White to move. Can you find the best move for White?
This was a game by Magnus when he was 12.
Carlsen versus Gustav Gulbrandsen (Norway, 2002)
r1b1k2r/pp1nqpp1/4p2p/3pP1N1/8/3BQ3/PP3PPP/2R2RK1 w – - 0 1
Archive for November, 2008
Mumbai
by D. Kaufmann
What remains, remains. And no tears suffice
to comfort give, or advice, on how
to answer the unanswerable pain,
for there are fires without and fevers within;
in either case the flames consume the house,
or soul, and seem to suck the goodness out,
as event horizons vacuum stars,
a flash before the fading into dark,
the paralyzing heat of deepest fears -
and so the searing winds of chaos rage
and terror, curséd terror, sweeps the field.
And so as if no more than moths with wings
of dust and ashes we in flickers go.
The sword in all its forms has had its day,
Its edge has splintered sparks upon the bricks
and mortared stones of Temples, synagogues
and our homes.
Enough! Cut off the hand opposing all.
Enough! Cut off the bloody, sword-stained hand.
Enough! The voice, the voice of Jacob cries
On this day death, on this day evil dies.
The mighty seem to conquer, darkness rise -
Let not the smoke of idols blind our eyes:
Amidst the rubble and smoldering dreams
grief and rage may clog the wellspring’s streams,
Against the spreading, lighting of the light,
a wall of blackness, violence and blight.
Amidst the search for words, the questing to believe,
A candle in the window, and hope retrieve.
In this the path, in this resolve resides:
Tis not the question, but the act decides;
The spark that kindles, that light with life has filled,
From the soul the law of life: build, rebuild.
Black to move. How should Black proceed?
3r3k/2pq4/5p1p/1p2pP1Q/p3P2P/1PP3RP/1P1r4/2K1R3 b – - 0 1
Master of chess who raised the game of a generation of British players.
Last Updated: 6:57PM GMT 30 Nov 2008
Robert Wade, who died in London on Saturday aged 87, was one of the most influential figures in chess; in a career that lasted seven decades he was not only a professional player but also a prolific writer, editor and researcher as well an administrator, arbiter and coach.
Wade dispelled the notion that chess was an essentially amateur game that was the preserve of a small Oxbridge-educated elite. For many years he was Britain’s only chess professional, and he won the British Championship at Chester in 1952 and at Coventry in 1970.
Robert Graham Wade was born on April 10 1921 at Dunedin, New Zealand. He learnt the moves at the age of eight from his father, a farmer, but did not take the game remotely seriously until high school, when academic success led to his being awarded membership of the Athenaeum Institute, Dunedin, where chess was played and chess books available.
After leaving school, Wade entered the civil service. At the same time he rapidly climbed the chess ranks until he captured the New Zealand Championship in 1944. His second victory the following year led to an invitation, as champion of a Commonwealth country, to the British Championship of 1946. At the time of the event, Wade had a leg in plaster owing to an inflammation on the knee, and he played poorly; but after recovering he took the opportunity to travel to a tournament of master strength in Barcelona, where he garnered few points but much valuable experience.
Wade toured the United States and Canada, playing in a number of tournaments as the travelled the length and breadth of North America by Greyhound bus. When he arrived back in New Zealand, having sailed from San Francisco, he found that his old job in the civil service had been taken during his extended sabbatical. He lingered long enough to win his third New Zealand championship (in 1947) before leaving for Europe.
He settled in England, and soon became the country’s most active player. In 1950 he was awarded the title of International Master. He became an important presence in FIDE (Fédération International d’Echecs) and was a member of the committee that drew up the first official laws of the game in 1949.
Although he crossed swords with the Soviets over his support for players who had fallen out of favour with the Communist authorities, Wade was still invited to officiate in Moscow at the world title match in 1951 between Mikhail Botvinnik and David Bronstein.
He represented England in six Chess Olympiads between 1954 and 1972 – as a selector in 1970 he dropped himself in favour of younger players and represented his native New Zealand instead.
The requirements for the Grandmaster title were far more stringent in Wade’s active playing days than they are today; but when FIDE offered him the title of honorary Grandmaster, Wade – always a modest and unassuming man – refused to accept it.
Here is the full story.
New format for World Championship
30 Nov 2008, 2342 hrs IST, Hari Hara Nandanan,TNN
CHENNAI: The world chess federation (FIDE) has put in place a new format for the World Championship, starting the next cycle in 2011.
This decision was taken at the general assembly of the FIDE Congress during the Olympiad in Dresden.
According to All India Chess Federation (AIFF) secretary DV Sundar, eight players will play a round robin or knockout event (the organiser has the right to decide on this) and the participants will be two each from the Grand Prix and the World Cup, the loser of Gata Kamsky- Veselin Topalov, the loser of Viswanthan Anand vs Kamsky or Topalov, the highest ranked player and a player nominated from the host country, if he is above 2700 Elo rating.
There is a lot of uncertainty about the format in the eight-player event. The organiser has the right to decide whether this will be an eight-player round robin or a four-game knockout series with a six-game final as was the case in the 2000 World Championship when Anand beat Alexey Shirov in the final.
The conditions mean that Anand, Kamsky and Topalov will play in the 2011 World Championship (the loser of Kamsky-Topalov and the loser of Anand vs Kamsky or Topalov). The only question mark is about Kramnik who has no direct ticket to the cycle unless he qualifies from the World Cup or the Grand Prix or he becomes the highest-ranked player then. He could also come in as the host entry if Russia organises the championship. “The FIDE wanted to give emphasis to its Grand Prix and World Cup,” Sundar told TOI.
Another decision taken at the meeting was that a player will forfeit his game if he arrives late at the board, like it was done at the Olympiad. This will now hold good for all the events.
Source: http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com
India won first match against Armenia
Published by November 30th, 2008 in Susan Polgar Chess. 0 Comments
India defeat Armenia to take lead
30 Nov 2008, 2257 hrs IST, PTI
NEW DELHI: The Indian junior team defeated Armenia 2.5-1.5 in the first match to take a 1-0 lead at the India-Armenia Friendship chess tournament Russian Center For Science and Culture on Sunday.
World Junior Champion Abhijeet Gupta and B Adhiban turned out to be the winner amongst Indians, defeating 2006 world junior champion Zaven Andriasian and Samvel Ter Sahakyan respectively on the top and fourth board.
Grandmaster S Arun Prasad played out a draw with GM Hrant Melkumyan to ensure an Indian victory after G Rohti was outdone by GM Avetik Grigoryan on the third board.
The Indians, slightly inferior in terms of average ratings, got a 1-0 lead in the three match contest and the Armenians are expected to hit back harder in the next match on Monday.
Displaying the form he possessed in his world junior triumph, Abhijeet bruised and squeezed the defenses of Andriasian on the top board in a Sicilian defense game. The Armenian was at sea once Abhijeet got his attack rolling on the queen side against white’s king and even though Andriasian sacrificed an exchange, the Indian was simply remorseless.
The dye was cast on the 29th move when Abhijeet initiated the final assault and nine moves later India scored first victory in the match. In the another game, Adhiban played true to his attacking style in a Sicilian Scheveningen defense game where Sahakyan was outdone in the middle game.
Taking a cue from an earlier played game, Adhiban went for a less played system on the 17th move and Sahakyan took a lot of time to determine his course of action.
Source: http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com
The chess phenom from Norway turns 18 today. Happy birthday!
White to move. How should White proceed?
Source: ChessToday.net
Pilot Talks About Possible UFO Encounter
AOL
filed under: Science News, Weird News
(Nov. 25) – Former U.S. Air Force pilot Milton Torres opens up to CNN about what he says was an encounter with a UFO. Torres, flying from an English air base, said he was ordered “to fire” at a target on a mission over the North Sea in May 1957.
“The target looked like an aircraft carrier” on the radar, Torres told CNN, and then was gone in an instant. Could it have been something other than a UFO? No way, Torres said. “It was some design of an aircraft by some space alien,” he said.
Click here to see the interview.
Photo by Paul Truong
Hikaru, the best home grown American GM since Bobby Fischer, is a member of a back to back Bronze medalist team (Turin and Dresden Olympiads). Here is a look back at when he became the youngest master in the U.S. at age 10:
April 12, 1998
Chess Master, 10, Sets Record
By MERRI ROSENBERG
HIKARU NAKAMURA, a 10-year-old fourth grader at Ridgeway School in White Plains, was recently recognized as the youngest chess master ever in the United States, earning a place for himself in the annals of chess history as well as in the pages of the Guinness Book of World Records. Bobby Fischer, America’s most famous chess player, did not become a master until he was 14.
”Hikaru saw the Guinness Book of World Records, and said, ‘No one from White Plains is in this book,’ ” his mother, Carolyn Weeramantry, said. ”He really wanted to make it.”
Chess players need to have a rating of 2,200 to attain master status, points they earn through playing in chess tournaments. Hikaru’s rating is 2,203, according to the United States Chess Federation. Although Hikaru earned this level in a match at the end of February, results became official only this month. Last Sunday, Hikaru vanquished a grand master, an international title, in a chess match. In the United States, the highest ranking is a senior master, at 2,400 or more points.
To help Hikaru meet his goal, Mrs. Weeramantry and her husband, Sunil, executive director of the National Scholastic Chess Foundation, provided Hikaru with ample opportunity to take part in chess tournaments. Mr. Weeramantry is the coach for both Hikaru and his older brother, Asuka, 12, who is also a chess champion and will represent the United States in an international youth tournament next month in Brazil.
”This is not easy,” Mrs. Weeramantry said. ”There were some ups and downs, but he kept beating masters at tournaments. If you don’t play, you don’t have a chance. Sunil is really thrilled and just amazed at Hikaru’s accomplishments. The players Hikaru beat are players that Sunil would be happy to beat. And Sunil knows that if he faced Hikaru across the board, he might win or he might lose.”
Czech Coal Chess Match
Ladies versus veterans
Mariánské Lázně, where seventy-two years old Goethe met his seventeen years old Ulrika, will see the legendary chess players battling against promising young female chess talents.
The legendary players of the sixty-four square board, among them names such as the former World Champion Anatoly Karpov or the best Czech chess player of the second half of 20th century, Vlastimil Hort, will compete against the young chess female players, including the World under-eighteen Vice-Champion, the Czech player, Kateřina Němcová.
Viktoria Cmilyte, Anna Ushenina and Jana Jacková will also be playing for the Team of Lasses. Old Stagers Team will consist, apart from above named Karpov and Hort, of the famous German grandmaster Wolfang Uhlmann and the Iceland grandmaster and former FIDE president, Fridrik Olafsson.
The two-round match of the four member teams will take place in the hotel Cristal Palace, in Mariánské Lázně, from 29th November to 6th December 2008.
The games will be played daily and they will start at 16:00 CET, with the exception of the last day, when games will start at 13:00. Each game will be commented for the audience by grandmaster Marek Vokáč and by the international master Michal Konopka.
Tickets (price 40 CZK for adult, 20 CZK for children, students and pensioners) will be up for sale from 25th November in chess shop H.S.H. Computer (Václavské nám. 66, Praha 1, entrance from Mezibranská street) and at the reception of the hotel Cristal Palace (Hlavní 61, Mariánské Lázně).
All games will be broadcasted on-line on the webpage www.praguechess.cz. The tournament is organized by Prague Chess Society. More information on the Novoborsky Chess Server.
Press release by Petr Boleslav
Published by Chessdom
Black to move. How should Black proceed?
Mason, James – Blackburne, Joseph Henry (Monte Carlo, 1901), presented by Andreas
6k1/p4p2/1bp3p1/P2p4/1P4qp/2PQ4/4rPP1/2B2RK1 b – - 0 25
FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov recently announced at my press conference (at the Dresden Olympiad right after the FIDE Congress) about the new proposed cycle for the World Championship. Some players seem to like it and some do not. Here is the link to a summary of the FIDE Congress.
Do you agree with FIDE President Ilyumzhinov?
The problem with returning to the old system with Zonal, Interzonal, Candidates matches, and World Championship match is there is not enough interest in sponsoring some of the matches. In addition, a three / four year cycle is way too long.
The complaint about the knockout system is many of the elite players will not compete and a two game knockout format leaves too much to chance.
The problem with the 8-player double round tournament format is it does not please the die hard fans for the traditional match play.
So what is the solution?
This is a tribute to GM Robert Byrne, one of the greatest American Grandmasters in history. This is a look back at an excellent chess column by the legendary GM Byrne.
CHESS; Timman Goes Astray On His Home Turf
By ROBERT BYRNE
Published: October 3, 1993
NY Times
THE first game of the International Chess Federation championship match on Sept. 6 in Zwolle, the Netherlands, was a calamity for the grandmaster Jan Timman. Although he played an opening variation that he invented five years ago, he quickly went astray. He then put up a struggle only to commit more errors in an end game and hand a victory to Anatoly Karpov of Russia, the former titleholder.
In the Caro-Kann, 7 Qe2 creates the threat of 8 Nf7! Kf7 9 Qe6 Kg6 10 Bd3 Kh5 11 Qh3mate. After 7 . . . Nb6 8 Bd3, Black cannot take a pawn with 8 . . . Qd4 because 9 N1f3 Qg4 10 Nf7! ruptures the pawn position.
Black’s 12 . . . Qc7 prevents White from preparing to castle queenside by 13 Bd2? in view of 13 . . . Ne5 14 Ne5 Bf2! 15 Kf2 Qe5! 16 Qe5 Ng4 17 Kg3 Ne5, winning a pawn. On 13 Bf4, the plan in 13 . . . Bb4 is to prevent White from castling queenside: 14 c3? would be ruined by 14 . . . Bc3!
It was in Amsterdam in 1988 that Timman flinched from Karpov’s 13 . . . Bb4 with 14 Kf1 in a game that was drawn, and later he suggested 14 Nd2 Bd2 15 Kd2 O-O. This time, after 16 Rhd1 Qb6, he played 17 Nc4, but later, in Game 3, he improved with 17 Kc1 and got the advantage after 17 . . . Nd5 18 Bg3 Nc5 19 Bc4 Bd7 20 Nd7 Nd7 21 a4.
Full analysis can be seen here.
Timman, Jan (2620) – Karpov, Anatoly (2760) [B17]
FIDE-Wch NED/INA (1), 1993
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7 5.Bc4 Ngf6 6.Ng5 e6 7.Qe2 Nb6 8.Bd3 h6 9.N5f3 c5 10.dxc5 Bxc5 11.Ne5 Nbd7 12.Ngf3 Qc7 13.Bf4 Bb4+ 14.Nd2 Bxd2+ 15.Kxd2 0-0 16.Rhd1 Qb6 17.Nc4 Qc6 18.Qf3 Nd5 19.g3 Nc5 20.Bxh6 gxh6 21.Qg4+ Kh8 22.Ne5 Qa4 23.Qh5 Kg7 24.Ng4 Rh8 25.Ne5 Rf8 26.Ng4 Rh8 27.Ne5 Qe8 28.Qg4+ Kf8 29.Qd4 Nxd3 30.Ng6+ fxg6 31.Qxh8+ Ke7 32.Qxe8+ Kxe8 33.Kxd3 b5 34.Re1 Ke7 35.Re5 g5 36.Rae1 Kf6 37.R5e4 Bd7 38.h4 Rf8 39.c3 a5 40.Kd4 Rc8 41.f3 a4 42.Rc1 Ne7 43.Kd3 e5 44.Ke2 Be6 45.Kf2 Bxa2 46.Rce1 Rc5 47.hxg5+ hxg5 48.f4 Ng6 49.fxe5+ Nxe5 50.Rd4 Rd5 51.Rxd5 Bxd5 52.Ke3 Bc4 53.Rd1 Kf5 54.Rd4 Nd3 55.g4+ Ke5 56.Re4+ Kf6 0-1
Click here to replay the game.
Photo by bcf
It is with extreme sadness that I have to report that Bob Wade, International Master, arbiter, journalist, coach, organiser, writer, chess archivist, friend to chess and friend to me, died 29th November 2008 at 3am from pneumonia, he had been in the Elisabeth Hospital in Woolwich for three days for complications from a common cold.
Robert Graham Wade was born April 10th 1921 in Dunedin, New Zealand and died in London, England Saturday 29th November 2008.
Bob’s influence on the game covered every area imaginable, and made him a true giant of the game. His kindness and generosity will stay with all those who knew him.
Playing career
His playing career was that of a solid middle ranking professional. He was three time New Zealand Champion, twice British Champion, played in seven Olympiads and one Interzonal (see his Wikipedia entry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Wade_(chess_player)) he also played in a lot of tournaments against the world’s best, especially in Eastern Europe and Cuba (playing in a number of Capablanca Memorial tournaments). He regarded himself lucky to do so and bemoaned the fact that the top players don’t play against a wider range of opponents. His last major event was the Staunton Memorial in London in July where he was really set up to lose, even a single draw would have left him with a higher rating, he fought gamely it has to be said. A far better result was achieved in 2006 in the Queenstown Chess Classic where he scored 6/10 including a draw against the winner Murray Chandler. He played a final game for the Athenium Chess Club in recent weeks.
It is not really in his playing results however that his influence lies. He used to have the reputation of playing maverick openings. He lived to see a number of these “Wade Variations” make it to use and respectability at the very highest level.
Source: TWIC
Romanishin wins 13th Cultural Village
Published by November 29th, 2008 in Susan Polgar Chess. 0 Comments
Oleg Romanishin has won he 13th Cultural Village Chess Tournament
28 November 2008 21:24 PM CET By Peter Doggers
The Ukrainian veteran finished on 6.5/9, ahead of Vyacheslav Ikonnikov and Deepan Chakkravarthy. By winning, Romanishin qualified for Corus Grandmaster group C.
The 13th Cultural Village Chess Tournament, formerly known as Sonnevanck Chess Tournament, took place 18-27 November in Wijk aan Zee, The Netherlands. Wijk aan… wait a minute… Yes, that famous sea town where a certain tournament is being held every year in January. But besides a “January tradition” there’s also a “November tradition”.
Every year in November a small round-robin is held there to give Dutch talents a possibility to score an IM or GM norm. Besides, there’s an additional prize for the winner: direct qualification for Corus Grandmaster group C. Two years ago IM Thomas Willemze managed to do this, last year the lucky one was GM Dimitri Reinderman and yesterday he was succeeded by 55-year-old GM Oleg Romanishin from the Ukraine.
Here is the full article.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | ||||
| 1 | Romanishin,Oleg M | * | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6.5/9 | |
| 2 | Ikonnikov,Vyacheslav | ½ | * | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 6.0/9 | 23.75 |
| 3 | Deepan Chakkravarthy,J | ½ | ½ | * | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 6.0/9 | 23.50 |
| 4 | Swinkels,Robin | 1 | ½ | ½ | * | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5.5/9 | |
| 5 | Tan,Matthew | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | * | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4.5/9 | 17.50 |
| 6 | Spoelman,Wouter | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | * | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4.5/9 | 16.75 |
| 7 | Slingerland,Fred | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | * | 1 | ½ | 1 | 4.5/9 | 16.00 |
| 8 | Den Heeten,Djurre | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | * | ½ | 1 | 4.0/9 | |
| 9 | Armas,Julius | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | * | 1 | 3.5/9 | |
| 10 | Haast,Anne | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | * | 0.0/9 |
SAN MARCOS: Boy’s club helping chess buffs hone their skills
11-year-old Alex Goddard didn’t want chess to ‘die’ in North County
By ANDREA MOSS – Staff Writer Friday, November 28, 2008 1:08 PM PST
SAN MARCOS —- Don’t mess with Alex Goddard’s chess game.
The pint-size San Marcos resident is only 11, but he’s so serious about the game that he was appalled when he heard the North County Chess Club he belonged to was closing earlier this year.
“He said to me, ‘Dad, we can’t let chess die in North County,’” Alex’s father and fellow chess buff John Goddard said Wednesday. “‘We have to do something.’”
That “something” was a new organization called the Escondido Chess Club. The only local club that holds regular United States Chess Federation-rated tournaments, the club meets every Thursday at the Escondido Library’s main branch.
The club also holds weekly sessions at the San Marcos Library. Open to anyone who wants to drop by from 3 to 5 p.m. Wednesdays, the sessions offer beginning and intermediate chess players the chance to hone their skills with help from fellow club members.
Club members also face off against one another in unofficial tournaments, in preparation for the real thing.
Alex was too young to legally form the chess club on his own, so he tapped big brother Zakary, 19, for help in filing the necessary paperwork and setting up bank accounts for the club.
But Alex runs the club — everything from organizing chess tournaments to pairing up chess competitors and collecting club dues. Alex also makes the bank deposits, distributes the prize money and writes the checks that pay the club’s bills.
John Goddard said his son is learning valuable business and life lessons from the experience.
A boy who intentlystudies the chess board and its pieces and plans out several moves well in advance, he dismisses the video games that are popular with other kids as having no point.
“You get to think,” Alex said, succinctly explaining his love of the game.
Good friend and San Elijo Hills Middle School classmate Riley Curry, 12, found out just how good Alex can be in an unofficial tournament game this week when Alex called “checkmate” on Riley’s king in just a few moves. With that game over, Alex jumped up to watch the moves of six other players, occasionally pointing out better ones that could have been made.
Watching her sons Joshua, 11, and Caleb, 9, battle it out over a chess board earlier this week, Escondido mom Jenny Liu said she started out playing alongside them in club sessions.
“But they quickly got better than me,” Liu said, adding that she likes the fact that chess challenges her kids’ minds. “They both like math and things like puzzles. So this is much better than just playing video games and mindless things like that.”
Source: http://www.nctimes.com
The 2008 Dresden Chess Olympiad just finished a few days ago. Armenia (open) and Georgia (women) won Gold. They were greeted as heroes in their home countries.
The U.S. came away with Bronze in both Olympiads! Well done everyone!
The bigger shocker was Russia, in spite of being the #1 seed in both Olympiads, did not finish in the top 3 in either Olympiad. Shocking! Their open team finished 5th and their women’s team finished 4th.
A lot of information can be found on the official website www.Dresden2008.com and the full results can be found at www.chess-results.com.
The next big event was supposed to be the Doha Grand Prix. It is now moved to Elista.
In my press conference at the Olympiad, I asked FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov about the World Championship Cycle. That was when he spoke for the first time (he came directly from the FIDE Congress to my press conference) about the new proposal. It can now be found on the FIDE website (www.fide.com).
It’s Saturday Open Forum. The forum is yours. What would you like to discuss?
White to move. How should White proceed?
Barda 1939, presented by Andreas
6K1/P7/8/8/6k1/7p/6p1/4N3 w – - 0 6
J’ca’s chess team returns after ‘successful’ Olympiad
Saturday, November 29, 2008
The Jamaica chess team, fresh from its all-time best performance at the World Chess Federation’s (FIDE) 38th Olympiad in Dresden, Germany, returned home on Thursday.
The national chess team – led by head of delegation Ian Wilkinson, the president of the Jamaica Chess Federation – tied for first in Group D of the Olympiad and finished in a tie for 64th place of the 154 competing nations.
Jamaica was represented by FIDE Master (FM) Warren Elliott, National Master (NM) Shane Matthews, Super National Master (SNM) Duane Rowe, NM Jomo Pitterson, NM Brandon Wilsonand NM Robert Wheeler (captain).
NM Jomo Pitterson was undefeated at the Olympiad with a score of OF 7/9 (five wins and four draws), and earned the title of FIDE Master. Ian Wilkinson – a law professor at the Norman Manley Law School, and the vice-president of the Jamaica Bar Association – represented Jamaica as a member of the World Chess Federation Ethics Committee at the Chess Olympiad.
Source: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com
Benidorm Chess Festival
28th of November – 8th of December in Gran Hotel Bali
by Chessdom
The 7th Festival de Ajedrez de Benidorm will take place 28th of November – 8th of December 2008 in Gran Hotel Bali. It will consist of a number of events, including the Stars Tournament, Open Masters, blitz events, U2300 events, U16 club cup, and an innovative nocturnal tournament.
Torneo de las Estrellas
The main event of the festival will be the Stars Tournament. Invited players are Vassily Ivanchuk, Alexey Shirov, European U18 champion Xavi Vila, Sabrina Vega Gutierrez, European Women Champion Kateryna Lahno and European Champion Sergei Tiviakov. The tournament format should be a double round robin, like the last year, but we still don’t have the confirmation.
Here is the oficial website.
82 game unbeaten streak and counting…
Published by November 29th, 2008 in Susan Polgar Chess. 0 Comments
Wang Yue’s Unbeaten Streak
82 games and counting…
by Chessdom.com
Chinese top player and current FIDE Grand Prix leader, Wang Yue, is only weeks away from breaking Mikhail Tal’s record of the longest streak without a lost game. Since 4th March and the first round of Reykjavik Open against FM Bjorn Thorfinnsson (replay here), Wang Yue has remained unbeaten in the next 82 games!
According to our reader Kaleid, this score is equal to Vladimir Kramnik’s series of 82 games in the period January 1999 – July 2000. Mikhail Tal signed the top two records: 86 games in the period July 1972 – April 1973 and 93(!) games between October 1973 – October 1974. It should be added that the great Jose Raul Capablanca was immune from February 1916 until March 1924, but “only” over the course of 63 games.
If he survives the next FIDE Grand Prix, that has just been moved from Doha to Elista, undefeated, Wang Yue would surpass Tal on the all-times list of the “toughest” players. According to the provisional rankings, Wang Yue is presently world’s 9th player with 2750,6 points.
Source: Chessdom.com
Chess Team Charges Back into Action
Grandmaster Invitational Has an Expanded Field of 20 Players for Two Sections
Nov. 21, 2008
The annual UT Dallas Grandmaster Invitational tournament gets under way on Wednesday, Nov. 26, with two 10-player sections to give the team’s masters an opportunity to prepare for the upcoming Pan-American Intercollegiate chess tournament.
Those in the top grandmasters (GM) section can also seek to achieve grandmaster norms; three are required for the prestigious and difficult title.
Those in the IM section can compete for norms for the international master title. This international tournament is rated by the World Chess Federation (FIDE), the organization sanctioned to award these international titles which are recognized throughout the world.
…Seven UT Dallas students rated as international masters will also be competing in the top section:
IM Drasko Boskovic, 25, of Serbia, a senior business administration major.
IM Marko Zivanic, 24, of Serbia, a computer science major.
IM Davorin Kuljasevic, 22, of Croatia, a senior majoring in business administration.
IM John Bartholomew, 22, of the U.S., a senior majoring in business administration.
IM Salvijus Bercys, 17, a sophomore majoring in finance.
IM Jacek Stopa, 20, of Poland, a junior majoring in international political economy.
IM Puchen Wang, 18, of New Zealand, freshman majoring in business administration.
Here is the full article.
Rapid movement on LIVE rating list
Published by November 28th, 2008 in Susan Polgar Chess. 0 Comments
|
Rank |
Name |
Track |
Rating |
Change |
|
01 |
2796,0 |
+5 |
||
|
02 |
2790,8 |
+7,8 |
||
|
03 |
2778,6 |
-7,4 |
||
|
04 |
2775,7 |
-10,3 |
||
|
05 |
2771,5 |
-15,5 |
||
|
06 |
2759,5 |
-12,5 |
||
|
07 |
2757,8 |
+10,8 |
||
|
08 |
2753,1 |
+1,1 |
||
|
09 |
2750,6 |
+14,6 |
||
|
10 |
2750,4 |
-6,6 |
||
|
11 |
2748,4 |
+16,4 |
||
|
12 |
2742,8 |
+5,8 |
||
|
13 |
2732,9 |
+13,9 |
||
|
14 |
2731,0 |
+5 |
||
|
15 |
2727,9 |
-3,1 |
||
|
16 |
2726,2 |
+11,2 |
||
|
17 |
2725,6 |
+6,6 |
||
|
18 |
2724,8 |
-4,2 |
||
|
19 |
2719,5 |
+14,5 |
||
|
20 |
2719,1 |
+0,1 |
||
|
21 |
2716,8 |
-2,2 |
||
|
22 |
2714,0 |
-13 |
||
|
23 |
2712,5 |
-21,5 |
||
|
24 |
2711,4 |
+8,4 |
||
|
25 |
2711,3 |
+17,3 |
||
|
26 |
2711,2 |
+1,2 |
||
|
27 |
2707,9 |
+28,9 |
||
|
28 |
2706,1 |
-23,9 |
||
|
29 |
2703,0 |
-13 |
||
|
30 |
2702,0 |
0 |
||
|
31 |
2700,8 |
-13,2 |
This list includes the 2008 Dresden Chess Olympiad.
Source: Live-ratings.com
White to move. How should White proceed?
Speelman, J (2524) – Ami, E (2610) (London, 2008)
q1r4k/6pp/1Q3p2/3P4/4r3/P6P/1B1R1PPK/8 w – - 0 35
November 29, 2008
Purkashian becomes chess Grandmaster
Tehran Times Sports Desk
TEHRAN, Nov. 28 (MNA) — Iran’s woman chess player Atusa Purkashian became Grandmaster after a good performance in the 38th Chess Olympiad in Dresden 2008.
Purkashian competed with the four Grandmasters and the five International Masters, earning eight points from 11 matches. The Olympiad took place from November 12th to 25th, 2008, at the Congress Hall in Dresden, Saxony, Germany. 156 teams from 152 countries participated, with most of the top players present.
The title Grandmaster is awarded to excellent chess masters by the world chess organization FIDE. Apart from “World Champion”, Grandmaster is the highest title a chess player can attain.
Source: http://www.tehrantimes.com
Searching for Bobby Fischer (FBI style)
Published by November 28th, 2008 in Susan Polgar Chess. 0 Comments
FBI Went Searching For Bobby Fischer
By Joe Filippazzo November 12th, 2008
MATCH MAKER: Fidel Castro (with some help) beat Bobby Fischer during the chess prodigy’s 1966 visit to Havana. The trip became the subject of an FBI probe.
The FBI investigated American chess champion Bobby Fischer in the 1960s after the Cold War icon created a controversy at a tournament in Cuba, where he famously played against Fidel Castro, according to newly disclosed documents.
The FBI dossier, obtained under a Freedom of Information Act request, shows the bureau’s Mexico City office began probing the one-time chess prodigy after a tumultuous headline-grabbing trip to Havana.
Fischer was a Cold War hero who would ultimately best the Soviets at a game they had dominated, at a time when beating Communists stirred national passions.
Before ascending to take the world crown in an historic 1972 match against Russia’s Boris Spassky, the Brooklyn-reared Fischer traveled the globe to play in chess tournaments.
Trip to Cuba
In 1966, Fischer flew to Havana, leading the U.S. delegation at the 17th Chess Olympiad, a top international competition. It was an era when Washington tightly controlled travel to Communist nations – U.S. officials, in fact, had rejected Fischer’s bid to compete there in a tournament a year earlier.
Once in Cuba, Fischer sparked an international stir when he refused to play against the Soviets because the match would be on a Saturday, conflicting with his religious practices. The Soviets were outraged and protested.
The controversy drew worldwide press coverage, and chess officials intervened. Fischer got his way and the match was rescheduled.
The FBI interviewed several sources it considered reliable about the incident. One unnamed source asserted the American chess team “had attempted to embarrass the Cuban Government in order to prevent any future world championship from being held in Cuba.”
Played Castro
Among the opponents Fischer faced in the rescheduled matches: Spassky. Fischer took an early lead but then made a crucial mistake and ended with a draw. The American team went on to take second place to the Russians largely due to Fischer’s extraordinary performance.
At another point during his stay in Cuba, Fischer played against Castro. Both sides got advice from chess masters, and Castro won.
The friendly competition, including a congratulatory handshake at the end of the event, was captured in news photographs. The documents released by the FBI do not discuss the Fischer-Castro meeting. It’s unclear whether the match is addressed in the passages withheld by the bureau.
Here is the full story.
The above picture was from the Closing Ceremony when Nona Gaprindashvili presented Leonid Timoshenko the diamond-encrusted cup (photo by Paul Truong)
November 28, 2008, 21:59
Timoshenko’s diamond stolen in Kiev
Leonid Timoshenko, a representative of the Ukrainian Chess Federation, has had a precious diamond he was carrying stolen.
He was accompanying a diamond-encrusted cup, which had been won by the Ukrainian National Chess Team in the World-Wide Chess Olympiad in Germany, on a flight from Frankfurt to Kiev.
After landing, Timoshenko saw that his bag had been opened up. The cup, which is named after the famous Georgian chess player Nona Gaprindashvili, was broken and the stone had vanished.
The group carrying the cup had flown through Frankfurt on their way back to Kiev. It was in Frankfurt that they were forced to check the cup into baggage. On the previous flight from Dresden they were allowed to take it onboard as a carry-on piece.
The president of the Ukranian Chess Federation, Viktor Petrov, has already filed a report with the police.Mikhael Kravets, Deputy director of aviation security at Boryspil Airport, said that Georgians might be involved in the theft.
“Going into the the things of our passengers is widespread among Georgians,” he said. “We’re wrestling with this problem, but defeating evil that has been accumulating for many years is difficult.”
Source: http://www.russiatoday.com
White to move. How should White proceed?
8/8/8/3Bk1B1/8/2p5/1pr5/R2K4 w – - 0 1
Dolgov 1974, presented by Andreas
As you know, I am a big fan of Chess Today, a daily chess newspaper, one of the best chess sources. In today’s issue, GM Baburin offers his personal view about the Dresden Olympiad. You can subscribe to Chess Today at www.ChessToday.net.
Dresden Impressions
by GM Alex Baburin
The recent event in Dresden was my seventh Chess Olympiad since 1994 (I missed the 1998 Olympiad in Elista),
so I can make some comparisons.
Travel/accreditation
It was easy enough to get to Dresden. Most members of the Irish delegation flew to Berlin and took a train to Dresden (about 2½ hours). Dresden has its own airport, so flying there was another option. The accreditation was really smooth – the office was set up at the Dresden main train station and teams got their badges, etc very quickly and were directed to their hotels. I recall that it 2002 in Bled and in 2006 in Turin that procedure took 2-3 hours.
Accommodation & food
Teams stayed in different hotels around the city. Usually they had to pay extra to get upgraded to 4- and 5- star hotels. The Irish stayed in the 4-start Elbflorence hotel, which was 15-minute walk away from the playing venue and 10-minute walk away from the city centre.
Some teams stayed in the luxurious Maritime hotel, located just 50 metres away from the playing venue. Breakfast and brunch was served at the hotels. Food was very good – in sharp contrast with the Turin Olympiad, where all players had to make do with a couple of overcrowded canteens serving not so-great food. Evening meals were served in the City Hall. Food was OK and players appreciated the efforts of the many volunteers who served them there and at the playing venue. It was also a chance for players from different teams to get together and meet others.
Playing venue
In Dresden it was not bad, but a bit overcrowded – navigating between matches (tables) was not always easy. In particular Magnus Carlsen drew a lot of media attention – his table was to be avoided on the way to the canteen! After a couple of hours of playing the venue got a bit stuffy too. I think Turin had the best playing conditions.
Media coverage
The Olympiad obviously drew a lot of attention in Germany – I saw it mentioned in newspapers and on TV. The opening ceremony was the best I have seen – a real spectacle. Many shops in Dresden had chess pieces and boards on display. The online coverage was fantastic – you could watch all games in real time. I recall that in 2000 in Istanbul the online transmission was clumsy (players were told not to adjust pieces before the game and one occasion were asked to re-play the opening moves!). But the DGT boards have improved a lot and now they are nearly perfect. Most mistakes were caused by arbiters putting kings in wrong positions (thus 1-0 could become 0-1, etc).
When I was free in round 2, I went to the playing hall to see the matches – but could not get in (fair enough). So, when I was rested the following day as well, I stayed in the hotel and watched games online, which was great! I should mention that our hotel had a room with free Net connection – about 6 cables. That was a very popular room!
At the venue GM Klaus Bischoff offered daily commentary in German. There were 150 seats – and they were filled very quickly. A lot of people were standing around – the total number of listeners was about 250. GM Susan Polgar did occasional commentary in English too – usually to give Klaus a break.
The press-centre seemed to be busy too – with press-conferences, interviews, workshops, etc. Alas, I could not attend that much as I was playing on most days.
Overall it was the best-organised Chess Olympiad I have attended. The city of Dresden is certainly worth a visit too – with many grand buildings, excellent art galleries and numerous cafes and restaurants. The chess content of the Olympiad was fantastic – I am sure we will be covering it in Chess Today for quite some time yet!
Source: ChessToday.net
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Important Grand Prix Information
Friday, 28 November 2008 08:48
Dear Chess-friends,
The Organizing Committee (OC) starts preparations for the Grand – Prix Tournament which will take place in Elista, Russia from 13th December (Arrival) to 29th of December (Departure) 2008.
Please note the following information. Travel Information.
The charter flights schedule:
13 November 2008 at 05:30 p.m. Moscow (Vnukovo) – Elista CRJ-100 VP-BAO
29 December 2008 at 09:00 a.m. Elista – Moscow (Vnukovo) Tu-134 RA-65903
The ticket price is 7000 rubles. Accommodation.
The participants and FIDE Officials will be staying at the City Chess hotel. Meals will be provided three times a day in the respective hotel. Accompanying Persons.
The cost of all other people registered by the Participants will be charged to the respective Participant. The cost of living is 1800 rubles per day. The cost of meal is 1500 rubles per day.
More information is available here: http://www.fide.com/component/content/article/1-fide-news/3556-grand-prix-tournament
http://ratings.fide.com/card.phtml?event=4129776
‘Kareisky’ Chess Grandmaster Comes Home
Updated Nov.28,2008 07:33 KS
A third-generation “Kareisky” — ethnic Korean in Russian — who is one of the world’s top chess players, will represent Korea in an international chess competition held in the country of his grandfather.
Alexey Kim, a 22-year-old chess grandmaster, the highest level recognized by the World Chess Federation, currently lives in Moscow with an Uzbek passport. But in terms of playing chess, Kim belongs to the Korean Federation. The sad history of ethnic Koreans in former Soviet Russia contributes to Kim’s playing for the Korean Federation.
His grandfather, Nikolay Vladimirovich Kim, was a first-generation ethnic Korean forcefully moved by Stalin from the Maritime Province of Siberia to Uzbekistan in 1937, where he suffered homesickness. When his grandson reached the age of four, Nikolay began teaching Alexey chess. Alexey emerged as a world-class player after winning the Moscow Junior Championship at the age of 11. “Be a chess player representing the Koreans” were the last words Nikolay said to young Alexey.
Alexey became a grandmaster in 2004. Of 300 million chess players worldwide, only about 1,000 have obtained the prestigious title. When a grandmaster changes their federation, they must pay a sizable sum to the World Chess Federation, but that did not prevent Alexey doing so. As his grandfather’s wish, he paid a W2 million (US$1=W1,502) fee to play for Korea in 2006. He will compete in the First Hi Seoul Korea Open Chess tournament, to be held in Olympic Park from Sunday until Dec. 6.
Alexey, currently in his final year of majoring in chess in Moscow, visited Korea three years ago. He said, in broken Korean, his favorite food is “kimchi soup made by my mom.”
It is hoped that Alexey’s inclusion among the 20 players of Team Korea, not traditionally a powerhouse in the chess world, should improve its record somewhat.
Source: http://english.chosun.com
New Delhi, Nov 27 (IANS) Grandmaster and World Junior Champion Abhijeet Gupta will spearhead the Indian challenge in the 1st India-Armenia Friendship Chess match that starts here Sunday at the Russian Centre for Science, Arts and Culture. Gupta, who emulated Viswanathan Anand and P. Harikrishna and became the third Indian in the history to become the World Junior Champion recently, will be playing on top board for the Indian team comprising players less than 21 years of age. Grandmaster S. Arun Prasad, who recently got his GM title, World Under-16 Champion B. Adhiban and GM norm holders G. Rohit and Deep Sengupta complete the Indian line-up. The Armenian team will be led by 2006 World Junior champion and Grandmaster Zaven Andriasian. Young and strong players like Hrant Melkumyan, Avetik Grigoryan and Ter Sahakyan are the other three Armenians in the fray and the team will be supported by famous Grandmaster Smbat Lputian who will be the trainer of the team. ‘This is the first of its kind match in India and we, in the All India Chess Federation (AICF), are sure this will go a long way in making our players much stronger. These young players are future of India and it might happen that one or two amongst these will be representing India in the 33rd Chess Olympiad in 2010,’ said AICF treasurer Bharat Singh Chauhan. The first match ever between the two countries will be played over three days and there will be three games under FIDE’s normal time control. Each team will get 12 games in all over four boards and the each day score will be taken in to account to determine the winner. The Armenian juniors can be expected to be in full swing after their team won the Chess Olympiad for the second time running just a couple of days back. The Indian team looks in fine fettle too and the chess buffs can expect a great contest between the young players of the two countries. The matches will be beamed live on www.delhichess.com Source: http://news.smashits.com
GM Abhijeet spearheads Indian chess challenge against Armenia
Posted: 6:41p.m IST, November 27, 2008
A long way to go: Mary
A STAFF REPORTER
Calcutta: Mary Ann Gomes is happy with her performance in the chess Olympiad in Dresden. The Calcutta girl won a silver after scoring six out of eight points and a performance rating of 2437 in the championship.
“This was my second Olympiad. I performed quite well and am happy with my showing,” she said after returning to the city on Thursday.
The WGM, a product of The Telegraph Schools’ Chess Championship, said her experience made the difference this time. “I was very tense in my first Olympiad in 2006. But this time I concentrated on my natural game. Moreover, two coaching camps organised by the AICF in the lead up to the tournament also helped,” she said.
The performance, however, hasn’t left her complacent. “This is just the beginning… I still have a long way to go. This year I completed my WGM. Now I am aiming for the men’s IM norm and then the GM,” Mary Ann, who has an Elo rating of 2298, said. She, though, will improve her ratings by 21 points by virtue of her performance — five wins, two draws and a loss — in the Olympiad.
“The competition was very tough. All top teams played and it helped me a lot… I think my penultimate round performance was the best in the competition. It was a near flawless game and my moves were perfect,” she recalled.
She also plans to work on her shortcomings with Dibyendu Barua. “I’ve got to work on my openings. The strategic play also needs improvement,” she pointed out.
Source: http://www.telegraphindia.com