my weekend: a date, a saturday tournament, the bus to saratoga springs

would you like to hear about my weekend?

on Friday, I went on a date. (!)

I feel like that's a pretty big accomplishment already, plus, I thought it went well. But I'm telling you this to give you context for the thought I had, not (or not only) because I'm bragging that I had a date.

So, at some point, he put his arm around me, and I thought wow, I have absolutely no physical contact with human beings anymore.

ultimately, though, I am proud of myself because I did not say this to my date, despite the fact that I thought about it for a long time. but i realized in time that it is not the sort of thing you say on a date.

Saturday I took the non-state championship kids to the chess in the schools tournament. They played well, and overall, I am very happy with the kids' progress this year. I feel like I can see progress week to week, and that's very exciting. I have one kid who has gone from 700 to 1300 in one month.

then I got on a bus to saratoga (lv nyc 9 pm, arr saratoga springs 1:45 am) where the top kids were already with Mr Galvin. for some reason, I really enjoyed riding the bus. I had a nap and felt very calm.

I am reading an interesting book called Panic: The Story of Modern Financial Instability. it is really a collection of magazine pieces about five recent economic crises (the crash of 1987, the Russian default, the Asian currency crisis, the internet bubble, and the subprime lending collapse). while I am on the subject of my current tastes in entertainment, I am listening to an album, seven swans, by a really pretty, folky singer, sufjan stevens.

On Sunday I woke up early and looked at a lot of games. I felt like I was doing a good job, giving a good performance, having some important discussions.

Here are two/three quiz positions, with answers at the end of the post:

1. First of all, what's the difference between the two diagrams below? Secondly, what difference does that difference make if it's white's turn?

2. In the position below, Shawn played 34... Qg2. Does this threaten anything? What happens after 35. Qb4? 35. Qb6? 35. Qe1? 35. Rhd1?


After we stopped looking at chess, Galvin and I hung out with some of the kids in one of their rooms and it was very touching for me -- the children were all laughing happily, talking to us very eagerly, one of them was looking at me all doe-eyed, and I felt suddenly like how nice, this must be what it's like to have a family.

I met an interesting parent who does photography. He builds these little houses and then transports them to strange places and takes pictures.

photos:
Rashawn and Mr. Galvin

Rashawn
Pobo, Alexis, Justus
Mr. Galvin and Alexis

Orlando
Justus, Joel

Pobo

JieJing, Rochelle, Kevin

Danny Feng: 600 points in 1 month

Solutions!

Question One

Dabrowski, Sebastian - Poteat, Lilia
State Championship, 01.03.2009

I'm not sure which position it was: what I wrote down was the first, but this one allows a defence that I really think I would have seen, especially as three or four kids were analyzing with us and we were moving the pieces. Definitely I should have seen it. but it doesn't work in the second diagram, we'll get to that in a moment, and so I'm hoping perhaps that is the correct one and I incorrectly wrote down the position?!

anyway,

1.Nd5! (this didn't happen, but we found it in analysis) Bxa1

2.Bxf6 gxf6

3.Qh6 Kh8

4.Nxf6 Rg8+! (ooops?)

Now 5. Nxg8 simplifies to an equal ending: 5.Nxg8 Qxg8+ 6.Kh1 Qg7 7.Qxg7+ Kxg7 8.Rxa1=

**

but there turns out to be a big, magical difference between 5. Kh1 and Kh2:

**

and 5.Kh1 is much better: 5...Rg7

6.Rg1 Qf8 (If 6...Rxg1+, just 7.Kxg1 and there is no way to defend h7)

7.Rg4 Nd4

8.Rh4 threatening Qxh7!

8...Rg1+

9.Kxg1 Nxf3+

10.Kh1 Qxh6

11.Rxh6 Kg7 double attack!

12.Ng4 but white has a defence! Rc6

and ... equal.

5.Kh2 is not so good because black will not need a decoy rook sacrifice to get the king to a square where Nxf3 will be check:

5...Rg7

6.Rg1 (just 6. Rxa1 is better) Qf8

7.Rg4 Nd4

8.Rh4?? Nxf3+

9.Kh1 Rg1#

Of course, in the second diagram, ...Rg8 isn't check, so 1. Nd5 Bxa1 2. Bxf6 gxf6 3. Qh6 threatens Nxf6 with forced mate soon.

Question Two
Bogarty - Shawn Swindell
State Championship, 02.03.2009


1...Qg2
This doesn't actually threaten anything, as 2...Qxh1 is met by 3.Qxc7+ Rxc7 4.Rxh1 Rc2=.
However, white can't move the queen away from attacking c7 so easily, as after 2.Qb4 Qxh1 3. Rxh1 Rc1+.


2.Qb6 is a good move, and 2.Rhd1 is also fine, as taking two pawns compromises black's king safety: 2... Qxh2 3.Rxd6 Qxg3?! 4.Qe5+


2.Qe1 was played, but this loses to
2...Ra7
3.Qb4


3... Rxa3+ !
4.Qxa3 Ra8
5.Rbg1 Rxa3+
6.Kb1 Qc2#