World Chess Championship

The World Chess Championship is coming to New York.

The WCC, a one-on-one match administered by the World Chess Federation (FIDE), will be played in New York City this upcoming November, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Magnus Carlsen, the highest ranked player in history who defended his title against India’s Viswanathan Anand in 2014, will play against a to-be-determined challenger from November 10 to November 30.

As for finding the challenger, eight of the world’s best players (excluding Carlsen) will meet in Moscow to compete in the forthcoming Candidates Tournament, a double round robin bracket, to determine who will play against the 25-year-old Norwegian.

Wikimedia

Among the eight are US Grandmasters Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura. If either of them win in Moscow, they’ll have the chance to become the first American world champion since Bobby Fischer in the 1970s.

The other six Grandmasters in this year’s Candidates Tournament are Peter Svidler and Sergey Karjiakin of Russia, Anand from India, Veselin Topalov from Bulgaria, Anish Giri from the Netherlands and Levon Aronian from Armenia, according to Chess News.

This is the first time in 21 years that the world champion in chess will be crowned on American soil.

Back in 1995, Garry Kasparvov beat Anand in a 20-game match on the 107th floor of the World Trade Center.

As for where exactly in New York the event will be held, the CEO of Agon, the commercial partner of FIDE and organizer of the WCC, told the WSJ that he is in discussions with several NY venues, including the World Trade Center.

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Kasparov’s draw vs South African pupil

Kasparov and Zuma. Photo: GCIS/Maroelamedia

Kasparov is currently in South Africa, setting up his Africa’s branch in South Africa, called KCFA – Kasparov’s Chess Foundation Africa. Whilst in South Africa, he played some chess too. Very proudly, a South African boy draws vs Kasparov. Read about this young lad. This is fantastic for such a young boy – that shows the potential amongst the South African chess players. I see another Chess Grandmaster-in-the-making for South Africa! Well done to Daniel! You made us proud! Kasparov was the one who offered Daniel the draw. Here’s the game.

[Date “2012.03.22”]
[White “Kasparov, Garryq”]
[Black “Barrish, Daniël”]
[Result “1/2-1/2”]
[ECO “B52”]
[WhiteElo “2812”]
[BlackElo “1862”]
[PlyCount “92”]
[EventDate “2012.03.22”]
[SourceDate “2012.03.22”]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+ Bd7 4. Bxd7+ Qxd7 5. O-O Nf6 6. Qe2 g6 7. c3 Bg7 8. d4 cxd4 9. cxd4 O-O 10. Nc3 Nc6 11. Rd1 d5 12. e5 Ne8 13. Qb5 Nc7 14. Qb3 b6 15. Be3 Na5 16. Qc2 Nc4 17. Rac1 Nxe3 18. fxe3 Bh6 19. Qe2 Rfc8 20. Rc2 Nb5 21. Rdc1 Nxc3 22. Rxc3 Rxc3 23. Rxc3 Rc8 24. Kf2 Rxc3 25. bxc3 Qc6 26. g4 e6 27. Qc2 Bf8 28. Nd2 Qb7 29. Qb3 b5 30. Kf3 a5 31. e4 Bh6 32. exd5 Qxd5+ 33. Qxd5 exd5 34. Nb3 a4 35. Nc5 Bd2 36. Ke2 Bxc3 37. Kd3 Ba5 38. Nd7 b4 39. Nf6+ Kf8 40. Nxd5 b3 41. axb3 axb3 42. h3 h5 43. gxh5 gxh5 44. Nf4 h4 45. Ng2 b2 46. Kc2
Bc3 1/2-1/2

SACS pupil, holds chess great Kasparov to a draw
ONE of the greatest chess players of all time, former world champion Garry Kasparov, met his match yesterday in Khayelitsha where he was held to a draw by an 11-year-old Cape Town pupil, Daniel Barrish.

Kasparov was in Cape Town to promote a joint venture between his foundation and a local NGO providing local chess-based mathematics and science programmes aimed at under-privileged children.

Yesterday the Russian played simultaneous chess matches against 25 young people in Khayelitsha.

After going toe-to-toe with Barrish for three hours, the international chess grandmaster surrendered to the Grade 6 SACS pupil. Speaking to the Cape Times from his Constantia home, Barrish said it had been an honour for him to play Kasparov. “I was very happy that I was going to play him, even more that I drew with him. I was nervous and thought I was going to lose. He made a couple of mistakes, he was moving too fast and I capitalised. He had to fight for a draw,” the 11-year-old said.

Barrish, a three-time under- 10 national chess champion, has never conceded a defeat in his age group. He also won the African chess under-10 championship and is the youngest in the Springbok chess team.

His father Jean-Claude Barrish said he was proud of him: “He is good, he has lots of talent. He has put a lot of work into it. He is doing very well academically and what I like is that he balances everything out because he also plays cricket, rugby and tennis.”

While in SA, Kasparov’s foundation, Kasparov Chess Foundation Africa (KCFA), will work with Moves for Life (MfL), a local chess-based mathematics and science programme aimed at under-privileged children.

Last night Kasparov played head to head with 16-year-old South African chess champion Marcel Roberts at Table Mountain’s lower cablecar boardroom, when strong winds stopped them from playing on top of the mountain. Kasparov and Roberts played two short five-minute games.

President Jacob Zuma, patron of MfL, will today meet Kasparov to celebrate the opening of Kasparov’s Africa branch of his foundation.

Marcel Roberts photo: Reint Dykema
Please click HERE for an Afrikaans news article and HERE for iol’s article – both about Kasparov’s visit.

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Chess and the little green men from space

In the Chess World the Russian Chess Federation was under sieged…it seemed. Read on this link what happened. Kasparov and Karpov are both involved in this FIDE-matter. [The link will open in a new window.] There are some little green men –dressed in yellow – involved too. I hope you enjoy my edited image. [click on the image for a larger view] See original images
HERE and also here. You can see Mr Spock playing chess in Star Trek here.
See two more edited images of  ‘Flash’ Karpov here on my blogger-blog.

Image: chessgames

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Anand vs Topalov

Anand…my favourite – image: Official site

 

Schedule

See the image/link to the Official site on my blog’s sidebar [top right]. The link will open in a new window.

Round 1: Topalov vs Anand –  move 19 [click on images for a larger view]

Round 1 move 23

Move 25

Round 1 move 29 – big trouble – Anand has resigned this game

Topalov – 1 Anand – 0

[Event “Sofia BUL, WCC2010”]
[Site “Sofia BUL”]
[Date “2010.04.24”]
[Round “1.22”]
[White “Topalov, V.”]
[Black “Anand, V.”]
[Result “1-0”]
[ECO “D87”]
[WhiteElo “2805”]
[PlyCount “59”]
[EventDate “2010.04.24”]
[EventType “match”]
[EventRounds “12”]
[EventCountry “BUL”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Bc4 c5 8. Ne2 Nc6 9. Be3 O-O 10. O-O Na5 11. Bd3 b6 12. Qd2 e5 13. Bh6 cxd4 14. Bxg7 Kxg7 15. cxd4 exd4 16. Rac1 Qd6 17. f4 f6 18. f5 Qe5 19. Nf4 g5 20. Nh5+ Kg8 21. h4 h6 22. hxg5 hxg5 23. Rf3 Kf7 24. Nxf6 Kxf6 25. Rh3 Rg8 26. Rh6+ Kf7 27. Rh7+Ke8 28. Rcc7 Kd8 29. Bb5 Qxe4 30. Rxc8+ 1-0

Game 2 Image: Chessdom
ROUND 2 – Sunday 25th April: Anand 1-Topalov 0

Anand vs Topalov Round 2 move 14

Round 2 move 16

Round 2 move 19

Round 2 move 28

Round 2 move 32

Round 2 move 37

Round 2: End position

[Event “Sofia BUL, WCC2010 game_2”]
[Site “Sofia BUL”]
[Date “2010.04.??”]
[Round “2”]
[White “Anand, V.”]
[Black “Topalov, V.”]
[Result “1-0”]
[ECO “E04”]
[WhiteElo “2787”]
[BlackElo “2805”]
[PlyCount “85”]
[EventDate “2010.04.24”]
[EventType “match”]
[EventRounds “12”]
[EventCountry “BUL”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 dxc4 5. Bg2 a6 6. Ne5 c5 7. Na3 cxd4 8. Naxc4 Bc5 9. O-O O-O 10. Bd2 Nd5 11. Rc1 Nd7 12. Nd3 Ba7 13. Ba5 Qe7 14. Qb3 Rb8 15. Qa3 Qxa3 16. bxa3 N7f6 17. Nce5 Re8 18. Rc2 b6 19. Bd2 Bb7 20. Rfc1 Rbd8 21. f4 Bb8 22. a4 a5 23. Nc6 Bxc6 24. Rxc6 h5 25. R1c4 Ne3 26. Bxe3 dxe3 27. Bf3 g6 28. Rxb6 Ba7 29. Rb3 Rd4 30. Rc7 Bb8 31. Rc5 Bd6 32. Rxa5 Rc8 33.Kg2 Rc2 34. a3 Ra2 35. Nb4 Bxb4 36. axb4 Nd5 37. b5 Raxa4 38. Rxa4 Rxa4 39. Bxd5 exd5 40. b6 Ra8 41. b7 Rb8 42. Kf3 d4 43. Ke4 1-0

 Anand 1-Topalov 0

Anand Image: Chessdom

Image: Chessdom

Game 3 Topalov vs Anand – Move 26

Game 3 Final Position

Game 3: Topalov 1/2 – Anand 1/2

Results after round 3: Anand 1 1/2   –   Topalov  1 1/2

[Event “Sofia BUL, WCC 2010 game_3”]
[Site “Sofia BUL”]
[Date “2010.04.27”]
[Round “3”]
[White “Topalov, V.”]
[Black “Anand, V.”]
[Result “1/2-1/2”]
[ECO “D17”]
[WhiteElo “2805”]
[BlackElo “2787”]
[PlyCount “91”]
[EventDate “2010.04.24”]
[EventType “match”]
[EventRounds “12”]
[EventCountry “BTN”]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. Ne5 e6 7. f3 c5 8. e4 Bg6
9. Be3 cxd4 10. Qxd4 Qxd4 11. Bxd4 Nfd7 12. Nxd7 Nxd7 13. Bxc4 a6 14. Rc1 Rg8 15. h4 h6 16. Ke2 Bd6 17. h5 Bh7 18. a5 Ke7 19. Na4 f6 20. b4 Rgc8 21. Bc5 Bxc5 22. bxc5 Rc7 23. Nb6 Rd8 24. Nxd7 Rdxd7 25. Bd3 Bg8 26. c6 Rd6 27. cxb7 Rxb7 28. Rc3 Bf7 29. Ke3 Be8 30. g4 e5 31. Rhc1 Bd7 32. Rc5 Bb5 33. Bxb5 axb5 34. Rb1 b4 35. Rb3 Ra6 36. Kd3 Rba7 37. Rxb4 Rxa5 38. Rxa5 Rxa5 39. Rb7+ Kf8 40. Ke2 Ra2+ 41. Ke3 Ra3+ 42. Kf2 Ra2+ 43. Ke3 Ra3+ 44. Kf2 Ra2+ 45. Ke3 Ra3+ 46. Kf2 1/2-1/2

Image: Chessdom

Game 4

Game 4 move 25

Anand 1 – Topalov 0

Game 4: Final Position – Anand 1 – Topalov 0

[Event “Sofia BUL, WCC 2010 game_4”]
[Site “Sofia BUL”]
[Date “2010.04.28”]
[Round “4”]
[White “Anand, V.”]
[Black “Topalov, V.”]
[Result “1-0”]
[ECO “E04”]
[WhiteElo “2787”]
[BlackElo “2805”]
[PlyCount “63”]
[EventDate “2010.04.24”]
[EventType “match”]
[EventRounds “12”]
[EventCountry “BUL”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 dxc4 5. Bg2 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 a5 7. Qc2 Bxd2+ 8.
Qxd2 c6 9. a4 b5 10. Na3 Bd7 11. Ne5 Nd5 12. e4 Nb4 13. O-O O-O 14. Rfd1 Be8 15. d5 Qd6 16. Ng4 Qc5 17. Ne3 N8a6 18. dxc6 bxa4 19. Naxc4 Bxc6 20. Rac1 h6 21. Nd6 Qa7 22. Ng4 Rad8 23. Nxh6+ gxh6 24. Qxh6 f6 25. e5 Bxg2 26. exf6 Rxd6 27. Rxd6 Be4 28. Rxe6 Nd3 29. Rc2 Qh7 30. f7+ Qxf7 31. Rxe4 Qf5 32. Re7 1-0

Game 4 – Anand vs Topalov

Anand – Game 4 -28th April
Game 4: Anand leads by one point after the second Catalan opening in the match.

The fourth game of the FIDE World Chess Championship match between Viswanathan Anand of India and Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria saw another Catalan opening on the board. This is the first opening that was played twice in the match, the players are obviously willing to have a theoretical discussion. Topalov was the one to deviate from the second game, as early as on move 5, when he played the sharper Bb4+ instead of a6.

Similar to the earlier Catalan game, Black clutched onto the extra pawn while White tried to take advantage of his faster pieces’ development. Anand aggressively advanced in the center to break opponent’s pawn formation and open up the files and diagonals. At the same time, Topalov was carefully clearing the queenside in order to reduce the positional pressure.

The game appeared to be taking a normal course but then Anand’s sudden Knight movement (e3-g4) caught Topalov without guard and on the wrong foot. Not hesitating much, Anand knocked a piece sacrifice on h6 and picked a strong attack against the Black King. Still precision was needed in carrying out the assault, but Anand never blinked and found the crushing 25. e5!

Topalov continued for a few moves more, but resigned at the imminent danger of a mate. Anand takes the lead in the match 2,5-1,5, tomorrow is a rest day and the games continue on Friday at 15:00 Source: Official Site

Anand crushes Topalov in fourth game

The fourth game of the World chess championship match in Sofia saw Viswanathan Anand’s best performance to date with a slashing attack against challenger Veselin Topalov.

“Anand really played brilliantly today,” said commentator Zurab Azmaiparashvili, having watched the World champion sacrifice a pawn, then a knight and then a bishop to create a winning assault against

Topalov’s exposed king.

Anand was pleased with his performance. “It was a very complex position with a lot of tension on the queenside,” said Anand. “I thought (my 23rd move) was clinching it but you can’t be 100 per cent sure.”

Anand explained that in a key variation he was prepared to give away both his rooks as well to ensure a checkmate: “Once I saw that I knew I was winning.”

Poor start
After a poor start, Anand, 40, has taken the lead for the first time in the €2 million match and the Bulgarian challenger is looking shaky. “I though I had a decent position,” said Topalov, “but if I was able to answer so simply what went wrong then the result might have been different.

“Certainly my (20th move) was especially bad.”

Playing with white pieces, Anand used the Catalan Opening which had brought him success in game two but Topalov, 35, defended differently this time. Soon Anand sacrificed a pawn and Topalov needed no invitation to grab the material and attempt to hang on to it.

Anand’s unorthodox 10th move, moving a knight to the edge of the board, appeared to be new. However, a member of Team Anand, computer expert Eric van Reem, explained that Anand was following an earlier game, a precedent apparently unknown to Topalov who began thinking hard for the first time in the game.

Excellent compensation
Soon it became clear that Anand had excellent compensation for his pawn when the apparently offside knight moved to the centre, stymieing Topalov’s freedom of movement. Although the position was highly unbalanced — the type of game at which Topalov usually excels — Anand’s speed of play indicated that he had checked the ideas at home with his team and had everything under control.

Anand was coy when asked if the sacrifices were prepared with his team. “I won’t be able to tell you that until the match is over,” said Anand, who has managed to keep the identity of some of his helpers secret as well.

On the 23rd move, after cogitating for only five minutes, Anand sacrificed a knight and Topalov immediately found his king under massive fire. Another sacrifice followed and Topalov was soon defenceless. The challenger resigned after 32 moves and three-and-a-half hours’ play.

Anand leads Topalov 2.5-1.5 with eight games remaining after Wednesday’s encounter. The fifth game, with Topalov holding the first move, will be played on Friday starting at 5.30 p.m. IST. Source:
http://beta.thehindu.com/sport/other-sports/article414219.ece
GAME 5 – 30th April -Topalov vs Anand 1/2

Bulgaria Chess Master Topalov Hopes to Crush Anand’s Defense

Click on the image for a clear view -the article continues here:

“We hope to have finally figured out the secret of Anand’s defense. We have five people on our team working with top notch computers on this task, and we hope to see results today,” Danailov explained.

The first move of the fifth game of the Sofia World Chess Title Match was made Friday by Nobel Prize winning professor of economics Robert Mundell, known as “the father of the euro”.

Danailov said Topalov’s team met Professor Mundell during a tournament in China which was won by the Bulgarian chess master.

“I wanted to invite Professor Mundell as a guest during the last M-Tel Masters tournament but he was busy then. This time, however, he managed to find time to be our guest,” Danailov explained.

“It is a pleasure for me to be here. I have come as an economist and a fan of chess,” said the Nobel Prize laureate expressing his happiness to be present at the event.

Source: novinite.com

Game 5 move 17

Game 5 move 32

Game 5 move 39

Game 5 move 42 – Topalov vs Anand 1/2

[Event “Sofia BUL, WCC 2010 game_5”]
[Site “Sofia BUL”]
[Date “2010.04.30”]
[Round “5”]
[White “Topalov, V.”]
[Black “Anand, V.”]
[Result “1/2-1/2”]
[ECO “D17”]
[WhiteElo “2805”]
[BlackElo “2787”]
[PlyCount “87”]
[EventDate “2010.04.24”]
[EventType “match”]
[EventRounds “12”]
[EventCountry “BUL”]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. Ne5 e6 7. f3 c5 8. e4 Bg6
9. Be3 cxd4 10. Qxd4 Qxd4 11. Bxd4 Nfd7 12. Nxd7 Nxd7 13. Bxc4 a6 14. Rc1 Rg8 15. h4 h5 16. Ne2 Bd6 17. Be3 Ne5 18. Nf4 Rc8 19. Bb3 Rxc1+ 20. Bxc1 Ke7 21. Ke2 Rc8 22. Bd2 f6 23. Nxg6+ Nxg6 24. g3 Ne5 25. f4 Nc6 26. Bc3 Bb4 27. Bxb4+ Nxb4 28. Rd1 Nc6 29. Rd2 g5 30. Kf2 g4 31. Rc2 Rd8 32. Ke3 Rd6 33. Rc5 Nb4 34. Rc7+ Kd8 35. Rc3 Ke7 36. e5 Rd7 37. exf6+ Kxf6 38. Ke2 Nc6 39. Ke1 Nd4 40. Bd1 a5 41. Rc5 Nf5 42. Rc3 Nd4 43. Rc5 Nf5 44. Rc3 1/2-1/2

News/comments from the Official site:

After the second rest day, the FIDE World Chess Championship match between Viswanathan Anand of India and Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria continued today with game five in which Topalov played with White pieces.

The first symbolic move were made by the “father of the euro” professor Robert Mundell. The President of Bulgaria Mr. Georgi Parvanov visited the match.

The opening was replay of game three in which Anand used the Slav defence and comfortably held a draw. The expectation were that Topalov will find an improvement in the variation and fight for opening advantage.

But it was Anand who first diverted from the earlier game by moving 15…h5 instead of 15…h6. Topalov continued with the logical 16. Ne2 having in mind Nf4, to exploit the newly created situation with Black pawn on h5. Anand established strong Knight outpost on e5 and traded off a pair of Rooks to reduce White’s chances of gaining initiative.

After further exchange of minor pieces, an endgame with Rook and Bishop versus Rook and Knight has arisen. Anand’s 29…g5 initiated changes in the pawn structure, which allowed him to solve one issue and concentrate on pieces’ play.

Black Knight gradually suppressed White Bishop, which eventually landed on the backward d1-square. Right after the time-control, Topalov offered moves repetition before the situation goes out of the hand. Or perhaps it was a psychological move, attempting to test Anand’s resolve to play for a win, in case of which White would also have chances for full point.

But Anand needed no risk and accepted the threefold repetition. Draw signed on move 44. The current score is 3-2 in favour of Anand who tomorrow plays with White pieces. Live coverage on the official website starting at 14:45 local time.

Anand blacks out Topalov’s ambitions

Viswanathan Anand has retained his narrow lead over Veselin Topalov with a solid draw in the fifth game of the Indian’s world title defence in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Anand, playing black for the third time in the match, repeated the Slav opening which had neutralised Topalov’s ambitions in game three, and also came armed with a new 15th move.

Soon afterwards, as Anand was considering his 17th move, the playing hall — and indeed the entire Military Club — was plunged into darkness by a power blackout. The game timers were stopped by the arbiter but both players remained firmly in their seats, analysing in the dark.

Ten minutes later, emergency power provided some flickering light on the stage and five minutes later the light was good enough for the game to resume.

“I don’t know what would have happened if the lights had not gone on for an hour or more,” admitted Anand. “I don’t know what the rules are for such a situation.”

However, while play continued, the video screen above the players, relaying the game to the audience in the Military Club and to hundreds of thousands of viewers on the internet, remained inoperable. Audible protests from some of the frustrated spectators in the theatre were quickly muted by security guards and five minutes later normal broadcasting of the moves resumed.

Both players reacted calmly to the unexpected interruption, although Anand spent some time re-orientating himself with the position before he made his next move.

“It is very easy to make a mistake after a break in concentration like this,” said Anand, “so I decided to invest an extra ten minutes just to be sure.”

Once again Anand’s opening preparation proved superior to that of his Bulgarian challenger. “I missed Anand’s [22nd move],” confessed Topalov. “It was very strong. I will need to be more precise in future games.”

With other strong pawn moves Anand soon solved all his problems. “I managed to stabilise the position,” explained Anand, “after which I have nothing to complain about.”

Before long Topalov found himself staring at an equal endgame which offered no chances for a win to either player. After four hours play, both players could find nothing better than to repeat moves and a draw was agreed after 44 moves.

The draw was a perfectly satisfactory result for Anand as he retains a 3-2 lead in the best-of-12 contest and will hold the advantage of the first move, equivalent to the serve in tennis, in the next two games.

Anand refused, however, to express any comment on the state of the match so far, saying “I’m just taking it game by game.”

The sixth game will be played on May 1 starting at 17.30 IST. Source:
http://beta.thehindu.com/sport/other-sports/article418770.ece
 

Anand vs Topalov…game 6

ANAND vs TOPALOV Game 6

Anand vs Topalov game 6 move 7 – click on images for a larger view

Game 6 move 27

Game 6 move 35

Game 6 move 48

Game 6 End position – Anand 1/2 Topalov 1/2

Game 6

[Event “Sofia BUL, WCC 2010 game_6”]
[Site “Sofia BUL”]
[Date “2010.05.01”]
[Round “6”]
[White “Anand, V.”]
[Black “Topalov, V.”]
[Result “1/2-1/2”]
[ECO “E04”]
[WhiteElo “2787”]
[BlackElo “2805”]
[PlyCount “116”]
[EventDate “2010.04.24”]
[EventType “match”]
[EventRounds “12”]
[EventCountry “BUL”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 dxc4 5. Bg2 a6 6. Ne5 c5 7. Na3 cxd4 8. Naxc4 Bc5 9. O-O O-O 10. Bg5 h6 11. Bxf6 Qxf6 12. Nd3 Ba7 13. Qa4 Nc6 14. Rac1 e5 15. Bxc6 b5 16. Qc2 Qxc6 17. Ncxe5 Qe4 18. Qc6 Bb7 19. Qxe4 Bxe4 20. Rc2 Rfe8 21. Rfc1 f6 22. Nd7 Bf5 23. N7c5 Bb6 24. Nb7 Bd7 25. Nf4 Rab8 26. Nd6 Re5 27. Nc8 Ba5 28. Nd3 Re8 29. Na7 Bb6 30. Nc6 Rb7 31. Ncb4 a5 32. Nd5 a4 33. Nxb6 Rxb6 34. Nc5 Bf5 35. Rd2 Rc6 36. b4 axb3 37. axb3 b4 38. Rxd4 Rxe2 39. Rxb4 Bh3 40. Rbc4 Rd6 41. Re4 Rb2 42. Ree1 Rdd2 43. Ne4 Rd4 44. Nc5 Rdd2 45. Ne4 Rd3 46. Rb1 Rdxb3 47. Nd2 Rb4 48. f3 g5 49. Rxb2 Rxb2 50. Rd1 Kf7 51. Kf2 h5 52. Ke3 Rc2 53. Ra1 Kg6 54. Ra6 Bf5 55. Rd6 Rc3+ 56. Kf2 Rc2 57. Ke3 Rc3+ 58. Kf2 Rc2 1/2-1/2

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Lewis chessmen reunited

Click on the image for a clear view

I would love to have a chess set like the Lewis chess-men! Have you seen them in the British Museum? They are beautiful!

Lewis chessmen reunited after 170 years for tour of ScotlandFigures carved from whale teeth and walrus ivory found in Western Isles at some point before 1831
They were worked from polished walrus ivory and whale teeth by Norse craftsmen more than 800 years ago, and weigh in at less than 245 grams.

Now, more than 170 years after the Lewis chessmen were found buried under a Scottish beach, many will be reunited after years of wrangling.

The Scottish culture minister, Michael Russell, and Bonnie Greer, the deputy chair of the British Museum’s trustees, confirmed 30 of the 93 chess pieces will be reunited for the first time in more than a century for a tour of Scotland.

The Lewis chessmen have puzzled historians and irritated Scottish nationalists since they were found on a beach on Uig, on the west side of Lewis in the Western Isles, at some point before 1831.

Some believe they may have been buried for safekeeping by a merchant travelling from Norway to Ireland; others think they belonged to a nobleman in what was then a powerful island kingdom linked to Norway.

The set was broken up after being exhibited by the Scottish Society of Antiquaries in 1831, which could not afford to buy it. An Edinburgh dealer sold the pieces for 80 guineas to the British Museum, which now holds 82 of them. The remaining 11 are kept by the National Museum of Scotland.

Russell said the Scottish National party government firmly believed the entire set belonged in Scotland, but had compromised with the British Museum.

Nationalists claim the controversy is akin to the row over the Elgin marbles, but others say the chessmen were freely sold when Scotland could not afford them.

Source:Here

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Hitler and Lenin playing chess

An etching of a young Hitler playing chess against Lenin 100 years ago

Image:thetelegraph.co.uk

The image is said to have been created in Vienna by Hitler’s art teacher, Emma Lowenstramm, and is signed on the reverse by the two dictators.

Hitler was a jobbing artist in the city in 1909 and Lenin was in exile and the house where they allegedly played the game belonged to a prominent Jewish family.
In the run-up to the Second World War the Jewish family fled and gave many of their possessions, including the etching and chess set, to their housekeeper.

Now their housekeeper’s great-great grandson is selling the image and the chess set at auction. Both items have a pre-sale estimate of £40,000.

The unnamed vendor is confident the items are genuine after his father spent a lifetime attempting to prove their authenticity.

He compiled a 300-page forensic document that included tests on the paper, the signatures and research on those involved.

Experts, however, have questioned its authenticity especially the identification of Lenin who they say might have been confused with one of his associates.

When the etching was made, Hitler was 20 and Lenin was twice his age and the house was where politicos went to discuss things.

The etching is thought to be one of five and shows Hitler – playing with the white pieces – sitting by a window, with Lenin opposite him in half shadow.

It is titled “A Chess Game: Lenin with Hitler – Vienna 1909”.

It raises tantalising questions about what the two men who helped shape the world in the 20th century might have spoken of.

Lenin was already a highly influential Russian figure who in 1907 went into exile once more after the revolution was crushed by Tsarist authorities.

Richard Westwood-Brookes, who is selling the items, said: “This just sounds too good to be true, but the vendor’s father spent a lifetime proving it.

“He compiled a 300 page document and spent a great deal of money engaging experts to examine the etching.

“The signatures in pencil on the reverse are said to have an 80 per cent chance of being genuine, and there is proof that Emma Lowenstramm did exist.

“The circumstantial evidence is very good on top of the paper having been tested.

“Hitler was a painter in 1909 and his Jewish teacher Emma Lowenstramm was the person who made the etching.

“There is some suggestion that when he came to power Hitler protected her and she died from natural causes in 1941.

“At the time, Vienna was a hotbed of political intrigue and the house where this game took place belonged to a prominent Jewish family.

“Lenin at the time was moving around Europe in exile and writing “Materialism and Empirio-criticism”.

“His movements are hazy and it is known that he did play chess and later he certainly wore wigs as a disguise.

“It is also known that Lenin was a German agent and the house was where people went to exchange political views.

“The chess set is clearly the same chess set as that in the etching. It is a box chess set that folds out and the pieces are identifiable – particularly the kings and bishops.

“To my knowledge there are five etchings of this image, but this has the signatures of both men and the artist.

“The provenance is that it has come through the family of the housekeeper who was given it when the Jewish family fled in the late 1930s.

“The family is based in Hanover and it is the great great grandson of the housekeeper who is selling it.

“On all sorts of levels it is an extremely valuable artefact. Even as just an allegorical picture it shows the men playing chess possibly for the world.”

Historian Helen Rappaport, who has just written a book called “Conspirator: Lenin in Exile”, said the etching was probably a “glorious piece of fantasy”.

She said: “In 1909 Lenin was in France and there is no evidence that he was in Vienna.

“In October he went to Liege in Belgium and in November he went to Brussels. He would have visited Vienna before and after that year.

“He liked the place and went there because he travelled around Europe on trains, but he wouldn’t have been there long enough to meet a young Hitler.

“He was also as bald as a bat by 1894 with just hair on the sides of his head.

“And when in exile he was not known as Lenin and instead used a number of aliases.

“The person believed to be Lenin in the etching may well have been one of his revolutionary or Bolshevik associates who was misidentified.

“It may even have been an Austrian socialist with whom he associated in the Second International.

“The Germans did fund the Bolsheviks and gave them millions of marks for the revolutionary effort, but Lenin was not a German sympathiser.

“Although this is totally spurious it is wonderful to bring these two great megalomaniacs together.

“It makes sense retrospectively and the history of art is full of retrospective meetings between people.”

The items are to be sold at Mullock’s auction house in Ludlow, Shropshire, on October 1.

See the News article here

When you see a good move, look for a better one
–Emanuel Lasker

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London Chess Classic 2009

Please click on the image for a larger view

 

The Chess Player- 1954: Andy Warhol

This early drawing has a surreal quality created by the larger-than-life chess pieces and study of a face, surrounding the young man playing chess. In his later work Warhol would continue to play with scale, enlarging objects and people to increase their iconic status. The colour in this image was possibly completed at one of Warhol’s colouring parties, hosted at the fashionable Serendipity 3 café after it opened in 1954. He would encourage his friends – some of whom would have helped him create the original illustrations – to colour the works with an inventiveness that adds to their whimsical nature. This process looks forward to the production methods of Warhol’s legendary studio, the Factory, in the 1960s.

Art of Warhol here. The link will open in a new window.

David Howell

ENG

2613

The 8th Player in this tournament is David Howell

Cream of world chess to play in new London tournament.
London Chess Centre is proud to announce a world-class chess tournament to be held in London in December, 2009. The event will be an elite eight-player all-play-all in the most prestigious tournament in the capital since former world champion Anatoly Karpov won the Phillips and Drew Masters in 1984.

Since then, despite London hosting three world title contests, there has not been a tournament in which England’s leading players could lock horns with the world’s best on home soil. The December 09 tournament will be the first in a series of events designed to reinvigorate UK chess and promote the game and its undoubted educational benefits in schools and communities.

The tournament will be FIDE Category 19 with an average FIDE rating of 2700 and a minimum prize fund of €100,000. The eight players will comprise of three English and five world-class Grandmasters from abroad. Included in the prize fund will be a €10,000 Brilliant Game award along with separate prizes for each victory with the White and Black pieces. Matches will be covered live online where fans will be able to vote for Game of the Day.

The tournament has applied for membership of the prestigious annual Grand Slam of Chess which culminates in Bilbao and boasts a €400,000 prize fund.

The games will be under Classical Chess time control; 40 moves in two hours, 20 in the subsequent hour then an additional 15 minutes plus an increment of 30 seconds a move until the end of the game. The tournament will further benefit from the use of Sofia Rules which disallow early draws. Players will receive three points for a win and one for a draw.

Source:
http://www.chesscenter.com/twic/twic.html#london09

Click on the image for a larger view for the Olympia Conference Centre at spot marked as A.

Contact Malcolm Pein (IM) Director London Chess Centre:

Chess Centre: 020 7388 2404 (London)

New London tournament to be in the Olympia Conference Centre.
I am delighted to announce that the London Chess Classic 2009 will be staged at one of London’s most prestigious venues; the Olympia Conference Centre. Olympia will provide excellent facilities including a 400 seat soundproof auditorium, two commentary rooms and multimedia presentation. There will be ample space for Open, weekend and Speed Chess tournaments plus junior training which will run alongside the main event from December 8th-15th inclusive.

The London Chess Classic 2009 will be the highest level tournament in London for 25 years and will be the first in a series of events designed to increase enthusiasm for chess in the UK and promote the game and its undoubted educational benefits in schools and communities. It is also our objective to bring the world championship to London in the Olympic year 2012.

England’s four leading Grandmasters; Michael Adams, Nigel Short, Luke McShane and David Howell will be pitched against a world class field that includes a former world champion Vladimir Kramnik and 18 year old Magnus Carlsen ranked world number three and widely seen a future holder of the world crown. One of China’s finest players; Ni Hua and the US Champion Hikaru Nakamura, complete the field.

Spectators will be treated to live commentary on the games from Grandmasters and will be able to play tournament or informal games all day. Ticket information will be available in September. For those who cannot attend there be will live coverage and commentary on the games on the internet.

Contact Malcolm Pein (IM) Director London Chess Centre:

Chess Centre: 020 7388 2404. E-Mail: info@chess.co.uk.

Maybe, just maybe, I’ll get a chance to meet some of the Grandmasters in London – if I’m lucky! Meanwhile, the Scots want their Chessmen back!
THE BRITISH Museum has put a set of elaborately carved chess figures at the heart of a new gallery despite demands that they be returned to Scotland.

The 82 Lewis Chessmen, which are between 800 and 900 years old and made from walrus and whale ivory, were seen in a Harry Potter film and inspired the children’s TV series Noggin The Nog.

Alex Salmond, First Minister of Scotland, wants them repatriated to Edinburgh to be reunited with the rest of the set discovered on the Outer Hebrides in the early 19th century.

Just as the Greek government wants the Elgin Marbles in London to be returned to Athens, Mr Salmond claims it is “unacceptable” for the British Museum to have 82 of the figures while the other 11 are in the National Museum of Scotland.

Read the entire article here.

…and from South Africa: -click on the image for a clear view

Cartoon: wonkie.com

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Boris Spassky pessimistic

 

Image: chessbase

Chess legend Boris Spassky visits rival Bobby Fischer’s grave

Tue Mar 11, 5:13 PM ET

REYKJAVIK (Reuters) – Boris Spassky, the Soviet chess champ who famously squared off against Bobby Fischer in Iceland at the height of the Cold War, visited his former rival’s grave on Tuesday at a small cemetery near the capital.

Fischer, who died in January aged 64, bested Spassky in that headline-grabbing 1972 match to become the first, and still only, American world chess champion.

A clearly moved Spassky bent and dusted snow off the grave and flowers before straightening up and wiping his eyes.

“Do you think the spot next to him is available,” he joked to reporters afterward, adding, “We will see what happens.”

Fischer beat Spassky again in a 1992 rematch played in the former Yugoslavia that defied U.S. sanctions and turned him into a fugitive from his native United States.

He eventually became an Icelandic citizen after coming to the small North Atlantic island nation in 2005.

The former child prodigy was in his later life known as much for his incendiary remarks and his battle with U.S. law enforcers as for his facility at the chessboard.

Although he was Jewish, Fischer often made anti-Semitic remarks and said after the September 11 attacks he wanted to see his the United States wiped out.

Spassky has offered few comments about his former rival in the wake of Fischer’s death, saying only the man was a friend.

The Russian-born former champion, who now lives in Paris, was in Iceland with his wife for a chess event dedicated to Fischer’s memory.

Speaking with reporters in Iceland on Sunday, Spassky said chess now was just not the same as in his day.

“As for the modern chess, I am pessimistic because in my view computers killed classic chess,” he said.

Read article HERE ….

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Bobby Fischer… was and is!

Rest in Peace Bobby Fischer —b. 1943 – d. 2008
You can read my Bobby Fischer-poem
HERE…
On THIS LINK
you can read an article about him that was published in the UK Times.

I was age 11, when I got my first chess set and chess book. It was a book written by Cor Nortje in Afrikaans…”Skaak!” In the back of the book, there are the games of Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky. I used to play through those games to “teach” myself a bit more of the game. Nobody else in the family played chess! I got to like Bobby F and he was always – and will always be! – my favourite chess player! It’s very sad to know that he’s passed away, and as somebody said on the chess site… at the age of 64! A “good” number, as there are 64 squares on the board!! Bobby had an IQ of 187! A very gifted and talented player, for sure… What happened to him was really sad and even more sad that the American government “chased” him because of violating sanctions… that means that you don’t have the freedom to do what you love and what you are brilliant at! Sad….that is what politicians are good at…ruining other people’s lives! ..and sometimes with their “fantastic” ideas… even divide nations all over the world!

Fisher died in a Reykjavik, Iceland, hospital on Thursday of kidney failure after a long illness.

Born in Chicago and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Fischer faced criminal charges in the United States for playing a 1992 rematch against Boris Spassky in Yugoslavia in defiance of international sanctions.

This chess book is written in Afrikaans and was my first chess book at the age of 11. It has all the games of Spasski and Fischer.

Robert James “Bobby” Fischer (born March 9, 1943), won the World Chess Championship on September 1, 1972 and lost the title when he failed to defend it on April 3, 1975. He is considered to be one of the most gifted chess players of all time and, despite his prolonged absence from competitive play, is still among the best known of all chess players.
 
“Chess is war over the board.
The object is to crush the opponent’s mind.” – Bobby Fischer

“I am the best player in the world and I am here to prove it.” – Bobby Fischer.

He dropped out of competitive chess and largely out of view, emerging occasionally to make erratic and often anti-Semitic comments.Fischer, whose mother was Jewish, once accused “the Jew-controlled U.S. government” of ruining his life.

He fell into obscurity before resurfacing to win a 1992 exhibition rematch against Spassky on the Yugoslav resort island of Sveti Stefan in violation of sanctions imposed to punish then-President Slobodan Milosevic.

A fierce critic of his homeland, Fischer became wanted in the United States for violating the sanctions.

Read here…about Bobby’s death Read on THIS LINK about his first rated tournament.

NIGEL SHORT about Fischer:

“The United States is evil. There’s this axis of evil. What about the allies of evil — the United States, England, Japan, Australia? These are the evildoers,” Fischer said.

Source: Click here  for the news.
Fischer told reporters that year that he was finished with a chess world he regarded as corrupt, and sparred with U.S. journalists who asked about his anti-American tirades.

He renounced his American citizenship and moved to Iceland in 2005.
 Japanese Release Bobby Fischer
Ex-Chess Champ Heads to Iceland

By Anthony Faiola
Washington Post Foreign Service
Thursday, March 24, 2005; Page A14

NAGOYA, Japan, March 24 — Bobby Fischer, the chess legend who feared deportation to face charges in the United States, was freed Thursday by Japanese authorities after eight months in prison, the Justice Ministry said. He left immediately for the airport to fly to Iceland.

The deal to free Fischer came after Iceland — a chess-loving nation that hosted his historic Cold War-era victory over the Soviet Union’s Boris Spassky in 1972 — granted Fischer citizenship this week in a move to help him avoid trial in the United States. Fischer, 62, who grew up in New York, has dodged a U.S. arrest warrant since playing a chess match in Yugoslavia in 1992 in violation of U.S. sanctions.
Read the rest of the article HERE …

Bobby as a 15 year old teenager….and America’s champ!

Born in Chicago and raised in Brooklyn, Fischer was a U.S. chess champion at 14 and a grand master at 15. He beat Spassky in a series of games in Reykjavik to claim America’s first world chess championship in more than a century.But his reputation as a genius of chess soon was eclipsed by his idiosyncrasies.A few years after the Spassky match, he forfeited the title to another Soviet, Anatoly Karpov, when he refused to defend it.

Bobby Fischer, the reclusive American chess master who became a Cold War icon when he dethroned the Soviet Union’s Boris Spassky as world champion in 1972, has died. He was 64.
Fischer died Thursday in a Reykjavik hospital, his spokesman, Gardar Sverrisson, said. There was no immediate word on the cause of death.

Fischer’s first Filipino friend: He was very special

By Artemio T. Engracia Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:10:00 01/20/2008

MANILA, Philippines–FLORENCIO CAMPOMANES, the country’s chess pioneer and former president of the International Chess Federation (Fide), was Bobby Fischer’s original Filipino friend.

They met in New York in the mid-1950s when Fischer was emerging as a chess phenom barely into his teens and Campomanes was shuttling between New York and Washington DC while working for the State Department
Read the complete article here.

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Teach your kids chess and they know how to work with money!

Source : http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/articles/teaching-kids-about-money-51386.aspx

Please click HERE to read about the movie: Knights of the South Bronx. Links will open in a new window.

Teaching Kids About Money: 10 Tips
Ways for parents to teach their children about money

Published on: Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Written by: Trista Winnie

Parents have been giving financial advice to their children for ages. “Neither a borrower nor a lender be,” Polonius told his son Laertes in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. As with good hygiene and good manners, most parents strive to teach their children lessons on how to be good at handling money.“If you can teach your child the difference between needs and wants, how to budget and how to save, your child will know more than many adults,” according to Scott Reeves of Forbes. “But if you get it wrong, your child is likely to join the millions of Americans who rack up huge credit card debt and get stung each month by stiff interest payments.”
In other words, no pressure.The lives of children who understand money, its value and how to handle it will be far easier than those of children who don’t.
Here are 10 tips for teaching your kids about money, focusing on saving and investing money, so they will grow up and use it responsibly.

– on the link  at the bottom of the page, where the article can be found…point 3 says…

3) Teach them critical thinking

While not directly a lesson in money, kids who learn how to think critically will make better decisions when it comes to money because they will be able to consider the short, medium and long term effects of their decisions, as well as plan for contingencies.

One great way to teach them how to plan, strategize and think critically is to teach them chess. Chess is a game in which cause and effect, concrete rules, analysis and planning for different scenarios are all crucial. Chess can also help kids hone their ability to recognize when to take risks and when to play it safe, which is a critical investment skill.

A real life example of this can be found in the story of David MacEnulty, an English teacher who taught a group of inner-city, low-income students in the South Bronx how to play chess. These students went on to compete and win in chess competitions and their critical thinking skills put them on the path to success. The story was documented in the 2005 movie, Knights of the South Bronx

Knights of the South Bronx

The most captivating, entertaining chess movie since Searching for Bobby Fischer! You’ll be thrilled. It’s inspirational.A business man decides that he wants to teach school in the inner city and chooses a tough school in the South Bronx. He teaches the children how to play the game of chess, and along the way they learn a lot about life.Richard’s entire class is lifted out of nothingness and boredom to fight for life, success, and the thrill of achievement! He helps his entire class discover chess one day, much to the dismay of school authorities. Richard’s mind is torn as even his wife disapproves when he turns down a lucrative job offer to stay with low-paying job… “his kids” and his class. But Richard cannot be swayed from helping the kids find new hope in life. When Richard’s class is reaching new levels of achievement in their studies the tide is turned, his wife comes to his side, and his Knights of the South Bronx battle their way to winning championships and battling all signs of defeat… often from within their own minds and ranks – their classmates. But they encourage one another and overcome, inspired by the game of chess.

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Alexandra Kosteniuk – Chess Grandmaster

Alexandra

News Article about Alexandra: 11th January 2009…the link will open in a new window.

http://www.miamiherald.com/277/story/847451.html

Winner of the World Women Chess Championship 2008

On this link- on my blog – you can follow her games of round 5 and round 6…against Yifan of China and see more pics of her too. https://chessaleeinlondon.wordpress.com/2008/09/12/alexandra-kosteniuk-winner-of-nalchik/
To be honest, I haven’t known of the existence of Alexandra before, I think there are so many Chess Grandmasters that we don’t know of, but I want to blog her, as she is a female player! and I think more should be done to attract girls to play chess. Too many girls are still thinking chess is a boy’s game. Why do you think that is? If you go to my chess links, you will find a link saying… “Tube Chess”…follow that link for some good movies about her playing chess, but also about other chess players!

Alexandra Kosteniuk is the 10th woman in the world to have ever achieved the Grandmaster (men) title. She’s rated  sixth woman in the world, and #1 woman in Russia. She has a FIDE  ELO of 2515.
Alexandra had a great success at the annual New Year Blitz tournament organized by the Deputy Economy Minister Arkady Dvorkovich in Moscow. After qualifying in the semifinals, she won convincingly the final with 8 points out of 9 ahead of GM Najer –2635–7, GM Dlugy –2518– 6.5, GM Alekseev –2716– 6, GM Bareev –2653– 4.5, GM Vasiukov –2492– 4, etc.

Click on the images for a larger view.

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