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History
2013 48 VIJAY RAGHAVAN

2012 54 VIJAY RAGHAVAN

2011 45 ALEX BETANELI

2010 32 NOLAN HENDRICKSON

2009 37 DEREK D SACHS

2008 56 NAVIN SAWALANI, JACOB D KOHLENBERG

Iowa Fide InvitationalDecember 7-8 Cedar Rapids, IA

Please click here for details.

43rd Badger Open - Oconomowoc, WI Sept. 14-15

Results here

Liang, Yingming & Ellis, James tie for 1st-2nd

Upsets galore!

Round 1 Grochowski, Robin(1680) defeats Williams, William (2200)

Round 2 Hoffman, Guy G (1900) defeats Liang, Awonder (2299)

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My results

1. Bye
2. Win Corcoran, Benjamin (1591)
3. Win Christensen, Wade (1908)
4. Loss  Ellis, James S (1961)
5. Un-played

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I wrote about the 2008 and 2007 editions (some interesting comments)
History
2013 16 JAMES S ELLIS, YINGMING LIANG
2012 Not held
2011 26 BRADY R HARDER
2010 22 WILLIAM P WILLIAMS
2009 44 BENEDICT A SMAIL
2008 29 PAUL FRICANO
2007 15 WESLEY EUGENE FERGUSON

July-August

Chicago Class 1-0=3
Catfish 3-0=2 Tie for 2nd Place
US Open 1-2=3
Indianapolis Open 2-1=1
Iowa Open    2-1=2 Tie for 3nd Place U2000

June 22-23 Michigan Bottom Half Class ChampionshipGrand Rapids

Results here

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 Top seed FM David Sprenkle

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Greater Peoria Open 2013, April 21-22

Please click here

Mid-America OpenMarch 15-17, 2013St. Louis, Missouri

CCA results here

USCF results here.

This was a wonderful event. Organization, direction, playing conditions, location and hotel were 2nd to none.
 
There was record participation and the strongest open ever with 7 GMs. But it was 20 year old Indian IM Priyadharshan Kannappan who stole the show with a commanding 4.5/5.0 performance besting GMs Gregory S Kaidanov & Alexander Shabalov along the way. He also earned $2436.00 for his effort. Priyadharshan plays for Lindenwood.

Kodus to FM Awonder Liang (who I predicted would make Master here, but missed it by 5pts). He overcame a tough 1st round loss to Akshay Indusekar (1973). To finish on 3 points, beating Erik F Santarius along the way. He also tied for U2200 money winning $541.34.

 This was from the tense draw against GM Fidel Corrales Jimenez in round 4

GM Alexander Shabalov could not avoid defeat in the last round from this QGA position.

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 Alexander Velikanov vs GM Denes Boros Rnd. 5 (0-1)

Nolan R Hendrickson vs GM Gregory S Kaidanov Rnd. 5 (0-1)

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I had a forgettable 1-2=1 performance in the U2000 section To be frank I deserved to lose more than 20 points, because I played like a chump!

1st Universal Midwest Late Winter SwissMar. 2-3 Stevensville, MI 49127

Results here

Awonder Liang hits an all time high of 2189. Which easily makes him the # 1 nine year old in the country, and just 11 points away from being a Master. My prediction is that he will easily do that in his next event, the Mid America Open.

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Awonder lived up to his name by going 5-0. This crazy looking game is from his last round victory over Manis Davidovich.

Michael Chen was 2nd with 4-0.

James Ellis took home the U2000 prize.

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My results

1. Loss FM AWONDER LIANG (2154)
2. Win TOM A MANION (1880)
3. Win ANGIE PAULA (1792)
4. Draw PETER L CHEN (1991)
5. Loss MICHAEL L CHEN (2154)

A last round win would have given me 2nd place, a draw a share of the U2000 money.

The game was very interesting. The critical moment below is exciting with back rank issues for both sides.  I really wanted to play Ng4, but since black can play Qxd4+. I played Kh1, but it turns out I could have played Ng4 anyway, and with best play it leads to an equal position, but my move gets me in trouble.

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Click here for past events by the same affiliate.