Evan Ju Wins Cadet Championship

Fifteen-year-old NM Evan Ju won the prestigious Cadet (under-16) Championship in Tampa, Florida, yesterday, finishing with an impressive 7/10 score (with no draws! - see the crosstable). You may recall that Evan became the youngest ever NJ State Champion in September when he won the NJ Open. More information and games can be found at The USCF blog and The Scholastic Chess Gateway.

Urusov Gambit Update

I have annotated ten relatively recent games featuring the Urusov Gambit. I had been meaning to offer a Urusov Gambit Update like that for a while, and was finally prompted to action by Steve Doyle and Pete Tamburro's very nice column in The Sunday Star-Ledger (June 17, 2007) which annotated the game Svensson-Tolksdorf, Correspndence 1973-1974 and made positive mention of my Urusov Gambit website. The game they chose, while a typically attractive Urusov blow-out, struck me as rather out-dated, especially since its formerly main line with 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.Qxd4 Nf6 6.Nc3 Nc6 7.Bg5 Be7 8.Qh4 d6 9.O-O-O Be6 10.Bd3?! is convincingly refuted by the simple 10....Ng4! as I discuss on my site. Fortunately, White has other choices at move 10 -- though Black does not have better than 9...Be6 in my view. Doyle and Tamburro suggest 9...h6 10.Bxf6(?) Bxf6 as being better for Black, which it is, of course; but White hardly need oblige by exchanging at f6 since there is no threat on his Bishop with the h-pawn pinned. White should therefore play 9...h6?! 10.Rhe1! with a strong attack.

In any event, Svensson-Tolksdorf is no longer important to "theory," if traditional theory is really keeping track. After all, the Urusov, while very popular at the amateur and club level, is not played by GMs and therefore not likely to receive extensive "book" coverage. For instance, Nunn's Chess Openings, which I have handy, offers only a single line of text and seven brief footnotes (less than a sixth of a page in a 544 page volume). As my extensive analysis suggests, a bit more might be written, though the absence of GM games is inhibiting. There are, however, plenty of interesting games, many by masters (2200+) and even some by titled players. French IM Luc Bergez has added it to his repertoire, and I have annotated a few of his games. But, as my notes suggest, even strong players are not the best guides to the "theory" of the line. The Urusov remains very much an unexplored territory, and therefore fertile ground for the adventurous gambiteer.

Related Links

• The Urusov Gambit System
• Urusoff / Urusov Gambit Bibliography
• Urusov Gambit Novelty
• Notes on the Two Knights with d4
• Anti-Antoshin
• Once more unto the Urusov, dear friends, once more... by Tim Harding

Death or Deception?

Justin Horton offers up "Late News" about the mysterious end to one of his correspondence tournaments at the always excellent blog for the Streatham & Brixton Chess Club. The story has a wonderful hook and a rather unexpected ending which I'm sure you'll enjoy.... (Thank you to Tom Chivers for correcting my previous version).

Google "Street View" of Springfield Chess Club

I was just playing around with Google's "Street View" feature, hoping to find the Kenilworth Chess Club pictured there. But it seems that Google's ubiquitous photo trucks, which have famously captured nude sunbathers and nose-pickers all around the country, have not yet found their way down Kenilworth Boulevard. But they have gone down Route 22, which means they have captured images of the Springfield Barnes & Noble (see above--larger image here) where the Checkmate Chess Club of Springfield, NJ, meets on Sundays from 7:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.

Kenilworth Centennial Celebration

"To Kenilworth, girl," said the Countess, boldly and freely. "I will see these revels--these princely revels--the preparation for which makes the land ring from side to side." ---Sir Walter Scott, Kenilworth (1821)

Kenilworth, New Jersey, has been celebrating its 100th Anniversary this year, the highlight of which is the Grand Centennial Parade and festivities on Saturday, June 16. The parade itself starts at noon from Lenape Park, proceeding along Kenilworth Boulevard to N. 23rd Street and the celebrations follow. According to the town's website, the parade will feature "more than 700 participants -- including the Union County Police and Fire, Pipes and Drums Band; Deidre Shea School of Irish Dance; Karate World; the New Jersey Antique Automobile Association Car Club; Galloping Hill Cruisers; Garden State Early Ford V8 Club of America; Shriners String Band; Mummer's All Star Band; The Colonial Muskateers Fife & Drum Corps...."

The Kenilworth Chess Club will be staffing an information table with multiple chess sets in the parking lot across from the VFW Hall on 21st Street (half a block south of the Boulevard), likely beginning shortly before 2:00 p.m. We will offer free lessons and a simultanous exhibition. there will also be lots of chances for skittles play and speed games. Please come out to support the club. See The Chess Coroner for contact info and volunteer details, or just drop by to say "hello."

Michael David Wojcio, our former club president and Kenilworth Chess Club historian, will certainly be in attendance: his father, Michael Peter Wojcio, has been selected Grand Marshall of the event! He must be very proud of his father, who is the oldest life-long resident of the borough and nearly the same age.