Chess by Stephen Dann

Chess — Stephen Dann
Sunday, October 13, 2013
http://www.telegram.com

David Vigorito and Steven Winer tied for first in the 80th Greater Boston Open in Marlboro. There were 82 players in five rated sections. Details and crosstables at www.masschess.org, where archives are being created to list past champions.

The first City of Boston Championship in 1934-35 had 15 players, and was won by Harlow B. Daly, 12-2, who lost only to Oscar Shapiro, who came in second at 11-3. The crosstable was incomplete, as six key games were never completed, three involving Fred Chevalier, a student at Harvard and later the longtime chess columnist of the Christian Science Monitor of Boston. This columnist only met Chevalier once in 1970, as he lived in North Carolina in his later years.

Follow the New England Nor'Easters at www.uschessleague.com; they are now 6-1 after defeating the Los Angeles Vibe. Connecticut defeated Arizona to remain 2 points behind New England in the Northeast Division, and Boston lost to San Francisco. Tuesday's live games are at www.chess.com, with New England facing Baltimore, and Boston meeting Connecticut, in the 8th of 10 rounds.

Video Spotlight this week at www.chesscafe.com is yet another link to view "Brooklyn Castle" if you missed the TV premier Monday on PBS. The Cape Cod website adds a new video each Wednesday and Saturday. The 90-minute documentary is available on demand through Nov. 6 on various links to the Point of View section of www.PBS.org.

Need more reasons to encourage young students to play chess? "Playing Smart: The Benefits of Chess for Kids," by Dan Reiner, has five great reasons at Baltimore's Virtual Learning Connections, www.connectionsacademy.com/blog. Some of these include improving concentration and memory and fostering logic, critical thinking and creativity.

Alvin Tan of Westwood won the 25-player Foxboro Blitz tourney before a Revolution soccer match there.

This week at Masschess.org there are plenty of choices throughout New England, including nine next weekend. The next state scholastic singles Spiegel Cup Qualifier will be Oct. 27 in Marlboro.

George Mirijanian and Martin Laine's (along with the www.wachusettchess.org crew) "Chess Chat" effort continues live streaming at www.fatv.org. See it today and tomorrow at 7:30 p.m., or on Thursday at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Chess Life magazine salutes Pal Benko, one of its longest running columnists, on its October cover.