USA's Top Daily Chess News Blog, Informative, Fun, and Positive
hosted by Chess Queen™ & 12th Women's World Chess Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Blindfold Chess Simul - GM Timur Gareev Defeats 29
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hi everyone,
SAINT LOUIS (May 1, 2013) -- It took 10 hours and 39 minutes for Grandmaster Timur Gareev to topple the final king and leave the chess community in Saint Louis dazed and amazed.
On Tuesday, GM Gareev put on a 33-board blindfolded simultaneous exhibition at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis, scoring 29 wins, four draws and zero losses. The field, composed entirely of Saint Louis Chess Club members, had an average USCF rating of 1363, and featured two experts, three class A players (1800-1999) and five class B players (1600-1799).
CCSCSL Executive Director Tony Rich (USCF 2020) was the highest-rated player in the field and one of only four players to draw the blindfolded virtuoso.
“It was a truly an amazing experience to witness this remarkable display of concentration and memory,” Rich said. GM Gareev is working toward setting a new blindfold simul world record of 64 boards before the end of 2013. The date for the record-breaking simul is tentatively set for December 21 on the Hawaiian island of Oahu.
After switching federations from Uzbekistan to the U.S., he will be competing in his first-ever U.S. Championship. He enters the tournament as the No. 2-rated player in the field, second only to GM Gata Kamsky. The 2013 U.S. Championship and 2013 U.S. Women’s Championship will be held simultaneously May 2 through May 13, with the Opening Ceremony taking place the evening of May 2 and the first round of play beginning at 1 p.m. CT on May 3. Visit www.uschesschamps.com for more info. The participating players in the simul, their board numbers, and their current USCF ratings are as follows (the * denotes the players that played GM Gareev to a draw):
August Meyer: 987 * Steve Mislich: 1642 Lou Cotton: unr. Ben Boaz: 1269 Joe Wojcki: 1817 Richard Pack: 1881 Ken West: 1269 Sal Falcone: unr. * William Little: 1515 Ed Protzel: unr. Joe Baur: unr. Tim Baur: 487 Abdul Shakoor: 1176 Diamond Shakoor: 1259 Micah Losee: 1770 Julian Proleiko: 1735 Josh Cardenas: 1334 Jim Smith: 739 Preethi Kembaiyan: 1228 Yizheng He: 1160 Adam Eubanks: 1321 * Justin Hull: 1673 Sathya Anand: 1423 Katie Stujenske: 544 Willy Kane: 1871 Alex Marler: 2012 Adonis “Mark” Reddick: 1548 * Tony Rich: 2020 Sarah Crawford: 476 Jonathan Lake: 581 Richard Pointer: 1594 Brian Jerauld: 1762 Ben Simon: 1437
The average was derived from the 29 rated players with the four unrated players omitted from the calculations. Of the four unrated players, only Ed Protzel is not a current USCF member.
Also, fans of the U.S. Chess Championships can participate in Fantasy Chess for free by visiting: http://www.uschesschamps.com/2013-fantasy-chess. The grand prize is round-trip airfare for two from anywhere in the continental U.S., two nights hotel, a private dinner with GM Yasser Seirawan and two private lessons with Seirawan as well.
33-Board Chess Blindfold Simul by GM Timur Gareev in St Louis on April 30
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hi everyone,
This should be for the record books: On Tuesday, April 30, Grandmaster Timur Gareev will conduct a 33-board blindfolded simultaneous exhibition at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis (CCSCSL). The event will help kick off the 2013 U.S. Championships, scheduled to be held in Saint Louis May 2 through May 13.
GM Gareev will meet and greet simul participants at 8 a.m. CT, and the simul will begin at 9 a.m. He is working toward setting a new blindfold simul world record of 64 boards before the end of 2013. The date for the record-breaking simul is tentatively set for December 21 on the Hawaiian island of Oahu.
CCSCSL Executive Director Tony Rich said the blindfold simul presents a perfect exhibition to demonstrate how chess can positively impact students.
“This remarkable demonstration of concentration and memory will help drive home the many and varied scholastic benefits chess has to offer,” Rich said.
After switching federations from Uzbekistan to the U.S., GM Gareev will be competing in his first-ever U.S. Championship. He enters the tournament as the No. 2-rated player in the field, second only to GM Gata Kamsky.
The 2013 U.S. Championship and 2013 U.S. Women’s Championship will be held simultaneously May 2 through May 13. This marks the fifth consecutive year that each of these prestigious events will be held in Saint Louis. The opening ceremony takes place on May 2, and the first round for both events will kick off at 1 p.m. CT on May 3.
Also, fans of the U.S. Chess Championships can participate in Fantasy Chess for free by visiting: http://www.uschesschamps.com/2013-fantasy-chess. The grand prize is round-trip airfare for two from anywhere in the continental U.S., two nights hotel, a private dinner with GM Yasser Seirawan and two private lessons with Seirawan as well. Select your favorite players, build your team and follow the live play-by-play coverage of each round on the event website: www.uschesschamps.com.
For the first time in the five years the CCSCSL has hosted the event, organizers are bringing in three commentators to provide even more extensive live coverage of the games and more in-depth player interviews and post-game analysis. GM Yasser Seirawan, GM Maurice Ashley and WGM Jennifer Shahade will provide live play-by-play coverage. For more information about the U.S. Championships or to watch live coverage of the event, visit www.uschesschamps.com.
How Chess Grandmasters Think During Blindfold Simul: Timur Gareev's Cool Insights
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
GM Timur Gareev has written a fascinating article on the USCF website. He writes about a blindfold simul he held recently. GM Gareev is aiming to hold a 64-board blindfold simul in 2013.
GM Gareev writes: Hello from Vegas and Happy New Year! I just finished the most incredible tournament of my life. Jamaal Abdul-Alim conveyed the details of the tournament in the article about the 2012 North American Open. I will be sharing an exciting blindfold exhibition I co-produced in Hawaii the week before Christmas. My vision is to reach a 64-board blindfold exhibition world record by the end of 2013.
I was excited to visit the island of Oahu for the 2nd time. I stayed in Waikiki which has an amazing balance of beautiful beaches and active social scene. We met with the Hawaii Chess Federation Scholastic Director Guy Ontai and our instructors Cornelius Rubsamen and Chet Gionson. The students demonstrated genuine interest and commitment. We all played a blitz tourney, competed in a talent show, and of course experienced the amazing 27 board blindfold simul at the Hawaii Washington Middle School.
The simul lasted 9 hours! Initially we got 10 people to start. 10 more people joined after one hour and a half. The last group joined in another hour. That served to create a smoother, faster-pace game flow. My previous experience of blindfold exhibition matches had included 4, 12, and 18 board simuls organized in Austin and Houston, Texas.
As was starting out playing my first simul, I tried to hold on to every position in my mind. I would recreate it over and over in attempt to solidify the image. As I found out later, I don’t need to do that. I can experience the position once. When I “come back” to the board, the position pops up automatically. My quickest session was the 18 board simul in Austin. The event took about 3 hours including many take backs I suggested for instructional purpose.
I felt a little rusty as I started my Hawaiian simul. I certainly felt the lack of consistent preparation which had previously included weekly blindfolded 3-hour matches. Though it is never easy, the mission had to be completed. I took a few moments to enter the meditative space. When my breath started feeling more harmonious I initiated the blindfold journey.
Players announce his or her name and the move in the first couple rounds. Some helpfully announce names throughout the event. Voice acts as an immediate trigger to reawaken the position. Some players may speak softly which can be resolved using a microphone. The player can not announce the move, until I announce the board number. Garyk Ontai was helping me lead the simul. We had a few players who had a hard time shouting out the moves. Garyk was announcing for a girl named Young. The first few times he did that, I was thrown off trying to recollect the player and the position.
Several beginners took advantage of my “fast” decisions and were able to seize big material advantage. None of them managed to convert or hold up in the end. The “2000 club” guys defended their honor with two draws and one win. As part of the fun we assigned a prize of $200 which was divided between the successful participants. 24 warriors were outplayed, outricked, or simply gave away all of their stuff.
Read more to find out why GM Gareev did not allow a young simul contestant to resign!
22nd American Chess Open: GM Timur Gareev Wins Clear First
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
GM Timur Gareev has won the 22nd Annual North American Chess Open that was held from December 26-30 at Bally’s Casino Resort, 3645 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, Nevada. GM Timur Gareev finished with an undefeated 8.0/9, a full point ahead of his nearest rival, to convincingly claim the title of North American Open Champion along with a prize of nearly $10,000 for his efforts throughout the week.
FM John Bryant finished in 2nd place with 7.0/9, scoring a GM norm in the process, to claim a prize of $4704. Bryant earlier signed a GM norm at the World Open and shared the first place in 113th United States Open Chess Championship, according to Fide chess news updates.
IM Zhanibek Amanov also scored a GM norm, finishing in a group of four players with 6.5/9, as well as taking the U2500 prize. FMs Yian Liou and Michael Bodek both scored IM norms. The event had 7 sections: Open, Under 2200, Under 2100, Under 1900, Under 1700, Under 1500 and Under 1250.
Open section final standings: 1. GM Timur Gareev 2660 TX – 8.0 ($9690.00) 2. FM John Bryant 2416 CA – 7.0 ($4704.00) 3-6. GM Chao Li 2670 CHN, GM Sam Shankland 2595 CA, GM Alejandro Ramirez 2554 TX ($1474.00 each) and IM Zhanibek Amanov 2359 KAZ ($2352.00) – 6.5 7-12. GM Sergey Erenburg 2637 ISR, GM Giorgi Kacheishvili 2602 NY, GM Joshua Friedel 2494 NH, GM Dmitry Gurevich 2485 IL, GM Arthur Chibukhchian 2448 ARM and FM Yian Liou 2352 CA ($715.40 each) – 6.0 etc.
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012 Hi everyone,
On December 3 a great chess theorist GM Georgy Borisenko passed away at the age of 91 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Dmitry Aleev (Borisenko's pupil) recollects, "He was born on May 25, 1922, a veteran of Great Patriotic War, all his life he devoted to chess. He was an optimist and a man of great life energy. He was a second of many World Champions; he trained Nona Gaprindashvili and his wife Valentina Borisenko (Belova), one of the strongest chess players of the last century.
In 1965 Borisenko was offered a job to train the chess players in Armenia, Ural and Uzbekistan. He chose Tashkent and worked there as a Trainer. Among his pupils are GM Anton Filippov and GM Timur Gareev. (Fide)
Samford Chess Fellowship goes to GMs Timur Gareev, Alejandro Ramirez
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012 Hi everyone,
The latest chess news via the US Chess Federation is that the Frank P. Samford Jr. Chess Fellowship has been awarded to Grandmasters Timur Gareev of Brownsville, Texas, and Alejandro Ramirez of Garland, Texas, as its 2012 Fellows.
IM John Donaldson writes, the Samford is the richest and most important chess fellowship in the United States. It identifies and assists the best young American chess masters by providing top-level coaching, strong competition and access to study materials. The Fellowship also supplies a monthly stipend for living expenses so that the winners may devote themselves to chess without having financial worries. The total value of the Fellowship has been increased several times over the years and is now $42,000 annually, which will be divided equally between the two winners. The prize is awarded for one year and can be renewed for a second year. The winners’ term begins July 1st, 2012.
All in all, it gives these brilliant young American Grandmasters the support and resources necessary to enhance their skills and reach their full potential.
Currently rated 2654 by FIDE, Timur Gareev was awarded the GM title at the age of 16. He won the championship of his native Uzbekistan in 2007 and last year took first place in both the Chicago Open and the 11th Metropolitan FIDE Invitational tournament in Los Angeles. Timur is currently a student at the University of Texas at Brownsville which he attends on a chess scholarship.
A native of Costa Rica, Alejandro Ramirez earned the title of Grandmaster at the age of 14, being the first (and still the only) player from Central America to ever hold that title. A graduate of the University of Texas at Dallas with a Master’s Degree in Arts & Technology / Design and Production of Videogames, Alejandro won the 2008 Morelia Open and finished at the top of the 2010 US Open.
The winners were chosen by the Samford Fellowship Committee, consisting of Frank P. Samford III (son of Samford Fellowship founder Frank P. Samford, Jr.), former U.S. Chess Champion Grandmaster Arthur Bisguier and International Master John Donaldson. The winner's potential was determined based on his chess talent, work ethic, dedication and accomplishments. The Fellowship is administered by the U.S. Chess Trust with particularly valuable services provided by Barbara DeMaro.
The Samford Chess Fellowship was created by the late Frank P. Samford, Jr. of Birmingham Alabama. Mr. Samford was a distinguished attorney and CEO of Liberty National Life Insurance Company (now Torchmark). He was active in civic, business, political, educational and cultural affairs. Mr. Samford was also an enthusiastic competitor in chess tournaments. After providing financial support for several chess projects he decided to do something significant for American chess. The result was the Samford Fellowship.
Since its inception the Fellowship has proven very successful. Many Samford Fellows have become strong Grandmasters, members of the United States Olympiad team and US Champions. America’s two top players, Gata Kamsky and Hikaru Nakamura, are not only rated in the top 15 in the world but are former Samford Fellows.
Generous contributions from the late Mrs. Virginia Samford and the Torchmark Corporation support the Fellowship. The Samford Fellowship is a fitting memorial to an extraordinary man. The dedication, creativity and achievement that marked Mr. Frank P. Samford, Jr.'s life are examples for all chessplayers to admire and emulate.
Previous Samford Winners:1987 Joel Benjamin 1988 Maxim Dlugy 1989 Patrick Wolff 1990 Alex Fishbein 1991 Ilya Gurevich 1992 Alex Sherzer 1993 Ben Finegold 1994 Gata Kamsky 1995 Josh Waitzkin 1996 Tal Shaked 1997 Boris Kreiman 1998 Dean Ippolito 1999 Greg Shahade 2000 Michael Mulyar 2001 Eugene Perelshteyn 2002 Varuzhan Akobian 2003 Dmitry Schneider 2004 Rusudan Goletiani 2005 Hikaru Nakamura 2006 David Pruess 2007 Josh Friedel 2008 Irina Krush 2008 Vinay Bhat 2009 Ray Robson 2010 Robert Hess
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's www.chessblog.com Also see her personal blog at
Don't be shy about contacting me
to share women's chess news
or to propose collaboration
Best chess wishes to you! Alexandra Kosteniuk
12th Women's World Chess Champion
Facebook, Twitter, Youtube
