The loser is the hapless but long-lived N.N., who has lost 99.9% of his games over the last 500+ years.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Monday, December 27, 2010
Daniel Parmet on Gata Kamsky
The newest expert in Illinois has nice things to say about the winner of the Atlantic City International.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
A simple little ending
White to play
Zhu Chen-Zhao Xue, Ulanbaatar 2010
There are only four pieces on the board, but the "simple" position is still complicated enough for former Women's World Champion Zhu Chen to make a fatal blunder. Notes based on Dejan Bojkov's comments in New in Chess 2010.7.
How many of us would have made the same blunder as Zhu Chen?
Last-minute chess present
Free plug: I can't think of a nicer gift than New in Chess magazine. If you follow the link, you can buy a one-year subscription (8 issues) for only $59. (List price, which I just paid for my renewal, is $96.) Offer is good only for folks who haven't subscribed in the past 18 months.
Eric Schiller update
Please send Eric your best wishes! You can friend him on Facebook here.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Carlsen-Nakamura live commentary
The game just started! I'm listening to Alex Yermolinsky on ICC. You can follow for free at Chess in Translation and The Week in Chess, among other places.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Benesa visitation
ICA President Tom Sprandel writes:
NM Arnulfo Benesa, 2000 US Senior Champion, is gone. He had suffered from strokes for the past two years, but had continued to play chess until the last several months. The chess players of Illinois will miss him. Visitation will be this Saturday afternoon.
Drake & Sons Funeral Home
5303 N Western Ave
Chicago, Il 60625
Dec. 11, 2010
3:00 pm to 7:00 pm
With sadness,
Tom Sprandel
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Shipov on Anand-Nakamura
Via Chess in Translation (not a permanent link).
Nakamura draws, McShane spanks Carlsen, Kramnik beats Short with Black.
Nakamura draws, McShane spanks Carlsen, Kramnik beats Short with Black.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Sad news
Benesa poses with his portrait of Tigran Petrosian
Former Illinois state champion and US Senior Open champion NM Arnulfo Benesa has passed away. I'll miss my Edgewater neighbor! Please send games, photos, and memories for publication on the ICA website.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
A trap in the King's Indian
In the King's Indian Defense, after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2, usual is 6...e5 7.0-0, and now Black's most popular moves are 7...Nc6, 7...Nbd7, and even 7...Na6. Sometimes Black futzes around and first plays 6...Nbd7 7.0-0, and now a waiting move like 7...Re8?! or 7...c6?!, thinking that Black need not rush to play ...e5. This is a bad idea, since 8.e5! followed by the pawn sacrifice e6! wrecks Black's pawn structure. In the game below, Black made things worse (as he/she usually does) with 8...dex5 9.dxe5 Ng4 (better is 9...Ne8!, allowing the pawn sac 10.e6! fxe6 11.Ng5) 10.e6! fxe6? (10...Nde5! is better) 11.Ng5! (diagram). I have reached this (or a similar position with Black's pawn back on c6 and ...Re8 having been played) dozens of times in Internet games. Black is already lost in light of White's threats of 12.Bxg4 (winning a piece) and 12.Nxe6 (winning the exchange). Like most of my opponents, Black responded with the "traditional" 11...Nde5?, losing a piece, and lost quickly.
Greater Chicago Scholastic Championships, Feb. 5-6, 2011
,Sponsored by the Kasparov Chess Foundation and Renaissance Knights. Details on the ICA Tournament Calendar!
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
How to beat Nigel Short in a simultaneous
(In his excitement, Tim gets the date wrong: the game was played two days ago, on November 29, 2010.)
"Erik and Andrew Karklins: 143 years of chess, and counting...."
Photo: Betsy Dynako
Ken Marshall's wonderful article is in this month's Chess Life!
This article is currently available to USCF members only: it will be available on the ICA website next month.
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