Boylston Chess Club Weblog

Moves Not Found In Nature

2009-11-14T00:24:00.007-05:00

In my last game from the recently concluded Hauptturnier, my opponent Rubén Portugués arrived a little late. I had arrived early enough to select a reasonably well-lit board, position each piece in the center of its square, and point knights facing forward, as is my habit.

As we started our game, Rubén gently pointed out that my king and queen were transposed. That was easily fixed, of course, and then I proceeded to find more normal ways to mess up my position and lose the game.
(Matt -- fortunately, it's difficult to place the board the wrong way at the club!)

Also quite recently, I was playing some time-odds blitz against "The Captain". The relevant features of the position are below, with it being my turn to move:

As White, I played 1...h7xg6 (!) and pressed the clock.

The Captain pushed his clock button back down and protested, "Wait, wait, what just happened?"

I believe I tried to push my clock button back down, but then realized I had gotten "a little ahead of myself" after pondering 1 Bxg6 hxg6 or 1 Nxg6 hxg6.

Subconsciously I must have figured that, since I was breaking the laws of chess anyway by making his move instead of mine, I might as well keep both my minor pieces. :-)

Despite that incident, I rarely play blitz, and even more rarely agree to it against people for whom I consider myself no match. Quite a number of years ago, our club's Fearless Leader, Dave Vigorito, persuaded me, kicking and screaming, to play such a game with him between rounds at some tournament.

Dave played a knight move like the following:

(Or however he moved his knight, it was not an L-shaped legal move.)

With my 20/400 sight of the board (a far cry from Dave's 2400 sight of the board), I had no idea anything strange had occurred. As I sat there pondering my response, he eventually took pity on me and asked, "You're not really going to let me do that, are you?"

According to my recollection, my response was "Do what?"

At the 1988 U.S. Open tournament here in Boston, I played a well-known local expert. I'll call him "Truly Forgotten" because his name sort of rhymes with that, although I suspect he will never be truly forgotten by me (nor perhaps, by many other folks).

I was getting crushed on the board. I was also in time trouble and frazzled, and while it was his turn to move, "Truly" decided to adjust one of his pieces without saying "Adjust" or "J'adoube".

With my aforementioned 20/400 sight of the board, I incorrectly thought he had made a move, so I hurriedly made another one and pressed my (still-down) clock. Can you believe the nerve of this guy? He protested that I had made two moves in a row! ;-)

Even that extra move wouldn't have helped me in that position, and "Truly" duly ground me down. I'm happy to say, though, that I scraped a draw from him two years later.

The October-December 2009 Chess Horizons reveals that local player N.N. is still turning in strong performances. With my squib-tastic eye, it is almost unimaginable that I could be anyone's nemesis, but I am oddly 3-0 against this particular fellow from our early 1990's games. In our first game, after 72 b4 h5 73 b5 h4 74 b6 h3 75 b7 Bc7, we arrived at this position:

A small crowd had been steadily growing around our board for the last several moves. I could tell that N.N. had forgotten something about chess, and I don't quite buy the Chinese saying:

當局者迷旁觀者清

which says that although the players may be confused about what's happening on the board, the spectators remain clear.

The next moves were 76 b8=Q Bxb8, after which N.N. confidently announced:

Stalemate, I can't move.

Unfortunately for him, 77 Kf8 and 77 Kh8 are indeed moves found in nature. I pointed out, "You can move." and he resigned immediately.

Chess is indeed a difficult game!

Chess and the BU Open

2009-11-11T10:44:00.005-05:00

Chess and the BU Open

It was November 15 1997 and I decided to get back into playing tournament chess. Lifetime boomers have a membership ID beginning with "1001": the USCF offered it to members in the 70's for those who opted to pay twice as much for 10 years in a sustaining membership to convert to Life. So after 19 years away, raising a family, I walked into the Third Annual BU Open.

Bob Oresick and Alan Ong were seated in the basement of the BU student union, paid my entry fee as I showed them my 1590 rating on the label of my Chess Life.

Bob and Allan were more occupied in encouraging players to assist in setting up tables and chairs. So an array of folding tables, folding chairs, and pieces of plywood were crafted by custodians and players assembling the hall. I found myself moving a table with a BU facilities man, Benjamin Theodore, whom I worked with for 11 years previously in a company that had subsequently closed. Benjamin made it a point to work during the BU Open for the next 10 consecutive years in order to say hi to me and make sure things were ok. He retired from BU two years ago.

Few coat racks available, we piled our coats and bags on the side of the room. The fact I was a class C prize winner that day fueled my enthusiasm; and so warmed by the prize money, the 30 degree weather made no impression as I took the T home; not noticing that I forgot my coat.

That day would begin the revitalization of my chess career, become an annual tradition, and begin a friendship with Bob. Subsequent BU Opens have moved upstairs into a glass walled, pre-furnished room, overlooking the Charles River surrounded by the colorful autumnal leaves. When combined with the nearby food court, ton's of space for skittles, each game has their own separate table to play on; the BU Open has evolved to one of the best places to play chess. Another feature is that local students are attracted by a low entry fee and team prizes, So you are not stuck in dealing with the typical cast of characters but have an opportunity to play unknown strangers.

From it's humble beginnings the BU Open has grown into a special day in the chess year.

Thank You Bob Oresick and Alan Ong.

What are some of your experiences at the BU Open?

Please Comment.

Mike Griffin 11/09/2009

New views on the Lewis chessmen

2009-11-11T10:36:00.001-05:00

Doubts cast on Chessmen origins

Calls have been made for the pieces to be returned to Lewis

New research has cast doubt on traditional theories about the historic Lewis Chessmen.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/highlands_and_islands/8352127.stm

Published: 2009/11/10 10:38:48 GMT

© BBC MMIX

The 93 pieces - currently split between museums in Edinburgh and London - were discovered on Lewis in 1831.

But the research suggests they may have been used in both chess and Hnefatafl - a similar game that was popular in medieval Scandinavia.

It also casts doubt on the traditional theory that the ivory pieces were lost or buried by a merchant.

The research was led by Dr David Caldwell of the National Museum of Scotland, who believes the Lewis chessmen were more likely to have belonged to a high-ranking person who lived on Lewis.

Dr Caldwell told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme that many of the pieces could have doubled for Hnefatafl, another conflict game which also pitted a king against pawns or warriors on the other side.

It is much more likely that the horde is in Lewis because it belonged to somebody who lived there rather than being abandoned by a merchant who was passing through

Dr David Caldwell
National Museum of Scotland

The ancient game has not survived into modern times.

For the first time, they also tried to work out which pieces were made by the same groups of craftsmen by measuring the chessmen's faces, looking at their clothing, and studying details of the workmanship.

Dr Caldwell added: "We certainly still believe the pieces are Scandinavian in origin, perhaps made in a workshop by several masters in a city like Trondheim.

"But one of the main things I think we are saying in our research is that it is much more likely that the horde is in Lewis because it belonged to somebody who lived there rather than being abandoned by a merchant who was passing through.

"To take a relatively easy example, there is a praise poem written in the middle of the 13th century to Angus Mor of Isla, and the poem says that he inherited his ivory chess pieces from his father Donald - that makes Angus the very first Macdonald, and the poem also makes him the king of Lewis.

"Now you of course you would be foolish to implicitly believe everything in a praise poem, but nevertheless it gives you some idea that we are dealing with a society in the west of Scotland - great leaders like Angus Mor, bishops, clan chiefs - who really valued playing chess and saw it as being one of their accomplishments."

He said that the analysis tried to recognise the work of different craftsmen, and home in on pieces which may be replacements for ones which had been broken or lost.

They used a forensic anthropologist, Caroline Wilkinson based at Dundee University, to do a photogrammetric analysis of the faces as they believed individual craftsmen would have given their faces different characteristics, just like a modern-day political cartoonists.

Plenty of mystery

Dr Caldwell said the chessmen suggested that there was a reasonable amount of wealth in the western Isles in the 13th century, perhaps because the medieval economy placed greater value on fairly barren land that could be used to raise cattle.

He added: "It was certainly leading men there, people who could make a lot of money either by raising cattle or frankly by going raiding - there was still in some ways a Viking way of life surviving into the 13th century."

Despite the extensive research, Dr Caldwell said he still believed there was plenty of mystery surrounding the chessmen.

"I would be very disappointed if we have written the last word on the - what I hope we have done is opened up the debate and shown it is possible, even with something very well known, to discover new things," he said.

The research will be published this week in the journal Medieval Archaeology.

Of the 93 pieces found, 82 are kept at the British Museum, with 11 held by the National Museum of Scotland.

Calls have been made for all of the pieces, which were made from walrus ivory and whales' teeth, to be returned to Lewis.

FM Chris Chase is the BCC Champion 2009

2009-11-10T00:43:00.006-05:00

Congratulations to Chris Chase who is the BCC Champion for 2009.

The prize is $300 and free entry to the year's Boylston events.
This is Chris' 6th time as champion or co-champion of the BCC, joining the other 6-time winners, Jacob Rasin and Bill Kelleher.

Denys Shmelov was second ($200), and Charles Riordan took third ($100.)

Congratulations to all! A hard fought tournament.

BCF Championship 2009

#	Name/Rtng/ID	Rd 1	Rd 2	Rd 3	Rd 4	Rd 5	Rd 6	Rd 7	Rd 8	Rd 9	Tot
1	VIGORITO,DAVID	B 9	W 8	B 7	W 6	B 5	W 4	B 3	W 2	----
	2464 12426279	1.0	1.5	2.5	3.5	4.0	4.0	4.0	4.0	4.0	4.0
2	SHMELOV,DENYS KONSTANTIN	B 8	W 7	B 6	W 5	B 4	W 3	----	B 1	- 9
	2492 13433622	0.5	1.5	2.0	2.5	2.5	3.5	3.5	4.5	X5.5	5.5
3	WILLIAMS,CHRIS	B 7	W 6	B 5	W 4	----	B 2	W 1	B 9	W 8
	2239 12788759	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	2.0	3.0	4.0	4.0
4	CHASE,CHRISTOPHER	B 6	W 5	----	B 3	W 2	B 1	W 9	B 8	W 7
	2333 10010985	0.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	2.0	3.0	4.0	5.0	6.0	6.0
5	RIORDAN,CHARLES ROBERT	----	B 4	W 3	B 2	W 1	B 9	W 8	B 7	W 6
	2397 12611870	0.0	0.0	1.0	1.5	2.0	3.0	4.0	5.0	5.0	5.0
6	TIMES,LAWYER	W 4	B 3	W 2	B 1	W 9	B 8	W 7	----	B 5
	2292 12167330	1.0	2.0	2.5	2.5	2.5	3.0	3.5	3.5	4.5	4.5
7	CHERNIACK,ALEX	W 3	B 2	W 1	B 9	W 8	----	B 6	W 5	B 4
	2297 11096239	1.0	1.0	1.0	2.0	3.0	3.0	3.5	3.5	3.5	3.5
8	THEIL,CAREY M	W 2	B 1	W 9	----	B 7	W 6	B 5	W 4	B 3
	2240 12594672	0.5	1.0	2.0	2.0	2.0	2.5	2.5	2.5	2.5	2.5
9	RUEDA,LIBARDO	W 1	----	B 8	W 7	B 6	W 5	B 4	W 3	- 2
	2171 12497363	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	F1.0	1.0

BU Open 2009

2009-11-01T16:15:00.036-05:00

The 15^th annual BU Open 2009 was held on Saturday, Nov 7. It was a beautiful New England autumn day, which the glass windows of the BU student union backcourt venue allowed the players to enjoy.

.

91 players participated – I think a record turnout for a BU Open. It would have certainly been a new high, but after having pre-registered, several BU Open fans had to cancel because of illness – Barry Lai, Chris Chase, Harold Dondis, Marc Esserman, and Bill Kelleher.

One of the enjoyable features of the tournament is the number of people who return year after year – and the were new faces – several people playing in their first rated tournament and people new to the area. For example, WGM Anya Corke, who is from Hong Kong and a freshman student at Wellesley College, trekked in to spend the day in Boston.

This year IM Dave Vigorito won

. .

and WGM Anya Corke took second.

Congratulations to both.

Bellow is a summary of the results. Bernardo Iglesias, who did an admirable job as usual, had the tournament rated by Sat evening, so you can visit USCF for the complete crosstable.

Note Bene: The BCF helped make the event possible by sponsoring it under its affiliation with the USCF. The BU chess club is grateful to the BCC for all its support to BU and to the greater Boston Chess community.

Tony Cortizas took some superb photos again and posted them in an album here.

I also shot some pictures – view them here.

Amici sumus,

Robert Oresick

...................................................................

Results:

Open Section

1^st $350

IM David Vigorito (4)

2^nd $125

WGM Anya Corke (3.5)

Top U2200 $100

NM Frank Wang (3) $50 and Jesse Nicholas (3) $50

U1900 Section

1^st $100

Michael Raphael (4)

2^nd $50

Mike Griffin (3.5) $25 and Richard Han (3.5) $25

U1600 Section

1^st $100

Corey Tolbert (4) $75 and Travis Dover (4) $75

1st and 2nd prizes were combined and divided between the tied 1st place winners.

2^nd $50

Brian Costello (3) $0, Benjamin Fein (3) $0, Eric Lawless (3) $0,

Austin Collins (3)$0 , Siddhart Arun (3) $0, Matthew Lee (3) $0, Steve Wollkind (3) $0,

George Gram (3) $0, and Alexander Kurjatko (3) $0

1st and 2nd prizes were combined and divided between the tied 1st place winners.

Top U1200 $50

Sandeep Vadlamudi (2) $25 and Matthew Messer (2) $25

Allan Ong Top BU undergrad $50

Austin Collins (3)

Top College - Northeastern University

Corey Tolbert (4), Michael Raphael (4), Eric Lawless (3),

George Gram (3), Gregory Siciliano (1.5), and Tim Trubko (1)

Top High School - Newton

Richard Han (3.5), Jacob Fauman (1) and Lior Rozhansky (0)

Top Primary School - Newton Day School

Alex Fauman (2) and Charlie Fauman (3)

Note: only the top three scorers are counted for the team totals.

More on the City of Boston Championship

2009-11-01T16:11:00.001-05:00

year City of Boston Champion (GBO)

revised with the additions by Iglesias and Lappin
...
2009 SM Denys Shmelov
2008 FM William Kelleher
2007 WIM Ester Epstein
2006 Avraam Pismenny, FM John Curdo
2005 Avraam Pismenny, Leonid Tkach
2004 Avraam Pismenny
2003 IM Igor Foygel, FM John Curdo, Jack Stolerman, Patrick Sciacca
2002 FM Charles Riordan
2001 Henry "Hal" Terrie
2000 IM Igor Foygel
1999 GM Alexander Ivanov, IM William Paschall, Mark LaRocca
1998 GM Sergey Kudrin
1997 FM John Curdo
1996 GM Alexander Ivanov, IM Jonathan Yedidia
1995 1995 GM Alexander Ivanov
1994 GM Alexander Ivanov
1993 FM Charles Hertan, FM Chris Chase, FM John Curdo, Nasser Abbasi
1992 IM Igor Foygel
1991 IM Jorge Zamora Jr.
1990 GM Alexander Ivanov, Bijan Haririan
1989 IM Vivek Rao
1988 GM Alexander Ivanov, NM Mark Ginsburg, NM Charles Hertan, Brian McCarthy
1987 NM Ilya Gurevich, FM John Curdo, Gary Nute
1986 Michael Wilder, NM Sandeep Joshi, NM Mark Ginsburg, NM Aki Kanamori
1985 NM Charles Hertan, NM Ilya Gurevich
1984 GM Arthur Bisguier
1983 FM John Curdo, David Glueck, and Boris Belopolsky
1982 IM Igor Ivanov, GM Roman Dzindzihashvili
1981 FM James Rizzitano
1980 FM John Curdo
1979 GM Lev Alburt, GM Arthur Bisguier
1978 FM John Curdo
1977 FM John Curdo
1976 NM Daniel Harrington
1975 Frank Thornally
1974 Allan Savage
1973 John Peters / Dan Harrington
1972 John Peters / William Robertie / Norman Weinstein
1971 FM John Curdo, IM Norman Weinstein, Imre Barlay [Note: In 1971 John Curdo was the first master to play a computer in a rated tournament (Greater Boston Open)]
1970 Dan Harrington
1969
1968 Dan Harrington
1967
1966
1965
1964
1963
1962
1961
1960
1959
1958
1957
1956
1955
1954
1953
1952
1951
1950
1949
1948 Gerhard Katz, Charles Reams
1947 Harlow Daly
1946 Gerhard Katz
1945 Milton Kagan
1944 Weaver Adams
1943 Milton Kagan
1942 Gerhard Katz
1941 Gerhard Katz
1940 Oscar Shapiro
1939 Weaver Adams
1938 Weaver Adams
1937 Harlow Daly, Harry Lyman
1936 Sidney Coggan
1935 Weaver Adams
1934 Harlow Daly, the first winner of the GBO

Greater Boston Open through the decades

2009-10-30T17:13:00.003-04:00

The following “research of winners of the GBO through the decades” is a follow up of a publication made by Robert Oresick and credited to MACA Publications Coordinator George Mirijanian at the Boylston Chess Club Weblog on 10/26/09.

I went Thursday night to the BCF and in one hour I gathered a lot of information from our Chess Horizons collection, but sadly I found we are missing two issues from 1983 Volume 15, issues #5 & 6 where the winner(s) of GBO from that year are named.

I would like to call all the readers of this weblog if anyone has and could spare such issues to the BCF to get in touch with me in order to obtain them if it is possible.

I want to apologize if I have misrepresented the proper chess titles or have omitted them for these distinguished past winners; I did not pay attention to these details.

Possible reviewing to newspapers in the Boston Area from 1969 to 1949 will yield more names to this list.

2009 SM Denys Shmelov

2008 FM William Kelleher

2007 WIM Ester Epstein

2006 Avraam Pismenny, FM John Curdo

2005 Avraam Pismenny, Leonid Tkach

2004 Avraam Pismenny

2003 IM Igor Foygel, FM John Curdo, Jack Stolerman, Patrick Sciacca

2002 FM Charles Riordan

2001 Henry “Hal” Terrie

2000 IM Igor Foygel

1999 GM Alexander Ivanov, IM William Paschall, NM Mark LaRocca

1998 GM Sergey Kudrin

1997 FM John Curdo

1996 GM Alexander Ivanov, IM Jonathan Yedidia

1995 GM Alexander Ivanov

1994 GM Alexander Ivanov

1993 NM Charles Hertan, NM Chris Chase, FM John Curdo, Nassr Abbasi

1992 FM Igor Foygel

1991 IM Jorge Zamora Jr.

1990 GM Alexander Ivanov, Bijan Haririan

1989 IM Vivek Rao

1988 GM Alexander Ivanov, NM Mark Ginsburg, NM Charles Hertan, Brian McCarthy

1987 NM Ilya Gurevich, FM John Curdo, Gary Nute

1986 Michael Wilder, NM Sandeep Joshi, NM Mark Ginsburg, NM Aki Kanamori

1985 NM Charles Hertan, NM Ilya Gurevich

1984 GM Arthur Bisguier

1983 “BCF lacks Volume 15 issues #5 & 6 - Chess Horizons”

1982 IM Igor Ivanov, GM Roman Dzindzihashvili

1981 FM James Rizzitano

1980 FM John Curdo

1979 GM Lev Alburt, GM Arthur Bisguier

1978 FM John Curdo

1977 FM John Curdo

1976 NM Daniel Harrington

1975 Frank Thornally

1974 NM Allan Savage

1973 NM John Peters, NM Daniel Harrington

1972 NM John Peters, NM William Robertie, IM Norman Weinstein

1971 FM John Curdo, IM Norman Weinstein, Imre Barlay

1970 NM Daniel Harrington

1969 ……………………….

1968 Daniel Harrington

1967 -1949…………………

1948 Gehard Katz, Charles Reams

1947 Harlow Daly

1946 Gehard Katz

1945 Milton Kagan

1944 Weaver Adams

1943 Milton Kagan

1941 Gehard Katz

1940 Oscar Shapiro

1939 Weaver Adams

1938 Weaver Adams

1937 Harlow Daly, Harry Lyman

1936 Sidney Coggan

1935 Weaver Adams

1934 Harlow Daly, the first winner of the GBO

Bernardo Iglesias

Blitz 2 - 2 Sharks

2009-10-29T22:10:00.000-04:00

Boston Blitz 2-2 Miami Sharks

October 29th, 2009 Chris Bird

Board	White	Result	Black
1.	GM Eugene Perelshteyn (2588)	1-0	FM Bruci Lopez (2480)
2.	FM Marcel Martinez (2475)	1-0	Denys Shmelov (2474)
3.	WGM Anya Corke (2304)	½-½	IM Blas Lugo (2351)
4.	Eric Rodriguez (2290)	½-½	Ilya Krasik (2252)
	Boston Blitz	2-2	Miami Sharks

Ethan Gilsdorf will speak about his book "Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks"

2009-10-29T13:51:00.003-04:00

Hi!

Just found out about your organization.

I'm a New York Times and Boston Globe freelance journalist and a PsychologyToday.com blogger --- and Somerville resident --- and I think members of your group might be interested in my new book and attending an event I'm having at Brookline Booksmith Tues Nov 3.

Would you be willing to pass this on to your peeps?

Thanks!

Ethan Gilsdorf
author of "FANTASY FREAKS AND GAMING GEEKS: An Epic Quest for Reality Among Role Players, Online Gamers, and Other Dwellers of Imaginary Realms."

***The Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks dog-and-pony (and orc) show comes to the Brookline Booksmith on Tuesday, November 3**

hope you can come and bring your friends (sworn enemies welcome too)... details below...

Tuesday, November 3
7pm
Brookline Booksmith
http://www.brooklinebooksmith.com/
279 Harvard St, Brookline MA
617-566-6660

Ethan Gilsdorf presents his travel memoir / pop culture narrative "FANTASY FREAKS AND GAMING GEEKS: An Epic Quest for Reality Among Role Players, Online Gamers, and Other Dwellers of Imaginary Realms." The book is an exploration and celebration of fantasy and gaming subcultures. The event begins with a "geek trivia contest" with prizes that tests the audience's knowledge of all things Tolkien, Harry Potter, Dungeons & Dragons and more. Gilsdorf will then read an excerpt from "Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks," followed by a Q&A and book signing.

More info: http://www.fantasyfreaksbook.com

PRAISE AND REVIEWS:

>"For anyone who has ever spent time within imaginary realms, the book will speak volumes. For those who have not, it will educate and enlighten."  –WIRED.COM

>"Imagine this: Lord of the Rings meets Jack Kerouac's On The Road"--- National Public Radio's "Around and About"

>"Gilsdorf is an engaging and personable guide. Like many who will pick up his book, he’s got one foot squarely in the real world, the other in the fantasy one. This is a journey well worth taking. " –BOOKLIST

“A breathless adventure/quest/memoir that is uniquely contemporary.”
—Andrei Codrescu, NPR commentator

“A vicarious peek into an escapist pastime."
–Kirkus Reviews

>"[A] fascinating memoir/travel/geek-world exploration." --- The Onion's A.V. Club

“Witty, downright funny, poignant, honest and ... well, wistful.”
—R. A. Salvatore, New York Times bestselling author of The Dark Elf Trilogy

“Fun, quirky and fresh.”
—David Brin, winner of the Nebula, Hugo, and Locus Awards

“An orcs-and-all journey through geekdom.”
—Melissa Anelli, author of Harry, A History: The True Story of a Boy Wizard, His Fans, and Life Inside the Harry Potter Phenomenon

“More fun than being a Dungeon Master to a group of high-level mages and thieves.”
—A. J. Jacobs, author of The Know-It-All and The Year of Living Biblically

+++

MORE ABOUT THE BOOK:
Come commune with your inner fantasy fan or gaming geek with Ethan Gilsdorf, author of the travel memoir / pop culture narrative "FANTASY FREAKS AND GAMING GEEKS: An Epic Quest for Reality Among Role Players, Online Gamers, and Other Dwellers of Imaginary Realms."

"Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks" is travel-memoir exploration and celebration of fantasy and gaming subcultures. As you know, online gaming, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings are huge and topical these days. The book is an effort to understand the appeal of fantasy and gaming.

On a quest that begins in his own geeky teenage past and ends in our online gaming future, former D&D addict Gilsdorf crisscrosses America, the world, and other worlds—from Boston to Wisconsin, France to New Zealand, and Planet Earth to Middle-earth to the realm of Aggramar. He asks game-players and fantasy fans---old, young, male, female, able-bodied and disabled—what attracts them to fantasy worlds, and for what reasons. What he discovers is funny, poignant, and enlightening.

ABOUT ETHAN GILSDORF:
Ethan Gilsdorf is the author of Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks: An Epic Quest for Reality Among Role Players, Online Gamers, and Other Dwellers of Imaginary Realms.

After playing Dungeons & Dragons religiously in the 1970s and 1980s, Ethan Gilsdorf went on to become a poet, teacher, and journalist. In the U.S. and in Paris, he’s worked as a freelance correspondent, guidebook writer, and film, book and restaurant reviewer. Now based in Somerville, Massachusetts, he publishes travel, arts, and pop culture stories regularly in the New York Times, Boston Globe, and Christian Science Monitor,and has been published in other magazines and newspapers including National Geographic Traveler, Psychology Today, and the Washington Post. His blog "Geek Pride" is seen regularly on PsychologyToday.com and he has also been a guest on talk radio as a fantasy and escapism expert. He does not own elf ears, but he has kept all his old D&D gear, and has been known to host a Lord of the Rings party or two. Follow Ethan’s adventures at http://www.ethangilsdorf.com.

More information at http://www.fantasyfreaksbook.com

Please feel free to check out my website, http://www.ethangilsdorf.com as well as my press room for photos and book jacket art: http://www.ethangilsdorf.com/pressroom/

Thanks for your consideration and I can be reached at 857 756 9101 or this email, or you may reach my publicist Bob Sembiante at Globe Pequot Press: robert.sembiante@globepequot.com, 203-458-4555

all best

Ethan Gilsdorf

Ethan Gilsdorf
ethan@ethangilsdorf.com
http://www.ethangilsdorf.com
http://www.fantasyfreaksbook.com
617-718-7007

My book "FANTASY FREAKS AND GAMING GEEKS: An Epic Quest for Reality Among Role Players, Online Gamers, and Other Dwellers of Imaginary Realms" will be published September 1, 2009, by The Lyons Press/Globe Pequot Press.

* All-new website here: http://www.fantasyfreaksbook.com/ *

* Blogging for Psychology Today -- "Geek Pride": https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/geek-pride *

* Read my blog: http://www.ethangilsdorf.com/ethanfreak-blog/ *

* INTRODUCTORY VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0knQcSAaws *

* Join the Facebook Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks Fan page! http://www.facebook.com/fantasyfreaksbook *

* Enter the Great Geek Giveaway contest! cool prizes! http://www.ethangilsdorf.com/greatgeekgiveaway/ *

* Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ethanfreak *

Ethan Gilsdorf
ethan@ethangilsdorf.com
http://www.ethangilsdorf.com
http://www.fantasyfreaksbook.com
617-718-7007

My book "FANTASY FREAKS AND GAMING GEEKS: An Epic Quest for Reality Among Role Players, Online Gamers, and Other Dwellers of Imaginary Realms" is now available from The Lyons Press/Globe Pequot Press.

* All-new website here: http://www.fantasyfreaksbook.com/ *

* Blogging for Psychology Today -- "Geek Pride": https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/geek-pride *

* Read my blog: http://www.ethangilsdorf.com/ethanfreak-blog/ *

* INTRODUCTORY VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0knQcSAaws *

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Denys Shmelov wins 76th Greater Boston Open amid big turnout in Natick

2009-10-27T08:02:00.006-04:00

photo: Tony Cortizas, Jr.

Congratulations to SM Denys Shmelov for becoming the champion of Boston.

He is the latest in a long list of distinguished champions.

2009	SM Denys Shmelov
2008	FM William Kelleher
2007	WIM Ester Epstein
2006	Avraam Pismenny, FM John Curdo
2005	Avraam Pismenny, Leonid Tkach
2004	Avraam Pismenny
2003	IM Igor Foygel, FM John Curdo, Jack Stolerman, Patrick Sciacca
2002	FM Charles Riordan
2001	Henry "Hal" Terrie
2000	IM Igor Foygel
1999	GM Alexander Ivanov, IM William Paschall, Mark LaRocca
1998	GM Sergey Kudrin
1997
1996
1995
1994
1993
1992
1991
1990
1989
1988
1987
1986
1985	Charles Hertan
1984
1983
1982	IM Igor Ivanov, GM Roman Dzindzihashvili
1981
1980
1979
1978
1977	John Curdo
1976
1975	Frank Thornally
1974	Allan Savage
1973	John Peters / Dan Harrington
1972	John Peters / William Robertie / Norman Weinstein
1971
1970	Dan Harrington
1969
1968	Dan Harrington
1967
1966
1965
1964
1963
1962
1961
1960
1959
1958
1957
1956
1955
1954
1953
1952
1951
1950
1949
1948	Gerhard Katz, Charles Reams
1947	Harlow Daly
1946	Gerhard Katz
1945	Milton Kagan
1944	Weaver Adams
1943	Milton Kagan
1942	Gerhard Katz
1941	Gerhard Katz
1940	Oscar Shapiro
1939	Weaver Adams
1938	Weaver Adams
1937	Harlow Daly, Harry Lyman
1936	Sidney Coggan
1935	Weaver Adams
1934	Harlow Daly
1933

..

Read George Mirijanian's full account on the MACA site News section.
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.
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IM Marc E - Maven of the Smith-Morra

2009-10-26T12:10:00.005-04:00

Photo: Tony Cortizas

When he is not playing tennis, IM Marc Esserman serves on the new executive board of the Boylston Chess Foundation and plays for the Boston Blitz.

Esserman who plays the Smith-Morra had a recent game featured by Dylan Loeb Mclain in the NYT

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/25/crosswords/chess/25chess.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Zimbabwe: Chess - Street Gamblers' Latest Find

2009-10-21T09:30:00.000-04:00

The Herald (Harare)
Published by the government of Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe: Chess - Street Gamblers' Latest Find

Richmore Tera and Nyore Madzianike

20 October 2009

Harare — LUNCHTIME in the streets of Harare has been spent in different ways over the years ranging from having eats, just relaxing, playing draughts, tsoro and lately computer games.

A new form of whiling up lunchtime has since emerged in the form of playing chess. But the game has been taken to another level as players place bets, gambling to be precise.

Although in the past cards and draughts were the in-thing, with people gambling even their bottom dollar, and in extreme cases wives, chess has recently taken the fancy of many.

While it started off as a pastime to divert the pangs of hunger, with chess lovers gathering along the First Street Mall in Harare where some of the "chess boards" are still etched on the pavement today, the interest on the game has grown bigger.

Some enterprising people with a mind towards "making a quick buck" are using chess to make a few dollars.

The Rezende Street Bus Terminus and the pavements facing Causeway Post Office have become centres of gambling.

Naturally interest in the game grows during lunch hour.

Although they play the game under social guise, investigations have shown that gambling for cash was the major attraction.

While some people interviewed by The Herald denied that they were gambling, street kids, vagrants and the unemployed were using the game as a way of "making a living".

Those playing the game along Rezende Street said they started off as a chess club back in 2000.

"We are into it on a social basis and we use it as a training ground since we don't have premises to use.

"The club has been here for quite some time and if something fishy happened it could have been known by now. I think we have accommodated a lot of people who come here to play the game and leave.

"We do not bet, we play the game for the love of it," said Danny Kanojerera chairman of Rezende chess club.

Although there are some bona fide chess players such as Charles Kuwaza, of the Zimbabwe Chess Federation who believe in the "sanctity" of the game, investigations showed chess was no longer just a game but some form of business.

While some professed ignorance over the gambling issue, others were busy staking their money against one another.

Others said they were taking the game seriously like any other sport.

One player who identified himself as Tariroyashe Takavarasha, otherwise known as G M Tarov, based at Rezende Bus Terminus denied they were gambling.

"We have even participated at national level and at one point we were on top of the national chess league. We are operating from here owing to lack of sponsorship," he said.

But one player who spoke on condition of anonymity said they were using the game to earn money.

"When someone passes by and is new on the scene we throw in challenge matches. Sometimes we bet on our own in order to get money for lunch," he said.

He said they can go for a US$2 bet or more depending on who will be playing, adding that games that involved money were more interesting.

"It's more interesting to watch a game in which a person would be defending his money. If there was no money no one would come here to play the game as very few people know about the game. The nature of the game needs patience and who would wait until the game is over?" he asked.

Pressed on how much time the game took considering that a single match could take hours, he said: "Since the games are not of standard form we relax the rules so that we come out with a winner.

"We can also play 'time game' where we allocate time to players. Arohwa, arohwa toverenga mapiece," he said.

Some players said quarrels were common, which is typical in most gambling games.

"Arguments are common even in soccer or any other games.

"Sometimes there are people who quarrel among themselves although we have never witnessed fistfights.

"Most people are professionals and they resolve the issues professionally but when other people are involved in arguments, it will attract the attention of the general public," he said.

One person who works at a shop near one of the places where the chess players frequent described them as dubious characters.

"We keep an eye on these people as some of the characters that come here are suspicious. The other thing is, why are Harare City Council officials allowing them do play their games here?" charged the man who identified himself only as Mike.

Chess Geeks and Nerds Rule

2009-10-20T13:49:00.004-04:00

Several years ago it was a typical Saturday $10 open with the usual cast of characters toiling in the chess hall.

Meanwhile in the skittles room sat director Bernardo Iglesias at the PC with Kent Leung giving a chess lesson to a young beginner. The boy's mother was just sitting soaking in the quiet ambiance of the BCF chess world. When suddenly in stormed Scott Didham who began moving pieces of a chess set with authority while talking in a loud voice at the pieces. He was criticizing himself for a series of moves and told himself never to make those particular moves ever again. Scott then quickly left. The mother had a shocked expression on her face and Kent calmly said to her, not to worry, Scott is an ok person.

But it gave me room for thought about how chess players, very intelligent people, who occasionally can respond to their play results in a quirky way due to the tension and adrenalin generated in the heat of the battle. This is a byproduct of the concentration and effort used in playing. To an outsider the reactions of us nerds might be taken as eccentric behavior, but to us insiders we learn to accept these responses within reason as just part of the game.

In fact most of us quite enjoy the machinations and expressions of our chess comrades. I especially love to watch postmortems and the interplay between players. There are very few things in life where we get the opportunity to reconstruct what happened and even get to pick the brain of your opponent to get their perspective. It's especially entertaining if there is a theoretical difference of opinion. There is an honesty about it all, which is very important in seeking chess truth.

I always felt that the organizers of the Kasparov vs Deep Blue should have anticipated a victory by Deep Blue and realized that they should give Gary Kasparov several minutes to decompress, if he lost, before interviewing him. I though it was bad planning on their part to let him vent in public.

And in my games when an opponent is not so happy for blowing their game, I give them a little leeway because I have been in that position of not taking a loss so well. Some losses still give me pain years later.

Are you more accepting of a chess player's reaction to bad outcomes as compared to say a pro athlete's behavior? Where is Bill Lambeer today anyway?

(Bill Lambeer invites Larry Bird to a post-game analysis.)

Please Comment. Thank You. Mike Griffin 10/20/2009

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Laimbeer

Boston blitzed and knocked-out by New Jersey

2009-10-20T00:16:00.001-04:00

Monday, October 19th, 2009

New Jersey Knockouts (6.0 - 1.0) vs Boston Blitz (6.0 - 1.0)

All Time Series Record: (New Jersey leads 1.5 - 0.5)

Starts at 7:00 PM ET Time Control - Game in 90 with 30 second increment

New Jersey Knockouts			Boston Blitz
GM Boris Gulko: 2609	1.0	0.0	GM Eugene Perelshteyn: 2588
IM Dean Ippolito: 2535	1.0	0.0	SM Jorge Sammour-Hasbun: 2603
NM Victor Shen: 2305	1.0	0.0	SM Marc Esserman: 2461
NM Andrew Ng: 2182	1.0	0.0	Andrew Wang: 2136
Avg Rating: 2408			Avg Rating: 2447
New Jersey Total -------	4.0	0.0	------- Boston Total

IM Esserman- now official

2009-10-19T15:03:00.004-04:00

A few months ago, we reported here that Boylston Chess Club Board member Marc Esserman had reached the International Master title qualifications. Some people balked at the many "good jobs" and "way to gos" as premature, as FIDE had yet to officially recognize it.

Photo by Tony Cortizas

It is now officially recognized by FIDE. See here.

Congratulations, Marc! Well deserved. Keep banging out miniatures as you do in the US Chess League, and we may soon be posting a GM notice on these pages.

Blitz over the Pioneers

2009-10-18T12:54:00.000-04:00

Photographs, Blitz vs Pioneers, Week 7

October 15th, 2009 Matt Phelps

[View with PicLens]

Posted in Photographs No Comments »

Boston Blitz 2½-1½ Queens Pioneers

October 15th, 2009 Chris Bird

Board	White	Result	Black
1.	GM Larry Christiansen (2662)	0-1	IM Eli Vovsha (2539)
2.	IM Dmitry Schneider (2510)	½-½	GM Eugene Perelshteyn (2588)
3.	Marc Esserman (2461)	1-0	IM Yury Lupshan (2504)
4.	Jeff Kelleher (2070)	0-1	Andrew Wang (2136)
	Boston Blitz	2½-1½	Queens Pioneers

annual meeting of the BCF

2009-10-16T22:44:00.004-04:00

At the annual meeting of the Boylston Chess Foundation on Weds, Oct 14, the following people were elected as BCF officers and board members:
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Officers
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Dave Vigorito, President

Natasha Christiansen, Vice-President

Bob Oresick, Treasurer

Charles Riordan, Clerk
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Board Members
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Alex Cherniack

Mike Griffin

Bernardo Iglesias

Carey Theil

Jason Rihel

Paul MacIntyre

Marc Esserman

Greg Kaden

Bill Kelleher (conditional upon his acceptance)

15th annual BU Open, Sat Nov 7

2009-10-13T22:49:00.008-04:00

The Boston University Chess Club
(in association with the Boylston Chess Foundation)
presents the 15th annual

Boston University Open Chess Tournament

4-SS, G/60
3 Sections OpenU1900U1600
Registration: 9:00 - 9:45 am
Rounds: 10:00, 12:30, 2:45, 5:00

Entry Fee:

$15…for BU students (BUID)
$20… if check received by Nov 6
$20 by web or email by 5 pm, Fri. Nov 6
(email-registrants must check in with the TD by 9:45 to be paired)
$30… for all others at site
GMs and IMs free entry.

No Computers, No Smoking
Wheelchair accessible
Parking in adjacent lot $6/day
USCF membership must be current.

Saturday, Nov. 7
Boston University
George Sherman Union -- Backcourt
775 Commonwealth Ave. Boston

Prize fund: $1000 b/100, minimum $500
Open section: 1st & 2nd, Top under 2200,
U1900 section: 1st & 2nd
U1600 section: 1st & 2nd, Top under 1200
Allan Ong Prize for the top undergraduate BU student
Trophies for 3-player teams: Top college, Top high school, Top elementary / middle school

Bring sets and clocks!

(Because prize checks will be mailed by Boston University, winner must provide home address & social security number to receive a check.)

Mail entries to BU Open Entries, c/o Robert Oresick, BUCC advisor
Boston University, 871 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02215

Please include:

check payable to BU Chess Club
your name
section desired: _____Open _____Under 1900 _____Under 1600
USCF ID
your school, if any
your email address

for more info contact: oresick@bu.edu

Partially funded by Boston University’s undergraduate student fee.

Max Malyuta Memorial

2009-10-13T10:53:00.000-04:00

Come by to visit or play
This SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2009

3rd MAX MALYUTA MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT

at the BLACKSTONE ACADEMY in PAWTUCKET, RI

100% PROCEEDS HELP TOP R.I. HIGH SCHOOL BOY/GIRL

ATTEND THE DENKER/POLGAR US NATIONALS !!!

PRIZES: $600 b/60

SECTIONS: OPEN, U2000, U1600

VERY NICE TROPHIES!!

Suggested Donation: $25 advance

Frank DelBonis

Rhode Island Chess Association

P.O.Box 15444

Riverside, RI 02915

(401) 212-1335

Visit our website: http://www.rhodeislandchess.org/

rhodeislandchess@yahoo.com

47 players enjoy the October BCF $10 Open

2009-10-11T12:40:00.006-04:00

In what is probably a record turnout for a $10 Open, 47 players competed on Oct. 10th, among them, 28 in a very strong open section.
GM Alexander Ivanov and IM David Vigorito shared first place with scores of 3.5 of 4. NM Charles Riordan, Christopher Chase, Lawyer Times, had 3.0, along with young Zongyaun "Ben" Yuan - now rated 2127 after 32 rated games in the United States.

Other masters in the open section were: FM Teddy Coleman, WFM Roza Eynullayeva, NM Carey Theil, and NM Chris Williams.

Dustin Richwine won sole 1st in the under 1800 section with 4.0. Eric Lawless, Greg Siciliano, and Timothy Pan shared second with 3.0.

Complete crosstable are available at the USCF site.

Blitz Blank the Cobras

2009-10-11T10:20:00.005-04:00

Photos by Tony Cortizas

Boston Blitz 4-0 Carolina Cobras

October 8th, 2009 Chris Bird

Board	White	Result	Black
1.	IM Jonathan Schroer (2429)	0-1	GM Eugene Perelshteyn (2628)
2.	Marc Esserman (2461)	1-0	FM Oleg Zaikov (2388)
3.	FM Ron Simpson (2290)	0-1	WGM Anya Corke (2304)
4.	Ilya Krasik (2252)	1-0	Udayan Bapat (2214)
	Boston Blitz	4-0	Carolina Cobras

Boylston Chess Foundation annual meeting is Wed., Oct. 14 at 7 pm

2009-10-08T10:05:00.002-04:00

The Boylston Chess Foundation annual meeting is Wed., Oct. 14 at 7 pm.

All members are invited to attend.
Elections for open positions on the board will be held.

Jason Rihel doppleganger circa 1983

2009-10-05T22:08:00.000-04:00

There is a wonderful new picture book about the history of Harvard Square. Several photos from the book are hanging in Club Passim, the Harvard Coop, and other stores around the Square.

Walking through the Square, I was gobsmacked to see a photo of chessplayer and Harvard Square mainstay Murray Trunbull, playing in 1983 against.......

me???

Since I moved here in 1998, that just isn't possible. I was also 7 years old in 1983. My wife suggests that perhaps I am about to time travel, but I must wonder how sad I must be if, after doing something as cool as time travel, I can only think of playing chess in Harvard Square.

Judge for yourself:
Jason 2009

Doppleganger, 1983

Does anyone know who that is?

Pachman Fever

2009-10-02T21:48:00.006-04:00

After my most recent Hauptturnier game, I was chatting with David Pressman at the club about chess study. Magnus Carlsen is hardly about to pay big bucks to work with me, so I'll freely share some of my own methods (for anyone who might enjoy bouncing up and down off a 1700 USCF rating floor like me).

Because I pretty much play only in weeknight tournaments at our club, I normally have a week between games. For the fraction of that week which I use on chess, I generally concentrate entirely on opening preparation for my next opponent. At this moment, that would be you, d(f)an. ;-)
(Actually, I'm probably looking forward more to an enjoyable postmortem, regardless of the result.)

I often play through entire games in various "likely" opening variations, generally using books that have wordy descriptions of strengths and weaknesses, which are far more useful to me than charts of numerous move variations followed by symbolic evaluations of the position. In this fashion, I'm also studying middlegames and endgames which might develop from an opening that I expect may appear.

I've never really enjoyed doing chess puzzles, which will surprise no one who knows of my atrocious ("squib-tastic") tactical skill. Consequently, I rarely study middlegames specifically. I am, however, fond of the endgame, and I often keep such a book or two at work, for occasional reading while eating lunch.

Recently I've been looking over Chess Endings for the Practical Player (1983) by Ludek Pachman. The other day I was digesting the concept of the shorter side of the board in rook endings along with a tuna sub. Pachman's engaging writing style keeps me interested in reading and rereading sections of his book. Is there a finer compliment for a chess author?

I'm currently also keeping L'Art de Faire Mat (1973) by Georges Renaud and Victor Kahn at work. That French language book was translated into English, and also converted from algebraic to (shudder) descriptive notation, as The Art of Checkmate. Occasionally I'll review some of those checkmate tactics over lunch. Probably I don't do those test exercises often enough. Okay, okay, I never do those exercises - didn't I say I don't like doing chess puzzles?

I did enjoy reading some of that book's back rank mate material recently. Back rank weakness was present (though not always critical) in wins I had this year against Harold Dondis and Larry Eldridge. Heck, I could have won against Simon Warfield with such a tactic, too, but he's apparently not rated close to master for nothing....

Chess Fathers and Sons (and sometimes Mom)

2009-10-01T18:09:00.017-04:00

Chess Fathers & Sons (and sometimes Mom)

It was several years ago at tournament at Natick where Richard Kahn and myself were sitting besides a then very young Andrew Wang and his opponent. Andrew and I were diagonally across from each other. Richard and my game had a tense log jam where all pieces were vectored into the center. Then BOOM! There followed many exchanges and when the dust settled I was the exchange down but had two connected passers on the sixth rank of the d and e files and one of these guys was sure to make it untouched into the end zone: game over. My eyes caught Andrew who was staring at this frenzied mêlée when his whole body was involved in a huge smile and our eyes met. Message sent: that was really cool, and it was really cool. I realized that Andrew got great joy out of seeing a special chess moment.

Many times you hear about the stereotypical bad dads with the "Looking for Bobby Fischer" vicarious drive to make their kids world champ. This usually happens with dads that really don't understand the game or the collateral benefits and joy the game provides besides winning.

I am envious of father and sons that play competitive chess together and get the extra dimension of sharing their joy of the game together. Frank and Andrew Wang, Vlad & Max Enkin, Walter(s) Driscoll II&IV, and Joshua Haunstrup and his dad just to name a few. Shared activities like chess becomes a the medium that presents events and situations allowing feelings and communication between son and dad: mortar that forms emotional bonds.

Me and my dad shared sports. And even today, 17 years after his passing, certain situations occur and I still know and can feel what his reaction is/would be.

31 year old wallet worn photo of two week old WarCraft champ Mike Griffin holding a Knight,
son of Mass chess Class B champ Mike Griffin.
..
.

Once at postmortem with my opponent Doug Southall at a Wamala tournament in Lowell, we were reviewing our very complex exchange Gruenfeld game when a Chinese mother stepped in providing line after line of amazing suggestions. Clearly this women was much stronger than us and knew this variation cold!? I asked her: "It's obvious you are very good at this game why aren't you playing today?" Her response was that she was here for her son today.

Do you wish you had a chess dad, mom, or son?

[ I, Oresick, did have that wish. My son Eric learned chess very early and very easily and so I thought I had a player in the family. But he lost interest in favor of Magic and Warcraft.

In fact the only time I got to play in a chess tournament in Florida was when I accompanied him to a impressively large, well-run Magic tournament at Disney.

I tried to rope him into chess - I dragged him to a simul Joel Benjamin once gave at the BU Chess Club. I said this is an opportunity to play against one of the strongest and most famous chess players in the United States. Eric seemed so bored - he couldn't wait to get out of there, but he did end up one of the last to lose against the GM. rjo]

Please Comment

Thank You

Mike Griffin

10/01/2009