Chess

Author's note:On last Friday's lost rook ending -The Future World Champion himself: "Too many bad decisions today, got what I deserved in the end."Mark Crowther: "Wang Hao says most of the time the ending against Carlsen was completely drawn."Jonathan Rowson: "Remarkable to see same seemingly drawn rook ending, won both times at 2700+ level within 2 weeks."Harikrishna: "Rook and pawn endgames are tough even for World no.1 !!"Although, to be fair, Baburn does conclude that the rook ending, "offers the stronger side excellent winning chances" in Chess Today.Was this carelessness after Magnus' unfortunate game with Ivanchuk at the Candidates'? Was it merely chance or a is a pattern emerging? While we ponder that, today's post happens to include a reference to another botched rook ending by The Lad. On with the show .... - JMGB#18: the short-side defenceWhite to playAlthough it is fairly frequent, even masters go astray: in 1931 Capablanca won two games with it despite the fact that a "book" draw has been reached.Reuben Fine, Basic Chess Endings (1941)'Frequent'? 'Astray'? True that.Examples of this 'draw' going pear-shaped are ten a penny. Still it's the Jose Raul ones that stick most in my mind.Winner of drawn endgames/wearer of rather spiffing hatsDespite the assistance of Angus and his admirably large database, I've only managed to track down one of those Capablanca games.Capablanca - Turover, New York 1931 ...White to playAmongst the gazillions of other games we could add to the Cuban's we have Aronian - Carlsen, Moscow 2006, of course [SMA #17; Purposeful Shuffling; Ending 57] ...Black to play... not to mention the century-old Burn - Spielmann, San Sebastian 1911 that has been cited in endgame books ever since, Fine's classic text included.Black to play100 years since Spielmann ballsed it up and still folk are getting it wrong. Even 2698-rated Norwegian F.W.Cs. It's not as if the correct defence is outrageously difficult either. Tricky if you don't know it, sure, but when it comes down to it all you've got to do is the one thing that everybody knows you should do in rook endings - get your rook behind the pawn.F.W.C/hanger abouter with models/cocker upper of basic rook endingsSo, from the position at the head of today's blog White goes 1 Kb6 (after 1 Kc6 Black has ... Rg6+: Lesson Number One) and Black just answers with ... Rc1. White can threaten mate with 2 Kc6 which admittedly looks a bit scary at first sight, but in truth there's nothing to worry about after 2 ... Kb8!White to playBe careful Nalimoving this position. There are many draws, but, as we know they were not born equal. If we're running a tablebase while we play any one of them would be as good as the next . If we're not we need a plan. To whit:-There is no mate (a knight's or rook's pawn would be different) so the only way White is going to win is by advancing the pawnKeeping our rook behind the pawn prevents the king from advancing and opening up the path for the pawnWhite can only make progress by defending the pawn with the rook and then moving the king ...... but 3 Rh5 would be no good because after 3 ... rook waits on the c-file Black can answer 4 Kd7 with ... Kb7 and the pawn's not going anywhere ...... so the only option for White is to bring the rook to the c-file in front of the pawn3 Rc7?? allows the immediate ... Rxc5 = Therefore 3 Rh8+ Ka7, 4 Rc8 is White's only ideaThe tablebases don't think that this is a critical position at all. Black has a dozen legal moves and almost every one of them draws. Actually the only way to acquire a lost position at this point is to lose your rook or walk in to an immediate mate.This, though, is exactly the kind of position where a human will let things slip unless s/he has a specific plan in mind. Ours starts with 4 ... Rh1.If White's king moves now we'll just drive it away with checks from the sideIf the rook comes to d8 to block those checks we'll just just come back to the c-fileAnd that's all you need to know

Webster University freshman GM Wesley So captured the Calgary International by 2 points with 1 round to go. He also won the Calgary Blitz with a perfect 9-0 score!Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar

2013 SPICE Cup Open Sponsored by Webster University and the Susan Polgar Foundation St. Louis, MissouriOctober 15-19, 2013 GM/IM norm opportunity - Minimum rating (FIDE) 2100 Limited to first 50 entries 4 IM/GM norms were earned last year: http://susanpolgar.blogspot.com PRIZES: $11,000 guaranteed $4,000-$2,000-$1,500-$1,000-$500U/2400 FIDE $500-$250-$125U/2300 FIDE $500-$250-$125top female $250 October 2013 rating will be used Limited FREE hotel accommodation (double occupancy) at the Crown Plaza available to foreign GMs. ENTRY FEES: Free to all GMs, IMs, WGMs and all FIDE rated players over 2300 (must complete all 9 rounds), if registered by September 30, 2013. $50 later or on site. $100 to others if received by September 30, 2013. $150 later or on site. VENUE: Crown Plaza Clayton Hotel 7750 Carondelet Ave, St Louis, MO 63105 (FREE shuttle from the Lambert–St. Louis International Airport) $109/night, FREE Breakfast/Internet Send entries to Webster University - SPICE 470 E. Lockwood Ave St. Louis, MO 63119 Questions or registration for titled players: Email: spice@webster.edu or call 314-246-8075Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar

http://2700chess.comChess Daily News from Susan Polgar

By Cecil Rosner Posted: 05/18/2013 1:00 AMTHERE isn't much that happens in the arena of world championship chess that is devoid of controversy, so the battle over this year's title match was predictable.Viswanathan Anand, the reigning world champion and a popular figure in his native India, will meet challenger Magnus Carlsen of Norway in November. At 43, Anand is nearly twice the age of his upstart opponent.Carlsen earned the right to challenge for the world championship by winning a nail-biting Candidates tournament in London. Though he is the top-rated player in the world, Carlsen had to rely on tie-breaks to squeak through the field.Still, the oddsmakers are giving the advantage to the youthful Norwegian, who developed extraordinary chess skills at an early age and has just been getting better and better. Even Anand calls him "the greatest talent I have seen."As the excitement was building for the upcoming match, FIDE (the world chess federation) unveiled a controversial decision. It awarded the tournament to Chennai in India, Anand's home turf.Ever since Iceland hosted the iconic Cold War match between Soviet Boris Spassky and American Bobby Fischer, it's been taken for granted that neutral ground is important in world championship encounters. But FIDE is a highly politicized organization where favours and patronage can often trump common sense.Carlsen wasn't happy with the decision, and he said so. "The lack of transparency, predictability and fairness is unfortunate for chess as a sport and for chess players," he said in a statement. Many feared the worst. After all, Carlsen had dropped out of the previous championship cycle over what he felt was unfairness in the rules.Soon after Carlsen's statement, the mayor of Paris submitted a bid to hold the tournament, offering 2.65 million euros and another 800,000 euros as a contribution to FIDE, a cheeky 10,000 more than the Chennai bid. "Paris is the city where FIDE was born and ever since, chess has been part of our cultural heritage," the mayor said.The Norwegian Chess Federation added its voice by protesting the process. But FIDE was not inclined to budge. Faced with the possibility of a world championship match without the world's top rated player, FIDE called Carlsen's bluff.And faced with the prospect of perpetual political in-fighting preventing him from ever winning the world championship, Carlsen gave in. He agreed to Chennai, and has set about preparing for the match.The tournament will be played Nov. 6-26, and is expected to draw the biggest online crowd in history. Though Anand has despatched Kramnik, Topalov and Gelfand in the last five years, he realizes this will be his toughest challenge ever. It's going to be an entertaining match.More here. Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar

By Frank 'Boy' PestañoChessmosoThursday, May 16, 2013ALMOST every titled player (GMs, IMs etc.) can be considered chess fanatics as they play and study almost every day and a great number rely on the game as their major source of income.This article is not about them but about famous people who excel in their professions and are world-famous.William Shakespeare (1564-1616) is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world’s pre-eminent dramatist.According to hall of famer Bill Wall, William Shakespeare must have been a chess fanatic. There are some hints in Shakespeare’s works that he was a true chess fa--he made reference to the game almost 70 times in his various plays.Shakespeare was already known as an avid chess player during his time. There is a painting entitled the “The Chess players” by famous artist Karel Van Mander around 1600, which shows Ben Jonson and Shakespeare playing chess.Around two decades ago a survey was made by leading historians and scientists on the 100 most influential people. Shakespeare was the only writer honored.Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968) is considered by many to be one of the most important artists of the 20th century. He was one of the founders of Dadaism, surrealism, and cubism.He was so obsessed with chess, he gave up art. His passion for chess was so overwhelming, that on his honeymoon he spent most of the time studying chess problems. After a week of arguments, his enraged bride went downstairs one night and glued all the pieces to the board. Surprisingly, the marriage lasted six months.In a letter, Marcel wrote “My attention is so completely absorbed by chess, I play day and night and nothing interest me more than finding the right move……I like painting less and less.” A friend said of him “, He needs a good game of chess like a baby needs a bottle.”Napoleon Bonaparte (1769 – 1821) was a French military and political leader who rose to prominence during the latter stages of the French Revolution.In the Café de la Regence, for 100 years, there was a table with a plaque saying ‘’Napoleon Bonaparte used to play in this table.” What it did not say was that the greatest military tactician, despite being a chess addict, was a mediocre player. His contemporaries said he was too impatient and too given to impetuous attacks.When he became emperor his opponents became tactful as he was getting a reputation as a bad-tempered loser. He also insisted on the touch move rule but only for his opponents.After Waterloo, he continued to play almost every day in St Helena on his exile.Humphrey Bogart (1899 – 1957) was an American actor and is widely regarded as an icon. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Bogart as the greatest male star in the history of American cinema.He was also probably the strongest chess player of all movie stars . He was obsessed by the game while still very young and during the great depression, when money was hard to come by he made a nice income by hustling up and down Broadway playing chess. Decades later, when he was already a big star, he still hustled chess in Hollywood but for much larger sums. One of his biographers says he rated his friends on their ability to play chess and hold liquor. He was adept at both.Winston Churchill is one of the great-might-have-beens of chess. As a 12-year-old he wrote,” Dear mamma, Do not forget to get the chess for me. I like the board to be red and white….”By the time he was 21 he was beginning to show signs of addiction. But other important matters occupied the great man and he never fulfilled his early promise and only played chess during his spare time. Source: http://www.sunstar.com.phChess Daily News from Susan Polgar

Russian Prisoners Take On Cook County Inmates In Chess MatchMay 15, 2013 12:29 PMCHICAGO (CBS) — This was not Boris Spassky vs. Bobby Fischer.First, it was a match between prison inmates, not world-class chess masters. Second, the Russians won this time. On Wednesday, former Russian World Chess champion Anatoli Karpov organized a chess tournament–a first-of-its-kind event between inmates in Russia and the Cook County Jail.The inmates at five Russian prisons, including one in Siberia, trounced the Cook County prisoners, 14.5 to 5.5.But that wasn’t really the point.Karpov, who has speaking from one of the prisons, said he was hoping to solve social problems through chess. Karpov has a connection to the man who heads the Cook County Jail chess program, Dr. Mikhail Korenman, a chess teacher here in Chicago. That’s what made the unusual international match possible.Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart said that for some inmates chess can be transformative.“The very process itself requires some to think, not in the immediate time, but down the road,” Dart said. “So it transforms the way people think.”Dart started the Cook County Jail chess program, with Korenman’s and Karpov’s help, last April. A Russian journalist asked Dart if there would be an incentive for winning, like getting out of jail early.“We are not that determined to win,” Dart said. Source: http://chicago.cbslocal.comChess Daily News from Susan Polgar

White to move. How should White proceed?Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar

Lê Quang Liêm luôn khát khao chinh ph?c Siêu ??i ki?n t??ng (?KT) Lê Quang Liêm quy?t tâm giành th? h?ng cao t?i Gi?i Vô ??ch C? vua châu Á 2013 ?? ?? ?i?u ki?n tham d? World Cup. Phóng viên: V?i thành ph?n hùng h?u, c? vua Vi?t Nam ??t m?c tiêu gì cho Gi?i Vô ??ch châu Á di?n ra t? ngày 18 ??n 27-5 ? Philippines? Liêm có ch? tiêu cho riêng mình? - Lê Quang Liêm: Chuy?n thi ??u này c?a c? vua Vi?t Nam không có quá nhi?u áp l?c, b?i ? m?c tiêu giành quy?n tham d? World Cup, 2 ??ng ??i Nguy?n Ng?c Tr??ng S?n và Nguy?n Th? Thanh An ?ã làm t?t ph?n vi?c c?a h? ? gi?i 3.2 h?i ??u n?m. Dù v?y, toàn ??i c?ng c? g?ng ?? có th? giành thêm quy?n tham d? ??u tr??ng th? gi?i, c?ng nh?m c?i thi?n th? h?ng ? c?p ?? châu l?c. Ngoài ch? tiêu giành quy?n ??n Na Uy d? World Cup c? vua vào tháng 8 t?i, b?n thân Liêm t? tr??c ??n nay c?ng ch?a có huy ch??ng t?i gi?i cá nhân châu Á (thành tích cao nh?t t?ng ??t là h?ng 5) nên s? ph?i c? g?ng nhi?u. V?i h? s? Elo hi?n t?i, nhi?u kh? n?ng Liêm s? có tên trong 3 h?t gi?ng cao nh?t c?a gi?i, vì th?, m?c ?? c?nh tranh s? càng t?ng cao khi các qu?c gia ??u c? ??n nh?ng k? th? hàng ??u. Liêm ?ang góp m?t ? nh?ng s? ki?n quan tr?ng c?a c? vua Vi?t Nam tr??c khi lên ???ng sang M? du h?c vào mùa thu t?i. Chuy?n h?c t?p v?n hóa c?a Liêm li?u có ?nh h??ng ??n vi?c t?p luy?n và thi ??u c? vua cho ??i tuy?n Vi?t Nam? - Khi thi ??u thành công ? 2 mùa gi?i Spice Cup, Liêm ???c ??i h?c Webster t?ng h?c b?ng du h?c t?i ?ây. Không th? tránh kh?i nh?ng ?nh h??ng nh?t ??nh n?u các gi?i ??u trùng v?i th?i gian h?c t?p nh?ng ch?c ch?n Liêm s? c? g?ng s?p x?p m?t cách hài hòa nh?t ?? v?a b?o ??m chuy?n h?c v?a làm tròn trách nhi?m c?a m?t thành viên ??i tuy?n Vi?t Nam. Liêm ???c bi?t là sinh viên c?a tr??ng không ???c phép v?ng quá nhi?u th?i gian h?c t?p nh?ng ??i v?i các gi?i ??u quy mô và t?m c? nh? World Cup, ASIAD hay Olympiad..., Liêm v?n có th? tr? v? tham d?. C?ng t?i Webster University có m?t ??i tuy?n c? vua sinh viên r?t m?nh do Susan Polgar (c?u vô ??ch n? c? vua th? gi?i) ph? trách nên s?n sàng t?o ?i?u ki?n cho các k? th? làm ngh?a v? qu?c gia. Ngoài ra, 3 tháng ngh? hè m?i n?m, Liêm ???c v? n??c nên s? ch? ??ng h?n trong vi?c s?p x?p tham d? các gi?i ??u. Liêm ?ã có d? ??nh gì sau khi hoàn thành ch??ng trình h?c ? Webster (University)? - Sau khi t?t nghi?p ??i h?c, Liêm d? ??nh s? quay v? Vi?t Nam làm vi?c theo chuyên ngành ???c ?ào t?o, ??ng th?i v?n ti?p t?c s? nghi?p thi ??u vì c? vua là ni?m ?am mê và b?n thân Liêm luôn khát khao chinh ph?c nh?ng ??nh cao m?i. Nh?ng n?m g?n ?ây, c? vua Vi?t Nam có nh?ng b??c ti?n r?t ?áng k?. Nhi?u l?a k? th? tr? có n?ng khi?u ???c ?ào t?o bài b?n, ??nh h??ng phát tri?n lâu dài, công tác t? ch?c thi ??u và chuyên môn c?ng ?ang trên ???ng chuyên nghi?p hóa... Liêm cho r?ng ?ây là nh?ng tín hi?u ?áng m?ng và cho th?y tri?n v?ng t??i sáng c?a c? vua Vi?t Nam n?u ???c ??u t? m?nh h?n n?a. V? ph?n mình, Liêm v?n luôn c? g?ng thi ??u t?t, tích l?y h? s? Elo ?? h??ng t?i m?c tiêu l?t vào nhóm 20 k? th? ??ng ??u th? gi?i.Source: http://us.24h.com.vnChess Daily News from Susan Polgar

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