Dennis Monokroussos writes:
With all the super-tournaments going on nowadays, it's easy to forget that
there are other great players producing work of art. Some of them make their
achievements in over the board action, but many more do so in the comfort of
their study. I'm referring, of course, to correspondence players. Many of them
are accomplished in tournament chess, and when we add comparatively unlimited
time and the chance to consult with computer engines, the result is a potent
chess playing entity!
Case in point: the ongoing Simon Webb Memorial, an all-star correspondence
tournament that started in 2007. Arno Nickel clinched clear first, and the tournament
is shot through with beautiful games. We might look at one of his games later,
but this week we'll look at Michiel Plomp's victory over former world correspondence
champion Grigory Sanakoev.
The opening was an English Attack in the Najdorf/Scheveningen, so if you're
expecting a sharp game, you're right. It's not just rock 'em sock 'em robots,
though: there's a clear, logical thread that runs throughout the game. If anything,
the most confusing moment is the end: why does Black resign? Sure, White's attack
looks dangerous, but he's down a rook and a bishop and his only big threat can
be easily met.
We'll puzzle it out, along with some of the other subtle points in the game,
when we look at it tonight (Wednesday night) at 9 p.m. ET (that's 2 a.m. CET
for you Europeans – insomniacs and early risers are welcome). The show
is free. Just log on to the Playchess.com server, go to the Broadcasts room
and select Plomp-Sanakoev under the Games tab. See you there!
Dennis Monokroussos'
Radio ChessBase
lectures begin on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. EST, which translates to 02:00h
GMT, 03:00 Paris/Berlin, 13:00h Sydney (on Thursday). Other time zones
can be found at the bottom of this page. You can use Fritz or any Fritz-compatible
program (Shredder, Junior, Tiger, Hiarcs) to follow the lectures, or download
a free trial client. |
You can find the exact times for different locations in the world at World
Time and Date. Exact times for most larger cities are here.
And you can watch older lectures by Dennis Monokroussos offline in
the Chess Media System room of Playchess:
Enter the above archive room and click on "Games" to see the lectures.
The lectures, which can go for an hour or more, will cost you between one and
two ducats.
That is the equivalent of 10-20 Euro cents (14-28 US cents).
Monokroussos in Mexico: World Championship 2007
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Dennis Monokroussos is 41, lives in South Bend, IN, where
he teaches chess and occasionally works as an adjunct professor of philosophy
at the University of Notre Dame and Indiana University-South Bend.
At one time he was one of the strongest juniors in the U.S. and has reached
a peak rating of 2434 USCF, but several long breaks from tournament play have
made him rusty. He is now resuming tournament chess in earnest, hoping to reach
new heights.
Dennis has been working as a chess teacher for ten years now, giving lessons
to adults and kids both in person and on the internet, worked for a number of
years for New York’s Chess In The Schools program, where he was one of
the coaches of the 1997-8 US K-8 championship team from the Bronx, and was very
active in working with many of CITS’s most talented juniors.
When Dennis Monokroussos presents a game, there are usually two main areas
of focus: the opening-to-middlegame transition and the key moments of the middlegame
(or endgame, when applicable). With respect to the latter, he attempts to present
some serious analysis culled from his best sources (both text and database),
which he has checked with his own efforts and then double-checked with his chess
software.
