2022 KEC (Kingston Easter Chess) Jim Cairns Memorial Prizes

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  • 2022 KEC (Kingston Easter Chess) Jim Cairns Memorial Prizes

    Hello again, these winners have been mentioned elsewhere, but I wanted to ensure they were properly recognized!

    The Kingston Chess Club had graciously donated $200 to be awarded as Best Game prizes (2 x $100) at 2022 KEC.

    A judging panel was appointed, led by FM Hans Jung, with help from Frank Dixon (more prizes from him, see below)

    They chose two games that best exemplify character, courage, and creativity in the fight. In memeory of Jim Cairns:

    Zachary Dukic vs. GM Bator Sambuev
    Yuanchen Zhang vs. IM Nikolay Noritsyn

    Hans and Frank are posting game scores, commentary, etc.

    I would also like to take this opportunity to express how moving these Jim Cairns prizes are.
    I didn't know the man, but it is clear that fellow players at the Kingston Chess Club respected him and cared for him.
    A wonderful donation!!

    IN ADDITION: Frank Dixon ALSO donated a further $400 to be awarded as Best Game prizes!!
    Frank and Hans are working on another list of winners. I look forward to those announcements.

  • #2
    Yuanchen Zhang started the upsets going in the 2022 Zonal in round 2 with a hard fought win over IM Nikolay Noritsyn. Again in round 7 he upset GM Bator Sambuev (until then one of the leaders and the popular choice to win the Zonal). And finally in round 9 Yuanchen Zhang came through with a dramatic unclear last minute win to narrowly win the Zonal on tiebreaks.
    So there were many choices amongst his games for best game. However I thought his game with IM Noritsyn showed his character best and it was the one that started it all.
    Round 2 Yuanchen Zhang - IM Nikolay Noritsyn 1.d4 e6 2.c4 d5 3.Nc3 h6 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bf4 Bd6 6.Bg3 0-0 7.e3 b6 8.Rc1 c5 9.cxd5 exd5 10.Ne5 Bb7 11.Be2 Na6 12.0-0 Nc7 13.Bf3 Re8 14.Qb3 c4 15.Qc2 b5 16.Rfe1 b4 17.Na4 Rb8 18.Nc5 Ne6 Black has initiated queen side play with c4 and b4 and White has countered with a well timed Nc5. 18...Ne6 is a curious choice allowing the removal of the Bb7. 19.Nxb7 Rxb7 20.Bh4 Ng5 With the pressure on d5 and Black wanting to stay active that explains the last move but White spots the weakness. 21.Bxg5 hxg5 22.Qf5! b3 23.axb3 Rxb3 24.Bxd5! Bxe5 (if 24....Nxd5 25.Qxf7+) 25.Bxc4 Bh2+ 26.Kxh2 Rxb2 27.Kg1 g4 28.g3 Rd2 The position has clarified to equal pawns with Black having an outside passed pawn vs White's passed D pawn. However White's pieces are better mobilized. 29.Re2 Rxe2 30.Bxe2 g6 31.Qf4 Kg7 32.Qc7 a5 33.Bb5 Rh8 34.Qb7 Qd5 White has kept an eye on the long diagonal and the seventh and now Black decides to exchange into the endgame. 35.Qxd5 Nxd5 36.Rc5 Nb4 37.Bc4 Ra8 38.Rc7 a4 39.Rxf7 Kh6 40.Rb7 Nc2 41.Rb2 Ne1 42.Kf1 Nf3 43.Ke2 Ng1+ 44.Kd3 Rf8 45.Be6! ( a cunning move. If ....Nh3 46.f4!) 45....Kh5 46.Rb5+ Kh6 47.Rb2 Kg5 48.d5 Nf3 49.Rb4 Ra8 50.Rxg4+ Kf6 51.Kc2 a3 52.Kb1 a2+ 53.Ka1 Nd2 54.Rf4+ Ke5 55.Rb4 Ra3 Now comes the interesting finish. 56.f4+ Kd6 57.e4 Kc5 58.Rb2 Nb3+ 59.Rxb3 Rxb3 60.d6 Rd3 61.d7 Kc6 62.g4 Kc7 63.f5 gxf5 64.exf5 Ra3 65.g5 Rg3 66.g6 Rg2 67.Bxf7! Kxd7 68.f6 Kd6 69.g7 Ke5 70.Bg6! Rxg6 71.f7 Rxg7 72.f8=Q Rg2 73.Qb8+ Kf5 74.Qb7 Rg4 (Black cant hang on to the rook pawn. If 74...Rd2 75.Qf3+ Kg6 76.Qg4+ Kh7 77.Qh5+ and picks up the rook, or 74....Rh2 75.Qf3+ Ke6 76.Qe4+ Kd7 77.Qd5+ Kc8 78.Qc6+ and picks up the rook) 75.Kxa2 Rg3 76.Qd5+ Kf4 77.Kb2 Re3 78.Kc2 Re5 79.Qd6 Kf5 80.Kd3 Re6 81.Qd5+ Re5 82.Qf7+ Kg5 83.Kd4 Ra5 84.Qe7+ Kg4 85.Qd7+ Kh5 86.Ke4 Ra1 87.Qh7+ 1-0
    Last edited by Hans Jung; Thursday, 12th May, 2022, 07:06 PM.

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    • #3
      Originally posted by Hans Jung View Post
      Yuanchen Zhang started the upsets going in the 2022 Zonal in round 2 with a hard fought win over IM Nikolay Noritsyn. Again in round 7 he upset GM Bator Sambuev (until then one of the leaders and the popular choice to win the Zonal). And finally in round 9 Yuanchen Zhang came through with a dramatic unclear last minute win to narrowly win the Zonal on tiebreaks.
      So there were many choices amongst his games for best game. However I thought his game with IM Noritsyn showed his character best and it was the one that started it all.
      Round 2 Yuanchen Zhang - IM Nikolay Noritsyn 1.d4 e6 2.c4 d5 3.Nc3 h6 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bf4 Bd6 6.Bg3 0-0 7.e3 b6 8.Rc1 c5 9.cxd5 exd5 10.Ne5 Bb7 11.Be2 Na6 12.0-0 Nc7 13.Bf3 Re8 14.Qb3 c4 15.Qc2 b5 16.Rfe1 b4 17.Na4 Rb8 18.Nc5 Ne6 Black has initiated queen side play with c4 and b4 and White has countered with a well timed Nc5. 18...Ne6 is a curious choice allowing the removal of the Bb7. 19.Nxb7 Rxb7 20.Bh4 Ng5 With the pressure on d5 and Black wanting to stay active that explains the last move but White spots the weakness. 21.Bxg5 hxg5 22.Qf5! b3 23.axb3 Rxb3 24.Bxd5! Bxe5 (if 24....Nxd5 25.Qxf7+) 25.Bxc4 Bh2+ 26.Kxh2 Rxb2 27.Kg1 g4 28.g3 Rd2 The position has clarified to equal pawns with Black having an outside passed pawn vs White's passed D pawn. However White's pieces are better mobilized. 29.Re2 Rxe2 30.Bxe2 g6 31.Qf4 Kg7 32.Qc7 a5 33.Bb5 Rh8 34.Qb7 Qd5 White has kept an eye on the long diagonal and the seventh and now Black decides to exchange into the endgame. 35.Qxd5 Nxd5 36.Rc5 Nb4 37.Bc4 Ra8 38.Rc7 a4 39.Rxf7 Kh6 40.Rb7 Nc2 41.Rb2 Ne1 42.Kf1 Nf3 43.Ke2 Ng1+ 44.Kd3 Rf8 45.Be6! ( a cunning move. If ....Nh3 46.f4!) 45....Kh5 46.Rb5+ Kh6 47.Rb2 Kg5 48.d5 Nf3 49.Rb4 Ra8 50.Rxg4+ Kf6 51.Kc2 a3 52.Kb1 a2+ 53.Ka1 Nd2 54.Rf4+ Ke5 55.Rb4 Ra3 Now comes the interesting finish. 56.f4+ Kd6 57.e4 Kc5 58.Rb2 Nb3+ 59.Rxb3 Rxb3 60.d6 Rd3 61.d7 Kc6 62.g4 Kc7 63.f5 gxf5 64.exf5 Ra3 65.g5 Rg3 66.g6 Rg2 67.Bxf7! Kxd7 68.f6 Kd6 69.g7 Ke5 70.Bg6! Rxg6 71.f7 Rxg7 72.f8=Q Rg2 73.Qb8+ Kf5 74.Qb7 Rg4 (Black cant hang on to the rook pawn. If 74...Rd2 75.Qf3+ Kg6 76.Qg4+ Kh7 77.Qh5+ and picks up the rook, or 74....Rh2 75.Qf3+ Ke6 76.Qe4+ Kd7 77.Qd5+ Kc8 78.Qc6+ and picks up the rook) 75.Kxa2 Rg3 76.Qd5+ Kf4 77.Kb2 Re3 78.Kc2 Re5 79.Qd6 Kf5 80.Kd3 Re6 81.Qd5+ Re5 82.Qf7+ Kg5 83.Kd4 Ra5 84.Qe7+ Kg4 85.Qd7+ Kh5 86.Ke4 Ra1 87.Qh7+ 1-0

      Hi Hans, is it possible to send me the pgn files of all the games in the Closed section? As I mentioned, I wish to do Game Performance Rating analysis of all those games and see how close those ratings match up with the standings determined by tiebreaks. Thanks in advance. I think the results could be very interesting. I'm doing the Bryon Nickoloff games that Brad posted here and the very first one, versus Fletcher Baragar, yielded surprising insights. One was that Baragar's very last move was a devasting blunder, he actually had a saving move that according to Stockfish 15 leads to a draw by perpetual. Sometime today I'm going to post on that thread about this.

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      • #4
        I think you need to ask Aris Marghetis for them.

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        • #5
          Originally posted by Hans Jung View Post
          I think you need to ask Aris Marghetis for them.
          Hi guys, weeks ago, Hugh posted a link at CFC Chat to the over 400 games from KEC.

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          • #6
            Originally posted by Aris Marghetis View Post

            Hi guys, weeks ago, Hugh posted a link at CFC Chat to the over 400 games from KEC.
            Thanks, Aris, it was actually Egidijus Zeromskis who posted the link that Hugh Brodie had provided, and at the time I tried it, it was missing the pgn file. I just tried that link again and this time it had the file. So I now have the games.

            Wow, 118 games.... I may not be getting the GPR results here until 2023.

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