ChessBase has had several interesting authors in the last few years who have recorded DVDs. They include top players like Fabiano Caruana, Wesley So, Rustam Kasimdzhanov, Erwin l'Ami among many others. While all of them are well-known personalities in the world of chess, the most recent author who recorded two DVDs at the ChessBase studio is in a class of her own! She is a WGM, a former World Youth champion, she is doing a double major inEconomics and Statistics with a minor in Mathematics, she is involved in several philanthropic causes,writer for ChessBase and a chess streamer! Meet Qiyu Zhou, a multi-skilled personality, who has a Midas touch! She excels at just about everything she does! Recently she visited the ChessBase studio in Hamburg and recorded two DVDs on Fundamentals of Chess- Tactics and Openings. In this interview Qiyu Zhou tells us more about these products,what inspired herto do this project and also reveals the secret of how she is able to manage so many things at the same time!

Sagar Shah (SS): Qiyu, how was your experience of visiting Hamburg and recording DVDs for ChessBase?

Qiyu Zhou (QZ):I really enjoyed visiting Hamburg and recording the DVDs for ChessBase. It was my first time in Hamburg, and I spent about two weeks recording and exploring the city. I had a lot of fun being a tourist, canoeing in the canals and visiting the beautiful downtown area. I even caught up with an old classmate and visited the carnival!Recording the DVDs itself was an amazing experience, and I found it extremely satisfying to go back to my place after each day of recording because I felt like I had done great work.

Qiyu Zhou at the recording studio in Hamburg with Pascal Simon and Frederic Friedel

SS:How did you decide to record two DVDs?

QZ:I believe that openings and tactics are the two most important things for beginners to learn, which is why I wanted to make sure I covered them. To get a successful start in a chess game, one needs to be able to get out of the opening and know when and how to take ones opponents pieces. Im definitely hoping to also record DVDs on all the other important basic chess skills.

Qiyu Zhou's DVDsaim at the basics of chess - strengthening you fundamentals

SS: What level of players would your lectures cater to?

QZ:My DVDs are catered for the beginner level. These DVDs cover the basic skills necessary for winning in chess, and I believe theyre a very good introduction for the more advanced ChessBase DVDs because they cover general material which is applicable to practically every game.

SS: The topics that you chose are so extensive and vast. Like covering almost all the openings and all the common tactical themes. Wasn't it too ambitious?

QZ:I think to make a good introduction for viewers to chess, it was necessary to cover as much material as I could in the two-week time frame I had while in Hamburg. The Fundamentals of Tactics DVD was mostly fully planned out by the time I was recording it, but I definitely kept adding material as I went along because there is always that one more theme of tactic that can happen in our games. I am extremely happy and proud with the final outcome and hope that everyone who uses the DVDs are able to improve their chess skill.

Qiyu Zhou after winning the World under-14 title

SS: What can the people expect to learn if they bought both the products?

QZ:I formatted the DVDs so that users can expect to learn the most important skills one needs for starting out in chess. Making the opening moves correctly and getting a decent middlegame is important since its very easy to get caught out in the opening. The most common mistake that many who start out is losing material. I always like to say that the person with the extra piece will win the game, which means therefore, learning tactics, and most importantly to be able to identify hanging pieces and how to protect your own hanging pieces as well as how to capture your opponents will win you the game.

(Editor: Qiyu shares with us one of her favourite opening lines in the DVD below with some analysis. It arises from the Chigorin variation inthe Ruy Lopez)

SS: Seeing some of your articles on ChessBase we notice that you are interested in statistics as well and you harbour a scientific approach towards things. Tell us a bit about your education and what are you studying right now?

QZ:I am doing a double major in economics and statistics, with a minor in mathematics. Writing the articles for ChessBase definitely opened a new world for me, as it introduced me to statistics.

Qiyu backs her claimsin the articles on ChessBase with thorough investigation and statistics!

SS: You are brilliant in your education. You are a WGM and Under-14 World Champion, you also are interested in social service and philanthropy. Tell us how do you manage to balance all of these?

QZ:After winning the U-14 World Championships, I prioritised high school over everything else. Of course, it was quite a challenge because I was still aiming for WGM at that time. But I believe now that I have accomplished everything Ive set out to do in chess (keeping in mind I set the goal of becoming a World Champion when I was five) Ive mostly put aside competitive play for now as I focus on completing my undergraduate degree. Its very difficult to balance everything, while also having extra-curriculars, which is why I focus on a few things at a time and make clear what my priorities are. While I havent played competitive tournaments much in the last few years, I have started teaching and streaming chess.

Extreme focus ateverything she does is the way in which Qiyu hasachieved so much at this young age!

SS: What is your future aim? Will you pursue chess actively or some other career?

QZ:Currently, I want to become an investment banker and work in mergers and acquisition or take on a role of a quantitative analyst in finance. However, choosing a career is less simple than stating what I wish to do, and I am very open to everything.

SS: In these troubled times of Corona virus, what is your advice to all the budding chess players out there?

QZ:I believe that it is very difficult to stay focused during these times, but if youre able to study, study with all your heart because these might be one of those rarer periods in which you may have some extra time to study. However, I want to say that if one doesnt recognize immediate progress there is no need to be disappointed. Living during these troubled times is difficult, and chess is also a difficult game.

Fundamentals of Chess Openings

Starting out in chess is difficult, and this DVD aims to reduce that stress. Designed for beginner levels in openings, a brief introduction to the reasons we play some of the most common moves in popular openings like the Spanish and Sicilian is given.

"Living during these troubled times is difficult, and chess is also a difficult game."

Get both of her latest DVDs here

Fundamentals of Chess Tactics

Whats the easiest way to win a chess game? We all know finding a good tactic in a game can let you win a point immediately. Therefore, Fundamentals of Tactics is an excellent choice for you if you wish to learn how to start finding tactics in your games!

Fundamentals of Chess Openings

Starting out in chess is difficult, and this DVD aims to reduce that stress. Designed for beginner levels in openings, a brief introduction to the reasons we play some of the most common moves in popular openings like the Spanish and Sicilian is given.

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Your chess tutor with a double major in Economics and Statistics! - Chessbase News

Darnay Holmes is in a meeting room at UCLA, balancing on one foot, a dumbbell in one hand.

Pawn to E4.

Seth Makowsky makes his move.

Holmes has to think fast, and stay standing upright.

Knight to F3

...

At their training session that day, in the middle of a game-week, Makowsky and Holmes, now a Giants cornerback, are playing a round of speed chess, with distractions. The aim: Get Holmes to make smart, quick, efficient decisions. If it works, it should translate onto the football field, too. Holmes said it does.

Hes been meeting with Makowsky, an elite performance coach and Holmes chess instructor, since last year.

Holmes, picked in the fourth round of Aprils NFL Draft, is 5-foot-10, 195 pounds, so hes often dwarfed by opposing wide receivers, and that wont change in the NFL. He might be outmuscled, but he vows he wont be outsmarted.

Hed refer to himself as a player, not a piece, Makowsky said. Thats because he wants to be the player making the moves, not a piece thats acted upon.

Holmes is a unique prospect, if not for his skills, than his mind, and hell bring personality to a Giants defense that has lacked it for most of the last decade. He wasnt a first-round pick, so the expectation isnt for Holmes to be a superstar, though hes in line for a more significant role in the wake of Giants cornerback DeAndre Bakers arrest.

Introducing Giants Extra: Sign up for a free trial now. Get exclusive news, behind-the-scenes observations and the ability to text directly with reporters

Either way, this is no typical fourth rounder, and there were no questions about his maturity coming out of college.

That starts with his background.

When Holmes was 10, he walked into a hospital room where Darick Holmes, his father, was bedridden, shot seven times during a drug deal gone wrong. His father survived, and then Holmes thrived.

As a freshman at UCLA, he let his mom sleep in his apartment when she was evicted from her home. Hed often sleep at the teams facility piling pillows and blankets for a makeshift bed so she could have a bed to herself in his apartment.

Holmes graduated from UCLA in 2 1/2 years with a degree in African American studies.

He was drafted by the Giants on April 25, and is projected to earn more than $4 million, per Spotrac, over the life of a four-year contract, whenever he signs it.

Meanwhile, once a week for roughly two hours, Holmes continues to study chess.

He should fit in well to a Giants locker room that welcomes different forms of competition. Saquon Barkley is the driving force behind that. The star running back has an affinity for Connect 4, but has also challenged teammates to play him in chess, too.

Barkley is about to meet his stiffest competition yet in Holmes, who is learning chess as a means to improve the way he thinks on the football field.

We learned how to compartmentalize every move that he made and if he made a mistake, we just moved to the next one, said Makowsky, who also trains quarterbacks Deshaun Watson of the Texans, Dwayne Haskins of the Redskins, and Eagles rookie Jalen Hurts. We learned quickly, but we moved to the next move. What he got from that is the concept of: He may make a mistake, which hell learn from, but hell never let something break his spirit.

That last part, about spirit, is a lesson learned from his father.

So, the question is asked: At 21, was he like Darnay, playing chess in his spare time?

Darick Holmes cackles.

The short answer: No.

At 21, I was wild, he said. I tell him: If I wouldve [done] everything right, I would be you. Thats what I told him. So, youre me, doing everything right.

Holmes was tired of waiting. It was Saturday morning, Day 3 of the draft and he still hadnt been picked. It wasnt good for him, said his brother, Darick Jr. He was emotional. He was about to go outside to work out, shirtless in the Palm Springs, California sun, when his father implored him to bring his iPhone.

Once he grabbed it, it vibrated. It was the Giants. He talked to coach Joe Judge. Then, it was official: He was getting picked 110th overall, the 12th cornerback off the board.

He hugged his father, then went around the room. Darick Holmes sunk into the couch and put his head in his hands. He cried. He thought about his own NFL journey, and getting picked by the Buffalo Bills in 1995. His path was much different, though, and full of strife.

I was trying to hustle, he said. "Our mindsets were ... way different.

At 19, his mother died and he was left to raise his two siblings. While at Portland State, Holmes girlfriend was pregnant with his daughter, Darica. He needed money so he hustled, he said.

I was really focused on trying to get drafted, he said, but I was still wild to the point that I couldve got back in trouble at any time and had that taken away."

Darick Jr., was born in 1996. Darnay came two years later.

Once his NFL funds ran out, Darick Holmes would feed the family with fast food, going to different spots Monday: Popeyes, Tuesday: Chinese food, Wednesday: Wings each day depending on the deal.

Then, when Holmes turned 10, his father was arrested for running a tax-return scam, according to court documents, showing people how to fake documents to steal money from the IRS.

While that case was pending, Darick Holmes was shot seven times during a robbery. His friends had given him $80,000 in cash, according to court documents, to deliver in exchange for marijuana. He was duct-taped and his shoes and pants were taken. He was shot when he attempted to flee.

In the hospital, handcuffed to the bed, he assured his sons that he was going to be fine. It took him more than a year to start walking again.

Man, that moment in the hospital, Darick Jr., said, was life-changing for all of us.

Darick Holmes turned his life around and was spared jail time for the tax scam, he said, because of his work with underprivileged youth, which he continues through a successful football training business called Proway Training. It has helped dozens of youth achieve college football careers, including Darnay and Darick Jr., who played at University of Arizona.

Hell be bringing Proway to New York with his son.

Just seeing my dad, from that moment (in the hospital) on, he was always positive and on the right path, Darick Jr. said. "He never looked back on it, he never dwelled on it. ... He was making sure we did everything we had to do and he was there right with us. Im glad we were blessed with our dad.

He preaches to surround yourself with high-character guys," he continued. "If you surround yourself with bad people he always used himself as an example for us. He showed us the negative and the positive. Hed say: Look, this is what I did, and look what happened. Weve seen it firsthand. He went on the right path. So why wouldnt we trust him?

Holmes said his fathers turnaround had made a major impact on him.

He was a person who instilled that hustler drive," Holmes said. "That drive to compete each and every day, knowing that there is somebody out there working to take your spot or working to be better than you.

He always made sure (to say) that you cant take any shortcuts. If you take shortcuts, when the time comes and you reach that destination, there are lessons that you did not learn. The downfall is always going to be harder than the come-up.

Chip Kellys authoritarian coaching style and outside-of-the box teaching methods havent always been appreciated by players. He didnt last long in the NFL with the Eagles or 49ers, and his short time at UCLA hasnt been smooth, either.

Still, dont expect Holmes to rail against his old coach, even if they never had a winning season together. After the draft, Holmes called Kelly a great father figure of mine. Kelly and Holmes were on the same frequency.

I think one of the things you learn from Chip Kelly when you work for him: There are a number of ways to skin a cat, said Paul Rhoads, the former UCLA defensive backs coach. Darnay really embraced that."

Kelly often brought guest speakers to educate his players in a unique way. Makowsky was one of those. Kelly brought him in specifically to teach chess to UCLAs quarterbacks and he was granted full access to their position meetings and practices. He was also on the sideline at some games.

Holmes wanted to learn, too. He asked Makowsky to teach him. They met for the first time at a hotel restaurant in Los Angeles.

Hes so tenacious. How do you not help the kid that wants it that badly?" Makowsky said. "How someone plays chess really reveals their personality. When we play, hes so locked in. He doesnt get distracted. Its just like when he plays football, so its special to see.

Soon, the rest of the UCLA team wanted in, too. By the end of the season, quarterback Austin Burton said, more than 30 players would spend their free time in meeting rooms, playing intense games of chess, a couple times per week. That was because of Holmes, he said.

It was chaos, Burton said.

Holmes mightve been the best chess player of the bunch, too.

I like to play fast," Burton said. "Darnay is extremely smart and tactical. He really thinks through every move.

It was in Mobile, Ala., at the Senior Bowl, where the Giants decided they wanted to draft Darnay Holmes.

He nearly wasnt even invited to the all-star event, according to executive director Jim Nagy, because of a rough 2019 season, which even Holmes admits was his worst year.

Holmes injured his ankle early in the season and came back too early. The result: His draft stock dropped.

Before the draft, experts questioned Holmes ability to play corner on the outside due to his size and lack of length, but most lauded his toughness and intellect. Some were focused on his 2019 tape, but the Giants liked his tape from the year before including a game where he played well against Oklahoma wide receiver Marquise Brown, a first-round pick last year which is what earned him the Senior Bowl invite.

Now, though, his ankle is fully healed. Holmes, he said, doesnt regret coming back too soon. He did it for a reason.

He did it for the team and cost himself some money, his father said. But he felt the right thing for him to do was to be out there with his brothers on the field.

That Senior Bowl invite was crucial. In a private meeting, he impressed the Giants with his high energy and football acumen, a person familiar with the session told NJ Advance Media. They liked his devotion to training through chess, too.

Since the draft, Holmes and Makowsky have been holding weekly chess sessions via Zoom, and that will continue through his rookie season.

In the NFL, everyone is super gifted, Makowsky said. I think the mental side, the ability to process rapidly, is more important. So thats really what were grinding on. Hes dedicated to training his mind with the same vigor that he trains his body.

Soon, Holmes will move across the country to North Jersey, with his girlfriend. The plan is to rent out former Giants linebacker Antonio Pierces condo. At some point, Holmes will venture into the city. Perhaps hell play chess in Central Park. Maybe, his father said, hell join him.

Eventually.

For him to take up chess, that showed me that hes matured, his father said. "One of my sayings is: We move with strategy, not emotions. So when he told me (about chess), I said: Ok, so were moving with strategy now, not emotions, huh? It was a blessing ...

It slowed the game up for him, and he thinks things out a lot more in life. Hes doing everything the right way.

Get Giants text messages from reporters: Cut through the clutter of social media and text directly with the Giants beat writers. Plus, exclusive news and analysis every day. Sign up now for a free trial.

Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Zack Rosenblatt may be reached at zrosenblatt@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.

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This Giants rookie is mastering chess and he could be just the piece the team needs right now - NJ.com

The Lindores Abbey Chess Challenge started this Tuesday. Twelve players are takingpart. After a three-day preliminary, the best eight players will advance to the decidingknockout section.The time control is 15 minutes for the game, with a 10-second increment permove.

Only one player is still undefeated in the Lindores Abbey online event Hikaru Nakamura scored a win and three draws on day two to keep his standing as co-leader. The multiple US champion is an online-chess expert and isknown for his skills in rapid,blitz and bullet (one-minute games or faster). His strong performances inthe two first events of the Magnus Carlsen Tour prompted Soviet chess history expert Douglas Griffin to tweet:

Of course, as the responses to this tweet indicate, Nakamura is nevertheless a strong classical player.

The American is currently sharing the lead with Sergey Karjakin, another quick-play specialist. Karjakin, in fact, was world rapid champion in 2012 and world blitz champion in 2016. On day two, the Russian drew his first three encounters before beating Alireza Firouzja to catch up with 'Naka' in the standings table.

Four players were sharing the lead after Tuesday, but only Nakamurastarted day two with a win. Karjakinand Wesley So drew their direct encounter, while Carlsen went from having a better position to getting caught in a mating net against Yu Yangyi:

Mating Patterns

On this DVD, Grandmaster and worldrenowned commentator Maurice Ashley reviews some of the most interesting patterns with examples meant to educate and entertain.

Black needed to defend against the threats posed by the dangerous doubled rooks on the h-file either with 40...Rd7, planning to exchange one of the menacing rooks,or 40...Nd7, covering a number of key squares. Carlsen faltered by going for40...a3 instead, and after 41.Rg8+ Kf7 42.Kf5he played 42...Nd7, which is a blunder at this juncture. Yu quickly continued with 43.g6+ Ke7 44.e5 and the world champion resigned with mate-in-two on the board.

Alexander Grischuk and Jan-Krzysztof Duda also kicked off the day with a win, taking down Ding Liren and Daniil Dubov respectively.

Select an entry from the list to switch between games

Following the trend of the tournament, all four decisive games of round six were won by the player with the white pieces out of 26 decisive results after two days of action, only 5favoured black. Three of the four winners bounced back from losses to even their scores of the day: Carlsen, Dubov and Levon Aronian, who had been defeated by Nakamura. Firouzja also won, getting a full point for the first time in the event by beating Duda.

In Dubov v So, the Russian played a rare line with white, to which So responded by leaving theory as early as move 6. Naturally, Dubov was better prepared to enter unexplored territory, and punished his opponent's error quicklyafter:

Unorthodox Chess Openings

How many times have you been caught off guard by a seemingly inferior and unusual opening system that later turns out to be an especially strong one? Unorthodox openings can be a real asset to anyones opening repertoire and they often do not contain much theory, making them easy to master for your next important tournament.

So got in trouble with 10...Bxc3, allowing 11.Rd8+ Ke7+ Rxh8. The American could have castled short or gone for 10...Bg4 in orderto step away froma sharp struggle against someone much more used to this sort of complications. Dubov never let go of the initiative and got a much-needed 41-move win.

Meanwhile, Carlsen had white against an out-of-form Wei Yi, and the Norwegian made good use of this opportunity. The world champion clearly trusted his ability to outplay his opponent, as he avoided a triple repetition with amove we do not see very often:

The natural 27.Qd4, already played two moves earlier, would have been responded with 27...Qe4 again, when entering the ending a pawn down but with the bishop pair does not seem to be enough to fight for a win. Therefore, Carlsen went for 27.Qa1 and quickly activated his forces, until eventually getting the better of his young opponent.

After losing against Aronian in the previous round, Yu collected his second scalp of the day and a big one at that by defeating world number three Ding with the white pieces. Yu comes from showing what he is capable of at the Nations Cupand, although he is currently on fifty percent, he should not be underestimated as a challenger for the title, especially after his wins over Carlsen and Ding.

While Yu scored a second win, Carlsen was defeated for a second time in the day, and once again with black. In a strange position with four rooks and bishops of opposite colours against Duda, the Norwegian made an inaccuracy:

31...c6 would have prevented what happened in the game, as after 31...Re7 32.Rab1 it is too late for 32...c6 due to 33.Rxa4. Carlsen lost a pawn in a different way 32...Bc4 33.Rxb6 cxb6 34.Rxb6 and found himself in a difficult opposite-coloured bishops position.

Eight moves later, the world champion was again caught in a mating net:

42...Kh5 43.Kg3 and Black resigned, as Rh6# is unstoppable. Tarjei J. Svensen reported that Carlsen told the Norwegian press:

I am really pissed that I played so badly today. My good feeling over playing well on Tuesdayis gone now. I am no longer following my intuition. It's frustrating. Completely unacceptable.

The day finished with wins for Dubov, Karjakin and Ding. The latter defeated Wei, who is almost out of contention in the fight to reach the quarter-finals the 20-year-oldis alone in the cellar of the standings table on 2 out of 8, with the eight-placed participant two points ahead and only three rounds left in the preliminaries.

Dubov collected his second win of the event after Grischuk blundered in a rook and bishop endgame:

Chess Endgames 9 - Rook and Minor Piece

Endings with rook and minor piece against rook and minor piece occur very frequently, even more often than rook endings, yet there's not much literature on them. This endgame DVD fills this gap. The four different material constellations rook and knight vs rook and knight, rooks and opposite coloured (and same coloured ) bishops and rook and bishop vs rook and knight are dealt with. In view of the different material constellations Karsten Mueller explains many guidelines like e.g. "With knights even a small initiative weighs heavily".

White's 54.Rh6 loses immediately to 54...Rxc3+ 55.Kxc3 f2 and the rook cannot prevent the promotion of the f-pawn 54.Rxh7+ would have prevented Black from going for this trick.

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Lindores Abbey: Karjakin and Nakamura in the lead - Chessbase News

PUBLISHED: 11:26 20 May 2020 | UPDATED: 11:26 20 May 2020

Jacob Savill

The COVID Chess Challenge is open to all ages and abilities. Picture: Stevenage Rotary Grange

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The COVID Chess Challenge will be launching later this month, and anyone is free to join, of all ages and abilities.

Club President Ian Begg said: Chess offers a great contribution to mental wellbeing. It enables people, young and old, to maintain and forge new friendships during the lockdown. Undertaken safely online, chess has no boundaries of age, race, or ability.

The challenge takes place on a website called Lichess. It is free, and requires only a quick sign up before joining the Stevenage Grange Chess Club.

The clubs first tournament will be called The Bob Fowler challenge, in memory of the former mayor and renowned chess player who sadly passed away with COVID-19 last month.

If you would like to join, go to the clubs private Facebook group Grange Chess Club, or contact Rotarian James Corrigan at james@sgrc.org.uk.

If you value what this story gives you, please consider supporting the Comet. Click the link in the yellow box below for details.

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How do I join the Stevenage COVID Chess Challenge? - The Comet

There's more news about GMHikaru Nakamura this week, as the American grandmaster won the May 12 edition ofTitled Tuesdaywith 9.5/10, finishing ahead of the Iranian prodigy Alireza Firouzjaand 1,083 other participants.

The next Titled Tuesday will be played on May 19 at 10 a.m. Pacific / 19:00 Central Europe.

Nakamura almost never skips Titled Tuesday. Besides, among many other participants, in recent months he invariably streams his play on his channel as well. The question of whether this streaming is affecting his chess is an old one and related to Nakamura's drop in Elohe is now the world number-18 at 2736 and 80 points below his all-time peak.

Yesterday @Hikaru showed that he's capable of playing online chess to his own high standards while commenting on it. He won the tournament alone with 9.5/10, the same score as the last time he won, on June 4, 2019. It was the 10th time he has won Titled Tuesday, which is a record.

He dropped half a point in the third round in a long game with Indian GM @VishnuPrasanna. He was winning out of the opening, then even more, but somehow Vishnu came back and was even briefly winning himself. In a completely level endgame, Nakamura tried for a bit, but the draw was inevitable.

But that was it. The night belonged to Nakamura as he won the next seven games in a row to reach 9.5/10, which nobody else managed. Here's his last-round game againstGM @Oleksandr_Bortnyk, a blitz specialist who won Titled Tuesday with a perfect 9/9 on October 4, 2016.

The fans were also thrilled about the participation of Firouzja, who had been absent for a while. The Iranian prodigy suffered an early loss in round three but was still playing for the marbles in the final round after six straight wins. His faced Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (@Azerichess), who blundered a full piece in an equal endgame:

Nakamura wonthe $750 first prize for finishing clear first with 9.5/10. He also got the Chess.com streamers' prize of $100 that was given as 20 gifted subs to his channel.

Firouzja shared the second place only with GM Le Quang Liem (@LiemLe); both earned $275. A group of 10 players got their $10 share of the $100 fourth prize.GM @KaterynaLagno won the $100 prize for the best female player.

May 12, 2020 Titled Tuesday | Final Standings (Players on 8.5 or more)

(Full final standings here.)

See also:

Original post:

Nakamura Streams, Wins Titled Tuesday Ahead Of Firouzja - Chess.com

IM-elect Carissa Yip, Photo Lennart Ootes

Carissa Yip

Carissa Yip (photo Ootes)

Podcast (ladies-knight):Apple Podcasts|Play in new window|Download|Subscribe by Email

Jennifer Shahade talks to 16-year-old International Master Carissa Yip on the newest episode of Ladies Knight. The popular two-time US Junior Girls Champ is a serial record breaker- the youngest female to defeat a GM at the age of ten, and the youngest American female in history to become an International Master.

Jennifer and Carissa talk about her recent streaming activity on twitch.tv/carissayip, where shes quickly amassed a strong following. They also talk about Yips charitable initiative, Chess for COVID-19 and her recent charity event for COVID-19 relief, that featured heavy hitters like Jeffery Xiong and Ray Robson, as well as eventual winner Josh Friedel.

Carissa gives tips for people of all ages looking to improve, from her favorite books to how to break through a tactical plateau. She also talks about her hobbies outside chess, from baking to TikTok. She reminisces about two of her most memorable victories, over Grandmasters Dariusz Swiercz and World Womens Champion Ju Wenjun.

[Event "US Masters 2019"] [Site "?"] [Date "2019.08.23"] [White "Swiercz, Darius"] [Black "Yip, Carissa"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "E70"] [WhiteElo "2670"] [BlackElo "2300"] [Annotator "yip"] [PlyCount "178"] [EventDate "2019.??.??"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 O-O 5. Bd3 d6 6. Nge2 c6 7. O-O e5 8. d5 Nbd7 9. Bc2 cxd5 10. cxd5 a6 11. a4 a5 12. Bg5 Nc5 13. h3 Bd7 14. Rb1 Qb6 15. Be3 Rfc8 16. Nc1 Qd8 17. Qd2 Qe8 18. Ra1 b5 19. axb5 Bxb5 20. N1e2 Bc4 21. Ra3 Qd8 22. Rfa1 Rab8 23. Rxa5 Rxb2 24. Bxc5 Rxc5 25. Rxc5 dxc5 26. Qc1 Rb4 27. Qe3 Bf8 28. Bd3 Bxd3 29. Qxd3 c4 30. Qe3 Nd7 31. Qa7 Nc5 32. Qa8 Rb8 33. Qa5 Qc8 34. Qa7 Nd3 35. Kh2 Bc5 36. Qa4 Nxf2 37. Qxc4 Rb4 38. Qa6 Qxa6 39. Rxa6 Nxe4 40. Rc6 Bf8 41. g4 Nxc3 42. Nxc3 Rd4 43. Rc8 Kg7 44. Rd8 Rd2+ 45. Kg1 Rd3 46. Ne4 Re3 47. Nf2 Bc5 48. Rc8 Rg3+ 49. Kf1 Bxf2 50. Kxf2 Rxh3 51. Ke2 e4 52. d6 Rd3 53. Rd8 Kf6 54. Rd7 h6 55. Kf2 Rf3+ 56. Kg2 Ke6 57. Re7+ Kxd6 58. Rxe4 Ra3 59. Re8 Ra5 60. Kg3 h5 61. gxh5 Rxh5 62. Kf4 Rf5+ 63. Kg4 Re5 64. Ra8 Ke7 65. Ra7+ Kf6 66. Ra6+ Re6 67. Ra4 Kg7 68. Kg5 Re5+ 69. Kf4 Rf5+ 70. Kg4 Rf1 71. Ra7 Kh6 72. Ra6 f5+ 73. Kh4 Rh1+ 74. Kg3 Kg5 75. Ra5 Rb1 76. Ra3 f4+ 77. Kf3 Rb5 78. Ra6 Rb3+ 79. Kf2 Kf5 80. Rc6 g5 81. Ra6 Rb2+ 82. Kf1 f3 83. Ra4 g4 84. Kg1 g3 85. Ra1 Kg4 86. Rf1 Rg2+ 87. Kh1 Rh2+ 88. Kg1 f2+ 89. Rxf2 Rxf2 0-1

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[Event "Cairns Cup"] [Date "2020.02.15"] [White "Ju, Wenjun"] [Black "Yip, Carissa"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C70"] [WhiteElo "2583"] [BlackElo "2412"] [PlyCount "114"] [EventDate "2020.??.??"] [WhiteTeam "China"] [BlackTeam "United States"] [WhiteTeamCountry "CHN"] [BlackTeamCountry "USA"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 g6 5. d4 exd4 6. c3 Bg7 7. cxd4 b5 8. Bb3 Nge7 9. d5 Na5 10. Bd2 Nxb3 11. Qxb3 c5 12. Bc3 f6 13. a3 d6 14. h4 O-O 15. Nbd2 Qe8 16. O-O Bd7 17. Qc2 Rc8 18. b3 h6 19. a4 Ra8 20. axb5 axb5 21. Rxa8 Qxa8 22. Ra1 Qb7 23. Qa2 Nc8 24. Ne1 b4 25. Bb2 Bb5 26. Nc2 Bd3 27. Ne3 Qe7 28. Re1 Nb6 29. Qa1 Ra8 30. Qc1 h5 31. Nec4 Nxc4 32. Nxc4 Ra2 33. g3 Kh7 34. Nd2 Bh6 35. f4 Qa7 36. Nc4 Qd7 37. Re3 Bxc4 38. bxc4 Qg4 39. Kh1 Bxf4 40. gxf4 Qxh4+ 41. Kg1 Qg4+ 42. Kh1 Qxf4 43. Qb1 Rxb2 44. Qxb2 Qxe3 45. Qxf6 Qxe4+ 46. Kh2 b3 47. Qf7+ Kh6 48. Qf8+ Kg5 49. Qd8+ Kf5 50. Qd7+ Ke5 51. Qg7+ Kf4 52. Qf6+ Kg4 53. Qe6+ Qf5 54. Qxd6 Qf2+ 55. Kh1 Qf3+ 56. Kh2 Qh3+ 57. Kg1 Qg3+ 0-1

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Yip is also a content creator for chesskid.com and chess.com, and has written several articles for CLO, including a piece on earning the IM title.

Yip was also recently a special guest in the Girls Club Room, where she talked about an attack against the uncastled king.

Follow Carissa on twitch, twitter, Instagram and at http://www.carissayip.com/.

Finda full index of US Chess podcasts here.To support this podcast,subscribe andif you like it, ratefive stars on Apple Podcastsandreview.

Consider a donation to advance ourWomensPrograms athttps://new.uschess.org/give/donate-online-women/

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Ladies Knight with IM Carissa Yip [PODCAST] - uschess.org

THIS years winners of the Marie Curie Bridge Tournament hail from the Isle of Wight a first.

Alexis Dogilewski and Anne Grevatt, of Bembridge, beat off strong competition from more than 2,000 players nationwide to win the tournament.

Island bridge winner, Alexis Dogilewski.

The tournament is played annually throughout the winter months, starting in September and finishing in March.

The aim of the event which has run for more than 25 years is to raise funds for Marie Curie and has amassed more than 1million for the cancer charity.

Anne Grevatt, who won the annual Marie Curie Bridge Tournament.

The tournament, which offers rubber bridge and Chicago, sees players divided into groups of six couples, with each pair up against the other pairs in a round-robin group format, with all games played at home.

With such a healthy number of players on the Island, organisers encourage more to take part in the next one.

For more details and entry forms, telephone Diana Thompson on 01371-872246 or email dianathompson113@btinternet.com

Chess player, John Wrench, playing an online league match in lockdown.

The IW Chess Club has switched to an online format of the West Midlands Area League since the C-19 outbreak.

The Island team beat Worcester 2 by 3-1 to move to the top of Division 2.

A chess match online in progress for the Isle of Wight Chess Club.

See more here:

Isle of Wight bridge and chess success - Isle of Wight County Press

When Sultan Khan won the British Chess Championship in 1929, it was hailed as an extraordinary achievement for a man of colour. He repeated the feat in 1932 and 1933 and, during an international career spanning only five years, he defeated the predominantly white masters of the game including Rubinstein, Flohr, Capablanca and Tartakower.

Sultans achievements were so extraordinary that he was called a genius, the greatest natural player of modern times, a legend, Asias first grandmaster, and was on the prize list in every important tournament in which he took part. Over the years, Sultans story has been largely forgotten and reduced to unverified apocrypha.

Sultan Khan, our father and grandfather, was born in 1903 in Mitha Tiwana, Khushab, present-day Pakistan, to a Muslim Awan family of pirs and landlords. His father, Mian Nizam Din, taught him and his brothers how to play chess when they were very young. By his late teens, Sultan had started going to the city of Sargodha every day to play against landlords and chess aficionados there. As a gentleman of leisure and a younger son, he had few responsibilities at home. By the age of 21, he was considered the strongest player in Punjab.

In Sargodha, his proficiency as a chess player was noticed and remarked upon till it reached the ears of Sir Umar Tiwana, who owned the neighbouring estate of Kalra. Sir Umar Tiwana, whose property and political power had increased through British patronage, was keen to establish himself as a patron of the arts and sports. So impressed was he with Sultans skill that he made an offer to Sultan: in return for a stipend and board and lodging, Sultan Khan would establish a chess team at Sir Umars estate.

Sultan moved to Kalra for this purpose and competed in the All India Chess Championship in 1928. Sultan won the championship with a brilliant performance, dropping only half a point in nine games.

In a country obsessed with cricket, not many sports buffs know about a countryman who achieved exceptional laurels in the game of chess. His son and granddaughter recount his exploits

In the spring of 1929, Sir Umar Tiwana and Sultan proceeded to London, where Sultan became a member of the Imperial Chess Club. It must be noted that, at that time, chess was an expensive and exclusive game to play, with chess clubs and tournaments requiring a hefty fee for membership and participation.

Sultans first international achievement was winning the British Chess Championship at Ramsgate in 1929. At that time, the championship almost had the status of a global championship, given the range of the British Empire. Winning the championship established Sultan as a force to be reckoned with and soon he started receiving many invitations to matches across England and the continent. This was a remarkable feat also because, prior to visiting England, Sultan had primarily played the South Asian form of chess, and European rules differed considerably. However, he was quick to learn, and distinguished himself against his opponents. He went back to the Subcontinent in November 1929, before returning to Europe in May 1930.

In 1930, Sultan played, among others, in the Scarborough Tournament, the Hamburg Olympiad and the Liege Tournament. One of his most elegant victories this year was over Soultanbieff in Liege. The year 1930-31 was also the time of perhaps his most memorable victories, including a win over Jose Raul Capablanca, the Cuban genius who was considered to be unbeatable, at Hastings.

Capablanca was the world chess champion from 1921 to 1927 and widely considered to be one of the greatest chess players of all time. So strong was Sultans prowess in the game that it is still seen as a masterpiece of chess strategy and tactics. In the same year, Sultan defeated Savielly Tartakower, the European giant, again considered to be invincible. This contest was a 12-game match which Sultan won 6.5 to 5.5.

Also in 1931, he participated in the Prague International Team Tournament, where he defeated the Czech player Salo Flohr and the Polish Akiba Rubinstein, considered among the foremost players of the time, and drew against Alexander Alekhine, the reigning world champion.

The years 1932 and 1933 brought further laurels to Sultan, as he won the British Chess Championship in both years. He also distinguished himself in various other tournaments in these years, including the Cambridge Tournament (1932), the Berne Tournament (1932) and the Folkestone Olympiad (1933).

In terms of playing strategy, Sultan was considered highly proficient in the middle game and a master of the end-game. At the chess table, he was described as inscrutable, and never betrayed the slightest degree of emotion over his game. His playing style was also dubbed the Wrath of Khan for, despite his impassionate exterior, his chess game was bold and masterful. This is most emphatically seen in his victory over Capablanca, which has gained the status of a classic in the chess world.

In 1933, with the end of the Round Table conferences which Sir Tiwana had been attending, he and Sultan returned to the Subcontinent. Sir Tiwana ceased his European voyages and Sultan did not have the resources to fund the travels and match fees himself. So he spent the remainder of his life cultivating his ancestral farmlands in what is now Tehsil Bhalwal and the nearby city of Sargodha.

He married a lady from the Gujjar clan, and together they had five sons and six daughters. Sultan passed away in Sargodha in 1966 and is buried on his estate in Bhalwal. His children, and most of his grandchildren, play chess informally but are mostly employed as doctors, civil servants and engineers in Pakistan and abroad.

Apart from domestic and international travel to play in chess tournaments, Sultan spent the entirety of his life in what constitute the Sargodha and Khushab districts in Pakistan today. Formally speaking, he was a British subject from 1903-1947 and then a proud Pakistani citizen till his demise in 1966. As such, he is a Pakistani asset and deserves an honourable mention in the sporting history of the country.

Unfortunately, while many of the players he defeated (including Rubinstein), were posthumously given the title of Grandmaster (a practice that began in 1950), Sultan himself was, rather unfairly, never awarded the title.

Ather Sultan, a retired Inspector General of Police from the Police Service of Pakistan, is Sultan Khans eldest son.

Atiyab Sultan, Sultan Khans granddaughter, holds a doctorate from the University of Cambridge and is an officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service. Email: atiyab.sultan@gmail.com

Published in Dawn, EOS, May 17th, 2020

See the article here:

CHESS: THE WRATH OF KHAN - DAWN.com

China and the USA will face each other in Sunday's Superfinal of theFIDE Chess.com Online Nations Cup. On Saturday, the USA lost toEurope in round one, but then they became the only team to beat China in the tournament. Thus, USA finished in a tie with Europe, advancing to the Superfinal due to scoring precisely half a board point more.

The Chess.com Day 5 Live Broadcast for replay.

The big clash between the USA and Europe was likely going to decide the fight for second place, considering the pairings for the final round where the USA would face the leader China, while Europe would play the Rest of the World.

After three tense games on the top three boards, where GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave was closest to a win vs. GM Hikaru Nakamura, it was the ladies' board where this key match was decided. GM Nana Dzagnidze always had a slight edge, and she eventually outplayed GM Irina Krush in a rook endgame:

With no chance for qualifying for the final, team captain Vishy Anand and player Vishy Anand must have agreed that he could take the day off.

Meanwhile, GM Yu Yangyi was the absolute star player of this event. Well, at least for nine rounds. He improved his score even further to 6.5/8 with another excellent win, this time against GM Baskaran Adhiban.

In a match that was only played for the history books, GM Sergey Karjakin learned the hard way how fast GM Alireza Firouzja has improved lately. He was completely outplayed and then beaten with a kingside attack:

The legendary Judit Polgar joined our live broadcast for a bit during the break.

Europe was going into the final round a match point ahead of the USA, and as said, with a much better pairing. But the unthinkable happened.

While Europe couldn't win their match, the USA did manage, with GM Wesley So becoming the first player to beat Yu in this tournament and, with that win, securing the two match points.

So where did it go wrong for Europe? As always, it's a team effort, but the one board that was lost was GM Levon Aronian's game with Firouzja. Unfortunately for Aronian and his team, the Iranian star had his best day of the event as he scored 2/2 with two fine games:

In another match where not much was at stake, GM Vladislav Artemiev stole the show with a flashy attack on GM Vidit Gujrathi's king. The Indian player later apologized on Twitter for his disappointing level of play in the event.

FIDE Chess.com Online Nations Cup | Final Standings

Tomorrow's Superfinal will start an hour later, so7:00 a.m. Pacific / 10 a.m. Eastern / 16:00 CEST. China will have white on boards one and three. As the winner of the round-robin, China got to choose colors and also has draw odds in the one match that is the final.

In other words, the USA needs to do for a second time what no other team has managed: beat China.

The FIDE Chess.com Online Nations Cup is a team competition held from May 5-10, 2020 on Chess.com featuring Russia, USA, Europe, China, India, plus a team representing the "Rest of the World." The total prize fund is $180,000, sponsored by Chess.com.

The first stage consists of a double round-robin, with each team playing each other twice. The top two teams after 10 rounds qualify for a "Superfinal" match.

All matches are played on four boards: three with male players and one with female players. The time control for all games is25 minutes + 10 seconds increment per move, starting from move one.

Games Day 5 for replay/download

During today's live broadcast, the songwriter and musician Juga released her latest chess song.

Related articles

Excerpt from:

China, USA Will Battle In Sunday Superfinal At FIDE Chess.com Online Nations Cup - Chess.com

CHENNAI: India's top chess players, including talented youngsters such as R Praggnanandhaa, D Gukesh, Nihal Sarin and national champion Aravindh Chithambaram will take part in the Indian Chess.com League to be played online from May 15-17.

A total of 10 teams will take part in the tournament which will see the participation of over 25 Indian Grandmasters.

GM Priyadarshan Kanappan, the league commissioner said, "The Sports League was something that I had been very familiar with as I lived in the US where you had leagues for all sports; so I always used to wonder if we could replicate that format in India, and that's how this league idea happened."

"The lockdown helped us in a big way, as chess players have no avenue to play in over the board events, so we were able to convince the top players to play in an online league format," he added.

Praggnanandhaa and Chithambaram will turn out for Team Chess Gurukul to be captained by noted coach and Grandmaster R B Ramesh, while Gukesh, the world's second youngest Grandmaster, will play for Five Fighters, which would also include the experienced GM Surya Sekhar Ganguly, promising young Leon Luke Mendonca, Vishnu Prasanna (Captain) and Soumya Swaminathan.

Karthikeyan Murali, Aditya Mittal and R Vaishali will be the other members of Team Chess Gurukul.

Sarin will be part of Superkids team to be captained by Narayanan Srinath and also includes GMs Arjun Erigaisi, Raunak Sadhwani, Srinath and Divya Deshmukh.

Indian No. 6 S P Sethuraman will also be seen in action for Chess Pathshala which includes Swapnil Deshpande (captain), Sankalp Gupta, Krishnater Kushager and Mrudul Dehankar.

See the article here:

Over 25 Grandmasters to take part in Indian chess league from May 15 - Times of India