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hosted by Chess Queen™ & 12th Women's World Chess Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Plan a chess holiday to Switzerland this December!
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hello everyone,
How about a chess holiday to Switzerland followed by New Year celebrations?
The 28th Open International d’Échecs is scheduled to take place on 26-30th December in Genève, Switzerland. The tournament will be divided in two groups, Open A for players rated above 1700 and Open B for U1800 players.
The playing format is 7-round Swiss with 90 min for 40 moves plus 30 min for the remaining moves. The prize fund is 16,000 CHF. GM Daniel Campora (Argentina), GM Rauf Mamedov(Azerbaijan), GM Namig Guliyev (France), IM Torstein Bae and WIM Silje Berke (both Norway) are the first titled players already signed up for participation.
Wednesday chess puzzle: Can you spot Fischer's idea?
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hello everyone,
Time for the chess class. Can you figure out how Fischer would have played this as White?
Fischer, R vs Gligoric, S 1959 White to move
Looking for more such fantastic puzzles or to kickstart your free chess training with Chess Queen Alexandra Kosteniuk? Check out www.chesskillertips.com.
GM Erns, IM Pancevski lead 25th Belgrade International Chess Open after six rounds
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hello everyone,
The latest chess tournament news update via www.chessdom.com is that GM Sipke Ernst and IM Filip Pancevski are leading after six rounds at the 25th Belgrade International Open Championship (Belgrade Trophy). The tournament runs from November 24 to December 2 in Obrenovac, near Belgrade.
The Championship with 198 participants is being played over 9 rounds according to the FIDE Swiss System and is valid for international norms for FIDE titles. The prize fund is 6000 EUR with 1500 EUR reserved for the winner.
Round 6 standings:
1-2. GM Ernst Sipke NED 2593 and IM Pancevski Filip MKD 2442 – 5.5 3-10. IM Filip Lucian ROU 2471, GM Damljanovic Branko SRB 2597, IM Radlovacki Jovan SRB 2429, GM Strikovic Aleksa SRB 2564, GM Neverov Valeriy UKR 2537, GM Todorovic Goran M SRB 2482, GM Blagojevic Dragisa MNE 2514 and GM Tadic Branko SRB 2486 – 5.0 11-28. Nenezic Marko SRB 2329, IM Olenin Nikolay RUS 2323, Indjic Aleksandar SRB 2411, GM Abramovic Bosko SRB 2450, GM Lajthajm Borko SRB 2500, GM Drenchev Petar BUL 2499, GM Pap Misa SRB 2511, GM Spasov Vasil BUL 2583, GM Perunovic Milos SRB 2576, Sarenac Ivan SRB 2327, FM Pantelic Sasa SRB 2341, GM Savic Miodrag R SRB 2523, Petkovic Slobodan SRB 2093, GM Nikcevic Nebojsa MNE 2412, IM Cioara Andrei-Nestor ROU 2453, FM Maric Dragan SRB 2251, IM Miron Lucian-Costin ROU 2513 and IM Cvetkovic Srdjan SRB 2395 – 4.5 etc
Round 7 top pairings:
GM Ernst Sipke 2593 – IM Pancevski Filip 2442
GM Todorovic Goran M 2482 – GM Damljanovic Branko 2597
IM Filip Lucian 2471 – GM Strikovic Aleksa 2564
GM Neverov Valeriy 2537 – GM Tadic Branko 2486
GM Blagojevic Dragisa 2514 – IM Radlovacki Jovan 2429
Indjic Aleksandar 2411 – GM Spasov Vasil 2583
GM Perunovic Milos 2576 – Nenezic Marko 2329
GM Savic Miodrag R 2523 – IM Olenin Nikolay 2323
GM Nikcevic Nebojsa 2412 – IM Miron Lucian-Costin 2513
Chess great Kasparov to lecture at World Festival of Ideas in Moscow
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hello everyone,
Chess great Gary Kasparov is going to lecture on 'The Right move: the quest for a winning strategy and the individual characteristics of the human intellect' at the World Festival of Ideas. The former world chess champion is among several celebrities invited to speak at the Central House of Artists in Moscow at the festival from November 30 to December 4. The festival is celebrating 150th anniversary of the oldest scientific and educational journal of Russia 'Around the World'. You can access the official website for more info: http://150.vokrugsveta.ru/
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hello everyone,
The US Chess Scoop visited the National Chess Congress in Philadelphia, held over Thanksgiving weekend from November 25-27. GM Alexander Ivanov, featured in the video, won on tiebreak over IM Leonid Gerzhoy (also featured) and GM Giorgi Kacheisvili. All three earned $1,733.34 while GM Ivanov took home an additional 1st place $100 bonus. Christian Brothers Academy from Lincroft, NJ won the team competition and also talked to the US Chess Scoop.
Penn student Troy Daly earned $1400 for winning the Under 2400 section. Alexander Katz also had a great event defeating IM Irina Krush and drawing against GM Alexander Ivanov on the way to breaking 2200. For more information, including event summary and standings on all sections, see http://nationalchesscongress.com/ Here is the US Chess Fed website.
The 11-round Swiss tournament with 198 participants saw Gupta go into the lead after 9 rounds a full point ahead of the rest of the field.
Round 9 standings: 1. GM Gupta Abhijeet IND 2640 – 8.0 2-9. GM Dzhumaev Marat UZB 2485, GM Gleizerov Evgeny RUS 2566, IM Vaibhav Suri IND 2448, IM Grover Sahaj IND 2515, GM Andriasian Zaven ARM 2619, GM Petrosian Tigran L ARM 2636, GM Danielsen Henrik ISL 2542 and IM Lalith Babu M R IND 2484 – 7.0 10-21. Krishna C R G IND 2305, IM Shyam Sundar M IND 2462, GM Sumets Andrey UKR 2569, IM Anwesh Upadhyaya IND 2413, Navin Kanna T U IND 2377, Swayams Mishra IND 2386, IM Nolte Rolando PHI 2455, IM Swapnil S Dhopade IND 2435, GM Deepan Chakkravarthy J IND 2492, IM Satyapragyan Swayangsu IND 2436, FM Rajesh V A V IND 2338 and IM Sangma Rahul IND 2357 – 6.5 etc
Round 10 top pairings:
GM Gupta Abhijeet IND 2640 – IM Grover Sahaj IND 2515
GM Danielsen Henrik ISL 2542 – GM Petrosian Tigran L ARM 2636
GM Andriasian Zaven ARM 2619 – GM Gleizerov Evgeny RUS 2566
IM Vaibhav Suri IND 2448 – GM Dzhumaev Marat UZB 2485
IM Nolte Rolando PHI 2455 – IM Lalith Babu M R IND 2484
GM Sumets Andrey UKR 2569 – Krishna C R G IND 2305
FM Rajesh V A V IND 2338 – GM Deepan Chakkravarthy J IND 2492
IM Sangma Rahul IND 2357 – IM Shyam Sundar M IND 2462
Navin Kanna T U IND 2377 – IM Venkatesh M R IND 2499
FM Marc Lang creates blindfold world simul chess record of 46 boards
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hello everyone,
FM Marc Lang has set a world record for biggest blindfold simul exhibition playing against 46 players in Sontheim an der Brenz, Germany. He scored 34.5-11.5 in 21 hours and 9 minutes. Lang is 41 years old and married with two kids. His wife, Anne Lindenmayer Lang, according to the German Chess Federation website, wrote: "The hundredweight tension of recent weeks and months fall away from me abruptly and gives way to a great sense of happiness. The efforts and sacrifices of the past half-year were not in vain, Marc has actually done it!"
Canadian Chess Comedy Film 'Ivory Tower' Out On DVD
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hello everyone,
Ivory Tower is a Canadian feature film and the directorial debut of Adam Traynor, a musician from the German-based hip-hop group Puppetmastaz. The film is just out on DVD. The film was co-written by Canadian pianist and rapper Gonzales and French director and screenwriter Céline Sciamma.
It stars a variety of Canadian-born musicians, including Gonzales himself, Peaches, Feist and Tiga. Additionally, Gonzales' mother appears in the film. Here is the official promo. Enjoy. You can access the official website at http://chillygonzales.com/
Chess players head for China - 1st SportAccord World Mind Games from Dec 9
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hello everyone,
The first edition of SportAccord World Mind Games from 8-16 December in Beijing! Watch live the world's best Bridge, Chess, Draughts, Go and Xiangqi players. Coverage to kick-off on 9 December on The Sports Hub. Here is the nice promo.
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hello everyone,
We've just got another update on chess player-turned-poker player Martin Staszko. It has just been announced that this year’s WSOP Main Event runner-up Martin Staszko, has just been signed on as the newest recruit to Team PokerStars Pro. The 35-year-old Czech pro earned $5,433,086 for his WSOP runner-up finish, plus a whole lot of kudos culminating in his now representing the world’s biggest online poker room.
Around 5 years ago the talented chess player decided to turn his attention towards playing poker and, as he explains:
“Playing chess taught me how to endure long sessions by the table. Chess also required much more preparation, which is not needed for poker. So compared to chess, poker playing is a piece of cake with much higher earnings.”
Strongest-ever chess tournament in England begins Dec 3 - London Chess Classic 2011 pairings
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hello everyone,
It's flight time from Moscow to London. We're headed from one chess extravaganza to another. The London Chess Classic 2011, the strongest tournament in the history of British chess, runs from 3-12 December 2011. The 2800 club makes yet another meeting right after the VI Tal Chess Memorial and Carlsen, Anand, Aronian, and Kramnik will face each other in a round robin tournament together with Nakamura, Adams, Short, McShane, and Howell. Chessdom / Chessbomb live games platform will have Houdini analysis of the championship. Official website: www.londonchessclassic.com.
Meanwhile, here are all the pairings. Keep track.
London Chess Classic – pairings
Round one: December 3rd, starting at 14.00 Vladimir Kramnik -Hikaru Nakamura, Levon Aronian -Luke McShane, Magnus Carlsen -David Howell, Michael Adams -Viswanathan Anand. Nigel Short bye, assisting the commentary
Round two: December 4th, starting at 14.00 David Howell -Michael Adams, Luke McShane -Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura -Levon Aronian, Nigel Short -Vladimir Kramnik. Viswanathan Anand bye, assisting the commentary
Round three: December 5th, starting at 14.00 Levon Aronian -Nigel Short, Magnus Carlsen -Hikaru Nakamura, Michael Adams -Luke McShane, Viswanathan Anand -David Howell. Vladimir Kramnik bye, assisting the commentary
Round four: December 6th, starting at 16.00 Magnus Carlsen -Vladimir Kramnik, Michael Adams -Nigel Short, Viswanathan Anand -Hikaru Nakamura, David Howell -Luke McShane. Levon Aronian bye, assisting the commentary
Rest day: December 7th
Round five: December 8th, starting at 14.00 Hikaru Nakamura -David Howell, Nigel Short -Viswanathan Anand, Vladimir Kramnik -Michael Adams, Levon Aronian -Magnus Carlsen. Luke McShane bye, assisting the commentary
Round six: December 9th, starting at 14.00 Michael Adams -Levon Aronian, Viswanathan Anand -Vladimir Kramnik, David Howell -Nigel Short, Luke McShane -Hikaru Nakamura. Magnus Carlsen bye, assisting the commentary
Round seven: December 10th, starting at 14.00 Nigel Short -Luke McShane, Vladimir Kramnik -David Howell, Levon Aronian -Viswanathan Anand, Magnus Carlsen -Michael Adams. Hikaru Nakamura bye, assisting the commentary
Round eight: December 11th, starting at 14.00 Viswanathan Anand -Magnus Carlsen, David Howell -Levon Aronian, Luke McShane -Vladimir Kramnik, Hikaru Nakamura -Nigel Short. Michael Adams bye, assisting the commentary
Round nine: December 12th, starting at 12.00 Luke McShane -Viswanathan Anand, Hikaru Nakamura -Michael Adams, Nigel Short -Magnus Carlsen, Vladimir Kramnik -Levon Aronian. David Howell bye, assisting the commentary
Garbus' Bobby Fischer documentary on BBC this week
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hello everyone,
For everyone tuning in to BBC, here's great chess news.
Veteran filmmaker Liz Garbus' documentary exposes the disturbingly high price Fischer paid to achieve his legendary success and the resulting toll it took on his psyche. Rare archival footage and insightful interviews with those closest to him expand this captivating story of a mastermind's tumultuous rise and precipitous fall.
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hello everyone,
Here is an interesting chess set. The Doctor Who Lenticular Animated Chess Set featuring 32 highly detailed Doctor Who characters in 3D lenticular image (front and back).
Lenticular printing makes the images change when viewed from different angles.
Pieces: Black (Silver Tops &Bases) White (Blue Tops & Bases) King Supreme Dalek and The Doctor Queen Weeping Angel and Amy Pond Knight Cyberman and Rory Williams Bishop Silurian General Restac and Professor River Song Rook The Pandorica and TARDIS Pawn Smiler and Judoon
Here's another one of the pewter kind but same theme.
If you're the one for themed chess sets then possibly this one's for you!
Tal chess memorial interview: Carlsen says more draws because of very high level of defense
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hello everyone,
Maria Fominykh interviewed Sixth Tal Chess Memorial winner Magnus Carlsen for the official site - Russian Chess Federation website. Here are some excerpts and great photos.
Magnus, did this Tal Memorial be any different from previous tournaments? There were lot of draws but the level of defence has risen significantly. That’s a really notable difference between the current Memorial and the previous ones – the resistance has reached a totally new level.
The abundance of draws doesn’t spoil the impression made by the tournament? I don’t think so. All of the players were trying to fight. Many times someone could not win despite winning chances because the opponent defended very strongly.
Ian Nepomniachtchi at third place.
Levon Aronian at second place on tiebreak
Which games were you most satisfied with? Overall I played well in the first half of the tournament. I made some mistakes, but the games were very hard-fought. In the second half I played worse: tiredness had its say and I lacked energy. I got lucky in the last round and I won.
Can you compare this tournament to a World Championship? Of course this tournament is the strongest this year,and one of the strongest for many years. For me the Tal Memorial is one of the main tournaments and I take it very seriously.
Your contemporaries Sergey Karjakin and Ian Nepomniachtchi played very well, but you finished the tournament ahead of them?
I’ve known Nepomniachtchi and Karjakin for long. Sergey was well-known chess player even before I got the international master title. Ian’s also a great talent and he was beating me back in junior tournaments. So the history of our rivalry started a long time ago and it promises to continue for a long time!
You can read our previous post about the tournament here:
Chess blog for latest chess puzzle and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hello everyone,
How about beginning the week with a simple chess position. It's one of those super easy puzzles you cannot miss. But often you might because of being nervous. So, never ever rush on the chessboard - haste makes waste - in life and in chess!
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hello everyone,
The latest chess tournament news for those looking for a great chessy start to 2012 - here's a cool update.
The international chess festival 'Moscow Open 2012' takes place in Moscow on January 27 (date of arrival) - February 6 (date of departure), 2012. The venue is Russian State Social University (RSSU), located at V. Pika Street, 4 ("Botanichesky Sad" metro station). You can access the official website – www.open.moschess.ru – for more information.
There is something for everyone. The International Cup of RSSU "Moscow Open 2012" consists of 9 separate tournaments:
Tournament A "Russian Cup stage for men",
Tournament B "Russian Cup stage for women",
Tournament C "Cup for chess amateurs”,
Tournament D "Cup for university student grandmasters - men",
Tournament E "Cup for university student grandmasters - women",
Tournament F "Cup for university students",
Tournament G "Cup for school champions" (26.01 to 05.02),
Tournament H "Cup for school-leavers" (26.01 to 05.02),
Tournament I "Fifth World Cup on solving".
The total guaranteed prize fund of the Festival is 3 150 000 roubles.
REGULATIONS of the "Moscow Open 2012" chess festival.
Of course there is also the Aeroflot Open Chess Festival beginning right after from February 6 to 17, 2012 at a new venue in Moscow: the Hotel Cosmos, one of the largest in Moscow, located in a beautiful park area 20 travelling minutes from Red Square. The total prize fund is 150,000 Euros, and it includes qualification places for the Dortmund Super Tournament. You can register now.
GM Dragan Paunovic wins Valladolid Open Chess Tournament
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hello everyone,
The 7th Torneo Internacional de Ajedrez de Valladolid took place recently at Hotel “Novotel” in Valladolid, Spain. According to the latest chess news via www.chessdom.com, the tournament was played over eight rounds with 112 participants. There were more than 30 money prizes with 500 EUR reserved for the first place.
Valladolid is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, situated at the confluence of the Pisuerga and Esgueva rivers, and located within three wine-making regions: Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Cigales. It is the capital of the province of Valladolid.
Final top standings: 1 GM Paunovic Dragan SRB 2528 – 7 2 GM Granda Zuñiga Julio E. PER 2636 – 6.5 3 GM Khamrakulov Ibragim S. ESP 2518 – 6.5 4 FM Gonzalez De La Nava Amador ESP 2295 – 6.5 5 IM Zlotnik Boris A. RUS 2433 – 6 6 GM Cifuentes Parada Roberto ESP 2523 – 6 7 FM Andres Gonzalez Ivan ESP 2318 – 6 8 IM Roa Alonso Santiago ESP 2418 – 6 9 IM Barria Zuniga Daniel CHI 2438 – 6 10 FM Martin Fuentes Alberto ESP 2307 – 6
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hi everyone,
Here is a nice position from Vaulin-Korobov, Elista, 2001 Black is all set to face the Re8 but White is ready with a deeper calculation. Enjoy!
And, if you're looking to improve your chess, have you looked at all these fantastic free chess videos by Chess Queen and how she has beaten the world's top grandmasters? They include super games to learn from apart from chess puzzle podcasts at www.chesskillertips.com. Enjoy!
Congratulations to world senior chess champion IM Vladimir Okhotnik and senior women's world chess champion WIM Galina Strutinskaya
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hello everyone,
Here is nice chess news from the World Senior Chess Championship that just concluded in Opatija, Croatia.
Congratulations to the new world senior chess champion IM Vladimir Okhotnik and new senior women's world chess champion WIM Galina Strutinskaya.
The 2011 world senior chess champions
WGM Tamar Khmiadashvili (four times World Senior Champion) and GM Anatoly Vaisser came back to defend their 2010 titles. The 2009 Champions GM Miso Cebalo and GM Nona Gaprindashvili (former World Champion and twice World Senior Champion), and reigning European Senior Champion GM Mihai Suba also competed. You can access the official website at this link.
Final top-10 standings (open) 1. IM Okhotnik Vladimir FRA 2427 9.0 2. GM Komljenovic Davorin CRO 2451 8.5 3. GM Timoscenko Gennadij SVK 2483 8.5 4. GM Vaisser Anatoly FRA 2555 8.0 5. GM Kurajica Bojan BIH 2532 8.0 6. GM Cebalo Miso CRO 2446 8.0 7. GM Rajkovic Dusan SRB 2416 8.0 8. GM Balashov Yuri S RUS 2443 8.0 9. GM Hulak Krunoslav CRO 2480 7.5 10. GM Kovacevic Vlatko CRO 2482 7.5 Full standings are here.
Final top-10 standings (women) 1. IM Strutinskaya Galina N RUS 2277 8.5 2. WFM Melashvili Nino GEO 2106 8.0 3. WGM Saunina Ludmila RUS 2274 8.0 4. GM Gaprindashvili Nona GEO 2360 7.5 5. WIM Thipsay Bagyashree Sathe IND 2152 7.5 6. WGM Fatalibekova Elena RUS 2285 6.5 7. WGM Khmiadashvili Tamar GEO 2166 6.5 8. WIM Miednikova Swietlana RUS 2165 6.5 9. WIM Bilunova Rimma I RUS 2151 6.5 10. WFM Lopatin Olga GER 2091 6.5
Cool human chess video of Gary Kasparov playing with African television personality
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hello everyone,
Here is a nice human chess video of chess great Gary Kasparov's recent visit to Africa as part of a Moves for Life campaign. The 13th world chess champion played the game with radio and television personality Wackhead Simpson. Enjoy.
Boris Spassky, Mr. and Mrs. Piatigorsky, Bobby Fischer.
Milestone for a Benefactor
of Historic Chess Matches
Jacqueline Piatigorsky, one of the most important figures in American chess in the 1960s, turned 100 this month.
Piatigorsky, a member of the Rothschild banking family, was married to the cellist Gregor Piatigorsky, and together they sponsored three significant chess events. The first was a 1961 match between Bobby Fischer and Samuel Reshevsky, the two best American players.
It was a best-of-16 match, and after 11 games, each man had won twice and the other games were draws. And that is how it ended. Fischer quit after a fight with Mrs. Piatigorsky over the scheduling of the 12th game. (Fischer wanted an afternoon game so he could sleep in, and she wanted a morning game so she could attend a concert by her husband later in the day.)
In 1963, the Piatigorskys sponsored the Piatigorsky Cup tournament in Los Angeles, which featured eight of the top players in the world, including the new world champion, Tigran V. Petrosian, who was from Soviet Armenia.Petrosian and Paul Keres, who was from the Soviet republic of Estonia, tied for first.
Three years later, the second Piatigorsky Cup included another world-class field, this time of 10 players. Boris Spassky took first place, just ahead of Fischer, who had mended fences with Mrs. Piatigorsky.
She was not only a sponsor of chess events — she was also one of the country’s top female players, ranking No. 2 at one point. In 1957, at the first Women’s Chess Olympiad in Emmen, the Netherlands, she played Board 2 for the United States and won a bronze medal by scoring 7.5 points in 11 games.
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Best chess wishes to you! Alexandra Kosteniuk
12th Women's World Chess Champion
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