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Monday, May 20, 2013
Double victory for Webster U freshman GM Wesley So in Calgary
Webster University freshman GM Wesley So captured the Calgary International by 2 points with 1 round to go. He also won the Calgary Blitz with a perfect 9-0 score!
WC match expected to draw the biggest online crowd in history
Posted: 05/18/2013 1:00 AM
THERE isn't much that happens in the arena of world championship chess that is devoid of controversy, so the battle over this year's title match was predictable.
Viswanathan Anand, the reigning world champion and a popular figure in his native India, will meet challenger Magnus Carlsen of Norway in November. At 43, Anand is nearly twice the age of his upstart opponent.
Carlsen earned the right to challenge for the world championship by winning a nail-biting Candidates tournament in London. Though he is the top-rated player in the world, Carlsen had to rely on tie-breaks to squeak through the field.
Still, the oddsmakers are giving the advantage to the youthful Norwegian, who developed extraordinary chess skills at an early age and has just been getting better and better. Even Anand calls him "the greatest talent I have seen."
As the excitement was building for the upcoming match, FIDE (the world chess federation) unveiled a controversial decision. It awarded the tournament to Chennai in India, Anand's home turf.
Ever since Iceland hosted the iconic Cold War match between Soviet Boris Spassky and American Bobby Fischer, it's been taken for granted that neutral ground is important in world championship encounters. But FIDE is a highly politicized organization where favours and patronage can often trump common sense.
Carlsen wasn't happy with the decision, and he said so. "The lack of transparency, predictability and fairness is unfortunate for chess as a sport and for chess players," he said in a statement. Many feared the worst. After all, Carlsen had dropped out of the previous championship cycle over what he felt was unfairness in the rules.
Soon after Carlsen's statement, the mayor of Paris submitted a bid to hold the tournament, offering 2.65 million euros and another 800,000 euros as a contribution to FIDE, a cheeky 10,000 more than the Chennai bid. "Paris is the city where FIDE was born and ever since, chess has been part of our cultural heritage," the mayor said.
The Norwegian Chess Federation added its voice by protesting the process. But FIDE was not inclined to budge. Faced with the possibility of a world championship match without the world's top rated player, FIDE called Carlsen's bluff.
And faced with the prospect of perpetual political in-fighting preventing him from ever winning the world championship, Carlsen gave in. He agreed to Chennai, and has set about preparing for the match.
The tournament will be played Nov. 6-26, and is expected to draw the biggest online crowd in history. Though Anand has despatched Kramnik, Topalov and Gelfand in the last five years, he realizes this will be his toughest challenge ever. It's going to be an entertaining match.
More here.
2013 SPICE Cup Open - $11,000 guaranteed
2013 SPICE Cup Open
Sponsored by Webster University
and the Susan Polgar Foundation
St. Louis, Missouri
October 15-19, 2013
GM/IM norm opportunity - Minimum rating (FIDE) 2100
Limited to first 50 entries
4 IM/GM norms were earned last year: http://susanpolgar.blogspot.com
PRIZES: $11,000 guaranteed
$4,000-$2,000-$1,500-$1,000-$500
U/2400 FIDE $500-$250-$125
U/2300 FIDE $500-$250-$125
top female $250
October 2013 rating will be used
Limited FREE hotel accommodation (double occupancy) at the Crown Plaza available to foreign GMs. ENTRY FEES:
Free to all GMs, IMs, WGMs and all FIDE rated players over 2300 (must complete all 9 rounds), if registered by September 30, 2013. $50 later or on site.
$100 to others if received by September 30, 2013. $150 later or on site. VENUE:
Crown Plaza Clayton Hotel 7750 Carondelet Ave, St Louis, MO 63105 (FREE shuttle from the Lambert–St. Louis International Airport) $109/night, FREE Breakfast/Internet Send entries to
Webster University - SPICE
470 E. Lockwood Ave
St. Louis, MO 63119
Questions or registration for titled players: Email: spice@webster.edu or call 314-246-8075
Famous chess fanatics
By Frank 'Boy' Pestaño
Chessmoso
Thursday, May 16, 2013
ALMOST every titled player (GMs, IMs etc.) can be considered chess fanatics as they play and study almost every day and a great number rely on the game as their major source of income.
This article is not about them but about famous people who excel in their professions and are world-famous.
William Shakespeare (1564-1616) is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world’s pre-eminent dramatist.
According to hall of famer Bill Wall, William Shakespeare must have been a chess fanatic. There are some hints in Shakespeare’s works that he was a true chess fa--he made reference to the game almost 70 times in his various plays.
Shakespeare was already known as an avid chess player during his time. There is a painting entitled the “The Chess players” by famous artist Karel Van Mander around 1600, which shows Ben Jonson and Shakespeare playing chess.
Around two decades ago a survey was made by leading historians and scientists on the 100 most influential people. Shakespeare was the only writer honored.
Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968) is considered by many to be one of the most important artists of the 20th century. He was one of the founders of Dadaism, surrealism, and cubism.
He was so obsessed with chess, he gave up art. His passion for chess was so overwhelming, that on his honeymoon he spent most of the time studying chess problems. After a week of arguments, his enraged bride went downstairs one night and glued all the pieces to the board. Surprisingly, the marriage lasted six months.
In a letter, Marcel wrote “My attention is so completely absorbed by chess, I play day and night and nothing interest me more than finding the right move……I like painting less and less.” A friend said of him “, He needs a good game of chess like a baby needs a bottle.”
Napoleon Bonaparte (1769 – 1821) was a French military and political leader who rose to prominence during the latter stages of the French Revolution.
In the Café de la Regence, for 100 years, there was a table with a plaque saying ‘’Napoleon Bonaparte used to play in this table.” What it did not say was that the greatest military tactician, despite being a chess addict, was a mediocre player. His contemporaries said he was too impatient and too given to impetuous attacks.
When he became emperor his opponents became tactful as he was getting a reputation as a bad-tempered loser. He also insisted on the touch move rule but only for his opponents.
After Waterloo, he continued to play almost every day in St Helena on his exile.
Humphrey Bogart (1899 – 1957) was an American actor and is widely regarded as an icon. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Bogart as the greatest male star in the history of American cinema.
He was also probably the strongest chess player of all movie stars . He was obsessed by the game while still very young and during the great depression, when money was hard to come by he made a nice income by hustling up and down Broadway playing chess.
Decades later, when he was already a big star, he still hustled chess in Hollywood but for much larger sums. One of his biographers says he rated his friends on their
ability to play chess and hold liquor. He was adept at both.
Winston Churchill is one of the great-might-have-beens of chess. As a 12-year-old he wrote,” Dear mamma, Do not forget to get the chess for me. I like the board to be red and white….”
By the time he was 21 he was beginning to show signs of addiction. But other important matters occupied the great man and he never fulfilled his early promise and only played chess during his spare time.
Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph
Psycho Knock-out Chess with GM Maurice Ashley and Daniel King ... and more
IM Andrew Martin Presents: The French Defense, Rubinstein Variation
IM Andrew Martin Presents: The French Defense, Rubinstein Variation
Posted on May 17,2013 By William in Strategy & Game Review, Chess Openings, All Articles w/ Videos, Beginner's Corner. IM Andrew Martin states that former World Chess Champion Mikhail Botvinnik described the French Defense as a difficult and dangerous opening, although IM Martin still believes the French Defense to be a very versatile and effective opening weapon for beginner and intermediate players. In the below chess video excerpt from the chess DVD ¨French Defense, Rubinstein Variation: Busy Man's Chess Openings¨ IM Andrew Martin presents the main benefits of[...]
Psycho Knock-out Chess with GM Maurice Ashley and Daniel King
Posted on May 15,2013 By William in Strategy & Game Review, Chess Openings, All Articles w/ Videos, Classic Games (Pre 2010). The following chess video excerpt reflects some of the most exciting chess games and commentary every caught on tape. GMs Maurice Ashley and Daniel King explain incredibly tense battles between Super-GMs Alexander Morozevich and Viswanathan Anand, Vladimir Kramnik and Vassily Ivanchuk, and Viswanathan Anand and Garry Kasparov from the 1995 Intel Grand Prix in Moscow, Russia. This footage is unforgettable as the viewer is treated to a highly enter[...]
Crushing Black with the c3 Sicilian by GM Ron Henley
Posted on May 13,2013 By William in Strategy & Game Review, Chess Openings, All Articles w/ Videos. The c3 Sicilian is an extremely powerful sideline for white against the Sicilian Defense, rapidly deviating from the main lines via the move order 1. e4 c5 2. c3. White's main idea is very simple in this opening set-up - establish a strong center by preparing the d2-d4 advance and avoid the massive theory associated with the main lines of the Sicilian Defense. The c3 Sicilian is also known as the Alapin Sicilian and has been employed by countless[...]
Win with the Colle Opening by IM Andrew Martin
Posted on May 10,2013 By OnlineChessLessons.NET Contributor in Strategy & Game Review, Chess Openings, All Articles w/ Videos, Beginner's Corner. The Colle Opening is a quiet opening for white that is based on an extremely sound positional foundation. In the Colle Opening, white is not trying to dominate his opponent early in the opening and trying to win with a spectacular tactical shot in less than 20 moves. Rather, white is aiming to take his opponent out of opening theory and into new and different types of positions. In the below chess video excerpt from the chess DVD ¨The Colle Openi[...]
OnlineChessLessons.net is a producer of thousands of free chess articles and free chess videos by FIDE chess masters. They recently released the renowned Empire Chess series that has been taking the chess world by storm. Please consider checking out their chess blog and chess shop with tons of free updated previews.
IM Andrew Martin Presents: The French Defense, Rubinstein Variation
Posted on May 17,2013 By William in Strategy & Game Review, Chess Openings, All Articles w/ Videos, Beginner's Corner. IM Andrew Martin states that former World Chess Champion Mikhail Botvinnik described the French Defense as a difficult and dangerous opening, although IM Martin still believes the French Defense to be a very versatile and effective opening weapon for beginner and intermediate players. In the below chess video excerpt from the chess DVD ¨French Defense, Rubinstein Variation: Busy Man's Chess Openings¨ IM Andrew Martin presents the main benefits of[...]
Psycho Knock-out Chess with GM Maurice Ashley and Daniel King
Posted on May 15,2013 By William in Strategy & Game Review, Chess Openings, All Articles w/ Videos, Classic Games (Pre 2010). The following chess video excerpt reflects some of the most exciting chess games and commentary every caught on tape. GMs Maurice Ashley and Daniel King explain incredibly tense battles between Super-GMs Alexander Morozevich and Viswanathan Anand, Vladimir Kramnik and Vassily Ivanchuk, and Viswanathan Anand and Garry Kasparov from the 1995 Intel Grand Prix in Moscow, Russia. This footage is unforgettable as the viewer is treated to a highly enter[...]
Crushing Black with the c3 Sicilian by GM Ron Henley
Posted on May 13,2013 By William in Strategy & Game Review, Chess Openings, All Articles w/ Videos. The c3 Sicilian is an extremely powerful sideline for white against the Sicilian Defense, rapidly deviating from the main lines via the move order 1. e4 c5 2. c3. White's main idea is very simple in this opening set-up - establish a strong center by preparing the d2-d4 advance and avoid the massive theory associated with the main lines of the Sicilian Defense. The c3 Sicilian is also known as the Alapin Sicilian and has been employed by countless[...]
Win with the Colle Opening by IM Andrew Martin
Posted on May 10,2013 By OnlineChessLessons.NET Contributor in Strategy & Game Review, Chess Openings, All Articles w/ Videos, Beginner's Corner. The Colle Opening is a quiet opening for white that is based on an extremely sound positional foundation. In the Colle Opening, white is not trying to dominate his opponent early in the opening and trying to win with a spectacular tactical shot in less than 20 moves. Rather, white is aiming to take his opponent out of opening theory and into new and different types of positions. In the below chess video excerpt from the chess DVD ¨The Colle Openi[...]
OnlineChessLessons.net is a producer of thousands of free chess articles and free chess videos by FIDE chess masters. They recently released the renowned Empire Chess series that has been taking the chess world by storm. Please consider checking out their chess blog and chess shop with tons of free updated previews.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
New inititative by the two Ks
May 15, 2013 12:29 PMCHICAGO (CBS) — This was not Boris Spassky vs. Bobby Fischer.
First, it was a match between prison inmates, not world-class chess masters. Second, the Russians won this time.
On Wednesday, former Russian World Chess champion Anatoli Karpov organized a chess tournament–a first-of-its-kind event between inmates in Russia and the Cook County Jail.
The inmates at five Russian prisons, including one in Siberia, trounced the Cook County prisoners, 14.5 to 5.5.
But that wasn’t really the point.
Karpov, who has speaking from one of the prisons, said he was hoping to solve social problems through chess.
Karpov has a connection to the man who heads the Cook County Jail chess program, Dr. Mikhail Korenman, a chess teacher here in Chicago.
That’s what made the unusual international match possible.
Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart said that for some inmates chess can be transformative.
“The very process itself requires some to think, not in the immediate time, but down the road,” Dart said. “So it transforms the way people think.”
Dart started the Cook County Jail chess program, with Korenman’s and Karpov’s help, last April.
A Russian journalist asked Dart if there would be an incentive for winning, like getting out of jail early.
“We are not that determined to win,” Dart said.
Source: http://chicago.cbslocal.com
Interview with Webster U incoming freshman GM Le Quang Liem
Siêu đại kiện tướng (ĐKT) Lê Quang Liêm quyết tâm giành thứ hạng cao tại Giải Vô địch Cờ vua châu Á 2013 để đủ điều kiện tham dự World Cup.
Phóng viên: Với thành phần hùng hậu, cờ vua Việt Nam đặt mục tiêu gì cho Giải Vô địch châu Á diễn ra từ ngày 18 đến 27-5 ở Philippines? Liêm có chỉ tiêu cho riêng mình?
- Lê Quang Liêm: Chuyến thi đấu này của cờ vua Việt Nam không có quá nhiều áp lực, bởi ở mục tiêu giành quyền tham dự World Cup, 2 đồng đội Nguyễn Ngọc Trường Sơn và Nguyễn Thị Thanh An đã làm tốt phần việc của họ ở giải 3.2 hồi đầu năm. Dù vậy, toàn đội cũng cố gắng để có thể giành thêm quyền tham dự đấu trường thế giới, cũng nhằm cải thiện thứ hạng ở cấp độ châu lục. Ngoài chỉ tiêu giành quyền đến Na Uy dự World Cup cờ vua vào tháng 8 tới, bản thân Liêm từ trước đến nay cũng chưa có huy chương tại giải cá nhân châu Á (thành tích cao nhất từng đạt là hạng 5) nên sẽ phải cố gắng nhiều. Với hệ số Elo hiện tại, nhiều khả năng Liêm sẽ có tên trong 3 hạt giống cao nhất của giải, vì thế, mức độ cạnh tranh sẽ càng tăng cao khi các quốc gia đều cử đến những kỳ thủ hàng đầu.
Liêm đang góp mặt ở những sự kiện quan trọng của cờ vua Việt Nam trước khi lên đường sang Mỹ du học vào mùa thu tới. Chuyện học tập văn hóa của Liêm liệu có ảnh hưởng đến việc tập luyện và thi đấu cờ vua cho đội tuyển Việt Nam?
- Khi thi đấu thành công ở 2 mùa giải Spice Cup, Liêm được Đại học Webster tặng học bổng du học tại đây. Không thể tránh khỏi những ảnh hưởng nhất định nếu các giải đấu trùng với thời gian học tập nhưng chắc chắn Liêm sẽ cố gắng sắp xếp một cách hài hòa nhất để vừa bảo đảm chuyện học vừa làm tròn trách nhiệm của một thành viên đội tuyển Việt Nam. Liêm được biết là sinh viên của trường không được phép vắng quá nhiều thời gian học tập nhưng đối với các giải đấu quy mô và tầm cỡ như World Cup, ASIAD hay Olympiad..., Liêm vẫn có thể trở về tham dự. Cũng tại Webster University có một đội tuyển cờ vua sinh viên rất mạnh do Susan Polgar (cựu vô địch nữ cờ vua thế giới) phụ trách nên sẵn sàng tạo điều kiện cho các kỳ thủ làm nghĩa vụ quốc gia. Ngoài ra, 3 tháng nghỉ hè mỗi năm, Liêm được về nước nên sẽ chủ động hơn trong việc sắp xếp tham dự các giải đấu.
Liêm đã có dự định gì sau khi hoàn thành chương trình học ở Webster (University)?
- Sau khi tốt nghiệp đại học, Liêm dự định sẽ quay về Việt Nam làm việc theo chuyên ngành được đào tạo, đồng thời vẫn tiếp tục sự nghiệp thi đấu vì cờ vua là niềm đam mê và bản thân Liêm luôn khát khao chinh phục những đỉnh cao mới. Những năm gần đây, cờ vua Việt Nam có những bước tiến rất đáng kể. Nhiều lứa kỳ thủ trẻ có năng khiếu được đào tạo bài bản, định hướng phát triển lâu dài, công tác tổ chức thi đấu và chuyên môn cũng đang trên đường chuyên nghiệp hóa... Liêm cho rằng đây là những tín hiệu đáng mừng và cho thấy triển vọng tươi sáng của cờ vua Việt Nam nếu được đầu tư mạnh hơn nữa. Về phần mình, Liêm vẫn luôn cố gắng thi đấu tốt, tích lũy hệ số Elo để hướng tới mục tiêu lọt vào nhóm 20 kỳ thủ đứng đầu thế giới.
Source: http://us.24h.com.vn
European Chess Club Cup 2013
Rodos Palace offers luxurious accommodation, exquisite dining facilities and numerous recreational amenities, on a superb location just 2.5 km from the Medieval City of Rhodes!
From each National Club Championship in European countries, one (1) to four (4) clubs qualify to the European Club Cup, depending on the strength of each national event. The European Club Cup will be held in 7 rounds for both categories (open/men teams with 6 boards and women teams with 4 boards), played with the Swiss system.
The time control will be 90 minutes for 40 moves plus 30 minutes for the rest of the game with an increment of 30 seconds per move, starting from move one. Players may only agree to a draw after the 40th move has been made by black.
According to FIDE regulations, the European Club Cup offers the possibility for players to achieve GM, IM, WGM and WIM norms based on 7 games.
The winners of the European Club Cup (currently SOCAR Azerbaijan) and the European Women’s Club Cup (currently Cercle d’Echecs de Monte Carlo) qualify directly to next year’s European Club Cup.
The total amount of 51,000 EUR, provided by travel agency AT Holidays, will be awarded to the winners of the European Club Cup, in both team and individual rewards! The prize distribution is described below in the official regulations of the event.
Do not forget to consider the event’s sponsor AT Holidays when planning your next trip to Greece.
Special prices @ official hotel, the 5-star Rodos Palace
***** 53 euros per person per day in a double room, including breakfast, lunch and dinner (full board).
***** 78 euros per person per day in a single room, including breakfast, lunch and dinner (full board).
All registrations and bookings in Rodos Palace will be made through the Organising Committee and AT Holidays. The deadline for club registrations and bookings is 19 August 2013.
How to reach the island of Rhodes
The international airport of Rhodes (IATA code: RHO) is connected daily with many European capitals. The major airlines serving Rhodes are Olympic Airways and Aegean Airways. The sea port of Rhodes is also connected via ferry boats with Athens (Piraeus) and the nearby Turkish sea ports of Marmaris, Bodrum and Fethiye.
The Organising Committee will provide bus transfer from the airport and the port to Rodos Palace Hotel on the days of arrival and departure, in accordance with the official regulations.
Download full Regulations (PDF)
Contact:
The official website of the European Club Cup 2013 is http://www.rhodes2013.org
Tournament Director: IO Nikos Kalesis – Tel.: (+30) 6938326161
Fax: (+30) 2641500112, Email: eccc2013rodos@gmail.com
Legendary GM Lothar Schmid passed away
Lothar Schmid played for West Germany at eleven Chess Olympiads.
In 1950, at second board at the 9th Olympiad in Dubrovnik (+7 −1 =4)
In 1952, at second board at the 10th Olympiad in Helsinki (+7 −1 =4)
In 1954, at second board at the 11th Olympiad in Amsterdam (+6 −4 =3)
In 1956, at second board at the 12th Olympiad in Moscow (+4 −2 =7)
In 1958, at third board at the 13th Olympiad in Munich (+6 −3 =4)
In 1960, at second board at the 14th Olympiad in Leipzig (+7 −2 =5)
In 1962, at third board at the 15th Olympiad in Varna (+4 −2 =2)
In 1964, at third board in at the 16th Olympiad Tel Aviv (+7 −2 =5)
In 1968, at second board in at the 18th Olympiad Lugano (+6 −0 =6)
In 1970, at second board in at the 19th Olympiad Siegen (+7 −1 =4)
In 1974, at first board in at the 21st Olympiad Nice (+5 −3 =7)
Schmid is also a well known chess arbiter, awarded the International Arbiter (IA) title in 1975.[1] He was the arbiter for the Fischer–Spassky 1972, Karpov–Korchnoi 1978, Kasparov–Karpov 1986 World Championship matches, and also Fischer–Spassky 1992 (the 'Revenge Match').
Source: Wikipedia
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