ChessUpdated.com   Chess World in Synthesis

Source: Susan Polgar Blog

Only around 380 players are competing in the 2008 US Championship in Dallas. This is one of the lowest attendance in a while. What is even more surprising is there are only 2 GMs (Shabalov and Yermolinsky) and 7 GMs.

The most pleasant news so far is the comeback of IM Douglas Root of Texas (husband of former women’s champion WIM Alexey Root). He has not played chess since 1998 (I don’t count the 1 game he played in 2000). He was one of the most talented junior in America a while back and he definitely has the talent to become a GM. But he chose to pursue his academic career. So did his wife. Ater 6 rounds, IM Root is tied for first 6 other players including GM Yermolinsky.

Here are the standings of some of the leaders after 6 rounds:

1 Yermolinsky, Alex SD 2589 5.5
2 Root, Douglas D TX 2570 5.5
3 Sevillano, Enrico M CA 2546 5.5
4 Bradford, Joseph Mark TX 2467 5.5
5 Mulyar, Michael A CO 2454 5.5
6 Battaglini, Gabriel GA 2443 5.5
7 Kuderinov, Kirill TX 2426 5.5

8 Shabalov, Alexander PA 2656 5.0
9 Fernandez, Daniel TX 2434 5.0
10 Milovanovic, Rade TX 2422 5.0
11 Arnold, Marc Tyler NY 2421 5.0
12 Tate, Emory A IN 2392 5.0
13 Banawa, Joel CA 2386 5.0, etc.

Source: Susan Polgar Blog

Source: Susan Polgar Blog

Message of support (and donation of 0!) from World Champion Viswanathan Anand:

I was really saddened when I first heard of GM Dusan Popovic’s plight. At such a young age, he has to confront a serious health condition that needs a lot of courage and persistence to combat. I wish him all the best. As a chessplayer, we all know what it is to fight. I am sure he will use these fighting skills he would have honed over the chessboard.

While I know Dusan will be receiving unstinting support from his family and friends, I congratulate Magnus Carlsen in stepping forward in his hour of need with his spontaneous and magnanimous gesture to play on the Internet Chess Club to help the cause.

It is also nice to see the next generation coming together for a cause that is far greater than the game itself. It is, as Dusan himself states, to be a “game of life” and I am sure the whole chess community will come together as one to participate and contribute to the fundraising efforts on ICC. For my part, I personally pledge 0 to the fund and urge everyone to contribute what they can on the day.

My prayers, thoughts and best wishes are with Dusan and his family during this time and I am sure, like me, the chess community would all wish to see his return to active duty at the chessboard as quickly as possible.

Regards,
Viswanathan Anand

———————————

I also supported the fundraising effort right from the start to help GM Dusan Popovic when I was informed about this by our friends at Chessdom. I posted about it here several times. I personally donated 0 to ICC for GM Popovic. I urge others to contribute what they can. Our thoughts and prayers are with him.

Source: Susan Polgar Blog

Source: Susan Polgar Blog

Many photos from the World Junior Chess Championship by Chessdom

The gallery is expected to have more than 1000 photos by the end of the competition

The photo gallery from the World Junior Chess Championship is growing every day. Until now there are more than 300 photos from the championships, provided by Chessdom and official photographers. The albums are divided by rounds and there is also a preview gallery.

Photo gallery / Photos Juniors / Photos Girls / Round 1 / Round 2 / Round 3 / Round 4 / Round 5

The latest addition is a general album by Andrew Kontokanis. The Chessdom photo gallery is expected to have over 1000 photos by the end of the competition.

Source: Susan Polgar Blog

Source: Susan Polgar Blog

Giving a few pointers to some of the local young players in Dallas.

Source: Susan Polgar Blog

Source: Susan Polgar Blog

Source: Susan Polgar Blog

Source: Susan Polgar Blog

INTEREST POSTING FOR A JUNIOR WORLD CORRESPONDENCE CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP FOR YOUNG WOMEN

The International Correspondence Chess Federation is considering holding a World Championship for young women, and is asking anyone who is possibly interested to contact us so we can determine if there will be enough participants to schedule the event.

The event will be played on the ICCF webserver (www.iccf-webchess.com). Moves are made on a chessboard via drag and drop, an easy way to play, with the server sending the move to the opponent, and keeping track of moves, time used, and even sending reminders.

Any young woman who will have her 20th birthday after March 1, 2009 will be eligible to play, and is requested to send a note expressing your interest to schakels@comcast.net. Any questions will certainly be welcome. Details will be determined later, but there are no ICCF dues, and the entry fee for the recent Junior World Championship was 20 CHF, about . Time controls are typically 50 days for 10 moves.

Finally, I want to express heartfelt thanks to Susan Polgar for volunteering to post this note on her websites and blogs.

Corky Schakel, ICCF-US Secretary

Source: Susan Polgar Blog

Source: Susan Polgar Blog

White to move. Can you find the right plan for White?

Source: Chess Today

Source: Susan Polgar Blog

Source: Susan Polgar Blog

China Celebrates Might as Games Begin
By DAVID CRARY,
AP
posted: 27 MINUTES AGO

filed under: World News, Olympics

BEIJING (Aug. - Once-reclusive China commandeered the world stage Friday, celebrating its first-time role as Olympic host with a stunning display of pageantry and pyrotechnics to open a Summer Games unrivaled for its mix of problems and promise.

Now ascendent as a global power, China welcomed scores of world leaders to an opening ceremony watched by 91,000 people at the eye-catching National Stadium and a potential audience of 4 billion worldwide. It was depicted as the largest, costliest extravaganza in Olympic history, bookended by barrages of some 30,000 fireworks.

To the beat of sparkling explosions, the crowd counted down the final seconds before the show began. A sea of drummers - 2,008 in all - pounded out rhythms with their hands, then acrobats on wires gently wafted down into the stadium as rockets shot up into the night sky from its rim.

President Bush and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin were among the glittering roster of notables who watched China make this bold declaration that it had arrived. Bush, rebuked by China after he raised human-rights concerns this week, is the first U.S. president to attend an Olympics on foreign soil.

Already an economic juggernaut, China is given a good chance of overtaking the U.S. atop the gold-medal standings with its legions of athletes trained intensely since childhood. One dramatic showdown will be in women’s gymnastics, where the U.S. and Chinese teams are co-favorites; in the pool, Chinese divers and U.S. swimmers are expected to dominate.

Here is the full story.

Source: Susan Polgar Blog

Source: Susan Polgar Blog

The Najdorf Memorial is taking place on August 2-10, 2008. It is a category 15 event.

Official website: http://www.poloniachess.pl/najdorf2008/index.php?lang=en

Round 6 results:

Sasikiran, Krishnan - Kempinski, Robert 1-0
Socko, Bartosz - Berg, Emanuel ½-½
Olszewski, Michal - Macieja, Bartlomiej 1-0
Rozentalis, Eduardas - Balogh, Csaba 1-0
Krasenkow, Michal - Nyback, Tomi ½-½

Standings after 6 rounds:

1. Sasikiran, Krishnan g IND 2684 5

2. Socko, Bartosz g POL 2627 4

3. Krasenkow, Michal g POL 2639 3½
4. Nyback, Tomi g FIN 2639 3½

5. Berg, Emanuel g SWE 2592 3

6. Balogh, Csaba g HUN 2624 2½
7. Rozentalis, Eduardas g LTU 2599 2½

8. Kempinski, Robert g POL 2613 2
9. Macieja, Bartlomiej g POL 2606 2
10. Olszewski, Michal m POL 2458 2

Source: Susan Polgar Blog

Source: Susan Polgar Blog

International chess event will include elite players
01:00 AM EDT on Friday, August 8, 2008

PAWTUCKET –– An international chess tournament is scheduled to start Monday, with games being simulcast on the Internet and also shown on a large projection screen.

The tournament will begin with a 4 p.m. reception at the To Kalon Club, 26 Main St. The first round of the nine-round tournament will start at 6 p.m.

There will be two games at the To Kalon Club every day for the rest of the week, according to David Harris of Blackstone Chess of Rhode Island, which is sponsoring the tournament. The first game will start at 11 a.m.; the second, starts at 6 p.m.

The tournament will give players a chance to earn the titles of International Master and Grandmaster, competing with titled players from different nations.

Top seed is Grandmaster Leonid Kritz, representing Germany, who won the World Under-16 Championship in 1999, and took part in the FIDE World Championship in 2004.

Other top players include Grandmaster Sergey Erenburg from Israel, Grandmaster Timur Gareev from Uzbekistan and British Grandmaster Keith Arkell

On the weekend, Aug. 16, and 17, a second competition will take place, the Blackstone Chess Festival Open, at the Comfort Inn, 2 George St. The first game will start at 11 a.m., Saturday.

As the games are played, master commentators will discuss strategy and assess moves. Members of the Blackstone Chess Academy will be on hand to explain the fine points of the game to newcomers.

The simulcast will be on the academy’s Web site, http://newenglandmasters.com/.

Source: projo.com

Source: Susan Polgar Blog