A pic is worth a 1,000 words…
CHESS AT THE BATHS IN GRANADA…
Grandmaster Miguel Illescas and his partner in life, Grandmaster Olga Alexandrova playing chess at a bath in Granada. Read more HERE.
Pondering the BIG question…
Ex-World Champion Vladimir Kramnik before his game with Karjakin at the Russian Team Championship. Photos courtesy of Chess-News: LINK Kramnik seems to be reflecting on his first move. What is the best first move? Fischer opinioned-while he was alive-that 1.e4 is the best move. Apparently, according to Spassky, Fischer changed his mind after he died and told him (Spassky) in a dream that 1.d4 was the strongest move! Kramnik would have none of this, and played 1.Nf3 …but only drew 138 moves later!
In the back ground are members of the Russian Olympic Team (Svidler, Nepomn’i and Karjakin)
Looks like this could be photo for a fashion shoot!
Kramnik, more reflection!
Nepomn’i doing YOGA during his game with Grischuk?!
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THE ART OF NOT-SHAVING
(and still looking GOOD!)
One of my favourite players, Grischuk. Doesn’t he ever shave?!
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DING! SO!
Congrats to Ding Liren for defeating Wesley So in an exhibition match 2.5–1.5. Good fighting chess by both youngsters!! More information HERE and HERE. Ding won $20,000; So won $10,000.
From the 3rd game:
gm So
gm Ding
In the only decisive game Ding Liren resurrected this line against the Meran-Catalan with 10.Ne4 (improving the more often played, but equalish, 10.Na4). This is great news for Catalan fans! The game was intense, with both sides trying to win, but the Chinese star always kept some small advantage. You can read some notes HERE. (A bit biased, in favour of So; they only show where So can improve his play, not Ding Liren)
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ANDREIKIN!
More information HERE.
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POLITICAL OPINION OF THE DAY!
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MORE BAD NEWS FOR KIRSAN ILYUMZHINOV?!
Nigel Short refers to a recent article that indicates that Kirsan’s name has been quietly removed from the SportAccord Council . No doubt for Kirsan’s recent problem with the US Treasury and being placed on the Sanctions List for his supposed involvement with Syria, despite Kirsan’s vigorous denials.
SportAccord is the umbrella organisation for all (Olympic and non-Olympic) international sports federations as well as organisers of multi-sports games and sport-related international associations. LINK
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OLD FISCHER PHOTO (1962)
Stockholm Interzonal, 1962. Interview by Lars-Gunnar Bjorklund with winner of tournament, 18-year old chess genius Bobby Fischer. Photo by Link Note: Fischer turned 19 three days after the end of the tournament.
Stockholm 1962 was the tournament that put Bobby Fischer on the Kremlin’s radar. Despite his brilliant successes in other tournaments before then, Bobby finishing 2.5 points ahead of all the Russian stars showed the danger that he posed to the hegemony of the Soviet School of chess. The next tournament, the Candidates at Curacao, just a few months later, saw Fischer crash and burn amidst conspiracy theories and Fischer angrily withdrew from the FIDE cycle for several years for reasons of so-called Russian ‘cheating’ against him to prevent him from challenging the World Champion, Misha Botvinnik, who was already way past his prime. It was feared that if Fischer would play Botvinnik, then Fischer would crush the Soviet super star and embarrass the entire Soviet propaganda machine. Who knows who was right? Fischer showed the world in 1972 that he was the best when he crushed Boris Spassky in a fair match in Iceland.
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MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE ART STUDIO…
