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hosted by Chess Queen™ & 12th Women's World Chess Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk
Monday, October 29, 2012
Street Chess Video - Creative Editing!
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
Here's a neat chess video to brighten up your Monday. It's street chess and actually shot with an iPhone. Don't miss the audience, the surroundings and, of course, don't miss the acoustics. Have fun with chess and share it with us.
World Chess Championship - Would You Vote for This Format?
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
We're up for a bet with you that this chess video beats all the fun at the Istanbul Chess Olympiad for sure - wink! A chess video with a kid taking on an opponent twice his size and four times his age from Ulyanovsk, Russia.
Psst: We heard they're holding the next world chess championship on this format ;)
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
Only a chess lover would know what the yelling at a street chess board truly means! We found this interesting anecdote in an article on the Wollongong Crown Street Mall chessboard by Justin Huntsdale.
Dapto's Oscar Murtzin visits the iconic Crown Street Mall chess board for a game several times per week. (Justin Huntsdale - ABC local)
He says the barber, who has a shop right behind where the chessboard is placed, once had to threaten to call the police if the yelling didn't stop. That's hilarious, but then what would the barber know. Here is the complete article. It looks like a serious and exclusive mens-only club, but you'll be pleased to see it's not all black and white when you meet one of the regular characters around the Crown Street Mall's mysterious giant chess board.
If you walk through Wollongong's Crown Street Mall on just about any given day, you've probably seen the serious business of men playing a giant game of chess. There are also a number of chairs and tables where other groups play cards.
Each morning a trolley of chess pieces and cardboard (to sit on) gets wheeled out from under the Mall's amphitheatre for a day's play. Men stand around in the brisk winter morning air with their fists tucked into their jackets, carefully watching a game of chess transpire. As the day moves on, and particularly during popular times on weekends things get a bit rowdy as a chess game hots up.
One day it got so rowdy the barber whose shop backs on to the chess board said he'd call the police if the yelling continued. The group is full of different nationalities, and most are retirees who meet to keep their brains active, enjoy a social outing and to get some fresh air.
I thought it was an exclusive club that never wanted to be disturbed. But then I met Oscar Murtzin from Dapto, who was only too happy to talk about his favourite hobby. "I like to meet the people here, I join a couple of games of chess and the time passes very quickly too," he said.
"Nearly every second day I'd come here - I come to the mall because I have something to get but I do it quickly so I can come back here."
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hello everyone,
Here's an interesting piece of chess news. An oversized chess set was unveiled Thursday at Garden City Shopping Centre. The new game will be available for mall patrons to try their hand at and features king pieces up to 36″ tall.
Five-time Manitoba chess champion Trevor Vincent, 22, took on anyone who was willing to try to out-play him following a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by city councillors Devi Sharma, Mike Pagtakhan, and Ross Eadie.
Garden City Shopping Centre once featured a popular chess square with large wooden pieces in a recessed pit located near the former Eaton’s department store. The pit was removed as part of the mall’s expansion project in 1998 to make way for the addition of the Canadian Tire and Winners stores.
The chess set was dedicated to the late Daniel Abraham (Abe) Yanofsky, who was Canada’s first chess grandmaster and former mayor of West Kildonan.
Life-size Chess Boards in College Town Park A Huge Charm?
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
We just found this nice story about chess boards in a college town park in Maryland. College Park officials hope a big game of chess will draw big crowds Downtown.
"We've had these chess boards that have been here for a couple years, and no one has ever bought chess pieces or checker pieces. A lot of people walk by and don't know exactly what it is," Economic Development Coordinator Michael Stiefvater says. Stiefvater adds the new chess boards are a cheap way to boost business.
If you have a chess initiative, do tell Chess Blog about it.
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
We don't have many details on this video. It's a promotional event with a giant chess board. Therefore, worth a look! Enjoy. If you're having fun with chess, share it with us.
Cool chess video of Musical artistes trying a game of chess
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hi everyone,
This is the video from Toronto where the Princess of Wales Theatre is showing Chess The Musical from September 24-October 30. The theatre artistes of the musical came out to play a game of chess on a giant board. Pretty cool. Let us know if you go for the play. You can check details of the show here.
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12th Women's World Chess Champion
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