Welcome to TheChessWorld 3.0!

Read more about it
 

Sign up for our Newsletter

Subscribe via email

Live Ratings

Updated Febuary 10, 2010

Rank Name

Rating  Change




01 Carlsen

2812,9   +2,9



02 Topalov

2805,0   +0.0



03 Kramnik

2789,9   +1,9



04 Anand

2788,7   -1,3



05 Aronian

2782,3   +1,3



06 Memedyarov

2759,5  +18,5



07 Gashimov

2758,8   +0,8



08 Grischuk
2756,0   +20



09 Gelfand

2750,4  -10,6



10 Ivanchuk
2749,8   +0.8



Daily updates for Top 10
provided by Hans Arild Runde
at chess.liverating.org

Chess Quote

Some part of a mistake is always correct. ~ Savielly Tartakover
How do you like new TheChessWorld.com:
 

Chess Players Online:

We have 4 guests online
pogonina
casino

Here is a little tactics puzzle from the game I recently played in a Club Championship (it was actually yesterday). I was playing on the black side and got so excited calculating variations that missed simple and straightforward win. It cost me a game – we drew. Try to think would would you do here. Black to move.

Black to move

                         Black to move

Digg!Del.icio.us!Diigo!Ask!

What is Garry Kasparov doing today? According to the interview he gave to the CNN’s Becky Anderson, Kasparov is still doing some kind of chess work. First of all, he trains Norwegian chess prodigy Magnus  Carlsen, who is currently number 4 in the top list FIDE, September 2009.  Kasparov is also working on chess theory books and of course playing friendly matches with A. Karpov. Becky Anderson have asked Garry “Have you missed a few moves on your political path?” and Kasparov replied “No, I’ve started from totally lost position. The fact is – I’m still in the game. The Russian Opposition does exist.”


Top List FIDE. September 2009

N

07.09 09.09
1 V. Topalov BUL 2813 2813
2 W. Anand IND 2788 2788
3 L. Aronian ARM 2768 2773
4 M. Carlsen NOR 2772 2772
5 V. Kramnik RUS 2759 2772
6 P. Leko HUN 2756 2762
7 T. Radzhabov AZE 2756 2757
8 V. Ivanchuk UKR 2703 2756
9 B. Gelfand ISR 2755 2756
10 A. Morozhevich RUS 2751 2750
Digg!Del.icio.us!Diigo!Ask!

Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov played the famous World Championship Match in 1984. Now, 25 years later in 2009 they played again – unofficial match in Valencia, Spain. The match was consisted of 4 rapid games and 8 blitz games. Kasparov won. There is no big surprise here since Garry is almost 200 points higher rated than his opponent. Congratulations to both players, they played great chess.  Check out the final standings and the video from the event below.

Kasparov – Karpov Valencia, 2009 Match Results

Rapid Chess

Rtng.

1

2

3

4

Tot.

Perf


Anatoly Karpov

2619

0

0

1

0

1.0

2621


Garry Kasparov

2812

1

1

0

1

3.0

2810


Blitz

Rtng.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Tot.

Perf

Anatoly Karpov

2619

1

½

0

0

0

0

0

½

2.0

2621

Garry Kasparov

2812

0

½

1

1

1

1

1

½

6.0

2810

 


Kasparov - Karpov match, Valencia 2009

Kasparov - Karpov match, Valencia 2009

Garry Kasparov in a game against Karpov

Garry Kasparov in a game against Karpov

Picture credits and info:

ChessBase.com

Digg!Del.icio.us!Diigo!Ask!

I was analyzing Thechessworld’s server logs today and find out that many-many players are looking for an advice “how to beat better player at chess”.  I’ve decided to go ahead and write some of my thoughts over this topic.  First of all, there is no magic formula in chess I can tell you that will *guarantee* a win.

Previously I have posted some suggestions how to beat stronger player at chess. This post is the continuation of what was written before.

According to IM Simon Webbs, the basic approach when playing a stronger opponent is to make the position as complicated as possible. If neither of you know what to do in such hyper-complex position, you will have a lot higher chances for survival. Obviously you are more likely to lose, but by increasing randomness you are increasing your chances for positive result.

random

That's what I call "random chess position". Impossible to achieve but you opponent will be very confused if you do!

What opening should you play against stronger opponent? The best choice is to play something sharp which you are familiar with at the same time. Sharp openings usually result in the wildest positions possible. Look for tactics. Do not, however, sacrifice a couple of pieces for one or two checks and resign 5 moves after. Be reasonable.

Don’t be afraid to play your favorite gambit just because you’re playing a higher rated opponent.  Strong player does not automatically mean a walking openings book. Some high rated players will deviate from the book quickly and try to outplay you later on.  If your opponent plays an opening move in your line which you haven’t seen in the book before, it’s most likely not very good one. Remember there are no novelties early in the game these days (say before move 10).  Try to figure out what’s wrong with the move. Maybe it weakens the king, overextends pawns, looses tempo or something else, there are plenty of options. Use it to your advantage.

You need to play aggressively. Even if playing for a draw you should attack. You will more likely to get a draw if your position is better and you offer a draw than in equal looking one.

As I mentioned in my previous post do not automatically exchange pieces. Stronger players are usually good endgame players as well.  Endgame for them will mean easy point without taking unnecessary risks.  Think of it this way: fewer pieces you have on the board – less randomness you can create. Don’t give your opponent something for nothing! Make him fight for every single piece of advantage.

You may also want to check out 7 Deadly Chess Mistakes Every Novice Player Make .

Digg!Del.icio.us!Diigo!Ask!

chess excuses jokes

List of top 10 excuses for loosing a game of chess:

1. Dog ate score sheet;
2. Dead batteries in hidden transmitter;
3. Went outside for fresh air, forgot about tournament;
4. Disturbed by own reflection in opponent’s sunglasses;
5. Still despondent over 1964 death of Fred Reinfeld;
6. Inexplicably confused ECO A29 line 13 note 87c with ECO A13 line note 87c; lost queen;
7. Unlucky pairing with historical nemesis G. Kasparov;
8. During play, pondered both sides of ICC controversy; lost on time;
9. Studied book *How to Beat Bobby Fischer*; was unprepared for other opponents;
10. After making move, accidentally punched opponent instead of clock.

Humor by Don Scoones

Some more chess jokes from random online sources:

A chess master died – after a few days, a friend of his heard a voice; it was him!
“What’s it like, where you are now,” he asked.
“What do you want to hear first, the good news or the bad news.”
“Tell me the good news first.”
“Well, it’s really heaven here. There are tournaments and blitz sessions going on all the time and Morphy, Alekhine, Lasker, Tal, Capablanca, Botvinnik, they’re all here, and you can play them.”
“Fantastic!” the friend said, “and what is the bad news?”
“You have Black against Capablanca on Saturday.”

A Chess Player is walking from the lake carrying two fish in a bucket. He is approached by the Game Warden who asks him for his fishing license. The Chess player says to the warden, “I did not catch these fish; they are my pets’ pawn. Everyday I come down to the water and whistle and these fish jump out and I take around to see the sights only to return them at the end of the day; remember that the Chess Board is like an ocean; full of fish”. The warden, does not play chess, he not had any idea what he’s talking about; not believing him, reminds him that it is illegal to fish without a license. The Chess Player turns to the warden and says,
“CHECK” “If you don’t believe me then watch,” as he throws the fish back into the water. The warden says, “Now whistle to your fish and show me that they will come out of the water.” The Chess Player turns to the warden and says, “What fish!?”

In a park people come across a man playing chess against a dog. They are astonished and say:
“What a clever dog!”
But the man protests:
“No, no, he isn’t that clever. I’m leading by three games to one!”

Frasier: I can see why she likes the game – “the king is stationary, the queen has all the power”.

“So I was having dinner with Garry Kasparov – Problem was, we had a checkered tablecloth and it took him two hours to pass the salt!”

Q. Which chess piece is the most powerful?
A. The Knight, It goes over the top.

2 friends see themselves by the street and one of them says:
- My wife says that if tomorrow I go to the chess match, it will take my children and it will leave me.
The other friend asks to him:
- And what you will do?
And the other answers to him:
- E4, like always!

Q – Which group of women are the best chess players?
A – Feminists. Their opponents begin with King and Queen, but *they* always start with 2 Queens.

A gentleman must play a game of chess with a blind person, he proposes to the blind person:
“As him cannot see he will grant an advantage to him as part of the deal. We will not play in equality of conditions.”
“This sound really fair” replied the Blind Person.
Then he asks the gentleman: “When?”
“Very well”, the other men responded to him “any night that you prefer.”

“I’ve created a chess program that mimics human play” said the computer science major.
“So it plays at GM level then?” asks the advising professor.
“No, but it does blame its loss on outside conditions!”

My computer beat me at chess.
Unfortunately my computer is not as good at kickboxing.
I think my computer will have to forfeit the tiebreak round.

Looking for some more chess humor? See my 10 real chess jokes post. And have fun!

Image Credit: http://www.zazzle.com

Digg!Del.icio.us!Diigo!Ask!