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Tournament Sign Up
Sign up your child for the 2013 Scholastic Chess Championship by filling out the form below and paying with the paypal button.
World’s Largest Chess Set Built!
Checkmate! SAIT student builds world’s largest chess set
Many students are familiar with the Guinness Book of World Records, but Ken Taylor is one of the few who is actually listed as a record holder. The SAIT’s first-year legal assistant student and his father set a Guinness World Record in 2009 when they built a giant outdoor chess set in Medicine Hat.
Ken’s father, Dr. Bill Taylor, was first inspired by an over-sized chess set he saw in Austria in 2004, and began constructimg his own board in 2005 which was eventually awarded the Guinness World Record for the 19 ft. 4 in. chess set board.
“We didn’t set out to set a world record,” said Ken Taylor.
“My dad was just very passionate about this, so I helped.”
They received approval from the city of Medicine Hat to build the chess set in 2005, and began construction the same year.
“It wasn’t until I saw a Guinness Book of World Records that I got the idea,” said Dr. Taylor.
According to him, there was a record held in Sacramento, Calif. and it was the exact same size as the board they had just finished constructing.
“So I sent off some emails to the Guinness people to find out if they had this record, and what the record was,” said Ken Taylor.
They attempted to get the record with his original board size of 17 ft. because when measured precisely, it was about half an inch larger than the Sacramento board, but they were denied.
The Taylors’ original board, “had been poured improperly,” said the younger Taylor.
“It had pits in it and the paint was peeling, so when they fixed it, we got them to make it bigger.”
“It took us three applications to Guinness before they approved our record breaking chess board,” said Dr. Taylor.
On May 27, 2009, the chess set board, located on 1st Ave. in Medicine Hat, between the city’s public library and Court of Queen’s Bench, was awarded the Guinness World Record.
Rob Renner, a member of the legislative assembly of Alberta, gave a speech to commemorate and congratulate the new record holders.
Although the concrete chess set board is the only part of the set which is actually the record holder, the pieces of the board hold their own uniqueness.
“We managed to track down some chess set pieces [in Thailand] made from Indonesian teak wood and had them shipped over [to Medicine Hat],” said Taylor jr.
“The King is the largest piece at 3 ft. 11 in. tall, 1 ft. 2 in. wide at the base and it weighs 35 lbs.
“All the pieces together weigh over 870 lbs.”
According to Dr. Taylor, his son was instrumental in fundraising, writing letters and computer skills throughout the years and remains supportive even though he now goes to school and lives in a different city.
“It is nice to say that I am a world record holder,” he said, although he acknowledged that the record also belongs to the chess club.
“It is just a satisfying feeling.”
Dr. Taylor also said he keeps a laminated photocopy of the Guinness World Record certificate in his car.
“I do have future plans to break another record,” he said.
Source: http://www.theweal.com
Online Chess Lessons!
Online Chess Classes are now available through CheckMatesUSA! We are offering both one-on-one online chess lessons as well as group online chess lessons for multiple students. We have a variety of teachers that can teach chess to all skill levels from absolute beginner to masters of the game. Our teachers can also speak many languages such as English, Russian, Spanish, Georgian, Hindu, and Tamil.
One-on-One Online Chess Classes
One-on-one online chess lessons are great for people of all ages and skill levels that want to get better at chess. Online Chess Classes give you the ability to learn chess from your home. Online chess lessons are the perfect option to help you improve drastically or learn the game quickly because our chess instructors teach at your pace and customize each lesson for you. If you don’t want to pay the high fees of having an instructor drive to your house and don’t want to settle for the low quality of a cheap instructor, one-on-one online chess lessons with CheckMatesUSA are the way to go.
Group Online Chess Classes
We can also offer you group chess lessons online. Working in a group doesn’t give you as much personal attention as one-on-one online chess lessons, but it has other advantages. A lot of people prefer to learn with a group so they have someone to practice their chess concepts with. Group members can be in the same room, but don’t have to be.
How it happens?
Online Chess Classes use free software such as Skype or Google Hangout to connected chess teachers with one or many students. Students are not only able to see the instructor face-face, but also to share the same screen and use an interactive chess board to learn on. With our system, any resource that the teacher has on his/her computer is available to the students during the lesson. This makes learning chess online with us easy and convenient.
If you would like more information about our online chess lessons or to schedule, contact us.
Online Chess Classes are currently on special for $50 a class!
Interview with “The Chess Queen” Alexandra Kosteniuk
Alexandra Kosteniuk is a former Women’s World Chess Champion and an great person! She promoted chess, especially chess for girls, all across the world and has motivated many kids, teens, and adults to improve their lives with chess. I had the pleasure of interviewing this very special lady and think it would be interesting for all of you to read. More Info about Alexandra can be found @ www.chessqueen.com.
George Krasnopolskiy: At what age did you learn to play chess, and from who?
Alexandra Kosteniuk: At 5 from my Dad. I was very happy that my Dad would spend so much time with me, and I always tried to make him happy by listening to his explanations on how to play chess. He would reward me for correct answers (by giving me candy and/or coins), so it was great learning chess!
George Krasnopolskiy: Who did you play chess with while growing up? Did you play mostly boys or girls? And were you afraid to play boys, or was it the other way around?
Alexandra Kosteniuk: I played chess with every one. I was lucky to grow up in Russia, as almost everyone plays chess, in parks, at school, in clubs. We used to play all together, boys and girls. In Russia boys are not afraid of girls and girls are not afraid of boys, chess is a universal game. My Dad would teach me during the week and during weekends would take me to parks and chess clubs so I could test myself against other people.
George Krasnopolskiy: Were you always good at chess?
Alexandra Kosteniuk: I started like everyone knowing nothing. But my Dad spent a lot of time training me, I would study chess at least 5 hours a day, mostly tactics solving. Chess is a fair game, the more you study, the more it will reward you with wins! In a sense it’s a great school of life, since in life it’s the same, to achieve something, you need to work hard!
George Krasnopolskiy: When did you beat your dad (or other significant chess figure in your life)?
Alexandra Kosteniuk: It’s funny, but while my dad trained me for more than 10 years since I was 5 till I became Grandmaster, and I never played a game with him, he used to quiz me with chess books. As for having proud of a win, I was very proud to have beaten a man Grandmaster (Sergey Kudrin) in 1999, when I was 15 years old. After that I have beaten many men Grandmasters in classical, rapid and blitz games.
George Krasnopolskiy: What were your other favorite activities to do, other than chess, while growing up?
Alexandra Kosteniuk: I lived like any girl, simply I had 5 hours of chess studying a day apart from school. I simply did not watch any TV, that saved a lot of time. Nowadays kids waste much too much time watching TV. Imagine how much you could achieve if you simply did not watch TV. I used to go out for sports, with friends, singing karoke, skating, going to movies, etc.
George Krasnopolskiy: What is your favorite chess quote?
Alexandra Kosteniuk: Tarrasch: Chess, like love, like music, has the power to make men happy.
George Krasnopolskiy: What do you like most about chess?
Alexandra Kosteniuk: It’s fair. If you win, you deserve the win, if you lose, it’s your fault, and you can learn to play better next time. You can always get better at chess. Also, it’s a great game to meet new people and make friends. Thanks to chess, I have travelled to dozens of new countries, learned new languages, have many international friends!
George Krasnopolskiy: How do you feel chess has helped you in your life? Are there any specific situations you can think of?
Alexandra Kosteniuk: Sure, chess makes it easier for me to think logically and to come out with a decision. It has helped develop my memory, and my problem-solving abilities. Chess helps concentrate and find the main elements in an issue to be resolved. Chess teaches you to uses all your assets, not to waste efforts, and to have a plan.
George Krasnopolskiy: What did you want to be when you were a kid? Work/ Profession wise.
Alexandra Kosteniuk: Since I was very young I was a chess champion (at 8 Moscow champion, at 12 girls world champion), so I never actually thought of doing anything apart from chess. When you do well, why change and start a career from scratch?
George Krasnopolskiy: You are not just a chess player, but also a model and a mother; are there any other goals in your life you are still trying to pursue?
Alexandra Kosteniuk: I love to do all kinds of new things and to always be learning new subjects. In life it’s important to be flexible, you never know what you will like in the future and how good you’ll be at it. So don’t be afraid, try!
Spice Cup 2012
The 2012 Spice Cup, a chess tournament for top level chess players held just outside of St. Louis took place over the last week. 42 top level chess players battled it out over the chess board for a prize purse of $10,000!
Congrats to Ray Robson, who won the Spice Cup in 2012!
Among the contenders in the 2012 Spice Cup there were several college students from the Lindenwood College Chess Team. Five members of the undefeated Lindenwood Lions Chess Team participated in the Spice Cup. Carla Heredia, Anna Sharevich, Levan Bregadze, Priyadharshan Kannappan, and Nolan Hendrickson all represented the Lindenwood College Chess Team at the Spice Cup with lion pride.
All the college chess players did well, with National Master Nolan Hendrickson doing the best and even earning an International Norm! “I couldn’t have done with without the support of my Family, Friends, and University.” he said when asked how he able to do so well. The Lindenwood Chess Team has been training with a variety of top level coaches including Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan and Varuzhan Akobian. With support from coaches and community, the college chess program has thrived in its inaugural year. Check out the video of Nolan Hendrickson playing Levan Bregadze in the final game of the 2012 Spice Cup.
When asked about the Lindenwood College Chess Program, International Master Levan Bregadze said, “Its good that there’s a college chess program that brings in a chess players to help them grow and achieve their goals in chess and life.” The Lindenwood College Chess Program is unique its its approach to developing Grandmasters by providing players the resources they need to get better at chess.
For a total rankings list and more info about the Spice Cup, check out Chessdom.
Susan Polgar also has a great post about the 2012 Spice Cup.
Summer Chess Camps and Classes
Summer Chess Classes
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 5th – July 17th (7 wks) To Register call (847) 438-5146
4:30 – 5:30 Tuesdays July 24th – September 4th (7 wks)
Libertyville Park District Weekly Chess Classes
4:45 – 5:45 Mondays June 11th – July 16th (6 wks) To Register call (847) 367-1502
4:45 – 5:45 Mondays July 23rd - August 20th (6 wks)
Long Grove Park District Weekly Chess Classes
6:00 – 7:00 Tuesdays June 12th – July 10th (5 wks) To Register call (847) 438-4743
6:00 – 7:00 Tuesdays July 17th – August 14th (5 wks)
Long Grove Park District Advanced Weekly Chess Classes
6:00 – 8:00 Thursdays June 14th – July 12th (5 wks) To Register call (847) 438-4743
6:00 – 8:00 Thursdays July 19th – August 16th (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 5th – June 29h To Register call (847) 965-1200
9 am - Noon Monday-Friday July 16th – July 20th
9 am - Noon Monday-Friday July 30th - August 3rd
9 am - Noon Monday-Friday August 13th – August 17th
Long Grove Park District Chess Camps
9 am – Noon Tuesday – Friday June 13th –June 15th To Register call (847) 438-4743
Noon –3pm Tuesday – Friday June 19th – June 22nd
9 am – Noon Tuesday – Friday July 10th – July 13th
CheckMatesUSA is a nationally recognized leader in chess education. More information can be found at www.CheckMatesUSA.com or by calling (224) 619-6506.
How the chess pieces are called in Spanish?
"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.”
Chess on Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving! Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Cranberry Sauce, and most importantly: lots of family together. Chess is a great game to play with the whole family and get some friendly competition going.
Parents, Kids, Grandparents, and all the other relatives can get together and play some chess before or after the big meal. Chess is always a ton of fun and if your whole family plays, you could even play Bughouse!
Also, don’t forget to be thankful!
Girls in Chess
Cool Chess Sets- High Octane Chess Set
Every player wants a chess board that is unique to them. People who love Star Wars will get a Star Wars themed chess set, people who like Lego will make a chess set out of Legos, and people who really like building cars will build a car parts themed chess set; which is what this is. Built by Rev Rods, this set is unique because of its use of car parts. You can find a list of which parts were used to build each specific piece as well a more pictures of this cool chess set here.
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