Chess Commander

March 10, 2010

Chess news by ChessVibes

Danailov running for ECU President; players protest against zero-tolerance rule

Besides round reports, currently the website of the European Championship in Rijeka has two interesting news items. It's reported that Silvio Danailov is running for President of the European Chess Union, and that 110 participants have protested against the zero-tolerance rule. At the European Championship website we're informed of the following: Mr. ...

March 10, 2010 09:06 AM

Susan Polgar Chess Daily News and Information

Bishop and Pawn endgame


Black to move. Is this a draw or win for Black?

8/1b3B1k/8/8/Kp2pp2/2P5/4P3/8 b - - 0 1
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by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 10, 2010 08:16 AM

The Daily Dirt Chess News Blog

Кarlsen Back to Carlsen

If the announcement, made just a few months ago, that Magnus Carlsen and Garry Kasparov were working together was news, then I suppose the announcement that they aren't working together is worth mentioning. At least they felt it was worth a whole press release, which is really more of a time-honored way of keeping names in the news when there isn't really news. Other than tweaking the press release a tiny bit before it went out, I don't have any inside info on this. I'm certainly not privy to their financial arrangements.

From casual conversations and public information, including the release itself, I sum it up as follows. They had a one-year arrangement and now that year is up. With Carlsen already the #1, the goal they had set at the start, perhaps as a two-year plan, already achieved, it didn't make much sense to continue as before. So Carlsen is taking the next step, which is taking charge and building up all the muscles he needs to be a complete pro. He also saves the no-doubt-considerable expense of hiring the former world champ. Kasparov's role will be more of an occasional consultant, with Carlsen setting the agenda and asking for advice instead of following another's gameplan. They both keep some benefits from what turned out to be a great PR (and chess) move for both of them -- and great PR (and chess) means money. The announcement also keeps some of the GK shadow around when Carlsen plays, which can't hurt. Even if they don't work together much the threat can be stronger than the execution.

I'd say that the impact of their collaboration will be debated endlessly, but of course that's already happened. Carlsen has candidates matches coming up at some point, and I'm sure Kasparov's input there will be useful. And if Magnus makes it to a world championship match, their relationship could be a major factor. Especially if his opponent is Anand.

by Mig at March 10, 2010 08:05 AM

Susan Polgar Chess Daily News and Information

Only 2 remain perfect at EICC


After 4 rounds at the European Individual Chess Championship, only 2 remain perfect in the overall section and 1 in the women's section.

Leaders after 4 rounds:

Rk.

NameFEDRtgIPts. TB1 TB2 TB3 Rpnwwew-weKrtg+/-
1
GMJobava BaadurGEO26954,05,510,543371442,661,341013,4
2
GMEfimenko ZaharUKR26404,04,59,543349442,481,521015,2
3
GMNisipeanu Liviu-DieterROU26613,55,511,03285443,52,750,75107,5
4
GMInarkiev ErnestoRUS26673,55,510,53288343,52,630,87108,7
5
GMPelletier YannickSUI26113,55,010,03288943,52,271,231012,3
6
GMAdams MichaelENG27043,55,010,03287543,52,850,65106,5


GMLupulescu ConstantinROU25983,55,010,03286943,52,301,201012,0
8
GMTimofeev ArtyomRUS26553,55,09,53290143,52,471,031010,3


GMMaiorov NikitaBLR25103,55,09,53280643,51,901,601016,0
10
GMSokolov IvanBIH26383,55,09,03284443,52,690,81108,1


GMSzabo Gergely-Andras-GyulaROU25253,55,09,03281443,52,031,471014,7
12
IMSkoberne JureSLO25093,55,08,53278843,51,941,561015,6
13
GMMamedov RaufAZE26393,55,08,53284543,52,670,83108,3
14
GMNepomniachtchi IanRUS26563,54,510,03285143,52,750,75107,5
15

Nabaty TamirISR24853,54,58,53258932,51,011,491014,9
16
GMVallejo Pons FranciscoESP27083,54,09,53291343,52,690,81108,1
17
GMIordachescu ViorelMDA26213,53,57,03277643,52,930,57105,7

Women's leaders:

1GMSocko MonikaPOL24654,04,09,043115442,801,201012,0
2GMArakhamia-Grant KetevanSCO24473,56,012,03270443,52,401,101011,0
3IMCmilyte ViktorijaLTU24853,54,58,53264743,52,910,59105,9
4IMMuzychuk AnnaSLO25333,54,58,03269243,52,910,59105,9

IMSkripchenko AlmiraFRA24563,54,58,03264343,52,790,71107,1
6GMCramling PiaSWE25233,54,08,03268543,52,900,60106,0
7GMKosintseva TatianaRUS25243,53,57,53271643,52,740,76107,6
8WGMGalojan LilitARM23803,53,57,53261443,52,520,981514,7

Full standings here: http://chess-results.com/tnr29567.aspx?lan=1
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by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 10, 2010 06:50 AM

Netanyahu Ties in Chess Against Gelfand


Netanyahu Ties in Chess Against Gelfand

March 9, 2010
Filed under: Israel News
Y.W. Editor @ 2:25 pm

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Monday took an hour from his busy schedule for a game of chess against world champion Boris Gelfand. Jewish Agency for Israel Chairman Natan Sharansky was at the prime minister’s side, assisting and lending support. Sharansky is known as a formidable chess player.

The game ended in a tie, as did an earlier game between Sharansky and Gelfand.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
www.theyeshivaworld.com
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by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 10, 2010 06:21 AM

A bizarre chess journey


Chess... an alternate universe?
Tuesday, 9 March 2010

Steve after his bizarre journey meeting the Queen...

It was discovered tomorrow that the game of Chess is not of this world. Many people have experienced strange reactions when playing chess likened to 'visiting a Star Wars set only real'. It appears that when the first move, typically 1.e4 was made they found themselves whisked off the planet and playing against a very different opponent then they sat down with.

We spoke to a white faced chess player who had just come back from a game on 'Alpha Centauri' and he told us of his experience.

"It happened as soon as I moved e4, a flash and whirr of colour like a spiral and I felt myself falling. I blamed it on the MSG in the Chinese meal I had yesterday until I found myself seated opposite a strange blob that had no recognisable human attributes and smelled faintly of a concoction called 'Gengo' - a mix of genes and wormhole shavings."

We played the game in silence (or so I thought) apart from the occasional colour changing of this creature which seemed to give me a feeling of euthoria especially when it turned pink.

When I captured it's queen the blob disappeared for a couple of seconds and returned as an exact replica of Queen Victoria which quite frankly didn't surprise me at all.

It tried to make contact with me at this point but I was overcome with a strange emotion that I had met my mother for the first time.

"The game progressed and the blob/Viccy won, which made it turn a shade of peachy green, I thought it was gonna be sick - I then felt myself sucked in a vacuum and before I knew it, I was back opposite my opponent!" He shuddered as if the temperature has just dropped.

So there we have it. Who'd a thought it? Chess really is a Universal game.

Source: http://www.thespoof.com
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by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 10, 2010 06:02 AM

Chess for success at Oregon Convention Center


Local students to compete in chess tourney
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
The Hillsboro Argus

Chess for Success will host Oregon's largest scholastic chess tournament Friday and Saturday at the Oregon Convention Center.

Students from W.L. Henry, Lincoln Street and Patterson elementary schools will be among more than 500 students competing to be 'king or queen of the boards.'

Students at all levels - elementary, middle and high school - will come together for team and individual competition. Of the 60 schools participating, 19 are Chess for Success schools.

Play begins at 9 a.m. on both days.

Chess for Success is not just a chess program looking for the next Bobby Fischer. It is a leading education organization for K-8th-grade students in Oregon and Southwest Washington that uses the game of chess to help kids become smarter and self-confident.

For nearly 20 years, Chess for Success has helped thousands of students in low-income schools succeed in the classroom and in life. Chess for Success is addressing two community needs: closing the achievement gap for low-income and minority students; and preparing students to be a successful part of tomorrow's global workforce.

Source: http://www.oregonlive.com
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by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 10, 2010 06:01 AM

dana blogs chess

In your face

Gjon Feinstein, my friend who makes his living teaching chess, has a great way to get kids over the hump of not wanting to put their pieces next to the opponent’s king, even if it would win the game. He calls it the “in-your-face” checkmate.

Today, as I do every Tuesday, I supervised the Aptos Libary chess club. Recently I have started bringing a notebook so that I can copy positions down from the kids’ games and talk about them later. In today’s meeting I set up a position from a game that was played last week.

Here White played a very poor move, 1. Rbf7?, which both loses material and loses the attack. My first question for the group today was whether anybody could find a better move for White. That was a very easy question; the kids quickly found 1. Nxg5. It’s obviously better to take the opponent’s piece than to let him take your own piece.

But that is far from being the end of the story. Next I asked them, “What does the move 1. Nxg5 threaten?” I asked them to name two specific threats. Again, they found one of them pretty quickly: White threatens 2. Nf7+, which forks the king and queen. At first they thought this was checkmate, until I pointed out that Black can play 2. … Kxg7 because the rooks are no longer connected. Still, 3. Nxd6 wins the queen for a rook. Alternatively, Black could play 2. … Rxf7, but either way he loses material.

However, no  one could figure out what White’s second threat was.  So I phrased the question a different way. “Suppose Black sees that you are threatening 2. Nf7+, and plays 1. … Qxh2? What would you play next?”

Well, some of the kids still wanted to play 3. Nxf7+, so I patiently explained that Black would play 3. … Kxg7 and you’ve basically given up the rook for nothing. What else can White play? Various ideas were suggested: 3. Bb4; 3. Ne6; even 3. Nxe4. Amazingly, none of the kids could see that White has a checkmate in two moves. (I didn’t tell them this, of course, because in your games no one is going to tell you it’s mate in two.)

Finally I gave them a hint: always look first at checks and captures. You would think someone would have found it then, but no! The next suggestion I got was 3. Rg8+. But this is nevertheless an interesting idea, because Black could make a mistake and play 3. … Rxg8?? (This was in fact the first defense that was suggested.) I told them there was something horribly wrong with this move, and again I suggested looking for checks and captures. That’s when someone (I don’t remember who) hit on 4. Rxh7 mate!

That’s when the light-bulb moment occurred. After I showed them this move, I mentioned that my friend calls this an in-your-face checkmate. All of a sudden, a boring lesson turned interesting to them. “In your face!” they all started chanting and saying to each other.

After letting this general celebration go on for a minute or so, I said, “Let’s go back to the previous position. Is there some way we can play an in-your-face check here?”

This time they finally caught on: “2. Rh7 check!”

“Is it a checkmate this time?”

“No!”

“Where can the Black king go?”

“To the square next to the rook.”

“Okay, 2. … Kg8. Now, can you play another in-your-face check?”

“The other rook to g7.”

3. Rbg7+! Very good! Is it a checkmate now?”

“Yes, it is!”

Double in-your-face action

“Fantastic!” I said. “You’ve just played a double in-your-face checkmate!”

This elicited another chorus of “in your face“s. At this point I felt it was a good time to bring the lesson to an end and let the kids go back to their games. But for the remaining fifteen minutes or so, whenever I saw an opportunity for one of them to play an in-your-face check or checkmate, I would ask them if they could find it. Most of the time they did. All in all, I felt as if some kind of understanding was reached.

I learned something from this episode, too. You may understand something perfectly yourself, but that doesn’t mean that you can get someone else to see it, especially when they are between the ages of 7 and 12. But it might take just one little phrase, like “in your face,” to get the lightbulb to turn on. Of course, I can’t take any credit for this; it was Gjon’s idea. The mystery, to me, is how do you find these magic words?

P.S. By the way, if this had been a more advanced group, there is still more to talk about in the initial position. Obviously 1. … Qxh2 wasn’t such a great defense after all, since it allowed mate in two. What would be Black’s best try? (This might lead to the idea of moving the rook away from f8 to vacate the square for the king.) And after that, is 2. Nf7+ really White’s best answer, or is there possibly something even better?

by admin at March 10, 2010 04:50 AM

Gambit

Federation Updates Its Drug Policy. Why?

The World Chess Federation unveils new rules banning performance enhancing drugs.

by By DYLAN LOEB MCCLAIN at March 10, 2010 04:39 AM

ChessBase News

ChessBase show: Miles vs Karpov, the clash of styles

Britain's first ever grandmaster, the late Anthony John Miles, was not just strong but also extremely creative. When this fiery player clashed with Anatoly Karpov, it was pure provocation facing ice-cold strategy. In his Playchess presentation Dennis Monokroussos shows us Karpov succeeding – next week it will be Miles taking down his illustrious opponent. Be there at 9 p.m. ET.

by ChessBase at March 10, 2010 12:00 AM

Rijeka: Jobava, Efimenko lead, zero tolerance appeal

Currently the FIDE rules require that players must be seated at the board no later than zero seconds past the scheduled start of a game. This has led to some unpleasant situations in the past. At the 11th European Individual Championships 110 participants signed a petition to change the grace period to 30 minutes. In the tournament Baadur Jobava and Zaher Efimenko lead. Round four report.

by ChessBase at March 10, 2010 12:00 AM

March 09, 2010

Susan Polgar Chess Daily News and Information

The battle for ECU Head Post


Bulgaria's Silvio Danailov to Run for President of European Chess Union
WEDNESDAY, 10 March 2010
SPORT

GM Veselin Topalov's manager, Silvio Danailov, said he would run for president of the European Chess Union (ECU), chessdom.bg informs. Reportedly, Danailov will present his campaigning platform in the Croatian city of Rijeka this weekend. If elected, Danailov pledges to raise interest in Europe's big chess tournaments and draw more sponsors to the international chess movement. Bulgaria's President Parvanov was the first to mention that a Bulgarian might run for President of the European chess union, following talks with FIDE boss Kirsan Ilyumzhinov last December.

Source: http://paper.standartnews.com
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by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 09, 2010 11:47 PM

Zero default issue


Petition from chess players at the 11th EICC in Rijeka
The zero default time questioned again
Report by Chessdom

The participants of the European Individual Men and Women's Chess Championsh in Rijeka have submitted a petition to the Organizing committee and the ECU President Boris Kutin in which they request changing the delay tolerance from 0 to 30 minutes. They require this measurement to be valid from the 4th round. The petition was signed by 110 participants.

Due to request, on the behalf of Organizing committee, the president of the Executive Committee Damir Vrhovnik said: “The organizers are trying to do their best for the sake of our players. In accordance to that, on the behalf of Organizing committee and myself, I support the participants' request. However, this question is under the European Chess Union' jurisdiction and therefore, they are the ones who must make the decision“.

The rules of chess according to FIDE

At the Presidential Board Meeting 2009 Q1 the zero default time was discussed and it was decided that, "the PB approved changes in the Laws of Chess including that the default time would be zero unless otherwise specified in the regulations of the tournament." The specific FIDE rule is now present in the Laws of Chess, saying,

6.6 a. Any player who arrives at the chessboard after the start of the session shall lose the game. Thus the default time is 0 minutes. The rules of a competition may specify otherwise. b. If the rules of a competition specify a different default time, the following shall apply. If neither player is present initially, the player who has the white pieces shall lose all the time that elapses until he arrives, unless the rules of the competition specify or the arbiter decides otherwise.

As per tournament regulations in Rijeka (text here) no specification about time of appearance at the board is present, thus, the FIDE regulations for zero default time are valid.

Stay tuned for more details on the matter, we will bring you all reactions by the arbiters, appeals committee, the players, ECU, and FIDE officials.
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by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 09, 2010 08:34 PM

The importance of education


Klitschko sends positive message with academic achievement
WBC champion credits parents for success and praises younger brother
By K. R. Nayar, Senior Reporter
Published: 00:00 March 10, 2010

Abu Dhabi: The World Boxing Council (WBC) Heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko is a role model for all aspiring sportsmen. He is the first professional boxing champion to hold a PhD in sports science.

"I owe my success in sports to the encouragement from my parents. My mother was always supportive and my father always pushed me to box," remarked Klitschko, whose father was a former Soviet Air Force Colonel and mother a teacher.

Klitschko's younger brother Wladimir Klitschko is the current IBF, WBO, IBO and Ring Magazine world heavyweight champion. When asked about his brother, a proud Klitschko said: "If there is one guy who can beat me, he is my younger brother. I am afraid to fight him."

...Klitschko is a close friend of world chess champion Vladimir Kramnik and has even played with him many times. His doctoral thesis was on talent and sponsorship in sports. The Kiev University of Physical Science and Sports conferred him with the PhD.

Source: http://gulfnews.com
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by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 09, 2010 06:54 PM

The Daily Dirt Chess News Blog

Fischer's Birthday

If you're in a philosophical mood, here's an amusing YouTube mash-up with astronomy, "there's something out there" text, and Bobby Fischer video clips voiced over one by of the less scurrilous segments of the many interviews Fischer gave to Philippine radio during, I believe, his captivity in Japan. Most of it sounds like the epiphany of a 9th-grade science student, but there is an innocent charm to it for that. ht DC

"Can I go off the air singing a little "All You Need Is Love?"

And he does. Sort of. Fischer would have been 67 today. He died two years ago in Iceland, ending one of the greatest and then saddest stories in the history of chess. It's a pity that "the pride and sorrow" was already taken by his countryman Paul Morphy.

by Mig at March 09, 2010 05:49 PM

Chess news by ChessVibes

New & full of opening novelties: Yearbook 94

Yearbook 94 has just arrived! "All serious chess players should read these outstanding books", is what Carsten Hansen wrote about The Chess Player's Guide to Opening News on ChessCafe Please, have a look at the full contents.

March 09, 2010 05:06 PM

Susan Polgar Chess Daily News and Information

EICC chess tactic


Black to move and win. How should Black proceed?

Source: ChessToday.net (check out Chess Today website for more information about the best daily chess newspaper)
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by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 09, 2010 04:22 PM

Chess news by ChessVibes

Review: Reggio Emilia 2007/2008

Having read mostly chess improvement books and opening manuals lately, I was delighted to see a new publication in the best tradition of chess writing: a serious tournament book. Strangely, it's a tradition that seems rather unpopular these days - a very unfortunate development indeed. The tournament book tradition has given ...

March 09, 2010 04:03 PM

Susan Polgar Chess Daily News and Information

Fischer's Birthday


Mar 09, 2010
Happy Birthday Bobby Fischer
Source: USA Today

On this day in 1943, one of the greatest chess players in history was born.

Bobby Fischer's talent, known in the chess world for decades, would become evident world-wide when he defeated Russian Boris Spassky for the world title in 1972.

Later, Fischer's erratic personality and anti-Semitic rants would dominate his life. Click here for his confrontation with ABC's Jeremy Schaap. The chess champion passed away in 2008.

Here is a news report on Fischer's victory against Spassky.

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by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 09, 2010 03:46 PM

Morozevich drops out of Amber


Update March 5, 2010

Today Alexander Morozevich informed the organizers of the Amber Blindfold and Rapid Tournament that much to his regret he was forced to withdraw from the tournament for private reasons. Alexander Grischuk has accepted the invitation to come to Nice at such short notice to replace his countryman. Alexander Grischuk is the reigning Russian champion and is the current number 7 in the world rankings.

March 13-25, 2010, Nice, France

The 19th Amber Blindfold and Rapid tournament, organized by the Association Max Euwe in Monaco, takes place from March 13 (first round) to March 25 (last round) at the Palais de la Mediterranée, splendidly located on the famous Promenade des Anglais in Nice. The total prize-fund is € 216,000.

The twelve participants are (in alphabetical order): Levon Aronian (Armenia), Magnus Carlsen (Norway), Leinier Dominguez (Cuba), Vugar Gashimov (Azerbaijan), Boris Gelfand (Israel), Alexander Grischuk (Russia), Vasily Ivanchuk (Ukraine), Sergey Karjakin (Russia), Vladimir Kramnik (Russia), Ruslan Ponomariov, Jan Smeets (The Netherlands) and Peter Svidler.

Every day four sessions will be played, two blindfold sessions and two rapid sessions. The first session starts at 14.30 hrs. The fourth session finishes around 20.00 hrs. (Note: the final round on March 25 starts at 12.30 hrs. March 17 and 22 are rest days.)

http://www.amberchess2010.com/
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by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 09, 2010 03:17 PM

Fantastic live video coverage


Rijeka 2010 with fantastic live video coverage
multiple cameras and professional team bring the EICC experience live

Rijeka 2010 EICC is setting an example in online chess live video coverage. Up to now we have mostly seen a single static webcam, difficult to load the image from, or blocked by some of the spectators. Now you can fully enjoy the experience of a massive chess event, no matter if you are in Rijeka or in the other end of the world, via this live coverage.

The live video coverage features multiple web cameras that focus on top boards, as well as general views of the playing hall, showing players, spectators, and guests. As the games progress the remaining interesting positions and battles are featured.

The coverage starts at 15:00 CET, follow it now at the official website.
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by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 09, 2010 02:46 PM

Danailov for ECU President


Silvio Danailov candidate for ECU President
Danailov to hold reception during EICC

Silvio Danailov, executive director of the Grand Slam Chess Association and manager of Veselin Topalov, will run for ECU President. The candidacy of a Bulgarian representative has been a rumor since December, when President Georgi Parvanov announced after his meeting with the FIDE President Kirsan Ilymzhinov that Bulgaria will have its own candidate for ECU. Now the news is official via announcement on the EICC Rijeka page.

Rijeka, 09.03

Mr. Silvio Danailov, vice-president of the Bulgarian Chess Federation will host a reception for delegates and guests of the ECU General Assembly on Saturday, 13th March at 9PM, in Opatija at the hotel Millenium (M. Tita 109).

At the reception Mr. Danailov will announce his candidacy for the President of the European Chess Union at the upcoming elections and will present the basic guidelines of his programme.

Here is part of the program that the team of Danailov is preparing. He will be in direct competition with another important figure in chess - Ali Nihat Yazici, his presentation was brough to you exclusive by Chessdom during the ETCC in Novi Sad.

Stay tuned for details and updates on the coming ECU race.

by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 09, 2010 01:32 PM

GM title for Deep Sengupta


Deep likely to be awarded with the GM title
TNN, Mar 9, 2010, 12.59pm IST

NEW DELHI: Deep Sengupta is likely to be awarded with the Grand Master title on March 23, on the FIDE Presidential Board meetings, provided All India Chess Federation takes prompt action in this regard.

IM Sengupta made the 1st GM norm in Gurgaon International Open Tournament in January 2009.

Sengupta won a GM norm during the Doeberl Cup in Australia.

Sengupta made it a memorable event for India by winning the first place and gaining his second GM norm in the process in April 2009. GM Deepan Chakravarthy, who beat eventual champion Sengupta in the last round, finished third.

A strong Indian contingent of 15 players participated in this tournament. WFM Pon. N. Nkrithika scored her 3rd and final WIM norm, while the Indian champion WIM Kruttika Nadig finished in top 15 with 5,5 points. Other Indian prize winners were IM Sriram Jha (7th position) and GM Abhijit Kunte (8th position).

For his 3rd norm, Sengupta finished joint first with Tigran Gharamian and Vadim Malakhatko with 7/9 points in the Cannes Festival, 2010, France.

His live rating has crossed the 2500 mark at 2519.7. He will be the 22nd GM for India. Along with Sengupta, Arghyadip Das, V. Saravanan, Saptarshi Roy, all four Indians participated.

Sengupta earned the 3rd & final GM norm. His live rating has crossed the 2500 mark at 2519.7. Thus he is qualified to become India's 22nd Grand Master. Arghyadip Das also earned a GM norm.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 09, 2010 01:22 PM

Grand Prix Blitz tournament


Abu Dhabi prepares for Grand Prix Blitz tournament
Entries free and open to all, Abu Dhabi Chess and Culture Club board member says
Staff Report
Published: 00:01 March 9, 2010

Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi National Islamic Finance (ADNIF), the Islamic finance and banking arm of the National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD), joined hands with the Abu Dhabi Chess and Culture Club (ADCC) to unveil the 2010 ADNIF Grand Prix Blitz Chess tournament.

Starting from Thursday, the 2010 ADNIF Grand Prix Blitz Chess Tournament will see a total of ten monthly events. Ten players will be entered into the final showdown along with two invited stars.

Addressing a press conference here yesterday, Aref Al Khouri, ADNIF general manager said: "This sponsorship reflects our strong relationship with Abu Dhabi Chess and Culture Club. It also confirms ADNIF's understanding and appreciation of roles played by arts, sports and recreational activities to encourage and facilitate sustainable development and welfare."

Monthly prizes

"ADNIF, officially launched last year, looks forward to support projects and activities that benefit all segments of society," he added.

"The sponsorship also reflects ADNIF and NBAD's commitment to serving and building Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE nation by supporting milestone events and financing projects in different economic sectors to achieve the Abu Dhabi Vision 2030," Al Khouri said.

Hussain Abdullah Khouri, ADCC board member, said entries were free and open to all nationalities and genders.

"Even if someone misses the deadline for the first event they can still join at any stage. We will be considering six of their best performances. We will also be having monthly prizes and a grand final will be held to coincide with the National Day Celebrations," Khouri added.

The ADCC official thanked Abu Dhabi Sports Council, under whose umbrella the Grand Prix is being held.

Source: http://gulfnews.com
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by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 09, 2010 01:12 PM

Chess news by ChessVibes

Thirteen players on 3/3 in Rijeka

Naiditsch, Vallejo, Jobava, Pelletier, Timofeev, Martinovic, Skoberne, Krasenkow, Inarkiev, Nisipeanu, Efimenko, Maiorov and Nepomniachtchi are the names of the thirteen players who are still on 100% in Rijeka. Three rounds at the European Individual Championship have been played. The 11th European Individual Men and Women's Chess Championship is held from 5th ...

March 09, 2010 11:02 AM

Susan Polgar Chess Daily News and Information

Must know endgame


White to move. Is this a draw or loss for White? How should White proceed?

8/8/6R1/8/3n4/4k3/r6P/6K1 w - - 0 47
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by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 09, 2010 08:38 AM

The new Lubbock Chess Club story


Founder of Lubbock Chess Club answers some questions about group


Sunday, March 07, 2010
Story last updated at 3/7/2010 - 4:37 pm
Avalanche Journal

This week we have a special interview conducted by Chase Watters, member of the Texas Tech Knight Raiders nationally ranked chess team, and former president of the Texas Tech Knight Raiders Chess Club. His guest is Sam Houchin, founder of the new Lubbock Chess Club.

1. How did you revive the Lubbock Chess Club into existence?

I was invited to a game night at a friend’s house. We played several group-oriented games and as the evening began to wind down my friend, and host for the night, Chris expressed an interest in playing chess. He brought out the board and the rest just followed suit. Soon, several of us were playing weekly and we started searching for a local club to join.

We were surprised to find that the previous Lubbock Chess Club had disbanded several years ago. In our online search we found a newsletter generated by the TTU Knight Raiders that led us to a “chess game night” at Barnes & Noble on a Friday night. There, we met several members of the Knight Raiders and the idea of reviving the Lubbock Chess Club was born.

2. What is the relationship of the Lubbock Chess Club with SPICE and/or the TTU Knight Raider Chess Club?

Once we began playing routinely several nights a week with members of the Knight Raiders, it was brought to Susan Polgar’s attention that we were interested in starting Lubbock Chess Club.

She immediately jumped in and helped us to initially organize our efforts and to locate a weekly meeting place. Combined with the ongoing support and participation of the Knight Raiders, we have had very successful club attendance to date.

3. Who is welcome to come and play with the Lubbock Chess Club? Are novice chess players and kids welcome to play?

All are welcome. Male or female, any age or skill level. Chess is a game for people of all ages and you can learn to play at any time. So come play even if you have never seen a chess board or if you are a highly advanced player.

4. How many players typically come and play at the Lubbock Chess Club, and what is the typical strength of those players?

It varies. We have an average of 18 to 20 regular players. Some nights we have as many as 30 plus players and 12 to 14 on others.

5. Is there a fee to join the Lubbock Chess Club?

At this time there is not a fee to join the club. However, in order to provide for the membership in the future we are in the process of formalizing the club with officers, by-laws, constitution and, of course, fees. Preliminary discussion on fees has been $20 per year for an adult membership, $15 per year for college students, and $10 per year for persons younger than 18.

6. What are some upcoming events that the Lubbock Chess Club is planning?

Since we are still getting off the ground we don’t have any events on the current schedule. We plan on sponsoring tournaments, leagues, chess ladders, and blitz tournaments in the future.

7. Why do you like playing chess?

In my opinion, chess is the ultimate game having a positive effect on a player’s attitude toward learning and cognitive achievement.

Chess play engages the human brain and employs new ways of thinking, imaginative processes, and creativity. Chess also develops your critical and analytical thinking ability and contributes to the increase of intelligence, problem solving skills, memorization and concentration. A little competition is also great for mental alertness, patience, sportsmanship, as well as challenging your sense of accomplishment.

8. How do you like playing chess at Lin’s Buffet on Mondays?

Lin’s provides us with a large, open, comfortable area to meet and play along with a wide variety of delicious food items to choose from. They offer a 10 percent discount to all members and, while we encourage dining, it is completely optional.

8. Where do you see the Lubbock Chess Club six months from now, and one year from now?

The current version of the Lubbock Chess Club is in its infancy. In the future we hope to offer chess instruction for any age and a comprehensive chess library available to all members.

Our primary purpose is to have fun and to promote the popularity of chess. We hope to eventually conduct tournaments and other forms of chess competition.

I feel that our membership will increase with time and advertising. As for the community, we hope to reach out to the school districts in the Lubbock area and promote the subject of chess and hopefully integrate it into their scholastic curriculum.

Source: http://www.lubbockonline.com

by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 09, 2010 06:28 AM

Pinoy rules Singapore chess meet


Pinoy rules Singapore chess meet
Cebu Daily News
First Posted 08:19:00 03/09/2010
Correspondent Marlon Bernardino

INTERNATIONAL MASTER (IM) Enrique Paciencia of the Philippines stamped his class to rule the “Ang Mo Kio Community Centre Hong Bao Rapid Chess Challenge 2010” Open tournament held recently in Singapore.

The Tacloban City-native Paciencia, the 2009 Singapore International Chess Festival champion out-dueled Aussie Steve O’Reily in the seventh and final round to finish with 6.0 points on five wins and two draws, the same output of compatriot IM Yves Ranola and Singaporean Mark Chan.

Paciencia, a former mainstay of Adamson University clinched the title with a higher tie break points. Rañola settled for second while Chan wound up in third place.

Rañola split the point with fellow RP Junior champion NM Roberto Suelo Jr. in the final round while Chan beat countryman Linson Lim.

Suelo finished in 4th over-all with 5.5 points, half a point ahead of another Filipino entry NM Arlan Cabe who settled for 5th over-all with a superior quotient in the group of 5.0 pointers.

Source: http://globalnation.inquirer.net
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by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 09, 2010 06:06 AM

Chess Heroes


ChessHeroes is two years old


On this day, March 5, my chess blog ChessHeroes was born. CH is now two years old! We have posted around 800 posts here, met many people from all walks of life, from different places and different races and through the years, here's (only) a dozen things I could think of about being an amateur blogger, the toughest job in the world!

1. he must be his own writer,
2. he must be his own editor,
3. he must be his own photographer,
4. he must be his own researcher,
5. he must be his own proof reader,
6. he must be his own web designer,
7.he must be his own critic,

8. he must be a theorist,
9. he must be a poet,
10. he must be a dramatist,
9. he must be a humorist,
9. he must be a philosopher,
10. he must be a linguistic,
11. he must be a story teller,
12. and most of all, he must be a humanist.

you name it...

I always held a belief that just as it is the art director who must be responsible to an audience, the blogger, if he or she is to maintain his integrity, must be responsible to himself. We're talking about responsible blogging. A good curator of one's own museum is one who can walked about silently along the hallways and to just point and present to the visitors a work of art with a hand out.

Congratulations!

by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 09, 2010 06:05 AM

Lubbock Chess Club broke 40


The Lubbock Chess Club started to meet regularly at the current location not long ago (probably less than 2 months). The club meets at Lin's Buffet (5608 Slide Road - near South Plains Mall) on Mondays from 5-9 p.m.

Tonight, the club had 40 players, including a handful players who came for the first time. There are over 60 active players who have played at at this new location, raging from 500 to 2600.

Members of SPICE/Texas Tech Knight Raiders will be on hand to give you a mental work out. You can get more information at www.texastechchess.blogspot.com or www.lubbockchessclub.wordpress.com.
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by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 09, 2010 05:04 AM

The Closet Grandmaster

Chess Sets in Tokyo

It's not everywhere that you find European chess sets sold around Tokyo. But over the last 2 days I found a couple of places near where I live. One joint basically sells all kinds of wooden toys, while the other is a sort of general store (called "Village Vanguard") for knick-knacks. I was even pleasantly surprised to find the same glass chess sets that Chess Discount Sales once gave away in some tournament (I think the SIO) being sold around here for a very cheap 1,000 yen.

For serious tournament players, the local JCA seems to be the only retailer of popular programs like Fritz or books and boards. But in my case, I have no worries. I pretty much packed all my chess software, a digital clock and a couple of boards when I left.

by noreply@blogger.com (The Closet Grandmaster) at March 09, 2010 04:35 AM

Susan Polgar Chess Daily News and Information

Photos from 2010 SPNO


Here are over 215 pictures so far from the 2010 SP National Open for Boys and Girls in Carefree, Arizona. Approximately 300 young players are competing for over $100,000 in prizes including chess scholarships to Texas Tech University, high tech netbook computers, and a lot more.

http://picasaweb.google.com/SPICEChess/2010SPNO

The rest of the prize giving pictures will be uploaded soon.
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by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 09, 2010 01:12 AM

ChessBase News

Help from ChessBase Magazine

After three rounds in the European Championship Dieter-Liviu Nisipeanu was in the lead. The Romanian GM scored three consecutive wins, including one against Dimitri Reindermann. Perhaps he was helped in his efforts by an article in ChessBase Magazine, because in CBM 132 his compatriot Mihail Marin examined in detail a variation of the Alekhine Defence, which then was up for discussion in the game. The Dutch player chose a line which our author had rejected and received the ultimate punishment for doing so. Marin has provided a few notes on the game, and a thorough analysis will follow in CBM 136. Here is Nisipeanu - Reindermann

by ChessBase at March 09, 2010 12:00 AM

The political chess game

We long ago abandoned the practice of sending our readers to every article or international news report that contains the word "chess". But when a Euronews story contains video footage of a world class grandmaster (Boris Gelfand) playing the Deputy Prime Minister of his country (Natan Sharansky), who is assisted by the current PM (Benjamin Netanyahu), we make an exception.

by ChessBase at March 09, 2010 12:00 AM

March 08, 2010

Susan Polgar Chess Daily News and Information

Rijeka chess tactic


White to move. How should White proceed?

Source: ChessToday.net
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by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 08, 2010 11:35 PM

European Individual Championship round 4


Round 4 top board pairings:

Bo. No.

Name FED Rtg Pts. Result Pts.
Name FED Rtg
No.
1 5
GM Vallejo Pons Francisco ESP 2708 3
3 GM Timofeev Artyom RUS 2655
36
2 37
GM Krasenkow Michal POL 2652 3
3 GM Jobava Baadur GEO 2695
10
3 11
GM Naiditsch Arkadij GER 2691 3
3 GM Efimenko Zahar UKR 2640
48
4 83
GM Pelletier Yannick SUI 2611 3
3 GM Inarkiev Ernesto RUS 2667
24
5 175
IM Skoberne Jure SLO 2509 3
3 GM Nisipeanu Liviu-Dieter ROU 2661
28
6 35
GM Nepomniachtchi Ian RUS 2656 3
3 GM Maiorov Nikita BLR 2510
170
7 7
GM Adams Michael ENG 2704
3 IM Martinovic Sasa CRO 2509
174
8 15
GM Caruana Fabiano ITA 2680
GM Potkin Vladimir RUS 2606
89
9 79
GM Lysyj Igor RUS 2615
GM Sargissian Gabriel ARM 2675
16
10 17
GM Kurnosov Igor RUS 2674
GM Aleksandrov Aleksej BLR 2601
94
11 81
GM Petrosian Tigran L ARM 2612
GM Areshchenko Alexander UKR 2670
18
12 21
GM Moiseenko Alexander UKR 2668
GM Lupulescu Constantin ROU 2598
96
13 98
GM Erdos Viktor HUN 2593
GM Bareev Evgeny RUS 2667
22
14 23
GM Grachev Boris RUS 2667
GM Melkumyan Hrant ARM 2582
110
15 29
GM Riazantsev Alexander RUS 2660
GM Halkias Stelios GRE 2580
111
16 101
GM Stocek Jiri CZE 2591
GM Khismatullin Denis RUS 2657
34
17 41
GM Fridman Daniel GER 2650
GM Mastrovasilis Dimitrios GRE 2574
119
18 145
IM Nikolov Momchil BUL 2550
GM Sutovsky Emil ISR 2650
42
19 43
GM Zhigalko Sergei BLR 2648
GM Kovacevic Aleksandar SRB 2574
118
20 45
GM Gustafsson Jan GER 2646
GM Ragger Markus AUT 2572
122
21 147
GM Zelcic Robert CRO 2547
GM Zvjaginsev Vadim RUS 2643
46
22 49
GM Mamedov Rauf AZE 2639
GM Lopez Martinez Josep Manuel ESP 2548
146
23 51
GM Sokolov Ivan BIH 2638
GM Grigoryan Avetik ARM 2565
131
24 61
GM Delchev Aleksander BUL 2625

Podolchenko Evgeniy BLR 2502
179
25 159
GM Szabo Gergely-Andras-Gyula ROU 2525
GM Kokarev Dmitry RUS 2622
68
26 71
GM Iordachescu Viorel MDA 2621
IM Sulashvili Malkhaz GEO 2490
190
27 185
IM Hovhannisyan Robert ARM 2498
GM Belov Vladimir RUS 2619
72
28 199

Nabaty Tamir ISR 2485
GM Khairullin Ildar RUS 2617
76
29 3
GM Movsesian Sergei SVK 2709 2
GM Chirila Ioan-Cristian ROU 2487
192

Women's top board pairings:

Bo. No.

Name FED Rtg Pts. Result Pts.
Name FED Rtg
No.
1 24
GM Arakhamia-Grant Ketevan SCO 2447 3
3 GM Kosintseva Tatiana RUS 2524
4
2 17
GM Socko Monika POL 2465 3
3 WGM Chelushkina Irina SRB 2319
61
3 25
IM Muzychuk Mariya UKR 2444
GM Stefanova Antoaneta BUL 2555
1
4 28
IM Khurtsidze Nino GEO 2434
IM Kosintseva Nadezhda RUS 2554
2
5 3
IM Muzychuk Anna SLO 2533
WGM Bodnaruk Anastasia RUS 2384
40
6 5
GM Cramling Pia SWE 2523
WGM Zawadzka Jolanta POL 2404
32
7 9
WGM Zhukova Natalia UKR 2492
IM Matveeva Svetlana RUS 2373
42
8 13
IM Cmilyte Viktorija LTU 2485
IM Sedina Elena ITA 2334
56
9 27
IM Moser Eva AUT 2437
GM Dzagnidze Nana GEO 2479
14
10 39
IM Bojkovic Natasa SRB 2384
IM Rajlich Iweta POL 2459
18
11 41
WGM Galojan Lilit ARM 2380
WFM Gunina Valentina RUS 2457
20
12 21
IM Skripchenko Almira FRA 2456
IM Purtseladze Maka GEO 2299
71
13 51
WGM Cosma Elena-Luminita ROU 2346
IM Ushenina Anna UKR 2452
22

http://chess-results.com/tnr29567.aspx?lan=1
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by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 08, 2010 11:02 PM

EIC round 3


Round 3 top board results:

Bo. No.

Name FED Rtg Pts. Result Pts.
Name FED Rtg
No.
1 4
GM Navara David CZE 2708 2 0 - 1 2 GM Pelletier Yannick SUI 2611
83
2 88
GM Saric Ivan CRO 2607 2 0 - 1 2 GM Vallejo Pons Francisco ESP 2708
5
3 89
GM Potkin Vladimir RUS 2606 2 ½ - ½ 2 GM Adams Michael ENG 2704
7
4 10
GM Jobava Baadur GEO 2695 2 1 - 0 2 GM Kotronias Vasilios GRE 2593
99
5 90
GM Safarli Eltaj AZE 2606 2 0 - 1 2 GM Naiditsch Arkadij GER 2691
11
6 94
GM Aleksandrov Aleksej BLR 2601 2 ½ - ½ 2 GM Caruana Fabiano ITA 2680
15
7 96
GM Lupulescu Constantin ROU 2598 2 ½ - ½ 2 GM Kurnosov Igor RUS 2674
17
8 18
GM Areshchenko Alexander UKR 2670 2 ½ - ½ 2 GM Stocek Jiri CZE 2591
101
9 98
GM Erdos Viktor HUN 2593 2 ½ - ½ 2 GM Moiseenko Alexander UKR 2668
21
10 24
GM Inarkiev Ernesto RUS 2667 2 1 - 0 2 GM Bosiocic Marin CRO 2577
113
11 28
GM Nisipeanu Liviu-Dieter ROU 2661 2 1 - 0 2 GM Reinderman Dimitri NED 2576
115
12 110
GM Melkumyan Hrant ARM 2582 2 ½ - ½ 2 GM Riazantsev Alexander RUS 2660
29
13 112
GM Pavasovic Dusko SLO 2579 2 0 - 1 2 GM Nepomniachtchi Ian RUS 2656
35
14 36
GM Timofeev Artyom RUS 2655 2 1 - 0 2 GM Hera Imre Jr HUN 2574
117
15 116
GM Yemelin Vasily RUS 2576 2 0 - 1 2 GM Krasenkow Michal POL 2652
37
16 118
GM Kovacevic Aleksandar SRB 2574 2 ½ - ½ 2 GM Fridman Daniel GER 2650
41
17 119
GM Mastrovasilis Dimitrios GRE 2574 2 ½ - ½ 2 GM Zhigalko Sergei BLR 2648
43
18 48
GM Efimenko Zahar UKR 2640 2 1 - 0 2 GM Iotov Valentin BUL 2568
127
19 131
GM Grigoryan Avetik ARM 2565 2 ½ - ½ 2 GM Mamedov Rauf AZE 2639
49
20 146
GM Lopez Martinez Josep Manuel ESP 2548 2 ½ - ½ 2 GM Sokolov Ivan BIH 2638
51
21 170
GM Maiorov Nikita BLR 2510 2 1 - 0 2 GM Socko Bartosz POL 2637
53
22 68
GM Kokarev Dmitry RUS 2622 2 ½ - ½ 2 IM Nikolov Momchil BUL 2550
145
23 72
GM Belov Vladimir RUS 2619 2 ½ - ½ 2 GM Szabo Gergely-Andras-Gyula ROU 2525
159
24 174
IM Martinovic Sasa CRO 2509 2 1 - 0 2 GM Vorobiov Evgeny E RUS 2616
77
25 192
GM Chirila Ioan-Cristian ROU 2487 2 ½ - ½ 2 GM Lysyj Igor RUS 2615
79
26 80
GM Howell David W L ENG 2612 2 0 - 1 2 IM Skoberne Jure SLO 2509
175
27 2
GM Bacrot Etienne FRA 2714 ½ - ½ 2 IM Hovhannisyan Robert ARM 2498
185

Full results here.
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by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 08, 2010 10:58 PM

The Kenilworthian

Moving from Blogger FTP to WordPress, Part 1


Life was easy when I set up this blog (and others) way back in May 2005 using Blogger's friendly FTP service.  Then in January 22 of this year, Blogger announced that they are shutting down FTP access in March -- since pushed back to May 1, 2010 -- and had set up a blog and some migration tools to help users shift to other Blogger-supported methods.  It's good to know that switching to a simple blogging method would be easy and painless -- but I don't trust Blogger now and want to maintain some of our traffic.  So I have decided to switch over to WordPress (which I've been admiring for a while anyway) and see if I can continue to maintain the same web addresses for our blogs.  Some things may change -- such as the RSS feeds (from what I have read) and certainly the blogging interface -- but I hope to pull off the switch with a minimum of downtime and no change to our link structure (fingers crossed).  Here are some guides I have been reading on the subject, in case you are in the same boat:
These seem pretty helpful, but I get the sense that WordPress may be working behind the scenes to make the process even easier.  Just wish they would do more to announce what they are up to.  Seems like a great opportunity for them to gain customers.  I have backed up our site and started experimenting with The Center Square blog to see how this will go.  I'll keep you posted on my progress and welcome reader advice.

by noreply@blogger.com (Michael Goeller) at March 08, 2010 06:14 PM

Susan Polgar Chess Daily News and Information

Kasparov vs Caruana?


Kasparov - Caruana perhaps in October at Milano

It could take place in October at Milano - a mini-match between the number one Italian player Fabiano Caruana, who will be 18 years old on the 30th of July, and the ex-champion of the world Garry Kasparov, who is the trainer of the number one FIDE rated player in the world, Magnus Carlsen.

Valerio Luciani, whose publishing house Ediscere has published (in Italian) the celebrity series of Kasparov's books "My Great Predecessors", has informed the Italian magazine "Torre & Cavallo" that the negotiations have entered an advanced stage, and that the competition could be of four games either rapid or blitz.

Obviously, for events to take place involving persons of this caliber, the signing of contracts in required.

http://www.messaggeroscacchi.it/?p=2210

Special thanks to Lou for the information.
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by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 08, 2010 03:37 PM

Ivanchuk, Mareco win Caxias do Sul


Caxias do Sul, Brazil

XI International Open rapid tournament took place in Caxias do Sul in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul on 6-7 March, 2010.

Final standings:

1-2. Vassily Ivanchuk (2748, UKR) and Sandro Mareco (2533, ARG) - 8 out of 9,
3-5. Gilberto Milos (2606, BRA), Krikor Mekhitarian (2490, BRA) and Giovanni Vescovi (2629, BRA) - 7½, etc. (221 players).

Henrique Mecking scored 7 points; Ulf Andersson scored 6½ points.

Source: ChessToday.net
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by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 08, 2010 02:09 PM

Interesting interview with GM Liem


Interview with GM Le Quang Liem
After Moscow and Aeroflot Open, by Yana Melnikova
Report by Chessdom

Le Quang Liem of Vietnam, winner of the two major international tournaments in Russia - Moscow Open and Aeroflot Open, shared in an interview with Yana Melnikova his impressions of Moscow and how he is preparing for a competition.

Yana Melnikova - Liem, congratulations on your victory in the Aeroflot Open. In the recently concluded tournament Moscow Open, you also had excellent result - took the bronze after sharing first place. Tell us why you decided to play in Moscow?

Le Quang Liem - Russia is the country of chess, and here I can play against very strong chess players. I liked both of the tournaments. They are organized at a high level, very professional, very ambitious. I want to highlight the "Aeroflot" - I believe this is the strongest open tournament in the world. Next year I will gladly play in Moscow again.

Yana Melnikova - Is the victory in the Aeroflot Open the biggest success in your career?

Le Quang Liem - I think so. But earlier, I also successfully competed in strong tournaments - for example, in 2009 I won major open tournaments in India and China, and many competitions in my own country.

Yana Melnikova - Tell us about your road to success. With whom do you work?

Le Quang Liem - I have been playing chess since childhood. Most of the time I work on my own, but I do have a few trainers. About a year ago I began to collaborate with GM Evgeny Bareev, and I believe that my good results arrived mostly thanks to him. Evgeny did a lot to help me to progress, he can identify weaknesses in my game and help me make steps for the overall improvement.

Yana Melnikova - Do you play on the Internet chess zones? What is the role of the blitz games?

Le Quang Liem - I play on ICC and on Playchess. I try not to stay online for a very long time because I don't think that playing blitz will help me increase my chess level. For me it is purely entertainment, I go to play a couple of games only when there is spare time.
Yana Melnikova - How much do you work on chess?

Le Quang Liem - On average, about four hours a day.

Yana Melnikova - What are your future plans, objectives for the near future?

Le Quang Liem - My goal is to reach the level of 2700, as soon as possible. I won in Aeroflot and got the opportunity to play in Dortmund. This is my chance to show the skill at a high level, and I will work very hard to make a proper preparation.

Yana Melnikova - Did you like it in Moscow?

Le Quang Liem - Yes, of course! The people are very friendly. There is a lot of snow though, quite different from my country.

Mainstream media about Le Quang Liem's victory at Aeroflot Open
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by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 08, 2010 02:01 PM

M&M's chess


New M&M’s Chess Scubes – Each collectable pack features an M&M’s character as a chess piece i.e. knight, bishop, king, queen, king etc., with 32 pieces to collect and play with two full chess sets. Each pack includes 140g of M&M’s peanut or milk chocolate.

Source: http://www.moodiereport.com
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by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 08, 2010 01:47 PM

Giri chess tactic


White to move. How should White proceed?

Source: ChessToday.com
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by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 08, 2010 01:06 PM

Chess news by ChessVibes

Cooperation Carlsen and Kasparov ’should take a different direction’

On March 3 Chessbase published a press release in which it was announced that Magnus Carlsen and Garry Kasparov won't continue their training sessions. With those achievements a major target has been met in the cooperation between these two chess players, even earlier than anticipated. Therefore it has been decided ...

March 08, 2010 10:01 AM

Susan Polgar Chess Daily News and Information

Sunday night chess tactic


White to move. How should White proceed?

Source: ChessToday.net
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by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 08, 2010 08:45 AM

WGM Tournament in Cox's Bazaar


Monday, 8 March 2010

Advanced Parachute WGM Tournament in Cox's Bazaar

The Advanced Parachute WGM Tournament to be held from 7-14 March 2010 gets underway today at Uni-Resort in Cox's Bazaar, Bangladesh.

After a 10 hour bus ride from Dhaka in a luxury bus through beautiful and often spectacular countryside, the participants which include GM and IM hopefuls (L-R in photo above) Veronika Minina (RUS), Dhyani Dave, Kiran Monisha Mohanty (IND), Shamima Akter and Tanima Parveen (BAN), were still all bright and sparky and very much looking forward to the games starting the following day.

The full list of participants can be found at: http://www.chess-results.com/tnr31218.aspx?lan=1

Organised by Six Season Chess Tournaments, this is the first of tournaments planned monthly by Grandmaster Niaz Murshed to provide title and rating tournaments for Asian players and there will be a GM event following this WGM tournament from 14-22 March 2010.

http://thefidetrainer.blogspot.com/2010/03/advanced-parachute-wgm-tournament-in.html
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by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 08, 2010 07:50 AM

Gearing up for the Olympiad trials


Players gear up for World Chess Olympiad Trials
By Olusola Babarinsa
March 8, 2010 12:55AM

Chess players invited by the Chess Federation of Nigeria (CFN) for the first stage of the World Chess Olympiad Trials, which holds in the National Stadium from 21st to 27th March, say they are ready to do the nation proud.

The invitation to participate in the trials was sent to 118 chess players after almost three hours of deliberation of the Chess Federation Technical Committee. The Chess Olympiad is schedule to hold in Khanty -Mansiysk, Russia from 19th September to 4th of October 2010.

The World Chess body, FIDE has written to all federations that preliminary registration must be forwarded by May 20th and the final list of players must reach the secretariat on or before 15th of July.

Bunmi Olape, who represented Nigeria at the 2004 Chess Olympiad in Mallorca, Spain, says nothing will stop him from representing his country at the global championships later in the year.

Olape, a National Master, said; "I have been representing Nigeria at different Olympiads since 2004, I don't see any reason why I should not scale through the trials. Though there are a lot of young players coming into chess now, I still believe I have what it takes to get into the finals and the championships itself. It is all about how prepared one is and I am prepared."

Here is the full article.
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by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 08, 2010 07:39 AM

Irene wins best athlete award


Chris John, Irene win 2009 best athlete awards
The Jakarta Post Mon, 03/08/2010 10:30 AM Sports

Boxing champion Chris John and rising chess star Irene Kharisma Sukandar have been named Indonesia’s best male and female athletes, according to a poll conducted by the country’s leading sports tabloid Bola.

The poll, whose results were announced Saturday, involved 14,694 respondents — the largest sample of its kind.

For the best female athlete award, Irene beat badminton players Maria Kristin and Liliana Natsir, as well as long-distance runner Trianingsih, who last month won a marathon event in Hong Kong — her first international feat this year.

Irene is the country’s first and only Woman Grandmaster titlist, who earned her 2008 title at the prodigious age of 16. She turns 18 in April.

She began known to the world of chess in the 2004 Chess Olympiad in Calvia, Spain, where she received her FIDE Master. In the 2006 event in Turin, Italy, she rose as International Master titleholder, and accomplished her best feat so far in 2008 when she earned her current title at the Chess Olympiad in Dresden, Germany.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com
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by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 08, 2010 07:33 AM

ChessBase News

Edward Winter's Chess Explorations (37)

At the New York, 1889 tournament a master lost a game by forfeit after only eight moves because he was, in the words of a newspaper report, ‘laboring under excitement’. The Editor of Chess Notes looks at three great players with reputations for heavy dependency on alcohol, examining how they have been treated by contemporaries and subsequent writers.

by ChessBase at March 08, 2010 12:00 AM

11th European Individual Championships in Rijeka

This event is taking place from March 6th to 18th 2010 in Rijeka, Croatia. Top players include Almasi, Bacrot, Movsesian, Navara, Vallejo, Motylev, Adams, Tomashevsky, Alekseev, Baadur, Naiditsch, Akopian, Volokitin, Bologan and Caruana. After two rounds 34 players have perfect scores, in the women's section it is 17. The venue is spectacular: see if you can read its name from space.

by ChessBase at March 08, 2010 12:00 AM

March 07, 2010

Susan Polgar Chess Daily News and Information

Chess trivia


Can you name this strong chess player?
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by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 07, 2010 09:01 PM

Must know R&P pattern


White to move and win. Can you find the winning pattern?

R7/6k1/P6p/5p2/5Pp1/4K1P1/r6P/8 w - - 0 1

Dvoretsky, 2003
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by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 07, 2010 08:43 PM

Early upsets at EIWC


Round 2 top board results:

Bo. No.

Name FED Rtg Pts. Result Pts.
Name FED Rtg
No.
1 44
WGM Majdan Joanna POL 2364 1 0 - 1 1 IM Kosintseva Nadezhda RUS 2554
2
2 3
IM Muzychuk Anna SLO 2533 1 1 - 0 1 WGM Motoc Alina ROU 2348
48
3 45
WGM Girya Olga RUS 2362 1 0 - 1 1 GM Kosintseva Tatiana RUS 2524
4
4 5
GM Cramling Pia SWE 2523 1 ½ - ½ 1 IM Kachiani-Gersinska Ketino GER 2346
50
5 52
IM Gvetadze Sopio GEO 2342 1 ½ - ½ 1 GM Sebag Marie FRA 2506
6
6 7
IM Mkrtchian Lilit ARM 2503 1 0 - 1 1 IM Sedina Elena ITA 2334
56
7 61
WGM Chelushkina Irina SRB 2319 1 1 - 0 1 IM Javakhishvili Lela GEO 2500
8
8 63
WGM Vega Gutierrez Sabrina ESP 2314 1 ½ - ½ 1 IM Danielian Elina ARM 2491
10
9 11
GM Hoang Thanh Trang HUN 2487 1 ½ - ½ 1 WGM Kochetkova Julia RUS 2313
65
10 64
WIM Schneider Veronika HUN 2314 1 1 - 0 1 IM Paehtz Elisabeth GER 2486
12
11 13
IM Cmilyte Viktorija LTU 2485 1 ½ - ½ 1 WGM Kadziolka Beata POL 2311
67
12 69
WIM Borosova Zuzana SVK 2307 1 ½ - ½ 1 GM Dzagnidze Nana GEO 2479
14
13 15
IM Gaponenko Inna UKR 2472 1 ½ - ½ 1 IM Purtseladze Maka GEO 2299
71
14 70
WGM Paulet Iozefina ROU 2303 1 ½ - ½ 1 IM Melia Salome GEO 2467
16
15 17
GM Socko Monika POL 2465 1 1 - 0 1 WFM Mammadova Gulnar AZE 2299
73
16 72
WGM Berend Elvira LUX 2299 1 ½ - ½ 1 IM Rajlich Iweta POL 2459
18
17 74
WGM Doluhanova Evgeniya UKR 2297 1 ½ - ½ 1 WFM Gunina Valentina RUS 2457
20
18 21
IM Skripchenko Almira FRA 2456 1 1 - 0 1 WGM Aginian Nelly ARM 2296
75
19 76
WGM Calzetta Ruiz Monica ESP 2296 1 ½ - ½ 1 IM Ushenina Anna UKR 2452
22
20 78
WGM Vojinovic Jovana MNE 2296 1 0 - 1 1 GM Arakhamia-Grant Ketevan SCO 2447
24

Full results here.
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by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 07, 2010 08:20 PM

EIC round 2


2010 European Individual Championship (Rijeka, Croatia)

Round 2 top board results:

Round 2 on 2010/03/07 at 15:30

Bo. No.

Name FED Rtg Pts. Result Pts.
Name FED Rtg
No.
1 120
GM Stefansson Hannes ISL 2574 1 ½ - ½ 1 GM Bacrot Etienne FRA 2714
2
2 3
GM Movsesian Sergei SVK 2709 1 ½ - ½ 1 GM Ragger Markus AUT 2572
122
3 121
GM Nevednichy Vladislav ROU 2572 1 0 - 1 1 GM Navara David CZE 2708
4
4 5
GM Vallejo Pons Francisco ESP 2708 1 1 - 0 1 GM Ruck Robert HUN 2570
124
5 7
GM Adams Michael ENG 2704 1 1 - 0 1 GM Jankovic Alojzije CRO 2569
126
6 9
GM Alekseev Evgeny RUS 2700 1 ½ - ½ 1 GM Minasian Artashes ARM 2568
128
7 123
GM Sulskis Sarunas LTU 2572 1 0 - 1 1 GM Jobava Baadur GEO 2695
10
8 11
GM Naiditsch Arkadij GER 2691 1 1 - 0 1 GM Sanikidze Tornike GEO 2566
130
9 125
GM Sedlak Nikola SRB 2570 1 ½ - ½ 1 GM Akopian Vladimir ARM 2688
12
10 127
GM Iotov Valentin BUL 2568 1 1 - 0 1 GM Bologan Viktor MDA 2684
14

Full results here: http://chess-results.com/tnr29567.aspx?lan=1
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by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 07, 2010 06:30 PM

3-way tie for 1st in Cannes


Top finishers:

Pl
Nom Elo



Pts Perf Tr. Bu.
1 g GHARAMIAN Tigran 2609



7 2740 45 55
2 g MALAKHATKO Vadim 2549



7 2733 43½ 53½
3 m SENGUPTA Deep (Final GM norm)
2480



7 2645 39½ 46
4 g FEDORCHUK Sergey A. 2641



2653 39½ 47½
5 g BAUER Christian 2610



2629 43½ 53
6 g HAMDOUCHI Hicham 2601



2608 40½ 49
7 m ABASOV Nijat Azad Oglu 2510



2597 38½ 45½
8 m DAS Arghyadip 2396



6 2621 42 50½
9 g ITURRIZAGA Eduardo 2616



6 2600 41 50
10 g FIER Alexandr 2601



6 2595 41 48½
11 g DEGRAEVE Jean-Marc 2577



6 2580 43 51½
12 g LEON HOYOS Manuel 2516



6 2537 41½ 48½
13 m SHANKLAND Samuel L 2491



6 2507 35 43½
14 g SHCHEKACHEV Andrei 2546



6 2476 36 45
15 g SULAVA Nenad 2539



6 2468 36½ 45
16 m HEBERT Jean 2418



6 2429 34 40½
17 g BHAT Vinay S. 2540



2518 40 48½
18 g MILADINOVIC Igor 2559



2513 43 52
19 g APICELLA Manuel 2518



2481 36 44
20 m SARAVANAN V. 2356



2469 35½ 42
21 g CORNETTE Matthieu 2554



2454 34½ 40½
22 m AGUETTAZ Maxime 2399



2449 36 42½
23 m DANIN Alexandre 2519



2442 38½ 47½
24 m BORGO Giulio 2442



2353 34 42

Full standings here: http://www.echecs.asso.fr/Resultat2.aspx?URL=Tournois/2010/CannesFij/FIJA2010&Action=Cl
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by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 07, 2010 06:19 PM

Photos from Rijeka


Photos from the 2010 European Individual Championship courtesy of Chessdom: http://photo.chessdom.com/displayimage.php?album=231&pos=20
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by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 07, 2010 04:03 PM

Chess news by ChessVibes

Grischuk replaces Morozevich at Amber

Alexander Morozevich has withdrawn from the Amber tournament, which starts in six days from now in Nice, France. The Russian is replaced by his compatriot Alexander Grischuk. To get you a bit in the mood already, today we present a video with footage from 2008 and 2009. The 19th Amber Blindfold ...

March 07, 2010 04:01 PM

Susan Polgar Chess Daily News and Information

Relentless Topalov


Relentless Veselin Topalov wins again
By Jack Peters
March 7, 2010

The great double round robin in Linares, Spain, ended in a dramatic victory for world championship challenger Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria. Like a crafty pitcher who wins without his best stuff, Topalov succeeded without revealing any opening secrets he had prepared for his April match against champion Viswanathan Anand. Two of his four wins came from inferior positions, and only once did he outplay his opponent thanks to an advantage in the opening.

Topalov's legendary determination highlighted the final round. His cautious opponent, Boris Gelfand of Israel, reached an obviously drawn endgame, yet Topalov induced an almost imperceptible error that he exploited with an artistic and original finish. See today's puzzle!

Scores: Topalov, 6 1/2 -3 1/2 ; Grischuk, 6-4; Levon Aronian (Armenia), 5 1/2 -4 1/2 ; and Vugar Gashimov (Azerbaijan), Francisco Vallejo Pons (Spain) and Gelfand, each 4-6.

Grischuk, who won the 2009 tournament in Linares, played the highest-quality games, but he spoiled a promising position against Topalov in the fifth round. He did win the ninth-round rematch. Aronian was the only undefeated player.

Topalov's victory boosted his rating seven points, not quite enough to displace Magnus Carlsen of Norway from the top spot on the rating list. According to the unofficial rankings at liverating.com, Carlsen is rated 2812.9, while Topalov is 2812.2. Next are Vladimir Kramnik (Russia), 2789.9; Anand (India), 2788.7; Aronian, 2783.5; and Grischuk, 2769.6.

Sicilian Match

Grandmasters Gregory Kaidanov of Kentucky and Judit Polgar of Hungary tied a four-game match in Hilton Head, S.C., where Black was required to play the Sicilian Defense. The result was discouraging for Sicilian Defense advocates -- four consecutive wins for White. In a blitz tiebreaker, White won the first two games and then Polgar took the match by finally winning with Black.

Game analysis here: http://www.latimes.com/features/puzzles/chess/la-ca-chess7-2010mar07,0,7094111.story
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by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 07, 2010 03:47 PM

Young whiz taking on the world


Young whiz ready to take on the world
Representing Canada in world championship
By DOUG HEMPSTEAD, Ottawa Sun
Last Updated: March 7, 2010 6:38am

Agastya Kalra doesn’t even need to look at the board to beat his father at chess anymore.

The 12-year-old has been playing seriously since he was six, having learned the game of strategy and skill from his grandparents at the tender age of four. Back then he still lived in India, and chess was finally something he could do where he wouldn’t be out-matched by his cousins. In fact, even at four years of age, he could whoop both of them — one twice his age, the other six years his senior.

On March 19, the Ottawa boy will represent Canada at the world amateur chess championship in Chicago, having been unanimously chosen by the Chess Federation because of his dominance at the Canadian Amateur event in Kitchener.

“I was quite surprised when I first heard it,” said Kalra. “I never expected it.”

Others might not be so surprised — he is ranked among the top five players in his age group in Canada and has taken home hardware from tournaments all over Ontario and Quebec.

Because chess players square-off based on skill, not age, Kalra often finds himself up against opponents more than twice his age, and even more than his father’s age.

Here is the full article.
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by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 07, 2010 03:45 PM

Teen gets first move honor


Teen gets first move in chess tourney
3/6/2010 10:01 PM

A local teen's chess skills landed her the opportunity to keep time during an international tournament and face off with a Grandmaster.

Tori Whatley was invited to make the ceremonial first move in Game 1 between chess Grandmaster Gregory Kaidanov and Hungarian Grandmaster Judit Polgar. The two squared off in a Sicilian-themed match on Hilton Head Island in late February.

Only seven spectators were invited to witness the match held in the Hilton Marriott Spa and Resort and hosted by Jeff Smith, a business consultant. Both Whatley and her father, David Whatley, the Merriwether Mavericks Chess Club coach, were present for the occasion. The match was broadcast worldwide via the Internet and was watched by thousands.

David handled the time controls for the four games of the main event. After a 2-2 tie was reached, Tori managed the time controls for the two blitz playoff games and the final Armageddon game. Kaidanov claimed rounds one and three while Polgar took rounds two and four and won the tournament.

"Tori and I are so grateful to Mr. Smith for allowing us to participate in this world-class matchup. The games were entertaining, instructional and inspiring," David said.

As a result of the intimate setting, both players were very accessible to the Whatleys for autographs, pictures and even dining together. According to the Whatleys, they even played a few casual games with those on hand. Tori played Kaidanov.

"That was the most fun I've ever had losing," said Tori of the experience.

At the end of the day, Smith gave Tori several gifts including the game clock used in rounds one and four, which she has shared with the Merriwether Mavericks Chess Club.

Tori and her father befriended Smith two years ago when Tori earned the privilege of representing South Carolina in the Susan Polgar National Invitational tournament held in Texas.

For more information on becoming a member of the chess club, e-mail whatleydavid@bellsouth.net.


Source: http://www.aikenstandard.com
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by SusanPolgar@aol.com (Blog Admin) at March 07, 2010 03:42 PM