US Chess FederationChess Life Online: Chess Life Online is our weekly news column covering events on the international chess scene as well as US Chess Federation news. It also includes Chess Buzz, the lighter side of the news.

Contents:

International News this Week
GM Balinas Dies, Olympiad News

USA News this Week
USCF to assist in World Championship, new tie-break rules for 1998 US Ch

Feature section on 1998 Interplay US Championship

August Top 50 lists
Now includes Top 50 Correspondence and Quick Chess Players

Corr Chess News
for September

Scholastic News
for August

  • Chess Life Online Archive Feature section on the 1997 FIDE World Chess Championship!

    • Editor's Note

    Chess Buzz: Improve Your Chess/Schwartzman

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    This page is updated weekly to help chess enthusiasts keep up with the latest news on U.S. players and major events.

    Issue 77

    updated each Monday

    Recent World News

    Grandmaster Balinas

    Grandmaster Rosendo Balinas, Jr. of the Philippines passed away on Thursday, September 24th, of liver cancer. A six-time Philippine Open Champion, Balinas was a lawyer by profession. He first gained international prominence by winning international tournaments in Singapore and Hong Kong in the 1960's.

    Balinas was awarded his Grandmaster title after a 1976 first place finish in the Moscow Central Chess Club Tournament, opposing top Russian players like GM David Bronstein, Gm Vladimir Savon (Absolute Russian Champion), GM Lutikov (Moscow Champion), and then rising stars Tukmakov, Lerner, Ignatiev, Alburt, as well as other non-Russian Grandmasters like Espig, Tringov, Plachetka, and Tarjan. Balinas was undefeated against all of his Russian opponents in the event.

    In recent years, GM Balinas established the Philippine Grandmaster School of Chess, with students like GM Rogelio Antonio, Jr., IM Rick de Guzman, and 10 year old Master Oliver Barbosa.

    Olympiad Begins in Kalmykia

    USA - Georgia 2.5 - 1.5; Retains 1st Place After Round 6!

     
    Our Olympiad report is divided into three sections:
    Round by Round Standings (1 - 6) | Feature Reports from Elista (1 - 5)
    Background Information
     

    Round by Round Standings

    Rounds 1 and 2: The U.S. scored 4 wins, 0 losses against Iran in their first round match. They then scored 3.5 - 0.5 against Kyrgyzstan in the round 2 match. (Shabalov defeated Yurtaev on Board 1; Seirawan drew with Moldobaev on Board 2; de Firmian defeated Imanaliev on Board 3; and Kaidanov defeated Ilinsky on Board 4.) This put them in first position, tied with Argentina at 7.5.
     
    Round 3: Argentina and the US (tied for first position) played each other in round 3. Other pairings for Round 3 included Russia A - Romania (7 each), Sweden - Yugoslavia (7 each); and Moldova (7) - Armenia (6.5). In round 3, the American team defeated Argentina 2.5 - 1.5. (Yermolinsky drew with Sorokin on Board 1; Seirawan defeated Ricardi on Board 2; Gulko drew with Hoffman on Board 3; and de Firmian drew with Spangenberg on Board 4.) This gave them sole possession of first place with 10 points. Yugoslavia and Russia A were tied for 2nd/3rd at 9.5.
     
    Round 4: In Round 4 the US team met the very strong Russia A team (captained by GM Peter Svidler), and went down 2.5 - 1.5. (Yermolinsky drew Svidler on Board 1; Shabalov lost to Rublevsky on Board 2; Seirawan drew with Zvjagintsev on Board 3; and Gulko drew with Sakaev on Board 4.) This put Russia A and Russia B tied for possession of 1st place, and left the USA tied for 3rd - 10th with France, the Ukraine, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, China, Hungary, and Germany.
     
    Round 5: In Round 5, Russia A defeated Russia B 2.5 - 1.5. The US team had a clean sweep against a strong team from the Netherlands, scoring 4 - 0 to regain first position with 15.5 points in the 13 round event. On board 1, Yermolinsky beat Timman; on Board 2, Seirawan beat van Wely; on Board 3, de Firmian defeated Piket; and on Board 4, Kaidanov beat Nijboer. Russia A was in second with 14.5 points. There was a four way tie for 3rd - 6th at 14 points among Germany, Georgia, Estonia, and Lithuania.
     
    Round 6: In round 6, the USA faced Georgia, Russia A faced Lithuania, and Estonia played Germany. The US team won their match 2.5 - 1.5 to retain sole possession of 1st place by half a point even though Russia A beat Lithuania 3 - 1. Estonia and Germany split 2 - 2, falling down below the 5th position. The Ukraine and Bulgaria are now tied for 3rd - 4th. On Board 1, Yermolinsky drew with Azmaiparashvili; on Board 2, Shabalov defeated Georgadze; on Board 3, Gulko drew with Strua, and on Board 4, Kaidanov drew with Supatashvili. In Round 7, the USA will play the Ukraine; Russia A will meet Bulgaria; and Germany will play Armenia.

    Related Links:


     

    Reports From Elista

    1st Report from IA Carol Jarecki in Elista

    International Arbiter Carol Jarecki, an Amerian in Kalmykia, has reported on the arrival of the American team. She says the cottages in the players' village are in very good condition, and the plans are to play the initial rounds there on a "home away" basis if the tournament hall is not ready. Cooks come to the players' village to prepare meals, and the food is apparently fine. Trips from airports outside Elista are more than the five hours that were expected, and are running seven to eight and a half hours. This resulted in some difficulty in getting players there for the event. The runway at the Elista airport has apparently not been extended, and has no night lighting, so all flights must arrive during the day. Elista itself (the city where the chess village is located) is small and quiet. There is little to do in Elista. The US players all have single rooms and all have reportedly arrived with the possible exception of Elena Akhmilovskaya who had not yet checked in at the time that Ms. Jarecki was in contact with the US Chess Federation. Construction continues "around the clock."

    For the official press release listing the members of the US teams, see Press Release 9845.

    We will post on the Olympiad from Ms. Jarecki and team Captain GM Larry Christiansen. Updates will be posted here as they are received.

    2nd Report from IA Carol Jarecki in Elista

    The following are notes taken by USCF President Donald Schultz during a phone call with IA Carol Jarecki, who is in Elista. Received 29 September.

    Notes from DS call to Carol Jarecki 9/29/98 @ 8:00 AM Kalmykian time.
     
    Carol's comments follow:
     
    I walked to Chess City and the playing hall yesterday. It was a 1 1/2 hour walk from where we (the arbiters) are staying. I saw that they are still working on the playing hall. Fixtures are hanging out of the ceiling; all the windows are not installed. The plan was to have a restaurant in the back half of the playing hall completed. There is no chance for that now. They are cutting steel girders. There is a concern about the water and plumbing connections. Water can, of course, be brought in but the toilets are another problem.
     
    Yet, everyone seems content. Progress is apparent. About 200 people are working on the playing hall. They just brought in 350 chess tables yesterday which were set up on the third and fourth floors for the women's competition. Many of the workers are women who are doing the plastering and washing the floors. They are planning to play later today and pairings are expected to be posted in an hour and a half. Living conditions are fine. The food is not as good as in Yerevan but a lot better than at the Moscow Olympiad. Today we had spaghetti and meatballs , yesterday I had macaroni and fish. I like tomatoes and cucumbers, and there are plenty of them--cole slaw, too. By the way, the cottages are excellent, big marble floor bathrooms and a nice kitchen. Though they are sparsely furnished.
     
    There isn't much to do except walk around Chess City and chat with the players from the different teams. I bumped into Anjelina Belakovskaya ('97 US Women's Champion) and she wanted to know where she could exchange some money. After that I passed by Irina Krush (14 year NYC star (easily the youngest member of our Olympiad team) who had on earphones and was listening to music. Both Anjelina and Irina were sporting big smiles.
     
    I'll try to see how I can e-mail a report rather than just comment over the phone.
     
    There are 112 men's teams and 79 women's teams here.

    3rd Report from IA Carol Jarecki in Elista

    The following are notes taken by USCF President Donald Schultz during a phone call with IA Carol Jarecki, who is in Elista. Received 2 October.

    Notes from DS call to Carol Jarecki
     
    Carol's comments follow:
     
    Everyone continues to smile. No matter how bad things get - plenty of crowds around the players and lots of noise - mediocre food etc. - no one is apparently complaining. Perhaps the expectations were so low that regardless of the problems, they are no where near as bad as most expected.

    4th Report from IA Carol Jarecki in Elista

    The following are notes taken by USCF President Donald Schultz during a phone call with IA Carol Jarecki, who is in Elista. Received 4 October.

    CJ October 4 report:
     
    All of a sudden, it has gotten a lot cooler. The nights are cold - just a little above freezing. It is cold during the day as well. Even in the playing hall it is cold. It was so windy outside that I thought the windows in the playing hall would break
     
    The electronic boards are now working fine, and scores for all the games are automatically available. There was a theft of three electronic sets and boards (they are quite expensive).
     
    The daily bulletins are coming out on time and are very attractive.
     
    The locals continue to help and are very friendly. I was talking to one who is now going to College. When he was sixteen, he spent a year in Kansas as an exchange student.
     
    There are the usual medical problems. When you have 1400 participants in an Olympiad or any chess event of the size you have some medical problems. The Elista Olympiad is no exception e. g. a Hungarian player has a high fever and is in the hospital. One player had surgery for acute appendicitis. Other hospital visits were an eye infection, and a swollen ankle.
     
    The noise in the playing hall still is a distraction. There are no barriers so the spectators are right up to the edge of the tables where the games are being played.
     
    Delegates and others chess personalities who will be attending the FIDE convention are starting to arrive. Karpov and Kouatly came yesterday.
     
    Tomorrow will be meetings of the Rules and Ratings commissions. I am trying to build up interest in FIDE for allowing USCF rules to be used for tournaments submitted for FIDE ratings and norms. It is not so easy.
     
    Vietnam women beat the Georgia women three to zero. This is the first time Georgia women were ever beat three to zero! In the next round the Vietnam women lost to the China women by three to zero!
     
    Overall the Olympiad continues to exceed the expectations (Admittedly) low of those attending.

    Related Links:

    FIDE Posts Agenda for 69th Congress
    Along with the Olympiad, the 69th FIDE Congress (administrative meeting) will be held in Kalmykia in two weeks. The agenda is now available.

    Background on the FIDE Olympiad

    The international chess federation, FIDE, regularly schedules its Olympiad, a major team event bringing together players from around the world to compete for both team and individual medals. Each team plays 4 individual games each round, and most countries send teams of 6 players, with 4 playing and 2 sitting out each round. Many teams also have a captain, whose strategic role is to determine which of his/her team members will play which board each round. While normally the highest-rated player takes Board 1, it may make more sense in terms of the team score to put a stronger player lower on the scale. Individual medals are based on results for Board 1, Board 2, Board 3, and Board 4, so a player who shifts from Board 1 to Board 2 (as GM Yermolinsky did several times at the last Olympiad in Yerevan, Armenia, when teammates were ill) is helping his/her team, but may be hurting his/her own medal chances.

    At the previous Olympiad in Armenia in 1996, the overall U.S. Olympiad Team captured the bronze medal behind Russia (gold medal) and Ukraine (silver medal). The U.S. has excellent chances for a medal-finish again in 1998.

    The 1998 event is being held in Kalmykia, a semi-autonomous area associated with Russia, and home of FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumnizhov. A special Chess Village was under construction for the event. The players' village, cottages with individual rooms, was completed in time, but the tournament hall is still being finished.

    As the home federation, Russia is entitled to field three teams. Their "A" team will be captained by GM Peter Svidler. Kasparov, Karpov,and Kramnik are not attending this year.

    Telecommunications coming out of Kalmykia have been somewhat uncertain, and the trip coming in from Moscow took longer than expected. The first round, scheduled for Saturday, had to be cancelled, and the event will now be 13 rounds rather than 14. Round 1 will now begin on Tuesday, September 29.

    Teams from about 100 countries are competing. See last week's Chess Buzz for a list of all countries pre-registered.

    Related Links:

    International News Briefs

    FIDE Confirms Las Vegas Site for December World Championship Tournament
    Meanwhile, the World Chess Federation (FIDE), in conjunction with the U.S. Chess Federation (USCF), has officially announced that it will hold the 1998 World Chess Championship in Las Vegas, Nev. from Nov. 29 through Dec. 27 with a guaranteed prize fund of $3 million. The Bellagio Casino Hotel will serve as the host property for the event. FIDE also announced that it has hired Fishman & Associates to handle the advertising and marketing duties for the event.

    This event will bring together about 100 of the world's top players in a knock-out format to compete for the title. Last year GM Kasparov was invited, but declined the invitation because he did not like the knock-out format. He is not expected to participate in this year's event, either. There is also some question as to whether Karpov will play, as he has publicly said that he is uncomfortable with the change from a two-year format to an annual. The total prize fund will be about $3 million, with a minimum prize of $6,000 for those eliminated in the first round, and about $650,000 to the eventual first-place winner. Official US Chess Federation Press Release.

    Recent USA News

    US News Briefs

    US Chess Federation to Assist in Organization of 1998 FIDE World Championship Events
    Along with the championship, there are plans to hold a number of side tournaments and special events in Las Vegas in December. All details of these events, player lists, package information and other news highlights will be released in the coming weeks. See     Official Press Release.

    1999 Interplay US Chess Championship
    The site for next year's Interplay U.S. Chess Championship is Salt Lake City...August/September...exact dates to be determined. The organizer is Robert Tanner and C.S. & T.P. Chess Association.

    1998 Interplay US Chess Championship
    We have added a new     1998 Interplay US Chess Championship Feature Section to the site this week. You'll find players lists, event information, tie-break rules, time controls, and links to features on last year's championship. As we get closer to the event, you'll also find feature stories. New this week: new new tie-break rules will determine which US players advance to the FIDE World Championship Tournament in Las Vegas in December.

    Editor's Note
    By Duif ("Dove") Calvin

    Duif Wish you could compete with the world's best? Or just beat a few of the players at your local club? Check out our new Improve Your Chess section, including online lessons from US Open Champion Grandmaster Gabriel Schwartzman.

    Don't forget to check the Updates Page each Monday to see just what we've added to the site.

    One question we get every week from organizers: "Why didn't you cover my event in Chess Life Online?" or "Why didn't you link to our official site on the event?" The usual answer is the simplest--you didn't send us a press release! Although we do scour the Web for interesting chess news, we can't be everywhere. We're happy to provide links to official sites at the end of each news story, and to add news stories on important chess events--but we need to hear from you, preferably by Friday of each week for the next week's Monday issue! We know our readers would be interested in your news, so get those press releases in to [email protected]! One caveat: many of our readers cannot use frames (including blind persons with text to speech browsers). Also, our news columns are archived and continue to be visited over many months--nothing frustrates our readers more than following a link to a story that no longer exists. When you send us a URL, please make it a direct URL to the specific news page of interest, or we may not be able to include it. Thanks!

    Until next time
    --Duif

    p.s. This column will focus on events in the chess world each week.

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