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hosted by Chess Queen™ & 12th Women's World Chess Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Russian Chess Trivia: Huge Rose Bouquet for Kasparov - Where, When and Why?
Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hello everyone, Here is a photo of legendary former World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov. The weekend chess trivia question is when was this photo taken, where, and what has Kasparov won? If you have been following chess news on a regular basis, you could link it to a special event in Russia this week! Difficult Chess Trivia Question: What is this event that reminded us of this photo? Happy chess-y guessing this weekend. you can find the answer at ChessQueen.com. (P.S. This photo is from a huge collection of super chess photos from www.chesspics.com.)
'The Machine' Kasparov vs Chess Computer Drama Premieres Today at Park Avenue Armory
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
Art: Aka
The U.S. premiere of Matt Charman's 'The Machine', a large-scale, high-tech dramatic staging of the 1997 chess match between chess phenomenon Garry Kasparov and the IBM computer Deep Blue, begins performances Sept. 4 at the Park Avenue Armory.
Donmar Warehouse artistic director Josie Rourke directs the piece that stars Hadley Fraser ("Les Misérables," The Phantom of the Opera, The Pirate Queen) as phenom Kasparov.
The Machine premiered July 10-21 at the Manchester International Festival. It will play a limited New York run through Sept. 18 in the Armory's expansive Wade Thompson Drill Hall.
The cast also includes Kenneth Lee ("Delocated") as Doctor Hsu, Lorenzo Allchurch, Antonia Bernath, Cornelius Booth, Nicholas Croucher, Daniel Harries, Rob Lines, David Mumeni, Phil Nichol, John Ramm, Lucille Sharp, Brian Sills and Trevor White.
Here's how it's billed: "In 1997, Garry Kasparov, the world’s greatest chess player, arrived in New York City for the biggest match of his life. His opponent wasn't a fellow Grandmaster but a faceless super-computer, Deep Blue, built by tech-giant IBM. The man versus machine match was IBM’s bid to raise its profile and its stock price. An international celebrity and the undisputed master of his art, Kasparov came to America for freedom and glory. What he didn't expect to confront was the lifelong dedication of another man, Deep Blue's wunderkind inventor Doctor Hsu. Both geniuses, they staked their reputations on the tournament. What followed was one of the most compelling stories of our time. The production will use the unique scale and epic beauty of the Armory to explore this clash of breathtaking human genius with matchless computer power."
The Machine has physical design by Lucy Osborne, lighting design by Mark Henderson, sound design by Ian Dickinson, choreography by Jonathan Watkins and video design by Andrzej Goulding. For tickets visit armoryonpark.org. The Park Avenue Armory is located at 643 Park Avenue. From Alexandra Kosteniuk's www.chessblog.com Also see her personal blog at www.chessqueen.com Don't miss Chess Queen™ YouTube Channel
Executives' Chess Congress at Western Kentucky - Creative New Concept!
Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013
Hi everyone,
Here is an interesting new chess event: A Leadership Congress Catering to the Enhancement of Presidents, Senior Executives, and Professionals
A master looks at every move he would like to make, even the impossible ones. – Garry Kasparov
The above quote illustrates one of the most admirable qualities of top-level chess players. Grandmasters don't just memorize vast amounts of material, they have an innate ability to look at a situation, come up with a number of potential solutions, and make the right decision that ultimately leads them to victory, writes Samuel J. Hunt, CEO, Game of Kings, LLC, President, WKU MasterMind Chess Club, Ed.D. Student, Western Kentucky University.
"I would like to personally invite you to join other top C-level executives and thought-leaders from 20 nations to the inaugural Executive Chess Congress at Western Kentucky University. This special event will be held on April 9-14, 2014 with the objective of establishing a forum for executives to enhance their leadership and decision making skills and to promote the power of the chess network as a method for achieving increased success."
The itinerary for the first two days of the event includes discussions from respected experts in the fields of technology, finance, business strategy, and education. The third day will feature a keynote address by GM Magnus Carlsen, who will also participate in a simul exhibition after a formal dinner. In addition, the event will include various breakout sessions with opportunities to network with colleagues and apply chess learning to solve business issues. Executive seminar speakers include: Mr. Bob Rice, Mr. Dinesh D'Souza, Ms. Tea Lanchava, Dr. Joseph Cangemi, and Mr. Jim Egerton.
On the final day, you will have the opportunity to participate in distinguished workshops sponsored by the WKU Gordon Ford College of Business or in an Executive Chess Tournament. Valuable prize packages worth over $27,000 will be offered to those who finish in the top four positions!
"As an accomplished chess player and leader, I'm confident that you will see the value of this endeavor. This event will help further the success of attendees while fulfilling the mission of providing player-scholars with a path towards chess mastery and future employment opportunities," writes Hunt.
The Machine - Chess Play Premiere in Manchester; Hadley Fraser as Garry Kasparov
Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013
Hi everyone,
Philip Radcliffe writes about the premier of chess play 'The Machine' in Manchester this Sunday. First up is the neat chess scene (before you read the rest of the review).
Checkmated: Hadley Fraser as Garry Kasparov in 'The Machine' Photo: Helen Maybanks
It isn’t so much man versus machine as man versus the man behind the machine. Famously, in 1997 the Russian chess grandmaster and world champion Garry Kasparov faced IBM's supercomputer RS/600SP, known as Deep Blue, in New York City. But behind the faceless machine was another genius, its Taiwan-born architect Dr Fen Hsiung Hsu. Both had much at stake – and not just a game of chess. Kasparov sought undisputed supremacy in the face of an opponent programmed – and reprogrammed between games – by a team of scientists and chess experts. Hsu sought to fulfil a computer scientist’s dream. And IBM sought supremacy for commercial gain.
World Chess Match 2013: I will Train Very Seriously, Says Vishy Anand
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hi everyone,
World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand has said he would try to understand how his next challenger World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen is going to play, but is not bothered about who is going to train Carlsen for the upcoming World Title match even if it is legendary 13th World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov.
Viswanathan Anand was speaking in a special interview given to Russian news site RIA Novosti's Viktor Ivanov. Anand said, "I believe that my opponent - a strong chess player, his results speak for themselves. I will train very seriously before our meeting with him and will do everything possible to win."
Anand also said, "My match preparation would cover Carlsen's games and I am trying to understand my opponent. After that I will decide how to proceed. Of course, there will be a team that will help me prepare for the match though I cannot yet tell you about my second."
In reference to rumours about 13th World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov training Magnus Carlsen, a confident Anand said, "Both of us will naturally have a team to help us prepare for the match, but I am not paying all that attention to who is in which team."Regarding the venue being Chennai for the World Chess Championship 2013, Viswanathan Anand said, "I was very happy even last year when there were prospects of Chennai being the venue for my previous (World Chess Championship 2012) match against Boris Gelfand. This time, if Chennai is the venue, I think it will be a powerful incentive for the development of chess in my state and my country. Personally, first of all it is important just to feel comfortable and to be able to fully concentrate on chess."
When asked about what could be the deciding factors in the forthcoming match particularly considering Carlsen has less experience at that level than Anand, the World Chess Champion said, "In theory, such an experience can really help in an important game. Each of us have our advantages. But not enough just to have them, you should be able to use them. I have experience, I've played these games before, but now the problem is different: to apply them correctly and that would help."
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013 Hi everyone,
12th Women's World Chess Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk with 13th World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov. Photo: www.chesspics.com.
Thirteenth World Chess Champion Garry Kimovich Kasparov is celebrating his 50th birthday on April 13. We wish him many happy returns of the day and may chess continue to fulfill him always. Born Garik Kimovich Weinstein on April 13, 1963, he is now also a writer and political activist. Kasparov became the youngest ever undisputed World Chess Champion in 1985 at the age of 22 by defeating then-champion Anatoly Karpov. He held the official FIDE world title until 1993. He continued to hold the "Classical" World Chess Championship until his defeat by Vladimir Kramnik in 2000. He was the first world champion to lose a match to a computer under standard time controls, when he lost to Deep Blue in 1997. Read more at this Garry Kasparov wikipedia page.
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013 Hi everyone,
Local children create a living chess game at Lambert's Point Community Center in Norfolk Thursday afternoon, April 11, 2013 watched by chess prodigy Phiona Mutesi of Uganda.The game was hosted by the Norfolk Initiative for Chess Excellence and ODU art students. (Bill Tiernan | The Virginian-Pilot)
Sarah Hutchins has written a nice report on Phiona Mutesi's visit to Norfolk. Phiona's chess tours are inspiring everyone around the world, but hopefully more so in Uganda, her home country. You can read all Chess Blog posts on Phiona Mutesi at this Chess Blog link.
Here is what Hutchins writes: It was hunger that drove Phiona Mutesi to chess. And it was chess that drove the 17-year-old Ugandan everywhere else.
Mutesi, a rising female chess star, was in town Thursday, sharing with students at three area schools her story of overcoming poverty with perseverance. Mutesi grew up in the slums of Kampala. She was 3 when her father died of AIDS. A few years later, she dropped out of school to help her mother. She saw her first chess game while following her brother in pursuit of something to eat.
She started playing the game and slowly began to beat the boys. In 2010, she competed in the World Chess Olympiad in Russia. She has also won the Women's Junior Chess Championship of Uganda multiple times. The mouths of several Booker T. Washington students hung open in amazement when Mutesi told them how young she was.
"Dang," said a girl sitting near the chess champion.
During her visit, Mutesi rarely talked chess strategy. The high school students, some of whom play on the school's chess team, got wide-eyed when she told them she played Garry Kasparov, one of the greatest players of all time.
Uganda Chess Talent Phiona Mutesi Meets Garry Kasparov - Video
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hi everyone,
Chess Blog had recently posted that Uganda chess talent Phiona Mutesi would be meeting billionaire Bill Gates, former world chess champion Garry Kasparov and chat show superstar Oprah Winfrey. Here is the Daily Beast video of Phiona Mutesi getting to play Garry Kasparov. You can read all previous Chess Blog posts on Phiona Mutesi at this link.
Magnus Carlsen "Really Satisfied with 2012 Performance"!
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen has blogged that he is happy with his chess in 2012. He writes: "Looking back at 2012 on New Year’s eve, I’m really satisfied with my chess results. Compared to former years, I played much less though." The World No. 1, of course, broke Garry Kasparov's all-time rating record in December at the London Chess Classic 2012.
"In retrospect the long brake between Tata Steel Chess in January and Tal Memorial in June made me somewhat rusty. Maybe it was not a bad idea anyhow, as it provided ample time for restitution and other interesting activities. I’ve felt energized and highly motivated from June throughout the year.
"The 50 classical games I’ve played in 2012 resulted in three tournament victories (Tal, Sao Paulo/Bilbao and the London Classics), 2nd place in Biel, and shared 2nd in Tata Steel Chess. The 2012 score of +19=29-2 or 67% overall is probably the highest I’ve had ever, and certainly the highest since joining elite level tournaments late 2006. Ratingwise, the +3, +2, +4, +3 and +5 scores have brought consistent progress from 2835 in January to an expected 2861 in January 2013, and I’ve stayed the no 1 rated player throughout the year.
"Apart from the classical tournaments I came 2nd in both the Rapid and Blitz World Championships and won the Mexico City Rapid/Blindfold. I’ve enjoyed the cooperation with my main sponsors Arctic Securities, Simonsen Law and newspaper/media VG, and taken part in some great events in the US. Next year will probably be busier with regard to tournaments. In 10 days time I’ll travel to Wijk aan Zee for the 10th year in a row! I look forward to playing Tata Steel Chess 2013 and can only think of one proper way to celebrate the 10 year anniversary☺ After Tata I’ll travel to Las Vegas for the Parallels Summit 2013 early February. The rest of February and all of March I’ll be busy with the Candidates in London, and in May there’s the Norway Chess tournament in Stavanger! Last but not least, I’d like to thank my main sponsors, previous sponsors, trainers and seconds, tournament organisers in Norway and abroad, my manager Espen and my family, and everyone else that has contributed to my chess results in 2012!"
World Chess Highest-Ever Rating Record Goes to Magnus Carlsen: Fide Makes it Official
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen had, at the London Chess Classic 2012, broken former World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov's all-time high rating record of 2851. The achievement now finds space in history with Fide releasing the month's rating list on January 1, 2013. Carlsen earned 13 points for his hard work at the London Chess Classic 2012. Russia's Vladimir Kramnik is now in second spot! Here are the top-50 lists. For complete rating lists, visit Fide's rating site links.
Exhibition Chess Match in Macau: Kasparov vs Chinese Chess Woman Master
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
João Riquito and the Konstantin Bessmertny-designed special chess set
Former World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov is going to play a chess exhibition match in Macau against Xiong Junyang, a woman Chinese chess master and two-time winner of the Chinese National Chess Championship in the junior category. Junyang resides in Macau. The match is being organised by the 'Riquito Advogados” solicitors’ office and is scheduled for December 2, at the University Library of the University of Macau. The event is part of a series of activities as João Riquito, who himself is a passionate chess player, believes “there are more interesting things to do than to deal with the law.”
Kasparov will also lecture on “The theory of decisions” on December 1 in Macau. The chess match is special also because it will be played on an artistic chessboard which has been conceived by Russian painter and sculptor Konstantin Bessmertny, who works in Macau. “Each piece is different and unique.” The sculpted pieces include “a Churchill, a Napoleon, a Cesar, and the hands of a pianist”. Mr Riquito commissioned the artwork in 2009 and obtained it from the artist in 2011. The board is on exhibition in the university hall and the exhibition match will also be artistically choreographed. The organisers have particularly said it's not a commercial event.
Fide Chess Rating List Nov 2012: Carlsen Leads, Aronian 33 Points Behind
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012 Hi everyone, Magnus Carlsen, World No. 1 from Norway, is just three points away from former World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov's all-time high rating point of 2851 recorded in July 1. This is according to the November 1 Fide rating list. Coming up is the London Chess Classic for Carlsen which could see him break the record. Meanwhile, except Hikaru Nakamura and Vassily Ivanchuk, all the other top-10 players have remained in the top-10 list. These two Grandmasters are now replaced by Alexander Grischuk and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov. For those interested in statistics, here is Magnus Carlsen's rating progress chart:
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
Have you checked Chess Queen™ Alexandra Kosteniuk's Fide rating progress yet? Click on graph to read her personal blog entry.
Here is our Fide rating chess trivia quiz! You must be reading the news about the October 2012 rating list so let's check what you remember from yesterday ;)
1- What is World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand's rating and world ranking?
2-Who is the oldest Grandmaster in the world top 100 and what is his rank and rating? (Hint: No he is not Vassily Ivanchuk. He is from Germany)
3-Who is the oldest rated woman chess player in the top-100 and what is her rank and rating?
4-Who has been ranked world #1 most times and how many times?
5-Which country has the most number of Grandmasters in the world... oh no! that's way too easy. Yes, it's Russia ;) So, how many GMs does Russia have and which country has the next highest number of GMs? Tricky?
6-In the women's category, China has the highest average rating of 2479 with 30 GMs and 23 IMs. But, which country has a whopping 215 Grandmasters and 495 IMs among women chess players?
We will post the answers in the comments tomorrow so don't forget to check back if you don't want to go hunting. Checkmate if you don't know the answers already!
Cool Chess Article: Deep Blue, Bug Conspiracy Theory and Kasparov's Loss!
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
A very interesting article in Cnet talks about how a bug in Deep Blue could have actually led to Kasparov's defeat. Columnist Tim Hornyak states: "In his new book, Nate Silver writes that a glitch in IBM's chess terminator may have spooked Garry Kasparov in his famous 1997 loss. But he was more likely psyched out by its surprising brilliance."
Under pressure: The second game proved pivotal in Kasparov's 1997 match against Deep Blue.(Credit: Video screenshot by Tim Hornyak/CNET) It's part of the conventional wisdom now that machines are smarter than us, especially when it comes to specific challenges. Chess, for instance. World champion Garry Kasparov's defeat at the hands of IBM's Deep Blue computer in 1997 was a milestone in the story of artificial intelligence. But did the machine merely psych him out? Statistician Nate Silver's new book "The Signal and The Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail--But Some Don't" contains an anecdote about how a glitch in Deep Blue may have led Kasparov to overestimate the machine's smarts, according to The Washington Post. Despite the machine's ability to evaluate 200 million moves per second, Kasparov easily won the first game of the match. In the 44th move, however, Deep Blue made an inexplicable play, moving a rook for no apparent purpose.
Kasparov may have been spooked by that, but his concern turned to panic in the second game, in which Deep Blue started playing much less like a computer and more like a human grandmaster. Kasparov lost, drew the next three games, and collapsed during the sixth, losing the epic battle.
Deep Blue's rook move, however, was the result of a bug, according to Silver. The glitch made it unable to select any of the many possibilities it could analyze, so it went to a fail-safe maneuver -- a random play. The move was of no consequence, and the bug was fixed before the second game. But Silver speculates:
In fact, the bug was anything but unfortunate for Deep Blue: it was likely what allowed the computer to beat Kasparov. In the popular recounting of Kasparov's match against Deep Blue, it was the second game in which his problems originated -- when he had made the almost unprecedented error of forfeiting a position that he could probably have drawn. But what had inspired Kasparov to commit this mistake? His anxiety over Deep Blue's forty-fourth move in the first game -- the move in which the computer had moved its rook for no apparent purpose. Kasparov had concluded that the counterintuitive play must be a sign of superior intelligence. He had never considered that it was simply a bug.
What inspired Kasparov to mess up probably had a lot more to do with how Deep Blue's playing style had changed dramatically in the second game. It unexpectedly avoided a classic trap for computer players that Kasparov set, then established a winning position, prompting the world champ to resign.
Kasparov seems to have been more concerned about IBM cheating and using the advice of a hidden grandmaster than finding himself face to face with a decidedly superior intelligence. It was the first time a reigning world champion had lost to a computer in a regulation match.
The rest, of course, is history. IBM denied it had cheated, and Deep Blue was dismantled. Along with its parts went a piece of human superiority.
Cool Chess Tip for Life from CEO Chess Champ: Plan Ahead
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
We found this interesting chess interview with a chess champ and entrepreneur at PostNoon.
He was the co-champion of the 1975 World Open Chess Championship, but all these years later Alan Trefler is still going strong and inviting young minds to pit their skills against him. When a chess master invites over a dozen children to play against him, there is always a certain level of interest and expectation. And the standards are raised higher when he also happens to be the CEO and Founder of Pegasystems Inc, an American BPM company. After an exciting 1 vs 17 match tournament, Postnoon caught up with Alan Trefler to talk about chess, children, Garry Kasparov and other significant things. The interview was conducted by Rahul Ramakrishna.
As someone who has been playing chess for over a decade, how would you define it? Chess is a game that demands one to think and plan ahead. It is literally like placing a hurricane over the opponent’s king. But while that may be the sensational bit, it also teaches one to learn how to lose.
Kasparov Chess Record: Carlsen a Step Away from Reaching Highest-Ever Rating Milestone
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen is barely four points away from reaching the highest-ever rating reached by a human chess player! Chessdom has a nice article on Carlsen's current excellent performance in Biel at the annual chess festival.
Magnus Carlsen is just a step away from dethroning Kasparov as the highest rated player ever in chess history. After today’s victory against Bologan, the young Norwegian has live rating of 2847 ELO, just four points away from Kasparov’s peak 2851 ELO.
Kasparov’s rating peaked in July 1999 and January 2000 when he was 35-36 years old, now Carlsen has the chance to surpass the mark being only 21 years old. This is not the only achievement of Kasparov that Carlsen is going to surpass. In January 1984, Kasparov became the No. 1 ranked player in the world, with a FIDE rating of 2710, the youngest ever world No. 1, a record that lasted 12 years. The record is currently held by Magnus Carlsen.
How it all started No one expected it in 2004, when Carlsen’s storming into chess life was just starting. Here is an excerpt of Prince of Chess directed and produced by Oyvind Asbjornsen. This was at the Reykjavic Rapid 2004 tournament where some of the world’s best players competed.
You can see the nice Bologan-Carlsen game with Chess King.
New Chess Club in Khayelitsha, Cape Town - Cool Video
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
Moves for Life
A new chess playing always excites us as we imagine how many more people are going to enjoy chess for the rest of their life and what fun they will have sharing and playing chess.
Cape Town just got a chess club! Former world chess champion Garry Kasparov had visited the Khayelitsha hall a few months back and such was the interest he sparked that a chess club has been inaugurated at the OR Tambo Sports Hall just outside Cape Town, South Africa.
Within two weeks of its launch the club had 30 members and is still going strong. This video was filmed on a cellphone by Lisa Chait who attended the launch and was so moved she felt she had to record it. For more information and to find out how you can support this great chess development initiative please contact Ronel or Hannes Pieterse from 'Moves for Life': ronelpieterse10@gmail.com. To find out more about Lisa's work please visit www.lifestories.co.za and www.iamwomanseries.com.
Announcing their sponsorship of the Khayelitsha Chess Club, Moiketsi Sebotsa, Head of Business Optimization at iWYZE says that during an earlier iWYZE-sponsored Kasparov event, they realized that chess has the power to change children's lives.
"We watched the kids playing chess at the OR Tambo community centre in Khayelitsha and the passion for the game was evident."
In March, iWYZE sponsored a visit to Khayelitsha by Garry Kasparov, organized by Moves for Life – an organization involved in the promotion of chess as education support intervention.
Kasparov Takes on 1950 Alan Turing Paper Machine in Manchester
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
Former world chess champion Garry Kasparov is not going to be counting this victory as one of his best. He took on Alan Turing's 1950 chess program at the Alan Turing Centenary Conference in Manchester on June 25. Garry Kasparov won in 16 moves against the 'Paper Machine' created in 1950. But, the game has lot of historical value. Kasparov was an invited guest speaker at the centenary celebrations of the Father of Computing in Manchester.
The historic chess-playing program played in public for the first time.
Using Chess to Unlock Children’s Latent Intellectual Potential in South Africa
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
We feel absolutely delighted when chess makes it to the front page or cover story in mainstream media. Here is the latest:
Chess has made it to the cover of Engineering News in South Africa with a special article exploring chess in education.
The Moves for Life (MFL) programme aims to unlock children’s latent intellectual potential through structured exposure to the game of chess – which stimulates the same analytical cerebral functions as academic subjects such as maths and science – and ultimately improve the national performance in these areas.
“Chess essentially rewires the brain, encouraging one to think in a far more logical fashion. It is not just a game,” explains nuclear physicist and MFL cofounder Kelvin Kemm.
He points out that it provides rich, early-age ‘brain training’, and encourages an understanding of concepts such as instantaneous feedback, problem solving, planning and anticipation, and emphasises that the earlier these thinking skills are stimulated, the better.
MFL cofounder Marisa van der Merwe, a long-time chess tutor and developer of MFL’s junior programme, MiniChess, adds that it is critical to expose children at the earliest possible age.
“Many children in South Africa who come from underprivileged homes are not stimulated and, as a result, the necessary brain development does not take place. This programme will eliminate the issue of children who are not mentally prepared to deal with the start of their academic career,” she says.
The MFL programme, which has been implemented at more than 70 schools across the country since its inception in 2010, hosts over 11 000 children each week and has also produced some unexpected results.
“The most surprising upshot of this process is the degree to which the children’s self-confidence has improved, because, for some of them, this is the first time they feel capable of learning and sense that they are part of a group,” explains MFL cofounderMickey Scheepers. The legendary Garry Kasparov is a great supporter of this programme. Read the full article on chess in education in South Africa here.
Seven US Kids in Inaugural St Louis Chess Club-Kasparov Training Camp
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis (CCSCSL) is partnering with the Kasparov Chess Foundation (KCF) on a five-year grant program to help develop several American chess prodigies from across the United States. The program, called Young Stars - Team USA, will begin with a kick-off training program in Saint Louis at the CCSCSL from June 18-20. Program participants range in age from nine to 15 years old.
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12th Women's World Chess Champion
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