Arlen Abdrashev won the 2000+ knockout of the ChessPunks Champs 2023, defeating NM Alexander Balkum in a final playoff.

Tushar Anand went undefeated in every round to win the 1700-1999 division. Ivan Zhuk swept all of his matches to win the 1300-1699 section, making comebacks in both his games vs. Kristan Klimczak in the final.

Mark Manucharyan clinched the under-1300 division by winning every game except one, which was a brilliancy by his opponent, Oladipupo Lekan.

After the Qualifier stage on September 17-18, eight players from each section emerged at the top out of hundreds. Over the next month, to prepare for the championship, each of the competitiors received weekly one-on-one training sessions from one of the top-notch coaches below:

These sessions proved to be rewarding for the teachers and students alike. Kingcoach of the winner of the Game of the Day, Lekanrevealed the unusual yet inspiring circumstances for his last lesson with one of his proteges.

Additionally, several players themselves have shared about their learning experiences.

On Sunday, the 32 competitors had the chance to show their improvement in the Knockout stage of the ChessPunks Champs.

Abdrashev went toe-to-toe with Anastasios Koukas in a double-overtime quarterfinals match. Ultimately, the Kazakh competitor gained the upper hand with tactical play in a rook ending in the last blitz playoff game.

Abdrashev swept Mr Dodgy in the semifinals and faced Balkum in the final, where every game came down to bishops of opposite colors. After a deadlocked initial two duels, Abdrashev swindled a victory from a position that seemed to be leading to a draw. In the time scramble, Abdrashev caught Balkum in a premove and snuck one of his pawns by its counterpart to create a passer, which he promoted in the end.

Abdrashev won a $1,000 stipend for his chess improvement and $1,000 for premium Chessable courses of his choice.

Many of the competitors posted about their tournament experiences.

Bracket - 2000+

In the quarterfinals, Anand's passed pawns were the stars in both his games vs. Orla Dorman, as he sealed the match with a pawn breakthrough.

Anand won his semifinals games vs. Harel Davidson with a similar consistency, outpacing his opponent's attack in both. After a level first game in the final, Anand capitalized on Michael Porcelli's weakened structure by snatching an extra pawn in the knight vs. bishop ending.

Anand earned a $1,000 chess training stipend and $1,000 for Chessable courses.

Adding onto his 9-0 in the qualifier, Zhuk won all six of his games in the knockout, starting with an exchange sacrifice that allowed him to rip apart Abhishek G.'s structure in the quarterfinals.

The Polish competitor sealed victory in the semifinal with stellar time management, which allowed him to turn an inferior ending into a winning one vs. Shareef Shaiden.

In the final vs. Kristan Klimczak, Zhuk made a comeback to win a pawn-down rook ending in the first game. In the second, Klimczak conjured a dangerous king attack with a bishop sacrifice, but Zhuk escaped alive to the endgame by forcing a queen trade. With the reduced material, Zhuk generated winning chances by creating a passer.

Zhuk took home a $1,000 learning stipend and $1,000 for premium Chessable courses.

Bracket - 1300-1699

Manucharyan won almost every game in the knockout with one notable exception. In the quarterfinal, in a must-win position after losing the first game, Oladipupo Lekan spawned a menacing king attack that continued to rage even after the queens were traded. Lekan's brilliant victory featured a scintillating rook sacrifice:

Here is GM Daniel King discussing the game above:

Manucharyan achieved 2-0 sweeps of Faisal Madi in the semifinals and Rajbir Chakraborty in the final. In game one of the final, Manucharyan's impending attack prompted an inaccurate bishop sacrifice by his opponent.

Manucharyan won a $1,000 chess stipend and $1,000 in Chessable courses.

One quarterfinalist, Charlotte Ruddy, went out with a bang in her match vs. Emery Reusch.

Omar Mills, another quarterfinalist, focused on turning his losses into positive learning experiences.

Other competitors simply focused on enjoying the ride.

Bracket - 0-1299

Knockout - Winners

The ChessPunks Champs is a knockout tournament for the ChessPunks community of adult improvers. The event's qualifiers occurred on September 16-17 at 12 p.m. ET/18:00 CEST, while the main event happens on October 22 at 1 p.m. ET/19:00 CEST. The 32 qualifying players will receive a year of Chessable PRO and Chess.com diamond memberships and compete for additional opportunities to grow their chess knowledge.

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ChessPunks Adult Improvers Tournament Ends With Arlen ... - Chess.com

GM Daniel Naroditsky continued his domination of October's Bullet Brawls after finishing three points ahead of 10-time winner GM Hikaru Nakamura in a race to the finish on Saturday. In a tournament graced by the presence of top players such as GMs Magnus Carlsen, Andrew Tang, and Nihal Sarin, Naroditsky's 70-win run is his best yet and he is the deserving winner of the $400 first prize.

Behind the two bullet juggernauts, Tang claimed the $150 third prize while the newly crowned "I'M Not A GM" Speed Chess Champion, IM Polina Shuvalova, took the $100 top female prize. In the community event, "advancedrook" once again triumphed in the event with 69 wins, one draw, and eight losses.

The next edition of Bullet Brawl will take place on Saturday, October 28, 2023, at 1 p.m. ET/19:00 CEST.

How to review games?The games from October's third Bullet Brawl can be found here.

In Saturday's two-hour titled arena, 125 players competed, and this week's tournament was the most top-heavy in recent times, courtesy of the 2023 Qatar Masters ending and relieving several of the world's top players who turned up and showed their bullet prowess.

For Naroditsky, winning his eighth Bullet Brawl title was more difficult than usual. However, having toppled Nakamura in the very first game, the American commentator showed he was up to the challenge.

Though Naroditsky's overall scores against Nakamura and Carlsen, arguably the world's best online speed chess players, were 2/6 and 1/3 respectively, it was his superiority over the rest of the field and trademark quick finishes that allowed him to take the title.

Finishing ahead of Nakamura in Bullet Brawl has been an impossible task for anyone but Naroditsky thus far, and doing so required several clutch moments.

With 10 minutes left on the arena clock and Nakamura ahead by a single win, it appeared as though he would storm home off the back of an eight-game winning streak. The world number-four found himself paired with the dangerous IM Kirill Klukin and was held to a draw after 45 moves, a result that would allow Naroditsky to tie things up.

The final minute of the event was quite possibly the most intense that Bullet Brawl has seen in its short history, and Nakamura, on the cusp of victory against CM Artem Bardyk, missed a timely rook sacrifice that led to a stalemate, while Naroditsky simultaneously flagged his opponent in the last moments.

Remarkably, Naroditsky and Nakamura have won 78% (or 18 out of 23) of Bullet Brawls events since its inception and are now locked in a battle for the most wins (currently Nakamura leads Naroditsky 10 to eight).

Viewers can expect the rivals to up the ante over the next few weeks as the race becomes tighter and more top players show their faces.

Standings

Bullet Brawl is an exciting new titled arena that features Chess.com's top bullet specialists and now takes place weekly on Saturdays. The format is a two-hour arena with a 1+0 time control; the prize fund is $1,000.

Much like Titled Tuesday and Arena Kings, Bullet Brawl often features top GMs, including Hikaru Nakamura, Daniel Naroditsky, Andrew Tang, Tuan Minh Le, and many more!

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Naroditsky Stuns In Photo Finish With Nakamura - Chess.com

SAINT LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 27, 2023--

The final two legs of the 2023 Grand Chess Tour will bring the worlds best chess players to Saint Louis to compete in the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz and Sinquefield Cup to determine the overall tour winner. Currently Grandmaster (GM) Fabiano Caruana holds the lead, followed by GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda and GM Richard Rapport. GM Ding Liren has withdrawn from both events and will be replaced with GM Lim Quang L and GM Levon Aronian, respectively.

This year's Grand Chess Tour is one of the strongest ever because we will have all the top players competing in different tournaments across the world. There has been a lot of excitement throughout the season and I look forward to seeing who will win following the last tour stop in Saint Louis, said legendary World Champion Garry Kasparov, one of the world's greatest ambassadors for chess, who inspired the Grand Chess Tour and helped solidify the partnership between the organizers.

Final Rapid & Blitz Event to Take Place in Americas Chess Capital

An integral component of the Grand Chess Tour since 2017, the 2023 Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz tournament is set to be filled with fast-paced action and drama. This will be the third and final rapid and blitz event of the tour, with another $175,000 in prize money on the line for the participants. The tournament will be hosted by the Saint Louis Chess Club at the World Chess Hall of Fame from November 13-19, 2023 in Saint Louis, MO. The Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz field will feature:

Player Name

Highlights

Current Ranking

FIDE Rating

Country

GM Fabiano Caruana

2022 American Cup Champion; 2022 and 2023 U.S. Champion

2

2786

USA

GM Alireza Firouza

2022 GCT Overall Champion and 2022 Sinquefield Cup Champion

5

2777

FRA

GM Ian Nepomniachtchi

2021 World Championship challenger, 2022 Candidates Tournament Champion, 2023 World Championship challenger

6

2771

FIDE

GM Anish Giri

Four-time Dutch Champion and 2023 Tata Steel Masters Champion

7

2760

NED

GM Wesley So

2021 Grand Chess Tour Overall Champion, 2022 GCT runner-up

10

2753

USA

GM Lim Quang L

2013 World Blitz Chess Championship Champion; 2014-2017 Presidents Cup (Chess) Champion

18

2733

VIE

GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave

2021 Grand Chess Tour runner-up, 2021 Sinquefield Cup Champion, 2021 Croatia Grand Chess Tour Champion

21

2727

FRA

GM Ray Robson

2015 U.S. Chess Championship Runner-up, 2023 Prague Masters Champion

36

2699

USA

GM Sam Sevian

2023 Champions Showdown: Chess9LX Champion

37

2698

USA

GM Jeffery Xiong

2020 US Chess Championship Runner-up; fourth youngest U.S. player to qualify for the grandmaster title

45

2693

USA

The commentary team will feature GM Yasser Seirawan, GM Peter Svidler and Woman Grandmaster (WGM) Tania Sachdev. Coverage will begin daily during the tournament at 1:20 p.m. CT.

Sinquefield Cup Set to Conclude 2023 Tour

The 2023 Sinquefield Cup featuring a traditional classical format will serve as the final stop on the tour and will be held November 21-December 1, 2023 at the Saint Louis Chess Club. With a $350,000 total prize fund, the strongest tournament on American soil will be the final opportunity for competitors to earn points for the 2023 Grand Chess Tour. And at the end of the tournament, a new tour champion will be crowned. The Sinquefield Cup field will feature:

Player Name

Highlights

Current Ranking

FIDE Rating

Country

GM Fabiano Caruana

2022 American Cup Champion; 2022 and 2023 U.S. Champion

2

2786

USA

GM Alireza Firouza

2022 GCT Overall Champion and 2022 Sinquefield Cup Champion

5

2777

FRA

GM Ian Nepomniachtchi

2021 World Championship challenger, 2022 Candidates Tournament Champion, 2023 World Championship challenger

6

2771

FIDE

GM Anish Giri

Four-time Dutch Champion and 2023 Tata Steel Masters Champion

7

2760

NED

GM Wesley So

2021 Grand Chess Tour Overall Champion, 2022 GCT Runner-up

10

2753

USA

GM Richard Rapport

2022 Danzhou Tournament Champion

11

2752

ROU

GM Leinier Dominguez

2008 World Blitz Champion, five-time Cuban Champion, 2021 Champions Showdown Champion, 2019 & 2022 U.S Championship Runner-up

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Grand Chess Tour Names Field for Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz and ... - Joplin Globe

By Philipp Hillebrand

Some time ago I wrote a review of Yannick Pelletier's Fritztrainer about the Hedgehog. In his new course on the Hedgehog Herman Grooten does not want to present big theoretical innovations, but he wants to explain the ideas of the Hedgehog-structure, and his vast experience in communicating ideas and concepts is immediately apparent. Although Grooten may not be as well known as Pelletier, he is in no way inferior to him when it comes to conveying ideas, plans, strategies and tactics that can be understood by less experienced chess players thanks to the way they are didactically presented.

This Fritztrainer is very structured, moving from individual elements of a strategic or tactical nature to a discussion of games that the author has played. I think this is absolutely justified, as playing the hedgehog contains many psychological elements, and an author can discuss these much more authentically if he has played these games himself. So the "summary" is as follows:

I. Introduction

II. Learning from the Hedgehog Classics

III. Typical Plans for White

IV. Typical Plans for Black

V. The Marozcy Bind in relationship to the Hedgehog

VI. Games of the author

VII. Exercises

About I.

The author provides schematic plans and background knowledge, discussing the diagrams at this point with only the relevant pieces and, of course, the pawns:

The structure of the black pawns is what gives the "Hedgehog" its name, as Black's pawns control the center and the queenside on the fifth rank, making it very difficult for White to establish an outpost there. Especially, square d5 is one that both sides aim to fully utilize. The white pawns on e4 and c4 keep a close watch on this strategically important square, also aiming to keep the backward black pawn on d6 under control.

However, the Hedgehog possesses some unique dynamics, and from my own experience, both with the white and black pieces, I know that the more pressure you apply to these pawns, the fiercer the counterattacks tend to be, especially when the breakthrough ...d6-d5 occurs, unleashing the power of the black pieces. Therefore, it's not uncommon to employ the lever ...b6-b5 to weaken the d5 square. Consequently, the player with the white pieces must always consider three possible levers: the move ...b6-b5, the move ...d6-d5, or a combination of both.

This realization alone leads you to expect tactics. And White cannot simply wait to enjoy its spatial advantage, for when the Hedgehog unfurls its spines, it can become very painful for White. Space is also tricky in the Hedgehog. It is a misconception to believe that Black is worse because Black's pieces seem to lack space. In fact, Black's pieces can be very effective, even when standing on the back rank:

This position comes from the game Wintzer, J - Grooten, H, 0-1 (47), Lugano 1989. Black's last move was 47...Qb6-b8!, after which White resigned.

The diagram position illustrates many elements of the Hedgehog, as White can often make significant progress on the queenside, but on the other hand has to take care of his king, particularly when queens are still on the board and White pushes his f-pawn. Therefore, Black should usually avoid to exchange queens, despite Black's spatial disadvantage. The more pieces leave the board, the more vulnerable the black d6 pawn becomes, and the spatial disadvantage can then become more pronounced. Hence, Black should seek his chances in a king-side attack, and that's what the Hedgehog player desires a wild king hunt!

About II:

In a TV game (with a time control of 60 minutes) played between the future World Champion Robert Fischer and the emerging Swedish talent Ulf Andersson, an Hedgehog position emerged on the board, albeit with colors reversed:

Here, it is White who has a Hedgehog structure and here Fischer played 13.Kh1!!, a move with attacking purposes as White wants to follow up with Rg1 and g2-g4-g5. Fischer won the game with logical and energetic play, inspiring pioneers like GM Adorjan, GM Ribli, and especially GM Suba, to take a closer look at the Hedgehog. They played very instructive and aesthetically pleasing games with this structure, and it's worth exploring these classics.

Unfortunately, they are not found on this Fritztrainer, as they are on a very high level, especially in terms of the subtleties in the opening, and Grooten's course aims to show and to accompany the first steps and concepts of the Hedgehog. Therefore, it's worth revisiting GM Pelletier's work!

About III:

Above I mentioned the significance of the d5 square, and sometimes White can sacrifice or pseudo-sacrifice a knight on d5:

The knight jump to d5 gains strength whenever it comes with pinning motifs along the c-file. There are cases when White sacrifices the knight and gets compensation, however, when the heavy pieces are lined up along the c-file, the move Nd5 is often a pseudo-sacrifce. And often it is strong. Usually, Black cannot allow White to exchange the knight on d5 against Black's bishop on e7 as the bishop is a key defender of Black's weak pawn on d6 and often important to create counterplay against the white king.

But after the sequence ...exd5 cxd5 and the subsequent capture on c6, Black is usually left with a ruin, not least because d5 can now be used by other white pieces. In the third chapter, the author talks about "shaving the spines," which is a fitting metaphor as it helps clarify some general strategic ideas.

Grooten also shows other ideas to put Black under pressure, e.g. the advance of the a-pawn, the breakthrough with c4-c5, which is usually first prepared by b2-b4, and the central breakthrough e4-e5.

Often, it's the black pawn on a6 that becomes a target for the white pieces in the endgame. And one must not forget that if the queens disappear from the board, the white king can quickly become active in the center via f2-e3-d4. Therefore, both sides need to keep an eye on possible breakthroughs that transpose to the endgame.

About IV:

The pawn breakthroughs ...d6-d5 and ...b6-b5 are examined in more detail in this section. Additionally, the plan introduced into tournament practice by Robert Fischer with reversed colors against Ulf Andersson (see above) is discussed. Nevertheless, it is worthwhile for Black to consider this attacking scheme:

Black's pieces are in very aggressive and promising positions, especially Black's bishop on c7 plays an important role in many positions after ...d6-d5, as the square h2 might become vulnerable. And Black's knight on f6 might go to h5 to threaten a devastating check on g3.

This position appeared in a blitz game between Sergey Kasparov and Sergei Azarov. Kasparov's namesake also plays the Hedgehog with Black and knows what Black can do. As a result, he has already played preventive moves like Kg1-h1 and Be3-g1 to safeguard the critical square h2. Still, Black has more firepower on the kingside, which makes the defense extremely challenging.

As mentioned earlier, such king-side attacks are the objective of the player with the black pieces. It's worth studying games by Sergey Shipov, who has also written two significant books on the Hedgehog. The following example is thematically related to the "breakthrough ...b6-b5":

This position arose in a game between Sergei Pestov and Sergei Shipov during an open tournament in Moscow in 1994.

The exchange of the white bishop on g2 often aids the player with the black pieces for two reasons. Firstly, the white king becomes more vulnerable to attacks, and secondly, control over the d5 square diminishes. It's also typical for the black queen to appear on b7 in such cases, from where it eyes g2 but also keeps an eye on the b5 square.

About V:

I particularly like this section because the author looks at White's various opening moves and explains how Black can reach Hedgehog positions after 1.e4, 1.d4, 1.c4, and 1.Nf3. However, usually, both players must be willing to enter a Hedgehog, which means that Black cannot always get a Hedgehog.

About VI:

In my opinion, the games of the Dutch author are particularly valuable because, being personally involved in these games, he describes the emotions and psychological effects well:

This position occurred between Ingo Bhme and Hermann Grooten in 1995 during an open tournament in Bochum, resulting in win for Black after 25 moves. Currently, the black position appears to be quite precarious, as the black king on e8 seems to be in great danger. However, the possibilities for Black are quite impressive, and the final position illustrates how much fun the pursuit of the white monarch can bring to Black:

Black's last move was 23...Rd2! and according to the author, his opponent almost fell from his chair when it appeared on the board. Such games remain in one's memory for a long time and emphasize the fighting spirit of the Hedgehog.

VII:

I find the exercises to be very well chosen, and they are accompanied by appealing commentary:

This position occurred between Igor Bjelobrk and Ian Rogers in 2004 during the Australian Championship, resulting in a victory for Black after 43 moves.

It appears as though the player with the white pieces has the situation well under control, but once again, the floodgates against the white king are opened with the move ...d6-d5.

This Fritztrainer is packed with instructive material on the Hedgehog, and even those without prior knowledge can learn a lot from the Dutch author. His extensive experience in conveying complex concepts is evident, and a solid grasp of basic English is sufficient to follow the explanations. Like the recent Fritztrainers, it also offers interactive tests, and the integration with ChessBase apps and streaming functions allows for convenient learning, often showcasing exemplary king-side attacks.

While players who opt for Hedgehog structures must accept a certain level of risk, the numerous attractive attacking opportunities make up for it.

I recommend this Fritztrainer to those who want to make the most of counterattacking chances and initiate king-side attacks with the black pieces. It allows you not only to play for a win but also to create attractive and aesthetically pleasing games!

Buy Herman Grooten "Key Concepts of Chess - The Hedgehog in the shop...

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Herman Grooten: Key concepts of Chess The Hedgehog - A review - ChessBase

The 8th edition of the European Small Nations Team Chess Championship starts this weekend in the Pomme dOr Hotel, St Helier, Jersey. The main supporter of the event is the European Chess Union which annually supports the major events of the European Small Nations.

The event will be played from 29 October to 4 November with the participation of the following teams: Andorra, Cyprus, Faroe Islands, Guernsey, Jersey, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco and San Marino. Each team consists of four players and one reserve player.

The top-seeded teams are Cyprus, Liechtenstein and Jersey, and the best rated players participating in the event are: IM Michael Wiedenkeller (LUX, 2442), GM De La Riva Aguado Oscar (AND, 2437), GM Bagheri Amir (MNC, 2388), FM Nielsen Hogni Egilstoft (FAI, 2386), FM Porras Mateo Felipe (AND, 2350) and GM Efimov Igor (MNC, 2329).

Starting lists of teams and players can be found here.

The time control of the event will be 90 minutes for 40 moves, with 30 minutes for the rest of the game, and 30 seconds increment per move from move one.

The official hotel and the playing venue of the event will be****Pomme dOr Hotellocated on the Liberation Square.

The Opening ceremony of the event will take place tomorrow evening, as well as the Technical meeting. The first round is scheduled for Sunday, 29th of October, with start at 15:00 (local time).

Tournament schedule:

The main supporter of the event is the European Chess Union which annually supports the major events of the European Small Nations.

The Small Nations meeting will be held concurrently with the tournament, on Saturday, 4th of November, 2023.

Featured photo by Maxian (iStock)

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European Small Nations Team Chess Championship 2023 starts in ... - European Chess Union

Image taken by the author, May 2, 2023

By Magellan Reyes

BERKELEY, CA The Chess Tables on Telegraph Ave, wedged on the corner of Haste near Mezzos and Amoeba Records, is a centerpiece of conversation and relaxation in the sea of students, professors, and residents that flood the avenue daily.

The tables are a loose congregation of chess enthusiasts and locals with a communal atmosphere and a somewhat decentralized structure. Anyone can sit and participate or stand and watch an ongoing game. The openness of it rests in stark contrast to the space around it: businesses that provide community at a price, housing units for CAL students, and campus land populated by select groups. Not to mention the richness of the history of the corner itself, the former location of Codys Books (a hub for social activism for over 40 years) and current residence of the defunct Center for Anachronistic Media, now used as a storage facility for local staple Rasputin Records.

The current location has been mired in controversy, however, with the owner of the lot recently confiscating all of the materials on site. In the subsequent fallout, a community consisting of students and locals alike has formed to preserve the club, an effort which led to a recent appearance at a Berkeley city council meeting. Though the work has likely just begun, there has already been a great deal of public outcry in support of the tables, with student organizations such as Telegraph for the People and the Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) at CAL assisting community members.

And in a city with limited public space near campus and a suffering but vibrant local community, the question arises of how residents can congregate in liberating and artistic ways. Peoples Park was once the epicenter of this collective community expression, but now, in its current state, members of the Peoples Park community find it incredibly challenging to gather in a safe and cohesive environment.

The Chess Tables on Telegraph are seen by some as a partial remedy to that. Loosely and collectively formed during the Pandemic, the tables serve as a necessary extension of the parks values: to foster community and bring people together from all backgrounds through a shared medium.

Jesse Sheehan, a long-time Chess Tables member and Peoples Park supporter, elaborates:

Peoples Park has been vital to this neighborhood for 50 years, and even was in the pandemic, and coming out of the pandemic we immediately reemerged at the table and began playing chess every daythirsty for human interactionchess has been magic for the neighborhood.

The function of chess is not just strategic in nature but communal as well. It can bring people together as a game which sets its players on equal footing, mind to mind; it is a medium of connection that emboldens communication and enlivens thought. Which is why the existence of such a lively community as the chess club has, through changes in location and support, remained a key part of the social fabric of the city.

It is important to note, however, that views on why the chess club matters, and what they mean to locals and students, vary. Some argue for what might fall into a more macro perspectivefocusing on the importance of public space and the chess tables as a vital representation of just that. While others may have a more micro view that is not so broad, focusing not just on why public space is important, but why this public space is important. Why the Chess Tables of Telegraph Avenue matter. Why chess is integral to the space itself, and why the activity of chess at the tables is inseparable from the larger social benefits it provides for many in the Berkeley community.

The sentiments gathered from talking to many at the club appear to be more in line with the micro view, while student organizations can tend to lean more into the macro view.Both viewpoints are equally important, and it is worth noting that they are not mutually exclusive. The fight for public space, and forthispublic space, can work in tandem and even be symbiotic.

The difficulty, as it often appears, can be in the communication between the two viewpoints. Public space is worth fighting for, but not if it only remains a part of a larger-scale plan, which may neglect the thinking and feelings of the actual members involved. Students must communicate clearly with members of the Berkeley houseless, Peoples Park, and long-time resident communities. The reasoning for the actions we as student supporters take with a group must include theviewpoints of the individualsthat comprise it. Individuals like Gerard Markham, a Berkeley native and avid Peoples Park and chess club supporter who, like Jesse Sheehan, has taken an active role in fighting to preserve the club. I met Mr. Markham soon after the tables were seized, and he agreed to sit down and discuss the tables with me.

I share identities with almost everyone that participates in the chess community on Telegraph and Haste. He told me, Im a long-term Berkeley residentI grew up in Berkeley for 16 years. I shared this identity with members of our chess community that know what the old vibrant outspoken provocative Berkeley looked and felt like.

Im an alumni from a well respected private institution, the University of Rochester. I share this academic identity with the bright students from UC Berkeley.

In recent times, Ive navigated being unhoused. I share this identity with some of the regular chess club members who also experience(d) homelessness; and who also happen to be some of the strongest players in our club.

I am a nationally rated chess player that belongs to the United States Chess Federation. I share this identity with the most avid/serious chess members of our community.

There is no place in Berkeley that exists where people that share one or all of these identities converge. Its one of the only places I can exist with each of these identities without feeling the pressure to HIDE one of those identities from the people around me. Its safe for me to be who I am, ALL that I am, at our chess club.

The experiences and identities of the members of the Chess Tables, of community activists and chess enthusiasts like Mr. Markham, are incredibly expansive and nuanced. They are a fundamental part of the community which has organically grown and developed through constant interaction in public space. It is in the very rich and storied places like Peoples Park and the Chess Tables that one can see such prolific connection, and even unification.

And we must be cognizant of the sometimes-transitory nature of our involvement, which further underlines a vital need to connect with the community we are supporting. As new classes of students and organizers enter CAL, many in the local community will still be here working to improve the space they occupy on a significantly longer timeline. Furthermore, this will be with a multitude of different experiences on authority, political reform, and social advocacy, as well as different socio-economic backgrounds and labels imbued on them by organizations of authority, such as CAL administration.

The Chess Community has existed for quite some time prior to moving to an open space that would allow students to participate, more comfortably. Mr. Markham continues, But lets be clear; its my personal opinion that had our chess community still been in Peoples Park; a good majority of the students and student groups that are involved today would not be. Peoples Park is a contentious topic; its often described to students as a place that you should not go. As a result of that, it wasnt until after 2020, that students began caring and participating with the chess community.

Mr. Markham points to valid frustrations within the local community concerning the nature of student participationwhich can be inherently transitory and affected by university backed perceptions. And although there are student organizations which can facilitate more long-term connections; the students involved, and the relationships which come from individual interactions, may not be.

Mr. Markham clarifies on the point, stating:

That being said, student participation has reinforced our chess community and without it, our community wouldnt look as attractive, and it wouldnt be as dynamic. Our original chess community mixed with all of the student groups involved, creates a voting block that I believe our city officials are afraid of.

At the end of the day the local supporters of the chess club and the student community must work together if they have a chance at preserving the tables. And in talking to Mr. Markham and others at the club, I have seen great enthusiasm around student participation. Still, it is necessary to highlight the potentially different modes of dominant thought between the members involved, as it is a crucial step toward creating a more understanding and effective coalition of chess supporters.

Views vary, and the variations between individuals fighting for the Chess club abound. But the tables are not just about compiling differencesthey are about connecting them. And in the struggle for the club itself, there is an act of gradual unificationthe early stages of a potentially symbiotic relationship in which students and Berkeley locals complement each other through discussion, initiative, and action. The Chess Club has the social power to unite people and connect perspectives in a way that makes them complementaryboth on and off the board. Although the challenges that the club faced and continues to face are likely just the beginning, at the very least, it is telling that even in the potential destruction of the tablesa series of growing connections occur, a trait as woven into the fabric of the club as the game itself.

Additional information and context on the chess tables can be foundhere

Magellan Reyes is a writer for the Vanguard at Berkeleys Social Justice desk.

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Op-Ed: Complementary Perspectives, and the Fight for the ... - The Peoples Vanguard of Davis

Two siblings from Garden City High School have been teaching the fundamentals of chess to everyone from elementary students to senior citizens.

Mannat V. and Amanat D. Jain, who are a junior and freshman, respectively, are the founders of Chess4Community, which they launched last year. Their first program was a 10-week class for senior citizens at the Garden City Senior Center, followed by a five-week program for children in grades 1-5 at the Garden City Public Library.

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Two siblings from Garden City High School have been teaching the fundamentals of chess to everyone from elementary students to senior citizens.

Mannat V. and Amanat D. Jain, who are a junior and freshman, respectively, are the founders of Chess4Community, which they launched last year. Their first program was a 10-week class for senior citizens at the Garden City Senior Center, followed by a five-week program for children in grades 1-5 at the Garden City Public Library.

They also host a weekly chess club at the senior center on Wednesdays.

Chess teaches people to think strategically, and studies have shown that it has cognitive benefits, Mannat said.

The duo, whose grandparents taught them to play the game, also receive assistance in their chess initiative from their younger brother Armaan, who is a fourth-grader at the Stewart School in Garden City. Their plan is to establish Chess4Community chapters in other local towns.

Mannat, 16, is vice president of his schools Chess Club, treasurer of the Robotics Club, president and founder of the Bioinformatics AI Club and a member of the tennis team, math team and Science Olympiad team.

Amanat, 14, is a member of the varsity swimming and diving team and Chess Club. She was also president last year of her schools debate team.

Michael R. Ebert is an education researcher and has worked for Newsday in various capacities since 2003. He was part of an 11-person team named as 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalists for investigative coverage of the LIRR's platform safety issues.

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Way to Go! Garden City siblings Mannat, Amanat and Armaan Jain teach chess - Newsday

Since the start of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, many Russian athletes have turned their backs on their homeland, including a large number of professional chess players. Right at the beginning of the war many Russian chess players had expressed their protest against the invasion in an open letter on the Internet. Many Russian players drew their personal consequences out of conviction or for pragmatic reasons, left their home country and changed federations.

Russian sports federations were also excluded from international competitions, especially in Europe. In many sports Russian athletes could not participate at all, but FIDE allowed Russian players to participate in international tournaments under the flag of the World Chess Federation though the Russian Chess Federation remained excluded from team competitions. The Russian Chess Federation then decided to switchefrom the European Chess Union to the Asian Chess Federation.

Among the Russian chess professionals who drew conclusions from this unpleasant situation were a number of well-known players, including Nikita Vitiugov (now in England), Evgeny Alexeev (Israel), Vladimir Fedoseev and Anton Demchenko (Slovenia), Alexander Motylev (Romania), Alexey Sarana and Aleksandr Predke (Serbia) or Sanan Sjugirov (Hungary). Former women's world champion Alexandra Kosteniuk has joined the Swiss federation.

The Russian Chess Federation has now launched a development programme for young players, killing two birds with one stone. On the one hand, it binds young players, who want to take part in the programme, to the federation. And it provides work for Russian coaches, who are suffering from a lack of work due to a lack of tournaments.

Young players who want to take part in the development programme must commit to staying in the Russian Federation for ten years. If they fail to do so, they must pay back the benefits they have received.

In this way, the federation hopes to stem the outflow of Russian talent. Last summer, the Russian federation signed a ten-year contract with Andrey Esipenko, Russia's biggest talent. 14 other selected talents have been assigned to six coaches of the Russian national teams for training.

In the FIDE country rankings, Russia recently lost its second place to India and could soon be overtaken by China. Currently, only four Russian players have an Elo rating of more than 2700. Among the top 100 male juniors, Russia is also represented by only four players. For comparison: India has 21 juniors among the world's best, the USA 14.

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Russian Chess Federation tries to keep young players - ChessBase

A BOY from Hurley is raising money towards a school trip by giving chess lessons.

Jake Richmond, 12, spends his Sundays teaching children aged five to 10 on a giant chess set in his back garden.

He is raising money for a trip to Romania organised by his school, Crosfields in Reading.

Jake advertised his lessons on his mother Gemmas Facebook page and received a big response from people wanting to learn how to play.

He now teaches about seven children regularly, usually from 10am to 3pm on a Sunday.

He said: Some of them have regular lessons and some just do it every now and again.

Whenever I put an ad up theres like a flurry of people that want to try lessons.

I teach them about the pieces, some strategies and how to play and then I might teach them some openings.

Its very easy to analyse whats going on because all the pieces are so big and it makes it a bit more entertaining to push them around the board instead of just playing basic chess. Its more fun. When its raining, I improvise and we sit in the conservatory and I get the timer out and teach them how it works on a board.

I try to make it as entertaining as I can while teaching them. I think its going really well.

Jack was introduced to chess at the age of five by his father, Warren, who owns a retail business.

He said: He is the one that got me into it. I got a bit more into it when I was about seven and then recently Ive started lessons.

At school my friends were playing it and then I started getting more into it.

Now Im really passionate about chess. I play online and, on average, play for around an hour a day I really enjoy it.

Ive represented my school and Ive competed in two tournaments. The one I did at my school last year, I won all my games. It was against the senior school, so years 7 to 11, and we were in our house teams.

The tournament out of school was in Caversham for years 7 to 9. I cant exactly remember how I did but I was decent.

I came around the middle as I won a couple of games and lost a couple.

With chess I think theres always more to learn and at the tournaments I really enjoy playing against other people. You have to compete against someone and then [the organisers] gauge how good you are and put you against someone.

You and your opposition get a certain amount of time. It can sometimes be stressful when youre playing and you dont have much time left. The smartest move Ive played was probably a queen sacrifice. You sacrifice your best piece for a win its like a trap. Its a mind game.

When you finish its like, Well done. You shake hands and then you go for the next one.

When you win, you cant go dancing around, you have to sit down and be calm. Its quite civilised. Im mostly self-taught. I have had a few big chess lessons which I did online in lockdown.

The tournaments have helped me and I had a coach at one point.

I mainly play online now. Except for my lessons, I havent played on a normal board for a while. On chess.com, I play a lot and thats my learning.

He decided to go on the trip to Romania with his school as a way of developing himself.

Jake said: Its a bit of a mystery as they havent told us everything. Theyre telling us its an educational project.

For one of the weeks, Im doing an educational project. In the small villages in Romania they dont have very good education so Im going there to help.

Then for the second week, Im trekking in some mountains and making my way to the city.

Its meant to be child-led. Were going to be carrying everything we need, like tents and food and things, and cooking our own food.

The adults will only help us if were actually in danger. Its to teach us independence and stuff.

At first I didnt think I wanted to do it but then I saw the people that did it two years ago and I thought that it would be a great chance to test myself and I really enjoy travelling. The trip is arranged for next July and participants have to raise around 2,000. So far, Jake has raised 1,400 through doing home chores, chess lessons and selling things online.

He said: I think about 1,000 is going towards the actual trip and supplies and the other 1,000 is towards the charity and helping us with the educational project.

I think were going to pay for some construction teams and things.

Jake said: When I get older, Im not going to do chess as my career but I am going to probably carry on for a couple more years.

It has got me starting to earn money and then Im going to carry on after Romania, so its good. For my job, I think I want to go into retail or real estate.

He also enjoys basketball, riding his bike and swimming.

Jake hasnt quite managed to win over his younger brother, Max, 10. He joked: Ive lost him to video games.

Mr Richmond said: I used to play him but I dont anymore. I showed him at age five and he was beating me by nine. Now I cant play him at all its embarrassing. Im clearly not very good but Jake is very good.

For more information, email fundraisingjake@outlook.com

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Children's chess teacher, aged 12 - Henley Standard

FIDE Master Mark Jay "MJ" Bacojo is one of the country's most promising chess players today. Chess experts believe that him claiming an International Master title is a matter of when, not if.

But it is not going to be easy.

Bacojo knows that he has to compete in as many FIDE-rated tournaments as he can and beat as many as higher rated chess players as he can to reach that goal.

"We all know how difficult it is to become an IM. But with the support of my family and sponsors like Dasmarias Mayor Jenny Barzaga, Congressman Pidi Barzaga and coach Roel Abelgas, I can reach my dream," said the 17-years-old Bacojo, who earned his first of three IM norms at the 18th IGB Dato' Arthur Tan Malaysian Open Chess Championship in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last September.

Starting on Saturday, October 28, Bacojo will aim for more rating points when he competes in the 3rd AQ Prime Fide Standard Chess Open at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay in Paraaque City.

Also playing in the 9-round, Swiss system tournament are International Masters Daniel Quizon, Rolando Nolte, Paulo Bersamina and Barlo Nadera; Woman International Master Marie Antoinette San Diego; FIDE Master Noel Dela Cruz and National Master Kim Kenneth Santos, among others.

AQ Prime Entertainment CEO Atty. Aldwin Alegre said the tournament will have a 90 minutes plus 30 seconds increment time control format.

The champion will pocket the P50,000 prize plus trophy, the runner-up will take home the P30,000 plus medal and the third place winner will get P20,000 plus medal. The fourth to 10th placers will win P15,000, P12,000, P10,000, P8,000, P7,000, P6,000 and P5,000, respectively.

After the opening day on Saturday, games will also be played on October 29 and November 2, 4 and 5.

Bacojo, meanwhile, is also set to compete in the FIDE World Youth Chess Championships on November 12-25 in Montesilvano, Italy as the grade 12 student from Dasmarias Integrated High School also needed to raise his current Elo rating points of 2335 to 2400 to meet the requirement for an International Master title.

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Bacojo to play in AQ Prime chess tournament - The Manila Times