New Britain Chess Club

"The Heart of Connecticut Chess"

In Care of the New Britain Quartette Club
225 Wooster Street, New Britain, Connecticut 06052

www.newbritainchessclub.com

2009 Newsletter

What is whites best move?

Ildar Ibragimov vs. Stephane Kellenberger, Bern, 1993

This chess puzzle was posted by Christchurch, NZ on www.wtharvey.com

Table of Contents

Section	PAGE
Introduction	page1
THE Highlights of the year	page2-10 - Jan - Feb - Mar - Apr - May - Jun - Jul - Aug - Sep - Oct - Dec
NBCC Members' General Achievements	page11
Chess Trivia	page12
NBCC Picture Gallery	page13 - 15
The NBCC Welcomes chess friends from around the globe	page16
The NBCC visits the CCSU chess club	page17
The Road to a new home for the NBCC (Continued)	page18
New Formats for Tournaments at the NBCC	page19
The Passing of Stanley Archacki	page20
Chess Poem	page21
Bob Kozlowski's Commentary	page22-24
NBCC Family and Friends Picture Trivia	page25
Special Addition! - NBCC History Trivia: 2005-2009	page26 - 27
Solutions and answers to chess puzzle and trivia	page28
Download Word Document	Download

 

Introduction

Seasons Greetings, fellow chess friends of Connecticut and throughout the world:

It is amazing that another twelve months have flown by. It just seemed like yesterday when I was reliving the New Britain Chess Club's memorable moments of 2008 with you. The momentum with which our club operated at in 2009 appeared to be, at times, faster than a speeding bullet. A myriad of wonderful things happened at our club in 2009 and, indeed, it was one of the most exciting years in our club's history.

I am very proud to be a member of this social organization. Our members, who range from ten to eighty-seven, of all playing levels, come from all across the Constitution State and beyond and, every Tuesday evening, meet at the New Britain Quartette Club to compete with their friends in this battle of the minds. Beyond the club, many of our members are actively involved in mutual social events. It has become known by many that the NBCC is way more than a typical chess club. When you join our social group, our members welcome you to our family. It is with this affection that our organization has often been referred to as the "heart [and soul] of Connecticut chess."

As always, it is a pleasure to share the wonderful moments at the club with you fine people. So, take a break from this hectic world we live in, enjoy your favorite wintertime beverage, and spend some time reading about the memorable moments at the NBCC in 2009.

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THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR

JANUARY

It was a wonderful way to usher in 2009, as members Sofia Leja, Andres Castaneda, and Yogesh Raghunathan became citizens of the United States of America.

Member and FIDE Master Nelson Castaneda won the First Komons "Kwik" Chess Tournament held at the Borders Bookstore in West Hartford, Connecticut on January 13. Thanks to members Derek Meredith and Marcus Komons for organizing this awesome event.

On January 27, friends of member Andres Montiel celebrated his surprise 40th birthday (I was almost sworn to secrecy not to reveal his age) with an exciting day of sporting activities from bowling to pool to chess. The festivities started in the afternoon and lasted well into the early hours of the following day at Montiel's house. Thanks to his wife, Karin, for hosting this event.

FEBRUARY

Six NBCC-affiliated teams participated in the 2009 U.S. Amateur Team East Chess Championship in Parsippany, New Jersey, from February 14 to 16, setting a new club record for the most past or present members participating in a non-club tournament. Our twenty-four players commanded the playing field and battled among the intense competition. Once again, our superstars victoriously brought home the gold. Pictures from the event will eventually be posted on the club website. Team Captain Doug Fiske reported on our teams' excellent performance below.

"Winning the Top Connecticut Team prize (four digital clocks and a plaque) with a score of 4.5 - 1.5 was the team of USCF National Master Ted McHugh, Harris Appelman, Danny Rozovsky, and Jason Lenore ("New Britain Prodigies"). The team of Derek Meredith, James Nitz, Doug Fiske, and Mike Pascetta scored 4 - 2 and won a $140 free entry for the Top Team name, "I Can See Russians From My Board!" The team of FIDE Master Nelson Castaneda, Andres Castaneda, Sofia Leja, and Mark Leja ("Gen Ties") scored 3.5 - 2.5. Nelson won a digital clock for going 6 - 0. The team of Yogesh Raghunathan, Chris Jensen, John Nitz, and Danny Pascetta ("Baffling Bishops From New Britain Balooga") scored 3 - 3. The team of Joseph Hricko, Karl Eschelbach, Kevin Zimmerman, and John Chapman ("Marinating Fischers") also scored 3 - 3. The team of Stephen Sanabria, Brian Kosnoff, Bill Montross, and Emily Pond ("New Britain Dragons Return") scored 2.5 - 3.5. As a group, our six teams scored 20.5 - 15.5 (57%) in match points and 80.5 - 63.5 (56%) in board points."

On February 24, Andres Montiel won his first major NBCC tournament by tying for first place in the first of three Club Championship Reserve Tournaments.

MARCH

Member Randy Shane won his first major NBCC tournament, the 2009 Club Championship Reserves 2 in the Open Section. He received his prize on March 31.

APRIL

Around mid-April, Rob Roy, member and former Connecticut State Chess Association President, contacted NBCC President Joseph Mansigian and me regarding the possibility of arranging a reporter from Connecticut Public Television to film a documentary on our club for a new series on PBS titled "All Things Connecticut". Friends, our club's first debut on television became a reality on May 14. During our five-minute segment of fame, a few members spoke about the lessons this game has taught them and the outlet for which and the positive affect our club has had on them in the fulfillment of their life goals and ambitions. This was undoubtedly one of the greatest moments in the history of the NBCC and was excellent promotion for chess in Connecticut. The video of our segment is posted on the club website.

On April 21, members Jozef Madej and Brian Kosnoff won their first major NBCC tournament, the 2009 Club Championship Reserves 3 in the Open Section. Also winning his first major club tournament was Leonid Stolov, who earned first place in the U1500 Section.

The 2009 Connecticut State Open Championship, which was organized this year by the University of Connecticut Chess Club on April 25 and 26, was won by Grandmaster and honorary member Gildardo Garcia. In addition, nearly every other section winner was a member of our club (Kevin Zimmerman, Michael Pascetta, and Danny Rozovsky), an amazing accomplishment by all. Also, the Southington High School chess team won the state title, led by Team Captain John Nitz. A story about their victory appeared in the Southington Observer. .

MAY

The club extended the Second Annual IRS Quick Chess Tournament to May 12. Member Randy Shane came up with the neat idea of naming the annual IRS Quick Chess events after the titles in the Frankenstein movies. Fittingly, this years' event was called the "Son of IRS Special" Quick Chess Tournament.

On a glorious Memorial Day, Derek Meredith brought his ten-foot square giant board with the weighted pieces to Blue Back Square in West Hartford and held a Giant Chess Day. Mr. Meredith keenly observed that

"This huge chess board captivated the interests of many non-chess players and drew friendly attention from all spectators, especially the women, who found those outdoor chess players so irresistible."

On May 31, John Nitz organized the First Hawk's Landing Chess Open at the beautiful Hawk's Landing Country Club in Southington, Connecticut. The winners of this first event were FM Nelson Castaneda (Open Section), member Miguel Purgatorio (Under 1600 Section), and Tyree Green (Scholastic Section). Pictures from this event are posted on the club website. Mr. Nitz superbly described about his awesome open-air event below.

"Players competed under the newly-built pavilion, which provided an aesthetic and quiet playing area overlooking the first and seventh holes of the golf course. The field included a scholastic and an adult division for a total of twenty-three players. Several highly-rated players, led by FM Nelson Castaneda, challenged each other in the four-round, Quick Chess event. A few unrated novice players also experienced tournament action for the first time. Robert Kozlowski served as the tournament director and successfully managed four sections (an Open, an Under 1600, a Scholastic, and an Unrated division). The Scholastic division included a group of young gentlemen from the New Haven area, chaperoned by their coach David Goldblum. The NBCC showed tremendous support for the event. Hawk's Landing provided the venue, along with a lunch special. We owe our gratitude to the staff and ownership of the HLCC, which included my friend and assistant Dan LaPorte."

JUNE

After thirty-three years of service as a revenue examiner with the State of Connecticut, NBCC Treasurer Andris Strazdins began his retirement. I attended his retirement party at the East Side Restaurant on June 17. At his celebration, I had an opportunity to make a brief speech to his friends about what a wonderful and caring person he is. On behalf of the membership, I congratulate Mr. Strazdins on his retirement. I also wish him a very long and happy one.

On June 23, Kevin Zimmerman was awarded the "Strazdins Cup" Reserve Section trophy for taking first place in the Under 1500 Section in the 2009 Arkadijs Strazdins Cup, his first win in a major club tournament.

Member Douglas Pence filed the necessary paperwork with the United States Chess Federation and joined Randy Shane, member Ed Scimia, Emily Pond, Marcus Komons, and me as our club's newest tournament director, bringing the total number of club directors to six. He directed his first tournament with Randy Shane in August.

The 2009 annual business meeting, held on June 23, was one of the longest (two hours) and perhaps the highest attended (around forty members) in club history. There were a few important subjects on the agenda, namely deciding on whether or not to relocate the club, sectioning club tournaments, and increasing club dues. I am devoting a separate section to the first two topics. Regarding club dues, to anticipate an increase in rent, the membership approved increasing annual dues for regular members from $30 to $40 and charging non-members an additional nominal fee for events open to them.

JULY

The NBCC was proud to report to the Connecticut chess community that the annual New Britain Summer Open Chess Championship held on July 19 was another tremendous success. A club record seventy-eight players, some traveling as far as Montpelier, Vermont, Queens, New York, and even Mexico City, gathered for a full day of chess, barbeque lunch, and fun in the sun. Players competed in the four-round USCF dual-rated event consisting of three sections, an Open, an Under 1700, and an Under 1300 (a first in club history), under the pavilion of the Quartette Club, in what could easily be dubbed the all-time greatest summertime chess event in New England. What continues to make this tournament unique is the free barbeque lunch. Our food committee, led by culinary professionals Marcus Komons and Kevin "Z" Zimmerman, did a phenomenal job. These masters of the grill were assisted by souschefs John Fikiet and Michelle Pascetta. This culinary crew displayed the highest level of professionalism and due care and served some of the most delicious picnic food around. The items on the huge menu included hot dogs, hamburgers and cheeseburgers, Polish kielbasa, Italian sausage, marinated chicken, veggie burgers, grilled corn, Boston-baked beans, antipasto salad, tomato and cucumber salad, tropical fruits, chips, garden salad, and rolls. There was also plenty of soda, water, and other beverages, which were made available to everyone for the entire day. In the words of prominent Chef Emeril Lagasse, these extraordinaire chefs "kicked up" the food preparation "to notches unknown to mankind." I also want to extend thanks to Joseph Kozlowski, Joseph Mansigian, and Andris Strazdins, for purchasing the food the night before the event. Special thanks also go to Roy Beavers, who donated coffee and purchased donuts for the players to enjoy while playing their morning game. In addition to the food crew, the club appreciated the efforts of FM Nelson Castaneda, Doug Fiske, Robert Fitzpatrick, and John Fikiet, who assisted the officers with the overall setup and cleanup. Most of the advertising and promotion for this event was through word-of-mouth and e-mail. This is probably why this years' event attracted so many more players than in previous years, especially from the shoreline and the Simsbury Chess Club, which is directed by Gert Hilhorst. Thanks to Mr. Hilhorst, Derek Meredith, Joseph Hricko, and the following state directors, Tom Hartmeyer, Rob Roy, and Alan Lasser, for spreading the word to their chess organizations about this event. Thanks also to Randy Shane and Ed Scimia, who were responsible for drafting the advertising for this event for publication in the July issue of Chess Life. In order to direct a tournament of this size, my team of all-star directors, Emily Pond and Ed Scimia, successfully managed the collection of the entry fees, made the pairings, and were always available in case players had questions or concerns. Thanks also to Randy Shane and Rob Roy, who volunteered to be backup directors. Lastly, the club congratulated Angel Zayas-Garcia for winning the Under 1300 Section, his first win in a major club tournament. Pictures from this event will eventually be posted on the club website.

AUGUST

After the Summer Open, there was an eight-week period where there were no scheduled activities. So, Joseph Mansigian developed some ideas and prepared the overall framework for a unique, new club event. The tournament was named the New Britain Summer Games Chess Tournament. Players were divided into three sections based on rating. The sections were Masters/Experts (for players rated at least 1950), Mad Dogs (for players rated above 1600 but below 1950), and Striving Upward (for players rated 1600 and below).

Congratulations to winners FM Nelson Castaneda, two of our youngest members, Danny Pascetta and Leonid Stolov, and Doug Pence, for winning their respective sections. This is Mr. Pence's first time earning first place in a major club tournament. I also want to thank International Master Robert Hungaski for playing in this event. To my recollection, this is the first time an IM has participated in an NBCC tournament.

On August 30, Kevin Zimmerman and his fiancée Marie Juerges, also known as "Mr. and Mrs. Z", held their 3rd annual Zimmerman Games Day. Friends from the Connecticut chess community, along with friends and family of Kevin and Marie, joined together in this late-summer celebration. While "Mr. Z" was organizing the 2009 Zimmerman Games Blitz Chess Tournament, which was directed by Emily Pond and Randy Shane, "Mrs. Z" was coordinating other sporting events, from poker to table tennis to miniature golf, and holding a "50/50" raffle. "Mr. Z" awarded cool prizes like t-shirts to the winners of the chess tournament. As always, our host and hostess did a marvelous job with the overall food preparation. And, like at the Summer Open, there was literally enough food to feed an army.

Unfortunately, the musical entertainment lined up at this party, Kevin's "drum circle", was unable to partake in the festivities this year due to scheduling conflicts. Not to fret, because filling this void was NBCC's illustrious harmonist, that traveling man "Mr. Marley" (many of you know him better as Andris Strazdins), who charmed the crowd by playing traditional American songs on his harmonica. Pictures from this party are posted on the club website. The "Z Man" pointed out that

"Although early predictions from weather center officials put gloom upon the entire weekend, Marie was determined to see the 'Z Games' go forward regardless. Anyway, the games had old and new tradition, continuing to bring joy and happiness to all in attendance. Old friends and new ones made the event at least custom in the patronage sense, enriching the day beyond expectation for all."

The membership came just shy of reaching the one-hundred mark for the 2008-2009 club year. Still, the NBCC had a six-year peak in membership at ninety-four for the current fiscal year.

SEPTEMBER

It appeared that the Games Day theme was catching on and seemed to be becoming a major hit because, on Labor Day, Derek Meredith organized similar Games Day festivities. In the afternoon, about fifteen members from the club competed in a frisbee and soccer tournament at Beachland Park in West Hartford. Afterwards, some of these guys and El Presidente' gathered at Derek's house for a chess event and barbeque. Mr. Meredith captured the thrills of this exciting day below.

"On a beautiful Labor Day, we had fifteen people meet or play at Beachland Park and the lines were quickly drawn in the sand. Danny Pascetta's clutch opposite-spin catches helped put Brian's 'Pascetta-rich' Ultimate Frisbee team up 6-3. But then the Meredith and Hillhorsts got hot, rallying to 6-5 before Fiske stunned Derek by beating him one-on-one in the end zone to abruptly end the first event. The ante was then doubled for soccer. Brian's team, led by 'Fidel' Montiel, Yogesh, Mac Gomes, Danny, and the Leja's, added Bob Kozlowski to put great pressure on the Hilhorst's team. Film is still being reviewed to determine the winner. But the real stunner was yet to come that evening. Having skipped the athletic events and furiously studied the Tromp until 6 p.m., 'Florida' Joe Mansigian went 4-1 to win the '2, 2' Tromp Blitz event in tie-breaks over Andres Castaneda. What is not clear is which was better: Joe's preparation of the Kielbasa Mansigian or Joe's analysis of the early Bishop-to-c1?"

On September 8, the club welcomed back Grandmaster Ildar Ibragimov to the club for his second simultaneous chess exhibition and lecture. A special thanks to Marcus Komons for arranging the details, including contacting the GM, for his event. Pictures from the event are posted on the club website and the NBCC's Facebook account (created by Emily Pond). Joseph Mansigian, who was the only person to earn a draw against the GM, wonderfully summarized the details of Mr. Ibragimov's event below.

"A total of twenty-three players entered to play against the Grandmaster. Ildar began by showing a game from the recent past in which he played Black in an obscure opening that his opponent chose to violently attack. The Grandmaster played through the moves of the game seated at a chess board while the simul participants gathered around to see the game. The game presented was very double-edged and it looked as though Grandmaster Ibragimov was in danger of being mated. However, with a precisely-timed counterstrike, Ildar gained the initiative and finished the game with a series of checks that drove his opponent's king over the board to be mated on a7 by a knight - a truly spectacular razor-sharp game. After the lecture, Grandmaster Ibragimov began the simultaneous exhibition.

Ildar played quickly and accurately as he moved around the circle of tables. His performance was exemplary, scoring all wins but for one draw. And this was all accomplished by 11 p.m. Grandmaster Ildar Ibragimov, who is an honorary member of our club, is more than a talented chess professional. He is also a very warm and personable man who really loves the game."

Around mid-September, Emily Pond became the first woman USCF Local Tournament Director in the history of the NBCC, joining Randy Shane, Ed Scimia, and me in this category of tournament directors. Later in the month, member Al Pinto approached Randy Shane and me about his interest in becoming a tournament director. After our conversation, he obtained the required paperwork from the United States Chess Federation, purchased the USCF rule book, and began his directing duties, assisting Emily Pond and Ed Scimia in the Oktoberfest tournament. This brought the total number of club tournament directors at the NBCC to an all-time high of seven.

OCTOBER

For winning first place in the 2009 Oktoberfest Open Chess Championship, FM Nelson Castaneda became the first member, since the late Arkadijs Strazdins in 1971, to three major club tournaments in one year, an amazing achievement. Prior to this event, he won the 2009 New Britain Summer Games and the 2009 NBCC Championship.

Also playing in the Oktoberfest Open was George Himes, who returned the club after a four-year hiatus. George entered in the Under 1600 Section and went undefeated with score of 4-1, making this his first win a major tournament at the club.

I am glad to report to the entire chess community that the NBCC had a blast at their 4th annual Oktoberfest Party held on October 23 at the Corner Pug, nestled in the Elmwood section of the lovely Town of West Hartford. A record twenty-one people attended the annual party and celebrated this festive German season with fine food and spirits. Of course, our magnificent "Mr. Marley" entertained the group with his songs on his harmonica once again - all this while surrounded by the company of our NBCC family and friends. It was indeed a memorable event and good times were had by all. I want to take this opportunity to thank Joseph Mansigian for choosing the restaurant (an excellent choice, indeed), and for making the reservations and the arrangements to hold this festive gathering. Pictures from this party are posted on the club website.

NOVEMBER

Randy Shane outlined a Conditions of Contest for the 2009 NBCC Championship Qualifying, Finals, and Reserves tournaments. The rules for determining the automatic seeds in the Finals tournament were similar to the prior two years. However, the rules on tie-breakers, which determine what players advance to the Finals from the Qualifier sections, were a major contrast from years past. The specific contest conditions masterfully drafted by Randy Shane are listed below.

“A two person tie will be broken by a pair of G/15 5 second delay games, each player taking White in one and Black in the other. If the tie remains, a pair of G/5 3 second delay games will be played. If, after that, the tie remains unbroken, a single ‘Armageddon’ game will be played as follows: White shall receive five minutes, Black some whole number of minutes, three second delay with Black getting draw odds. One player, determined by lot, will suggest a time setting for Black's clock, the other player then has the choice to play White or Black. Rounds may be skipped with the joint consent of the tied players, if they both wish to speed up the tiebreaker. Alternatively, if the two players jointly wish to break the tie by lot, that will be allowed. A three person tie will be broken by a set of three G/15 5 second delay games, as a Round Robin. A two way tie after that drops into the G/5 3 second delay round above; if the tie remains three way after that, it moves to a Round Robin G/5 3 second delay tiebreaker with colors reversed from the G/15 round. Any resulting two way tie after that will be broken with the ‘Armageddon’ game described above. Rounds may be skipped with the joint consent of the tied players if they all wish to speed up the tiebreaker. Alternatively, if the three players jointly wish to break the tie by lot, that will be allowed.”

DECEMBER

On December 1, member John Twombley tied for first place in the 2009 NBCC Championship Qualifying Tournament Under 1500 Section, his first major win in a club tournament.

The club held its 5th annual Christmas Party in conjunction with the annual Connecticut State Open Blitz Chess Championship on December 22. As has been the tradition at this party, the club raffled and auctioned off some chess books and equipment in its collection, many of which have been donated by former and current members. This year, member William Lindberg made a very generous contribution of chess books to our club library. The club thanked Mr. Lindberg for his donation. Pictures from this party are will eventually be posted on the club web site .

As the late Mr. Strazdins usually said amusingly when his
opponents were in time trouble, "Do not worry - take your time!"

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NBCC MEMBERS' GENERAL ACHEIVEMENTS

The following major achievements were earned by our members at non-club tournaments and in the USCF in 2009.

NBCC MEMBERS RANKING IN THE TOP 100 LISTS IN THE USCF AS OF THE DECEMBER 2009 (ANNUAL) RATING SUPPLEMENT

Please note that only ratings of USCF members whom have been active within the last year were used in compiling the Top 100 listings.

NBCC MEMBER	USCF TOP PLAYER LIST	USCF RATING	USCF RANKING
GM Ildar Ibragimov	Overall	2634	12th
USCF NM Ted McHugh	Overall Quck	2252	Tied at 93rd
Expert James Nitz	Quick Under Age 21	2020	86th
FM Daniel Rozovsky	Age 13	2131	5th
	Quick Under Age 16	1906	Tied at 78th
Daniel Pascetta	Age 10	1805	10th

OTHER NBCC MEMBER ACHIEVEMENTS

• On May 9, FM Nelson Castaneda tied for first place in the 2009 Portsmouth, New Hampshire Open and defeated Grandmaster Alexander Ivanov in the third round.
  
  
• Member and USCF NM Dennis Prawira claimed victory against one of Connecticut's Grandmasters, Sergey Kudrin, in the first round of the June Master's Tournament held at the Marshall Chess Club in New York City on June 16.
  
  
• Danny Rozovsky won first place in the Pan American Youth Chess Championship in the Under 14 age group. The event was held in Mar del Plata, Argentina from August 14 to 16. For his impressive victory, Danny also earned the prestigious title of FM. His photo and one of his games from this event were published in the December issue of Chess Life.
  
  
• Danny Pascetta became the 2009 New England Scholastic Elementary School Chess Champion. This tournament was held in Windsor Locks, Connecticut on October 31 and November 1.

MEMBERS RECOGNIZED FOR THE FASTEST INCREASES IN RATING IN NBCC HISTORY

NBCC MEMBER	First Rating	Current Rating	Increase	MONTH WHEN PLAYERS' EARNED THEIR FIRST ESTABLISHED RATING
FM Daniel Rozovsky	1109	2131	1022	June 2002
Daniel Pascetta	860	1805	945	February 2007

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Chess Trivia

In 2008, the chess world lost a legendary player - Robert "Bobby" James Fischer. He passed away in Reykjavik, Iceland at the age of sixty-four from kidney failure. Many consider Fischer to be one of the all-time greatest chess players. Are you a Fischer trivia buff? If so, answer these challenging questions about the former world chess champion. The answers are on page 28.

1. How many conditions did Bobby Fischer submit to the FIDE for his defense of the world chess title in 1975?
   
   a) 159
   b) 169
   c) 179
   d) 189
   
   
2. Which of the following books was not written by former World Chess Champion Bobby Fischer?
   
   a) "I Was Tortured in the Pasadena Jailhouse!"
   b) "My 60 Memorable Games"
   c) "Bobby Fischer vs. The Rest of the World"
   d) "Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess"
   
   
3. How many times did Bobby Fischer win the U.S. Chess Championship?
   
   a) 6
   b) 7
   c) 8
   d) 9
   
   
4. In the 1972 World Chess Championship match, what was Bobby Fischer's opening move against Spassky in game six?
   
   a) Nf3
   b) c4
   c) Nc3
   d) f4

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NBCC PICTURE GALLERY

The following photos were taken by Doug Fiske, John Nitz, Will Howard, and Robert Kozlowski

2009 UNITED STATES AMATEUR TEAM EAST CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP

PLAYERS MAKING NATIONAL CHESS HISTORY AND BRINGING HOME THE GOLD

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT

BACK ROW: FM Nelson Castaneda, James Nitz, John Nitz, Jos"eph Hricko
THIRD ROW: John Chapman, Derek Meredith, Sofia Leja, Yogesh Raghunathan, Kevin Zimmerman, Doug Fiske, Bill Montross
SECOND ROW: Michael Pascetta (wearing the Patriots sweatshirt), USCF NM Ted McHugh, Harris Appleman
FRONT ROW: Mark Leja, Andres Castaneda, Chris Jensen, Danny Pascetta, Emily Pond, Brian Kosnoff (kneeling in front)
Missing from this picture were Stephen Sanabria, Karl Eschelbach, Danny Rozovsky, and Jason Lenore.

OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS AT THE NBCC

Mark Bourque and Sydney Faria - Playing a friendly game at the 2008 CT Blitz Championship	Al Pinto - Analyzing his next move against GM Ibragimov	Tom Hartmeyer and Max Chia-Hsin Lu - In deep thought at the 2009 NB Summer Open
Tim Fennell pondering his next move against Alex Madej - 2009 Hawk's Landing	Andris Strazdins enjoying some BBQ - 2009 Zimmerman Games Day	Bob Kozlowski and Marcus Komons cheering the NBCC - 2009 NBCC Oktoberfest Party
Kevin Zimmerman and Miguel Purgatario battling it out - 2009 Hawk’s Landing	GM Ibragimov making his move against Brian Kosnoff	Joseph Mansigian waiting for his next opponent - 2009 Zimmerman Games Day
MORE KODAK MOMENTS OF THE NBCC FAMILY CAPTURED ON CAMERA
Jozef Madej, Carl Heineman, and Rob Roy - 2009 New Britain Summer Open	Danny Rozovsky and Kevin Zimmerman - 2009 Zimmerman Games Day	Roy Beavers and Peter Galazan - 2009 New Britain Summer Open
Derek Meredith with his son Nick - On a late summer hike with NBCC friends	John Baclawski - 2009 New Britain Summer Open	John Nitz with his son James - 2009 NBCC Oktoberfest Party
USCV NM Ted McHugn with his daughter Tara - 2009 Zimmerman Games Day	Richard Lee - 2008 NBCC Christmas Party	Sofia Leja, Andres Castaneda, Mark Leja - 2009 Zimmerman Games Day

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THE NBCC WELCOMES FRIENDS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE

Over the years, the NBCC has been visited by many chess players from across Southern New England and the New York City metropolitan area. Many of these guests have also participated in our club tournaments. I want to take this moment to express appreciation to the following non-state residents who supported our club by playing in one of our club events in 2009. On behalf of the membership, I look forward to their return to our club very soon.

Arunas "Rooney" Simonaitis, Steven Mitlitzky, Christopher Wong
    – Polgar Chess Club: Queens, New York

Curtis Jones
    – All the King's Men Chess Club: Pitman, New Jersey
    – Woodbury Chess Club: Woodbury, New Jersey

Max Chia-Hsin Lu
    – Boylston Chess Club: Boston, Massachusetts

Juan Luis Obregon
    – Mexico City Chess Club: Mexico City, Mexico

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THE NBCC VISITS THE CCSU CHESS CLUB

In late September, FM Nelson Castaneda, faculty advisor of the Central Connecticut State University Chess Club, made an invitation to members of the NBCC and the local chess community to attend one of his club’s meetings. The purpose of this inter-club networking opportunity was two-fold - to determine the possibility of holding rated events at their club and to recruit some members from their club to participate in our club tournaments and possibly join our organization. So, a few members from the NBCC, including Joseph Mansigian and me, decided to visit the Central CC on October 8. We had an opportunity to speak with their officers and exchange ideas about holding a major tournament at their site in the near future. We also played a few of their members during our visit. For those of you who have not been to the Central CC, here is what their organization is all about.

The Central CC meets every Thursday evening at the Student Center during the school year. Meetings usually start around 7:30 p.m. They meet in Devil’s Den, a very spacious lounge area where students can eat or study. Most meetings are informal and, therefore, players generally engage in casual play. The ambience is lovely and the location of their club is very accessible to the major highways. Overall, I firmly believe that their site is definitely suitable to hold a faster-time control event.

Currently, the NBCC has not made any commitments with the management of the Central CC to hold tournaments at their site. Many details still have to be ironed out such as the rental costs of the facility and the possibility of making CCSU CC members exempt from registration fees. Regardless if our club sponsors an event at theirs, the initial steps have been taken to form a nexus between our organizations. On behalf of the Connecticut chess community, I want to thank Mr. Castaneda for getting this communication process started.

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THE ROAD TO A NEW HOME FOR THE NBCC (Continued)

As the ball on New York City’s Times Square dropped on December 31, 2008, the work soon began for our exploratory committee, led by the officers and a few other members, charged with searching for alternative venues for the NBCC. After many months of intense searching, Joseph Mansigian and Derek Meredith found a suitable playing hall, similar to the one at the Quartette Club, at the Assyrian Club of New Britain. At the annual business meeting, Mr. Mansigian outlined the advantages and disadvantages of this site, along with a few others, to the membership. A subsequent meeting, chaired by Marcus Komons, was also held. During the spirited and lively discussions at these meetings, the membership had many opportunities to inquire of Mr. Mansigian, Mr. Komons, and Mr. Meredith about the Assyrian Club. The main concern on many peoples’ minds was the security of the location. Therefore, in order for our members to make an informed decision about the venue, Mr. Meredith and Mr. Mansigian wisely arranged for our members to visit this club’s hall on a Tuesday evening. After the visit, the decision to stay at the NBCC’s home location or move to the Assyrian Club was left to the membership. Each member had one week, after visiting the site, to submit his or her vote via e-mail or phone to Mr. Mansigian. The final vote was 30 to 28 in favor of staying at the Quartette Club for another year. Still, because our club was nearly divided based on this vote, there apparently remains much uncertainty about whether our club will continue to lease from the Quartette Club beyond 2010. Therefore, you will have to patiently wait until next year, or perhaps beyond, to read about the conclusion of the “Road to a New Home for the NBCC”.

This chess cartoon was posted by Gary Gilford on
http://www.chessville.com/Editorials/cartoons.htm

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NEW FORMATS FOR TOURNAMENTS AT THE NBCC

Besides the decision about moving to another venue, the other very important topic slated for discussion at the 2009 club business meeting was about new formats for NBCC tournaments. Roy Beavers presented a report to the membership about the benefits of having sectioned tournaments at the club. Many ideas were put forth on the table about how to incorporate sectioned events in the club's yearly schedule of activities. Overall, the consensus was that having a structure where players could compete within their own rating class or have the option of playing in a higher-rated section would result in a more enjoyable playing experience for all. Personally, because of the increased playing strength of our members, having sectioned tournaments was apparently needed. So, after our lengthy brainstorming session, the membership voted and ratified the following into permanent club law.

"Effective July 1, 2009, all tournaments held at the NBCC, with the exception of Blitz Chess, shall be sectioned. The determination of the specifics of each tournament, such as the number of sections, the number of rounds in each section, the overall time control, the entry fees charged to players in each section, and the prize fund awarded to the various class and place winners of each section, shall be left to the discretion of the chief and assistant directors responsible for managing the tournament. If necessary, the directors may discuss their decision with the Board of Directors before the start of the tournament. However, unless any unusual situation arises, the directors will have the final authority to make these decisions."

This chess cartoon was posted by Arnie Gatton on
 http://agallery.comicgenesis.com/chesscartoonsx.html

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THE PASSING OF STANLEY ARCHACKI

After a long battle with complications relating to heart failure, Stanley Archaki, veteran member of the NBCC since the late 1950s and life-time member of the New Britain Quartette Club, sadly passed away at the age of eighty-one on June 2. I learned about his death from his long-time friends, and former NBCC members, Ed Valauskas and Bob Milardo.

Stanley, or "Stash" as many of his friends often called him, played an instrumental role in securing our club's current venue since 1975. He also assisted the late Mr. Strazdins in various management roles at the club for decades by serving in various directing and officer capacities.

I had the pleasure of playing with Mr. Archaki many times at the club, from 1987 until most recently a few years ago. One of his favorite chess openings was the Sicilian Defense. His opening repertoire was usually consistent and it was to almost to no surprise to his opponents that, as Black, he opened with 1. . c5.

Mr. Archaki regularly attended club meetings. He was very passionate about the game, enjoyed competing with his friends, and was a respected member of and asset to our club. The members of the NBCC extend their condolences to the Archaki family during their time of grievance. May he Rest-In-Peace.

This chess cartoon was posted by Arnie Gatton on
http://agallery.comicgenesis.com/chesscartoonsx.html

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CHESS POEM

Before closing with my year-end commentary, I found a poignant chess poem
on the Internet that I thought you might enjoy reading.

Battlefield of Life

I make this pledge to you alone,
that I shall serve your royal throne.
My silver sword, I gladly wield.
Squares eight times eight the battlefield.

With knights upon their mighty steed
the front line pawns have vowed to bleed
and neither Queen shall ever yield.
Squares eight times eight the battlefield.

The castle walls protect our back
and Bishops plan for their attack;
a master plan that is concealed.
Squares eight times eight the battlefield.

For chess is but a game of life
and I your Queen, a loving wife
shall guard my liege and raise my shield.
Squares eight times eight the battlefield.

This chess poem was submitted by Amera M. Andersen on
http://www.eadon.com/phil/chesspoemreaders.php

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BOB KOZLOWSKI'S COMMENTARY

It goes almost without saying that 2009 will go down in the Connecticut chess history books as one of the greatest years at the NBCC. It ceases to amaze me what our club accomplished this year, let alone in the last five. More milestones occurred this year than in any other in our club's very-long established history. Before closing this chapter in NBCC history, I want to briefly recap on our club's milestones of 2009. In addition, I am also concluding by sharing a few of my ideas that I think could benefit our club in its continued growth.

Here were the NBCC's major highlights or milestones that occurred in 2009:

1. The NBCC made its first appearance on television, because of the efforts of Rob Roy, for a new series on PBS titled "All Things Connecticut".
2. A club record twenty-four past or present members participated in the 2009 USATE. Making national chess history, three of our six teams won a prize, one for Top Connecticut Team, one for Top U2000 Team, and one for Top Team Name.
3. On a picture-perfect day on July 19, the 2009 New Britain Summer Open, held at the New Britain Quartette Club, attracted seventy-eight players throughout the Northeast, including a chess player visiting from Mexico City. This was without doubt the greatest event in NBCC history.
4. For the first time at the NBCC, the membership unanimously decided that, with the exception of Blitz Chess, all tournaments starting on or after July 1, 2009 would be sectioned in order to give our members a more pleasurable playing experience.
5. Because of the sectioning of club tournaments, more of our members had an opportunity to win first place in their section and, for the first time in NBCC history, ten of our members in a mere one year (Andres Montiel, Randy Shane, Leonid Stolov, Jozef Madej, Brian Kosnoff, Kevin Zimmerman, Angel Zayas-Garcia, Doug Pence, George Himes, and John Twombley) accomplished just that.
6. Emily Pond became the first woman USCF Local Tournament Director in the history of the NBCC.
7. Incredibly, the all-time record for the current number of tournament directors at the NBCC rose from five to a staggering seven, when Doug Pence and Al Pinto eagerly joined our esteemed TD staff in 2009.
8. FM Nelson Castaneda became the first member in thirty-eight years to win three major tournaments at the NBCC in one year, for earning first place in the 2009 Oktoberfest Open, the 2009 NBCC Championship, and the 2009 New Britain Summer Games.
9. The club membership reached one of the highest in at least the last six years, if not since the 1990s, climbing to an astounding ninety-four in late August.
10. 10. Nearly all members who participated in the annual Connecticut State Open (a non-club event) earned a place or class title, probably a NBCC first.

Despite all these amazing achievements, I believe that our club still has room for growth, especially in the areas of scholastic chess and club matches.

Historically, adults have been members of our organization. I know this for a fact because, for nearly fifteen years, I was its youngest member. Over the last five years, about ten of Connecticut's chess youths, five of whom are currently under the age of twenty and are members (James Nitz, Danny Rozovsky, Max Krall, Leonid Stolov, and Danny Pascetta) have participated in tournaments at the club. In the last few years, Marcus Komons and I have frequently discussed the idea of arranging a scholastic tournament at the club. Since the NBCC really has no experience in organizing these complicated events, we sought the advice from David Aldi, Connecticut State Chess Association Scholastic Chess Director and an expert in the field of organizing scholastic chess tournaments, about ways to successfully manage and coordinate a youth chess event. Basically, Mr. Aldi told us that, in order to run a great scholastic chess event, there must be adequate planning and a constant line of communication between the directors, the students, and the parents. In short, the responsibilities can be overwhelming, much more than organizing non-scholastic chess events. Although our club has the staff and the facility to host and organize such an event, for the meantime, my fellow tournament directors will leave directing scholastic chess tournaments to the professionals.

Because of our club's growth, which is not only measured by the number of members, but by their overall playing strength, our organization has maintained its status as Connecticut's strongest for many decades. Unfortunately though, because of this, our club has not been able to hold a competitive match with other Connecticut chess clubs in many years. Over the last few years, some members have expressed interest in having a match with the Marshall Chess Club or the Boylston Chess Club, but nothing concrete has been planned yet. This year, there has been some conversation about organizing a match with the UConn CC. Because of our clubs close proximity, a match with their club is more likely. More recently, Bill Montross, a member of the Burlington, Vermont Chess Club and the NBCC, said that members of his club want to hold a match with ours sometime next year. As of the publication of this newsletter, our club is still in the planning stage. With hard work, the NBCC can make this match happen. Over the last few years, our club has been fortunate to build its financial resources, because of the increase in membership and efforts to raise additional funds from auctions and raffles. In 2008, FM Nelson Castaneda and member Hermann Zickfeld made very generous contributions to the club, for books that were donated by a former member, the late Thaddeus Szafranski. During the six year period which ended June 10, 2008, our club's funds soared from $1,301 to $3,277, nearly a $2,000 increase, even after purchasing chess equipment and sponsoring five teams at the 2008 United States Amateur Team East Chess Championship. Friends, I am pleased to report that the state of the NBCC Treasury is strong.

2009 will be remembered as one of the most exciting years in NBCC history. Though, there were certain times during the year where our administrative staff was extremely overloaded by having to deal with many complex club issues. Juggling these issues was even a more difficult task. I personally managed to stay afloat during those times, but there were many occasions where my fellow officers and I considered taking a sabbatical from club management for a few months.

From my observations, despite the somewhat heated debates about relocating the club, our members do deeply care about the welfare and future of our organization. Furthermore, I have come to the conclusion that no venue should ever determine a club's existence and that a club is only as great as its members make it. Of course folks, we must be practical. Our members truly deserve a decent venue that has an atmosphere suitable to play chess. However, we must come to some agreement that we can not search indefinitely for sites that will have every amenity, because I surmise that the rent at these locations will far exceed what most people might be willing to pay in dues merely to play chess.

The bottom line is this: It is essential that the NBCC officers proceed with the process of relocating our club with special care, since any hasty decision could seriously affect the future of our organization. The more carefully our officers plan their approach in our club's transition process, the more successful our treasured club and satisfied our members will be.

My esteemed team of club officers, directors, and our webmaster wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. They also thank you for supporting the NBCC.

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A PERSONAL NOTE FROM "DR. K"

Friends, we are sadly closing another chapter at the club. I want to take this opportunity to share a personal story with you. When I joined the NBCC at the age of nine, I would never have imagined that twenty one years later, the club would play a major role in my life. Along my journey, there were many people whom helped me realize my ambitions.

For years, my step-father and former club member, Reginald Cyr, brought me to the club until his health began to fail in the late 1990s. My mother then brought me to meetings until I got my drivers license. My parents were supportive of my chess goals from the beginning and I am grateful to them for everything.

My teachers and friends from elementary through graduate school also encouraged me to pursue my chess endeavors. My performance in school was positively affected by the skills the game taught me. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, I devoted a substantial amount of time to studying the game. Due to my steadfast determination, I managed to win a few state scholastic chess championships.

In 1998, while in college, I began exploring the possibility of becoming a tournament director at the club. I could not have had a more experienced person to work with than the late Arkadijs Strazdins. With Mr. Strazdins, I quickly acquired the tools to be a proficient tournament director. He trusted me to carry the torch as chief tournament director when he began to succumb to severe illness. Because of this, I held Mr. Strazdins in the highest respect. It was a privilege to work with Mr. Strazdins and an honor to be his friend.

In 2003, around the time when Mr. Strazdins health failed, Joseph Mansigian asked me to become vice-president. Joseph Mansigian and I, along with Treasurer Andris Strazdins and Secretary Marcus Komons, often discuss ways on improving the club and keeping the membership happy.

In the last two decades, I have made countless friendships at the club and in the Connecticut chess community. When I joined the club, besides Mr. Strazdins, I was always welcomed by Hermann Zickfeld and members Peter Galazan and Bill Dworski. My life has been enriched from my association with these gentlemen, whom have been instrumental in the development of my values and philosophies.

Since becoming a tournament director, I have made a concerted effort to report the exciting activities at the club through the myriad of e-mails and telephone conversations. However, as any volunteer in a social organization would tell you, with triumphs, there usually come tribulations. There have been many occasions where I made executive decisions that not everyone was satisfied with. For those who know me personally, you know that I set high standards for myself, and this holds true for my management of the club. No matter what situation might arise at the club, I promise that your interests and concerns will always be addressed.

The late Arkadijs Strazdins, Rob Roy, and former CSCA President Frederick Townsend Jr. were very valuable members of the chess community and I hope to be inspired by their many contributions to Connecticut chess. Although I am involved in the CSCA, I pledge that I will continue to be an active member of our club and I will strive to keep you abreast about our thriving organization, because as far as I am concerned, the NBCC is and will always be "the heart of Connecticut chess".

My team of club officers, directors, and our webmaster wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

President: Joseph Mansigian
Vice-President: Robert Kozlowski
Treasurer: Major Andris Strazdins
Secretary: Marcus Komons

USCF Local TD's: Randy Shane, Emily Pond, Ed Scimia, Robert Kozlowski
USCF Club TD's: Doug Pence, Al Pinto, Marcus Komons

Webmaster: Brian Kosnoff

During these most uncertain economic times, I wish you and your family all the best of health and happiness. I also want to thank you for your friendship.

The membership currently stands at seventy-eight.

Yours in chess,

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NBCC FAMILY AND FRIENDS PICTURE TRIVIA

I spent a few hours viewing the NBCC photo archives in search of more pictures of the NBCC family to include in this years' newsletter. I tried to include as many people as possible.

Do you recognize these smiling faces?

SPECIAL ADDITION!
NBCC HISTORY TRIVIA 2005 - 2009

In 2005, the New Britain Chess Club was undergoing some major changes, with the beginnings of new tournaments and social activities happening at and outside of the club. At that time, I decided to write about and capture these memorable moments in an annual club newsletter. Since then, our club has ascended to unimaginable heights, making chess history throughout Connecticut and beyond. It has truly been a pleasure to document these club highlights so future generations of chess players will be able to read about them decades from now.

As some of you know, I am a chess trivia buff. Therefore, I decided that what better way to link my passion for the club and trivia than to create the NBCC's first history trivia quiz.

The questions below are listed in order of increasing difficulty, based on my assumption of what the general membership remembers about the last five years at our club. The answers are on page 28.

1. Who were the winners of the First Oktoberfest Open Chess Championship?
   
   a) James Nitz and Yogesh Raghunathan
   b) Danny Rozovsky and Andres Castaneda
   c) Danny Rozovsky and James Nitz
   d) Yogesh Raghunathan and Andres Castaneda
   
   
2. Which of the following events occurred first at the NBCC?
   
   a) NBCC traveled to Amsterdam
   b) Randy Shane became club tournament director
   c) Dennis Prawira gave his first simul at NBCC
   d) NBCC purchased 25 sets and clocks from USCF
   
   
3. In which of the following years did the most people attend the annual NBCC Oktoberfest Party?
   
   a) 2006
   b) 2007
   c) 2008
   d) 2009
   
   
4. What member proposed a new format for the annual New Britain New Years Open Blitz Chess Tournament in 2006, which became the standard for all future NBCC Blitz Chess competitions?
   
   a) Ted McHugh
   b) Nelson Castaneda
   c) Rick Bauer
   d) Martin Garcia
   
   
5. What member made a motion at the 2005 NBCC business meeting to make all tournament directors exempt from paying entry fees for tournaments they direct?
   
   a) Derek Meredith
   b) Roy Beavers
   c) Joseph Mansigian
   d) Doug Fiske
   
   
6. Which of the following statements is false?
   
   a) Andres Castaneda won the First Zimmerman Games Day Blitz Chess Tournament
   b) Al Pinto became a NBCC tournament director in September 2009
   c) NBCC held first open-air summer tournament in 2006 since 1992
   d) No member won against GM Ibragimov in his first simul at the NBCC
   
   
7. What NBCC team won the Top Connecticut and the Top U2000 prize at the 2008 United States Amateur East Team Chess Championship?
   
   a) New Britain Crusaders
   b) New Britain Endgame
   c) New Britain Dragons
   d) New Britain Bad Bishops
   
   
8. Excluding Quick Chess tournaments, what was the first sectioned tournament, with an Open and at least one lower-rated section, held at the NBCC?
   
   a) 2008 NBCC Championship Reserves 2
   b) 2007 New Britain Summer Open Chess Championship
   c) 2008 Arkadijs Strazdins Cup
   d) 2008 Oktoberfest Open Chess Championship
   
   
9. How much money did our team from the NBCC win for taking second place at the 2006 Northeast Chess Winter Getaway tournament held in Marlborough, Massachusetts?
   
   a) $125
   b) $300
   c) $500
   d) $875
   
   
10. Which of the following members became the first to win a major tournament, or section of a major tournament, at the NBCC?
    
    a) Dennis Himes
    b) Yogesh Raghunathan
    c) Michael Pascetta
    d) John Nitz

BONUS QUESTION

What member raffled off an Austrian chess set at the NBCC’s 1st Christmas Party and who won it?

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SOLUTIONS TO CHESS PUZZLE AND TRIVIA