Grandmaster Flash Karpov

Anatoly Karpov, chess grandmaster, former world champion and diligently a-political public figure, has found himself on a collision course with the Kremlin over the future of world chess. By standing for the Russian nomination for World Chess Federation (FIDE) president he has challenged the incumbent, President of the Republic of Kalmykia Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, and clashed with his ally, the high-ranking Kremlin aide Arkady Dvorkovich.

For newsroom editors across the world, the idea of Karpov “battling with the Kremlin” for the future of world chess was too good a headline to miss. But this struggle seems to be less about politics than about personal prestige, allegiances and somewhat opaque business relationships.The scandal – by now well documented in the Russian and Western press – erupted on May 14, when the Russian Chess Federation (RCF) met in Moscow to elect its candidate for president of FIDE – the sport’s governing body.


Read on this link the complete article.
I've enjoyed editing these two images. I would like Karpov to be the next President of FIDE. Karpov is now visiting various countries to gain support. The "queen" in the first image and the 2 characters in the second image represent the other countries to support Karpov.

Die Unie van Suid-Afrika - The Union of South Africa - 31 May 1910

Suid-Afrikaners het alle rede om die 100 jaar sedert uniewording op 31 Mei vanjaar te vier. Of die Unie van Suid-Afrika wat op 31 Mei 1910 gebore is in sonde ontvang is of nie, die werklikheid is dat Suid-Afrika op daardie dag ontstaan het, skryf Dave Steward. Die wyse waarop die nuweling verwek is, het sedertdien feitlik elke aspek van ons nasionale geskiedenis beïnvloed. ’n Deeglike begrip van die proses wat gelei het tot die geboorte van die unie kan ons help om latere ontwikkelinge en die huidige te verstaan.

Die idee van die unie is sterk bevorder deur die Britse imperialiste van die tyd. Daar was ’n sterk gevoel dat die Britse kolonies in Suid-Afrika – die Kaapkolonie, Natal, die Oranjerivier-kolonie en die Transvaal-kolonie – moet verenig om ’n nuwe dominium te vorm soortgelyk aan dié in Kanada en Australië.
Die herstel van selfbestuur aan die twee voormalige Boere-republieke in 1907 is gevolg deur vinnige skuiwe in die rigting van uniewording. ’n Nasionale konvensie – wat 33 verteenwoordigers van die vier kolonies ingesluit het – is op 12 Oktober 1908 byeengeroep en het teen 11 Mei 1909 ’n ooreenkoms oor ’n konsepgrondwet bereik.


Dié grondwet – in die vorm van die South Africa Act – is op 20 September 1909 deur die Britse parlement aanvaar. 31 Mei 1910 – die agtste herdenking van die Vrede van Vereeniging – was vasgestel as die geboortedatum vir die nuwe unie. Die besluite wat by die Nasionale Konvensie geneem is en in die 1910-grondwet opgeneem is, het die fondament gelê en die raamwerk geskep vir die volgende 84 jaar van ons geskiedenis.


Die belangrikste was waarskynlik die besluit dat Suid-Afrika ’n unie sou wees waarbinne die parlement die oppergesag sal hê. Die nuwe grondwet het geen eienskappe van ’n federasie besit nie: daar was geen hoogste grondwet; geen werklike verdeling van mag tussen deelstate; en geen hoogste hof om die grondwet te vertolk en gevolglik die uitvoerende gesag te beperk nie.  In plaas daarvan was die parlement, en nie die grondwet nie, oppermagtig; mag was nie verdeel tussen deelstate en ’n federale regering nie, maar het uiteindelik gesetel in die parlement; en die howe het, net soos in Brittanje, geen gesag om as uitleggers van die grondwet op te tree nie.


Die merkwaardigste is dat die nuwe grondwet weinig, indien enige, waarborge vir die regte van swart, bruin en Indiër Suid-Afrikaners ingesluit het. Dit het die status quo wat voor uniewording in die vier kolonies bestaan het, bekragtig. In die Transvaal- en die Oranjerivier-kolonie kon net wit mense stem; in Natal kon swart mense wel kwalifiseer om te stem, maar dan onder voorwaardes wat die kiesreg in die praktyk bykans onbekombaar gemaak het. Net in die Kaap was daar ’n betekenisvolle franchise vir swart en bruin mense.


Die teoretiese maatstaf was dat enige man van enige ras wat kon voldoen aan sekere eiendomsvereistes en wat sy naam kon skryf, kon kwalifiseer vir stemreg. Soos Keir Hardie, Skotse sosialisteleier, opgemerk het was die doel van die South Africa Act “om die wit rasse te verenig, stemreg van die gekleurde rasse te weerhou en nie om eenheid te bevorder tussen die rasse van Suid-Afrika nie”. Sy waarneming was korrek: Alles in die nuwe bedeling was daarop gerig om die wit groepe tegemoet te kom en te versoen – insluitend die toekenning van gelyke status aan Nederlands en Engels en die beskerming van wit ekonomiese belange.


Tog vir die daaropvolgende 50 jaar is die Suid-Afrikaanse politiek oorheers deur die voortdurende stryd om oorheersing tussen die twee wit gemeenskappe – die Afrikaner-nasionaliste aan die een kant en wit mense wat ten gunste was van deelname aan die Britse Ryk en die Statebond aan die ander kant. Dié stryd het afsluiting bereik in 1961 met die totstandkoming van die Republiek. Ná 1910 was slegs beperkte aandag gegee aan die posisie van swart, Indiër en bruin Suid-Afrikaners, terwyl die bestaande burgerregte van swart mense en Kleurlinge in die Kaap onverbiddelik uitgehol en uiteindelik afgeskaf is. Maar ná 1961 het die fokus van binnelandse politiek en internasionale aandag onverbiddelik verskuif na die grondwetlike posisie van swart mense.


Die Nasionale Party se reaksie was aanvanklik om te probeer om die geografiese eenheid van 1910 te verdeel deur onafhanklikheid te skenk aan swart tuislande. Transkei, Ciskei, Bophuthatswana en Venda het “onafhanklikheid” aanvaar – maar die oorblywende nasionale deelstate het onwrikbaar geweier om dit te doen. In 1983 het die regering probeer om bruin en Indiër Suid-Afrikaners in ’n nuwe grondwetlike bestel te bring deur middel van ’n driekamerparlement. Die nuwe bedeling is egter verwerp deur die meeste van die veronderstelde begunstigdes en het gelei tot steeds luider oproepe van die UDF en andere vir algemene stemreg. Teen 1986 het die NP begin om die noodsaaklikheid te aanvaar van die akkommodering van die politieke aspirasies van alle Suid-Afrikaners in ’n gesamentlike grondwetlike bestel.


Hierdie ontwikkelinge het uiteindelik uitgeloop op die inisiatiewe wat oudpres. FW de Klerk op 2 Februarie 1990 begin het. Die grondwetlike proses wat daaruit gevloei het, verskil fundamenteel van die Nasionale Konvensie wat gelei het tot die Unie van Suid-Afrika. Die opvallendste is dat dit verteenwoordigers ingesluit het van al Suid-Afrika se gemeenskappe.
Waar die Unie van Suid-Afrika in die lewe geroep en uiteindelik goedgekeur is deur ’n buitelandse mag, Brittanje, was die onderhandelinge wat gelei het tot die vestiging van die nuwe Suid-Afrika heeltemal inheems. Die grondwet wat ontstaan het in 1996 was baie anders as die 1910-grondwet: die grondwet – en nie die parlement nie – was oppermagtig; dit het ’n handves van regte bevat om die fundamentele regte van alle Suid-Afrikaners te beskerm; en dit het ’n konstitusionele hof daargestel met die mag om te verseker dat alle vertakkinge van die regering hou by die oppergesag van die reg en die bepalings van die handves van regte.


Die belangrikste was dat die nuwe grondwet gelyke regte en gelyke status van alle Suid-Afrikaners, ongeag ras, geslag, taal of seksuele oriëntasie, erken het. Ons het ’n ver pad gereis sedert 31 Mei 1910. Hoewel ons steeds gekonfronteer word met vele ernstige uitdagings, het ons verhuis na ’n stelsel wat inklusief en gegrond op die oppergesag van die reg is. Nietemin, niks daarvan sou moontlik gewees het – en die geskiedenis van die afgelope 100 jaar sou drasties anders gewees het – as dit nie was dat die Nasionale Konvensie in 1908 ’n ooreenkoms bereik het oor die vereniging van die vier kolonies en die groot verskeidenheid mense wat daarin gelewe het nie. 31 Mei 1910 was die geboortedatum van Suid-Afrika en moet as sulks gevier word.
Source:
http://www.beeld.com/In-Diepte/Nuus/Eeufees-van-SA-Lank-leef-die-unie-20100527

SA wins at Chelsea Show

The International Year of Biodiversity was given an extra boost as the South African National Biodiversity Institute's (SANBI's) 2010 Kirstenbosch-SA Chelsea entry entitled 'Bio[logical] diversity is the variety of life' scooped up a silver medal at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show (CFS) in London.

 This is yet another feather in the cap of the designers and the hardworking team who assist in putting the exhibit together. With a full complement of exhibitors this year the South African exhibit was up against serious competition but once again proved its worth.


But all was not plain sailing this year! The drama unfolded when the cargo arrived in London on Wednesday. UK customs refused to release the plants due to a possible harmful bug they found on some of the leaves of one of the specimens.


Some laboratory tests later these turned out to be harmless but nearly three precious set-up days had been lost before the cargo was released. The plants had also been standing in the heat for two days due to lack of cold room space so, when the cargo finally arrived on Friday evening, it was with trepidation that the team unpacked. True to the hardiness of our wonderful plants virtually nothing was unusable and the team pulled out all stops to complete another award winning exhibit.


Gaining silver was worth the huge effort!
Once again the designers David Davidson and Ray Hudson showed the public an innovative interpretation of our spectacular plant heritage. Taking the fact that biodiversity occurs at many different levels, 'ranging from complete ecosystems to the chemical structures that are the molecular basis of heredity', the designers illustrated the diversity as well as the genetic variability of the botanical wealth that makes South Africa the third most biologically diverse country in the world.


Notching up their 18th medal in the same number of years of designing the exhibit, Davidson and Hudson had set themselves a difficult task, but one that obviously paid off.


The South African exhibit is always a major attraction at the show and this year certainly did not disappoint. Representing several of the different vegetation types comprising the nine biomes of South Africa, the exhibit was grouped in four separate nodes, each with its own cluster of interconnected, hexagonal compartments.


Fine-scale examples of genetic variability within a single species as well as diversity among species and within different genera featured strongly and the four clusters featured plants from the following biomes:


Fynbos (Cape Floral Kingdom – proteas, restios, ericas [heathers]); Forest/Thicket [Sub-tropical] (cycads, euphorbias, strelitzias); Desert/Succulent Karoo (succulents) and aloes and Savanna/Grassland (aloes, grasses and bulbs.)


Showing off our rich heritage at this major show maintains the fascination that visitors have with the South African plant kingdom. With more than 60 of the 300 possible species from the Protea family (limited by what is currently in flower) representing a number of the 13 different genera in the fynbos section of the display, the exhibit is one that is always visited by Queen Elizabeth. From the magnificent examples of Strelitzias to the diversity of aloes and the elegant Quiver tree, Cycads to Euphorbias, each of the other biomes offered their own focal point to intrigue and educate the public. An added attraction was a geodesic domed roof structure (similar to the domed climatron greenhouse of the Eden Project in Cornwall) that bore an uncanny resemblance to a soccer ball!


"What a wonderful reward, particularly under the difficult circumstances we worked this year," said designers Davidson and Hudson.


"This is the perfect way to say thank you for the long hours that the team worked to ensure that the exhibit came together as we had envisaged. Biodiveristy is the variety of life has created such enormous interest here and once more has captured the imagination of both judges and public alike. This 2010 exhibit shows more of what makes South Africa the third most biologically diverse country in the world and we hope to attract many more tourists to our country to see first hand the beauty of our plant kingdom."


Dr Tanya Abrahamse CEO of SANBI was delighted on hearing the news saying "Once again our team has done us proud and shown world class status! The Chelsea Flower Show continues to show the beauty of nature, by bringing this to the forefront, underlining how nature affects our physical and mental wellbeing. We look forward to recreating the exhibit later this year on home ground so that South Africans can share in this pride"
This 2010 award winning exhibit will be recreated back on home ground later in the year in Port Elizabeth, Gauteng, Durban and Cape Town giving us the opportunity to celebrate another medal winner!


Source: http://lifestyle.iafrica.com/your_home/gardening/2435760.htm

My groot gunsteling - My big favourite

Mozart Piano Concerto no 20
and

Katie Melua...


This chess game was played quite a while ago, but one of my more enjoyable games, a game that was more challenging than other games. My Board Number for this game was 4693183 and I played white in this game. The game was really tough and it was only from move 44 that I felt I had the upper hand in this game. My opponent resigned before the final checkmate move could be made.

In this next game - also against the same player as the above game, I played black, but didn't have a good game. This game ended in a draw on board 4693182.

Schools - teaching and learning

Click on the image to have a clear view. Click HERE to read the news article. The link will open in a new window.
I think I can write a book by now about the Educational system in the UK, after being a teacher in Primary and Secondary schools for a couple of years. To Secondary School teachers, I want to say...you have my sympathy. In this image-screenshot from the above link, I want to reply to Beverly in the comments box. Dear Beverly, [and all the other Beverlys in British schools]Teachers are actually willing to make it more interesting, but if I listen to the Science teachers at my school - and to my husband and his comments from colleagues at his previous school - then I want to say the following: The problem lies with you and your buddies - students in schools where they say it is "boring". My colleagues prepare time and time again these wonderful Science lessons and have great ideas and want to carry out all sorts of wonderful experiments..but time and time again, they reject their ideas/plans to have these wonderful expriments...due to students' behaviour. If students behave like a normal student should- and that is to be in your seat, all the time during your lesson, being sensible and quiet all the time allowing your teacher to teach, you will have fantastic, inspiring teachers/lessons etc. Try it and see for yourself. You will have plenty of fun, learn a lot, have a good education, leave school with A's and A*'s and it won't be necessary for you to leave school at 16/17, going to get a baby in order to get handouts from the Government and sponge on the taxpayers of this country. - it's all about using your logical mind and common sense, isn't it?
If you mention the word "control", then you are basically insulting yourself. You want to compare yourself and other students to animals. In the human world, humans are not in control of other humans. We control animals or joysticks when we play games etc. So, by using the word control, don't you think you think of yourself like an animal that needs to be controlled? I, as a teacher, prefer not to use the word when it comes to teachers-students, as I don't see any student as an animal and I don't want to control students. I want to teach them. - I leave you with that thought to ponder about.

Nalchik 2010

Tatiana Kosintseva is the winner of the Fide Women Grand Prix which ended today - 8th May -  in Russia. Click HERE for the Official site. The site will open in a new window.

Anand vs Topalov

Click the image for a larger view...Anand 5 Topalov 5 after Game 10. Today 8th May is a rest day, Game 11 to be played tomorrow.

Follow THIS link for more about the match and to see some chess graphics about their games. The link will open in a new window.

Check_my_mate

These two game I've played on chess.com - one of my favourite sites to play chess. I do like chesscube more as there are always tons of players ready for a realtime game. I played white in both games.

Anand vs Topalov

Images: Official site

Click on the link HERE to follow the match and the results on my WP blog, with chess graphics about the moves too. The link will open in a new window.

Confusion and...more confusion

first there were three.....and...more confusion

..and then...only two.....and now...the next step...

...and finally

And now....the beginning...of...

....a new Government