CHESS NEWS BLOG: chessblog.com

Mateusz Bartel’s hat-trick in Polish Chess Championships

2012-02-27T07:19:00.001-05:00

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Hi everybody,

We have here the latest chess championship update from www.chessdom.com. Poland Chess Championships for men and women were held concurrently from 18th to 26th February at the Hotel Novotel Centrum in Warsaw.

Grandmaster Mateusz Bartel, winner of the recent Aeroflot Open, rounded up a trifecta in the Polish Championships as he won his third consecutive national title (and 4th overall). Bartel was also champion in 2006, 2010 and 2011. An impressive feat having in mind that all top Polish players regularly competed.

In an interview for Chessdom after the victory at the Aeroflot Open, Bartel expressed his doubts about the success in Warsaw. But he said he will try his best and relied on a bit of luck.

Bartel shared the first place with the 2009-champion Bartlomiej Macieja but took the trophy on better tie-break score.
Update: A two games mini-match (25′ + 10″ per move) was played to decide the champion. In case of 1-1 Bartel’s better tie-break would guarantee the title. He won the first game, so the 2nd one was not necessary. GM Kamil Miton earned the bronze medal with 6.5 points.

In the Women Championship IM Iweta Rajlich and WGM Joanna Majdan-Gajewska shared the first place with 6.0 points each. Rajlich was declared champion on better tie-break. Last year champion WGM Jolanta Zawadzka finished clear third with 5.5 points.

Mateusz Bartel

Men’s championship had a 9-round Swiss format with 24 players. Women’s championship was a 10-player round robin tournament.

Next event in Poland is Ferdynand Dziedzic Memorial on 4th March in Trzcianka.

Final standings (Men):1-2. GM Bartel Mateusz 2658 and GM Macieja Bartlomiej 2617 – 7.0
3. GM Miton Kamil 2623 – 6.5
4. GM Wojtaszek Radoslaw 2706 – 6.0
5. GM Moranda Wojciech 2568 – 5.5
6-10. GM Socko Bartosz 2636, IM Bulski Krzysztof 2523, GM Kempinski Robert 2610, IM Kuzmicz Krystian 2451 and GM Swiercz Dariusz 2583 – 5.0
11-13. GM Markowski Tomasz 2612, IM Hnydiuk Aleksander 2409 and IM Dragun Kamil 2420 – 4.5
14-18. GM Gajewski Grzegorz 2616, GM Mista Aleksander 2587, GM Jaracz Pawel 2542, FM Duda Jan-Krzysztof 2380 and FM Strzemiecki Zbigniew 2402 – 4.0
19-21. GM Tomczak Jacek 2543, IM Leniart Arkadiusz 2455 and GM Olszewski Michał 2539 – 3.5
22. IM Sieciechowicz Marcin 2459 – 3.0
23-24. IM Kolosowski Mateusz 2439 and IM Piorun Kacper 2520 – 2.0

Final standings (Women):
1-2. IM Rajlich Iweta 2428 and WGM Majdan-Gajewska Joanna 2387 – 6.0
3. WGM Zawadzka Jolanta 2358 – 5.5
4-7. WGM Jaracz Barbara 2281, WIM Worek Joanna 2234, WFM Kulon Klaudia 2238 and WGM Szczepkowska-Horowska Karina 2377 – 5.0
8. WFM Iwanow Anna 2180 – 3.5
9-10. Chrząszcz Malvina 2074 and WIM Matras-Clement Agnieszka 2305 – 2.0

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's

www.chessblog.com

Also see her personal blog at

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Portsmouth teacher brings donation, love of chess to Belize

2012-02-27T07:06:00.002-05:00

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Hi everyone,

When it comes to love of chess, a small effort, somewhere on the planet, actually makes a HUGE difference. You read a small piece of news about someone making a difference with chess and you feel happy in a special corner of your heart. Here is one such event. It might seem like no big deal but it is. Imagine the gift of chess for life to so many kids! Read on.

EJ Hersom/Staff photographer Steve Schulten monitors a match between his chess students Andrew Kelly, right, and Gage Karlin, left, Thursday at Little Harbour School in Portsmouth.

PORTSMOUTH— Although they speak different languages, elementary school students in Belize and Portsmouth are gaining exposure to one common subject because of a local teacher— the game of chess.

Steve Schulten, a physical education teacher at the Little Harbour Elementary School, helped to start the first chess club at Little Harbour in 1994. As the team coach, he meets weekly with an enthusiastic group of students. They all meet in the art room to take on chess puzzles before competing in the nearby cafeteria area.

Five years ago, Schulten participated in an international teaching program organized by the University of New Hampshire, which brought him to Belize during the week of February vacation. There, he met several chess enthusiasts who taught the game in elementary schools, but with limited resources. When Schulten returned to the United States, he began raising money from local chess enthusiasts to support the elementary school chess program in Belize. Schulten has returned to Belize each year since then, and the veteran teacher departed again on Saturday for his latest sojourn to the small Central American country.

This time, Schulten is carrying a sizable donation from seacoast area chess clubs, which will go to the Belize National Youth Chess Foundation, a group that encourages students to learn chess and provides scholarships for students to go attend high school.

EJ Hersom/Staff photographer Steve Schulten holds a check with his chess students Finn Garside, left, and Henry De Tolla, right, Thursday in Portsmouth. The money will go to scholarships for children in Belize.

Schulten will present the group with a $727 donation. The money was raised through the sale of a chess workbook, called Mystic Chess Quest, which was created by students in Belize in 2010. Schulten received the rights to reprint the book in the United States, and sold copies to members of local schools' chess clubs. The profits are earmarked for scholarships in Belize for students who play chess, and have passed the country's high school entrance exam, but can't afford to attend. According to Schulten, students in Belize finish their mandatory education after grade eight.

Schulten has provided more than 500 chess sets to the Belize National Youth Chess Foundation during his last five trips to the country, four as a student in the UNH program, and last year as a staff member. He has also volunteered his time to help teach students there to play the game. When he returned from his first trip, Schulten approached Ted Alex, a Portsmouth Rotary member, for fundraising assistance. Alex and the Rotary recently established a fund in memory of Alex's recently deceased son, Jeremy, who was a chess enthusiast. Alex and a friend, John Hebert, had already began a tradition of donating a chess set to every fourth grader in the city, sponsored by the Portsmouth Rotary.

When he returned to Belize the second year, Schulten brought 200 chess sets with him, using a donation from the Rotary. During the trip, he connected with Ella Anderson, the founder of the National Youth Chess Foundation. Before moving to Belize, Anderson helped to launch a chess initiative in New York City public schools. When she arrived in Brazil, Anderson realized the game could have "the same impact on a generation of kids who had very little to keep them off the streets and out of trouble," according to Schulten, and she started the foundation in 2007.

Each February for the last three years, Schulten has provided additional supplies with the help of Portsmouth families and the Rotary.

After 39 years as an educator, Schulten plans to retire at the end of the year. He's spent about half of his career helping students learn the game of a chess, a passion which he also learned at a young age. When he was in fifth grade, Schulten's grandfather taught him the fundamentals of the game, using a chess board Schulten still owns today. He became a regular chess player in college, and became coach of Little Harbour's first chess club when students expressed an interest in learning to play the game.

"It's a transforming game," he said. "It really is. It's more than a game. There's a mystique to chess that I feel, I sense," he said, "and I see it when I teach it kids, and I see it when kids learn it — it's an opportunity for kids to shine."

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
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Also see her personal blog at
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Charity chess tournament held to aid Fanconi Anemia research

2012-02-26T11:57:00.000-05:00

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Hi everyone,

Do you remember this post from last year? It is about Benjamin Morrison, a teenager who organises a chess tournament in memory of his sister Nina. Nina passed away due to Fanconi Anemia, a rare disease.

Help 14-year-old who holds chess tournament for medical research

The third annual Chess for FA tournament was organised this year too with great success. This year’s tournament was attended by eighteen participants from eight different schools throughout the Portland metro area. The tournament raised over $800 for the Fanconi Anemia Research Fund. The Fund will use the money to support research to find better treatments – and a cure – for Fanconi anemia, a rare genetic disease.

The tournament was, once again, NWSRS rated. The pairing program required for rating was donated by SwissSys. Prizes were donated by Jazzy Bagels, Off the Charts Games, iCandy, and Coldstone Creamery and food & beverages were donated by Wall Street Pizza and Odwalla Juice. Corbett School District donated the use of the tournament space.The tournament received publicity from the Outlook newspaper, Chess for Success and the Oregon Scholastic Chess Federation.

The tournament consisted of five rounds with Swiss system pairings. The tournament ended with four players all having four out of five possible points, Nathan Smith, Joshua Wentzel, Blaise Gilbride (the winner of the first Chess for FA tournament), and Dan Perry. One game in the first round, between Spencer Gilbride, Blaise’s older brother, and Austin DeWolfe, ended in a stalemate after Spencer promoted two pawns to knights. “I was having fun,” Spencer said after the game. “I wanted to have a giant army of knights.”

You can read the tournament website here.

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's

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2nd Ferdynand Dziedzic Chess Memorial in Trzcianka, Poland from March 4

2012-02-26T11:43:00.000-05:00

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Hello everyone,

The latest chess tournament update via www.chessdom.com is that the 2nd International Chess Memorial of Ferdynand Dziedzic will be held on 4th March at Żeromskiego St. 28 (sports hall) in Trzcianka, Poland.

The tournament is organized to commemorate Ferdynand Dziedzic, teacher, chess player, successful trainer, chess arbiter and creator of chess groups in Trzcianka. The tournament will be played over 9 rounds of Swiss system with 15 minutes per game for each player. In case of a tie on the first place there will be a tie-break to decide the single winner.

The organizers provide accommodation for players with the title of WGM/GM or with ELO rating 2500 (women ELO 2350), who signed in before 26th February. Reimbursement of travel expenses based on shown ticket (200 €) for players with ELO rating 2600, who signed in before 26th February.

Already 184 players are signed to take participation. Chess Evolution authors and Chessdom commentatorsArkadij Naiditsch and Kamil Miton have entered the competition.

The prize fund will be divided into 33 prizes. The winner takes 10,000 PLN (2,400 EUR). Full prize list on the official website.

Note about Ferdynand Dziedzic (PZSzach)

Top rated players:
GM Shirov Alexei LAT 2710
GM Moiseenko Alexander UKR 2706
GM Naiditsch Arkadij GER 2702
GM Mitoń Kamil POL 2623
GM Macieja Bartłomiej POL 2617
GM Gajewski Grzegorz POL 2616
GM Markowski Tomasz POL 2612
GM Krasenkow Michal POL 2607
GM Vovk Yuri UKR 2581
GM Cyborowski Łukasz POL 2548
GM Gdański Jacek POL 2541
GM Olszewski Michał POL 2539
IM Piorun Kacper POL 2520
GM Malaniuk Vladimir UKR 2512
IM Koziak Vitali UKR 2511
Ferdynand Dziedzic Memorial in Trzcianka, PolandFeb 26, 2012

The 2nd International Chess Memorial of Ferdynand Dziedzic will be held on 4th March at Żeromskiego St. 28 (sports hall) in Trzcianka, Poland.

The tournament is organized to commemorate Ferdynand Dziedzic, teacher, chess player, successful trainer, chess arbiter and creator of chess groups in Trzcianka.

The tournament will be played over 9 rounds of Swiss system with 15 minutes per game for each player. In case of a tie on the first place there will be a tie-break to decide the single winner.

The organizers provide accommodation for players with the title of WGM/GM or with ELO rating 2500 (women ELO 2350), who signed in before 26th February. Reimbursement of travel expenses based on shown ticket (200 €) for players with ELO rating 2600, who signed in before 26th February.

Already 184 players are signed to take participation. Chess Evolution authors and Chessdom commentatorsArkadij Naiditsch and Kamil Miton have entered the competition.

The prize fund will be divided into 33 prizes. The winner takes 10,000 PLN (2,400 EUR). Full prize list on the official website.

Note about Ferdynand Dziedzic (PZSzach)

Top rated players:
GM Shirov Alexei LAT 2710
GM Moiseenko Alexander UKR 2706
GM Naiditsch Arkadij GER 2702
GM Mitoń Kamil POL 2623
GM Macieja Bartłomiej POL 2617
GM Gajewski Grzegorz POL 2616
GM Markowski Tomasz POL 2612
GM Krasenkow Michal POL 2607
GM Vovk Yuri UKR 2581
GM Cyborowski Łukasz POL 2548
GM Gdański Jacek POL 2541
GM Olszewski Michał POL 2539
IM Piorun Kacper POL 2520
GM Malaniuk Vladimir UKR 2512
IM Koziak Vitali UKR 2511

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com

Exciting chess events in the Corsican Chess League calendar

2012-02-25T17:28:00.000-05:00

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Hello everyone,

We have some exciting events lined up during the Corsican Chess League calendar for 2012 with a number of important international competitions. The richest event in the terms of money prizes will be the 16th Corsican Circuit from 27th to 31st October in Bastia and Aiacciu. Finale du Grand Prix FFE is 60,000 EUR worth.

Press conference of the Corsican Chess League

But certainly the highlight of the year will be the visit of the Women’s World Champion Hou Yifan from China. The Match Of The Champions between Hou Yifan and 2011 European Women Champion Viktorija Cmilyte will be held on 21st and 22nd May in Porti Vechju.

The calendar also introduces the new 1st Open International
d’Aiacciu which will be held from 24th to 28th April in Aiacciu.

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
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Also see her personal blog at
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Secret to improving chess - comment all your games!

2012-02-25T16:21:00.002-05:00

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hello everyone,

Do you know that it is very important to comment your chess games to really improve? The best way to comment your games is with Chess King. Check out Chess King Video software tutorial #12 by Steve Lopez. You will learn how to comment your games, with move annotations and chess symbols. Chess King with Houdini 2 is an affordable and powerful chess software. With Chess King you can play chess, solve puzzles, analyze your games with the strongest engine available and have access to more than the 5 million game GigaKing database. At the moment there is a Coupon Code INTROKING50 that will let you save $50 from the list $99 price of Chess King at www.chess-king.com.

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
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Also see her personal blog at
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Funky chess photo for the weekend! Enjoy!

2012-02-25T16:12:00.002-05:00

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Hello everyone,

Here's a cool photo that qualifies as the chess photo of the weekend - if not the week. If you have a super, snazzy, funky, or mad chess photo to share - do send it to us.

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
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Swell chess video from Mexico!

2012-02-24T14:00:00.000-05:00

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Hello everyone,

We have a nice chess video sent to us by Chess Blog friend Ben Gracida - a filmmaker. He has been working on several projects and one of them is in collaboration with a chess club in Puebla, Mexico.

What is chess? There comes the eternal question again! Chess is like a game, like science... Go on watch the video and we would update you about the 'main project' by Jose Antonio Luna García and Alejandro Gallardo Macías soon. The music is Prud'Hommes by Cobra. The direction and editing by Ben Gracida.

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's

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Nice chess tournament in the land of falcons!

2012-02-24T12:40:00.003-05:00

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Hi everyone,

What's a falcon got to do with a chess tournament? You will find out by the end of this news item! The first international chess tournament in El Haouaria, Tunisia, would take place from March 17 to April 4. GM Nigel Short will be a guest for the first part of the festival and will give a simultaneous exhibition on 30 boards, on 16 March.

More than 120 players have already registred including a number of invited GMs and IMs. The tournament is supported by the Chess Federation of Tunisia. Playing hall - The Regional Falconers' Club of El Haouaria. You can find more information at the website: http://hammi.info/checkmat/

The Mediterranean fishing village El Haouaria is situated on the most northeastern tip of Tunisia, Cap Bon. It is the land of sea, cliffs, oranges, history and falcons. Because of its many aspects of natural beauty it is one of the most attractive areas of the country and it is called 'garden of Tunisia'. It is a resting place for migrating birds and it is popular for the breeding of falcons and the ancient sport of falconry.

The 1st Chess Festival in El Haouaria is initiated by local chess player IM Njili Kamel who is already planning a further chess event to take place in June.

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's

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Hou Yifan to play in Reykjavik Chess Open 2012

2012-02-24T12:14:00.001-05:00

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hello everyone,

Here is some exciting chess news for all fans of women's chess. Women's world chess champion Hou Yifan, from China, would play at the Reykjavik Open. The event begins on March 6 at Harpa Concert Hall - the spectacular waterfront concert hall in downtown Reykjavik.

She is the second reigning Women’s World Champion to take part in the history of the tournament. Nona Gaprindashvili played in the inaugural 1964 edition (won by Mikhail Tal).

Chess news website www.chessdom.com write, the arrival of Hou Yifan, who shared the first place in Gibraltar with Nigel Short, makes the roster of participants in Reykjavik even more interesting than before. The tournament already boasts world no. 7, Fabiano Caruana (2767), who will is the highest ranked player, followed by David Navara, the other 2700+ player in the tournament.

Hou Yifan in Gibraltar

Other registered players include Ukrainians Yuriy Kryvoruchko (2666), Yuriy Kuzubov (2616) and Vladimir Baklan (2612), which all have been among winners in recent years, the Bulgarian Ivan Cheparinov (2659),Gawain Jones (2653) from England, Robert Hess (2625) from USA, as well as the famous chess book author and theorist Boris Avrukh (2605) of Israel, who will hold a lecture for interested players during the tournament, and of course perennial participant and Iceland friend, Ivan Sokolov (2641), who has been among winners two last years.

There is already a record number of participants, both in terms of number of players (185) and countries represented (37)!

Hannes Stefansson (2534), the most successful player in Reykjavik Open history with five wins, Henrik Danielsen (2536) and Hjorvar Gretarsson (2470), who famously beat Shirov at the European Team Championship in Porto Carras, are among the home defending team of 72 Icelandic players.

There will be big media coverage from the tournament, including 12 games live during each round, in addition to live 30 minutes panel discussion at the end of each round, hosted by the ever entertaining English GM Simon Williams and Icelandic IM Bjorn Thorfinnsson.

There is more information about the Reykjavik Open at www.chess.is

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
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Also see her personal blog at
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Weekend chess cartoon

2012-02-24T08:05:00.002-05:00

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Hello everyone,

It's not weekend yet but you could prepare for the weekend with a chess cartoon! Better still go out and play chess with friends this weekend, or even hold a mini-tournament in the family. Let us know if you do.

We found it titled 'What would chess look like if it was played by Spartans against a Persian opponent?'

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
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Funky chess club promo cartoon!

2012-02-23T11:03:00.002-05:00

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Hello everyone,

We love all the creative chess videos sent to us by friends of Chess Blog. Have you sent yours?
Here's a cute promo for a chess club. Enjoy.

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
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Also see her personal blog at
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Congratulations to Nana Dzagnidze for winning the ACP Women's Chess Cup

2012-02-23T10:53:00.002-05:00

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Hello everyone,

Here is the final update from the very nice ACP Womens Chess Cup that just concluded in Tbilisi, Georgia. Congratulations to Nana Dzagnidze for a steady performance to win the tournament. Congratulations to all the beautiful girls with their equally beautiful chess who made the tournament a memorable one.

The last three rounds of the ACP Women Cup were played on Tuesday. Pia Cramling entered the final round as the sole leader, while Nana Dzagnidze and Katerina Lahno shared the second place half a point behind.

In the last round Pia Cramling made a quick draw in the game against Kateryna Lahno and then waited for the development in the game T. Kosintseva – Dzagnidze.

Georgian player scored the victory caught up with Pia Cramling on the shared first place. A tie-break match was set in order to determine a single winner.

Two blitz games of the tie-break match were drawn, thus the winner was to be decided in one final Armageddon game. Nana Dzagnidze managed to win the game and became the winner of the ACP Women Cup. ( News and photos by Anastasya Karlovich).

The closing ceremony was held in “Metehis Chrdili” restaurant. The players, Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs Lado Vardzelashvili, Director General of “SOCAR Energy Georgia” Mahir Mammedov, President of ACP Emil Sutovsky, President of GCF Giorgi Giorgadze, and other officials came to the awarding ceremony. Replay the games with computer analysis

The total prize fund of the event was 40,000 USD (10,000 USD for the first prize), provided by the main sponsor of the Georgian chess federation SOCAR Energy Georgia, Ltd.

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
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Le Quang Liem explains the tough life of a chess player!

2012-02-23T10:46:00.003-05:00

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Hello everyone,

We have here a nice interview with a talented young chess player - Le Quang Liem. His tough schedule is something all chess players are used to. But if you truly love chess then, every sacrifice is worth it!

A tight schedule that took him from one chess competition to the next, leaving him little time for rest and recovery in between, is the main reason for his two consecutive failures at recent international tournaments, local chess talent Le Quang Liem shared at a press briefing yesterday.

Earlier this month, Liem finished seventh at the Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival in the UK. Only a week later, he was in Russia to attend the 2012 Aeroflot Open, where he was expected to defend his championships won for two years in a row, 2010 and 2011. However, the Vietnamese chess grandmaster failed to retain the title and make a hat-trick.

“There was little time between the UK and Russia tournaments for me to relax and allow my mind and physical strength to recover,” he said. However, Liem confirmed he is ready for the coming International Chess Tournament HDBank Cup 2012, which will run from March 2–7, attracting nearly 100 players from Vietnam, China, Russia, India, Ukraine, and Gruzia.

After the failures in the last tournaments, Liem’s Elo rating dropped to 2,698 from 2,714, he said. “I will try my best at the HDBank cup to return to the group of chess players with Elo 2,700 and above.” Liem was the top seed in last year’s cup, but only concluded at the fourth place.

Prior to the opening of the HDBank Cup, Liem played multiple games with 20 amateur players who are his fans in Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday, none of whom could claim the satisfaction of beating their idol at his own game.

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's

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Also see her personal blog at

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How to prepare with Chess King and beat any opponent

2012-02-22T13:50:00.000-05:00

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Video Endorsement for Chess King Software by Chess Queen Alexandra Kosteniuk

Hello everyone,

Do you know that you could win a whole lot more chess games if you prepared with Chess King? Actually! Here is a Chess King tutorial.

Don't forget to check out all the Chess King video tutorials at the YouTube channel.

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
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Also see her personal blog at
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US Chess Championships to be held in May in St Louis

2012-02-22T13:34:00.001-05:00

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Hello everyone,

It's time for the US Chess Championships for 2012. The line-up is ready for both the men and women's sections. The event would be held from May 7 to May 20 in St. Louis. Grandmaster Gata Kamsky and International Master Anna Zatonskih each look to defend their respective titles against strong and determined fields.

Looking for a hat-trick

For the fourth consecutive year, these prestigious events will be held at Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis (CCSCSL).

The 2012 U.S. Championship will feature an elite field of 12 grandmasters and a guaranteed prize fund of more than $160,000. With an average USCF rating of 2714 according to the USCF’s January rating supplement, this marks the strongest field in the history of the event.

After sitting out of the 2011 U.S Championship, GM Hikaru Nakamura, ranked No. 6 in the world, has accepted an invitation to participate this year. Nakamura, 24, is seeking his third U.S. Championship title. GM Yasser Seirawan, who came out of retirement to play in last year’s U.S. Championship, has accepted the final invitation for the U.S. Championship. Seirawan had a stellar performance at the 2011 World Team Championship in Ningbo, China, where he defeated three top-30 players on his way to a silver medal performance.

The field for the 2012 U.S. Championship is as follows:GM Hikaru Namamura (2848)
GM Gata Kamsky (2804)
GM Alexander Onischuk (2736)
GM Yasser Seirawan (2723)
GM Robert Hess (2717)
GM Varuzhan Akobian (2709)
GM Alexander Stripunsky (2700)
GM Ray Robson (2674)
GM Alejandro Ramirez (2668)
GM Yury Shulman (2666)
GM Aleksandr Lenderman (2665)
GM Gregory Kaidanov (2658)
The CCSCSL also will sponsor the “$64K Fischer Bonus,” to be awarded to anyone that scores a perfect 11-0 in the U.S. Championship, in honor of Bobby Fischer’s 11-0 result at the 1963-64 U.S. Championship.

Woman Grandmaster (WGM) Camilla Baginskaite, the 2000 U.S. Women’s Champion, and 17-year-old Alena Kats, who was the youngest female to become a master in 2010 at age 15, have accepted the final two invitations for the Women’s event. The 2012 U.S. Women’s Championship will feature a guaranteed prize fund of $64,000 and 10 players, including:

IM Anna Zatonskih (2563)
IM Irina Krush (2500)
WGM Camilla Baginskaite (2419)
WGM Sabina Foisor (2413)
WGM Tatev Abrahamyan (2350)
WIM Viktorija Ni (2349)
IM Rusudan Goletiani (2337)
FM Alisa Melekhina (2321)
WIM Iryna Zenyuk (2298)
NM Alena Kats (2233).
Tickets for the opening ceremony, which will take place on May 7, and the closing ceremony, scheduled for May 20, will be available soon. Round one for each event begins on May 8.

The U.S. Championship and the U.S. Women’s Championship will both be classic round-robin tournaments, in which each participant will play every other participant exactly once. You can access the official website at this link: www.uschesschamps.com.

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's

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Also see her personal blog at

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Fiji's biggest-ever chess tournament to be held in May

2012-02-22T13:04:00.000-05:00

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Hello everyone,

Here is the latest tournament chess update from www.chessdom.com. The first Fiji International Open Chess Championship, to be held May 5-12, 2012, is set to become the biggest tournament in Fiji chess history.

Peninsula International Hotel Fiji

With airfares to Fiji with both http://www.airpacific.com/ and http://www.virginaustralia.com at historic lows, big turnouts are expected from Fiji’s neighbours in Australia, New Zealand and Asia. In addition, all Fiji’s top players are expected to compete for the record $F10,000 prize fund (approx 4300 EUR).
Venue: Peninsula International Hotel, Suva, Fiji
Format & Time Control: 9-Round Swiss with time control of 90 minute plus 30 seconds per move from move one.
Entry Fees:
The entry fee will be F$250 (approx A$135/NZ$175). Free entry for GM, IM, WGM, WIM. There will be a discount of 20% on entry fee for those who register on or before 31 March 2012.

Prizes:
Guaranteed minimum total of FJD $10000 as follows:
1st – $3000, 2nd- $2000, 3rd- $1500, 4th – $1000, 5th – $700, 6th – $500, 7th – $300. Best female – $500. Best local player: 1st – $300, 2nd – $200. Trophies will also be awarded to the top winners (men & women). Prize money will be shared equally among tied players.
Tie-Breaks:
Direct encounter (result between tied players)
Sum of Progressive Score
Solkoff Score (Sum of Opponents Score)
15-Minute Rapid Games
Chief Arbiter: FA Krishneel Nair

Accommodation:
The Fiji Chess Federation has reserved rooms at the new look 3-star Peninsula International Hotel located in the heart of Suva at the following rates (Fiji dollars): Standard Rooms (Single –$120, Double/Twin-$140), Superior Standard Rooms (Single-$130, Double/Twin- $150), Deluxe Rooms (single-$160, Double/Twin-$190), Superior Deluxe Rooms (Single- $220, Double/Twin- F$250).
Deluxe and Superior Deluxe room rates are inclusive of Continental breakfast. All room rates inclusive of value added tax (VAT) and services turnover tax (STT).A 10% discount in room rates will apply for bookings made in advance through the Fiji Chess Federation. A 50% deposit for hotel accommodation at least two weeks before arrival applies.
Payments for entry fee and hotel deposits should be made by bank transfer to the Oceania Chess Fund, BSP Dominion House, Bank of South Pacific (BSP), A/C No. 3104155, Swift Code: Payment by bank draft can be posted to the above P.O. Box address.
Detailed information about the tournament venue is available at: http://www.peninsula.com.fj/

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US Chess invites applications for scholar chessplayer award

2012-02-22T12:07:00.000-05:00

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Hello everyone,

If you are a high school junior or senior looking for scholarship money, you could apply for the 2012 Scholar Chessplayer Award! Hurry, last date is March 1.

Andrew Shvartsman

Last Year’s (2011) Scholar-Chessplayer Award Recipients were:

Chaz Daly, FL
Andrew Ng, NJ
Eigen Wang, NY
Kevin Zhang, AZ
Andrew Shvartsman, NJ

Qualifications

If you are also a current USCF member and have shown outstanding merit in academics, sportsmanship, and chess, you are eligible to apply for a 2012 National Scholar-Chessplayer Award.
A total of five scholarships are available of $1,500.00 each for a total of $7,500.00 in scholarship money.

These annual scholarships awarded by the U.S. Chess Trust and the USCF, are intended to recognize and encourage high school students who promote a positive image of chess.

Applications are available online.
2012 Scholar Chessplayer Application – CLICK TO DOWNLOAD

Contact Susan Houston at the Scholastic Department of the USCF Office, (931) 787-1234 x136 or email shouston@uschess.org with any questions.
Applicants: Submit FIVE copies of each of the following – OR ONE copy if sent as an email attachment in Word, PDF, or jpeg formats (email submission is preferred):
Completed application form
High School Transcript showing all courses and grades
Letter of recommendation from a teacher
Letter of recommendation from a chess coach
An essay of no more than 500 words describing the positive influence that chess has had on your life
A recent photograph of yourself – submit ONLY as a high quality jpeg photo.
Your application must be postmarked no later than March 1st, 2012.

Incomplete applications will not be accepted. Send completed applications to:

U.S. Chess Federation
Attn: Scholastic Department – SCA
P.O. Box 3967
Crossville, TN 38557-3967

OR Email Attention: Susan Houston at shouston@uschess.org. E-mail submissions are preferred.

Good luck to all the chessplayers!

How the U.S. Chess Trust Makes a Difference

Thanks to the generosity of it’s long-time supporters, the U.S. Chess Trust continues to fund many wonderful programs including the Scholar-Chessplayer Awards.

Donations to the U.S. Chess Trust are tax-deductible. The U.S. Chess Trust is a 501(c)(3) organization.

Special thanks to the National Scholastic Chess Foundation for their contribution to this program.

The U.S. Chess Trust is an independent 501(c)(3), non-profit organization.

Created in 1967, the Trust was organized to promote, stimulate and encourage the study and play of the game of chess as a means of intellectual development. The Trust uses its resources for charitable purposes, including social, educational, scientific, historical endeavors. The U.S. Chess Trust takes an active role in supporting chess education programs across the nation. Our Trustees act without compensation, and are dedicated to the U.S. Chess Trust’s mission.

For more information about the U.S. Chess Trust please visit: www.uschesstrust.org.

The United States Chess Federation (USCF), founded in 1939, serves as the governing body for chess in the United States and is now headquartered in Crossville, Tennessee. USCF is devoted to extending the role of chess in American society. It promotes the study and knowledge of the game of chess, for its own sake as an art and enjoyment, and as a means for the improvement of society. The USCF is a not-for-profit membership organization with over 80,000 members.

For additional information on the USCF see: http://www.uschess.org.

The National Scholastic Chess Foundation (NSCF) is a non-profit foundation organized for educational purposes under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The NSCF was created in 1991 as a merger between the Westchester Chess Foundation (founded in 1985) and the Fairfield County Chess Foundation. The Executive Director of the NSCF is FIDE Master Sunil Weeramantry.

For additional information on the NSCF see: www.nscfchess.org.

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Cool chess event to honour coach Bruce Pandolfini

2012-02-22T11:41:00.001-05:00

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Hello everyone,

Remember chess coach Bruce Pandolfini? Yes, the same Bruce Pandolfini who has written several chess books and who was in the movie 'Searching for Bobby Fischer' (played by Ben Kingsley). For The 11th Annual ChessFest, students are invited to match wits with the UT Dallas chess team and to attend a talk from one of the world’s most recognized chess coaches.

National chess master Bruce Pandolfini has written dozens of instruction books and is a highly sought after chess teacher. To the general public he is most recognizable for the 1993 film Searching for Bobby Fischer. In the movie, actor Ben Kingsley plays Pandolfini, who was the mentor for chess prodigy Josh Waitzkin.

Pandolfini will deliver “How I Became A Professional Chess Teacher” on Thursday at 7 p.m. in the library’s McDermott Suite.

Leading up to that event, UT Dallas Grandmaster Julio Sadorra will play blindfolded against challengers in Chess Plaza on Wednesday at 11 a.m. The plaza is located between the Student Services Building and The Naveen Jindal School of Management. This free event features a set of giant chess pieces, aptly named “Chess Grande.”

Members of the internationally competitive chess team will also illustrate some famous games in chess history. Grandmaster Julio Sadorra of the UT Dallas chess team will play blindfolded against challengers in Chess Plaza.

ChessFest is a collaboration and celebration of chess organized annually by UT Dallas’ Chess Program and the Eugene McDermott Library. After his talk, Pandolfini will receive the UT Dallas Chess Educator of the Year Award. Past chess luminaries who have received the award are Dr. Stephen Lipschultz, 2009, Dr. Jonathan Rowson, 2010, and Elizabeth Shaughnessy, 2011.

Pandolfini is one of the founders of the Chess-In-The-Schools program in New York and the creator of the Fireside Chess Library. His books include The ABCs of Chess: Invaluable, Detailed Lessons for Players at All Levels, and Chess Target Practice: Battle Tactics for Every Square on the Board. He is also a columnist for Chess Life, a popular publication for chess enthusiasts.

His legacy includes his role as an analyst for PBS’s coverage of the 1972 classic match between chess immortals Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky.

“We are greatly pleased to welcome an honoree with such a legendary reputation as Bruce Pandolfini to UT Dallas,” said Jim Stallings, UT Dallas’ chess program director.

“His approach is to teach students how to think. In Pandolfini’s own words, he teaches how ‘to read other people and to understand oneself.’”

The public is invited to a free reception Thursday at 6:15 p.m. To RSVP, send an email to Jim Stallings at james.stallings@utdallas.edu or call 972- 883-4899.

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
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Aeroflot chess blitz videos

2012-02-22T11:26:00.000-05:00

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Hello everyone,

Did you follow our Aeroflot Chess updates? Sergey Karjakin Wins Aeroflot Chess Blitz 2012! Well, here are some great videos from the event uploaded by Eugene Potemkin and Sergey Sorokhtin. You can click on the names to access their full YouTube channels for all the videos. Meanwhile, here are some cool videos uploaded by the duo.

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
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World Chess Championship 2012 Anand vs Gelfand website up

2012-02-22T09:50:00.003-05:00

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Hello everyone,

We've found a website for the upcoming World Chess Championship 2012 between reigning champion Viswanathan Anand and challenger Boris Gelfand. The site lists the following schedule for the event. We think it's the official website for the event. For now, there's a poll for visitors, the twitter link for Anand's account, player profiles and basic details.

May 10, 2012 OPENING CEREMONY
May 11, 2012 GAME 1
May 12, 2012 GAME 2
May 13, 2012 REST DAY
May 14, 2012 GAME 3
May 15, 2012 GAME 4
May 16, 2012 REST DAY
May 17, 2012 GAME 5
May 18, 2012 GAME 6
May 19, 2012 REST DAY
May 20, 2012 GAME 7
May 21, 2012 GAME 8
May 22, 2012 REST DAY
May 23, 2012 GAME 9
May 24, 2012 GAME 10
May 25, 2012 REST DAY
May 26, 2012 GAME 11
May 27, 2012 REST DAY
May 28, 2012 GAME 12
May 29, 2012 REST DAY
May 30, 2012 TIE-BREAK GAMES
May 31, 2012 CLOSING CEREMONY

We're keeping track of the developments for you. Stay tuned right here at Chess Blog for more updates on the big event.

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
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We Are All Made of Stars - chess video!

2012-02-21T16:00:00.000-05:00

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Hello everyone,

Got a special chess video you made? Here is one for all those who love music and chess. Don't forget to send us your videos.

Of course, this is a student video made on 'We are all made of stars'. The original song is by American electronica musician Moby, released as the first single from his 2002 studio album 18. It was the most popular song on the album, reaching number eleven on the UK Singles Chart. The song was also featured on the 2008 album Songs for Tibet an initiative to support Tibet, Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso, and to underline the human rights situation in Tibet.

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
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Tuesday Chess King Show!

2012-02-21T15:34:00.000-05:00

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Video Endorsement for Chess King Software by Chess Queen Alexandra Kosteniuk

Hello everyone,

We have a special Chess King Show for you this Tuesday. It's an old game and we hope you would enjoy it! Don't forget to set up your own 'private date' with Chess King here - if you haven't already!

Dubois Serafino (ITA) - Steinitz Wilhelm (CZE)

Result: 0-1

Site: London (England)

Date: 1862

[...] 1.e4 e5 2.¤f3 ¤c6 3.¥c4 ¥c5 4.O-O d6 5.d3 ¤f6 6.¥g5 h6 7.¥h4 g5 8.¥g3 h5 9.h4 ¥g4 10.c3 £d7 11.d4 exd4 12.e5 dxe5 13.¥xe5 ¤xe5 14.¤xe5 £f5 15.¤xg4 hxg4 16.¥d3 £d5 17.b4 O-O-O 18.c4 £c6 19.bxc5 ¦xh4 20.f3 ¦dh8 21.fxg4 £e8 22.£e1 £e3+ 23.£xe3 dxe3 24.g3 ¦h1+ 25.¢g2 ¦8h2+ 26.¢f3 ¦xf1+ 27.¥xf1 ¦f2+ 28.¢xe3 ¦xf1 29.a4 ¢d7 30.¢d3 ¤xg4 31.¢c3 ¤e3 32.¦a2 ¦xb1 33.¦d2+ ¢c6 34.¦e2 ¦c1+ 35.¢d2 ¦c2+ 36.¢xe3 ¦xe2+ 37.¢xe2 f5 38.¢e3 ¢xc5 39.¢d3 f4

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Miroslav Markovic wins Central Serbia Chess Open

2012-02-21T15:22:00.002-05:00

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Hello everyone,

GM Miroslav Markovic has won the Central Serbia Chess Open Championship. The 2012 Central Serbia Open Chess Championship was held from February 13-19 in Pozarevac. A total of 70 chess players took part in the event that included nine rounds.

GM Miroslav Markovic, 1998 Yugoslav champion and world top-100 player in 1999, won the even with 7.5 points - a full point ahead of the rest of the field. The second place was shared between two veterans, 61-years old captain of the national team GM Bosko Abramovic and 66-years old Slobodan Martinovic, and a lady – WGM Andjelija Stojanovic, three-times women champion of Serbia.

Abramovic had the best tie-break score and therefore qualifies for the 2012 Serbian championship, together with the winner Markovic. Full standings bellow.

Earlier, Grandmasters Dejan Pikula and Danilo Milanovic qualified for the 2012 Serbian championship by taking the top two places in the Belgrade Chess Championship 2012.

Top final standings:

1 GM Markovic Miroslav SRB 2460 – 7.5
2 GM Abramovic Bosko SRB 2447 – 6.5
3 GM Martinovic Slobodan SRB 2429 – 6.5
4 WGM Stojanovic Andjelija SRB 2297 – 6.5
5 GM Cabrilo Goran SRB 2471 – 6
6 FM Vujic Mihailo SRB 2329 – 6
7 GM Rajkovic Dusan SRB 2422 – 6
8 GM Kosanovic Goran A SRB 2362 – 6
9 GM Pap Misa SRB 2512 – 6
10 GM Todorovic Goran M SRB 2509 – 6
11 FM Todorovic Bojan SRB 2289 – 6
12 Radovanovic Dusan SRB 2367 – 5.5
13 Dudukovic Nikola SRB 2275 – 5.5
14 GM Savic Miodrag R SRB 2535 – 5.5
15 Nenezic Marko SRB 2356 – 5.5
16 FM Sorgic Dragan SRB 2242 – 5.5
17 FM Stojkovic Miroljub SRB 2235 – 5.5
18 FM Sekulic Dusan SRB 2312 – 5.5
19 Garic Radomir SRB 2274 – 5.5

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
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Tretyakov Gallery is venue for World Chess Championship 2012

2012-02-21T15:09:00.000-05:00

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Hello everyone,

This is the latest news from Fide about the World Chess Championship coming up in May between the current champion Vishy Anand and challenger Boris Gelfand.

On Monday, February 20th, a ceremony of signing a contract between the Russian Chess Federation and a worldwide known Museum Tretyakov Gallery took place.

The Tretyakov Gallery will be a venue for the World Chess Championship match this May. FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov attended the ceremony. There was a briefing after the signing with the participation of Mr. Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, Mr A. Dvorkovich, Chairman of the RCF Supervisory Board, Mrs. Irina Lebedeva, Tretyakov Gallery Director, Mr. A. Filatov, the WCCM sponsor and Mr. I. Levitov, FIDE Vice-President.

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