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hosted by Chess Queen™ & 12th Women's World Chess Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Russian Chess Trivia: Name the Chess Stars, Occasion!
Hello Chess Blog friends, here's some Russian chess trivia - Can you name these two Russian chess Grandmasters and what is the occasion? We are sure you can recognise both the talented chess players, and you would be able to identify the occasion if you have been reading Chess Blog regularly!!! Meanwhile, have a chess-fulfilling Sunday.
Photo Chess Trivia: Name the Birthday Girl with Russian Chess Talent in her Blood
Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2014
Hello everyone,
A sweet and talented Russian Grandmaster turned 25 on February 4. Can you identify her? She also just won the second prize in a chess tournament in Moscow! We wish her a happy birthday and fun chess year ahead.
Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hello everyone,
This Russian chess Grandmasters' photo is from the Instagram feed of 12th Women's World Chess Champion, Alexandra Kosteniuk. Can you name these Russian super girls of chess?
Viswanathan Anand Praises Russian Chess in McKinsey Essay
Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hello everyone,
Chess legend and five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand praised the chess prowess of Russia in an essay that was edited consulting firm McKinsey.
The former world chess champion, who lost to Magnus Carlsen in Chennai last week said, the Soviets included a chessboard along with the bride's wedding trousseau to ensure that the children knew the rules of the game, according to the report.
“For the Soviets, chess was in their DNA,” the news agency quoted Anand as writing in the essay for the book titled 'Reimagining India: Unlocking the potential of Asia's next superpower'.
Anand said that on his first visit to Moscow in the late 1980s, he was so intimidated by the chess prowess in the country that that he thought he could be “checkmated by every cab driver.”
“Such was the esteem in which India held the Russian chess school. As a young kid sprouting a wispy moustache, I was sometimes dismissed by the Russians as an upstart. I have even been referred to as a 'coffeehouse player,'” Anand was quoted as saying in the report. “Over the years, Russia's dominance over the game has ebbed and players have begun to emerge from China, Norway, Armenia and Israel.”
Anand said he dreams about the game being played in every school in the country, according to the report. “My dream is to see chess played in every school in India,” he said “With time and effort, our more intuitive Indian way of introducing a child to chess and letting his or her mind capture the essence of the game would not do too badly either.”
Anand wrote in the essay that he brings his "Indian identity" to his play. “I am often described as a natural or intuitive player. I agree there is something to that,” he was quoted as saying. “When I started out, the Indians did not have much interest in chess, no one talked about it. Now India seems to spawn new chess academies every day. The game is really taking off.”
The Indian chess legend added: “In some small ways, I believe that I may have made it possible, if only by showing that a coffeehouse player from Chennai without a physical trainer or psychological coach could hold his own against competitors from the Russian school.” From Alexandra Kosteniuk's www.chessblog.com Also see her personal chess blog at www.chessqueen.com Don't miss Chess Queen™ YouTube Channel
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hi Everyone,
Can you name this Russian chess talent and say what is her claim to fame? Click on photo to check your answer with our #1 photo database of some of the the world's best chess portraits.
Istanbul Chess Olympiad 2012: First Interview with Women's Champions - The Russian Team
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
Here are excerpts from the first interview the Russian team gave after winning the gold at the 40th Chess Olympiad in Istanbul recently. The interview was conducted as a press conference and is also available on the official website of the chess olympiad.
Hopefully, you haven't missed the following links, all the Chess Blog reports and Chess King game posts about the Istanbul Chess Olympiad.
Video of the Russian team singing their national anthem
Interview with the Russian team and their head coach
Karlovich: Dear ladies and gentlemen, I am extremely happy to congratulate the Russian women's chess team as these ladies have won the gold medals here in Istanbul. They have proved that they are the strongest in the world. My first question is, whether you really hoped to make it, guys? Rublevsky: We did. However to make this true we prepared a special opening variation, tried hard and simply played well to get the result.
Karlovich: What was the most decisive moment in the Olympiad for the Russian team?Kosteniuk: Perhaps it was the moment that started with a draw against Poland – we felt that there are three draws in a row and we simply need to do something. Than we managed to pull ourselves together and started winning again.
Karlovich: You are now two times Olympiad winners. What do you think of it? Gunina: We are proud, but indeed there is a big difference between these 2010 and 2012 Olympiads. In Khanty-Mansiysk we won 11 matches in a row – and there was nothing to be sorry about. However the real team is made only through defeats, when you have to overcome the obstacles and difficulties. This time we had hard times but we managed to do well. I am proud of what we have done. Kosteniuk: The trainers did their job well – and we are winners also because of their hard struggle to make us win these matches. Karlovich: What about the team composition, how do you feel about it? Najer: We are a very stable and firm team. Of course there are strong teams but none is such a balanced team as ours. We are really strong! Kosteniuk: Comparing with the other Olympiad in 2010 Alisa Galliamova was replaced by Natalija Pogonina but that is a normal situation – we still remain to be a team which keeps its spirit and strength.
The chess they play in Russia - must-watch Sunday video!
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
Do you know the chess they play in Russia? Check this out! It's a chess video straight from the 'heart of the chess world' - the game of Ruso-Shakhmaty (Russian Chess!)
Tavreli (Russian Chess) is a two-player abstract strategy board game in the same family as Western chess, Shatranj, Japanese Shogi or Chinese Xiangqi. There was an ancient Russian Chess-like game called Tavreli but its rules have been lost over time. Today's Tavreli is a modern game that was recreated in the latest 1990s as a combination of standard Chess and Bashni (Russian Stacking Draughts).
There are three main differences between Tavreli and standard Chess:
- When a player captures an opponent's piece, the captured piece is not taken off the board. Instead of this the player puts his piece on top of the captured piece forming a stack.
- A player can move his piece to a square occupied by another player's piece. In this case the player puts the moved piece on top of the "captured" one the same way as it happens with opponent's pieces.
- A stack belongs to whoever owns its topmost piece, and moves as that piece does. However, a player is not obliged to move a stack as a whole: it is allowed to move just the top part of it leaving the bottom part on its place.
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Best chess wishes to you! Alexandra Kosteniuk
12th Women's World Chess Champion
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