U.S. OPEN TOURNEY STARTS TOMORROW
The 60th annual U.S. Open Championship Tournament will start tomorrow and continue through Saturday, Aug. 1, at the Hotel Sheraton-Fontanelle in Omaha, Neb. A total of 12 rounds will be played under the Swiss system.
Among the masters registered for the event are former U.S. champion Arthur Bisguier and Larry Evans. Current western champion Paul Benko will also be present, as well as William Lombardy, world junior champion, and Raymond Weinstein, national junior titleholder.
Well over 100 players of all degrees of skill are expected to participate in the tournament. Last year Eldis Cobo-Arteaga of Cuba won out in a field of 139 competitors.
CALIFORNIA JUNIORS
Clark Harmon, 16-year-old youth from Portland, Oregon, won the California Junior Chess Championship, scoring 6½-½ in the tournament staged at Lancaster. His one draw was against Gilbert Ramirez of San Francisco.
Ramirez took second place with a 6-1 score. He drew with Robert Loveless of North Hollywood as well as with the leader. Arthur Wang of Berkeley was awarded third place on tie-breaking points after finishing with 5-2. The same total was reached by John Mortz of South Gate and Antonio Loera of Hawthorne.
Stephen Sholomson of Los Angeles headed a group with tallies of 4½-2½. The others in that group were Loveless, Tom Lux, Brian Murphy, William Rodgers, John Blackstone and Joe Titone. Blackstone, age 14, took the trophy for the best performance by a junior under 16.
Harmon received a ceramic trophy and $150 to be used as expenses to the national junior tournament in Omaha. Ramirez, as the highest Californian, was awarded the championship cup and $50 in cash.
Wang received an Egyptian style ceramic chess set, and Mortz won a chess clock donated by John Alexander of San Diego, Dr. John McManus of Palmdale presented 34 ceramic knights to the leading participants.
The tournament was authorized by the California State Chess Federation and sponsored jointly by the Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation and Chess for Youth, Inc., of Palmdale. The directors were Al Raymond of Lancaster and Alexander. Three states and 23 communities were represented by the 44 participating juniors.
The following game is from the tournament:
Detrich (white) vs. Antonio Loera (black)
Philidor Defense: Lion Variation
PAWN POWER IN CHESS
One of the most original and instructive chess books to be published in years is Hans Kmoch's PAWN POWER IN CHESS (David McKay Co.; $5.50).
Kmoch, well-known player, tournament director and author, published this treatise in German two years ago. The current book, he explains, is an English treatment of the subject rather than direct translation.
The major premise, with which we agree, is stated in the preface: “The proper use of pawns, which is of paramount importance in chess strategy, sometimes puzzles even experienced players. Existing theory apparently offers insufficient guidance in certain respects. In the present work we have tried to facilitate the understanding if pawn play by isolating its elements and elaborating on their various aspects.”
Kmoch starts by defining the elements of pawn play, and in doing so develops an imposing new vocabulary. Before the leader can go much further he must understand the ram, duo, stop and lever as related to pawn formations. He must learn to distinguish fakers from candidates and passers.
Some of the terms may be more complex than necessary, but the serious student will find it well worth his while to learn the vocabulary. He will see how frequently similar formations will occur in different openings, and how general strategy is determined by these formations.
Individual chapters are devoted to pawns and bishops, pawns and knights and pawns and rooks. Good and bad formations are discussed, with differences depending on the pieces involved.
There are many illustrative diagrams and examples throughout the 300-page book. More than 100 master games are quoted in full or in part. A large section of the book is devoted to Benoni formations, which are increasingly popular in modern-day chess.
The following games are among those discussed in the book, with illuminating comments by the author. In his game with then world champion Alexander Alekhine Kmoch built up a firm advantage in the early play. But an attempt at pawn snatching proved disastrous.
Alexander Alekhine (white) vs. Hans Kmoch (black)
Holland, 1937
Benoni Defense: Semi-Benoni
Olaf Barda vs Boris Spassky
Bucharest (1953), Bucharest ROU, rd 16, Feb-??
Benoni Defense: Benoni-Indian Defense. Kingside move order (A43) 0-1
INVITATION TOURNEY AT LOG CABIN CHESS CLUB
E. Forry Laucks, president of the Log Cabin Chess Club of West Orange, N.J., has announced that he will personally sponsor an invitational tournament to celebrate the silver anniversary of the club.
The tournament, to be held from Aug. 7 to 22, will be 10-man round-robin event. Invitations have been sent to the top-ranking active players on the latest rating list of the United States Chess Federation.
The players are: Samuel Reshevsky, U.S. champion Bobby Fischer, James Sherwin, William Lombardy, Arthur Bisguier, Larry Evans, Donald Byrne, Paul Benko, Robert Steinmeyer and James Cross.
The prize fund will total $3,450, with an amount for each player, ranging from $1,200 for first prize to $50 for the last place.
Laucks has kept his club in the limelight for years by arranging various tournaments and matches.
The Los Angeles Times, Chess by Isaac Kashdan, Sunday, July 19, 1959, Los Angeles, California Times Problem 3085 By J....
Posted by Bobby Fischer's True History on Sunday, June 5, 2022
Times Problem 3085 By J. Hartong
Black 10
White 11
White mates in two.
FEN 2K1B2n/1NprP3/R7/prNk4/Qb2p3/pP1b4/P2R4/B7 w - - 0 1
Solution: R-KB6; 1. Rf6 Bxd2 2. Qd4#
The Los Angeles Times, Chess by Isaac Kashdan, Sunday, July 19, 1959, Los Angeles, California Times Problem 3086 By N....
Posted by Bobby Fischer's True History on Sunday, June 5, 2022
Times Problem 3086 By N. Littlewood
Black 12
White 11
White mates in three.
FEN 2nQ2n1/7q/r5rb/5Bpp/3B2P1/pPPpPP2/p2k4/K1R1R3 w - - 0 1
Solution: Q-Q5; 1. Qd5 Rgb6 2. e4 Qa7 3. Be3#
There are quite a few variations in 3085, without a duel. The three-mover also has lots of variations, with an interesting pattern of interferences.
SOLVERS' LIST
Five points— F. Aks, J. F. Brown, C. Cresswell, E. T. Dana, J. R. Goodwin, J. Gotta, J. Kaufman, N. Lesser, Loyola High School Chess Club, W. L. Rankel, A. A. Rothstein, V. G. Sprague, C. E. Stern.
Four points— J. Christy, T. A. M. Clemens.
Three points— M. Chutorian, A. Durtschi, Mrs. W. A. Gerth, H. Huff, R. S. North Jr., Maj. H. Triwush, P. M. Verdugo, A. E. Wood.
Two points— W. S. Aaron, W. H. Griffith, F. Lesemann, M. Rosen.
One point— R. B. Calkins, J. P. Foley, F. R. Ruehl II, C. H. Ware.
“…he was a devotee of chess…”