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    My relationship with the local Jeruchess club is far from being rosy, and for this reason I avoided any chess activity in the club for a few months now. I don't try to exaggerate the importance of this fact - the club functioned in the past and probably will function in the future in the same little narrow room, where usually you can't move without interrupting few other players on the way as you try to get to the window to get some air, and it doesn't need me for lingering on. However, when I learned about Mark Dvoretsky planned lectures in the club, my pride and determination quickly dissolved, and I decided to attend this outstanding event.

  I was a bit late for the first lecture which was given in Russian, and I was sure I will hardly get a chair as the place must be packed. To my utter surprise, it wasn't the case. Despite the fact that the lecture was promoted on few local chess sites and forums, there were very few chess players attending the first lecture. This is a sad indicator of the diminishing interest in classical chess, at least in Jerusalem. As if to prove it, some club residents played endless blitz games just outside the room instead of listening to the lecture. English lecture however saw additional 5-6 people joining, bringing the room capacity close to its sensible limit. Few fellow teammembers from my team "Jeruchess Tet" couldn't make it to the lectures due to various contraints, and of course my grumble is not addressed to them.

      I must admit, it took me a while to believe that Mark Dvoretsky himself is lecturing and showing us positions. I don't think he needs introduction - world-class chess coach who worked, at least for some time, with nearly all the top young players in the world, the coach of Yusupov, Dolmatov, Zvyagintsev, Bologan....one can go on and on with this list. I was quite shocked to hear that his services are not required by the Russian chess federation, and he mostly works with "private" chess professionals.

      Both lectures was based on Q&A - for example, I asked about non-standard material ratio. Here I bring you some examples which I remembered, as well as some which I didn't remember and Mr. Dvoretsky courteously reminded me. The solutions will be posted in a few days - for now, you are welcome to dive in!

Shortcomings of computer analysis

                  Black to move. Find the most principle continuation and support it with calculation.

Shortcomings of computer analysis

Black to move

Profilactic thinking

White to move. Find the best move which leads to serious advantage for White (hard one)

Profilactic thinking

White to move. Find the best continuation, and explain.

Profilactic thinking

Black to move. Find the best way to exploit its positional advantage.

Profilactic thinking

Black to move. Find the best way to exploit its positional advantage.

        My memory is quite poor but here is a childhood episode which I remember well: some 20 years ago, I was on summer holidays with my parents at the hotel near Moscow, and a boy whose name was Lenya offered to play a game of chess. I can't recall why we didn't finish the game there, but it was adjourned, and we finished it over the phone from our homes. Lenya played even worse than me, and I managed to win. It seems that he was quite surprised with the loss, as he told me that his father is a well-known chess coach. I already knew the surname "Dvoretsky" - it was famous enough even for a small boy who loved chess. Mr. Dvoretsky was quite amused by this story - we DO live in a small global village, don't we - and I learned from him that Lenya starts to work in England for a marketing company. Using this opportunity, I want to wish him best of luck.

   On Saturday, a day before Mark left Israel,  a few guys from the club, including myself, took him for a trip around Jerusalem. Our team's first board player Piter, who is also a vivid tourist guide, showed us around. Pictures will tell the rest - enjoy!

Camel race

Not sure who is surrending - Mark or the camel

We started our trip at a nice Arab restaraunt "Abu-Shukri" in Abu-Gosh, near Jerusalem
Left to right: Itay Zlotogorsky, Mark Dvoretsky, our guide Piter Gukhvat and myself.

With Jerusalem hills in the background.  Western suburb of Jerusalem - Ein-Karem is a place where John the Baptist was born.

Sightseeing spot in Armon Ha-Natziv district (Hebrew for "The commissioner's palace"). Here's where the High commissioner of Palestine lived during the English mandate. Right behind us is the Old city and the north-eastern part of the new city. Far right - our teammate Gabi Calabrese, born in Argentina.

"Knafe" is an Arab pastery, based on goat cheese. Piter brought us to this interesting place, in the heart of the Arab quarter, Old City.

This is where I end my report. Hope to see Mr. Dvoretsky visiting us again!