It’s been months since I’ve blogged one of my chess games! These games here were on draft for about a month and I’ve thought to get them out here now. I’m not going to say a lot about it, – like previous games – all I want to say is, play through the games, read what I’ve said and hey! the Grandmasters are busy playing and some of them finished the British Champs last week…I was definitely not invited,- not this year, and last year I was way to busy playing chess to go! hehehe..- so what you get here, is really, really a few games of a novice in comparing to those Grandmasters! and a few games of somebody that loooooooves the game and also somebody who plays it for the fun and enjoyment of the game! If you’re not into chess, please go through all the other posts, there’s a lot more than just chess on here! or, move on to the next blog, but I want to tell you one thing! You don’t know what you’re missing if you don’t play chess! It’s not that boring game you think it is! You want me to tell you more…shout!! and I can keep you busy for hours without end. Dig into this site for tons of chess stuff if you’re a chess lover too! and enjoy! Click on the links and the games will open up in a new window. Click on this link to play through a few games where I was a complete loser in most of them… https://chessaleeinlondon.wordpress.com/2008/02/08/chess-game-20/
I played white in this game. I haven’t got much to say, only that I didn’t capture his Knight in move 22, as I wanted to save my Rook, for in case …Bg5-f6…. and I was blocked by his Rook on move 26 and my Queen was driven back again. In move 36 I forked his King/Queen/Bishop and I think I couldn’t ask for a better end position.
Image: ullart.com
White again…In this game I’ve thought at one stage the game was my opponent’s game and for some reason I missed the opportunity twice to capture his Knight! I think I wasn’t really focused in this game as I sometimes play my games just for the fun of chess! I finally turned this game into a win with my King and Rook. These games are all games where I won, but I’ve blogged a few games before where I was really the bad loser! So, please don’t think it’s all win, moonshine and roses for me!
Not much about this game where I played black… I enjoyed it and like some other games…my mind was set on something else and then, out of the blue, I realised (duh! hello!!) that I only have that one move! I don’t think my opponent realised that too…play through it and see what a sudden checkmate that was!
Nothing exciting about this game where I played white, except that I looooooove this game from move 30 onwards. Play through it and see how I used my Bishop/Queen whilst my own Rook was in danger too and with my Knights in place, I’ve thought it was really a good end. I invaded him from all sides here…lol
In this game I played white – a game against one of my favourite chess friends on Chess World. I often play him more for the fun and chat and thought to blog one of our games where he got into too much chat! That’s the problem on the chess site, I often chat too much and lose out on my games! hehehe… who cares! I would like “torridon” to know that I blog this game to “celebrate” our chess friendship on the site. He’s really a pleasure to play and makes me laugh about things in life.
Finally, two games I finished recently against the Earl… his rating is about double mine! and he refuses to play rated games, we always play friendlies only, as he knows one thing, and that’s with all the chatting, he comes only second! These two games are two brilliant examples of how he came second…oh, I’m only joking about the rated games! I’ve now discovered how to win a game against him and he knows for sure to be aware of my evil moves! He doesn’t know it yet, but I’m about to challenge him for a rated game! hehehe…I just wonder if he would accept it! Earl….? are you ready!?
I recently finished this game in a tourney and it’s the first tourney in ages which I won…I quite like the way I used my Knights. I will sacrifice a Bishop in order to keep my Knights! In this game I also saw the gap for my Rook to capture either a pawn or his Bishop…and if it’s the pawn first…his Bishop was going to be next as with the pawn-capture his King would be in check! I think that made him resigning the game.
One of those times in chess that you think..duh! hello! you can checkmate your opponent! and you feel like a real beginner, knowing very little! Can that be identified/classified as a type of syndrome…hehehe…
Chess Queen Alexandra
Posted in Chess, chess books, chess games, Chess Grandmasters, GM Almasi, GM Kosteniuk, Hungary, Kosteniuk, Kosteniuk comments on her chess game, Marilyn Yalom, Russia, Viswanathan Anand, tagged Alexandra Kosteniuk, Alexandra Kosteniuk images, Anand, Birth of the Chess Queen, Blitz Chess, Carmen Kass, Chess, Chess Blitz, chess books, chess games, Chess games of Alexandra Kosteniuk, Chess Grandmasters, GM Almasi, GM Kosteniuk, Grandmasters, Hungary, interactive chess games, Interactive chess games of Alexandra Kosteniuk, Kosteniuk, Kosteniuk comments on her chess game, Marilyn Yalom, Russia, Viswanathan Anand, Zoltan Almasi on 16/05/2008| 12 Comments »
Click on the images for a larger view.
Please click HERE to play through chess games of Alexandra. The link will open in a new window.
10 January 2009: News article about Alexandra…the link will open in a new window.
http://www.miamiherald.com/277/story/847451.html
On this link on my blog, http://chessaleeinlondon.wordpress.com/2008/09/12/alexandra-kosteniuk-winner-of-nalchik/ you can follow the games played in the World Women’s Chess Championships in between Kosteniuk and Yifan. There’s also more pictures of her to see.
Alexandra Kosteniuk is one of the beauties in the world of Chess! In this video you can see the game she played against GM Zoltan Almasi. It’s a blitz. Fast chess, also known as, blitz chess, lightning chess, bullet chess and rapid chess, is a type of chess game in which each side is given less time to make their moves than under the normal tournament time controls of 60-150 minutes (1-2½ hours) per player.
Read HERE more about blitz chess.
Please click HERE for the official site of Alexandra Kosteniuk.
Alexandra Kosteniuk comments in detail her blitz game played in Moscow at the World Blitz Championships Qualifiers against one of the world’s top experts on the Berlin Wall defence.
Image…NYtimes
The model Carmen Kass in a five-minute blitz match against Viswanathan Anand in 2004.
Image:chessbase

Read the review of this book here at the link at the bottom of this post….or click on the image to order the book.
Many of us, even those of us who don’t play either well or often, are familiar with chess. Some of us will be aware that some pieces are differently represented in different parts of the world, but I wonder how many of us are aware of the comparatively recent introduction of the queen?
Marilyn Yalom attempts three objectives in this interesting book. Firstly, and of most interest to me, she outlines a history of the game of chess and its likely spread across the world. Secondly, Dr Yalom explains the development of the piece currently known as the queen in most European chess play both in terms of its replacement of earlier pieces, and its emerging power. Finally, Dr Yalom makes a case for parallels between the emergence of the power of the chess queen and the rise of powerful female sovereigns in Europe.
While I am attracted to the notion of the role of the chess queen as a reflection of the rise of strong queens (such as Isabella of Castile), and a possible association with the cult of the Virgin Mary, this is of peripheral interest to me. What I did find fascinating was the history of the development of the game, especially the differences between cultures and countries. Dr Yalom advises that the chess queen did not appear on the board until about 1000: some 200 years after the game had been introduced to southern Europe. Yet, by 1497, the queen had developed from a weak piece (moving one square at a time on the diagonal) to the more formidable force that she is today.
Dr Yalom presents a wealth of information in this book. Whether you share her conclusions, her enthusiasm for the subject combined with her capacity to present a variety of interesting data in a readable and accessible way will make this an enjoyable read.
Those who are serious chess players may find some of the facts interesting. Those of us interested in the evolution of institutions of power and who choose to explore parallels between games of strategy and political realities should also enjoy this book.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060090650/ref=cm_rdp_product
Read Full Post »