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May 31, 2007
Chess in the media — again!
One thing I hate most is the bastardization of Chess in the media. This is very humiliating for me personally, since I consider myself a chess purist. I'm open to the use of Chess in the media, when used properly — especially when used for educational purposes. Instead, advertisers and marketers use the idea or concept of Chess merely as a "selling" tool, and because Chess is commonly associated or stereotyped with words like smart, witty, clever, intelligence, cunning, and the brain. It can only be an easy device to personify the idea of being ingenious, as in "an ingenious drug for the sleep-deprived!"
Rozerem, the popular prescription sleep medicine, which features honest Abe in a top-hat and a talking beaver as their "mascots," uses chess to promote the drug! I'm excusing Nozerem a little for their clever use of chess in their promotion. On their website they feature a cute AI chess-playing program that is very hard to lose. Choose between two levels: beginner or advanced. I would guess that its rating strength is in the range of 1100 or 1200, basically C-level.
Play against the Beaver and see how you fare
(Give it a try, it's easier than beating your dad!)
Note: not to worry, the AI engine doesn't have a book opening database. Even if you're a "wood pusher," you'll manage to beat the beaver by the middle game. Enjoy!
Posted by rene on 4:57 PM | Comments (0)
May 30, 2007
From Kalmykia to Mexico City
The Candidates Matches is under way in Elisa, Kalmykia. There are sixteen players currently vying for the chance to play at the World Chess Championship, which will take place in Mexico City later this year (Sept. 12 - Oct 1, 2007). The grand prize fund for this match is a cool $1.3 million!
From the Candiates Matches only four players will participate in the September 2007 World Chess Championship. And the competition is fierce! The A-list grandmasters include the young prodigy Magnus Carlsen of Norway, the only woman Judit Polgar of Hungary, the veteran Boris Gelfand of Israel, and Gata Kamsky representing the U.S.A.
During the final phase of the Candidates there will also be a Computer Challenge match between the top programs Deep Junior and Deep Fritz.
Who will win? Watch the Elista games live at the official site.
For more information on the WCC click here.
Posted by rene on 12:22 PM | Comments (0)
May 26, 2007
Chess sonata
Besides being a great game, this is a hilarious picture of diametrically opposing views of chess. Kasparov plays on the White keys, Karpov on the Black, like two virtuosi battling for the same piano bench!
The following game is from the Karpov-Kasparov World Championship Match, 1990:
[ Click here to play through the game ]
Posted by rene on 7:50 PM | Comments (0)
May 8, 2007
Attack, attack, attack!
A note for those less experienced chess players:
I was amazed when I started sparring with Fritz. The positions I felt comfortably with were demolished with horrifying ease, any counter tactic I would come up with was matched with an even better tactic, there was something missing in my game. When I looked back at those games, I realised that Fritz was playing plain simple type of chess: "attack, attack, attack."
And from there, I’ve learned to appreciate three elementary rules of chess tactics:
1. Evaluate checks first – your opponent is forced to do something about your check (or maybe it's a check-mate?!).
2. Evaluate captures next – in particular whether you can capture his better quality with your worse one.
3. Look where you can put your pieces so you can do 1. and/or 2.
It’s actually quite easy when the depth of a combination is 1-4 ply. I guess, for an average player, the difficulty arises when you are looking at +10 ply. GMs are too unpredictable - just take a look at the 1999 Kasparov vs Topalov game; Kasparov sacrificed his rook on move 24 to get it back with return on 39. It was a 30-ply analysis!
In the very near future, however, we will see computers with such advance software and microchips installed in them, and this will forever end any drawing chances a human may have against metal brains...
Posted by connpost on 8:52 AM | Comments (0)
