Curdo masters Jovial Jousting
John Curdo of Auburn won July’s Jovial Jousting, 5-1, at the Greater Worcester Chess Club. Brett Kildahl of Worcester was second with 4.5, followed by Alonzo Ross of Shrewsbury. Class prizes were won by Jerry Williams of Worcester and Marc Quevillon of Dayville, Conn. Details of the weeknight events starting at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays can be found on the club’s Web site, www.chesspals.com. Directions to the club at the Hibernian Cultural Center, 19 Temple St. in Worcester, are also on the site.
Chess club directors Donna Alarie of Rutland, George Mirijanian of Fitchburg and Ken Ballou of Framingham wrap up annual meetings and workshops of the U.S. Chess Federation today in Cherry Hill, N.J. Also ending is the U.S. Open, with more than 200 players, and a multitude of side events. News reports, games and photographs are available at the federation’s Web site,
Play will begin Thursday at the 37th Continental Open, a $20,000 national event run by Bill Goichberg of New York at the Host Hotel, 366 Main St., Sturbridge. There are seven sections, all to be contested in four, three and two-day formats, explained on the Web site, www.chesstour.com. You can also view the advance entries here, and be connected with other sites listing past crosstables, games and photos.
One of the most exciting new events this year will begin the day after the Continental Open. The New England Masters will run from Monday to Friday at the Holiday Inn, 1 Newbury St. (Route 1), Peabody. Open to players with a World Chess Federation rating of 2200 and higher, the nine-round event should be popular with spectators. First round will be at 7 p.m. and games will be played at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. the last four days. Organizer Chris Bird of Peabody already has a star-studded field entered, and details can be found at his Web site, www.newenglandmasters.com.
International Master Jack Peters, formerly of North Scituate, is celebrating his 25th year as chess columnist of the Los Angeles Times; he’s one of the country’s top chess journalists. He recently wrote that while many games have been “solved” by computers, chess is still a human game, with long-range planning (strategy) still done poorly by machines. It is the exact calculation by computers of a few moves ahead (tactics) at which computers excel, and Peters urges players of all levels to continue the battle to perfect the game on their own.
Alexander Ivanov of Newton was one of five players who tied for first in the Continental Americas Championship in Cali, Columbia.
Worth viewing, coverage of the recent MonRoi International Women’s Grand Prix in Montreal, won by Pia Cramling of Sweden over such stars as U.S. Women’s champion Irina Krush.
The 57th New Hampshire Open (July 14-15) results can be found at www.nhchess.org.
Answer to quiz: White wins with 1. Ng3ch BxN 2 f3 mate