---

Local players won the Keres for the last two years (Jack Yoos and Alfred Pechisker), but this year's event reverted back to the "natural" (ratings) order of things: highest-ranked Georgi Orlov is the 32nd Keres champion, a position he holds for a record seventh time in the history of the Keres.  His undefeated 6.0/7 score was only marred by an unfortunate last-round forfeit win, when Oregon state champion Radu-Laurentiu Roua spent too much time on lunch and arrived at the board more than an hour after the round had started.  Bindi Cheng, last year's Canadian junior champion, deservedly took second prize with 5.5 - he only gave up points to FM Jack Yoos (a draw) and IM Orlov (a loss).  Tieing for third was the triumvirate of Yoos, Ian Mackay, and Brian McLaren.  Jack, who is now living in Montreal, hadn't played since last summer; he was undefeated, but his lack of practice perhaps resulted in too many draws (four).  Even rustier was Mackay, a Scottish FM now resident in Chilliwack, who laboured under the twin disadvantages of not having played for thirteen years and commuting between home and the tournament site.  He admitted to being lucky in some of his games, but nevertheless tied for third.  Current B.C. champion Brian McLaren had a slow start but clawed his way back into contention.  The U2200 prizes also reuslted in a three-way tie, between Josh Sinanan of Washington and local players Kirk Gornall and Philip Harris.

 

The critical round 6 encounter between Orlov and Cheng

 

In the U2000 Section Curtis Lister continued his winning ways - last year he tied for first, this year he took first prize outright with a score of 5.0/6.  Second was junior Chang He Li, a half point back, while Clyde Chen won the U1800 prize.  Mention should be made of another junior, Jingzhou (Peter) Lai, currently rated 1486(!), who was leading the section after two days with 3.5/4 but who faded on the last day.

 

The U1600 Section saw the return of David Friesen, another player who has been inactive for several years, who claimed first prize with a 5.5/6 score.  In second place a full point behind was the resurgent Edward Enns, while juniors Vera Tardos and Gabriel Panaitiu tied for the U1300 prize.

 

For the third year in a row, the Keres was held at the Hungarian Cultural Centre on Kingsway; many thanks to Frank for taking care of our every need over the weekend.  The tournament was directed by Stephen Wright, Lyle Craver, and Lynn Stringer, with logistical assistance from Katherine Davies and Ken Jensen.  Normally we make all the games of the Open Section available via the internet, but this year our shipment of duplicate scoresheets from the CFC didn't reach us in time (in fact still hasn't), which rather complicated the game collection process.  A file containing some of the games will be posted in the near future, courtesy of Lynn Stringer, but for now here are several of the more critical encounters.

 

Crosstables: http://www.keresmemorial.com/players.html

Photos: http://www.bjdy.com/juniorchess/keres2007_photos/index.html

 

 

1.Nf3 c5 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.e4 Nc6 5.0-0 d6 6.c3 e5 7.d3 Nge7 8.a4 0-0 9.Na3 h6 10.Nd2 Rb8 11.Ndc4 a6 12.f4 b5 13.axb5 axb5 14.Ne3 b4 15.Nac4 exf4 16.gxf4 bxc3 17.bxc3 Bxc3 18.Ra2 Nb4 19.Raf2 f5 20.Qb3 Bd4 21.Nxd6+ Kh7 22.Nxc8 Qxc8 23.Re1 fxe4 24.Bxe4 Nbd5 25.Qd1 Nxf4 26.Kh1 Nh3 27.Rxf8 Qxf8 28.Ng4 h5 29.Rf1 hxg4 30.Rxf8 Rxf8 31.Qe1 Rf2 32.Bg2 Nf5 33.Bxh3 gxh3 34.Bb2 Rxb2 35.Qh4+ 1/2-1/2

 

 

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 0-0 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.Bc4 Bd7 10.0-0-0 Rb8 11.Kb1 b5 12.Be2 Ne5 13.Ncxb5 a6 14.Na3 Qc7 15.c4 Be6 16.Rc1 Rfc8 17.Rc2 Nc6 18.Nxc6 Qxc6 19.Bd4 Qa4 20.Ka1 Bf8 21.Rd1 Nd7 22.Rdc1 Nc5 23.Qe3 Rb7 24.Bd1 Qa5 25.Bc3 Qb6 26.Rd2 Bd7 27.h4 e5 28.h5 Be6 29.hxg6 fxg6 30.b3 Rcb8 31.Rb2 Qc6 32.Ba5 Bf7 33.Nb1 Be7 34.g3 Ne6 35.f4 Re8 36.Bc2 Bf6 37.Bc3 Rbe7 38.Qf2 Nc5 39.Re1 Bg7 40.f5 gxf5 41.exf5 d5 42.cxd5 Bxd5 43.g4 h6 44.Qe3 e4 45.Bxg7 Rxg7 46.b4 Nd7 47.Nc3 Nf6 48.Nxd5 Nxd5 49.Bb3 Kh7 50.Bxd5 Qxd5 51.Rh1 Qd6 52.g5 Kg8 53.g6 1-0

 

 

1.e4 d5 2.e5 c5 3.d4 cxd4 4.Qxd4 Nc6 5.Bb5 e6 6.Nf3 Qa5+ 7.Nc3 Bb4 8.Bxc6+ bxc6 9.0-0 Ba6 10.Rd1 Bxc3 11.bxc3 Ne7 12.Bd2 Qc7 13.Re1 Nf5 14.Qc5 Qb6 15.Qa3 c5 16.Rab1 Qc6 17.Bg5 h6 18.g4 hxg5 19.gxf5 g4 20.Ng5 Rh5 21.Qc1 exf5 22.Qf4 Qg6 23.e6 Rc8 24.exf7+ Kf8 25.Re8+ Rxe8 26.fxe8Q+ Qxe8 27.Qxf5+ Kg8 28.Qxd5+ Kf8 29.Rb8 1-0

 

 

1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.c4 Nb6 4.d4 d6 5.f4 dxe5 6.fxe5 c5 7.d5 e6 8.Nf3 exd5 9.Bg5 Qd7 10.cxd5 Qxd5 11.Qc2 Bd7 12.Nc3 Qe6 13.0-0-0 Nc6 14.Bb5 h6 15.Bh4 g5 16.Bf2 Be7 17.Rhe1 0-0-0 18.a3 g4 19.Nh4 Nxe5 20.Bxd7+ Rxd7 21.Rxd7 Nbxd7 22.Qe4 Re8 23.Nf5 Bg5+ 24.Kb1 Qg6 25.Nb5 Re6 26.Nxa7+ Kd8 27.Ka1 Rf6 28.Qxb7 Rxf5 29.Bxc5 Nxc5 30.Qc8+ Ke7 31.Qxc5+ Kf6 32.Nc8 Kg7 33.Rxe5 Rf1+ 34.Ka2 Bf6 35.Re2 Qd3 0-1

 

 

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.d4 Bg4 4.Nf3 Qxd5 5.Be2 e6 6.h3 Bh5 7.c4 Qd6 8.0-0 Be7 9.Nc3 0-0 10.Be3 c6 11.Qb3 Qc7 12.Rfd1 Nbd7 13.Rd2 a6 14.Rc1 Rac8 15.a3 c5 16.Qd1 cxd4 17.Bxd4 Bc5 18.Bxc5 Nxc5 19.b4 Ncd7 20.c5 Rfd8 21.Ng5 Bg6 22.Qe1 a5 23.Nb5 Qf4 24.Nf3 Ne4 25.Rd4 e5 26.Rdc4 axb4 27.axb4 Qh6 28.Na7 Ra8 29.c6 bxc6 30.Nxc6 Re8 31.Rd1 Nb6 32.Rcc1 Qf4 33.Bb5 Bh5 34.Qe3 Bxf3 35.Qxf4 exf4 36.gxf3 Ng5 37.Kg2 g6 38.Na5 Re5 39.Bc6 Ra7 40.Rc5 Rxc5 41.bxc5 Na4 42.Nb3 Nb2 43.Rd8+ Kg7 44.Bd5 Nd3 45.h4 Ne1+ 46.Kf1 Ngxf3 47.Ra8 Re7 48.Rb8 Nh2+ 49.Kg1 Nhf3+ 50.Kf1 Nh2+ 51.Kg1 Nhf3+ 1/2-1/2

 

 

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.Nc3 0-0 5.e4 d6 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0 Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.b4 Ne8 10.c5 f5 11.Nd2 Nf6 12.f3 f4 13.Nc4 g5 14.Ba3 Ng6 15.b5 dxc5 16.Bxc5 Rf7 17.Kh1 h5 18.d6 Be6 19.Qa4 g4 20.Rad1 Nh7 21.dxc7 Qh4 22.Rd8+ Rxd8 23.cxd8Q+ Qxd8 24.Nd6 Rc7 25.Bc4 Ngf8 26.Bxe6+ Nxe6 27.Qb3 Nhg5 28.Bb4 Kh7 1/2-1/2

 

 

1.Nf3 d5 2.d4 Nf6 3.Bf4 g6 4.e3 Bg7 5.c4 0-0 6.Nc3 c5 7.dxc5 Qa5 8.Rc1 Rd8 9.Qb3 Nc6 10.Qb5 Qxb5 11.cxb5 d4 12.exd4 Nxd4 13.Nxd4 Rxd4 14.Be3 Rb4 15.b3 Be6 16.Be2 Ng4 17.Bxg4 Rxg4 18.0-0 Rb4 19.c6 Bxc3 20.Rxc3 Rxb5 21.c7 Rd5 22.Rfc1 Bc8 23.b4 b6 24.a4 Kf8 25.a5 Rd6 26.Ra3 b5 27.Rac3 Ke8 28.f3 Kd7 29.Kf2 f6 30.Rc5 a6 31.R5c2 Bb7 32.Bb6 Rc8 33.Ke3 Bd5 34.Rd2 Bc4 35.Rxd6+ exd6 36.Kf2 Re8 37.Rc2 Re5 38.g4 Re8 39.Rd2 Ke6 40.Kg3 Kd7 41.Rd4 d5 42.h4 Re2 43.Rf4 Re6 44.h5 g5 45.Rf5 Rc6 46.Bd4 Rxc7 47.Rxf6 Bf1 48.Bc5 d4 49.Rf7+ Kc6 50.Rxc7+ Kxc7 51.Bxd4 Kc6 52.Bf6 1-0

 

 

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.c4 c6 4.Nc3 a6 5.cxd5 cxd5 6.Bf4 Nc6 7.Rc1 Bf5 8.Ne5 e6 9.e3 Nxe5 10.Bxe5 Nd7 11.Bf4 Qb6 12.Bd3 Bxd3 13.Qxd3 Qxb2 14.0-0 Qa3 15.e4 Bd6 16.Bxd6 Qxd6 17.exd5 exd5 18.Rfe1+ Kf8 19.Qf5 Nb6 20.Rb1 h5 21.Na4 Nxa4 22.Rxb7 Qf6 23.Qxd5 Kg8 24.Qb3 Rd8 25.Qxa4 Rxd4 26.Qe8+ Kh7 27.Qxf7 Qxf7 28.Rxf7 Ra4 29.Re2 Kg6 30.Rd7 Rf8 31.g3 Kh6 32.Kg2 Rf6 33.h4 g5 34.hxg5+ Kxg5 35.f4+ Kg6 36.Kh3 Ra5 37.Rde7 Rc5 38.R7e5 Rc1 39.Rg5+ Kh6 40.Re8 1-0

 

 

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Nd7 4.c4 Ngf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.0-0 Be7 7.d4 cxd4 8.Qxd4 0-0 9.Ba4 a6 10.Qd1 Qc7 11.Bg5 h6 12.Bh4 Ne5 13.Rc1 Nxf3+ 14.gxf3 g5 15.Bg3 e5 16.Qd3 Be6 17.Nd5 Bxd5 18.exd5 Rfd8 19.Bc2 Rac8 20.h4 Qd7 21.Kg2 Kg7 22.b4 Rh8 23.Qf5 Rxc4 24.hxg5 Qxf5 25.Bxf5 Rxc1 26.gxf6+ Kxf6 27.Rxc1 Kxf5 28.Rc7 Re8 29.Rxb7 h5 30.Ra7 h4 31.Bh2 f6 32.Rxa6 Rc8 33.Ra7 Bf8 34.a3 Bh6 35.Ra6 Bc1 36.Kh3 Rc5 37.Ra5 Rc7 38.Ra6 Rc5 39.Ra5 Rc7 40.Ra6 1/2-1/2

 

 

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.e3 Nf6 4.Nc3 Nbd7 5.Qc2 c6 6.d4 Be7 7.g4 h6 8.Rg1 b6 9.h4 Nf8 10.Bd2 Bb7 11.g5 hxg5 12.hxg5 N6d7 13.0-0-0 Qc7 14.cxd5 cxd5 15.Kb1 a6 16.a4 Bd6 17.Rc1 Ng6 18.Bd3 Ne7 19.g6 f6 20.Qb3 Qd8 21.e4 Rh3 22.Be2 Nf8 23.e5 fxe5 24.Ng5 exd4 25.Nxh3 dxc3 26.Bxc3 Nf5 27.Ng5 Bc5 28.Bd3 Nd4 29.Bxd4 Bxd4 30.Qb4 Bc5 31.Rxc5 Qe7 32.Qxb6 1-0

 

 

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Be2 Qc7 8.0-0 Be7 9.f4 d6 10.a4 Bd7 11.Nb3 Rc8 12.Bf3 Nb4 13.a5 Bc6 14.Qe2 0-0 15.Kh1 Qb8 16.Rad1 d5 17.e5 Ne4 18.Bxe4 dxe4 19.Bc5 Bxc5 20.Nxc5 e3 21.Nd7 Bxd7 22.Rxd7 Rcd8 23.Rxd8 Qxd8 24.Qxe3 Qxa5 25.Qe4 Nc6 26.Rd1 Rd8 27.Rxd8+ Qxd8 28.Qe3 Qd4 29.Qc1 g5 30.g3 b5 31.Kg2 b4 32.Ne2 Qd5+ 33.Kf2 g4 34.Qe3 a5 35.Qb6 a4 36.Qa6 Qc5+ 37.Kf1 Qxc2 38.Ke1 Kg7 39.Qa8 a3 40.bxa3 b3 0-1

 

 

---

Eduardo Azmitia is the winner of this inaugural web-based correspondence event, played through the International Correspondence Chess Federation website (http://www.iccf-webchess.com/).  With one game still remaining Eduardo has amassed 8.0/9 points, a score that cannot be equalled.  Congratulations!

 

 

For further information, including all the games, see http://www.iccf-webchess.com/EventCrossTable.aspx?id=1308.

 

This provincial championship is the continuation of a tradition which lasted from 1948-68 through the auspices of the B.C. Corrsepondence Chess Club - for the history of that organization, see Bulletin #39.

 

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e6 3.Bg5 d5 4.Nf3 Nbd7 5.e4 h6 6.Bxf6 Nxf6 7.Qd3 dxe4 8.Nxe4 Nxe4 9.Qxe4 Qd5 10.Bd3 Bd6 11.0-0 Qxe4 12.Bxe4 Ke7 13.c3 Rd8 14.Rfe1 c5 15.Rad1 cxd4 16.Nxd4 a6 17.Bf3 e5 18.Bd5 g5 19.Nf3 f6 20.a4 Rb8 21.a5 Bc7 22.b4 g4 23.Nh4 f5 24.f3 gxf3 25.Nxf3 Kf6 26.Bc4 Bd7 27.Rd2 Bc6 28.Rxd8 Rxd8 29.Kf2 Bb8 30.Rc1 Ba7+ 31.Ke2 Rc8 32.Bb3 e4 33.Nd2 f4 34.Rf1 Be3 35.Rd1 Bxd2 36.Rxd2 Bb5+ 37.c4 Bxc4+ 38.Bxc4 Rxc4 39.Rd6+ Ke5 40.Rxh6 Rxb4 41.Rh7 Rb2+ 0-1

 

 

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bg5 c5 4.e3 h6 5.Bh4 b6 6.Nbd2 Bb7 7.c3 Be7 8.Bd3 g5 9.Bg3 g4 10.Ne5 h5 11.dxc5 Bxg2 12.Rg1 Bb7 13.Nec4 bxc5 14.Nd6+ Bxd6 15.Bxd6 Nc6 16.Qa4 Ne7 17.Qf4 Nfd5 18.Qg3 Nc8 19.Bxc5 d6 20.Bd4 Nf6 21.Bb5+ Kf8 22.f4 Qe7 23.e4 h4 24.Qe3 Rh5 25.Be2 Bc6 26.Bxg4 Nxg4 27.Rxg4 Qb7 28.Bf6 Ne7 29.Nc4 Ng6 30.b3 Qc7 31.0-0-0 Bd7 32.Nxd6 Rb8 33.f5 1-0