31 March 2011
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hi everyone,
As more an more countries join the chess fraternity, it makes us feel happy. Now, Indonesia will host its first Telin International Chess Tournament 2011 at Graha Citra Caraka Telkom building in Jakarta beginning on Friday.
About 100 chess players from around the globe are schedule to participate in the US$25,000 event, which is supported by PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia International (Telin).
The seven-day tournament will feature world Grandmasters Eugene Torre of the Philippines with an Elo rating of 2495, Zhang Zhong of Singapore (2592), Dao Thien Hai of Vietnam (2507), Dibyendu Darua of India (2468), Merab Ganunashvili of Georgia (2599), Woman Grandmaster Anastasia Karlovich of Ukraine (2204), Woman International Master Sadeli Dhar of India (2134), as well as Indonesian Grandmaster Susanto Megantoro (2533) and Woman Grandmaster Irine Kharisma Sukandar (2354).
So far, Indonesia has five Grandmasters, 13 International Masters, 18 FIDE Masters, one Woman Grandmasters, four Woman International Masters and four Woman FIDE Masters.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
Also see her personal blog at
31 March 2011
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hi everyone,
There’s such fascination about robots and computers playing chess and here’s another project a chess fan has written to us about.
Arduino DIY-ers have built another chess project. This chess board looks like any chess board except the chess pieces are metallic and moved by a magnet below the board controlled by a robotic arm. The microcontroller controls stepper motors and servos which move the pieces between the squares. Sixty-four magnetically activated reed switches planted into the board allow the Arduino to track the location of each piece. The checkered board has to be a bit large to ensure smooth movement of the pieces between each other. But we don’t know how it works when pieces are captured and have to be removed from the board.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
Hi everyone,
There’s such fascination about robots and computers playing chess and here’s another project a chess fan has written to us about.
Arduino DIY-ers have built another chess project. This chess board looks like any chess board except the chess pieces are metallic and moved by a magnet below the board controlled by a robotic arm. The microcontroller controls stepper motors and servos which move the pieces between the squares. Sixty-four magnetically activated reed switches planted into the board allow the Arduino to track the location of each piece. The checkered board has to be a bit large to ensure smooth movement of the pieces between each other. But we don’t know how it works when pieces are captured and have to be removed from the board.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
31 March 2011
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hi everyone,
Malaysia just got their new women’s chess champion – Nur Nabila Azman Hashim. The runners-up was her sister Nur Najiha. For most of the tournament, the two were leading together. Nur Nabila also beat defending champion Fong Mi Yen.
Nur Najiha made the first breakthrough in the sixth round as she overcame Camila Johari, while Nur Nabila could only score a draw with Tan Li Ting, another former national women’s champion. However, Nur Najiha’s sole lead in the championship was short-lived. In the seventh round, she drew with Tan, while Nur Nabila easily overcame a challenge from Amira Syahmina Zulkafli.
You can read a detailed report here.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
Hi everyone,
Nur Nabila Azman Hashim – Malaysian
women’s chess champion
Malaysia just got their new women’s chess champion – Nur Nabila Azman Hashim. The runners-up was her sister Nur Najiha. For most of the tournament, the two were leading together. Nur Nabila also beat defending champion Fong Mi Yen.
Nur Najiha made the first breakthrough in the sixth round as she overcame Camila Johari, while Nur Nabila could only score a draw with Tan Li Ting, another former national women’s champion. However, Nur Najiha’s sole lead in the championship was short-lived. In the seventh round, she drew with Tan, while Nur Nabila easily overcame a challenge from Amira Syahmina Zulkafli.
You can read a detailed report here.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
30 March 2011
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hi everyone,
If you’re planning an Asian trip you could very well check out the Thailand Open Chess Championship 2011 running from April 11-17 in Pattaya, Thailand. The tournament will be held in the five-star Dusit Thani Resort and Spa and is expected to draw more than 250 players from 50 countries making the tournament possibly the biggest and strongest in Thailand so far.
You can find more details about entry etc – though now you would have to go with a late fee – at this website.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
Hi everyone,
If you’re planning an Asian trip you could very well check out the Thailand Open Chess Championship 2011 running from April 11-17 in Pattaya, Thailand. The tournament will be held in the five-star Dusit Thani Resort and Spa and is expected to draw more than 250 players from 50 countries making the tournament possibly the biggest and strongest in Thailand so far.
You can find more details about entry etc – though now you would have to go with a late fee – at this website.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
30 March 2011
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hi everyone,
GM Wang Yue and GM Bu Xiangzhi are the top seeds in the Open Section and also includes GM Hou Yifan. In the Women’s Section top players are WGM Ju Wenjun, GM Zhao Xue, and WGM Shen Yang. You can watch live games here with games starting at 15:00 local time. More more news you can also check this website. For updates in English you can check www.chessdom.com.
Hi everyone,
One of the most closely watched national chess tournaments in the world now is the Chinese National Chess Championships. The 2011 edition of the event has begun and would run from March 30 to April 10 in Xinghua, Jiangsu, China. It will be an 11 rounds competition with time control 90 minutes for the whole game with an addition of 30 seconds per move starting from move one.
Ni Hua and Hou Yifan
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
Also see her personal blog at
30 March 2011
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Sachini Ranasinghe of Sri Lanka has become Sri Lanka’s first WIM. We had an earlier report from FIDE that she got the WIM title after 25 years of Rani Hamid though Hamid is Bangladesh’s first first WIM.
Sachini Ranasinghe – Sri Lanka’s second WIM after 25 years.
Sachini has earned the title by winning the Asian Zonal 3.2 Women’s Chess Championship. Meanwhile, Bangladeshi Grandmaster Ziaur Rahman, who was the top seed, won the Asian Zonals, by notching up 7.5 points out of possible 9 games. Grandmaster, Niaz Murshed placed second and Abu Safin Shakil was tird. Shrestha Sujendra Prasad from Nepal earned his FM title while Shakil earned his IM title.
Sachini and Zia also get tickets to the respective World Cup of Chess. Aktar Lisa from Bangladesh also scored 7 points and tied with Sachini. But her loss in an early round to Sachini kept her back on tie-break. FM Supeshala Thilkawardena earned the third place.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
Also see her personal blog at
30 March 2011
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hi everyone,
Here is the video of legendary world chess champion Garry Kasparov’s visit to the European Individual Chess Championship currently being held in Aix les Bains, France.
The recent French chess cheating scandal that you would have read about here on www.chessblog.com and other websites has affected the European Individual Championship also. www.chessvibes.com has carried a report about an open letter being circulated at the championship for players requesting for following rules:
– the arbiters reserve the rights to search any player’s pockets in case of suspicion
– no electronic devices can be brought into the playing hall, switched off or otherwise
– electronic boards can be unplugged if one of the players demands it
Hi everyone,
Here is the video of legendary world chess champion Garry Kasparov’s visit to the European Individual Chess Championship currently being held in Aix les Bains, France.
The recent French chess cheating scandal that you would have read about here on www.chessblog.com and other websites has affected the European Individual Championship also. www.chessvibes.com has carried a report about an open letter being circulated at the championship for players requesting for following rules:
– the arbiters reserve the rights to search any player’s pockets in case of suspicion
– no electronic devices can be brought into the playing hall, switched off or otherwise
– electronic boards can be unplugged if one of the players demands it
Spanish Grandmaster Francisco Vallejo Pons posted the open letter on Facebook which was cross-posted by the news website.
29 March 2011
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hello everyone,
GM Alexei Shirov is the top seed at the 19th Sigeman Chess Tournament which is going to take place in Malmö, Sweden, from 9-13th June 2011. The format is 6-player round robin. The tournament is also featuring a nice mix of world’s top juniors and Sweden’s best players. You can access the official website here.
Participants:
GM Alexei Shirov ESP 2701
GM Anish Giri NED 2690
GM Wesley So PHI 2667
GM Jonny Hector SWE 2588
GM Nils Grandelius SWE 2547
GM Hans Tikkanen SWE 2541
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
GM Alexei Shirov ESP 2701
GM Anish Giri NED 2690
GM Wesley So PHI 2667
GM Jonny Hector SWE 2588
GM Nils Grandelius SWE 2547
GM Hans Tikkanen SWE 2541
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
29 March 2011
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hi everyone,
We yet don’t know where the World Chess Championship 2012 will be held. FIDE is publishing the bidding procedure and regulations for the FIDE World Championship Match 2012 betweenWorld Champion V. Anand and his challenger from the Candidates Matches. The match is scheduled for April-May 2012 and the deadline for receiving bids is 30 June.
Here are part of the bidding rules.
Each bid shall contain the following particulars as minimum:
a) Proposed exact dates of the event between 10 April and 31 May 2012.
b) Proposed venue of the event.
c) Proposed prize fund for the players (minimum 1,000,000 euros & should be offered net of any applicable local taxes).
d) The contribution to FIDE (net of any applicable local taxes and not less than 20% of the prize money) as stipulated in
Article 13.2 as well as the financial obligations stated in Article 14 of the Rules & Regulations of the World Championship
Match 2012
e) Commitment to cover all the other financial obligations to FIDE, in accordance with the Rules & Regulations of the
World Championship Match 2012
f) Commitment to cover all organizational costs, in accordance with the match regulations.
g) Category of official hotel (minimum 4- stars), and name if possible, with special room rates for visitors (including meals).
h) A statement that the applicant accepts the regulations of the match without any reservations.
i) An invitation for 2 (two) members of the FIDE Commission for World Chess Championships and Olympiads to inspect the
proposed venue and examine the other conditions, with all travel/hotel expenses paid by the bidder.
j) The applicant’s name, signatures and authentication.
You can read all the details here.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
Also see her personal blog at
29 March 2011
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
The All India Chess Federation on behalf of the FIDE is going to host the World Junior Chess Championship – 2011 to be held in the south Indian city of Chennai from August 1-16 August 2011. You can find more details here.
The championships will be played in 13 rounds, Swiss System, in accordance with FIDE regulations of July 1, 2009. According to FIDE rules, the rate of play will be 90 minutes for the 40 moves followed by 30 minutes for all remaining moves with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting from move one. According to FIDE regulations, entitled to participate are chess players born on and
after January 1, 1991. Players would not be allowed to accept a draw before 30 moves!
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
Also see her personal blog at
29 March 2011
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hi everyone,
For all the fans of former World Chess Champion Anatoly Karpov and for all the lovers of chess, here are three nice videos of training and the champion’s life. This was prepared before he was to take on Bobby Fischer. Enjoy. Don’t forget to keep sending us your favourite videos for featuring here on www.chessblog.com.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
Hi everyone,
For all the fans of former World Chess Champion Anatoly Karpov and for all the lovers of chess, here are three nice videos of training and the champion’s life. This was prepared before he was to take on Bobby Fischer. Enjoy. Don’t forget to keep sending us your favourite videos for featuring here on www.chessblog.com.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
29 March 2011
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Here are the updates from the Asian Zone 3.5 Chess Championships. These were held from March 20-28 in Tianjin, China. The men’s tournament is a qualifier for the 2011 World Cup of Chess and top two finishers book tickets for Khanty-Mansiysk. 55 players competed in the 9-round Swiss tournament.
Bu Xiangzhi
Last round top games all ended in draws, granting the Grandmasters Bu Xiangzhi and Li Chao B the first two places as they scored seven points each. GM Zhou Jianchao and Lu Shanglei shared the third place with 6.5 points.
Ju Wenjun
The Women’s tournament that took place alongside and is a qualification for the 2012 Women’s World Championship. Thirty two participants competed over 9 rounds of Swiss system. Top four finishers progress in the World Championship cycle. Reigning China champion Ju Wenjun and second-seed Shen Yang are joint winners with 7.0 points each.
Final standings (women):1-2. WGM Ju Wenjun 2519 and WGM Shen Yang 2443 – 7.0
3. WGM Huang Qian 2394 – 6.5
4-5. WGM Wang Yu A. 2398 and WGM Gu Xiaobing 2369 – 6.0
6-9. Wang Doudou 2182, WF Zhai Mo 2136, WGM Ding Yixin 2376 and WGM Zhang Xiaowen 2344 – 5.5
10-14. Guo Qi 2331, WGM Tan Zhongyi 2428, Wang Jue 2275, Ni Shiqun and Xu Huahua 2139 – 5.0 etc
The Chinese Chess Championships 2011 start from March 29 in Xinghua, Jiangsu, and continue until April 10.
3. WGM Huang Qian 2394 – 6.5
4-5. WGM Wang Yu A. 2398 and WGM Gu Xiaobing 2369 – 6.0
6-9. Wang Doudou 2182, WF Zhai Mo 2136, WGM Ding Yixin 2376 and WGM Zhang Xiaowen 2344 – 5.5
10-14. Guo Qi 2331, WGM Tan Zhongyi 2428, Wang Jue 2275, Ni Shiqun and Xu Huahua 2139 – 5.0 etc
The Chinese Chess Championships 2011 start from March 29 in Xinghua, Jiangsu, and continue until April 10.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
Also see her personal blog at
29 March 2011
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hi everyone,
Grandmaster Vladimir Potkin is going great at the European Individual Chess Championship currently on in Aix Les Bains, France. He has notched up six points out of seven rounds and is ahead of 19 other grandmasters with half a point. You can access the official website here.
The 12th European Individual Chess Championship is being held from March 21 till April 3rd, 2011 in Aix les Bain, France. It’s an 11-round Swiss system with a total of 407 participants (172 GMs). There are 23 qualification spots for the World Cup 2011 in August-September in Khanty-Mansiysk (Russia). The games start every day at 15:00 CET (live here). Meanwhile, here are some nice games from Round 5.
Hi everyone,
Grandmaster Vladimir Potkin is going great at the European Individual Chess Championship currently on in Aix Les Bains, France. He has notched up six points out of seven rounds and is ahead of 19 other grandmasters with half a point. You can access the official website here.
The 12th European Individual Chess Championship is being held from March 21 till April 3rd, 2011 in Aix les Bain, France. It’s an 11-round Swiss system with a total of 407 participants (172 GMs). There are 23 qualification spots for the World Cup 2011 in August-September in Khanty-Mansiysk (Russia). The games start every day at 15:00 CET (live here). Meanwhile, here are some nice games from Round 5.
29 March 2011
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Khanty Mansisyk – Preparing for World Cup of Chess 2011
Hi everyone,
Back to news from Havana. Cuban Grandmasters Lazaro Bruzon and Leinier Dominguez have won the two tickets for the 2011 World Cup of Chess by winning the Zonal 2.3 regional qualifying tournament that concluded on Sunday in Santiago de los Caballeros, the Dominican Republic
Dominguez won the event with 11 points of 12 possible with his victory on Sunday over Jamaican Jomo Pitterson, while Bruzon placed second with 10.5 points after he tied with Colombian Sergio Barrientos.
Apart from qualifying to the World Cup, with these results, Dominguez added 9.5 points to his current ELO rating of 2716 while Bruzon continued nearing the 2700 mark as he currently has 2686 and he added 7.1 points. The third spot of the competition was for Mexican Manuel Leon Hoyos, who ended with 9.5 points.
The World Cup of Chess is scheduled for Khanty Mansiysk, Russia, from August 26 to September 21 later this year.
Apart from qualifying to the World Cup, with these results, Dominguez added 9.5 points to his current ELO rating of 2716 while Bruzon continued nearing the 2700 mark as he currently has 2686 and he added 7.1 points. The third spot of the competition was for Mexican Manuel Leon Hoyos, who ended with 9.5 points.
The World Cup of Chess is scheduled for Khanty Mansiysk, Russia, from August 26 to September 21 later this year.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
Also see her personal blog at
29 March 2011
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hi everyone,
Some time back we had given you the first part of the Viktor Korchnoi video. Here is our earlier www.chessblog.com post with the first part of the interview that Europe Echecs conducted with Viktor Korchnoi.
Happy Birthday Viktor Korchnoi
You can now watch the second part. Enjoy.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
Hi everyone,
Some time back we had given you the first part of the Viktor Korchnoi video. Here is our earlier www.chessblog.com post with the first part of the interview that Europe Echecs conducted with Viktor Korchnoi.
Happy Birthday Viktor Korchnoi
You can now watch the second part. Enjoy.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
29 March 2011
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hi everyone,
We found this real cool video at this link. It’s about Wendi Fischer, executive director of America’s Foundation for Chess, who has become a celebrity among the elementary school set. It’s not the first initiative to teach chess to elementary students. Since 1986, Chess-in-the-Schools has taught the game to low-income students in New York City Public Schools. No one keeps track of how many teachers use the board game as a teaching tool, though plenty of books are available to help them. The foundation, based in Bellevue, Wash., aims to expand First Move nationally and beyond.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
Hi everyone,
We found this real cool video at this link. It’s about Wendi Fischer, executive director of America’s Foundation for Chess, who has become a celebrity among the elementary school set. It’s not the first initiative to teach chess to elementary students. Since 1986, Chess-in-the-Schools has taught the game to low-income students in New York City Public Schools. No one keeps track of how many teachers use the board game as a teaching tool, though plenty of books are available to help them. The foundation, based in Bellevue, Wash., aims to expand First Move nationally and beyond.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
28 March 2011
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hi everyone,
In a friendly, 4-game rapid match held on Sunday, March 27 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan Vishy Anand beat Rustam Kasimdzhanov 3.5-0.5. The first game ended in a draw and then the World Champion won the three remaining games.
The match between the reigning World Champion Viswanathan Anand and his second and former FIDE World Champion Rustam Kasimdzhanov was held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. It was organized by the Chess Federation of Uzbekistan and the “Forum” Foundation, and held directly after the traditional Georgi Agzamov memorial. The match consisted of four games with the time control of 25 minutes plus 10 seconds increment.
Rustam Kasimdzhanov, Uzbekistan’s number one player, won the knockout FIDE World Championship in 2004 and held the title until 2005. Later he joined Anand’s team to help the World Champion defend his crown, won in Mexico in 2007, in matches against Kramnik in Bonn, 2008, and against Topalov in Sofia, 2010.
Although Anand has been known for decades for his speedy chess, Kasimdzhanov is not a bad rapid player himself. His 2004 title was partly based on excellent play in rapid tiebreaks while most recently, Kasimdzhanov won the Rapid Championship of the 16th Asian Games, held in November in Guangzhou, China.
Rapid Match Tashkent
| Name | Ti | NAT | Rtng | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | Perf |
| Anand, Viswanathan | g | IND | 2817 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3½ | 3023 |
| Kasimdzhanov, Rustam | g | UZB | 2687 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 2495 |
The first game was drawn in a Petroff where Kasimdzhanov might have had a slight advantage in the final position. Then, the Uzbek grandmaster played an excellent game and reached a winning ending in the second game. However, he blundered. In the third game Anand won quickly in another Petroff. In the last game Anand got a tiny edge right out of the opening and used back rank tactics to win.
You can access the official website here.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
28 March 2011
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hi everyone,
Next weekend UMBC will defend its title of best college chess team in the United States at the Final Four of College Chess. The match will be held on 1-3 April at Booz Allen Hamilton’s corporate site in Herndon, VA.
Each year, the top four USA schools from the Pan American Intercollegiate Team Chess Championship are invited to compete for the President’s Cup in a match that has come to be known as the ‘Final Four of College Chess’. The winner is considered to be the top US college chess team.
This year, the UMBC team will face three teams from Texas universities: Texas Tech University, the University of Texas at Dallas, and the University of Texas at Brownsville.
Director of the UMBC Chess Program, Professor Alan Sherman, believes that UMBC has the strongest team but says “We are fielding the same team that won the Final Four last year and that placed second in the 2010 Pan-Am in Milwaukee. It will be a close fight in which any of the four teams could possibly win.”
UMBC’s team consists of International Grandmasters Leonid “Chief” Kritz, Sergey “The Stealth” Erenburg, Giorgi Margvelashvili, International Master Sasha “Plaplan” Kaplan and International Woman Grandmaster Sabina “Sunshine” Foisor (alternate). Supporting the team are UMBC Chess Coach Igor Epshteyn and Associate Chess Director Sam Palatnik.
Hi everyone,
Next weekend UMBC will defend its title of best college chess team in the United States at the Final Four of College Chess. The match will be held on 1-3 April at Booz Allen Hamilton’s corporate site in Herndon, VA.
Each year, the top four USA schools from the Pan American Intercollegiate Team Chess Championship are invited to compete for the President’s Cup in a match that has come to be known as the ‘Final Four of College Chess’. The winner is considered to be the top US college chess team.
This year, the UMBC team will face three teams from Texas universities: Texas Tech University, the University of Texas at Dallas, and the University of Texas at Brownsville.
Director of the UMBC Chess Program, Professor Alan Sherman, believes that UMBC has the strongest team but says “We are fielding the same team that won the Final Four last year and that placed second in the 2010 Pan-Am in Milwaukee. It will be a close fight in which any of the four teams could possibly win.”
UMBC’s team consists of International Grandmasters Leonid “Chief” Kritz, Sergey “The Stealth” Erenburg, Giorgi Margvelashvili, International Master Sasha “Plaplan” Kaplan and International Woman Grandmaster Sabina “Sunshine” Foisor (alternate). Supporting the team are UMBC Chess Coach Igor Epshteyn and Associate Chess Director Sam Palatnik.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
Also see her personal blog at
28 March 2011
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hi everyone,
We found this very interesting feature on a project called ‘Chess in the Library’. It was Brookbanks Public Library in North York that was the birthplace of Chess in the Library – a weekly program created by Canada’s youngest female International Master, Yuanling Yuan, 17. The library is where young chess players gather to play and learn.
Already two years in, Yuan’s idea has been a tremendous success. Chess in the Library now spans across 12 Toronto libraries, and has more than 40 volunteers. The program also operates in three libraries in Ottawa, and one library in Victoria, BC and Calgary, Alta.
Chess in the Library is designed to boost social and intellectual development. Chess demands the expansion of math and literacy skills and the emotional capacity to learn how to win and lose. But more importantly, these skills help prepare participants for the challenges which lie ahead as they transition through elementary school to middle school, to high school and beyond – something not offered by today’s digital mediums.
Although video games do offer entertainment, there’s limited emphasis on engaging one’s intellectual faculties.
“Instead of just hitting buttons, you have to decide how you want to play and consider the consequences of your actions,” said Kevin Wu, 15, executive director of the program. “Chess is a parallel to life – cause and effect.”
Wu started playing when he was seven years old after his parents bought him a book on chess. Since then, he’s been completely absorbed by the game. Following in Yuan’s shoes, he’s now a Candidate Master.
You can read the full article here.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
Checkmate: Chess is much more than just board game. Left to right, Stefan, Claudio Garcia-Espejo and Niraq, show focus, fun and fearlessness at the Bloor/Gladstone Library chapter of Chess in the Library. Courtesy/Daniela Muller-Shapiro
Hi everyone,
We found this very interesting feature on a project called ‘Chess in the Library’. It was Brookbanks Public Library in North York that was the birthplace of Chess in the Library – a weekly program created by Canada’s youngest female International Master, Yuanling Yuan, 17. The library is where young chess players gather to play and learn.
Already two years in, Yuan’s idea has been a tremendous success. Chess in the Library now spans across 12 Toronto libraries, and has more than 40 volunteers. The program also operates in three libraries in Ottawa, and one library in Victoria, BC and Calgary, Alta.
Chess in the Library is designed to boost social and intellectual development. Chess demands the expansion of math and literacy skills and the emotional capacity to learn how to win and lose. But more importantly, these skills help prepare participants for the challenges which lie ahead as they transition through elementary school to middle school, to high school and beyond – something not offered by today’s digital mediums.
Although video games do offer entertainment, there’s limited emphasis on engaging one’s intellectual faculties.
“Instead of just hitting buttons, you have to decide how you want to play and consider the consequences of your actions,” said Kevin Wu, 15, executive director of the program. “Chess is a parallel to life – cause and effect.”
Wu started playing when he was seven years old after his parents bought him a book on chess. Since then, he’s been completely absorbed by the game. Following in Yuan’s shoes, he’s now a Candidate Master.
You can read the full article here.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
27 March 2011
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hi everybody,
Grandmasters Marat Dzhumaev, Anton Filippov (Uzbekistan) and Tigran Petrosian (Armenia) shared the first place with seven points each. Petrosian was declared winner on superior tiebreak score.
On March 27 Chess Federation of Uzbekistan and “Forum” Foundation will organise a friendly match between the current World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand (India) and the 17th World Chess Champion Rustam Kasimdzhanov (Uzbekistan) in Tashkent. The match consists of four rapid games. Time control: 25 minutes per game with a 10-second increment per move starting at move one.
Final standings:
1-3. GM Petrosian Tigran L. ARM 2620, GM Filippov Anton UZB 2604 and GM Dzhumaev Marat UZB 2465 – 7.0
4-12. GM Turov Maxim RUS 2635, GM Roiz Michael ISR 2661, GM Yuriy Kuzubov UKR 2627, GM Kazhgaleyev Murtas KAZ 2618, GM Barsov Alexei UZB 2503, GM Mchedlishvili Mikheil GEO 2629, GM Megaranto Susanto INA 2533, GM Miroshnichenko Evgenij UKR 2670 and IM Khamrakulov Dzhurabek UZB 2479 – 6.5
13-17. GM Evgeny Alekseev RUS 2688, GM Jumabayev Rinat KAZ 2562, GM Ismagambetov Anuar KAZ 2496, Temirov Bakhyt KAZ 2326 and Zamruk Alexander RUS 2380 – 6.0 etc
1-3. GM Petrosian Tigran L. ARM 2620, GM Filippov Anton UZB 2604 and GM Dzhumaev Marat UZB 2465 – 7.0
4-12. GM Turov Maxim RUS 2635, GM Roiz Michael ISR 2661, GM Yuriy Kuzubov UKR 2627, GM Kazhgaleyev Murtas KAZ 2618, GM Barsov Alexei UZB 2503, GM Mchedlishvili Mikheil GEO 2629, GM Megaranto Susanto INA 2533, GM Miroshnichenko Evgenij UKR 2670 and IM Khamrakulov Dzhurabek UZB 2479 – 6.5
13-17. GM Evgeny Alekseev RUS 2688, GM Jumabayev Rinat KAZ 2562, GM Ismagambetov Anuar KAZ 2496, Temirov Bakhyt KAZ 2326 and Zamruk Alexander RUS 2380 – 6.0 etc
You can access the official website here.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
Also see her personal blog at
