Alekhine's Parrot

TheParrot Says…Welcome to the archive of the weekly leader of chess events around the world.  Chessville welcomes your Feedback to TheParrot on this week’s news by writing to TheParrot@Chessville.com where selected letters will be featured.

2004

• July-September

• October-December
  
   

2005

• January-March

• April-June

• July-September

• October-December

2006

• January-March

• April-June
  
   

Chess News USA:

USCF Election Fiasco – a (1) (2) (3) and (4) what are we voting for?

Following a very strange international election for Fide, USCF go all out to be stranger.

After mismanagement of ballots the July election may be cancelled.  The talk of the town is that there may not be a reelection until 2008, and Bill Goichberg’s board of 5 will rule in place of the delegates.

USCF’s own explanation why (1) it sent ballots to non-members [!] is not forthcoming, but non-members have received and returned ballots, plus the fact that (2) all ballots ask for 10 nominees, even though the limit is 5 for some states – additional nominees in either case would invalidate the vote for the entire state – what happens then? The state then elects whoever it wishes with a vote.

Additionally USCF’s rules prohibit employees running for office, although two are – (3) as admitted by both Grant Perks and Ernie Schlich, who have done paid work for the USCF in May and June 2006 even AFTER they were certified as candidates for election. Though they claim not to be employees but “contractors”.

As part of this employee/contractor/expenses investigation it transpires that the usual amount for a board member to claim as expenses has been (4) $200 per year. As a comparison: 2003, when John McCrary was president the only expenses claimed were $1023.50 for the entire board for the entire year. But it transpires that recent expenses have been:

Tim Hanke $1,586
Don Schultz $3,513
Elizabeth Shaughnessy $1,691
Steve Shutt $906

And

Beatriz Marinello $13,926.00 during 2005, for which there are no submitted receipts, invoices, bills etc. to document these expenses.

Don Schultz has excused his high expense amount by, in his own words, “well over half of my expense reimbursement here was for paying on behalf of the USCF the cost of a dinner for the representatives of the delegates of the Americas at the Calvia Olympiad. This specific expense was authorized in advance by an EB vote.”

Credit for USCF board expenditure research: Sam Sloan, New York City.

But there is chess in New York, New York:

2006 NYC Mayor's Cup, the strongest double RR event in US history.  The event is sponsored and organized by the Susan Polgar Foundation in collaboration with the NYC Sports Commission, the office of the NYC Mayor and the NYAC.  2006 New York City Mayor’s Cup Invitational, Date: June 25-26; Location: New York Athletic Club, 180 Central Park South, New York, NY; Directions from www.nyac.org.  The participants are:

* GM Gata Kamsky
* GM Alex Onischuk
* GM Ildar Ibragimov
* GM Boris Gulko
* GM Alex Stripunsky
* GM Susan Polgar

The time limit will be G/25 5 delay.  The Susan Polgar Foundation guarantees all the prizes.

Chess News WORLDWIDE:

The International chess tournament "Aerosvit-2006" takes place 17-28 June in Crimean Foros. Tournament will take place in the sanatorium complex "Foros" located in relic park. Leading grandmasters of the world will take part in this competition - the strongest for all history of the Ukranian chess: Ponomariov Ruslan 2738 UKR, Ivanchuk Vassily 2723 UKR, Rublevsky Sergei 2665 RUS, Grischuk Alexander 2719 RUS, Karjakin Sergey 2661 UKR, Volokitin Andrei 2660 UKR, Nisipeanu Liviu-Dieter 2695 ROM, Areshchenko Alexander 2660 UKR, Shirov Alexei 2699 ESP, Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2699 AZE, Harikrishna Pentala 2680 IND, Bologan Viktor 2666 MDA.
The Shahcom Company together with the Ukrainian Company RelayExport will provide live coverage of the games on the site www.relayexport.com/en/chess/chess.html and our site.
The chief arbiter: international arbiter Leonid Bodankin (Ukraine).

Official site: www.aerosvit2006.ukrchess.org.ua

The Dutch Championship takes place 17th June - 2nd July 2006 in Hilversum. Players: Ivan Sokolov g 2676, Sergei Tiviakov g 2669, Loek van Wely g 2655, Jan Timman g 2616, Friso Nijboer g 2584, Erwin l'Ami g 2565, Daniel Stellwagen g 2543, Jan Smeets g 2535, Jan Werle g 2529, John van der Wiel g 2511, Yge Visser m 2480, Jeroen Bosch m 2465.

5th round Standings:

1. Tiviakov, Sergei 2669 4.0
2. Sokolov, Ivan 3.5
3. Van Wely, Loek 3.5
4. Stellwagen, Daniel 3.0
5. Werle, Jan 2.5
6. Nijboer, Friso 2.5
7. Van der Wiel, John 2.5
8. L'Ami, Erwin 2.5
9. Smeets, Jan 2.0
10. Timman, Jan H 1.5
11. Visser, Yge 1.5
12. Bosch, Jeroen 1.0

Official site: http://www.schaakbond.nl/nieuws/nk2006/
Live games: http://www.schaakbond.nl/nieuws/nk2006/livenk.htm

Future Chess:

The International Open chess tournament "Ingulsky bridges" will take place 19th - 30th June in Nikolaev, Ukraine.
Official site: http://www.chessclub.mksat.net/

Traditional Open tournament "White Nights" will take place June 22th - July 1st in Saint-Petersburg, Russia.
Contacts: Russia, Saint-Petersburg, B.Koniushennaya st. 25
E-mail: sers8@yandex.ru

First European School Chess Team Championship Tournaments for school chess teams in categories U12,U14 U16. June 20th -28th 2006,Varna,Bulgaria.

Third Open European Festival "The hopes of the world" Tournaments for school chess champions in categories U8,U10,U12,U14,U16. June 29th-July 3th 2006,Varna,Bulgaria.  Contacts: Bulgaria, Varna-9002 rue Konstantin Fotinov -5 Tel+359 52 64 28 77,GSM+359 52 0886025 403

The V International Children Chess Festival Eurika - 64 will take place 19-30 June 2006 in Balchik and Kranevo, Bulgaria.
There will be 4 tournaments in different age categories.
Tournaments A and B - 19-24 June in Balchik.
Tournaments C and D - 24-30 June in Kranevo.
A lot of prizes.
Regulations
Contacts: 9300 Dobrich, bul. Dobrudzha 1,
Todor Spirov, tel. (+359 58) 667 913, (+359 58) 781116
Toma Kirakov, tel. +359 897 429101
E-mail: Аutnt21_dobrich@abv.bg

CZECH OPEN 2006 17th International Festival of Chess, Bridge and Games European Amateurs Championship in Chess Pardubice 13th - 30th July 2006, Czech Republic

World School Teams Championship and European Amateurs Championship in Chess will be held within the frame of the festival CZECH OPEN 2006.
Official site: http://www.czechopen.net

The XXIV International Chess Open of Andorra will take place 8th - 16th July 2006 Tournament Hall: Sports Centre of Serradells in Andorra La Vella. Prizes: EUR 10.000 / 1er. Prize: EUR 2.100. All the prizes are tax-free Valid for the Catalan Chess circuit Inscription Rights: EUR 35/sub16 EUR 20 - Elo +2350 free
Contacts: http://www.feva.ad    http://www.feva.ad
E-mail: openandorra@andorra.ad
FEVA - Tel/Fax: 00.376.867846

The 1st International Open Chess Tournament "Summer Cup 2006" will take place 22th - 30th July 2006 in Olympus Riviera, Greece. The games will take place in the Olympian Bay Hotel**** on the Olympus Riviera, 90 km south of Thessaloniki in Northern Greece. An excellent location on the beach between the Aegean Sea, Litohoro and the legendary Olympus Mountain. There will be 9 rounds. Prize fund: EUR 3500, 1st prize EUR 1000.
Official site: http://www.greekchess.com/cup2006
E-mail: cup2006@greekchess.com

The 9th International Chess Festival Olomouc chess summer 2006 which will be held within the frame of the 6th International Chess Festivals Series CZECH TOUR 2006/2007 will take place 2nd - 10th August 2006 in Olomouc, Czech Republic. Round-robin GM, IM and FIDE tournaments, FIDE open, seniors tournament, open tournament in active chess and blitz tournament are part of the festival.
Contacts:
AVE-KONTAKT s.r.o., Sukova 1556, 530 02 Pardubice, Czech Republic
tel./fax + 420 - 466 535 200
e-mail: j.mazuch@avekont.cz
Official site: http://www.czechtour.net

The XII Veszprem Summer International Chess Tournament will take place 17th - 20th August 2006 in Veszprem city, Hungary. Swiss type open tournament in 7 rounds. The 1st prize 40.000 HUF. Extra prizes: The best player without FIDE rating, the best senior (above 55 year), the best junior (below 18 year), the best woman.
Contacts:
Phone: 36-88-401-400 (only evenings and weekends).
Mobile phone: 36-30-260-9945 (most of the time).
E-mail: szelenyin@freemail.hu (always).

Chess News USA:

Americans for Kirsan: In a remarkable decision by USCF board member Beatriz Marinello this week, she has been nominated and accepted as Fide’s General Secretary [Americas]. Marinello openly supported Kirsan Ilumzhinov against the wishes of the US Chess Federation Board and its members, and now seems to have circumvented USCF’s procedure for a nomination to this post by obtaining it through international support.

President Ilyumhinov, who openly states he has been in a spaceship, [and liked the people he met there], and whose idea of our chess future does not include the idea or practice of democracy, has announced the following group from the Americas.

Americas General Assembly Board

President: Mr. Jorge Vega, Costa Rica
Deputy President: Mr. Silvino Garcia, Cuba
Treasurer: Mr. Allan Herbert, Barbados
**** General Secretary: Ms. Beatriz Marinello, USA
Board Member: Mr. Oswaldo Ceballos, Colombia
Board Member: Mr. Eduardo Mieles, Ecuador
Board Member: c/o Brazilian Chess Federation President

Information source: http://www.fide.com/news.asp?id=1029

USCF Ballot News: One writer in a public newsgroup says that he received a ballot paper, made his 2 allowable votes and returned it to USCF – but he was not entitled to vote!

Follow these links for the US 2006 NATIONAL OPEN Part of the Las Vegas International Chess Festival

2006 US Game 10 Championship - June 19 - Las Vegas

National Open Scholastic Trophy Tournament - June 16 - Las Vegas

Susan Polgar World Open Chess Championships for Girls (under 21) - June 16-18 - Las Vegas, NV

The U.S. Air Force won the 2006 Interservice (Team) Chess Championships with a score of 26.5 points.  The six-round event was hosted by the Navy and held at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida from June 12th to the 16th.  The final totals were:

USAF:   26.5 pts
USN:     20.5 pts
USMC:  18 pts
USA:      12 pts

The Army, usually serious contenders for the Interservice title, fell short this year due to only being able to field three players due to funding restrictions.  However, the three soldiers -- LtCol David Hater, 2LT Arthur Macaspac and MSG Andres Hortillosa -- more than held their own, scoring a total of 12 points for their branch. PS1(SW) Narciso "Bok" Victoria of the Navy finished first overall in the tournament with a final score of +4-1=2.

Chess News WORLDWIDE:

The International chess tournament "Aerosvit-2006" takes place 17-28 June in Crimean Foros. Tournament will take place in the sanatorium complex "Foros" located in relic park. Leading grandmasters of the world will take part in this competition - the strongest for all history of the Ukranian chess: Ponomariov Ruslan 2738 UKR, Ivanchuk Vassily 2723 UKR, Rublevsky Sergei 2665 RUS, Grischuk Alexander 2719 RUS, Karjakin Sergey 2661 UKR, Volokitin Andrei 2660 UKR, Nisipeanu Liviu-Dieter 2695 ROM, Areshchenko Alexander 2660 UKR, Shirov Alexei 2699 ESP, Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2699 AZE, Harikrishna Pentala 2680 IND, Bologan Viktor 2666 MDA.

The Shahcom Company together with the Ukrainian Company RelayExport will provide live coverage of the games on the site www.relayexport.com/en/chess/chess.html.  The chief arbiter: international arbiter Leonid Bodankin (Ukraine).  Official site: www.aerosvit2006.ukrchess.org.ua

Good luck accessing the Official site: www.aerosvit2006.ukrchess.org.ua  which was down while the Parrot took a gander.

The Dutch Championship takes place 17th June - 2nd July 2006 in Hilversum. Players: Ivan Sokolov g 2676, Sergei Tiviakov g 2669, Loek van Wely g 2655, Jan Timman g 2616, Friso Nijboer g 2584, Erwin l'Ami g 2565, Daniel Stellwagen g 2543, Jan Smeets g 2535, Jan Werle g 2529, John van der Wiel g 2511, Yge Visser m 2480, Jeroen Bosch m 2465.
Official site: http://www.schaakbond.nl/nieuws/nk2006/

Future Chess:

The International Open chess tournament "Ingulsky bridges" will take place 19th - 30th June in Nikolaev, Ukraine.
Official site: http://www.chessclub.mksat.net/

Traditional Open tournament "White Nights" will take place June 22th - Juli 1st in Saint-Petersburg, Russia.
Contacts: Russia, Saint-Petersburg, B.Koniushennaya st. 25
E-mail: sers8@yandex.ru

First European School Chess Team Championship Tournaments for school chess teams in categories U12,U14 U16. June 20th -28th 2006,Varna,Bulgaria

Third Open European Festival "The hopes of the world" Tournaments for school chess champions in categories U8,U10,U12,U14,U16. June 29th-Juli 3th 2006,Varna,Bulgaria
Contacts:  Bulgaria,Varna-9002 rue Konstantin Fotinov -5 Tel+359 52 64 28 77,GSM+359 52 0886025 403

The V International Children Chess Festival Eurika - 64 will take place 19-30 June 2006 in Balchik and Kranevo, Bulgaria.
There will be 4 tournaments in different age categories.
Tournaments A and B - 19-24 June in Balchik.
Tournaments C and D - 24-30 June in Kranevo.
A lot of prizes.
Regulations
Contacts: 9300 Dobrich, bul. Dobrudzha 1,
Todor Spirov, tel. (+359 58) 667 913, (+359 58) 781116
Toma Kirakov, tel. +359 897 429101
E-mail: Аutnt21_dobrich@abv.bg

CZECH OPEN 2006 17th International Festival of Chess, Bridge and Games European Amateurs Championship in Chess Pardubice 13th - 30th July 2006, Czech Republic
World School Teams Championship and European Amateurs Championship in Chess will be held within the frame of the festival CZECH OPEN 2006.
Official site: http://www.czechopen.net

The XXIV International Chess Open of Andorra will take place 8th - 16th July 2006 Tournament Hall: Sports Centre of Serradells in Andorra La Vella. Prizes: EUR 10.000 / 1er. Prize: EUR 2.100. All the prizes are tax-free Valid for the Catalan Chess circuit Inscription Rights: EUR 35/sub16 EUR 20 - Elo +2350 free
Contacts: http://www.feva.ad    http://www.feva.ad
E-mail: openandorra@andorra.ad
FEVA - Tel/Fax: 00.376.867846

The 1st International Open Chess Tournament "Summer Cup 2006" will take place 22th - 30th July 2006 in Olympus Riviera, Greece. The games will take place in the Olympian Bay Hotel**** on the Olympus Riviera, 90 km south of Thessaloniki in Northern Greece. An excellent location on the beach between the Aegean Sea, Litohoro and the legendary Olympus Mountain. There will be 9 rounds. Prize fund: EUR 3500, 1st prize EUR 1000.
Official site: http://www.greekchess.com/cup2006
E-mail: cup2006@greekchess.com

The 9th International Chess Festival Olomouc chess summer 2006 which will be held within the frame of the 6th International Chess Festivals Series CZECH TOUR 2006/2007 will take place 2nd - 10th August 2006 in Olomouc, Czech Republic. Round-robin GM, IM and FIDE tournaments, FIDE open, seniors tournament, open tournament in active chess and blitz tournament are part of the festival.  Contacts: AVE-KONTAKT s.r.o., Sukova 1556, 530 02 Pardubice, Czech Republic tel./fax + 420 - 466 535 200 e-mail: j.mazuch@avekont.cz.  Official site: http://www.czechtour.net

The XII Veszprem Summer International Chess Tournament will take place 17th - 20th August 2006 in Veszprem city, Hungary.
Swiss type open tournament in 7 rounds. The 1st prize 40.000 HUF. Extra prizes: The best player without FIDE rating, the best senior (above 55 year), the best junior (below 18 year), the best woman.
Contacts:
Phone: 36-88-401-400 (only evenings and weekends).
Mobile phone: 36-30-260-9945 (most of the time).
E-mail: szelenyin@freemail.hu (always).

In Memoriam:

June 7th was the 8th anniversary of the brutal murder of Larisa Yudina in the homeland of FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov.

In her last article in 1998, Larisa wrote a story about how psychiatric hospitals in Russia abuse their power. The leader of an advocacy group for invalids' rights had been placed in a mental hospital for five days because she led a hunger strike. The women held a hunger strike because they were protesting not having enough money to feed their children.

Research was also being done at the same time by Larisa on a future article about the embezzlement of budgetary funds into offshore companies.

On 7 June 1998, Larisa met with a source who was supposed to provide needed information for the story on embezzlement.  She did not return.  Her body was found the next day.   She had been repeatedly stabbed, and her body was left in a pond in Elista—the same city as her birthplace.  See also:

http://www.eng.yabloko.ru/Hotissues/Society/Yudina/
http://archives.cjr.org/year/98/5/yudina.asp

            Chess News USA:

The US Olympiad team included six Grandmasters: Gata Kamsky from Brooklyn, New York; Alexander Onischuk from Baltimore, Maryland; Hikaru Nakamura from White Plains, NY; Ildar Ibragimov from Hartford, Connecticut; Gregory Kaidanov from Lexington, Kentucky and Varuzhan Akobian from Los Angeles, California.

In the last round the team crushed the Norwegians 3.5-.5 to catapult into third place. Last round winners were Nakamura, Onischuk and Akobian. The biggest scorer of the squad was Alexander Onischuk, the current U.S. Champion. He won four games and drew six with no losses.

Eighteen-year-old Hikaru Nakamura won his last three games. Among these was a victory over Grandmaster Alexander Grischuk that clinched a victory against Russia, the top seed of the event. It was Nakamura’s first Olympiad.

Gata Kamsky had a solid, plus one first board performance. He held his own in a field that included “super GMs” Vladimir Kramnik and Boris Gelfand.

Chess News WORLDWIDE:

Olympiad News
The 37th Chess Olympiad results summary:

Armenia took a quick draw vs Hungary on the last day of the 37th Chess Olympiad to finish at 36 points and win the Hamilton-Russel Cup for the first time.  Silver went to the Chinese who beat Netherlands while Israel sensationally defeated Russia 3-1 only to see USA pass them just at the line as the Americans wiped out Norway 3.5-0.5 on the last day to take a bronze medal.

The women’s team finished in fourth place.  The team included current U.S. Women’s Champion IM Anna Zatonskih (Long Island, New York), IM Irina Krush (Brooklyn, NY), WGM Rusudan Goletiani (Westchester,NY) and WGM Camilla Baginskaite ( Bay Area, CA) Goletiani and Krush were the big scorers for the team.  They both scored plus five.

Medal winners in the women’s section were Ukraine (gold), Russia (silver) and China (bronze).

What a shame that USCF gave up their best chances for a medal by not including highest ranked US woman player Susan Polgar in this event – in the previous Olympiad she had the best score from any country’s participants, and USA brought home a Silver medal – the first medal in their history.

Official site: www.chessolympiad-torino2006.org

MAGISTRAL CIUDAD DE LEÓN 2006

Ciudad de Leon 2006, First Semi-Final
- Anand reaches the final after a hard fight

Ciudad de Leon 2006, Second Semi-Final
- Topalov defeated Vallejo Pons 2½ - 1½

In the first semi-final June 8th number 2 of World ranking and former World Champion Vishy Anand, will play against the young Cuban Lázaro Bruzón, Pan-American champion.  World Champion Vesselin Topalov will face the Spanish Paco Vallejo, in the second semi-final, where the Ambassador of Bulgaria in Spain, Mr. Vassily Takev, will play the first move.  Bruzón and Topalov will have white in their first game.

Press Conference of Vesselin Topalov:

Vesselin Topalov gave a press conference where he explained the motives he has to support the re-elected president of FIDE Kirsan Iljumzhinov, these reasons are basically economical, he thinks chess cannot lose such an important sponsor; his opinion is not shared by most of his colleagues.

He likes the eliminatory system, León is one of the few strong tournaments where it is still maintained, and that this modality is equally fair than a round robin to decide the winner.

He has pleasant memories of León because it was his first top tournament in 1993 after playing only opens during all 1992, when he greatly raised his elo rating.

He also remembers his duel with Kasparov in 1998, played by the advanced chess system, in spite of his loss, which only occurred after the tiebreak.

XIX CIUDAD DE LEON CHESS TOURNAMENT - General

The XIX edition of the Ciudad de León chess tournament will be held from June 8^th to June 12^th of 2006 at the “Junta de Castilla y León” building of León, Spain.

Participants include current World Champion and number 1 of the world, Vesselin Topalov, former World Champion Vishy Anand, number 2 of the World, and two of the most promising young top players, the Spanish master, Paco Vallejo, and 23 years old, Champion of America, Lázaro Bruzón from Cuba.

As usual, there will be 2 semi finals (June 9^th and June 10^th) and a final (June 11^th)

Painting Exposition:  The parallel activities of the tournament will begin today, with a painting exhibition called “The cosmic chess” from Bulgarian artist Valentin Kovatchev; his exhibition will be open from June 1st to June 12th at the Junta de Castilla y León building.

The exposition commences today, June 1st at 7.00 p. m.  The games can be watched live: www.magistral.diariodeleon.es.  This year live commentaries of masters Miguel Illescas and Michael Rahal, from the venue, usually only in Spanish, will be also in English.

To follow the games through a mobile phone: This year the tournament can be followed live with a mobile, the instructions in the official web: www.advancedchessleon.com.

On June 10th the Ambassador of Bulgaria in Spain, Mr. Vassily Takev, will make the inaugural move of the semi-final in which Vesselin Topalov will take part.  On June 11th the first move of the Final will be made by the Mayor of Leon, Mr Mario Amilivia.

The official web sites are www.advancedchessleon.com and/or www.elajedrezdelfuturo.com

Information courtesy: Zenón Franco Ocampos. Press Chief

The 79th Men Saint-Petersburg Championship takes place 2-13 June in M.Chigorin city chess club.
Players: Evgeny Alekseev g 2640, Valery Popov g 2587, Denis Yevseev g 2580, Nikita Vitiugov 2550, Vasily Yemelin g 2520, Sergey Ionov g 2519, Valery Loginov g 2510, Evgeny Solozhenkin g 2508, Pavel Anisimov m 2500,
Vasily Orlov m 2450, Mikhail Zacurdajev 2400, Aleksey Ivanov 2375. The Shahcom Company provides live coverage of the games in the playing hall of M.Chigorin city chess club and internet.  The rounds start at 3 p.m. Moscow time (+3 GMT).

Future Chess:  The International chess tournament "Aerosvit-2006" will take place 17-28 June in Crimean Foros. Tournament will take place in the sanatorium complex "Foros" located in relic park.  Leading grandmasters of the world will take part in this competition - historically strongest ever in Ukranian chess: Ponomariov Ruslan 2738 UKR, Ivanchuk Vassily 2723 UKR, Akopian Vladimir 2706 ARM, Grischuk Alexander 2719 RUS, Karjakin Sergey 2661 UKR, Volokitin Andrei 2660 UKR, Nisipeanu Liviu-Dieter 2695 ROM, Areshchenko Alexander 2660 UKR, Shirov Alexei 2699 ESP, Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2699 AZE, Harikrishna Pentala 2680 IND, Bologan Viktor 2666 MDA.

The Shahcom Company together with the Ukrainian Company RelayExport will provide live coverage of the games on the site www.relayexport.com/en/chess/chess.html and our site.  The chief arbiter: international arbiter Leonid Bodankin (Ukraine).  Official site: www.aerosvit2006.ukrchess.org.ua.

These URLs do not appear to be currently operational as of June 6^th, 2006.

Obituary:   Wolfgang Unzicker died of heart failure during a holiday in Portugal on April 20, 2006.

Anatoly Karpov called Wolfgang Unzicker the “world champion of amateurs”. He was born in Pirmasens, Germany, on June 26, 1925, and started to play chess at the age of ten.

Chess News WORLDWIDE:

Fide Election news

First of all, Paranoid Russians!  Moscow Times reported this week:

Russian newspapers have hinted that Western chess federations are plotting to make sure the Russian loses.  In a Komsomolskaya Pravda article Tuesday, Alexei Gulf said the "NATO of chess" – the United States, Western Europe and Turkey – had Russia in its crosshairs.  "Remember," Gulf wrote, "how our figure skater Irina Slutskaya was robbed [of a gold medal] at the Winter Olympics in the same city – Turin."

Result of the election:

Says Scotland’s Fide Representative: "It is well known that in FIDE elections many promises are broken, so no one can be really certain," David Levy said. "But the people who are most genuinely in the know, those on the two election teams, paint a picture of a Kirsan victory.  His guys are all smiles, while those I have seen today from the Bessel camp have an air of doom about them."

Australian grandmaster Ian Rogers said each candidate had 55 to 60 votes "in the bag," but that Latin American federations could tip the scale in Ilyumzhinov's favor. 

While it is normal practice to announce the winner, and to wish him good luck, and so on, The Parrot chooses to announce the loser – and that is you, dear reader, since Bessel Kok’s campaign failed and Kirsan is president for four more years.  Final vote count was 96  votes to 54.

Let us consider the very modest reform proposals which lost – better chess education, normal funding for sports activities, decency and modern management practice.  This was Kok’s platform, and all the Western democracies in Europe, Australia, Canada and the US went for it.  Now the price to continue with Fide is that which we put on those decent set of proposals.  What price decency?

What will follow is the most serious of discussions about a split in world chess, which will not render Fide powerless, since it already has nothing but politics to prop it up.  Instead it will make Fide redundant, since who is prepared to continue paying money and homage to this organization, instead of those things which concern us for the C21st., as Kok represents it, real worldwide chess education, proper and steady sponsorship for chess, a credible world championship basis, and all properly managed by an ensemble cast of people qualified to do so, rather than by the ego of the ruler of a “100% approval democracy.”

There is no possibility of achieving these modest, rational and sensible reforms, and every possibility of another Ilyumzhinov's success in 2010.

Bessel Kok may have suffered from an over identification with the West say some commentators – but this is merely campaign rhetoric, and as Nigel Short has pointed out, particularly African countries have been the losers in terms of chess education and support during the past 5 years.

The Parrot’s sense of the chess political scene is that even conservatives will now conspire to do chess good – and undertake whatever necessary means are required to do what forwards us.

Olympiad News

The 37th Chess Olympiad takes place 20th May - 4th June 2006 in Turin, Italy. Among participants: Anand Viswanathan 2803 IND, Aronian Levon 2756 ARM, Svidler Peter 2743 RUS, Ivanchuk Vasyl 2731 UKR, Morozevich Alexander 2730 RUS, Kramnik Vladimir 2729 RUS, Gelfand Boris 2727 ISR, Adams Michael 2720 ENG, Grischuk Alexander 2719 RUS, Radjabov Teimour 2717 AZE, Bacrot Etienne 2708 FRA, Akopian Vladimir 2706 ARM, Bareev Evgeny 2701 RUS, Shirov Alexei 2699 ESP, Nisipeanu Liviu Dieter 2695 ROM.

 

Leading pairs 12th round June 03 2006:

France 28.5 - 32 Armenia
Czech Republic 27.5 - 28.5 China
Russia 28 - 27.5 Cuba
Israel 27.5 - 28 USA
Ukraine 27.5 - 27 Netherlands
Germany 27 - 26.5 Norway
Dominican Republic 23.5 - 23.5 Italy A
Georgia 26.5 - 26.5 Moldova
Denmark 26.5 - 26.5 Romania
Greece 26.5 - 26.5 Uzbekistan
Slovenia 26.5 - 26.5 Bulgaria
Hungary 26.5 - 26 Iceland
Poland 26 - 26 Slovakia
Spain 26 - 25.5 Turkey
Canada 25.5 - 25.5 India
Belarus 25.5 - 25.5 FYROM
England 25.5 - 25.5 Iran
Azerbaijan 25.5 - 25.5 Vietnam
Sweden 25 - 25 Croatia
Philippines 25 - 25 Switzerland
Qatar 24.5 - 24.5 Brazil
Portugal 24.5 - 24.5 Serbia & Montenegro
Estonia 24.5 - 24.5 Malaysia
Latvia 24.5 - 24 Ireland
Colombia 24 - 24 Kazakhstan
Lithuania 24 - 24 Venezuela
Bosnia Herzegovina 23.5 - 23.5 Austria
Ecuador 23.5 - 23.5 Italy B
Turkmenistan 23 - 23.5 Mongolia
ICSC 23 - 23 Argentina
Albania 23 - 23 Scotland
Mexico 23 - 23 Finland
Egypt 23 - 22.5 Morocco

Official site: www.chessolympiad-torino2006.org

The 79th Men Saint-Petersburg Championship takes place 2-13 June in M.Chigorin city chess club.
Players: Evgeny Alekseev g 2640, Valery Popov g 2587, Denis Yevseev g 2580, Nikita Vitiugov 2550, Vasily Yemelin g 2520, Sergey Ionov g 2519, Valery Loginov g 2510, Evgeny Solozhenkin g 2508, Pavel Anisimov m 2500,
Vasily Orlov m 2450, Mikhail Zacurdajev 2400, Aleksey Ivanov 2375. The Shahcom Company provides live coverage of the games in the playing hall of M.Chigorin city chess club and internet.  The rounds start at 3 p.m. Moscow time (+3 GMT).

Future Chess:

The International chess tournament "Aerosvit-2006" will take place 17-28 June in Crimean Foros. Tournament will take place in the sanatorium complex "Foros" located in relic park. Leading grandmasters of the world will take part in this competition - historically strongest ever in Ukranian chess: Ponomariov Ruslan 2738 UKR, Ivanchuk Vassily 2723 UKR, Akopian Vladimir 2706 ARM, Grischuk Alexander 2719 RUS, Karjakin Sergey 2661 UKR, Volokitin Andrei 2660 UKR, Nisipeanu Liviu-Dieter 2695 ROM, Areshchenko Alexander 2660 UKR, Shirov Alexei 2699 ESP, Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2699 AZE, Harikrishna Pentala 2680 IND, Bologan Viktor 2666 MDA.
The Shahcom Company together with the Ukrainian Company RelayExport will provide live coverage of the games on the site www.relayexport.com/en/chess/chess.html and our site.
The chief arbiter: international arbiter Leonid Bodankin (Ukraine).
Official site: www.aerosvit2006.ukrchess.org.ua

These URLs do not appear to be currently operational as of June 3, 2006.

Chess News USA

Chess Philanthropy?  9^th grade Russian Immigrant student needs $250 to attend chess camp and tournament. Inquiries to TheParrot.

Celebrity appearance by Lennox Lewis last Tuesday:

NEW YORK -- Former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis will attempt to go from paycheck to checkmate next week when he takes on all comers in a “speed chess” game called “Chesster.” The event will take place at an online gaming site that claims to host more than one million games per day.

Opponents will have the opportunity to win $1,000 by beating Lewis, who is an avid chess player. The event is scheduled for Tuesday, May 23. Details are available at the site (which is operated by Midasplayer.com Ltd., London). Free registration is required.

The former champ will hit the marketing canvas on May 22 and 23, doing guest appearances on such shows as ESPN’s Cold Pizza, The Jim Rome Show and Fox and Friends. Support also includes a photo shoot in New York’s Washington Square Park, as well as shout-outs on Lennox’s own Web site.

“For me, playing chess takes the stress away, which is why I enjoyed playing when I was training,” Lennox, who retired from boxing in February 2004, said in a statement. “The sports are similar in that it’s one-on-one, and in boxing, it helped me prepare a strategy to beat my opponent.

“I finished my boxing career as the undefeated champ, and I intend to finish my chess competition the same way!”

Information courtesy http://susanpolgar.blogspot.com/2006/05/checkmate-lennox-lewis-makes-his-move.html.

Chess News WORLDWIDE

Fide Election news

Mr. Bessel Kok informed the Parrot that he has now arrived in Torino, and has already made a public video. Download your own 30 minute interview.  Go here  for a download of a 30 minute interview with Bessel Kok, GM Nigel Short, and Ali Nihat. But if you can’t do that, here is a brief of the web-cast:  It took my [v. fast] server 3 minutes to download the 30 minute audio/video presentation.  For readers who cannot access the download here below is a brief summary of some main points:

GM Nigel Short: *An open procedure of governance of chess by professional management, not corrupt ineptitude. *Make chess modern sport befitting C21st. *Reform Fide's structure, not a system of back-scratching friends. *No denial of visas to legitimate chess players. *Survey of small countries showed 'utter neglect' of them by Fide. *He asked the question, 'what has Fide done for you in the past 5 years?'

Ali Nihat: *Spoke primarily about lack of sponsorship attained by Fide. *He also acted to relay questions received by e-mail during the interview process.

Bessel Kok: *Predicted the weather! *He said that Fide had 'forgotten their task' and was 'too inward looking.' *He spoke of less ostentation and more results. * His primary slate of ideas comprised: Better chess in the schools, more chess education, better professional sponsorship for the game, better use of chess and technology. *He further addressed a 6-City series of tournaments leading to a super tournament, a format already proved successful for evolving top players.

All 3 Right Move advocates looked relaxed and while Bessel joked about the weather, Nigel grinning throughout. Kok said that he thought his chances were poor some 6 months ago when be became a sort of 'alternative' candidate, but now thought they were better than 50%, and perhaps 60%. Nigel commentated that these seemed like real appreciations of the situation unlike the other campaigns loose talk of 200 federations being on their side.

While the interview had a relaxed and confident tone, its plain that the issues themselves are no joking matter. Very much chess in the future seems to depend on shifting the basis to a professional standard of management aligned with what most chess players express themselves to really want - in contrast to business as usual, which is very little business at all.

People who are interested in the status quo might look at the comparative level of commentary as presented by the pro-Kirsan site.  A new and brief biography of Kirsan Ilyumzhinov has not been reviewed by any independent source – so here is a note from the a pro- Ilyumzhinov site:

“This is a passage from the thrilling nonfiction book written by Yuri Vasilyev. The author and the main character, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, know each other for almost 12 years. During the presentation of his book in Turin Yuri Vasilyev said that he knows many chess genius but only one person deserves to be called the best chess organizer, and that is Kirsan Ilyumzhinov. Vasilyev added that he intentionally made the book short since it meant to be published for the Chess Olympiad 2006 and during the Games people have little spare time to read.”

To paraphrase slightly, but with considerable irony, Ted Hughes wrote:

            There you may see it,

            Our lonely Tartar death,

            Surrounded and dumb like the bound

            Wolf on Tolstoy’s horse.

Olympiad News

Susan Polgar has analysed top performers in the competition.

1 WGM Zatonskih, Anna 2433 USA 0 1 ½ ½ = 2.0/4 - Performance Rating: 2362
2 IM Krush, Irina 2437 USA 1 1 1 ½ = 3.5/4 - Performance Rating: 2593
3 WGM Goletiani, Rusudan 2371 USA 1 1 ½ ½ = 3.0/4 - Performance Rating: 2401
4 WGM Baginskaite, Camilla 2299 USA 1 1 ½ = 2.5/3 - Performance Rating: 2517

For the Us Women’s team Krush and Baginskaite are particularly strong at the moment, with Zatonskih having to take the full force of opponents on board one.

Other other women players performing well, here are other stats showing very high Elo’s, [again courtesy Susan Polgar.

IM Kosintseva, Tatiana 2489 (Russia) is performing at 2701 (4.5/5)
IM Peptan, Corina Isabela 2408 (Romania) is performing at 2675
GM Koneru, Humpy 2548 (India) is performing at 2663 (4.5/5)
WGM Muzychuk, Anna 2418 (Slovenia) is performing at 2655

Of the MEN's competition, Here comes Kamsky - as Arnold might say "I'm back!"

GM Kramnik, Vladimir is performing at 2960!!
GM Kamsky, Gata is performing at 2896!!
GM Kasimdzhanov, Rustam is performing at 2895!!
GM Bareev, Evgeny is performing at 2874!!
GM Grischuk, Alexander is performing at 2866!!

Leader results in the Competition:

1 Russia15.5 

2 Armenia 15.5 

3 Netherlands15.0 

4 Uzbekistan 14.5 

5 Bulgaria 14.0 

6  Ukraine14.0 

7 Spain 14.0 

8 Belarus 14.0 

9  USA  14.0 

10  Iran 14.0 

11 Sweden 14.0 

1 Russia 12.5 

2 Ukraine 12.0

3 Hungary 11.5

4 USA 11.0

Petersburg Women fight it out:  The Saint-Petersburg Women’s Championship takes place 13-23 May. Players: Ekaterina Korbut wg 2442, Irina Sudakova wg 2391, Olga Stjazhkina wg 2376, Tatjana Molchanova wm 2312, Nina Sirotkina wm 2277, Valentina Solovjova wf 2265, Varvara Kirillova wf 2225, Marina Lupik 2204, Iulia Gromova 2195, Elena Bystryakova wm 2191. Time control: 1.5 hour/40 moves + 15 min. till the end of the game, the increment is 30 sec. per move from the first. The Shahcom Company provides live coverage of the games in the playing hall of M.Chigorin city chess club. The rounds start at 4 p.m. Moscow time (+3 GMT). Caption Tatjana Molchanova

Final leader standings:
1 Molchanova - 6.0
2 Solovjova - 5.5
3 Kirillova - 5.0
4 Gromova - 5.0
5 Korbut - 5.0
6 Lupik - 5.0
Information courtesy: www.ruschess.com/

Fraternal word: Chess Chronicle say that their server has been out for 10 days and apologize to all for any inconvenience. If you missed anything and for an update please visit the website http://www.chesschronicle.org and blog of the Chess Chronicle http://chess-chronicle.blogspot.com/

Chess News USA

First of all – a dishonest vote: last week Chessville set up a straw-poll arrangement concerning Larry Evan’s firing from Chess Life – every time this writer mentioned a result of a poll a contra-result was recorded.  The poll was ‘stuffed’.  Before any wide-scale reporting Chessville forum members voted 75% for the column to remain at CL.

USCF still on retreat: This week’s retreater is Mr. Paul Hoffman who was awarded the un-bid $50,000 redesign contract. Mr. Hoffman was paid $10,000 in advance and made the public statement “I have prepared no written reports”.  He then retreats [does not answer] before these questions by GM. Larry Evans:

1. Why was there no open bid for the $50,000 redesign?

2. Why were you given 10K up front without any written report?

3. On what basis did you make your recommendations?  Did you consult any past reader surveys of Chess Life readers?

4. Do you think you know more about chess or what is needed in Chess Life than any of the three grandmasters you fired?

5. Since secrecy has plagued the USCF for decades, do you think that your attitude helps dispel ugly chess politics?

All is not happy at USCF, and one board member is in dispute with the board, indeed, the Fide Secretary for the Americas contests USCF’s Fide election support. See Americans for Kirsan, below.
 

Chess News WORLDWIDE

The Mtel Masters takes place in Sofia 10th- 21st May 2006. Players: Veselin Topalov, Viswanathan Anand, Peter Svidler, Etienne Bacrot, Gata Kamsky and Ruslan Ponomariov.

Its been M-Tel all week, and some great fighting games of chess. Whatever formula the M-Tel group are using, they have eliminated boring draws, and are greatly to be congratulated for doing so. And look who was leading after round 7!

Ranking after Round 7 

Anand on Kamsky: Your opinion about Gata Kamsky, who is seen as the surprise and the enigma of the tournament?   In 1996 he was clearly the top 1% of the chess world. It is to be seen if he can claw back to that form.

Svidler on Topalov: “Is Topalov the strongest chess player in the world now? If it is do, with what qualities do you think he surpasses the others?”  At the moment Topalov is Nr. 1 – neither one of us could boast with such a stability and continuity in the scores for the past 18 months, like he can.  I think that his biggest advantage is his phenomenal firmness and his desire to win.  On top of that, he is shockingly prepared for the most recent novelties in the debut’s theory and is always in perfect physical shape, which today is of great importance.

There are full interviews with players and officials at http://www.mtelmasters06.com/en/interviews&article_id=35.html.

Petersburg Women fight it out:  The Saint-Petersburg Women’s Championship takes place 13-23 May. Players: Ekaterina Korbut wg 2442, Irina Sudakova wg 2391, Olga Stjazhkina wg 2376, Tatjana Molchanova wm 2312, Nina Sirotkina wm 2277, Valentina Solovjova wf 2265, Varvara Kirillova wf 2225, Marina Lupik 2204, Iulia Gromova 2195, Elena Bystryakova wm 2191. Time control: 1.5 hour/40 moves + 15 min. till the end of the game, the increment is 30 sec. per move from the first. The Shahcom Company provides live coverage of the games in the playing hall of M.Chigorin city chess club. The rounds start at 4 p.m. Moscow time (+3 GMT).

Round 6 standings:
1 Lupik - 4.5
2 Molchanova - 4.0
3 Solovjova - 3.5
4-7 Sudakova, Kirillova, Korbut, Sirotkina - 3.0
8 Gromova - 2.5
9 Bystryakova - 2.0
10 Stjazhkina - 1.5

Information courtesy: www.ruschess.com/

Chess News USA

USCF went on retreat last weekend. In an exchange with The Parrot, board member Don Shultz, expressed the main reason for going on retreat:- to consider fundamental changes. But on reviewing who attended [see photo caption], commentators think baby-steps were more the order of the day, and real critics, movers and shakers have yet to receive an invitation.

Standing: Jon Haskel, President Florida Chess Association, Beatriz Marinello, Former President USCF, Tim Redman - representing college chess; Former President USCF, Rourke O'Brien, President, AF4C; Steve Shutt, Co-Chair Scholastic Council; Joel Berez, President ICC; Harold Winston, Chairman, US Chess Trust; Mike Nolan, USCF Data Base Consultant; Casey Steinbacher, Retreat Facilator; Mikhail Korenman, Exec Director, Chess for Peace Foundation; Michael Khodarkovsky, President Kasparov Chess Foundation, Robert Tanner, USCF Treasurer.  Seated: Bill Hall USCF Executive Director; Don Schultz, USCF Vice President  & Co-Chair Retreat; Joel Channing, USCF Vice President and Co-Chair Retreat - Finance; Grandmaster Joel Benjamin - representing Professional chessplayers, Dan Lucas, Editor Chess Life Magazine; Bill Goichberg, USCF President

Of the 20 people who did attend, and what they did for $10,000 is unknown!  Everyone is too busy to report about the basis of fundamental changes, or else it is an official secret.  Real critics have pointed out that this secrecy among cohorts is the biggest inhibiting factor to real engagement in what forwards us.

All is not happy at USCF, and one board member is in dispute with the board, indeed, the Fide Secretary for the Americas contests USCF’s Fide election support. See below.

Chess News WORLDWIDE

Fide Election news

Yaz speaks up: In an Open Letter to chess players around the world Yasser Seirawan takes a hard look at recent Fide underperformance and states:

“It is impossible to consider the upcoming elections without recalling the last eleven years and the most unfortunate mistakes made by FIDE's incumbent administrators.”

He demonstrates current trends especially in chess education activities in the attached charts:

 Read the entire article.

The Mtel Masters takes place in Sofia 10th- 21st May 2006. Players: Veselin Topalov, Viswanathan Anand, Peter Svidler, Etienne Bacrot, Gata Kamsky and Ruslan Ponomariov.

What’s this? Anand wins twice with the black pieces! The stage is set and Anand is ON

As a Russian chess site comments: Дебют - ничто, жажда - все!  Opening is nothing, thirst is everything and which has other very good photographs of this top-flite event, with commentary by GM Konstantin Sakaev who has also contributed articles to Chessville.

Official site: www.mtelmasters06.com/

The Women of Saint-Petersburg Championship takes place 13-23 May. Players: Ekaterina Korbut wg 2442, Irina Sudakova wg 2391, Olga Stjazhkina wg 2376, Tatjana Molchanova wm 2312, Nina Sirotkina wm 2277, Valentina Solovjova wf 2265, Varvara Kirillova wf 2225, Marina Lupik 2204, Iulia Gromova 2195, Bystryakova, Elena wm 2191. Time control: 1.5 hour/40 moves + 15 min. till the end of the game, the increment is 30 sec. per move from the first. The Shahcom Company provides live coverage of the games in the playing hall of M.Chigorin city chess club. The rounds start at 4 p.m. Moscow time (+3 GMT).

Information courtesy: www.ruschess.com

A double round robin tournament Bosna Sarajevo 2006 takes place in Sarajevo May 7th-16th 2006. Players: GM Vladimir Malakhov (RUS 2691), GM Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu (ROM 2695), GM Krishnan Sasikiran (IND 2692), GM Arkadij Naiditsch (GER 2664), GM Magnus Carlsen (NOR 2646) and GM Borki Predojevic (BIH 2566).

Round 5 standings:
1-3 Carlsen, Nisipeanu, Malakhov - 3.0
4 Predojevic - 2.5
5 Sasikiran - 2.0
6 Naiditsch - 1.5

Interesting? When a GM play 1. e4 c5 2. Na3 watch your step!
 
Official site: www.skbosna.ba

The Sigeman & Co Chess tournament took place in Malmo 28th April - 6th May 2006

Final results:
1 Timman 7.0
2 Hillarp Persson 6.0
3 Atalik 6.0
 
Official site: www.sigeman-chess.com/
Official site: www.schaakbond.nl/nieuws/njk2006/dsb.htm

DORTMUND SPARKASSEN CHESS MEETING 2006

Grand Masters´ Tournament, Duel, Sparkassen Open, Blitz Tournament

World Class Players Contest for the Dortmund Chess Crown

–Sparkassen Chess Meeting from 29 July to 06 August

Dortmund.At this year‘s Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Meeting from 29 July to 06 August spectators can once again look forward to a first-class team of contestants in Dortmund Civic Theatre. With a Category 19 rating the Sparkassen Chess Meeting is once again one of the most prestigious chess tournaments world-wide.

This year, eight grand masters will fight for the Dortmund chess crown:

-Michael Adams England born on 17.11.1971
-Levon Aronian Armenia 06.10.1982
-Boris Gelfand Israel 24.06.1968
-Baadur Jobava Georgia 26.11.1983
-Vladimir Kramnik Russia 25.06.1975
-Peter Leko Hungary 08.09.1979
-Arkadij Naiditsch Germany 25.10.1985
-Peter Svidler Russia 17.06.1976

The tournament: This year’s Sparkassen Chess Meeting will be played over a total of seven rounds. Thereby each of the eight grand masters will meet each of his opponents once. The player who has gained most points after seven rounds is the winner of the tournament.

            Future Chess:

Duel: Elisabeth Pähtz (Germany) – Irina Krush (USA)

In addition to the Grand Masters‘ Tournament an interesting duel over six rounds will be fought at an extra table, where the currently best German female chess player will challenge the currently best female player from the USA. The match between 21-year-old Elisabeth Pähtz (Germany) and 22-year-old Irina Krush (USA) will also begin on July 29.

Information courtesy: Rolf Behovits

Chess News USA

USCF goes on retreat this weekend. In an exchange with The Parrot, board member Don Shultz, secretary of USCF, expressed the main reason for going on retreat:

“you are right in that fundamental changes are needed. But USCF is not a dictatorship. Effecting change is just as or perhaps more difficult in determining what changes are necessary - the what and how two challenging  tasks”.

A more extended idea of the future of USCF follows these messages…

The May edition of Chess Life is missing two grandmaster columnists and also contains the final column by GM Larry Evans.  In a confused exchange with USCF promoters on why no explanation is offered to USCF membership for these firings, one replied with the remarkably laconic statement: "I see no evidence that the individuals were indeed completely fired."

Chess News WORLDWIDE

FIDE election special:  Following the 8-page article last week in the New Yorker on Planet Kirsan this week Chessville interviewed the other candidate for President of FIDE, Dutch businessman, Mr. Bessel Kok.

Champion of Russia men's competition was won by the team "Ural", in the women's Championship the club ABC taken priority.

Final results:
1 "Ural" Sverdlovsk region - 17 (38)
2 T P S Saransk - 17 (37.5)
3 "Tomsk-400" Tomsk - 16 (38.5)
4 "Termosteps" Samara - 14 (35.5)
5 "Ladja" Kazan - 12 (34)
6 "South Ural" Cheliabinsk - 12 (33)
7 "Uniline" Samara - 10 (31.5)
8 "Economist" SGSEU Saratov - 8 (30.5)
9 M C F Moscow - 7 (32)
10 "Lada" Toliatti - 7 (29.5)
11 F I N E K Saint-Petersburg - 6 (29)
12 "Merija" Moscow - Ulan-Ude - 6 (28.5)
 
Official site: www.chessliga.ru

The Sigeman & Co Chess tournament takes place in Malmo 28th April - 6th May 2006. Participants: Atalik Suat g TUR 2632, Timman Jan H g NED 2616, Fedorov Alexei g BLR 2614, Khenkin Igor g GER 2602, Stellwagen Daniel g NED 2543, Berg Emanuel g SWE 2539, Hillarp Persson Tiger g SWE 2524, Hector Jonny g SWE 2514, Cicak Slavko g SWE 2506, Carlsson Pontus m SWE 2433.

Official site: www.sigeman-chess.com/

DORTMUND SPARKASSEN CHESS MEETING 2006

Grand Masters´ Tournament, Duel, Sparkassen Open, Blitz Tournament

World Class Players Contest for the Dortmund Chess Crown

–Sparkassen Chess Meeting from 29 July to 06 August

Dortmund.At this year‘s Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Meeting from 29 July to 06 August spectators can once again look forward to a first-class team of contestants in Dortmund Civic Theatre. With a Category 19 rating the Sparkassen Chess Meeting is once again one of the most prestigious chess tournaments world-wide.

This year, eight grand masters will fight for the Dortmund chess crown:

-Michael Adams England born on 17.11.1971
-Levon Aronian Armenia 06.10.1982
-Boris Gelfand Israel 24.06.1968
-Baadur Jobava Georgia 26.11.1983
-Vladimir Kramnik Russia 25.06.1975
-Peter Leko Hungary 08.09.1979
-Arkadij Naiditsch Germany 25.10.1985
-Peter Svidler Russia 17.06.1976

The tournament: This year’s Sparkassen Chess Meeting will be played over a total of seven rounds. Thereby each of the eight grand masters will meet each of his opponents once. The player who has gained most points after seven rounds is the winner of the tournament.

Duel: Elisabeth Pähtz (Germany) – Irina Krush (USA)

In addition to the Grand Masters‘ Tournament an interesting duel over six rounds will be fought at an extra table, where the currently best German female chess player will challenge the currently best female player from the USA. The match between 21-year-old Elisabeth Pähtz (Germany) and 22-year-old Irina Krush (USA) will also begin on July 29.

Information courtesy: Rolf Behovits.

With a few weeks to go the current US Olympiad squads is … ? Still a Secret.

Obituary:

The NY Times reporter Dylan Loeb McClain, Published: April 30, 2006.  Wolfgang Unzicker, a German judge and chess grandmaster who ranked among the world's top 50 players for almost two decades, died April 20 while on vacation in Portugal. He was 80 and lived in Munich.  Bob Tuohey shares his collection of 1265 games by Unzicker.  The games cover the period from 1947-2005, and are, as Bob puts it, "clean and correct."  Find this free download on our Downloads by Player page.

Chess News USA

Last week the Parrot reported on the chess event at Foxwoods.  Apology to readers!  The Parrot would have covered much more of the event – perhaps as a special report, if it knew that no other US chess coverage was happening.  USCF were entirely silent about the event, beforehand and afterwards, and have issued no chess reports.

Soon Playing: The Susan Polgar Foundation, the New York City Sports Commission, the Office of NY City Mayor Bloomberg and the New York Athletic Club proudly present the 2006 Mayor's Cup Invitational Super Chess Tournament.  The event will take place on Sunday, June 25 and Monday, June 26, 2006 at the famed New York Athletic Club located at 180 Central Park South, New York, NY 10019.  The event will be a double round robin format. The confirmed participants are:

Title - Name - USCF rating - FIDE rating

1. GM Gata Kamsky 2736 - 2671 (#1 rated in NY and US)
2. GM Alex Onischuk 2704 - 2650 (US Champion - #1 rated in MD)
3. GM Ildar Ibragimov 2704 - 2637 (#1 rated in CT)
4. GM Boris Gulko 2659 - 2585 (#1 rated in NJ)
5. GM Alex Stripunsky 2659 - 2569 (#1 rated in NY City - Local NYC representative)
6. GM Susan Polgar 2557 - 2577 (#1 rated woman in US)

USCF Average: 2670
FIDE Average: 2615

This is arguably the strongest round robin tournament in U.S. history!  NYC Sports Commissioner Ken Podziba will be present at the event.  Mayor Bloomberg is also expected.  More details available shortly.  The purpose of this event is to raise chess awareness in New York and to promote Chess and Education across the country.  For information on sponsorship opportunity, please contact Paul Truong (VP - Susan Polgar Foundation) at PaulTruong@aol.com.

With one month to go the current US Olympiad squads are … ? Still a Secret.
 

Chess News WORLDWIDE

The 1st international festival Villa de Canada de Calatrava took place in Spain April 14-16.  In the rapid chess tournament Alexander Grischuk became the winner with 7.5/9.  Official site  Final leaders results:

1 Alexander Grischuk RUS 2719 7.5
2 Shakhriyar Mamedyarov 2699 7.5
3 Alexey Dreev RUS 2673 7.0
4 Branco Damljanovic SCG 2615 7.0
5 Miguel Pantoja Munoz PER 2469 7.0
6 Andrei Shchekachev RUS 2592 7.0
7 Pavel Tregubov RUS 2563 7.0
8 Carlos Franco Matamoros ECU 2509 7.0
 

The Championships of Russia club team event is underway in Dagomys April 19th - May 1st 2006. Four teams-winners of the tournament among men and women will acquire the right to take part in the European club team CUP. Between participants Anatoly Karpov RUS 2672, Levon Aronian ARM 2756, Ruslan Ponomariov UKR 2738, Boris Gelfand ISR 2727, Vassily Ivanchuk UKR 2723, Teimour Radjabov AZE 2717, Alexei Shirov ESP 2699, Rustam Kasimdzhanov UZB 2673, Sergey Rublevsky RUS 2687, Antoanetta Stefanova BUL 2502, Katerina Lahno UKR 2468.  official site
 

FIDE titles confirmed by the FIDE Presidential Board, 13-14 April 2006 in Al Ain City, United Arab Emirates. Information courtesy Susan Polgar.

Congratulations to:

GM Title (CANADA) Charbonneau, Pascal - Student at UMBC
GM Title (INDIA) Panchanathan, Magesh C. - Student at UTD - First ever UTD developed GM
IM Title (ITALIA / USA born) Caruana, Fabiano (Played first 2 ever tourneys at Polgar Chess Center)
IM Title (USA) Hungaski, Robert Andrew
IM Title (NEDERLAND) Van de Mortel, Jan (Play chess in Chicago)
 

The Parrot has received this notice from The Kavala Chess Club, East  Macedonia - Thrace  Chess  Union, Greek  Chess  Federation announce:

FIDE Swiss 9 rounds  -  All FIDE rules apply  - Two groups according to ELO Rating.  First Group above 2000, Second Group under 2100.   Players with Rating between 2000 - 2099 have the right of choice to participate either in the First or Second Group.

PARTICIPATION  FEE:  FIRST GROUP : Players with Rating above 2300 free,  between 2100-2299 : 45 € (35 € U.20),  between 2000-2099 : 60 € (50 € U.20) SECOND GROUP : Players between 2000 - 2099 free,  under 2000 : 35 € (25 € U.20) and with International Rating : 30 € (20 € U.20)

REGISTRATION  :  Entries must be sent by fax to + 30.2510.226871 or by e-mail : vliog@tee.gr, not later than July 24^th and should include full name, ELO Rating, telephone and dates of arrival and departure.  Telephone communication : Vassilis Liogkas : +30.2510.622370 and 6977474684.  ΙNFORMATION  :  www.chesskavala.gr,  www.chesskavala.com.

Chess News USA

Foxwoods Open:  Congratulations to GM-elect Eugene Perelshteyn!

He earned his third and final GM-norm with a win over GM Mikhalevski in the last round of the 2006. With this win, he also tied for first with super GMs Van Wely and Smirin!  Elizabeth Vicary qualified for the WIM title. 

4 players qualify for the US Open:  IM Eugene Perelshteyn; GM Alex Stripunsky; GM Alexander Ivanov; GM Alexander Shabalov.  Alex Wojtkeiwicz won the blitz event 9-1.
 

Thank you Michelle for sending a new contribution to the Parrot’s Cage last week about a mystery chess item.  But readers beware!  Look-alike sets may not be of the original set, and substituted with plastic, or carry heavy shipping charges.
 

Chess News WORLDWIDE

In the Fide election campaign a deeper profile was provided last week by the New Yorker magazine on incumbent Kirsan Ilyumzhinov in a long article titled Planet Kirsan, written by Michael Specter. What chance does Mr. Kok of Holland have since he has never ever seen a spaceship, nevermind going inside one?

The article quotes Anatoly Karpov as saying that “even a ****head would do better than Ilyumzhinov”, and while Kasparov is no more enthusiastic, refuses to attend to any chess matters because of his current concentration on politics.

Sentiment in the UK was express by GM Nigel Short who spoke to the effect of this election as of the future being at stake, and the choice is to stay as a cowboy organisation shunned by corporate sponsors – or emerging from the genre of Genghis Khan to become a modern professional organisation and to exploit the vast potential of the game.

In a recent interview with Chessville another British GM, Ray Keene, expressed it this way: “…bureaucrats have been trying to undermine the title so that the champion becomes subordinate to the officials.  By and large the great individuals who have been champions have resisted this but now I fear it will all be thrown away if the world championship match is abolished - it is like the line from Othello--"threw a pearl away richer than all his tribe".

Even so, the election is thought likely to be close, with Russia and now Israel supporting Ilyumzhinov who is also the head of State of a Russian republic, and presumably his national, not to mention intergalactic, politics.
 

The Championships of Russia among club teams is underway in Dagomys April 19th - May 1st 2006.  Four teams-winners of the tournament among men and women will acquire the right to take part in the European club team CUP. Between participants Anatoly Karpov RUS 2672, Levon Aronian ARM 2756, Ruslan Ponomariov UKR 2738, Boris Gelfand ISR 2727, Vassily Ivanchuk UKR 2723, Teimour Radjabov AZE 2717, Alexei Shirov ESP 2699, Rustam Kasimdzhanov UZB 2673, Sergey Rublevsky RUS 2687, Antoanetta Stefanova BUL 2502, Katerina Lahno UKR 2468.
 

The 1st International Festival Villa de Canada de Calatrava took place in Spain April 14-16. In the rapid chess tournament Alexander Grischuk became the winner with 7.5/9.  Official site
Final leaders results:
1  Alexander Grischuk RUS 2719 7.5
2  Shakhriyar Mamedyarov 2699 7.5
3  Alexey Dreev RUS 2673 7.0
4  Branco Damljanovic SCG 2615 7.0
5  Miguel Pantoja Munoz PER 2469 7.0
6  Andrei Shchekachev RUS 2592 7.0
7  Pavel Tregubov RUS 2563 7.0
8  Carlos Franco Matamoros ECU 2509 7.0
 

Chess News FUTURE

First European School Chess Team Championship Tournaments for school chess teams in categories U12,U14 U16. June 20th -28th 2006,Varna,Bulgaria.

Third Open European Festival "The hopes of the world" Tournaments for school chess champions in categories U8,U10,U12,U14,U16. June 29th-Juli 3th 2006,Varna,Bulgaria.  Contacts:
Bulgaria,Varna-9002 rue Konstantin Fotinov -5 Tel+359 52 64 28 77,GSM+359 52 0886025 403
The V International Children Chess Festival Eurika - 64 will take place 19-30 June 2006 in Balchik and Kranevo, Bulgaria.  There will be 4 tournaments in different age categories: Tournaments A and B - 19-24 June in Balchik; Tournaments C and D - 24-30 June in Kranevo.  Contacts: 9300 Dobrich, bul. Dobrudzha 1, Todor Spirov, tel. (+359 58) 667 913, (+359 58) 781116, Toma Kirakov, tel. +359 897 429101, E-mail: Аutnt21_dobrich@abv.bg

Chess News USA

New York television media has been noticing chess: running and re-running a short promotional piece filmed at the Susan Polgar Foundation. For non-NY residents try the following links:  http://ny1news.com/index.jsp.  CBS also produced a similar piece that can be viewed at:
http://wcbstv.com/video/?id=79985@wcbs.dayport.com.

The CBS report, although earlier, is superior, according to this Parrot’s opinion. It is not just good, it is very good, and congratulations to SPF and also CBS staff for achieving so much on film in such a small amount of time, to for once, present the game in a non wince-making way.  In fact Polgar Foundation presenters hit the center of the target in a way that can interest any parent to seriously consider the game for their children.  The kids themselves are so obviously enjoying their engagement with chess, and furthermore, are their own best representatives!  J

The above two sites are free on-demand video and audio presentations, viewable on your computer.

Thank you Michelle for sending a new contribution to the Parrot’s Cage about a mystery chess item. What will readers make of the camel-bone Chinese set …?

USCF have announced their move into new headquarters on April 8th.  Apparently the ‘buy a brick’ campaign is still active, and you can still buy a $3,500 teak bench, or a $500 shrub.  No press releases were available on the subject.  The new Headquarters in Crossville TN replaces one twice its size in New Windsor, New York.

No news has been forthcoming either about the dismissal of 3 Grandmaster columnists from Chess Life. The May issue will not mention it, and readers will not have an opportunity to comment and feedback on the new design until it presented to them, forecast for this summer, and minus such popular columnists as GM Larry Evans. Although it must be said that USCF rarely surveys its members on any subject.

New Book News:

They’re coming – a new biography of Tony Miles from Ray Keene has just been announced, reviews available shortly.  In addition GM Keene writes to the Parrot that he has a new edition of Warriors of the Mind 2 also due to be published; then unusually adds his own report of the 2 negative reviews he received for the original Warriors of the Mind:

1. Edward Winter who wrote "swill"
2. Hugh Myers who wrote in Winter’s chess notes: "this is the first chess book that can actually be described as evil!"

The English GM says he is so proud of those quotes that he has put them in the second edition.  In a public newsgroup GM Keene has offered to individually and specifically comment on criticisms of his books, and has been fielding inquiries for the previous week.

The chess e-zine Chess Chronicle has announced a new resource for Spanish Language readers at http://www.chesschronicle.org/ visit the website and click on the blog on the top left of the page.
 

Chess News WORLDWIDE

Its going to be Topalov versus Kramnik in September for the world title according to a FIDE announcement, with a prize fund of one million dollars.

In related [?] news the lead in to the FIDE election campaign is well underway and the two leading candidates are squaring off.  The challenger Bessel Kok of Holland and his colleagues came under fire from Fide this week from the camp of Kirsan, and like the Russian Federation the Israeli one has committed itself to Kirsan the incumbent.  Attacks on Kok have originated from Israeli and Russian sources.  Kok declined to answer in the same vein of personal commentary, and regretted that FIDE were treating people as if they had no understanding of the facts and the issues, and he declines to insult their intelligence.

The Parrot has received a notice about the THE DORTMUNDER SPARKASSEN CHESS MEETING 2006 im Schauspielhaus: Weltklassespieler kämpfen um die Schachkrone von Dortmund.  At press-time an English language version has been requested but not received for this annual event. Immediately interested persons might contact Rolf Behovits at pr-behovits@uumail.de.
 

Bine ati venit! A match between the World champion Veselin Topalov and the European champion Dieter Nisipeanu took place in Bucharest, 6-9 April 2006 by command [!] of the Romanian President! who made the first move in the game.  There were 4 games.  Time control 40 moves / 2hours, then 20 moves / 1 hour then 15 min and 30sec/move for the rest of the game. Commentators: GM Mihail GM Internet commentary by GM Dorian Rogozenko

RESULT:
Veselin Topalov won with a score 3:1
Game 1 Nisipeanu - Topalov 1/2
Game 2 Topalov - Nisipeanu 1-0
Game 3 Nisipeanu - Topalov 1/2
Game 4 Topalov - Nisipeanu 1-0

Official website: www.chess-romania.ro.  Information courtesy: Doru Alexandru Ionescu, Match Manager

The Individual Championships of Europe take place 3-16 April in Turkey.  The men’s championship participants are : Vassily Ivanchuk UKR 2729, Aleksander Delchev BUL 2661, Oleksander Moiseenko UKR 2657, Arkadij Naiditsch GER 2657, Zviad Izoria GEO 2652, Konstantin Sakaev RUS 2649, Karen Asrian ARM 2646, Kiril Georgiev BUL 2645, Michal Krasenkow POL 2636, Mikhail Gurevich TUR 2633, Laurent Fressinet FRA 2625.

Round 9 leaders:
1 Kozul 7.5
2-6 Georgiev, Ivanchuk, Berescu, Nikolic, Belov - 6.5
7-18 Anastasian, Arutinian, Izoria, Nijboer, Balogh, Macieja, Inarkiev, Fressinet, Miroshnichenko, Kotronias, Gurevich, Baramidze - 6.0

The Women’s Championship: Champion of Europe Ekaterina Lagno UKR 2500, Antoaneta Stefanova BUL 2499, Elena Dembo GRE 2461, Lilit Mkrtchian ARM 2453, Nana Dzagnidze GEO 2452, Lela Javakhishvili GEO 2444, Inna Yanovska-Gaponenko UKR 2437, Natalia Zhukova UKR 2432, Nino Khurtsidze GEO 2430, Ketevan Arakhamia-Grant 2426, Elina Danielian ARM 2423, Elizabth Paehtz GER 2422 etc. There will be 11 rounds.

Round 9 leaders:
1-2 Atalik, Bosboom - 7.0
3-5 Chelushkina, Dembo, Zawadzka - 6.5
6-16 Muzychuk Mariya, Peptan, Zhukova, Stefanova, Khotenashvili, Muzychuk Anna, Ushenina, Gvetadze, Mkrtchian, Khurtsidze, Kadimova - 6.0
Official site: www.tsf.org.tr/

Chess News FUTURE:

First European School Chess Team Championship Tournaments for school chess teams in categories U12,U14 U16. June 20th -28th 2006,Varna,Bulgaria

Third Open European Festival "The hopes of the world" Tournaments for school chess champions in categories U8,U10,U12,U14,U16. June 29th-Juli 3th 2006,Varna,Bulgaria.  Contacts: Bulgaria,Varna-9002 rue Konstantin Fotinov -5 Tel+359 52 64 28 77,GSM+359 52 0886025 403.

The V International Children Chess Festival Eurika - 64 will take place 19-30 June 2006 in Balchik and Kranevo, Bulgaria.  There will be 4 tournaments in different age categories.  Tournaments A and B - 19-24 June in Balchik.  Tournaments C and D - 24-30 June in Kranevo.

Contacts: 9300 Dobrich, bul. Dobrudzha 1,
Todor Spirov, tel. (+359 58) 667 913, (+359 58) 781116
Toma Kirakov, tel. +359 897 429101
E-mail: Аutnt21_dobrich@abv.bg

Chess News USA

This week the Parrot followed up his phone call to the Executive Director of USCF in respect of decency in public writing, both in Chess Life, and by agents of USCF.  Several weeks ago this matter was to have been put before the board, but no answer has been received to-date.  Next week the Parrot is going to really squawk about the lack of evident standards in the USA’s national chess federation, and why it is important to every chess player.

On the firing of GM Larry Evans [from last week]:

<Your long position seems to be that it's just fine for the USCF to be a complete failure at promoting chess, so long as it survives. Sad.>

-- David Kane to USCF Finance member Bill Brock.

On the firing of GM Larry Evans [this week]:

Dear Parrot,

"As a member of the USCF and a Display Member of the World Chess Hall of Fame, I will not be continuing my membership for the USCF in 2007 after hearing about the firing of GM Larry Evans. Not only have I been an inactive member of the game for last three years I only subscribed to receive the latest information and donate what I needed for the love of the game."

"As a result of this incident, I will not have anything to do with the USCF but only to promote chess in the the city of Las Vegas and sponsor Susan Polgar for her upcoming column on Chessville."

Best Regards,
Lawrence Totaro
Las Vegas, NV

Fischer’s up!

There will be a NEW documentary on Fischer airing Sunday, April 9th at 8pmEST on GSN (formerly the Game Show Network) called Anything to Win. The program contains interviews with many of Fischer's former and current friends as well as recent footage of Fischer in Iceland. There are never-before-seen film clips and photographs as well.

Check GSN.com for listings of future airings. Feel free to contact the producers at astorm@asylument.com with questions or comments.

New Book News:

A continuation of the World Champion's Guide to Chess. Published by Random House and available this week. This title contains the most important tactical motifs in chess as well as in pattern recognition, says the publisher’s blurb. Is this so?  Look for reviews of the just released title, which, to take it at its word, is “A must have for all novice to intermediate players and coaches.” It can be ordered immediately online at www.PolgarChess.com or from your local bookstore.

Chess News WORLDWIDE

Meanwhile in Moscow: a very special event where chess fans can review 200+ pictures at the official site.

Don’t read more! Abandon The Parrot! Abandon Chessville, and go look!

Photo credits; Mr. Paul Troung.

I hope we will hear more about this event, but for the moment enjoy the pictures.  It is very rare to see so many high quality pictures featuring chess players, fantastic chess sets, famous chess personalities, and the locality of the event.  First caption, two players about to begin their game, Second picture Susan Polgar and Anatoly Karpov, third caption SP with editor of the world famous chess magazine, “64” Mr. Roschal. It’s hard to make out picture #4 but I think we have, from the right, Mr, Mikhail Korneman who had much to do with the organisation of this event and who is now resident in Chicago, and the current US Champion Alex Onishuk!  A Moscow statue is featured in many of the photographs: Lest we forget: The Statue of Human Tragedy.

Bine ati venit! A match between the World champion Veselin Topalov and the European champion Dieter Nisipeanu takes place in Bucharest, 6-9 April 2006 by command [!] of the Romanian President!  who will make the first move in the game. There will be 4 games, each will start at 14.30 local time, 13.30 CET. Time control is 40 moves / 2hours, then 20 moves / 1 hour then 15 min and 30sec/move for the rest of the game. Commentators: GM Mihail GM Internet commentary by GM Dorian Rogozenko

Game 1 Nisipeanu - Topalov ½

Game 2 Topalov - Nisipeanu 1-0
 
Official website: www.chess-romania.ro
Information courtesy: Doru Alexandru Ionescu, Match Manager

The Individual Championships of Europe take place 3-16 April in Turkey. The men’s championship participants are : Vassily Ivanchuk UKR 2729, Aleksander Delchev BUL 2661, Oleksander Moiseenko UKR 2657, Arkadij Naiditsch GER 2657, Zviad Izoria GEO 2652, Konstantin Sakaev RUS 2649, Karen Asrian ARM 2646, Kiril Georgiev BUL 2645, Michal Krasenkow POL 2636, Mikhail Gurevich TUR 2633, Laurent Fressinet FRA 2625.

The women’s Championship: Champion of Europe Ekaterina Lagno UKR 2500, Antoaneta Stefanova BUL 2499, Elena Dembo GRE 2461, Lilit Mkrtchian ARM 2453, Nana Dzagnidze GEO 2452, Lela Javakhishvili GEO 2444, Inna Yanovska-Gaponenko UKR 2437, Natalia Zhukova UKR 2432, Nino Khurtsidze GEO 2430, Ketevan Arakhamia-Grant 2426, Elina Danielian ARM 2423, Elizabth Paehtz GER 2422 etc. There will be 11 rounds.

Round4 leaders standings:
1-3 Jobava, Dgebuadze, Anastasian - 3.5
4-25 Berescu, Turov, L'Ami, Izoria, Minasian, Palac, Mamedov, Atalik, Luther, Kacheishvili, Svetushkin, Macieja, Kotanjian, Galkin, Nikolic, Kozul, Georgiev, Gashimov, Belov, Malakhatko, Ivanchuk, Naiditsch - 3.0
 
Official site: www.tsf.org.tr/

The Statistical Parrot. Here are the number of Fide-rated players, alphabetical by country:

Grand Total 69,610

Source: http://www.fide.com/ratings/download/apr06frl.zip

Chess News USA:

Spotlight on US Events: The Dutchess County Championship has a request:

Empire State Chess Magazine would like to do a story on this tournament, which will help to publicize our club and promote chess in the Mid-Hudson Valley.  They would want a picture or two of the tournament in progress, so if there are any camera buffs among you, please consider bringing your camera and taking a few pictures – preferably at the beginning of games, to minimize disturbing games in progress.  And please consider submitting one or two of your games to me so that I can have them published as part of the story.  If you want to annotate it, it will be good for you, and appreciated by me.  Michael J. O'Connor, Vassar-Chadwick Chess Club

Current leader of the tournament is Ernest Johnson [1993], who provides the game score and a few notes below in his game against GM Yudasin [2672] which took place at this year’s USATE.

Name/Rtng/ID#/Team/State/Ag/rd1   rd2   rd3   rd4    tot
1 Ernie Johnson...............W 25  B  4  W  2  B  9
1993  10089115               1.0   2.0   2.5         2.5

Game of the week:

Johnson, E. (1993) - Yudasin, L. (2672)
US Amateur Team East, Parsippany NJ, 2006

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 c5 4.Nc3 cd 5.Nxd4 a6 6.e3 Be7 7.Bd3 Qc7 8.0-0 d6 9.Qe2 Nbd7 10.Nf3 b6 11.b3 Bb7 12.Bb2 0-0 13.e4 Rac8 14.Rfe1 Rfe8 15.Rad1 Bf8 16.Qd2 Qb8 17.Qf4 Ba8 18.h3 Red8 19.Bf1 Ne5 20.Nd4 Ng6 21.Qe3 Rde8 22.Nf3 Nd7 23.Ba3 Nc5 24.Qd2 Red8 25.Qe3 Bb7 26.Rd2 Be7 27. R1d1 Bf6 28.Nd4 h6 29.N4e2 Bg5 30.f4 Nxf4 31.Nxf4 e5 32.Ncd5 Bxd5 33.Rxd5 Bxf4 34.Qf3 Bg5 35.Be2 Qc7 36.Bxc5 bxc5 37.Qd3 Qa5 38.Qc2 g6 39.R5d3 Kg7 40.Rf1 Qc7 41.R3f3 Rf8 42.Qd3 h5 43.Bd1 h4 44.Bc2 Rcd8 45.Rd1 Bf4 46.Qe2 Rh8 47.Rd5 Rh5 48.Bd1 Rg5 49.Rxf4 Rxg2+ 50.Qxg2 exf4 51Qg5 Qa5 52.Qxf4 Qe1+ 53.Kg2 Re8 54.Bf3 Qa1 55.Rxd6 Qxa2+ 56.Rd2 Qxb3 57.e5 Qc3 58.Qf6+ Kg8 59.Rd7 Qxc4 60.Bd5 Qe2+ 61.Kg1 Qe1+ 62.Kg2 Qg3+ 63 Kf1 Qxh3+ 64.Kf2 Qg3+ 65.Kf1 Qh3+ Kf2 ½-½

I am sure I missed something after winning the piece. I overlooked 51...Qe1+ and could not settle on a winning plan after that… on 63...Qxh3+ I almost resigned since I hung a rook but the perpetual check is there. GM Yudasin at one time was rated 8th in the World 1991 and tied for 1st in the USSR Championships that same year. The bad part is if I could have secured the win my team would have won the Match!  My teammates forgave me...

Chess News WORLDWIDE:

It’s a relatively quiet week in chess, and rather than fill it up with words, this weeks slim parrot reports some recent results from chess events around the world.

Xu Yuhua is a new Women's World Chess Champion.
Round 6 (final) 23-27 March:
Gm1 Galliamova - Xu Yuhua 0-1
Gm2 Xu Yuhua - Galliamova 1/2
Gm3 Galliamova - Xu Yuhua 0-1

Not only did she win the championship, but she is very very pregnant. Xu Yuhua appears to be the eleventh woman’s world champion since Vera Menchik. Her Chinese colleage Zu Chen did not appear at the championships, apparently at the behest of the Chinese Chess Federation.

The 7th Poikovsky in the name of Anatoly Karpov tournament.

Final standings:
1 Shirov 6.0 [captioned]
2 Ponomariov 5.0
3 Zvjaginsev 5.0
4 Dreev 5.0
5 Bareev 5.0
6 Sokolov 4.5
7 Najer 4.5
8 Rublevsky 4.0
9 Onischuk - 3.5
10 Bologan - 2.5

Alexander Morozevich became the winner of the 15th Amber Rapid and Blindfold Chess Tournament held in Monaco March 18-30 2006, after beating Anand who had equal points. Final combined standings, top 4:
1 Morozevich 14.5
2 Anand 14.5
3 Vallejo 12.0
4 Grischuk 11.5

Final standings [blindfold]:
1 Morozevich - 9.0
2-3 Anand, Vallejo - 6.5
4-5 Grischuk, Leko - 6.0
6-7 Gelfand, Svidler - 5.5

Final standings [rapid]:
1 Anand - 8.0
2-3 Aronian, Topalov - 6.5
4-7 Grischuk, Ivanchuk, Vallejo, van Wely - 5.5
8-10 Gelfand, Leko, Morozevich - 5.0

“Gary 5” is out in Russian

Watch for English language reviews.

New Fide Ratings published:

Topalov tops the list.  Anand, Ponomariov and Radjabov all had double
digit rating gains.  Here is a link to the top 20 players in the world
and hundreds of critical positions from their games:  http://www.wtharvey.com/top10.html

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