Rooks in a row

1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 a6 3.Nxd5 Qxd5 4.Bf4 c6 5.Bxb8 Rxb8 6.Qd2 Bf5 7.Nf3 f6 8.e3 g5 9.Rg1 Rc8 10.h3 c5 11.Bd3 Bxd3 12.Qxd3 b5 13.Qd2 e5 14.dxe5 Qxd2+ 15.Kxd2 Rd8+ 16.Ke2 h5 17.exf6 Nxf6 18.Nxg5 Ke7 19.c3 Bh6 20.Nf3 Rd5 21.Rge1 Ne4 22.Red1 Rhd8 23.Rac1 Bg7 24.a3 a5 25.c4 bxc4 26.Rxc4 Nf6 27.Rxd5 Rxd5 28.b3 Nd7 29.a4 Bf6 30.e4 Rg5 31.Nxg5 Bxg5 32.g3 h4 33.gxh4 Bf6 34.h5 Kd6 35.f4 Bg7 36.f5 Ke5 37.Kf3 Bf8 38.Rc1 Nf6 39.Rd1 Nxe4 40.Rd8 Bd6 41.Re8+ Kxf5 42.Rxe4 Kg5 43.Re6 Bf8 44.Re5+ Kh4 45.Kg2 Bd6 46.Re6 Bf4 47.h6 Kg5 48.h7 Kf5 49.Re8 Be5 50.h8=Q Bxh8 51.Rxh8 Ke4 52.h4 Kd3 53.h5 Kc3 54.h6 Kxb3 55.Rc8 Kxa4 56.Rxc5 Kb4 57.Rc8 a4 58.h7 a3 59.h8=Q a2 60.Qc3+ Kb5 61.Rb8+ 1-0

This is a recent game on chess.com - where I play only friendlies to take my mind off from the daily rush and know I can just relax. I like the rooks in a neat line, ready to go on a trip - somewhere in 'chess world'. I wonder if they were having a 'row' about something?

Chess world rocked by French cheating scandal

Three top French chess players have been found guilty of cheating in last year's world championship, using an ingenious messaging system.

The French chess federation has suspended Sébastien Feller, a 20-year-old grandmaster, his team-mate Cyril Marzolo, 32, and Arnaud Hauchard, 39, the French team captain. It said they used mobile text messages, a remote chess computer and coded signals to beat the opposition.

The fraud, which took place during last September's Chess Olympiad in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, has rocked the chess world, which prides itself on its code of honour.


Rival teams have been known to accuse each other of cheating, but in this case the whistle-blower was the French federation's own vice president, Joanna Pomian.
She became suspicious when she found a text message addressed to Mr Marzolo, which read: "Hurry up and send me some moves." It was sent from Russia by Mr Hauchard during the competition.


She examined Mr Marzolo's itemised phone bill and found he had sent more than 150 text messages to Mr Feller during the tournament, plus 30 to Mr Hauchard. Unable to look at their contents due to a privacy ruling, she and the federation nevertheless remained "convinced" the players had cheated.
The federation said the system required Mr Marzolo to follow the game via the internet. He logged the moves into a chess computer then texted its suggested moves to Mr Hauchard in codes within phoney telephone numbers.

The captain communicated these to Mr Feller during his match by standing next to a particular player who represented a pre-agreed number and a figure. Mr Feller could follow his captain's movements to know which piece to move and where.
Mr Feller won three games at the tournament, enough to earn him a gold medal and €5,000 (£4,400).
According to Laurent Vérat, the federation's director-general, Mr Feller and Mr Hauchard owned up to the fraud in October, but "refused to sign any documents".
"The only thing that mattered to them was that the affair didn't get out," he told Le Parisien.
Mr Feller and Mr Marzolo were handed down five-year suspensions while Mr Hauchard received a life ban from being team captain or a coach.
The three deny any wrongdoing and have appealed against the ruling.

See this link for the article - the link will open in a new window

What kind of chess player are you?

Do you see yourself in one of these images? Click on the image for a larger view.

The Chess Players

Image posted HERE with more information about the sculpture. The link to the map is where you can view the sculpture in Washington, DC.



View Larger Map

Just the music for a relaxing chess game!

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.

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

Anand...



Schedule



See the image/link to the Official site on my blog's sidebar (my Wordpress-blog - see link at the bottom of this entry) [top right on my other blog]. The link will open in a new window.



Topalov vs Anand - Round 1 move 19 [click on images for a larger view]



Round 1 move 23



Move 25



Round 1 move 29 - big trouble - Anand has resigned this game

Topalov - 1 Anand - 0

[Event "Sofia BUL, WCC2010"]
[Site "Sofia BUL"]
[Date "2010.04.24"]
[Round "1.22"]
[White "Topalov, V."]
[Black "Anand, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D87"]
[WhiteElo "2805"]
[PlyCount "59"]
[EventDate "2010.04.24"]
[EventType "match"]
[EventRounds "12"]
[EventCountry "BUL"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Bc4 c5 8. Ne2 Nc6 9. Be3 O-O 10. O-O Na5 11. Bd3 b6 12. Qd2 e5 13. Bh6 cxd4 14. Bxg7 Kxg7 15. cxd4 exd4 16. Rac1 Qd6 17. f4 f6 18. f5 Qe5 19. Nf4 g5 20. Nh5+ Kg8 21. h4 h6 22. hxg5 hxg5 23. Rf3 Kf7 24. Nxf6 Kxf6 25. Rh3 Rg8 26. Rh6+ Kf7 27. Rh7+Ke8 28. Rcc7 Kd8 29. Bb5 Qxe4 30. Rxc8+ 1-0



Follow THIS LINK on my WP-blog to follow the other games.

Blank Chess

Chess Invitation to the Dance

Enjoy this Chess Dance - and the music of Weber - Invitation to the Dance

Chess game 26

In this game I played black against arturo1113 on the chess site where the game was played.
This was really a tough game....one of those challenging games. If you play through the game you will see why. Luckily...as always... I had a Knight-to-the-rescue. I will even sacrifice a Rook just to have my Knight! Exactly like in real life... that's why Knights are there! hehehe... look at move 80! Fork! and from there one...it was really easy. If you play through the game, you will see why my opponent named this game after this nursery rhyme - ring-a-ring-a-rosie... See if you can work out why I couldn't really move away from that advanced Pawn of my opponent...He resigned this game at the end. Enjoy playing through the game.

Image: Wikipedia

Another

In this game - I played white - which I finished on chess.com [one of my favourite sites - the other Chesscube.com] was an easy win, but I had to sacrifice my Rook in order to win. This guy couldn't handle the fact that he was losing, so he started using foul language in such a way that I had to disable chat! Eish! Some men can't handle it when losing to a woman!
Hierdie spel het ek teen 'n gemorsie van Afghanistan gespeel. Die ou het sommer - toe hy agterkom hy verloor - begin vloek en lelik praat - woordeskat het sommer laag onder die belt begin daal, soveel so dat ek die "chat" gediskonnekteer het sodat ek nie sy gemors hoef te gelees het nie. Tipies daardie soort [van daardie lande af] Ek het onlangs teen 'n ou van Romenie gespeel en die ou het ook sommer kras begin raak. Goeie genade, kan hierdie ouens nie 'n skaakspel hanteer nie...of wat?

A Game for Two

STELIOS KOUKOUVITAKIS presents NIKIFOROS VLASSIS, VASSILIKI VLACHOU "A GAME FOR TWO" Director of Photography PENY KAFIRA Sound Recordist TEO BABOURIS Editor PANOS ANESTIS Sound Designers ANDREAS SPANOS, PANOS ANESTIS, GEORGE CHRYSAFAKIS Art Director STELIOS KOUKOUVITAKIS Costumes by SOFI IOANNIDOU, RENATA KONSTANTINOU Produced by STELIOS KOUKOUVITAKIS Written and Directed by STELIOS KOUKOUVITAKIS


Synopsis


Victoria, a chess champion, enters Argiris’ bookstore.
A flirt begins. In post – feminist era, the roles of the hunter and the prey constantly change.


Is winning all that matters?


FESTIVAL SCREENINGS


42nd Houston Worldfest International Film Festival (2009)- PLATINUM REMI AWARD
6th Naoussa International Film Festival (2009)
4th Crashfest (2009)
1st London Greek Film Festival (2008)
Platforma Video8 International Digital Film Festival (2008)- OFFICIAL SELECTION, COMPETITION (top20 films internationally)
21st Panorama of European Cinema – Student Section (2008)
2nd Aza Digital Film Festival (2008)


Video here

South African Women's Open Chess Championships 2009

The South African Women's Open Chess Championship is now taking place in Pretoria till Sunday the 5th May 2009.

Please click here to follow the results on my WP-blog. The link will open in a new window.

Chess Olympiad Dresden 2008

You want to know who's playing chess? Please click on THIS LINK to read about them - and many more - and to get all the details about Dresden 2008! The link will open in a new window.

How to make your own chess set

Making A Chess Board The Quick&Easy Way

World Women's Chess Championships in Nalchik

Links will open in a new window.
Follow the results of round 6, the final between Alexandra Kosteniuk and Hou Yifan in Nalchik.
Please click HERE to see more pictures about Alexandra Kosteniuk, the Chess Queen, and to play through her games in round 5 of the World Women's Chess Championships in Nalchik.

Please click HERE to see beautiful pics of Alexandra on my WP blog.

Emanuel Lasker

Image: Wikimedia

Emanuel Lasker was born at Berlinchen in Brandenburg (now Barlinek in Poland), the son of a Jewish cantor. At the age of 11 he was sent to Berlin to study mathematics, where he lived with his brother Berthold, eight years his senior, who taught him how to play chess. Berthold, a strong player in his own right, was according to Chessmetrics among the world's top ten players in the early 1890s. He was also possibly distantly related to International Master Edward Lasker.

To supplement their income Emanuel Lasker played chess and card games for small stakes, especially at the Cafe Kaiserhof.

Lasker shot up through the chess rankings in 1889, when he won a tournament at Cafe Kaiserhof and the "second division" tournament at the German Chess Federation's (DSB) congress, held in Breslau; finished second in an international tournament at Amsterdam, ahead of some well-known masters including Isidore Gunsberg, who finished 3rd in the New York 1888 "Candidates Tournament" and unsuccessfully challenged for Wilhelm Steinitz' World Chess Championship title, also in 1889. In 1890 Lasker shared first prize with his brother Berthold in a tournament in Berlin and finished third in Graz. He followed up with tournament victories at London 1892 (by 4½ points) and New York 1893, in both cases without losing a game.

His match record was equally impressive: at Berlin in 1890 he drew a short play-off match against his brother Berthold; and won all his other matches from 1889 to 1893, mostly against top-class opponents: Curt von Bardeleben (1889; 9th), Jacques Mieses (1889; 11th), Henry Edward Bird (1890; then 60 years old; 29th), Berthold Englisch (1890; 18th), Joseph Henry Blackburne (1892, without losing a game; Blackburne was aged 51 then, but still 9th in the world), against Jackson Showalter (1892-1893; 22nd) and Celso Golmayo Zúpide (1893; 29th). Chessmetrics calculates that Emanuel Lasker became the world's strongest player in mid-1890, and that he was in the top 10 from the very beginning of his recorded career in 1889.

In 1892 Lasker founded the first of his chess magazines, The London Chess Fortnightly, which was published from August 15, 1892 to July 30, 1893. In the second quarter of 1893 there was a gap of 10 weeks between issues, allegedly because of problems with the printer. Shortly after its last issue Lasker traveled to the USA, where he spent the next two years.Source: Chess.com and Wikipedia..

Please click HERE to read more about Lasker on Wikipedia.

On THIS LINK you can play through Lasker's games on Chessgames.

Chess Puzzle

Please click HERE to solve this puzzle, please allow 10 seconds for the puzzle to load.
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Dortmund Chess Tournament 2008

Please click HERE to follow the games live and for results and more information.

Standings after round 6, Dortmund Chess
Today, Sunday 6th July, it's the final round, round 7



Participants…

Vladimir Kramnik, Russia 2788
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Azerbaijan 2752
Peter Leko, Hungary 2741
Vassily Ivanchuk, Ukraine 2740
Loek Van Wely, Netherlands 2676
Ian Nepomniachtchi, Russia 2634
Arkadij Naiditsch, Germany 2623
Jan Gustafsson, Germany 2603



Time Schedule Sparkassen Chess Meeting 2008

Saturday, 28th June 3 p.m. 1st round
Sunday, 29th June 3 p.m. 2nd round
Monday, 30th June no play
Tuesday, 1st July 3 p.m. 3rd round
Wednesday, 2nd July 3 p.m. 4th round
Thursday, 3rd July no play
Friday, 4th July 3 p.m. 5th round
Saturday, 5th July 3 p.m. 6th round
Sunday, 6th July 1 p.m. final round

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Ivanchuk MTel Masters rounds 4 and 5

MTel Masters was a tournament played earlier in middle May...see other posts about it too... and Ivanchuk was the winner....