Jesse Wins Futurity; Dean Wins 1st FIDE Event
By Dean Ippolito/Jesse Kraai   
July 24, 2009
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GM Jesse Kraai, Photo Jennifer Shahade
GM Jesse Kraai won the 3rd NJ Futurity (July 7-10) held at the Dean of Chess Academy in Branchburg, NJ.  Jesse led the entire event and finished with a big score of 7.5/10.  GM Joel Benjamin was second with a late tournament run to finish at 6.5.  The rest of the results are as follows: GM Leonid Yudasin 5.5, IM Milos Scekic 5, IM Dean Ippolito 4.5, NM Evan Ju 1.  Unfortunately, no norms were made.  Special thanks to Michael Khodarkovsky for organizing the event and IA Glenn Peterson. Michael Khodarkovsky's International Chess School was also one of the sponsors of the event.

Tournament winner Jesse Kraai annotated a game for CLO:

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1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Qb6 6.a3 Nh6 7.Bd3!? Bd7 8.Bc2

after8.bc2kraai.jpg
White invests some time in making his strong light square bishop look especially pretty.
8...g6
Intending to encourage White to part with his love after 9.0–0 cd 10. cd Nf5; after 11. Bf5 gf we would have a fighting position.
9.dxc5
Declining to part with the bishop, but weakening the e5 square.
9...Qxc5 10.0–0 Qb6?
Rash; I thought that White would have to play b4 in any case. [10...Bg7 11.b4 Qb6 would transpose to the game]
11.b4?
11.c4! would bring White a strong initiative 11...dxc4 12.Nbd2
11...Bg7 12.Bf4 Ng4 13.Qe2 g5!?
bold, but perhaps not necessary.
14.Bg3?
I expected: 14.Nxg5 Ncxe5 with a mess
14...h5 15.Nxg5 Ncxe5 16.h3 Bb5 17.Qe1
after17.qe1.jpg

White has some interesting tactical notions to trip up my proud but instable knights. Yet when the french bishop is allowed to be frisky some sort of solution should be found...
17...Qd8!
17...h4 18.Bf4 Bxf1 19.hxg4 Nd3 20.Qd2 Nxf4 21.Qxf4 with some counterplay
18.hxg4 Qxg5 19.f4 Qxg4 20.fxe5 Bxf1 21.Kxf1
after21.kxf1krsaai.jpg
The position Black had to intuitively judge when playing 17... Qd8; White's lack of development and K security issues should be too much to overcome.
21...h4 22.Bh2 h3 23.Qf2

23.Qg3 Qxg3 24.Bxg3 h2–+
23...Rc8 24.Kg1 hxg2 25.Qxg2 Qh5 26.Nd2 Bxe5 27.Bxe5 Qxe5 28.Nf3 Qxc3 29.Ba4+ Kf8 0–1


Also see a win from Dean Ippolito over GM Leonid Yudasin

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The 1st Dean of Chess Academy/TransNet FIDE Invitational began after the New Jersey Futurity on July 11th at the Dean of Chess Academy.  The idea was to give several types of players a FIDE rating who may not otherwise get the opportunity to achieve one.  Academy members, long-time experts and up-and-coming nationally ranked scholastic players are the three groups meant to have this opportunity.  The event is sponsored by TransNet, a local computer company and additional generous funding was provided by Mike Somers. 

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The Transnet FIDE invitational in full swing. Photo Steve Ferrero



The event is a ten player round robin which gives the players the feel of a top-level international event.  If successful, Dean plans on running more such events and eventually FIDE open events where players will have the opportunity to achieve IM norms. 

3rd New Jersey Futurity

Final Standings
1. GM Jesse Kraai            5-0-5    7.5

2. GM Joel Benjamin        5-2-3    6.5
3. GM Leonid Yudasin      3-2-5    5.5
4. IM  Milos Scekic           2-2-6    5.0
5. IM Dean Ippolito           3-4-3    4.5
5. FM Evan Ju                   1-9-0    1.0
 
1st Dean of Chess Academy/TransNet FIDE
Final Standings
1-IM Dean Ippolito 7.5

2-NM David Grasso 7
3-Rahul Swaminathan 5.5
4-7 NM James West, NM Arthur Feuerstein, Christopher Wu, Steve Ferrero 4.5
8-Mike Somers 3.5
9-Kevin Chen 3
10-Tim Hall .5