Kazan Chess Grand Prix for Women Round 2: Betul Yildiz of Turkey beats Hou Yifan of China

Betul Yildiz of Turkey on her way to beating women's world chess champion Hou Yifan of China

The Kazan Chess Grand Prix Round 2 highlight was the victory of Turkish chess player Betul Yildiz over reigning women's world chess champion Hou Yifan. The Chinese champion went for a sacrifice in an extremely complicated middle game and then missed the winning combination in time trouble. Betul did not let the opportunity pass her and won the game. 

Anna Muzychuk vs
Antoaneta Stefanova

In another decisive game of Round 2, Anna Muzychuk sacrificed a pawn as White and beat former women's world chess champion Antoaneta Stefanova. The third decisive game after a long-drawn struggle was former women's world chess champion Alexandra Kosteniuk fighting all the way to a well-earned win over Viktorija Cmilyte. Another Russian player, Alisa Galliamova, could have gone for a clear lead by winning both the rounds but played a draw in time trouble against her country-mate Tatiana Kosintseva. Two other games also ended in draws: Katerina Lahno – Nadezhda Kosintseva and Elina Danielian – Humpy Koneru. 


Three players are in joint lead at the Kazan Chess Women's Grand Prix with 1.5 points each: Anna Muzychuk, Alisa Galliamova and Alexandra Kosteniuk. You can watch the tournament live from India time 4 pm at the offcial website of the tournament. 

(Photos by Rashit Shiriyazdanov and Anastasiya Karlovich
with kind permission of FIDE/official website of Kazan Chess Grand Prix)

Read more »

Kazan Women's Chess Grand Prix Begins with Top Women's Chess Players

The Women's Chess Grand Prix - fourth in the Series 2011-2012 - has begun in Kazan, Russia. The time control is 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting from move one. Draw offers are not allowed. Games start at 4.30 India time and can be watched at the official website. The prize fund is 40,000 euro.

Read more »

Tal Chess Memorial Round 2 - Radjabov Leads; Caruana, Nakamura play 107-move Draw in Seven Hours!

Beautiful Pashkov House in Moscow

The Tal Chess Memorial second round saw fighting games all around even though there were three draws and only two decisive games. Teimour Radjabov pulled off his second victory in as many rounds by beating Luke McShane with the Black pieces. Former World Chess Champion Vladimir Kramnik also beat Alexander Grischuk. World Chess No. 1 Magnus Carlsen survived against Alexander Morozevich and managed to draw. Two other games that ended in tough draws included Evgeny Tomashevsky-Levon Aronian and Fabiano Caruana-Hikaru Nakamura. In fact, Caruana and Nakamura played for a full seven hours flat for a 107 moves squeezing out the last bit of chess to a fulfilling draw.

Results of Round 2

Kramnik – Grischuk 1-0
McShane – Radjabov 0-1
Caruana – Nakamura draw
Morozevich – Carlsen draw
Tomashevsky – Aronian draw

Standings after Round 2

1. Radjabov 2; 

2-4. Morozevich, Kramnik, Aronian 1,5; 

5-6. Carlsen, Grischuk 1; 

7-9. Nakamura, Tomashevsky, Caruana 0,5; 

10. McShane 0.

Round 3 pairings: 

Carlsen – Caruana, 

Grischuk – Morozevich, 

Radjabov – Kramnik, 

Aronian – McShane 

Nakamura – Tomashevsky.

The 7th Tal Chess Memorial is a 10-player round robin chess tournament that is taking place at the beautiful Pashkov House in Moscow from June 8 to 18. The prize fund is 100,000 euros. There will be two rest days on June 11 and 15. The time control offers 100 minutes for 40 moves, 50 minutes for extra 20 moves, and 15 minutes for finishing the game. There is a 30-second increment for every move from the starting of the game. Games start at India time 4.30 pm and you can watch them on the official website. Photos/text by Eteri Kublashvili (Tal Chess Memorial Official Website)

Read more »

Book Chess Evening with World #1 Magnus Carlsen in NY on Aug 23

Click on photo to register

The world's top-rated chess player Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen will hold a premier Chess Fantasy Camp with the help of 1000passions.com and Chess NYC in New York City on August 23. The evening will include analysis of historic chess games, a lecture, and game play. Carlsen will also speak on chess, share thoughts and strategies. He would also play a simul chess exhibition with 10 members selected randomly. A cocktail hour would be held at the end of the programme where the audience would be able to speak to Magnus Carlsen and other world-class Grandmasters in an informal atmosphere.

1000passions.com is a site for buying special experiences! Chess NYC based in Greenwich Village is a 24x7 Village Chess Shop and Club. 

The camp is a unique insight into the genius of Magnus Carlsen and learning from him. Space is limited to 200, so book your seat now for this remarkable chess evening.

Read more »

Kazan Chess Grand Prix for Women - Watch Live 4.40 pm India Time

Koneru Humpy takes on Hou Yifan in Round 1 at Kazan Chess Grand Prix

Kazan Chess Grand Prix can be watched live from India time 4.30 pm India time from today at the official website. The opening ceremony took place on Saturday for the fourth part of the FIDE Women’s Chess Grand Prix Series 2011-2012 at the very beautiful Korston Hotel in Kazan, Russia. Twelve players representing nine countries are taking part in the event including women's world chess champion Hou Yifan and former women's world chess champions Alexandra Kosteniuk and Antoaneta Stefanova. Also taking part are the women's chess current numbers three and four by rating - Anna Muzychuk and Humpy Koneru. Four participants who represent the National Russian team and are the present Olympiad champions - Tatiana Kosintseva, Nadezhda Kosintseva, Alexandra Kosteniuk, Alisa Galliamova - are also in the lineup. 

Here is the complete list of participants that makes this one of the strongest gathering of women's chess players in recent times. You can click on the links to see each player's Fide rating card.

Participants
1. Hou Yifan GM CHN 2623
10. Anna Muzychuk GM SLO 2598
7. Tatiana Kosintseva GM RUS 2532
6. Nadezhda Kosintseva GM RUS 2528
11. Antoaneta Stefanova GM BUL 2518
2. Viktorija Cmilyte GM LTU 2508
5. Alisa Galliamova WGM RUS 2484
8. Alexandra Kosteniuk GM RUS 2457
4. Humpy Koneru GM IND 2589
9. Kateryna Lahno GM UKR 2546
3. Elina Danielian GM ARM 2484
12. Betul Cemre Yildiz WGM TUR 2333

The opening ceremony of the Kazan Chess Grand Prix was attended by the first President of the Republic of Tatarstan State Advisor of the Republic of Tatarstan, Senior Advisor to the FIDE President Mr. M. Shaimiev, Chief Executive Officer of FIDE Mr. G. Borg, assistant to FIDE President Mr. B. Balgabaev and distinguished guests. We can look forward to an exciting fortnight ahead of chess. Games will be played every day from India time 4.30 pm with rest days from chess being on June 14 (Thursday) and June 19 (Tuesday). 


Sunday's Round 1 pairings are as follows:
Elina Danielian – Anna Muzychuk
Humpy Koneru – Hou Yifan
Betul Yildiz – Alisa Galliamova
Tatiana Kosintseva – Alexandra Kosteniuk
Viktorija Cmilyte – Katerina Lahno
Nadezhda Kosintseva – Antoaneta Stefanova

(Photos and inputs by Anastasiya Karlovich with kind 

permission of FIDE via the Kazan Chess Grand Prix official website.)

Read more »

Chess Scene from Bollywood Movie 'New York' with John Abraham, Katrina Kaif, Neil Nitin Mukesh

Bollywood movie 'New York' was released on June 26, 2009 and had a super chess scene. The movie was in the drama/thriller genre starring John Abraham, Katrina Kaif, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Irrfan with lyrics by Sandeep Shrivastava. The music was by Pritam and story by Aditya Chopra. Kabir Khan directed the movie. 

Omar (Neil Nitin Mukesh) and Sam (John Abraham) meet over a chess board as Maya (Katrina Kaif) looks on. The chess board becomes the starting point for the friendship between the three as they discover America and how 9/11 changes their life. 

Read more »

FIDE President Congratulates Alexandra Kosteniuk, Valentina Gunina at Special Function in Moscow

A special ceremonial felicitation ceremony was held in Moscow on May 8 to congratulate Women's World Blitz Chess Champion Valentina Gunina and Women's World Rapid Chess Vice-Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk. Chess Queen Kosteniuk missed the gold in the Rapid by half a point and a medal, also by half a point, in the Blitz. FIDE president, officials of the Moscow Sports Committee and Moscow Chess Federation felicitated both the talented chess players. The Women's World Rapid and Blitz Championships held in Batumi (Georgia) on June 1-5. Valentina Gunina has recently grown as a strong chess player with creative chess ideas. 

The 12th Women's World Chess Champion, Alexandra Kosteniuk, has always been known for her non-compromising, very attacking, and entertaining chess games since she was a kid. Kosteniuk's Chess Blog is also the #1 chess blog in the United States and her Chess Queen blog is her personal 'diary' that gives fans an insight into the life of a world chess champion.

Fide president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, Moscow Chess Federation president Vladimir Palikhata and first deputy chairman of Moscow Sports Committee Nikolay Gulyaev congratulated the chess players.

Read more »