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hosted by Chess Queen™ & 12th Women's World Chess Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk
Thursday, June 30, 2011
AAI GM Chess R7: Caruana holds on to lead with draw with Sasikiran, Yifan beats Negi, So beats Laznicka
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hi everyone,
The seventh round at the AAI GM Chess Tournament in New Delhi, India saw some exciting chess like the previous rounds. While Wesley So beat Viktor Laznicka, Hou Yifan beat Parimarjan Negi. The third game - between Krishnan Sasikiran and Fabiano Caruana - was one see saw battle. Sasikiran said at the press conference, "I was worse in the opening but then had a chance. But in the end I suppose I made some mistake, I don't know. I thought I was winning for a while." The standings after seven rounds are as follows:
Slovakia national chess championship from July 9-17
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hello everyone,
The national championship of Slovakia is going to be played from July 9-17, 2011. The event, according to Fide, will be held in Banská Štiavnica like last year. Also, another interesting event, the Štiavnica Bughouse Chess Championship will be held on July 13 and Štiavnica Blitz Championship on for July 14.
GM Lajos Portisch and GM Lubomír Kaválek will play a blindfold game and host simultaneous exhibition on July 16. Lajos Portisch is also an great singer and he will perform on Sunday during the tournament’s closing ceremony. Portisch's performance will also have Valer Hegedüs playing the piano.
Currently 96 players are signed to play in the Open A tournament. Top rated are GM Gleizerov Evgeny RUS 2600, GM Ftacnik Lubomir SVK 2559, GM Gonda Laszlo HUN 2541, GM Medvegy Zoltan HUN 2536, IM Danin Alexandre RUS 2534, GM Michalik Peter SVK 2507, GM Timoscenko Gennadij SVK 2502, GM Boros Denes HUN 2497, GM Petrik Tomas SVK 2495 and GM Likavsky Tomas SVK 2484.You can find more information on the official website.
Simple chess puzzle: Does the e pawn have a future here?
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hi everyone,
Here is a nice simple puzzle for you to brighten up your Thursday. Do you think White's pawn on e6 has a future? How do you think White will play this?
Think for a while and if you still feel stumped or just want to cross-check your answer, simply run the flashplayer to view how the game was played.
Simple chess puzzle: Can you spot the winning moves?
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hello everyone,
Time for a very simple checkmating puzzle. When the King has no free squares it is usually your signal to go full throttle ahead. So, can you play like Khalifman and spot the winning idea in this puzzle? White to play.
Take just five minutes and still if you cannot find the answer, don't worry. Run the pgnplayer to see the answer and with continued practice you are sure to improve. Try a lovely tactics training programme (used by Chess Queen and 12th Women's World Chess Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk herself) at www.chesskingtraining.com.
Khalifman-Popov, St Petersburg, 1997 White to play
Rybka disqualified and banned from World Computer Chess Championships
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hello everyone,
News that will surely rock the chess world - Rybka disqualified and banned from World Computer Chess Championships.
www.chessvibes.com has just carried a detailed article on the episode. The International Computer Games Association (ICGA) has disqualified and banned Rybka and its programmer Vasik Rajlich from previous and future World Computer Chess Championships. The ICGA accuses Rajlich of plagiarizing two other programs, Crafty and Fruit, and demands that he returns the trophies and prize money of the World Computer Chess Championships in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010.
www.chessvibes.com further states: The news is obviously a huge blow for the Rybka team. The impact in the computer chess world must be comparable to arguably the most famous example of doping in athletics: the positive drug testing of Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson in 1988. We’ve asked Vasik Rajlich for a comment and hope to add this later.
Before going to Europe on Wednesday, I want to clear some stock, and am offering incredible prices for the t-shirt series, see the image and then you can order them HERE. This offer is only until midnight Tuesday, will be shipped Wednesday morning. While supplies last. After Wednesday, prices will go back to the original prices and delivery will only take place from September on. It's time to make a great impression during your next tournament or to make a gift your loved one will never forget. Thanks for your support and enjoy!
Note that Chess Queen™ and Chess King™ are registered trademarks.
Scacco Matto GMT3: The Pocket Watch of the 21st Century
Alexandra Kosteniuk, the Russian 12th World Chess Champion and Pasquale Gangi, Italian creator, combine to give birth to a big premiere in watchmaking, an object of art which is at the same time a pocket watch GMT 3 Time Zones and a system of timing of games of chess.
Scacco Matto GMT3. Checkmate. The watch imagined by Pasquale Gangi got its name since it is directly inspired from the world of finance for its time zones and of from the game of chess. It was born from a meeting between the young Queen of worldwide chess, who was looking for an original present for a Russian personality, and the Italian creator, originator of innovative plans.
Next to traditional and well established watchmaking, there is always place for a creative adventure! Strong in this conviction, both associates manage today to surprise us with their totally new concept, based on a mechanical movement with manual, double barrillet reassembly: a pocket watch GMT3 with three time zones, adjustable retrogressive date by a mono-tappet and indication of the power reserve (120 hours), linked to a system of timing of games of chess, patented. Entirely conceived, developed and produced according to the criteria of the high Swiss watchmaking.
The aesthetics of the chosen materials, titanium for the first edition, nothing was left aside for the manufacture of Scacco Matto GMT3, to result in the creation of an object never seen before, impressive, powerful and charged with emotions.
“The world of chess fascinates me. It demands countless qualities from its supporters. It is made at the same time of reflexion and strategy, subtlety and boldness, patience and brutality. It is linked to the world of the powerful, of the leaders. To be able to control a chess game, is to be the master of time! That is what we wanted to express in Scacco Matto GMT3″, “I am delighted of the collaboration with the Queen of Chess, who represents at the same time beauty, youth and intelligence, which are qualities which fit perfectly our exclusive and innovative creation” comments Pasquale Gangi.
Scacco Matto GMT3 is already available on the market. Every copy is unique, is signed Gangi and Alexandra Kosteniuk.
Grande première horlogère : Scacco Matto GMT3: la montre de poche du 21e siècle
Alexandra Kosteniuk, « la Russe 12éme championne du monde des échecs » et Pasquale Gangi, créateur Italien, s’associent pour donner naissance à une grande première horlogère: Scacco Matto GMT 3, un objet d’art qui est à la fois une montre de poche GMT 3 Time Zone et un système de chronométrage des parties d’échecs.
Scacco Matto GMT3. Echec et Mat. La montre imaginée par Pasquale Gangi porte bien son nom puisqu’elle est directement inspirée du monde de la finance pour ses fuseaux horaires et des échecs. Elle est née de la rencontre entre la jeune « Reine des échecs mondiaux » , qui cherchait un cadeau original pour une personnalité Russe, et le créateur Italien, initiateur de projets innovants.
A côté de l’horlogerie traditionnelle, patrimoniale, installée, il y a toujours place pour l’aventure créatrice! Forts de cette conviction, les deux associés parviennent aujourd’hui à nous surprendre avec leur concept inédit, basé sur un mouvement mécanique à remontage manuel, double barrillet : une montre de poche GMT3 avec trois fuseaux horaires, quantième rétrograde réglable par un mono-poussoir et indication de la réserve de marche (120 heures), associée à un système de chronométrage des parties d’échecs, bréveté. Le tout entièrement conçu, développé et produit selon les critères de la haute horlogerie suisse.
De l’esthétique au choix des matériaux, le titane pour la première édition, rien n’a été laissé au hasard dans la fabrication de Scacco Matto GMT3, pour aboutir au final à un objet complètement inédit, impressionnant, puissant et chargé d’émotions.
« Le monde des échecs me fascine. Il exige d’innombrables qualités de la part de ses adeptes. Il est fait à la fois de réflexion et de stratégie, de subtilité et d’audace, de patience et de brutalité. Il est associé au monde des puissants, au pouvoir. Savoir maîtriser une partie, c’est être maître du temps! C’est tout cela que nous avons voulu exprimer dans Scacco Matto GMT3 >>, <> commente Pasquale Gangi.Scacco Matto GMT3 est d’ores et déjà disponible sur le marché. Chaque exemplaire est unique, signé Gangi & Alexandra Kosteniuk.Pour tout renseignement: scaccomattogmt3@gangi.tv
The 2011 North American Youth Chess Championship is taking place over the next three days at the DoubleTree hotel. It's the seventh annual youth chess championship gathering, which takes place in a different country each year. Among the competitors are kids from the United States, Canada, Mexico and The Bahamas.
AAI GM Chess R6: Caruana increases lead with exciting win over Negi
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hello everyone,
Talented Italian youngster Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana was at his flowing best in the sixth round at the AAI GM Chess in New Delhi on Tuesday to take a full point off Indian national champion GM Parimarjan Negi. The latter went down fighting in a game that went all the way to the ropes. The other four drew their games!
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hello everyone,
The third edition of the Leon World Chess Open 2011 will be held from 2011 (in Leon, Spain of course) and include three events - 1) III World Chess Open, 2) I Champions League and 3) III Master Lecture. The events begin on December 17.
Prizes total around 22,000€. Prizes for amateur players and ELO categories are similar to previous years and Sub-18 category prizes have been increased. This year there is an interesting novelty, the 'I CHAMPIONS LEAGUE' that will be held on Friday 16 from 16.30 in the afternoon. It will include 4 players: Ljubojevic (Serbia), Hubner (Germany), Sax (Hungary), Seirawan (USA) or Hort (Germany). Reserve player: Borisov Ivkov, first Junior World Champion. A single round robin event will be held where all participants of the World Open are invited to come. If a tie will occur, 2 rapid games of 7 minutes per player would decide the winner.
Other events will include Master lecture by Serbian GM, settled in Linares (Jaen, Spain), Ljubomir Ljubojevic, who has played in the golden ages of chess together with three of the best players in chess history - Fischer, Karpov and Kasparov. You can find more details at the official website at www.openmundialdeleon.com.
Wojtaszek wins György Marx Chess Memorial, Kashlinshkaya wins women's section
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hello everyone,
GM Radoslaw Wojtaszek has won the IX György Marx Memorial in Paks, Hungary scoring a great 8/10. The Memorial was held June 16-27 in the Erzsébet Grand Hotel in Paks, Hungary. György Marx was a famous Hungarian physicist, known for his work on nuclear power and atomic theory. The tournament has become a traditional summer event, giving Hungarian players the opportunity to meet strong foreign grandmasters.
This year in a six-player double round robin local heros Ferenc Berkes and Peter Acs played with Radoslaw Wojtaszek (Poland), Ilya Smirin (Israel), Ivan Salgado Lopez (Spain) and Viktor Bologan (Moldavia). The rate of play was 90 minutes for 40 moves followed by 30 minutes to finish the game, and 30 seconds per move from the first move. There was an anti-quick-draw rule in effect: the players could only offer a draw before move 40 with the arbiter’s permission in particular cases.
Wojtaszek started strongly and defeated Salgado Lopez, Berkes and Acs in the first three rounds, and then drew quickly with Smirin. He finished the first half with a win against Bologan, leading the pack with 4.5/5, half a point more than Smirin.
In the second half, with colours reversed, Wojtaszek drew his black games against Salgado Lopez and Berkes before beating Acs for the second time. He then also defeated Bologan for the second time, and ended his tournament with another draw against Smirin, who finished shared second with Berkes.
L-R winner Alina Kashlinskaya, Lilit Mkrtchian, Anna Sharevich, Ildiko Madl, Anna Rudolf and Esther Dudasz
The women’s group with Anna Rudolf, Anna Sharevich, Lilit Mkrtchian, Ildiko Madl, Alina Kashlinshkaya and Esther Dudasz, saw Kashlinshkaya win the title with 6.5/10. There was also an open and blitz tournament too.
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hello everyone,
The Commonwealth Chess Championships are being held from June 25 to July 4 in the Emperors Palace Hotel in Ekurhuleni, South Africa. The players include more than 700 participants including more than 40 titled players with three-time champion GM Nigel Short from England being the top seed. You can find some very interesting write-ups, photographs and, of course, chess games at the official website.
Meanwhile, here are the Round 1-5 videos by Tournament videos by Vijay Kumar, IBS (Retd), Fmr Chief Producer TV News & Sports, Doordarshan, India.
After five rounds, the tournament is now jointly led by top seed GM Nigel Short, IM Sahej Grover, GM Jones Gawain, Nat Nicholas and Providence. Sahej Grover will meet Nigel Short in the sixth round.
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hi everyone,
Here is a cute feature story from www.kval.com. Ever since Dr. Nancy Keller started the Coquille Chess Club 15-years, the group has dominated the Southern Oregon Chess League and took fourth at Nationals in 2010.
Enjoyed the video? We always do when it's with chess and children. If you're in the area check out complete article for more details.
1. Roberto Alvares, Buenos Aires, Argentina
2. Jan Kalendovsky, Brno, The Czech Republic
3. Michal Holes, The Czech Republic
They will receive one year subscription to the New In Chess magazine. How cool. Congratulations to them.
The solutions are shown below.
_______________________________________________________________________________
The contest was done in cooperation with New In Chess. It consisted of three parts: a trivia question, a chess study and a chess problem.
These were the tasks:
TRIVIA
He predicted the opponent and the outcome with these words: "It will by Short and it will be short." He also likes the movies Casablanca, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and The Godfather. Who is this grandmaster?
ANSWER: Garry Kasparov
One of Kasparov's favorite movies, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, was screened on June 20 at New York's Bryant Park in front of 10,500 moviegoers. The film director Milos Forman opened the evening.
STUDY
White plays and wins
SOLUTION:
The position is from the game Healy,John - Kaas,E.,
Simultaneous display, Simpson's, 2009
1.Ne5! The only way to win! The white knight doesn't allow the black king the pick up the h-pawn. Black is in zugzwang: any king's move allows 2.h7 and white queens.
Other moves don't win, for example: 1.Nf4 Kf7 2.Kb2 Kg8 followed by 3...Kh7, draws;
1.Kb2 Kg6 draws as well.
The puzzle is from John Healy's book Coffeehouse Chess Tactics. The author of the powerful autobiography The Grass Arena pays a tribute to chess, a game that changed his life.
PROBLEM
White plays and mates in three moves
SOLUTION:
Karl Behting's splendid three-mover was published in the Deutsche Schachzeitung in 1893.
The Latvian chess composer was a strong master who participated in the first chess olympiad in Paris in 1924. He also devoted lot of time analyzing the Latvian gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5). The composition begins with a remarkable bishop sacrifice, a quiet introduction to beautiful mates.
Or 1...f3 2.Qh2+ Kxg4 3.Qh4 mate;
or 1...Kxg4 2.Rh3 f3 (2...Kg5 3.Qg7 mate) 3.Qh4 mate;
or 1...Kf2 2.Qa7+ Kg3 3.Qg1 mate.
BONUS PUZZLE
White plays and can force a win. Can you find how?
SOLUTION:
1.Rc7! Rxc7 2.Bxc7 Kxh6 (2...Bg6 3.Kg7 followed by 4.h7, wins.) 3.Bf4+ Kg6 4.Bc1 f4 5.Bxf4Zugzwang. White wins the black bishop and the game. The puzzle is from Mihai Suba's masterpieceDynamic Chess Strategy.
Morozevich wins Russian Higher League chess championship
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hi everyone,
Russian Grandmaster Alexander Morozevich has won the Higher League of the Russian Championship. The former world number 2 got a clear first with 8/11, half a point more than Artyom Timofeev and Alexander Galkin, who also qualified for the main championship later this year.
The Higher League of the Russian Championships for Men and Women took place June 15-26, 2001 in Taganrog, Russia. It was a qualifier for the Russian Championships that will be held in August. Top participants included Vitiugov (2733), Jakovenko (2732), Tomashevsky (2707), Morozevich (2694), Potkin (2682), Rublevsky (2682), Kobalia (2679) and Inarkiev (2679). Check out www.chess-news.ru, www.russiachess.org and www.chessvibes.com for detailed reports, assorted games and nice photos.
India holds 34th national chess for visually challenged
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hi everyone,
It is heartening to know that India has just held their 34th national chess event for visually challenged children. The winner was Ashwin Makhwana from Gujarat who said, "I have been playing chess full time." Currently rated the best national player he would be representing India in the international chess tourney for the visually challenged next year. You can read the full report at this link.
But how is the game for visually challenged different from the regular game? International Braille Chess Association, affiliated to FIDE, has guidelines for chess for the visually challenged according to which black squares are raised about 3-4 mm above the white squares.
The player is able to determine whether the square is a black or a white one by feeling the squares. Also, each of the square has a hole in the centre where the player can fix the piece.
The players can determine by feeling the shape of the piece, whether is it a pawn, bishop or knight, for instance. Also all the black pieces have a pin fixed on the head which helps the player from distinguishing a white piece from a black one.
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hi everyone,
According to a news report by www.chessdom.com The Netherlands Chess Championships have begun and would run from June 26 to July 5 with Jan Smeets and Zhaoqin Peng defending their titles
The Netherlands Chess Championships Open section is a 10-player round robin while six women will compete in a double-round robin event.
GM Jan Smeets is defending the title, while the 2009 champion GM Anish Giri is top seeded player. Six-times champion Loek Van Wely is not participating.
GM Zhaoqin Peng (2375) is defending the women's title, which she has been winning for a record 11 straight years. Her opposition will include WIM Arlette van Weersel 2246, WIM Anne Haast 2221, Martine Middelveld 2120, Lisa Hortensius 2111 and Annemarie Volkers 2046. Photo: Zhaoqin Peng
AAI GM Chess New Delhi R5: Caruana draws with Laznicka, holds on to lead
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hi everyone,
The latest chess news from the AAI GM Chess currently on in New Delhi, India is that the talented Italian GM Fabiano Caruana drew a nice game with Czech Republic's Viktor Laznicka to hold on to his half point lead over the others. Meanwhile, current women's world chess champion Hou Yifan opened her account with a draw with Wesley So. Also, Krishnan Sasikiran beat Parimarjan Negi - the former's third win in a row after a bad start. You can access the official tournament website at www.aaichess.com.
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hello everyone,
Gregory Young has become the US Junior Chess Champion for 2011. He won the title with a round to spare at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis Saturday. Young wins $3,000 and receives an invitation to the 2012 U.S. Chess Championship at the very same venue. You can access all the detailed round-wise report at this link.
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hello everyone,
Chess Champ Tsinis Wins WSOP $1,500 NL Event
Ukrainian poker pro Arkadiy Tsinis has just won WSOP Event 38: $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em, after overcoming a field of 2,192 players over three days to capture his first gold bracelet, as well as collecting the $540,000 first place prize. Here is the full article.
Meanwhile, PokerListings have just carried a very interesting article By: Matthew Showell titled 'Why Are Chess Players Winning at the WSOP?'
Indeed. It is an interesting trend. Do read the article.
Niner Ylon Schwartz
Competitive chess player Arkadiy Tsinis’s victory at the WSOP on June 25 only reiterated a trend we’ve seen develop over the last few years: Chess players make good poker players.
With the list of successful chess-to-poker transitions growing so is our understanding of not only why chess players have a leg up at the poker table, but why more and more of them are making the switch.
Ylon Schwartz spent thousands of hours studying chess long before he took poker seriously, but it was poker that awarded him $3.89 million at the 2008 WSOP Main Event.
Best friends with Arkady Tsinis, who won his first bracelet this afternoon, Schwartz proved the perfect person to shed light on the kind of opportunity poker presents to the skilled chess player.
A few main differences are key, the biggest of which being the amount of money up for grabs.
“There’s not a great living in chess unless you’re in like the top 20 in the world,” Schwartz told PokerListings.com beside the final table as his friend Tsinis conducted his winner interview with ESPN.
“In poker you can get lucky in one tournament and you’re a millionaire,” he added.
With online poker still available to most of the world, and live tournaments of all stakes becoming increasingly accessible, poker absolutely dwarfs chess in terms of the money changing hands on a daily basis.
The second and perhaps equally important factor is the head-start that a background in chess affords players at the poker table.
“The transition from chess to poker is pretty simple since chess is infinitely more difficult,” Schwartz said. “You’re trained to sit and you’re trained to study and you’re trained to memorize things which are all applicable to poker,” he said.
While chess is certainly a noble pursuit, for many it simply doesn’t put food on the table.
“It’s cute to be a chess player and be broke when you’re in your 20s but when you hit 30 you’ve got to switch,” said Schwartz.
“As more chess players get sad and depressed they’ll have no choice but to switch over to poker like me.”
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12th Women's World Chess Champion
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