30 June 2012
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
GM Ivan Salgado of Spain has won the Forni di Sopra Chess Tournament recently. Going into the last round, both GM Salgado and Russia’s Pavel Tregubov beat their opponents to finish the tournament with a total of seven points each. GM Salgado won on tiebreak.
The 2nd International Chess Tournament of Forni di Sopra was organised from June 16-23 in the Italian Alps in Forni di Sopra. The setting was part of the Friulian Dolomites Natural Park. The organisers of the event were Accademia Internazionale di Scacchi, Circolo Scacchistico Udinese, ScacchiRandagi, FSI and Comune Forni di Sopra.
The tournament had three sections:
– The A section, available to players with an elo above 2000, 9 rounds Swiss system , time control 90′x 40 moves + 30′ + 30”.
– The B section, open to players with an elo above 1600 ELO (and lower than 2000 ELO), 8 rounds Swiss system, time control 90′x 40 moves + 30′ + 30”.
– The C section, open to players with an elo under 1600, 8 rounds Swiss system, time control 90′x 40 moves + 30′ + 30”
Francesco Simoncini won the B section with 6.5 points in the competition of 54 players.C section had 15 participants. As many as eight players shared the first place with 5 points each.
The winner of the inaugural event in 2011 was GM Carlos Matamoros.
You can find more details at the organisers’ websites. www.scacchirandagi.com and www.accademiainternazionalediscacchi.com.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
Hi everyone,
 |
| Ivan Salgado and Pavel Tregubov |
The 2nd International Chess Tournament of Forni di Sopra was organised from June 16-23 in the Italian Alps in Forni di Sopra. The setting was part of the Friulian Dolomites Natural Park. The organisers of the event were Accademia Internazionale di Scacchi, Circolo Scacchistico Udinese, ScacchiRandagi, FSI and Comune Forni di Sopra.
The tournament had three sections:
– The A section, available to players with an elo above 2000, 9 rounds Swiss system , time control 90′x 40 moves + 30′ + 30”.
– The B section, open to players with an elo above 1600 ELO (and lower than 2000 ELO), 8 rounds Swiss system, time control 90′x 40 moves + 30′ + 30”.
– The C section, open to players with an elo under 1600, 8 rounds Swiss system, time control 90′x 40 moves + 30′ + 30”
Francesco Simoncini won the B section with 6.5 points in the competition of 54 players.C section had 15 participants. As many as eight players shared the first place with 5 points each.
The winner of the inaugural event in 2011 was GM Carlos Matamoros.
You can find more details at the organisers’ websites. www.scacchirandagi.com and www.accademiainternazionalediscacchi.com.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
30 June 2012
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
Denis Khismatullin (2664), Artyom Timofeev (2641), Dmitry Kokarev (2629), Pavel Smirnov (2610), Dmitry Bocharov (2600), Pavel Maletin (2596) and Anton Shomoev (2582) are the top players registered for the chess tournament as of now.
Hi everyone,
The second Lev Polugaevsky Chess Memorial will be organised in the quaint city of Samara, Russia, from July 5-13. The nine-round Swiss chess tournament offers a total prize fund of 11,000 euros and would serve as a qualifier for the 2012 Russian Chess Cup.
Denis Khismatullin (2664), Artyom Timofeev (2641), Dmitry Kokarev (2629), Pavel Smirnov (2610), Dmitry Bocharov (2600), Pavel Maletin (2596) and Anton Shomoev (2582) are the top players registered for the chess tournament as of now.
The 1st Polugaevsky Memorial was held in 2011 with 122 players. GM Semen Dvoirys from Chelyabinsk was the sole winner with 7.5 points.
Tournament website
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
Tournament website
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
30 June 2012
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
The Russian men’s and women’s chess teams are all set for the special Russia versus China chess match from July 1-9, 2012 in St Petersburg, Russia.
This is a traditional chess team match between the two countries that has been taking place from 2001 in every year of the Chess Olympiad. The 2012 team chess match will be a practice friendly between both the men’s and women’s chess teams of both the countries before the Istanbul Chess Olympiad.
Each team will consist of six people – 5 players and 1 captain.
The tournament format is each plays each (Scheveningen), total 5 rounds of classical chess from the 2nd to 6th of July, additional two rounds of rapid chess will be played on the 7th and 8th.
Men’s chess teams
Russia
Evgeny Tomashevsky (2738)
Dmitry Jakovenko (2736)
Ian Nepomniachtchi (2716)
Nikita Vitiugov (2703)
Maxim Matlakov (2668)
China
Wang Hao (2738)
Li Chao B (2703)
Wang Yue (2690)
Ding Liren (2679)
Yu Yangui (2626)
Women’s chess teams
Russia
Valentina Gunina (2530)
Alexandra Kosteniuk (2457)
Natalia Pogonina (2447)
Olga Girya (2414)
Baira Kovanova (2391)
China
Zhao Xue (2549)
Ju Wenjun (2529)
Shen Yang (2419)
Huang Qian (2417)
Ding Yixin (2353)
Lots of more photos of the Russian women’s team having fun in the beautiful sunshine of Peterhof park now at www.chessqueen.com.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
Hi everyone,
 |
| That’s the Russian team for the Russia vs China special chess match beginning on July 1 in St Petersburg. Can you name all of them – the chess girls and their head coach? |
This is a traditional chess team match between the two countries that has been taking place from 2001 in every year of the Chess Olympiad. The 2012 team chess match will be a practice friendly between both the men’s and women’s chess teams of both the countries before the Istanbul Chess Olympiad.
Each team will consist of six people – 5 players and 1 captain.
The tournament format is each plays each (Scheveningen), total 5 rounds of classical chess from the 2nd to 6th of July, additional two rounds of rapid chess will be played on the 7th and 8th.
Men’s chess teams
Russia
Evgeny Tomashevsky (2738)
Dmitry Jakovenko (2736)
Ian Nepomniachtchi (2716)
Nikita Vitiugov (2703)
Maxim Matlakov (2668)
China
Wang Hao (2738)
Li Chao B (2703)
Wang Yue (2690)
Ding Liren (2679)
Yu Yangui (2626)
Women’s chess teams
Russia
Valentina Gunina (2530)
Alexandra Kosteniuk (2457)
Natalia Pogonina (2447)
Olga Girya (2414)
Baira Kovanova (2391)
China
Zhao Xue (2549)
Ju Wenjun (2529)
Shen Yang (2419)
Huang Qian (2417)
Ding Yixin (2353)
Lots of more photos of the Russian women’s team having fun in the beautiful sunshine of Peterhof park now at www.chessqueen.com.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
29 June 2012
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
The 5th edition of the New York International Chess Open concluded recently. Did you read our Chess Blog post:
NY Chess Open – Gelashvili, Kacheishvili Joint Winners of 5th Edition
The US Chess Scoop visited the 5th New York Chess International, held at Saint John’s University and sponsored by the Marshall Chess Club. The event was also a success for norm-hunters: Darwin Yang and Victor Shen earned GM norms and Tom Bartell and Adarsh Jayakumar earned IM norms. Here’s a cool video.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
Hi everyone,
NY Chess Open – Gelashvili, Kacheishvili Joint Winners of 5th Edition
The US Chess Scoop visited the 5th New York Chess International, held at Saint John’s University and sponsored by the Marshall Chess Club. The event was also a success for norm-hunters: Darwin Yang and Victor Shen earned GM norms and Tom Bartell and Adarsh Jayakumar earned IM norms. Here’s a cool video.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
29 June 2012
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Viswanathan Anand during
his Accenture lecture in Madrid.
his Accenture lecture in Madrid.
But, Viswanathan Anand began his lecture with an anecdote about him and his wife Aruna. Anand explains how he could not recognize the pattern in their anniversary date while he was thinking of elo number patterns. You can hear the anecdote in the beginning of the video.
Accenture, the largest consulting firm in the world, organised the conference Return on Analytics in the Reina Sofia museum in Madrid. More than 200 invited guests filled in the auditorium to attend the meeting that launched “Accenture Analytics”, a new unit of Accenture which is dedicated to the creation of value through analytical intelligence in business processes.
One of the speakers was Vishy Anand. His lecture “Analysis to anticipate the future and make the best decisions” touched upon topics like pattern recognition, decision making, the role of computers and the different strategies he used in his World Championship matches. Here’s the lecture (44 minutes):
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
One of the speakers was Vishy Anand. His lecture “Analysis to anticipate the future and make the best decisions” touched upon topics like pattern recognition, decision making, the role of computers and the different strategies he used in his World Championship matches. Here’s the lecture (44 minutes):
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
29 June 2012
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
The Association of Chess Professionals (ACP) is going to try and interesting new idea at a chess tournament in Amsterdam next month. The games will be adjourned after move 40 and resumed the next day! The time control will also be like in the old days: 2.5 hours for the first 40 moves.
Hi everyone,
The Association of Chess Professionals (ACP) is going to try and interesting new idea at a chess tournament in Amsterdam next month. The games will be adjourned after move 40 and resumed the next day! The time control will also be like in the old days: 2.5 hours for the first 40 moves.
The chess tournament named “Golden Classic” will be held July 14-22 July in Amsterdam on the sidelines of the Dutch National Chess Championship and the SPA Chess Open.
Do you know how adjournments work in chess?It’s almost two decades since the adjournment rule went out of style and the rulebook. All games at top tournaments were adjourned after the after the time control (after either move 40 or 60). The player whose turn it was to move wrote the move on a piece of paper and the arbiter sealed it in an envelope. The players could then spend the day or a rest day as well analysing the position with their team. The game resumed with the arbiter opening the envelope and playing the move when the chess tournament resumed.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
The tournament will be a single round robin with seven players: Vassily Ivanchuk (UKR, 2764), Gata Kamsky (USA, 2741), Baadur Jobava (GEO, 2721), Krishnan Sasikiran (IND, 2720), Le Quang Liem (VIE, 2703), Emil Sutovsky (ISR, 2687) and Anna Muzychuk (SLO, 2598).
Tournament director will be Jeroen van den Berg who also runs the Tata Steel tournament in Wijk aan Zee and the Univé Tournament in Hoogeveen each year. The tournament won’t be rated. The players will be fighting for an overall prize-fund of US $35,000. The sponsor is private and doesn’t want to be mentioned.
Do you know how adjournments work in chess?It’s almost two decades since the adjournment rule went out of style and the rulebook. All games at top tournaments were adjourned after the after the time control (after either move 40 or 60). The player whose turn it was to move wrote the move on a piece of paper and the arbiter sealed it in an envelope. The players could then spend the day or a rest day as well analysing the position with their team. The game resumed with the arbiter opening the envelope and playing the move when the chess tournament resumed.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
28 June 2012
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
Hi everyone,
Here’s a chess trivia question with a twist. Can you guess in which game between two great players did this position occur on the chess board? When was this game played? Can you dare to reconstruct the game backwards? Hint: White was Bobby Fischer.
 |
| Bobby Fischer versus ? 0-1 and when? |
You can find the answer with Chess King.
28 June 2012
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
Hi everyone,
 |
| Moves for Life |
A new chess playing always excites us as we imagine how many more people are going to enjoy chess for the rest of their life and what fun they will have sharing and playing chess.
Cape Town just got a chess club! Former world chess champion Garry Kasparov had visited the Khayelitsha hall a few months back and such was the interest he sparked that a chess club has been inaugurated at the OR Tambo Sports Hall just outside Cape Town, South Africa.
Within two weeks of its launch the club had 30 members and is still going strong. This video was filmed on a cellphone by Lisa Chait who attended the launch and was so moved she felt she had to record it. For more information and to find out how you can support this great chess development initiative please contact Ronel or Hannes Pieterse from ‘Moves for Life’: ronelpieterse10@gmail.com. To find out more about Lisa’s work please visit www.lifestories.co.za and www.iamwomanseries.com.
Announcing their sponsorship of the Khayelitsha Chess Club, Moiketsi Sebotsa, Head of Business Optimization at iWYZE says that during an earlier iWYZE-sponsored Kasparov event, they realized that chess has the power to change children’s lives.
“We watched the kids playing chess at the OR Tambo community centre in Khayelitsha and the passion for the game was evident.”
In March, iWYZE sponsored a visit to Khayelitsha by Garry Kasparov, organized by Moves for Life – an organization involved in the promotion of chess as education support intervention.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
Cape Town just got a chess club! Former world chess champion Garry Kasparov had visited the Khayelitsha hall a few months back and such was the interest he sparked that a chess club has been inaugurated at the OR Tambo Sports Hall just outside Cape Town, South Africa.
Within two weeks of its launch the club had 30 members and is still going strong. This video was filmed on a cellphone by Lisa Chait who attended the launch and was so moved she felt she had to record it. For more information and to find out how you can support this great chess development initiative please contact Ronel or Hannes Pieterse from ‘Moves for Life’: ronelpieterse10@gmail.com. To find out more about Lisa’s work please visit www.lifestories.co.za and www.iamwomanseries.com.
Announcing their sponsorship of the Khayelitsha Chess Club, Moiketsi Sebotsa, Head of Business Optimization at iWYZE says that during an earlier iWYZE-sponsored Kasparov event, they realized that chess has the power to change children’s lives.
“We watched the kids playing chess at the OR Tambo community centre in Khayelitsha and the passion for the game was evident.”
In March, iWYZE sponsored a visit to Khayelitsha by Garry Kasparov, organized by Moves for Life – an organization involved in the promotion of chess as education support intervention.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
28 June 2012
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
Grandmaster David Arutinian from Georgia has won the Karen Asrian Chess Memorial in Jermuk with 7.5 points – a full point ahead of the rest of the field. He earned $4,000 from a prize fund of $18,500.
Hi everyone,
The Armenian Chess Federation organises the Karen Asrian Memorial Chess Tournament every year. The fifth edition of the event was organised from June 16-25, 2012.
The nine-round chess tournament was in memory of GM Karen Asrian, who passed away in June 2008 at the age of 28. He was member of the Armenian national team which won the first gold medal at the 2006 Chess Olympiad in Turin.
GM Tigran Kotanjian – the defending champion had won both the third and fourth editions of the event.
Top final standings:
1. GM Arutinian David GEO 2561 – 7.5
2. GM Grigoryan Avetik ARM 2581 – 6.5
3. GM Minasian Artashes ARM 2506 – 6.5
4. GM Babujian Levon ARM 2469 – 6.5
5. GM Shanava Konstantine GEO 2589 – 6
6. FM Aghasaryan Robert ARM 2339 – 6
7. IM Gabuzyan Hovhannes ARM 2457 – 6
8. IM Maghalashvili Davit GEO 2478 – 6
9. GM Andriasian Zaven ARM 2615 – 6
10. GM Melkumyan Hrant ARM 2642 – 5.5
11. IM Hayrapetian Arman ARM 2372 – 5.5
12. Harutyunian Tigran K ARM 2252 – 5.5
13. IM Guramishvili Sopiko GEO 2408 – 5.5
14. IM Kalashian David ARM 2408 – 5.5
15. GM Simonian Hrair ARM 2475 – 5.5
16. GM Harutjunyan Gevorg ARM 2460 – 5.5
17. Mikaelyan Arman ARM 2216 – 5.5
18. GM Kotanjian Tigran ARM 2522 – 5
19. GM Ter-Sahakyan Samvel ARM 2577 – 5
20. Poghosyan Suren ARM 2306 – 5
21. GM Petrosian Davit G ARM 2460 – 5
22. IM Mkrtchian Lilit ARM 2449 – 5
23. Torosyan Norayr ARM 2137 – 5
24. IM Hayrapetyan Hovik ARM 2449 – 5
25. IM Oparin Grigoriy RUS 2494 – 5
The nine-round chess tournament was in memory of GM Karen Asrian, who passed away in June 2008 at the age of 28. He was member of the Armenian national team which won the first gold medal at the 2006 Chess Olympiad in Turin.
GM Tigran Kotanjian – the defending champion had won both the third and fourth editions of the event.
Top final standings:
1. GM Arutinian David GEO 2561 – 7.5
2. GM Grigoryan Avetik ARM 2581 – 6.5
3. GM Minasian Artashes ARM 2506 – 6.5
4. GM Babujian Levon ARM 2469 – 6.5
5. GM Shanava Konstantine GEO 2589 – 6
6. FM Aghasaryan Robert ARM 2339 – 6
7. IM Gabuzyan Hovhannes ARM 2457 – 6
8. IM Maghalashvili Davit GEO 2478 – 6
9. GM Andriasian Zaven ARM 2615 – 6
10. GM Melkumyan Hrant ARM 2642 – 5.5
11. IM Hayrapetian Arman ARM 2372 – 5.5
12. Harutyunian Tigran K ARM 2252 – 5.5
13. IM Guramishvili Sopiko GEO 2408 – 5.5
14. IM Kalashian David ARM 2408 – 5.5
15. GM Simonian Hrair ARM 2475 – 5.5
16. GM Harutjunyan Gevorg ARM 2460 – 5.5
17. Mikaelyan Arman ARM 2216 – 5.5
18. GM Kotanjian Tigran ARM 2522 – 5
19. GM Ter-Sahakyan Samvel ARM 2577 – 5
20. Poghosyan Suren ARM 2306 – 5
21. GM Petrosian Davit G ARM 2460 – 5
22. IM Mkrtchian Lilit ARM 2449 – 5
23. Torosyan Norayr ARM 2137 – 5
24. IM Hayrapetyan Hovik ARM 2449 – 5
25. IM Oparin Grigoriy RUS 2494 – 5
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
28 June 2012
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
Grandmasters Tamaz Gelashvili and Giorgi Kacheishvili of Georgia have won the 5th New York International Chess Open.
The 5th edition of the New York International Chess Tournament, was organized by the historic Marshall Chess Club from June 2024 at the Manhattan Campus of St. John’s University. (A) FIDE Norm Tournament was open to all players rated 2200 or above (USCF or FIDE) and special invitees. 9 rounds, Swiss System, 40/90, SD/30, 30 second increment. 72 players competed. You can access the official website here.
Final standings:
1-2. GM TAMAZ GELASHVILI and GM GIORGI KACHEISHVILI 2598 – 7.0 (3750.00 USD each)
3-5. GM MIKHEIL KEKELIDZE 2494, IM DARWIN YANG 2476 (2nd GM Norm) and FM VICTOR C SHEN 2333 (Final IM Norm, 1st GM Norm) – 6.5 (1166.67 USD each)
6-10. GM IVAN IVANISEVIC 2655, IM MARC TYLER ARNOLD 2528, IM ZHE QUAN 2424, FM THOMAS BARTELL 2369 (750.00 USD, 1st IM Norm) and ADARSH JAYAKUMAR 2267 (750.00 USD, 2nd IM Norm) – 6.0 etc.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
Hi everyone,
The 5th edition of the New York International Chess Tournament, was organized by the historic Marshall Chess Club from June 2024 at the Manhattan Campus of St. John’s University. (A) FIDE Norm Tournament was open to all players rated 2200 or above (USCF or FIDE) and special invitees. 9 rounds, Swiss System, 40/90, SD/30, 30 second increment. 72 players competed. You can access the official website here.
Final standings:
1-2. GM TAMAZ GELASHVILI and GM GIORGI KACHEISHVILI 2598 – 7.0 (3750.00 USD each)
3-5. GM MIKHEIL KEKELIDZE 2494, IM DARWIN YANG 2476 (2nd GM Norm) and FM VICTOR C SHEN 2333 (Final IM Norm, 1st GM Norm) – 6.5 (1166.67 USD each)
6-10. GM IVAN IVANISEVIC 2655, IM MARC TYLER ARNOLD 2528, IM ZHE QUAN 2424, FM THOMAS BARTELL 2369 (750.00 USD, 1st IM Norm) and ADARSH JAYAKUMAR 2267 (750.00 USD, 2nd IM Norm) – 6.0 etc.
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
28 June 2012
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
 |
| Anatoly Karpov | Photos © Claude Baranton |
The Tour de France website is here. You can register for the chess game at this link.
28 June 2012
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
The US Chess Federation hosts several national chess events each year. A list is provided below for those events which are organized by the National Events Director, Patricia K. Smith. If you are a USCF Certified Tournament Director, and are interested in working at one or more of our National Events organized by the USCF, please print and complete the following form and return to: patsmith@uschess.org.
Hi everyone,
Events organized by the US Chess Federation’s National Events Director:
National High School Chess
National Junior High Chess
National Elementary Chess
National K-12 Championship Chess
US Chess Open
If interested in working at the USCF’s National Events which are bid out, you will need to contact the organizer for that event: These include:
National Youth Action US Junior Chess Congress
National Open US Cadet
US Senior Open US Blind Championship
US Class Championship US Amateur Team (East, North, South, West)
Game/60 Championship US Game/15 Championship
Game/30 Championship US Masters Championship
A complete list can be found on the USCF Web Site or in Chess Life.
Tournament Director Selection Process:The USCF’s Director of National Events chooses the Chief TD and Backroom Chief for the event. The Chief TD must be a USCF Certified National Tournament Director. The Chief TD and Backroom (Pairing) Chief submit a proposed staff list to the USCF’s Director of National Events for approval. The USCF’s Director of National Events reserves the right to “veto” any proposed tournament director. A TD could be “vetoed” for a variety of reasons which include but is not limited to the following: Experience, Certification has expired, ongoing ethics or TD complaint, other qualified TD’s of the same level live in closer proximity to the host state for the event, etc. Once all the TD staff for the event are approved, contracts are sent out to potential staff from the USCF. The contract includes the name, date, and time of the event as well as a deadline for returning the contract.
Reimbursements, expenses, and TD Pay:
Tournament Directors are reimbursed for travel. TD staff should book their airfare as soon as possible to obtain the best rate for their flight. Any airfare over $400 must be pre-approved by the Director of National Events. If driving, a MapQuest or similar mapping program must be submitted to the Director of National Events for reimbursement. The rate for driving is $0.50 per mile up to a maximum of $250.TD Pay is determined by assignment. Floor Chiefs and Section Chiefs are paid more than Floor TD’s due to the added responsibilities. Backroom TD’s are paid as a pairing Chief.
At the conclusion of the event, all TDs and staff are paid by check for travel reimbursements, TD Pay, and a Per Diem for meals.
Note: TD’s are paid extra for working side events.
Contact Assistant Executive Director/Director of National Events, Patricia K. Smith: patsmith@uschess.org if you have any questions.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
28 June 2012
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone, 
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
Hi everyone,
The 4th London Chess Classic is scheduled to be played at the traditional venue of Olympia in Kensington, London from December 1-10, 2012.
Invitations have been sent to World Chess Champion Vishy Anand, World No.1 Magnus Carlsen, defending champion Vladimir Kramnik, Levon Aronian, Hikaru Nakamura, Judit Polgar, Michael Adams, Luke McShane and Gawain Jones. Over the next week or so, the players are expected to accept or decline the invitation. The tournament will be a nine-player all-play-all event and carry forward the excitement and thrill of strong chess like last year!
There will be plenty of side chess events for amateurs, children, and others. Chess in Schools and Communities will organise free classes and tournaments for schools as well as courses for potential chess teachers. The opening ceremony will take place on November 30 and the traditional fund-raising dinner for CSC will be on December 10.
Invitations have been sent to World Chess Champion Vishy Anand, World No.1 Magnus Carlsen, defending champion Vladimir Kramnik, Levon Aronian, Hikaru Nakamura, Judit Polgar, Michael Adams, Luke McShane and Gawain Jones. Over the next week or so, the players are expected to accept or decline the invitation. The tournament will be a nine-player all-play-all event and carry forward the excitement and thrill of strong chess like last year!
There will be plenty of side chess events for amateurs, children, and others. Chess in Schools and Communities will organise free classes and tournaments for schools as well as courses for potential chess teachers. The opening ceremony will take place on November 30 and the traditional fund-raising dinner for CSC will be on December 10.
Do you remember who is the defending champion?
Congratulations to Vladimir Kramnik for winning London Chess Classic 2011
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
27 June 2012
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
Hi everyone,
Vera Menchik (16 February 1906 – 27 June 1944) was a British-Czech chess player who was the first women’s world chess champion. She also competed in chess tournaments with some of the world’s leading male chess players of her time.
She won two matches against Sonja Graf for the Women’s World Champion title; (+3 −1 =0) at Rotterdam 1934, and (+9 −2 =5) at Semmering 1937. Sonja Graf was the second strongest women’s player in the world at the time and coached by the legendary Siegbert Tarrasch. Enjoy this nice game between Vera Menchik and Sonja Graf.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’sShe won two matches against Sonja Graf for the Women’s World Champion title; (+3 −1 =0) at Rotterdam 1934, and (+9 −2 =5) at Semmering 1937. Sonja Graf was the second strongest women’s player in the world at the time and coached by the legendary Siegbert Tarrasch. Enjoy this nice game between Vera Menchik and Sonja Graf.
Menchik Vera – Graf-Stevenson Sonja (GER)
Result: 1-0
Site: Buenos Aires (Argentina)
Date: 1939
[…] 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.¤f3 ¤f6 4.¤c3 ¤bd7 5.e3 ¥b4 6.¥d3 c5 7.O-O O-O 8.¥d2 a6 9.cxd5 exd5 10.¦c1 c4 11.¥b1 ¦e8 12.¤e2 ¥d6 13.¥c3 b5 14.¤g3 g6 15.¦e1 ¥b7 16.¦e2 b4 17.¥e1 a5 18.¤g5 ¤g4 19.¤h3 f5 20.¤f1 £c7 21.f4 ¤df6 22.¥h4 a4 23.¤g5 £e7 24.¦e1 a3 25.b3 c3 26.¤f3 £g7 27.h3 ¤h6 28.¥xf6 £xf6 29.¤e5 £e7 30.¤h2 ¦ec8 31.¤hf3 ¤f7 32.¥d3 ¦c7 33.£e2 £d8 34.¦c2 £c8 35.¤xf7 ¦xf7 36.¥b5 ¦c7 37.¥d3 ¥f8 38.¤e5 ¥g7 39.¢h2 ¥f6 40.¦g1 ¢f8 41.g4 ¥xe5 42.fxe5 fxg4 43.¦f1+ ¦f7 44.¦xf7+ ¢xf7 45.hxg4 £d8 46.¢g3 ¢g7 47.£f1 £e7 48.¦f2 ¦f8 49.¦f4 ¥c8 50.¥c2 ¥e6 51.¦xf8 £xf8 52.£a6 £e7 53.¥d1 ¢f7 54.¢f4 h6 55.£f1 ¢g7 56.¢g3 h5 57.gxh5 £g5+ 58.¢f2 £f5+ 59.¥f3 £c2+ 60.£e2 £xe2+ 61.¢xe2 ¥f5 62.hxg6 ¢xg6 63.¥xd5 ¥b1 64.¢d1 ¥d3 65.¥c6 ¢f7 66.d5 ¢e7 67.e4 ¢f7 68.e6+ ¢f6 69.e5+ ¢e7 70.¥b7 ¥g6 71.¥a6 ¥e4 72.¥c4 ¥g6 73.d6+ ¢d8 74.¥b5
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27 June 2012
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
Here is some exciting chess news via Chessdom. Kazakhstan’s Zhansaya Abdumalik has completed her final norm for the Woman Grandmaster’s title at the age of 12 years 5 months and 15 days. This makes her the second youngest WGM in history. The youngest WGM record is still in possession of the World Champion Yifan Hou, who achieved her title requirements at age 12 years and 3 months. However, the mark might not hold on for long as a few months ago Alexandra Goryachkina came close to breaking it, while now Zhansaya Abdumalik remained at just 2 months “distance”.
Zhansaya Abdumalik was born January 2012. Her first big jump in chess came at the World Youth Chess 2008 where she convincingly won the gold medal in the U8 section 1,5 points ahead of competition. She became a titled player at the U10 World Chess Championship in Porto Carras where in the strongest ever U10 age category she shared 1st-2nd place and earned her WFM title.
Hi everyone,
Here is some exciting chess news via Chessdom. Kazakhstan’s Zhansaya Abdumalik has completed her final norm for the Woman Grandmaster’s title at the age of 12 years 5 months and 15 days. This makes her the second youngest WGM in history. The youngest WGM record is still in possession of the World Champion Yifan Hou, who achieved her title requirements at age 12 years and 3 months. However, the mark might not hold on for long as a few months ago Alexandra Goryachkina came close to breaking it, while now Zhansaya Abdumalik remained at just 2 months “distance”.
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| Zhansaya Abdumalik |
Shortly after came the WIM title with a final norm at the 12th ASEAN+AGE Group Championships 2011. The same year as a WIM she conquered the World Chess Championship title U12 in Brazil.
At present day Zhansaya Abdumalik is the top women U12 in Asia, the top women U12 player in the World, and her rating as of May 2012 is 2141 ELO points.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
At present day Zhansaya Abdumalik is the top women U12 in Asia, the top women U12 player in the World, and her rating as of May 2012 is 2141 ELO points.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
27 June 2012
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
India’s Koneru Humpy – joint winner of the Kazan Chess Grand Prix along with Slovakia’s Anna Muzychuk – says, “It was the the highest ELO-ranked tournament also featuring former world champion Alexandra Kosteniuk.” She was speaking to Indian sports magazine Sportstar while on her way home to Vijayawada via Hyderabad.
“The first-half was very demanding with little scope of taking any risk. That was the reason for too many drawn games,” she added.
“One of the high-points of this tournament was the victory over former world champion Antoaneta Stefanova,” said Humpy, who is also looking at the Grand Prix series as part of her preparations for the World Championship knock-outs this December.
“Having fared badly in the first Grand Prix, I feel that the performance in this second one is very satisfying. The Grand Prix series (2011-2012) features six events in all and I hope to keep improving in the next two scheduled to be held in Armenia and Turkey later this year,” the World No. 4 said.
“You need to have a lot of patience and play more steadily in the Grand Prix. You cannot take risks just like that. You have to be really good at the waiting game,” said the ONGC manager. “Never before in my career was I involved in so many drawn games in a tournament. That shows the intensity of the competition,” Humpy concluded.
Koneru Humpy, by virtue of the Kazan Grand Prix win, is expected to move up from 2589 to 2598 ELO points in the next FIDE ratings to be released soon.
Don’t forget to read our other posts:
Congratulations to Humpy, Muzychuk for Winning Kazan Chess Grand Prix
Kazan Chess Grand Prix Top: Koneru Muzychuk Cmilyte Hou Kosteniuk Danielian
Three very Smart Beauties – Alexandra Kosteniuk, Nadezhda and Tatiana Kosintseva
Hi everyone,
 |
| Humpy – Nice Win in Kazan Grand Prix |
“The first-half was very demanding with little scope of taking any risk. That was the reason for too many drawn games,” she added.
“One of the high-points of this tournament was the victory over former world champion Antoaneta Stefanova,” said Humpy, who is also looking at the Grand Prix series as part of her preparations for the World Championship knock-outs this December.
“Having fared badly in the first Grand Prix, I feel that the performance in this second one is very satisfying. The Grand Prix series (2011-2012) features six events in all and I hope to keep improving in the next two scheduled to be held in Armenia and Turkey later this year,” the World No. 4 said.
“You need to have a lot of patience and play more steadily in the Grand Prix. You cannot take risks just like that. You have to be really good at the waiting game,” said the ONGC manager. “Never before in my career was I involved in so many drawn games in a tournament. That shows the intensity of the competition,” Humpy concluded.
Koneru Humpy, by virtue of the Kazan Grand Prix win, is expected to move up from 2589 to 2598 ELO points in the next FIDE ratings to be released soon.
Congratulations to Humpy, Muzychuk for Winning Kazan Chess Grand Prix
Kazan Chess Grand Prix Top: Koneru Muzychuk Cmilyte Hou Kosteniuk Danielian
Three very Smart Beauties – Alexandra Kosteniuk, Nadezhda and Tatiana Kosintseva
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
27 June 2012
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone, 
The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis has increased both the size of the field and the prize fund for the 2012 U.S. Junior Closed Championship, scheduled from July 10 through July 15.
Organizers increased the field from 10 players to 16 due to a misunderstanding on current regulations. The U.S. Chess Federation verified some invitations, but inadvertently overlooked one qualifying tournament and one invitation by rating. Thanks to additional sponsorship by the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis, the USCF and software development company ConRadical, the prize fund for this prestigious event has been increased to a record-breaking $18,000.
To accommodate the larger field, the organizers modified the format of the Junior Championship. The group of 16 will be split into two fields of eight players each. The eight players will play one another in a round robin, and the winner of each field will play a head-to-head, two-game match for the title. If the score is tied after two games, there will be a playoff to determine the 2012 U.S. Junior Closed Champion.
The list of invited players and current USCF ratings is as follows:
IM Marc Arnold (2612)
IM Conrad Holt (2580)
IM Darwin Yang (2562)
IM Daniel Naroditsky (2552)
FM Victor Shen (2532)
NM Robert Perez (2519)
NM Will Fisher (2436)
NM Eric Rosen (2422)
FM Alec Getz (2410)
FM Jeffery Xiong (2394)
NM Raven Sturt (2387)
NM Atulya Shetty (2379)
FM Kayden Troff (2368)
NM Justus Williams (2318)
NM Kevin Cao (2230)
Matthew Michaelides (2164)
The 2012 U.S. Junior Closed Champion also will receive an invitation to the 2013 U.S. Championship, 2013 U.S. Junior Closed Championship and the 2012 World Junior Championship, scheduled to be held August 1 through August 16 in Athens, Greece.
For more information on the players, prizes, rules and tournament format, visit http://saintlouischessclub.org/2012-us-junior-closed-championship.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
Hi everyone,
The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis has increased both the size of the field and the prize fund for the 2012 U.S. Junior Closed Championship, scheduled from July 10 through July 15.
Organizers increased the field from 10 players to 16 due to a misunderstanding on current regulations. The U.S. Chess Federation verified some invitations, but inadvertently overlooked one qualifying tournament and one invitation by rating. Thanks to additional sponsorship by the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis, the USCF and software development company ConRadical, the prize fund for this prestigious event has been increased to a record-breaking $18,000.
To accommodate the larger field, the organizers modified the format of the Junior Championship. The group of 16 will be split into two fields of eight players each. The eight players will play one another in a round robin, and the winner of each field will play a head-to-head, two-game match for the title. If the score is tied after two games, there will be a playoff to determine the 2012 U.S. Junior Closed Champion.
The list of invited players and current USCF ratings is as follows:
IM Marc Arnold (2612)
IM Conrad Holt (2580)
IM Darwin Yang (2562)
IM Daniel Naroditsky (2552)
FM Victor Shen (2532)
NM Robert Perez (2519)
NM Will Fisher (2436)
NM Eric Rosen (2422)
FM Alec Getz (2410)
FM Jeffery Xiong (2394)
NM Raven Sturt (2387)
NM Atulya Shetty (2379)
FM Kayden Troff (2368)
NM Justus Williams (2318)
NM Kevin Cao (2230)
Matthew Michaelides (2164)
The 2012 U.S. Junior Closed Champion also will receive an invitation to the 2013 U.S. Championship, 2013 U.S. Junior Closed Championship and the 2012 World Junior Championship, scheduled to be held August 1 through August 16 in Athens, Greece.
For more information on the players, prizes, rules and tournament format, visit http://saintlouischessclub.org/2012-us-junior-closed-championship.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
27 June 2012
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
We feel very happy whenever we see a chess initiative in any part of the world. We just found this notice:
Lundstrom will challenge up to 10 players at a time and offer chess tips, or you can start your own Windsor chess challenge.
The chess players also are seeking donations from wood craftsmen or funds to create a large chess board to help Windsor become a hub for chess in Northern Colorado.
Let us know if you join and have fun with chess.
27 June 2012
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
“Emotions are still fresh having won the World Championship, a tough one at that. It was most disappointing. I was geared up to playing in it and now I have to cool my heels for the next one. Always you want to get back and play again,” said Anand.
The 2012 tournament in Medias was to be the sixth edition (being held in Bazna until last year) and was set to include a strong 6-player double round robin line-up headed by last year’s winner and world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen of Norway and world champion Anand.
The other players were Teimour Radjabov, Sergey Karjakin, Vassily Ivanchuk and top Romanian player Liviu Dieter Nisipeanu.
Anand was also on Tuesday made the brand ambassador of TVH, one of the major players in realty market in Southern parts of India.
27 June 2012
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
Former world chess champion Garry Kasparov is not going to be counting this victory as one of his best. He took on Alan Turing’s 1950 chess program at the Alan Turing Centenary Conference in Manchester on June 25. Garry Kasparov won in 16 moves against the ‘Paper Machine’ created in 1950. But, the game has lot of historical value. Kasparov was an invited guest speaker at the centenary celebrations of the Father of Computing in Manchester.
The historic chess-playing program played in public for the first time.
Alan Turing wrote the chess program soon after the Second World War even before the machine that would run the program was invented. Turing ran the program in his mind with a pencil and paper!
Kasparov said: “It is an amazing fact that the very first chess program in history was written a few years before computers had been invented. It was designed by a visionary man who knew that programmable computers were coming and that, once they were built, they would be able to play chess. The man, of course, was Alan Turing, one of the greatest mathematicians who ever lived. Soon after the war he wrote the instructions that would enable a machine to play chess. Since there was as yet no machine that could execute the instructions he did so himself, acting as a human CPU and requiring more than half an hour per move. A single game is recorded, one in which Turing’s “paper machine” lost to a colleague.”
Hi everyone,
Former world chess champion Garry Kasparov is not going to be counting this victory as one of his best. He took on Alan Turing’s 1950 chess program at the Alan Turing Centenary Conference in Manchester on June 25. Garry Kasparov won in 16 moves against the ‘Paper Machine’ created in 1950. But, the game has lot of historical value. Kasparov was an invited guest speaker at the centenary celebrations of the Father of Computing in Manchester.
Alan Turing wrote the chess program soon after the Second World War even before the machine that would run the program was invented. Turing ran the program in his mind with a pencil and paper!
Kasparov said: “It is an amazing fact that the very first chess program in history was written a few years before computers had been invented. It was designed by a visionary man who knew that programmable computers were coming and that, once they were built, they would be able to play chess. The man, of course, was Alan Turing, one of the greatest mathematicians who ever lived. Soon after the war he wrote the instructions that would enable a machine to play chess. Since there was as yet no machine that could execute the instructions he did so himself, acting as a human CPU and requiring more than half an hour per move. A single game is recorded, one in which Turing’s “paper machine” lost to a colleague.”
Kasparov also unveiled a blue plaque to Turing at Manchester University, with the words: “In the sweep of history, there are a few individuals about whom we can say the world would be a very different place had they not been born.”
Alan Turing was born in London on 23 June 1912. At the turn of the millennium, 45 years after his death, Time Magazine listed him among the twentieth century’s 100 greatest minds, alongside the Wright brothers, Albert Einstein, DNA busters Crick and Watson, and the discoverer of penicillin, Alexander Fleming. (Details from official website.)
Here is the full chess game.Alan Turing was born in London on 23 June 1912. At the turn of the millennium, 45 years after his death, Time Magazine listed him among the twentieth century’s 100 greatest minds, alongside the Wright brothers, Albert Einstein, DNA busters Crick and Watson, and the discoverer of penicillin, Alexander Fleming. (Details from official website.)
Turing Machine – Garry Kasparov
Result: 0-1
Site: Manchester
Date: 2012.06.25
[…] 1.e3 ¤f6 2.¤c3 d5 3.¤h3 e5 4.£f3 ¤c6 5.¥d3 e4 6.¥xe4 dxe4 7.¤xe4 ¥e7 8.¤g3 O-O 9.O-O ¥g4 10.£f4 ¥d6 11.£c4 ¥xh3 12.gxh3 £d7 13.h4 £h3 14.b3 ¤g4 15.¦e1 £xh2+ 16.¢f1 £xf2#
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
