The official publication of the Idaho Chess Association.

President

Sterling Vaughn
1187 Morningside Dr.
Twin Falls, Idaho

Editor & Treasurer

Dick Vandenburg
913 N. 22nd St.
Boise, Idaho

Games Editor

Eugene L. Cowan
Box 431
Driggs, Idaho

Committeemen

R.K. Hart
Box 344
Pocatello, Idaho

Roy Parker
Box 137
Nampa, Idaho

Darrell Freeman
123 E. 3rd St.
Rupert, Idaho

Where to play chess!

Boise -- meets 8:00 Wednesday nights at Y.M.C.A. building.

Canyon County -- meets 8:00 Thursday nights at Lakeview Parkhouse.

Rupert -- meets 8:00 Wednesday nights at Chamber of Commerce Office.

Twin Falls -- meets Tuesday nights 8:00 at Harry Barry Park Building.

Pocatello -- meets Wednesday nights at Student Union Building of Idaho State College.

For information on any other town, contact the Editor.

Events during the next Quarter!

IDAHO OPEN -- in Boise, Memorial Day weekend, May 31 and June 1.

MONTANA OPEN -- in Great Falls, May 3-4.

GOLDEN ROSE OPEN -- in Portland, June 14-15.

The Pacific Northwest and the Intermountain Region now has a rating system which is destined to provide a real competitive base for our players in the future. The first of these is published here and others will follow quarterly in each succeeding issue of this Idaho Chess Quarterly. Up to this point, our rating base of players results in back issues of the Washington Chess Letter and the Idaho Quarterly, the latter being in print less than two years. However, from now on, all city tournaments, state tournaments, inter-club matches, etc. that are written up in complete form in either publication will be 100% rated, and this will provide us with a complete up-to-date list of standings.

The first list totals 457 players from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Nevada. There are four masters, 18 experts, 98 A, 185 B, and 152 C players. As an indication of its complete coverage, the U.S.C.F. list, while being up to six months behind, also only includes about 30 Washington players while Karch's ratings include almost 10 times that number.

The entire list is not published here as it can be obtained through the W.C.L. and mainly because space will not permit in our small Quarterly issue. Complete Idaho, Utah, and Nevada ratings are printed along with some from Washington, Oregon, and Montana; those most of our readers are generally familiar with. The master and expert lists are complete for all areas.

Idaho has two team champions for 1958! In a finals match played April 20 in the Harry Barry Park Building at Twin Falls, Canyon County and Pocatello played to a draw with six wins each. The games started early and were so hard fought that five finished after 5:30 p.m. and two weren't finished until after 8:00 p.m. Ellis-Shubert and Harris-Barnstein were the holdouts that left the outcome undecided until the last game was finished.

This competition, as well as the results of the matches with the Washington Junior team which follow, proves that strength of these two clubs and they both very much deserve their title of State Team Co-champions. It will have to be left until the 1959 playoffs to again determine a single Idaho team champion.

In a barnstorming tour through Idaho, a Seattle Junior Team played five Idaho clubs to a draw, while winning 11 and losing 14 games. The team drew with Boise, beat Rupert and Twin Falls, and lost to Canyon County and Pocatello, and all this was done in a short two day period! The Seattle team should be congratulated on its fine showing against a majority of Idaho's better players.

The Junior Team played Canyon County, Boise, and Twin Falls in that order on Saturday, March 29, and they played Pocatello and Rupert on Sunday, March 30. The boys were pretty tired when they left Boise Saturday afternoon, but in all their matches, they had an offsetting advantage of being "up" for all their games.

Idaho chess players appreciated the opportunity of playing these Washington Juniors and are hopeful that exchanges such as this can be increased in the future.

With Twin Falls, Puget Sound had its pick of color on boards 1, 3, and 5 so it picked Black and won all three games, losing two with White! Junior Totals: Munro 2-3, Napjus ½-4½, Moormann 3½-1½, Brown 2-3, Eddy 3-2.

The Idaho Open will be held this year in Boise at the Y.M.C.A. on May 31 and June 1. Memorial Day falls on Friday, May 30, and this will provide an ideal travel day for players. It will be a five round Swiss system with three rounds Saturday and two Sunday, and will begin promptly at 9:00 Saturday morning, May 31. A banquet or picnic will be held Saturday afternoon between the second and third rounds so all players can become better acquainted. The Tournament will be 100% Northwest rated, but will not be rated by the U.S.C.F. There will be a Class B section for intermediate strength players and a prize will be given to the top Junior finisher. The time limit will be 50 moves in two hours of play. Entry fee will be $3.00 which will not include the price of the picnic planned. The last round should be over by 5:30 Sunday evening so players will have time to drive home or at least get a good start. The Tournament is open to players from all the Western States. Players from Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Oregon, Montana and Washington have already announced their intention to come so the competition should be very keen! Come to Boise for some good chess!

Eugene Cowan is planning on organizing an Eastern Idaho Tourney to take place in late September or October in Idaho Falls. This Tournament will be open to Eastern Idaho players only (and possibly Montana). Five rounds of play beginning Friday night with the first round, with three rounds on Saturday and a final game on Sunday along with completion of unfinished games. Entry fee will be $3.50 and prizes will come out of this fund. There will be at least two playing classes. Northwest ratings! A special entry fee of $1.50 will be available for Junior players under 18 years, Eastern Idaho players interested in helping plan this tournament should contact Eugene at Driggs, Idaho.

The Canyon County and Boise Chess Clubs are planning to sponsor a Boise Valley Tournament as a preparation for the Idaho Open. Interested players from both clubs will be divided into three classes and will play each of three opponents during regular club meetings over the next few weeks. Roy Parker is in charge of arrangements.

LOCAL CLUB ACTIVITIES

Boise's annual City Tournament had a record entry list of 18 players -- mainly because play was divided into A, B, and C classes. There were four A entrants, six B's and 8 C's. The Class A division finished in a tie for first between Dick vandenburg and C.H. Stewart. An attempt to play off this tie was made but that game ended in a draw. Another game will be played between these two fierce opponents soon. Class B also ended in a tie between Nick Skirmants and Norman Lee. They managed to play off their tie with Norman Lee emerging as Class B victor. Class C was won by Dick Parker, who didn't have to share top honors with anyone and will give the Class B players a real tussle next year. The games were completed over about a 2½ month period.

Jerry Stanke emerged victor in Canyon County's 1957-58 Tournament. Jerry didn't fare too well against second place A.B. Ellis but he won all his other games in the double round robin to edge A.B. by one-half a game. Games started December 4, 1957 and were finished April 17, 1958.

Darrell Freeman won the Class A division of the Rupert City Tournament with a perfect 5-0 score. Bill Schofield won the Class B section winning all of his four games. The Tournament was held as a round robin in each Class with a total of 11 entrants in both.

Officers of the Rupert Club have mentioned that attendance at meetings has been poor lately and that it must be improved if the club is to continue functioning. That should be good advice for players in all clubs -- support your club so it can support your chess!

Eugene Cowan has formed a new chess club at Driggs. At their first meeting, Eugene played all those there a simultaneous, winning five and losing only one game. Meetings are being held at irregular intervals and the club now has a membership of about 10 players. Cowan was elected President and Secretary of the new club and Carlos Lauritzen was elected Vice President. Leaders in the Championship Tournament now being played are Cowan 4-0, Alma Kunz 2-0. Others entered are Lauritzen, Darrell Dalley, Darrell Cordon, Ed Schiess, Dale Robinson, and Alfred Marcum.

Twin Falls has been holding regular meetings and has begun to maintain a chess ladder -- as most of our other clubs do. Ladder standings at present are:

How about having a double class city tournament to stimulate interest?!

A Pocatello City Tournament is now in progress composed of two playing classes. The B Class is made up of High School and younger players. Dale Harris won the Class B section, his younger brother, Billy, was second, and Al Stuctyle was third. In the Class B ladder, top standings are 1. Billy Harris, 2. John Christensen, 3. Dale Harris, 4. Larry Cragen, 5. Al Stuctyle, and 6. Glenn Perk.

The Class A Tournament is now in progress and has 11 entries. Current leaders are Mel Schubert 2½-0, Bryant Hanson 2-0, R.K. Hart 2-0, John Anderson 3-2, Charles Barnstein ½-1, Paul Jones 1-1, and Paul Healy 1-1.

EVENTS IN NEIGHBORING STATES

Robert Walker, a Reed College student, won the recent Pacific Northwest Open held in Portland. His score was 4½-½, his only draw being with Harold Hughart, a former Idahoan now living in Albany, Oregon. Harold took sixth place 3½-1½ and would have been right up there except for a last round loss to Charles Joachim. Dan Wade, Editor of the Washington Chess Letter, was second. Master Olaf Ulvestad was defeated by Walker and placed 7th -- 3½-1½. A.L. Harle, representing the Boise Club, placed 13th, 3-2. He came back strong after a loss and two draws to win his last two games.

The Portland Chess Club has announced the "Golden Rose Open" to be held in Portland June 14 and 15. Entry fee is $5 which will give each entrant a free membership to the U.S.C.F. Those already possessing membership cards only have to pay a fee of $1.00. Play will be in two sections, determined by Northwest Ratings -- A for Masters, Experts, and Class A; and B for class B, C, and unrated. It will be a five round swiss with Harkness pairings. Time limit will be 45 moves in two hours and rating will be by the U.S.C.F. and Northwest Ratings. Play will begin at 9:30 at the Portland Y.M.C.A., 831 S.W. 6th Ave. Contact Don Johnson, 6705 N. Borthwick, Portland 17, Oregon for further information.

The Montana Chess Tournament will be held in Great Falls on Saturday and Sunday, May 3rd and 4th, at the DeMolay Building, 801 2nd Ave. North. As in last year's tournament there will be three classes of play -- Championship, Class A, and Junior (under 18). All three classes will be five round swiss with ties broken by the S.B. points. Time limit will be 45 moves in two hours. Entry fee will be $2.00, except for Juniors who will pay no entry fee. Last year nine Idaho players attended this Tournament in Butte. Montana chess officials hope a group can make it up again this year.

Ben Greenwald, University of Utah student (just returned), won his third Nevada State Invitational Chess Tournament, played in Reno April 9-12. Greenwald won his first five games and then drew his last two with second place Captain E.B. Edmondson (California) and fourth place Ted Pathakis, Reno. Laverl Kimpton was named Nevada State Champion as the highest placing Nevada player -- third place. Highest placing Utah payer (after Greenwald) was Farrell Clark of Salt Lake who placed 8th.

Donald Benge, captain of the University of Utah chess team won the Salt Lake City Tournament for the first time recently. In doing so he beat Ben Greenwald (Nevada victor) and ended with a perfect score. The loss was Greenwald's first in a Utah or Nevada Tournament!

Ivars Dalbergs and Jim McCormick topped the recent Puget Sound Open with identical scores of 4½-½ -- Dalbergs won with a higher Solkoff score. Viktors Pupols placed third, 4-1 and ex-Idahoan Dave Groenig placed 4th, 4-1. Dr. Groenig did very well placing ahead of Master Dr. Peter Lapikan (8th) and Viesturs Seglins, Washington State Champion. The Tournament was quite strong having two masters and several other near masters competing.

Dr. Lapikan regained his old form in topping the Inland Empire Open, held in Spokane, April 19-20. Lapikan finished 5½-½, drawing only with 6th place Gordon Cornelius, Spokane City Champion. Second place went to Dan Wade (Editor, Washington Chess Letter) of Seattle, 5-1. Third place was taken by Dr. Groenig, who has been doing very well of late, 5-1. Dick Vandenburg, Idaho Chess Champion, placed 4th, 4½-1½, losing an early game but rallying to win his last three. Horton Thompson of Kendrick placed 8th, 4-2. There were 27 entries, smallest of all the Inland Empire Tournaments.

Of the 85 games played in the January tournament, 75 scores were handed in plus a few duplicates. One was missing from Class A, two from Class B, and seven from Class C.

The openings used were: Bird's Opening 1, Blackmar Gambit 1, Dutch Defense 1, English Opening 2, Evans Gambit (declined) 1, Four Knights Game 1, French Defense 6, Giuoco Piano 12, Grunfeld Indian Defense 2, King's Fianchetto Defense 1, King's Gambit 2, King's Pawn Game 16, Max Lange 1, Nimzowitsch Attack 1, Nimzo-Indian Defense 1, Petroff Defense 1, Queen's Pawn Game 2, Queen's Gambit Declined 3, Queen's Gambit Accepted 2, Ruy Lopez 1, Scotch Game 1, Sicilian Defense 12, Slav Defense 3, and the rare Three Knight's Game 1. Of the 75 games, those playing White won 42, Black won 25, while 8 were drawn. That is 61% to 39% in White's favor -- a decisive lead.

The chief fault found was that very few scores had the openings named and many of those that had were wrong. The sole Petroff was labeled "Giuoco Piano", the Nimzo-Indian Defense was marked by the one word "Tarrasch", and one person apparently used "King's Gambit" synonymously with "King's Pawn Game". Generally, however, the scores played over were readable, with a little deduction here and there.

KING'S GAMBIT DECLINED

White: Jack Allred
Black: Clarence Rambo

FRENCH DEFENSE

White: T.C. Hartwell
Black: George Rasor

(a) Book is N-QB3 or Q-N3; this exchange is playable and seems to give Black a slight advantage.

KING'S PAWN GAME

White: Horton Thompson
Black: Sterling Vaughn

(a) Transposing to the Nimzowitch Variation of the English Opening.

(b) 24...BxP!; 25 PxB, QxRPch; 26 K-B2 and mate in two, 26 K-N and ...R-K3! is curtains.

SICILIAN DEFENSE

White: Jerry Stanke
Black: Dick Vandenburg

(a) An oversight.

SICILIAN DEFENSE

White: Roy Parker
Black: Dorn Flowers

And the record becomes confused. The last note was 31. RxR Drawn

QUEEN'S GAMBIT DECLINED

White: Lloyd Kimpton
Black: R.K. Hart

Black resigns soon

(a) Inferior. See MCO-8, p. 176 & MCO 9, p. 199. But after 3. PxP, NxP, the natural 4. P-K4 leads only to equality.

The current world championship match stands at 6-3 in Botvinnik's favor. Here is the third game of the series as transcribed from Chess Life.

CARO-KANN DEFENSE

White: V. Smyslov
Black: M. Botvinnik

(a) This is old stuff and held inferior (slightly) for Black. 4...N-Q2 is better regarded.

(b) Chess Life has this as P-QR4, obviously a misprint.

(c) MCO-9, Col. 1, note b. to the hilt!

KING'S INDIAN DEFENSE

White: Bryant Hanson
Black: Glen Buckendorf

And Black wins soon.

(a) Waste of time.

(b) Probably Buckendorf's line would have been: (if) 14 KxN P-B5; 15 N-R (not N-K2 & P-B6ch), NxQP threatening Q-N4ch! Still, 14 KxN may have been White's best.

BUDAPEST COUNTER GAMBIT

White: Mel Schubert
Black: Lloyd Kimpton

(a) MCO-9 gives B-B4 here (note j, p. 231).

(b) Why not B-B4 now?

(c) Development needed.

(d) Seems bad.

(e) And the undeveloped QB is fatal.

The following game is from CCLA postal chess and is a victory over one of the toughest of its players.

RUY LOPEZ

White: F.J. Yerhoff
Black: R.K. Hart

(a) Time waste.

(b) B-N3

(c) Too slow. N-Q2!

From the Teton Valley Chess Club comes this short tournament game.

QUEEN'S GAMBIT

White: Eugene Cowan
Black: Dale Robinson