Sir Bomble's Bulletins
Term 1, 2005
Bomble’s Bulletin 1Round 1Tuesday Feb 1CRAZY GAMES AND UPSETS GALORE!
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WELL THEN pilgrims and pawn-pushers. Congratulations to y’all for making it through the summer in one piece. It’s great to see some familiar faces back to tackle the chessboard, and of course it’s fantastic to see some new players joining the fray. This is a record turnout for this event, and it’s sure to be a hum-dinger of a tournament. I seriously have no idea who will emerge triumphant when the dust settles. Already Leoma Lee and Daniel Ford, (two of the favourites) encountered tough opposition in the first round. Fast-improving William Eom held on well to bring home the point when Leoma miscalculated, and Robert Medland kept his unforced errors to a minimum to frustrate Daniel into a few of his own uncharacteristic errors. You can see all of the games from the 1st round here on the web, by following this link: So keep up the good work entering those games into chessbase, and also keep an eye on Bomble’s Bulletin for more riveting stories of the adventures of the Junior Masters in chessland. That’s all I have to say right now, as it’s time for my dinner of yummy green veges and octopus surprise, so GO DO SOME HOMEWORK AND QUIT BUGGING ME! Ciao, Sir BOMBLE |
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Bomble’s
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ALEX
FIGHTS BACK! GREETINGS AND SALUTATIONS young warriors. Another round down, and golly gosh, what a mad melee of tactical dog-fighting it turned out to be. Game of the round was the 74 move marathon between Tom Rynne and Alex Stahnke. Both players put in a top effort to produce this game. Alex recovered from an early pawn blunder to create some counterplay and then kept chipping away deep into the endgame to reach a good position, until Tom unfortunately blundered his Knight to put the result beyond doubt. Good fight fellas! In other news, a couple of players DID NOT PUT THEIR GAMES INTO CHESSBASE. Rumour has it that Mr G might deduct a point off BOTH PLAYERS if their game doesn’t get put into chessbase. Excuse me a moment whilst I telephone Mr Horace Radishfield, (My Butler and Personal Assistant); “Hello Horace? RELEASE THE HOUNDS! Hunt down the offenders and TAKE THEM TO THE DUNGEON!” You can view the games of those who are safe from the hounds here: On a positive note, Horace informs me that lots of Junior Masters played at the Tin Cup, and the following juniors performed particularly well: Jonas Muller, Daniel Ford, Yitao Lei, Caleb Eriksson, Keiton Beilby, and Zane Adams. But now, it’s time for me to join the hounds for the big hunt. Till next time, Farewell and goodnight; Sir BOMBLE
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Bomble’s Bulletin 3Round 3Tuesday Feb 15 |
LEOMA & CALEBstar in a classic NINJA – STYLE DUEL! |
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(11) Lee,L (1250) - Eriksson,C (976) [C29] |
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Hello again pilgrims! As you’ve just seen, two fine young warriors (Leoma and Caleb) created a classic game that was full of swashbuckling tactics and brave king marches. Congrats to both players! Great to see, and there should be more of it. I must say, however, that Mr G and Duke Doogie have noticed that lots of you aren’t going for interesting openings like the Vienna, the King’s Gambit, The Albin Counter-Gambit, the Grunfeld, The Sicilian, The Scotch, The Grob or even The Orangutan (also known as The Baboon). Most of the games we’ve seen start with the boring old sequence 1.e4 e5, 2.Nf3 Nc6, 3.Nc3 Nc6, 4.Bc4 Bc5, etc. This is known as the Giucco Piano, (or The Italian) and as the translation suggests, you will end up with little more than a QUIET GAME. THIS HAS GOT TO STOP! We want to see more tactics, more sacrifices, more attacking play, more mascots, more action, more jellybeans, and more courage! So please hit the books, or the net, or simply talk to Duke Doogie, Mr G, or my good friend, Nik Stawski, and see what creative openings you can find out about. Don’t forget to check out the junior masters games on this site. Round 3 games are here: Till next time, have a fun week, but please don’t hassle Horace, my poor butler any more. (He’s still sore after being water-bombed by some problem child when on his morning walk yesterday.) Dismissed! Sir BOMBLE
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Bomble’s Bulletin 4Round 4 - Tuesday Feb 22McGARITY MAGIC!
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Yes indeedy. Another crazy week gone. And now for the headlines: 1. Mr Horace Radishfield, (My Butler and Personal Assistant) stubbed his toe on the openings encyclopedia that Liam McGarity left lying around in the tournament hall. 2. Duke Doogie flew into a fit of rage when he saw that some players are still blocking their c-pawn with their queen’s knight in d4 openings - on both sides. 3. Mr G blacked out whilst riding his bicycle up a big hill last Sunday Morning (He had skipped breakfast … NAUGHTY, NAUGHTY!) 4. Duke Doogie has gone on strike until players stop playing that darn 3 knights opening. (His quote: “after 1.e4 e5, 2.Nf3 Nc6, 3.Bc4 Nf6, 4.Nc3 is NOT the move I want to see. Now black can get an edge with 4…Nxe4!, 5.Nxe4 d5, 6.Bb5+ c6. Instead, white should try 4.Ng5 or 4.d4.) And there you have it. And now for this week’s feature game: The fast improving Molly McGarity (see top right-hand corner for an example of some of her artwork) ensnared Jessica Kinder in some murky tactics in the following game. Great tussle girls!
(9) McGarity,M (1200) - Kinder,J (1305) [B20]
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| Unfortunately, Liam missed the very pretty tactic, instead playing Rdb1, and Zane was good enough to convert the endgame. (Bxb5 is the first move in the winning sequence in case you’re wondering. What’s the follow-up?) |
Well, that’s enough chess journalism for one week. It’s time for me to return to my other job (as a part-time pirate on the Wobbly Widget). As for the rest of you motley crew of scallywags, get back to work before I throw yers overboard. Aaarrrgh!
Scedattle!
(Captain) Sir Bomble
PS: Follow this link to see all the exciting games the Junior Masters
A real surprise packet has been the Aussie under 12 girls champion and 8th seed for this comp, Molly McGarity, who has raced to 5/5 after playing her best chess to date. The most striking thing about her play is her lack of errors. There’s a lot to be said for carefully checking your intended move BEFORE touching the piece. You can see her game along with all the other gems on the Gardiner Chess Website at the following link:
I heartily recommend that you check out this treasure chest of chess gold! Senora Winfrey has worked hard and long, battling sea dragons, sea sickness, and a devilish demon from the deep known as ‘Microsoftus Frontpageous Primus Painus’, to bring you this site, which enables you to mouse through games quickly and easily.
And now for this week’s feisty feature battle:
Right then. I am tired of seaweed for breakfast. Enough of the high seas for me. It’s back to the manor for some tea and scones. “Oh Horace! Put the kettle on would you?! There’s a good fellow. What’s that you say? Mr G. has called on the telephone yet again. Does that man ever sleep? Oh very well then. I’ll speak to him. Arrrrrgh.”
Sir Bomble
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Yes indeed. It is Gary Kasparov and the Governor of California himself, big Arnie, engaged in a bit of chess. The article says, and I quote:
These pictures, which we have been trying to get hold of for a year now, were taken in March 2002, when the greatest chess player of all time dropped in on the greatest action hero of all time.
For a long time now Schwarzenegger has been deeply involved in the After-School All-Stars movement, which includes year-round Summer and after-school programs in sports, computer technology, fine arts, education – and chess.
Arnold is an active chess player. He and his two boys have a chess coach, as does his wife Maria and their two daughters. We hear that the women's team is stronger. The girls, Katherine and Cristina, are 14 and 12, the boys, Patrick and Christopher, 10 and 6.
After the above game against Garry Kasparov Arnie vowed that he would be baack.
(Photos and quote courtesy of www.chessbase.com).
So, there you go. And you thought that Arnie was just a muscleman. But getting back to our own brain-builders here at the Junior Masters, I must say that it’s good to see you all improving in all sorts of ways, and not just in your chess. Well done to Gene, Alex, Daniel, Caleb, and Liam especially, who all are showing excellent sportsmanship and a friendly demeanor. As for the games, well it’s so hard to pick out the game of the week, that I’m going to leave it to you to decide. Have a look on this website and mouse through the games – follow this link (by the way, Gene was white against Andrew Eom, not black as recorded on the game viewer): [to come]
And so, thanks again to all for a great night; thanks Duke Doogie, thanks Winfrey, thanks Mr G., thanks parents, thank you coffee machine, thank you chessbase, thank you David Byrne (one of the GREATEST musicians on this planet), and especially a big thanks to Mr Alex Wohl.
Sir Bomble
on Tuesday Mar 22 from about 5:30pm. Just go to www.gardinerchess.com and watch it all unfold.
Don’t forget to check out the games from round 7 too. Yitao Lei vs Jonas Muller was especially good.
This has certainly been a closely run and very competitive tournament, and the lower rated players have shown that ratings don’t tell the full story. It’s getting to the stage where junior tournaments like this one are extremely unpredictable. So here’s my advice for how to prepare your mind for such an event:
DO: Ignore the ratings of players.
DO: Read lots of chess stuff, especially on openings IDEAS.
DO: Be on your guard on every move of every game.
DO: Get lots of exercise and eat properly. (Chocolate is okay in moderation).
DO: Take your time when playing
DO: Learn as much as you can during post-game coaching analysis.
DO: Bring gifts for the coaches
DON’T: Play with stray dogs.
DON’T: Annoy Mr G, or call out “Wendy” in a loud, high-pitched voice when seeking items from the café. (Her name is “The Right Honorable Mrs. Gardiner”, or “Your Highness” for short.)
DON’T: Take your game so seriously that other things, like schoolwork, suffer.
DO: Have fun, socialise with the other players, and enjoy the experience. You are extremely fortunate to have the chance to develop your selves through this game, so relish every moment of it!
DO: Study lots of science so that, hopefully, some of you young prodigies can help to solve some of the severe problems facing our world. What I’m saying here is that you can put your problem-solving abilities to good use, and YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
(If you’re wondering why I’ve gone all serious and preachy, it could have something to do with the fact that Mr Radishfield, Ms Winfrey, and I all just watched a scary documentary on global dimming, global warming, and eminent catastrophe, and we are hoping to find the youthful geniuses that can save us!)
But enough seriousness for one week. I have to get ready for a jog down to the office in town. (I’m trying to burn up some excess flab, and do my bit for the planet).
This week’s bulletin has been a short one, but watch out for next week’s final round wrap-up.
Sir Bomble
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Don’t get too comfortable Roland, Yitao is on the prowl! |
It’s official. The Gold Coast junior masters are just too scary to play against. First it was world classical no. 1 Gary Kasparov retiring suddenly (rumours that our juniors are just improving way too much for him to handle are rife), and then out of the blue, GM Roland Schmaltz, who recently took up residency in Brisbane, offers to show up for some analysis and blitz, only to be scared off at the last minute for some inexplicable reason.
Apparently, Roland is a demon bullet player. (Bullet is 1 min per player blitz chess) and plays on ICC (Internet Chess Club) with the handle “Hawkeye”.
So what is an aspiring young Gold Coast junior to do? Well, apparently an ambush has been planned for Mr Schmaltz when a contingent of Gold Coasters trek up to Brissie this weekend for the inaugural Brisbane Open, in which Roland has entered.
Not only this, but a well-armed contingent has broken away from the main group to storm the barricades of the Doeberl Cup in Canberra. Watch out Mexicans! (Those that live south of the border) You have been warned! Yes indeed. The good ol’ call to battle has rung out from somewhere deep inside the Gardiner Chess Centre, and an ambitious young army of hungry players have mustered for a two-prong attack. Oh yes. You heard it first, right here from the desk of Sir Bomble. CHAAARRRRGE! Ah yes. This old trooper can sniff a right –royal, ding-dong, hum-dinger of a fight! An old soldier like me can get tired. I can get silly. I can even get dumbfounded at the simplest of opening novelties (you darned juniors and your theoretical innovations – chessbase indeed. Hah! In my day, all you needed was a tatty old copy of MCO (Modern Chess Openings), some imagination, and a bit of courage). BUT AN OLD SOLDIER LIKE ME NEVER BACKS DOWN!
And so it has come to pass that this motley crew of young swashbucklers is off to war upon 64 squares. But what of their training? Well, the Junior Masters tournament that has just concluded is top training for a top bunch. The quality of the games has been getting better, and the players have been spending more time playing them. (Don’t forget to check out the games, complete with extra comments and analysis here on this very Website). So, without further ado, here’s the final wrap-up and highlights of all the jousting, all the jostling, all the wild maneuvers, and all the nail-biting action from the final round:
*Yitao Lei stormed home with a strong game against Gene Nakauchi to finish with 7/8 and take 1st place (his only loss was in round 5 to Molly).
*In the closest of games, tournament leader Molly McGarity made her first tactical slip of the whole tournament in a better endgame position against Daniel Ford, and ended up on 6.5/8 to claim second overall.
*Apart from Molly, Jonas Muller and Gene Nakauchi were the most improved players of the tournament.
*The Eom brothers (William and Andrew) didn’t stop smiling the whole tournament; win, lose, or draw.
*Kieton (don’t call me “Keeeton”) Beilby developed some new jokes, and picked up a few rating points.
*Zane Adams began a new career in chess coaching. (He gave my good friend, Nik, a few lessons in speed chess).
*Jessica, Maxine, Sophie, Kristen, and Molly all continue to prove much better at heckling than any of the boys.
*Caleb, Tom, Liam, Leoma, Kantley, Daniel (both of them), Seb, Cameron, Nicholas, Mikio, Alex, Jordan, Zane Weitenberg, Alan, Robert and Elliot had a lengthy meeting and decided its just simpler to not even attempt to heckle the girls, and then undertook to put their efforts into computer games instead.
*Duke Doogie nearly lost his patience, then found it again when offered a chocolate cookie. (Bribery works sometimes).
*Mr G. blew a gasket or too, but somehow is still going.
*The Right Honourable Mrs Gardiner finally decided to invest in ear-muffs. (Not that you lot are noisy or anything…)
*And finally, I, Sir Bomble, have decided to take a brief holiday upon my return from the eminent tour of duty against this invading GM and his entourage.
Farewell and good evening to you all.
Sir Bomble ….. will return!