Comments for the games will be provided live by Grandmaster Michael Rohde, exclusively to US Chess Online. His USCF rating of 2596 places him among the top 20 players in the United States.

GM Rohde is 39 years old and lives with his wife and family in Manhattan. Former National Junior High Champion, National High School Champion, US Junior Champion, and US Open Champion. He has played in the U.S. Championship 5 times, and won the US Championship Brilliancy Prize for 1986, 1987, and 1988. Chess Life columnist ("Game of the Month"), Author, The Great Evans Gambit Debate and Contributor - http://www.chesswise.com.

Ask the Grandmaster

During each game, you may e-mail GM Rohde using the e-mail link on the commentary pages. Not all questions can be answered, but selected questions and answers will be posted here each day.

Question 1: The Eyes of a Grandmaster's Mind

From: "Mark L. Krowczyk" Date: Sun, 1 Nov 1998 09:05:47 -0800

I helped set up the wooden boards at the US Championship site in Colorado, and noticed the individual squares (particularly white) were of different shade or color. For instance, there was a trail of really light white squares and a combination of relatively dark d1, f1 white squares....

Question: How does the GM's normally see the board? The way I do, or do they have their own "board" in each of their minds?

Mark,

I think that GMs generally look at the playing conditions at the start of a game and determine then whether they are satisfactory. Some GMs have greater tolerance than others for aberrant conditions. I do not think differences in shading of the light squares on the board is a major problem and I assume that the Championship players agree, or there would have been objections. In any event, once the game starts, I think most GMs, being so experienced, start seeing the board in their minds and pay no attention to things which may distract less experienced competitors.

Question 2: Move 10 in the Caro-Kann

From: Charles Downs
Date: Sun, 1 Nov 1998 17:31:43 -0600 (CST)

After 10. Qe4, I have a problem deciding whether an immediate ...Nf6 is better than ...Qc7. Karpov, for example, has opted recently for the latter. He used to play ...Nf6 . The position for black after 10...Qc7 11. Qg4 seems to me to be critical. I would welcome your opinion. Thanks.

Charles,

Good question. Since this is clearly a theoretical debate, it would be hard to venture an opinion without some research. Generally, theory is exacting in these positions because White's advantage is transitory if he does not use his development edge. However, after 10 ... Qc7, I think 11 Qg4 Kf8 is fine for Black as there is nothing left to attack and the White queen on g4 is pretty awkward, while Black just continues with ... c6-c5. I think after 10 ... Qc7, White should just play 11 O-O and if 11 ... Nf6 than 12 Qh4 is better than as in the game, as 12 ... O-O? runs into 13 Bxh6. So logical play after 11 O-O is 11 ... c5 with an unclear position.

Question 3: How Does One Become a Grandmaster?

From: Davis Drive Middle School Chess Club
Date: 2 Nov 1998 15:37:21 -0500

We were wondering how does one reach the level of Grandmaster?

To be awarded the Grandmaster title by FIDE (the International Chess Federation), one has to make 3 Grandmaster "norms", which are approximately 2600-level performances in international tournaments meeting FIDE's qualifications.

To become strong enough to eventually become a Grandmaster, read a lot of chess books, play in tournaments against opposition slightly stronger than yourself, plan reachable chess rating goals in several-month blocks, and study the material at http://www.chesswise.com. Study the games and methods of my chesswise colleague International Master Maurice Ashley, as he travels to tournaments to obtain his final Grandmaster norm.

Is the Female of the Species More Deadly than the Male?

From: "Randal W. Horobik"

Dear GM Rohde,

I have noticed while following the action in the US Men's and Women's Championships that the women's side of the action has featured a far greater number of decisive results (only four draws through six rounds) than the men's. Since publicity for women's tournaments seems scarce in chess circles, I was wondering if this is typical for high-level women's tournaments or merely a coincidental occurance in this particular tournament.

Thanks!!

--Randal W. Horobik

Randal,

I am not aware of any other statistics of this type. If this is a typical circumstance, then the most likely explanation is that the U.S. Championship players are higher rated than the players in the U.S. Women's Championship and, playing at a higher level, are more likely to have games where neither player is able to build up a decisive advantage. I also believe, however, that the 1998 U.S. Women's Championship has many players with uncompromising styles, and there are certainly a lot of role models now in America for girls learning chess.

In conclusion, I do not know whether the phenomenon you described is typical or coincidental.

For reader questions and comments on the first game of the Semifinals, see Shaked - de Firmian 1.