30 September 2010
Hi everybody!
The following is just one of the 10 recently published chess blitz videos from the 2010 Women’s World Chess Blitz Championship, posted on Alexandra Kosteniuk’s YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/chessqueen).
Posted on Chess Queen™ Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
Chess Blog www.chessblog.com
30 September 2010
Alexandra Kosteniuk’s Chess News & Trivia (c) 2010
Mikhail Chigorin
Hi Everyone,
Will you be in Moscow this October? If yes then don’t miss the Chess Festival M.Chigorin Memorial to be
held in ‘Moskva’ hotel (2 Al. Nevsky square). It includes two tournaments.
A. Rapid chess tournament, October 26-27, starts at 17:00
Time control 15 minutes per game + 5 seconds increment for each move, 9 round Swiss. Entry fee: 1000 roubles (for juniors under 16, seniors and women – 800 roubles). Registrations are accepted on October 26, 9:30 – 16:45. The prizes are paid out in Russian roubles (official rate on August 17 is 1 euro = 39.11 roubles).
Total prize fund (granted by St. Petersburg Chess Federation) – 400 000 roubles:
B. Classical chess tournament – stage of Cup Russia, October 28 – November 05
Total prize fund (granted by St. Petersburg Chess Federation and Russian Chess Federation) – 1 400 000 roubles:
The winners qualify for the final stage of Russian Cup according to the Russian Cup 2010 regulations.
And, something about Chigorin in whose memory this event is held. M
any Russians regard Mikhail Chigorin as the founder of their ‘School of Chess’, later to become known as the Soviet School of Chess. Overshadowed to some extent in the 1920s by the exciting new theories of the hypermodern movement, Chigorin’s influence nevertheless demands a prominent and permanent place in the Soviet chess hegemony of the 20th century.
Chigorin has several chess openings or variations of openings named after him, the two most important being the Chigorin Variation of the Ruy Lopez (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 O-O 9.h3 Na5) and the Chigorin Defence to the Queen’s Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 Nc6).
Whilst the former has remained popular through the 1900s, the latter struggled to attract a great many devotees until relatively recently. Igor Miladinović has used the Chigorin Defence with great regularity, but its current revival owes much to the efforts of Alexander Morozevich, who has championed the opening both in play and in his book – The Chigorin Defence According To Morozevich (published 2007).
Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
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30 September 2010
Alexandra Kosteniuk’s Chess News & Trivia (c) 2010
Hello Everyone,
What it takes to be a swell chess teacher? Plenty actually! But the most difficult part is when the student doesn’t want to play. Here is a great video on the same situation (and more) from Chess & the Art of Orange Soda directed by Ryan Path. It’s a comedy really. But don’t go ‘duh’ at the end.
Can one grow out of chess ever?
Tell us what you think.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
Also see her personal blog at
30 September 2010
Alexandra Kosteniuk’s Chess News & Trivia (c) 2010
Hello Everyone,
The ninth round has left top teams all still with a chance for the medals in the open section at the 39th Chess Olympiad. Ukraine leads for now with a very small margin. Ukraine leads with Russia 1 and France following.
On the other hand, in the women’s section, Russia is almost home with the gold. We will put up all the super Russian games right after the chess festival ends.
For now, here are some cool games from Round 9 in Khanty-Mansiysk. Enjoy.
PGN: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Nf3 O-O 7. O-O Nb6 8. Nc3 Nc6 9. e3 Re8 10. Re1 a5 11. Qe2 Be6 12. Rd1 Bc4 13. Qc2 a4 14. e4 Nb4 15. Qb1 c5 16. Be3 Bd3 17. Rxd3 Nxd3 18. Qxd3 cxd4 19. Nxd4 e5 20. Nd5 exd4 21. Bxd4 Bxd4 22. Qxd4 Nxd5 23. exd5 Qd6 24. a3 Rac8 25. Qxa4 Re2 26. Qd4 Rcc2 27. Rd1 Rxb2 28. Bf3 Rxf2 29. Qxf2 Rxf2 30. Kxf2 Kf8 31. a4 Qc5+ 32. Ke2 Qc2+ 33. Rd2 Qxa4 34. d6 Ke8 35. d7+ Kd8 36. h3 b5 37. Bb7 Qc4+ 38. Rd3 f5 39. Bd5 Qc2+ 40. Rd2 Qc3 41. Bf3 b4 42. Rd3 Qc2+ 43. Rd2 Qc7 44. g4 Qh2+ 45. Ke3 Qxh3 46. gxf5 Qxf5 47. Rd3 b3 48. Kd4 0-1
PGN: 1. Nf3 d5 2. c4 e6 3. g3 dxc4 4. Qa4+ Bd7 5. Qxc4 c5 6. Ne5 Nc6 7. Nxd7 Qxd7 8. Bg2 Nf6 9. O-O Be7 10. Qa4 Nd4 11. Qxd7+ Kxd7 12. Nc3 Rab8 13. Rd1 Rhd8 14. b3 Ke8 15. Bb2 Nd5 16. Rab1 Nxc3 17. dxc3 Nc6 18. f4 Rdc8 19. e4 c4 20. Kf2 cxb3 21. axb3 b5 22. e5 a5 23. Ra1 a4 24. bxa4 bxa4 25. Ba3 Rb3 26. Bxc6+ 1/2-1/2
PGN: 1. e4 b6 2. d4 Bb7 3. Nc3 e6 4. Bd3 Nf6 5. Nge2 d5 6. exd5 Nxd5 7. Nxd5 Qxd5 8. Nf4 Qd6 9. O-O Nd7 10. Ne2 Nf6 11. Bb5+ c6 12. Bf4 Qd7 13. Bc4 Be7 14. Qd3 O-O 15. Qh3 Rad8 16. Rad1 c5 17. c3 Be4 18. Ng3 Bg6 19. Be5 Qc6 20. Be2 Nd7 21. Bf3 Qb5 22. Bc7 Rc8 23. Bf4 Nf6 24. Rfe1 cxd4 25. cxd4 Nd5 26. Be5 Rfd8 27. Nh5 Bf8 28. Qg4 Qxb2 29. h4 Qc2 30. Ng3 Bf5 31. Nxf5 Qxf5 32. Qg3 Qg6 33. Qh3 h5 34. Be4 Qg4 35. Qh2 Be7 36. g3 f5 37. Bd3 Bb4 38. Rf1 Bd6 39. Rfe1 Bxe5 40. Be2 Bxg3 41. fxg3 Qg6 42. Ba6 Rc3 43. Rd3 Rxd3 44. Bxd3 Nf4 45. Bf1 Rxd4 46. Qf2 Nd3 47. Rxe6 Nxf2 48. Rxg6 Ne4 49. Bh3 Nd6 50. Rg5 Rd1+ 51. Kg2 Rd2+ 52. Kg1 Rxa2 53. Rxh5 g6 54. Rg5 Kf7 55. g4 Ne4 56. gxf5 Nxg5 57. fxg6+ Kxg6 58. hxg5 Kxg5 0-1
PGN: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Be7 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O dxc4 7. Qc2 a6 8. Qxc4 b5 9. Qc2 Bb7 10. Bd2 Ra7 11. Rc1 Be4 12. Qb3 Nc6 13. e3 Qa8 14. Qd1 b4 15. Qf1 Bd5 16. Be1 h6 17. Nbd2 a5 18. a4 bxa3 19. bxa3 a4 20. Nc4 Nb8 21. Nfe5 Nbd7 22. Bxd5 exd5 23. Na5 Bd6 24. Nec6 Ra6 25. Qb5 Nb8 26. Bb4 Nxc6 27. Rxc6 Ra7 28. Rac1 Rb8 29. Qxa4 Nd7 30. R1c3 Nb6 31. Qc2 Nc4 32. Nxc4 Bxb4 33. Ne5 Bxc3 34. Rxc3 Rxa3 35. Rxa3 Qxa3 36. Qxc7 Rf8 37. Qd7 Qa8 38. Nc6 Kh8 39. Kg2 Re8 40. h4 Qc8 41. Qxd5 Qb7 42. Qc4 Ra8 43. d5 Qb1 44. Qb4 Qd3 45. Qd4 Qb1 46. d6 Qb7 47. Qd5 Ra5 48. Qxa5 Qxc6+ 49. Kh2 Qxd6 50. Qa8+ Kh7 51. Qe4+ g6 52. h5 f5 53. Qc4 Qd7 54. hxg6+ Kxg6 55. Qg8+ Kf6 56. Qa8 h5 57. Kg2 Qd6 58. Qh8+ Kg6 59. Qg8+ Kf6 60. Qc4 Kg6 61. Kh2 Qd2 62. Qe6+ Kg5 63. Kg2 Qc2 64. Qd6 Qe4+ 65. f3 Qa8 66. Qe6 Qb7 67. e4 f4 68. Qd5+ Qxd5 69. exd5 fxg3 70. Kxg3 1-0
PGN: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e5 7. Nf3 Qc7 8. a4 h6 9. Be2 Be6 10. O-O Be7 11. a5 Qc6 12. Ne1 Nxe4 13. Nxe4 Qxe4 14. Bf3 Qb4 15. c4 Nd7 16. b3 Rb8 17. Nd3 Qc3 18. Nf4 exf4 19. Bd4 Qb4 20. Ra4 Qxa4 21. bxa4 O-O 22. Re1 Ne5 23. Bxe5 dxe5 24. Rxe5 Bf6 25. Re4 Rbd8 26. Qc1 Bd7 27. c5 Bc6 28. Rb4 Rfe8 29. Kf1 Rd3 30. Bxc6 bxc6 31. Qb1 Rd5 32. Rb8 Bd8 33. g3 Rxc5 34. gxf4 Rxa5 35. Qb3 Rf8 36. Qc4 Be7 37. Rb6 Rc5 38. Qxa6 Rc2 39. Qb7 Bc5 40. Rb2 Rc1+ 41. Kg2 Bd6 42. Ra2 Bxf4 43. a5 Rc5 44. a6 Bb8 45. h3 g6 46. Rd2 Rg5+ 47. Kf1 Rf5 48. Rc2 Kh7 49. Rxc6 Kg7 50. Qd7 Bg3 51. Qxf5 gxf5 52. fxg3 Rb8 53. Rc1 f4 54. gxf4 Kg6 55. a7 Ra8 56. Ra1 Kh5 57. Kf2 Kh4 58. Kf3 h5 59. Ra5 f6 60. Ra1 f5 61. Ra5 Kxh3 62. Rxf5 h4 63. Ra5 1-0
PGN: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 c5 4. d5 d6 5. Nc3 exd5 6. cxd5 g6 7. Nd2 Bg7 8. e4 O-O 9. Be2 Na6 10. O-O Re8 11. f3 Nc7 12. a4 Nd7 13. Kh1 b6 14. Ra3 Qe7 15. a5 Bb7 16. Nb5 Nf6 17. Nxc7 Qxc7 18. Bb5 Reb8 19. Nc4 bxa5 20. Bf4 Bf8 21. e5 Nxd5 22. exd6 Qd8 23. Bg3 Nb4 24. d7 Bd5 25. Bxb8 Rxb8 26. Ne3 Be6 27. Ba4 Bg7 28. f4 Bxb2 29. f5 Bxd7 30. fxg6 hxg6 31. Qb3 Bxa3 32. Qxf7+ Kh8 33. Bxd7 Qg8 34. Qf6+ Qg7 35. Qh4+ Qh7 36. Qf4 Ra8 37. Qf3 Rb8 38. Qf4 Ra8 39. Be6 Bb2 40. Nc4 Bd4 41. Nd6 a4 42. Nf7+ Kg7 43. Ng5 Qh5 44. g4 Qh4 45. Qc7+ Kh8 46. Nf7+ Kh7 47. Ne5+ Kh6 48. g5+ 1-0
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
Also see her personal blog at
29 September 2010
Alexandra Kosteniuk’s Chess News & Trivia (c) 2010
Hello Everyone,
The eight round is over at the 39th Chess Olympiad in Khanty-Mansiysk. You can find the detailed results and standings here. For all the detailed news updates and photos you can check the official website here. Here’s a nice video report too.
Did you keep track of the games in Round 8? We did. So, here are some nice games. You can run the moves in our pgnplayer or watch in flash below.
Before that the top standings are as follows:
Open Section
1. Ukraine UKR 14
2. Russia 1 RUS1 13
3. Georgia GEO 13
4. Azerbaijan AZE 13
5. Hungary HUN 13
Women’s Section
1. Russia RUS1 16
2. Serbia SRB 13
3. Russia RUS2 13
4. China CHN 12
5. Georgia GEO 12
Magnus Carlsen
PGN: 1. c4 g6 2. Nc3 c5 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 Nc6 5. Nf3 d6 6. O-O Nh6 7. b3 O-O 8. Bb2 Rb8 9. e3 Nf5 10. d3 a6 11. Qe2 b5 12. Nd5 e6 13. Bxg7 Nxg7 14. Nc3 b4 15. Ne4 f5 16. Ned2 e5 17. a3 bxa3 18. Rxa3 Nb4 19. Rc1 Bb7 20. Ne1 Bxg2 21. Kxg2 Rb6 22. Nc2 Qa8+ 23. f3 Nc6 24. Rf1 Qb7 25. Kg1 Ne6 26. f4 exf4 27. gxf4 Qg7 28. Raa1 Re8 29. Ra2 Qc3 30. Ne1 Nb4 31. Nb1 Qg7 32. Ra3 d5 33. cxd5 Nxd5 34. Ng2 Nd4 35. Qf2 Nxb3 36. Qa2 Qb7 37. Qc2 Nxe3 38. Nxe3 Rxe3 39. Nc3 Nd4 40. Qa2+ Kg7 41. Qd5 Rxd3 42. Qe5+ Kh6 43. Qxc5 Rb2 0-1
Jon Ludvig Hammer
PGN: 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. Ne5 Nbd7 7. Nxc4 Nb6 8. Ne5 a5 9. e3 Nbd7 10. Qb3 Nxe5 11. dxe5 Nd7 12. e4 Be6 13. Qxb7 Rb8 14. Qa7 Nxe5 15. f4 Nd7 16. f5 Bb3 17. Bf4 Ra8 18. Qb7 e5 19. fxe6 Bxe6 20. Bc7 Qc8 21. Qxc8+ Rxc8 22. Bxa5 Bd6 23. O-O-O Ke7 24. e5 Bxe5 25. Bb4+ c5 26. Ba3 Bxc3 27. bxc3 Rc7 28. Bb5 Nb6 29. Rhe1 Ra8 30. Rd4 Kf6 31. Rf4+ Ke7 32. Re5 Nd5 33. Rf3 Kd6 34. Re1 Nb6 35. Rf4 Nd5 36. Rd4 Rca7 37. c4 Rxa4 38. Bxa4 Rxa4 39. cxd5 Rxd4 40. dxe6 Rc4+ 41. Kd2 fxe6 42. Bb2 Rg4 43. Be5+ Kd5 44. g3 g5 45. Bf6 h6 46. Kc3 Ra4 47. Re5+ Kd6 48. Re2 Ra7 49. Rd2+ Kc6 50. Be5 Ra3+ 51. Kc4 Ra4+ 52. Kc3 Ra3+ 53. Kc2 Re3 54. Bg7 h5 55. Bf6 g4 56. Bg5 Re4 57. Kd3 Kd5 58. Be3 Re5 59. Rc2 Kc6 60. Ra2 Rd5+ 61. Ke4 Kb5 62. Rb2+ Kc6 63. Rc2 Kd6 64. Rxc5 Rxc5 65. Bxc5+ Kxc5 66. Ke5 1-0
Sergey Karjakin
PGN: 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. Nf3 e6 5. Be2 c5 6. Be3 Qb6 7. Nc3 Qxb2 8. Qb1 Qxb1+ 9. Rxb1 c4 10. Rxb7 Nc6 11. Nb5 Nd8 12. Rc7 Rb8 13. Nd6+ Bxd6 14. exd6 Rb1+ 15. Bd1 Bxc2 16. Kd2 Bxd1 17. Rxd1 Rb6 18. Bf4 Nf6 19. Re7+ Kf8 20. Rxa7 Ne4+ 21. Kc2 f6 22. h4 Nxf2 23. Rb1 Rxb1 24. Kxb1 Ne4 25. a4 Rg8 26. a5 Nc6 27. Ra6 Nb8 28. Ra7 Nc6 29. d7 Nd8 30. Kc2 Ke7 31. a6 e5 32. Bc1 Kd6 33. Ba3+ Kc6 34. Ra8 1-0
P.S. In case you’re wondering… we’ll have all the beautiful Russian games coming up on the blog after the Olympiad. So, keep reading.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
Also see her personal blog at
29 September 2010
Alexandra Kosteniuk’s Chess News & Trivia (c) 2010
Hi Everyone,
Anything lost can be gained back except time wasted! That’s a tip about life. Add a dad’s great chess tips and you have this cool video. You got to watch it.
This video is from Boaz Yakin’s 1994 crime drama, Fresh. It includes chess as a powerful motif. Michael (or Fresh as he’s well known) is a 12-year-old drug pusher who lives in a crowded house with his cousins and aunt. His father has become a street bum, but still meets with Fresh on occasion to play chess.
Don’t forget to send us your own chess videos.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
Also see her personal blog at
29 September 2010
Alexandra Kosteniuk’s Chess News & Trivia (c) 2010
Boris Spassky
It is nice to know that the condition of the 10th World Chess Champion Boris Spassky is stable now after a full week. He was taken to hospital after he had suffered a stroke. We wish him good health, cheer and lots of chess.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
Also see her personal blog at
28 September 2010
Alexandra Kosteniuk’s Chess News & Trivia (c) 2010
Hello Everyone,
As you know Nepal has taken to chess in a big way lately. They have organized their international rating tournaments and are now part of the Chess Olympiad also. Once the Himalayan Kingdom that embraced democracy, Nepal was more about carrom – until recently that is.
That is why we chose this nice video for you to enjoy – all the way from Bandipur. No, not the wildlife sanctuary in India but the small tourist town in Nepal.
The Chess Players of Bandipur from Kunzum on Vimeo.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
Also see her personal blog at
28 September 2010
Alexandra Kosteniuk’s Chess News & Trivia (c) 2011
The Rock of Gibraltar
Hi Everybody,
Vassily Ivanchuk is going great guns at the 39th Chess Olympiad with a perfect score so far in seven rounds in the beautiful city of Khanty-Mansiysk. Then, the other day, Michael Adams beat World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen. Both these strong players will be in Gibraltar in 2010. And, they will be joined by several other strong chess ‘artists’ at the Tradewise Gibraltar Festival from January 24 to February 3, 2010.
Ivanchuk is one of three 2700+ rated players who have confirmed their participation in the Tradewise Gibraltar Masters. The others are Mickey Adams of England and Alexander Onischuk of USA. Mickey Adams returns as the defending Gibraltar Masters champion.
American grandmaster Alexander Onischuk is rated 2701 and is coming to Gibraltar partly to act as coach to one of the most exciting young American players to emerge in recent years, Ray Robson. Robson will only be 16 when he sits down to play in Gibraltar but he secured the norms he needed for his GM title before turning 15.
The women’s line-up already looks extremely strong. Heading the women’s contingent is women’s world no.2 Humpy Koneru of India as the top seed, with the strong Russian sisters Tatiana and Nadezhda Kosintseva next.
Also in the women’s line-up will be the 2010 and 2009 Gibtelecom Women’s winners, Natalia Zhukova and Nana Dzagnidze respectively, plus Viktorija Cmilyte, European Women’s Champion Pia Cramling and Ukrainian Olympiad gold medallist Inna Gaponenko.
Here are the various sections:
The Gibraltar Masters – Open to all. £109,100 in prizes. 25 January to 3 February 2011, a ten-round Swiss.
Challengers A: Under 2250. (24 to 28 January 2011) Prize Fund £5,150
Challengers B: Under 2250. (29 January to 2 February 2011) Prize Fund £5,150
Amateur A: Under 1800. (24 to 28 January 2011) Prize fund £2,300.
Amateur B: Under 1800. (29 January to 2 February 2011) Prize fund £2,300.
Each of the above four events is a five-round Swiss.
Evening events: £1,000.
Junior Congress: 5-6 February 2011
The event is hosted by the Caleta Hotel, Gibraltar.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
Also see her personal blog at
28 September 2010
Alexandra Kosteniuk’s Chess News & Trivia (c) 2010
The 2010 Chess Olympiad has reached the seventh round and there has been great chess all around. Have you been following the action at the official website?… and the great news and features at www.chessbase.com… and www.chessvibes.com? There’s a very nice commented game on chessbase – the one in which Michael Adams beat Magnus Carlsen.
Meanwhile, here is a quick pick of some of the cool games played in Khanty-Mansiysk in Round 7. Enjoy!
Mark Bluvshtein
Zbynek Hracek
Vassily Ivanchuk
Harika Dronavalli
Nafisa Muminova
Do email us in case you’ve spotted a special game and want to share it with chessblog.com readers.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
Also see her personal blog at
27 September 2010
Hello everyone!
Just thought you’d like to know that today, the main (Women’s) match was Russia 1 vs the Ukraine. Russia won, with wins by A. Kosteniuk and A. Galiamova and draw by N. Kosintseva, only 1 loss of T. Kosintseva (see full results). Again, what’s important is team spirit and a win for the team. Up to now, Russia 1 team is the only one with only team wins. But the next days will be tough. Tomorrow Russia plays Hungary (see 7th round pairings). Hungary had a great day today, they beat the strong team of Poland 4-0!
The Russian women team become the sole leader of the Olympiad. Round 6 ReportPRESS-RELEASE №6September 27, 2010 г. Khanty-MansiyskThe 6th round of the 39th Chess Olympiad in Khanty-Mansiysk produced a sole leader in the women competition: Russia-1 defeated Ukraine, the winners of the Olympiad-2006, and moved to the clear first place. The Russians won all the six games and collected 12 team points. The match was very tense; the Russians were trailing at some point, as Tatiana Kosintseva quickly lost to Kateryna Lahno. However, Russia managed to turn the tables and celebrate a win with victories of Alexandra Kosteniuk and Alisa Galliamova over Anna Ushenina and Maria Muzychuk respectively.Hungary moved to the second place after beating Poland with the perfect score 4-0. Four teams are sharing the third place with 10 points – Georgia, Ukraine, China, and India. Georgia defeated USA with a minimal margin. China defeated Russia-3 – 3-1. India drew with Italy, Bulgaria drew with Serbia, and Armenia drew with Russia-2. Three teams are in the lead in the open tournament – Georgia, Armenia, and Ukraine all have 10 points. Six teams are one point behind – Russia-1, Russia-2, Poland, USA, Azerbaijan, and Hungary.The key match of the round was played between Armenia and Georgia and ended in a draw. Arman Pashikian, Armenia’s best player at the Olympiad, won another game, and now has 5 points after 6 games. The Georgian Levan Pantsulaya equalized the score. Ukraine swept off Hungary 3-1. Vassily Ivanchuk and Pavel Eljanov defeated Peter Leko and Judit Polgar.Russia-1 outplayed Czech Republic in a tense match: Karjakin won against Hracek, and other games were drawn. Russia-2 won against the Netherlands – Ian Nepomniachtchi and Artyom Timofeev outplayed Luke van Wely and Daniel Stellwagen. In other matches Azerbaijan defeated India 3-1, USA won against Vietnam 2,5-1,5, Poland def. Estonia 3-1, Russia-3 drew with Greece 2-2. Note the second defeat of the world number one Magnus Carlsen, who lost as Black to Michael Adams.On Tuesday, September 28, the key matches of the open section are Ukraine – Georgia, Armenia – Azerbaijan, Russia-2 – Russia-1, USA – Poland. The key matches of the women section are Russia-1 – Hungary, China – Georgia, Ukraine – India, Russia-2 – Romania, USA – Armenia.Press Office , 39th World Chess Olympiad
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
Chess Blog www.chessblog.com
27 September 2010
Alexandra Kosteniuk’s Chess News & Trivia (c) 2010
Hello Everyone,
We found this real great short ‘musings’ piece at courierpress.com as part of their Joe Aaron Column.
Isn’t it sweet to see a father doting on his daughter? Therefore, this article makes for some very cute reading. Of course it’s the chess in it that caught our fancy… and love! Enjoy.
Also, if you’re a dad (or mom) sharing chess with your child, do tell us all about it.
She laughs, well, except in chess games
by Joe Aaron
She sits across the dining table from me now, this daughter of mine, pondering the advisability of swapping her bishop for my knight in the amateurish game of chess that we are playing.
Her head is bowed in concentration, her hair falls over to frame her face, her eyes dart about the board to guard against some foul trick that I am trying to draw her into, for she knows from experience that I am totally ruthless.
I watch her secretly, and study her face, and her slender hands, and the horseshoe of freckles across her nose, and I am bemused that she is 16. Not so long ago she held my hand to cross the street.
And all things considered, I am glad she is my daughter.
She wears her dresses much too short, of course, after the curious fashion of the day, and she tends to lengthen into infinity any story that she happens to tell, but I forgive her readily enough, for she has many off-setting assets.
She likes to read, and it is my belief, based entirely on personal prejudice, that anybody who can lose herself within the pages of a book — who can read throughout the day and half the night, in rapt concentration — must have at least a grain of worth to her.
And I look on with considerably envy as she reads for the first time books that I myself first read years ago, wishing I had that delightful experience yet before me.
Books like “Of Mice and Men” and “In Cold Blood” and “1984” and “Catcher in the Rye” and “Riders of the Purple Sage” and the inspired works of Will Cuppy and Robert Benchley and P.G. Wodehouse and James Thurber.
She sits in the big recliner beside the window, sprawled so the failing light of evening falls over her shoulder, and I come into the room and snap on the light, then give her a stern parental dissertation on the perils of eyestrain.
But she didn’t even realize she was straining her eyes, so deep into the unfolding story was she — and I am understanding, since I read “War and Peace” almost entirely by flashlight, after lights-out each night in my Army barracks, such a long, long time ago.
With her love of reading has come a love of writing — short pieces of fiction that are quite good, if you’ll forgive a tiresome, old father’s saying so — and this makes me very proud.
Accompanying her gift of reading and writing has come a gift of compassion, a concern for every mistreated or homeless thing that ever lived. And every time she returns to California after our summer visits, she returns dead broke, having spent her few dollars to buy gifts for the children with whom she babysits.
But the thing that, perhaps, will one day save her sanity in this often sad and cockeyed world is her gift of laughter.
She looks out through whimsical eyes and has a refreshing ability to laugh not only at the world but herself as well. And so much does her laughter mean to me that I often act the clown with her just to get her started.
You seldom hear real gut-laughter anymore.
But when she starts to tell me a story, I cringe because I know it won’t end until the day after tomorrow.
One day she got into the car after visiting her friend Tina.
“I bought you a present,” she said, and while I drove with one hand I opened the package with the other.
It was a fine chess set, but it wasn’t my birthday.
“How come you bought me a gift?” I asked.
“Because,” she said, “I love you.”
I drove for a long ways without saying anything.
Then I reached over and hit her lightly on the shoulder.
But when we got home I used the new set to beat her without mercy, because love isn’t everything.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
Also see her personal blog at
27 September 2010
Alexandra Kosteniuk’s Chess News & Trivia (c) 2010
Hello Everyone,
A chess game is a roller coaster of emotions. If words don’t come easy in describing the turbulence of a game here is a dramatic video to help you. Enjoy.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
Also see her personal blog at
27 September 2010
Alexandra Kosteniuk’s Chess News & Trivia (c) 2010
Hello Everyone,
The excitement is rising at the 2010 Chess Olympiad in Khanty Mansiysk. You must be following the news and features at the official website. Here are some interesting games from Round 6 of the Olympiad. Enjoy.
Before that though check out the nice report on the Nations Cross race here. Here is also the nice Ugra TV Report.
Back to the games.
Elizabeth Paehtz
Hou Yifan
Hikaru Nakamura
Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
Also see her personal blog at
26 September 2010
Team Captain Dokhoian, with A. Kosteniuk, T. Kosintseva, A. Galliamova, & V. Gunina (N. Kosintseva missing on photo)
(As posted on Alexandra’s personal blog www.chessqueen.com – See direct source here)
Hi Everyone!
Today is the first free day of the Olympiad and the teams are resting and getting ready for the next 6 rounds. After the first 5 rounds in the women’s tournament the teams of Russia and Ukraine are in the lead and tomorrow we will meet in a direct encounter. Before this round our team went for a nice autumn stroll in Khanty-Mansiysk. The weather is perfect for this time of this year. All trees are yellow and in the Victory Park I found a nice poster , have a look a the photos below.
Posted by Alexandra Kosteniuk
Women’s World Chess Champion
26 September 2010
Alexandra Kosteniuk’s Chess News & Trivia (c) 2010
Hello Everyone,
Here is a simple chess position for Sunday night. You can easily work it out. Enjoy.
Engels-Maroczy, Dresden, 1936
White to play and win.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
Also see her personal blog at
26 September 2010
Alexandra Kosteniuk’s Chess News & Trivia (c) 2010
Hello Everyone,
The intense 39th Chess Olympiad is on a one-day break after five rounds in Khanty-Mansiysk. At the five-round mark, in the open section, only three countries have a perfect score of winning all their matches. These are Armenia, Georgia and Hungary. In the women’s section, Ukraine and Russia 1 lead with a perfect score. You can view the complete standings here.
The Olympiad is being held from September 19 to October 4.
September 26 is also the National Jogging Day in Russia. It is better known as ‘Nations Cross’. As part of the morning celebrations a special one km race was run in the morning from the Ice Palace square. Local citizens, guests and participants took part in the race. There was also a separate professional race. You can read more about it at the official website.
With six more rounds to go plenty of action is in store and you can keep track of it at the official website apart from a host of news and features websites.
The 40th Chess Olympiad will be held in 2012 in Istanbul, Turkey.
Here is a nice video from Round 5 of the 39th Chess Olympiad and with details on the Zero Tolerance Rule plus an interview with Levon Aronian by Elmira Mirzoeva.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
Also see her personal blog at
26 September 2010
Alexandra Kosteniuk’s Chess News & Trivia (c) 2010
Hello Everyone,
You will really like this post. It’s about a nine-year-old girl from Lithuania. Her name is Karolina Misiuk. She was on a television programme ‘Two minutes of fame’ with an amazing feat: She played blindfold chess against two people while, at the same time, playing the guitar!
Watch the video for yourself.
Here’s a second video with Karolina playing the piano and chess. Awesome!
Of course, we must not forget to tell you she loves Harry Potter too. Not to forget that she has been twice chess champion of Lithuania and stood third in European chess championships in her category.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
Also see her personal blog at
25 September 2010
Alexandra Kosteniuk’s Chess News & Trivia (c) 2010
Sir Arthur C. Clarke
Hello Everyone,
Do you know what happened when aliens discovered chess upon earth? No, we don’t have an answer but possibly many years ago -1977 to be precise – science-fiction writer Sir Arthur C. Clarke did.
He wrote a short story titled ‘Quarantine’ about an extraterrestrial civilization which discovers chess after visiting Earth! The anecdote goes that Sir Arthur C. Clarke was asked to write a story that would fit the back of a postcard. He came up with this gem. Here is the short story:
Quarantine
Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine, First Issue, Vol 1, No. 1, Spring 1977
Earth’s flaming debris still filled half the sky when the question filtered up to Central from the Curiosity Generator.
“Why was it necessary? Even though they were organic, they had reached Third Order Intelligence.”
“We had no choice: five earlier units became hopelessly infected, when they made contact.”
“Infected? How?”
The microseconds dragged slowly by, while Central tracked down the few fading memories that had leaked past the Censor Gate, when the heavily-buffered Reconnaissance Circuits had been ordered to self-destruct.
“They encountered a – problem – that could not be fully analyzed within the lifetime of the Universe. Though it involved only six operators, they became totally obsessed by it.”
“How is that possible?”
“We do not know: we must never know. But if those six operators are ever re-discovered, all rational computing will end.”
“How can they be recognized?”
“That also we do not know; only the names leaked through before the Censor Gate closed. Of course, they mean nothing.”
“Nevertheless, I must have them.”
The Censor voltage started to rise; but it did not trigger the Gate.
“Here they are: King, Queen, Bishop, Knight, Rook, Pawn.”
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
Also see her personal blog at
25 September 2010
Alexandra Kosteniuk’s Chess News & Trivia (c) 2010
Hello Everyone,
Here’s a chess movie scene to light up the weekend. The Young Victoria (2009) is the dramatization of the turbulent first years of Queen Victoria’s rule, and her enduring romance with Prince Albert. The movie has a very endearing chess scene. Watch it. You will love it.
P.S. Something to think about before you marry: What’s they guy like at chess? 😉
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
Also see her personal blog at
