Canadian Closed Championship & Women Closed 2023

[Patrick Gougeon]

Does anybody know how many spots Canada will have at the 2023 FIDE World Cup?

[Victor Plotkin]

2. 1 as a Zone 2.2, another as a top-91 teams on last Olympiad (Chennai, 2022).

Just 1 place at the Women World Cup.

[Patrick Gougeon]

Thank you Victor.

Any idea of the priority lists of players who may represent Canada at the Open and Women World Cups? Yet decided?

[Hugh Brodie]

A problem-like move late in the game could have reversed the result. White played the losing 58. g6, rather than the winning 58. Ba2!!

[Event "CAN-ch"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2023.04.07"]
[Round "2.13"]
[White "Joseph Benher, Savio"]
[Black "Yang, Jimgyun (Ryan)"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B03"]
[WhiteElo "2120"]
[BlackElo "2196"]
[PlyCount "118"]

1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nb6 4. d4 d6 5. f4 Bf5 6. Nc3 e6 7. Nf3 dxe5 8. fxe5
Nc6 9. Be3 Bb4 10. Be2 h6 11. O-O Bxc3 12. bxc3 Qe7 13. Bd2 O-O-O 14. Qb3 g5
15. c5 Nd7 16. Rab1 Bxb1 17. Rxb1 Nxc5 18. dxc5 Qxc5+ 19. Nd4 Na5 20. Qa4 c6
21. Kh1 Qxe5 22. Bf3 Rd6 23. Be1 f5 24. Nb3 Nxb3 25. Qxb3 Rd7 26. Bf2 Re8 27.
a4 g4 28. Re1 Qc7 29. Be2 a6 30. Bc4 Kb8 31. Bxe6 Rd2 32. Rf1 Ka8 33. Bg3 Qe7
34. Bxf5 h5 35. Bg6 Qe2 36. Rg1 Rh8 37. Bh4 Rf8 38. Qb1 g3 39. Qe1 gxh2 40.
Kxh2 Qg4 41. Qg3 Qxa4 42. Be7 Rg8 43. Qe3 Rb2 44. Bd3 Qg4 45. Bf1 h4 46. Bf6
Qg3+ 47. Qxg3 hxg3+ 48. Kh3 Rb1 49. Bc4 Rxg1 50. Bxg8 Rf1 51. Bd4 Rf5 52. Kg4
Rb5 53. Bc4 Rb2 54. Kxg3 a5 55. Kf3 a4 56. g4 a3 57. g5 b5 58. g6 bxc4 59. Be5
Rb7 0-1

[Hans Jung]

Nice find Hugh! Quite the wild game before that.

[Hugh Brodie]

Round 6: Yang-Clyde (1-0) - an unusual Alekhine was played: 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Ng8. Not the first time for the family, since Jordan Clyde's brother Ryan played it twice (losing both times) in the Quebec U12 in 2001. Jordan played in the U14 the same year - losing once with the variation. My database has close to 200 games with this variation with maybe a slight plus for White.
Included are games such as MacPhail-Fuster (1-0) Toronto 1972; Desmarais-Coudari (0-1) Montreal 1978; Chow-Fuster and O'Donnell-Fuster (both 1-0) Toronto 1988.

[Neil Frarey]

Round 6: Yang-Clyde (1-0) - an unusual Alekhine was played: 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Ng8. Not the first time for the family, since Jordan Clyde's brother Ryan played it twice (losing both times) in the Quebec U12 in 2001. Jordan played in the U14 the same year - losing once with the variation. My database has close to 200 games with this variation with maybe a slight plus for White.
Included are games such as MacPhail-Fuster (1-0) Toronto 1972; Desmarais-Coudari (0-1) Montreal 1978; Chow-Fuster and O'Donnell-Fuster (both 1-0) Toronto 1988.

1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Ng8 ... that's fascinating?!

[Hans Jung]

The fascination lies in the question can Black actually get away with this? (losing two tempos) and from the Nimzo - hounds perspective - White has already overextended.

[Hans Jung]

I also have a game with Geza in the same line where he resigned because of zugzwang. I'll have to dig up the scoresheet.

[Neil Frarey]

Frustration must have been intense, ha!

[Patrick Gougeon]

Am I right to think that IM Yuanchen Zhang (winner of the 2022 Canada Zonal) will represent Canada at the 2023 World Cup, if 1.he wants/can and 2.accepts the CFC/FIDE conditions to participate?

Any idea of the potential other players who could have the other place for Canada at this World Cup? When will it be decided?

[Victor Plotkin]

Yes, you are right about IM Y.Zhang. Recently, Yuanchen confirmed that he will be playing at World Cup - 2023. We still have conversations with some FIDE people about 2nd spot for Canada.

[Hans Jung]

I am glad to hear Yuanchen is playing in the World Cup and taking advantage of his opportunities.