"Thus cracks a noble mind ..."

Tonight may well prove to be a personal milestone. needing a win to keep the "Streak Minor" alive, Y.H.R. played with White against a Mr. Pace, rated in the 1900s. He gave me three pawns in the opening. Giving two back, I was on the verge of beating back his attack when, suffering from fatigue (and gas), I blundered my Queen (for the third time in this U.S. Open).

Mr. Pace is to be congratulated (which I did) for his dogged tenacity as he kept his chances alive. Another quote comes to mind. George C. Scott to Jackie Gleason’s Minnesota Fats when he was being rolled up by Fast Eddie ... "Stick with this kid, he’s a loser."

And so I feel now. Even if by some miracle I should win tonight and keep the streak alive, it will be a hollow victory. "+1" against a 1900 average field is nothing to be proud of.

I sense the end. I am thinking of turning over the American Open to other organizers and honestly I am not sure I will even play, though I have played in all 38 previously.

In 1957 as a fresh 22 year old kid from Cincinnati, I played my first U.S. Open in Cleveland and went 6-6. Forty-six years later, that will likely be my score in 2003. Though I and others often treated it as a joke, it has become a self-imposed burden which will probably be lifted today. Then I can wait for the next 12-rounder to play again. What delicious irony. After nine rounds, I had a plus score!

P.S. This year I promise a last round column.

August 14

Playing nine-round U.S. Opens for five years, Y.H.R almost forgot the rising and falling rhythms of a 1-rounder. The last week is falling action. After the Delegates go home and all the schedules merge, the daytime is generally free. I have used it mostly to sleep!

The GM lectures have proved popular. Wednesday at 5 we had the Polish Magician, Aleks Wojtkiewicz, who is the National Open Edmondson Cup winner. (There is a fascinating interview with him in the November CL. [[In the interests of full disclosure, Jerry should perhaps mention that he is the interviewer. -- Y.K.E.]] Most people don’t know that Aleks was a dissident in the old Soviet Union, who did a year in jail for anti-Soviet activities.) On Thursday we will have U.S. Champion Alexander Shabalov, and on Friday previous year’s champion Larry Christiansen. By the end of the tournament, we will have had quite an impressive lineup of lecturers, including the popular IM Jeremy Silman.

Last night I kept my plus score alive with Black against my friend Eion Faelten. We both play at Joe Wagner’s house on Wednesdays and know each other’s moves well. We had a very hard fought draw, which means now that I have faced eight "A" players and two "B" players to achieve "+1"! I shudder to think what my rating would be without the "Original Life Master" floor! Heck, I know where it would be!

Y.H.R. needs a win with White tonight to continue the "Streak Minor." Art Bisguier got his 6 1/2 a round ago to continue the "Streak Major." Art gave me a signed copy of his delightful book, "Chess and the Art of Bisguier." The book has some good chess, but the best thing about it is that it reflects the charm and wit that makes Arthur one of the most beloved U.S. GMs, and of course he is in the Hall of Fame!

August 13

What makes my opponents launch violent attacks against my poor King? I am nice and friendly to m y opponents but they want to kill me dead! The last three games I won were exercises in survival. Last night Mr. Bazemore brought me two glasses of water and a whole piece. My first reaction was that, if I took it, I would get mated. Thirty-five minutes of study led to no clear winning line for him. I figured, if I don’t take the piece my position would be very bad. Okay, it's better to play a bad position with an extra piece, so I took it! It worked out well, and now I am back to "+1." Three draws will extend the streak but I sure hope for more. It looks like one of those US. Opens where everybody I play is lower rated. I darn well better make a plus score!

We had our first test of the draw rule Monday in the 6-day schedule. In accordance with the Rulebook, we are requiring that players stay at the board and play at least 15 moves and 1/2 an hour before they can agree to a draw. This is not a new rule. The Rulebook says "It is unethical and unsportsmanlike to agree to a draw before a real fight has begun." Penalties for such behavior are at the discretion of the TD. In keeping with this rule, we wrote and posted a notice to all players that this would be the way we enforced the rule.

Two GMs chose to ignore this rule and tried to draw in 1 move! Admonished by International Arbiter Carol Jarecki, they returned to the board, played four more moves, and disappeared without turning in a scoresheet. marking the result as a draw.

This was not only a flagrant violation of the rule as we had posted it, they had ignored the direct admonition of the floor TD.

Chief TD Randy Hough, IA Jarecki and I met to decide what to do. We considered a double forfeit but felt this was too harsh for a first offense. GMs get a free entry to the tournament, so we decided to rescind the free entry and deduct it from their prizes. Both are likely to win money as they are among the higher rated. One of them indignantly told me, "I have a very good lawyer!" "Fine," I said, " I hope he can read the Rulebook." Any repetition of this by these two players will lead to a double forfeit.

I hear all the time, "You can’t make GMs play when they don't want to." Maurice Ashley ran a tournament earlier this year with a 50 move no-draw rule, and it was a great success. But he invited the right people!

Of course some of it is simply the way it looks. When two GMs sit down to play before 50 or so spectators, and shake hands before these spectators get settled in, it leaves a bad taste in everyone's mouth.
It’s like the old joke about the homeless schizophrenics in New York, who walk up and down Broadway murmuring and arguing with themselves. When Giuliani was cleaning up the streets, someone suggested that they pair these poor souls up, so at least it looked like they were arguing with each other. Appearances, appearances!

August 12

When Y.H.R. got up this morning life looked O.K. The U.S. Open had a five-figure profit, and I was "+1" and looking forward to the evening’s game. Fourteen hours later, it’s not so glowing. After sitting with Diane Reese for two hours, the profit is razor-thin. I lost my favorite clock. Someone stole the VCR remote. The hotel forgot to give me my wakeup call and I was half an hour late for my game. I got crushed by an "A" player, dropping me back to even. And I have a toothache. It was one really bad day.

I promised to write a little about the USCF elections. Okay, here is a little. Beatriz Marinello became President, newly elected Tim Hanke was chosen Vice President for Finance, and Frank Brady is now Secretary. This was an internal Board election, and the machinations were too Machiavellian to describe here. In short, however, it looks like a good group to try to save the USCF from its financial woes. The level-headed Mike Nolan from Nebraska is going to New Windsor as acting CEO, and he has his work cut out for him. Good luck, Mike! Paul Truong has volunteered to be in charge of marketing and public relations. He is very good at that.

As I am in no mood for levity, I will force myself. Here, recycled, is the better of two chess limericks I have penned in my lifetime.

A chessplayer hailing from Norf,
Threw himself off the 7th Street wharf.
He had announced mate
In 138
But erred on the 134th!

August 11

All the entries are in and we have about 460 all together. Of these 440 are paid. This is 50 entries over break-even and the freebies are almost all GMs! I believe this is more than some of the big CCA tournaments draw!

The quantity may be less than last year but the quality is quite high. We have a good hotel contract and we did raise the entry fee some.

If you didn’t know, Y.H.R. agreed to shoulder all losses for this Open in return for half the profit going to me and the SCCF. Considering the tight state of money in New Windsor and the fact that the USCF share of the profits will probably not cover the whole cost of the convention, it may be a while before we get our half.

We have a strict draw policy in this event -- players must make a real effort to play a real game. The rule is that the players must sit at the board for at least half an hour and make 15 moves. If the arbiter decides that they are not serious, then they can be double-forfeited. So far this has caused no problems, but we have to wait for the last four rounds. Today, all schedules merge in the evening round. If you wonder how I as clever enough to fit in all these schedules which made the tournament a financial success, I didn’t. It came from the man who has by far the greatest number of ideas in chess (most good, some excellent and a few bad), CCA President Bill Goichberg.

Y.H.R. pulled out to "+1" last night. Two rounds in a row I have been viciously attacked on the board, but won when my opponents simply ran out of pieces. Both games are in this bulletin.

Check out our great web site, www.usopenchess.org, a magnificent creation of Y.K.E., bulletin editor and webmaster John Hillery.

Tomorrow -- a report on the USCF election of E.B. officers. Hint: For the first time ever, a woman is the President!

August 10

Jerry Hanken reports that his quest for "The Steak," along with his oranizational duties, left him too fatigued to write a Hanken's Corner for today. He urges all those who have expressed appreciation for his previous articles, or for the 12-round U.S. Open, to show their gratitude by purchasing a set of bulletins in the Bookstore.

August 9

Two losses in a row have Y.H.R really worried about "The Streak." Last night I was a clear pawn ahead against a young kid (are there any adults playing tournament chess these days?). When he won my Queen, it seemed that there was more than enough compensation, but that was a superficial judgment and my resignation came soon after.

For those of you who don’t know about "The Streak," I have played in 36 U.S. Opens (this is the 37th) over the last 46 years. In the first, in 1957, I made an even score (due to a last-round forfeit). In all 35 since then, I have made plus scores (playing all but two games in all those years!). Thus the quest for the 36th in a row, the "record minor." My friend and roommate in this tournament) has the "record major," of 51 U.S. Opens, all with plus scores. (Art is having his troubles in the Matinee schedule, with 3 out of 5, but he will have no problem getting his 52nd plus.)

I have not missed a U.S. Open since 1972, when Bent Larsen won at Atlantic City, New Jersey. That’s 30 years in a row. That’s still two behind Marty Merado, who unfortunately will not be able to make it this year because of a death in the family. Best wishes from all of us, Marty.

The way I am playing, I am thinking of letting John Gaunt’s "Turk" play my games for me. John demonstrated his "Chess Playing Automaton" on Wednesday, and the volunteers could detect neither man nor computer inside! There has got to be some kind of artificial device making that mysterious hand move the pieces! Certainly Dr. Gerald Levitt will never tell. His delightful lecture on the history and mis-history of The Turk enthralled an audience of close to 100 Thursday. In the course of his narrative, The Turk was sold quite a few times, and once the "secret" was revealed to Frederick the Great for 30,000 marks. Perhaps Gerry will tell al for $30,000? In any case, his book sold out at the bookstore. It is well worth the trouble of ordering from USCF.

The Delegates are in town, and will be heard in full force by Saturday. The new Executive Board and the Delegates have quite a challenge. We lost another Executive Director this week, and a very good one. Frank Niro’s health would not let him continue. This is a critical time in USCF history, what with the move to Crossville and the aging computer system. We wish the Delegates (of who Y.H.R. is one) Godspeed and wisdom. We will need both.

August 8

Tonight’s musings, dear friends, will be contemplation upon multiple schedules.

When we last played the U.S. Open in Los Angeles, only a dozen years ago, the idea of multiple schedules was just coming into effect. Bill Goichberg’s World Open at nine rounds was the first to try playing a major tournament at a number of different paces. In 1991 in Los Angeles, we were not even thinking about this. We offered only the 13-day with byes or the then-named "Busyman Special." (Now P.C. has prevailed, and we call it the "Busy Person Special." [[Some of us do. -- Y.K.E.]] This idea came from NTD Ben Nethercot and was first used in the record 846-player U.S. Open at Pasadena 1983. In 1991, about a third of the 629 players took a weighted score and played only six games.

In this U.S. Open it is the least popular option as only 16 have registered. This is clearly because there are so many options which did not exist in 1991.

At Chicago 1994, the last 12-rounder without the options, there was a disappointing turnout of about 450. The next three Opens were run on Bill Goichberg’s plan, which is essentially the same as the last 12-rounder in Orlando. There have been five 9-rounders in a row.

When Y.H.R took on the task of organizing this 2003 U.S. Open and providing a guarantee against financial loss, I heard a lot of doom and gloom from my friends. "Oh, Jerry, no one has time to play two weeks any more." And, "You are going to lose your posterior on this."

Of course, my ace in the hole was the multiple options, the two most important being the 6-day and 8-day.

In the 8-day, you actually play one day less than the 9-round Open, and you play normal time controls. It goes 2-2-2-2-1-1-1-1, starting Friday the 9th. So far we have 189 in the Traditional and 31 in the Matinee, all grateful for the 12-rounder which they have missed and pined for, as have I lo these five years. The key is that we have 88 pre-entrants in the 8-day, and have realistic hopes of getting 50 more at the door. We also have 68 pre-registered in the 6-day, with its seven 1-hour games and one "normal" game in two days. (I call this the Crazy Man Schedule -- oops, Crazy Person.) We expect another 40 in that, and a few more Busy Persons. No re-entries are provided for, but if anyone wants to drop out of his schedule and enter another, he will be accepted at the full $220 door entry fee. [[What precisely is the difference between this and a "re-entry"? -- Y.K.E]]

The question comes up, is all this good? Well, let’s put it this way. If we had a tournament of 230, the total of the Traditional, Matinee and Busy Person schedules, Y.H.R and the SCCF would be in hock for about 35 grand, and you can bet no one would try again for a 12-rounder this century. As it is, we will turn a small but significant profit, and by Delegate motion we will have another 12-rounder in 2006. (The Delegates "strongly urged" a 12-rounder every three years, and the next two are nine rounds, in Florida and Arizona.)

All this was to avoid writing about my horrible disastrous train wreck on f5, against young Mr. Gupta. This brings me back to even. Is the "streak" in danger? Fugettaboudit.

August 7

Y.H.R took six hours trying to win with Queen and two pawns against Knight, Rook and one pawn. My opponent set up a great fortress (I could have won earlier).

Anyway, I am pretty tired and out of ideas, so I will leave you with the only chess joke I ever made up all by myself. Why did the mentally challenged chess player (we used to say "moron" -- not P.C.!) offer a draw though he was two whole pieces ahead with his opponent having no compensation? Because they were Bishops of opposite color! (Sorry again.)

Lots of players thanked me for the 12 rounder, and I appreciate their thanks. I fear, not enough.

August 6

Those will have to be a short Corner as my game went well into the second time control. My opponent, young Arkadiy Onikul, was "only" an A player, but he gained a big advantage in the opening and squeezed me like a boa constrictor! Y.H.R barely escaped with a draw.

Y.K.E tells me that master Robert Hurdle proved to be no obstacle (sorry Robert) to Class A player Jesse Cohen, who had disposed of IM Melikset Khachiyan in round 1! Melikset complained to me that "... this kid knows a lot of theory for an ‘A’." In point of fact, against Hurdle’s Moeller Attack he played 22 moves of book, and then varied on move 23 with a slightly less effective move and won anyway!

We moved into the main ballroom today where the lighting is better and the air conditioning not quite so Antarctic. We stay here for all but the last round, when some of us go back into the darkness and cold. The hotel has a function that Friday which I just couldn’t get around.

Only two more days until we get to see the terrible "Turk"! (Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.) I am determined to ferret out the secret. Is there a computer n there? Is it a human being? Has anyone seen Gata Kamsky lately? No, he’s too big. Anyway, don’t miss it.

August 5

The old saying is, "If you want something done well, do it yourself!" Of course, there is also "Be careful what you wish for, you might get it."

Y.H.R. (Your Humble Reporter) was so convinced that a 12-round U.S. Open was desirable that he put up his own money to convince the USCF to have one. (The conventional wisdom is 12 rounds is too long and there has been no such animal since 1997 in Kissimmee, Florida.) Okay, I was allowed to co-organize (with USCF) the 2003 Open in my home town of L.A. I got it!

There were 170 folks in the Traditional schedule, my kind of people! Unfortunately, the tournament needs 420 or so to break even (thus "Be careful..."). We need at least twice as many in the combined other schedules to be successful. But even if I lose money, I am glad we had this tournament here in L.A. The nexst two years are both nine rounds, so this may be "the last of the Mohicans."

Y.H.R. did barely make his 35th plus score last year in New Jersey. (For those of you left hanging by my inexplicable failure to produce a round 9 "Hanken’s Corner," you may now breath a sigh of relief. The streak goes on!) I had an easy game to go "+1" tonight. The tournament room was really cold, and when my young opponent was four pawns behind and about to lose a fifth and his King (and thinking hard), I did a bad thing. I said, good naturedly of course, "Do you think I will freeze to death and fall off my chair like an icicle?" Luckily, he was a good sport. He said, "Now that you have figured out my plan, I resign!" Of course, If I did that to "Ye Kindly Editor" (Y.K.E.) John Hillery, two weeks in the stocks being pelted by rotten vegetables would be the most likely punishment. [[Works for me. -- jh]] Mea maxima culpa.