Swiss Pairings

The "Swiss" tournament is probably the backbone of tournament chess worldwide, and the introduction of the Swiss Pairing Rules (way back in 1895) is one of the reasons why chess continued to grow throughout the 20th century.
Nonetheless, if you want to start a heated discussion amongst chess players, questioning the accuaracy of a set of tournament pairings is a good way to go about it. In fact is some Australian tournaments, arguing about pairings prior to the last round has become so common that there is a joke that the organisers have changed their tournament schedule to refelect this eg 10am Round 6 2pm Argue about Round 7 pairings 2:30pm Round 7 (Hopefully) .
But why the confusion? While there probably isn't one single answer, the most common reason I have seen is that people don't take the time to understand the rules in the first place. Often they get as far as understanding the intent of the rules, but then don't go as far as reading the rules in detail. However I have had dealings with players (and arbiters) who having read the rules, then apply their own interpertrations.
Common confusions include

• Players in the top half of a score group can only play players in the bottom half of a score group (not true)
• Players always get the opposite colour than they had in the previous rounds (desirable but not always achievable)
• There is more than one "correct" pairing (not according to the FIDE pairing rules)

Now some of the blame does lie with the wording used in the offical FIDE swiss pairing rules. The major culprit is clause C.6 which can imply that you stop pairing once you have paired top half v bottom half. However further reading of the rules clearly indicates that more steps need to be taken before the pairings are finalised (Exchanges & Transpostions being required).
As a consequence a couple of arbiters, led by IA Gary Bekker, are putting together a submission to FIDE in an effort to clear up the confusion. Hopefully these suggested changes will be accepted in time for the next major FIDE rule revision.

ANU Chess Club

It has been a pretty wild week for the Australian National University (ANU). Last Tuesday night (27 Feb 2007) the University was hit by a massive hailstorm that damaged a number of buildings. The skylights in the building I work were all smashed and the top floor was flooded. Photos of the wreckage (by Felix Schill) are here.
Fortunately most of the University is back in operation, including the venue for the ANU Chess Club. It what may be fortunate timing, the Chess Club starts for 2007 this Wednesday evening (7 March).
The full details are as follows
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The Australian National University Chess Club is starting on Wednesday 7th March 2007. The club meets in the Staff Common Room in the Asian Studies Building, Australian National University. The Asian Studies Building is off Childers St, next to the Canberra School of Art. The meeting room is on the 4th floor. To get to the room you can either go through the front entrance and take the stairs on your right to the top floor, and then turn right, or take the elevator to the top floor. The club meets from 7:30pm every Wednesday night.

The first meeting (7th March) will be an introductory night for new members, with either a lightning or allegro event to be held. The club is open to all ANU Staff & Students as well as invited guests.

The clubs emphasis is both on enjoyable but competitive chess, as well as assisting in chess education and development for adult chess players (ie 18 years and older).
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Chess Organisers Face Jail Time

A report in todays Canberra Times newspaper reveals that the Australian Capital Territories Unlawful Games Act "prohibits any games of 'skill or chance' in which money or other valuables are staked".
Games covered by the legislation include chess, bridge, backgammon and scrabble. The penalties for players involved in these activities face a $1000 fine, while organisers can be fined $10,000 and jailed for up to a year.
The act has been on the books for 23 years, "but the Gaming and Racing Commision believes no one has ever been prosecuted for the offence".
It appears that the government will amend the law later in the year to exempt the games concerned.
Until then I figure the government won't waste the time or money of trying to arrest anyone for running a chess tournament, so its probably safe to come to Canberra for the Doeberl Cup.
And I did like the headline for the article: Step away from the chess set and put your hands up

Climbing the Silicon Ladder

During my second "proper" chess tournament (the 1983 Australian Junior Championships) I was struck by a comment made by one of the younger competitors. I'd asked him how long he had been playing chess and he replied "I've been playing real chess for about 3 years". "Real chess?" I asked. "You know, when you stop leaving pieces en-pris".
From that point onwards I have always considered this a major boundry for anyone learning to play chess. While memorising openings, studying endgames, or learning about pawn structures is all well and good, if you continue to lose material for no good reason, then all the learning in the world doesn't help you win games.
My first serious chess opponent was a chess computer my parents bought for me way back in 1981. It was a Scisys computer and I played it constantly. The most important thing I learnt from it was how not to leave my pieces where they can be taken.
I was reminded of this recently when talking to Shervin Rafizadeh, local Canberra chess coach, and winner of the 2005 Doeberl Cup Major. He described his learning experience as very similar to mine. He said he would play against his chess computer until he dropped a piece. Then he would resign and start again. Soon he developed the "board sight" to avoid playing stupid moves, leaving himself free to concentrate on more complex issues.

So here are some tips to using your chess computer/program to help you get better.

1. Find a computer program that lets you change the strength. Programs that incorporate player "personalities" with a strength setting will also do. I found both Kasparovs Gambit, and Kasparov Chess will do this, as will the various ChessMaster programs.
2. Set it on the easiest level or personality.
   
3. Start playing it until you are (a) no longer losing pieces for free and (b) beating it more times than it beats you.
4. Move it up to the next level and repeat the exercise.

Some chess programs will also give you a ratings estimate for your play after each game. You can also use this as a guide to determine which level the program should be set on.
I found that by doing this when I was younger I was able to move onto the more "complicated" stuff, like openings and endings, within a few months of becoming serious about my chess.

O2C Doeberl Cup Update

With the O2C Doeberl Cup starting in just over a month the organisers are pleased to announce that this years event will be the strongest ever. As of this moment 4 overseas Grandmasters have confirmed their entries. The GM's from overseas are Victor Mikhalevski (ISR 2590), Georgy Timoshenko (UKR 2563), Carlos Matamoros Franco (ECU 2540), and Dejan Antic (SRB 2452). Australian GM's Ian Rogers and Daryl Johansen are also expected to take part, meaning that for the first time ever, an Australian Weekend tournament will have 6 GM's taking part.
Full details of the event can be found on this link, including the full $16,800 prize list.
Watch this blog for further updates of the entry list as they come to hand.

Dubbo Open 2007

I really admire organisers of country chess tournaments in Australia.
With the large distances between large towns, most country events only attract a small to medium sized entry. And yet every year they still put the effort in to run a great tournament. A classic example of this is the Dubbo Open.
For those that missed geography class at school, Dubbo is about 4 to 4 1/2 hours drive from Sydney, Newcastle or Canberra. Each year the Dubbo Chess Club organises a small, but very enjoyable weekender. There aren't huge prizes on offer ($350 for first) but if you are looking for a weekend away, and some enjoyable chess, then I highly reccomend this event.
This years tournament is on the weekend of the 24th and 25th of March. It will be a 6 round open, leaving the evening free to enjoy the dining delights of this growing regional centre.
While previous winners have included IM's John-Paul Wallace and Gary Lane, last years event was won by Bill Egan, who was rated Under 1600 at the time. He described his victory as a "real marketing boost for next years event".
And if you didn't already know, the real tourist attraction in Dubbo is the Western Plains Zoo. So you can even bring the family, knowing that they have plenty to do while you are occupied over the chess board.

Full details of the event are available here.

From Beginner to Club Player

Over my past 20 years of chess coaching I have been asked what books I would recommend to new chess players to study/learn from. While I have given a number of different answers, experience has lead me to mainly recommend 3 books. Taken as a set, these 3 books should be able to take any enthusiastic and hard working player from someone learning the rules up until club level.

1. Comprehensive Chess Course by Lev Alburt & Roman Pelts
Since I discovered this book this has been the mainstay of my coaching resource. The first volume is designed to explain the rules and get you playing chess, while the second volume helps you learn what you need to be a chessplayer. While designed to be used as a self-learner, it is also very useful in the hands of a chess coach for class teaching.

2. Play Better Chess by Leonard Barden
In my opinion the best single volume beginners book written. Starting with an explanation of the rules, it progresses from simple tactics and opening traps to informative opening analysis and player biographies. It's main strength is that every section is both interesting and informative. The only drawback: As far as I know it is out of print meaning that you may have to purchase it second hand.

3. Logical Chess Move by Move by Irving Chernev
For a long time I treated anything by Chernev (and Reinfeld) with suspicion, meaning I ignored this book quite unfairly. Having picked up a second hand copy a few years ago, I now kick myself that I didn't read it when I started chess as a teenager. Containing a collection of games, Chernev explains the reasoning behind every move played in every game. For the player who has progressed beyond the "how" and is moving onto the "why" this book should equip you with enough knowledge to confidently start your club or tournament career. (I've even recommended it to an Olympiad player of my acquaintance) .