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hosted by Chess Queen™ & 12th Women's World Chess Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk
Thursday, February 28, 2013
World Amateur Team Chess Video via US Chess Scoop
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hello everyone,
Jason Smiles with the US Chess Scoop checks out the World Amateur Team (aka the US Amateur Team East), held in Parsippany, NJ and learns a little about the endgame.
Reykjavik Chess Open: Pavel Eljanov, Wesley So, Amin Bassem Share First
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013 Hi everyone, The Reykjavik Chess Open has concluded with three joint winners - Pavel Eljanov, Wesley So and Amin Bassem. The final round witnessed a three-move draw between Eljanov and So. There were six players tied to go for the third place. Of them, only Egyptian GM Amin Bassem won his game to tie for first.
Ivan Cheparinov played against the youngest GM in the world, Wei Yi. The Bulgarian was a rook down, but had two pawns and the initiative for it. At move 37, he went for a perpetual check to save the draw, according a tournament report via Chessdom. Anish Giri was an exchange down against Gawain Jones, and the Englishman even had the initiative, but the first seed was able to equalise and finish the tournament with a very respectable score of 7.5/10. Polish GM Grzegorz Gajewski had a very good tournament before the last round, but was not able to hold Amin Bassem. The Egyptian played with white and the players went into an interesting line arising from the Sicilian Defense. Amin Bassem won a pawn, but it did not seem enough to get the full point. Gajewski made some inaccuracies in the rook endgame and the Egyptian eventually won the game after 52 moves. The winners of last year’s World Junior Championships for men and women faced each other at the last round of the Reykjavik Open. Turkish GM Alexander Ipatov defeated Women’s Junior World Champion WGM Guo Qi in 50 moves. The Chinese played a Queen’s Gambit Declined and Ipatov decided to give up the bishop pair in exchange of the initiative. The rooks endgame was slightly complicated and the Turkish star demonstrated that he is very well prepared in this part of the game. With this result, Alexander Ipatov finished on 7/10, winning a few rating points. Guo Qi stayed on 6/10, but also got some extra rating points. She had two remarkable games in this tournament: drawing with GM Gawain Jones and defeating GM Yuriy Kuzubov.
Disabled Chess Players: Fide Issues Special Guidelines
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hello everyone,
Fide has issued the following guidelines on treatment of disabled chess players.
1. These guidelines will be used for all FIDE rated events. 2. No one has the right to refuse to meet a disabled player against whom he has been correctly paired. 3. All chess venues must either be accessible to all, or an acceptable alternative venue with full supervision shall be available to those who cannot access the nominated venue. 4. A circular shall be sent out when all competitors are known. This circular contains an entry form with the sual points and questions, asking whether any potential competitor has an impairment that will require special circumstances. The competitor has to inform the organisers about the special circumstances at least 20 days before the start of the event. 5. No disabled player shall be “penalised” in accordance with the Articles 6.7d.and 8.1e of the Laws of Chess because of disability. 6. Any impaired competitor who reasonably requests in time the placing of their equipment in a particular seat or orientation, has the right to do so, provided that this does not disadvantage his opponent or other competitors. The event organizer has to ensure that the needs of both players are catered for. 7. All relevant information shall be displayed before the start of the event, including maps of the venue showing the location of toilets, refreshments and emergency exits. 8. In all events there shall be a tournament physician. The organizer and the chief arbiter shall know the phone number of the local hospital and physician. 9. If a competitor cannot access the refreshments, arrangements should be made for their needs to be met. 10. If a competitor cannot press his own clock or move his own pieces, an assistant shall be available unless the opponent is willing to do so. If the opponent is acting as an assistant the chief arbiter may decide to give him extra thinking time. 11. If a player has made a prior request, copies of all notices should be available in large print. If a player is unable to read large print, then the notices must be read to him. 12. It is recommended that all team events have the rule that if a visiting team indicates that it has a player with an impairment coming with them, giving sufficient notice, that the home team does everything which is reasonable to ensure that that player can participate. 13. It is recommended that each national chess federation appoints an officer for matters regarding disabilities. 14. It is strongly recommended that all organisers of chess events adopt these guidelines.
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hello everyone,
Here's another very nice chess video by Vijay Kumar from the Zurich Chess Challenge. Among the various activities, there was a friendly game between the world champion Viswanathan Anand and the tournament sponsor Oleg Skvortsov, an excursion to the Mount Pilatus, and visit to the famous Schach Museum which holds a large number of unique chess sets and stamps.
Grandmaster Gennadi Sosonko and Dr. Christian Issler, Chairman of the Schachgesellschaft Zürich, used the opportunity to play a game on one of the beautiful museum sets.
The Romanian National Championships 2013 for men and women took place from 15th-24th February at the Hotel Parang in Olanesti, Romania. GM Constantin Lupulescu took the top prize after defeating GM Andrei Murariu in a dramatic last round. Lupulescu collected 8.5/11 points, same as IM Lucian-Costin Miron, and got the gold thanks to his better score in the tie-breaks, according to a Chessdom report. This is the fourth title of national champion for Lupulescu.
Top rated GM Mircea-Emilian Parligras arrived third, after edging the other three players in the tie-breaks.
IM Cristina-Adela Foisor won the women’s championship for third year in a row. She finished clear first with 7.5/9 points, leaving the closest followers a whole point behind . From Alexandra Kosteniuk's www.chessblog.com Also see her personal blog at www.chessqueen.com Don't miss Chess Queen™ YouTube Channel
Top Chess Stars in Women's World Team Event March 2 in Astana: Alexandra Kosteniuk to Lead Russian Challenge
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hi everyone,
The Women’s World Chess Team Championship will take place from 2nd-12th March at the Duma Hotel in Astana, Kazakhstan. The best teams of the world will participate in the Championship.
Chess Queen Alexandra Kosteniuk - the 12th Women's World Chess Champion - will lead the Russian challenge. The Russian team also includes Valentina Gunina, Natalija Pogonina, Alisa Galliamova, Olga Girya with Sergey Rublevsky as the captain.
Astana can easily boast of gathering at least 50 of the best women chess players from 10 countries (China, Russia, Ukraine, USA, India, France, Turkey, Georgia, Romania and Kazakhstan): Among them are the three teams that were ranked as the best at the World Chess Olympiad, five continental champions, the country-organizer and one team elected by the FIDE President.
Every team consists of five players and the team-winner will be determined in a round-robin event after 9 games. Time control is 90 minutes per 40 moves and thirty minutes until the end of the game plus 30 seconds increment per move.
The Chinese team has won all the championships in the past. Reigning women's world chess champion Anna Ushenina will also be playing for play for Ukraine and it will be her first official event since she won the world title.
The top-seed of the tournament will be the Georgian team.
Teams: 1. Georgia FIDE ID Full name Rating Avg 1 13601903 Dzagnidze, Nana 2555 2 13602640 Khotenashvili, Bela 2499 3 13601458 Javakhishvili, Lela 2461 4 13600320 Khurtsidze, Nino 2437 2488.0 5 13602446 Melia, Salome 2403 6 Captain Gurieli, Nino
2. Russia FIDE ID Full name Rating Avg 1 4128125 Kosteniuk Alexandra 2495 2 4167570 Gunina Valentina 2490 3 4147855 Pogonina Natalija 2475 4 4129752 Galliamova Alisa 2459 2479.8 5 4195752 Girya Olga 2441 6 Captain Rublevsky Sergey
3. Ukraine FIDE ID Full name Rating Avg 1 1411091 Ushenina, Anna 2477 2 14109336 Lahno, Kateryna 2547 3 14114550 Muzychuk, Mariya 2471 4 14101181 Yanovska (Gaponenko), Inna 2405 2475.0 5 14101513 Zhukova, Natalia 2471 6 Captain Brodsky, Michail
4. China FIDE ID Full name Rating Avg 1 8603006 Ju Wenjun 2505 2 8602689 Huang Qian 2478 3 8603642 Tan Zhongyi 2466 4 8604002 Guo Qi 2431 2470.0 5 8603162 Shen Yang 2415 6 Captain Ye Jiangchuan
5. USA FIDE ID Full name Rating Avg 1 14101572 Anna Zatonskykh 2491 2 2012782 Irina Krush 2460 3 13301918 Tatev Abrahamyan 2300 4 1212915 Sabina Foisor 2313 2391.0 5 11602252 Viktorija Ni 2263 6 Captain Michael Khodarkovsky
6. Romania FIDE ID Full name Rating Avg 1 1200496 Foisor Cristina Adela 2389 2 1201590 Cosma Elena Luminita 2332 3 13903063 Bulmaga Irina 2355 4 1210246 Lami Alina 2362 2359.5 5 1206729 Voicu Jagodzinsky 2281 6 Captain Szabo Gergely Andras Gyula
7. India FIDE ID Full name Rating Avg 1 5013623 Gomes Mary Ann 2394 2 5012600 Karavade Eesha Sanjay 2391 3 5004330 Mohota Nisha/H 2327 4 5029295 Rout Padmini/H 2307 2354.8 5 5016193 Swaminathan Soumya 2291 6 Captain Sahu Sekhar Chandra
8. France FIDE ID Full name Rating Avg 1 623725 Sophie Milliet 2408 2 13601717 Nino Maisurasze 2331 3 2902265 Silvia Collas 2286 4 11600209 Anda Safranska 2322 2336.8 5 642002 Natacha Benmesbah 2266 6 Captain Pavel Tregubov
9. Kazakhstan FIDE ID Full name Rating Avg 1 13704788 Nakhbayeva Guliskhan 2353 2 13700090 Saduakassova Dinara 2301 3 13703595 Davletbayeva Madina 2272 4 13702971 Dauletova Gulmira 2265 2297.8 5 13703544 Abdumalik Zhansaya 2184 6 Captain Kotsur Pavel
10. Turkey FIDE ID Full name Rating Avg 1 6302920 Yildiz, Betul Cemre 2368 2 6302599 Ozturk, Kubra 2281 3 6325670 Cemhan, Kardelen 2025 4 6300278 Sop, Selen 2028 2175.5 5 6306411 Kaya, Emel 1995 6 Captain Mihalcisin, Adrian
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hello everyone,
The Zurich Chess Challenge has just begun. In fact, the first two rounds have witnessed all draws first. Before we find out who strikes first, here are some excellent videos. Must watch for a super chess Sunday.
Fun Chess Event at Reykjavik Chess Open: Hand & Brain Girls' vs Boys' Event Video
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hello everyone,
From the sidelines of the Reykjavik Chess Open: One of the fun things about chess tournaments is of course socializing, meeting old friends and gaining new ones. One way to do that is to have a friendly chess game, perhaps over 1-2 beers or a glass of white wine.
One fun way to play is teams, and one fun variant of that is Hand&Brain. In this variant, one member of the team is the “hand” and the other one “brain”. The hand announces the piece to move and the brain makes the move. No discussion about the game can go on between the team members.
In the following game, the girls' team was suspected of having whispered one or two moves during the end Either way, a nice combination!
12th Women's World Chess Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk Receives Certificate of Honorable Master of Sports of Russia
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hello everyone,
On February 20th, the 12th Women’s World Chess Champion, Alexandra Kosteniuk, visited the Sports Training Center “Izmailovo” in Moscow where she met with Vitaly Troitsky, General Director of the center, and Aleksandr Zlochevsky, senior trainer of Moscow team.
At this meeting Kosteniuk was presented with a Certificate of Honorable Master of Sports of Russia. Chess Queen™ Alexandra Kosteniuk was awarded this title in July 2012. You can read that post on www.chessqueen.com.
The former World Chess Champion said:
“I’m very excited to receive the certificate of Honorable Master of Sports of Russia today. On one hand I have a lot of awards and medals, form the other hand, it is very pleasant to get this kind of recognition for the work I’ve done. Whatever people say, such awards are very important. If there were no such nice signs of attention, the motivation would be different.”
Kosteniuk will be heading Russia’s team in the upcoming Women’s World Chess Team Championship (www.chessdom.com).
Razuvaev Chess Memorial in Washington DC Aug 6-12: Stars Alburt, Tukmakov, Gulko, Kosteniuk Confirm Participation
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013 Hello everyone,
"When someone you care about and respect passes away, it’s hard to find the right words to explain your sorrow. You have emptiness and pain in your heart, knowing that you won’t be able to meet someone so dear to you," wrote 12th Women's World Chess Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk in her www.chessqueen.com blog post last year for her dear coach Yuri Sergeevich Razuvaev.
This year, GM Kosteniuk goes to Washington DC from August 6-12 to play the 'Razuvaev Memorial Chess Tournament' in memory of her beloved teacher.
Friends and colleagues of GM Yury Razuvaev will join the event as well. Participants include: Team “Beauty of chess saving the world”:GM Alexandra Kosteniuk (Russia); WGM Anna Zatonskih (USA); WGM Irina Krush (USA; WGM Elena Sedina (Italy); Captain: Michael Khodarkovsky (USA)
Team “Admirers of chess beauty”:GM Lev Alburt (USA); GM Adrian Mihalcisin (Slovenia); GM Vladimir Tukmakov (Ukraine), GM Boris Gulko (USA); Captain – GM Sam Palatnik (USA).
Event details are as follows: Dates: August 6th to August 12th 2013.
Site: Rockville Hilton, 1750 Rockville Pike, MD 20852, USA Invitational Crown section: “Razuvaev Memorial Chess Tournament”: 1 round 2 teams sheveningen system. Time control: 40/90, SD/30, incr/30. $25,000
Guaranteed prize fund: individual prizes in each of two teams: - $4,000-$3,000-$2,000-$1,000;
Team prizes- $4,000-$1,000. Washington International - Open section: $17,000 Guaranteed prize fund GPP- 150, 9 rounds Swiss system. Prizes: $5,000-$3,000-$2,000-$1,000-$900-$800-$700-$600-$500-$500, U2500 $700-$300, U2300 $700-300. Possibility of GM and IM norms, 40/90, SD/30 +30i.
Washington International - B section: Under 2201 USCF and Under 2200 FIDE, FIDE rated) $4,000 in Guaranteed Prizes: $1,500-$700-$400; 1st under 2000-$600; 2nd under 2000-$300; 1st under 1800-$500 Crown section Schedule: 08/06 – Arrival day Crown Section; 08/07 – Reception for Crown section at 6:00 pm; Special presentation of the new book- “Yuri Razuvaev” by GM Sosonko and GM Gulko , stamps presentation. 08/08 – 1st round at 2:00 pm. 08/09 – 2nd round at 2:00 pm; Washington International Blitz tournament at 8:00 pm 08/10 – 3rd round at 2:00 pm; Washington International Rapid. 08/11 - 4th round at 10:00 am; Dinner & closing ceremonies at 6:00 pm/ Hilton 08/12 – Departure day Also read Chess Queen™ Kosteniuk's post on www.chessqueen.com. More info and how to register at: www.washingtoninternationalchess.org From Alexandra Kosteniuk's www.chessblog.com Also see her personal blog at www.chessqueen.com Don't miss Chess Queen™ YouTube Channel
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hello everyone,
Here's an interesting chess video/documentary from Thrash Lab: Thrash Lab is a destination for rich visuals, narrative entertainment and high end cultural content.
Credits
Executive Producer – Ashton Kutcher Executive Producer – Anthony Batt Co-Executive Producer – Karen Hart Director/Producer/Editor – Matt Porter Director of Photography – Ryan Nethery Art Director – Rachel Ma Assistant Editor – Rebecca Votta Color – Ryan Nethery Sound – Jacob Blumberg Production Manager – Molly Fosco Production Assistant – Phil Primason 2nd Camera Operator – Alix Pentecost-Farren Music by - ‘Mojo’ by Adam Kromelow Trio ‘Sakura Park’ performed by Timo Vollbrecht written by Stefan Karl Schmid ‘All Or Nothing At All’ by Timo Vollbrecht ‘Fix This House’ by Town Hall
Special thanks to: Marshall Chess Club, The New Yorker Hotel, Chess NYC, PS 183, Chess Forum, Zinc Bar and Alfred (Union Square Chess Player)
Chess Player's Dream Maxi Combo Chess King Training Software & DVD's - 16 Disks on eBay
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hello everyone,
Okay chess lovers, this is as good as it gets. Your dream package of Chess King™ training products is up on eBay. More information about the various programs can be found in this video below (about Chess King Training CD-ROMs, Chess King, and the Complete Chess Course and Chess Opening Ideas videos).
Former world chess champion Garry Kasparov has added chess to the curriculum of 100 Georgian schools as part of an initiative during his visit to Tbilisi recently.
In recent years, Kasparov has trained grandmasters Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura, but now he hopes to bring the benefits of the ancient game a little closer to home.His new program “Chess in Schools” will teach children of various ages across Georgia in public schools in Tbilisi, Batumi, Kutaisi and Poti a game in which Georgians have long prospered, according to a report in Georgia Today.
Deputy Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs, Zurab Azmaiparashvili, also a grandmaster, was also present at the experimental project’s launch.
Azmaiparashvili stated: “Former World Champion Garry Kasparov today held the first session of chess tutorials online in an experimental format. His system is being introduced to 100 schools in Georgia. He personally participated in the preparation of the experimental schools for the onset of the program more than a year ago.”
The computerized online program is designed to enhance a child’s analytical skills and, Kasparov claimed, his or her understanding of the world.Kasparov claimed that Tbilisi is a place which holds “special memories” for him. It was here, in 1976, that he was crowned junior champion of the Soviet Union at the age of 13.
He noted: “It is always a pleasure for me to visit Georgia and this visit has sporting significance. The agreement was signed with the Georgian government last year and I am glad that they are supporting chess. This should make it more popular in the country.”
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hello everyone,
TCEC computer chess championship stage 1 has come to an end. Houdini and Vitruvius are the winners, with 5,5/7, half a point more than Gull II and Stockfish.
Houdini had a rough start, with two draws in the first 3 games. However, it quickly recovered, to beat both Stockfish and Rybka in the next rounds. Vitruvius followed a similar pattern, starting with a victory and two draws. Later wins vs Chiron and Hiarcs gave the engine equal points in the final stage 1 standings, according to a Chessdom report.
A total of 16 engines qualified to the second stage of TCEC. All but one 3000+ ELO engines qualified, the short straw was for Equinox which remained 17th on tiebreak. The lowest rated engine to qualify was Gaviota (ELO 2720).
Houdini and Vitruvius did not meet during the first stage of TCEC. They will not meet in stage 2 either, as they are in different groups – Houdini in 2a and Vitruvius in 2b.
List of participants for Stage 2a:Houdini, Stockfish, Hiarcs, Rybka, Critter, Junior, Gaviota, Spike
List of participants for Stage 2b:Vitruvius, Gull, Chiron, Komodo, Shredder, Scorpio, Quazar, Hannibal
World's 1st Computer Chess Unit to Appear at NUIG Digital Games Event
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hello everyone,
This interesting chess news comes from Ireland. Kernan Andrews, writing in the Galway Advertiser, states the world’s first computer chess unit will make an appearance at NUI Galway’s Coding Computer Games – Past, Present & the Future event on Saturday March 2. The event runs from 12 noon to 2pm in the Digital Enterprise Research Institute, IDA/NUIG Business Park Dangan.
The Fidelity Chess Challenger was the first chess electronic unit available to the public. Based on a Z80 8-bit micro-processor, it started production in 1977 with its most popular model, the Fidelity Chess Challenger 7, selling some 600,000 units. Its inventor Sidney Samole got the idea for computer chess after watching an episode of Star Trek.
Also at the event, Galway-based software developers such as Tribal City and Starcave Entertainment will demonstrate some of their latest web-based games. Children from the local Coderdojo club will introduce visitors to the coding behind their own games.
There will also be classic arcade games like Asteroids, Pacman, Sonic, and Pong played on vintage consoles and computers such as Atari, Amiga, and Sinclair ZX81.
The event is a collaboration of Coderdojo Galway, the Computer and Communications Museum of Ireland, and the Digital Enterprise Research Institute at NUI Galway, and is part of National Engineers Week.
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hello everyone,
The rapid match between China and Iceland which was held in the headquarters of Arion Bank finished this weekend with a convincing 47,5-24,5 victory for the guests from China. China outrated Iceland this weekend and outclassed them taking charge early with a 5,5-0,5 victory in the 1st round. Iceland faired better in the 2nd round but another 5,5-0,5 thrashing in the 3rd round set the tone for a smooth sailing for the Chinese.
Given the time control some upsets were to be expected. Lenka Ptacnikova managed to beat the super GM Bu Xiangzhi and Mikael Johann Karlsson managed an upset vs Wang Yiye.
Even though the match was one sided it had exciting invidiual matches and several people showed up over the weekend to watch the action in the Arion Bank headquarters near the seaside.
For the Chinese, the young super GM Yu Yangyi showed great fighting spirit and quality and finished with a very impressive 11,5 out of 12. For the Icelanders the top scorer was GM Hjörvar Grétarsson with 5,5 out of 12.
The match was held to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Chinese-Icelandic Cultural Society which, in conjunction with the Icelandic Chess Federation, organised the event with the sponsorship of Arion Bank, CCP, Promens, Icelandic and Elkem. (Official website)
5 Women Chess Players You Might Want to Date: Name Them!
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hello everyone,
A "desirable" chess trivia photo quiz for you this Wednesday. These photos come from our award-winning chess photo database of www.chesspics.com. Can you name these chess players? For the solution, click on the photos.
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hello everyone,
It is time to set up a nice chess puzzle sent to us by Chess King. In this balanced position, White played the simple looking 25.Nxc5. But, it was a huge blunder and lost the game. The position is from Georgiev Kiril (MKD) (2660) – Rogers Ian (AUS) (2595). Can you say why 25.Nc5 is a blunder?
Super-Cool Chess Cake Made at Home: Must-Watch Chess Video
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hello everyone,
Make your chess set, play blindfold, and possibly eat it as well! Here's a must-watch chess video. Even if you don't want to watch the making of the cake, just forward the video to 12:52 and watch the end!
Anastasia Savina Wins RSSU Student-Grandmaster Chess Cup
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hello everyone,
More chess news from the RSSU Chess Cup (girls' section) via Fide: Sixteen-year-old Dinara Saduakasova was unable to remain at the top of the table in the students grandmaster tournament. The Kazakh chess player, who was in the lead throughout the entire tournament, lost to Irina Vasilevich (Russia) in the final round, allowing two participants - Anastasia Savina and Olga Girya, who won in the 9th round against their rivals, to catch up.
All three players scored 6 points, but the tie-breaker rules smiled upon Savina, who was declared the winner of the tournament. Silver went to Girya, and Saduakasova took only the bronze.
Other players finished in the following order: Daria Pustovoitova (Russia) - 4.5, 4th; Irina Vasilevich (Russia) - 4.5, 5th; Anastasia Zezyulkina (Belarus) - 4, 6th; Karina Szczepkowska-Horowska (Poland) - 4, 7th; Varvara Saulina - (Russia) - 3.5, 8th; Enhtuul Altanulzi (Mongolia) - 3.5, 9th; Dina Drozdova (Russia) - 3, 10th. From Alexandra Kosteniuk's www.chessblog.com Also see her personal blog at www.chessqueen.com Don't miss Chess Queen™ YouTube Channel
Yuri Eliseev Wins RSSU Chess Cup among Student Grandmasters
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013 Hello everyone,
Some chess news update via Fide: Sixteen-year-old Russian player Yuri Eliseev won the round-robin competition at the RSSU Chess Cup for student grandmasters. Playing against substantially older competitors he managed the highest score: 6 points out of 9. On the last day of the competition he settled for a draw against Jan Krejčí (Czech Republic). Second and third places, half-a-point behind the leader went to two other Russian players, Vladimir Belous and Mikhail Mozharov. In the last round Belous ended a game against Alexey Reshetnikov (Russia) in a draw, while Mozharov defeated Panayapan Sethuraman (India). Another half-point down are Alexander Shimanov (Russia) and Burak Firat (Turkey), they scored 5 points each and are tied for 4th-5th places. The remaining players: Andrei Stukopin (Russia) - 4.5, 6th; Robert Hovannisyan (Armenia) - 4, 7th; Panayapan Sethuraman (India) - 3.5, 8th ; Jan Krejčí (Czech Republic) and Alexey Reshetnikov (Russia) - 3 points each in 9-10th From Alexandra Kosteniuk's www.chessblog.com Also see her personal blog at www.chessqueen.com Don't miss Chess Queen™ YouTube Channel
Upcoming Chess Events in the US: Mark the Calendar
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013 Hello everyone, We found this nice compilation by Chessdom of upcoming chess events in the US. So, how many are you going to play? The 14th Annual Pittsburgh Open will be held from March 1-3, 2013, at the Doubletree Hotel Pittsburgh Green Tree, 500 Mansfield Ave, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The 7th Annual Long Island Open will be held from March 1-3, 2013, at the Holiday Inn Long Island – Islip Airport, 3845 Veterans Memorial Highway, Ronkonkoma, New York.
The March Madness Championship is set to take place on 1-3rd March at the Bay Area Chess Center, 1639A South Main Street, Milpitas, California. The Thousand Dollar Prize Fund Open is set to take place on 2nd March at the Douglas Youth Center, 902 S. 2nd, Kingsville, Texas 78363. The 3rd Dallas Chess Club FIDE Open in 2013 is scheduled to take place on 2-3rd March at the Club’s headquarters, 200 S. Cottonwood Dr. #C, Richardson, Texas 75080. The 20th Annual Western Class Championships will be held from March 8-10, 2013, at the Sheraton Agoura Hills Hotel, 30100 Agoura Road, Agoura Hills, California. The 22nd Annual Eastern Class Championships will be held from March 15-17, 2013, at the Host Hotel at Cedar Lake, 366 Main St, Sturbridge, Massachusetts. The 45th Virginia Open is scheduled to take place on 15-17th March at the Washington Dulles Airport Marriott Hotel, 45020 Aviation Dr., Dulles, Virginia. From Alexandra Kosteniuk's www.chessblog.com Also see her personal blog at www.chessqueen.com Don't miss Chess Queen™ YouTube Channel
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hello everyone,
While everyone compares business to chess, only a few people can teach the game's most profound lessons. Here, Justin Moore, CEO of the cloud company Axcient, does just that: In conversation with David Zax. Justin Moore is the CEO of Axcient, a rapidly growing cloud services provider. Moore, now 31, is also a former star of the youth chess circuit. At 10, he found a chess book in his mother’s cabinet; by his teenage years, he was one of the 20 top-ranked youth chess players in the United States. With the seriousness of an athlete, Moore played chess for several hours every day for half a decade.
Moore doesn’t play much competitively anymore; by his college years, he was “probably a bit burnt out,” he confesses. Even so, the kinds of thinking that his days as a chess prodigy taught him has deeply informed the way he runs a successful startup. In a sense, Moore does still play chess every day--by running Axcient.
"TOO MANY STARTUPS, SAYS MOORE, BEHAVE IN A WAY THAT’S “REACTIONARY TO THE MARKET, TO COMPETITORS, TO THE NEWEST SHINY OBJECT.”
We caught up with Moore to extract a few lessons about how to apply the grandmaster mindset to the world of business. Seeing All Possible Futures
Of course, it’s a business commonplace to recommend forethought. But in chess, the metaphor is literalized. “You’re constantly looking two, three, four moves ahead,” explains Moore. “If you do this move, what’s the countermove? What are all the countermoves? And then for all of those, what are all of my potential countermoves? Chess is constantly teaching you to think about what comes next, and what comes after that, and what the repercussions could be.”
In a chess game, your mind is constantly running permutations of decision trees. In business, your mind should be doing the same.
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hello everyone,
Hip-hop and chess have been connected for a long time. In fact, of all the music on Earth, no other form of genre has celebrated chess as much as rap. This seems ironic, considering the mental picture one usually gets of the music being played during a chess match is something by Beethoven or Vivaldi.
We found this very nice article by the president of Hip-Hop Chess Federation, Adisa Bankoko on "Top-10 Chess Lyrics in Hop-Hop".
One of the things that makes rap music unique is that many times, the goal of the artist is to leave the listener smarter than they were before they started listening. So you come in knowing nothing about the drug game but Biggie Smalls handed you “Ten Crack Commandments”. Maybe you knew nothing of Black Power and Public Enemy gave you “Rightstarter (Message to A Black Man)”. You never saw the impact of gang violence, but now you heard the words of “Ghetto Vet” by Ice Cube. Hip-hop’s intimate sharing of the secrets of both life and death gives it a yin-yang feeling
This intent of the rapper to educate the listener is unique to rap music. Neither rock, jazz, nor blues have this as a core element of their existence. That’s why when a song from those genres does happen to educate, it’s a highly celebrated moment. It is one of the things that makes rap so dangerous, beautiful, and rightly feared by many in the mainstream. In all the phases Hip-Hop has gone through — pro-Black, gangsta, etc. — chess has been a constant. It’s one of the many things in rap that are hidden in plain sight
NOTE: Before we get started, “Da Mystery of Chessboxin’” is not in the list. Not because it’s not dope (I love the song), but because the game of chess is not actually mentioned. I have always interpreted the point of that song to be that they bring the war to you lyrically, like a chess game. It’s an intro to all the lyrical chess masterpieces the Wu brought after. Now, let’s take a look:
10: Public Enemy, Rebel Without A Pause
No matter what the name, we’re all the same/ Pieces in one big chess game
This song is arguably one of the most outstanding pieces of lyricism from any artist. This is one of the earliest rap lyrics that use chess as a metaphor to describe the state of Black America. The idea that even our leaders were being played felt so real. Chuck Ds’ lyrical use of the game of chess was like taking a cold knife to the heart
9: X-Clan, “A Day of Outrage, Operation Snatchback”
Thought we weren’t coming, but it seems you made an error/ Wrench in the mill, systematic order has arrived/ Cornered by the Order/ Checkmate, sucka — not a move, game’s over!
As much of a melting pot as hip-hop culture is today, it was not always that way. The late 80’s and early 90’s were riddled with a lot of racial violence. One such incident involved a young kid named Yusef Hawkins, who was murdered by an white mob in NY. His death led to a march for justice that ended in a clash between the NYPD and marchers. It was dubbed “A Day of Outrage,” and X-Clan (who were heavily involved in the event itself) made a song that was both a call to rebel against the police and to keep the memory of Yusef Hawkins alive in the minds of Black America. Similar to Public Enemy, chess is used as a metaphor. However, this time, it’s used to symbolize victory for Black people. This was what rap music was like before post-racial America (whatever that means)
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013 Hello everyone,
Sergey Karjakin defeated the fellow Russian Alexander Grischuk 2-1 in the final match of the Aeroflot Rapid to take the top prize of 16,000 USD. Grischuk earned 10,000 USD. Karjakin is reigning World Rapid Champion, while Grischuk is reigning World Blitz Champion, according to a Chessdom report. After the two regular rapid games finished in draws for the 1-1 tie, the players proceeded to the Armageddon game where white (Karjakin) had 5 minutes vs black’s 4 minutes and draw odds. The planned 30 sec increment after move 61 was never reached as Grischuk flagged earlier in the winning position. This outcome is a flashback to the recent Piterenka tournament where Karjakin saved similarly hopeless position against the same opponent. After the yesterday’s knockout stage, four players qualified for the semifinal matches – Nepomniachtchi (who earlier won the Aeroflot Blitz Championship), Grischuk, Kamsky and Karjakin. Grischuk used the white pieces to eliminate Gata Kamsky with 1,5-0,5, while Karjakin had to play another Armageddon after the 1-1 tie against Nepomniachtchi. This game Karjakin won convincingly to schedule the clash with Grischuk. The traditional Aeroflot Open started immediately after the International Chess Festival Moscow Open-2013, from 11-18 February in Moscow, Russia. From Alexandra Kosteniuk's www.chessblog.com Also see her personal blog at www.chessqueen.com Don't miss Chess Queen™ YouTube Channel
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hello everyone,
World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand has won his first classical tournament in almost five years after an enthralling final day’s play in Baden-Baden. It started fast with Anand and Naiditsch blitzing out a rook ending that might have been drawn but ended in the German’s resignation on move 49. That left Caruana needing to beat Fridman to force a play-off, but he missed a gilt-edged chance in what fittingly became the longest game of the tournament.
Final rounds are sometimes dull, but there was every reason to hope for action at the GRENKE Chess Classic. No round had yet finished in three draws, and that was largely due to Arkadij Naiditsch’s seven decisive games in only nine rounds. He had the white pieces against Anand, and the players didn’t disappoint. Anand went for the Sicilian he had a draw worked out, but Anand won the Rook endgame. Afterwards Anand reflected on his improved form this year, remarking that his last reasonably successful tournament before 2013 was Wijk aan Zee 2011, where he finished clear second behind Nakamura on +4. “After that basically I went over a cliff and the next five tournaments were pretty awful”. Wijk aan Zee this year also went well until the last round, with the champion commenting, “I was hoping I wouldn’t do a Wang Hao today!”
Anand added later in the press centre: “Since 2011 my big problem had been getting interesting positions where I had chances. This year the new problem has been exploiting those chances – against Fridman here, Hou Yifan in Wijk aan Zee or last year against Nakamura and Adams at the London Chess Classic I’ve been gifting people half points. If it wasn’t for that my results would be much better. Still, it’s a hundred times better to have the second problem! I need to work on my technique.”A detailed report is available at the official website. Final standings 1. Anand: 6.5 2. Caruana: 6 3. Meier: 5 4. Adams: 5 5. Naiditsch: 4 6. Fridman: 3.5 From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
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