E-Magazine

Interactive E-Magazine Volume 2 • Issue 2 March/April 2011

Speed Chess CHESS BLOGS ALL IN THe Family - Family Members who play Chess

The Art Of Chess -Henri-Robert- Marcel- Duchamp African American Chess Players Chess and the Brain White Review Chess E-Magazine

Table of Contents

contents EDITORIAL- “My Move” 3

ARTICLE- Speed Chess 4 INTERACTIVE CONTENT BIOGRAPHY- The Art of Chess Henri-Robert- Marcel- Duchamp 6 ______BOOK REVIEW- “Endgame” • Click on title in 12 Table of Contents by Frank Brady to move directly to page.

FEATURE- All in the Family 14 • Click on “White Family Members who play chess Knight Review” on the top of each page to return to HISTORY- Chess in the Middle Ages 18 Table of Contents. • Click on red type to LISTS- Chess Blogs 22 continue to next page • Click on ads to go HUMOR- Chess Jokes 24 to their websites • Click on email to NEWS - Chess News around the World 25 open up email program FEATURE-Black to Move 26 • Click up URLs to African American Chess Players go to websites. FEATURE-Chess and the Brain 28

ANNOTATED GAME - The Orangutan 30

COMMENTARY- “Ask Bill” 31

March/April 2011 White Knight Review March/April 2011

My Move [email protected] editorial -Jerry Wall I thought chess was supposed to be somewhat civil. I recently picked up a copy of Wired Magazine and to my surprise I read about a new sport called Chess . The article, entitled “Knight Decks ” explains the sport which alternates between three White Knight minute rounds of punching in a checkerboard ring and four minutes of heart-pounding (pardon the pun) Review chess. Matches end after 11 rounds, a or Chess E-Magazine whoever wins with . It started in (I thought they didn’t like to fight) and now clubs are sprouting up all through Los Angeles (now Executive Editor/Writer that makes sense). Whats next? Drive-by chess moves? Bill Wall Either the chess players are trying to improve [email protected] their bodies or the athletes are trying to improve their minds but I would think either way that after about 5 rounds I probably couldn’t tell the difference between a pawn and a . In this issue we do an article on Publisher /Editor/ Creative chess and the brain and how it improves your cognitive Director skills, memory, intuition and spatial processing. I Gerald Wall would think that a couple blows to the head will [email protected] probably nullify that. Seems like there is a contradiction here. Whereas chess improves your brain, boxing can turn it into a pool of jello. But who am I to judge. Production/ Marketing Chess has always been about combat. Our Steve Wall article on chess in medieval days show how the [email protected] Muslims during the crusades adapted the chess moves to the strategy of combat even noticing that the knight on horseback could jump over the infantryman (sound For Subscription familiar?). Too bad we can’t just settle our differences [email protected] over a board of chess. Then again it looks like now if we find ourselves like in a losing position, we can always hope for a knockout. For Advertising Rates [email protected]

Jerry Wall Editor

© Copyright 2011 All Rights Reserved. Let us know what you think of the magazine. Perhaps you have Unauthorized reproduction, some suggestions for future articles or have other comments. in any manner is prohibited Let us know and drop me a line at: without expressed permission [email protected] from the Author or Editor.

www.offthewallchess.com

3 White Knight Review March/April 2011

By Bill Wall Jerry Wall

efore the invention of chess became popular in tournaments control for blitz chess with newer clocks, chess was played at with faster time controls. The digital clocks would be 3 minutes Ba slow rate. Normal chess was set at 15 minutes with a 2 second increment added time controls are one to three to 60 minutes per player (blitz after every move. hours per player. But speed chess, chess was any less Lightning chess is a general or , is played at faster than 15 minutes). Later, digital term for extremely fast chess. time controls. There are even chess clocks included a feature Time control could be from 1 different names to distinguish the that allowed a player to play rapid minute to 3 minutes per side. maximum duration of a game. All chess with a small time increment Usually, the term is reserved for regular chess clocks have a special per move. For example, after every 2-minute chess. device, usually called a “flag,” that move by a player, the clock would Bullet chess is sometimes the indicates that time control was met add 10 more seconds t o term for 1 minute chess games. when the flag falls. that player’s time An Armageddon chess game is Before the common use of control. usually one speed chess game that digital clocks, the regular chess determines the match or tournament clock was set to 5-minutes per side instead of a tie-breaking point (10 minutes total) for a game of system. Usually Black has sudden death (no increment) odds (if the game is a draw, Black blitz chess (also called wins) in Armageddon chess. 5-minute chess; blitz is the To compensate, White gets German word for lightning). If more time on his chess clock. you ran out of time and your flag Common time controls are 6 fell on your chess clock before minutes for White and 5 minutes you checkmated, stalemated, for Black ( or 5 minutes and 4 got a perpetual , or there is Rapid minutes, respectively). This is also insufficient material to mate, you chess more closely known as “time odds” chess. lost on time. Before the popularity resembles a regular, In some tournaments, the of blitz chess, there was “rapid slower game of chess. There final results of the players may transit” chess in which a referee is more time to make proper plans be resolved by a series of speed would call out “move” every 10 and play more carefully with less games with shorter and shorter seconds. If a player did not make blunders and more calculation, time controls as tie breaks. a move at the end of 10 seconds, rather than rely on intuition and In speed chess, it is a common when the referee said “move,” he tactical cheap tricks. These time rule that if a player makes an illegal would lose. limits in rapid chess are often used move, the player’s opponent may in one-day chess tournaments with point out the illegal move and Blitz chess seems to be the most 5 or 6 games played in one day. claim a win. For example, if a popular type of speed chess among With digital clocks, blitz chess player leaves the in check, experienced chess players who are could be played at 3 to 5 minutes the other player may claim the playing for fun. per side, with an additional small win, or just take the King and win. Rapid or quick chess soon increment. Usually, the time In speed chess, each player 4 White Knight Review March/April 2011 must press the clock with the regular game. Speed chess helps speed game is generally played same hand that moves the pieces you think quickly and you are for money, usually a 5-minute (in regular chess, either hand can able to practices more openings game with no increments. press the chess clock). When and total games in a short period For speed chess, the player , a player may use both of time. There is little time for must play much more quickly of hands to move the and king. deep thought. Internet chess sites course. A player will go from When capturing a piece or pawn, have speed chess time controls making 2 or 3 moves every 10 or completing a (i.e., that automatically track the time minutes in a regular game to substituting a Pawn for a Queen), elapsed for you and most record making hundreds of moves in 10 both hands may be used if it is the game as well. minutes time. The speed player clear that the chess clock must be more physically is pressed after the move is alert. Once a move is determined. decided, which is usually In speed chess, players in a few seconds, he then do not need to record the “blitz chess” must move quickly and (also called 5-minute chess) moves. also quickly hit the chess “Blitz is the German word for lightning.” In 1897, perhaps the first clock. speed One need good was held at a chess preparation to play speed club. The time control was 30 Speed chess is more about chess. A player must know the seconds a move. reflexes, intuition and quick hand movements for capturing In 1970, won decision rather than making pieces, castling, and promoting the Herceg Novi, Yugoslavia Blitz long detailed analysis and lots a pawn to another piece before Tournament (5-minute chess) with of calculations. Speed chess is a the move happens. If a player the score fo 17 wins, 4 draws, good time to practice tactics, since is about to promote a pawn, he and 1 loss to win the unofficial recognizing chess patterns is a better put a piece (preferably a “Speed Chess Championship of crucial ability once you have less Queen) ready in the other hand the World.” took time on the chess clock. on his opponent’s time so that he 2nd, followed by , Speed chess include games won’t waste valuable seconds on , and David full of blunders and overlooked the chess clock looking for a piece Bronstein. The tournament had moves. Most of the games are lost to promote. When capturing, it four world chess champions on time rather than a checkmate, is best to move your own piece competing (Smyslov took 8th , or draw. Speed chess is with one hand and pick up the place). Fischer finished 4.5 points a good testing ground for opening opponent’s piece with the other ahead of Tal in second place. ideas and tactical play. hand in a single fluid motion, then According to one report, Fischer For Internet chess players, some hit the chess clock with the bottom spent no more than 2.5 minutes on feel that speed chess is the real test of the piece you just captured so any one game. of chess prowess. Slower games that you don’t waste any time In 1971, Fischer played in a may be played by an unknown putting the captured piece down, strong Manhattan blitz opponent with a , then hitting the clock. tournament and won 21 games, but speed chess, especially bullet Opinions vary whether speed drawing one game, and losing chess, takes away the likelihood chess is good for your general none. that someone is using a chess chess at regular time controls. In 1988, the first World Blitz computer. It is just too fast for Some feel that playing a lot of chess championship was held. someone with a chess engine to speed chess leads to superficial The winner was former world input the moves and wait for the thought processes and rushed chess champion, Mikhail Tal. computer to respond, then make decision-making. Others say that In 2001, the first World Rapid the move. Strong chess masters speed chess helps with recognizing chess championship was held. The and grandmasters dominate the tactical play and awareness. Speed winner was world chess champion Internet rating for speed chess chess helps a player at making . (blitz or bullet chess). quick decisions, which is Many chess players play speed For street hustlers, speed chess helpful when a player is in chess to help them improve their is the preferred game of choice. A time-trouble in longer games. 5 White Knight Review March/April 2011 Biography

By Bill Wall Henri-Robert-Marcel Du- movements of the early 20th ing and music. Marcel probably champ (1887-1968) was a century.. He came from a family learned chess from his older renowned French artist whose of artists that enjoyed cultural brothers when he was around worke is most associated with activities. One of these activi- 11 years old. His older brother, the Dadaist and Surrealist ties was chess, along with paint- Jacques Villon, etched La Partie d’echecs, featuring 17-year-old playing chess with his sister, Suzanne. In his early twenties, Marcel began painting chess players playing chess. One canvas shows his brothers playing chess in their garden while his two sis- ters look on. He created a series of at least six drawings and two Cubist paintings of his broth- ers playing chess. His Portrait of Chess Players (Portrait de joueurs d’echecs) showed over- lapping frames and multiple perspectives of his older two brothers, Raymond and Jacques, playing chess. The oil on canvas painting hangs in the Philadel- phia Museum of Art. In 1912, Marcel painted on of his most famous paintings, Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2, in which motion was expressed by successive super- imposed images. He entered

6 White Knight Review March/April 2011 Duchamp-Art of Chess (cont) tor Walter Arensberg in New Belgium in 1923 to study chess York. He invented a code for and played in the Belgium chess the painting at the 28th Salon transmitting the moves so championship. He score 7.5 des Independents exhibition in that costs would be minimal. out of 10 and took 3rd place. , but it was rejected. It was He also designed a set of rub- He then went back to Paris. He too radical at the time. He later ber stamps for recording chess now devoted most of his time to entered his Nude Descending a positions. In a letter he wrote chess, abandoning his career as Staircase at the 69th Armory in to the Stettheimer sisters (Car- an artist. He was a member of . It was viewed rie and Florine), “My attention the Rouen chess club in France by 100,000 visitors during the is so completely absorbed by and one of its strongest players. month long exhibition. chess. I play day and night, and Marcel was very active in Marcel moved to New York organized chess he began playing events. He chess with New played in the York art patron and 1924 World collector Walter Amateur Cham- Arensberg. He also pionship in Paris joined some lo- (scoring 6 out of cal chess clubs and 14), four French played chess there championships frequently. He from 1925 to was about master 1928, and four strength. from While in New 1928 to 1933. York, he created his He tied for first first readymade, a place at Hyeres coat rack nailed to 1928 and won the the floor. He named Paris champion- this Trebuchet, or ship in 1932. In trap, after a chess nothing interests me more than 1924, he won the chess cham- jargon for a pawn placed so as finding the right move.... I like pionship of Upper Normandy. to trap an opponent’s pieces. painting less and less.” Marcel He then played in the 2nd Soon, Marcel gave up painting also designed a with a French Chess championship in and was becoming more of a traveling foldaway table and a Strasbourg. The event was won chess addict, playing every day. board that has two stopwatches by Robert Crepeux and Duch- Duchamp’s official last paint- for timed games. amp placed high in the stand- ing was made after World War Marcel returned to New York ings. I. He moved from New York to in the 1920s and joined the In the mid 1920s, Duchamp and spent most of Marshall Chess Club, which was appeared in a scene from René the time playing chess, joined a then located above the Pepper Clair’s short film, Entr’acte. He local chess club, and took chess Pot Restaurant on 8th Street in is seen setting on the edge of lessons from a local master. He . He played a roof playing chess with Man carved his own chess set from there every evening and lived Ray. wood, with the assistance of a close by the chess club. In 1921, Marcel designed the poster local craftsman who made the Duchamp took 2nd place in the for the 3rd French Chess Cham- chess knights. He remained in Marshall Chess Club champion- pionship held in Nice from Sep- for 9 months before ship, behind Bruno Forsberg. tember 2 to September 11, 1925. moving to Paris in 1919, then He also participated in the Met- He played in the event, with back to the in ropolitan Chess League and was 3 wins, 3 losses, and 2 draws 1920. Marcel once observed “I on the winning team (Marshall and taking 6th place. He was am still a victim of chess. It has Chess Club). He also played awarded the title of chess mas- all the beauty of art - and much world champion Jose Capablan- ter by the French Chess Federa- more. It cannot be commercial- ca, who was giving a 21-board tion (Federation Francaise des ized; Chess is much purer than . Du- Echecs). The event was won by art in its social position.” champ lost, but that motivated Robert Crepeux, who won it in While in Buenos Aires, he him to study chess harder. 1924. started two games simultane- Marcel moved to Brussels, Marcel married Lydie Sara- ously by cable with art collec- 7 White Knight Review March/April 2011 Duchamp-Art of Chess (cont) Hans Mueller, in 10 moves, the shortest game of the . zin-Lavassor in 1927. It may Marcel played in the 6th have been a marriage of conve- French championship, held in nience. She was the daughter of Marseilles in 1928. That event a wealthy automobile manufac- was won by Amedee Gibaud. turer, and her marriage contract In 1929, he defeated George was to have supplied him with Koltanowski in 15 moves in a steady source of income while a Paris tournament. He also he painted and played chess. drew with , the During his honeymoon, he women’s world chess champion went every day to a chess club from 1927 to 1944, when she in Nice. When he returned, he died from a German bomb dur- spent several more hours study- L’ et cases conjuguees ing World War II. sont reconciliees (Opposition ing chess positions. His mar- In the 1930s, he played his riage lasted only six months be- and Sister Squares are Recon- greatest number of tournament ciled). It was published in a cause of his obsession to chess. chess games. He played in an in- He spent most of his time play- limited edition of 1,000 copies ternational tournament in Nice by L’Echiquier, Edmond Lan- ing chess around Nice, France. in April. In May, he played in One story (told by his friend cel, in Brussels around 1932. an international tournament in It is a study of some king and Man Ray) is that his bride was Paris. He played on the French so frustrated at him for pawn endgames, including one playing chess that she that arose from Emanuel glued all the chess pieces He once observed Lasker vs Gustavus Reich- to the board while he was helm in 1901. Using asleep. They were divorced “I am a victim of chess. It has enneagram-like charts (9 on January 25, 1928. all the beauty of art - and sided star polygon), that Marcel participated much more. Chess is much fold upon themselves, the in the 5th French chess purer than art.” authors demonstrated championship, held in that in this position, the Chamonix in 1927. That endgame is a draw if Black event was won by Andre Che- moved first. It was written in team at the 3rd French, English, and German. ron. In 1928, he shared 1st place in in 1930. He played at the Hyeres chess tournament Marcel won the 1932 Paris board 4 ( Championship, ahead of Euge with Vitaly Halberstadt and played board 1, winning 9 out of J.J. O’Hanlon. He then played Znosko-Borovsky, a strong 9). He won 1, drew 6, and lost 8. Russian chess master living in on the French team at the 2nd Marcel played the reserve chess Olympiad in Paris. He then played on the board for the French team at the French team at the 5th chess in 1928. He played Board 3 and 4th chess Olympiad in won 1 game (defeating Vladi- Olympiad in Folkestone in in 1931. He won 1, drew 3, and 1933. He played board 4. He mir Petrov of Latvia), drew 11, lost 5. He was also a member of and lost 4. He lost one game, to won 1, drew 2, and lost 9 for the board of the French Chess a 16.7% winning percentage. Federation and was a delegate to His total Olympiad result was FIDE until 1937. 4 wins, 22 draws, and 26 losses. Marcel was also involved in Afterwards, he won the Inter- and won nationaler Fernschachbund, the several correspondence tourna- European correspondence chess ments. He also became a chess championship. journalist. He wrote weekly By the 1940s, Duchamp real- newspaper chess columns for ized that his ambition to be a the Paris daily newspaper, Ce great chess player was hope- Soir for several years. From less. Duchamp’s good friend, 1934 to 1939, he played in the Henri-Pierre Roche, wrote first correspondence Olympiad, that “Duchamp needed a good and went undefeated. game of chess like a baby needs Along with Vitaly Halbert- a bottle.” Marcel settled per- stadt (1903-1967), Marcel wrote manently in New York to avoid

8 White Knight Review March/April 2011 Duchamp-Art of Chess (cont) phabet which shapes thoughts; was the former wife of Pierre and these thoughts, although Matisse, son of Henri Matisse. the hardships of World War making a visual design on the Marcel became a naturalized II in Europe. He had a studio chess-board, express their citizen of the United States the on 14th Street. Duchamp and beauty abstractly, like a poem... next year. George Koltanowski formed the From my close contacts with In the mid-1950s, Irish play- Greenwich Village Chess Club artists and chess players, I have wright Samuel Beckett wrote a in 1942. During this time, he come to the personal conclu- play called Endgame based on designed a pocket chess set with sion that while all artists are not Duchamp’s endgame work. It a leather wallet, celluloid pieces chess players, all chess players was around this time that Mar- and attachments, which he are artists.” He participated in cel made his acquaintance with called ‘Rectified Readymade.’ the 1952 New York State Chess Bobby Fischer. Marcel was also Marcel organized an Imagery Championship, won by John a member of the board of di- of Chess exhibition at the Mar- Collins. Duchamp took 16th rectors of the American Chess shall Chess Club and the Julien place. The next year, he played Foundation. Levy Gallery in 1944. The gallery in the New York State champi- Marcel played in the 1957 exhibition was called “Through onship in Cazenova. Duchamp New York State championship the Big End of the Opera Glass.” took 15th place. in Binghampton. The event was He invited artists to redesign In 1954, he married Alexina won by August Rankis. Duch- the standard chess sets or create “Teeny” Sattler Matisse (1906- amp won 4, lost 4, and drew 1. works that explored the symbol- 1995), who was also a chess The next year, he won the Lon- ism of chess. Duchamp designed player (unlike his first wife). S don Terrace Chess Club Cham- the catalog and was the arbi- he joined the Marshall Chess pionship at the age of 71. He ter in a blindfold match given Club, where they lived directly won the event again in 1959 at by Koltanowski on 6 boards, across the street, and she be- the age of 72. played in January, 1945. came an enthusiastic player. She In the early 1960s, Duchamp, Marcel joined the London Terrace Chess Club in New York and was still a member of the Marshall Chess Club. He took 1st place in the preliminar- ies of the 1948 New York State Chess Association. The event was won by Larry Evans (1932-2010). He then went 6-0 in the preliminaries of the New York State Chess Asso- ciation in Rochester. The event was won by chess master Max Pavey. Marcel played in the 1950 New York State championship in Binghampton. He won 5 and lost 4. The event was won by master Eliot Hearst. The next year, he participated in the New York State championship in Syracuse, New York. He won 4, lost 4, and drew 1. The event was won by international mas- ter James Sherwin. Marcel gave a speech at a banquet during the 1952 New York State Chess Association annual meeting in Cazenova. He said, “Beauty in chess is closer to beauty in poetry; the chess pieces are the al- 9 White Knight Review March/April 2011 Duchamp-Art of Chess (cont) In March, 1968, he played a chess game with avant-garde who lived in Greenwich Vil- composer John Cage (1912- Hans Mueller - M. Duchamp, lage, played a chess game by 1992) in Toronto, at a concert 2nd Chess Olympiad, telegraph with a small team of entitled “Reunion.” Alea- The Hague 1928 school boys during toric music (chance music) was 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.d4 an exhibition at the Museum produced by a series of photo- exd4 5.Nxd4 Bb4 6.Bg5 h6 7.Bh4 of Modern Art in Amsterdam electric cells underneath each Ne4 8.Bxd8 Nxc3 9.Nxc6 Nxd1+ called Bewogen Beweging (Mov- square of the as the 10.Nxb4 1-0 ing Motion). A move a day was chess pieces moved about the sent. Duchamp eventually won board. S. Gudmundsson - in 31 moves. He was 74. The He died on October 2, 1968 M. Duchamp, Olympiad, Dutch players included future in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, a Hamburg 1930 international master Hans Ree, suburb of Paris. 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e6 3.e4 d5 4.cxd5 Tim Krabbe, Herman Grimme, Some of his chess quotes are exd5 5.e5 d4 6.exf6 dxc3 7.fxg7 and Hans Lauring. During an as follows: cxd2+ 8.Bxd2 Bxg7 9.Qc2 Qe7+ interview, he was asked what “Chess has no social purpose. 10.Be2 Be6 11.Nf3 Nc6 12.O- chess was. He said, “Chess is That, above all, is important.” O O-O 13.Bd3 h6 14.a3 Rad8 a sport. A violent sport. This “Chess is purer, socially, than 15.Rac1 Ne5 16.Be4 Nxf3+ detracts from it most artistic painting, for you can’t make 17.Bxf3 c5 18.Rfe1 b6 19.Bc3 Bd4 connections.” money out of it.” - New York 20.Bg4 Qf6 21.Bxe6 fxe6 22.Re2 In 1963, at a retrospective Times, 1956. e5 23.Rce1 Qf5 24.Qxf5 Rxf5 exhibition, he played chess with His four most famous chess 25.Kf1 Rdf8 26.f3 h5 27.Rd1 h4 a nude woman at the Pasadena paintings are: 28.h3 Kg7 29.Re4 Rf4 30.Rxe5 Museum of Art. A very famous The Chess Game (1910) Bxc3 31.bxc3 Ra4 32.Ra1 Kf6 photograph of this exhibition The Chess Players (1911) 33.Re3 b5 34.Ke2 Rg8 35.Kf2 Kf5 appeared around the world of Portrait de joueurs d’echecs 36.Re7 Rd8 37.Ke2 a5 38.Rh7 Kg6 Duchamp playing chess with (Portrait of Chess Players) 39.Re7 Rd5 40.Re4 Rg5 41.Rxa4 a naked lady. Later, a French (1911) bxa4 42.Rg1 c4 43.Kf2 Rb5 44.g3 movie was made called Game King and Queen Surround- Rb3 45.gxh4+ Kh5 46.f4 Kxh4 of Chess with Marcel Duch- ed by Swift Nudes (1912) 47.f5 Rb5 48.Rg4+ Kh5 49.Rxc4 amp. There is a long interview Rxf5+ 50.Ke3 Kg6 51.Rxa4 Kf6 with Duchamp about chess. The In 2009, Francis Naumann 52.Re4 Rd5 53.Rd4 Rg5 54.Rg4 movie won the grand prix for edited a book called Marcel Du- Rd5 55.Rf4+ Ke5 56.Re4+ Kf5 the short subject category at champ, the Art of Chess. Also 57.Rd4 Rc5 58.Kd3 Ke6 59.h4 Kf6 the 7th Annual Bergamo Film in 2009, an exhibition called 60.c4 Rh5 61.Re4 Kf7 62.Kd4 Rf5 Festival. “Marcel Duchamp: The Art of 63.a4 Rf1 64.c5 Kf6 65.Kd5 Rd1+ In the mid-1960s, he orga- Chess,” was held at the Francis 66.Rd4 Rf1 67.Kd6 Rb1 68.c6 1-0 nized a chess exhibition called M. Naumann Gallery in Hommage a Caissa. He pro- Manhattan. Frank Marshall - duced 30 ‘ReadyMade’ M. Duchamp, chess sets and sold them Olympiad, Hamburg 1930 at the Cordier & Elk- 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 b6 3.c4 e6 4.Bg5 strom Gallery in New Be7 5.Nc3 Bb7 6.Qc2 d5 7.e3 O-O York. In this exhibition, 8.cxd5 Nxd5 9.Bxe7 Qxe7 10.Nxd5 he played chess with Bxd5 11.Bd3 h6 12.a3 c5 13.dxc5 Salvador Dali, and Andy Rc8 14.b4 bxc5 15.Rc1 Nd7 Warhol had the band 16.Ba6 Rc7 17.e4 Bb7 18.Bxb7 Velvet Underground Rxb7 19.bxc5 Qxc5 20.O-O Qxc2 sent to provide the back- 21.Rxc2 Kf8 22.Rfc1 Ke7 23.Nd4 ground music. Duch- Ke8 24.f4 Rab8 25.e5 Nf8 26.Rc5 amp raised over $32,000 Rb1 27.Rxb1 Rxb1+ 28.Kf2 Rb7 to support the Ameri- 29.Rc8+ Ke7 30.Ra8 Ng6 31.g3 can Chess Foundation. Kd7 32.a4 Ne7 33.Nb5 Nc8 34.g4 Duchamp founded a Rxb5 35.axb5 Kc7 36.g5 hxg5 Marcel Duchamp Chess 37.b6+ Kb7 38.Rxc8 Kxc8 1/2-1/2 Endowment Fund to support American chess. 10 White Knight Review March/April 2011 Duchamp-Art of Chess (cont) The Art of Duchamp

Sad young man in a train Nude descending a staircase(2) 1911 1912

Paradise 1911

Portrait of chess player 1911 The King and Queen Surrounded by Swift Nudes- 1912

Young man & girl in spring 1911

Portrait of Dr. R. Dumouchel Bride Landscape 1910 1912 1911

11 White Knight Review March/April 2011 Book Review by Bill Wall Endgame by Frank Brady

Endgame was recently written by Frank Brady and pub- noid) personality, querulous, but not psychotic.” Regina lished by Crown Publishing. Brady previously wrote two was also being watched by the FBI as a possible Commu- editions of Profile of a Prodigy, which chronicled Bobby nist spy and Brady was able to get the FBI records on the Fischer’s life in the 1960s and in the early 1970s when Bob- Fischer family through the Freedom of Information Act. by won the title in 1972. When Brady does a fine job of tracing Fischer’s childhood Brady published the first biography of Fischer in 1965, he and his teenage years in Brooklyn. Compared to his was a friend and confidant of Bobby. earlier books, he had added perhaps 80% new informa- Fischer’s match against Soviet grandmaster Boris tion on Fischer’s early life. There is an unresolved question Spassky in Reykjavik, Iceland in 1972 was part of the Cold as to who the real father of Bobby Fischer is. Was it the War propaganda of the USA vs. the . Spassky man listed on the birth certificate, Hans Fischer, a Jewish had the backing of the entire Soviet chess organization and German physicist who never came to America? Or was the government. Fischer had no backing and took on the it Paul Nemenyi, a Hungarian Jewish physicist who may Russians all by himself with no other sup- have had an affair with Fischer’s mother and has a striking port. resemblance to Bobby. Brady writes that Bobby Fischer died in 2008. He was a Regina Fischer, Bobby’s mother, denied controversial figure with a fascinating per- that Nemenyi was Bobby’s father. How- sonality. Brady knew him well and is well ever, Brady found a distant relative of qualified in writing a biography of Bobby Fischer who said that Nemenyi was the Fischer. Brady explores both sides of Bobby real father. Fischer, the chess player and the man with- Brady follows Fischer’s career as well out a country who renounced his citizen- as documents his strange personality and ship, traveled around the world after being eccentricities. Brady covers the 1972 banned from the United States in 1992, world chess championship in great detail. getting arrested in Tokyo with the threat of By then, Fischer and Brady were not on being extradited to the United States, finally speaking terms after Brady published his ending up in Iceland, where he died at the first book on Fischer. After the world age of 64. championship match, Fischer stopped Brady chronicles his life growing up playing chess and became a recluse. The throughout the United States, finally settling second half of Brady’s book focuses on in Brooklyn, addicted to chess, dropping what became of him. Fischer became in- out of high school, and taking on the Rus- volved in the Worldwide Church of God. sians and the rest of the world over the chess His anti-Semitism grew as well as for his board. In the early years, Fischer and Brady hatred for the USA and its political sys- played hundreds of chess games together. tem. Fischer moved to Los Angeles and Brady knew Fischer since Bobby was a child. Brady saw was living in poverty on his mother’s social security checks. this boy, raised by a single mother, rise to prominence in In 1992, the U.S. State Department threatened him with the chess world, especially after Bobby won the U.S. chess arrest and big fines if he played chess in Serbia when the championship at the age of 14 and became the world’s U.S. was blocking all travel to Serbia. Fischer defied the youngest grandmaster at the age of 15. Fischer had a very order , played chess for millions of dollars, and then ended high I.Q., attended Erasmus High School, was friends with up living in Europe, the , and Japan, fearful of Barbra Streisand, who also attended. Brady writes that arrest by the USA. During the September 11, 2001 ter- Streisand remembered “Bobby was always alone and very rorist attacks on the U.S., Fischer was being interviewed peculiar. But I found him very sexy.” on radio in the Philippines and expressed his glee over the Brady writes that Fischer’s first chess coach, Carmine attacks in New York. Nigro, was also a professional musician and gave him ac- In the late 1990s, Brady interviewed a former friend of cordion lessons. Bobby was soon playing the accordion at Fischer who said that he called the State Department and school assemblies. After a year, he gave up playing the ac- asked if Bobby Fischer could return to the United States. cordion. Fischer said, “I did fairly well on it for a while, but The State Department spokesperson said, “Of course he chess had more attraction and the accordion was pushed can. But as soon as he land at JFK, we’ll nail him.” Fischer aside.” Fischer eventually dropped out of high school and would later accuse the Jewish community of conspiring became a full time chess player. Bobby’s mother was Jew- against him. ish, but he never practiced the faith. Later in life, he had a Brady concludes that greed and violence played no part hatred for all Jews, despite his mother being Jewish. in Fischer’s genius, and that he left the world gifts of pure Brady writes that when Bobby Fischer was born in Chi- artistry in his chess games. Brady write, “We may not – cago, his mother, Regina, was homeless and had to move and perhaps should not – forgive Bobby Fischer’s twisted into a hospice. Bobby had an older sister, Joan, but the political and anti-religious assaults, but we should never hospice refused to provide housing for Regina, Bobby, and forget his sheer brilliance on the chessboard.” The book is Joan. The hospice had Regina arrested for refusing to move 416 pages in length with several pictures of Fischer in his out of the hospice. She was given a psychiatric exam and early years. The hardcover price is $25.99. The Kindle part of the report stated that Regina had a “stilted (para- price is $12.99. 12

White Knight Review March/April 2011

It is not uncommon for more than one chess master in a family, and it is not uncommon by Bill Wall that a strong chess player would marry another strong player. Here is a list of relatives and spouses who play chess.

Simen Agdestein is a Norwegian Grandmaster. Zoran and Goran Arsovic His brother, Espen, is a FIDE master. are twin brothers and both are International Masters from Carl Ahues was a German International Master. Serbia. His son, Herbert, became a Grandmaster for Chess Composition. Robin and Leslie Ault were two brothers who played chess. Robin was Elena Akhmilovskaya is a Woman Grandmaster. a chess master who once won the U.S. Her mother was a chess master and qualified for Chess Championship and played in the U.S. Chess the USSR Women’s Championship. Elena won the Championship, and Leslie was a U.S. Intercollegiate US Women’s Championship in 1990, 1993, and champion. 1994. She later married International Master John Donaldson, divorced him, and married International Sergey Belavenets was a strong Soviet chess Master Georgi Orlov. master who died during World War II. His daughter, Ludmilla, won the 4th Wrmen’s World Mohamad Al-Modiahki is a Grandmaster from Correspondence Chess Championship in 1992. . He is married to former world women’s chess champion and grandmaster Chen. Juan Bellon in a Spanish Grandmaster. He is married to Grandmaster , one of Alexander Alekhine had an older sister the strongest women in the world. Pia Cramling’s and older brother, Alexei, that played brother is a Swedish International Master. chess. Alexander met his fourth wife at simultaneous exhibition Joel Benjamin is an American Grandmaster in which she was a participant. who married Deborah Quinn, a strong player from She participated in many chess Ireland. She played on the Irish Olympic Chess tournaments. team.

14 White Knight Review March/April 2011

ALL IN THE FAMILY Family Members Who Play Chess (Continued)

Pal Benko is an American Grandmaster. His current French champion. He is married to Woman wife is a chess player who played in the Hungarian Grandmaster . national women’s championship. Anita and Ticia Istvan Bilek was a Hungarian Grandmaster. Gara are sisters and He was once married to one of the top female both Hungarian Woman Hungarian chess players. Both were chess Grandmasters. Both champions of at the same time. have won the Hungarian women’s championship Julio Bolbochan was an Argentine Grandmaster. twice. His brother was an International Master. Aljosa Grosar is an International Master from was a Soviet Grandmaster. His . His sister, Kiti, is a Woman International daughter, Tatiana, married Grandmaster David Master. Bronstein. is an American Grandmaster. He Robert Byrne is an American Grandmaster. His won the USSR Chess Championship in 1977. He brother, Donald, was an International Master. Both won the U.S. Chess Championship in 1994 and have played in several U.S. chess championships. 1999. He is married to Woman Grandmaster Anna Akhsharumarova. She won the Women’s Soviet is a Canadian Grandmaster. Chess Championship in 1976 and 1984. She won He is married to Woman Grandmaster , the 1987 U.S. Women’s Championship with a perfect current U.S. Women’s chess champion. score.

Richard Costigan is an American International Armenian masters Gor, Gevog and Tatevik Master. His brother, Thomas, is a FIDE master. Hairapetyans are two brothers and one sister that They are identical twins. are all International Masters.

Max Euwe was a former world chess champion. Jozsef and Csaba Horvath are brothers and both His mother once played in the Dutch Women’s Chess Grandmasters from Hungary. They are probably the Championship. world’s strongest brothers in chess.

Benjamin Finegold is an American Grandmaster. Barbara Hund is a German Woman Grandmaster. His father was a USCF expert. His brother, Mark, is Her mother played in the 1959 German Women’s a USCF master. His wife qualified for the 2006 U.S. Chess Championship. Her sister, Isabel, is also a Championship. strong chess player. Her husband is editor of a Swiss . is a British Grandmaster. His wife, Christine Leroy, has won the French Ladies’ Chess Adam and are brother and sister. Championship five times. Both are International Masters from She is also a Woman Grandmaster.. is a French Grandmaster and

15 White Knight Review March/April 2011

ALL IN THE FAMILY Family Members Who Play Chess (Continued)

Alexander Ivanov is an American Grandmaster. Jana Malypetrova is a Woman Grandmaster. She He is married to Woman International Master was once married to International Master William Esther Epstein. She won the U.S. Women’s chess Hartston, then married Grandmaster , championship in 1991 and 1997. then married International Master Robert Bellin.

Hans Johner was a Swiss International Master. is a Grandmaster from His brother, Paul, won the Swiss chess championship . His sister, Turkan Mamedjarova, is a 6 times. Woman International Master.

Rohini, Jayashri, and Alisa and Marjana Maric (now Stamenkovic) are Vasanti Khadilkar are Woman Grandmasters. They are also the only twin sisters and all are Women grandmasters in history. International Masters from . Vera Menchik was a former women’s world chess champion. Her sister, Olga, was also a strong chess Gregory Koshnitsky was an master who participated in women’s world chess Australian International Master. In 1966, he won the championships. Vera married Rufus Stevenson, the championship of South Australia. His wife, Evelyn, secretary of the British Chess Federation. won the women’s title. Eugene Meyer is an American International Nadezhda and are sisters, Master. His brother, John, is a FIDE master. Tatiana is a Russian Grandmaster and Nadezhda is an International Master and Woman Grandmaster. is a Woman Grandmaster and International Master from the . Her sister is a Grandmaster and Mariya, is a Woman Grandmaster and International former world women’s champion. Her sister, Oxana, Master. is a Woman FIDE master. is an Avrid, Leonid, and Yevgeny Kubbel were all American Grandmaster and brothers and famous Soviet chess composers. the number 1 ranked player in the U.S.. His stepfather, Sunil Abhijit Kunte is a Grandmaster from India. His Weeramanty, is a FIDE master. His sister, Mrunalini, is a Woman International Master. brother, Asuka, is a strong master.

Emanuel Lasker was a former world chess Miklos Orso is an International Master. His champion. His older brother, Berthold, was a strong brother, Janos, is a FIDE master. chess player and was a chess hustler in in the early 1880s. Ludek Pachman was a Czech grandmaster. His brother, Vladimir, was a grandmaster in chess Kjetil Lie is a Norwegian Grandmaster and composition. current Norwegian chess champion. His brother, Espen, is a FIDE master. Nicholas Pert is a Grandmaster. His brother,

16 White Knight Review March/April 2011

ALL IN THE FAMILY Family Members Who Play Chess (Continued)

Richard Pert, is an International Master and an brother, Greg, is an International Master. identical twin. Almira Skripchenko is a French Woman Susan, Sofia, and Judit Polgar are the Grandmaster. Her mother was a Woman strongest sisters in Grandmaster. Her father was a chess coach. In 1997, the world. Judit is a she married French Grandmaster Joel Lautier. They Grandmaster and the later divorced. top woman chess player in the world. Susan is was a former world chess a Grandmaster and was champion. His father was a strong master who once the first woman to earn the title of Grandmaster in defeated Alexander Alekhine in a chess tournament. regular competition. Sofia is a Woman Grandmaster who is married to Grandmaster Yona Kosashvili of was a strong chess master. His older . brother, Endre, was also a strong chess player. Lajos was married to Augusta Kingston, who won the New is a Hungarian Grandmaster. His South Wales women’s chess championship 6 times. brother, Ferenc, is an International Master. George Allen Thomas was a former British chess Cecil Purdy was an Australian International champion. His mother was the winner of the first Master, Correspondence Grandmaster, and former British women’s chess championship at in world correspondence chess champion. He won the 1895. Australian championship 4 times. His father-in-law won the Australian championship twice. His son, Dragoljub Velimirovic is a Serbian grandmaster. John, won the Australian championship twice. His mother was Yugoslavia’s first woman chess champion. R.B. Ramesh is a Grandmaster from India. He is married to Woman Grandmaster Aarti Ramaswami. was a Grandmaster from Slovenia. They are India’s first Grandmaster couple. His son, Milan Vidmar, Jr., was an International Master. Akiva Rubinstein was one of the strongest chess players in the world. His son, Sami, was a chess Susan Walker is a Woman International Master. master. She was once married to Grandmaster . She is now married to Grandmaster Bogdon Lalic. Albert Sandrin was an American blind chess master. His brother, Angelo, was also a chess master. Jay Whitehead is an American International In 1961, they both tied for 1st place in the Michigan Master. His brother, Paul, is a chess master who Open. won the 1978 American Open.

Yasser Seirawn is an American grandmaster. He is a Grandmaster and former world is married to Woman FIDE master Yvette Nagel. women’s chess champion. She is married to Grandmaster Shaobin Wu. Jennifer Shahade is a Woman Grandmaster. Her

17 White Knight Review March/April 2011 History

by Bill Wall hess was probably 10th century, chess was introduced board with all the squares the same invented during the to the Greeks, who called the game color. Also, a popular variation Middle Ages (500 A.D. zatrikon. When one of the first of chess was to play it with dice to to about 1500), but caliphs, Omar ibn al-Khattab, was determine the moves. In India (or perhaps asked if chess were lawful, he re- In the 11th century, the earli- CChina). Chaturanga, the earliest plied, “There is nothing wrong in it; est literary account of chess in chess precursor, was created around it has to do Europe, versus 600 A.D. in the Punjab area of with war.” de scachis, was India. Chess then spread into In India, When one of the first caliphs written in Swit- Persia. The game was then known chess was was asked if chess were lawful, zerland, called as chatrang, the old Persian word still being he replied, “There is the Einsiedeln for chess. The Islamic conquest of played very nothing wrong in it; it verses. This Persia occurred in the 7th century, seriously. has to do with war.” poem described and chatrang was then called Chess play- chess, its rules, by the Muslims. ers in India and some of By the 8th century, Moorish would sometimes wager their fin- the basic strategies. This was also a invaders were introducing chess to gers and other body parts in chess period when chess was soon being Iberia and . Chess reached matches. In 936, Saint Genadio, banned in Muslim areas. For ex- by the 9th century. Al-Rushid the of Astorga, became the ample, al-Hakim of Egypt banned (786-809) was the first caliph to first saint related with chess. Chess chess and ordered that all chess sets play chess in Baghdad. Around this pieces were soon being donated to be burned. Chess was considered time, it was said that Charlemagne monasteries. idolatry. (742-814) and Emperor Nicepho- By the middle of the 10th cen- One of the earliest references to rus of Byzantium were introduced tury, chess was being played on came from the will to chess. Around 820, chess was alternating light and dark colored of Ermengaud (975-1010), Count introduced in through the squares on a chess board. Prior of Urgel, where he willed his chess Caspian-Volga trade route. By the to this time, chess was played on a set to a monastery. 18 White Knight Review March/April 2011 The current game of chess and gued that the prohibition of certain a list of knightly accomplishments its most recent influences come games of chance (such as dice) by Petrus Alfonsi in 1106 (along from European applied to with riding, swimming, archery, Middle Ages chess. Chess boxing, hawking, and verse writ- and Chris- The pieces of the chess set, was later ing). A 12th century chess set and tianity after pawn, rook, knight, bishop, condemned chess pieces were discovered on the the invading queen and king, became repre- by the East- Isle of Lewis in the 1831, making it Moors brought sentation of feudal Europe. ern Ortho- one of the oldest known chess sets, chess to Eu- dox Church. called the . The rope through John Zona- pieces were made of bone, probably its invasion of Spain. The pieces of res, an Eastern Church monk, ex- from . the chess set, pawn, rook, knight, communicated chess players from In the 12th century Saint Ber- bishop, queen and king, became his monastery on Mount Athos. nard (1090-1153) forbade the representation of feudal Europe. Around the same time, William Knights Templar from playing the Conqueror (1027-1087) learned chess. During this time, alge- Chess was introduced in Eng- chess. In one incident, it was said braic notation was being used in a land through the Viking and Dan- that William the Conqueror lost a French manuscript on chess. Chess ish invasions in the 11th century. game, then grabbed the chessboard problems were being published in In 1027, Canute (995-1035), King and broke it over the head of his Wales. King Richard I (1157-1199) of , was introduced to opponent, the dauphin of France. chess, perhaps from a pilgrim- By 1080, the Normans named their age to Rome. In 1030, the earliest financial department “exche- reference of chess in the German quer” after the chess board, literature was found in the Latin which was used as a sort of epic Ruodieb, which described the abacus in calculating taxes and adventures of a medieval knight. revenue. Canute’s chess set was destroyed in Henry I (1068-1135), later a fire at Hyde Abbey in Winchester king of England, once played in 1148. a game of chess against Louis During the early period of the le Gros, son of king Philip of Middle Ages, chess was initially France. Louis lost the game and seen as an activity favored by the threw the board at Henry. King upper classes. Both noble men and Henry later imprisoned his brother, women enjoyed the game, and the Robert Curthouse, Duke of Nor- ability to play was considered to mandy, for 28 years with the only be one of the distinguishing marks activity allowed was chess. The first of high class. No self respecting known correspondence chess game gentleman or lady would have ap- occurred between King Henry I of peared without knowing how to England and Louis VI of France. play chess. In the 12th century, Byz- Cardinal Petrus Damiani (1007- antine Emperor Alexius I 1072) wrote a letter to Gherardo of Commenus (1048-1118) Florence (who later became Pope was introduced to chess Gregory VII) complaining of one and liked to play the game of his bishops playing chess rather with members of his than preaching. A few years later, court. By the 12th cen- the Cardinal wrote a letter to Pope tury, chess was accepted Alexander II explaining that he had as a regular feature of imposed a penance on a bishop for noble life in Europe. playing chess. The Cardinal ar- Chess was included in 19 White Knight Review March/April 2011 was introduced to chess while par- during the Crusades of the Holy famous and historically important ticipating in one of the Crusades. Lands. The Muslims observed chess manuscripts, was commis- John Lackland, later king of Eng- the techniques that the crusaders sioned by King Alfonso the Wise land, was a keen chess player. used to fight, and thus modified (1221-1284). The option of a pawn In the late 12th century, Baldwin the game of chess according to moving two squares instead of one IX, Count of Flanders, lost a chess their needs. A basic attack forma- on the first move was introduced game to his wife. That angered him tion involved rows of infantry- in Italy. Prior to that, pawns only so much that he beat her up. She men supported by cavalry, which moved one square at a time. didn’t forgive him for that. When charged through the lines to slash In the mid 14th century, Les he was later kidnapped, his wife at enemy warriors on either side of Amoureux Eschecs was written. It refused ransom for him. The same their horses. In chess, the knight was considered the best example of thing happened when Ferrand of can jump over pawns (infantry- romantic allegory and chess. This Portugal lost a game to his wife. men), and then attack on one side manuscript was ruined during the He hit her when she won. Later, or the other. A knight on horse- firebombing of in World he was taken prisoner and his wife back would not attack an enemy War II. Chaucer (1343-1400) wrote never tried to obtain his release. head-on. During the Middle Ages, about chess in his poem The Book Chess was forbidden to the pawns could only move one square of the Duchess. Around the same clergy in some parts of medieval at a time. Later during the Middle time, Pope Gregory XI (1329-1378) England. Saint Louis IX of Ages, the French developed the cas- was an avid chess player. France restricted chess to tling move, which involves the king King Charles V (1337-1380) laymen and forbade all moving to the corner secured by of France prohibited chess, but games in his king- the castle to increase his own safety. he played chess himself, usually dom. The Archbish- The first known court case about with the Duke of Burgundy. King op of Canterbury, chess occurred in the 13th century Charles VI (1368-1422) also for- John Peckham, when a chess player stabbed his bade chess. In England, William forbade chess. opponent to death. Another case of Wykeleham, founder of Oxford, Eudes de Sully, appeared when a man stabbed a forbade chess at Oxford. John bishop of Paris, woman to death over a chess game. Wycliffe (1325-1384) attacked the banned chess By now, chess had become a leisure clergy for going to taverns to play from the clergy. activity of the feudal lords, and the chess. Earlier, the rabbi chess pieces began to resemble the In the 15th century, John Ly- Maimonides included aristocracy. Chess was considered dgate wrote a poem of love, Reson chess among the forbid- a social grace for every genteel and and Sensuallyte, which he dedicat- den games. honorable knight. One reason for ed to the admirers of chess. King Modern chess this was the connection between Henry V (1386-1422) played chess was shaped by chess and war. with John Wolcott and lost. The the Muslims By the late 13th century, Jacobus king award John Wolcott with a in the middle de Cessolis, a Dominican monk, coat of arms that has three rooks ages. Chess used chess as the basis for a series on it. King James I of Scotland was popular of sermons on morality and wrote was playing chess when he was among the de luddo scacchorum (On Games murdered. King Charles the Bold Muslims, of Chess), the most important of (1433-1477) was considered the who all moralities and the most copied. best chess player of his time. played it Cessolis capitalized on the popu- The popularity of chess con- while larity of chess to craft his series tinued to grow in the late Middle defend- of sermons revolving around the Ages. The lower classes soon ing game. By this time, chess was not became enamored with chess, due them- seen purely as a war game any- mainly to the Roman Catholic selves more. Also during this time, the Church lessoning its objection Libro del Acedrex, one of the most to the game. Many popes played 20 White Knight Review March/April 2011 chess, as well as many cardinals and In early 1492, King Ferdinand bishops, and other clergy. After of Spain was playing chess when the Middle Ages, some of the fin- he was interrupted by Christopher CHESS est chess players in the world were Columbus. The king dismissed from the clergy, both Catholic and him, but soon won his chess game QUOTE Protestant. Soon, the game became and was in a better mood. He dominant by the Jews. called back Columbus and negoti- In the 15th century, the Gottin- ated the voyage to discover a new 0 gen manuscript was published. It route to (or the New World). 0 “I prefer to was the first work devoted to mod- If Ferdinand had lost his game and ern chess. It was written by Luis had been in a bad mood, and not lose a really Ramirez Lucena. William Caxton summoned Columbus back, the (142201491) published the game voyage might not have occurred in good game and playe of chesse, a translation of 1492 or backed by Spain. the work of Cessollis. It was one of The first practical book on than to win the first books published in English chess was published in the late 15th on a printing press. The beginning centurt, a treatise on chess open- a bad one.” of modern chess soon started in ings. In 1497, the oldest surviving southern Europe. The Queen and book dealing with practical chess -David Levy bishop was introduced play, Repeticion de Amores y Arte and the moves were standardized. de Ajredez (Repetition of Love and castling were intro- and the Art of Playing Chess), was duced. The first known modern published by Lucena. The book was http://www.chessquotes.com chess game was recorded around dedicated to King Ferdinand’s son, 1485. Juan.

Mobile Chess? Move In Motion

21 White Knight Review March/April 2011 LISTS Chess Blogs By Bill Wall

There are dozens of chess blogs on the Internet. Here is a list of some of the more popular chess blogs. www.susanpolgar.blogspot. Frank Brady’s Endgame book on com is a popular blog site run Bobby Fischer. by Grandmaster . It contains daily news and www.thechessmind.net information from around the is a chess blog by Dennis world. She provides updates Monokroussos. Dennis calls on her activities, interests, and it a blog for chess fans, from chess news with lots of photos. a chess fan. It provides She also provides chess tips and updates to international chess chess puzzles every day. tournaments, product reviews, chess videos, and other items of www.chessninja.com has a interest. Daily Dirt Chess Blog written by Mig Greengard. It contains www.Jimwestonchess.blogsport. international chess news and com is a chess blog by chess message boards for live chat, master Jim West. He is a regular discussions, and user polls. at the Marshall Chess Club in New York. He covers chess www.chess.com has a chess news and reviews and annotates blog section. I have written some of his games on the site. dozens of blogs at this site. There are hundreds of bloggers www.Chessforallages.blogsport. here that contribute their blogs com on chess. Anyone can share is a chess blog by Mark Weeks their thoughts with the chess of Brussels, Belgium. He calls community at the chess.com his blog, Chess for all Ages, “my chess blog. place to say things about chess that I can’t say in the other had a chess places where I say things about blog called . It is written chess.” by Dylan McClain. It recently ended in February, 2011, but www.Jeromegambit.blogspot. articles on chess continue to com is a chess blog by Rick appear in the Crosswords, Kennedy. It is all about the Games & Cartoons section of Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 The New York Times Web site. Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7 and variations to this gambit. I www.Kenilworthian.blogsport. started playing this gambit com last year and have had a few is a chess blog called The successful games with it as Kenilworthian, written by White. Kennedy offers a large Michael Goeller of New database of games with this Brunswick, New Jersey. A opening. Every day, he seems recent blog from this site was to add a new Jerome Gambit a review and webliography of game. I have played dozens

22 White Knight Review March/April 2011 of Jerome and Rick women, history, archeology, www.adamporth.blogspot.com/ does a good job annotating and ancient board games, and is the Chess Nut blog by Adam featuring them. anything else that catches our Porth, a high school science fancy. Chess is the game of the teacher in Idaho. He calls his www.Kevinspraggett.blogspot. goddess. Fight to promote your blog “a personal exploration of com is a chess blog, Sparggett inner pawn.” the chess dimension.” He uses on Chess, by Grandmaster the blog to promote scholastic of Canada. www.streathambrixtonchess. chess and to share with his He has some good articles blogspot.com/ is the chess blog readers how he had grown and and opinions. He writes, “As of the Streatham & Brixton advanced as a chess player. the readers of this blog come Chess Club in England. It to realize, I never miss an contains good articles, pictures, www.closetgrandmaster. opportunity to demonstrate videos, and annotated chess blogspot.com/ is the Closet my appreciation for the games and diagrams. Grandmaster blog out of natural charms of genius and Australia. It features chess beauty.” This is evident on his www.chessvine.com is a chess news, games, diagrams, and a coverage and photos of Anna blog containing chess news few videos. Sharevich winning the and opinion, with a daily chess Championship. He has links puzzle. www.fpawn.blogspot.com/ is to lots of videos and lots of a good chess blog with up to pictures, chess related or not. www.chesslodge.blogspot.com/ date news, photos, videos, and is a blog of chess news and events. It is written by Michael www.arcticsec.no/index. events. Aigner. php?button=blog is ’s chess blog. Carlsen is www.brooklyn64.com/ is the www.hiphopchess.blogspot. the highest rated chess player Brooklyn chess blog with chess com/ is the Hip-Hop Chess in the world. A recent series of games, reviews, and chess news Federation Blog, which fuses blogs covered his participationin from around the world. music, chess, and martial arts all the rounds at the Tata Steel to promote unity, strategy and 2011 tournament. www.roman-chess.blogspot. non-violence. Lots of videos. com/ is a chess blog full of www.boylston-chess-club. games, tips, advice, and chess www.chessskill.blogspot.com/ is blogspot.com/ is the blog for videos. a chess blog called Chess Skills, the Boylston Chess Club in written by James Stripes. It Boston. It features local news of www.chessconfessions. contains the of the day, the Bolyston Chess Club blogspot.com/ is a blog called other chess diagrams, articles, Confessions of a Chess Novice, and annotated games. He has www.chessblog.com is former written by Blue Devil Knight. an index of all his articles for world women’s champion The blog is about hunting for several years. I even found one Alexandra Kosteniuk’s chess chess playing improvement tips that mentioned me, but one blog. She travels around to share with others. reader wrote about my articles the world and blogs about “I would warn all readers that her adventures and chess www.thechessdrum.net/ is a the byline on that page is not a tournaments that she chess blog (chessblogger) that guarantee of quality, rather the participates in. She features lots highlights chess activities among reverse in my opinion.” Well, I of games and videos. African Americans and within do my best, and correct any mis- the African communities. information I can. www.goddesschess.blogspot. com/ is the Chess, Goddess www.chessimprover.com/ is the Look for our upcoming WHITE and Everything blog. The first chess Blog of Grandmaster Nigel KNIGHT REVIEW blog page at page states, “Welcome to the Davies of England. He writes on www.offthewallchess.com goddesschess blog. About chess how to get better at chess. Lots femmes, chess, the goddess, of videos.

23 White Knight Review March/April 2011 Humor Chess Jokes

A group of chess enthusiasts Three retired International chess Two chess players are playing had checked into a hotel, and grandmasters were playing chess a correspondence game. White were standing in the lobby dis- in the park. lives at the South Pole. Black cussing their recent tournament The first grandmaster said, “it is lives at the North Pole. The victories. After about an hour, windy today.” postal service is rather slow and the manager came out of the of- The second grandmaster said, play proceeds at the rate of one fice and asked them to disperse. “no, it is Thursday today”. move per year. After 15 years “But why?” they asked, as they The third grandmaster said, “me of play, white makes a daring moved off. too, let’s go back inside for a queen , the consequenc- “Because,” he said, “I can’t drink” es of which are by no means stand chess nuts boasting in an clear. A year later, as he sees the open foyer.” ------postman returning, he is very excited. He thinks “Will black ------Two friends where talking on the take my queen ?”, “Is the sacri- street and one of them says: fice sound ?”. He tears open the Frasier: I can see why she likes - My wife says that if tomorrow reply and sees “Jadoube”. the game - “the king is sta- I go to the chess match, she will tionary, the queen has all the take my children and she will ------power”. leave me. The other friend asks to him: What is the difference between ------And what will you do? a large cheese pizza and a chess And the other answers him: Master? A chess master died - after a - E4, like always! The pizza can feed a family of few days, a friend of his heard a four. voice; it was him! ------“What’s it like, where you are ------now,” he asked. In a park some people come “What do you want to hear across a man playing chess One friend said to the other “I first, the good news or the bad against a dog. They are aston- saw an explosive game of chess news.” ished and say: the other day...”, to which the “Tell me the good news first.” “What a clever dog!” other replied “How so?” “Well, it’s really heaven here. But the man protests: “The first move was pawn to There are tournaments and “No, no, he isn’t that clever. I’m c4!” blitz sessions going on all the leading by three games to one!” time and Morphy, Alekhine, ------Lasker, Tal, Capablanca, Bot------vinnik, they’re all here, and you How many squares are there on can play them.” Q. What’s the difference between a chess board? “Fantastic!” the friend said, a chess player and a highway Two plus the spectators. “and what is the bad news?” construction worker? “You have Black against Capa- A. A chess player moves every ------blanca on Saturday.” now and then. What do Chess and sex have in ------common ? They’re two things you can A comes home “I’ve created a chess program enjoy even if you’re bad at both from work one day driving a that mimics human play” said of them. fancy new car. His wife is aston- the computer science major. “So ished and says “Honey, I don’t it plays at GM level then?” asks ------think we can afford this nice the advising professor. “No, but new car on your salary.” The it does blame its loss on outside passed pawn says “Relax, I’m conditions!” The real cause of Crop Circles. about to get promoted!”

24 White Knight Review March/April 2011 Chess News Chess News from Around the World

Athens – The World Chess Federation (FIDE), tional was held February 26-27, 2011. The winner headquartered in Athens, released the latest FIDE was International Master Jacek Stopa of . ratings on February 28. World champion Viswa- nathan Anand of India leads with a 2817 rating, – The biggest chess open of the year followed by Magnus Carlsen of Norway at 2815 and was the 10th , held Feb 7-16. De- of with 2808. The reast of fending champion Le Quang Liem of Vietnamre- the top 10 include at 2785, Vassily tained his title by winning on tie-break over Nikita Ivanchuk at 2779, at 2776, Veselin Vitiugov and . The Moscow Topalov at 2775, Hikaru Nakamura t 2774, Shakhri- Open was won by untitled 17-year old player Vladi- yar Mamedyarov at 2772, and mir Belous. at 2747. Reggio Emilia – The 53rd Reggio Emilia tourna- Australia – The Australian Open 2011 was held ment in Italy was won by on tie- in Cammeray January 2-13. Zong-Yuan Zhao, break over . The event was Vladimir Smirnov and Gregory Canfell all tied for 1st held December 28, 2010 thru January 6, 2011. place. Tallinn, – Alexei Shirov won the Berkeley – The Berkeley Inter- Keres Memorial, held in January, 2011. national 2011 was held January 2-8, 2011. The event was – Ehsan Ghaem Maghami, won by Loek van Wely of the age 28, broke the world record for . U.S. Junior simultaneous chess games after Champion Samuel Shank- facing more 614 chess players land made a GM . in over 25 hours. He won 96% of his games, played at Tehran’s Bermuda – GM Larry Chris- Shahid Beheshti University in ear- tiansen took first place after ly February. He won 590 games, a blitz playoff at the traditional lost 8 games, and drew 16 games. Bermuda Open, held February He walked around 34 miles between 11-13, 2011. opponents. Chess was outlawed in in 1981 because it was perceived to encour- Gibraltar – Vassily Ivanchuk won the Tradewise age betting and gambling, which is forbidden in Gibralter Masters tournament with an outstanding 9 Islam. But in 1988, Ayatollah Khomeini issued a out of 10 points. The event was held from January decree permitting chess as long as no gambling 24, 2011 thru February 3, 2011. was involved.

Hastings – The Hastings Congress 2010-11 took – Grandmaster won the place from December 28, 2010 thru January 5, 2011 Polish championship, held February 12-20, 2011. Deep Seng upta and Arghyadip Das, both 2011. from India, tied for 1st place. Wijk aan Zee – Hikaru Nakamura of the United Las Vegas – The North American Open 2010 States won the very strong 73rd Tata Steel tourna- took place December 26-29, 2010. Jiri Stocek and ment, ½ point ahead of World Chess Champion tied for 1st place. Stocek won Vishy Anand. The average rating was 2740 (cat- on tiebreak. egory 20 tournament). The event has held from January 14 thru January 30, 2011. Los Angeles – The 3rd Metropolitan FIDE Invita-

25 White Knight Review March/April 2011

By Bill Wall ebruary was “Black were barred from the 1950 cover of the June, 1963 issue of History Month” in the Southern Chess Association, magazine. United States, I thought held in North Carolina. F 00 In 1965, Frank Street, it would be appropriate to 0 look at the 0 In the 1950s, Archie Jr., an African-American, Waters (1918-2001) became won the 1965 U.S. Amateur players of African descent. the first black member of the Championship and became prestigious Marshall Chess the second Black to earn the Club in New York. He was master title in America. 0 good friends with Bobby 0 (665-714) Perhaps the first 0 documented case of a Black Fischer. 0 In 1965, Ray Charles (1930- chess player was that of Sa’id 0 2004), who lost his bin Jubair, a Black player who 0 In the early 1950s, Blacks vision when he was excelled at blindfold chess in were denied membership in a child, learned Kufa, in modern-day Iraq. He the Chicago Chess Club. chess after a stint was the first known player in substance who played chess without 00 In the 1950s, Blacks were abuse rehab. It looking at the pieces. barred from chess playing helped him kick rooms in Louisiana and the habit. He 00 In 1859, Dr. James Smith were barred from playing in became an avid McCune (1813-1865), an the U.S. Open, held in New chess player and African-American, was one Orleans in 1954. appeared on the cover of Chess Life and Review in 2002. of the first Black 0 chess players of 0 In 1955, Black were barred 0 note and wrote from playing in the 0 In 1967, Ken Clayton several essays Open chess tournament. became the third Black to earn promoting chess the master title in America. as a healthy form 00 At the 1959 U.S. Open of entertainment, chess tournament in Omaha, 00 In 1970, Alan Williams published in Nebraska, blacks were not became America’s first black Anglo-African allowed to rent a room at the FIDE master. Magazine. He hotel (or other nearby hotels ) characterized chess as an in which the chess tournament 00 (1958- ), Emory Tate, Jr. art that required work and was held. an African-American, served continual practice. He in the U.S. Air Force and was also the first African- 00 In 1963, won the U.S. Armed Forces American to earn a medical Walter Harris, Championship five times. degree and to run a pharmacy age 18, became He became an International in the United States. the first black Master in 2006. chess master 00 In 1874, Theophilis A. in America. He 00 In 1982, Baraka Shabazz Thompson (1855-1920?), an won the junior became the first black female African-American and freed championship of the Marshall to have an expert’s rating by black slave, put together a Chess Club and was a member the USCF. book of chess problems called of the Chess Problems: Either to Play and Marshall Chess Club. 00 In 1984, Kangugi “K.K.” and Mate. It was published Karanja (1973- ) became by Orestes Brownson Jr., the 00 In 1963, Kenneth Clayton the a USCF expert (rated over editor of the Dubuque Chess (1938- ), an African- 2000) at the age of 10, the Journal. American, won the 1963 youngest African-American Amateur Chess Championship. to do so. He is regarded as 00 In 1950, black chess players His picture appeared on the the first African-American 26 White Knight Review March/April 2011 . In 1985 at famous people who play chess, the age of 11, he won the including several prominent Famous Black celebrities National Elementary Chess black celebrities. Championship with who have played or a perfect 7-0, 00 In 2005, Tuduetso Sabure play chess include: becoming the (1982- ) of Botswana first African- became the first black woman American to grandmaster when she Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaun win a national won the African Women’s scholastic Championship. Alexander, LaVar Arrington, title and the Barry Bonds, Kobe Bryant, Jim second African- 00 In 2007, Pontus Carlsson Brown, Maurice Carter, Wilt American to (1982- ), A Black player from Chamberlain, Ray Charles, win a national , was awarded the Lester Conner, Bill Cosby, Fats chess championship Grandmaster title. He was Domino, Laurence Fishburne, (Frank Street, Jr. was the first, born in Cali, Columbia. When winning the 1965 US Amateur he was one year old, his entire Jamie Foxx, Dizzie Gillespie, Championship). family died and he was GZA, Priest Holmes, Magic subsequently adopted Johnson, Lennox Lewis, Nelson 00 In 1992, National Master by a Swedish couple. Mandela, Barack Obama, Chris Elvin Wilson, an African- His adopted father Rock, Bill Russell, RZA, Barry American, won the Texas was the former Armed Forces Championship president of the Sanders, Will Smith, Wesley (I took 2nd) and the Air Swedish chess Snipes, Latrell Sprewell, and Force Championship (his only federation who Tiger Woods. loss was to me; we drew the taught him how to following year). He won the play chess. He was Armed Forces Championship the second Black to in 1993 and 1998. become a grandmaster. Black chess masters include: 00 In 1993, Maurice Ashley 00 In 2007, Amon Simutowe (1966- ) became the first (1982- ), a Black player from African-American to be Zambia, was awarded the Greg Acholonu (SM), Pedro awarded the International Grandmaster title. He took Aderito (IM), Maurice Ashley Master title. In 1963 he also 2nd place in the 2000 World (GM), Steve Booth (NM), Ron won the Marshall Chess Club Junior Chess Championships Buckmeyer (SM), Pontus Carls- Championship in New York. in Armenia (won by Lazaro son (GM), Ken Clayton (NM), Bruzon of ). He was 00 In 1999, Maurice Ashley, named Zambia’s “Sportsman of Joshua Colas (NM), Charles born in , became the Year” in 2001. In 2009, he Covington (NM), Barry Da- the first and only African- won the South African Open. vis (NM), Morris Giles (FM), American to awarded the He was the third Black to Charles Green (NM), Robert Grandmaster title. He I become a grandmaster. Gwaze (IM), Walter Harris snow active in (NM), Walu Kobese (IM), Kassa different areas 00 In 2010, Justus Williams, of chess age 12, set the record of the Korley (NM), Irvin Middleton promotion, youngest black chess player (FM), Vincnet Moore (NM), especially ever to reach the level of chess William Morrison (SM), Tony promoting master. Prior to this record, Randolf (NM), Norm Rog- chess with Kassa Korley, age 15, was the ers (FM), Ron Simpson (SM), children. youngest black chess player to Amon Simutowe (GM), Kenny In 1991, he reach the level of chess master. coached a team Solomon (IM), Frank Street (NM), Andre Surgeon (NM), of black kids from Harlem that 00 As of 2011, there are three won the 1991 National Junior Grandmasters of African Emory Tate (IM), George High School Championships. descent. They are Maurice Umezinwa (NM), Glenn Um- Ashley of the United States, stead (NM), Justus Williams 00 In 2002, Maurice Ashley Pontus Carlsson of Sweden (NM), and Elvin Wilson (NM). became the first African- and Amon Simutowe of American to qualify for the US Zambia. Chess Championship. 0 You can find more on black chess 0 0 As of 2011, there are about players at 0 In 2005, Maurice Ashley 50 black chess masters in the wrote Chess for Success, which United States. www.thechessdrum.net. I contributed a chapter on 27 White Knight Review March/April 2011

Unlocking the mind of the Chess player Bilalic had expected the expert players to use a faster Many scientists are actually using chess to study the brain version of the processing mechanism used by novices. “But to better understand how it functions. Recently a Japanese once the usual brain structures were engaged, the experts study may have unlocked the secret of how the chess player utilised additional complementary structures in the other brains works as he plays and improves. half, to execute processes in parallel,” he says. Tracking blood flow in the brain to detect spikes of activ- This parallel processing didn’t occur when the expert ity, researchers found that master players of shogi -- a Japa- players carried out the geometry task, suggesting that it is nese game similar to chess -- use two regions of the brain to limited to practised skills. “It shows that there really is no make critical moves. short cut to expertise,” says Bilalic. Researchers used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) When they asked players to mull their next move, experts’ scans to compare the brain activity of amateurs and pro- brains showed more activity in the area associated with vi- fessionals who were presented with various shogi board sualising images and episodic memory, known as the precu- patterns and were told to think of their next move. During a neus area of the parietal lobe. Unlike amateur players, who match they found a flurry of activity in the parietal and oc- use the precuneus area of the parietal lobe, professionals use cipital lobes, areas not associated with general intelligence. the caudate nucleus in the center of the brain, “Amateurs Merim Bilalic at the University of Tübingen in use the precuneus only a third of the time. used fMRI to scan the brains of eight international chess “Professionals are trained extensively for a long time, players and eight novices while they identified either geo- over 10 years, hours every day. This extensive training (may metrical shapes or whether the pieces on a chess board were have) shifted the activity from the cerebral cortex to the in a check situation. The expert players were quicker at solv- caudate nucleus. ing the , activating areas on both sides of their When pressed to come up quickly with a move, activity brains as they did so. The novices used just the left side. surged in another region called the caudate nucleus, where goal-directed behaviour is rooted. “This activation did not occur in the amateurs or when either group took their time in planning their next move,” said the study. ‘Intuition’ comes from caudate nucleus The researchers said that experts who train for years in shogi are actually perfecting a circuit between the two regions that helps them quickly recognise the state of the game and choose the next step. “Being ‘intuitive’ indicates that the idea for a move is gen- erated quickly and automatically without conscious search, and the process is mostly implicit,” said the study. “This intuitive process occurs routinely in experts, and thus it is different from inspiration, which occurs less fre- quently and unpredictably.” Experts believe the caudate nucleus is responsible for switching bodily movements. “The caudate nucleus is very well developed in rats and mice, while the cerebral cor- tex is very developed in primates ... by becoming expert, shogi masters start to use all parts of the brain,”. Scientists are hoping to do more research into the intuitive powers of the Caudate nucleas. Experts use different parts of their brains than amateurs, maximizing intuition, goal-seeking

28 White Knight Review March/April 2011 and pattern-recognition. They found that certain regions of choose the next step. expert brains lit up, while the amateurs’ did not. Speed chess Chess is a tool to give users a rigorous mental workout. uses different brain areas Scientists claim that playing chess can improve mental age by up to 14 years. Those who play chess move to higher Chess and Brain (right brain and left brain) levels as they get better at it. Scientists have shown that Chess is the only game which activates both parts of our playing chess exercises the brain, most notably to help keep brain. It is the brain booster that actually stimulates the Alzheimer’s Disease at bay. thinking process. Our brain is made up of two halves, left It’s not as important that you specifically: speed-read, play brain and right brain. Each half is responsible for different chess, etc. as much as it is important for you to keep exercis- characteristics of our personality. A person may be right- ing areas of your brain. dominant or left-dominant. Imagination, fantasy, creativity, The brain is an example of “if you don’t use it, you lose colors, sense of touch, hearing, feeling and intuition are the it”. Scientists have found the neurological equivalent of an few traits of right brain. Right-brain dominant personalities untoned body could lead to a drastic dulling of cerebral are future thinkers. Since animals are purely right-brained, powers. many considered right brain as animal brain. On contrary, left brain is associated with logical and analytical think- Chess and Academia ing, reasoning part. Left brain is more complex. Left-brain How does chess affect your studies? Some studies show thinkers are led by logic, not by emotions.. And you know, that chess-playing students show tremendous improvement when a well-developed right brain is fully integrated with in their overall academic performance. Students’ exposure left brain, we get a genius. Some people think of themselves to chess actually improves the memory, concentration, as a primarily “left-brain” or “right-brain” person. Because vocabulary, logical thinking, problem-solving skills, fore- you play chess on a regular basis, tell them that you use your thought, self-discipline, capacity to take decisions more whole brain. analytically and logically, and much more. In many coun- tries, chess has been added as the main part of curriculum. What our brain is doing while we play chess. The brain will first have to separate the color-coded chess It may take years of hard work to become a chess grand- pieces, white and black ones (characteristics of right brain). master, but it gives a real boost to the brain – for working Even for a single move of chess, we have to retrieve all the out chess problems, at least. As you persue to improve your rules of the game. We must remember the unique manner game it looks like you are also improving your mind. in which a particular chess piece moves as well the relative value of each chess piece. And then we have to analyze the whole position logically and think analytically keeping in mind what may be the countermoves of your opponent. While playing chess, we have to separate and use all the steps in a single time: separate color-coded pieces in your mind, analyze your each move and countermove of your Chess improves areas of your brain opponent. We are utilizing the whole brain to make these across the two hemispheres. Consider: thinking processes. Not only are are trying to think ahead but we are goal orientated looking for the illusive check- (1) Chess involves all levels of critical think- ing, including: mate. Checkmate judgment activates the right brain with a) Knowledge, b) Comprehension, c) Analysis, full coordination of left brain d) Evaluation.

Spatial processing, the key to chess (2) Chess requires forethought and cultivates Spatial processing may be the key to a good chess game. visualization skills. Chess is not necessarily a game reserved for people with IQ scores on par with Einstein. In fact, may (3) Chess improves problem-solving skills. rely more heavily on spatial processing than on logic and computational skills. The activity comparatively observed (4) Chess encourages people to overcome the in the parietal lobe suggests that this area may be capable of fear of risk taking. handling complex spatial functions, such as the interaction (5) Chess teaches concentration and self- of memory and incoming spatial information. discipline. “The parietal lobe may have more functions than we previously clearly suspected,” says He. And inactivity in (6) Chess enables people to assume responsi- another area--the left lateral frontal lobe--raises questions bility for their decisions. about the role of general intelligence in high-level cognition and problem solving.. (7) Chess rewards determination and perse- When pressed to come up quickly with a move, activity verance. surged in another region called the caudate nucleus, where goal-directed behavior is rooted. (8) Chess raises self-esteem and promotes “This activation did not occur in the amateurs or when good sportsmanship. either group took their time in planning their next move,” (9) Chess encourages socialization skills that said the study. extend across cultures and generations. Researchers believe that experts who train for years are actually perfecting a circuit between the two regions that 10) Chess is fun! Stimulating satisfaction. helps them quickly recognize the state of the game and

29 White Knight Review March/April 2011 13.Rxf4 0–0–0?! [13...Qd8; 13... Annotated Game Nd8 14.Nxg6 hxg6 15.Rxf6 gxf6 by Bill Wall 16.Bxf6 Qxf6 17.Nxc7+] 14.Qf1 The Polish Opening or Be4? [maybe better was 14...Rg8 Orangutan. 15.Nxg6 or 14...Qc5 15.Rxf6 gxf6 The move 1.b4 is known as the 16.Bxf6 Rg8 17.Bxd8. Now White The Polish Opening or Orangutan. can sac his rook.] or Sokolsky Opening. It is an irregular opening that is usually played to surprise an opponent, who may not be expecting it. It has never been popular among top level chess, but is great for Internet chess or at the club level. The name “Orangutan Opening” originates from a game played in 1924 between S. Tartakower and G. Maroczy. Tartakower played 1.b4 and said he had consulted with an orangutan at the New York zoo the day before as to what to play. The orangutan apparently selected 1.b4 15.Rxf6! d4? [15...gxf6 16.Bxf6 as the opening. Qe6 17.Bxh8 wins for White; 15... Kb8 16.Qf4 looks strong for White] The opening is largely based upon 16.Rf4 [Also playable are 16.Bg4+ tactics on the queenside. In this Kb8 17.Rxf7 and 16.Rxc6 bxc6 game, I attacked from both sides, 17.Nf5 Qe8 18.Nbxd4] 16...Bd5? but Black brought his queen out [16...dxe3 17.dxe3 Bxc2 18.Qf2] early and it was eventually trapped. 17.Nf5 Qg5 18.Rg4 [18.Nfxd4 is White castled kingside and Black also good for Whtie] 18...Qh5?? castled queenside [Trapping the Queen. 18...Qf6 19.Qf4 Rd7 20.c4] Bill Wall – Dule, Internet Chess Game, April 5, 2010

1.b4!? d5 2.Bb2 a6 3.Nf3 Nc6 [threatening 4...Nxb4. 3...e6 4.a3 Click on ads to visit websites Nf6 5.Nc3 is also good] 4.a3 Bf5 [perhaps better is 4...Nf6 5.e3 e6 6.Be2 Bd6 7.0–0] 5.e3 e6 6.Be2 Qd6 [Black should continue development with 6...Nf6] 7.0–0 Nf6 8.Nc3 e5?! [8...Be7 or 8... h6 would be better] 9.b5 axb5 [9...Ne7 10.Re1; 9...Na5 10.Rb1] 10.Nxb5 [the White Knight is now better placed and always has the threat of Nxc7] 10…Qe7 11.Nh4 19.Rg3 and Black resigned as his [11.c4 dxc4 12.Bxc4] 11...Bg6?! Queen is trapped 1–0 [11...Be6; 11...Bc8] 12.f4 exf4 30 White Knight Review March/April 2011

optional commentary). Here is an ex- 1995) of Germany wrote the world’s first ample. chess-playing program in the late 1940s. [Event "Fischer/Spassky Return Match"] In 1949, Claude Shannon (1916-2001) Ask Bill Bill Wall [Site ", Serbia"] presented a research paper on program- [email protected] [Date "1992.11.04"] ming a digital computer for playing chess. [Round "29"] In 1951, a chess playing program was [White "Fischer, Robert J."] written to solve simple mates-in-one. By [Black "Spassky, Boris V."] 1956, a running chess program was being Kevin B – What’s the [Result "1/2-1/2"] played on a 6x6 chessboard. It took 12 difference between a chess minutes to make a move. The next year, trap, a , and a 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 {the Ruy an IBM employee created the first really miniature? And how long Lopez} 3... a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. complete chess program, but very weak. is a game before it is no longer consid- Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3 Nb8 10. By 1962, programs were written that ered a miniature? d4 Nbd7 11. c4 c6 12. cxb5 axb5 13. Nc3 played regular chess that could beat chess Bb7 14. Bg5 b4 15. Nb1 h6 16. Bh4 c5 17. beginners. The computers were able to Kevin. There is no precise definition of dxe5 Nxe4 18. Bxe7 Qxe7 19. exd6 Qf6 look at over 1,000 positions a second, but a chess trap. The Oxford Companion to 20. Nbd2 Nxd6 21. Nc4 Nxc4 22. Bxc4 still not strong enough to beat experience Chess defines it as “an attractive line of Nb6 23. Ne5 Rae8 24. Bxf7+ Rxf7 25. chess players. The first computers were play that is less advantageous than it ap- Nxf7 Rxe1+ 26. Qxe1 Kxf7 27. Qe3 Qg5 playing in chess tournaments in 1967. pears and which may have been deliber- 28. Qxg5 hxg5 29. b3 Ke6 30. a3 Kd6 31. They could now calculate 400,000 instruc- ately set as a temptation by the opponent.” axb4 cxb4 32. Ra5 Nd5 33. f3 Bc8 34. Kf2 tions per second. By 1977, chess com- A chess trap is almost always the result of Bf5 35. Ra7 g6 36. Ra6+ Kc5 37. Ke1 Nf4 puters were almost master strength. The a bad move. A swindle is usually a chess 38. g3 Nxh3 39. Kd2 Kb5 40. Rd6 Kc5 41. first master strength chess computer was trap that occurs in the middle game or Ra6 Nf2 42. g4 Bd3 43. Re6 1/2-1/2 CRAY BLITZ, which won the Mississippi end game. A miniature is a short chess State championship and had a provisional game. Some consider a chess miniature Ed S – How good is Magnus Carlsen and master rating of 2258. It wasn’t until as a game of 25 moves or less. Others how did he get so good? 1983 that chess computer has consider it a game of 20 moves or less. the first established master rating. The Perhaps certain well analyzed openings Ed. Magnus was the highest rated ac- first grandmaster to lose to a computer stay in the book longer, so it may take 25 tive player in the world until this month was GM , in 1988. Finally, moves before the game is over. When (March, 2011). He is now the second in 1997, DEEP BLUE, defeated reigning it comes to endgames, a miniature is an highest rated active player in the world, world champion Garry Kasparov in a endgame of 6 pieces and/or pawns or behind world champion Vishy Anand. chess match. less. Some people categorize miniatures Magnus Carlsen of Norway is just 20 Ripper – I found a mistake in one of your as between 16 and 25 moves. Games years old. He was a child prodigy. He chess games in your book 700 Opening less than 16 moves are sometimes called became a Grandmaster at age 13. When Traps. In the Alapin’s Opening, one of brevities. I have written dozens of books he was 19, he was the youngest chess the games has an impossible move, or the filled with game collections of brevities player in history to be ranked number moves don’t make sense. What are the and miniatures, brilliant or otherwise. one on the world. In 2009, he was the correct moves? Most are 20 moves or less, but as opening world blitz chess champion. You would Ripper. You are right. I had a typo. The theory expands due to analysis and chess think he would want to play in the world game you are referring to is Mouillaux - engines, I would like to think that the chess championship, but in November, Matisson, French Postal 1985. The moves chess miniature is 25 moves or less. 2010, he withdrew from the Candidates should be 1.e4 e5 2.Ne2 Nf6 3.f4 Nxe4 (I Clark – What is a pgn game or file? tournament that decides who plays in the had 3…exf4) 4.d3 Nc5 5.fxe5 Nc6 6.d4? Clark. PGN, which stands for Portable world chess championship. How did he [perhaps 6.Bf4] 6…Qh4+ 7.g3 Qe4 8.Rg1 Game Notation, is format for recording get so good? Well, he started early, playin Nxd4! 9.Qxd4 Qxc2 [threatening 9… chess games that have relevant data and in chess tournaments at age 8. He had Nd3+ and the moves in algebraic notation. The for- a chess coach that was a grandmaster, 9…Qxc1] 10.Nf4 Qxc1+ 11.Ke2 mat can be written in plain text and many and later coached for former world chess Nb3! 12.axb3 Bc5, winning the chess programs recognize this format champion Garry Kasparov. He has a near Rook for display and for game databases. The photographic memory. He took a year off file is an ASCII text file, but its filename from elementary school to participate in Sarah – Have there been any extension is .pgn. For example, a collec- international tournaments. He finished women that have won state tion of my games on the North Carolina school and graduated from high school, chess championships? Chess Association web site is stored in so he was no drop out like Bobby Fischer. a file called bill_wall.pgn (http://www. He studies a great deal and uses the latest Sarah. Yes, there have been ncchess.org/viewer/index.html), which chess engines and databases, which play two. In 1945, Adele (Rivero) you can download and open up with any at strong grandmaster strength, to help Belcher won the Vermont editor, or open it up with a chess program him prepare his games. You can follow State Championship. She had that read pgn files, such as ChessBase his blog at http://www.arcticsec.no/index. previously won the U.S. women Light, which you can download for free php?button=blog. chess championship in 1937. at http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail. In 1956, Irene Vines won the asp?newsid=5700. Other programs like Oliver S - What were the first chess com- Louisiana State Championship, , ChessBase, Chess Assistant, Scid, puters like? held in New Orleans. She was a etc ., can read pgn files. The PGN code strong expert player, along with begins with a set of “tag pairs” (tag name Oliver. Not very good. It took many her husband. Irene played in and value), followed by the movetext years before they were strong enough several U.S. women’s (chess moves in algebraic notation with to beat a master. Konrad Zuse (1910- championships.

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