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'''[[Main Page|Home]] * [[People]] * Boris Baczynskyj'''
[[FILE:BorisBaczynskyj.jpg|border|right|thumb|link=http://nezhmet.wordpress.com/2008/06/16/the-fabulous-70s-boris-baczynskyj/|Boris Baczynskyj <ref>[http://nezhmet.wordpress.com/2008/06/16/the-fabulous-70s-boris-baczynskyj/ The Fabulous 70s: Boris Baczynskyj!] [http://uschessleague.com/player.php?p=mark-ginsburg IM Mark Ginsburg] [http://nezhmet.wordpress.com/ Presents A Personal Chess History]</ref> ]]
'''Boris Baczynskyj''', (1945 - 2008)<br/>
was an [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukrainian_American Ukrainian American] journalist, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIDE_titles#FIDE_Master_.28FM.29 FIDE Master], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia Philadelphia] chess legend <ref>[http://main.uschess.org/content/view/8135/429/ The United States Chess Federation - Philly Chess Legend, Boris Baczynskyj Dies], By [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennifer_Shahade Jennifer Shahade], January 24, 2008</ref>, chess coach and writer. He earned a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bachelor%27s_degree bachelor's degree] in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_science political science] from [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yale_University Yale University] in 1967. While in college, he was active in the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African-American_Civil_Rights_Movement_%281954%E2%80%9368%29 civil-rights movement] and was arrested during a protest march in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida Florida]. Before he became a full time chess coach, he served in the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_Corps Peace Corps] in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thailand Thailand] <ref> [http://thai27.com/volunteer_Boris_Baczynskyj2.html Boris Baczynskij: Peace Corps Thai 27]</ref> and was working as [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stringer_%28journalism%29 stringer] in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambodia Cambodia] in 1975 when the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khmer_Rouge Khmer Rouge] overthrew the government <ref>[http://articles.philly.com/2008-01-27/news/25254290_1_chess-master-chess-players-world-chess-federation Boris Baczynskyj, 62, chess master], By [http://www.zoominfo.com/p/Sally-Downey/110701650 Sally A. Downey], January 27, 2008, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia_Media_Network Philly.com]</ref>.
Along with [[David E. Welsh]], Boris Baczynskyj co-authored ''Computer Chess II'' <ref>[http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=39455 An interesting book with some insights on Bob's Cray Blitz] by [[Julien Marcel]], [[CCC]], June 23, 2011</ref>, and further anatomized some games of the [[ACM 1984]], as published in the [[ICGA Journal#8_3|ICCA Journal]]. He served as editor of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_Life Chess Life], worked for Hayden Software on the [[Sargon#Sargon3|Sargon III]] manual, and was affiliated with [[Fidelity Electronics|Fidelity International]] as chess advisor <ref>[http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=28425 The chess games of Boris Baczynskyj] from [http://www.chessgames.com/index.html chessgames.com]</ref>, also responsible for [[Fidelity|Fidelity's]] [[Opening Book|opening book]].
=Book Issues=
<span id="CrayBlitzFidelity"></span>On [[Fidelity|Fidelity X's]] 3...e5 in round 1 of the [[ACM 1984]] versus [[Cray Blitz]] <ref>[http://www.csvn.nl/downloads/partijen/landen-kampioenschappen/north-america/95-verzamelde-partijen-van-north-american-computer-chess-championships-1984-1994/file NACCC download], [[CSVN]] site</ref>, its [[Opening Book Authors|book author]] elaborates in the [[ICGA Journal#8_3|ICCA Journal]] <ref>[[Boris Baczynskyj]] ('''1985'''). ''The 15th ACM NACCC Anatomized''. [[ICGA Journal#8_3|ICCA Journal, Vol. 8, No. 3]]</ref>:
<pre>
[Event "ACM 1984"]
[Site "San Francisco USA"]
[Date "1984.10.07"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Cray Blitz"]
[Black "Fidelity X"]
[Result "1-0"]
1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.Nf3 e5 4.c3 Qa5 5.Qb3 f6 6.Bc4 Nh6 7.Bxh6 gxh6 8.Bg8 Kd8
9.Qf7 Rxg8 10.Qxg8 Ke8 11.Qxh7 Qb5 12.b3 Qc6 13.O-O dxc3 14.Nxc3 b6 15.Nd5 Qd6
16.Nh4 Ba6 17.Nf5 Qa3 18.Qg6+ Kd8 19.Qxf6+ Kc8 20.Rfc1+ Bc4 21.Rxc4+ Qc5
22.Qxf8+ Kb7 23.Rxc5 bxc5 24.Qxc5 Nc6 25.Nd6+ Kb8 26.Qb5# 1-0
</pre>
Cray has recently refurbished its [[Opening Book|tournament book]] - as evidenced by the tricky sequence it essays here. The usual follow-up to White's second move is 3.c3, initiating the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sicilian_Defence,_Smith%E2%80%93Morra_Gambit Smith-Morra Gambit]. 3. ... e5? Probably any computer, left to its own devices, would "find" this inferior move. What chip worth its silicon could resist discerning the "key" point that Black holds its extra pawn because 4.Nxe5? is plastered by 4. ...Qa5, followed by 5. ... Qxe5, Ahhh! But the move weakens the d5-square and the a2-f7 diagonal. That's not important to a chess computer, which, in [[Michael Valvo|Valvo's]] felicitous formulation, 'just loves to eat'.
Machines' materialistic tendencies are one reason why humans forced-feed computers with [[Opening Book|opening books]]. To the amazement of the [[Dan Spracklen|Spracklens]], operating Fidelity X, their machine was now out of book. They suspected a technical failure. Actually the failure was all human. Fidelity's Chess Advisor, who had designed the book used in San Francisco, had simply failed to include Cray's opening sequence. Although White's opening is unusual, it is not unprecedented. Certainly it belonged in the book, which encompasses many thousands of moves.
I happen to know this story because, for almost two years, I worked as the only Chess Advisor Fidelity Computer Products ever had. Better is 3. ... Nc6, 3. ... e6, 3. ... d6, which should [[Transposition|transpose]] into normal [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sicilian_Defence Sicilian variations].
=Selected Publications=
* [[David E. Welsh]], [[Boris Baczynskyj]] ('''1985'''). ''[http://www.amazon.com/Computer-Chess-II-David-Welsh/dp/0697099113 Computer Chess II]''. William C Brown Publications, ISBN-13: 978-0697099112 <ref>[http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=61543 Transposition tables in Cray Blitz] by [[Erin Dame]], [[CCC]], September 26, 2016 » [[Transposition Table]], [[Cray Blitz]]</ref> <ref>[[Tony Marsland]] ('''1985'''). ''D.E. Welsh and B. Baczynskyj: Computer Chess II''. [[ICGA Journal#8_3|ICCA Journal, Vol. 8, No. 3]] (review)</ref>
* [[Boris Baczynskyj]] ('''1985'''). ''The 15th ACM NACCC Anatomized''. [[ICGA Journal#8_3|ICCA Journal, Vol. 8, No. 3]] » [[ACM 1984]]
=External Links=
* [http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=28425 The chess games of Boris Baczynskyj] from [http://www.chessgames.com/index.html chessgames.com]
* [http://www.365chess.com/players/Boris_Baczynskyj Boris Baczynskyj chess games - 365Chess.com]
* [http://main.uschess.org/content/view/8135/429/ The United States Chess Federation - Philly Chess Legend, Boris Baczynskyj Dies], By [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennifer_Shahade Jennifer Shahade], January 24, 2008
* [http://articles.philly.com/2008-01-27/news/25254290_1_chess-master-chess-players-world-chess-federation Boris Baczynskyj, 62, chess master], By [http://www.zoominfo.com/p/Sally-Downey/110701650 Sally A. Downey], January 27, 2008, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia_Media_Network Philly.com]
* [http://nezhmet.wordpress.com/2008/06/16/the-fabulous-70s-boris-baczynskyj/ The Fabulous 70s: Boris Baczynskyj!] [http://uschessleague.com/player.php?p=mark-ginsburg IM Mark Ginsburg] [http://nezhmet.wordpress.com/ Presents A Personal Chess History]
* [http://www.chess.com/article/view/belle-baczynskyj-and-bisguier BELLE, Baczynskyj, and Bisguier] by [http://www.chess.com/members/view/spassky Bruce Till], August 06, 2009, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess.com Chess.com] » [[Belle]]
* [http://thai27.com/volunteer_Boris_Baczynskyj2.html Boris Baczynskij: Peace Corps Thai 27]
=References=
<references />
'''[[People|Up one level]]'''
[[FILE:BorisBaczynskyj.jpg|border|right|thumb|link=http://nezhmet.wordpress.com/2008/06/16/the-fabulous-70s-boris-baczynskyj/|Boris Baczynskyj <ref>[http://nezhmet.wordpress.com/2008/06/16/the-fabulous-70s-boris-baczynskyj/ The Fabulous 70s: Boris Baczynskyj!] [http://uschessleague.com/player.php?p=mark-ginsburg IM Mark Ginsburg] [http://nezhmet.wordpress.com/ Presents A Personal Chess History]</ref> ]]
'''Boris Baczynskyj''', (1945 - 2008)<br/>
was an [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukrainian_American Ukrainian American] journalist, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIDE_titles#FIDE_Master_.28FM.29 FIDE Master], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia Philadelphia] chess legend <ref>[http://main.uschess.org/content/view/8135/429/ The United States Chess Federation - Philly Chess Legend, Boris Baczynskyj Dies], By [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennifer_Shahade Jennifer Shahade], January 24, 2008</ref>, chess coach and writer. He earned a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bachelor%27s_degree bachelor's degree] in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_science political science] from [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yale_University Yale University] in 1967. While in college, he was active in the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African-American_Civil_Rights_Movement_%281954%E2%80%9368%29 civil-rights movement] and was arrested during a protest march in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida Florida]. Before he became a full time chess coach, he served in the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_Corps Peace Corps] in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thailand Thailand] <ref> [http://thai27.com/volunteer_Boris_Baczynskyj2.html Boris Baczynskij: Peace Corps Thai 27]</ref> and was working as [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stringer_%28journalism%29 stringer] in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambodia Cambodia] in 1975 when the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khmer_Rouge Khmer Rouge] overthrew the government <ref>[http://articles.philly.com/2008-01-27/news/25254290_1_chess-master-chess-players-world-chess-federation Boris Baczynskyj, 62, chess master], By [http://www.zoominfo.com/p/Sally-Downey/110701650 Sally A. Downey], January 27, 2008, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia_Media_Network Philly.com]</ref>.
Along with [[David E. Welsh]], Boris Baczynskyj co-authored ''Computer Chess II'' <ref>[http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=39455 An interesting book with some insights on Bob's Cray Blitz] by [[Julien Marcel]], [[CCC]], June 23, 2011</ref>, and further anatomized some games of the [[ACM 1984]], as published in the [[ICGA Journal#8_3|ICCA Journal]]. He served as editor of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_Life Chess Life], worked for Hayden Software on the [[Sargon#Sargon3|Sargon III]] manual, and was affiliated with [[Fidelity Electronics|Fidelity International]] as chess advisor <ref>[http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=28425 The chess games of Boris Baczynskyj] from [http://www.chessgames.com/index.html chessgames.com]</ref>, also responsible for [[Fidelity|Fidelity's]] [[Opening Book|opening book]].
=Book Issues=
<span id="CrayBlitzFidelity"></span>On [[Fidelity|Fidelity X's]] 3...e5 in round 1 of the [[ACM 1984]] versus [[Cray Blitz]] <ref>[http://www.csvn.nl/downloads/partijen/landen-kampioenschappen/north-america/95-verzamelde-partijen-van-north-american-computer-chess-championships-1984-1994/file NACCC download], [[CSVN]] site</ref>, its [[Opening Book Authors|book author]] elaborates in the [[ICGA Journal#8_3|ICCA Journal]] <ref>[[Boris Baczynskyj]] ('''1985'''). ''The 15th ACM NACCC Anatomized''. [[ICGA Journal#8_3|ICCA Journal, Vol. 8, No. 3]]</ref>:
<pre>
[Event "ACM 1984"]
[Site "San Francisco USA"]
[Date "1984.10.07"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Cray Blitz"]
[Black "Fidelity X"]
[Result "1-0"]
1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.Nf3 e5 4.c3 Qa5 5.Qb3 f6 6.Bc4 Nh6 7.Bxh6 gxh6 8.Bg8 Kd8
9.Qf7 Rxg8 10.Qxg8 Ke8 11.Qxh7 Qb5 12.b3 Qc6 13.O-O dxc3 14.Nxc3 b6 15.Nd5 Qd6
16.Nh4 Ba6 17.Nf5 Qa3 18.Qg6+ Kd8 19.Qxf6+ Kc8 20.Rfc1+ Bc4 21.Rxc4+ Qc5
22.Qxf8+ Kb7 23.Rxc5 bxc5 24.Qxc5 Nc6 25.Nd6+ Kb8 26.Qb5# 1-0
</pre>
Cray has recently refurbished its [[Opening Book|tournament book]] - as evidenced by the tricky sequence it essays here. The usual follow-up to White's second move is 3.c3, initiating the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sicilian_Defence,_Smith%E2%80%93Morra_Gambit Smith-Morra Gambit]. 3. ... e5? Probably any computer, left to its own devices, would "find" this inferior move. What chip worth its silicon could resist discerning the "key" point that Black holds its extra pawn because 4.Nxe5? is plastered by 4. ...Qa5, followed by 5. ... Qxe5, Ahhh! But the move weakens the d5-square and the a2-f7 diagonal. That's not important to a chess computer, which, in [[Michael Valvo|Valvo's]] felicitous formulation, 'just loves to eat'.
Machines' materialistic tendencies are one reason why humans forced-feed computers with [[Opening Book|opening books]]. To the amazement of the [[Dan Spracklen|Spracklens]], operating Fidelity X, their machine was now out of book. They suspected a technical failure. Actually the failure was all human. Fidelity's Chess Advisor, who had designed the book used in San Francisco, had simply failed to include Cray's opening sequence. Although White's opening is unusual, it is not unprecedented. Certainly it belonged in the book, which encompasses many thousands of moves.
I happen to know this story because, for almost two years, I worked as the only Chess Advisor Fidelity Computer Products ever had. Better is 3. ... Nc6, 3. ... e6, 3. ... d6, which should [[Transposition|transpose]] into normal [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sicilian_Defence Sicilian variations].
=Selected Publications=
* [[David E. Welsh]], [[Boris Baczynskyj]] ('''1985'''). ''[http://www.amazon.com/Computer-Chess-II-David-Welsh/dp/0697099113 Computer Chess II]''. William C Brown Publications, ISBN-13: 978-0697099112 <ref>[http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=61543 Transposition tables in Cray Blitz] by [[Erin Dame]], [[CCC]], September 26, 2016 » [[Transposition Table]], [[Cray Blitz]]</ref> <ref>[[Tony Marsland]] ('''1985'''). ''D.E. Welsh and B. Baczynskyj: Computer Chess II''. [[ICGA Journal#8_3|ICCA Journal, Vol. 8, No. 3]] (review)</ref>
* [[Boris Baczynskyj]] ('''1985'''). ''The 15th ACM NACCC Anatomized''. [[ICGA Journal#8_3|ICCA Journal, Vol. 8, No. 3]] » [[ACM 1984]]
=External Links=
* [http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=28425 The chess games of Boris Baczynskyj] from [http://www.chessgames.com/index.html chessgames.com]
* [http://www.365chess.com/players/Boris_Baczynskyj Boris Baczynskyj chess games - 365Chess.com]
* [http://main.uschess.org/content/view/8135/429/ The United States Chess Federation - Philly Chess Legend, Boris Baczynskyj Dies], By [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennifer_Shahade Jennifer Shahade], January 24, 2008
* [http://articles.philly.com/2008-01-27/news/25254290_1_chess-master-chess-players-world-chess-federation Boris Baczynskyj, 62, chess master], By [http://www.zoominfo.com/p/Sally-Downey/110701650 Sally A. Downey], January 27, 2008, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia_Media_Network Philly.com]
* [http://nezhmet.wordpress.com/2008/06/16/the-fabulous-70s-boris-baczynskyj/ The Fabulous 70s: Boris Baczynskyj!] [http://uschessleague.com/player.php?p=mark-ginsburg IM Mark Ginsburg] [http://nezhmet.wordpress.com/ Presents A Personal Chess History]
* [http://www.chess.com/article/view/belle-baczynskyj-and-bisguier BELLE, Baczynskyj, and Bisguier] by [http://www.chess.com/members/view/spassky Bruce Till], August 06, 2009, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess.com Chess.com] » [[Belle]]
* [http://thai27.com/volunteer_Boris_Baczynskyj2.html Boris Baczynskij: Peace Corps Thai 27]
=References=
<references />
'''[[People|Up one level]]'''
