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Hungarian Championship LIVE!
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Pavlodar Open 2013
The Pavlodar Open will take place on 10-19th December at the Estaya St. 83 in Pavlodar, Kazakhstan.
The tournament is organized by the Kazakhstan Chess Federation, Management of tourism, physical training and sports of the Pavlodar area, and Pavlodar Chess Federation.
The playing format is 10-round Swiss and the tournament will be valid for FIDE rating and norms.
Tournament director is GM Kotsur Pavel. The prize fund is 12000 $, with the first prize being 3000 $.
Top rated players are: Zhigalko Andrey BLR 2615, Solak Dragan TUR 2611, Ponkratov Pavel RUS 2603, Burmakin Vladimir RUS 2581, Jumabayev Rinat KAZ 2568, Dvoirys Semen RUS 2562, Zubarev Alexander UKR 2546, Ovetchkin Roman RUS 2542, Yudin Sergei RUS 2538, Ulibin Mikhail RUS 2506 and Kostenko Petr KAZ 2500.
Last year winner was GM Avetik Grigoryan
More information on the tournament website
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SpareBank 1 Nord-Norge first major sponsor for Chess Olympiad 2014
Chess Olympiad Tromsø 2014 has presented its first major sponsor – Sparebanken Nord-Norge.
Sparebanken Nord-Norge’s sponsorship of the Chess Olympiad is worth NOK 6 million (approx. 710,000 Euro).
“It is important for the bank to be involved, as a player in regional development. The Chess Olympiad will be an important event for the region,” says Sparebanken Nord-Norge Communications Director, Stig Arne Engen.
“We think that local ownership and commitment is critical in order to achieve success, and therefore we’re extremely pleased that the bank is now making the first moves,” says Chess Olympiad Tromsø 2014 Marketing Manager, Lene Hansen.
SpareBank 1 Nord-Norge offers banking services for all types of customers throughout the entire region, with 72 branches in Nordland, Tromsø, Finnmark and Svalbard.
The bank also has banking operations in Russia, in St. Petersburg and Murmansk, through North-West 1 Alliance Bank.
In addition, SpareBank 1 Nord-Norge offers services via the internet and mobiles.
With approx. 244,000 private clients and approx. 36,500 corporate clients (including public sector, clubs and associations), SpareBank 1 Nord-Norge is an important factor in regional development – now also as a sponsor of the Chess Olympiad Tromsø 2014.
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Shankland: Now that I am more mature
Q&A: Grand Master Sam Shankland ’14 to pursue professional career
By Jess Linde December 6, 2013
Section: News
Sam Shankland ’14 says that when he started playing chess competitively at age 10, is considered very old by today’s standard. That hasn’t seemed to handicap him, as just five years later, he became a national master in the United States. Today, Shankland is a recognized Grand Master (GM) in chess. The Hoot spoke with Shankland to catch up on his career, his recent accomplishments and future aspirations.
The Hoot: What is your role in working with the chess club on campus?
Sam Shankland: I never really officially taught the chess club or played with them, but I’m still somewhat involved. I go to meetings now and then, and I have made some friends there. Recently I played a five-board blindfold simul (playing five games at once, blindfolded, relying only on the players telling me the coordinates of their moves) with the chess club to raise money for the Waltham Group. While I am not a major presence at chess club, I still go when I can, and I enjoy myself there.
TH: How has your chess career progressed, and what are your plans for the future?
SS: I had a really hot streak from 2010 to 2012—my biggest achievements came in 2011. In spring semester of my first year, I took third at the 2011 U.S. Championship and won $20,000. Later in the summer, I participated in the World Cup and defeated Peter Leko in round one. He was number 17 in the world at the time and has been as high as number four and challenged for the World Championship. Although 2013 has not been a great year for me, I did make my debut playing for the U.S. National team. I was our top scorer at the Pan-American Team championship in Brazil, and our victory there qualified the U.S. for the World Team championship. This championship is currently happening, although I was not selected for the event. I was also our top scorer at our friendly match with China in Ningbo. I took clear first at the ZMDI Open last August, one of Germany’s strongest events. This year, I was selected as the 2013 Samford Fellow and provided with an $84,000 fellowship given out once a year to the most promising American player under the age of 25 to improve their chess and try to enter the world elite.
TBH: Since you’re a senior, how has schoolwork and approaching graduation affected your chess playing?
SS: This year has been hard for me. While I was playing quite a bit in 2011 and 2012, I was only playing abroad over the summer. I have been improving significantly and need to be playing more abroad, but my classes have been getting harder. It has become much more difficult to manage everything. I believe this has had an adverse affect on both my chess career and my studies. While I have learned a lot at Brandeis and greatly enjoyed my time here and made friendships that I hope to keep for a long time, I am looking forward to graduating and dedicating myself completely to my chess career.
TH: How has your experience at Brandeis influenced your chess playing?
SS: When I first came to Brandeis I was on my way out of the chess world, frustrated by politics and my own lack of improvement. I think prior to coming here I was putting way too much pressure on myself as a very young man trying to make it as a professional player, and it adversely affected my results. While chess has always been very important to me, during my time at Brandeis it has not been the only part of my working life, so a lot of this pressure was lifted, and very quickly, my results shot through the roof. At the same time, however, I have less time to study and play, so now that I am more mature, I think the negative consequences of school on my chess career are starting to show as well, although they certainly do not outweigh the positive effects.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
Source: http://thebrandeishoot.com
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Final Victory
Roanoke Programmer Dies Days Before Efforts Win World Chess Championship
Posted by stuart on Dec 6th
In an amazing victory, a Roanoke man who had passed away just nine days earlier won the worldwide Thoresen Chess Engine Competition. (TCEC).
On Sunday, December 1, the Komodo Chess Engine, a downloadable computer chess game, won this unofficial world championship against the number two program, Stockfish.
TCEC is the prestigious computer chess event of the year, a competition among 38 chess engines that culminates with a 48-game match between the top two programs, broadcast over the Internet from Skog, Sweden.
Komodo’s developer, Roanoke native Don Dailey, achieved his lifelong dream of creating the number one chess engine in the world, along with co-author Grandmaster Larry Kaufman, age 66. But Dailey, 57, passed away before Komodo clinched the title, and never got to see it win. Komodo is now the number one engine of serious chess, as opposed to the fast-paced “blitz chess.”
Remarkably, the two aging baby boomers accomplished this feat normally reserved for 20-somethings. In this high-tech, youth-driven era, the two soon-to-be senior citizens created Komodo, named after the dragon. The opposing engine Stockfish was the collaborative worldwide effort of more than 20 programmers and many other testers. Yet the two men knocked out the competition.
Dailey, a computer programmer by training, worked with Kaufman tirelessly for three years to complete Komodo. They worked remotely, Dailey from Roanoke, and Kaufman in Potomac, Maryland. The two both had an MIT connection; Dailey was the head of systems administration for the MIT Laboratory for Computer Science in the 1990s, and Kaufman was a student in the 1960s. Amazingly, Dailey never graduated from high school or attended college,but instead opted for a GED before setting out on his own.
The pair worked twelve-hour days, tirelessly perfecting Komodo, getting their program ready for launch and for the competition. In the meantime, Dailey contracted leukemia, but instead of slowing down, their efforts intensified as they raced against the fatal illness. Kaufman said the dream kept them going.
Dailey and Kaufman continued to tweak the program even as it entered the championship, Don working from his hospice bed. Suddenly Kaufman also took ill, and was rushed to the hospital for emergency, life-saving intestinal surgery. As they had in the past, the two fought the battle to collaborate from their separate hospitals.
Nine days after the tournament started, Komodo emerged as the winner by a 25 to 23 score over rival Stockfish, thus laying claim to being the strongest chess-playing entity on earth. Human players have been unable to keep pace with the level of play at which computers are now able to perform. Observers reported that Dailey and Kaufman achieved their checkmate through amazing odds and that no one would have believed that these two boomers would clinch the championship.
Source: http://theroanokestar.com
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Young British Hope
Young Grandmaster all set for the London Chess Classic
David Howell, Eastbourne’s record breaking chess player, will take part in the London Classic this week, hoping to win the illustrious title for the first time.
He is the youngest chess Grandmaster in the United Kingdom, a title he earned when he came second during the 35th Rilton Cup in Stockholm in January 2007 when he was just 16.
He began playing chess at the age of five after his father purchased a second-hand chess set at a jumble sale.
After gaining his Grandmaster status, Howell, now 23, has continued to compete at the top level. In August 2013 he won his second British Chess Championship title.
“It would mean the world to me to be able to win it as it is one of the biggest tournaments in the world but it’ll be a long shot.
“Anyone can win this time around but (Hikaru) Nakumura and Kramnik are strong contenders.
“Me and many of the other players have said the game improves concentration and at that age that is important.” said the current British Champion.
“But most importantly it is fun and a great form of social interaction because you can play it with anyone, any place, anywhere in the world.”
The competition, in which Howell finished third in 2009 another of his greatest achievements, involves 16 of the top players in the world has been set up by the Chess in Schools and Communities charity.
The foundation campaigns for primary school children to play chess due to the educational and social developments that the game has to youngsters. While the players battle it out for the ‘Elite’ prize there will be a host of activities for children, such as free lessons.
The London Chess Classic runs 7th-15th December at London’s Olympia Conference Centre.
For more information and to win the chance to play chess with David, visit www.londonchessclassic.com.
Source: http://www.eastbourneherald.co.uk
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Khismatullin wins the Cup of the Governor of Ugra
The last stage of the 2013 Cup of Russia, the Cup of the Governor of Ugra, was held from 27th November to 6th December in Khanty-Mansiysk.
Grandmaster Denis Khismatullin finished clear first with 6,5/9 points after holding Dmitry Bocharov with black pieces in the final round. Khismatullin earned 4500 EUR for the effort.
Vladimir Fedoseev, Aleksandr Shimanov, Dmitry Bocharov, Sanan Sjugirov, Pavel Ponkratov and Vladislav Artemiev shared the second place with 6,0 points each.
46 players participated in the 9-round Swiss event. In addition, a B tournament with 72 players took place.
The total prize fund for both tournaments was 37,000 EUR.
Khanty-Mansiysk will also host the final tournaments of the 2013 Cup of Russia for men and women on 11-20th December, and final tournaments of the 2013 Rapid Cup of Russia for men and women on 19-22nd December.
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Nigel Short insisted that I attack Ilyumzhinov and support Kasparov
Interview with Andrew Paulson, President of English Chess Federation
By Chessdom
Chessdom: You were recently elected President of English Chess Federation. What are the latest developments and your plans for the future?
Andrew Paulson: The election cycle of the English Chess Federation is annual so there is great pressure to deliver on promises efficiently so as to justify the confidence of the electorate. So, the Board has dived headlong into all the matters covered in election platform I ran on (among others); we will be having our third Board Meeting in three months on December16th; I hope to have concrete achievements to present at the semi-annual ECF Council Meeting in April.
As each member of the Board is elected separately — there is no slate — my first task has been to build team spirit and communality of purpose among its 9 members and the various other constituencies in the ECF orbit. This is a rather ‘soft’ task, though, as it has no benchmarks; it is more a precondition to further success.
The English chess community, unlike elsewhere in the world, is opinionated and contrarian. Recent history has been particularly rocky and many valuable participants in the English chess scene have been alienated or marginalised: taken their toys home. The second task I set myself was to heal breaches and reunite disparate factions. This will actually have many benchmarks as one by one groups and individuals return to the fold with new compacts and commonweal. And you’ll begin seeing new lines of communication and co-operation emerging with the Scottish, Welsh, Jersey and Guernsey Chess Federations.
We are taking the first steps towards a new business model to bring sponsorship revenue to all the ECF’s interests, projects and affiliates, and to the ECF itself. The ECF will offer a consolidated asset (all of English chess, here and abroad, at every level, every event, any individual) for sponsorship and act as a central clearing house equitably to distribute this revenue to all participants. This demands a more professional approach to communications and PR so that our commercial partners will get the best and broadest exposure possible on our shoulders. Obviously, this requires coordination and collaboration hithertofore unheard of in the chess world, followed by a search for the right financial partners. In the process we are trying to identify a Commercial Director whom we can bring in as the 10th member of the ECF Board.
The ECF has kept its distance in recent years from both FIDE and the European Chess Union for reasons of emotionalism and demagoguery, a holding-our-noses ‘strategy’ without goals: an antipathy to their leaders, ignoring the usefulness of the institutions themselves. I advocated engagement so as to achieve certain concrete improvements in these organisations: both transparency so as to provide better services to their member federations and Public Relations so as to improve the reputation of chess in the general public and with potential sponsors. In part, this means greater personal engagement from EFC members in the administration and committee structure and we are seeking greater participation in both bodies.
A key difference between the English Chess Federation and with World Chess Federation is that our members are people and FIDE’s are federations. We must strike the right balance (and this is not necessarily democratic) in the attention we pay to each constituency of our membership (junior, adult, senior, amateur, professional, arbiter, coach, organiser, parent, fan). We must actively repair some of the areas that have been neglected in recent years (women, disabled, senior). And, we must invest for the future (top players and teams) glory of England.
And, finally, there are some urgent administrative goals: the ECF has no Strategic Plan as it never had a budget or a long event horizon; its voting structure for elections and decision-making needs to be reviewed; the long-discussed option to convert its legal status to charity needs action; and finally the resistance of the UK government to recognise chess as a sport is hindering ECF access to government funding needs to be reversed.
Chessdom: What have you been doing in India to support the Match?
Andrew Paulson: I spent three months in India meeting with over 100 of India’s top companies, trying to evince interest in sponsoring the Anand-Carlsen World Championship Match. I thought that this would be really easy: Anand, the Tiger from Madras; Chaturanga, invented in India; Carlsen, the ‘hottie’; supposedly 58% of Indian adults play chess regularly; and I’m a pretty good salesman. I was wrong: it wasn’t easy. It was impossible. Zero. But now I know all the reasons these Indian companies had for NOT sponsoring that event, and I will build on this and the friendships I made in India to design the right package of Indian events to get these same companies to say yes. Which they will.
Although there have been half-hearted attempts over the years by FIDE and national federations to find commercial sponsorship for chess, the greatest success has always been with passionate, wealthy patrons. I believe my efforts have been the most wide-ranging and persistent attempt to find sustainable, professional commercial partnerships. Many gears have to mesh in any sponsorship package in order for it to pass muster with a rational Marketing Director of any admirable company we would want to work with. We’re getting there.
I’m already feeling a change in attitude (as we are talking, I am in Delhi): the audience results of the Match are being confirmed and many of the Marketing Directors I met with are getting back in touch with me expressing interest in the future (tails between legs). Indian broadcaster Doordarshan confirmed that the Match’s daily TV audience in India climbed to 200 million as the rounds advanced. The Norwegian NRK-TV numbers were close to 15% of the population of the entire country, 25% of the TV audience at the time. And the worldwide online audience is still being assessed, but will top 10m individuals following the moves from various chess sites. I am agitating to break cricket’s stranglehold on the Indian media buyer’s imagination (>90% of all sponsorship spend).
Chessdom: The former world champion Garry Kasparov is challenging Kirsan Ilyumzhinov for the post of FIDE President. What is your opinion about the elections in FIDE?
Andrew Paulson: When I was standing for the Presidency of the ECF, I was surprised by the extent to which certain issues polarised vocal members of the community: it was clear that there were some litmus tests that I would have to pass, some might say that there was even an ‘enemies list’ I would have to eschew if not deny. Certainly Kirsan Ilyumzhinov was at the top of their list, closely followed by Ray Keene, CJ de Mooi, Ali Yazici, FIDE itself. Evil personified. The stuff of tales (chess-playing) parents tell their children in the dark of night to scare them onto the straight and narrow.
As an example, my friend Nigel Short who knows me rather well first averred that he would support my candidacy on the condition that I didn’t interfere with his voting for Kasparov. I confirmed this (his vote is determined by the Board, not the President). Then, he upped the requirement that I would not support Ilyumzhinov in the election. I confirmed this in writing saying that I would advocate abstention as neither candidate impressed me. Then Nigel upped his requirement even further, insisting that I attack Ilyumzhinov and support Kasparov. I refused (this is not appropriate behaviour for the President of the ECF). He denounced me.
However, Nigel made a very good (though arguable) point: in a democracy, you don’t vote for the good, you vote for the best you’ve got. For Nigel, even if Garry was highly problematic, he was not the diabolical Kirsan! When Garry Kasparov announced his candidacy for the Presidency of FIDE, most people questioned his competence for this position, but rather than thinking about this very seriously, quickly jumped to the conclusion that as bad as Kasparov might be, Kirsan was worse. Maybe.
This is the situation we have to study over the coming 9 months. Both sides are going to make their cases. Both sides have bullet point position papers and talking points defending their candidate and attacking their opponent. I will remain clear-eyed, consider the consequences of our vote, and try to lead the ECF to make the right decision as to how to vote. Nigel has convinced me: we will not abstain!
Chessdom: I would also like to know your opinion about the elections in ECU. There are hints that you will be on the ticket of Zurab Azmaiparashvili.
Andrew Paulson: England has been rather disengaged from the ECU for quite a while. I’d like to change that for many reasons. First, I’d like to advocate for ECU’s financially profitable events to be held in England for the benefit of the ECF. Second, I’d like to engage with other European federations for cooperation on two levels: building strength through unity among the federations of the British Isles and by providing opportunities for our players to have regular, informal encounters with our nearest neighbours on the Continent. Third, the Anglo-Saxons have always led Europe and the World in issues of transparency, corporate governance and anti-corruption. I feel that it is time for England to lead in chess rather than to gripe in the corner.
When I was first discussing the election at the ECU General Assembly in Warsaw several weeks ago (by the way, very little else was discussed by anyone; chess was being played elsewhere!), I argued that I don’t need a position in the ECU in order to realise my goals. However, looking around me at the current administration of the ECU, I realised that that was way wrong! What an embarrassment! As I watched a muzak-video-medley of snapshots of the current President, Silvio Danailov, lurking in gilt chairs beside leaders of European countries I tried to imagine what could he possibly be saying?!?! I challenge all those who know Silvio to write the script; I fear that it would wind up sounding more like a skit …. The Rocky Horror Chess Show on Saturday Night Live!
I find Zurab a very compelling figure. As to his ticket, nothing has been decided yet as far as I know. I would be very happy to help him win the election in any way I could! I will be sounding out my colleagues in the ECF and our friends in Europe on this in the coming months.
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Navalmoral de la Mata Open 2013
The 19th International Open Tournament “Villa de Navalmoral” is taking place on 5-8th December at the hotel Moya in Navalmoral de la Mata (Cáceres), Spain.
The tournament will be played over 7 rounds of Swiss system. 90 players from 16 countries are participating, including 14 Grandmasters.
The total prize fund is 12,300 EUR, with 3000 EUR dedicated for the winner.
Participants (top seeds):
1. GM Fedorchuk Sergey A. UKR 2660
2. GM Grigoryan Karen H. ARM 2604
3. GM Peralta Fernando ARG 2600
4. GM Perez Candelario Manuel ESP 2568
5. GM Guliyev Namig AZE 2551
6. GM Epishin Vladimir RUS 2548
7. GM Nikolov Momchil BUL 2529
8. GM Narciso Dublan Marc ESP 2521
9. IM Forcen Esteban Daniel ESP 2511
10. GM Ibarra Jerez Jose Carlos ESP 2510
11. GM Ubilava Elizbar ESP 2496
12. IM Koziak Vitali UKR 2486
13. GM Campora Daniel H. ARG 2474
14. IM Enchev Ivajlo BUL 2447
15. IM Barria Zuñiga Daniel CHI 2434
16. GM Perez Mitjans Orelvis ESP 2418
17. IM Demin Alexandr RUS 2410
18. GM Komljenovic Davorin CRO 2407
19. IM Antoli Royo Joaquin Miguel ESP 2405
20. IM Dias Paulo POR 2397
21. GM Pogorelov Ruslan UKR 2381
22. FM Almagro Mazariegos Sebastian ESP 2333
23. FM Ivanov Borislav BUL 2318
24. FM Cabezas Ayala Ivan ESP 2316
25. FM Garcia-Ortega Mendez Jose M. ESP 2308
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Young champ aims for world title
Junior National champion aiming for a world title
By Harsha Amarasinghe
Sunday, 08 December 2013 00:00
Chirashana Lamahewa an 18-year-old chess player from Ananda College, Colombo, is one of the most consistent players in Sri Lanka school chess scene winning, board prizes of Sri Lanka School Chess Championships in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013.The most recent award being adjudged the Junior National champion in November. He also won a Silver at the National Youth Blitz Chess Championship in 2010. Talking to ‘Free’ magazine Chrishana said he is training to defend his Junior National title.
Q: What has been the best moment of your career?
I finished fourth in the World School’s Blitz Championship held in IASI, Romania. During that tournament I was able to beat the Romanian Junior National Champion, Bida Mihai Eugene. That moment was awesome. I felt the same way when I was called up to collect the trophy for the Junior National Champion.
Q: Did you face any obstacles during this whole time?
Yes I have. But once, Albert Einstein said, “Chess holds its master in its own bonds, shackling the mind and brain so that the inner freedom of the very strongest must suffer.” So I believe I’ve been trying to overcome my weaknesses. We have minimal chances of gathering knowledge worldwide. Therefore one has to put continuous effort to compete in and out of the box at the same time to be on the game.
Q: What made you take an interest in this particular sport?
When I was 10 years old, I got my very own chess board from my father. I think it was the first move and I was inspired from then on. When I was in Grade Six I took a challenge from a classmate who was already a member of the school chess team. It took me by surprise that I could win so easily, then the news flashed and I was invited to play for the school team. I got selected and I guess it was the beginning.
Q: Who is the toughest opponent you’ve ever faced?
Talipov Nafis from Russia
Q: What are your plans for the future?
I want to become a genius at chess. While defending my current title I dream of one day winning an international title. It would be an honor to bring a glory to my motherland. And I want to do well in my A/Ls next year. And I am hoping to continue my higher studies in the management field.
Q: Who are your biggest supporters?
I have great feedback from my family. My mother has always been there for me like a shadow. I just love my mother and father very much. I was brought up in a well-disciplined manner. “A strong concentration, imagination and a strong will is what it takes to become a strong chess player,” they say. My family provides me with great support. They are my biggest fans and strength. Jagath Senarathne the Principal of G/ P.De.S. Kularathne MV (my old school), Dinesh Jothirathne, Manoj Kodikara and Shyamali Jayasuriya. Col L M D Dharmasena past Principal of Ananda College, Kithsiri Liyanagamage the Principal of Ananda College, Susantha Karadena Teacher-in-Charge of Chess. And I would like to thank Fide Master Prasanna Kurukulasuriya, G C Anuruddha and my colleague Fide Master Sajith Pieris.
Q: What advice do you have to someone who wants to be like you (in the same sport) ?
Chess demands a love for the game. Behind great success lies deliberate practice, total concentration. You should always have an interest to figure out what high achievers do have in common. And most importantly should always respect our seniors whose footsteps we are following.
Source: http://www.nation.lk
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GM Ehsan Ghaem Maghami is champion of Iran
GM Ehsan Ghaem Maghami is champion of Iran
Saturday, 07 December 2013 18:37
The Final National Championship of Iran was held from 27th November to 5th december in Tabriz. 36 players competed in the 11-round Swiss event.
Top seed GM Ehsan Ghaem Maghami finished clear first with 8 points to claim his 11th title of national champion.
FM Mousavi Seyed Khalil, GM Golizadeh Asghar, Noroozi Omid and GM Toufighi Homayoon shared the second place with 7.5 points each.
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So simple, it's SimpleChess!
http://simplechess.com/index.html
As you can tell from the name, SimpleChess is simple to navigate around the site. It is designed for amateur players who would like to have a good time by playing and /or learning online.
Our playing zone has more than 800,000 members. You can play 24/7 against players from all over the world. You can also play against computer at various levels. In addition, you can solve puzzles, read news or improvement tips, and watch instructional videos.
To celebrate this historic World Championship in Chennai, India, between legendary World Champion Vishy Anand and world #1 Magnus Carlsen, you can play and learn FREE on SimpleChess until February 1, 2014. After that, some parts of the server will remain free, while others will be available at nominal fees.
There will plenty of additions in the next few months. In the meantime, have fun and enjoy the greatest game on earth!
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A down to earth legendary World Champion
Checkmated by a legend
Rasheeda Bhagat
As the aircraft lands in Chennai I am totally smitten by the man’s simplicity, grace and charm.
December 6, 2013:
He was one of the last to board the Jet Airways flight from Delhi to Chennai on Thursday afternoon.
Seated on the aisle seat, with one seat empty between us, I thought he looked like the chess legend Viswanathan Anand, but dismissed the thought wondering why he would travel economy class.
After the flight took off, he settled down to watching a black and white movie on his iPad. There were no nakhras and zero fuss, something that you don’t associate with celebs. So I didn’t ask him if he was indeed our chess hero who broke millions of hearts recently by losing to the young Norwegian Magnus Carlsen in the World Chess Championship in Chennai.
And anyway nobody was queuing up to get his autographs. After 30 minutes somebody came up, recalled meeting him along with Scindia. I caught another political name, and reached my low point by asking him incredulously, even disapprovingly: “Don’t tell me you’re a politician?” He turned to me, smiled and shook his head.
And then the penny dropped! I popped the question, and he grinned, and nodded. Sheepishly I apologised telling him I was not much of a sportsperson. “But my husband and two sons are huge fans”, I gushed, and sought permission to click a picture, which was graciously granted. He was interested in my Nokia Lumia 820, and asked how good it was; as he was using one of the bigger Samsung Galaxy mobiles, he was looking for a mobile which was smaller.
As my son works for Nokia, I plugged the Lumia a bit, we then chatted about how 6-7 years ago it was only Nokia and nothing else. I introduced myself and he asked me where I lived in Chennai.
“Nungambakkam? I lived there for quite a bit; on Sterling Road”, Anand said. Again, no mention of the fact that his father, Viswanathan Iyer, is a former General Manager of Southern Railways.
Next we discussed the great work being done by Vidyasagar, the Chennai-based institution for spastic children, of which he is a brand ambassador. I mention being one of its founding members; he displays appreciation, making me feel better about my failure to recognise him instantly. Again I mumble an apology and say I was foxed by his sheer simplicity; and didn’t expect to see him in economy.
He shrugs and says that as he had reached the airport a little early, he had changed to an earlier flight. A flight attendant comes to seek his autograph for his “mother, who is a big fan”.
We chat on a number of topics – mobiles and technology, the movie he is watching on his iPad… “it is actually a Perry Mason TV serial. I got hooked on to it when I visited my sister in the US,” he says.
On how Vidyasagar is doing phenomenal work, but was always tight on funds. I admit to my inability, as a core member, in helping it raise adequate funds. “And we have totally failed to cash in on your status as a brand ambassador,” I sigh, and we talk about how these “big circuits” work to raise funds.
The inevitable question is about his heart-breaking loss in Chennai. Anand shrugs, smiles and says, “These things happen, I’ll move on; there will be other matches.” As the aircraft lands in Chennai I am totally smitten by the man’s simplicity, grace and charm. And gratified that other passengers too had failed to recognise him… “Sir, we thought you looked like Viswanathan Anand, but weren’t sure”, says one man. Another says he was fooled by the economy class travel.
Anand walks out with a warm goodbye and I alight wondering how one of our celeb cricketers would behave on flights vis-à-vis ordinary passengers. Wish more celebs were like Vishy Anand!
Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com
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Chess opening traps to avoid
Chess opening traps to avoid
Posted: July 16, 2011 - 10:49pm
By Susan Polgar
Normally you can be safe by following the general opening principles; however there are famous opening traps good to know about.
Game 1: “Petroff defense”
From the starting position: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3
White attacks the e5 Pawn. Black now could defend it with 2…Nc6 or 2…d6 but decided to counter attack with 2…Nf6, which is not a mistake yet. White captured the Pawn 3.Nxe5.
Now Black should play 3…d6, chasing back White’s Knight first before capturing White’s Pawn on e4.
However, let’s see what is wrong with 3…Nxe4?
White will answer with 4.Qe2 attacking Black’s Knight on e4.
Now Black is in trouble. If the Knight moves away from e4, for example 4…Nf6, then White has a discovered check to win Black’s Queen with 5.Nc6+.
Let’s go back a little to the position after White’s fourth move. A better defense is (instead of 4…Nf6) 4…d5 protecting the Knight. Then White attacks the Knight again, (with the Pawn, this time) with 5.d3.
Here the same idea is renewed: if the Black Knight leaves the e4 square then 6.Nc6+ wins the Black Queen. The best Black can do is play 5...Qe7 and lose only a Pawn after 6.dxe4 Qxe5 7.exd5. Here Black cannot capture the d5 Pawn because the Black Queen is pinned on the e file.
White is also ends up a Pawn ahead if in the above diagram position, Black tries to counter attack with 4...Qe7. Then, White captures the Black Knight with 5.Qxe4 and after 5...d6 plays 6.d4 dxe5 7.dxe5.
Here is an opening trap you should avoid as White:
Game 2: Queen’s Pawn opening
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 c5
In this position, White could capture the Pawn on c5 with 3.dxc5. However, Black’s plan is to check with
3…Qa5+ and win the Pawn back.
3.Bf4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 This is already a mistake. Recapturing with the Queen (4.Qxd4) was better.
Now, Black has an unexpected combination to win material. First, Black sacrifices a Pawn with 4...e5.
This is a fork. If either piece (Bishop or Knight) just moves away, the other would be captured. But, what happens if White just takes the Pawn with 5.Bxe5?
Then comes a second fork: 5…Qa5+
Now, White is in check and after White blocks the check, Black can capture the Bishop on e5 with
6…Qxe5 and win a Bishop for only a Pawn.
Game 3: French defense
1.e4 e6 These are the starting moves of the French defense.
2.d4 d5 Both sides are occupying the center so far. Now the White’s Pawn on e4 is under attack. White can protect it in various ways such as 3.Nc3 or 3.Nd2 or simply move it away from the danger.
3.e5 c5 Black is trying to put pressure on White’s d4 Pawn starting with this move.
4.c3 White protects the d4 Pawn.
4…Nc6 5.Nf3 Qb6 Now Black is pressuring the d4 Pawn with the Pawn on c5, Knight on c6 and from behind with the Queen on b6. White is also protecting it three times. So for now, White is safe.
6.Bd3 Did White just make a mistake? Let’s see…now the White’s Queen on d1 is no longer protecting the d4 Pawn.
6…cxd4 7.cxd4 Nxd4 8.Nxd4 Qxd4 Black has just won a Pawn right? Right, but it only brings very temporary.
9.Bb5+ and with this discovery, White wins Black’s Queen.
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Judit Chess Tactic
Black to move. How should Black proceed?
Aleksandrov, Aleksej (2617) - Polgar, Judit (2711) (Chess Olympiad 2008 Dresden (11.8), 2008)
3r2k1/p2r2pp/1p6/2p5/2P1P1q1/P2nP3/2Q1R1PP/3RB1K1 b - - 0 31
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How to Attack like a Grandmaster by GM Damian Lemos ... and more
Susan Polgar Explains the French Defense, Lines with 3. Nc3
Susan Polgar Explains the French Defense, Lines with 3. Nc3
Posted on December 05,2013 By William in Strategy & Game Review, Chess Openings, All Articles w/ Videos, Beginner's Corner. The French Defense is a fantastic opening to add to your repertoire because it is extremely solid and black should have an easy time of emerging from the early moves with good play in the center. This chess video excerpt from Susan Polgar's chess DVD ¨Master the French, part 3 of 3¨ focuses specifically on all lines of the French Defense starting with 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 - including 3. ..Bb4; 3. ..dxe4; 3. ..Nf6 4. e5; and 3. ..Nf6 4. Bg5. G[...]
Susan Polgar Explains the French Defense, Tarrasch Variation
Posted on November 28,2013 By William in General Chess Articles. The Tarrasch Variation is one of the most common lines against the French Defense, starting with 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 as white protects his pawn on e4 but does not want to allow 3. Nc3 Bb4 - pinning the knight and doubling white's pawns for the rest of the game. However the Tarrasch Variation also has it's drawbacks as white will spend a lot of extra time to complete his development because his knight on d2 will be blocking natural developing[...]
How to Attack like a Grandmaster by GM Damian Lemos
Posted on November 25,2013 By GM Damian Lemos in General Chess Articles. Many beginner chess players are nervous at the board and this translates into timid play. If you prefer to build a solid position and wait for a mistake by your opponent, you are not playing good chess! If you want to win games, you have to attack your opponent at every chance. You must capitalize on every opportunity to make threats against your opponent and create problems that your opponent will be forced to solve. In this chess video excerpt [...]
Master the French Defense with GM Susan Polgar
Posted on November 25,2013 By OnlineChessLessons.NET Contributor in General Chess Articles. The French Defense is the perfect opening choice for the beginner and intermediate chess player as it is an extremely solid defense against 1. e4, relying on a clear positional foundation to guide play in the opening and middlegame. The French Defense has been played by countless top players including Mikhail Botvinnik, Ulf Andersson, Vassily Ivanchuk, Hikaru Nakamura, Magnus Carlsen, etc.. so it is clear that this is an opening you can play thro[...]
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 shopwith tons of free updated previews.
Susan Polgar Explains the French Defense, Lines with 3. Nc3
Posted on December 05,2013 By William in Strategy & Game Review, Chess Openings, All Articles w/ Videos, Beginner's Corner. The French Defense is a fantastic opening to add to your repertoire because it is extremely solid and black should have an easy time of emerging from the early moves with good play in the center. This chess video excerpt from Susan Polgar's chess DVD ¨Master the French, part 3 of 3¨ focuses specifically on all lines of the French Defense starting with 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 - including 3. ..Bb4; 3. ..dxe4; 3. ..Nf6 4. e5; and 3. ..Nf6 4. Bg5. G[...]
Susan Polgar Explains the French Defense, Tarrasch Variation
Posted on November 28,2013 By William in General Chess Articles. The Tarrasch Variation is one of the most common lines against the French Defense, starting with 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 as white protects his pawn on e4 but does not want to allow 3. Nc3 Bb4 - pinning the knight and doubling white's pawns for the rest of the game. However the Tarrasch Variation also has it's drawbacks as white will spend a lot of extra time to complete his development because his knight on d2 will be blocking natural developing[...]
How to Attack like a Grandmaster by GM Damian Lemos
Posted on November 25,2013 By GM Damian Lemos in General Chess Articles. Many beginner chess players are nervous at the board and this translates into timid play. If you prefer to build a solid position and wait for a mistake by your opponent, you are not playing good chess! If you want to win games, you have to attack your opponent at every chance. You must capitalize on every opportunity to make threats against your opponent and create problems that your opponent will be forced to solve. In this chess video excerpt [...]
Master the French Defense with GM Susan Polgar
Posted on November 25,2013 By OnlineChessLessons.NET Contributor in General Chess Articles. The French Defense is the perfect opening choice for the beginner and intermediate chess player as it is an extremely solid defense against 1. e4, relying on a clear positional foundation to guide play in the opening and middlegame. The French Defense has been played by countless top players including Mikhail Botvinnik, Ulf Andersson, Vassily Ivanchuk, Hikaru Nakamura, Magnus Carlsen, etc.. so it is clear that this is an opening you can play thro[...]
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 shopwith tons of free updated previews.
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What chess can show us about building the metropolis of the future
Chess holds the secret to saving our cities
Saturday, Dec 7, 2013 05:00 PM CST
What this game of strategy can show us about building the metropolis of the future
Henry Grabar
Pedro Ortiz is on a metropolitan planning mission. Like many urban theorists, he uses metaphors to illustrate his points, and his preferred comparison is to games.
Too often, Ortiz says, we think of the metropolis like a dartboard, one whose concentric circles of development decline in value and importance with distance from the center. This is the radial or orbital model of metropolitan planning, one that prizes centrality above all. It is, for Ortiz, a design whose failures have rendered it obsolete.
Instead, he suggests we imagine the metropolis as a chessboard, where every square plays a role and control of the center can be complemented by clever play along the edges. Ortiz calls this system of evenly spaced nodes and gridded traffic corridors the “reticular,” and it is his trademark method of planning. In a metropolitan scheme for Bogotá, Colombia, Ortiz actually placed chess pieces on a map, each corresponding to a particular sub-regional function: an airport, town center or commercial business district.
“Metropolises are not at all like cities,” Ortiz told me over the phone last week. Developing the regional plan for Madrid in the mid-’90s, Ortiz learned that metropolitan planning, in addition to foresight, requires coordination and sacrifice. “Every mayor wanted to be a queen. But their role was not to be a queen or a king but to be a knight, a bishop or a pawn.”
To make regions function as a whole, Ortiz designed the Metro-Matrix, a system marked by linearity – intersecting transportation lines organized around natural features – and numerous centers. It’s an idea that Ortiz, a senior urban planner at the World Bank, has since exported to cities as distinct as Cairo, Mexico City, Istanbul and Manila, and whose principles he expounds in a new manual, “The Art of Shaping the Metropolis.” Given the pace of global urbanization, time is short. Looking onto unplanned slums spreading like oil stains around Accra, Ghana, and Monrovia, Liberia, or doubling year over year at the margins of N’Djamena, Chad, and Amman, Jordan, Ortiz sees a time bomb.
* * *
At the urban scale, the grid is the oldest and most popular design we have. It brings obvious advantages to movement, organization, architecture and real estate in the city. But rarely has it been successfully deployed as a regional strategy.
Source: http://www.salon.com
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