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TOURNAMENT STANDINGS
Winter Classic Tournament

David Howell6/9(+3 -0 =6)[games]
Vladimir Fedoseev5.5/9(+4 -2 =3)[games]
Dariusz Swiercz5.5/9(+2 -0 =7)[games]
Sam Shankland5/9(+3 -2 =4)[games]
Alexander Ipatov5/9(+3 -2 =4)[games]
Yaroslav Zherebukh5/9(+3 -2 =4)[games]
Jeffery Xiong4/9(+2 -3 =4)[games]
Emilio Cordova4/9(+3 -4 =2)[games]
Samuel Sevian2.5/9(+1 -5 =3)[games]
Ruifeng Li2.5/9(+1 -5 =3)[games]
*

Chessgames.com Chess Event Description
Winter Classic (2017)

The "A Group" of the 2017 St. Louis Winter Classic, played 11-19 March, was won by David Howell with 6/9 points. Also see Winter Classic (Group B) (2017).

Official site: http://uschesschamps.com/2017-winte.... Crosstable: https://uschesschamps.com/pgn/2017W...

 page 1 of 2; games 1-25 of 45  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. D Howell vs A Ipatov  ½-½422017Winter ClassicC50 Giuoco Piano
2. Xiong vs R Li 1-0482017Winter ClassicC53 Giuoco Piano
3. Sevian vs Swiercz  ½-½302017Winter ClassicC84 Ruy Lopez, Closed
4. Shankland vs Zherebukh  0-1342017Winter ClassicB54 Sicilian
5. E Cordova vs V Fedoseev 1-0442017Winter ClassicA04 Reti Opening
6. D Howell vs Xiong 1-0292017Winter ClassicE17 Queen's Indian
7. A Ipatov vs V Fedoseev 0-1392017Winter ClassicD43 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav
8. Swiercz vs Shankland ½-½542017Winter ClassicB90 Sicilian, Najdorf
9. Zherebukh vs E Cordova  ½-½322017Winter ClassicC07 French, Tarrasch
10. R Li vs Sevian 0-1322017Winter ClassicA01 Nimzovich-Larsen Attack
11. E Cordova vs Swiercz 0-1432017Winter ClassicA45 Queen's Pawn Game
12. Sevian vs D Howell 0-1622017Winter ClassicB12 Caro-Kann Defense
13. V Fedoseev vs Zherebukh  1-0582017Winter ClassicE60 King's Indian Defense
14. Shankland vs R Li ½-½412017Winter ClassicA81 Dutch
15. Xiong vs A Ipatov  ½-½492017Winter ClassicD90 Grunfeld
16. Xiong vs Sevian  ½-½462017Winter ClassicC50 Giuoco Piano
17. D Howell vs Shankland  ½-½802017Winter ClassicA13 English
18. A Ipatov vs Zherebukh 1-0442017Winter ClassicA05 Reti Opening
19. Swiercz vs V Fedoseev  ½-½562017Winter ClassicB12 Caro-Kann Defense
20. R Li vs E Cordova  1-0552017Winter ClassicA07 King's Indian Attack
21. Sevian vs A Ipatov  ½-½452017Winter ClassicC95 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Breyer
22. Zherebukh vs Swiercz  ½-½302017Winter ClassicE06 Catalan, Closed, 5.Nf3
23. E Cordova vs D Howell  ½-½352017Winter ClassicA15 English
24. Shankland vs Xiong  ½-½482017Winter ClassicC96 Ruy Lopez, Closed
25. V Fedoseev vs R Li  ½-½602017Winter ClassicE15 Queen's Indian
 page 1 of 2; games 1-25 of 45  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)  

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Mar-20-17  Fish55: <thegoodanarchist> It takes 2 seconds to click on his name to find out who he is.
Mar-20-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: <Fish55: <thegoodanarchist> It takes 2 seconds to click on his name to find out who he is.>

Quite true, but is infinitely more pleasurable for <thegreatwanker> to toss off a sardonic comment and affect a jaded air.

Mar-20-17  Sokrates: Howell's victories tell me two things about him: 1) he thrives in wild, complex positions, 2) he shows great persistance if he sees the slightest chance for a win - the 129 move long game vs. Ruifeng Li. A very strong, creative GM, one of many who may not be well-known names, but whose games can be just as interesting and entertaining as those by the elite.
Mar-20-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  Sally Simpson: I played him once. Though he was not quite himself that day.

Final position, I'm White.


click for larger view

No mistake there are three White Knights on the board. I did a bit of the old crafty under promoting.

http://www.chessedinburgh.co.uk/cha...

Mar-20-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  MissScarlett: Americans are reduced to importing an Englishman (well, half English) to have more Anglo-sounding names.
Mar-20-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  Troller: I see also Zherebukh is now American. It does not seem to have paid off chesswise, but maybe he is playing chess as an amateur nowadays.
Mar-20-17  Sokrates: That's a fantastic miniature, Geoff. Well played!
Mar-20-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  Sally Simpson: Hi Sokrates,

I've beaten all the British Champions past, present and future using that format. (except Walter Montagu Gattie champion 1886) I cannot find a picture of him to play him.

Infact the only time I've lost using this method is when I use a mirror.

----

I'll have to annotate a game from this Winter Classic. I can use phrases like:

"Skating on thin ice."

"Has a snowballs chance in Hell."

"An avalanche of white pawns."

Mar-20-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: <Geoff: Hi Sokrates,

I've beaten all the British Champions past, present and future using that format. (except Walter Montagu Gattie champion 1886) I cannot find a picture of him to play him....>

Come on, man: that is a lame excuse. (laughs)

<....Infact the only time I've lost using this method is when I use a mirror.>

Wish I had learnt that technique; would have made 2400 at least.

Mar-20-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  offramp: <Fish55: <thegoodanarchist> It takes 2 seconds to click on his name to find out who he is.>

He knows WHO he is, but not HOWELL he is.

Mar-20-17  Sokrates: My respect, Geoff, impressive!
Mar-20-17  fisayo123: An exciting field and a very exciting tournament. I heard these invitationals will be a regular fixture at the St Louis Chess club and there will be one in Spring. Rex and company have totally reshaped the chess landscape for the (much) better.

Congrats to Howell and Fedoseev (who probably played the best chess). A learning curve for Sevian, Ruifeng Li and Xiong.

Mar-20-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  tpstar: <fisayo123> Speaking of this tournament, I really enjoyed your Game Collection: Best games of 2016 and we are holding a group vote right now. If you could please pick a top ten from those games and post them in my chessforum. Thank you.
Mar-21-17  jphamlore: It is very dangerous for a younger player to play a Gruenfeld as Black against someone like Fedoseev from one of the countries of the former Soviet Union. Fedoseev simply knows in such games how to steer the game into an unpleasant position for Black to defend.

In the 2014 World Junior Championships for example, Wei Yi appeared headed for victory in the event until this game:

V Fedoseev vs Wei Yi, 2014

Someone like Fedoseev simply understands the positional possibilities better than younger opponents. In this win vs Jeffery Xiong, Black simply never had any counterplay.

V Fedoseev vs J Xiong, 2017

Was the game lost out of the opening? Of course not. But would younger players take up the Gruenfeld if this type of game was what they mainly faced? I doubt it.

Mar-21-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: <hamhock: It is very dangerous for a younger player to play a Gruenfeld as Black against someone like Fedoseev from one of the countries of the former Soviet Union. Fedoseev simply knows in such games how to steer the game into an unpleasant position for Black to defend....>

The examples cited are unimpressive: Black's play in each case was suboptimal.

Would the youngsters' choice have been reasonable if they were older than Fedoseev, or if he were from somewhere outside the orbit of the former 'Evil Empire', by an extension of the logic applied above?

In my playing days, I used 4.Nf3 and 5.Bg5 on a regular basis, against players from 1500 to grandmaster level, though I am not now convinced the line offers much against correct play.

Mar-21-17  LlanelliCC: Maybe President Trump should stop non-US players from entering the country so that the US Champion could then be called World Champion (as in World Series).
Mar-21-17  Sokrates: <LlanelliCC: Maybe President Trump should stop non-US players from entering the country so that the US Champion could then be called World Champion (as in World Series).>

Maybe President Trump should stop his world-havocing, devastating, primitive and immoral presidency, resign with some measure of grace and self-criticism and go back to his reality shows with pre-paid yes-men or his wonderful hacker friends in Russia, with whom he had so many intimate consultations prior to his minus 3 million "victory" last year.

Or maybe we should declare CG a Trump-free zone and write about our beloved game of chess.

Mar-21-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: Limiting discussion of Trump's Follies to Rogoff would not hurt my feelings one bit.
Mar-21-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  offramp: Danger danger will Robinson!!
Mar-21-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  tamar: All those Trump comments should be deported to the Rogoff page, by all means.
Mar-21-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  HeMateMe: <Danger!> Still the best robot ever! You gotta love a washing machine that blinks and seems almost human.
Mar-22-17  Imran Iskandar: Can a forum for the Shenzhen Masters be created?
Mar-22-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  offramp: And one for the Schneerson Rebbe.
Mar-22-17  Sokrates: Slightly off-topic here, but when and where will the world champion play again?
Mar-23-17  Octavia: where were the women?
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