Abhijeet Gupta And Harika Dronavalli Interviewed

Following their big success at the recent World Junior Chess Championships, which brought a double title to India, internet portal Sify interviewed the new national heroes Harika Dronavalli and Abhijeet Gupta.

The Dragon Open

The Dragon Capital Viet Nam Chess Tournament Open will kick off today (Aug 26th) in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

The tournament is the sixth and last elimination round under the Grand Prix system in the Asian-Pacific region. The event will pick the most talented chess players in the region to compete in world tournaments.

The event, which will give out a total of US$20,000, is scheduled to take place from today to next Tuesday with nine matches, and attracting 40 players from the Philippines, Singapore, Myanmar, Georgia, Australia, India and Viet Nam.

VN Agency

Georgia: Chess Metaphors

Vladimir Putin lost several pawns on the chessboard - Kosovo, Iraq, Nato membership for the Baltic states, US renunciation of the ABM treaty, US missiles in Poland and the Czech Republic. But he waited.

The trap was set in Georgia. When President Saakashvili blundered into South Ossetia, sending in an army to shell, kill and maim on a vicious scale (against US advice and his promised word), Russia was waiting ...

... Moscow can also counter Georgian PR, the last weapon left to Tbilisi. Human rights? Look at what Georgia has done in South Ossetia (and also in Abkhazia). National sovereignty? Look at the detachment of Kosovo from Serbia. False pretexts? Look at Ronald Reagan's invasion of Grenada to “rescue” US medical students. Western outrage? Look at the confused cacophony.

There are lessons everywhere. To the former Soviet republics - remember your geography. To Nato - do you still want to incorporate Caucasian vendettas into your alliance? To Tbilisi - do you want to keep a President who brought this on you? To Washington - does Russia's voice still count for nothing? Like it or not, it counts for a lot.

Michael Binyon's "Vladimir Putin's mastery checkmates the West" in The Times


His article inspired Charles Crawford, a former British ambassador in Belgrade and an avid chess player, to extend on chess metaphors.

Aron Nimzowitsch was a great chess Grandmaster. One of his famous reputed chess aphorisms is "the threat is stronger than the execution".

The sense is that one can wait for some time to play a strong chess move, letting the threat that it might happen create new advantages. However, once the move is played the threat is gone and the move stands on its own merits. And, of course, the move is 'committal' - once played it can not be taken back.

In this case the Russians have been watching the Kosovo precedent and waiting to move.

One possible move was to stand firm on rejecting Kosovo independence. Another was to say that if Kosovo gets what it wants, why should not some others do the same?

The Georgian episode opens the way for Moscow to play the second move, as looks to be happening: "Georgia's territorial integrity is a dead issue".

Mr.Crawford later referenced to Bobby Fischer quotes and Game 14 of the World Championship match between Garry Kasparov and Vishy Anand.

Discussion Over Women's World Championship

Six Georgian players, qualified to participate in the upcoming WWCC in Nalchik, have sent a letter to ChessBase, expressing concerns "about the current dangerous situation near Cabardino-Balkaria". They are calling for tournament to be moved "to the safer place, which would be convenient for all the participants".

The hosting city of Nalchik, capitol of Kabardino-Balkaria, did survive a terrible tragedy on October 2005, but ever since then this popular resort has been perfectly safe. It is still unclear whether the Georgian request is to move the event deeper into Russian soil or take it completely to another country.

Meanwhile, the FIDE Grand Prix, that was taking place in Sochi, only 10 miles away from Abkhasia, finished today with no interruption. What probably is true, is that Georgians might be feeling uncomfortable to play in Russia within weeks of declaring ceasefire.

FIDE President Kirsan Ilymzhinov realised that certain interest groups will try to get politics involved and quickly issued a public statement. He was soon followed by ECU President Boris Kutin.

Click on the image for better view

Teams' Dress Code in Chess?

Organizers of the European Club Cup 2008 are proposing standardization of Teams' Dress Code in major Chess Team events for the following reasons:

· A more common and suitable appearance in the sports’ market
· A more attractive picture for the MEDIA world wide
· Better information for the spectators and the arbiters in the playing halls
· Co-operation with major sports firms who may design special collection for the hundreds millions of chess players.
· Better promotion of Sponsors and Chess Organizations
· In the near future Clubs or National teams could add in the contracts with top chess players the commercial exploitation of their t-shirts.

Full press release

Ukrainian national team during the 2007 ETCC

Magnus Carlsen plays simul for GM Popovic

Magnus Carlsen and ICC community are organizing a fundraising simul at the Internet Chess Club to help Serbian GM Dusan Popovic in need of urgent medical treatment.

Excerpt from ICC newsletter:

In spite of his busy schedule, Magnus Carlsen has agreed to host a 30-board simul on ICC on August 11, starting at 14:00pm ET, to help a fellow player in need. Details will be coming soon on how you can bid on eBay to play in the simul, and also how you can play here in a qualifier on ICC for a few chekels to win a spot in the simul. You will also be able to donate a small sum to help the cause. For those playing in the simul, we will have lots of special "thank you" chess prizes. Watch this space - and please give generously!

More about GM Dusan Popovic

Sjakknyt Blog (Norwegian)
Related item on Susan Polgar Blog
The New York Times Chess Blog

Dušan Popović

Mainz Chess Festival Like Woodstock

German city of Mainz is hosting one of the world's most popular Chess Festival. For example, in the largest Ordix Open competition was attended by about 700 players. The most interesting thing is that the festival is called Chess Classic, although it appeals, so to speak, as highly "alternative". Judge for yourselves: the program includes contests in non-typical rapid and "Fischer chess".

However, all these alternative programs may as well become Classic in the future. Remember how almost forty years ago, under the village of Woodstock, a meeting of the entire color "counter" hippie movement took place. So who knows what will future bring for "Fischer Chess", but that rapid chess competitions are of much greater interest to viewers than chess "classic" - is already a reality.

This was a quick, roughly translated excerpt from GM Bator Sambuev's longer article (Russian).

George Orwell Blogging

From 9th August 2008, you will be able to gather your own impression of Orwell’s face from reading his most strongly individual piece of writing: his diaries. The Orwell Prize is delighted to announce that, to mark the 70th anniversary of the diaries, each diary entry will be published on this blog exactly seventy years after it was written, allowing you to follow Orwell’s recuperation in Morocco, his return to the UK, and his opinions on the descent of Europe into war in real time.

orwelldiaries.wordpress.com

1st International Chess Tournament Paleohora

Another event of the Greek Chess Summer 2008 is recently concluded. Seven players with 7 points each have shared the first place in Paleohora, Crete: GM Rakhmanov Aleksandr (2489 RUS), GM Postny Evgeny (2661 ISR), GM Kryvoruchko Yuriy (2628 UKR), IM Milanovic Danilo (2529 SRB), GM Halkias Stelios (2579 GRE), GM David Alberto (2568 LUX), GM Perunovic Milos (2589 SRB), IM Roy Chowdhury Saptarshi (2411 IND) and GM Parligras Mircea (2588 ROU).

IM Roy Chowdhury Saptarshi earned GM norm, while FM Klimov Anton, Sandalakis Angelos and Markidis Konstantinos completed IM norms.

Bad prediction, it was Alekseev

Few days ago I was convinced that Leinier Dominguez will end Carlsen's domination in super-tournaments. Well he did share first place, after a (rarely) exciting last round, but Russian Evgeny Alekseev did better in the tiebreak match and officially won the tournament.

Evgeny Alekseev