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Nadareishvili, 1962, presented by Andreas

White to move. Can White win this?

N7/7r/1PP1K3/8/2p5/8/8/k7 w - - 0 1

Source: Susan Polgar Blog

Pangasinan chess wizard struggles in fight of his life
By KORI QUINTOS ABS-CBN, Dagupan

San Nicholas, Pangasinan – Despite being diagnosed with a heart disease, 13-year old chess wizard Prince Mark Aquino has raked in numerous medals, trophies and recognitions.

This young Eugene Torre wannabe has been to Greece, Vietnam and different parts of the globe, representing the Philippines in different competitions despite his condition.

Later this year, he plans to fly to Turkey for yet another prestigious chess competition.

Through the years, Prince’s illness has become more evident as the upper left part of his chest started to become enlarged. The color of his skin has also become pale.

His family remains financially helpless and unable to bring him to medical experts for continuous treatment. His father’s earning as a tricycle driver could not even afford the family’s daily expenses.

A full scholar in Divine Grace Montessori in Tayug, Pangasinan, his teachers and classmates are all praises for Prince as he still could earn good grades despite his athletic endeavors.

His family and friends are seeking support from the government to help him continue what he loves doing: bringing pride to his countrymen by being a chess wizard.

Source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/

Source: Susan Polgar Blog

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/BCC-Weblog

What is the best way to learn chess?

“Any way is good: You’ll eventually get to where you have to go.”

- David Dymond approximately 1999

David Dymond was asked that question by a new player and responded in above fashion when the BCF was on Clarendon Street. And for most chess hobbyists, this is probably what we do most of the time. We study in the way that motivates us. Looking here, picking there, avoiding end game study at all costs. Usually we end up spending too much time and money on opening books. But if we have time to invest we will get better.

What is the best approach? Being trained as a teacher I took many courses in child psychology and two key lessons learned were: 1. Never force anything on to a child before they are able to handle it. 2. Conversely, press the child to embrace the most complex ideas they can handle because the lower in cognitive development they can master things; the faster and higher their abilities will grow. It’s interesting that being a good teacher is being sensitive to the moment a child has moved from not ready to learn, to ready to learn. And because of this point, probably the most effective way for a child to learn anything is to have a good teacher/coach; a person at the ready to recognize the key moment. And if play is involved, many children will be motivated. Because playing is the best medium to learn things.

The first time I ever swung a golf club was under the instruction of a golf Pro. It was my grandfather’s philosophy that one should never develop bad habits only to have to unlearn them or be stuck with them. I wonder if it’s better to learn chess that way?

And as some beginners are not children, should the approach vary when dealing with adults?

It seems with most players there is the six year window of learning chess: it seems that most people have about six years to get to their level of ability; it holds steady; then progress begins to decline slowly (usually beginning about the age of 63- according to Mark Glickman rating czar of the USCF), as you advance to play your final round.

One of my heroes Jim Sfougaris began playing chess at the age of 40 and became an A class player. A very astounding feat.

I ask everyone, especially chess teachers, what do you think is the best way to learn chess? Or add any other insights. Please Comment.

Mike Griffin 07/09/2008

Anand wants practice ahead of WC match
PTI

NEW DELHI, July 9: Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand will treat the Grand Slam Chess Final Masters in Bilbao, Spain, as a practice for his title defence at the World Championships match against Vladimir Kramnik of Russia.

Kramnik is staying away from the event to be contested by six of the world’s top players where football-type scoring system will be applied with three points per game won and one point per draw.

As per the rules, players cannot offer draws. “I guess the preparations are going well. Preparation is a base and the rest happens on the board. Bilbao is one month before the match. I just wanted some practical play practice,” Anand said.

On the much-debated points system, he said it would make a difference in the classification.

“This idea has been debated for some time. It is something new and we will have to see how it will turn out. It will surely make a difference in the classification. A win and a loss could be more valuable than say two draws. The line up promises very competitive games,” he said.

Anand he is not perturbed by Kramnik skipping the event or his poor show in Dortmund.

“I think both of us are only thinking of each other so it is understandable. Kramnik is one of the world’s best so I am not reading too much into the result. I know he will be a tough rival in October,” he said.

Anand, who would also be playing in Mainz, Germany, said the field would be very competitive there as well.

“It will be very tough. I will be doing some work for Mainz.”

Source: PTI

Source: Susan Polgar Blog

Round 2 results:

Shirov, Alexei - Jakovenko, Dmitry ½-½
Gashimov, Vugar - Inarkiev, Ernesto ½-½
Rublevsky, Sergei - Sutovsky, Emil ½-½
Onischuk, Alexander - Wang Hao ½-½
Volokitin, Andrei - Bologan, Viktor ½-½

Standings after 2 rounds:

1-3. Jakovenko, Dmitry RUS 2709 1½
1-3. Rublevsky, Sergei RUS 2699 1½
1-3. Wang Hao CHN 2691 1½

4-7. Shirov, Alexei ESP 2741 1
4-7. Bologan, Viktor MDA 2686 1
4-7. Onischuk, Alexander USA 2670 1
4-7. Sutovsky, Emil ISR 2654 1

8-10. Gashimov, Vugar AZE 2717 ½
8-10. Volokitin, Andrei UKR 2672 ½
8-10. Inarkiev, Ernesto RUS 2675 ½

Official website: http://www.russiachess.org/

Source: Susan Polgar Blog

Photo courtesy of ChessBase

The 2008 SPICE Cup will take place from September 19-28 at Texas Tech University (Student Union Building) in Lubbock, Texas.

I am pleased to announce that former World Junior Champion GM Harikrishna Pentala (www.harikrishnachess.com) has confirmed his participation in the 2008 SPICE Cup! Here are just some of his accomplishments:

- World under-10 championship, 1996, Menorca (Spain), Gold
- World under-12 rapid championship, 1996, Paris, Silver
- Children’s Olympiad, 1998, Istanbul, Gold
- Commonwealth championship, 2000, Sangli, Gold (under-18)
- India’s youngest International Master, 2000
- Asian under-14 championship, 2000, Tehran, 2000-01, Gold
- Chess Olympiad, 2000, Istanbul, First Grandmaster (GM) norm
- Corus tournament, 2001, Wijk Aan Zee, Second GM norm
- Asian junior championship, 2001, Tehran, Silver
- Asian championship, 2001, Kolkata, Qualified for World championship; Final GM norm
- India’s youngest GM, 2001
- Ron Banwell MSO Masters tournament, 2001, London, Gold
- Commonwealth championship, 2001, London, Gold
- World Junior Champion, 2004
- Tiayuan Chess Tournament (FIDE Category 15) in China on 20 July 2005, Clear First
- 9th Essent Tournament Hoogeveen, 2005, Clear First
- Bermuda Invitational Tournament, 2005, Shared First with Boris Gelfand
- Pamplona International Tournament, 2005, Shared Second with Ivan Cheparinov
- Reykjavik Open, 2006, Shared First
- 4th Marx Gyorgy Memorial tournament in Hungary, 2006, Clear First
- Defeated GM Arkady Naiditsch in Mainz to become Chess960 World Junior Champion
- Number two ranked junior under 20 in the world in 2006
- Top 50 overall in the world 2007 - 2008
- Member of 5 Indian Olympiad teams, including the 2008 Chess Olympiad

- Highest FIDE rating: 2682
- Highest FIDE ranking: #2 Junior in 2006 (Jan - Sept 2006) / #25 overall in the world (Apr - Sept 2006)

Here are the full list of players in the 2008 SPICE Cup:

USA - GM Onischuk, Alexander 2734 USCF / 2670 FIDE
IND - GM Pentala, Harikrishna 2668 FIDE
GER - GM Kritz, Leonid 2667 USCF / 2610 FIDE
USA - GM Akobian, Varuzhan 2660 USCF / 2610 FIDE
USA - GM Kaidanov, Gregory 2664 USCF / 2605 FIDE
USA - GM Becerra, Julio 2640 USCF / 2598 FIDE
ISR - GM Mikhalevski, Victor 2679 USCF / 2592 FIDE
POL - GM Miton, Kamil 2703 USCF / 2580 FIDE
ISL - GM Stefansson, Hannes 2597 USCF / 2566 FIDE
USA - GM Perelshteyn, Eugene 2619 USCF / 2555 FIDE (Defending Champion)

Average FIDE: 2605
Average USCF: 2663

The average rating is over 2605 which is FIDE Category 15. This will make the 2008 SPICE Cup the highest rated 10 person International RR event in U.S. history.

The SPICE Cup Invitational will be the main attraction of the annual SPICE Cup Festival. Other activities will include the 2008 Texas Women’s Open Championship, SPICE Cup Grand Prix, SPICE Cup Scholastic, SPICE Cup Pro-Am event, etc. Our goal is to add a group B next year and even more activities.

Source: Susan Polgar Blog

White to move. How should White proceed?

Kubbel, 1984, presented by Andreas

8/6pp/6P1/p5P1/k1p5/5p2/1PK1P3/5B1b w - - 0 1

Source: Susan Polgar Blog

Having enjoyed recent success in soccer, basketball and ice hockey, Russia is now also able to boast a world champion in the little-known sport of chessboxing. Russia’s Nikolai Sazhin, a 19-year-old mathematics student from the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, defeated light heavyweight defending champion Frank Stoldt, a 37-year-old policeman from Germany, to lift the world chess boxing title.
Source: http://www.chessbase.com/contact/mail/RSSfeed/news.aspx

They worked together in Nigel’s home in Greece, and almost got themselves killed in a traffic accident. But Sergey Karjakin, 25 years younger than Nigel Short, completely outmatched him in the rapid chess match in the Academic Puppet Theatre in Kiev, Ukraine. On the final day the youngster won both games to finish with a five-point lead. Illustrated report.
Source: http://www.chessbase.com/contact/mail/RSSfeed/news.aspx

Chess in the schools International conference in San Luis, Argentina.

Source: Susan Polgar Blog