2013 March TNT starts Tuesday March 5, 2013

2013 March TNT
$ 15 entry fee  -   Prizes will be based on entries. 
Location: University of Winnipeg - Rm 4CM42

4 rounds - March 5, 12, 19, 26 - (This is not a knockout tournament, players will play all 4 rounds)
Please note that we intend to start the first round at 7:00 p.m. sharp.

Tuesday Night Tournaments are held every month of the year, (except for November and December when things are organized a little differently).

There is one game per week.

All of the TNTs are Swiss (pairing) style tournaments with a time control of G /110 minutes [Each player has 1 hour 50 minutes  to complete their moves, the game will be be 3 hours and 40 minutes maximum]

The TNTs are typically 4 round events (one game for 4 consecutive Tuesdays in the month).

Start time is 7:00 pm and the TD will confirm costs
$ 15 entry fee and CFC membership required.

All players must be CFC members (can be obtained during registration on-site)
[$ 20 for a one-tournament adult membership or $ 49 for 12 months- new adult members pay only $ 36 for a twelve-month CFC membership;
Junior (under 20)  members pay $ 10 for a one-tournament membership, $ 34 for a twelve-month CFC membership, new junior members pay only  $ 24 for a twelve month CFC membership]

Registration for tournament -Tuesday, March 5 - approximately 6:35 pm to 6:50 pm

Registration will be cut off at 6:50 pm. (If you think you may be late, please send an email to
chessmanitoba 'at' gmail.com) before 5 pm (you can try later, but the wireless access at the U may be problematic)

Location: University of Winnipeg - Rm 4CM42

Easiest way to get there is to take the elevator at the north end (Ellice) to the 5th Floor(if that Elevator is operating) Otherwise, there is an elevator just to the west of the old Bookstore location.  Our goal is to start the first round at 7:00 p.m. sharp.

The 2013 February TNT has been rated by the CFC.

The 2013 February TNT has been rated by the CFC.
See the crosstable here

Congratulations to the following who achieved new peak ratings:

Alex Platt 1927
Phil Le Dorze 1788

Cecil's Saturday Puzzle - February 9, 2013

from the Winnipeg Free Press

White to move and draw (Kubbel)

White need to keep the Q under wraps, but the Q has at least two escape routes currently; to Qg8 and via h6.  How to proceed ?  If  1.Ra4 Ke7 2.Ra7+ Kd6, and now what ?  What say you ? (don't use your engine).

2013 MB Championship Qualifying Update

On February 3, Kevin Li defeated Leor Wasserman for the 2012 Manitoba Junior Championship.
So the priority list is now clear:

8 player knockout
Qualifiers -
Qualifiers must play 10 standard rated games (somewhere in the world) during calendar 2012 in order to qualify. In order of preference - if the qualifying player did not want to participate or the qualifier is redundant, we continued down the list until there were 8 willing participants.

     1. Previous Year's Champion (TREVOR VINCENT)
     2. Winner of the Reserve (2012 Albert Boxer Memorial, KEVIN GENTES)
     3. MB Junior Champion (if rated above 1900) (KEVIN LI)
     4. Top Manitoban in AY Memorial (Fletcher Baragar, but  only 5 games played)
     5,6. Top 2 finishers in the Tournament of Champions (Kevin Gentes, ARVIN DAWA)
     7. Player with the best MTPPS (KEVIN LI)
     8. Player with the 2nd best MTPPS (JEFF BABB)
     9. 2nd Manitoban in the AY Memorial (JEFF BABB, JASON REPA)
    10. Player with the 3rd best MTPPS (Kevin Gentes)
     11. Player with the 4th best MTPPS 
    12. etc.from the MTPPS

Eligible Participants in order of qualifying (not necessarily seed order; seeding will be based on CFC rating at Dec 31, 2012) :

1. Trevor Vincent (Participation Confirmed)
2. Kevin Gentes (Participation Confirmed)
3. Kevin Li (Participation Confirmed)
4. Arvin Dawa (Participation Confirmed)
5. Jeff Babb (Participation Confirmed)
6. Jason Repa  (Participation Confirmed)

From the MTPSS

7. Aron Kaptsan (Participation Confirmed)
8. Samuel Lipnowski (Declined)
9. Nilo Moncal (Participation Confirmed)
10. Leor Wasserman
11. Sam Cleto
12. Gustavo Melamedoff
13.Myron Kernetsky
14. Anthony Boron

I will start contacting the eligible folks to confirm their interest until we have 8 players.

Cecil's Saturday Puzzle - January 26, 2013

from the Winnipeg Free Press

White to move and draw (Reti)

A real practical puzzle. I don't think I have seen this one before, but I have seen a Reti study similar to the above without the Bishop.  I believe the key concept in that one was that it take the same number of moves to go Kf8-Kf7-Kf6 etc-Kf1 - as Kf8-Ke7-Kd6-Kc5-Kd4-etc-Kf1.

So, my initial thought here is that we want to play the K to c5 to stop the bishop from stopping the White pawn from b5.  What about the other side ? Well, it looks like the advancing g pawn may just get in the way of the Bishop getting to h5.  

1 Ke7 g5 2. Kd6 g4 3.e7 Bb5 4. Kc5 Be8 5. Kd4 and draws.

2013 February TNT starts February 5

2013 February TNT
$ 15 entry fee  -   Prizes will be based on entries. 
Location: University of Winnipeg - Rm 4CM42

4 rounds - February 5, 12, 19, 26 - (This is not a knockout tournament, players will play all 4 rounds)
Please note that we intend to start the first round at 7:00 p.m. sharp.

Tuesday Night Tournaments are held every month of the year, (except for November and December when things are organized a little differently).

There is one game per week.

All of the TNTs are Swiss (pairing) style tournaments with a time control of G /110 minutes [Each player has 1 hour 50 minutes  to complete their moves, the game will be be 3 hours and 40 minutes maximum]

The TNTs are typically 4 round events (one game for 4 consecutive Tuesdays in the month).

Start time is 7:00 pm and the TD will confirm costs
$ 15 entry fee and CFC membership required[$ 20 for a one-tournament membership or $ 49 for 12 months- new members pay only $ 36 for the year for the CFC membership])

Registration for tournament -Tuesday, February 5 - approximately 6:35 pm to 6:50 pm

Registration will be cut off at 6:50 pm. (If you think you may be late, please send an email to
chessmanitoba 'at' gmail.com) before 5 pm (you can try later, but the wireless access at the U may be problematic)

Location: University of Winnipeg - Rm 4CM42

Easiest way to get there is to take the elevator at the north end (Ellice) to the 5th Floor(if that Elevator is operating) Otherwise, there is an elevator just to the west of the old Bookstore location.  Our goal is to start the first round at 7:00 p.m. sharp.

2013 January TNT has been rated by the CFC

Please see the crosstable here