Why are the Russians so good at chess?

Why are the Russians and their neighbors so good at chess?
Because the Soviets subsidized the game. After the Bolsheviks took power in 1917, it became a national pastime. Soon after the revolution, Vladimir Lenin's supreme commander of the Soviet army, Nikolay Krylenko, laid the foundations for state-sponsored chess: He opened chess schools, hosted tournaments, and promoted the game as a vehicle for international dominance.

The Soviets also saw chess as embodying their revolutionary ideals. It was a game of skill, and the USSR prided itself on its intellectual talents. It was cheap, and anyone could play it. And to Soviet leaders, its back-and-forth dynamic reflected the dialectical concept of history espoused by Marxism.

Christopher Beam's article in the Slate. Contains few factual errors, but in general it hits the point.

The Guardian Chess Book of the Year award

RB: Over the next six weeks Dan and I will be announcing our shortlist for the fourth Guardian Chess Book of the Year award. I start today with Chess Strategy For Club Players by Herman Grooten (New in Chess, €25.95).

The focus is on strategy rather than tactics. It's about what happens when the opening is over. At certain points, depending on the type of position, concrete calculation will be needed. But in a substantial part of the game there is nothing concrete to calculate. What do we do then?

Ronan Bennett and Daniel King in The Guardian

Chess lost its soul

As a cultural phenomenon, chessmania in the West was doubtless a one-off. Between the fall of the Berlin Wall and the ascendancy of the computer, chess lost its mystery. There is nothing romantic about algorithms. That is why the Kasparov-Karpov tour may attract crowds, but they will be watching these one-time kings out of nostalgia, not excitement.

Pierre Garon: How the game of chess lost its soul

Karpov and Kasparov playing again

Karpov and Kasparov playing again

The legendary chess champions Anatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov have agreed to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their World Championship matches with a series of exhibitions to be held in five countries that hosted their epic battles through 1980’s.

The first exhibition is taking place in Valencia, the next is scheduled for Paris and then follows Moscow early next year. The events include simultaneous exhibitions, rapid and blitz games.

The first rapid match is currently ongoing in Valencia, follow the news and live game commentary.

65th Portugal Chess Championship

Portugal chess championship was held in the city of Amadora, on 5-13 September. Top rated player IM Ruben Miguel Nunes Pereira beat FM Joao Maria Da Camara Cordovil in the last round and preserved the first place, half point ahead of the second placed GM Antonio Fernandes.



Final Ranking crosstable after 9 Rounds:
1. IM Pereira Ruben Miguel Nunes (2447) 6.5
2. GM Fernandes Antonio Manuel De A (2409) 6
3. NM Santos Antonio M L F Pereira (2264) 5.5
4. FM Diogo Vasco Andre Marcalo (2308) 5
5. Ferreira Jorge Joao Viterbo (2238) 5
6. FM Andrade Jose Manuel Vieira (2259) 4.5
7. IM Damaso Rui (2404) 4
8. FM Cordovil Joao Maria Da Camara (2214) 4
9. Viela Andre Filipe Folha (2219) 3
10. NM Carneiro Carlos Alberto C Pin (2269) 1.5

Championship website

Managers in Chess

Agenda and Annexes for the 80th FIDE Congress are published on the FIDE website. The Congress takes place from 11th to 18th October in Khalkidiki, Greece.

Among many interesting proposals (annexes), we will note one that calls for regulation and certificates for players' managers:

Today there are many people around the world they say that they are manager of professional players. But unfortunately many f them they do not have any idea about all rules of chess or they are not qualified to communicate to make this job in a minimum level properly. Our players are certainly suffered from this and also there are bad examples on this issue that some of those people calling themselves as manager exploiting the carrier and rights of our eminent players due to their lack of professionalism.

Like in football and other sports, it is time to define this function under FIDE regulations and make a certificate after an exam like arbiters, organisers, or trainers.

Full proposal (pdf)

See also FIDE Trainers' Commission calls for radical decisions

Tkachiev breaking stereotypes

Alcohol, cigarettes, beauty contests, lightning speed and other interesting facts about Vlad Tkachiev, the FIDE President's nominee for the World Cup, - read in Hindustan Times.

Bulgaria ready to bid for world championship match

Breaking news: Minutes after the end of the meeting between Boiko Borisov and the team of Veselin Topalov, Silvio Danailov confirmed in a phone call to Chessdom.com that Bulgaria will for sure bid for the organization of the World Chess Championship match between Veselin Topalov and Vishwanathan Anand.

Topalov - Anand Sofia bid to be 3 million euro

Bulgaria’s pride, World No. 1 Topalov and his manager Silvio Danailov met Prime Minister Boiko Borisov on Thursday to discuss the possibility of their country hosting the match.

Minutes after the meeting, Danailov was quoted by noted website Chessdom as saying, "At the meeting, the Prime Minister has guaranteed €3 million for the organisation of the event. The official bid will be sent to the FIDE office by the Bulgarian Chess Federation (BCF)."

Bulgaria to bid for Anand-Topalov match

See also AICF to work on matching Bulgarian bid