Know Chess has recently cancelled chess classes at a number of schools in the San Francisco Bay Area. If you work for or your child attends one of these schools, the Torres Chess and Music Academy can help you get another chess club set up immediately. Please contact us if your school is located inContinue reading "Know Chess Cancels Chess Classes"
Anand-Kramnik Game 1 from the 2008 World Chess Championship
Kramnik faced off against Anand in Game 1 of the World Chess Championship Match on October 14, 2008. The "Battle of Bonn" began with little surprise as Anand chose to play one of his main weapons referred to as the Slav Defense to the Queen's Gambit Declined. The game concluded after move 32 when aContinue reading "Anand-Kramnik Game 1 from the 2008 World Chess Championship"
Team Kramnik
For the 2008 World Chess Championship match in Bonn, Germany, Vladimir Kramnik has selected these players as his “Seconds.” I hope my readers will visit again tomorrow to view my coverage for game 1 of the 2008 World Chess Championship Match between Viswanathan Anand and Vladimir Kramnik. Name: Peter Leko Date of birth: 09-08-1979 Country:Continue reading "Team Kramnik"
Team Anand
For the 2008 World Chess Championship match in Bonn, Germany, Viswanathan Anand has selected these players as his "Seconds." I will review Vladimir Kramnik's team in a later post. Name: Peter Heine Nielsen Date of birth: 05-24-1973 Country: Denmark Current Rating: 2652 Description: A grandmanster with a very aggressive style who has won the Denmark Chess ChampionshipContinue reading "Team Anand"
My Friends are Better Than Yours… Anand and Kramnik Get Seconds
The upcoming 12 game World Championship match between Anand and Kramnik is creating internet rumors faster than Alexandra Kosteniuk makes blitz moves in China. Most of these rumors seem to be speculation on opening choices and who is going to be the "Second" for Anand and Kramnik. A "Second" refers to a chess playersContinue reading "My Friends are Better Than Yours… Anand and Kramnik Get Seconds"
Alexandra Kosteniuk Takes the Gold in Blitz Chess
It appears as though chess has a new superstar. After taking the Women's World Rapid Chess Championship and the Women's World Chess Championship titles Alexandra Kosteniuk won gold in the 1st World Mind Sports Games Women's Blitz Chess Individual event in Beijing, China. Under her father's(Konstantin Vladimirovich Kosteniuk) coaching and guidance, Alexandra became a WomanContinue reading "Alexandra Kosteniuk Takes the Gold in Blitz Chess"
Where I Was Ten Years Ago.
Thanks to Google's ten year anniversary, the famed search engine has added an option to have a google search show the user what he or she would have seen ten years in the past. This feature also includes the cached pages from a decade ago. Below is the description of my chess activities from ten years ago taken directlyContinue reading "Where I Was Ten Years Ago."
5 Days Until the 2008 World Chess Championships in Bonn, Germany
Anand and Kramnik both enjoy playing the Petroff Defense(1.e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6) and I would be very surprised not to see it used in their 2008 World Championship Chess Match. Both players know the theory very well in this opening, so any game they play could lead to new ideas for the worldContinue reading "5 Days Until the 2008 World Chess Championships in Bonn, Germany"
Unfair Criticism of Kramnik
Tonight I attempt to defend Vladimir Kramnik from those who cast stones at the former World Chess Champion. I believe the upcoming 2008 World Chess Championship will be an exciting event played between two outstanding chess players who are wonderful ambassadors for the game of chess. Below are my opinions about the three most common critical myths that hauntContinue reading "Unfair Criticism of Kramnik"
Kramnik vs. Anand 2008 (preview game revisited)
Seven Days until the Anand vs. Kramnik 2008 World Championship Match. I am revisiting a game they played in 2007 at the request of several fans of my blog. Kramnik-Anand 9/13/2007 was a Moscow variation of the Semi-Slav Defense. The Moscow variation which starts after 5...h6 can lead to very sharp play especially because Anand gambits aContinue reading "Kramnik vs. Anand 2008 (preview game revisited)"
Bakersfield Chess Teacher
Here is a nice recomendation I received from a distinguished Disctrict Superintendent. The Torres Chess and Music Academy offers schools in California the very best chess experience possible. For more information please visit http://www.ChessandMusic.com 8 July 2008 Letter of Recommendation for Chris Torres For the past 2 years Chris Torres has worked with VinelandContinue reading "Bakersfield Chess Teacher"
Bakersfield Chess Tournaments
Date Title Location Address October 25 Fall Chess Classic Sunset Elementary 8301 Sunset Blvd. Bakersfield CA 93307 November 29 Thanksgiving Chess Extravaganza University Square 2000 "K" Street Bakersfield CA 93301 December No Tournament Scheduled January 31 Super Bowl of Chess American Elementary 800 Verdugo Lane Bakersfield CA 93312 FebruaryContinue reading "Bakersfield Chess Tournaments"
Rybka Proves It Is Still The Best
Rybka finished first in the 16th ICGA World Computer Chess Championship held in Beijing, China with a score of 8/9 with no losses. For much of the tournament Hiarcs was keeping pace with Rybka but when the two engines played, Rybka was victorious. The other key game for Rybka was against Junior (2006 World Computer Chess Champion.)Continue reading "Rybka Proves It Is Still The Best"
Kramnik vs. Anand
Just ten days until the Anand vs. Kramnik World Chess Championship match of 2008! Tonight I present another preview game for the upcoming World Chess Championship match between Viswanathan Anand and Vladimir Kramnik. The game I chose is a recent example of the two contenders going head to head in a major event. My analysis is aboveContinue reading "Kramnik vs. Anand"
World Computer Chess Championships 2008
On 9/28/2008 the 16'th World Computer Chess Championships began in Beijing, China. The IGCA has scheduled an eleven round accelerated swiss tournament format for the top chess engines in the world to compete for the the title of World Computer Chess Champion 2008. The accelerated swiss structure strikes me as odd being that there are onlyContinue reading "World Computer Chess Championships 2008"
India in the Chess Spotlight
The sub-continent that invented the game of chess in the sixth century is now becoming the focus of chess in the twenty-first century. Viswanathan Anand, the current World Chess Champion, has ignited a nationalistic enthusiasm for the "Game of Kings" not seen since the Soviet era. Anand has received rock star status in hisContinue reading "India in the Chess Spotlight"
The 2700 Club Is Becoming Crowded!
The October 2008 FIDE Rating List now has 32 players with ratings above 2700. Here they are in order of ranking: Rank Name Country Rating 1Topalov, VeselinBUL 2791 2Morozevich, AlexanderRUS 2787 3Ivanchuk, VassilyUKR 2786 4Carlsen, Magnus NOR 2786 5Anand, Viswanathan IND 2783 6Kramnik, VladimirRUS 2772 7Aronian, Levon ARM 2757 8Radjabov, TeimourAZE 2751 9Leko, Peter HUN 2747Continue reading "The 2700 Club Is Becoming Crowded!"
Can Kramnik Win With The Black Pieces? Will It Matter?
Between 1989 and 2008 Viswanathan Anand and Vladimir Kramnik played 51 head-to-head games under classical conditions. The results below show that Kramnik has yet to win a game as black when up against Anand. This is a remarkable statistic based on the number of match-ups these two chess players have had. Vladimir Kramnik's win with white and draw with blackContinue reading "Can Kramnik Win With The Black Pieces? Will It Matter?"
15 Days Until The World Chess Championships
Tonight we look at another brilliancy from the current World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand. This game was played before Anand was World Champion and after his opponent Anatoly Karpov had lost his title to Garry Kasparov. Once again we see Anand's desire to be adventurous in the opening by playing the off-beat line 4. e4Continue reading "15 Days Until The World Chess Championships"
Astronaut vs. Earth Chess Match
International Space Station flight engineer and science officer Greg Chamitoff has no problem playing chess in zero gravity while traveling at 5 miles per second. In fact, he made short work out of defeating the NASA Mission Control Center crew in his spare time while in orbit on the International Space Station. Now comes the real challenge.Continue reading "Astronaut vs. Earth Chess Match"