Anand vs Gelfand

The world chess championships are currently going on in Moscow. World champion Viswanthan Anand  is battling with Israeli Chess Star Boris Gelfand. This is an intense battle over the chess board as these are the top two players in the world! If you want to take a look at their game, here is it.

A Russian Online Newspaper writes:

“Playing black for the second time in the match, Anand continued his faith in the Slav defense and yet again did not have much difficulty equalising.

It was a continuation of discussion in the second game of the match wherein Anand had gone for a fifth move surprise and yet again the World champion went for it, emphasising that it was not an opening gamble he had gone for in his first game as…”

Find more of this story here.

present the first ever

Minooka Area Chess Tournament

Sunday, April 15, 2012 (1pm to 4:30pm)   

Minooka Village Community Room

121 East McEvilly Rd. (Next to Creamery)

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Entry fee: $10 with advance registration, $15 on-site

Sections: Juniors (K-8) and Open (All ages)

Juniors = 4 rounds, Open = G/30, 3 rounds

For more information, please contact MinookaChess@gmail.com

Or call Brian Quast at (815) 922-9291

When teaching chess to kids its important that you find a way to explain chess theory in a way that related to them. Many kids enjoy music and even play musical instruments; so with them I try to relate chess to music.

Chess is very much like music, and a good chess game could easily be compared to a beautiful musical composition. Just think of each piece as a musical instrument. In a good musical composition all the instruments are working together create something that people would enjoy listening to. A song with just one or two musical instruments wouldn’t be as interesting and fun as one with many more.

In chess you are also creating a composition. Like a composer with his or her instruments, a good chess players uses all his or her pieces together in combination to achieve a goal.  Just like a composer, a chess player’s personality shows a lot in their chess game.

Its no coincident so many musicians are also chess players, and vice versa!

Don’t miss out on a great way to keep your child’s mind in shape this summer by registering them for chess classes! CheckMates USA classes are fun, interesting, and teach your child the skills they need to be successful students and people. Space is Limited! Register now!

Lake Zurich Park District Weekly Chess Classes

4:30 – 5:30      Tuesdays         June 5^th – July 17^th (7 wks)     To Register call (847) 438-5146

4:30 – 5:30      Tuesdays         July 24^th – September 4^th (7 wks)

Libertyville Park District Weekly Chess Classes

4:45 – 5:45      Mondays         June 11^th – July 16^th (6 wks)   To Register call (847) 367-1502

4:45 – 5:45      Mondays         July 23^rd – August 20^th (6 wks)

Long Grove Park District Weekly Chess Classes

6:00 – 7:00      Tuesdays         June 12^th – July 10^th (5 wks)   To Register call (847) 438-4743

6:00 – 7:00      Tuesdays         July 17^th – August 14^th (5 wks)

Long Grove Park District Advanced Weekly Chess Classes

6:00 – 8:00      Thursdays       June 14^th – July 12^th (5 wks)   To Register call (847) 438-4743

6:00 – 8:00      Thursdays       July 19^th – August 16^th (5 wks)

Summer Chess Camps

Don’t miss out on a great way to keep your child’s mind in shape this summer by registering them for chess camps! Chess Camps last for 3 hours in which the students have time to learn new chess techniques, practice them with alternative chess games, play a few games of normal chess, and enjoy their times with friends! Each strategy that campers learn will be reinforced with one-of-a-kind online support and practice puzzles that they can do at home.

CheckMates USA classes are fun, interesting, and teach your child the skills they need to be successful students and people. Space is Limited! Register now!

Morton Grove Park District Chess Camps

9 am – Noon   Monday-Friday           June 5^th – June 29^h     To Register call (847) 965-1200

9 am – Noon   Monday-Friday           July 16^th – July 20^th

9 am – Noon   Monday-Friday           July 30^th – August 3^rd

9 am – Noon   Monday-Friday           August 13^th – August 17^th

Long Grove Park District Chess Camps

9 am  – Noon  Tuesday – Friday        June 13^th –June 15^th   To Register call (847) 438-4743

Noon  –3pm   Tuesday – Friday        June 19^th – June 22^nd

9 am  – Noon  Tuesday – Friday        July 10^th   – July 13^th

CheckMatesUSA is a nationally recognized leader in chess education. More information can be found at www.CheckMatesUSA.com or by calling (224) 619-6506.

Creating a pin in chess can be useful, but it does not always win a piece. Above, the King from A1 can move to B2 to protect the Knight. Whenever you know a chess piece cannot move, it is always a good idea to put pressure on it, and attack it with more chess pieces.

The Bishop from H6 can move to G7 to pin the Knight. The King is expected to protect it by moving to B2. The Black player can then win the knight by attacking it with the pawn on B5 by moving it to B4. The white player then does not have to defend the white knight, and cannot move it either because it is pinned. Remember: when a piece is pinned, take advantage of it by putting pressure on the pin.

]]> http://www.checkmatesusa.com/the-pin/feed/ 0 http://www.checkmatesusa.com/insufficient-mating-chances/ http://www.checkmatesusa.com/insufficient-mating-chances/#comments Wed, 29 Feb 2012 12:42:27 +0000 George http://www.checkmatesusa.com/?p=2931 I love learning something new in chess, and this is something I never knew about. Here’s the deal:

Insufficient Mating chances (or insufficient losing chances) is when a special rule that is used in tournaments. Basically, it has to do with a situation when the chess player with a winning position is almost out of time. They dont just need a winning position, but they need to have an un-winnable position. A referee is called over and the game is called a tie.

The Reason: The point here is simple, chess players want the game of chess to be decided on the moves a player makes rather than the time on the clock. If one player cannot with the game regardless of the moves that he/she makes, then why should he/she be awarded a victory. O Chess players…so righteous.

]]> http://www.checkmatesusa.com/insufficient-mating-chances/feed/ 0 http://www.checkmatesusa.com/playing-top-level-high-school-chess-by-josh-dubin/ http://www.checkmatesusa.com/playing-top-level-high-school-chess-by-josh-dubin/#comments Mon, 27 Feb 2012 14:59:41 +0000 George http://www.checkmatesusa.com/?p=2921

Me and teammate Kent Cen holding the 2nd Place team trophy

Chess is an amazing game. High school chess is an amazing experience. Having just finished competing in my fourth state high school championship for chess, it is easy to reflect upon the great times I have had as a part of a chess team. Though for most of a chess player’s career, chess is an individual sport (with just a competitor and his/her opponent), high school chess is a team competition in which the game of chess takes on a totally new significance. As a part of a chess team, each game played is worth a designated number of points. With a win, the team gains a said amount of points; with a loss the other team gains these points. Every team is comprised of eight members, and each match involves sixteen chess players playing eight games simultaneously until a final result is reached.

As a part of the Stevenson High School chess team, I have competed the past four years on boards one and two. Being an accomplished youth player (2 state championships, multiple top-5 national finishes, etc.), I was very well aware of what the world of competitive chess was like. What I did not know, however, is how much of a team sport chess could be. Every kid growing up wants to be a part of a championship team, whether it be baseball, soccer, or the number of other sports a child might compete in. As a dedicated chess player, I found myself competing for myriad individual championships, but never had the experience of relying on the help of others to accomplish my goals.

High school chess gave me that chance, as well as many others that my non chess playing friends did not have. In high school, chess becomes a sport that requires as much dedication as any other, with our team holding two practices a week for many hours at a time, as well as competing in many regional tournaments. These were all to get us ready for the culmination of the chess year—the state championship. Held in Peoria, IL, the state championship plays host to over 150 teams from across the state, each with no fewer than 8 players. With over 1200 kids playing chess at once, it’s hard not to get excited about a game that pits two minds, each with the single goal of intellectually besting the other. Chess is non-discriminatory; once the game starts it isn’t important if your opponent is of a different ethnicity, of a different gender, or in a different grade, the winner will always be that player who can use their ingenuity to find a winning combination.

The Stevenson team entered the tournament as the seventh seed and ultimately wound up placing second overall with a six and one team record. On board two, I won all seven of my games and finished in a tie for first place on my board. It was the fourth time in my four years that our team placed within the top 6 overall, and the second time I went undefeated on my board. While these results are both proud accomplishments, this high school tournament marks the last youth tournament I will ever have the opportunity to compete in, which left me with a bittersweet feeling on the bus ride home. What I will ultimately take away from the high school chess experience isn’t going to be the medals, trophies, or other awards, what I will remember are the times I spent with my teammates, working towards our goal. Despite chess’ reputation as being a quiet and serious game, our practices were filled with jokes and laughter, and our competitions, though at times very intense, were always full of fun, because after all, chess is a great game and a true joy to play.

“]

Me (center) with some of my friends from the Maine West Chess Team [taken before Round 4

"Mexico set a new record for simultaneous chess games on when 13,446 players faced off at the same time in a vast Spanish colonial square at the heart of the former Aztec empire, Mexico City officials said."

How are the chess pieces called in Spanish?

Chess is a popular sport in the Hispanic Culture and is played in all Latin cultures across the world. Knowing what the chess pieces are called in Spanish could allow you to analyze a game in another language (Spanish).

The King in Chess is called “Rey” in chess in Spanish.
The Queen is called “Reina” in chess in Spanish.
The Bishop is called “Alfil” in chess in Spanish.
The Knight is called “Caballo” in chess in Spanish.
The Rook is called “Torre” in chess in Spanish.
The Pawn is called “Peón” in chess in Spanish.

If you are playing chess in a spanish speaking country you must know how to say Check. Check is Spanish is called “Jaque.” If you need to say CheckMate in Spanish, you can say “Jaquemate.”

Cold War Chess Set

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My cousin from Russia seems to be able to find me the coolest chess sets; this one is no exception. It is a colorful, wooden chess set made under the theme of the cold war. The cold war chess set is a collectors set and probably not the best to play on. Still, it is nice to keep around. As you can see each piece is designed with detail and is quite comical.

]]> http://www.checkmatesusa.com/cool-chess-boards-cold-war-chess-chess/feed/ 0 http://www.checkmatesusa.com/chess-at-arlington-heights-library/ http://www.checkmatesusa.com/chess-at-arlington-heights-library/#comments Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:26:11 +0000 George http://www.checkmatesusa.com/?p=2910

Kids Playing Giant Chess at Arlington Heights Library

This last Saturday CheckMates came to help the Arlington Heights Library with Chess during their Giant Board Games Day. It was a fun filled day where dozens of kids came to play and learn the game of chess.

CheckMates gave free introductory lessons to players who did not know how to play chess and taught strategies to kids who already knew the rules of the game. Then kids got to play on the GIANT CHESS BOARD!

[Show as slideshow]