Summer vacation’s over, and Toronto players are back to the grind!

Back to the Grind

Chess is not an easy game; playing is hard work! Our current club tournament is the ACC “Back to the Grind” Swiss. It runs on five Monday nights – September 19 to October 24 – in three sections: Crown, U1900, U1400. (Check the club page for more on how our regular tournaments work.)

Rounds in the club tournament start at 7:30 pm each Monday, and new players are welcome to join in any round – or even to drop in for just one round – but please register by 7:00 pm to make sure you’re paired.

Round One – September 19

The Crown section sees the most upsets in Round One, as the top two seeds are defeated: William Li (2126) beats number two, Jonathan Yu (2223); and Nameer Issani (2092) topples top seed and club champion, FM Michael Humphreys (2332). A little further down the pairings chart, new club member Sergey Noritsyn “crushes” Miroslav Stefanovic (in Miroslav’s words). Bharath Ramesh, making a special appearance in the Crown section after finishing first in U1900 last tournament, also joins the lead group with a TD bye.

In U1900, the largest section of the tournament, favourites are victorious on almost all boards, except that Jean-Marc David (1377) manages to defeat a possibly rusty Kevin Gaffney (1590), returning after a break.

The U1400 section has suddenly become quite small and sees only three games in Round One. (We may have to adjust section cut-offs.) All three favourites are victorious, as Mark Patton, Larissa Souchko, and Eli Teram head into Round Two with a full point.

Games of the Week

In this week’s first featured game, William Li sacs the exchange in his game against Jonathan Yu and continues aggressively to win it back and then win the game, upsetting the number-two seed.

In the second featured game, Dave Southam stems the tide of toppling top seeds in his characteristically solid style by grinding out the full point against Sergey Malakhovets – it’s an instructive endgame.

Round Two – September 26

In the Crown section, the leader group is down to two after Dave Southam finds himself down material and is lucky to get a draw against Nameer Issani. Meanwhile Jelvis Calvelo defeats Sergey Noritsyn and William Li defeats Bharath Ramesh to enter Round 3 with perfect 2.0/2 scores.

In U1900, Kamran Amirirad and Arkadiy Udodnikov stay in the leader group with Round-Two wins and are joined by Mysha Gilani (1467) as she upsets Brian Hanratty (1688) after he blunders in a won position. All three head into Rd. 3 with 2.0/2.

In U1400, Eli Teram takes a bye, allowing Yue Ran Ma and Alex Moisseev to catch up to him at 1.5/2.

See full results on the cross-tables below.

Games of the Week

Two featured games this week from the top section show the stronger player as black getting an advantage out of the opening and converting it to a win.

Round Three – October 3

The round starts at 7:30 pm. New players are welcome! Please register by 7:00 pm to make sure you’re paired.

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Ranking cross-tables after Round 2

ACC Back to the Grind Swiss Crown

Rk.	Name	Rtg	FED	1.Rd	2.Rd	Pts.
1	Calvelo Jelvis	2199	CAN	14w1	8b1	2
2	Li William	2126	CAN	10w1	9b1	2
3	Southam David	2212	CAN	7w1	5b½	1.5
4	Zotkin Daniel	2171	CAN	-½	13b1	1.5
5	Issani Nameer	2092	CAN	6b1	3w½	1.5
6	Humphreys Michael	2332	CAN	5w0	14b1	1
7	Malakhovets Sergey	2043	CAN	3b0	12w1	1
8	Noritsyn Sergey	2034	CAN	11w1	1w0	1
9	Ramesh Bharath	1632	CAN	-1	2w0	1
10	Yu Jonathan	2223	CAN	2b0	-½	0.5
11	Stefanovic Miroslav	2174	CAN	8b0	-½	0.5
12	Sivapathasundaram Manojh	1883	CAN	-½	7b0	0.5
13	Liu Zhanhe (lambert)	1958	CAN	-½	4w0	0.5
14	Mendoza Armand Jess	1986	CAN	1b0	6w0	0

Check the most recent results on the chess-results server.

ACC Back to the Grind Swiss U1900

Rk.	Name	Rtg	FED	1.Rd	2.Rd	Pts.
1	Amirirad Kamran	1764	CAN	19w1	12b1	2
2	Ugodnikov Arkadiy	1713	CAN	9b1	11w1	2
3	Gilani Mysha	1467	CAN	20b1	8w1	2
4	Vigneswaramoorthy Vinorth	1647	CAN	24b1	-½	1.5
5	Wilker Marcus	1621	CAN	23w1	6b½	1.5
6	Pei Eric	1235	CAN	10b1	5w½	1.5
7	Giffen Glenn	1508	CAN	-½	17w1	1.5
8	Hanratty Brian	1688	CAN	22w1	3b0	1
9	Belcadi Salim	1627	CAN	2w0	24b1	1
10	Chen Harry (siqi)	1496	CAN	6w0	22b1	1
11	David Jean-Marc	1377	CAN	18w1	2b0	1
12	Armstrong Robert J.	1611	CAN	21w1	1w0	1
13	Ab-Barin Hooshang	1613	CAN	-½	16b½	1
14	Sharpe Michael D.	1677	CAN	-½	-½	1
15	Abbarin Shabnam	1478	CAN	-½	-½	1
16	Patton Mark A.	1317	CAN	-½	13w½	1
17	Sutton Michael	1733	CAN	-½	7b0	0.5
18	Gaffney Kevin	1590	CAN	11b0	20w½	0.5
19	Gelowitz Mark A.	1502	CAN	1b0	-½	0.5
20	Zhang Henry Xianrui	1357	CAN	3w0	18b½	0.5
21	Supol George	1347	CAN	12b0	-½	0.5
22	Jevtic Dragan	1388	CAN	8b0	10w0	0
23	Morrison Richard	1380	CAN	5b0	0	0
24	Goldfarb Adam	1391	CAN	4w0	9w0	0

Check the most recent results on the chess-results server.

ACC Back to the Grind Swiss U1400

Rk.	Name	Rtg	FED	1.Rd	2.Rd	Pts.
1	Ma Yue Ran	1189	CAN	-½	5b1	1.5
2	Teram Eli	1093	CAN	7w1	-½	1.5
3	Moiseev Alex	699	CAN	-½	8w1	1.5
4	Patton Mark A.	1317	CAN	6b1	0	1
5	Souchko Larissa	1106	CAN	8b1	1w0	1
6	Geddie Alex	1078	CAN	4w0	7b½	0.5
7	Kalmanson Evgeny	1016	CAN	2b0	6w½	0.5
8	Noritsyn Ivan	1016	CAN	5w0	3b0	0

Check the most recent results on the chess-results server.

It’s summer!

Our current club tournament is the ACC Summer Swiss, running on five Monday nights, June 27 to July 25, in Crown and U1700 sections. (Check the club page for more on how our regular tournaments work.)

Rounds in the club tournament start at 7:30 pm each Monday. New players are welcome to join in any round, or even to drop in for just one round, but please register by 7:00 pm to make sure you’re paired.

Round One – June 27

Chess at the Annex seems to be picking up over the summer! Thirty-three players started the tournament in Round One, and we expect more to join mid-tournament.

In typical heavily mismatched first-round games, the favourites chalk up five wins to sweep the underdogs in the Crown section.

In the under-1700 section, the favourites take six, one game is drawn, and the underdogs take two: Hazel Guo (1276) upsets Glenn Giffen (1527), and her brother Roger Guo (1113) upsets Mark Patton (1436). Good night for the Guo family!

Game of the Week

In the game of the week, Salim Belcadi (1309) plays his Blackmar-Diemer (1.d4 d5 2.e4) against Harry Chen (1529). Belcadi goes on a K-side attack, and there’s an interesting material imbalance after Chen loses his Q but gets R, N, and several Ps in the process.

Round Two – July 4

After two rounds, Dave Southam has clear first in the Crown section with 2.0/2. Another five players are half a point behind at 1.5/2.

In the U1700 section, Shabnam Abbarin and her dad, Hooshang Abbarin, along with Brian Hanratty are in a three-way tie for first with 2.0/2. Another four players trail by half a point at 1.5/2.

Game of the Week

In the game of the week, Vinorth Vigneswaramoorthy (1606), on board one against Dave Southam (2207), takes the poisoned pawn in a Winawer, plays an interesting line, then misses a tactic on move 17 and gets miniatured.

Round Three – July 11

Through three rounds, Dave Southam holds onto clear first in the Crown section with a win over William Li and a perfect score of 3.0/3.

In the U1700 section, Brian Hanratty takes clear first at 3.0/3, with a win over Hooshang Abbarin.

Game of the Week

In the game of the week, tournament leader Dave Southam (2207) plays a Ne2 Rubinstein variation in the Nimzo to fend off a challenge by William Li (2075) on the top board. White picks up two pawns, gives one back, and it’s the last game to finish as Southam grinds out a 68-move win.

Round Four – July 18

With four rounds in the books, the leaders stay strong: Dave Southam draws Jelvis Calvelo to hold onto clear first in the Crown section with 3.5/4. England and Calvelo are within half a point.

And Brian Hanratty in U1700 holds clear first at 4.0/4 with a win over Harry Chen. Shabnam Abbarin has 3.5/4 and clear second.

Game of the Week

Dave Southam is on a game-of-the-week streak! This time it’s a 93-move draw with Jelvis Calvelo. Calvelo plays the Advance against Southam’s French, and after Black plays …c4 on move 5, the central pawns stay locked for 40 moves. Then White sacs two pieces to turn two locked pawns into connected passers on the seventh. There are barrages of Q checks by both sides, but eventually Black sacs B and Q on the pawns, still managing to reach a drawn P/c2 vs. Q ending. Definitely game-of-the-week material!

Round Five – July 25

Dave Southam wins to take the Crown with 4.5/5. In U1700, Brian Hanratty needs only a draw to take the section with 4.5/5. Congratulations, Dave and Brian!

We’re closed August 1 for Simcoe Day, but there’s a new club tournament starting up August 8. New players are welcome! Please register by 7:00 pm to make sure you’re paired.

Game of the Week

Dave Southam has a close call against Scott Cliff yet still manages to end up in a winning line in the ending.  (I’m reminded of Alekhine’s boast: “To win against me, you must beat me three times: first in the opening, then in the middlegame, and then again in the endgame.”)

The spotlight this week, though, is on Hanratty-Abbarin on the top board of the U1700 section. Black plays a 6.e6 Najdorf and tries an interesting B sac on move 22. She dodges a bullet or two on her way to winning back the piece to enter a winning-looking ending with 2 extra Ps. But then she allows a perp and the game ends in a draw – all Brian Hanratty needs for clear first in the section!

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Final ranking cross-tables after Round 5

ACC Summer Swiss Crown

Rk.	Name	Rtg	FED	1.Rd	2.Rd	3.Rd	4.Rd	Pts.
1	Southam David	2206	CAN	14w1	8b1	3w1	2b½	5b1	4.5
2	Calvelo Jelvis	2080	CAN	18w1	3b½	5w1	1w½	9b1	4
3	Li William	2119	CAN	12b1	2w½	1b0	6w1	8w1	3.5
4	England Max	1938	CAN	15b1	-½	-½	10w1	0	3
5	Cliff Scott	1918	CAN	17w1	-½	2b0	8b1	1w0	2.5
6	Amirirad Kamran	1755	CAN	-½	7w0	18b1	3b0	14w+	2.5
7	Ostertag Ralph	0	CAN	-½	6b1	-½	0	0	2
8	Vigneswaramoorthy Vinorth	1604	CAN	-1	1w0	14b1	5w0	3b0	2
9	Stefanovic Miroslav	2202	CAN	-½	-½	0	17b1	2w0	2
10	Malakhovets Sergey	2064	CAN	-½	-½	17w1	4b0	0	2
11	Paganini Xavier	2000	US	-½	-½	0	0	16b1	2
12	Ugodnikov Arkadiy	1730	CAN	3w0	17b0	-1	15w½	13b½	2
13	Longo Tyler	2025	CAN	-½	-½	0	0	12w½	1.5
14	Mendoza Armand Jess	1917	CAN	1b0	18w+	8w0	-½	6b-	1.5
15	Armstrong Robert J.	1607	CAN	4w0	-½	-½	12b½	0	1.5
16	Huczek George	1939	CAN	-½	-½	0	0	11w0	1
17	Wilker Marcus	1606	CAN	5b0	12w1	10b0	9w0	0	1
18	Nadj Pal	1706	CAN	2b0	14b-	6w0	-1	0	1

Full results, round-by-round standings, etc. are available on the Chess-Results server.

ACC Summer Swiss U1700

Rk.	Name	Rtg	FED	1.Rd	2.Rd	3.Rd	4.Rd	Pts.
1	Hanratty Brian	1421	CAN	25w1	5b1	2b1	9w1	3w½	4.5
2	Ab-Barin Hooshang	1581	CAN	6w1	15b1	1w0	8b1	7w1	4
3	Abbarin Shabnam	1445	CAN	29w1	13b1	-½	10w1	1b½	4
4	Gelowitz Mark A.	1409	CAN	-½	24w½	17b1	12w1	9b1	4
5	Morrison Richard	1424	CAN	30b1	1w0	12b0	28w1	26b1	3
6	Zhang Henry Xianrui	1375	CAN	2b0	26w1	30w1	7b0	15w1	3
7	Zhao Zhong	1662	CAN	24b½	18w1	-½	6w1	2b0	3
8	Ramesh Bharath	1313	CAN	-½	-½	14b1	2w0	18b1	3
9	Chen Harry (siqi)	1529	CAN	20b1	-½	16w1	1b0	4w0	2.5
10	Goldfarb Adam	1375	CAN	-½	28b1	19w1	3b0	0	2.5
11	Giffen Glenn	1527	CAN	15w0	29b1	-½	13w1	0	2.5
12	Gao William	1077	CAN	-½	-½	5w1	4b0	16b½	2.5
13	Teram Eli	1088	CAN	-1	3w0	-½	11b0	23w1	2.5
14	Jevtic Dragan	1427	CAN	27w0	25b1	8w0	16b1	0	2
15	Guo Haotong Hazel	1276	CAN	11b1	2w0	-½	-½	6b0	2
16	He Emma	1474	CAN	26b1	-½	9b0	14w0	12w½	2
17	Yong David	966	CAN	-½	-½	4w0	22b0	29w1	2
18	Guo Roger	1113	CAN	23w1	7b0	-½	-½	8w0	2
19	Mcroberts Julian	1430	CAN	-½	-½	10b0	26w1	0	2
20	Belcadi Salim	1309	CAN	9w0	23b1	-½	-½	0	2
21	Li Yun Hong (Kevin)	0	CAN	-½	-½	0	25b0	28w1	2
22	Allen Joshua	1385	CAN	-½	-½	0	17w1	0	2
23	Patton Mark A.	1436	CAN	18b0	20w0	29b½	30w1	13b0	1.5
24	David Jean-Marc	1384	CAN	7w½	4b½	-½	0	0	1.5
25	Ma Yue Ran	0	CAN	1b0	14w0	26b0	21w1	0	1
26	Souchko Larissa	1183	CAN	16w0	6b0	25w1	19b0	5w0	1
27	Vigneswaramoorthy Vinorth	1604	CAN	14b1	0	0	0	0	1
28	Kalmanson Evgeny	1161	CAN	-½	10w0	-½	5b0	21b0	1
29	Jafari Nick	1174	CAN	3b0	11w0	23w½	-½	17b0	1
30	Geddie Alex	1074	CAN	5w0	-½	6b0	23b0	0	0.5

Full results, round-by-round standings, etc. are available on the Chess-Results server.

Summer 2016 officially started on June 20 at 6:34 p.m. EDT, and summer solstice this year coincided with the full moon. See the Farmer’s Almanac.