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June 10, 2011
Utah's Newest Expert, Scott Treiman, Talks about Chess
Scott Treiman is Utah’s newest chess expert! For the past year, before crossing the 2000 barrier, his rating had gone up in every tournament he played. At the early age of 16, while playing in the Western States Open in Reno in October, 2010, he arrived into the ranks of US Chess Federation experts. In November, he surged upward further with a second place finish at the Utah Closed Championship, narrowly missing clear first place in a close last-round game. This article is based on an interview with him that took place shortly afterward.
All four of Scott’s games at the Closed were the last games to finish in the round. He rose to the occasion in round two, and defeated his good friend Kayden Troff, who had just returned from the World Championships in Greece with the silver medal, and who was strongly favored to win the Utah State title. How did Scott win this game against Utah’s strongest chess player? “Obviously Kayden was tired from traveling,” said Scott. “The opening was equal, and I was on the white side of a Gruenfeld defense. Kayden could have opened the center, with my king still in it, but he didn’t because he couldn’t calculate a way to do it. We traded off to an endgame, where my king position was better. Then Kayden made a mistake pushing a pawn, lost his c-pawn, and it was a straightforward win after that. There was definitely some luck in that game, but I was happy.” This was his first official victory over a National Master.
If this were a normal time in the history of Utah chess, Scott would be a young state celebrity gaining a lot of time in the spotlight. But because of 13-year-old Kayden’s incredible talent, Scott’s own swift development has taken place in a shadow. When asked how he felt about growing up alongside a chess giant, he replied enthusiastically, “Kayden’s friendship has helped me tremendously! For example, without him I wouldn’t have gone to so many national tournaments. He also gives me an example that you really can get that good!” On top of that, Kayden’s parents, Dan and Kim have helped him out in many ways. “It’s very good for chess in Utah that we have someone as amazing as Kayden who is going places.” When quizzed about Kayden’s future, Scott replied confidently, “He is easily good enough to become a grandmaster,” and expects that if he chooses to become a professional chess player he will one day break into the Super-GM ranks.
Scott is an 11th grader at Rowland Hall School where he is taking a very challenging course load including Advanced Placement Chemistry and AP Biology. He also plays #2 singles on his high-school tennis team. His team just won the Utah State 2A Championship and he won the individual state title for #2 singles. However, he still thinks that he is better at chess than tennis. He won the Utah Junior High title and hopes to add a state high school champion trophy to his mantle next year. At the National Grade Level Championships in Florida in December, Scott had a tremendous finish, ending up in fourth place in a section comprised of hundreds of rising stars from all over the United States.
“Tennis and chess have some overlaps,” says Scott, perhaps explaining why many chess players also play tennis. “Both games involve a lot of strategy and mental toughness,” he remarked. “If you’re good at chess it helps you keep a mental edge in your tennis game. Also, playing tennis before a chess game helps. The exercise wakes you up.” He notices that the reverse is also true. After a chess tournament he goes home and plays his best tennis.
Scott started to get serious about his chess game at age nine when his friend Adam Mielke was trying to start a chess team at the McGillis School. Scott joined the team and soon realized he had a talent. He says, “My father’s side of the family all play chess, and my dad can still give me a good game,” despite the fact that Scott is solidly among the top ten active players of all ages in Utah. Many years later Scott is still friends with Adam Mielke. Though higher rated, Scott says his record with Adam is “something like 0 and 15.”
So what is his secret for such consistent improvement? “ I studied a lot over the last two summers,” he said, “and summer study pays off over about a six-month period.” He has had several opportunities over the past few years to play out-of-state tournaments, as the Treiman family is good friends with the Troff family, and they often travel together. “Utah players of the same rating are far better than counterparts elsewhere,” Scott asserts, echoing the experience of many others who play around the country. Compared to more populated states, the paucity of tournaments in Utah means that the ratio of studying time to playing time is higher here. “Look at Shahram [Nazarinia] for example. If he were living in New York he’d be over 1900 for sure, and maybe over 2000.” Shahram defeated two experts in the first rounds of the Utah Closed before being stopped by Scott in a very close, time-pressure endgame.
When asked how he studies chess, Scott replied that he spends most of his time with tactics at the chess.com website. Like many top Utah players, he doesn’t study the openings in detail and “wings them.” He has made an effort to study openings, but as all top GM’s know, they are extremely time-consuming. With so many difficult classes and other activities like tennis, reading opening books doesn’t seem like the best investment of his limited time. But some lines he knows very well. Scott says that he studied endgames a lot when he was young, and that study has definitely helped his game. Since July he has been using the top-rated chess program, Rybka, as a study partner.
For tournaments in Utah Scott might prepare a specific opening line for a player whose repertoire he knows. In general, he looks up his opponents on the Megabase. “It makes the game a lot easier when you have the first few moves planned out in advance,” Scott says. “It also adds confidence if you feel familiar with some of the ideas your opponent likes, and their style. It is like a football team watching game films of other teams.” To prepare for a tournament, he warms himself up with tactics for a couple of days in advance. When asked when he thinks he will cross the 2200 mark, he said, “If I takes a gap year off after school and study chess seriously, it could happen then. But, if I don’t take a year off, then perhaps sometime in college, if I keep improving my game. But I’m not looking that far ahead, I’m just looking to the next tournament.” He is clear that he will not become a chess professional, but will attend college and graduate school.
Regarding Fischer Random (Chess960) he says he likes it, but doesn’t feel he is all that good at it. “It is a new and interesting chess variant that will gain popularity in the future as more and more openings are figured out, versus needing to know the Catalan System 16 moves deep, which is unbelievably boring,” Scott says. His plan is to first master classical chess, and just play Chess960 for fun on the side.
He compares his chess style with GM Baadur Jobava from the country of Georgia who plays a lot of Scott’s favorite openings. “The novelties he comes up with are amazing.” When pressed to explain how he started watching GM Jobava’s games, Scott said, “I thought his name was cool.” Scott has already played two grandmasters, Loek van Vely and Timur Gareev. “They are both very nice guys. I found a great tactic vs. Gareev in our ten-minute game, but lost anyway.”
In an amusing moment of humble honesty, Scott confessed, “To be honest, all of my games are significantly bad in one way or another. When we analyze it later and see what we overlooked… Oh man!” As can be expected from such a sharp young tactician, many of his games have been “miniatures,” finishing in 25 moves or less. Over the years he has won some big money games, with hundreds of dollars in prizes on the line.
Over the years, Scott has had the opportunity to learn from several chess teachers. Vanel Sanchez taught him chess for 3 years. He credits Vince Bazemore for “getting me off the ground before he left Utah.” Michael Mielke also helped him get into chess. He has taken lessons with IM Sam Shankland and studies with Arizona FM Robby Adamson. Because of his heavy homework load, he doesn’t have as much time to study chess as he would like. He gives back to chess by leading the TNT Chess Camps with the Treiman ‘n’ Troff families. He says the camps are “Great for players up to about a 1600 level. We’re continually offering new curriculum. It’s a good combination of chess and fun activities.” Scott is not teaching private lessons because of all of his studies, but during the summer he might take on some students.
Scott finished the interview with words of advice for young, up-and-coming players: “Study tactics, don’t focus too much on openings, and play as many tournaments as you can. Scholastic tournaments are great when they are there. Play as many as you can.” And finally, “Take your time during games! Don’t play too quickly like so many young players do.” What follows is one of Scott’s favorite games, which he has annotated.
Curtis Winter (1989) - Scott Treiman (2029) [D12]
National K–12 Championship 2010 (7), 12.12.2010
This was my last game at the National K–12 Grade Championships in the 11th Grade Section. I knew before the game that I had an outside chance at winning 1st if I won and the top 3 boards all drew. This game was against Curtis Winter, the 2010 Junior Grand Prix Champion. 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3
4...Bf5 I had never played this move before, not even in a practice game, but I felt this move gave me a greater chance to win. 5.Nc3 e6 6.Nh4 Be4 7.f3 Bg6 8.g3 [8.Qb3 is the most common move and almost always played.] 8...Be7 9.Bd2 Nbd7 10.Nxg6 The only game to reach this position was Nogueiras-Hauchard 2001, and they agreed on a draw in this position. 10...hxg6 11.Bd3
11. ...e5!? I knew my opponent was going to try to open up the position with e4 so I decided to not waste the chance and play e5 12.Qb3 [12.cxd5 Nxd5 13.Nxd5 cxd5 14.Qb3 Probably slightly stronger for white] 12...exd4 13.exd4 Qb6 14.c5
14...Qxb3 Often these queen trades aren't favorable for black because white will attempt to play b4, b5, trade, and then push the second b pawn to secure an advantage. White will have a semi-open a file for their rook while black will have pawn weaknesses on the queenside and less space. However, I realized that black's main goal in those positions is to trade e pawns, which had already been done. Also, I knew I'd have time to play a6 and move my rook, stopping b5. 15.axb3 a6 16.Kf2
16...Nf8 Here my plan was to reroute by knight to e6, reroute my other knight to d7, and move my bishop to f6 to attack the d4 pawn while defending my weaknesses on the queenside. Later I would then try to castle and maybe double up rooks on the e file 17.Bc2? I didn't understand this move because it seems to waste a tempo. I think bringing a rook to the e file or b4 made more sense. [17.b4 Rc8 18.Rae1 Kd7= (18...Ne6 Also a move but complicated 19.Bxg6 (19.Rxe6!? fxe6 20.Bxg6+ Kd7 21.h4 Where white's kingside pawns and bishop may be enough for the exchange) 19...Nxd4 20.Bb1 a5=) ] 17...Ne6 18.Be3
18...Nd7 [18...Bxc5 An interesting sacrifice. I saw this move but elected to continue with my plan. 19.dxc5 d4 20.Bd2 dxc3 21.Bxc3 Nxc5 22.Rhe1+ Kf8 23.h4 Re8 Black is up a pawn but white has the bishop pair and compensation for the pawn.] 19.Rad1 Bf6 20.Ne2 0–0 21.Rhe1 Rfe8
I was pleased with my position at this point and felt I had done a good job completing my plan. Here my opponent blundered with: 22.Kg2? My opponent touched his king and then quickly realized he would lose the pawn. While some players might claim they didn't touch a piece, he was very honest and proceeded to move his king. [22.b4=] 22...Nexc5µ Winning a free pawn 23.Bf2 [23.dxc5? Rxe3–+] 23...Ne6 Both me and my opponent were down to about 30 minutes but he tried to blitz me out for the next couple of moves before resigning. 24.Nc3 Rad8 25.f4 Ndf8 26.f5 gxf5 27.Bxf5 g6 28.Bxe6? Trading the bishop for the knight further helped me obtain a clear edge. 28...Rxe6 29.Rxe6 Nxe6 30.Ne2 Re8 31.Nc3 Ng5
Here my opponent decided to resign. I was ready to launch a knight into e4 and further increase my advantage [as the weak d- and b-pawns would soon fall]. I felt that overall I played a solid game with little mistakes, something very rare in my games. I thought that I would have a chance of tying for the championship but right as my game ended board 2 had a decisive result, ending the chance of tying for 1st. Nevertheless, I ended up with clear 4th in my grade. 0–1
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