Australia announces Olympiad teams

Australia announces Dresden 2008 Chess Olympiad teams
GM Zong-Yuan Zhao and IM Irina Berezina lead the teams
Report by http://www.chessdom.com/

Official Olympiad website: http://www.dresden2008.org/

This week the Australian chess federation has announced the Dresden 2008 Chess Olympiad team. After the multiple financial difficulties the players list is known

Dresden Chess Olympiad, men

GM Zong-Yuan Zhao
IM David Smerdon
IM Stephen Solomon
GM Darryl Johansen
IM George Xie

Dresden Chess Olympiad, women

IM Irina Berezina
WIM Arianne Caoili
Giang Nguyen
WIM Laura Moylan
WIM Biljana Dekic

Other teams that have announced their lineup are Norway, Russia, Armenia, Serbia, Sweden, Georgia, Philippines, Germany, and Cuba.

For more information about the Australian team visit The Closet Grandmaster

Bringing chess in education to West Texas

SPICE and the SPF are doing a chess training course for teachers in Region 17 in Texas today. Region 17 is big! It serves 59 school districts in the West Texas area with a wide variety of educational support services.

Lubbock is one of the school disctricts and it has around 55 schools. More teachers immediately signed up than we have space for. Therefore, we have to add additional classes in the near future to accomodate everyone. Our goal is to introduce chess to every school in the area.

The curriculum which we use to train teachers to teach chess in the schools is the same as what has been distributed. Nearly 60,000 FREE SPF / SPICE Curriculum / Training Guide were sent out to teachers, parents, chess organizations and clubs in over 95 countries in the past 2 years. It is completely FREE.

The curriculumn / training guide is divided into 30 chapters, one per week, to fit the school year. It can serve as the main base and small modifications can be made to fit your school guidelines.

My dream is to be able to introduce chess to as many children as possible. If you have not gotten your copy yet, please click here to register for your FREE account on www.ChessDiscussion.com then click here to download your FREE copy. This is the same guide which I personally used to teach many students including my own children.

You can also download a copy by going to the SPICE website at www.SPICE.ttu.edu.

If you have any suggestion, please feel free to email me.

Big thanks to Region 17 and Lubbock ISD for supporting chess and education and chess in the schools.

Chess Tactic 3

White to move. What is the best move for White?

5R2/3r2kp/3Pq1p1/p1p1r3/2p1P3/P1P2Q2/7P/5R1K w - - 0 1

Chess Tactic 2

White to move. What is the best move for White?

r3r1k1/1p2qppp/1B4n1/3R2n1/p7/P1P5/1PQ4P/2KR1B2 w - - 0 1

Chess Tactic 1

White to move. What is the best move for White?

r2q2k1/1p3rpp/2nbp3/p1p5/4BP2/P3B1P1/5R1P/R2Q3K w - - 0 1

600 year old chess piece found in Russia

Archaeologists find 600-year-old chess piece in northwest Russia
14:51
18/ 07/ 2008

VELIKY NOVGOROD, July 18 (RIA Novosti) - Archaeologists in northwest Russia have discovered a chess piece dating back to the late 14th century, a spokesman for local archaeologists said on Friday.

"The king, around several centimeters tall, is made of solid wood, possibly of juniper," the spokesman said.

The excavations are being carried out at the site of the Palace of Facets, in the Novgorod Kremlin in Veliky Novgorod. The palace is believed to be the oldest in Russia.

According to the city chronicles, chess as a competitive game emerged in Veliky Novgorod, the foremost historic city in northwest Russia, in the 13th century, but was banned in 1286 by the church.

However, besides the king, archeologists in the region have found a total of 82 chess pieces dating back to at least the 14th century, showing that the game remained popular among the local population despite the church ban.

In late May, archaeologists in the ancient city uncovered a number of medieval baby bottles. Medieval Slavs made feeding bottles by attaching leather bags to the wider part of a cow's horn. The babies drank milk from holes made in the tip of the horns.

The first historical mention of Veliky Novgorod was in 859 AD. City chronicles say that by 862 AD it was already a stop on the trading route between the Baltics and Byzantium.

The city will celebrate its 1150th anniversary in 2009.

Source: http://en.rian.ru

The wonderful world of chess

Bill Wall's Wonderful World of Chess
by Bill Wall
Chess Around the World - and Beyond
www.chessville.com

Afghanistan - Chess was forbidden in Afghanistan for 15 years during the reign of the Taliban. Afghanistan joined FIDE in 1984, but was later temporarily excluded from FIDE for non-payment. It issued a chess stamp in 1989. The country has one master and 6 other players as members of FIDE.

Ahmerst, Massachusetts - Home of the college chess team that was the winner of the first intercollegiate chess match, in 1859. The event was actually an intercollegiate baseball and chess match simultaneously as part of a single event. Amherst College played Williams College as the “trial of the mind as well as the muscle.” Amherst won both events and was heralded as “Athletic and Academic Champions.” We now have chess boxing.

Antarctica - In the 1950s, a scientist at a Soviet research station (Vostok) lost a chess game with a fellow scientist, then got so mad he killed his opponent with an axe. After the incident, the Soviets banned chess at their Antarctic stations.

Atlantic Ocean - In 1902, the first chess match between players on different ships at see occurred in the Atlantic Ocean. Passengers on the American liner Philadelphia played passengers from the Cunard liner Campania, 70 miles away. The moves were broadcast by wireless operators aboard the ships. The match was not concluded since the radio was required for navigational uses.

Baden-Baden, Germany - In 1870, Germany held its first international tournament in Baden-Baden. The event was also the first tournament interrupted by war (Franco-Prussian war). First place was 3,000 francs. The tournament was the first to introduce chess clocks (20 moves an hour), but the players had the option of using hour glasses. Adolf Anderssen won the event with 11 points. In 1925, Baden-Baden was the site of the first international tournament in Germany after World War II. Alexander Alekhine won that event with 16 points.

Berlin, Germany - Site of the 2008 world chess boxing championship, won by mathematics student Nikolai Sazhin over 37-year-old German policeman, Frank Stoldt. Berlin is home to the world’s biggest chess boxing club, with over 40 members.

Bonn, Germany - Site of the Chess World Championship 2008 between Viswanathan Anand and Vladimir Kramnik. The match will begin on October 14, 2008

Here is the full article.

Rybka joins Chessbase family

Rybka 3.0 – Not just the strongest chess program in the world18.07.2008 – Developed by IM Vasik Rajlich, Rybka is the shooting star amongst chess programs. It won the 2007 world championship and leads easily in all computer rating lists. Now it is available in the drastically improved version 3.0 and under the ChessBase-Fritz interface. It includes exciting new analysis functions you will not find in other programs.

www.chessbase.com

IGB Arthur Tan Malaysia Open

Friday July 18, 2008
Chess fests
CHESS
By QUAH SENG SUN

There are tournaments galore for every skill level.

WHOA, not so fast, I cautioned my friend, who’s so enthusiastic about chess that he would jump off the deep end at any time just for a game. He had decided that he wanted to play in the IGB Arthur Tan Malaysia open championship.

“The trouble with you”, I said to him, “is you are too impulsive. It’s like the way you play chess: move first and, maybe, regret later.

“Do you know how much the entry fee is? Unless you already have a reasonable Fide rating, it doesn’t make much sense if you want to play in the tournament.

“Unrated players like you and I will have to pay a whopping US$200 (RM650) to enter the event,” I told my friend. Even players who have a Fide rating of between 1,600 and 1,999 must fork out US$150 (RM485) as the entry fee. The fee gets progressively cheaper for players with higher Fide ratings. Players who are rated 2,500 and above, and titled players like grandmasters, international masters, woman grandmasters and woman international masters, enter for free.

“But I want to participate in the Malaysian Chess Festival. I don’t have to play against all those masters,” he said. “I only want to enjoy chess in a real-life tournament setting.”

“Try something else,” I advised him. The Malaysian Chess Festival is not all about the IGB Arthur Tan Malaysia Open alone. There are other tournaments during this period. In fact, starting Aug 15 and until the end of the month, there’ll be four big tournaments.

The Festival kicks off on Aug 15 with the Merdeka rapid open tournament, a two-day team event that normally attracts hundreds of players. It’s an event where you’ll find players from all over the country taking part.

Here is the full article.

Topalov, Mamedyarov, Shirov, and Ponomariov at Villarrobledo

`Topalov, Mamedyarov, Shirov, and Ponomariov top seeds at the Villarrobledo chess festival
30 players 2500+ to take part at the chess competition

GM Veselin Topalov, GM Shakhryiar Mamedyarov, GM Alexei Shirov, and GM Ruslan Ponomariov (winner of 2007) will be the top seeded players at the XXIII edition of the Villarrobledo chess festival. Besides them a total of 45+ titled players will participate among which GM Vadim Milov, GM Vladimir Malakhov, GM Predrag Nikolic, GM Ivan Sokolov, GM Loek Van Wely, GM Ilia Smirin, GM Arizmendi, GM Ljubomir Ljubojevic, GM Agrest, IM Elizabeth Paehtz, etc.

The tornament will take place 2-3 August, 2008, in the Spanish city of Villarrobledo. It is a traditional event famous for giving interesting prizes. In the past, the top players were awarded their wieght in wine or cheese. The organizers have not revealed what will be the surprising prize this year, but have confirmed that the money part of the prize is 3000 eur for 1st place.

The tournament will be a Swiss event with rate of play 20 minutes + 3 sec.

The festival will start with several simuls on July 31 and will continue with a rapid team chess event and conferences. Expect detailed daily reports on Chessdom.com

Important Info for the 2008 SPNI

Schedule for the 2008 SP National Invitational for Girls

(More info is available here: http://polgargirls.blogspot.com/2008/07/important-info-for-spni.html)

July 26
6:00pm: “Warm-Up” Quads (G/30) at Lubbock Room of the STU building

July 27
1:30pm–2:30pm: Opening Ceremony
3:00pm–6:30pm: Round 1 of SPNI

July 28
1:30pm–5:00pm: Round 2 of SPNI and round 1 of Parents/Friends Open
7:00pm: SPNI Chess Puzzle Solving Championship
7:30pm: Free chess lecture by Susan

July 29
1:30pm–5:00pm: Round 3 of SPNI and round 2 of Parents/Friends Open
7:00pm: SPNI Blitz Championship

July 30
1:30pm–5:00pm: Round 4 of SPNI and round 3 of Parents/Friends Open
7:00pm: SPNI Bughouse Championship

July 31
1:30pm–5:00pm: Round 5 of SPNI and final round of Parents/Friends Open

August 1
10:00am–1:30pm: Round 6 of SPNI
2:30pm: Closing Ceremony

King and Pawn endgame

White to move. Is this a win or draw for White?

No computer analysis please.

Finding success and friends

Young chess star headed to prestigious Texas tournament

Kaitlynn Loos has found success and friends through game
By Peter Centineo
The Weekly News

Three years ago, Kaitlynn Loos decided she wanted to play chess.Her father Doug had no idea why she wanted to play, but he and his wife Karen encouraged her and the 12-year-old has had great success.

She’ll be an eighth-grader at South Middle School this fall, and she’s also done well in the classroom, sporting a 4.0 GPA. Doug Loos believes chess has had a direct impact on his daughter’s success in the classroom.

“She’s very competitive to start off, and she’ll tell you exactly how she feels. She doesn’t mince words,” he said. “But she’s also very analytical, and that comes from chess. I think it’s really had a great impact on her.”

Kaitlynn has won a number of tournaments, including the 2008 K-12 South Dakota State Championship this past winter. That victory earned her an invitation to the Susan Polgar Chess Invitational, being played in Lubbock, Tex., July 27 through Aug. 1.

“I’m really looking forward to it. It’s very exciting,” Kaitlynn said. “I started playing back in 2005 when we moved here and I started at Grandview. I didn’t have a lot of friends when we moved and chess really helped me meet some good kids.”

Kaitlynn and her family were living on the west side of town and she was attending Corral Drive Elementary School back in 2005, but she never got the chance to play chess because of the distance between the school and her home.

“My dad wanted to make sure I could get home OK and he thought it was too far to walk. It was pretty far but when we moved it all worked out,” Kaitlynn said.

She was extremely happy knowing she could pursue chess, and meet other kids with the same interest.

“When we moved and I found out I’d be able to play chess I was really happy. I played at Grandview and still go there and play,” she said. “During the school year we play every day and go to at least one tournament a month.”

Her next tournament will probably be her biggest to date. She did go to nationals last year in Denver, but the Susan Polgar Chess Invitational is one of the most prestigious in the country.

The event is for girls in grades K-12, and just one girl from each state is invited. Polgar is a grandmaster in chess and has won four women’s world championships and five Olympic gold medals. To get the opportunity to play in such a competitive event is something Kaitlynn has been wanting for a long time.

“I think I’ve gotten some good experience from the different tournaments I’ve been to. This tournament is going to be very hard. There are going to be very good players,” she said. “But I should do OK.”

Karen Loos said Kaitlynn has what it takes to win it, it’s just a matter of getting there and seeing what the competition is like. She said Kaitlynn is very serious about chess, and said her daughter will probably be playing for some time.

“She’s been going to the Susan Polgar Web site and there’s a lot of good information there for her. The thing is when she goes to these tournaments she could be playing 18-year-olds in high school, but she does well,” Karen said.

The tournament will be played on the campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas.

Source: www.bhpioneer.com

Cuba announces Olympiad Teams

Cuba Announces Teams for World Chess Olympiad
Posted: 2008/07/18
From: MNN

http://www.dresden2008.org/

Grand Master ''GM'' Leinier Dominguez, among men, and GM Maritza Arribas, in women's, lead the Cuban teams that will participate in the World Chess Olympiad that will take place on November 12-25 in Dresden, Germany.

HAVANA, Cuba, July 17 (acn) Dominguez, who places 25th in the world ranking of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) with an ELO rating of 2708 units, will be accompanied in the men’s squad by national champion GM Yuniesky Quesada (2573), GM Lazaro Bruzon (2592), GM Holden Hernandez (2582) and Jesus Nogueiras (2574).

The team has an average ELO rating of 2605.8 units, better than the 2598 ELO rating of the team that placed 16th with 30.5 points during the previous Olympiad in Turin, Italy, two years ago.

Meanwhile, in the women’s squad, Arribas (2323) will be accompanied by GM Sulennis Piña (2285), International Master (IM) Lisandra Ordaz (2302), IM Oleinny Linares (2261) and IM Yaniet Marrero (2260).

The Cuban women’s team placed 16th in Turin with 23 units.This year’s event will consist of 11 rounds for each team instead of the traditional 14.

Source: mathaba.net

Here is the official website of the 2008 Olympiad in Dresden.

Chess in Italy

Dear chessfriend

I've a pleasure to inform you of the " Torre Normanna's Tournament", big events of Chess and Holidays in Italy.

This is a link :
www.xadrez.it

Best regards

-XADREZ-
Chess, Events and Travels

+39 3290826395
info@xadrez.it
MSN: info@xadrez.it
SKYPE: xadreznk

World Championship war begins in the media

Kramnik begins psychological warfare versus Anand

Challenger Runs Down Champion’s Mexico Triumph, Calls WC ‘A Huge Compromise’
Amit Karmarkar TNN

When Garry Kasparov took on V. Anand in the PCA World Championship title match in New York (1995), Vladimir Kramnik was one of his seconds. Not surprisingly, the latter knows a thing or two about psychological warfare. His latest interview is full of salvos ahead of his World championship title match against Anand scheduled at Bonn in October.

Sample these pearls of wisdom from Kramnik:

“Look at the catastrophic record Anand has against Kasparov. Kasparov managed to beat him almost everywhere they played, even though Anand has belonged to the absolute top players in the world for 15 years. This difference cannot be explained purely in chess terms, there must have been some psychology.

“You can call me an old-fashion guy, but I still believe that the real chess championship is actually a match between the best players, not a tournament.

“The tournament in Mexico was from my point of view a huge compromise.

“It was always my goal to end the unhappy period when the World Chess Federation organised their ridiculous knock-out or round robin tournaments for the title... So in order not to cause another split I, in the end, agreed to compromise and played the tournament (Mexico)....I have no right not to consider him (Anand) the World Champion. A question is, however: what is the value of such a title?

“I will compete against him this year in the real contest for the chess crown. I attach ten times more attention to the coming match in Germany — consequently this event is 10 times more important to me than the tournament in Mexico. “The winner of the match Kramnik-Anand won’t be World Champion only from a legal point of view, he will be considered to be the World Champion and best chess player by the entire public.”

From one angle, whatever Kramnik is saying makes sense. He also seems confident of beating Anand in this 12-game match. Indeed, the Russian starts as a favourite against an Indian who is deemed suspect in this format.

The majority of chess world has high regard for Kramnik. For, he defeated none other than Kasparov in a head-to-head match (London, 2000) and that too with a great idea of Berlin Defence which, according to Anand’s former second Elizbar Ubilava, took his games with black from opening to the endgame without having to play much of the middlegame!

However, Kramnik’s stance in some of the above quotes smacks of double standards and selective amnesia.

Kramnik believes that the real championship should come through a match, not a tournament. That’s understandable. Partly because he won’t win many tournaments now with Anand, Magnus Carlsen, Vassily Ivanchuk, Veselin Topalov and Levon Aronian in form and playing great aggressive chess. In fact, if chess decides to award three points for a win and one for a draw (instead of existing one and 0.5 respectively), Kramnik could well announce his retirement. But if it sticks to the current rule, he can the “best second ever” in most of the tournaments due to his high percentage of draws.

He says that the tournament in Mexico was a huge compromise and Fide’s knock-out version was ridiculous. He also says he played the former for the betterment of chess. By the same logic, even Anand is playing a match against him for the betterment of chess only. For, the Indian had already proved his superiority over Kramnik in Mexico.

Kramnik must have forgotten that he played Fide’s knockout version in Las Vegas (1999) and was knocked out in quarter-finals by Briton Michael Adams.

Here is the full article.

Getting an outsider to join

I received a mailing from the USGA (U.S. Golf Association) today (I am not a golfer although I do watch from time to time when Tiger Woods play). Here is what the letter shows:

Individual, and Junior Membership Benefits ($15 a year - $25 for dual membership)

• Latest edition of the "The Rules of Golf"
• USGA Championship Annual and U.S. Open Program publications
• Personalized USGA bag tag, Member ID and Member Handbook
• Preference over the general public to apply for USGA Championship tickets, including the U.S. Open
• An annual subscription to Inside the USGA
• Special Member Discounts on merchandise from our catalog and online store
• Exclusive Members-only U.S. Open Hat
• Volunteer opportunities at USGA Championships
• Discount car rental pricing at Hertz.
• Just added! Special USGA Member only rate to any 1-day ESPN Golf School Program.

Champion Club ($40 a year)

• All items listed above plus:
• USGA Calendar and U.S. Open Ball Marker/Repair Tool
• One year of Travel + Leisure Golfsubscription value is $19.90, etc.

In the mailing, this website is also included: https://members.usga.org/join

I had no interest to join the USGA prior to this mailing. But because I received the mailing and how things were worded, I joined online. After I joined, I immediately got the following message:

Congratulations and thank you for supporting the USGA and our Members Program!

By becoming a Member, you are helping the USGA to write and interpret the "The Rules of Golf", promote the amateur game and introduce men and women to the sport.

Your confirmation number is XXXXXXXXX. Your credit card will be billed for $15. Your Membership Benefits Package will arrive in 4-6 weeks.

If you would like to make any changes or if you would like to speak to a customer service representative, please call 800-XXX-XXXX (9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. ET) or e-mail us at membership@usga.org.

I remember similar promotional effort back in the 80's and 90's from the USCF. What would attract you to join any organization?

Akobian shares his skills with kids

Local students attend chess camp

Lindsborg, Kansas

LINDSBORG – Students from throughout the U.S., including several from the McPherson area, are attending a one-week chess camp at the Karpov Chess School in Lindsborg.

Among local area students attending are Sean Bocks, Levi Lawless and Nathan Bray, Galva; Michael Christian and Matt Richert, Hillsboro; Annie Reinert and Paul Masterson, Lindsborg.

Isabella Harvey and Charles Kinzel, McPherson will attend the second camp, which follows the one that is currently under way. The students came to study chess under Varuzhan Akobian, one of the top Grandmasters in America.

“I can’t begin to tell you how fortunate we are to have someone with Varuzhan’s expertise to be our lead instructor,” said Karpov Chess School Director Tom Brownscombe.

The students will spend the better part of their days studying the intricacies of chess, and then take an afternoon swimming break. In the evenings, students will relax by playing a rapid version of chess known as Blitz. Other evenings, they will play another version of chess called Bughouse. Grandmaster Akobian will be assisted by Brownscombe, Marck Cobb, Chris Purdy, and Layton Cobb.

The 25-year-old Akobian, known simply as “Var,” was born in 1983 in Yerevan, Armenia. When he was only 5, his family moved to Mongolia. Because of the severe winters, Var and his sister spent a great deal of time inside. It was then that he learned to play chess and to fall in love with the game that would become his life’s work.

Source: www.mcphersonsentinel.com

Birthday Tactic

Black to move. How should Black proceed?

Source: Chess Today

Happy Birthday to Anna Zatonskih

The reigning U.S. Women's Champion turns 30 today. Happy Birthday to Anna!

Very difficult puzzle

White to move. Is this a win, draw, or loss for White? How should White proceed? No computer please.

Nadareishvili, 1937, presented by Andreas

8/1p6/8/4B3/8/5B2/1p1p3p/bk1K4 w - - 0 1

Rublevsky, Shirov, Jakovenko, Gashimov win Poikovsky

9th Karpov Poikovsky (RUS), July 8 to 17, 2008
cat. 18 (2691)

Final round results:

Shirov, Alexei - Rublevsky, Sergei ½-½
Wang Hao - Gashimov, Vugar ½-½
Onischuk, Alexander - Jakovenko, Dmitry ½-½
Inarkiev, Ernesto - Bologan, Viktor ½-½
Volokitin, Andrei - Sutovsky, Emil ½-½

Here are the final standings:

1-4. Rublevsky, Sergei RUS 2699 5½
1-4. Jakovenko, Dmitry RUS 2709 5½
1-4. Gashimov, Vugar AZE 2717 5½
1-4. Shirov, Alexei ESP 2741 5½

5. Wang Hao CHN 2691 5

6. Bologan, Viktor MDA 2686 4

7-10. Sutovsky, Emil ISR 2654 3½
7-10. Inarkiev, Ernesto RUS 2675 3½
7-10. Onischuk, Alexander USA 2670 3½
7-10. Volokitin, Andrei UKR 2672 3½

College tournament

The College Chess Tournament of Champions features the best Player from each College across the United States. A six round Swiss-style tournament, the College Champions is held at the same location as the U.S. Open.

The Tournament of Champions has been established to determine thetop individual college player in the United States. A prize fund details to be announced here soon.

Important note: the tournament is Free!

General Information

Eligibility:
This event is open to all colleges in the United States. Participants must have been enrolled in the spring semester prior to the U.S. Open. Up to three players from each college may enter. An official of their university using the entry form provided by the USCF must certify players.

There will be three sections:a) Open, b) Under 2100 c) Under 1700.

Playing Schedule:The 6-round Swiss and Tournament Reception will consist of the following dates and times: Tournament

Reception 4 PM Saturday, August 2, 2008
(REQUIRED ATTENDANCE AND CHECK-IN). All participants are required to attend for photo session, and introduction of dignitaries.

Round 1-Saturday, August 2, 2008. Same time as evening round of US Open.
Round 2-Sunday, August 3, 2008- 11AM,
Round 3-Same starting time as evening round of US Open.
Round 4-Monday, August 4, 2008- 11 AM.
Round 5-Same starting time as evening round of US Open.
Round 6-Tuesday, August 5, 2008- 11 AM, Tournament Awards Ceremony- 4PM.

The time control will be 90 minutes per player with 30 second increment added per move. This is the approved FIDE time control.This schedule is especially convenient, because it allows players an opportunity to participate in the U.S. Open. See webpage located at: http://main.uschess.org/tournaments/2008/usopen/. This is possible because you can now enter the 6 day schedule with a bye in Round 1 or the 5 day schedule of the US Open.

Travel & Accommodations:Players are responsible for their own travel and accommodations. Players sharing rooms should make their arrangements carefully, as neither the USCF nor the tournament are responsible for any consequences arising from such arrangements.

Where?The College Tournament of Champions will begin on Saturday August 2, 2008 and end on Tuesday August 5, 2008. This event is run during our US OPEN which for this year begins on August 2 and ends on August 10, 2008.

The Westin Park Central12720 Merit DriveDallas, TX 752511-888-627-7032$99 Chess Rate

Entry Form:The entry form can be found at http://main.uschess.org/tournaments/2008/usopen/.

Emergency Contact Information:
Each player must provide the Tournament Director with a phone number of a parent or other responsible adult in case of an emergency.

Contact information:
James Stallings, Chair College Chess Committee
800 W. Campbell
Richardson, TX 75080
(972) 883-2898
FAX (972) 883-2896
E-Mail: james.stallings@utdallas.edu

Current Entries:

Open Section

Daniel Fernandez 2436 UT Brownsville
Bayaraa Zorigt 2217 UT Dallas
Jeremy Stein 2128 Johns Hopkins
Corbin Yu 2085 Grinnell College

Under 2100 Section
Lilia Doibani 2025 UT Dallas
Arturo Garcia 1991 UT Brownsville
Andrew Applebaum 1951 Grinnell College

The beauty of chess clubs

Chess club lets players polish skills
Click-2-Listen

By Laura McFarland
Rocky Mount Telegram
Thursday, July 17, 2008

Sarah Davenport was tired of her younger brother beating her at chess.

Actually, she was tired of everyone she played beating her. So when she heard about a chess club starting up at Church on the Rise in Rocky Mount, she decided to give it a try.

"I wanted to learn how to be able to play chess without getting my butt kicked all the time," said Davenport of the Battleboro community.

The club, which started in May, offers free instruction and practice at 7 p.m. every Thursday at the church, said Evan Whittington, its founder. Though the club meets at the church, membership is open to the community.

"If you are the kind of person that enjoys a challenge and enjoys solving problems and just having fun with people, then (chess) is a game that would be good to learn," said Whittington of Whitakers.

During the class, Whittington offers about 30 minutes of instruction and then lets the students play to put concepts into practice.

Last week, Whittington taught the students about pawn placement, which didn't sound like a big deal to Davenport until it came time to play.

"I played Evan, and he pointed out ... why pawn placement was important, because he took up a quarter of the board just with pawns, just with the way he had his pawns defending and attacking. I couldn't get onto that side of the board whatsoever," Davenport said.

Davenport has been attending the class with her younger brother, Traevonne Pride, and once with her godmother, Janette Dresser of the Battleboro community. Dresser liked the idea of an activity that allowed them to spend quality time together.

"If you go to the movies and stuff like that, you are not really interacting with each other. I like finding stuff to do with the kids where we are actually communicating and spending time together, not just sitting near each other staring at a screen," Dresser said.

Dresser had little experience of chess before she attended one of the chess club meetings, but she was hooked right away. It was a game she always had wanted to learn, but brief lessons from her children proved unfruitful.

Here is the full article.

Unprecedented success

Artwork by Mike Magnan

Chess has 'staggering effect' on pupils' education
4:30am Thursday 17th July 2008
By Dan Webber

Hanif Khan can’t get enough of chess.

The 11-year-old has only been playing the ancient game for a year – but has already taken the scalps of several teachers at his school, Park Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) in Bowling Park, Bradford.

To Hanif’s delight, the school introduced the game to pupils in March this year during activity sessions. The move has proved an unprecedented success with staff amazed at the impact the game has had on pupils’ academic results and confidence.

So much so that Park Primary PRU, which caters for children who have been excluded or are in danger of being excluded from a mainstream setting, hosted its own chess tournament yesterday which pitched pupils against peers from Lower Fields and Southmere primary schools.

About 35 youngsters played five games each, picking up points along the way for victories. And Hanif, to his school’s delight, finished on top.

He said: “I have playing for a while now – it’s fun because you can play with each other’s pieces. It feels great to win – I didn’t lose a game. I can even beat some of my teachers. Chess really helps you focus.”

Pupils took part in the tournament, believed to be the first in the country held in a pupil referral unit, after receiving some last-minute tips from chess supremo Gerry Walsh, president of the English Chess Federation, the game’s ruling body.

Mr Walsh, a chess arbiter or referee and a friend of grandmaster and former chess World Champion Garry Kasporov, said he had been particularly impressed by the Bradford pupils’ performance.

He said: “Chess is out there just waiting to be discovered.

“The kids here have got good thinking heads – you can see them thinking carefully about each move and considered the impact it will have.

“Chess is competitive, it helps team-building, it makes you think and it improves concentration skills – it is perfect preparation to help them in their exams.

“And the good thing is I can see the talent is there just waiting to be discovered.”

Anne Carter, a special educational needs co-ordinator at Park Primary PRU said she had been “staggered” by the impact chess had had on her pupils’ all-round education.

She said: “Playing chess has helped improve pupils’ confidence, self-esteem and concentration. It’s absolutely staggering when you consider the children we have got at the school.

“I am amazed at the difference it has made to the children and am amazed at the way they have performed at the tournament today.”

Mrs Carter contacted the English Chess Federation (ECF) in the spring after hearing about the body’s plan to give ten chess sets to every school in England.

Here is the full article.

Yes, no, or maybe?

"Should the Democratic Congress overturn the ban on domestic offshore oil drilling?"

After nearly 53,000 votes, 74% of voters said yes, 24% said no, and 2% said maybe.

Do you agree with this poll?

Source: AOL

More chess and MLB

Rituals, stunts help Texas Rangers pass chemistry test
09:33 PM CDT on Wednesday, July 16, 2008
By RICHARD DURRETT / The Dallas Morning News

ARLINGTON – Chemistry is a critical part of a competitive baseball club. Players spend nearly every day together for at least seven months. It's a lot more enjoyable when teammates genuinely like and pull for each other.

That appears to be the case with the 2008 Rangers, who have played with enthusiasm and fun through the first half of the season.

Chess, anyone?

Cards, dominoes and even crossword puzzles are staples of most major league clubhouses. But since the middle of May, chess has taken over as the game of choice for a group of Rangers.

"It's a strategic game that has to be good for the mental side of things, right?" Gerald Laird said. "It brings guys together that don't normally hang out on the road. Younger guys are hanging out with veterans. That's a good thing."

Laird, German Duran, Ian Kinsler and Frank Francisco are the most frequent players. When Laird plays, the matches include trash talking and plenty of shouting. And he claims you have to keep an eye on Francisco.

"Frankie is good, but he thinks he's better than he really is. And he takes forever to make a move, so he lulls you to sleep," Laird said. "Frankie's horse moves in different directions than it should."

Source: www.dallasnews.com

Confirmed players as of 7-16-08

50 players have confirmed their participation in the 2008 Susan Polgar National Invitational for Girls at Texas Tech University. Here is the list of players so far. The tournament will take place on July 27 - August 1 at the beautiful Frazier Alumni Pavilion on campus.

The event is sponsored by the Susan Polgar Foundation, SPICE, Texas Tech University, US Chess Trust, ICC, Family of Ursula Foster, etc.

Here are the previous winners:

2007: Julia Kerr (NY) and Eunice Rodriguez (FL)
2006: Abby Marshall (VA)
2005: Anya Corke (CA), Alisa Melekhina (PA), Abby Marshall (VA)
2004: Roza Eynullayeva (MA)

Gashimov defeats Shirov to share lead

The Poikovsky tournament is taking place from July 8-17, 2008.

Round 8 results:

Gashimov, Vugar - Shirov, Alexei 1-0
Bologan, Viktor - Wang Hao ½-½
Rublevsky, Sergei - Volokitin, Andrei ½-½
Jakovenko, Dmitry - Inarkiev, Ernesto ½-½
Sutovsky, Emil - Onischuk, Alexander ½-½

Standings after 8 rounds:

1-4. Rublevsky, Sergei g RUS 2699 5
1-4. Jakovenko, Dmitry g RUS 2709 5
1-4. Gashimov, Vugar g AZE 2717 5
1-4. Shirov, Alexei g ESP 2741 5

5. Wang Hao g CHN 2691 4½

6. Bologan, Viktor g MDA 2686 3½

7-10. Sutovsky, Emil g ISR 2654 3
7-10. Inarkiev, Ernesto g RUS 2675 3
7-10. Onischuk, Alexander g USA 2670 3
7-10. Volokitin, Andrei g UKR 2672 3

Aiming to break 2600

Chess whiz kid Negi aims for bigger goal

Himanshu Singhal / CNN-IBN
Published on Wed, Jul 16, 2008 at 22:53

New Delhi: For nearly two years after becoming the second youngest Grandmaster in chess history, Parimarjan Negi remained a victim of the expectations that he himself gave rise to. But now Negi seems to be fast emerging as a mature player.

In the last two months, Negi has done enough to suggest he is more than just a participant in the big league.

Against all odds, he emerged as a front-runner in three successive events in which he twice tied for the honours...

"I was trying to just concentrate on playing move by move and plan by plan. And not to think about the final result from the start because then it just becomes easier to concentrate on solving one problem. Even if I have a bad position, I just try to survive as long as I can," says Negi.

For his recent performances, the teenager will gain 40 ELO points to take his tally to 2570 in the rating list.

After a good performance this year, Negi is now aiming for 2600 ELO mark and believes the World Junior Chess Championship later in the year will help him reach that milestone.

"The main thing will be if I can keep performing consistently in the first