The official publication of the Idaho Chess Association.

President

Sterling Vaughn
1187 Morningside Dr.
Twin Falls, Idaho

Editor & Treasurer

Dick Vandenburg
913 N. 22nd St.
Boise, Idaho

Games Editor

Eugene L. Cowan
Box 431
Driggs, Idaho

Committeemen

R.K. Hart
Box 344
Pocatello, Idaho

Roy Parker
Box 137
Nampa, Idaho

Darrell Freeman
123 E. 3rd St.
Rupert, Idaho

Where to play chess!

Boise -- meets 8:00 Wednesday nights at Y.M.C.A. building.

Nampa -- meets 8:00 Thursday nights at Lakeview Parkhouse.

Rupert -- meets 8:00 Wednesday nights at Chamber of Commerce Office.

Twin Falls -- meets Tuesday nights 8:00 at Harry Barry Park Building.

Pocatello & Idaho Falls -- regular meetings are not being held but should start up soon.

Events during the next Quarter!

Nevada State Tournament -- in Reno, April 9, 10, 11, and 12.

Inland Empire Open -- in Spokane, April 19, 20.

Idaho Open -- in Boise, Memorial Day Weekend, May 31 and June 1.

STATEWIDE FUNCTIONS

The first annual Idaho State (Closed) Tournament was held January 11 and 12 at the Civic Building in Rupert, Idaho. This was our first try at a multi-class, short duration event and it was deemed a huge success by all of the 34 players present -- a record number, about twice as many Idaho players as have ever attended our events in the past. The Rupert Chess Club organized the play and did a very excellent job. Their members with President Larry Walton, Secretary Darrell Freeman, and Assistant Tournament Director Dorn Flowers leading, should be congratulated on a fine job. Your Editor acted as Tournament Director.

The tournament ran very smoothly throughout the two days, the only dark spot being the absence of Glen Buckendorf, last year's State Champion, who had a business obligation which couldn't be avoided. With the exception of Glen, practically all of Idaho's strong and active players turned out.

Dick Vandenburg, Boise, emerged winner of the Class A section with five wins and no losses. Second place trophy went to Lloyd Kimpton, Twin Falls, who finished with 3½-1½ after a thrilling last round victory over C.H. Stewart, Boise, who was fourth. Bryant Hanson also had a 3½-1½ record but took home the 3rd place trophy due to a lower S.B. point total. Eugene Cowan and Don Murphy tied for 5th and sixth on score, S.B. points, and Solkoff points. No one at the tournament was sure as to the Solkoff tie breaking method so they remained in a tie. Dick took over custody of the Idaho Championship traveling trophy.

Ted Hartwell, Twin Falls, played very strongly and won 4½-½ over a tough Class B section. His only draw was with Roy Parker of Nampa in the last round. Roy used this draw to take home the third place cup, 3½-1½. C.E. Harris, Caldwell, lost only to Hartwell and took second place, 4-1.

Young George Osterman of Rupert (15 years old) won the Class C championship with a perfect 5-0 score. Sam Osgood, Rupert, lost to Osterman and finished second, 4-1. Jack Allred, Murtaqugh, placed third.

Larry Walton agreed to play in Class C because of an uneven split in the classes. He had to miss two games because of business and was hurried in the rest. Next year Larry can play his own games in the Class B section and prove himself. We should thank him for his sacrifice this year.

Horton Thompson of Kendrick came the farthest to attend the tournament -- some 400 miles. The clubs which led in attendance were Rupert 10, Twin Falls 8, and Boise 7. Nampa had 4, Pocatello 3 and two were unattached -- Horton and Eugene Cowan of Driggs, our Games Editor.

Since Hartwell and Osterman won their respective classes, the tournament rules state that they automatically go up one class. Next year Ted will play in Class A and George in Class B. They will both provide very tough competition.

Trophies were presented at the Victory Banquet Sunday evening and the annual business meeting was held. Officers elected were Sterling Vaughn, President; Dick Vandenburg, Treasurer and Editor; Roy Parker, Darrell Freeman and R.K. Hart, committeemen. Next year's Tournament will again be held the second weekend in January in Twin Falls and the Twin Falls Chess Club will host the event. It was decided to U.S.C.F. rate next year's tournament but since then their policy has changed so that all participants of a rated tournament have to be U.S.C.F. members. Consequently, this idea will have to be dropped. However, this year's and all future tournaments will be Northwest rated by Robert Karch of the Washington Chess Federation.

In a State Team Tournament match held December 4, the Twin Falls area group won over the Rupert team 9½-4½. Competition was much more keen than the score indicates as several games were nip and tuck until the end. Twin Falls earned the right to meet Pocatello in the semi-finals to be played January 26 in Pocatello. The winner of that match will play Nampa (who earlier eliminated Boise) for the championship.

In a match played in Pocatello on January 26, Twin Falls was beaten by Pocatello in a rough and very close match. The big guns from Twin were there too but it seems Pocatello players were out for some scalps and they got them. Mel Schubert and R.K. Hart were particularly vicious in revenging low showings in the State Tournament with 3½ out of a possible 4 points against Lloyd Kimpton and Don Murphy. These results point up the increasing quality of play in Idaho as well as the closeness of the competition.

The final score was a tight 5½-4½ victory for Pocatello. Eugene Cowan, our Games Editor, will welcome some of the better games for publication and there are probably some good ones. This victory gives Pocatello the right to play Nampa (Canyon County, that is) for the State Team Tournament title and custody of the traveling trophy.

Robert Karch, the Northwest rating expert, stopped by your Editor's house recently and revealed a plan to include all Idaho Tournaments in the Northwest Rating System, sponsored by the Washington Chess Federation. He was unable to get a complete rating list in time for this issue but, starting with our next issue, we will have Northwest ratings published covering all Idaho players and all those persons playing in our Tournaments who live out of state. A preliminary rating list of 45 persons was received recently based on our published activities up until the April, 1957 issue of the Quarterly. This will be revised and brought up to date for our April, 1958 issue and will include all published Tournaments, team matches, city tournaments, etc. Complete ratings for all Northwest players will appear in the issues of the Washington Chess Letter but only ratings of those players competing in our tournaments will be published in our Quarterly. These will include those of our Nevada and Utah friends that are able to come up.

In the preliminary ratings only two players are rated as experts -- K.R. Jones, Reno, with 2061; and Glen Buckendorf with 2006. High Class A players include Fred Byron (Portland), Darrell Freeman, Ted Pathakis (Reno), and C.H. Stewart. The preliminary list is not published here because it is still inaccurate (being based upon only a few tournaments) and is not up to date. A rating list such as this will be of tremendous interest to all Idaho players and will certainly be worth all of Mr. Karch's efforts in our behalf.

The Idaho Open will be held this year in Boise at the Y.M.C.A. on May 31 and June 1. Memorial Day falls on Friday, May 30, and this will provide an ideal travel day for players. It will be a five round system with three rounds Saturday and two Sunday, and will begin promptly at 9:00 Saturday morning, May 31. A banquet or picnic will be held Saturday afternoon between the second and third rounds so all players can become better acquainted. The tournament will be 100% U.S.C.F. rated and 100% Northwest rated! All entrants will be required to join the U.S.C.F. ($5 per year includes a twice-monthly magazine subscription) if they aren't already members. The time limit will be 50 moves in two hours of play. Entry fee will be $3.00 which will not include the price of the planned picnic. The last round should be over by 5:30 Sunday evening so players will have time to drive home or at least get a good start.

The tournament will be open to players from all the Western states. Appropriate trophies will be awarded top finishers. It is hoped many of our chess playing friends from Utah, Nevada, Washington, and Oregon will plan to attend. We hope Boise can become a meeting place for chess talent from all Rocky Mountain and Northwest states.

LOCAL CLUB ACTIVITIES

Newly re-elected officers are President John Cosho, and Secretary-Treasurer George Rasor. Both officers have done a fine job this past year and will continue to lead the club.

Boise's annual City Tournament will begin Wednesday, February 5. It will be divided into Classes A and B and a turnout of about a dozen players is expected. A round robin type covering a period of several weeks will be used.

Current ladder standings for the top few Boise players are:

Newly crowned State Champion, Dick Vandenburg, playing a simultaneous match (his first) against the Boise Club plus visiting Ted Hartwell of Twin Falls. Dick won the match 5½-4½, losing to the Class A opponents. Winners were C.H. Stewart, John Cosho, Ted Hartwell, M.W. Wright; losers were Norman Lee, George Rasor, Ray Pulley, Byron Violet, and Delbert Hopkins; Nick Skirmants played to a draw.

Canyon County's annual winter tournament is in progress with Jerry Stanke and A.B. Ellis currently leading. Games are about 3/4 completed but entries are still being accepted to accommodate late comers. Stanke and Ellis still have two games to play with each other. Current standings are as follows:

A Boise Valley Tournament has been proposed by the Canyon County Club to include top A and B class players from both Boise and Nampa. This tournament will be played in April and May as a preparation for the Idaho Open.

Rupert has been busy with State Tournament plans and did an excellent job in that department. Current ladder standings are:

Twin Falls has changed its meeting place and time to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday nights at the Harry Barry Park Building.

Officers in the club are: Lloyd Kimpton, Treasurer; Don Murphy, Publicity; Ted Hartwell, Records. Sterling Vaughn reported these positions but didn't mention President so he is assumed to be it!

Pocatello hasn't been holding meetings so far this year. Maybe their win over Twin Falls will spur them on to begin meetings.

Idaho Falls has been holding some meetings but don't seem to be able to organize regularly or take part in State functions. Maybe things will improve in the future and a strong, active club will be formed.

EVENTS IN NEIGHBORING STATES

Viktors Pupols of Seattle lengthened to six his string of tournament victories in winning the Oregon Open, 5-0. A fellow Latvian, Viesturs Seglins, also of Seattle, was second, 4-1, losing to Pupols in the final round. Another Latvian, Ivars Dahlbergs of Portland placed third, 4-1.

Idaho players and former Idaho players attending were C.H. Stewart, Dick Vandenburg, Horton Thompson, Dr. Dave Groenig (of Spokane), and Harold Hughart (of Albany, Oregon). Another old friend, Fred Byron, was also there. It was really quite a family get-together.

Stewart placed 9th, 3½-1½, losing to Dahlbergs and drawing with Hughart. Hughart did very well placing 5th, drawing two games. Byron placed 6th, losing only one game. Vandenburg placed 19th losing to Byron (in a hot one listed in the games section) and Seglins and drawing his final game. Thompson also had 2½-2½ and placed 22nd. Dr. Groenig got off to a bad start losing his first two games and finished 25th, 2½-2½. He received the Class C trophy -- which was ridiculous, of course. If B and C trophies are given they should be used, in the Editor's opinion, in cases where classes are determined before the start of the tournament.

A total of 44 players entered which made it the largest ever held in Oregon. Tournament director was Don Johnson of Portland who did an excellent job. All players received a complete list of the Tournament results but, for most of our readers, this excerpt should suffice.

The 1958 Nevada State Tournament is scheduled for April 9, 10, 11, and 12, the week following Easter, in Reno at a place to be designated later. The first round will start at 8:00 on Wednesday night, April 9. Two rounds a day will follow for the next three days. Sunday, April 13 is left open for travel home by competitors. Time limit will be 50 moves in 2½ hours which will help eliminate adjourned games. Entrance fee will be only $5.00 per player with the usual substantial prizes, arranged for by Ray Smith. Smith is chairman of the Tournament Committee and Harold Lundstrom will act as Tournament Director.

The Tournament is open to players of all Western States except California, Oregon, and Washington. Tournament officials are hopeful of getting a good group of players from both Utah and Idaho and arrangements are designed to accommodate entrants from those states in particular. For further information contact Bill Taber, Box 1671, Reno, Nevada.

For the second straight year Ken Jones of Reno has won the Utah State Tournament, held in Salt Lake on November 7, 8, 9, and 10. A total of 21 players attended from Utah, Nevada, Colorado, Wyoming, and Idaho (Bob Campbell who has moved to Salt Lake). Most of the strong intermountain players were there and it took top flight play to lead the field. Jones lost no games but drew with Bill Taber and Farrell Clark of Salt Lake. Maurice Gedance, of Las Vegas, placed second, losing to Jones and drawing, in the last round with Charles Sponagle of Denver. Richards Durham of Farmington placed third, 5-2, losing to Jones and Gedance. The top ten reads like a who's who of chess in this area.

The record received was slightly incomplete for the final games of the lower places.

The Washington Open was held in January but as yet no report has been received concerning the results. Most of Washington's strong players are planning to attend and it will really press Viktors Pupols to continue his winning ways.

The Inland Empire Open will be held in Spokane on April 19 and 20. It will be a five round swiss as usual and there will probably be the usual strong field attending. Several North Idaho players have attended in the past and they will probably be there -- Horton Thompson is definitely planning on going. no further information has been received concerning the Tournament. For further information contact the Editor as tournament time approaches. It is possible some Boise players might attend if the blossom season doesn't conflict. Anyone interested in going from Southern Idaho, contact the Editor for information.

Contributors for this issue were Eugene Cowan, Sterling Vaughn, Darrell Freeman, Roy Parker, Gaston Chappuis, Bill Taber, and Don Johnson. Thanks.

The Idaho Chess Quarterly now has a total of 125 subscribers. Of these, 6 are in Nevada, 8 are in Utah, 3 in Washington, 5 in Oregon, and the balance of over 100 in Idaho. Anyone interested in receiving the Quarterly who does not receive it now may do so merely by sending the $1.00 yearly subscription price to Dick Vandenburg, Editor. (Many of our subscribers, in fact most, don't pay the yearly price because they are supported by their parent club's dues).

Several players have asked about chess magazines that are available. Listed below are several which are excellent and well known.

Chess Review -- 250 W. 57th st., New York 19, New York. Monthly with chess news and a center for correspondence chess.

Correspondence Chess League of America -- 816 So. Cecelia St., Sioux City 6, Iowa. monthly and the correspondence chess center.

Chess Life -- publication of the U.S.C.F. (United States Chess Federation). Twice monthly with chess news and national ratings. Contact Montgomery Major, 123 N. Humphrey Ave., Oak Park, Illinois.

Washington Chess Letter -- published by Washington Chess Federation, monthly with chess news and Northwest ratings. Contact W.H. Raleigh, Treasurer, 4312 Woodland Park Ave., Seattle 3, Washington.

At our annual business meeting the possibility of combining with Washington to form a Northwest Chess Letter was discussed. This is certainly a future possibility and one that merits the consideration of players all over the Northwest. The Washington Chess Letter is one of the best chess magazines written and would be a definite asset to Idaho chess players provided we could get broad enough distribution. All Idaho players are urged to subscribe to this publication.

LATE FLASH -- Pupols does it again in Washington Open, sharing the winning honors with Olaf Ulvestad, long time Northwest Master. Both finished with 4½-½ and tied on Medan points. Viesturs Seglins was third, 4-1, losing to Ulvestad in the final round. Dr. Dave Groenig placed 9th 3½-1½. The top nine plus last year's State champion get to play in the State Championship Tourney next month (includes Dr. Groenig!).

NIMZO-INDIAN DEFENSE

White: Dick Vandenburg
Black: Bryant Hanson

(a) The KB is better on K2, which saves time also.

(b) QN at Q2 and fianchetto of QB was better.

(c) Not N-K2

(d) Not R-Nch first.

(e) If 19...RxPch 20 K-B2, RxNch! 21 KxR, N-Q5ch! 22 BxN, B-B3ch; and then if 23 K-B2, Q-R5ch wins; or if 23 QxB!!, White should win via 23...PxQ 24 KR-Nch, K-B 25 B-N7ch, K-K (or K2), and 26 KR-Kch wins. Notes by Vandenburg mostly.

SICILIAN DEFENSE

White: Lloyd Kimpton
Black: Charles H. Stewart

After such bloody engagements, a peaceful one -- from the Class B section

KING'S PAWN GAME

White: Roy Parker
Black: Ted Hartwell

For the opposite colored bishops prevent effective action.

SICILIAN DEFENSE

White: A.B. Ellis
Black: Bryant Hanson

And White resigns -- nice try.

SICILIAN DEFENSE

White: Jerry Stanke
Black: Donald M. Murphy

BIRD'S OPENING

White: Fred Byron
Black: Dick Vandenburg

And Black lost on time with a time limit of 50 moves in two hours.

Notes by Vandenburg

(a) This makes a weak square at K4, better is P-Q4, then B-KN5 and BxN. Byron took real advantage of this situation.

(b) N-N5 wins white's Q for three pieces -- Black overlooked the move which was risky anyway. 9...N-N5 10 BxB, NxKP 11 BxR, NxQ 12 QRxN, P-KB3 13 B-N7, Q-K2 14 B-R6, etc.

(c) Black's game is pretty confused.

(d) The only way out.

(e) White inadvertently sets himself up for an attack as a result of his last two moves.

(f) Not 23...BxN or 24 Q-B8ch, Q-Q 25 R-K5ch, K-B 26 QxQ Mate!

(g) 26 NxR was better, then ...QxR 27 QxPch, QxQ 28 NxQ and the game is even.

TWO KNIGHTS' DEFENSE

White: Viktors Pupols
Black: Robert Walker

And Black exceeded the time limit.

ALEKHINE'S DEFENSE

White: Don Johnson
Black: Viesturs Seglins

(a) N-KB3 and B-K2 are better (MCO9 col. 14, MCO-8 col. 18).

(b) Not very good -- allows Black B-K2; Black has achieved the lead in development and better position.

(c) Best to retain the R's in the end-game when behind, if possible. (Qs and Rs are drawing pieces while Bs and Ns retain more winning hopes).

With a sack full of game scores on hand (a copy was required of every game in the Idaho Tournament), there may be three pages and some statistics for next time. Meanwhile, from my past comes this bit of skullduggery.

Postal Game, 1948

White: E.I. Evans
Black: Eugene Cowan