Age Not a Factor in Chess?
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
We are always looking for interesting chess news. Here is a nice analytical article from Dylan Loeb McClain in The New York Times. Vaibhav Suri became India’s newest grandmaster last Sunday when he won the Luc Open in Lille, France. At 15 years, 2 months and 21 days old, he is the 27th youngest grandmaster in history.
Some players who have become a grandmaster at such a young age have gone on to join the elite, but others have floundered. And some relatively late bloomers have risen to the top.
Sergey Karjakin, 22, who was born in Ukraine, holds the record as the youngest grandmaster (12 years, 7 months) and is among the successful prodigies: he is now No. 6 in the world. The top-ranked player, Magnus Carlsen, 21, of Norway, became a grandmaster four months after his 13th birthday.
But the Chinese player Bu Xiangzhi, 26, who was also a 13-year-old grandmaster, peaked at No. 22 in 2008 and has fallen to No. 98. Wesley So — who earned the title four years ago, when he was 14 — is the Philippines’ top player, but his rating has stagnated and he has fallen to No. 104.
On the other hand, Levon Aronian, 29, of Armenia became a grandmaster at 17 but did not break into the top 100 until three years later. He is now No. 2. The world champion, Viswanathan Anand, 42, who inspired a generation of Indian players, was 18 when he became a grandmaster. (Anand begins his defense of the title on Friday against Boris Gelfand of Israel.
Suri has a classical style of play, but he is also opportunistic. A good example of his ability was his win over Artashes Minasian of Armenia in the Aeroflot Open in February.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com Labels: Boris gelfand, bu xiangzhi, chess age, chess news, Chess trivia, levon aronian, sergey karjakin, vaibhav suri, Viswanathan Anand
Cool Chess Interview with India's Latest Grandmaster - Vaibhav Suri
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
We just found this nice chess interview by Shivani Naik with India's 27th Grandmaster - Vaibahav Suri. It appeared in the online edition of the Indian Express.
Grandmaster at 15,
Vaibhav makes rapid moves
It’s difficult to guess the voice on the other end is of a 15-year-old. Or, 15 years, 2 months, and 22 days-old to be precise — the figure that makes Delhi boy Vaibhav Suri the 27th youngest Grandmaster in the world. The boy gushes about Tigran Petrosian’s playing style when quizzed on his inspirations. He speaks solemnly about the Armenian chess wizard from the 1960s, whose masterly positional exchange sacrifice system of lulling opponents and then pouncing he has extensively read about.
Soon, it’s evident that he reads as much for fun as learning. Vaibhav explains how softwares are the preferred mode of chess-education these days, but he likes lingering on old classical games of those marvellous Russians in book pages, because that helps him understand the chess-as-life metaphor better. Finally, his father Nitin Suri wonders how his teenage kid has deftly side-stepped the temptation of getting himself a Facebook account, abhors socialising, and generally prefers his books and laptop — all of it building up a picture of a wiser-than-his-years Vaibhav.
Until, of course, he starts discussing Harry Potter. Not Ronald Wealsey, Potter’s buddy who is facile at chess, but the hero Potter — who cracks fantastical mysteries and is all brave and courageous. Vaibhav then proceeds to correct a stereotypical assumption with disarming honesty: “I train only for 3-4 hours max. 7-8 hours would be too much to sit in one place. Maybe Vishy Anand and all those big Grandmasters put in that sort of preparation playing important meets. I’m not that level.” Not yet.
Labels: chess grandmaster, vaibhav suri
|
|
