Category Archives: Chess
Mental chess is out of this world – The Guardian
Nice to know Ive been ahead of the trend for cottage gardens since the first one I had with my late husband in 1982 (Whats the buzz? Why the cottagecore garden trend is great for bees and biodiversity, 5 April). None of the regimented, tidy rows with gaps needing weeding; every bit of soil is covered and there is colour from early Januarys first snowdrops right through to the last roses in December. A haven for birds, bees, butterflies, my dog and me. Sharman Finlay Portrush, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
If we dont know whether or not fish can feel pain (Letters, 7 April), surely the right thing to do is err on the side of caution? To think that they might feel pain and continue doing what we do is so obviously wrong. Dave Gunner Copthorne, West Sussex
All this talk of solving imaginary crosswords (Letters, 7 April) reminds me of a visit to the Lake District in the 1970s. I walked past a house that I learned belonged to the astronomer Sir Fred Hoyle. Ah yes, said the barman in the local pub, Sir Fred and a friend of his often sit over there playing mental chess. I was very impressed. Stephen Newbould Birmingham
On 2 November, in the spirit of recent correspondence, shouldnt we celebrate 14,600 days since Steve Bells first If ... cartoon rather than 40 years (Letters, 8 April)? Toby Wood Peterborough
I hope before taking the shot that hit his dad on the 7th at Augusta Rory McIlroy shouted forefather (Report, 8 April). Michael Cunningham Wolverhampton
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Mental chess is out of this world - The Guardian
UTRGV Just Won Its Third Consecutive National Chess Championship – Texas Monthly
WHO: The stunningly talented members of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley chess team.
WHAT: The team just snagged its third consecutive national title.
WHY ITS SO GREAT:When you think of South Texas, you probably dont think of chess. But you absolutely should. Brownsville, the working-class, primarily Hispanic city just across the Rio Grande from Matamoros, has quietly become an international chess powerhouse. Over the last decade, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valleys Vaqueros chess team (motto: Dominate the board) has risen through the ranks, establishing itself as one of the best collegiate teams in the nationand, arguably, the world. On Sunday, the Vaqueros bested Webster University 3.50.5 to take home their third consecutive national title at the Presidents Cup, aka the Final Four of college chess.
It was not an easy win, says Bartek Macieja, who has coached the team since 2012. The Vaqueros initially lagged behind the Gorloks of Webster University; as five-time champion, the Missouri team was the favorite. After five rounds, we were still in the second position...We knew we had to completely crush them. And thats what we did.
Macieja, a chess grandmaster who moved to Texas from his native Warsaw, Poland, after UTRGV recruited him for the coaching job, is himself a key factor in the teams success. He was named European champion in 2002yknow, no big dealand has twice won the Polish national title. When UTRGV came calling, he was looking for a new challenge. I still compete with the Polish national team, and I knew I could do that for many more years, or I could try this, Macieja says. He knew nothing about South Texas before he moved for the job, but today hes a loyal Texan: I am very proud that Brownsville has become so famous for chess, not only in Texas or even the United States, but the entire world.
This weeks win isnt the only recent victory for the Vaqueros. In February, the UTRGV students beat 125 other teams to win the Kasparov Chess Foundation University Cup, which came with a prize they all geeked out about: a private training session with Garry Kasparov, one of the all-time greats.
The teams sixteen members hail from ten countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, France, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, and Venezuelaplus two Texans. Many of the players receive full scholarships, which are funded in part by the students of UTRGV; a portion of the student activity fee goes to chess. The students have voted to say that our team is one they want to support, says Douglas Stoves, an associate dean who oversees the chess program. He says the team enjoys strong support from the campus community, as well as from Brownsville at largenot unlike the way another town might cheer for a football or basketball squad. At some point, it was decided that [chess] was going to be more than just a nice thing to do, he says, and it became a regional success story.
As Texas Monthlys Katy Vine reported in 2007, Brownsvilles path to chess domination can be traced as far back as 1989. Thats when a teacher named Jose Juan J. J. Guajardo started a chess program at Emaline B. Russell Elementary. The school clinched seven consecutive state titles from 1993 to 1999, and the local chess scene ballooned from there. Another catalyzing event came in 2003, when a former high-school chess star named Clemente Rendon moved home to Brownsville and helped start the college team. Now, according to Macieja, almost every K-12 public school in Brownsville has some kind of chess program.
Not long ago, there was a big scholastic tournament in London, and they were proud that they had over one hundred [players], Macieja says. Well, here in Brownsville, before the pandemic, we had six hundred kids competing every second or third weekend! The college team regularly holds workshops in the local schools, so the kindergarten-through-campus pipeline has come full circle.
Stoves also credits Juliet Garcia, former UT-Brownsville president, for championing chess at the college level: She saw the potential, and she understood that because of the socioeconomic reality of South Texas, this was something that could be accessible. As extracurricular pursuits go, chess is affordable: you need only a board and someone to play with. These days, a board is often swapped for a laptopsince COVID struck, the Vaqueros have trained and played all their matches online. You can watch their most recent win on Twitch.
Macieja says he couldnt be prouder of his team. Its really an amazing story, how we did it by defeating our biggest rival. Everybody was celebrating. As the team is still quarantining at home, the victory party was a little muted this year. The players couldnt gather in person, but the group chat on WhatsApp was going like crazy, Macieja laughs.
UTRGV, by the way, wasnt the only team from the Lone Star State in the Final Four: Texas Tech came in fourth. UT Dallas is also extremely good, having finished fourth in the Kasparov Cup. Next time you think Texas, you better think chess.
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UTRGV Just Won Its Third Consecutive National Chess Championship - Texas Monthly
UTRGV Wins ‘Final Four’ Of Chess For Third Time Against Favored Rival Team – Texas Standard
The term final four is most often associated with college basketball and March Madness. But it also applies to another collegiate sport; chess. And last Sunday, the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley took home the Presidents Cup Chess Championship for the third consecutive time.
That was an amazing feeling for us. said Bartek Macieja, chess grandmaster and UT RGV chess coach since 2012. The competition was really tough, very close. We were not leading the entire competition. We were on the second place, but in that last round we played so well that we managed to defend our championship title, the one which we won on in 2019, and then in 2018 for the first time.
Due to the pandemic, there was no Presidents Cup tournament in 2020. And this year, instead of playing face-to-face the teams played online.
Macieja says even though UTRGV won the previous two championships, they were not the favorite to win.
The Rio Grande Valley, and Brownsville in particular, is a chess hot spot. Players from the area consistently place and win in national and international tournaments like the Kasparov Chess Foundation University Cup.
Webster University, Macieja says had won the previous five consecutive championships from 2012 to 2017. And then they were still the favorites in 2018 but we defeated them. And in 2019 the same happened. And now 2021 again.
Since UTRGV wasnt leading at the time of the final match, Macieja says in order for them to win, it had to be a blowout.
Actually, the last round, he said the one I mentioned in order to defend our championship title, we had to not only win it against a Webster University, but literally you had to crush them to secure our first spot. And thats what happened. And that was really extraordinary effort of my students. Im really proud of them. Everybody was super motivated and weve made it.
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UTRGV Wins 'Final Four' Of Chess For Third Time Against Favored Rival Team - Texas Standard
Invitational chess tournament to be held in Benin for IDSDP | sportanddev.org – sportanddev.org
Three Nigerian organisations Heritage & Sports Colony Limited, Life and Chess Club, and CSED Initiative will be working together to hold an invitational chess tournament, as part of the nationwide event marking the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP) in Nigeria.
Thirty chess players, drawn from primary school, secondary school and university, will take part in this tournament. The winners will be presented with trophies and medals, and all participating students will receive a certificate of attendance at the end of the tournament. Five chess officials will supervise the players and the event.
The tournament organisers intend to use this event to promote the grassroots development of chess and, more importantly, to promote peace and unity in the local community.
The tournament aims to provide school-aged children and youth, especially girls, with more access to take part in sport events in the local community.
The collaborative effort also hopes to highlight the need to work together to bring about development and opportunities in the local community especially in a post-COVID world.
The event will be held in compliance with all COVID-19 safety protocols.
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Invitational chess tournament to be held in Benin for IDSDP | sportanddev.org - sportanddev.org
Teenager killed in crash, a chess master, musician and investor, ‘represented the best of Pomperaug’ – The Wilton Bulletin
SOUTHBURY The 17-year-old Pomperaug High School student killed in a rollover crash Monday night is remembered by loved ones as an athletic and talented young man with a wide variety of interests.
Ryan Anthony Rutledge died at the scene of a single-vehicle crash on Roxbury Road after the 2020 Jeep Wrangler he was driving went over a wire cable guardrail and crashed down an embankment.
Our community is hurting, Pomperaug High School Principal Paul Jones said Wednesday morning. Ryan was a great young man and (his death) is a huge loss.
Another Pomperaug student a 16-year-old girl from Woodbury was seriously injured in the crash and transported to Waterbury Hospital. A GoFundMe started Wednesday morning to help the hospitalized teen has raised more than $27,000.
Police said she and Rutledge were both ejected from the Jeep after it veered off Roxbury Road, crashed through a wire rope guide rail and went down an embankment into the Pomperaug River.
This tragic event has impacted our whole school community, Jones said.
Rutledge was a junior at Pomperaug High School, where he not only participated in several sports including football, lacrosse, skiing, weight-lifting and golf but was also enrolled in AP courses and achieving high honors, according to his obituary.
Jones said Rutledge was not only a great student and friend, but a hard-working, positive and caring person.
We all loved the dedication that Ryan brought to every situation, he said. He always had a smile and genuinely cared about those around him. It was through this humble spirit and that infectious smile that he was able to leave such a lasting mark on our school community.
Jones said Rutledge represented the best of Pomperaug and it was an honor to watch him grow.
We know that the leadership Ryan gave will continue to positively impact his peers in the classroom, on the football or lacrosse fields, and in our community as a whole, he said.
Rutledges family described him in the obituary as a master chess player, who also could play several instruments, solve a Rubiks Cube in seconds and enjoyed watching and investing in the stock market, saltwater fishing, sailing, snowmobiling and playing Xbox.
Ryan was loved vehemently by everyone who knew him, and he will be missed by many classmates, teammates, and friends, his obituary states.
In the wake of Monday nights tragedy, Pomperaug High School has made counselors, social worker and psychologists available to students in need of support. Jones said the school has also contacted a regional crisis team for additional support.
We will continue to support our students, staff and school community over the coming days, he said.
Rutledges wake will take place Thursday from 4 to 8 p.m. at Sacred Heart Church, and a privately held burial is scheduled for Friday at 1 p.m.
The fatal Monday night crash remains under investigation and anyone with information is asked to call the Southbury Police Department at 203-264-5912.
All eyes on Paez, Marticio, Aristorenas in 2021 National Youth Chess Tourney – PhilBoxing.com
All eyes on Paez, Marticio, Aristorenas in 2021 National Youth Chess Tourney
By Marlon BernardinoPhilBoxing.comTue, 06 Apr 2021
MANILA, Philippines Arena International Master Alexandra Sydney Paez, Siblings Jersey and Jeremy Marticio of Cabuyao City and Christian Peter Mallari Aristorenas of San Pablo City will be under the microscope when they play against fellow chessers in the 2021 National Youth & Schools Online Chess Championships - Southern Luzon Leg ages 17 years old and below (Boys & Girls) gets underway on April 7 and 8, 2021 at tornelo platform.
"I hope to perform well in this event," said Arena International Master Alexandra Sydney Paez, whose stint is being supported by Cabuyao City Mayor Atty. Rommel Gecolea and City of Cabuyao Sports Director Mr. Jerome Lualhati.
Also set to fight for their place are Wayne Diaz Ruiz and Kaye Lalaine Regidor of Santa Rosa City, Siblings Oshrie Jhames and Prince Jhamie Reyes of Santa Rita, Pampanga, Ivan Travis Cu of San Juan City, Jaymiel Piel of Ternate, Cavite and Al-Basher "Basty" Buto of Cainta, Rizal.
The two-day tournament is sponsored by National Chess Federation of the Philippines Chairman/President Senior Deputy Speaker Prospero "Butch" Pichay Jr. and the Philippine Sports Commission in close cooperation with NCFP Chief Operating Officer GM Jayson Gonzales and assisted by NCFP Asst. Exec. Director Southern Luzon FA/ AGM/ Dr. Alfredo "Fred" Paez, NCFP Asst. Exec. Director Northern & Central Luzon IA/ NT/ NI Reden Cruz, WFM/ NA Michelle Yaon and NA/ NI Susan Grace Neri.
"It came into reality with the vision of NCFP Chairman/President Senior Deputy Speaker Hon. Cong. Prospero A. Pichay Jr.," said Dr. Paez, head coach of the Laguna Heroes who is fresh from winning the 1st PCAP Professional Chess League.
"Grand Finals Champions in every division will proudly represent the Philippines in Asian Schools Chess Championships tentatively scheduled on June 18-20 and June 25-27,2021 via Tornelo.com and presumably will be hosted by our country, more so champions in U17& 15 will be conferred a title of national master likewise for those in U7 to U13 categories will be awarded a national master norm or candidate master," added Dr. Paez, who is also the president of the Philippine Executive Chess Association.
"Eligible to play are members of NCFP in good standing," last word of Dr. Paez. -Marlon Bernardino-
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Marlon Bernardino.
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All eyes on Paez, Marticio, Aristorenas in 2021 National Youth Chess Tourney - PhilBoxing.com
Final seats on sale for Melbourne season of CHESS THE MUSICAL | News – Aussie Theatre
A limited number of additional seats are available for the sold-out Melbourne season of CHESS THE MUSICAL
Final seats are on sale at 9:00am, Monday 29 March for the Melbourne performances of CHESS THE MUSICAL, starring Natalie Bassingthwaighte, Paulini, Rob Mills, Alexander Lewis, Mark Furze and more at the Regent Theatre from 22 to 24 April.
Im genuinely overwhelmed by the public response and enthusiasm towards this production of CHESS. It really will be a special event for Melbourne and, with these highly-sought after additional seats on sale, I hope everybody now gets the chance to see it, said producer Adrian Storey.
Featuring the iconic music of Benny Andersson & Bjrn Ulvaeus (ABBA) with book & lyrics by Tim Rice, the worldwide stage hit CHESS THE MUSICAL will be presented as a semi-staged concert style production featuring Logie-nominated and recent star of CHICAGO Natalie Bassingthwaighte (Grease, Rent, Love, Loss, and What I Wore); Aria chart-topping vocalist Paulini (The Bodyguard, Saturday Night Fever, Hair); New York Metropolitan Opera singer Alexander Lewis (West Side Story for Handa Opera, The Merry Widow, Ragtime); semi-finalist in The Voice 2020 Mark Furze (Home and Away, Underbelly, It Takes Two); musical theatre favourite Rob Mills (Wicked, Ghost, Grease); opera singer Eddie Muliaumasealii (Show Boat, Das Rhinegold, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest) and musical theatre all-rounder Brittanie Shipway (The Voice, Big Fish, The Sapphires) with backing by a professional twenty-six piece orchestra.
CHESS THE MUSICAL is inspired by extraordinary real-life events and first premiered to glowing reviews in Londons West End in 1986 starring the beloved Elaine Paige. The West End season ran for three years, resulting in a BBC listener poll ranking CHESS THE MUSICAL seventh in a list of Number One Essential Musicals of all time.
Featuring hits including I Know Him So Well recognised in the Guinness Book of Records as the biggest selling UK chart single ever by a female duo and the upbeat pop favourite One Night in Bangkok, music from CHESS THE MUSICAL is known the world over, with the original concept album described by Rolling Stone as having a dazzling score (which) covers nearly all the pop bases. Time Magazine declared the score as rock symphonic synthesis ripe with sophistication and hummable tunes.
CHESS THE MUSICAL tells the story of a complex love triangle combined with dramatic political intrigue, set against the background of the Cold War in the early 1980s, where Soviet and American forces attempt to manipulate an international chess championship for political gains.
CHESS THE MUSICAL is produced by impresario Adrian Storey from StoreyBoard Entertainment (Barnum, Follies, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest) and directed by renowned director Tyran Parke (Barnum, Follies, Sunday in the Park with George) and with Musical Direction by David Piper (Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, The Boy From Oz), Set & Costume Design by Dann Barber (Barnum, 33 Variations), Choreography by Freya List, Lighting Design by Gavan Swift & Sound Design by award-winning designer Michael Waters.
StoreyBoard Entertainment presents CHESS THE MUSICALWith music by Benny Andersson & Bjrn Ulvaeus (ABBA), lyrics by Tim Rice & Bjrn Ulvaeus and book by Tim RiceTouring nationally April June 2021
MelbourneRegent TheatreThursday 22 April at 7:30pmFriday 23 April at 7:30pmSaturday 24 April 2021, 2:00pm and 7:30pm
AdelaideHer Majestys TheatreThursday 27 May 7:30pmFriday 28 May 2021, 7:30pmSaturday 29 May, 2:30pm & 7:30pm
PerthCo-produced by Perth Symphony Orchestra and StoreyBoard EntertainmentPerth Concert HallThursday 3 June, 7:30pmFriday 4 June, 7:30pmSaturday 5 June, 2:00pm and 7:30pm
BrisbaneQPACTuesday 8 June at 7:30pmWednesday 9 June at 7:30pmThursday 10 June, 2:00pm and 7:30pm
For further information: http://www.chessmusical.info
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Final seats on sale for Melbourne season of CHESS THE MUSICAL | News - Aussie Theatre
Newsfeed Now: 10 killed in shooting at Colorado grocery store; Teen takes 4th in state chess championship weeks after brain surgery – KLFY
Posted: Mar 23, 2021 / 09:59 AM CDT / Updated: Mar 23, 2021 / 11:13 AM CDT
Weekdays at 10:30 a.m. CST/11:30 a.m. EST, Newsfeed Now will be streaming the top stories in the U.S. utilizing our newsrooms across the country. If you miss the live report, youll be able to see a replay minutes after the stream ends.
(NEXSTAR)- Ten people, including a police officer, are dead after a shooting at a grocery store in Boulder, Colorado.
The shooting happened Monday afternoon at a King Soopers grocery store.
The suspect has been identified as a 21-year-old man, Ahmad Al Issa.
Find out the latest on this story from KDVR.
Other stories in todays show:
Police in Arkansas were able to arrest a murder suspect after the suspect tried to hide in a chimney and got stuck.
See the full story now on News Channel 3.
The Biden administration continues to come under fire over its handling of a migrant surge at the southern border.
Republicans blame the presidents words and new policies for the spike.
See more on this story from WOOD TV.
Theres been speculation over this for a while since the beginning of the pandemic, but now, were learning more about a chance of getting COVID-19 in connection to blood type.
New research shows people with one blood type, in particular, are at a greater risk of getting very sick from the virus.
See the full story now from Oklahomas News 4.
We know that COVID vaccines can come with side effects, but most people figure a few days after the shot, theyre in the clear.
A small number of people are seeing a rash appear on their arm, sometimes more than a week after the vaccine.
See the full story now from CBS 17.
A year after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, many adults have reported undesired weight changes.
The American Psychological Association reports more than 60% of adults have experienced this.
Forty-two percent report gaining more weight than intended.
On the other hand, 18% of Americans say they lost more weight than they wanted.
See the full story now from WBTW.
Many people like to start their day with a cup of coffee, but if the coffee maker isnt clean, that cup of joe could include more than just a jolt of energy.
See the full story now from News 8.
A Colorado teen finishes fourth in the state chess championship, which happened to be weeks after he underwent brain surgery.
See the full story now from KDVR.
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Newsfeed Now: 10 killed in shooting at Colorado grocery store; Teen takes 4th in state chess championship weeks after brain surgery - KLFY
2021 Bullet Chess Championship Presented By SIG: All The Information – Chess.com
Chess.com teams up with Susquehanna International Group, LLP (SIG) to present the 2021 Bullet Chess Championship. The event's qualifiers will happen on March 31 and April 1, while the main event will run from April 5-April 7. The All-Star event will be held on April 8. During the championship, top players will face each other in 1|0 matches to compete for their piece of a $32,000 total prize fund.
This year, reigning champion GM Hikaru Nakamura will fight to defend his title against elite players.
Chess.com will broadcast the event and provide live expert commentary on Chess.com/TV and Twitch.tv/Chess.
Defending champion, Nakamura, gets the highest seed. Seedings for the remaining players will be determined by their ratings after the qualifier stage.
Below is the schedule for the 2021 Bullet Chess Championship presented by SIG:
Qualifiers:
Main Event:
All-Star:
The championship has a total prize fund of $32,000 which will be divided as described below:
Main event: total prize fund of $25,000
All-star event: total prize fund of $7,000
Qualifiers:
Main event:
All-star event:
Main event players:
All-Star players:
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2021 Bullet Chess Championship Presented By SIG: All The Information - Chess.com
Newsfeed Now: 10 killed in shooting at Colorado grocery store; Teen takes 4th in state chess championship weeks after brain surgery – WATE 6 On Your…
Posted: Mar 23, 2021 / 10:59 AM EDT / Updated: Mar 23, 2021 / 12:14 PM EDT
Weekdays at 10:30 a.m. CST/11:30 a.m. EST, Newsfeed Now will be streaming the top stories in the U.S. utilizing our newsrooms across the country. If you miss the live report, youll be able to see a replay minutes after the stream ends.
(NEXSTAR)- Ten people, including a police officer, are dead after a shooting at a grocery store in Boulder, Colorado.
The shooting happened Monday afternoon at a King Soopers grocery store.
The suspect has been identified as a 21-year-old man, Ahmad Al Issa.
Find out the latest on this story from KDVR.
Other stories in todays show:
Police in Arkansas were able to arrest a murder suspect after the suspect tried to hide in a chimney and got stuck.
See the full story now on News Channel 3.
The Biden administration continues to come under fire over its handling of a migrant surge at the southern border.
Republicans blame the presidents words and new policies for the spike.
See more on this story from WOOD TV.
Theres been speculation over this for a while since the beginning of the pandemic, but now, were learning more about a chance of getting COVID-19 in connection to blood type.
New research shows people with one blood type, in particular, are at a greater risk of getting very sick from the virus.
See the full story now from Oklahomas News 4.
We know that COVID vaccines can come with side effects, but most people figure a few days after the shot, theyre in the clear.
A small number of people are seeing a rash appear on their arm, sometimes more than a week after the vaccine.
See the full story now from CBS 17.
A year after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, many adults have reported undesired weight changes.
The American Psychological Association reports more than 60% of adults have experienced this.
Forty-two percent report gaining more weight than intended.
On the other hand, 18% of Americans say they lost more weight than they wanted.
See the full story now from WBTW.
Many people like to start their day with a cup of coffee, but if the coffee maker isnt clean, that cup of joe could include more than just a jolt of energy.
See the full story now from News 8.
A Colorado teen finishes fourth in the state chess championship, which happened to be weeks after he underwent brain surgery.
See the full story now from KDVR.
Continue reading here:
Newsfeed Now: 10 killed in shooting at Colorado grocery store; Teen takes 4th in state chess championship weeks after brain surgery - WATE 6 On Your...