News Post
Here's the latest ACC news for this Monday, May 8, 2023:
Canadian Transnational Official Image
1. Canadian Transnational
The Canadian Transnational Chess Championship (CTN) is scheduled to start in Toronto on June 3-4. The CTN has a blitz on June 3 and a rapid on June 3-4, both in Toronto. That will be followed by a classical norms tournament in Montreal the the following week (June 6-11). Sixty titled players, including 18 GMs, 20 IMs, 4 WGMs, 12 FMs, 2CMs and others, are scheduled to play in the 3 events.
Final preparations are now being made for this important event, which promises to have one of the strongest fields in Canadian chess history.
You don't want to miss an opportunity to rub elbows with so many chess stars under one roof. There should be lots of autograph and picture-taking opportunities for CTN-registered players.
Important note: GM Evgeny Bareev, former World #4, and highest-rated player in Canada will be playing in the CTN in Toronto. GM Bareev played in 2022 against Hikaru Nakamura, as well as some of our Club Members, at ACC.
2. Toronto Women's Club (TWCC)
TWCC will be meeting this evening at 918 Bathurst from 6:30 PM until 8:00 PM once again. The theme for the evening will be a lecture by Anna Burtasova on Good vs. Bad Exchanges in chess. The meeting is free for all women and girls who wish to attend.
We view TWCC as one of the most important programs that we support for the GTA's chess community.
3. Rapid Simul with Anna Burtasova
This evening, Anna Burtasova, ACC's Resident Women's Grandmaster (WGM), will be playing a rapid simul at our Club's casual section (Sun Room). She will be playing several players at once beginning at 8:15 PM. for two hours. This is open to any casual players—ACC Full/Casual Members, as well as non-member guests who pay the $10 (+ HST) nightly casual play fee.
FYI, Anna's rapid rating is currently FIDE 2265, so it should be a fun event and we'll take some photos for promotional purposes. A chess book will be available as a prize for any players who grab a win or draw against her.
WGM Anna Burtasova will be playing in the Canadian Transnational tournament on June 3-4.
4. Toronto Closed Continues
Tonight is Round 4 of the Toronto Closed, a 9-round round-robin championship.
IM Michael Barron is leading the Championship Section with a score of 3 pts. though other players are close behind, including promising junior Isaak Huh with 2.0 pts. Isaak has been attending ACC's Positional Chess course on Tuesday evenings, which is taught by IM Mark Plotkin.
In the Reserve Section, four players lead with 2 pts. followed by two players with 1.5 pts. so there's a real battle going on.
In the Development Section, two players (Sudhir Pokhrl and Karandeep Basi) lead with three points.
This is exciting, competitive chess!
5. May Day 5-Week Tournament Continues
Round 2 of our latest 5-week tournament continues tonight. There are only two sections Crown and U1400, due to so many of our players playing in the Toronto Closed. A total of 21 ACC members are playing in the Toronto Closed, out of 30 players (i.e. 70%).
60 players played in Round #1, while another 10 players took byes.
6. Marvellous Chess - New Topics This Week
FM Michael Humphreys continues his Marvellous Chess series (#6) this Thursday at 7:00 PM with the following topics:
Bishop of Same Colour Endgames
Unlike bishop of opposite colour endgames, bishop of same colour endgames offer the attacking side excellent chances of converting even minor advantages. In this lesson, we'll examine pure cases of bishop and pawn vs. bishop as well as more complicated examples with many pawns on the board.
The "Hanging Pawns" Structure
"Hanging Pawns" refers to two pawns (usually c and d pawns) on half open files which can defend each other, but lack any additional support from any other pawns. Although these pawns can often be seen as weaknesses, the fact that they control many central squares can sometimes make them a valuable asset. This lesson will help differentiate between these two scenarios.
Taimanov vs. Karpov 1973
When it comes to playing against the "hanging pawns", the game Taimanov vs. Karpov 1973 is regarded as a model game. Computer analysis has not been so kind to it, however. Although Karpov's positional pawn sacrifice still withstands scrutiny, there are many elements which do not. The "double exclamation marks" which were once awarded to one of Karpov's more subtle moves, are now replaced by Stockfish with a "?!". This game also features what must be one of the most premature resignations in chess history.
The cost to attend this week's class is only $25 ($20 for ACC members).
What a great value!
You can register here for Marvellous Chess.
FM Michael Humphreys will be playing in the Canadian Transnational tournament on June 3-4.
7. IM Mark Plotkin's New Course is Coming
IM Mark Plotkin's exciting new 8-week ACC online course is "Maneuvering – An Essential Skill for the Serious Player" and it will commence on Tuesday, June 13, 2023 at 7:00 PM. Below are some notes Mark has prepared in order to explain his new Zoom course. Each class runs 1.5 hrs. and is aimed at club players (both adults and juniors) already playing in rated tournaments.
Maneuvering refers to the strategic positioning of your pieces in a way that improves your chances of winning the game. It involves identifying weaknesses in your opponent's position, creating threats, and improving the mobility and coordination of your own pieces. Maneuvering is an essential skill for any serious chess player.
Below are the individual 8 classes being taught by Mark in his Maneuvering course:
Each class is a mix of lecture and reviewing example positions. Homework problems are given each week in order to reinforce the principles learned in the previous week. The homework is reviewed at the start of each class. Students also receive links to the recorded Zoom sessions for their personal use as well as access to the related Lichess studies.
This is expected to be an excellent course for players focused on their chess improvement. Advance registrations will be opening soon for this new course.
IM Mark Plotkin will be playing in the Canadian Transnational tournament on June 3-4.
Annex Chess Club, 918 Bathurst Street, Unit L2, Toronto ON M5R 3G5
