All posts by David

Reignited passions for the ancient game

We all know about Syria, the country that has been in the news for the last few years. Unfortunately, not because it has been going so well, but rather because war has destroyed normality. Within the chess community we find comradery and friendship, and an Olympiad creates a perfect opportunity to find out more about the people from Syria and how chess is an integral part of their world.

Our interview comes a day after the round against Jordan, a country bordering with Syria and amazingly, on that exact same day, the border between Jordan and Syria is re-opened!

Click on the board below of David’s annotation of Malek’s game against his opponent from Jordan. In this game he shows his talents in both positional as well as tactical play!

Today we have a chat with the captain of the open team, Akeel Mahmoud about the two junior players, 18-year-old Malek Koniahl in the Open team and 17-year-old Fatema Murad who plays on board 1 for the Women’s team.

Akeel was a civil engineer from Aleppo before the war broke out and when he lost his job, he turned his office space into a place for students to come and learn chess. He was an active player himself when he was younger but had lost touch with the game while pursuing his career and family life. The war created space and time to reignite that passion and allowed him to pick up where he left it. Now a FIDE Trainer, Akeel has been coaching many students and assisting them with international tournaments, including Malek.

Coaches Akeel and David

The Junior Chess League in Syria is growing, with many local tournaments. ‘We need to be able to play more internationally to really give these juniors an opportunity’ Akeel explains. Local chess tournaments and basic training are often free, with the sports ministry covering most of the costs.

Malek has had a pretty amazing track record; he started playing when he was 7 years old and very quickly became the U10 and then U12 champion. In 2017 he became the Syrian National Champion. Akeel became his coach early 2018. In March 2018, he played in the Iraq Open, a tournament with 15 GM’s and many International Masters, and Malek won the tournament. This was a huge achievement, which gained him around 110 elo points!

Malek before the start of his round against Jordan

Fatema started as an 8-year-old in her home town up north and was the only girl playing chess. She comes from a relatively conservative township but found an accepting group in the chess community. A good example of this is the small township of Salamiah. The chess community is so strong and supportive, allowing for more freedom and a focus on education, that three of the five players from the Women’s team are from Salamiah.

Fatema before the start of round 7

In and around the country chess clubs have reopened their doors; in Damascus alone, the capital of Syria, there are over 20 clubs. Clubs often play coaches small fees to the coaches, which in turn comes from the federation and the ministry of sport. When preparing and studying chess, things are also a little different in Syria. With services like paypal not usable, new DVD’s and updates are difficult to be purchased, therefore students are often learning from books and CD-roms.

Malek is both a positional and tactical player, but Akeel explains that he is trying to push him towards more positional play as he grows. Fatema is more a tactical player but can provide solid positional ideas. This would all work towards the dream of Malek to become a GM and chase a professional chess career. This is of course not going to be easy for someone from Syria, but clubs are helping this young prodigy to achieve his dreams.

An Australian Connection…

You may be wondering how we decide which juniors to interview, as there are so many amazing players walking around? Well sometimes, they just catch our eye, sometimes we have heard or read good things about them and sometimes it is a chance introduction. That was the case in our next story. We met up with the players from Qatar, because they played against Australia in round one , a country we are all familiar with, but don’t know too much about. The very friendly players asked us to take some photos of them as well and the conversation commenced.

Click on the board below to read David’s annotation of the exciting game between Bobby Cheng and Al Hor in Round 1 at the Olympiad.

 

17-year-old Al Shamari and 18 year old Al Hor are playing at the Olympiad for Qatar and while Al Shamari also played in Baku two years ago, it is the first time for Al Hor.

Playing against Australia is not the only connection these guys have with Australia as Al Hor used to be coached IM Alexej Khamatgaleev. (Alexej is married to Julia Ryjanova, who is currently playing for the Australian Women’s team) Julia and Alexej worked as a chess coach in Qatar in 2003, and Julia was the captain of the Qatari women’s chess team from 2008 for a number of years.

Julia Ryjanova during the Olympiad

We always meet for our interviews in the morning, so the players have plenty of time for lunch and preparations. There are lots of hotels in and around Batumi, but some teams have been placed in hotels on some of the beach resorts outside the city boundaries. This is the case of the Qatar team and we must travel for an hour by taxi to reach their very luxurious hotel. They tell me this is very difficult for their team players as Qatar is very small and they are not used to long travel. It is a difficult situation to be in, would you prefer to stay in a basic hotel near the playing hall, or live in luxury for two weeks, but travel an hour each way?

 

The luxurious lobby of the resort an hour away from Batumi

When did you start playing chess?

Al Hor – When I was 13 years old. I accompanied by brother and father to the local chess club to watch my brother play. I was convinced to try chess for one week and got hooked. I am now the only one of my four siblings who still plays chess.

Al Shamari – I started also when I was 13 years of age at a school tournament. I watched You-Tube video’s and taught myself how the pieces move. I then moved from the school chess club to a city chess club as I improved.

Al Hor Salih before the start of round 1

What is the junior chess league like in Qatar?

The U12 categories are growing now that the federation is making a real effort to put some advertising in. At our level there are only 6 players, but you need to keep in mind that there are only 300.000 people in the entire country. We do have 2 GM’s, so we are pretty proud of that!

 

What are some of your goals?

Al Hor – I would like to come 2nd in the upcoming Arab championships. Of course, gaining the GM title would be my ultimate goal.

Al Shamari – I don’t have any chess goals at the moment, just play and win games.

Al Shamari Ghanem before the start of round 1

Who is your favourite player of all times?

Al Hor – Mikhael Tahl. I like the way he plays, very complicated and tactical

Al Shamari – Hichem Hamdouchi, a Moroccan-French chess grandmaster. He is a very positional player and I enjoy his games.

 

What kind of player are you?

Al Shamari – I like to think I am a positional player, until my opponent makes a mistake. I like to play the Sicilian with black and London with white.

Al Hor – I like to play sharp chess and what I play depends on my mood. I have relatively recently changed my opening repertoire to Pirc Defence and even though I don’t love the opening, I do seem to be getting good results, so I’ll stick with it a bit longer. I have now started to focus more on studying end games.

Team Qatar ready for Australia! (which ended up a 4:0 win for Ozz)

What kind of chess books do you read?

Al Shamari – I have been very busy with high school lately and have not been reading many chess books. However I do have a couple of strategy books in Arabic that I like.

Al Hor – I was given ‘Imagination in chess’ by Paata Gaprindashvili, but at the time I was too weak of a player. I hope to be able to work with it very soon. [editorial note – this is David’s favourite book as it discusses thinking processes]

 

What has chess taught you about life?

Al Hor – It has given me more patience

Al Shamari – How to solve problems. Sometimes it is better to wait and think.

 

What was your most memorable game?

Al Shamari – In 2015 in Morocco where I played against an Algerian champion with a rating of 1900. At this time I only had a rating of 1500. I played the London and a very sharp game followed. Nearing the end I took 30 minutes to consider a move after which my opponent resigned.  Ivan Sokolov was very impressed with my game and shook my hand to congratulate me!

Al Hor – My most memorable game was at the Biel chess festival where I played against Jan Fricke. He played an opening I was unfamiliar with and was under pressure. Then I played a very rare gambit, unknown by my coach, and was able to continue with confidence. Peter Sviedler was behind me us during this gambit and he smiled when I made the move. He even tweeted about it and responded to my tweet!

Click on the board below to read the annotation by David on this game by Al Hor. We have left Al Hor’s comments in the annotation to give you an inside look in what he was thinking!

 

We noticed there is no Women’s team this year playing for Qatar. Why is that?

They are currently preparing for their exams and were unable to make it this year. Hopefully in future years we will be able to submit a women’s team.

 

What do we not know about Qatar that we should all be aware off?

Al Hor – The people are really kind. Some might be reluctant to talk to locals, but you should really try as they are very kind and always willing to help! We also have a lot traditional food with rice.

Al Hor in thought during round 6

We wish the team all the best as their board 2 player had to leave and their board five player has flown in to assist. This means that there are only four players remaining for the final 6 rounds and all players will need to play all rounds. This will be incredible tough, but after having met the two young men, we are confident they will give it their all!

Juniors that keep on growing

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!  

 

Making brave decisions for chess

When we do these interviews, we find out amazing stories. We hear about the players perspectives and are provided with a glimpse of what is like for a junior from another country.  

Imagine what you would do if attending the Olympiad would mean you get an ‘invalid’ on your report card and miss out on scholarships, because you miss the exams? Would you choose school or chess?

Imagine if you would go to school from 7am to 4-5pm and still need to do homework. Would you sacrifice time with your friends to study chess?

Imagine if you had to enlist to the army for two years after high school, would you chase a chess career early so you could hopefully return to chess when your service time is over?

These choices sound difficult and we are amazed by the commitment these young players have made. Even though Singapore is pretty close to Australia, it is clear that life as a chess player is very different.

So, lets introduce them:

From left to right; Emanuelle, Eunice, Qing Aun and Jun Wei

17-year-old FM Qing Aun. Some of you may already be familiar with Qing Aun as he played in the Lidums Young Masters IM norm event in 2017. In fact, he had such a great time, he is scheduled to return to Adelaide in 2018! 

We are also talking to 17-year-old CM Jun Wei who is keen to also chase an IM norm. He would like to obtain this before he turns 19 and needs to enrol for the army.  The two-year compulsory army service sees an end to most chess careers, so the best approach is to have yourself established before your duty starts.

Emmanuelle during round 5

And then there are 15-year-old Eunice and 17-year-old Emmanuelle. The two women are a little more reserved, but don’t be fooled as these two have some real determination. With only four women playing in the team this year, none of the players in the Women’s team get a day off, they need to play all rounds, which is an incredible tough thing to do. The team tells us they all try to stay physically fit by stretching in the rooms and making good use of the table tennis table in the hotel. 

Qing Aun deep in thought during round 5

So where did it all start for them?

Emmanuelle and Eunice both started playing around the age of 7 and while Eunice started getting more formal training when she was 8 or 9, Emmanuelle did not get formal coaching until she was 11 years old.

 FM Qing Aun started playing chess when he was about 6 years old and his father taught him the rules of the game. At the age of 9 he started receiving formal training at the chess academy.

Jun Wei started a little bit later than the other guys, with learning the basics at the age of 8 and formal training commencing at the age of 10. He immediately tells us that his major achievements are not those that we can find in his chess rating or scores against players, but in himself. His confidence has grown, and he is now living a life he could have never imagined.

Eunice during round 5

When we ask the young players what kind of chess player they are and what some of the openings they play, they fall quiet. They are reluctant to share this as this may give an opponent an unfair advantage. At first, we are a little surprised as games are played on DGT boards and downloadable at the end of each round. Surely, if their opponents want to do research, that would be a better place to look! However, during the interview it becomes clear why they are reluctant to talk about their playing styles. The kind of sacrifices these players have made are very different than what we go through in Australia. As we mentioned earlier, making very long school days and taking time away from friends to study chess is not something every teenager would do. Risking your scholarships and missing your exams is also a huge decision for these young players. To obtain the level of chess these youngsters are playing at takes some serious commitment and we totally understand!

They also tell us that to qualify for the Olympiad team, there are several tournaments, including the nationals held in December. The top players from this tournament are selected over a two-year period. The Open team for Singapore features WGM Qianyun Gong, which is also great to see!

 

WGM Qianyun Gong. Great to see a female in the Open team for Singapore!

When we asked what some of the most memorable game were they ever played, they were keen to share as this is exactly what brings that magic to chess – memorable games that make you proud of your achievements.

Eunice – Round 4 in the Bangkok Open in April. I played against a much higher rated player and I was a pawn down in the middle game. With about 20 minutes left on the clock, my opponent blundered, and I won. Was the best day of my life!

Qing Aun – In an IM norm event, I played against a GM. It was a great fight and we ended up drawing.

Emmanuelle – Also in Bangkok in round 1. I played against an IM, my first time playing against an IM and was able to threaten mate a few times.

Jun Wei – My most memorable game was in a simul against none other then Anand. We were fairly equal, but after 4 hours of play, Anand blundered, and I won the game.

Jun Wei before the start of round 1

What advice do you have for Australian Juniors?

Eunice – Enjoy, no Love the game!

Jun Wei – Do not let other things fight your game. It doesn’t matter what else is going on in life, focus on your current game. Remember, every player is only as strong as their last game.

Emmanuelle – Play the board, not the player. Be immersed in the game

Eunice – Love the game. Try your best and don’t measure yourself to others. Just take one step at the time.

 

So next time you don’t feel like studying for a tournament, keep in mind the amazing work of these guys. Let them inspire you to make your choices!

Click on the photo to see their message to Australia!

Dreams come true for Curacao!

Imagine starting to play chess at the age of 9 years old in 2011 and being crowned the National Junior Champion in 2016 at the age of 14! That incredible story is not only a dream come true, but also the real story of David Pietersz from Netherlands Antilles.

 

David and David having a chat

Now at the age of 16, he is representing his country, Curacao, which for legislative reasons is still classified as the Netherlands Antilles with FIDE. The list of tournaments won over the last 7 years is impressive and shows the amount of potential David has. For example, in his first international tournament in Aruba he came 3rd in the U12 category in 2013 and then 1st in the U18 category when he returned in 2015. He was 1st in U14 in a Caribbean tournament and came 2nd and 3rd in the National championships in Curacao in 2016 and 2017 respectively. (note this last tournament is not the junior event, but the general open tournament.)

 

Click on the photo to see David’s message to Australia!

In order to be selected to play at the Olympiad, chess players can play in 5 tournaments and score points (score is relative to final ranking in tournament). The five players that have the highest score are provided with a position in the national team at the Olympiad. David, coming fifth, is proud and keen to learn and grow from the experience. He has had his eyes on playing in the Olympiad for many years, so this trip is a dream come true!

 

He was taught chess by his dad, who had spotted a chess board at his grandma’s house and was really driven to take his chess to the next level when he finally beat one of his long-time rivals. He hasn’t looked back since and tries to get at least one hour of chess training in each day.

David eagerly awaiting his first game in Round 1

You have achieved quite a bit in your short career, so what are some of the goals you still have?

 

I definitely would like a chess title, increase my rating and represent Curacao at more international events.

David (Chesslife) has analysed David’s (Curacao) favourite game from last year. White crushes Black’s French pawn structure with the classical f4-f5. Click on the chessboard to open up the analysis.

 

Who is your favourite player of all times?

World Champion Magnus Carlsen. I like his dominant playing style. Although currently I am very much enjoying games by Dutch player Anish Giri, even though his playing style is very different from Magnus’ games.

 

Do you have any favourite chess books?

I don’t remember the exact title, but my first book was a general chess openings book and I remember that it made a huge impact having a book and learning from it.

 

David concentraing in his game against Surinam in round 4

What kind of chess player are you?

I like to think I am more of a positional player; with White I enjoy playing the Reti and the English, while with Black I play the Scandanavian and Queen’s Indian. Of course I think that I can play tactically when I have to!

 

What is the junior league like in Curacao?

Juniors in Curacao are definitely very competitive and there are several players who are very strong. The number of juniors playing has significantly increased over the last few years, with more publicity on Facebook, newspapers and tv. The three local clubs are doing a great job advertising their events and drawing in more players.

 

What has chess taught you about life?

Chess has really helped me with my schooling. I have learned to think things through and plan. Don’t rush, take your time and review all options.

 

What is your advice to Australian Juniors?

Continue to do your best and work towards your goals. Your hard work will pay off if you keep at it.

 

 

 

Country Facts!

The country was formerly part of the Netherlands Antilles and is now formally called the Country of Curaçao it includes the main island of Curaçao and the uninhabited island of “Little Curaçao”. Curaçao has a population over 160,000 in an area of 444 km2 and its capital is Willemstad.

 

 

Meet the youngsters from South Korea!

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.

Meet the real Queen of Katwe (and other interesting facts)

The opening Ceremony has been held and everyone is ready for the first round. The pairings were been made available last night and we can only imagine that across Batumi, many players spend their Monday morning in front of their laptops, preparing for their first game.

Festive celebrations at the Openings Ceremony

For the teams that have been ranked at the lower end – round 1 is the opportunity to play against some of the greats. For example, the women’s New Zealand team, will play India in round 1. The Ugandan Open teams plays against Russia, and the Women’s team from Tajikistan plays against power house Russia. Those opportunities don’t come along very often!

The Australian Open team, ranked 41st in the opening standings, will play against Qatar in round 1, while the Australian Women’s team will play against United Arab Emirates (UAE). Those facts in itself are not super interesting, it is when you dig a little deeper that you find some amazing stories.

Australia’s Women’s team

For example, the women’s team from UAE is one of the youngest playing teams in the tournament, with a 15, 16 and a 9 year old! Alserkal will most likely be the youngest competitor of the Olympiad. However, she is not the only player that is not a teenager yet; Rishon Bastienne from Seychelles is only 11 years old. We will be keen to catch up with them during the tournament. For now they have a rest for round 1.

Another interesting fact is that 17 year old Polina Karelina from the Bahamas is one of the very few two women playing in the Open category.

Polina Karelina

Another team we will be watching is Uganda. Our connection with this country is through our Rotary membership, where the Rotary Fellowship of Chess has been setting up chess programs at schools with the assistance of fellow Rotarian Christopher Major and the Ugandan board 2 player WFM Christine Namaganda. On board 4 there  is 17 year old Gloria, who we will introduce to you later in the tournament.

Christine and Gloria from Team Uganda

 

Chess programs in Uganda – photo courtesy of Christopher Major

On board 1 they have the one and only Queen of Katwe playing! I am sure you have all seen the amazing Disney movie about a Ugandan girl, following her dreams through chess!

The real Queen of Katwe; Phiona Mutesi

In the Open category, the Iranian team is one to watch – not only has this country been smashing it at the last few World Youth Championships, their team is ranked 22nd and three of their players are under the age of 18.

So what do we think will happen over the next 11 rounds?

We expect the US to take out gold in the Open for a second time in a row. It is hard to compete with top players like World Champion challenger Fabiano Caruano, Wesley So, Hikaru Nakamaru and current US champion Sam Shankland. However, Russia, China and India are certainly going to give them a challenge to the top. Countries like Azerbaijan and Iran are also very likely to end up in the top 10.

US Champion Sam Shankland

In the Women’s category, the top positions will be dominated by Russia, China, Ukraine and India. Will the hometown advantage be enough for Georgia to take out another Olympiad? We think it is very likely!

We will of course be watching Australia very closely, as well as our friendly neighbours New Zealand. The battles fought by Australia will be fierce and they may end up slightly higher than their starting rank. So stay tuned for all the action!

Australian GM Zong-Yuan Zhao

5 Reasons to attend the Chess Olympiad

You may be wondering, why have you travelled all the way to Georgia, south of Russia, to attend the Chess Olympiad? You are not an official player, you are not an official arbiter, you are not an official delegate – so why take the time away to go? Well that is easy! Let me tell you why!

 

1.       Chess Community

People involved with chess instantly become a community of friends. We see that in the Adelaide Hills, the Campbelltown library chess club and the wider (South) Australian Chess Community. The same applies for the chess community around the world. We have made some fantastic friends over the years and the Olympiad brings them all together. It is a great way for us to catch up with chess friends from everywhere.

David with GM Vasily Papin

 

2.       Seeing the world

Who doesn’t love to travel the world? It is healthy to plan a break regularly and take time out from your day to day activities so that you can recharge. These Olympiads take us to some amazing places every two years. We often take a week before the Olympiad start to discover the sites, before we settle in to report on the chess Olympiad.

Mount Kazbegi

 

3.       Learning from the greats

Surrounding yourselves with the best, will allow you to grow and become a better person. Always try and learn from people that have already walked the path or are more experienced. At the Olympiad we learn every day, not just from the players, but also from the photographers, the reporters and the supporters. It allows us to see how others do things and how we can improve to make chess back home even better!

 

Hou Yifan, Olympiad Baku 2016

4.       Promotion of Australian Chess

Chess is a big deal around the world. Many have made playing the game their profession. There are arbiters that travel from tournament to tournament and of course there are many professional chess reporters. Australia is only at the beginning of their journey, with the amount of GM’s doubled in the last few years and the amount of coverage about the Australian players growing. We are here to assist that growth and help wherever we can to promote Australian chess.

 

GM Anton Smirnov

5.       Promotion of Junior Players

We love seeing the young legends rise to the top of their abilities. The Australian junior players have been showing us they have what it takes, it is just a matter of time. In fact, this year’s Open team for Australia is one of the youngest the country has seen playing.  However, they are not alone, there are hundred and thousands of amazing young chess players around the world. We will showcase some of them, so you can be inspired and continue to follow your dreams.

 

GM Pragganandhaa

As you can see there are lots of reasons to attend the Olympiad. The chess community is a great community to be part of and we are proud to be able to represent Australia as official press. In fact, we recommend that you one day plan a trip to an Olympiad just to experience the atmosphere!

The Chess Olympics! (or better known as the Chess Olympiad)

It’s Paris, 1924.

Written by chess coach Alex Jury

France is about to host the 1924 Summer Olympics. An idea, an unprecedented idea has been proposed: amongst the sailing of boats and the throwing of balls, the riding of horses and the shooting of guns, why not add Chess to the venue? After all, Chess is a duel of minds and a test of skill and ability.

Why not honour Chess with a venue in the Olympics?  

Alas, it is not to be. There is an issue in determining which players are truly professional and which are merely amateur. When the Olympics went ahead, Chess, sadly, was left behind.

But the dream did not die there. As the 1924 Summer Olympics commenced, so did the 1st unofficial Chess Olympiad. Fifty-four players from eighteen different nations competed for the title of Amateur World Champion. The victor was Latvian player, and later World Champion, Hermanis Matisons.

But this was only the beginning.

From these humble origins emerged the World Chess Federation, a governing body of international chess competition. By 1927, it had organised the very first official Chess Olympiad, taking place in London and attended by sixteen nations. From there, a Chess Olympiad has been hosted every two years, to an ever widening international audience of Chess players, masters and enthusiasts.

Chess Olympiad in London 1927

At the time of writing, we are eagerly anticipating the 43rd Chess Olympiad, to be hosted in Batumi, Georgia. Mens and women’s teams from over one hundred and ninety nations are expected to participate, including an Australian team, captained by Melbourne born Grandmaster, Darryl Johansen. The full team composition is as follows:

And the Women’s team is as follows:


 

 

Also in attendance shall be Chesslife’s very own David and Sabrina, who shall have the honour of seeing it all play out first hand (take lots of pictures!). They will be there as part of the Australian press team and will return with their blog about Juniors at the Olympiad


For everyone else, however, we may be rest assured that our chess community is forever on the grow. From a little, sidelined event, brought together by a collection of enthusiasts, the Chess Olympiads has grown into a century long, worldwide tradition. 

Such is the indomitable will of Chess!           

Morphy vs. the Duke of Brunswick and Count Isouard

Article by Chesslife Chess Coach Steve D’Arruda

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

This Saturday 28th of April at The Duke of Brunswick Hotel

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.