THOMSON CHESS CLUB

Report posted on chess.food.for.thought.

Registration is CLOSED with 102 entries.

Vasily Vasilyevich Smyslov ruled as the 7th World Champion from 1957-58 after wresting the title from Mikhail Botvinnik.    His style is basically positional with emphasis on the harmonious development and placement of his pieces. His games are often spectacular gems of strategy and often quoted in many texts. A great master of the endgame, he is most credited with his book with Levenfish on Rook Endgames which is a standard text for anyone on the topic.  I am a fan of his play generally in imbalanced positions where material is traded for initiative. So looking forward to Bradley's lecture which takes place on Feb 10 Friday 8pm  at the Club. You will definitely have a great time trying to guess some of Smyslov's plans in the middlegame and endgame!  Another reason for joining other than the free tournament entry!  See you then

1.       The tournament is organized by the Thomson CCMC and the games shall be played according to the FIDE Laws of Chess for Rapid Chess. Players may choose to play in the SENIORS (no age limit) , or  JUNIORS (Aged 12 and below) section. 2.       ELIGIBILITY : This tournament is open to members only. Players joining as members of the Chess Club and are entitled 1 year membership with immediate effect ending 31 st December 201 7 . 3.       VENUE : Thomson Community Club Hall, 194 Upper Thomson Road Singapore 574339 4.       PAIRING : Swiss System of  7 Rounds,  time control  15 minutes with 10 second increment each side to finish. Pairings for Round 1 will be generated 5 minutes before start. No starting list shall be generated before the event. 5.       SCHEDULE: 19 th February  Sunday 10.00 am to 5.50 pm . Ple...

Join as a member this year and you are automatically in the starting list for the Thomson Club Championship 2017 happening February 19 Sunday at the Thomson CC Hall. To join, if you are aged 13 and above the fees are $18 a year. You need to own a PAssioncard membership ($12 for 5 years). Therefore you need only to renew your Club membership for 2017. Your name then appears in the Seniors section for the Club Championship. If you are aged 12 and under (by birth year), the fees are $10 a year plus a valid PAssioncard membership. Once you are a member, your name appears in the Junior Section for the Club Championship. You can sign up starting 6th January onwards and closing date is 15th February 2017.

The 6th World Champion, Mikhail Moiseevich Botvinnik, lived through 2 World Wars and got to the Chess Olympus via a Candidates tournament staged in 1948 after the death of the 5th World Champion Alekhine in 1946. He won the tournament with 14/20. Ironically, he was the only World Champion never to have won a World Championship match, but was reinstated twice via rematches! He lost to Vasily Smyslov in 1957 and regained it the following year,  then to Tal in 1960 and regained it in 1961. As for the Bronstein match in 1951, he did not win the match but drew and kept his title.  Botvinnik was the pioneer in chess preparation which involved deep study of the opening all through to the endgame. He was a specialist in the lines he played and had good ideas that span right until the endgame. Strangely, Petrosian his conqueror adopted the same approach and won a game in their match via deep analysis of an opening line in the Grunfeld which gave White a lasting plus.  ...

We resume the activities of the Thomson Chess Club with a lecture by Bradley Loh on the 5th World Champion Machcgielis "Max" Euwe . Max Euwe was Dutch and a mathematician who was also strong in chess. He won the title from a poor-form Alexander Alekhine in 1935 in Holland. He was generous to allow a rematch, which Alekhine told full advantage of and prepared thoroughly. The 1937 match ended in a victory for the Russian and thus ended the World Championship reign of Max.  He was nvited to the 1948 Tournament for selecting the World Champion after Alekhine passed on in 1946, but was unable to stop Mikhail Botvinnik to the crown. Please reserve your seats by replying to jfan2003@gmail.com , priority goes to members of Thomson Chess Club.