Players Remain Deadlocked at Moscow Tournament -- 07-Nov-09
Day 2 of the Tal Memorial chess tournament in Moscow brought another round of draws as once again none of the competitors was able to score a win. As on Day 1, five draws did not mean that the games were boring. The competitors, who include 10 of the top 13 chess players in the world, played ambitiously, for the most part, but there were no major mistakes. Several of the games were quite interesting. Vladimir Kramnik of Russia, the former world chess champion, faced Viswanathan Anand of India, the current champion, in a reprise of their 2008 title match. Anand, who had Black for the second consecutive game, played the Grünfeld Defense and ... |
Strong Memorial Tournament to Past Chess Champion Begins in Moscow -- 06-Nov-09
The Tal Memorial tournament, a tribute to the eighth world chess champion, Mikhail Tal, began Thursday with five hard-fought draws. The 10-player field is stellar, featuring Viswanathan Anand of India, the world chess champion, who is ranked No. 3 in the world; Magnus Carlsen of Norway, No. 2; Levon Aronian of Armenia, No. 4; Vladimir Kramnik of Russia, No. 5; Boris Gelfand of Israel, No. 7; Peter Svidler of Russia, No. 8; Peter Leko of Hungary, No. 9; Alexander Morozevich of Russia, No. 10; Vassily Ivanchuk of Ukraine, No. 12; and Ruslan Ponomariov of Ukraine, No. 13. In other words, 10 of the top 13 chess players in the world are competing. It is always tough to ... |
America's youngest Grandmaster -- 04-Nov-09
Ray Robson of Florida has just won the Pan American Junior with a 8-1 score and in the process has won his third Norm, qualifying for the title of Grandmaster. He becomes the youngest chess Grandmaster in US history, just a couple of weeks shy of age 15. Bobby Fischer was 15 years 4 months plus when he got the title. Robson is this year’s winner of the annual Samford award. He was born in Guam and moved to the United States at the age of 5. His achievement is further testimony of the value of the Samford fellowships, awarded through the US Chess Trust, a creation of the Samford family of Georgia, which provide subsidies for promising young American chess players to ... |
Mad Pawn Rush -- 03-Nov-09
The young and powerful team of Azerbaijan clinched the gold medal at the 17th European Team Chess Championship in the Serbian city of Novi Sad on Friday. They won seven matches, drew one and lost to Armenia, scoring 15 out of possible 18 match points. But their victory was a close call. It hung on one bad rook move, a losing blunder, played by the Dutchman Daniel Stellwagen against Vugar Gashimov in the last round. At the same time, Russia stumbled with a 2-2 tie against the Spanish team and finished with 14 points. Ukraine won the bronze on a tiebreak over Armenia, each ending with 13 points. Gashimov and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov were the top performers on ... |
Another Norwegian Teenager Emerges as a Threat -- 02-Nov-09
A 19-year-old Norwegian turned in an impressive performance at the 17th European Team Chess Championships in Serbia, which ended on Saturday. A Norwegian teenager had been expected to do well at the chess tournament, but the surprise was that he turned out to be Jon Ludvig Hammer and not Magnus Carlsen, who does not turn 19 until the end of November. Carlsen, a chess prodigy who will be No. 2 in the world on the next list, was supposed to play for Norway, but he withdrew to spend more time preparing for the Tal Memorial tournament in Moscow, which begins on Nov. 5. Carlsen’s father, Henrik, explained that his son wanted to play in ... |
Chess Notes -- 01-Nov-09
The US Chess League offers ample opportunities to examine games between highly rated chess players. Here is one in which Patrick Wolff annotates for himself, played on first board for the San Francisco Mechanics v. the Miami Sharks. In this game Wolff crosses up Julio Becerra, the 2006 Most Valuable Player in the league, by choosing as White a Two Knights Opening instead of a Ruy Lopez. The result is a closed game in which Black loses considerable time reconnoitering his Knights. White’s 27th move breaks what looks like a granite center and Black’s Queen Bishop Pawn becomes a target. In the end, Black has to choose between loss of a Rook or a King and so ... |
English and Bulgarian grandmasters continue feud during European Team Championship -- 31-Oct-09
There is history between English and Bulgarian chess grandmasters. Four years ago when Nigel Short was a commentator at the world chess championship in San Luis, Argentina, some players told him of suspicions that Veselin Topalov, who won the title after a fast start, was receiving outside help. Short later called for an inquiry, though he did not join the cheating claim. Nothing was ever proved, but Topalov and his manager blamed Short for damaging the current world No1's reputation. So last year at Corus Wijk aan Zee Topalov's aide, Ivan Cheparinov, refused Short the traditional pre-game handshake, and was forfeited. After an appeal the game was rescheduled ... |
Moscow to host top-tier tribute -- 30-Oct-09
The strongest chess tournament of the year, the Tal Memorial, begins Thursday in Moscow. World chess champion Viswanathan Anand of India, former champion Vladimir Kramnik of Russia, chess prodigy Magnus Carlsen of Norway and seven other stars, all ranked among the world's top 13, will compete in a round robin. The only notable absentee is Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria, ranked first in the world. Mikhail Tal was world chess champion in 1960 and a passionate devotee of speed chess until his death in 1992. As a tribute, the World Blitz Chess Championship will follow Nov. 16. The field will include all players in the Tal Memorial plus 10 more grandmasters. Last year, ... |
An Often-Shunned Chess Opening, for Good Reason -- 29-Oct-09
Some chess openings are perennially popular. Others are rarely used, particularly among elite chess players, and often for good reason. The unpopular chess openings can be broken down into three categories. The Bad: the Grob (1 g4), the Latvian Gambit (1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 f5) and the Sokolsky (1 b4) among them. They are risky and give opponents too many opportunities to seize the advantage. The Ugly: Some chess openings are neglected not from any intrinsic failing, but because they are simply not faddish. In 1995, when Viswanathan Anand of India, the current world chess champion, played a title match against Garry Kasparov of Russia, he surprised his opponent with ... |
Chess notes -- 27-Oct-09
The US Chess Federation held the US Women’s Championship during October, courtesy of the St. Louis Chess Club and its founder, Rex Sinquefield. Oddly, none of the contestants was born in the United States, though most are permanent residents or citizens here. Jennifer Shahade, twice American Women’s Champion and chess author, served as commentator (along with GM Ben Finegold) for the tourney, but was not competing. Shahade has two of the necessary norms to become an IM. However, she has not been playing in chess tournaments recently, saying she is too busy with her other activities, poker, videos, and Chess Life Online. In the 2008 women’s chess ... |
Mastering the Zwischenzug -- 26-Oct-09
In the slow flow of the Argentine tango, the dancers suddenly stop and make a few violent moves before they slow down again and return to their unhurried glide. That's the essence of "zwischenzug" in chess. The German word describes an unexpected move, played instead of an obvious recapture or a retreat with an attacked piece. It could be a simple counterattack or the beginning of a spectacular combination. The American chess grandmaster Josh Friedel performed four zwischenzugs during his brilliant victory against the Dutch master Migchiel De Jong in the Open group of the 13th Unive chess tournament, played this month in the Dutch town ... |
Bulgaria selected for world chess championship match -- 25-Oct-09
The World Chess Federation (FIDE) announced that the 12-game world chess championship match between champion Viswanathan Anand of India and challenger Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria would take place in Sofia, Bulgaria. Tentative dates are April 5 through 24. The Bulgarian prime minister, Boiko Borisov, promised that the Bulgarian government would pay the prize fund of 2 million Euros (about $2.96 million) and organizational costs. He assured that "neutrality would be guaranteed." Singapore and Turkey also submitted bids to host the match. Surprisingly, FIDE received no bid from India, although Anand is a national hero credited with making the game of chess ... |
Chess Notes -- 24-Oct-09
There is increasing reflection among chess commentators that Norwegian youngster Magnus Carlsen, age 18, may be destined to be world chess champion, especially because of reports that Garry Kasparov is coaching Carlsen. Here is a game won by Carlsen against Teimour Radjabov from the Pearl Spring 2009 tourney, in Nanjing, China, a chess tournament with a towering average rating of 2,754. In this game, Carlsen as White eschews 3. d4 in favor of Bb5 against the Siclian defense, a line that eerily resembles a Ruy López. It is a tough struggle, in which Radjabov elects to develop his Knights in lieu of rapid castling. He gets those Knights posted on ... |
Michael Adams crucial as England look to improve world standing -- 23-Oct-09
The campaign to improve England's standing is currently facing a tough test at the European team chess championship at Novi Sad, Serbia, and the junior (under-20) world chess championship at Puerto Madryn, Argentina. Both chess events began on Wednesday. With Nigel Short coaching the British chess champion, David Howell, in South America, England's Novi Sad quintet includes Luke McShane, 25, Simon Williams, 29, and Stephen Gordon, 23 in support of the experienced Michael Adams, 37, and Stuart Conquest, 42. All are grandmasters and their rating average is over 2,600, yet such is the competition that England's seeding is a modest 18 among ... |
Carlsen did it -- 21-Oct-09
The leading items of the news last week involved the small nation of Norway. One was the Nobel Peace Prize to President Obama for “Yes you can.’’ The other was plaudits to 18-year-old Magnus Carlsen for “Yes, you did!’’ For what Carlsen did was level his opponents in the second Nanjing Pearl Spring Chess Tournament in Nanjing, China and lift his FIDE chess rating beyond that of world chess champion Viswanathan Anand and behind top-rated Veselin Topalov. This year the contestants all had ratings above 2700 and Topalov’s rating was a towering 2813. Topalov was last year’s clear winner. Besides Topalov and Carlsen, the other contestants were Dmitry Jakovenko of ... |
World's Youngest Chess Grandmaster -- 20-Oct-09
The U.S. Junior chess champion Ray Robson will turn 15 on Sunday. He got himself a nice birthday present: the grandmaster title. Competing at the Pan-American Junior Championship this month in Montevideo, Uruguay, he scored seven straight wins and drew in the last round, securing first place and the GM title. He is currently the youngest chess grandmaster in the world. Together with GM Alex Lenderman, Robson will represent the United States at the 48th Junior World Chess Championship, Oct. 21-Nov. 4, in Puerto Madryn, Argentina. Zatonskih's Sweeping Victory. The defending chess champion, IM Anna Zatonskih, 31, did not leave anything to chance at ... |
Magnus Carlsen raises world rating to over 2800 with Nanjing victory -- 19-Oct-09
Magnus Carlsen had already won the Nanjing elite chess tournament with a round to spare at the start of this week's game, but the 18-year-old Norwegian spurned halving out and won impressively. The victory gave him a 3000 tournament performance and raised his world chess rating to over 2800, the youngest in chess history and only the fifth 2800 ever. His predecessors, with their peak ratings, were Garry Kasparov 2851, Veselin Topalov 2813, Vlad Kramnik 2811 and Vishy Anand 2803. Bobby Fischer at 2785 and Anatoly Karpov 2780 could be reckoned worth 50 points higher allowing for rating inflation. The betting now is that Carlsen will win the 2010 candidates and ... |
Anna Zatonskih Defends U.S. Chess Championship Title -- 18-Oct-09
The United States women’s chess champion, Anna Zatonskih, easily defended her title last week and dominated the championship tournament in St. Louis. Afterward, Zatonskih, who has a 2 ½-year-old daughter, joked, “I am trying to prove that motherhood did something good.” In the chess tournament, which ended on Tuesday, Zatonskih yielded only one draw and scored 8.5 out of a possible 9 points. The victory was a relief for Zatonskih, who had struggled recently, particularly at the Women’s World Team Championship last month in China, where she scored only 2 points in 7 games. In a telephone interview, Zatonskih said she wants to have another child, but ... |
A Trove of Fischer Photographs Surfaces -- 17-Oct-09
Photographs taken during trips that Bobby Fischer made to the Philippines in 1967 and 1973, after he became world chess champion, have appeared in a group of three videos on YouTube. Descriptions of the videos say that they were part of the belongings left behind by Fischer in a storage locker in Pasadena, Calif. Those belongings were bought at auction earlier this year by Rex A. Sinquefield, a financier who sponsored this year’s U.S. Chess Championship and U.S. Women’s Chess Championship. The photographs show Fischer being feted and entertained by President Ferdinand Marcos, the leader of the Philippines, and his wife, Imelda. The scenes are, in some ways ... |
Chess Opening tips -- 15-Oct-09
Like many games of skill, chess is easy to learn and fun to play — but difficult to master. Although the goal is to checkmate the enemy king, don't expect an early knockout. The opening is roughly defined as the first dozen or so moves. The purpose is not to win outright, but to reach a playable middle game. By following these simple guidelines you should be able to sit down and play an intelligent game of chess. Here are some chess opening tips: 1. Always play to dominate the middle of the board. Occupy, attack or watch the center. 2. Develop ALL your men fast, not just one or two. The opening is a race for rapid and continuous development. 3. Develop knights before ... |
Zatonskih Is U.S. Women’s Chess Champion Again -- 14-Oct-09
With a win in Round 8 of the U.S. Women’s Chess Championship, Anna Zatonskih is the national chess champion, defending the title she won in 2008. It is the third title for Zatonskih, who also won in 2006. Zatonskih clinched the title with a round to go by scoring 7.5 points out of 8. She led from start to finish and had a one point lead over Camilla Baginskaite, the 2000 champion, going into the eighth round. While Zatonskih kept up the pace by beating Sabina Foisor, she got an assist from Irina Krush who beat Baginskaite. Krush, the 1998 and 2007 chess champion, had been expected to be the main competition for Zatonskih, but she got off to very bad start with ... |
After Training With a Chess Legend, a Teenager Grabs a Big Win -- 13-Oct-09
For 20 years, Garry Kasparov was the top-ranked chess player in the world. There were times, particularly in the early to mid-1990s, when he was so dominant that he seemed to win effortlessly, even against his closest competitors. In the chess tournaments he entered, the true competition was often only for second place. For the last few months, Kasparov, who retired in 2005, has been training Magnus Carlsen, an 18-year-old Norwegian. Many top chess players say he will almost certainly become world champion one day. Carlsen is the most talented player to emerge in the West since Bobby Fischer. But he has been unable to push through to ... |
Duchamp and Chess -- 12-Oct-09
After becoming an established and successful artist, Marcel Duchamp, one of the father’s of Dadaism, turned his focus to playing chess, a game that enthralled him. He once famously remarked that “while all artists are not chess players, all chess players are artists.” The merits of such a statement, particularly in light of the ability of computers to play chess so well, are debatable. But Duchamp, the creator of such works as “Nude Descending a Staircase No. 2” (1912) and “The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even (The Large Glass)” (1915-23), spent a large part of his life as a serious chess player. An exhibition called “Marcel Duchamp: The Art of Chess,” at ... |
Magnus Carlsen wins first elite grandmaster tournament -- 11-Oct-09
Magnus Carlsen, 18 and already everyone's choice as the next world chess champion, won his first elite grandmaster tournament this week when he led all the way at Nanjing, China. The young Norwegian also advanced into the top two in the world chess rankings, ahead of the reigning world champion, Vishy Anand, and behind only Veselin Topalov, who finished runner-up at Nanjing and lost the game below. Carlsen's recent training from Garry Kasparov, the all-time No.1, showed in his more solid opening repertoire. Out were his risky Dragon Sicilians, in was the Scotch 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 that helped win one of Kasparov's title matches with Anatoly Karpov. He began ... |
Carlsen Wins Pearl Spring and Breaks Barrier; Xu Wins Grand Prix -- 10-Oct-09
Magnus Carlsen of Norway wrapped up his complete domination of the 2nd Pearl Spring chess tournament in Nanjing, China, by beating Dmitry Jakovenko of Russia in the last round on Friday. That gave Carlsen a score of 8 points out of a possible 10. Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria, the world’s No. 1 chess player, was left far behind in second place with 5.5 points. Carlsen‘s performance pushed his world ranking to No. 2 and his rating, the system used to determine rankings, over 2800, at least according to an unofficial estimate. He is only the fifth player in chess history to surpass this mark. The others, all world champions, were Garry Kasparov of Russia, Vladimir Kramnik of ... |
Zatonskih, the Defending Champion, Leads U.S. Women’s Chess Championship -- 09-Oct-09
After five rounds, Anna Zatonskih, the reigning chess champion, has opened up a one point lead in defense of her title at the United States Women’s Chess Championship. Camilla Baginskaite, the 2000 champion, and Alisa Melekhina are tied for second and third. Irina Krush, another former champion (1998 and 2007), who was thought to be Zatonskih’s biggest challenger, is mired in a four-way tie for fourth through seventh. Like the regular United States Chess Championship, the women’s tournament is being held at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis. The club has played host to the two chess events (and will host the 2010 ... |
Carlsen Romping in Nanjing; Two Lead Women’s Grand Prix -- 08-Oct-09
With two rounds to play, Magnus Carlsen of Norway has already wrapped up at least a tie for first in the 2nd Pearl Spring chess tournament in Nanjing, China. (UPDATE: Carlsen has clinched first place with a draw against Teimour Radjabov of Azerbaijan in Round 9.) Pearl Spring is part of the Grand Slam Chess Association, a confederation of the strongest chess tournaments of the year. Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria, the No. 1 player in the world, is in second place, two points behind. Nanjing is also hosting the second women’s Grand Prix tournament. Like the men’s Grand Prix, the women’s is a series of chess tournaments to select challengers for ... |
Garry Kasparov defeats old rival Anatoly Karpov -- 07-Oct-09
Former world chess champion Garry Kasparov easily defeated his predecessor, Anatoly Karpov, in an exhibition match in Valencia, Spain. Kasparov won 3-1 in 25-minute games and 6-2 in five-minute games. The largest margin of victory in their five world chess championship matches, between 1984 and 1990, was only two points. Karpov, 58, still plays occasionally in tournaments, while Kasparov, 46, officially retired in 2005. Yet Karpov seemed rustier. He lost several games, including at least one winning position, by running out of time. The rivals will play another chess match in France in December. Proceeds will go to charity. ... |
Magnus in China -- 05-Oct-09
Something magnificent and bizarre is going on at the Second Pearl Spring elite chess tournament, underway in the Chinese city of Nanjing. The 18-year-old Magnus Carlsen is demolishing the competition, which includes some of the world's best chess players. The Norwegian superstar won four games and allowed only one draw in the first half of the tournament. It may be the second-best start in a double-round event after Veselin Topalov scored six wins and one draw in the first half of the world chess championship in San Luis, Argentina, in 2005. The Bulgarian grandmaster won the world title by drawing all seven games in the second half. Carlsen started ... |
Blindfolded woman plays 5 opponents at once during St. Louis chess event -- 04-Oct-09
For many of us, a game of chess is challenging enough, but when you are the current two-time U.S. Women's Chess Champion, you have to challenge yourself. That's why Saturday Anna Zatonskih, 31, played five players blindfolded. The chess event was held at the Contemporary Art Museum in St. Louis. Zatonskih called out her moves while a partner moved the pieces. She was told what move her opponent made, but she had to remember her previous moves. Even blindfolded, Zatonskih beat all five of her opponents. The demonstration was all part of the 2009 Women's Chess Championships in St. Louis. Tournament play begins Monday. ... |
Kasparov demonstrates his continued mastery in Karpov defeat -- 03-Oct-09
Garry Kasparov crushed his old rival Anatoly Karpov 9-3 in their speed chess rematch in Valencia last week and showed that his skills remain strong and sharp despite his five-year retirement from competitive chess. The K v K silver jubilee event sparked the widest mainstream media coverage of chess since the Toiletgate scandal of 2006, and the pair are likely to perform again in December in Paris, probably in the Louvre. One notable failure in Valencia was the live internet coverage. It could not keep up the five-minute blitz chess games, while a web camera showed only the players, not the board position. Their five world title matches in 1984-7 were all ... |
Larry Evans on Chess -- 30-Sep-09
Svetozar Gligoric, now 86, is the greatest chess player Yugoslavia ever produced. He was among the Top 10 for decades and one of the few players in the world with a plus score against Bobby Fischer in their 16 games (+6 -4 =6). When the grandmaster title was first established in the 1950s only 26 chess players were awarded this honor by FIDE, the world chess body. All of them were serious contenders. A milestone was passed recently when it was announced that the world now has 1201 grandmasters. In a recent interview Gligoric discussed chess then and now. "I believe that playing chess is much harder than it was back in my day. Grandmasters now are extremely ... |
Chess player of the year? Levon Aronian -- 29-Sep-09
Today's column features a game by Levon Aronian of Armenia, the most successful chess grandmaster of the year. Aronian recently won the Grand Prix organized by the World Chess Federation (FIDE) and the Grand Slam Masters run by the rival Grand Slam Assn. Aronian has a California connection: The trainer who helped him win the World Under-12 Championship in 1994 was Melikset Khachiyan, now a grandmaster and chess instructor in Glendale. Aronian, nearing his prime at age 26, is third in world rankings. The game is typical of Aronian's style. He is not an openings specialist, but he knows how to steer for a complicated middlegame ... |
The Magnificent Queen, The Remarkable Kings -- 28-Sep-09
According to the late Spanish grandmaster Ricardo Calvo, modern chess did not originate in Italy but in the Spanish port city of Valencia. The biggest change from the old chess was the powerful queen, born from a piece that resembled a slow, stumbling pedestrian, walking diagonally one square at a time. A Spanish historian, Jose Antonio Garzon, who studied Italian and Spanish books published between 1450 and 1530, pointed out a Valencian poem from 1475, "Scachs d'Amor" ("Chess of Love"), in which the oldest published chess game is described. It shows the black queen flying in full glory to the center of the board (1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5). Chess was not a quiet ... |
Karpov and Kasparov Rekindle Rivalry in Spain -- 27-Sep-09
Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov rekindled their chess rivalry last week with a 12-game exhibition match in Valencia, Spain. It was held on the 25th anniversary of the two Russians’ first title duel, a contest that stretched on for five months and 48 games before it was halted by Florencio Campomanes, the president of the World Chess Federation. Karpov was leading 5 wins to 3, with 40 draws. Six wins were needed to clinch the title. Karpov appeared on the verge of collapse at the time, having lost Games 47 and 48. In stopping the chess match, Campomanes said it was unwinnable. Kasparov was furious, and he and Karpov, who had never been close, became ... |
Speed chess ruins the 'purity' of the game -- 25-Sep-09
A speed chess tournament between the old rivals and grandmasters Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov devalues the classic game, an expert claims. Malcolm Pein, the Daily Telegraph’s chess correspondent, fears that the faster contest loses the “purity” of the traditional game. He also believes that it could lead to a reduction in the “highest level of the game”. His comments come as Kasporov and Karpov face each other in an exhibition chess match commemorating the 25th anniversary of their marathon first title bout. “It is a little bit like one day cricket gaining pre-eminence over Test cricket,” said Mr Pein, an International chess master. “As a little bit of a traditionalist ... |
Karpov v Kasparov: epic world chess championship match -- 25-Sep-09
It had everything - accusations of foul play, political symbolism, heckling from the crowd, and a near nervous breakdown from one of the players, but it was also a terrific bore. Karpov and Kasparov's epic 1984-1985 battle for world chess supremacy is fondly celebrated as a chess classic, and it was even seen as a harbinger of the collapse of communism. It's now being celebrated in an anniversary rematch in the Spanish city of Valencia. But 25 years ago, the chess match, which included a record 40 drawn games, was often regarded as tedious and was even jeered and booed by frustrated spectators. When the Guardian's chess correspondent Leonard Barden reviewed ... |
Bennett and King on chess: where now for the white queen? -- 23-Sep-09
Javakhishvili-Wang Yu, Ningbo 2009. Our position this week is more complex. Black has just played ...g6. Where should the White queen go? RB The capture 1 Qxg6 is of course suicidal – 1...Rg8 and the queen comes off the chess board. 1 Bxg6 is not much better – 1...Re5 and, after the queen moves to safety, 1...Rg5+ and White's bishop is lost; in fact, here 1...Bg4 is probably even better for Black. Either way, taking the g6-pawn is obviously out. So where else can the queen go? What about 1 Qd5, moving out of harm's way and simultaneously threatening the bishop? The trouble is that Black has 1...Qg4+, and already I can see the loss of the exchange after 2 Kf1 Qd1+. ... |
The Art of Losing -- 22-Sep-09
Losing a chess game is never a pleasant experience. It can be depressing, difficult to shake off. But it can also be an incentive to do something extraordinary. Two leading chess grandmasters not only rose from the ashes this month, but they did it in style. The Armenian Levon Aronian replaced Veselin Topalov at the Chess Masters Final in Bilbao, Spain. The Bulgarian grandmaster refused to play after the prize fund was dramatically slashed. Aronian lost the first game to Russia's Alexander Grischuk. It seemed to spell disaster, given that the double round-robin was a short event. But a string of four victories and a draw in the last game catapulted ... |
Chasing the king of chess -- 21-Sep-09
What made Bobby Fischer so brilliant yet so bizarre? Could the truth about his father unlock the puzzle? Like a lot of kids in the summer of 1972, I was riveted by a strange spectacle unfolding in Iceland: a chess match between Soviet grandmaster Boris Spassky and Bobby Fischer, the mercurial young American. The games weren't televised -- Fischer permitted no cameras -- so chess experts replayed the moves on public television using oversize chess boards. Through long summer days, I puzzled over poisoned pawns and bishop pairs as Fischer, after nearly walking out on the match, crushed the Russian chess champion. Through solitary study and determination, Fischer ... |
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