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Sunday, June 30, 2013
Chess Kids 20 Years Later - Documentary Trailer
12th Women's World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Latest Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013
Hi everyone,
Weekend chess movie trailer: A follow-up to the acclaimed Chess Kids (1996), this Special Edition release delivers the original award-winning documentary remastered for DVD, and includes all new engaging interviews with the original players, nearly 20 years later!
This clip features internationally renowned chess masters Judit Polgar, Josh Waitzkin, Morgan Pehme, Victoria Fossum, Joseph Conlon, and more! Enjoy the chess clip.
Chocolate Chess Set Prize at Latrobe Winterfest Tournament!
12th Women's World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Latest Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013
Hi everyone,
A chess set made from chocolate is being offered as a major prize at this year's Chocolate Winterfest at Latrobe. The round robin Chocolate Chess competition is one of many free activities that will be offered next Sunday. Chocolate Chess organiser David Hughes said the event would be open to anyone who wanted to play, of any age.
"Chess does a lot of things for young people in terms of developing cognitive skills and spatial awareness, and is something that they can do as well as sports," Mr Hughes said.
Other Chocolate Winterfest events include: Chocolate appreciation masterclass, House of Anvers, Bass Highway, Latrobe, from 9.30am until 1.30pm, Chocolate wonders of wearable art, a display of garments made from chocolate at the Latrobe Memorial Hall, Where's the Talent - singers, dancers, fire twirlers, comedians or magicians will be performing at the Latrobe Bowls Club, from 11am and Chocolate sculpture trail. For more information download a program at www.chocolatewinterfest.com.au
Kindergarten Chess Lesson by Chess Queen Alexandra Kosteniuk
12th Women's World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Latest Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013
Hi everyone,
We hope you’ll like this 18-minute Youtube video of Chess Queen™ Alexandra Kosteniuk introducing the game of chess to a kindergarten class in the USA. If you do, please Like this post! Enjoy!
Koneru Humpy Wins Women's Chess Grand Prix in Dilijan ahead of Anna Muzychuk, Nana Dzagnidze
12th Women's World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Latest Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013
Hi everyone,
India's chess pride Grandmaster Koneru Humpy has won the FIDE Women’s Chess Grand Prix in Dilijan, Armenia, this Friday. She finished the tournament with a fantastic performance even piccking up a win in the final round against Mongolia’s Tuvshintugs Batchimeg.
The top seed from Vijayawada, India scored eight points from 11 rounds which was a full point ahead of Slovenia’s Anna Muzychuk, the second seed, and Nana Dzagnidze of Georgia. Humpy was the only unbeaten player in the field that contained 12 of the top women chess players in the world. The other Indian chess player who attended the tournament, D. Harika, played well and finished with five points and tied for the sixth place, after drawing with former World Chess Champion Antoaneta Stefanova of Bulgaria. The FIDE Grand Prix is a six-part series that will determine the challenger for the 2015 Women’s World Chess Championship. Koneru Humpy's victory at the Dilijan Chess Grand Prix included draw with D Harika, win over Elina Danielian, draw with Anna Ushenina, win over Tatiana Kosintseva, draw with Bela Khotenashvili, win over Anna Muzychuk, win over Anna Stefanova, draw with Viktorija Cmilyte, draw with Nana Dzagnidze, draw with Olga Girya and a win over Batchimeg Tuvshintugs. The final standings: 1. Humpy 8; 2-3. Muzychuk and Dzagnidze 7; 4. Kosintseva 6; 5. Ushenina 5.5; 6-8. Stefanova, Batchimeg & Harika 5; 9-11.Girya, Cmylite & Danielian 4.5; 12. Khotenashvili 4. (www.blackandwhiteindia.com)
Magnus Carlsen Edges Out Borki Predojevic in Rapid Chess Match
12th Women's World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Latest Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013
Hi everyone,
The world’s top rated player Magnus Carlsen faced Grandmaster Borki Predojevic from Bosnia & Herzegovina in a four games rapid match in Lillehammer this Friday and Saturday (28-29th June).
The match was played at the Radisson Blu Lillehammer Hotel, and with the rapid time control 25 minutes plus 10 seconds per move.
In the first game Predojevic started cautiously with white and soon run into a passive position, but later he succeeded in trading all the pieces and holding a draw in the Rook endgame.
Magnus Carlsen
In the second game Carlsen was pressing with white, but his opponent obtained sufficient counterplay with the far-advanced d-pawn. Another Rook endgame and another draw.
In the third game Predojevic played Alapin Sicilian with white. The Queens quickly went off and Black even obtained a slight structural plus. After lots of maneuvering and probing, Black finally muscled his opponent into a lost ending.
In the final game another Queen-less opening and yet again the Norwegian was pushing for advantage. Predojevic, however, defended tenaciously and eventually salvaged a draw with moves repetition.
Magnus Carlsen won the match with the final score 2,5-1,5 (one win, three draws).
Borki Predojevic
The match has been initiated by Steinar Bryn, who is both a chess player and Senior adviser at The Nansen Center for Peace and Dialogue in Lillehammer, where he mainly works on peace projects in the Balkan region.
The rapid match in Lillehammer coincides with this year’s Norwegian chess championship starting on Saturday 29th. (www.chessdom.com)
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's www.chessblog.com Also see her personal blog at
12th Women's World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Latest Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013
Hi everyone,
We found some interesting news about an Indian film super star working in an Indo-Russian movie project. The Indo-Russian movie is supposed to be a comedy about bikers. You can read the report (using Google translate) on the Radio Rus website (the Russian Radio broadcast in Hindi). However, we've got a nice cool photo of this Indian superstar with a chessboard before him! Can you name him?
Bollywood is the name for the Indian film industry and we've heard they have many chess fans there. Particularly, another movie great Aamir Khan, who has even played in a simul with World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand. For the answer to the chess trivia question, click on the photo to go to the super star's wikipedia page. We would like to thank Chess Blog reader Kamini Gupta from New Delhi for pointing out this trivia question to us. You are welcome to send us your chess quiz questions as well.
12th Women's World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Latest Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013
Hi everyone,
Here's a nice group photo from the Dilijan Chess Grand Prix 2013 that has just been won by India's Koneru Humpy. Can you name all the players... and officials if you can ;)
Visit the official website of the Dilijan Chess Grand Prix 2013.
Fide Chess Title Norms: Deadline Extended to 31 July 2013
12th Women's World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Latest Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013
Hi everyone,
Here's an important Fide notification for chess players. Due to move of offices and upgrading of computers and technical software and hardware in the past 20 years, it has been an onerous task to verify norms achieved from old tournaments based on the then prevailing title regulations when the tournaments took place. Instead of tracking old regulations and old tournament results whenever an application is received, the QC recommended that norms achieved prior to 1st July 2005 be registered before 31st July 2013. Titles (FM/WFM/CM/WCM) achieved through a published rating or from an Olympiad result prior to 1st July 2005, must also be registered before 31st July 2013. Failing which, such norms or title claims will be considered to have expired on 31st July 2013. In addition with readily available information from the recent years, the QC hopes to move towards automation of title awards as soon as possible. The PB approved the recommendation of the QC.
International Chess Tournament of Forni di Sopra Concluded
12th Women's World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Latest Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013
Hi everyone,
The 3rd International Chess Tournament of Forni di Sopra took place on 15-22nd June, 2013, in Forni di Sopra, part of the Friulian Dolomites Natural Park and one of the jewels of the Italian Alps. The A section was a nine-round Swiss event available to players rated above 2000. 72 players competed in this group.
International Masters Danyyil Dvirnyy (Italy) and Aman Hambleton (Canada) shared the first place with 7,0 points each. Dvirnyy was declared tournament winner on superior tie-break.
Danyyil Dvirnyy
The B section was eight-round Swiss event available for players rated between 1600 and 2000. 47 participants took part in this group with Gianluca Ottaviani (Italy) emerging champion on 6,5 points.
The C section was eight-round Swiss event open to players rated under 1600. Lorenzo Ranellucci (Italy) took a clear first place with 6,0 points in the field of 14 participants.
The tournament was organized by the Accademia Internazionale di Scacchi, Circolo Scacchistico Udinese, ScacchiRandagi, FSI and Comune Forni di Sopra. Tournament director was GM Roberto Mogranzini and Chief Arbiter was IA Renzo Renier.
The total prize fund was 10,000 EUR. (www.chessdom.com)
Loving Chess, Good Memory Important for High-Level Chess: Anna Muzychuk
12th Women's World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Latest Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013
Hi everyone,
You are representing Slovenian Chess Federation since 2004. Wasn’t it difficult to take such kind of responsibility at the age of 14? As you said I was a girl of 14 and my parents made the decision for me.
How would you describe your game style in your early chess career?It’s a bit difficult for me to distinguish something, but at that time I liked to play more actively and used to attack more often.
In 2008 you won two important Open tournaments. Was that year the best in your chess career?Those were the two first strong tournaments where I won but later I had more impressive performances.
Has anything changed in your world outlook after becoming World Champion under-20? What memories do you keep from that event?Well, I can say nothing has changed after that victory. I am just happy that I managed to become a World Champion.
What would you identify as the most important traits of character besides talent to become a high level chess player? What characteristic features would you like to change in yourself, if any?I think first of all the person must love the game, as during the long years many lose their interest in chess because of hard training process. Also I think that having a good memory is a must. (Dilijan Chess Grand Prix 2013 official website)
12th Women's World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Latest Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013
Hi everyone,
THE world premiere of the Beckett Chess set by artist Alan Milligan, finished up this week. The exhibition ran from Saturday June 15, until Friday June 21 at the old regal cinema, the Unionist Hall, Enniskillen.
The 32 chess pieces have been inspired from the characters and props of Irish Nobel Prize writer, and former Portora student, Samuel Beckett. The pieces were created in bronze by local Fermanagh sculptor Alan Milligan, the piece of artwork was commissioned by Sean Doran, artistic director of the Happy-Days Enniskillen International Beckett Festival which takes place between August 22 and August 26. Individual pieces of the Samuel Beckett Chess set will form a summer sculpture trail throughout Enniskillen from mid-July.
This means that the pieces will be on display in various locations and shops in Enniskillen in the run up to the festival, so keep an eye out when you are in town and who knows where you might see a chess piece popping-up.
The pieces will be reunited and on display in The Diamond for the public to both observe and play as a full set again, for the duration of the festival. (fermanaghherald.com)
Armenia Chess 'Match': GM Gabriel Sargissian weds Sweetheart Liana Avoyan
12th Women's World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Latest Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013
Hi everyone,
Our heartiest congratulations to Grandmaster Gabriel Sargissian and Liana Avoyan for walking down the aisle today. The wedding ceremony of Sargissian—who plays for the three-time World Chess Olympiad champion Armenian national team, and who was declared Armenia’s 2008 athlete of the year—was held at a church in capital city Yerevan.
Sargissian’s wife, Liana Avoyan, studies at Yerevan Agricultural University. Gabriel and Liana had met one year ago. President of Armenia, Armenian Chess Federation President Serzh Sargsyan has become the godfather of the newlyweds.
Women Chess Players Invited to Iceland this September!
12th Women's World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Latest Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013
Hi everyone,
"Nordic Women's Championship is open to all female participants regardless of nationality"
The tournament will take place between the 17th and the 23rd of September
Schedule Opening Ceremony 17th September 15:45 Round 1 – Tuesday- 17th September 16:00 Round 2 – Wednesday – 18th September 10:00 Round 3 – Wednesday – 18th September 16:00 Round 4 – Thursday – 19th September 16:00 Round 5 – Friday – 20th September 10:00 Round 6 – Friday – 20th September 16:00 Round 7 – Saturday – 21st September 13:00 Round 8 – Sunday – 22nd September 13:00 Round 9 – Monday – 23rd September 11:00 Tie break (if needed) 17:00-19:00 Closing Ceremony after the tournament on the 23rd
Prizes Total prizes are 250.000 ISK. In case of equal points then Bucholz-points will decide how Prizes will be divided with Hort-system among equally ranked players . All prizes will be paid with electronic wire transfer. The Nordic Champion will receive 50.000 ISK. Prizes (regardless of nationality) 75.000 ISK 60.000 ISK 30.000 ISK 20.000 ISK 15.000 ISK
Read more at the official website of the Nordic Women's Chess Championship 2013.
Ukraine Chess Champions 2013: Yuriy Kryvoruchko, Mariya Muzychuk Crowned Champions
12th Women's World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Latest Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013
Hi everyone,
The final of the 82nd Ukrainian Chess Championship took place on 15-26th June in Kiev with 12 players competing in the round-robin format. Grandmasters Yuriy Kryvoruchko and Ruslan Ponomariov shared the first place with 7,5 points each. Kryvoruchko is declared new national champion thanks to the better tie-break score. Last year's champion Anton Korobov finished third half a point behind.
Yuriy Kryvoruchko (photo by Anestis Mihailidis)
Final standings: 1-2. Kryvoruchko Yuriy 2659 and Ponomariov Ruslan 2743 – 7,5 3. Korobov Anton 2715 – 7,0 4-5. Alexander Areshchenko 2708 and Moiseenko Alexander 2711 – 6,5 6. Efimenko Zahar 2651 – 6,0 7-9. Volokitin Andrei 2687, Pavel Eljanov 2707 and Bogdanovich Stanislav 2567 – 5,5 10. Kravtsiv Martyn 2626 – 4,5 11. Baryshpolets Andrey 2547 – 3,0 12. Neverov Valeriy 2515 – 1,0
The Ukrainian Women Championship featured ten players in the round robin tournament. Mariya Muzychuk repeated last year’s success and convincingly won the title with 7,5/9 points, leaving the nearest follower point and a half behind. The reigning World Champion Anna Ushenina missed the tournament because she is competing in FIDE Grand Prix in Dilijan. (Text: chessdom.com/Official website)
Magnus Carlsen and Borki Predojevic play in Lillehammer
12th Women's World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Latest Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013
Hi everyone,
On Friday 28th of June, Magnus Carlsen will meet Bosnian Grandmaster Borki Predojevic for a game of friendly chess in Lillehammer. The event is organised by the NCPD as a part of the Norwegian Chess Championship. The intent is to celebrate the historical ties between Lillehammer and Sarajevo and give these two great players a chance to meet again, seven years after they last played each other in Bosnia.
Two young talents: Magnus Carlsen and Borki Predojevic playing in Sarajevo in 2006.
Both Predojevic and Carlsen showed exceptional talent at a very young age. Magnus Carlsen is today world famous as the highest ranking player in the history of chess and an international celebrity, while Borki Predojevic leads a more humble life in Sarajevo, where he is a member of the chess club Bosna and regularly plays international tournaments as well as planning for his own chess book company. Sarajevo is also the city where the Nansen Dialogue Project started, when Inge Eidsvåg went there during the siege in 1994 to look at the rehabilitation of the ward for war victims at the Kosevo hospital financed by Lillehammer Olympic Aid. The connection between the Sarajevo, Lillehammer and sports is well established and has proven to be historically significant.
Carlsens talent and dedication to chess is of course beyond any doubt, but Predojevic was and is just at as talented, dedicated and hard working. The conditions surrounding these two sportsmen could not have been more different, however. Though they both have had the full support of their families and chess clubs, Predojevic lives the most war torn country in Europe after World War 2, while Carlsen has benefited from the political and economical stability of Norway all through his youth. Who knows where Predojevic might have been today, had the wars in Bosnia never been? As a junior player, he beat Carlsen, and he is one of top 100 chess players in the world today.
The game will take place on June 28th at 14.30 in the Sigrid Undset square in Lillehammer, and be surrounded by entertainment and food from the Balkans. Please contact Aida Zunic - aida@peace.no - for more information.
Nepal Chess News: Golden Gate College Wins National Team Event
12th Women's World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Latest Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013
Hi everyone,
Golden Gate College won the title of Manamohan Memorial Third National Team Club Chess Championship on Wednesday and secured berth in the Asian Team Chess Championship to be held in the Philippines in four months´ time.
Golden Gate defeated Lalitpur District Chess Association 2.5-1.5 in the final to win the team championship. Saurav Kherdekar of Golden Gate defeated Badri Lal Nepali of Lalitpur. Likewise, Madan Krishna Kayastha of Golden Gate edged past Rabindra Shakya in the final. Surbir Lama of Golden Gate and Sachin Maharjan of Lalitpur played a draw while Ratna Byanjankar of Lalitpur outclassed Niraj Niraula of Golden Gate.
Winner Golden Gate received Rs 50,000 while Lalitpur got Rs 30,000 along with trophies.
Machhindra Club finished third in the championship defeating Battisputali Youth Club 2.5-1.5. Shyam Shrestha of Machhindra defeated Himal Lama of Battisputali and his teammate Rajan Puri upset Prakash Nepal. Bibek Thing of Machhindra and Prachanda Malakar of Battisputali played a draw. Purushottam Chaulagain of Battisputali beat Bijay Dangol in the play-off.
Machhindra received Rs 20,000 while Battisputali got Rs 10,000. Former Deputy Prime Minister Bharat Mohan Adhikari gave away prizes to the winners. Altogether 17 teams had participated in the championship organized by Manamohan Chess Academy.
Edmonton Chess Festival: Cuban GM Lazaro Bruzón in Lead
12th Women's World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Latest Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013
Hi everyone,
With three wins in as many rounds, Cuban GM Lazaro Bruzon is the sole leader at the Edmonton Chess Festival in Canada. He beat local talent Richard Wang in the third round to surge ahead. Bruzon, Wang and Cuban Rodney Perez were with perfect scores so far. The system at the event is the 3-1-0 system. Bruzon has 9 and Perez is in second place with 7 points. Perez drew with black pieces with local player Dale Haessel in the third round. Also playing well at the event are Israeli Victor Mikhalevski and Canadians Eric Hansen and Edward Porper. Mikhalevski beat former world title challenger Nigel Short, while Hansen and Porper beat their compatriots Robert Gardner and Maxin Doroshenko respectively. The line-up for the fourth round is Bruzón-Perez, Short-Wang, Hansel-Haessel, Porper-Gardner and Mikhalevski-Doroshenko.
Standings after three rounds: Bruzón (9 points), Perez (7), Wang (6), Mikhalevski (5) Porper (4), Hansen (4) Short (3), Doroshenko (3), Haessel (1 ) and Gardner (0).
Chess WADA – Anti-Doping Policy, Nutrition and Health
12th Women's World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Latest Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013 Hi everyone,
Anti-Doping Information The 2013 WADA Prohibited List and Monitoring Program can be found at: http://list.wada-ama.org/ The most relevant banned substances for chess are: • Amphetamines – e.g. Adderall, Ritalin • Ephedrine and Methylephedrine – Prohibited by WADA when its concentration in urine is greater than 10 micrograms per milliliter • Pseudoephedrine is prohibited when its concentration in urine is greater than 150 micrograms per milliliter Substances not present on the Prohibited List but represented in the Monitoring Program: • Caffeine – Included in WADA 2013 Monitoring Program and relevant for in-competition testing only. Any test reading of less than 400 milligrams poses no problem. • Codeine – A common ingredient in, for example, preparations used to treat coughs and stomach upsets. Any dosage is highly unlikely to be significant when taken in normal therapeutic quantities. Psychopharmacological Cognitive Enhancement The notion of ‘cognitive enhancing’ drugs has gained periodic attention in the media and it is clear that such pharmacology has the potential to be of benefit in chess, an essentially cognitive sport. Modafinil, Adderall andRitalin are potentially implicated. Modafinil is primarily prescribed for the treatment of shift work sleep disorder and excessive daytime sleepiness – its main function is to improve wakefulness. However, it has been seen to produce apparent cognitive enhancement effects in healthy non-sleep-deprived people though it is unclear whether these effects are sufficient or durable enough to consider it to be a cognitive enhancer. Whilst Modafinil has been shown to improve some aspects of working memory, such as digit manipulation and pattern recognition memory, the results related to spatial memory, executive function and attention are equivocal. Adderal and Ritalin are primarily prescribed for the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder – Adderall is primarily a mixture of four amphetamine salts whilst Ritalin is a psychostimulant with some structural and pharmacological similarities to cocaine. Sources: Turner DC, Robbins TW, Clark L, Aron AR, Dowson J, Sahakian BJ (2003). "Cognitive enhancing effects of modafinil in healthy volunteers". Psychopharmacology (Berl.) 165 (3): 260–9 Randall DC, Viswanath A, Bharania P, Elsabagh SM, Hartley DE, Shneerson JM, File SE (2005). "Does modafinil enhance cognitive performance in young volunteers who are not sleep-deprived?". J Clin Psychopharmacol 25 (2): 175–9 Baranski JV, Pigeau R, Dinich P, Jacobs I (2004). "Effects of modafinil on cognitive and meta-cognitive performance". Hum Psychopharmacol 19 (5): 323–3 Baranski JV, Pigeau R, Dinich P, Jacobs I (2004). "Effects of modafinil on cognitive and meta-cognitive performance". Hum Psychopharmacol 19 (5): 323–32 From Alexandra Kosteniuk's www.chessblog.com Also see her personal blog at www.chessqueen.com Don't miss Chess Queen™ YouTube Channel
Geneva Chess Masters 2013 Begins June 26: Watch Top Stars Nakamura, Kramnik, Kosteniuk, Polgar, Mamedyarov, Pelletier, Bacrot, Edouard in Action
12th Women's World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Latest Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013
Hi everyone,
The Geneva Chess Masters Festival 2013 is taking place from June 26-30 at the Pitoeff Theater, a renovated cathedral in the centre of Geneva. The main event will be the highlight of the big chess festival that includes two open chess tournaments and several age-group event for players U-10, U-12 and U-14.
The main event - a rapid masters - will witness in action (two groups of four each in the single-round robin format) former world champion Vladimir Kramnik, former US champion Hikaru Nakamura, top-rated woman player Judit Polgar, former world champion Alexandra Kosteniuk, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Etienne Bacrot, Yannick Pelletier and Romain Edouard. Each group will have the top two players advance to the semi-finals.
Every match between 2 players consists of 2 games of 25 minutes + 10 seconds; if it’s necessary a tie-break of two games of 4 minutes + 2 seconds will be played; in case of a tie, a decisive game with 4 minutes + 2 seconds for white and 3 minutes + 2 seconds for black (with draw odds) will be necessary. Access the official website of the Geneva Chess Masters here.
Daniel Naroditsky is US Junior Chess Champion 2013
12th Women's World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Latest Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013
Hi everyone,
SAINT LOUIS (June 24, 2013) -- On Sunday, IM Daniel Naroditsky went clutch to win his final game of the 2013 U.S. Junior Closed Championship, breaking a tie with FM Luke Harmon-Vellotti and earning the crown in clear first – proving, once again, that slow and steady wins the race.
Naroditsky finished with 6.5/9 after going directly for the win with the black pieces in round 9 against Robert Perez, while Harmon-Vellotti was stalled with a draw to FM Jeffrey Xiong. FM Sam Sevian’s last-round win over WFM Sarah Chiang completed a tenacious come-from-behind effort – four wins and two draws to close the tournament – but he was ultimately only able to catch Harmon-Vellotti to tie for second at 6.0.
“It was quite grueling – especially being the favorite coming in, where the pressure is on and everyone expects you to win every game,” Naroditsky said. “I just tried to stay calm and tranquil in every moment.”
All said and done, it comes as no shocker that Naroditsky became this year’s champion. The California 17-year-old was a three-time veteran of the tournament and the highest-rated player in this year’s field, at 2494. What comes as a surprise is how he did it.
In an often dramatic and decisive tournament that featured sharp play and homerun swings nearly every afternoon, each of Naroditsky’s games instead plodded along at a careful and steady positional pace. Offering an array of polished openings throughout, he kept his opponents in constant speculation as to which game they would play: One that spent 50 moves battling slowly over the smallest of advantages – or one that could be just as quickly traded down to a draw in 20. His methods earned him four wins and five draws, the only unbeaten player through the tournament.
By the end, his approach looked systematic – drawing against the top five finishers and collecting full points from the bottom four. He never once fell lower than second place, yet also never led the field by more than half a point. The closest game he wore as a loss came after a winning position against FM Yian Liou, who finished in sixth place, narrowly slipped away into a draw. It allowed Harmon-Vellotti to catch pace for the last round; Naroditsky had been in clear first and the draw left him rattled, vowing to return on Sunday to win at all costs against Perez.
5th London Chess Classic 2013 Announced, but with a difference...
12th Women's World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Latest Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013
Hi everyone,
We're not sure if this announcement comes with a tinge of sadness for chess fans. The 5th London Classic has been announced from December 7-15, 2013, but with a difference.
Malcolm Pein writes: I am delighted to announce that the 5th London Chess Classic will take place at Olympia from Saturday December 7th to Sunday December 15th. The 5th Classic will not feature top level Classical Chess, but it will be headlined by a world class Rapid tournament as well some celebrity contests if I can find some celebs that are brave enough."The switch to Rapid is because Vishy Anand and Magnus Carlsen will doubtless be very tired so soon after the conclusion of their world title match at Chennai which is scheduled to end on November 26th. The schools events will be expanded and the festival, with weekenders, FIDE Open, simultaneous displays and lectures will take place as usual.
The FIDE Open will probably act as a qualifier for the main event and there will be some Blindfold Chess and Chess 960 so it should be an all round chess extravaganza. Tickets will go on sale in September after the field has been finalised. The venue will again be Olympia. (More details to follow)
12th Women's World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Latest Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013
Hi everyone,
Here's a nice review of a movie with chess as a motif. Director: Jake Goldberger. US. 2013. 101mins.
Life Of A King is the tale of an ex-con (Cuba Gooding Jr.,) who teaches some inner-city teens about discipline through chess. Gooding does what he can to portray Brown as a flawed, ordinary man who chose to make the world around him a little better — and, in the process, find redemption — and the actor largely avoids grandstanding theatrics.
Premiering at the Los Angeles Film Festival, Life Of A King will benefit commercially from Gooding’s involvement, and audiences may respond to the movie’s dependably feel-good genres. (Life Of A King combines a sports movie with an inspirational-teacher narrative.)
Directed and co-written by Jake Goldberger (Don McKay), Life Of A King tells the story of Eugene Brown, who in the 1990s rebuilt his life by starting a chess club for at-risk youths. The film introduces us to Brown (Gooding) just as he’s released following a 17-year sentence for a bank robbery. Because of his criminal record, Brown has difficulty finding a job, especially since he wants to leave behind his old ways, resisting overtures from a former associate (Richard T. Jones) who offers him a lucrative gig as part of his drug operation.
Instead, Brown works as a janitor at an impoverished high school, although he soon becomes a fill-in detention monitor for the school’s worst delinquents. With his street-smart demeanour, he’s able to talk to these kids in a way that their intimidated teachers can’t, and he encourages them to take up chess, a game he learned while in prison. Quickly, it becomes clear that one of his pupils, the stoic Tahime (Malcolm Mays), has real talent, but the teen is torn between pursuing chess and following his buddy Clifton (Carlton Byrd) into crime.
Brown sees chess as a metaphor for life: Each move should be carefully considered and an endgame must always be in mind. It’s a useful analogy, particularly for the poor African-American youth enrolled in Brown’s chess club who don’t have the educational or economic opportunities that others enjoy.
As Life Of A King’s storyline shifts from Brown to Tahime’s quest for a city championship, the proceedings remain stiflingly predictable, but Mays infuses his scenes with feeling, which is even more impressive because the character is so withdrawn and terse.
Boris Gelfand Wins 8th Tal Chess Memorial, Magnus Carlsen Second, Fabiano Caruana Third
12th Women's World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Latest Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013
Hi everyone,
Boris Gelfand was declared sole winner of the Tal Memorial on Sunday in Moscow. The Israeli Grandmaster had an undefeated performance of +3; two of his wins were achieved with the black pieces. This great run put Gelfand back in the top-10 at the live ratings list; he is 9th after gaining 18 points in this event. Defending champion Magnus Carlsen recovered from his loss against Caruana in the third round to finish sole second with 5.5/9 points.
The best Russian in the competition ended up being the lowest-rated, Dmitry Andreikin. The national champion drew eight of his games and defeated Vladimir Kramnik. Andreikin shared 3rd-5th places with Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Fabiano Caruana. The young Italian jumped to third place in the live ratings list, and is four points away from the 2800-mark.
The eventual champion arrived to his last game with a draw in mind. His rival, Vladimir Kramnik, did not have a good event and was not likely to push too hard with white, as he was probably expecting to finish the tournament as soon as possible, rest and think about his next compromises. This forecast was accurate as their game was the first one to finish. The experienced strategists split the point in 25 moves.
Gelfand left the playing hall and went on to wait for the result in the game of his closest follower, favorite Magnus Carlsen. The Norwegian also had the black pieces, and faced Shakhriyar Mamedyarov. This game was a totally different affair, as the players went into a sharp middlegame. Gelfand must have been relieved to see that the Azerbaijani was in the driver seat in the middle of the complications, but it is impossible to write-off Carlsen even in the worst situations. This time, the Israeli finished on top as the game ended in a draw in 33 moves.
Boris Gelfand with his trophy
The only decisive game of the day was the win of Alexander Morozevich over Hikaru Nakamura. This was Morozevich’s only victory of the event and Nakamura’s third straight loss. The American had a performance full of ups and downs, as he only drew one game, won four and lost four. He seemed in good shape to win the tournament after the sixth round, when he was sole leader and only had Gelfand close behind.
The game was a sharp Queen’s Gambit Accepted where Morozevich chose very complicated lines at the critical moments. The American was left with a healthier pawn structure while black had the bishop pair and a dangerous passed c-pawn. However, the decisive factor in the end was Morozevich’s control of the open h-file. Nakamura sacrificed an exchange to free himself but the material disadvantage was impossible to overcome later. The American resigned on move 49.
Fabiano Caruana and Dmitry Andreikin drew their last round game in 41 moves of a Ruy Lopez. Both players finished on +1 which might be considered more successful for the Russian. Caruana comes from playing the Grand Prix in Thessaloniki and, with two good results in these two events, he rose to third place in the live ratings lists, thanks to an impressive gain of 22 points in the last period. The Italian was not very satisfied with his play in the event, but said that his result was not bad, and that he got it with a little bit of luck.
Sergey Karjakin and Viswanathan Anand signed a rather quick draw in a Sicilian. The world champion’s performance was below par, as he lost three games, something that is very rare for the Indian. The young Russian finished on -1 and was probably expecting a better result in the tournament. (Text: Chessdom.com/Photo: Eteri Kublashvili)
Final Standings: 1 Gelfand, Boris ISR 2755 6 2 Carlsen, Magnus NOR 2864 5½ 3 Caruana, Fabiano ITA 2774 5 4 Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar AZE 2753 5 5 Andreikin, Dmitry RUS 2713 5 6 Nakamura, Hikaru USA 2784 4½ 7 Karjakin, Sergey RUS 2782 4 8 Morozevich, Alexander RUS 2760 3½ 9 Anand, Viswanathan IND 2786 3½ 10 Kramnik, Vladimir RUS 2803 3
Exploring Medieval European Society with Chess: An Engaging Activity for the World History Classroom
12th Women's World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Latest Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013
Hi everyone,
Here is a detailed article by John Pagnotti and William B. Russell III for those interested in history and how chess could help make studying history cool! Excerpts: The History Teacher, Volume 46:1 (2012)
Effectively teaching World History requires that teachers foster a learning environment that is challenging, interactive, engaging, meaningful, and relevant for the learner. Infusing a game activity into the curriculum offers a way to create a highly interactive and engaging learning environment while supporting meaningful content acquisition.
The purpose of this article is to help educators explore the strategy of using the game of chess in the World History classroom. More specifically, it provides educators with a classroom-tested lesson activity for teaching medieval European society content using the game of chess by providing background information on the history of chess, a rationale for including chess in the classroom, and step-by-step procedures to infuse this activity when the topic of feudalism is covered.
US Junior Chess Championship 2013 Round 8: Daniel Naroditsky, Luke Harmon-Vellotti Tied heading into Final Round
12th Women's World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Latest Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013
Hi everyone,
SAINT LOUIS (June 23, 2013) -- IM Daniel Naroditsky of California and FM Luke Harmon-Vellotti of Idaho met in round 2 of the 2013 U.S. Junior Closed in a game that fizzled into an uninspiring draw. And after quickly trading his way down to an opposite-colored bishop snoozer, Naroditsky admitted that the draw was more for practical reasons.
“At some point, it’s important to make a prudent decision. You don’t always have to go all-in,” he said at the time. “Sometimes the decision is not justified, sometimes it is. We’ll just see how it goes for the rest of the tournament.”
Reckoning day is here. In every round since that day-two rendezvous – which left them tied for second – Naroditsky and Harmon-Vellotti have never left a half-point from each other, and they’ve never left the top of the standings. The two have see-sawed back and forth with the lead in every round, continuously re-climbing over the other’s draw with another win.
Now they find themselves tied at the top, left with one final round to justify every decision over the past ten days. Naroditsky faces Robert Perez, who shared the lead at the tournament’s halfway point but has since cooled against the higher ranks, while Harmon-Vellotti defends against FM Jeffrey Xiong, who has held his own since a slow start with draws against most of the field. Both front runners have the black pieces.
Naroditsky was in the driver’s seat as clear leader entering Saturday’s round 8, but suffered a frustrating draw as white against FM Yian Liou. The half-point allowed Harmon-Vellotti to catch pace at 5.5/8 with his subsequent win over Perez.
12th Women's World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Latest Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013
Hi everyone,
A must-watch chess video for every lover of the sport: Frasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. Frasier starred Kelsey Grammer, David Hyde Pierce, John Mahoney, Jane Leeves, Peri Gilpin, and Moose. It was one of the most successful spin-off series in television history, as well as one of the most critically acclaimed comedy series.
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