- US Chess Champs Recap After Eight Rounds [VIDEO]
- Champions Crowned in Nashville
- Zatonskih, Kamsky Draw Even with Leaders in U.S. Champs
- Nakamura Still Leads, Krush Inches Ahead at U.S. Champs
- Cautious Start to World Championship in Moscow
- Nakamura Leads U.S. Champs, Three-Way Tie Atop U.S. Women's
- US Chess Champs Recap after Two Rounds [VIDEO]
- Decisive Results Abound in Round 1 of U.S. Championships
- A Couch Potato’s Guide to the 2012 World Championship
- Largest Chess Piece in the World Unveiled in Saint Louis
U.S. Championship 2012 / Round 10
Published May 18, 2012 | 
Hikaru Nakamura won with the black pieces today and knocked Gata Kamsky off of his perch. Nakamura now leads the tournament by a half point with one round to go.
Kudos to Hikaru today. Kamsky had the White side of a Sicilian – Najdorf Variation. It began to look as if Gata was controlling all of the ‘correct’ squares, but despite Black’s typically backward ‘d’ Pawn, it was never an issue. Hikaru was ‘all over’ the position with increasing/relentless pressure on all sides. The Diagram says it all. White had nothing to do but hope that a parting with a Pawn or two might relieve some pressure. It was not to be. I don’t believe the result was ever in any doubt and Nakamura is well poised to take this tournament.
For the other decisive game of this round – See Comments.
World Championship 2012 / Game 6
Published May 18, 2012 | 
U.S. Championship 2012 / Round 9
Published May 17, 2012 |
Kamsky played a beauty today and (personal opinion) is playing the ‘best’ chess of the 2012 U.S. Championship. His wins smack of complete domination; speculation is in the background and his wins give a very commanding style where the result appears inevitable. His win today put him in sole possession of first place; a half point ahead of Nakamura who drew.
On the receiving end of a Kamsky onslaught was former U.S. Champion Yasser Seirawan. Seirawan played his favorite Caro Kann defense – classical variation. The players castled on opposite wings; that means that a common motif is to open up lines against the opposing King. In this case, using Black’s ‘h6′ as an excuse/target, White played ‘g4′ on move 17. Yasser took the Pawn giving White an open ‘g’ file; if he did not, you can bet that the ‘g’ Pawn was destined to play to ‘g5′ opening lines whichever way Black decided to go. Even here, although passive, Black was OK. Yasser has stated on several occasions that he enjoys grabbing Pawns when he can, holding onto the material advantage while he diffuses the ‘attempt’ at attack against his position. His Pawn Grab on move 21 (Diagram) was NOT the Pawn to grab. Rad8 would have gotten another piece into play, contested the ‘d’ file, left his Bishop defending the Kingside and leaving White to think about what he was eventually going to do with that Pawn on ‘c5′. AFTER that grab, Kamsky showed why he is the current U.S. Champion. The attack he unleashed beginning with a Bishop sacrifice on ‘h6′ was so overwhelming with a Rook penetration (sacrifice again) on ‘d7′, that Yasser had to part with he Queen. The finish of the game was forcefully executed. Wow – One of the best games of this tournament.
For the remaining decisive games of the U.S. Championship and the U.S. Women’s Championship – See Comments.
World Championship 2012 / Game 5
Published May 17, 2012 |
Anand playing White changed his opening move – e4. Gelfand responded with the Sicilian defense, Sveshnikov variation. The game followed a typical pattern in this line; White holding a minimal theoretical edge and Black having activity with opposite colored Bishops. The result was another draw.
U.S. Championship 2012 / Round 8
Published May 16, 2012 |
Hikaru Nakamura won today; as did Gata Kamsky. Stripunsky (Nakamura’s opponent) playing White was really getting squeezed and elected to ‘sac the house’ on move 41. The imbalance in material was very difficult to evaluate and play. On move 62 (Diagram) White elected to sacrifice his last piece; a Rook. It is quite possible that Rc5 instead would have held the game. Be that as it may, White’s Pawns were not sufficiently mobilized, connected, or advanced enough to hold off the combination of Nakamura’s Rook and King.
For the remaining decisive games of the U.S. Championship and the U.S. Women’s Championsip – See Comments.
U.S. Championship 2012 / Round 7
Published May 15, 2012 |
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Gata Kamsky and Hikaru Nakamura are now tied for first place and have yet to play each other. Nakamura is the number one rated player but Kamsky is the current champion. It looks like there is a nice match up in store.
Today however Kamsky took on the Caro Kann. The Caro has the reputation of being extremely solid – but passive. Kamsky’s style is ideally suited to slowly but surely strangling an opponent, in this case Stripunski, who is passive. The final position (Diagram) tells it all.
For the remaining decisive games from the U.S. Championship and the U.S. Women’s Championship – See Comments
World Championship 2012 / Game 4
Published May 15, 2012 |
A MAJOR SNOOZEFEST ! ! !
Game 4 – Gelfand played White.
Nothing to say – except I intend to go back and take a good look at Game 3 – arguably the ‘only’ fight in this match so far.
The match is now one-third over and tomorrow is a REST DAY! – - and no – I’m not kidding.
32nd Chicago Open
Published May 14, 2012 |
32nd Chicago Open Backgammon Tournament
Memorial Day Weekend
May 24 – May 28, 2012
[Rosemont, Illinios]
Rd 5 IM Irina Krush (2500)-WGM Tatev Abrahamyan (2350) {U.S. Womens Championship}
Published May 14, 2012 |
[King's Indian Defense] With this win, IM Krush scored 4/5 and sole possession of first place.
World Chess Championship 2012 / Game 3
Published May 14, 2012 |
Game 3 – Anand played white. A Draw – BUT – a Fight. Please more games like this. Anand had an extra Pawn but poor King position and relative lack of harmony in his pieces. Gelfand had the better harmony, activity, and mating threats. Anand ‘may’ have been able to consolidate and/or change the order of his moves – but as of this posting, it was not clear that there would have been a change in the result. One quarter of the match gone. Game 4 tomorrow.
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- Announcement on Grand Prix
- FIDE President at "Maribor for Peace"
- FIDE World Chess Championship Match - Round 5
- FIDE President's working visit to Astana
- Art at the World Chess Championship Match
- "Chess in Schools" in Dharamshala
- U. N. Women meets with FIDE
- Meeting of Dalai Lama the 14th with Kirsan Ilyumzhinov
- Olympiad and Congress Invitation
- Meeting with the President of Bulgaria Mr Georgi Parvanov