Chess in the news
SPRAGGETT ON CHESS
BLACKMAN’S THE CHESS GAME FETCHES 720,000 DOLLARS AT AUCTION!
Yesterday the Australian artist’s masterpiece was sold at Sothbey’s.
‘As one might expect, this chess game of a painting can be played and understood on many levels: firstly, the immemorial chess structure that underlies the conception of the Through the Looking-glass game; secondly, in a mirror of the game of chess, its rules, strategies and possibilities; thirdly, as a paradox of Time – waiting Time and wasting Time; fourthly, as a game of intrigue between the higher powers – King, Queen, Knight, Bishop and Castle; and fifthly, as a metaphor for plotting the future of their reproduction on the part of the real Alice [Barbara] and the White Rabbit [Charles].’
(Geoffrey Smith and Felicity St John Moore, Charles Blackman: Alice in Wonderland, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 2006, p. 94.)
Charles Blackman (born 12 August 1928) is one of the most well known Australia artist still living today, and perhaps best known for the famous Schoolgirl and Alice in Wonderland series of the 1950s. He was a member of the Antipodeans, a group of Melbourne painters that also included Arthur Boyd, David Boyd, John Brack, Robert Dickerson, John Perceval and Clifton Pugh.(wiki)
In 2006 Blackman’s Alice’s Journey sold for more than 1,000,000 dollars
After years of alcohol abuse, Blackman now suffers from Korsakoff’s syndrome, a brain disorder affecting memory. After suffering a stroke and heart attack in 1994, Blackman has subsequently been under full-time care. The subject of ownership of Blackman’s paintings has been a controversial issue, though his former wife maintains that her possession of some of them has been for the sake of preservation and that she intends to donate them to galleries.
Blackman has repeatedly expressed disdain for the concept of making money from or maintaining exclusive ownership of his paintings. His accountant and close friend, Tom Lowenstein, set up the Charles Blackman Trust to manage the painter’s affairs. Lowenstein periodically sells off the works that Blackman still owns to ensure Blackman’s expenses are taken care of. Blackman lives a simple but happy life in his rented home in Sydney. He meets with friends and fellow artists Judy Cassab and Marina Finlay twice a month to draw and have “passionate discussions” about art. (wiki)
The reader might also want to take a look at this youtube retrospective of the life and work of Charles Blackman: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmmnt5PEM-Y
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY AND…CHESS
http://www.acorn-online.com/joomla15/wiltonbulletin/sports/42881-morans-double-up-for-new-tennis-book.html
Written by Macklin Reid
Wednesday, 25 November 2009
There are chess pieces on the cover of Greg Moran’s new book Tennis Doubles Beyond Big Shots. What’s inside isn’t just instruction. It’s a philosophy, a way of seeing tennis as a game where strategy, angles, positioning, patience and discipline can overcome speed, strength, power — big shots.
“Contrary to popular belief, tennis is a game of errors,” Moran said. “Eighty-five percent of the time, a point ends with an error. What differentiates the level of play is the kinds of errors being made.
“There is no debate, tennis is a game of errors, yet what does everybody want to learn to do?” added Moran. “They want to learn to hit winners — something that happens less than 15% of the time.
“Most players can play at a level to two levels above where they are — with the shots they have now,” he said. “Certainly, you always want to work on your strokes. But I feel that players don’t spend enough time learning the strategies of the game: Where to hit the ball, where to position yourself based on where you hit the ball, how to combine shots to break the other team down.”
Moran is the director of tennis at Four Seasons Racquet Club in Wilton, where he’s taught for 28 years. For 17 summers he was head tennis professional at Silver Spring Country Club in Ridgefield. He’s a 1977 Weston High School graduate.
Smarter tennis means quick improvement, Moran promises.
“The advice in this book will make people better tennis players the next time they step on the court,” he said.
The book is sometimes blunt. “…‘Hit big to win big’ more often than not translates into ‘hit big to lose quickly,’ ” he writes, “…players walk onto the court perpetually locked and loaded, and proceed to fire away at the first opportunity. Their points are short, boring and their matches frequently deteriorate into a race to see which team can commit enough errors to lose first … We’re going to teach you how to minimize your errors, construct points and lure your opponents into point ending mistakes.”
The book has diagrams of plays and drills, and “Words from the Wise” — brief boxed tips from a variety of pros: “Coaching legend Nick Bollettieri says ‘Never try for a winner on your first volley. Your objective should be accurate placement … The object of the first volley is to set up a second, easier volley.’ ”
Moran’s first book, Tennis Beyond Big Shots, focused on singles play. The doubles book is a collaboration with his wife, Kelley Moran, a college tennis Hall of Famer. The two played and met at Rollins College in Florida. Since 1981 they’ve been teaching at Four Seasons.
Working on the book together was easy, like playing mixed doubles, teaching, raising two kids together, she said: “We’re soul mates. We just complement each other.”
Their son, Michael Moran, works in the USTA’s film department and put together the book’s accompanying DVD. The book and DVD are available through Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com and may be ordered at local bookstores. It can also be purchased at Four Seasons Racquet Club on Route 7 in Wilton.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
I became interested in inter-disciplinary sports psychology in the mid 80’s, and was one of the first non-Soviet competitors to incorporate training techniques adapted from various and diverse sports to my personal chess training. My library is filled with three huge shelves of sports psychology texts from experts in the world of golf, tennis, squash, martial arts, running and cross country! All competitive sports are about harmony and energy, and especially about finding the most effective balance for each individual.
The book below looks like an excellent text about tennis but, infact, could just as well be useful for you chessplayers! Chess games are decided by errors, and not simply good technique.
http://www.acorn-online.com/joomla15/wiltonbulletin/sports/42881-morans-double-up-for-new-tennis-book.html
Written by Macklin Reid
Wednesday, 25 November 2009
There are chess pieces on the cover of Greg Moran’s new book Tennis Doubles Beyond Big Shots. What’s inside isn’t just instruction. It’s a philosophy, a way of seeing tennis as a game where strategy, angles, positioning, patience and discipline can overcome speed, strength, power — big shots.
“Contrary to popular belief, tennis is a game of errors,” Moran said. “Eighty-five percent of the time, a point ends with an error. What differentiates the level of play is the kinds of errors being made.
“There is no debate, tennis is a game of errors, yet what does everybody want to learn to do?” added Moran. “They want to learn to hit winners — something that happens less than 15% of the time.
“Most players can play at a level to two levels above where they are — with the shots they have now,” he said. “Certainly, you always want to work on your strokes. But I feel that players don’t spend enough time learning the strategies of the game: Where to hit the ball, where to position yourself based on where you hit the ball, how to combine shots to break the other team down.”
Moran is the director of tennis at Four Seasons Racquet Club in Wilton, where he’s taught for 28 years. For 17 summers he was head tennis professional at Silver Spring Country Club in Ridgefield. He’s a 1977 Weston High School graduate.
Smarter tennis means quick improvement, Moran promises.
“The advice in this book will make people better tennis players the next time they step on the court,” he said.
The book is sometimes blunt. “…‘Hit big to win big’ more often than not translates into ‘hit big to lose quickly,’ ” he writes, “…players walk onto the court perpetually locked and loaded, and proceed to fire away at the first opportunity. Their points are short, boring and their matches frequently deteriorate into a race to see which team can commit enough errors to lose first … We’re going to teach you how to minimize your errors, construct points and lure your opponents into point ending mistakes.”
The book has diagrams of plays and drills, and “Words from the Wise” — brief boxed tips from a variety of pros: “Coaching legend Nick Bollettieri says ‘Never try for a winner on your first volley. Your objective should be accurate placement … The object of the first volley is to set up a second, easier volley.’ ”
Moran’s first book, Tennis Beyond Big Shots, focused on singles play. The doubles book is a collaboration with his wife, Kelley Moran, a college tennis Hall of Famer. The two played and met at Rollins College in Florida. Since 1981 they’ve been teaching at Four Seasons.
Working on the book together was easy, like playing mixed doubles, teaching, raising two kids together, she said: “We’re soul mates. We just complement each other.”
Their son, Michael Moran, works in the USTA’s film department and put together the book’s accompanying DVD. The book and DVD are available through Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com and may be ordered at local bookstores. It can also be purchased at Four Seasons Racquet Club on Route 7 in Wilton.