Carlsen wins again

After losing his first two games at this year's Amber, Carlsen has now won 5 straight. Here are today's results:

Tuesday 16 March Round IV
14.30	Blind	Carlsen-Smeets	1-0
		Ivanchuk-Aronian	½-½
		Svidler-Karjakin	0-1
16.00	Blind	Gelfand-Kramnik	1-0
		Ponomariov-Gashimov	½-½
		Grischuk-Dominguez	1-0
17.45	Rapid	Smeets-Carlsen	-
		Aronian-Ivanchuk	-
		Karjakin-Svidler	-
19.15	Rapid	Kramnik-Gelfand	-
		Gashimov-Ponomariov	-
		Dominguez-Grischuk	-

http://amberchess2010.com/index.html

The Irina and Ben show

Irina is up a pawn and she has 40 minutes left on her clock. Ben has 15 minutes but he is launching a dangerous counter attack on the kingside. They are on move 21. A very exciting game so far.

Now they are on move 25 and Irina has 14 minutes while Ben has 5:32. Irina is still up a pawn and Ben is desperately trying to put massive pressure on the kingside. The position is complicated with an edge to Irina.

The Irina vs Ben showdown

Irina Krush and Ben Finegold are playing their round 1 makeup game today at the Ashmore Suites.

SPICE Spring Invitational photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/SPICEChess/SPICESpringSelect

http://susanpolgar.blogspot.com/2010/03/2010-spice-spring-invitational-schedule_11.html

http://www.chess.co.uk/twic/twic801.html#6

A classic endgame

White to move. Can White hold this position?

8/2ppr3/2P5/3P4/4p1R1/8/1k6/3K4 w - - 0 1

Pogosiants, 1964

Interview with Richard Rapport

Interview with Hungary's youngest Grandmaster, Richard Rapport
By WGM Anna Rudolf
Presented by Chessdom.com

At the age of 13 years 11 months and 5 days Richard Rapport fulfilled his final norm at the Gotth’ Art Cup to become Hungary’s youngest Grandmaster. With this achievement, he surpassed the record of Peter Leko and is currently the youngest grandmaster in the world.

Anna: What a great success, Richard! How does it feel to beat the record of Hungary’s top player?

Richard: I’m happy for my achievement, but I also know that this is just one step in my career. I’m working to reach my next goals.

Anna: What are these goals?

Richard: I would like to reach the rating 2600, then 2700. My main goal is to become a world champion.

Anna: That’s quite a nice goal! How much time you devote to chess to achieve that?

Richard: I work every day 8-10 hours. I wake up, have breakfast and start to train on chess. A short lunch break and then I’m back at work. Finally, dinner and some more chess.

Anna: Do you train on your own or you work with trainers?

Richard: Mostly on my own, but from time to time I train with GM Robert Ruck, GM Peter Lukacs and GM Jozsef Pinter, too. Also, I can thank a lot to my manager, IM Andras Flumbort and to my father, who has always supported my chess career.

Anna: Chess is your life, one could say. Have you got any time for non-chess activities? Any sports you practice?

Richard: Yes, I do have. I like to play with my little brothers and sister, ride a bike, play table tennis. I study English with a private teacher 5 times a week, and occasionally German, too. It’s necessary for a chess player to know foreign languages.

Anna: What about school? You don’t have any problems passing the exams without attending the lessons?

Richard: No, I learn quite quickly and easily. Passing the exams was never a problem.

Anna: Let’s return to chess. Your favourite players?

Richard: I like many. Kramnik, Leko, Polgar…

Anna: Favourite “rising star”?

Richard: Anish Giri.

Anna: If you had a chance to train with anybody you wish, who would it be?

Richard: I would love to change thoughts with Anish Giri. His style appeals to me.

Anna: In which tournament/tournaments would you like to participate very much?

Richard: Wijk aan Zee, definitely.

Anna: Favourite games of yours?

Richard: Perhaps my game against GM Peter Prohaszka from the 2009 Hungarian Youth Team Championship and the encounter with IM Laszlo Gonda from 2008, Harkany Open.

Anna: Do you play on the Internet?

Richard: I used to play on Playchess but I think one wastes too much time on such servers. I would play for fun now and then, but nothing more.

Anna: Any computer games?

Richard: I like strategical games. War Craft, Age of Empires…

Anna: Favourite TV programmes?

Richard: I don’t really have. I watch movies, football matches…

Anna: Favourite football team?

Richard: Bayern München!

Anna: If you had a different profession, what would it be?

Richard: Hmm, I don’t know. I’m a chess player and I’m doing what I love. I wouldn’t choose a different profession.

Anna: Richard, thank you very much! In the name of the Chessdom team and its readers let me congratulate you once again on becoming a grandmaster at such a young age. May the future bring you a lot of more successes!

For further information, pictures and annotated games visit Richard’s website at www.rapportrichard.hu (available in Hungarian only, but we hope it will be translated soon).

Wesley So in Sports Page

Wesley So in Sports Page, the official magazine the Philippines Sport Writers Association

Special reception in Rijeka

Silvio Danailov holds a reception in Rijeka
Danailov about his candidacy for ECU President and the furute of chess

Silvio Danailov, manager of Veselin Topalov and Executive director of GSCA, held a reception during the EICC in Rijeka, where he announced his candidacy for President of ECU. His only opponent (for now) is Ali Nihat Yazici, who in a similar way announced his running for the post during the ETCC in Novi Sad.

The confirmed information for Danailov's candidacy came last week, while this Saturday he held a speech during the reception, the text of which we present you below.

Dear chess friends,

First of all, please allow me to thank you sincerely for having accepted the invitation of Mr. Stefan Sergiev, Bulgarian chess federation president, and for being present to this evening’s reception.

I would like to use this oportunity to present you my decision to run for a President of the European Chess Union.

I believe that all of you now expect me to say something about my motives for doing so and to tell you something about my program.

Those of you who know me better, know that I appreciate two values in my life: my family and my job which is also my hobby – chess. I always like to point out how much I am proud about my results gained in chess up to now. I am especially glad to know that certain ideas of mine were accepted even at the most important world chess championships.

I also think that I may say for myself that the struggle for interests of chess as a game and chess players themselves was always my prime idea. Having all this in mind and after having listened to the proposals of my friends, I thought about if I could offer and whom could I offer to my experience and knowledge achieved during my career.

I do recognize all the results reached by the European chess union up to now, presided by Mr. Boris Kutin. One of the best proofs of such results is this very successful European Individual Men and Women’s chess championship to which we are all attending now. The European chess union has become a respectable institution of 54 united national chess federations.

We all need to ask ourselves one basic question: which way should the European chess union choose? If I am elected a president, I will concentrate on introducing business models in managing and financing of the union and will back them up with proffessional PR and marketing activities.

The Organisers of Rijeka Championship have informed me that more than hundred and fifty thousand chess lovers visit their internet page on a daily basis. They also expect that till the end of the championship this number will rise to two million. I am confident that this great number of chess lovers presents a great marketing potential. We should animate famous personalities, politicians and media in our struggle to have the European chess union budget significantly higher than the actual one and in any case not less than one million euro per year.

In such a way we will provide for important funds which can then be invested in development projects. We will all agree that our priority is to promote chess among young people. On the other hand, it is clear that young chess players’ tournaments are not interesting to sponsors. I will therefore concentrate on having certain part of budget at any important and great chess championship put aside for promotive tournaments of young chess players.

The European Chess Union may consider that such an undertaking is accomplished only a great majority of European countries shall have started to teach chess in schools. When I speak about development projects, I speak also about all those actions which consider chess as an instrument of struggle against drugs abusement among young people.

I have started my campaign with a slogan „I know...“ With these two words I wanted to send you a message that I do not ask you to believe my empty promises. Instead, I would like you to consider the results I reached during my career and then make your decision. In the months that follow I will choose my team which will present clear and precise goals we want to gain. Transparent procedures, rightfull and lawfull decisions will be recognised manner of functioning of the Board whose president I will be.

Needles to say – when creating the program I will very much appreciate your ideas and recommendations.

I was never a sympathizer of long speaches and I do not wish to become one this evening.

I therefore cordially invite you to continue this pleasant evening with a coctail party.

Thank you very much!

More info here: http://www.chessdom.com/news-2010/danailov-ecu

Leaders facing off at SPICE Spring

SPICE Spring Invitational photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/SPICEChess/SPICESpringSelect

After 4 rounds, 13 year old FM Darwin Yang and veteran GM Julio Becerra both have 3 points to lead the field. Darwin needs 1/5 for his first IM norm and 3/5 for his first GM norm. Super coach Dean Ippolito is at +1 and still in the hunt for his first GM norm. He needs 3.5/5. After 2 devastating losses, top Canadian junior Eric Hansen is back on track for his final IM norm. He needs 2.5/5.

Here are the standings after 4 rounds:

1-2. Yang, Becerra 3.0 (+2)
3. Ippolito 2.5 (+1)
4-5. Antal , Papp 2.0 (0)
6. Finegold 1.5 (with 1 game to play) (0)
7-8. Kuljasevic, Hansen 1.5 (-1)
9. Krush 1.0 (with 1 game to play) (-1)
10. Kraai, 1.0 (-2)

GM norm: 6
IM norm: 4

Tuesday, March 16

2:00 pm - 6:30 pm Round 5

Becerra - Yang
Papp - Krush
Ippolito - Kraai
Hansen - Antal
Kuljasevic - Finegold

http://susanpolgar.blogspot.com/2010/03/2010-spice-spring-invitational-schedule_11.html

http://www.chess.co.uk/twic/twic801.html#6

SPICE Spring Invitational round 4 video

More videos are available here: http://www.youtube.com/user/chessmarketing?feature=mhw4#p/a

Ivanchuk leads, Carlsen wins again at Amber

Monday 15 March Round III
14.30	Blind	Grischuk-Gelfand	½-½
		Dominguez-Ponomariov	½-½
		Gashimov-Kramnik	½-½
16.00	Blind	Svidler-Carlsen	0-1
		Karjakin-Ivanchuk	0-1
		Smeets-Aronian	0-1
17.45	Rapid	Gelfand-Grischuk	½-½
		Ponomariov-Dominguez	½-½
		Kramnik-Gashimov	1-0
19.15	Rapid	Carlsen-Svidler	1-0
		Ivanchuk-Karjakin	½-½
		Aronian-Smeets	1-0

http://www.amberchess2010.com/

SPICE Spring Invitational round 3 video

The Science of Success

Bounce: Mozart, Federer, Picasso, Beckham, and the Science of Success
Matthew Syed.
Harper, $25.99 (320p) ISBN 978-0-06-172375-9

Syed, sportswriter and columnist for the London Times, takes a hard look at performance psychology, heavily influenced by his own ego-damaging but fruitful epiphany. At the age of 24, Syed became the #1 British table tennis player, an achievement he initially attributed to his superior speed and agility. But in retrospect, he realizes that a combination of advantages—a mentor, good facilities nearby, and lots of time to hone his skills—set him up perfectly to become a star performer. He admits his argument owes a debt to Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers, but he aims to move one step beyond it, drawing on cognitive neuroscience research to explain how the body and mind are transformed by specialized practice. He takes on the myth of the child prodigy, emphasizing that Mozart, the Williams sisters, Tiger Woods, and Susan Polgar, the first female grandmaster, all had live-in coaches in the form of supportive parents who put them through a ton of early practice. Cogent discussions of the neuroscience of competition, including the placebo effect of irrational optimism, self-doubt, and superstitions, all lend credence to a compelling narrative; readers who gobbled up Freakonomics and Predictably Irrational will flock to this one. (May)

Source: http://www.publishersweekly.com

Nepomniachtchi in control with 2 to go

With just 2 rounds to go, Nepomniachtchi has taken over the lead at the 2010 European Individual Chess Championship with a win over GM Jobava.

Leaders after 9 rounds:

Rk.			Name	FED	RtgI	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3	Rp	n	w	we	w-we	K	rtg+/-
1		GM	Nepomniachtchi Ian	RUS	2656	7,5	40,0	51,5	6	2864	9	7,5	5,27	2,23	10	22,3
2		GM	Efimenko Zahar	UKR	2640	7,0	42,0	53,5	5	2832	9	7	4,81	2,19	10	21,9
3		GM	Jobava Baadur	GEO	2695	7,0	41,5	53,5	6	2844	9	7	5,37	1,63	10	16,3
4		GM	Sokolov Ivan	BIH	2638	7,0	40,0	51,0	5	2822	9	7	4,91	2,09	10	20,9
5		GM	Mamedov Rauf	AZE	2639	7,0	39,0	51,0	5	2797	9	7	5,21	1,79	10	17,9
6		GM	Timofeev Artyom	RUS	2655	7,0	38,0	48,5	6	2799	9	7	5,41	1,59	10	15,9
7		GM	Khismatullin Denis	RUS	2657	7,0	37,0	48,5	5	2757	9	7	5,93	1,07	10	10,7
8		GM	Akopian Vladimir	ARM	2688	7,0	37,0	48,0	5	2800	9	7	5,81	1,19	10	11,9
9		GM	Movsesian Sergei	SVK	2709	6,5	41,5	53,5	4	2748	9	6,5	6,01	0,49	10	4,9
10		GM	Alekseev Evgeny	RUS	2700	6,5	39,0	50,0	4	2748	9	6,5	5,92	0,58	10	5,8
11		GM	Ragger Markus	AUT	2572	6,5	39,0	49,5	4	2777	9	6,5	3,93	2,57	10	25,7
12		GM	Fressinet Laurent	FRA	2670	6,5	38,5	49,0	5	2730	9	6,5	5,79	0,71	10	7,1
13		GM	Berkes Ferenc	HUN	2659	6,5	37,5	48,5	4	2727	9	6,5	5,68	0,82	10	8,2
14		GM	Lysyj Igor	RUS	2615	6,5	37,5	48,0	4	2726	9	6,5	5,13	1,37	10	13,7
		GM	Potkin Vladimir	RUS	2606	6,5	37,5	48,0	4	2766	9	6,5	4,52	1,98	10	19,8
16		GM	Inarkiev Ernesto	RUS	2667	6,5	37,0	49,0	5	2740	9	6,5	5,63	0,87	10	8,7
17		GM	Sutovsky Emil	ISR	2650	6,5	37,0	48,0	5	2729	9	6,5	5,53	0,97	10	9,7
18		GM	Salgado Lopez Ivan	ESP	2592	6,5	34,5	44,5	5	2647	9	6,5	5,77	0,73	10	7,3
19		GM	Macieja Bartlomiej	POL	2625	6,5	34,0	44,0	4	2685	9	6,5	5,71	0,79	10	7,9

Women's leaders:

Rk.			Name	FED	RtgI	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3	Rp	n	w	we	w-we	K	rtg+/-
1		IM	Cmilyte Viktorija	LTU	2485	7,5	39,0	49,0	6	2658	9	7,5	5,68	1,82	10	18,2
2		IM	Muzychuk Anna	SLO	2533	7,0	42,0	52,5	5	2626	9	7	6,00	1,00	10	10,0
3		GM	Stefanova Antoaneta	BUL	2555	7,0	40,5	53,0	5	2624	9	7	6,24	0,76	10	7,6
4		GM	Cramling Pia	SWE	2523	7,0	38,0	48,0	6	2612	9	7	6,05	0,95	10	9,5
5		GM	Socko Monika	POL	2465	6,5	43,0	54,5	5	2578	9	6,5	5,14	1,36	10	13,6
6		GM	Kosintseva Tatiana	RUS	2524	6,5	41,0	51,5	5	2586	9	6,5	5,73	0,77	10	7,7
7		WGM	Zawadzka Jolanta	POL	2404	6,5	40,5	51,5	5	2520	9	6,5	5,07	1,43	10	14,3
8		WGM	Galojan Lilit	ARM	2380	6,5	40,0	51,0	5	2559	9	6,5	4,31	2,19	15	32,8
9		GM	Sebag Marie	FRA	2506	6,5	38,0	47,5	4	2536	9	6,5	6,11	0,39	10	3,9
10		IM	Romanko Marina	RUS	2409	6,5	37,5	47,0	6	2532	9	6,5	5,00	1,50	10	15,0
11		IM	Ushenina Anna	UKR	2452	6,5	36,0	46,0	5	2510	9	6,5	5,79	0,71	10	7,1
12		IM	Dembo Yelena	GRE	2457	6,5	33,5	44,0	4	2524	9	6,5	5,63	0,87	10	8,7

Full standings here: http://chess-results.com/tnr29567.aspx?lan=1

Topalov turns 35 today

Former world champion and #1 Veselin Topalov was born in Ruse, Bulgaria on March 15, 1975. He is currently #2 in the world behind Carlsen and he is challenging Anand in an upcoming match in Sofia to try to regain his title.

Antal 1/2 Finegold video

SPICE Spring Round 4

3:30 pm - 8:00 pm Round 4

Finegold 1/2 Ippolito (At one point in the game, Ben had a big advantage in the game and on the clock. Dean fought valiantly with no time left on his clock to earn an important 1/2 point.)
Kraai 0-1 Becerra (A real grinder. It was a R vs B+1 with additional pawns on the board. Julio maneuvered masterfully to earn a full point.)
Yang 1/2 Papp (Yang had a near winning position but an oversight costs this young phenom 1/2 point. However, he is still on pace for IM and GM norm.)
Krush 0-1 Hansen (Irina was pushing hard but Eric defended well. Eventually, Irina's position fell apart and Eric obtained a winning endgame. He is now back on track for his final IM norm.)
Antal 1-0 Kuljasevic (After a disastrous round 2, he bounced back with a strong game against Ben in round 3 as well as this game. He is back to 50%.)

SPICE Spring Invitational photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/SPICEChess/SPICESpringSelect

Games broadcast LIVE using MonRoi technology

Monday chess tactic

Black to move. How should Black proceed?

Source: ChessToday.net

Nepomniachtchi takes over sole lead at EICC

Round 9 top board results:

Bo.

Name

FED

Rtg

Pts.

Result

Pts.

Name

FED

Rtg

1

GM

Nepomniachtchi Ian

RUS

2656

6½

1 - 0

7

GM

Jobava Baadur

GEO

2695

2

GM

Sokolov Ivan

BIH

2638

6½

½ - ½

6½

GM

Efimenko Zahar

UKR

2640

3

GM

Akopian Vladimir

ARM

2688

6

1 - 0

6

GM

Vuckovic Bojan

SRB

2630

4

GM

Lysyj Igor

RUS

2615

6

½ - ½

6

GM

Fressinet Laurent

FRA

2670

5

GM

Berkes Ferenc

HUN

2659

6

½ - ½

6

GM

Macieja Bartlomiej

POL

2625

6

GM

Khismatullin Denis

RUS

2657

6

1 - 0

6

GM

Popov Valerij

RUS

2585

7

GM

Timofeev Artyom

RUS

2655

6

1 - 0

6

GM

Melkumyan Hrant

ARM

2582

8

GM

Rodshtein Maxim

ISR

2609

6

0 - 1

6

GM

Mamedov Rauf

AZE

2639

9

GM

Potkin Vladimir

RUS

2606

6

½ - ½

5½

GM

Motylev Alexander

RUS

2705

10

GM

Almasi Zoltan

HUN

2720

5½

½ - ½

5½

GM

Tregubov Pavel V

RUS

2625

11

GM

Movsesian Sergei

SVK

2709

5½

1 - 0

5½

GM

Mamedov Nidjat

AZE

2623

12

GM

Navara David

CZE

2708

5½

½ - ½

5½

GM

Balogh Csaba

HUN

2622

13

GM

Giri Anish

NED

2624

5½

½ - ½

5½

GM

Vallejo Pons Francisco

ESP

2708

14

GM

Adams Michael

ENG

2704

5½

½ - ½

5½

GM

Edouard Romain

FRA

2617

15

GM

Tomashevsky Evgeny

RUS

2701

5½

½ - ½

5½

GM

Markus Robert

SRB

2618

16

GM

Iordachescu Viorel

MDA

2621

5½

0 - 1

5½

GM

Alekseev Evgeny

RUS

2700

17

GM

Vorobiov Evgeny E

RUS

2616

5½

½ - ½

5½

GM

Naiditsch Arkadij

GER

2691

18

GM

Hracek Zbynek

CZE

2615

5½

½ - ½

5½

GM

Caruana Fabiano

ITA

2680

19

GM

Grachev Boris

RUS

2667

5½

½ - ½

5½

GM

Safarli Eltaj

AZE

2606

20

GM

Inarkiev Ernesto

RUS

2667

5½

1 - 0

5½

GM

Lenic Luka

SLO

2603

21

GM

Salgado Lopez Ivan

ESP

2592

5½

1 - 0

5½

GM

Najer Evgeniy

RUS

2665

22

GM

Nisipeanu Liviu-Dieter

ROU

2661

5½

½ - ½

5½

GM

Gyimesi Zoltan

HUN

2586

23

GM

Ragger Markus

AUT

2572

5½

1 - 0

5½

GM

Riazantsev Alexander

RUS

2660

24

GM

Parligras Mircea

ROU

2551

5½

½ - ½

5½

GM

Roiz Michael

ISR

2652

25

GM

Sutovsky Emil

ISR

2650

5½

1 - 0

5½

GM

Reinderman Dimitri

NED

2576

26

GM

Oleksienko Mikhailo

UKR

2525

5½

½ - ½

5½

GM

Socko Bartosz

POL

2637

27

GM

Halkias Stelios

GRE

2580

5½

½ - ½

5½

GM

L'Ami Erwin

NED

2628

28

GM

Delchev Aleksander

BUL

2625

5½

½ - ½

5½

GM

Svetushkin Dmitry

MDA

2554

Women's results:

Bo.

Name

FED

Rtg

Pts.

Result

Pts.

Name

FED

Rtg

1

GM

Socko Monika

POL

2465

6½

0 - 1

6½

IM

Cmilyte Viktorija

LTU

2485

2

GM

Stefanova Antoaneta

BUL

2555

6

1 - 0

6

WGM

Zhukova Natalia

UKR

2492

3

GM

Hoang Thanh Trang

HUN

2487

6

0 - 1

6

IM

Muzychuk Anna

SLO

2533

4

GM

Kosintseva Tatiana

RUS

2524

6

½ - ½

6

IM

Dembo Yelena

GRE

2457

5

IM

Khurtsidze Nino

GEO

2434

6

0 - 1

6

GM

Cramling Pia

SWE

2523

6

IM

Ushenina Anna

UKR

2452

5½

1 - 0

5½

IM

Kosintseva Nadezhda

RUS

2554

7

GM

Arakhamia-Grant Ketevan

SCO

2447

5½

0 - 1

5½

GM

Sebag Marie

FRA

2506

8

IM

Javakhishvili Lela

GEO

2500

5½

½ - ½

5½

IM

Muzychuk Mariya

UKR

2444

9

WGM

Galojan Lilit

ARM

2380

5½

1 - 0

5½

IM

Danielian Elina

ARM

2491

10

GM

Dzagnidze Nana

GEO

2479

5½

0 - 1

5½

IM

Romanko Marina

RUS

2409

11

IM

Melia Salome

GEO

2467

5½

0 - 1

5½

WGM

Zawadzka Jolanta

POL

2404

12

WFM

Gunina Valentina

RUS

2457

5½

½ - ½

5½

WFM

Ziaziulkina Nastassia

BLR

2188

http://chess-results.com/tnr29567.aspx?lan=1