Some of you may have seen messages on social media and through large media providers around the potential risk to businesses using the application ZOOM for their meetings. It was noted that there was a risk for people joining the call and potentially either hearing confidential information or disrupting the meeting.
We are using ZOOM for our online chess classes, so we wanted to update you how we ensure your safety in our classes. We have so far not seen any issues, but we take your safety and privacy very seriously.
What can we at Chesslife do?
We are not sharing confidential information in our classes. Chess is an amazing game and we are sharing our skills and knowledge with students.
If someone has attended that is not registered or is unknown by us, we will kick the user out of the meeting.
Once everyone that has registered is online, we lock the meeting so that no unauthorised people can join.
We can add a password to the meeting. If required, we will add this feature and email all registered students the password.
What can students do in the meeting?
Don’t use the ZOOM chat option for private messages
Don’t share personal information
Don’t mute or turn your video off, so we can see who is interacting
What can parents do to assist with Zoom?
Help your children understand the importance of online security and privacy
For younger students, stay with your child during the class
For older kids, teach them good video conferencing etiquette, including not using the chat for private messages and not downloading files via Zoom. (If we have files to share with you, we will email these)
Consider whether using an online alias instead of real names is appropriate. Make sure to let us know your alias so that we know who is joining!
We have been assured that ZOOM takes security and privacy very seriously and that the pressure from the community has increased that commitment. We will continue to use ZOOM for the time being, but please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any concerns.
What is an Arbiter, why would you want to be an arbiter and how do you become and arbiter? We hear it quite frequently, so today we answer all your questions with an interview with Australia’s very own Female International Arbiter Alana Chibnall!
Alana and Mathew during the 2018 Doeberl cup prize giving
Tell us a little about yourself
I live in Canberra ACT and have
most of my life. I have been playing chess since I was about 11 years old in
2003 when I started in Year 6 at Primary School after going to an interschool
competition. I hold the Women’s FIDE Master (WFM title) which I won last year
in a competition in Auckland.
I am an International Arbiter (IA –
the highest arbiter title in chess) and the only active female IA in Oceania
(and I think the fourth female IA in Australian history).
Outside of chess, I have just
finished my Bachelor of Information Technology (IT) at the University of
Canberra, and I am starting a Graduate position with the Department of Defence
in Canberra in February next year. Yay for Government jobs!
How long have you been an arbiter?
I’m not sure when I started being an
arbiter, but it would have been about 2008/2009 when I was in Year 11 or 12 at
school. I was playing a lot of chess with my junior chess league in Canberra and
started showing interest in helping run some of the younger events which I
wasn’t eligible to play in. I think I did an Under 10 Championship with another
person as my first event and have gone from there. I have been an International
Arbiter since September 2016.
What is an arbiter?
An arbiter is basically the chess
equivalent of an umpire or referee in other sports. We keep an eye on the games
of chess in progress and step in if we get called over or see something wrong in
a game. Arbiters must make decisions based on the current Laws of Chess using
our judgement based on the evidence we have from the game.
The chess handbook for arbiters
Arbiters are also required to do other
jobs for the event such as setting clocks, putting out scoresheets, entering
results of games and generating the pairings for the next round using a
computer program, printing out pairings, standings and cross tables to keep
players informed of what is happening in the tournament and making
announcements.
Local tournaments usually only have
a very small number of arbiters, so they end up being responsible for a lot of
games at once. At the top-level international events, such as the World Championship
or World Chess Olympiad, arbiters are usually only expected to look after 1-4
games at once.
How do you become an arbiter?
The best way to become an arbiter
is to go up to the arbiter at your local club or tournament and say you are
interested in becoming one! For events which are only Australian rated, you
don’t need to have any qualifications – just a general knowledge of the laws of
chess and rules of the type of tournament it is (or a willingness to learn
them). Arbiters are generally willing to train others and most states and
territories have at least 3-4 who can be called on to run events.
There are different arbiter titles
for those who want to work at more events, which are National Arbiter (NA),
FIDE Arbiter (FA) and International Arbiter (IA). The requirements are
different depending on the title, with FAs and IAs having to pass a 3-hour
examination about the laws of chess.
David and Alana in New Zealand during the 2019 Oceania Youth Championships
Why would you want to be an arbiter?
A lot of people become an arbiter
for many reasons. Often, arbiters are players who have volunteered to help at
their local club or tournament, or parents who have decided they have nothing
better to do and are bored! This is the case of one of the top IA’s in New
Zealand, who has admitted that he hates the game but only started doing it
because he was bored waiting for his son to finish.
In my case, becoming an
International Arbiter has given me opportunities to travel both interstate and
overseas that I wouldn’t have had otherwise. I’ve been an arbiter overseas in
Thailand, New Zealand and Georgia.
Do you have to know chess to become an arbiter (can
a parent become an arbiter?)
To be able to be an arbiter, you do
need to know the rules of chess, but you’re generally not required to be a good
player. To get started, arbiters usually only need to know how the pieces move
(and what an ‘illegal move’ is) and what the different chess terms mean (e.g. check,
checkmate and castling). All of these are easy to learn and not much else is
required for lower level tournaments (e.g. younger junior events and
interschool tournaments).
Depending on the type (and
strength) of tournament the rules can be slightly different, so it is important
for arbiters at higher events (especially anything FIDE rated) to understand
what rules are used in what situations. Arbiters at higher events are expected
to have a very good understand of the laws of chess, so they can make decisions
quickly and soundly when required.
What has been your most amazing arbiting
experience?
I have had a lot of great
experiences since becoming an arbiter, but my favourite so far was probably
when I was selected as the only Australian representative at the World Chess
Olympiad this year in Georgia.
Spectacular dancing during the closing ceremony
The World Chess Olympiad, for those
who don’t know, is the biggest chess event in the world. Players compete in
teams of five (four players plus one reserve) representing their countries. In
the event this year there were 180 different countries competing in the Open
and 146 competing in the Women’s.
I was a Match Arbiter, so I was
responsible for looking after one match of four games of chess each round.
Through this, I got to see players from all over the world compete.
Alana during the Olympiad in Georgia
I have of course had many other
arbiting experiences which have been highlights, such as working in Thailand at
the Bangkok Open and being an arbiter at the Australian open twice.
You may remember that two years ago we interviewed Tagir and his coach from Kyrgyzstan. Their infectious personalities meant we wanted to say hello again this time around. Turns out, chess is booming in Kyrgyzstan and once again do they have juniors playing in both the Open and Women’s team. So on a cloudy morning in Batumi, we caught up with 16 year old Ruslan Sezbekov, 17 year old Begimay Zairbek and coach Talant Mamytov in their hotel lobby and asked them about their dreams.
Team Kyrgyzstan!
Ruslan, currently a CM with a rating of 2160, tells us he is the second in a family of nine. All his siblings play chess and are a true chess family. In fact his eight year old sister, Sezdbekova Aizhan, won 1st place in the U8 category at the Asean Championships in Thailand last July.
Ruslan played his first tournament internationally in Sri Lanka in 2013, which is where is also obtained his CM title.
16 year old Ruslan during round 6
Begimay played at the Olympiad in Baku two years ago for the women’s team, which was her first international tournament.
So what are some of your goals and dreams?
Ruslan – I would like to become a GM one day, maybe even world champion, but I would definitely like to make chess my profession.
Click on the board to see David’s annotations on Ruslan’s game in round 1 against Senegal. Ruslan won the game with the eccentric Budapest Gambit.
Begimay – I would like to become a WGM.
At this point coach Mamytov speaks up and states that she has a very strong character, never giving up. At this Olympiad, she has currently scored 2.5 out of 3 games, the draw against much stronger Armenia. That is indeed an incredible score!
Begimay during round 5
What is the Junior league like in Kyrgyzstan?
Begimay begins to explain that the number of girls playing is significantly reduced from the U16 categories. While there may be over 60 girls playing in the U10 or U12 sections, by the time you get to U16 or U18, there are only 5 or 6 girls left. It is difficult to explain why this is.
There is however, not a problem with the number of players in general. There seems to be continuous growth and many chess schools have opened. There is a real effort to get chess as part of the curriculum, so who knows what the future may hold. Parents think chess is a great sport for their children to get involved in and train their brains at the same time!
Coach Talant and David wearing the traditional Kyrgy hats!
Who is your favourite chess player of all times?
Ruslan – Kasparov without a doubt. He has amazing games and an incredible rating of over 2800.
Begimay – I don’t have one favourite, there are so many amazing chess players; Magnus Carlsen, Kasparov, Karpov and of course Hui Yifan.
Hou Yifan, Olympiad Baku 2016
Have you got any advice for our Australian Juniors?
Begimay – Make sure you love chess! Love what you do!
Ruslan – 99% of your achievements will be due to hard work, only 1% is talent. Work hard and achieve your dreams!
At the end of the interview Coach Talant gifted us a banner as a token of appreciation. These guys are just super nice!
We had the pleasure to meet with the juniors from the Korean Open and Women’s team. Meet 15 year old CM Taehyung Kan, 14 year old Yubin, 14 year old WCM Seyeon Lee and their coach Sanghoon Lee.
From left to right – Coach Lee, Yubin, CM Taehyung and WCM Seyeon (Click on the photo to see their video message to Australia)
To represent Korea at the Olympiad, the players had to first qualify for a tournament and then finish in the top three (or top two in a second tournament). Not only did these juniors qualify this year; Yubin and Seyeon also played in Baku in 2016. In fact, Yubin is already a veteran with also having represented Korea at the Olympiad in Tromso! These teenagers are serious competitors and an inspiration to talk to!
So despite having played at Olympiads before, what are your goals?
Taehyung – I would like to obtain my FM title.
Yubin – Of course a WCM title would be my first goal, but I would like to continue playing against higher rated players.
WCM Seyeon in her game against Brazil on day 2
Since you are competing at international level for several years now, what ages did you start chess and who taught you?
Yubin – I was 5 years old and was taught at a local chess academy.
Taehyung – I stated playing when I was about 6 or 7 years old. I was taught by my GO teacher and then played with my dad.
Seyeon – I started later, when I was 9 years old at my school chess club.
Seyeon played an amazing game in Round 2 against Brazil. Click on the chess board below for the analysis:
How much chess do you study every day?
Taehyung – I am at high school and have lots of homework, so I don’t study chess every day, but catch up with 3-4 hours in the weekend.
Seyeon – approximately 1 hour per day.
Yubin – around 2 hours per day
CM Taehyung before the start of round 2
So what about chess books? Which ones do you love?
Taehyung – I don’t use books much, but I did enjoy 1001 deadly checkmates by John Nunn.
Yubin – I recently acquired 303 tricky checkmates.
Coach Lee – the problem here is that there are not many chess books translated into Korean, making it hard for our juniors to follow when it is written in English. So the books that are available in Korean, are often the puzzle books, hence this is something they study more.
14 year old Yubin before the start of round 1 against power house India!
What kind of chess player are you?
Yubin – I have been playing very attacking but am changing more to a more passive style to suit my personality better. With white I tend to play Bishop c4, while with Black I play the Caro-Kann.
Seyeon – I play more protective or defensive. With white I play open and with Black I tend to play Ruy Lopez.
Taehyung – I have always played very tactical but have been transitioning to a more positional style. I have recently been following Silman’s course on chess.com and play the Najdorf with black.
World Champion challenger Fabiano Caruana
Who is your favourite player of all times?
Taehyung – Mikhail Tahl. He was the player that inspired me to play tactically.
Seyeon – Fabiano Caruana. He has great manners and plays very nicely. I think he has got what it takes to become the next World Champion!
Yubin – Wesley So. His games can be very exciting and active and are a pleasure to watch!
GM Wesley So
What is the junior chess league like in South Korea?
Coach Lee – It certainly is growing. South Korea only started participating in the Olympiad in 2006 with an Open team for that year and in 2008. In 2010, we also participated with a women’s team for the first time. There are not many long-rated tournaments in South Korea, mainly rapid and blitz tournaments.
What are some of the life lessons you have learned through chess?
Yubin – You should always challenge yourself; be active about your decisions (not passive)
Taehyung – Don’t rush anything as you may miss something important
Seyeon – Chess is a great hobby that gives you good logic.]
WCM Seyeon before the start of round 1 against India
Lastly, what advice would you give to Australian junior players?
Taehyung – Learn from your mistakes, review your games so you don’t make the same mistake twice
Yubin – Enjoy chess!
Seyeon – Play lots of chess and enjoy it!
Coach Lee – Don’t fear losing, learn from your mistakes.
Country facts!
South Korea occupies the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula, which extends some 1,100 km from the Asian mainland. Its total area is 100,032 square kilometres. About three thousand islands, mostly small and uninhabited, lie off the western and southern coasts of South Korea. The capital is Seoul. South Korea’s population is estimated to be around 50.8 million.
One hundred and sixty years ago on the twenty third of February, 1858, the historic Duke of Brunswick Hotel proudly opened its doors and its heart to the South Australian community and people! That same year, half way across the globe mired deep in thought in an elegant Paris Opera House The Duke of Brunswick himself and his close friend Count Isouard sat quietly engaged in what would later be determined one the most exciting and instructive games of chess every played!
As history accounts, The Duke of Brunswick and the French Count played as partners in a private opera box held by the Duke, which was so close to the stage that one could literally reach out and touch the performers, in which the Duke always kept a chess set. The aristocratic duo spontaneously decided to challenge the de facto World Chess Champion and visiting American, Paul Morphy to a game of chess. Morphy, who reportedly loved opera and music, was excited about the prospect of seeing the Opera “Norma” which he had missed on his first visit. Unfortunately for Morphy, lacking the clout of his regal hosts, he found himself obliged to not only play a game of chess during the performance but to sit with his back to the stage, relegated to fleeting opportunistic glimpses over his shoulder at the theatrics throughout the evening. Ironically as the intensity of the chess game developed so did the spirited debate between the now not so quietly conspiring Duke and Count which steadily began to gain the attention and curiosity of the actual performers and audience! Although on this occasion Morphy likely missed most of the opera, he, The Duke of Brunswick and Count Isouard succeeded in creating a legendary chess game relished by many generations of chess players and enthusiasts throughout the world.
Final position the turn after Morphy (White) sacrifices his queen
Come join us to relive history through this royal game in a manner of which most never have an opportunity to do! Take a peek into the minds of participants and try to second guess their intentions! Discover one of the prime guiding principles for all great chess still today!
All yours to experience with us from this classic chess masterpiece, Saturday 28th of April.
Chess is the game that simply keeps on giving. Studies have shown that a steady diet of chess increases your attentive spans, improves your memory and enhances your capacity for logical thinking. Chess truly is a workout for the brain! What, however, can it do for our social lives? If chess can improve how we think, can it play any part in how we interact with one another?
Believe it or not, but one of the many benefits of playing chess is that it enhances our sense of sportsmanship and improves the way we treat one another. This cannot be undervalued; teaching sportsmanship isn’t simply about learning proper manners, but an important life skill, especially for developing minds. Just ask physical educators Christine Nucci and Kim Young-Shim of Indianapolis, who found that a healthy and fulfilling life requires that we find ways to positively interact with the people around us. Sportsmanship, and a good social ethic, helps to guard against the destructive ‘win at all costs’ mentality – which, if left unchecked, can develop into aggressive, antisocial behaviour and habits.
It may seem odd that a game like chess could do anything to promote social development. Chess is a game that is usually played in silence, with a bare minimum of interaction between the players during play. It is, however, these very conventions and demonstrations of etiquette that build a culture of sportsmanship.
Shaking your opponents hand is customary before the start of every game
In chess, respect and integrity are as important as the pieces on the board. We shake with our opponents, before and after the game, regardless of whether the result was favourable or not. All participants, including spectators are silent so that players can concentrate on their individual games. When a game concludes, we are not boastful in victory, nor ungracious in defeat – we treat our opponents with respect at all times.
Ethan concentrating hard during his game
As Douglas Williams of the National-Louise University will tell you, these are formal conventions – and compliance with these conventions along with respectful communication with our opponents, before and after the game, in turn promote good sportsmanship. Even the smallest things, like helping one another set up a board or deciding who will be which side are all positive social interactions that boost our ability to socialise and build us up as social beings.
When looking at other boards, you need to be respectful and quiet.
This is exactly what chess did for me. When I first started playing competition chess for my school, I was only 9 years old. I’m not too proud to admit it, but back then, I was lacking in proper etiquette. If I won – I would happily brag to anyone unfortunate enough to be nearby. As a spectator, I would make unflattering comments about other people’s games – even while they were still playing them! Worst of all, I was bitter in defeat and considered a game lost as nothing more than time wasted. At the beginning of my chess journey, I was an obnoxious player and unpleasant company.
Some behaviour is unacceptable in chess and would surprise players
The good news is that sportsmanship, like any other skill, can be taught, practised and mastered. I played competition chess until I was 17. The more I played, the more I became accustomed to the sensation of winning, losing and simply interacting with other people. With the help of my coaches, chess arbitrators and even my fellow players, I learned not simply how to be a good sport, but the value behind it. I came to realise that a civil game with a pleasant opponent was a far more enjoyable experience than anything I had done previously. I improved my gaming ethic and soon realised that the best part of chess was playing the game, not necessarily winning it – and that better company usually made for better games.
Chess improved me as a person. It taught me the value of sportsmanship and enhanced my ability to socially interact with other people. It taught me that there are more important things than winning and how to treat other people, even opponents, in a positive and civil manner.
If you give it a chance, with practice and patience, chess can teach you how to play a better game and become a better person.
Actually, HuiSi has been with us at Chesslife for over five years, starting her chess journey at the Campbelltown Library where she is now coaching and we are thrilled to have her with us.
HuiSi started playing Chess when she was ten years old. She loved the challenging nature of the game, it’s individuality and the new friends she made (and still continues to make) in her Chess journey.
As you’ll all know, the Chess Club at Campbelltown library has grown from strength to strength. There are always new people joining, new teams being built and more people to compete against. Hui Si still loves playing Chess at Campbelltown and will be part of the secondary team in the Inter school Chess Competition.
“The real highlight was being part of a team for the first time. It made me realise that chess could be a team game, rather than an individual game.”
HuiSi loves to play chess and learn something new every time she plays. She loves the atmosphere and the competitive edge at the chess club, but points out that
“…at Campbelltown it is a very welcoming and friendly environment where people can learn .”
HuiSi is looking forward to helping the younger members of the Campbelltown Chess Club to learn the basics of Chess.
“It’s great to see so many children start chess at such a young age and to be able to help them at the start of their chess journey and see their progress is very exciting.”
Chess is arguably the oldest game still played globally today. And it’s changing more rapidly than ever before. Chess has evolved for thousands of years from early Indian variants, to the modernized strategies of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries respectively. But chess is not done. In fact, it’s still changing – thanks to computers.
For several decades, computers have exceeded human players in skill due to their incredible calculating ability. The age-old question posed to chess players amateur and professional alike, ‘how many moves can you see ahead?’, can now be answered with reference to the power of your chess engine.
But even computers haven’t ‘solved’ chess yet, with its variations of possible positions extending into the billions (fun fact: there are more variations in a chess game than the number of galaxies). And their ‘brute force’ approach of looking at every single move and every single move in response to that and so on stands in stark contrast to the strategies employed and advocated by most coaches. Coaches and top players alike believe in assessing the position and making calculations, using only a few logical looking moves conjured from experience and intuition. Simply put, we don’t have the ‘engine’ power to calculate if pawn h3 is a good or not move every single game.
But the power of the computer cannot be denied, even if it’s not always logical. A computer is a tool that has ushered in a new era of chess, the computer era, where preparation before the game aided by your infallible digital coach (Stockfish or Komodo or Fritz etc) is increasingly important.
Magnus Carslen, current World Chess Champion, has admitted that the rise of computers has ‘take[n] a bit of the mysticism away. But… we’ve known for a long time that computers are better, so the computer never has been an opponent. It’s a tool to help me analyze and to help me improve at chess.”
For younger players just coming into chess, this increasing dependence on computers is less important in their early years. The reliance on computers should never be allowed to replace the multi-faceted role of a chess coach. A computer will never tell you why a certain move is good or bad (because it doesn’t really ‘know’), and won’t tell you what openings, endings or middle game strategies to practice. And of course, as most parents know, a computer cannot instill practices of good sportspersonship or confidence, either.
Nevertheless, chess computers can provide valuable educational, social and recreational benefits for those who care about bettering their game. Interestingly, man and computer have become one in the app ‘Play Magnus’. Players all over the world can test themselves against a virtual version of the Norwegian world champion Magnus Carlsen at various stages of his chess career, as early as 8 (quite easy to beat), and up to his twenties (for the majority of humans, impossible).
The computer has seen chess change in other ways too, perhaps most importantly the introduction of online competitions. Playing online on websites like Chess.com can be a light afternoon of fun, or for more serious players, a chance to cut their teeth and test out new moves and variations.
Former Australian chess champion, Guy West, has commented on the rise of the internet as a tool of the next generation of chess players, saying, ‘In the part, the advantage of experience has been greater because experienced players would have travelled around the world. Nowadays you can travel around the world via the internet.’
The internet is also a valuable tool when considering the abundance of resources out there, available for free for anyone who cares to listen and has an active connection. Young players are getting world class coaching from contemporary greats like Yasser Seirawan, Daniel King and Roger Svidler, who go through games or play ‘live’ blitz to an enthralled audience.
Chess is a global community and the use of computers and online gaming is only strengthening chess into the 21st century’s global game. On one website, Chess.com, they have reached over 15 million members (more than half of Australia’s population). So what does this mean for budding chess enthusiasts? Well, it means there’s never been a better time in history to get involved in the sport of chess!
Many people enjoying the game of chess at TATA Steel Tournament in the Netherlands
