​

Toms River Chess Club Newsletter 2017 #32

 

This week (7-13 September)….

 

Edd Knowles started off the lecture series with an excellent performance. Nattily attired, in his newly svelt form, Edd delivered “How to really improve your chess play and chess rating”, with characteristic aplomb. It was well received; in fact, Karl Wonderlin said it was the best lecture (on chess) he ever heard! Based on his own experience and insights, Edd made it seem easy to improve if you were to follow his advice. Much of chess instruction can be clichéd and oversimplified but Edd drew the crowd in. Many thanks and much appreciation goes to our first volunteer in this series.

 

Edd called “skill”, chess knowledge and “rating”, calculation and performance. He started in the ‘60s, when Russia dominated the world in chess, (about 60,000 US players versus 3,000,000 Russians). His first rating was about 1500, a year later, it was 1800 and a year after that, 2095! He entered the World Open in U1600 and went 7W 1L 1D! He attributed this to a fortuitous accident. As he was working in the computer field when the first chess program was being created and helping to write it, he inadvertently colored both sides playing white but used it for training, later learning that masters in Japan use this technique as an exercise. Edd maintains that you can play blindfold and memorize games, starting simply but by trying, succeeding. Go over and over one game until committed to memory, then another. Think on every move; “tell a story” about why you’re moving a piece during the whole game. He said he started playing blindfold on school buses when no board was able to be set up!

 

Edd suggested using books with problems without analysis: go over each problem, mark ones you miss and repeat until you have all the answers! He went on about the effects of vitamin B and how reading is like a “pushup” for the brain. Comparing short and long term memory to small and big boxes, he said not to load small box with too much divergent material before it has a chance to migrate into the big box, lest it be lost. A game between Fischer and Reshevsky showed how preparing for an opponent can give insight to foil plans. Fisher’s quote: “I know how to draw it, do you?” pointed out planning successfully.

 

He finished (being reminded of the time he was using by Bob Whiteside) with a game against a 2195 rated opponent in the Samisch version of the Nimzo-Indian, using 2 bishops in an open position versus 2 knights in a closed one. Obviously, Edd could have gone on for hours but the idea was to be brief. So the first lecture in what will hopefully be a series of lectures was well met, but will only continue if members step up and plan and deliver others. Pick one you wish to give, or for a topic you wish to see explored. Give it a try! It is an excellent way to improve, and it is fun.

 

Attending were: Tom Bogert, Lowell Berg, Chris and Janice Kenney, Rexford Cristal, Steve D’Agostino, Nathan Kripinski, George Jenkinson, Isaiah and Joan Totaro, Brian, Avery, Colin and Kristina Hayes, Pravin Lakhani, Joe O’Brien, Vincent Calfapietra, Greg Coats, Dave Doucette, Bob Whiteside, Edd Knowles, Daniel and Patrick Balton, Elliott Kleinman, Ethan Leon. Adam Horwitz, David Kleinfeld, Karl Wonderlin, Tom Moore, Rich Newmark, Stan Laychick, Pat Festa, Mike Symczak, Dinkar Pujara, Steven Hernandez, Sulia Mason III, Jon Friedman, Mike Favata and myself.

 

Another member, Dave Doucette, has joined the United States Chess Federation through the TRCC affiliation, saving $3. Anyone else interested in joining in preparation for tournament play, please see me.

 

THE BLIT TOURNAMENT SCHEDULED FOR THE 14TH OF SEPTEMBER IS BEING POSTPONED AT HIS TIME. A NEW DATE WILL BE DETERMINED SOON.

 

Any questions, comments, suggestions or corrections, please contact me:

 

Stephen Shoshin

shoshin0407@yahoo.com

732-598-8125