Front Page

National News:
IM Victor Frias Passes - January 15, 2005

Nakamura vs. Polgar Chess Exhibition

Chess Merchandise Clearance Sale

World News:
Topalov and Leko Share Slim Corus Lead

Mamedyarov Still Ahead in B Group; 3 Tied for Group C Lead

Chess In the Media: Chess Stories Across the USA and Around the World

Index to Newsletters

National News

IM Victor Frias Passes - January 15, 2005

International Master Victor Frias passed away after a short illness. Victor was born in Feb. 10, 1956 in Santiago, Chili. He is survived by his wife, Zoe Ann Tilton and two sons, Camilo and Pablo.

Victor was a young man but one with many, many chess accomplishments. Victor's current USCF chess rating was 2562 and his FIDE rating was 2493. He achieved his International Master title in 1982.

Victor participated in many chess tournaments in the United States as well as International. Some of his opponents were: GM Korchnoi, GM Christiansen, IM Zaltsman, GM Bisguier, GM Dzindzichashvili, GM Browne, GM Quinteros, GM Alburt, IM Spraggett, GM Gurevich, GM Fedorowicz, IM Braga, GM Ljubojevic, GM Rohde, GM Kudrin, GM Torre, GM Benjamin, GM Shabalov, just to mention a few. Among many of Victor's accomplishments was, in 1994 he was on the winning team of the U.S. Amateur Team East Chess Championship and in 1995 he tied for first place in the NY State Chess Championship with GM Joel Benjamin and GM Zaitchik. Chessgames.com showcased Victor's game vs Karl Burger (USA) from the 1983 New York Heraldica Chess Tournament as the, "Game of the Day".

[Site "New York HERALDICA - 1983"]
[White "Frias, Victor J."]
[Black "Burger, Karl (USA)"]
[ECO "E21"]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.Qc2 Bb7 6.a3 Bxc3+ 7.Qxc3 c5 8.dxc5 bxc5 9.e3 O-O 10.Be2 Ne4 11.Qc2 d6 12.O-O Nd7 13.b3 Qe7 14.Bb2 f5 15.Nd2 e5 16.f4 Rab8 17.Bd3 Nxd2 18.Qxd2 e4 19.Be2 Nf6 20.Rfd1 Rfd8 21.b4 Bc6 22.b5 Be8 23.Rab1 Bf7 24.a4 h6 25.Bc3 Kh7 26.Qb2 Be6 27.Bxf6 gxf6 28.a5 Rd7 29.Qc3 Kg7 30.Rb2 Kh7 31.Rdb1 Kg7 32.b6 a6 33.Bd1 Qf7 34.Rc1 Rdd8 35.Rd2 Qd7 36.h3 Rb7 37.g4 Kf7 38.Rg2 Rg8 39.gxf5 Rxg2+ 40.Kxg2 Bxf5 41.Bh5+ Bg6 42.Bxg6+ Kxg6 43.Kh2 Qe6 44.Rg1+ Kh7 45.Qc2 Rd7 46.Qg2 f5 47.Qg3 Rb7 48.Rg2 Rd7 49.Kg1 Rb7 50.h4 Qf7 51.h5 Kh8 52.Qg6 Qf8 53.Kh2 Rd7 54.Qe6 Rh7 55.Rg6 1-0

Another game from 1995 Bermuda Open - (chessgames.com)

[White "Frias, Victor J (USA)"]
[Black "Waitzkin, Joshua (USA)"]
[ECO "D28"]

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 dxc4 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.Qe2 a6 7.O-O b5 8.Bd3 Bb7 9.a4 bxa4 10.Rxa4 cxd4 11.Rd1 Be7 12.Rxd4 Qa5 13.Nbd2 Nc6 14.Rh4 Rd8 15.Nc4 Qc7 16.Bd2 O-O 17.Rc1 Qd7 18.Bc2 h6 19.Ba4 Nd4 20.Nxd4 Qxa4 21.Na5 Ne4 22.Nxb7 Bxh4 23.Nxd8 Bxf2+ 24.Kh1 Rxd8 25.Be1 Bxe1 26.Qxe1 Rb8 27.b3 Qd7 28.Qf1 Rc8 29.Ra1 e5 30.Nf5 Rc2 31.Qf3 Ng5 32.Qg4 Qc7 33.h4 Ne6 34.Rxa6 Rc1+ 35.Kh2 e4 36.Qg3 Qxg3+ 37.Nxg3 Rc3 38.Nxe4 Rxe3 39.Ra8+ Kh7 40.Nd6 Rxb3 41.Nxf7 Rc3 42.h5 Nf4 1-0

NOTE: Victor was Josh's chess coach for many years....Victor helped Josh achieve a 2300 rating from 1800!

Another game archived at the chessgames.com website was Frias vs Alburt from 1981:

[Event "Chile"]
[Site "Chile"]
[Date "1981]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Frias, Victor J"]
[Black "Alburt, Lev O"]
[ECO "A57"]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.Nf3 g6 5.cxb5 a6 6.e3 d6 7.Nc3 Bg7 8.a4 O-O 9.Be2 axb5 10.Bxb5 Ba6 11.Bd2 Nbd7 12.O-O Ne8 13.e4 Nc7 14.Qe2 Qb8 15.Rab1 Nb6 16.Bxa6 Rxa6 17.b4 Bxc3 18.bxc5 Bg7 19.cxd6 exd6 20.a5 Qb7 21.Be3 Rxa5 22.Bxb6 Raa8 23.Nd4 Ne8 24.Nc6 Qd7 25.Rfd1 Nf6 26.Bd4 Rfe8 27.Qb2 Nh5 28.Bxg7 Nxg7 29.f3 f5 30.exf5 Nxf5 31.Re1 Qf7 32.Qd2 h6 33.g3 g5 34.Qd3 Ng7 35.Re4 Rxe4 36.fxe4 Qf6 37.Rf1 Ra1 38.e5 Qxf1+ 39.Qxf1 Rxf1+ 40.Kxf1 Nf5 41.Ne7+ 1-0

Victor was a professional chess player and served as coach to many different chess teams and clubs. I could not end this brief recognized of all of Victor's outstanding accomplishments without mentioning his longtime and dedicated work with chess and children. Victor did impressive work with children through his Chess For Kids, Inc. which also hosted the 2001 US Chessathon in Yonkers, New York. The venue was played outside on the shores of the Hudson River. Victor also contributed his time to assist with "Minds In Motion" out of Connecticut with offering an Intermediate Chess Class to children. If this wasn't enough...Victor used to also visit the US Chess Federation headquarters frequently and purchased some used chess clocks he could fix up and donate to children...needless to say, Victor was kind, generous and dedicated to making life better for everyone, especially children through chess.

IM Frias served as the U.S. Chess Federation's chief coach at the World Youth Chess Festival in 1998; the World Juniors in 1990, 1991 and 1992; and the Pan-American Youth Festival in 1995. Victor coached at Dalton Academy, managed the Marshall Chess Club in Manhattan, and directed the Yonkers Projects Chess Club Program. He was also the coach of the American Chess Foundation-Samford Fellowship in charge of GM Patrick Wolff and Ilya Gurevich. He was also involved with the Mexican Ministry of Sports, acting first as National Coach and later as Chess Consultant-Adviser.

Victor was cremated today, Jan. 17, 2005. A memorial service will be held Saturday, January 22, 2005 at the Marshall Chess Club in Manhattan at 1:00pm.

Nakamura vs. Polgar Chess Exhibition

U.S. Champion Hikaru Nakamura and GM Susan Polgar will play a unique exhibition game at the Millennium Chess Festival, held February 26 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The game will allow the casual player to get inside the mind of a grandmaster like never before.

Nakamura and Polgar will play from seperate rooms, with moves relayed by radio. Each room will have a live audience, and the players will be explaining their thought processes throughout the game.

This year's event, called the "GM Dinner/Exhibition Match," is the fourth in a series of special events since 2002 at the annual Millennium Chess Festival.

Chess Merchandise Clearance Sale

Although USCF Sales has moved to Connecticut, USCF's warehouse at 3054 US Rt 9W, New Windsor, NY still has a variety of chess sets, boards, books, apparel, videos, computers and software that we are offering at greatly reduced prices. The minimum purchase is $100.00 Most of this merchandise is for sale at cost. Those items marked with an (*), contact Joan DuBois for special quantity pricing.

Buy now and receive a free New In Chess or Chess Informant - While Supplies Last!

For further information or to place an order, contact Joan DuBois at joandubois@uschess.org, fax her at (845) 561-2437, or call (845) 562-8350, ext 123 and leave a message if she is not available.

For a complete list of available items, click here.