Kids' Chess Lecture Video: GM Finegold on King+Pawn Endgames
Hello chess blog friends, here's a cool new chess lecture by GM Benjamin Finegold from the St Louis Chess Club and Scholastic Centre YouTube video channel. GM Finegold covers King and Pawn Endgames in this lecture for kids. Meanwhile, we have another cute video of Chess Queen Alexandra Kosteniuk introducing chess to a class full of kids! Enjoy.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
Labels: Alexandra Kosteniuk, Ben Finegold, chess lecture, Chess video, king pawn endgame, saint louis chess
Jeffrey Xiong Leads U.S. Junior Chess Closed Championship after four Rounds
Hello chess blog friends, some update from the U.S. Junior Chess Championship 2014 now. Four rounds have been played at this premier event and we have a confident 13-year-old IM Jeffrey Xiong in the lead in Saint Louis. Brian Jerauld, reporting for the official website, writes Experience is starting to pay dividends -- on the board and in the standings. Thirteen-year-old IM Jeffrey Xiong, in his third Junior Closed Championship appearance, played with relaxed confidence on Monday despite leading a heavy mating assault through unclear waters. Xiong as white set the theme early with a 14. Nxe6 sacrifice, immediately exposing and launching siege on FM Arthur Shen’s uncastled king -- initiating a tension-filled game that demanded some act-like-you’ve-been-there posturing.
“Experience has been big,” Xiong said. “The first few times I played (in the Junior Closed), I haven’t been as comfortable and as confident as I feel now. Probably one or two years ago, I wouldn’t have been as confident in sacrificing a piece like I did in today’s game.”
The win sets Xiong (3.5/4) as the tournament’s first clear leader, with the Dallas star remaining undefeated and plus-3 after four rounds. Also winning on Monday was IM Luke Harmon-Vellotti (3/4), last year’s Junior Closed runner-up, who has now put together three consecutive victories -- the latest after cracking open a slight rook-and-pawn endgame advantage over IM Sam Sevian. Harmon-Vellotti’s win moves him into a second-place tie with GM Kayden Troff (3/4), who lost his share of the lead after Monday’s draw with IM Aleksandr Ostrovskiy.
Xiong’s accelerated pace also breaks the three frontrunners away from rest of the pack, as a four-way tie for fourth sits a full point behind (2/4) the leader group.
It is no longer a secret that Sevian (1/4) is having a rough tournament, now minus-three across four rounds after seeing breakdowns in all phases of his game -- this latest to Harmon-Vellotti in the form of an endgame collapse.
FMs Michael Bodek and Justus Williams played each other to a wonderful fighting draw, with both sides playing for wins -- and both players coming up just short of tempo to finish their attacks.
Each round of the 2014 U.S. Junior Closed will see its first move daily at 1:00 p.m. CT through June 29, with a rest day on Wednesday. The tournament will be streamed live on www.uschesschamps.com, with commentary, analysis and player interviews by GM Ben Finegold and FM Aviv Friedman.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
Labels: jeffrey xiong, saint louis chess, us junior chess
U.S. Senate passes Resolution naming St. Louis 'National Chess Capital'
Hello everyone, more chess news that makes Saint Louis a star chess city!
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate has passed a resolution naming St. Louis the "National Chess Capital."
The resolution was introduced by Sen. Clair McCaskills (D-Mo.) and Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and was passed Monday night. It recognizes after-school chess programs, which help students learn problem-solving skills and improve test scores.
St. Louis will host the 2014 U.S. Championship and 2014 U.S. Women's Championship May 7-20 at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis. This is the sixth consecutive year the tournaments will be held in our city.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
Labels: saint louis chess, us chess capital city
How Chess Inspires Art, Culture, Music: Chess Hall of Fame Two New Exhibitions May 8
Hello Chess Blog friends, Here is more chess news about the Chess Hall of Fame in Saint Louis. Two new chess exhibitions will open at the Hall on May 8 which are meant "to bring life to the role of chess in art, music and culture."
The new exhibitions at the World Chess Hall of Fame (WCHOF) will explore how chess inspires art, culture and music. Opening May 8, Strategy by Design: Games by Michael Graves and Cage and Kaino: Pieces and Performances offer WCHOF visitors a rare glimpse into the important yet often unknown influence the 1500-year old game of chess has on modern society. Exhibition highlights include:
Strategy by Design: Games by Michael Graves (May 8 – Sept. 28, 2014)
Design, function and fun come together in this interesting installment featuring work by renowned American architect and designer Michael Graves. Graves is known for combining modern style with a playful functionality in his buildings and the products he creates through collaborations with retailers like JCPenney and Target. His product lines, at once sophisticated and affordable, prove high-end doesn't necessarily mean high-priced. This philosophy now comes to life in Strategy by Design, which features the chess set Graves has called one of his favorite and most challenging projects. The exhibition also showcases the rare materials on loan from the Michael Graves Design Group that were used to design and create this chess set.
The show will also present a range of other games created by the Michael Graves Design Group–from classic standards such as card games, cribbage, and backgammon to more recent family favorites like Scrabble, Yahtzee, Monopoly, and Stratego. Video elements and an educational center will provide additional context for Graves' work and career.
"Just as Graves, through his work with Target and now JCPenney, has brought the Democratization of Design, the World Chess Hall of Fame has sought to expand the general public's awareness of chess and its many cultural interactions across the globe," said Bradley Bailey, guest curator for Strategy by Design: Games by Michael Graves. Bailey is associate professor of art history at Saint Louis University and co-author of the book, Marcel Duchamp: The Art of Chess.
Cage & Kaino: Pieces and Performances is an exhibition accompanied by rare live performances of the work of 20th-century composer John Cage and contemporary multimedia artist Glenn Kaino.
Cage and Kaino: Pieces and Performances (May 8 – Sept. 21, 2014)
Intelligence will ignite when the masterworks of two creative geniuses are presented together for the first time in this unique exhibition. Pieces and Performances showcases the work of John Cage and Glenn Kaino, two artists and inventors who used chess as inspiration for their globally-acclaimed work.
"Even though Cage and Kaino were born 60 years apart and never met, they produced incredible art that shares many commonalities. Together, they highlight how a game that is often a metaphor for war and battle can also be used to build relationships and community," said Larry List, guest curator for the exhibition.
The exhibition will include the electronic chess/musical composing board used by John Cage, Marcel Duchamp, and Alexina "Teeny" Duchamp to perform Cage's famous 1968 Reunion concert; Glenn Kaino's 80" x 80" piece called Learn to Win or You Will Take Losing for Granted, a life-sized chess set that includes pieces made of the artist's hands cast in bronze; and Kaino's One Hour Paintings depicting chess grandmasters.
"One of the highlights of this exhibition will be the performance art associated with it. Cage's Reunion will be performed at the beginning of the show on May 15 and Kaino's Burning Boards piece will provide a memorable event later in the exhibition's run," List said.
Reunion is a musical performance created by Cage that debuted in 1968 in Toronto, Canada. The single "instrument" in the concert is a chess board wired to play different selections of music according to individual squares. Music is spontaneously composed according to the moves that the players choose: the performance begins quietly as only a few pieces are in play, crescendos in the center of the game, and then slowly fades as more and more pieces are captured. One final note signifies checkmate.
Visitors can explore Strategy by Design and Pieces and Performances at the World Chess Hall of Fame located at 4652 Maryland Avenue (Saint. Louis, 63108). For more information, including exhibition hours, call (314) 367-WCHF or visit www.worldchesshof.org.
About the World Chess Hall of Fame
4652 Maryland Avenue, Saint Louis, MO, 63108 (314) 367-WCHF www.worldchesshof.org
The World Chess Hall of Fame is a nonprofit organization committed to building awareness for the cultural and artistic significance of chess. It opened on Sept. 9, 2011, in the Central West End after moving from previous locations in New York and Miami.
The WCHOF is housed in an historic 15,900 square-foot residence-turned-business and features the U.S. and World Chess Halls of Fame, displays of artifacts from the permanent collection, and temporary exhibitions highlighting the great players, historic games, and rich cultural history of chess.
The WCHOF partners with the Chess Club and Scholastic Center to provide innovative programming and outreach to local, national, and international audiences.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
Labels: chess exhibition, chess hall of fame, glenn kaino, john cage, saint louis chess
World Chess Hall of Fame New Inductions - Maya Chiburdanidze, Paul Keres
Hello everyone,
We love to follow everything that's happening at the World Chess Hall of Fame in Saint Louis. Another ceremony is coming with two new inductions - Maya Chiburdanidze and Paul Keres. Here is the cool article on the upcoming event via the US Chess Federation website.
World Chess Hall of Fame Inductions Set for May 7
By Mike Wilmering
April 23, 2014 (Saint Louis, MO) – Four exceptional chess players will take their places in history when two are inducted into the World Chess Hall of Fame and two into U.S. Chess Hall of Fame during a ceremony on May 7, 2014.
The World Chess Federation (FIDE) nominated and selected Maya Chiburdanidze and Paul Keres for the World Chess Hall of Fame. They join 19 other players who have received the honor since the World Chess Hall of Fame’s creation in 2001.
“These two remarkable players were luminaries in 20th century chess. Their legacies still impact the game today,” said Beatriz Marinello, FIDE Vice President.
The U.S. Chess Federation Hall of Fame Committee considers and sends candidates for the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame to the U.S. Chess Trust each year. The Trust votes on candidates, selecting Abraham Kupchik and Jacqueline Piatigorsky to join the 52 other players currently in the Hall of Fame.
“Kupchik and Piatigorsky both had immeasurable influence on the game of chess in the United States. We are thrilled to celebrate them as players and pioneers,” said Harold Winston, chairman of the U.S. Chess Federation Hall of Fame Committee.
Each player is permanently commemorated at the World Chess Hall of Fame with a plaque bearing their image and a biography of their notable contributions to the game.
“The 2014 induction ceremony will highlight these four fantastic chess players as well as the national and global cultural significance of the game. We look forward to welcoming the families and friends of the inductees, who will attend alongside some of today’s biggest names in chess,” said Susan Barrett, director of the World Chess Hall of Fame.
About the 2014 World Chess Hall of Fame Honorees
Maya Chiburdanidze (1961 – ): Maya Chiburdanidze’s introspective, exceptional play earned her U.S.S.R. Women’s Chess Championship at the young age of sixteen. The following year, she earned a place at the top of women’s chess, becoming the youngest woman at that time to win the Women’s World Championship when she defeated Nona Gaprindashvili. Chiburdanidze would defend her title four times, finally losing it in 1991 to Xie Jun.
A pioneer in women’s chess, Chiburdanidze was only the second woman to earn the title of Grandmaster in 1984. She was a member of the Soviet and later Georgian women’s teams that dominated the Women’s Chess Olympiads through the 1980s and 1990s, winning nine team gold medals and four gold medals on Board 1.
Paul Keres (1916 – 1975): A three-time Soviet chess champion, Keres was a Candidate for the World Chess Championship seven times and finished equal third in the 1948 World Chess Championship tournament. Keres’ near misses earned him the nickname the “crown prince of chess.”
Keres’ many tournament victories included ties for first in both AVRO 1938 (which he won on tiebreak) and the 1963 Piatigorsky Cup, two of the strongest tournaments ever held. He also played on gold medal winning teams representing the Soviet Union in the 1952 – 1964 Chess Olympiads. Additionally, Keres’ multi-volume series detailing his games ranks among the greatest best games collections ever written.
About the 2014 U.S. Chess Hall of Fame Honorees
Abraham Kupchik (1892 – 1970): Born in Brest (then a part of Russia), Abraham Kupchik immigrated to the U.S. in 1903 and was one of the strongest American players from 1914 to 1940. He shared first place with U.S. Champion Frank Marshall in 1923 at the 9th American Chess Congress and won the prestigious Manhattan Chess Club Championship thirteen times between 1913/14 and 1936/37. He earned second place at the Lake Hopatcong chess tournament behind José Raúl Capablanca and ahead of Géza Maróczy, Frank Marshall, and Edward Lasker.
In the 1935 Chess Olympiad, Kupchik earned team gold and individual bronze medals playing Board 3 for the U.S. His accomplishments also included playing Board 9 in the famed 1945 U.S.A.-U.S.S.R. radio match.
Jacqueline Piatigorsky (1911 – 2012): A woman of many talents, Jacqueline Piatigorsky transformed American chess through her efforts as an organizer, philanthropist, and player. She won an individual bronze medal on Board 2 when she represented the U.S. in the first Women's Chess Olympiad in 1957. Piatigorsky is best remembered for organizing two of the greatest American chess tournaments: the 1963 and 1966 Piatigorsky Cups.
Committed to promoting youth chess, she created scholastic programs in Southern California in the early 1960s through the Piatigorsky Foundation. She also initiated the U.S. Junior Closed Chess Championship and provided support for the U.S. and U.S. Women’s Chess Championships.
About the World Chess Hall of Fame www.worldchesshof.org
The World Chess Hall of Fame (WCHOF) is a nonprofit organization committed to building awareness for the cultural and artistic significance of chess. It opened on September 9, 2011, in Saint Louis’s Central West End after moving from previous locations in New York and Miami.
The WCHOF is housed in an historic 15,900 square-foot building that includes three floors of galleries, the U.S. and World Chess Halls of Fame and the stylish Q Boutique. It sits immediately across Maryland Avenue from the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis, forming a “chess campus” that has been recognized as the chess capital of the United States as well as one of the game’s top international centers.
It is the only cultural institution of its kind in the world and the only solely chess-focused collecting institution in the U.S.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
Labels: saint louis chess, World chess hall of fame
French Limoges Chess Set: Featured Set at World Chess Hall of Fame in Saint Louis
Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2014
Bernice and Floyd Sarisohn donated February’s featured set to the World Chess Hall of Fame. The Sarisohns share a passion for collecting chess sets, which began when Bernice gave one to Floyd as an engagement gift. In the years since, their devotion led them to be active members of Chess Collectors International, an organization founded in 1984 that brings together lovers of artistic chess sets and chess memorabilia. Their generous loans and donations have allowed the World Chess Hall of Fame to share a variety of wonderful sets with our patrons, states the website of the World Chess Hall of Fame.
Do you live in the Saint Louis metropolitan area and have a chess set with a great story? Submit it for inclusion in the Featured Chess Set project! This program highlights chess sets with interesting backgrounds borrowed from chess lovers and fans of the Hall of Fame. Featured chess sets are displayed for a period of one month at the World Chess Hall of Fame.
If you would like to participate in the program, send a photo and the story of the set to Emily Allred, Assistant Curator, at emily.allred@worldchesshof.org.
Labels: bernice sarisohn, floyd sarisohn, saint louis chess, theme chess set, World chess hall of fame
US Chess Championships 2013 in Saint Louis: Cool Video Montage
GM Norm Chess Tourney Begins In Saint Louis Tonight
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012Hi everyone,The Saint Louis Invitational, a GM norm tournament, is beginning today at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis. This is the second norm tournament held at the CCSCSL (outside of U.S. Championship events) in as many years. The nine-round, round-robin event is scheduled to be held April 9 through April 13.
The field includes
1 GM Margvelashvili, Giorgi GEO 2547
2 GM Moradiabadi, Elshan IRI 2542
3 GM Finegold, Benjamin USA 2505
4 IM Sevillano, Enrico USA 2502
5 IM Arnold, Marc T USA 2502
6 IM Gerzhoy, Leonid CAN 2489
7 IM Molner, Mackenzie USA 2465
8 IM Brooks, Michael A USA 2456
9 IM Yang, Darwin USA 2448
10 IM Young, Angelo PHI 2321
The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis
The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization that is committed to making chess an important part of our community. In addition to providing a forum for the community to play tournaments and casual games, the club also offers chess improvement classes, beginner lessons and special lectures.
Recognising the cognitive and behavioral benefits of chess, the Chess Club and Scholastic Center is committed to supporting those chess programs that already exist in area schools while encouraging the development of new in-school and after-school programs. For more information, visit www.saintlouischessclub.org.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
Labels: gm norm chess, saint louis chess, st louis chess
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