Two and a half months after the death of the great chess legend Bobby Fischer, the examination of his legal estate has yielded some intriguing information, gleaned from the hard disk of his notebook computer. Apparently the reclusive former World Champion followed the chess activities of his colleagues quite closely, and in fact corresponded with a few of them. Today we received copies of his letters.
Archive for March, 2008
Just uncovered – Fischer’s Electronic Archives
Published by March 31st, 2008 in Chess News. 0 Comments‘Radio Rustam’ on Dynamic Chess in the Bundesliga
Published by March 31st, 2008 in Chess News. 0 CommentsFormer FIDE Chess World Champion Rustam Kasimdzhanov will be giving live online
training on every Tuesday from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. CET/GMT +1 on the Playchess
server. In tonight’s show, Rustam shows us a variety of games that illustrate the dynamic chess that is being played in the German Bundesliga. The transmission will feature live audio commentary, the entrance
fee is ten Ducats.
It was an interesting experiment: the former World Champion has, after his retirement from chess, tried his hand at the Japanese version of the game. Shogi is played on a 9 by 9 uncheckered board with flat wedge-shaped pieces with Kanji characters written on them. In his very first game Kasparov came ominously close to humiliating a three-dan player. Report and game.
Two and a half months after the death of the great chess legend Bobby Fischer, the examination of his legal estate has yielded some intriguing information, gleaned from the hard disk of his notebook computer. Apparently the reclusive former World Champion followed the chess activities of his colleagues quite closely, and in fact corresponded with a few of them. Today we received copies of his letters.
Sights, sounds and smells of opening day
Click-2-Listen
By Ben Volin
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Monday, March 31, 2008
MIAMI GARDENS — Sights
Players killing time. The Mets reached the park at noon for a 4:25 start. Ryan Church curled up on the couch to watch Caddyshack on one of the visiting clubhouse’s big screens, while John Maine (John Maine is known as a chess fanatic) outdueled Mike Pelfrey in chess and Aaron Heilman got the better of Matt Wise in a heated game of Connect Four. “What’d you get on your SATs?” Wise said. Heilman, a Notre Dame product, didn’t answer.
Here is the full article.
My husband and I have been in a number of negotiation sessions (via phone) this entire weekend which could immediately effect our USCF board members status as well as our status at the Texas Tech University Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence. I expect to be able to bring you the latest news within the next 48 hours. Stay tune!
Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, President of FIDE and Kalmykia
Here is my sister Sofia’s latest painting. She JUST created a BRAND NEW website with VERY COOL stuff in it. I love her website! You can check it out by clicking here.
Six Year Old Cooper Takes State Chess Tournament
According to ChristiaNet.com
MEDIA ADVISORY, March 31 /Christian Newswire/ — There are few words six year old William Cooper, Jr. likes more than the two he uttered seven times at the State of Texas Elementary Chess Championship: check mate. “I was surprised,” said Cooper, a resident of Texas. “It was very scary for several of my games.” Scary, for the first grader who is studying pre-algebra math, meant he made several moves during his games that he immediately realized were mistakes. But he was able to overcome them to take first place at the tournament, a repeat of his finish at the 2007 tournament were he tied for first place.
“My dad was praying for me every time I was playing one of the games which could last one to two hours each over a two day tournament weekend. If I was in a difficult situation, I would stop to think knowing because of the prayer God would give me wisdom”, stated Cooper. William has learned many life lessons from playing chess over the past year. “Chess has taught me about prayer, practice, patience and making friends. Making friends from different parts of the state and country has been a lot of fun.”
Here is the full article.
Betsy Dynako reports on an exciting Chicago evening of chess and philanthropy, featuring Dr. Jane Goodall and GM Yury Shulman’s Chess Without Borders.
Black to move. Is it possible for Black to hold this position?
3r2k1/4qpp1/7p/p3n3/1p2P3/1P5P/PB1R1PP1/3Q2K1 b – - 0 1
Magnus Carlsen’s rating is currently at 2733. He is about to gain 32 points to get to 2765!! Levon Aronian’s rating is currently at 2739. He is gaining 24 points to get to 2763! Anand gains about 5 points to get back above 2800 while both Kramnik (2799-11) and Topalov (2780-13) lost points. Morozevich is at 2765 and he is gaining 9 points to get to 2774.
So it looks like Anand (2804) will be #1, followed by Kramnik (2788), Morozevich (2774), Topalov (2767), Carlsen (2765) and Aronian (2763). This is just my own rough calculation. Please feel free to correct any error.
Can Carlsen jump to the top 3 in the next list? Can Morozevich break 2800? What do you think?
Czech President has doubt in Kasparov’s plan
Published by March 31st, 2008 in Susan Polgar Chess. 0 Comments
Czech President not sure Kasparov’s path right for Russia
Hluboka nad Vltavou- Czech President Vaclav Klaus said today Russia needs political changes, but he does not know whether it should follow the path indicated by the chess legend Garry Kasparov, leader of the Russian opposition, whom he met today.
Klaus met Kasparov at Hluboka where Kasparov plays an exhibition game with 26 players, including Klaus’s son Jan Klaus and son of Industry and Trade Minister Martin Riman, Vaclav Riman.
Kasparov’s rivals in the simultaneous game are also bankers, businesspeople and children.
Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg also accepted an invitation to Hluboka, but he said he will not play.
Klaus met Kasparov several times before and he knows his opinions.
“President Klaus wanted to learn more about the situation in Russia, to discuss Russian domestic problems and hear my opinions of the policy pursued by Putin’s regime,” Kasparov said at a press conference after the meeting.
Here is the full article.
Humpy and Sasikiran join leaders
KOLKATA: The third Kolkata Open chess tournament title race promises to be a close affair with seven jointly sharing the lead with 5.5 points at the end of the seventh round at the Gorky Sadan here on Sunday. The joint second place was even more crowded with 14 players occupying it with 5 points each.
Top seeded Grandmaster Krishnan Sasikiran, playing the black side of a Queen’s Gambit accepted variation against GM Viktor Laznicka of the Czech Republic, enjoyed an advantage throughout. Despite capturing a pawn in the endgame, the Indian super GM failed to win the game in the king and pawn endgame. Both with 5.5 points enjoyed the top spot.
Here is the full article.
Texas Tech University SPICE (Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence) will organize a number of chess tournaments and special chess camps in the upcoming months in Lubbock, Texas. Here are some of them:
April 26
Lubbock Open Chess Championship
(K-12) Scholastic & Adults
http://www.susanpolgar.blogspot.com/2008/03/lubbock-open-scholastic-championship.html
http://www.susanpolgar.blogspot.com/2008/03/2008-lubbock-open.html
July 21-24
“Chess: It’s a Girl Thing” Special Camp
http://www.susanpolgar.blogspot.com/2008/03/special-all-girls-chess-camp_19.html
July 27 – August 1
5th Annual Susan Polgar National Invitational for Girls
http://www.susanpolgar.blogspot.com/2008/03/rules-and-conditions-for-sp-national_19.html
September 19-28
2nd Annual “SPICE CUP” International Invitational Grandmaster Tournament
September 20
SPICE Cup Scholastic Open
September 27-28
SPICE Cup Open
In addition, the Susan Polgar Foundation is continuing to organize major events through out the United States. Here are some of our upcoming events:
Third Annual Susan Polgar World Open Championship for Girls
and
Second Annual Susan Polgar World Chess Challenge for Boys
www.vegaschessfestival.com/polgar
Over $100,000 in scholarships and cool chess prizes are available
Sections: Under 8, 11, 15, 19
June 6-8, 2008 Las Vegas
G/45 5 Round Swiss
Susan Polgar All-Star Training for Girls
Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas
July 21-24
SPECIAL SUMMER CHESS CAMP 2008
at the Polgar Chess Center in Forest Hills, NY
Week 1: August 18 – 22
Week 2: August 25 – 29
Dr. Alexey Root just reported on CLO that GMs Julio Beccera, Alex Yermolinsky, Jesse Kraai, John Fedorowicz, and IM Dean Ippolito have tied for first at the US Championship Qualifier in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Since GM Beccera already qualified for the US Championship by rating, the other four players will now have a spot in the upcoming US Championship. Nine players tied for 6th place and the top three by tie breaks would qualify for the US Championship as well and they are Ludwig, Shankland, and Pruess.
Congratulations to all!
Lasker, Emanuel – Euwe, Max (Nottingham 1936) by Andreas
White to move. How do you assess this position? What is the best continuation for White?
8/pp4pp/2p1kp2/b7/2nP4/3K3P/PP3PP1/2B1N3 w – - 0 24
Making the right strategic decisions belongs to the most difficult tasks at the chessboard.
But how can one enhance one’s strategic understanding and methodical play? For the
present video course Rustam has carefully selected games from his own practice which
are dominated by positional and strategic considerations, clarifying in extensive annotations
which thoughts the decisions of the grandmasters are based upon. He shows how
the game plan is made already in the first moves of the opening and then – in the ideal case
- purposefully continued step by step in the middlegame. At the end of this entertaining
and practically relevant course, you will be familiar with many positional elements like e.g.
open lines, strong and weak squares, pawn chains, isolated pawns, space advantage, pawn
majorities, hanging pawns etc., making you ready to use them for your own play. Video running time: 3:54 min.
More information…
Steve Lopez spent the last several ChessBase Workshop columns discussing a new training feature in Fritz 11. This time he examines a new graphical element which appears in 3D chessboard modes: the “Magic Eye”. What is revolutionary training feature and how does it work? Learn more about it in the newest
ChessBase Workshop column.
Photo by Jed Jacobsohn
The 2008 MLB season has begun. The defending champion is the Boston Red Sox. But are they the odds-on favorite in the October playoff and World Series? Which team do you pick to win it all in 2008?
This was Bobby at our family summer home.
Where and when was this picture taken and from which event?
The Frank Berry U.S. Championship Qualifier Open ended in a five way tie for first between GMs Becerra, Yermolinsky, Kraai, Fedorowicz and IM Ippolito. Check out qualifier news and final standings.
Kevin Kline Turns French… For Real This Time
Posted Mar 30th 2008 11:02AM by Monika Bartyzel
Time really does fly. It has been thirteen years since Kevin Kline wooed Meg Ryan in French Kiss, where he got to play a theiving French man who could teach someone to pull out the complex flavors in wine in seconds. It’s not Shakespeare, or storms of ice, but it has its moments. And now, he gets to play a French man for real — in French! The Hollywood Reporter posts that Kline has signed on for his first French speaking role in Caroline Bottaro’s drama Queen to Play (Joueuse).
This is the chess film I blogged about back in November, which focuses on “a hotel chambermaid who develops an obsession for chess.” Bruno Ganz was attached, but now it looks like he is out. Instead, Klein will be rejoined by his Anniversary Party co-star Jennifer Beals, plus Sandrine Bonnaire and Francis Renaud. Bonnaire will play the chambermaid who is “captivated by a romantic couple (Beals and Renaud) playing chess while staying at the Mediterranean island hotel where she works. The doctor (Kline) whose house she cleans reluctantly becomes her mentor in the game, leading her to a chess tournament and initiating major transformations in her life.”
Here is the full article.
Bronstein – Boleslavsky (Moscow 1950) by Andreas
White to move. How should White proceed?
2rq1rk1/1b2bppp/p1n5/1p1BN3/5B2/P7/1P3PPP/R2Q1RK1 w – - 0 1
I just received the following from NM Michael Aigner. He is in Oklahoma competing in the US Championship Qualifier.
I received the following email from TD Richard Koepcke regarding the playoff for the annual Susan Polgar National Invitational for Girls. The K-12 division at the CalChess Girl’s Championship last month ended in a tie for first place between two of my students: Rebekah Liu and Samyukta Bhat.
Rebekah Liu won the match (1.5 to 0.5) yesterday at the Mechanics’ Institute. When reporting to the USCF on who is our Representative for the Polgar tournament, you should list Rebekah Liu as the Primary and Samyukta Bhat as the alternate.
Congratulations to Rebekah and good luck in Texas this summer! I am sure both girls will have many more chances in the coming years.
Special thanks to Michael Aigner and Richard Koepcke for the information.
“No, Hillary now says that she just made an honest mistake when she said she had to duck sniper fire in Bosnia. There was no hostile fire of any kind. Although, ironically, while she was away, Bill Clinton did see some action. Do you think this is a big deal? See, all candidates exaggerate. Remember when McCain ran in 2000? Remember that? He had to retract a claim that he had been under cannon fire from the Confederates.”
-Jay Leno
Can you name the maker and model of this car? 
Chess by Bill Cornwall
March 30, 2008
What are ratings? I often refer to the ratings players have, but I have seldom explained exactly what ratings are. A “rating” in chess is a numerical value derived from using a mathematical set of formulas that can be used to evaluate the relative strengths and performances of players. The most popular system was created by Arpad Elo, an American physics professor and chess master, whose Elo rating system was adopted by our country nearly 50 years ago. In the United States, we have subdivided ratings into 200 point ranges and given them names. Top-down, they are: Senior-Master, Master, Expert, and Class A, B, C, etc.
The World Chess Federation also uses Elo and regularly publishes a list ranking top players by rating. Appropriately tied at the top of the current list, with ratings of 2799, are World Champion Vishwanathan Anand of India and his immediate predecessor Vladimir Kramnik of Russia.
Here is the full article.
With one round to go, GM Alexander Yermolinsky and IM Dean Ippolito lead with 5/6 in the Frank Berry U.S. Championship Qualifier Open. Check out the wallchart after six rounds.
In this photo released by the World Wildlife Fund shows the lights on the Golden Gate Bridge are turned off. Lights on San Francisco landmarks are switched off for one hour today March 29, 2008 at 8 p.m. to raise awareness for “Earth Hour”, a global awareness campaign sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund. (AP Photo/HO – John Storey)
Web search engine page Google is shown on a computer screen with a black background to support Earth Hour in this photo taken in Toronto, March 29, 2008. Google has changed their page background to from white to black in order take part in Earth Hour, where people were encouraged to turn off their lights for off one hour to make a statement about climate change. REUTERS/Mark Blinch (CANADA)
Breaking News: Top players said no to 2008 US Championship
Published by March 30th, 2008 in Susan Polgar Chess. 0 Comments
Breaking News
The ten players seeded by rating for the Frank K. Berry U.S. Chess Championship (Tulsa, May 15-21) were to have replied by March 25th to their invitations. Early on, GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM Joel Benjamin, and Marc Arnold declined.
As of the start date of the Qualifier Open, five other invitees had not yet replied. Since the 25th, the Berry brothers have been calling those invitees. The following additional invitees have now said “no” to participating in May: GM Ildar Ibragimov and GM Larry Christiansen.
At this time, having not been in touch, GM Gata Kamsky and GM Jaan Ehlvest are presumed to have declined. Therefore, this weekend’s Qualifier Open participants GM Julio Beccera, GM Alexander Ivanov, GM Eugene Perelshteyn, GM Sergey Kudrin, and IM Ben Finegold are now seeded by rating into the May 13th-21st tournament.
Source: WIM Dr. Alexey Root for CLO
This is quite shocking because it is an Olympiad year. It means that the US Champion would be automatically seeded on the US national team. Therefore, there should have been more interest to participate and win the championship, not less. For the record, I was kindly extended an invitation to compete for the title in May in Tulsa but I respectfully declined.
Going for the final GM norm in Merida
Published by March 29th, 2008 in Susan Polgar Chess. 0 Comments
Chess
Leonard Barden
Saturday March 29, 2008
The Guardian
China’s golden girl Hou Yifan, 14, is closing in on a record-breaking grandmaster title at men’s level. Last week Hou won the Ataturk women’s invitational in Istanbul with an unbeaten 7/9 and a rating performance well above the required 2600 points.
Normally an all-female event would not count for the open GM title but two of her rivals were full GMs and a third awaited title ratification, so she should be going for her third and final GM norm when she competes in Merida, Spain, next week, where the top seed is the England No1 Michael Adams.
Hou can become a GM nearly a year younger than the all-time No1 female player, Judit Polgar. It is less than two decades since many experts argued that women could never achieve the highest male standards, and even after Polgar became a world top-10 GM there were claims that she was a unique phenomenon.
Can Hou surpass Polgar? I am not yet convinced. Polgar could have become a GM at 14 with selective tournaments, and the Beijing prodigy, though a wonderful strategist, has not shown the same level of tactical skills.
Here is the full article.
The first three rounds of the French Top 16 League took place from
March 21th-23th, 2008, in four separate venues covering leagues A and B. The
teams are playing with eight players per teams and at least one French female
player. Clichy and Mulhouse are leading in Group A, with nine points each, while
Cannes leads Evry by a point in Group B. Results, games and picture gallery.
Täby – biggest Women’s Open in chess history
Published by March 29th, 2008 in Chess News. 0 CommentsIt was as bold as brass, the intention of the Swedish organizers enter the Guinness record book with the largest women’s event ever. In attendance: 46 women grandmasters and 44 international masters (the Moscow Women Open 2008 in February had 26 WGMs and 12 WIMs). The winner in this and the Moscow Open: IM Anna Muzychuk of Slovenia. Illustrated report by Valery Golubenko.
