2025 Dubbo Open

 The 2025 Dubbo Open has returned, after a break last year. A smaller than average field of 21 players turned up for the first round, with Blake Lynch as the top seed. Despite the small field, the first round was quite competitive, with a couple of upset wins recorded by the lower ranked players.  

The 2nd round is now underway, and at least one upset has already been recorded. If you want to keep up with the scores (or simply decide that YOU should have entered this year) you can do so at https://www.vegaresult.com/en/event.php?id=3583

Ozbase - Backup needed

 Ozbase has been an invaluable resource for maintaining the history of Australian Chess. managed by Paul Dunn. Up until recently it was a huge archive of historical Australian games and tournaments. Unfortunately, the website has disappeared, the domain name has been transferred elsewhere, and most importantly, the web hosting company claims there is no backup available. 

So if anyone has a recent backup of the database, a copy would be greatly appreciated. Reconstructing the html files shouldn't be too difficult, but a complete copy of the game files (or files) would be incredibly helpful. If you can help. just get in touch with me, and I will let Paul Dunn know. 

Not a good birthday week for Ivanchuk

 Vasyl Ivanchuk celebrated his 56th birthday last week, but based on the following game it might not have been a great birthday week. In round 9 of the European Championship, Ivanchuk faced Maxim Rodshtein who decided on move 17 to sacrifice a piece. In this case it was a 'real' sacrifice in that there was no immediate mating attack, or the change to win back material. Instead there was just pressure in the form of a central pawn mass, which caused to Ivanchuk to play some poor defensive moves. But the real shock came on move 28, when Ivanchuk allowed a mate in 1. Of course this may have been his way of resigning a lost position, but for a GM of his calibre, a surprise nonetheless

Rodshtein,Maxim (2623) - Ivanchuk,Vasyl (2604) [E07]
Round 9: European Championship (9.10), 24.03.2025

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Nc3 Nbd7 7. Qd3 c6 8. O-O b6 9. b3 a5 10. e4 Ba6 11. e5 Ne8 12. a4 Nc7 13. Rd1 h6 14. Bb2 Rb8 15. Nd2 b5 16. axb5 cxb5 17. Nxd5 exd5 18. cxd5 Bb4 19. d6 Ne6 20. Nf1 Bb7 21. Bxb7 Rxb7 22. Ne3 Nb6 23. Qxb5 Qb8 24. Nf5 Re8 25. Rac1 Nd7 26. Qe2 Nb6 27. d5 Nc5 28. Qg4 Nxb3 29. Qxg7# 1-0

2025 ACT Teams Rapidplay

 The ACT Teams Rapidplay has grown in popularity over the last few years, with this years event attracting 21 teams. Some of the teams represented the local chess clubs (and were playing for the Larko Cup), some were just a group of friends (or friends dads), while other represented other chess organistations.

The clear winner of this years event was the Canberra Academy of Chess I team. They won all their matches and finished on 21.5/28. Tied for 2nd were the Purple Pineapple Pickers and the Tuggeranong Chess Club on 18. PPP took 2nd on countback, while third placed Tuggeranong took home the Larko Cup, their 2nd win in 3 years.

This years event was incredibly even on paper with the top 8 teams within 100 points of each other on average rating. It turned out that depth was what really counted with the winning team scoring 13.5/14 on boards 3 and 4. 

One highlight was the pairing of the All-Star Kids team, against the All-Star Dads team. Each board pairing saw father play son, with the Kids winning 3-1. There were also a few internal club match ups, with these matches being played with as much venom as the top boards.

Board medals went to: Bd 1 CM Hui Li (PPP), Bd 2 Jonah Gear (CAC I) , Bd 3 Jordan Brown (CAC I), Bd 4 Douglas Shuttleworth (CAC I)

Best team name was won by Yogis and the Beare, Best reserve Hakoo Desai (Rosary), Biggest rating gain Sanat Hegde (All Star Kids) and best female Varshini Mididuddi (Canberra Rising Stars)

Target: c6

 Here is another great example of following a simple plan to its obvious conclusion. White employs a king side fianchetto, training all his pieces on the c6 pawn. But in the end, the pawn itself survives the entire game. Instead, in trying to defend the pawn, Black falls victim to various other tactics, resulting in a winning final position for white.

Lagarde,Maxime (2615) - Yilmaz,Mustafa (2576) [A20]
Round 6: European Championship (6.11), 20.03.2025

1. c4 e5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 c6 4. d4 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Bxd2+ 6. Qxd2 d6 7. Nc3 O-O 8. dxe5 dxe5 9. Qxd8 Rxd8 10. Nf3 Re8 11. b4 Bf5 12. Nd2 Nbd7 13. Nb3 Rac8 14. Na5 Rc7 15. O-O Rec8 16. b5 Nc5 17. bxc6 bxc6 18. Rfd1 Kf8 19. Rd6 Bd7 20. Rad1 Ke7 21. f4 exf4 22. gxf4 Nb7 23. Nxb7 Rxb7 24. e4 Nh5 25. f5 Nf6 26. Bh3 Ne8 27. R6d3 Rcc7 28. e5 f6 29. e6 Bc8 30. Ne4 Rb4 31. Nc5 Rxc4 32. Rd7+ Kf8 33. Rxc7 Nxc7 34. Rd8+ Ne8 35. Nd7+ Ke7 36. Rxc8 Rc1+ 37. Kf2 Rc2+ 38. Kg3 Rc3+ 39. Kh4 g5+ 40. fxg6 hxg6 41. Rxe8+ Kxe8 42. Nxf6+ Kf8 43. Bg4 Rc2 44. h3 Rxa2 45. Kg5 a5 46. Nd7+ Ke8 47. Kxg6 a4 48. Nf6+ Kf8 49. Ng8 Ra1 50. e7+ Ke8 51. Bh5 Kd7 52. Kg7 Rg1+ 53. Bg6 Re1 54. e8Q+ Rxe8 55. Nf6+ Ke7 56. Bxe8 1-0

The most English chess player ever (and he isn't even English)

 While scanning the results of the 2025 European Championship, I cam across the most English player ever. FM Henry Edward Tudor is the player concerned, and he is apparently quite a talent. Born in 2011 he is already 2384 on the current rating list, and won his national Under 20 Championship at the age of 12. But the truly strange thing (at least to me), is that he is Romanian. 

2025 European Championship

 or How to work on your openings

Find a strong event (in this case the 2025 European Championship). Look for an opening you wish to work on (eg Catalan). Find wins for your side (in this case White). Play through the game looking for knowledge and inspiration. Ignore the evaluation bar!

Bosiocic,Marin (2518) - Lohia,Sohum (2365) [E11]
2025 European Championship, 16.03.2025

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 a5 6. a3 Be7 7. Bg2 O-O 8. Qc2 c6 9. h4 b6 10. Nc3 Ba6 11. e4 dxe4 12. Ng5 Qxd4 13. Ncxe4 Nxe4 14. Bxe4 f5 15. Bd3 Qf6 16. Bc3 Qh6 17. O-O-O Nd7 18. f4 Nc5 19. Be2 b5 20. Rhe1 bxc4 21. Kb1 Bb5 22. Qc1 Na4 23. Bd4 Rfe8 24. Bxc4 Bxg5 25. hxg5 Qg6 26. Bxb5 cxb5 27. Qc6 e5 28. Qd5+ Qf7 29. Bxe5 b4 30. Qb5 Nc3+ 31. bxc3 Qb3+ 32. Kc1 Qxa3+ 33. Kc2 Qa2+ 34. Kd3 Rad8+ 35. Ke3 Qg2 36. Qc4+ Kf8 37. Rg1 Qc2 38. Rd3 Rc8 39. Qd4 Rxc3 40. Rxc3 bxc3 41. Kf3 Kg8 42. Qd5+ Kh8 43. Re1 1-0