The Lonely Chess Player

Image: Norwaychess

Congratulations to Sergey Karjakin, the winner of Norway Chess 2013

Third time lucky

Since our topic is WW2 in school, I was looking for something for the children to do, which is more fun than the usual writing or ‘normal’ art. The idea of transferring WW2 images and newspaper clippings came to my mind and I immediately performed a search with the phrase: ‘how to transfer images to fabric‘ and voila! The first link was from the blog:  ’A beautiful mess‘, which was easy to follow and fun to do. As always, I was too curious and couldn’t wait for the results, though I thought my first try wasn’t too bad. [first image]. Immediately after the first try, I started the second, still very excited and inspired. You can see my second try, looking a bit more ‘faded’ than the first one. I quite like it, as it gives you the impression of a very old piece dated from the war, but my two clear words at the bottom don’t serve it any good. Also, I covered with mod podge, which gives the glossy look, also not really what I originally planned or will do again. So, third try next – the Queen with princess Margaret, broadcasting a message during WW2 to the children, plus some other children – stamp images mixed with news headline bits. This time I applied more of the liquidtex and waited patiently till the following morning. Well, I was impressed. You can see it on the display image, but it’s there temporally, as I’m waiting for the school’s order to go through, so my children can do their own. On the display you can also see their collages, which they put together with paint.net. Some used a single picture and applied the ‘effects’-tool to enhance their pictures. The transferring was really fun and I can’t wait for the children to do theirs, so I can have fun again!  Click HERE for full instructions , step-by-step explained by the blog of  ‘A beautiful mess’.

From Bletchley with Love

I had a free visit to Bletchley Park today. The reason: I’m taking our Y5-children on a trip to Bletchley Park this year, as the Imperial War Museum in London is busy undergoing renovations and will open only partially in July and I had to do my ‘pre-visit‘, which is free for teachers to complete the risk assessment before the trip. I’m overexcited about this trip as I wanted to take my class to Bletchley Park two years ago. I have blogged before about Bletchley Park on this link, if you have time to go and read about MI5, chess,  the cold war and the link to Bletchley Park. There are lots to see at Bletchley Park, and I particularly enjoyed the Churchill collection today. Churchill used a little teddy as a place holder when he removed a book from his shelf and I’ve thought it was a ‘cool‘ idea. Bletchley Park is also undergoing a big change after campaigns to save this interesting and special place, though they need more money to save it for future generations.  A few years ago, it was discovered that the buildings started crumbling down and few people started campaigning. Today, after my visit of two years ago, I could already see a major change and I can honestly recommend a visit to Bletchley Park [in Milton Keynes] if you are near enough to visit. The train station is about 5 min walk from it, which makes it even more accessible for non-drivers. Bletchley Park is where the WW2 Code breakers worked in secrecy and WW2 could have lasted about two more years, if it wasn’t for them! Just think how many more people could have died as well. Feel free to click on photos for a larger view.

Anand vs Carlsen November in Chennai

New Delhi: Viswanathan Anand will defend his World Chess Championship title against world number one Magnus Carlsen in his home city as FIDE today chose Chennai as the venue for the prestigious match.

Even as it has been reported that Carlsen was not keen to play in Chennai and instead preferred Paris as the venue, the FIDE Presidential Board confirmed Chennai as the venue during a meeting at Baku, Azerbaijan today.

The match between the Indian and his Norwegian opponent will be played from November 6 to 26.

“The agreement was signed today at Baku by Bharat Singh, Hony Secretary All India Chess Federation and FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov,” a press released stated.

Anand had defeated Boris Gelfand of Israel to retain his title in 2012. Source: Zeenews.india

Farewell Farewell

A variation on the Cento – used Shakespeare-lines about Chess

There stands the castle!
My day’s delight is past
great shouts within
and all cry

A horse! A horse!
I have a horse and
a wandering knight.
My skipping king
ambles up and down

A wandering knight?
The knight is here
… a mean knight

The hour is almost past
Farewell Farewell

We are asleep

image:quotespictures.net

The Candidates Chess 2013

Kramnik overtakes Carlsen in the
 lead after dramatic 12th round FIDE Candidates. Follow the link to read the complete report on round 12.

Round 13

Round 13
Round 14
Round 14
Round 14 – Final moves

Hot gates!

A striking song by Laurika. How many places and people can we add for a second song?

London Paris Rome Berlin
Barcelona Washington
Moscow Beijing Tokyo
Jerusalem Jericho
Waco Waco Bethlehem
Srebrenica Sebokeng
Sarajevo O Saigon
Hiroshima Rubicon
CHORUS:
I can see a fiery, fiery glow
Even as the sun is sinking low
I can see a horseman on the run
Oh my daughter, oh my son

Dunkirk Dover Normandy
Frankfurt New York Lockerbie
Amajuba Bellevue
Chappaquiddick Waterloo

Bucharest St Petersburg
Heilbron Hobhouse Gettysburg
Belfast Budapest Baghdad
Berchtesgaden Stalingrad

CHORUS

Carthage Dresden Babylon
Sharpeville My Lai Boipatong
Delville Wood El Alamein
St Helena Mitchell’s Plain

Balaklava Austerlitz
Belsen Buchenwald Auschwitz
Nagasaki o Versailles
Armageddon Thermopylae

CHORUS

REPEAT CHORUS:
There’s another song that will be sung
There’s another bell that must be rung
There’s another city I’ve been told
Where the streets are paved with gold

There’s another city I’ve been told
Where the streets are paved with gold

 

Have you read The Hot Gates? The author of ‘Lord of the Flies‘ – which I had as a prescribed book at the age of 14 and found the story very upsetting at the time.