Photo: copyright 2008 by Ron Livshits.
International Master Ron Livshits, of Pickering, Ontario, is a Quality Assurance Manager for a Toronto software company. In 2009, he represented Canada at the Pan-American Championship, where he drew a game on Board 1. In 2008, he served as Canada's National Team Captain at the Olympiad in Dresden, Germany. In 2007, he tied for first place in the Canadian Championship. In 1995, he accomplished the rare feat of winning both the Canadian Closed and Open Championships in the same year.
Career highlights
Here is the decisive game from the 1991 Canadian Junior Championship, a win over the second place finisher:
Ron Livshits - Gregory Huber
1990-1 Canadian Junior Championship, Ottawa, Ontario, Round 1, 1990.12.26
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. c3 Nf6 4. Be2 Nc6
If 4... Nxe4 ?? 5. Qa4+ double attack wins the knight.
5. d3 g6 6. O-O Bg7 7. Nbd2 e5
Novelty. 7... O-O G. Barcza - B. Ivkov, 1955.
8. a3 a5 9. a4 d5
Always the test in the Sicilian Defence: can Black get away with this push to equalize?
10. exd5 Nxd5
If 10... Qxd5 11. Nc4.
11. Ne4 b6
If 11... Qe7 12. Qb3.
12. d4 Bf5 13. Bb5 Nde7 14. Ng3 O-O 15. Nxf5 gxf5 16. dxe5 +-
After the battle, White is clearly on top, with a safer king; better pawn structure; and a pair of bishops on an open board.
16... Nxe5 17. Nxe5 Bxe5 18. Qh5 Ng6 19. Bh6 Qf6 20. f4 Bd6 21. Bg5 Qe6 22. Rae1 Qb3 23. Bf6 Rfd8 24. Re3 Bf8 25. Qxf5 Rd2 26. Qh3 Qxb2 27. f5 c4 28. fxg6
Black must cough up more material to avoid immediate mate.
1-0
Thanks to: Ron Livshits (biography, photo).
Sources: En Passant 106, 1991.02, p.41; En Passant 107, 1991.04, p.13; 2008 Olympiad web page on the web site of the Chess Federation of Canada.