Čez Chess Trophy Match - Svidler Beats Navara 3.0-1.0

Russia's Peter Svidler beat Czech Republic's David Navara in Prague 3-1 in the traditional Čez Chess Trophy Match of four games. Svidler won the second and third games. The first and fourth games were drawn. The traditional Čez Chess Trophy is hosted every year to give top-rated Czech GM David Navara the opportunity to play top chess players from around the world. In previous years he has played Vassily Ivanchuk, Vladimir Kramnik and Judit Polgar. Earlier, the tournament used to be one of rapid chess games, but this year the match was held in the classical time control format with all effort by organiser Pavel Matocha.

 

Phoro: Anežka Kružíková

Navara and Svidler played a match of four classical chess games of the time control 90 minutes for 40 moves followed by 30 minutes for finishing the game. There was a 30 second increment for ever move as well. The sponsor was Čez Group, a conglomerate of companies involved in the electricity generation, distribution, and trade.

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Chess is a Total Waste of Time in Life! (ChessForums Link Updated)

A Black & White reader has sent us something about chess that's 'thought-provoking'. We leave it upon our readers to comment on this. Send your comments from anywhere in the world to editor@blackandwhiteindia.com and we would compile an article with the best comments. You could even win a prize.

Chess is no good

by N.Dharmeshwaran,

Guduvancherry, Chennai

• Chess serves no real purpose outside itself
• Chess uses time and effort, and displaces other activities which might be better than it in some ways
• Chess is inherently unconstructive. While the theory can be intellectual and academic in nature (though inherently unimportant), the purpose is fundamentally to defeat the opponent. It is possible that chess causes unconstructive patterns of thought by a process analagous to transference. i.e. in chess you are fighting alone against an opponent, so other things can seem like that even if they are not, which can be unhelpful. Of course, there are ways in which this could be considered a pro - perhaps in certain areas like business the fighting aspect of chess could be well-channeled. [This point is based both on my own experience and what I have observed in others]
• Very few chess players can earn money from chess, especially with the large number of GMs in the world these days. Professional chess has very limited income streams from non-participants. Of course this is not a con at all to most people, who play chess as a hobby and have no interest in chess as a career
• While some types of chess are cheap, playing in frequent OTB tournaments is expensive and takes a lot of time, with a large impact on the rest of one's life.
• Chess can be obsessive, which can be damaging to other areas of life.

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What would you say to  N.Dharmeshwaran?


Since we first posted this, there's an awesome discussion going on at the ChessForums. 

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Weekend Chess Story: Fischer-Fine, Evans Gambit 1-0 in 17 Moves

Weekend Chess Story#2

Reuben Fine (October 11, 1914 – March 26, 1993) was another top chess player who quit the game at the height of his career. In 1945, Fine decided to become a professional psychoanalyst. He wrote both on psychology and chess. He won five medals (four gold) in three Chess Olympiads and was the US Chess Champion seven times! Fine declined to play in the six-player World Chess Championship tournament of 1948 that was to be organised after the death of the then World Chess Champion Alexander Alekhine. 

But, this story is about Bobby Fischer and Reuben Fine. Fischer visited Fine in the latter's New York home in 1963. The two chess artistes played several games. Here is one in which Bobby Fischer abandoned his favourite Ruy Lopez and tried the Evans Gambit. 

6.d4

Fine played 6. ...exd and Fischer castled Kingside. Do you know the Lasker Defense that spiked Evans Gambit for a long time here? - 6... d6 7.0-0 (better 7.Qb3) and 7. ... Bb6 the Lasker way!

Anyway, back to the Fischer-Fine game. The game continued after that and Fine, being a little too greedy took the pawn on c3 as well. We flip forward to move 14.

What key move did Fischer play here and how did he go on to win the game?

13. ... Qg5 What did Fischer play as his 14th move and how did he win the game?

You can replay the Fischer-Fine full chess game in our Chess King applet for the solution.

You can read the Weekend Chess Story#1 at this link:

124-Move Chess Game at a World Chess Championship 1978 - Of Korchnoi-Karpov Missed Checkmate and Stalemate

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Online Chess $38,000 Prize Blitz Qualifier on Sunday

For all those who could not get through in the previous qualifier of the Online Chess Blitz Grand Prix Open with a whopping prize money of $38,000 last time, the next qualifier is on Sunday, June 24. This super blitz online competition is being organised by the Russian Chess Federation with the ChessOK Playing Zone

You can register for the chess blitz from anywhere in the world. More than $38,000 are being put up as the prize fund. Four qualifying tournaments are being organised on Sundays beginning June 3, 2012. Final and Super Final tournaments will take place August 14-15, 2012. All online blitz chess rounds begin at 16-00 UTC.

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Saturday Chess Puzzle Level Difficult

Saturday chess puzzle is here with level difficult. White to play and win.

You can find the solution in our Chess King applet.

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Kazan Chess Final Report: Humpy, Muzychuk Joint Winners; Hou-Cmilyte 0-1 Best Game

India's Koneru Humpy and Slovenia's Anna Muzychuk were declared joint winners of the fourth stage of the FIDE Women's Grand Prix on June 22, 2012. After 11 rounds, both Humpy and Muzychuk had 7.5 points. Grand Prix regulations require sharing of prize money, title and Grand Prix points in case of a tie. 

The winners: Anna Muzychuk (left) and Koneru Humpy with Fide president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov.

India's most talented woman chess 

player Koneru Humpy with dad and trainer Koneru Ashok.

(Photos: Rashit Shiriyazdanov and Anastasiya Karlovich/Fide official website)

Three players were sharing the lead before the last round - Viktorija Cmilyte, Anna Muzychuk and Humoy Koneru. In the final round Humpy Koneru sacrificed a piece and beat Alisa Galliamova with black pieces. Anna Muzychuk capitalised on a mistake by Nadezhda Kosintseva to win. Viktorija Cmilyte settled for a draw with Antoaneta Stefanova. Reigning Women's World Chess Champion Hou Yifan (China) and Lithuanian Viktorija Cmilyte concluded the tournament with 7 points each. In her last game in Kazan, Hou Yifan beat Elina Danielian who had been leading for most of the tournament, but ended up losing her last three games. Elina Danelian from Armenia and Russian Alexandra Kosteniuk collected 6 points each to share 5th – 6th positions. Kosteniuk beat Betul Yildiz in the last round. Russian Tatiana Kosintseva beat Ukrainian Kateryna Lahno and finished seventh with 5.5 points. Lahno consequently ranked one spot lower half a point behind.

Nadezhda Kosintseva and Bulgarian Antoaneta Stefanova finished at the joint 9th – 10th places with 4.5 points, Russian Alisa Galliamova was next with 3 points, followed by Betul Yildiz from Turkey with 2.5 points.

The closing ceremony took place in the Korston Hotel and was attended by FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, Minister on Affairs of Youth, Sport and Tourism of the Republic of Tatarstan Rafis Burganov, players, officials and spectators. The winners Anna Muzychuk and Humpy Koneru were awarded wooden chess pieces and all the participants of FIDE Grand Prix in Kazan were felicitated with flowers and presents. 

Viktorija Cmilyte received a special prize devoted to 100 years anniversary since the birthday of Rashit Nezmetdinov. Her victory against World Champion Hou Yifan was chosen by the organizing committee as the best game.

At the closing ceremony FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov made a surprise gift for the Chess Federation of the Republic of Tatarstan - the entire set of electronic boards that the participants had played on!

Best chess game award at the Kazan Chess Grand Prix went to Viktorija Cmilyte. It was a special prize on the occasion of the 100th birth anniversary of Rashit Nezmetdinov. The organising committee chose her game against Women's World Chess Champion Hou Yifan as the best game of the event. You can read:
Tal Chess Round 4: Viktorija Cmilyte Explains Win Over Hou Yifan

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