Carlsen in Chennai - Chess Video

Also see her personal chess blog

Don't miss Chess Queen™

↧

Jamaica's 12-year-old Rachel Miller earns FIDE Title

August 20, 2013, 8:32 am

≫ Next: Meet Canada’s first Chess Boxer: Sean Mooney

≪ Previous: World Chess Cup 2013 Round 4 Parings for Aug 20: Watch Live

Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013

Hi everyone,

Rachel Miller posing at the Pan-American Youth Championship in Puerto Rico. Photo by Warren WEchess.com

Here is a sweet chess news update via The Chess Drum. Chess has progressed in Jamaica under the patronage of local chess administration and players, led by QC Ian Wilkinson, President of Jamaican Chess Federation. Recently several Jamaicans were awarded titles.

The latest chess title in Jamaica goes to their the youngest chess player 12-year old Rachel Miller. She has just earned her Women’s Candidate Master title.

The title was earned from her result at the 2012 Central American and Caribbean Youth Chess Championship held in Caguas, Puerto Rico in December 2012 where she scored 5/9 (7th position in under-12). Confirmation came this week from FIDE to the joy of her coach FM Warren Elliott. Miller, a student at Campion, has compiled a string of successes in her short career. Rachel has a sister Rianna Miller, who also competed in the under-10 section and finished 2nd in the Under-8 female category.

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal chess blog
at www.chessqueen.com
Don't miss Chess Queen™
YouTube Channel

↧

Meet Canada’s first Chess Boxer: Sean Mooney

August 20, 2013, 9:25 am

≫ Next: Chess Fun at Back-to-School-Night: Don't miss August 20 in Tucson

≪ Previous: Jamaica's 12-year-old Rachel Miller earns FIDE Title

Hi everyone,

A man sits dazed in a chair at the centre of a boxing ring at London’s Royal Albert Hall, staring over a chessboard that is slanting away from him.

In his hand, wrapped for the fight he is also losing, is a pawn. Sweat gathers around his noise-cancelling headphones, which are blasting classical music so he can’t hear the announcer, a chess Grandmaster, prognosticating his impending defeat.

The pawn is buying time, precious seconds to recover before a blonde ring girl in a black one-piece signals the next round — boxing, this time.

Across from him is Sean Mooney, a man who’s been to the peak of Everest and back, a Cornell University product who failed to catch on in Major League Soccer but completed a triathlon with two weeks’ training on a bet.

He’s also Canada’s first chessboxer, about to win in his debut.

Bachelorhood in Britain has its perks, but on a Friday night in London, Mooney is far away from those temptations.

He’s training for a sport he’s punch-drunk in love with: Chessboxing. It’s exactly what it sounds like, alternating rounds of chess and boxing. Winners are decided by knockout, checkmate or if they run out of their allotted chess time. Six four-minute segments of chess and five three-minute boxing rounds make up a fight.

To train, Mooney, now 28, spent his Friday and Saturday nights in the 12 weeks leading up to the October bout taking chess lessons in the unlikeliest of places — a dingy gym with the sole purpose of training men to induce pain, especially to the head.

Chessboxing requires brawn and brains. One fighter is in Mensa.

“It’s kind of like people trying to break stereotypes,” Mooney says in a late-night phone interview from his London home. “It’s nerds trying to get back at the bullies who beat them up, and jocks trying to discard the dumb jock myth.”

On the sidelines with his omnipresent camera is Toronto filmmaker David Bitton, hard at work on Chessboxing: The King’s Discipline.

Since 2009, he’s been to the major hotspots of the sport: London, Berlin and Los Angeles. He has chronicled the sport’s growing pains, with distinct factions debating every element including whether chessboxing should be one word or two.

“Whenever I tell anyone about chessboxing, that’s never the end of the conversation,” Mooney says. “Everyone’s instantly like, ‘What is that? Tell me more, I need to know.’ . . . (It) locks people in instantly.”

That might be an overstatement. First impressions often tend to be along the lines of: “You’re not serious, are you?”

“You can see they’re really desperately trying not to smile because they don’t want to offend me,” said Andy Costello, a 220-pound mixed martial arts fighter who was “outed” as a chessboxer in front of Quinton (Rampage) Jackson.

Rampage didn’t poke fun. In fact, he also likes chess, Costello says. The same goes for boxing giants Lennox Lewis, Vitali Klitschko and Manny Pacquiao.

Costello’s son is another story: “He calls me a chessboxing clown.”

“As far as I’m concerned, (chessboxing) has two identities. . . . It’s a really legitimate attempt to test brains and brawn. At the same time, it’s so much fun to watch.”

The London club that hosted the October fight between Mooney and pawn-wielding Bryan Woon is trying to make a go of it. Other clubs, notably in Berlin, are more strict about enforcing rules that limit the field. Costello knows few fighters who meet the World Chess Boxing Organization’s listed requirements: at least 20 amateur bouts and a chess rating of 1,800.

This is, after all, a sport inspired by a 1992 graphic novel (Enki Bilal’s Froid Equateur), with the first fight held in 2003 in Amsterdam. More than a few beers were served the night the WCBO was formed.

David Depto, the only Mensa-certified fighter to throw his mug in the ring, says athletes are still learning the rhythm of chessboxing. The key, he says, is treating each boxing round like it’s the last. Wearing opponents down doesn’t work when there’s nearly six minutes of recovery time between rounds. He also tries to be the one to make the last chess move to buy time while his opponent waits, adrenaline pumping.

Bitton, meanwhile, has had a front-row seat.

“It’s the genesis of something new, which is exciting,” says the filmmaker, who will soon edit his documentary after raising $35,000 on Kickstarter.

Clubs are starting to pop up in China, and India recently held a tournament with 180 competitors. Costello says he’ll fight again, and Mooney has signed on for another bout in London, likely in the spring.

The future of the sport is unknown. For now, chessboxing is buying time, pawn in hand. (Article by Jeff Green)

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's

Also see her personal chess blog

Don't miss Chess Queen™

↧

Chess Fun at Back-to-School-Night: Don't miss August 20 in Tucson

August 20, 2013, 9:32 am

≫ Next: Giant Chess Set Stolen from British Couple's Garden

≪ Previous: Meet Canada’s first Chess Boxer: Sean Mooney

Hi everyone,

Back to School Social with U-Swirl & 9 Queens Tuesday August 20th 5-8 pm5:00pm - 8:00pm | 3587 E Broadway Blvd #115, Tucson, AZ, 85716.

Meet up with your friends for an after-school frozen yogurt treat!
Come on down and get your swirl on at U-Swirl at El Con Mall on Tuesday August 20th from 5-8 pm.

9 Queens will have giveaways for the first 50 people and will have a raffle for chess sets and t-shirts.

U-Swirl is graciously donating 5% of the evenings proceeds to 9 Queens to keep our mission going of teaching chess to our community to strengthen math & science scores, increase critical thinking skills and self esteem. Every dollar counts and the more people who come the better!

WHAT IS 9 QUEENS?
9 Queens is a 501c3, nonprofit organization dedicated to empowerment through chess. Founded by Jennifer Shahade and Jean Hoffman in 2008, 9 Queens offers a range of free chess programs and workshops in Tucson, Arizona.

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal chess blog
at www.chessqueen.com
Don't miss Chess Queen™
YouTube Channel

↧

Giant Chess Set Stolen from British Couple's Garden

August 20, 2013, 9:45 am

≫ Next: GM Kacper Piorun Wins Miguel Najdorf Chess Festival 2013

≪ Previous: Chess Fun at Back-to-School-Night: Don't miss August 20 in Tucson

Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013

Hi everyone,

Burglars have taken away a giant chess set made of ceramic pieces from the garden of a senior couple in Ealing, United Kingdom. The 32 heavy pieces disappeared from the garden in Elm Crescent, Ealing Common, along with a white wooden bench and a resin dragon while Rachel Alexander and her partner Jacqui were sleeping.

The victims said the burglary was pre-planned as a large vehicle would be required to tow away the chess set. The couple have offered a reward for anyone helping in recovering the chess pieces. The couple told the local media that they were shocked and are unable to replace the chess set.

“We’re quite devastated. There’s the violation of someone coming onto your property and that now I’m looking down the garden at an empty chess board.
“It must’ve taken a considerable effort. The king is about two foot tall and you can’t pick it up with one hand. You can’t stack them either so they must’ve had a big vehicle.”

The couple have owned the stolen items for about 10 years but only set up the chess pieces a year ago after getting a new board, which is set into the ground. The ceramic pieces cost about £600 to £700 from a garden centre. The bench is worth about £500 and the dragon about £100.

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal chess blog
at www.chessqueen.com
Don't miss Chess Queen™
YouTube Channel

↧

GM Kacper Piorun Wins Miguel Najdorf Chess Festival 2013

August 20, 2013, 9:54 am

≫ Next: ZMDI Schachfestival Dresden winners Samuel Shankland, Mikhailo Oleksienko, Georg Meier

≪ Previous: Giant Chess Set Stolen from British Couple's Garden

Hi everyone,

The XI Miguel Najdorf Festival took place on 5th–13th August at the Warsaw Sports and Recreation Centre in Poland. Tournament A was reserved for players with an Elo rating of at least 2000.

It was a 9 round Swiss open with a time control of 90 minutes for 40 moves plus 30 minutes to finish the game and 30 seconds increments from move one.

The prize fund was 16.000 PLN (approx. 5.000 US dollars), with 4.000 PLN reserved for the winner. A total of 50 players competed in the main section.

Final standings:
1. Piorun Kacper GM POL 2552 - 7.5
2-4. Romanishin Oleg GM UKR 2494, Jakubowski Krzysztof GM POL 2507 and Kanarek Marcel IM POL 2463 - 6.5
5-8. Sadzikowski Daniel IM POL 2455, Adamski Jan IM POL 2307, Warakomski Tomasz IM POL 2503 and Choroszej Aleksander POL 2147 - 6.0 etc 50 players

Official website

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's

Also see her personal chess blog

Don't miss Chess Queen™

↧

ZMDI Schachfestival Dresden winners Samuel Shankland, Mikhailo Oleksienko, Georg Meier

August 21, 2013, 1:26 am

≫ Next: First Asian International Master Rodolfo Tan Cardoso of the Philippines Passes Away

≪ Previous: GM Kacper Piorun Wins Miguel Najdorf Chess Festival 2013

Hi everyone,

ZMDI Open 2013 was organized by the ZMDI Schachfestival Dresden e.V. from 10th to 18th August at the Ramada Hotel in Dresden, Germany. A total of 199 players competed in three elo sections. The main event was 9-round Open A with 99 participants.

Grandmasters Samuel Shankland (USA), Mikhailo Oleksienko (Ukraine) and Georg Meier (Germany) shared the first place with 7,0/9 points each. Shankland took the winner’s trophy on best Buchholz score.

Top prizes in Open A were EUR 2000, 1600, 1200, 800, 720, 640, 560 etc

Open A final standings:

1-3. Samuel Shankland USA GM 2591, Mikhailo Oleksienko UKR GM 2596 and Georg Meier GER GM 2610 – 7,0
4-6. Bartlomiej Heberla POL GM 2542, Deep Sengupta IND GM 2580 and Ivan Farago HUN GM 2465 – 6,5
7-15. Henrik Teske GER GM 2536, Peter Prohaszka HUN GM 2567, Evgeny Vorobiov RUS GM 2594, Arghyadip Das IND IM 2469, Matthias Dann GER IM 2434, Filip Pancevski MKD IM 2484, Lev Gutman GER GM 2441, Lajos Seres HUN GM 2442 and Yuliya Shvayger ISR WIM 2265 – 6,0 etc 99 players

Official website

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's

Also see her personal chess blog

Don't miss Chess Queen™

↧

First Asian International Master Rodolfo Tan Cardoso of the Philippines Passes Away

August 22, 2013, 12:27 am

≫ Next: Don't Expect Dull Draws in Anand-Carlsen World Chess Championship 2013

≪ Previous: ZMDI Schachfestival Dresden winners Samuel Shankland, Mikhailo Oleksienko, Georg Meier

Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013

Hi everyone,

Rodolfo Tan Cardoso, the first Asian International Master and member of the first Philippine team that competed in the Moscow Chess Olympiad in 1956, died Wednesday after a heart attack.

Born Dec. 25, 1937 in Anda, Pangasinan, Cardoso was highly regarded as a player, arbiter, coach and teacher. He earned his IM title in 1957.

He and Campomanes saw action in Moscow along with NMs Carlos Benitez and Glicerio Badilles.

“He was a true gentleman over the chessboard. As the first International Master of Asia, he aroused Philippine interest in chess and put our country in the world chess map. And, he was the only Filipino to ever beat (American chess great) Bobby Fischer,” said two-time Olympian and National Master/lawyer Samuel Estimo.

“He’s a big loss to Philippine chess. Before his death, he was still involved in the sport by teaching youngsters,” said Asia’s First Grandmaster Eugene Torre.

His remains lie at La Funeraria Paz, Manila Memorial, Sucat, Parañaque. The body will be transferred Saturday morning to Alaminos, Pangasinan. Interment will be on Monday.

For details, call or text his nephew Rene at 0922 853 6256

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal chess blog
at www.chessqueen.com
Don't miss Chess Queen™
YouTube Channel

↧

Don't Expect Dull Draws in Anand-Carlsen World Chess Championship 2013

August 21, 2013, 9:13 am

≫ Next: World Chess Cup 2013 – Round 4, Game 2: Nakamura, Zuniga, Ivanchuk, Mamedyarov Knocked Out

≪ Previous: First Asian International Master Rodolfo Tan Cardoso of the Philippines Passes Away

Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013

Hi everyone,

World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen has given innumerable interviews to the Indian media during his short trip to inspect the World Chess Championship 2013 venue.

Speaking to the Times of India, Carlsen said, in reference to the Anand-Gelfand World Championship 2013, "It was very interesting match from the theoretical point of view with openings and everything. However, I was quite unimpressed with the level of fighting. And it was puzzling. For all the time they put in the preparation, they didn't work harder on the board."

Indeed, some of the games that they played are perceived as dull, short, agreed draws.

When asked about the minimum 30-move clause which could be the part of match regulations, the 22-year-old world No. 1 said: "I will be comfortable with that. You should play till the end. I have been playing that way."

Aruna, Anand's wife and manger, said the world champion is doing fine. "He is preparing for the match with his team outside Chennai," she said. When asked how Anand's preparations are going, Aruna said: "You will come to know about it only when the match starts."

On building a new team after the exit of his long-time seconds Rustam Kasimdzhanov of Uzbekistan and Pieter Heine Nielsen of Denmark, Aruna said: "It's not that they left. Nielsen is working with a different person now and Kasim has moved on. They are still Anand's close friends and well-wishers.

"Chess theory moves faster. And January's ideas could become redundant in June. It's constantly evolving. Having said that, it's no secret that when you train together you share an intimate relationship. You get closer to the person and his mental make-up."

Carlsen, too, kept his cards close to his chest. When asked if he and the great Garry Kasparov are reunited to dethrone Anand, he said: "Who knows?"

He had given a similar answer in 2010 when asked if he was helping Anand prepare against Veselin Topalov for the World championship match.

"I didn't work much with Anand in 2010," said Carlsen of his association with the Indian. "Whatever advice I was able to give then, he did not follow! But I helped him out during the match against Kramnik (Bonn 2008) and World Championship tournament (Mexico 2007). I really hope that it worked for him (that time). It was a great learning experience for me."

Chess, in some ways, is like politics where enemy's enemy can be your potential ally. And your friend today can be tomorrow's big opponent. However, Anand is friendly with most super grandmasters. And Carlsen could find it too risky to hire anyone from a small group of arrogant players who do not share good rapport with Anand.

Carlsen said: "I have learnt a lot from Anand. That's the way you appreciate how great a player he is. He is a nice guy and special player. I hope to get the better of him in our match in November."

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal chess blog
at www.chessqueen.com
Don't miss Chess Queen™
YouTube Channel

↧

World Chess Cup 2013 – Round 4, Game 2: Nakamura, Zuniga, Ivanchuk, Mamedyarov Knocked Out

August 21, 2013, 10:54 am

≫ Next: Cool Chess Art: Identify the Painting

≪ Previous: Don't Expect Dull Draws in Anand-Carlsen World Chess Championship 2013

Hi everyone,

The classical games of the fourth round at the World Chess Cup 2013 witnessed four players going straight into the next round without playing the tiebreaks on Thursday. Vladimir Kramnik knocked out Vassily Ivanchuk, Gata Kamsky knocked out Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Fabiano Caruana knocked out Julio Granda Zuniga and Anton Korobov stunned Hikaru Nakamura.

The all-Russian matches Morozevich Alexander – Tomashevsky Evgeny and Andreikin Dmitry – Karjakin Sergey, as well as Le Quang Liem – Svidler Peter and Vachier-Lagrave Maxime – Gelfand Boris will be decided in the rapid/blitz tie-breaks on Thursday. You can watch all the games of the World Chess Cup live at the official website.

It wasn't that any of the losers were not in form. It's just like it in the World Cup. One minor error and you get going, and that's the excitement and pressure both. Stay tuned for more exciting chess as the field narrows down to the last eight on Thursday.

Round 4 game 2 results:
Andreikin Dmitry – Karjakin Sergey ½-½
Caruana Fabiano – Granda Zuniga Julio 1-0
Ivanchuk Vassily – Kramnik Vladimir 0-1
Kamsky Gata – Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 1-0
Le Quang Liem – Svidler Peter ½-½
Morozevich Alexander – Tomashevsky Evgeny ½-½
Nakamura Hikaru – Korobov Anton ½-½
Vachier-Lagrave Maxime – Gelfand Boris ½-½

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal chess blog
at www.chessqueen.com
Don't miss Chess Queen™
YouTube Channel

↧

Cool Chess Art: Identify the Painting

August 22, 2013, 3:06 am

≫ Next: Strong chess in Sunny Rhodes Island: European Club Cup from October 19

≪ Previous: World Chess Cup 2013 – Round 4, Game 2: Nakamura, Zuniga, Ivanchuk, Mamedyarov Knocked Out

Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013

Hi everyone,

Here is your chess trivia question of the day: Can you identify this work of art? We will give you the answer by the weekend in the comments section of Chess Blog. You won't use Google Images to find the answer, will you?

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal chess blog
at www.chessqueen.com
Don't miss Chess Queen™
YouTube Channel

↧

Strong chess in Sunny Rhodes Island: European Club Cup from October 19

August 22, 2013, 8:23 am

≫ Next: FIDE World Amateur Chess Championships 2014 in Singapore from April 25

≪ Previous: Cool Chess Art: Identify the Painting

Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013

Hi everyone,

The European Club Cup Chess Championships 2013 will be played in the sunny Rhodes Island from October 19-27. The venue will be the excellent 5-star Rodos Palace Convention Resort in Rhodes, the sunny island of the southeastern Aegean Sea which offers a plethora of leisure alternatives in a cosmopolitan character.

A total of 64 teams have signed up. The defending champions SOCAR and Cercle d’Echecs de Monte-Carlo are fielding their top players. Tournament Director is IO Nikos Kalesis.

From each National Club Championship in European countries, one (1) to four (4) clubs qualify to the European Club Cup, depending on the strength of each national event. The European Club Cup will be held in 7 rounds for both categories (open/men teams with 6 boards and women teams with 4 boards), played with the Swiss system.

The time control will be 90 minutes for 40 moves plus 30 minutes for the rest of the game with an increment of 30 seconds per move, starting from move one. Players may only agree to a draw after the 40th move has been made by black.

According to FIDE regulations, the European Club Cup offers the possibility for players to achieve GM, IM, WGM and WIM norms based on 7 games.

The winners of the European Club Cup (currently SOCAR Azerbaijan) and the European Women’s Club Cup (currently Cercle d’Echecs de Monte Carlo) qualify directly to next year’s European Club Cup. For more information, access the official website.

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal chess blog
at www.chessqueen.com
Don't miss Chess Queen™
YouTube Channel

↧

FIDE World Amateur Chess Championships 2014 in Singapore from April 25

August 22, 2013, 8:56 am

≫ Next: Chess King Chess Course 3 DVD Set Earns Praise from Amazon Shoppers

≪ Previous: Strong chess in Sunny Rhodes Island: European Club Cup from October 19

Hi everyone,

The Singapore Chess Federation and the World Chess Federation (FIDE) are organising the FIDE World Amateur Chess Championships 2014 in Singapore from 25 April 2014 to 04 May 2014. The Championships shall be governed by the General Regulations for FIDE Competitions (approved in 2011) and the Rules of the FIDE World Amateur Championships (approved in 2011).

The player must not have a published FIDE Rating of 2000 or greater for at least 2 years prior to 01 January 2014. They must not hold any title above CM (WCM). The World Amateur Championship is open to players registered by their Federation. The World Amateur Women’s Championship shall be held as a separate section if there are at least ten players from at least two continents. If not, the Women players will compete in the Open. FIDE-member Federations shall have the right to send as many players as they wish.

The top 3 players from each Continental Amateur Championship preceding this edition are qualified with personal rights and their places cannot be substituted.

The entry fee for the first two nominees of each National Federation is FREE. The entry fee for additional players shall be 30 euro each and which is payable to the Organizing Committee. All (first 2 nominees, Continental Qualifiers & Additional) players and accompanying persons shall pay a registration fee of 100 euros each to the Organizing Committee.

Entry forms must be sent from the National Federations of the players and returned to the Organizing Committee no later than Tuesday, 25 February 2014. If the registration is not forwarded by the Federation, a copy must be sent to the National Federation. The registration email (which must be sent to Organizer by the email: thomas@singaporechess.org.sg), must include the surname/s, first name/s, FIDE ID number, FIDE rating, Date of Birth and Passport Number (for purpose of visa only) of each player and each accompanying person.

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal chess blog
at www.chessqueen.com
Don't miss Chess Queen™
YouTube Channel

↧

Chess King Chess Course 3 DVD Set Earns Praise from Amazon Shoppers

August 22, 2013, 9:18 am

≫ Next: U.S. Shines at 24th NATO Chess Championships in Poland

≪ Previous: FIDE World Amateur Chess Championships 2014 in Singapore from April 25

Hi everyone,

The Chess King's Complete Chess Course is the quickest and easiest way to go from a novice chess player to an accomplished one. The DVD video format makes it simple to improve your chess. Just watch, listen and learn. This Course is a fountain of knowledge for parents and coaches as well.

The set contains close to 5 hours of structured instruction with over 100 ready-to-use examples of sound chess fundamentals.

Recommended for players Unrated to 1500 Elo.

Disk 1: Opening Principles disk. It demonstrates that you don't need to try to memorize hundreds of opening variations as long as you play the opening by following common basic ideas. You'll learn all about fast development, centralization, mobility, and defense, all of which will help you get a good position which will lead directly into a playable middle game.

Disk 2: Tactics and Strategy disk. You'll discover a variety of tactical weapons that you could use over and over to win material and gain an advantage over your opponents. You'll also learn all about chess strategy, plans and formations that will provide you with a lasting edge.

Disk 3: Endgames disk. When few pieces are left on the board, knowing the proper procedures can spell the difference between victory and defeat. In this DVD, you will be introduced to the most common chess endgames. Knowing these key concepts and positions will increase your success in your tournament practice and will allow you to convert a material advantage into a win. You will learn about opposition, triangulation, Philidor and Lucena positions, and more.

Some reviews on Amazon are as follows:

Stuart C. - This is an excellent chess course if you want to advance/improve beyond basic fundamentals. It teaches common mistakes and simple rules of thumb to follow when playing which will advance your game considerably. My 9 yr old daughter watched them a few times also and has improved noticeably. I highly recommend if you wish to become a better player and learn opening, strategy, and closing fundamentals from the experts!

Marcelino Wilson - I receive this product yesterday and I have learned so many new trick and trap to get advantage over my opponent, win material with discover attack an so on.I am learning how to develop my pieces in the right way and get ready for the middle game. This is the kind of help I was looking for to improve my chess skill. I'm glad I order this COURSE. Anyone that want to increase his or her knowledge in chess, should not miss this product in your library!

george grant - THIS IS FIRST TIME I BOUGHT CHESS DVD.
I AM VERY SATISFIED WITH THIS PRODUCT.
RECOMMEND HIGHLY......AAA++++++++++++++++.
WILL BUY OTHERS FROM CHESS KING ETC.

So, what are you waiting for? Head over to the Amazon store or purchase from the Chess King shop.

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's

Also see her personal chess blog

Don't miss Chess Queen™

↧

U.S. Shines at 24th NATO Chess Championships in Poland

August 22, 2013, 9:47 am

≫ Next: World Chess Championship Venue Chennai Hyatt Regency Arrangements Okayed by FIDE

≪ Previous: Chess King Chess Course 3 DVD Set Earns Praise from Amazon Shoppers

Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013

Hi everyone,

Poland hosted the 24th edition of the NATO Chess Championship at the military resort of Rynia, about 30 miles outside of Warsaw. The organizing committee headed by Colonel Thomasz Malinowski of the Polish Army did a magnificent job in running the tournament. The resort is located on Zegrzyński Reservoir and while chess occupied most of our time, there was still a little bit of time to enjoy the beautiful scenery and stroll along the beach.

A five-day seven round Swiss, the event was open to all NATO member nations. Players had to be employed by their Armed Forces in order to participate. Retired service members were allowed to play in for one year beyond their retirement. Countries could send six player teams with the top four scores from a country determining the team champion. This year’s tournament had 13 countries and 82 players headed by one IM, four FMs and seven players rated over 2200 FIDE. The tournament was also quite balanced as over half the tournament was over 2000 and three quarters of the tournament are all within several hundred rating points of each other.

Read all the details by Colonel David A. Hater, U.S. Army at the website of the USCF.

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal chess blog
at www.chessqueen.com
Don't miss Chess Queen™
YouTube Channel

↧

World Chess Championship Venue Chennai Hyatt Regency Arrangements Okayed by FIDE

August 23, 2013, 4:33 am

≫ Next: World Chess Cup 2013: Round 5 Begins Today; Four Russians in Last Eight

≪ Previous: U.S. Shines at 24th NATO Chess Championships in Poland

Hi everyone,

FIDE officials have inspected the World Chess Championship 2013 venue in Chennai and okayed the playing arrangements at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. FIDE officials Geoffrey Borg and Israel Gelfer along with FIDE vice-president DV Sundar and All-India Chess Federation CEO Bharat Singh visited the venue on Thursday.

World Champion Viswanathan Anand's wife and manager Aruna also visited the venue.

Gelfer told journalists, "I think the facilites are fantastic. We are very happy with the conditions here and it has been a thoroughly fulfilling exercise."

Logistics involved in the event, such as lighting in the playing hall, players' rest area, seating arrangements were among issues discussed.

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's

Also see her personal chess blog

Don't miss Chess Queen™

↧

World Chess Cup 2013: Round 5 Begins Today; Four Russians in Last Eight

August 23, 2013, 4:49 am

≫ Next: R.I.P. WIM Vesna Rozic

≪ Previous: World Chess Championship Venue Chennai Hyatt Regency Arrangements Okayed by FIDE

Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013

Hi everyone,

Yes, you get to choose the audience for your chess games ;)

Four Russians, one French, one American, one Italian and one Ukrainian Grandmaster has made it to the last-eight at the World Chess Cup 2013 being played in Tromso, Norway. Also in the last-eight is defending champion Peter Svidler. Does that mean we just might have at least one Russian in the final? Here are the pairings for Round 5:

Round 5 pairings:
Tomashevsky Evgeny RUS 2706 – Kamsky Gata USA 2741
Vachier-Lagrave Maxime FRA 2719 – Caruana Fabiano ITA 2796
Kramnik Vladimir RUS 2784 – Korobov Anton UKR 2720
Andreikin Dmitry RUS 2716 – Svidler Peter RUS 2746

Earlier, after the classical games of Round 4, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave knocked out Gelfand Boris and Andreikin Dmitry pulled off a major upset by knocking out Sergey Karjakin. Peter Svidler got the better of Le Quang Liem ending Vietnam's challenge at the World Cup. Evgeny Tomashevsky ground out Alexander Morozevich in an exciting tiebreak where fortunes swung both ways.

Round 4 tie-break results:

Andreikin Dmitry 2727 – Karjakin Sergey 2776 1-0 1-0
Le Quang Liem 2712 – Svidler Peter 2746 ½-½ 0-1
Tomashevsky Evgeny 2709 – Morozevich Alexander 2736 ½-½ ½-½ 0-1 1-0 1-0 ½-½
Vachier-Lagrave Maxime 2719 – Gelfand Boris 2773 1-0 ½-½

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's

www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal chess blog
at www.chessqueen.com
Don't miss Chess Queen™
YouTube Channel

↧

R.I.P. WIM Vesna Rozic

August 23, 2013, 6:15 am

≫ Next: Viswanathan Anand vs Magnus Carlsen World Chess Championship match will be one of best: FIDE

≪ Previous: World Chess Cup 2013: Round 5 Begins Today; Four Russians in Last Eight

Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013

Hi everyone,

WIM Vesna Rozic, 26, two-time Slovenian Women's Chess Champion is no more. She lost her battle to cancer, as reported by the Slovenia chess federation website. Our deepest condolence to her relatives, friends and loved ones.

WIM Vesna Rozic (2260) has played in four European Championships and four Chess Olympiads. She was forced to cancel her participation in the European Women's Championships a few weeks back because of the illness.

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
www.chessblog.com

Also see her personal chess blog
at www.chessqueen.com
Don't miss Chess Queen™
YouTube Channel

↧

Viswanathan Anand vs Magnus Carlsen World Chess Championship match will be one of best: FIDE

August 23, 2013, 9:36 am

≫ Next: Play Chess Online at FIDE Arena: Exciting FAQ

≪ Previous: R.I.P. WIM Vesna Rozic

Hi everyone,

Chennai: World Chess Championship match between reigning champion Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand and challenger world number one Magnus Carlsen in November would be one of the best in the entire history of the event, FIDE Vice-President Israel Gelfer said on Friday.

Addressing the media after the final inspection of the venue for the prestigious tie here, Gelfer said he was fully satisfied with the arrangements made so far and expected that the event will be a spectacular one.

He said he had been involved in organising almost a dozen World Championship matches and he was sure that this tie would be one of the best organised, if not the best.

Gelfer recalled FIDE's association with Hyatt group of hotels as early as 2000 during the World Championship match held in New Delhi.

"As millions of fans from all over the world will be watching the match live from various parts of the world through internet, we have ensured that the internet connections were of high quality to ensure that the server does not crash during the event," he said.

The FIDE vice-president said that Aruna Anand, manager and wife of Anand, was also present during the inspection and was very much satisfied with the arrangements made by the organisers.

Earlier, Carlsen, who was on a visit for inspection last week, had also confirmed that he and his team were extremely happy with the venue and other arrangements.

FIDE Vice-President D V Sundar explained that the organisers have made arrangements for 350 spectators to witness the match. He said that a glass partition would be erected to separate the players and the spectators in order to ensure that the spectators do not disturb the players.

All India Chess Federation CEO Bharat Singh said that live video streaming of the match as well as live commentary on the internet will be made available.

AICF Secretary V Hariharan briefed the media about the various other activities to be organised during the match.

Hariharan said that there would be a Women Grandmasters' event, an Open International Grandmasters' tournament, National Under-9 Chess Championship as well as a host of other events during November.

He said that all these events shall be flagged off with a 'Beach Blitz', wherein a Blitz event (5 minutes per player) will be organised at the Beach under the shelter of colourful umbrellas to create a general awareness to the public about the match.

Hyatt Regency General Manager Sunjae Sharma said that Carlsen loved Indian delicacies during his stay at the Hyatt. He said that Hyatt Regency has a Norwegian chef and that Carlsen and his team members were very comfortable with the food served at the Hotel. (via Indian News Agencies)

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's

Also see her personal chess blog

Don't miss Chess Queen™