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Harold Ester in a simultaneous exhibition with chess grandmaster ... - Index-Journal

GM Fabiano Caruana not only captured his third U.S. national title with a dominating performance earlier this month at the St. Louis Chess Club, the worlds No. 2 player also had a message for a generation of rising American stars aiming for his crown.

Not yet.

The 31-year-old Caruana, whose previous titles came in 2016 and 2022, not only won going away over the strong 12-grandmaster field, but his 8-3 undefeated result including victories over some of the younger players in the field looking to take him down, including 14-year-old GM Abhimanyu Mishra (who finished in a very credible tie for second in his first U.S. title tourney) and early 20-something GMs Andrew Tang, Jeffery Xiong and Hans Moke Niemann.

Niemann, the center of a global chess cheating controversy last year that is just now starting to subside, gave the new champ a run for his money in the early rounds, but his hopes were dealt a fatal blow when matched with the leader in Round 9. Caruana is now 3-0 against the brash, 20-year-old California GM, winning all three games with Black.

Niemann does fine from the White side of this now-popular Vienna Game line, but the need to take chances given the tournament score winds up costing him in the end. After 21. f4!? (21. Re3 f4 22. Rc3 may be more flexible; White underestimates the power of Blacks kingside initiative once the center is closed) Qe7 22. a3 c5 23. Rac1 c4 24. Qd1 Kh8 25. Bb5 (Kh2!? Rg8 26. Re2 g5 27. Rf2 would have made the play more double-edged) g5!?, and Black goes on the attack.

The pressure leads to a material win on 28. Rc3 (c5 Rg3 29. Be2 Qh4 30. Bf3 Rag8 [Qxh3 31. Re2 Qh4 32. Rf2 Rag8 33. Kf1 stalls the Black attack and gives White fresh hope] 31. Kf1 Bd7!, and the bishop enters the game powerfully from the other wing) dxc4 29. Bxc4 Bxc4 30. Rxc4 Qxa3 31. Rc2, and Whites last hope is that his now-liberated central pawns can do some damage.

After 31 f3!? (the materialistic computers like the straightforward 31 Qxh3, in lines such as 32. Rf2 Rxg2+! 33. Rxg2 f3 34. Rg5 Qh4! 35. Qd2 f4, and if 36. Rf5, then Black has 35. Rg8+ 37. Kf1 Qh1+ 38. Kf2 Qg2 mate) 32. e6? (Caruana said afterward that 32. Qa1 may have been Whites last chance, though on 32 Qxa1 33. Rxa1 b5 34. d4 b4 35. d6 b3 36. Rb2 a4 37. e6 Kg7! 38. g3 Kf6 39. e7 Ke6 40. Re1+ Kd7, the White pawns are frozen, while Blacks are ready to roll) fxg2 33. Qe2 Qxh3 34. Qe5+ Rg7, also losing would have been 35. e7 (Qh2 Qxh2+ 36. Kxh2 g1=Q+ 37. Rxg1 Rxg1 38. Kxg1 Kg7, and Black should win the ending) Qh1+ 36. Kf2 g1=Q+ 37. Rxg1 Qxg1+ 38. Ke2 Qg2+ 39. Kd1 Qg4+ 40. Kd2 Qg5+ 41. Kd3 Qxe7 and wins.

Its over on 43. Qd5 (d5 Rf5 44. Qb8+ Kh7 45. d6 Rd5 46. e7 Qe6+ 47. Kxf3 Rf5 mate) Re8, and Niemann conceded facing lines like 44. e7+ Kh8 45. Qxf3 Rge7+ 46. Kd3 Qxf3+ 47. Rxf3 Rg8 48. Rh3 Rg5, and Black is just three pawns to the good.

We also slighted GM Wesley So in last weeks column, dropping him from the list of three players along with GMs Abhimanyu Mishra and Leinier Dominguez Perez who finished second to Caruana in St. Louis. So and Dominguez Perez matched the winner in going undefeated in the 11-round event.

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Its a measure of how things can change: The just-completed 76th Russian national championship tournament, once the gold standard for these things worldwide, was a far more low-wattage affair compared to the U.S. event, with not a single player in St. Petersburg topping the 2700 ratings mark and many familiar names Nepomniachtchi, Grischuk, Svidler declining to participate.

Top-seeded GM Vladislav Artemiev overpowered the field, winning by 2 full points at 8-2. Among his wins was a quick knockout of GM Ivan Rozum in a Caro-Kann Advance, an object lesson in how even a strong master can play himself in a miserable position with just a couple of misguided early moves.

Black gets himself in trouble the classic way grabbing a pawn at the expense of development: 8. Nge2 Be7?! (Ne7 9. Ng3 Bg6 10. Bg5 Nb6 would have been easier for Black to play) 9. Be3 Bxh4?! 10. Nf4 Bg4 11. Be2!, a slightly unexpected retreat, but Artemiev is happy to trade off Blacks one truly active piece. After 11 Bxe2 12. Qxe2, recalling the bishop for defense is bad because after 12 Be7?! 13. Rxh5 Rxh5 14. Qxh5 Nf8 15. 0-0-0 Nh6 16. g4, and White has all the play.

But White just keeps pushing ahead after the games 12 g6 13. g4 hxg4 14. Ne4! wasting no time stopping to recover the pawn; already threats like 15. Nd6+ Ke7 16. 0-0-0 g5 17. Rxh4! gxh4 18. Nxe6! fxe6 19. Qxg4 Qf8 20. Bg5+ Ngf6 21. exf6+ Nxf6 22. d5! Kxd6 23. Qxxe6+ Kc7 24. d6+ Kb8 25. d7 hover in the air.

Black has been barely holding things together with chewing gum and baling wire, and the modest 16. 0-0-0!, getting the king to safety and bringing a rook into play, is enough to push him over the edge.

Thus: 16 Nxe3 17. fxe3 f5 (yet another desperate defensive move that only undermines Blacks positional foundation) 18. Nd6+ Kf8 19. Nf4 (threatening the brutal twins 20. Nxg6+ and 20. Nxe6+) Kg8 20. Qc4 Nf8 (see diagram; having been there many times, Im guessing poor Rozum by now was just looking for a dignified way to get out of the playing hall) 21. Nxg6! (Artemiev obliges; even now, the stronger 21 Rh6 only prolongs the agony after 22. Nxh4 Rxh4 23. Qb3 Rxh1 Qb6 25. Qc2 Qc7 26. Rh5 Rd8 27 Qh2, and Black wont survive long) Nxg6 22. Qxe6+ Kh7 23. Nxf5 and Black stops the clocks.

White wraps up quickly after 23 Rf8 (Qf8 24. Nxh4 Nxh4 25. Rxh4+ Kg7 26. Rxg4+ Kh7 27. Qg6 mate) 24. Rxh4+ Nxh4 25. Qh6+ Kg8 26. Qg7 mate.

(Click on the image above for a larger view of the chessboard.)

Niemann-Caruana, U.S. Chess Championship, St. Louis, October 2023

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. c3 a5 6. O-O d6 7. Re1 Ba7 8. Nbd2 O-O 9. h3 Be6 10. Bb5 Ne7 11. d4 Ng6 12. Ba4 Nh5 13. Nf1 Nhf4 14. Ng3 exd4 15. Nxd4 Bxd4 16. cxd4 d5 17. e5 f6 18. Bxf4 Nxf4 19. Nh5 Nxh5 20. Qxh5 f5 21. f4 Qe7 22. a3 c5 23. Rac1 c4 24. Qd1 Kh8 25. Bb5 g5 26. b3 gxf4 27. bxc4 Rg8 28. Rc3 dxc4 29. Bxc4 Bxc4 30. Rxc4 Qxa3 31. Rc2 f3 32. e6 fxg2 33. Qe2 Qxh3 34. Qe5+ Rg7 35. Rcc1 Qh1+ 36. Kf2 Qh4+ 37. Ke2 f4 38. Rg1 Qg4+ 39. Kd2 f3 40. Ke3 Kg8 41. Rc2 Rf8 42. Rf2 h5 43. Qd5 Re8 White resigns.

Artemiev-Rozum, 76th Russian Chess Championship, St. Petersburg, October 2023

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. h4 h5 5. c4 e6 6. Nc3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 Nd7 8. Nge2 Be7 9. Be3 Bxh4 10. Nf4 Bg4 11. Be2 Bxe2 12. Qxe2 g6 13. g4 hxg4 14. Ne4 Nh6 15. Ng2 Nf5 16. O-O-O Nxe3 17. fxe3 f5 18. Nd6+ Kf8 19. Nf4 Kg8 20. Qc4 Nf8 21. Nxg6 Nxg6 22. Qxe6+ Kh7 23. Nxf5 Black resigns.

David R. Sands can be reached at 202/636-3178 or by email at dsands@washingtontimes.com.

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Caruana claimed third U.S. chess title by holding off the young guns - Washington Times

Achieving norms is something special for all players and a hurdle to overcome. Having a highly skilled brother or sister can be a source of motivation, but it can also be another obstacle. Vaishali has now overcome this "problem".

Some time ago I talked about this with Vaishali and her coach Ramesh RB. She is very thoughtful. And indeed, there is no reason to be jealous of each other's success or to feel inhibited. Vaishali and her brother Praggnanandhaa, Pragg, have enjoyed similar success. Vaishali won two bronze medals at the Chess Olympiad 2022 in her home town Chennai - the Indian Women team finished third and won bronze and Vaishali won another bronze medal for the third best individual result on board three.

Pragg also secured two third places. Most recently, they both won silver medals with the Indian teams at the Asian Games. Vaishali is 22 years old and has been playing chess for almost 17 years. In 2012 (U12) and 2015 (U14), Vaishali won two World Junior Championships, just like Pragg, who, like his older sister, won two World titles (U8) and (U10) in 2013 and 2015. The Asian and national titles will probably only be counted by historians.

Achieving a Grandmaster norm in the second strongest open tournament of the year, while playing against Grandmasters in eight out of ten rounds and performing very well, is a magnificent accomplishment. Vaishali has now obtained her third norm and, of course, also won the women's prize of $5,000.

The best women players at the Qatar Open: 1. R. Vaishali 5.0/9 2. Divya Deshmukh 5.0/9 3. Alua Nurmanova 4.5/9. Zhu Chen congratulates.

The young Indian player started with four points out of five games, defeating her compatriot, Sethuraman, and Shamsiddin Vokhidov from Uzbekistan. In the sixth round, she was paired against Gukesh. Both are from Chennai and have been students at the Westbridge Anand Chess Academy (WACA) since 2021. Vaishali came close to even beating the Indian number one. However, the 17-year-old Grandmaster handled the complications better.

With a solid plus two, Vaishali was still on course for her third Grandmaster norm. In round 7 was followed a hard-fought game against Aditya Mittal.

The two players were the last to leave the tournament hall. Unfortunately, the game was no longer broadcasted from the fifty-seventh move onwards, presumably due to a technical error.

In the penultimate round, the Indian player faced an opponent who himself aimed to achieve a Grandmaster norm, but in the end narrowly missed it in the final round. Vaishali, however, who had White played more solidly than usual and achieved the desired result and her third Grandmaster norm, no matter how she would play in the final round.

There she lost a tenable rook endgame against the tournament senior, Gregory Kaidanov, who had lost against Magnus Carlsen in the previous round. After the game, Kaidanov was the first to congratulate Vaishali on her third GM norm.

After the final round, Vaishali gave a brief interview to Chessbase India. She quickly analyzed her game against Vokhidov from the fifth round. Outstanding.

Pragg did not play in Qatar but instead attended several PR events in India. He has been helping his sister with her opening preparations. The pair will join their mother on the Isle of Man for the Grand Swiss. Vaishali was in Qatar with her mother, Nagalakshmi, who has become a popular subject for photographers. Although Nagalakshmi doesn't play chess herself, she seems to be able to judge the state of a game by the expressions on her children's faces and to empathise with them when things aren't going well.

Vaishali andNagalakshmi

Vaishali is just over thirty rating points away from becoming the third Indian Grandmaster after Koneru Humpy and Harika Dronavalli. However, there is still a lot of work to be done to reach this milestone. There is a cautionary tale: India's Vijayalakshmi Subbaraman had all her norms in place in 2005 but only achieved a rating of 2485. She continued to try to break the rating barrier for some time, but was only able to achieve the title of GM-elect, which means that she could become a grandmaster under certain conditions or circumstances.

Stars have to give autographs.

I will never mention again that Vaishali is Pragg's sister, unless the two of them achieve a common goal, such as both becoming individual world champions. Because Vaishali is an outstanding player in her own right.

FOXBORO, Mass. So much for all the talk that Bill Belichick is a behind-the-times, yelling-at-clouds, 71-year-old NFL coach who cant keep up with what the cool-kid coaches are doing.

Think about it: Belichick possesses the stamina to prepare for not one but two big games each week. One of them is the next game on the schedule. The other is the chess match hes playing against New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

But lets hold off on the breakdown of the watered-down-soup of a handshake that took place between Belichick and Kraft on Sunday and the Sunday morning report by Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network that Belichick agreed to a lucrative multiyear new contract before the season started.

Yes, Belichick raised eyebrows with a handshake that I like to call the Mangini. And, yes, the contract extension begs all kinds of questions not just how much its worth, but also who blabbed it. Make no mistake: The big story coming out of Gillette Stadium on Sunday was New Englands thrilling 29-25 victory over the Buffalo Bills. The Pats didnt just win the game, they also won over a dispirited fan base (for the time being, anyway) in that third-year quarterback Mac Jones led his team to victory with one of those everythings-on-the-line, late-in-the-day drives that used to be a common occurrence around here when You Know Who was throwing the ball.

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Bill Belichick gets 300th win as Patriots stun Bills

The Pats were trailing 25-22 with 1:58 remaining when the final drive began with Jones throwing a short pass to Rhamondre Stevenson that resulted in a 34-yard gain. The drive ended with Jones delivering a 1-yard pass to tight end Mike Gesicki for what would be the game winner.

Eight plays, 75 yards, one touchdown. These new kids on the block delivered old-timey Patriots football, and Gillette Stadium rocked in a way that hasnt been felt, heard and seen all season.

So theres that, the football part of the story.

But during the weeklong run-up to this latest slowdown between two ancient American Football League rivals, the Patriots were just your basic, lousy 1-5 team, and everyone in New England was wondering what Kraft was wondering about his coach.

Would Kraft dare make an in-season coaching change? Will a move be made on Black Monday or soon thereafter? Kraft isnt talking. Such was the dispatch with which he was whisked out of the NFLs midseason meetings in New York last week that the only thing missing was a cartoonish sound effect and a puff of smoke rising from the floor where Krafts feet had been planted.

Fast forward to Saturday and the annual Patriots Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Belichick appeared on the stage and was seen shaking hands and embracing 2023 inductees Mike Vrabel and Dante Scarnecchia and other Patriots legends. When he came upon Kraft, however, Belichick pulled the Mangini, offering the quickest of handshakes and then moving on.

And then came Sundays report from Rapoport about Belichicks new contract extension. I cant discern who leaked it. What I can tell you is that two possible secret messages are being sent here.

Secret message from the Belichick camp: Oh, so theyre going to fire me, are they? Well, if they do its going to cost them a boatload of money which Ill be counting on the next boat to Nantucket.

Secret message from the Kraft camp: We believed in Belichick. We set him up to succeed. If we have to fire him, we wont care about the money because we will be doing whats best for the team. (Which would be rich if they actually said that, since theyd be stealing one of Krafts favorite lines.)

The debate about the Saturday (barely) handshake might not be as controversial as people want to make it. For all we know, Belichick and Kraft might have already seen each other several times that day, whereas Belichick was seeing all these Patriots luminaries for the first time in months.

I often wonder whether billionaires ever step into break rooms to make impulse purchases of Doritos. Maybe Kraft does. Maybe he sees Belichick in there. Translation: Its not worth getting worked up over the handshake, even if, yeah, it was a weakling.

But this contract thing is proof positive that the chess game between Kraft and Belichick is real and its fabulous.

Belichick, who notched his 300th regular-season coaching victory Sunday, tying him with George Halas, was predictably silent when asked about the report by Rapoport.

I never talk about my contract, Belichick said. I focus on the game, try to focus on Buffalo. And now we focus on Miami.

Or maybe he does talk about his contact but strategically, not anecdotally.

To repeat: The Patriots registered a much-needed and very exciting victory over the Bills on Sunday. For Jones (25-for-30 for 272 yards, two touchdowns and a big drive in the last seconds of the fourth quarter), it was a chance to walk off the field with his head held high, a winner.

Its just a crumb, and just keep picking up those crumbs and eventually you have a whole loaf of bread, Jones said. It was a line he very much enjoyed because he stopped to add his own little chuckle before continuing: Thats my goal, just continue to work, continue to be Mac like I said. Its just one game, right?

One deliciously entertaining, back-and-forth game.

But then we add the Belichick-Kraft chess match to the mix and it becomes clear the Patriots are going to continue being a ceaseless and intriguing lead story for the remainder of this NFL season and beyond regardless of how many games they win or lose.

(Top photo of Mike Gesicki and Mac Jones: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)

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Patriots thrilling win over Buffalo moves Belichick-Kraft chess match to second row - The Athletic

We are honoured to welcome an outstanding British chess player, arbiter, organiser and writer: Stewart Reuben (1939), who has officiated and/or organised several top-level chess events held in Great Britain and other countries, including the World Chess Championship, the British Chess Championship and Hastings Congresses over a number of years.

He has also been President of the British Chess Federation (BCF) and its delegate to FIDE, an environment in which he has contributed significantly to arbitration work and to the evolution and dissemination of the Laws of Chess. In addition, Reuben has been a professional poker player, one of the most prominent in Great Britain.

Uvencio Blanco Hernndez: Mr. Reuben, you were born in London to English parents, Israel Reuben and Ann Epstein. What was your childhood like when England was in the midst of the Second World War?

Stewart Reuben: I was born on 14 March 1939 in London to English parents. My grandparents came from Russia or Belarus. I lived in Islington until 1967, apart from two years in Manhattan. I spent a short time in Sutton and then settled in Twickenham until 2021.

During the war years I was sometimes evacuated. I remember going to Wigston in Leicestershire by train when I was four years old. I went to school there for the first time. When we came back to London, the war was still going on. I went to Canonbury Road Primary School until I was 11. I was a pupil at William Ellis Grammar School between 1950 and 1958. Then I studied Chemistry at King's College London from 1958 to 1961. When my mother lived and lived with me, I was occasionally contacted by German-speaking players. No problem, I would pass her the phone and she would translate. She spoke Yiddish, which is 70% German.

Even at the London tournament in 1980, an interesting member of staff was my mother, Anne, who sold tickets at the event. I now live in a retirement village in Buckinghamshire.

Endgames of the World Champions from Fischer to Carlsen

Let endgame expert Dr Karsten Mller show and explain the finesses of the world champions. Although they had different styles each and every one of them played the endgame exceptionally well, so take the opportunity to enjoy and learn from some of the best endgames in the history of chess.

At the age of six, at the end of the war, you and the children of your generation are back in school and begin to see life from a different perspective, just as the reconstruction of your country was being planned. What memories do you have of this time in your life?

My cousin Roger Renders taught me chess when I was 11. We only had one session, he had little interest. Much later on, he became a night watchman. Not having much to do, he learnt to play chess against a computer. Malcolm Pein (Executive Editor of Chess magazine) taught him. I only took up chess again when I went to secondary school at 11. Chess was held in very high esteem at William Ellis, a boys grammar school, where one had to pass the 11+ and have an interview to get in. The Headmaster was Chairman of the Chess Education Society and President of the London Schools Chess League, but I never saw him play the game. We mainly learnt chess from older boys. I borrowed books from the adult library. I remember being mystified by O-O and O-O-O until Ian Graham, in the same class as me, mentioned they meant castles and castles queenside. Systematic chess education, before secondary school, was virtually unknown in Britain until the 1980s. I remember learning that chess coaching was becoming quite a big business in the US. If in America, why not England?

And then it started to take hold in England. Bob Wade, Leonard Barden, Michael Basman and later Malcolm Pein, through the Chess in Schools and Communities Charity, were/are tremendously influential. When I was 12, we had a 20 board match scheduled against another school. But it was during a flu epidemic and many boys were absent. The school captain sought my assistance in the playground to round up people who I knew were chess players.

We managed to get a team together. My first administrative experience. I also played in the London Boys Under 16 Championship that winter. It was the first time they had introduced an event for such youngsters. I played a six-year-old in Round 1. The newspaper photographs flocked around our board and took many photos. That evening I went to meet my parents in the West End by myself, to go to the theatre. They said they had seen the photos. Show me, show me! I said. They did, but all the photos were of my opponent whom I had beaten easily.

I also joined Islington Club at 12. They made me very welcome although I was a small child wearing shorts. I even played one match for them and lost. One of the main activities at the school was the lunchtime chess club. Apart from the library, it was the only place you could stay in the school during bad weather. It was very popular. In September 1953, in the new school year, I turned up for the chess club, but no older boy, nor teacher appeared. I took it on myself to get out the sets from the cupboard and put them away, aged 14, and did so for the rest of the school year. I also introduced some children to chess.

Also, in 1953 Islington Club had its AGM. I was much too sensible a child to attend that, it would be boring! How wrong I was. They decided to run a second team in the Middlesex League. But who would captain it? They decided to invite Alf Burt (a boy of very similar age and playing strength) and me to jointly captain the team. And so it was for the whole season. We lost to the first team in the first match. But, by the end of the season, we finished ahead of them. It took me 49 years to repeat that feat. This is the origin of my claim to have been a chess administrator from September 1953 and I am reaching my Platinum Jubilee this September 2023.

You may well wonder how I managed to do all this and my school work. But I did and discontinued both tasks the following September. By then I had become good enough to play for the school first team in the London Schools League. I became secretary of the school chess club when 17 and later captain. We won the London Schools League about six years in a row in this period. William Ellis had been dominant before I even played chess and remained at the top and for some subsequent years, after I left the school.

With Boris Spassky in Gibraltar

Chess has made you known all over the world. At what point did this game appear in your life?

In 1980 I went to the Chess Olympiad for the first time, as a sector arbiter. It was in Malta. If you ever get the opportunity to visit this wonderful bi-annual event, do so. I met several people who became good friends. I already had a reputation as an arbiter/organiser of large events. In 1984 we came second behind the USSR in the Chess Olympiad in Greece. I was one of the many arbiters and walked up and down the hall singing, not exactly sotto voce, "Land of hope and glory".

In 1994, presidential elections were held in Moscow at the same time as the Chess Olympiad. It was to be held in Greece, but the government withdrew its support. Kasparov helped to get it held in Moscow at very short notice. The quid pro quo was, presumably, the reinstatement of those ratings. Thus, Nigel Short was able to play. Kasparov was strongly in favour of Campo and even campaigned for him. I don't know how he dared to do so, given his earlier antipathy. The election took up much of the work of the entire Congress. I was there mainly as an observer. I was originally going to be a referee and at least I would be paid expenses. But Campomanes told me he wanted to invite David Wallace SCO and thought that two British referees would not be right. It didn't make any sense, after all England and Scotland are separate in FIDE.

A few years earlier I was having dinner privately with Campo. He said to me: "They say I am a scoundrel. I am not a scoundrel, my art is cunning". Life is too short to keep grudges. The next Olympics were held in Yerevan, Armenia, in 1996. It was incredible that they managed to organise them. In December 1988 there was a major earthquake. This was followed by the dissolution of the USSR in August 1991. They were still recovering from these apocalyptic events. The landing at the airport was very bumpy, and many objects fell out of the lockers. Our passports were examined by torchlight on the tarmac. But, of course, chess is very popular in Armenia thanks to the former world champion, Tigran Petrosian. I subsequently took part in the 1998 Chess Olympiad.

Did you propose changing the name of the Olympiad?

The Olympiad referred to the Mens Olympiad, although a woman played for France in the very first year and children have also played. I was looking forward to Pia Cramling winning the silver medal on board 2 for Sweden, but unfortunately, she failed to win her last game. Enough was enough. At the FIDE General Assembly, I asked that the name be changed to Olympiad or, if they preferred, Open Olympiad. Giorgios Makropoulos, the Deputy President was in charge of the meeting. He agreed and there was no dissension, although it took a couple of years for the corrections to be made. I was not the English delegate, but he always allowed me to speak over the years. I made certain I didnt outstay my welcome.

Mr. Reuben, you have been President of the British Chess Federation (1996-1999), and Senior Chess Director of the English Chess Federation. You were also chairman of the FIDE Organisers Committee (2006-10) and a member of other working committees. You are also one of the most active organisers and arbiters in Hastings. Tell us about it.

The first Hastings International Tournament took place in 1895 and is generally regarded as the strongest 19th century tournament. We ran a commemorative event in August 1995 at the same time of year as the first one. It was a Swiss with many strong GMs playing and it was held at a local school in the summer holidays. This provided an opportunity for leading players to qualify for Intel, a strong London tournament.

I wrote a letter in the programme to the organisers in 2005, congratulating them on maintaining the tradition. I do hope it will be read in due course. I also invented the World Amateur Championship to take place at the same time as the main congress. This was with the agreement of FIDE. Their ratings, at that time, just went down to 2200. This event was for unrated players. It was successful and we ran it for several years. Then other countries wanted a piece of the action and it has toured the world ever since. At my suggestion, ratings now go down to 1000, but the idea of a rating restricted championship remains constant. I am told their going down to 1000 is somewhat contentious, but that is the fault of the way the rating system is administered, not the idea of rating being available to all players.

Hastings Council has been very supportive of chess for many years. At the instigation of Paul Smith, they bought sizeable premises suitable for their vision of a new building suitable for the congress, Hastings Chess Club, the offices for the British Chess Federation, a chess library, teaching rooms and many other events throughout the year.

If successful, it would result in Hastings becoming the chess centre of the world. We spent quite a long time preparing a submission to the National Lottery. We had asked in advance whether the project was suitable for such funding and were told, yes. The answer came back when the plans were submitted; chess is neither an art nor a sport, and thus not eligible for such funding. What a waste of time!

How I became World Champion Vol.1 1973-1985

Garry Kasparov's rise to the top was meteoric and at his very first attempt he managed to become World Champion, the youngest of all time. In over six hours of video, he gives a first hand account of crucial events from recent chess history, you can improve your chess understanding and enjoy explanations and comments from a unique and outstanding personality on and off the chess board.

In relation to the financing of tournaments like Hastings, you talk about two types of economies, black and white. Could you explain this view?

There are people all over the country who support chess, not necessarily just Hastings. I refer to them as part of The White Economy. The Black Economy is where people do jobs and get paid, but do not pay income tax on them. By contrast, the White Economy is where people voluntarily do work for an activity, but receive no financial compensation, indeed they may pay out of their own pocket. In chess, this may include match captains, county captains, club secretaries, treasurers, chairman, directors of the ECF, etc. They may even donate money to a project and never even advertise it. Indeed, I know several match captains who support leading players with expenses and fees. This White Economy is almost never referred to, yet provides considerable benefit to society. The great Russian GM David Bronstein said, Hastings International Chess Congress is part of the culture of Britain and should be supported.

Stewart Reuben at the board | Photo: John Upham

Among the greats of the chessboard with whom you have dealt, what can you tell us about your relationship with Bobby Fischer?

It was normal to play private chess matches for money in New York. I had got to know Bobby Fischer quite well. In fact, he may have been the first GM I had ever met. We played nine games of blitz in 1963. Each game he won, he gained $1. Had I ever won one, I would have received $10. Thus 10/1 money odds. I only drew one in which I should have won the king and pawn endgame. You can find one of the games that Bobby won and the drew on ChessBase. The others werent worth preserving for posterity.

In the first session I was able to equalise from the opening with the white pieces. There was little point playing when I had black. In the second session, I could no longer get out of the opening intact with white. So, I quit. He had learnt more from our games than me. Of course, my edge was that I got to play Bobby and can still write about that 60 years later.

By now there were tournaments practically every weekend, somewhere in Britain. We were ready for the explosion caused by the 1972 Fischer-Spassky match. I guess, just reading about it, means it is very difficult to grasp the extent to which chess conquered the world. The amount of publicity was equivalent to a war. In 1970 I was a tourist at the USSR v Rest of the World Match in Belgrade, dubbed The Match of the Century. I renewed my acquaintance with Bobby at that event. I dined with him, GM Larry Evans USA and IM David Levy Scotland a few times. Before the event started, there was a problem. Bent Larsen refused to concede board 1 to the American as he hadnt played for over a year. Who? I wondered, will discuss that with Bobby? But he did concede the point and the match took place, with Bent facing Boris Spassky on board 1 and Bobby playing Tigran Petrosian on board 2. Perhaps I am romanticising, but it seems to me Bobbys games with black against Petrosian when he played the English were reminiscent of my blitz games with Bobby in 1963.

One evening Larry, David and I were dining in our hotel. Bobby was adjourned and sat by himself, analysing the adjourned position. People would approach his table, possibly to get an autograph. I fended them off. I have no idea whether Bobby noticed, but one does that sort of thing for a friend. Eventually he was satisfied with his analysis and joined us at the table where he demonstrated the game to that point. That was rare for Bobby, he didnt usually give anything away. Later we went to his suite in the hotel. Eventually Larry said, Lets look at your adjourned game. Bobby said, No. If I win, then people will say it was because of Larrys analysis. We looked at each other and the three of us went off to the casino to play blackjack. Larry was a professional at this, and we all won.

You have also had the opportunity to work with some of the most important FIDE arbiters and tournament organisers. Can you name some of the most important in your fields?

One of his first actions was to invite Geurt Gijssen to be the Chairman of what later became the Rules Commission. Bob Wade was very upset that Campo had chosen a younger man than him. Geurt promptly asked me to become Secretary and we worked together for 20 years.

I would also like to point out an interesting case. When the Olympiads were held in Turkey in 2000, John Robinson again came. Concern had been expressed in the Law about how a knight moves. It is complex and needs the diagram to explain it. So, we appointed an American philologist to rewrite that Law. John and I agreed that this was not at all how a knight moved. So, the commission reverted to what David Welch had written. That hasnt been touched since.

What was your experience with the Karpov - Korchnoi match in Baguio?

In 1978 I visited the Philippines to see part of the World Championship match. But, unlike 1972, I played no part in that great event. My greatest thrill was meeting Mikhail Tal again. He came to the press-room and discussed the games between Karpov and Korchnoi. An absolute cornucopia of ideas gushed from him. On my return to Manila from Baguio City, I was interviewed on TV. The interview lasted nearly an hour. I doubt I have ever given an interview lasting more than 5 minutes, either before or since.

What can you tell us about the complications that arose with the 1983 World Championship?

It was 1983 that the World Chess Championship semifinals came to London. Acorn Computers sponsored the event, which took place at the Great Eastern Hotel in Liverpool Street. Ray Keene was in charge and I did much of the technical work. It was the President of FIDE, Florencio Campomanes, who found a room suitable for our admin team! It was at very short notice, and I worked on both the Master Game in Bath and the advance preparation for the World Championship semis in London simultaneously. Smyslov beat Ribli in one semifinal and Kasparov beat Korchnoi in the other.

When we met with the sponsors, I asked my usual question. What are you aiming for? What do you want to know that for? was the response of the person notionally responsible for publicity. About half-way through the event, we realised that they were launching the company on the stock market during the event. Despite the shortness of notice, there were three TV programmes devoted to the event. There were also several coups. The opening ceremony was at 11 Downing Street. Dominic Lawson, a well-known journalist and chess enthusiast who is now President of the ECF, was the son of Nigel Lawson, Chancellor of the Exchequer. What could be more appropriate than holding the start of the event where the office is named after chess?

The Sunday Times closed down the chess column unexpectedly during the event. Ray and I mounted a campaign among the spectators to write in asking that the column be reinstated. They did so about two weeks later, saying, It was a misunderstanding. There temporarily just wasnt room in the paper. Bernard Cafferty got the column. He told me they showed him several letters that had been sent, including mine. Ray Keene replaced him years later. Now GM David Howell writes the Sunday Times column and the daily puzzles in The Times and a Saturday column.

Our friend, Nathan Divinsky, appeared on the Terry Wogan chat show. Garry Kasparov did so similarly in 1986. There were other TV shows which mentioned the chess. Sophia Gorman, born in England, who later married Michael Rohde and moved to New York, was appointed as assistant arbiter to both matches which took place on alternate days. She was just 19 at the time. Leonard Barden offered the opinion that this would be the biggest publicity coup for the event, but that attracted little media attention. She was appointed an International Arbiter later that year. For many years, the regulations have now stated that applicants for the title of International or FIDE Arbiter must be at least 21. Thus, her record is likely to stand. But England has no such age hang-ups. Nathanael Lutton worked for me at the chess tournament in the Royal Festival Hall in the 1st World Mind Sports Games. He collected the results. He was six years old at the time. People handing in their results didnt seem surprised. We have good reason to be proud of our lack of concern about people being thought to be too young for certain roles in England.

Mr. Stewart Reuben (England, 1939), one of the leading figures in British chess; Candidate Master; International Arbiter (1976), International Arbiter Category B, International Lecturer and Organiser (1995)

Mr. Reuben, we are aware of the time constraints and problems faced by the BCF in organising the II USSR vs Rest of the World.

In 1984 London Dockland Development Corporation sponsored the Second USSR vs Rest of the World Match in that area of London that was being redeveloped. Tony Miles was on the phone to me, and we fell about laughingly when we realised I knew nothing of this event. It was scheduled to start five days later. The following day, 16 June 1984, I was at a meeting of the BCF Board. David Anderton explained the project. The BCF put in the final 4000 towards organizing the match and off they went to organise it. Arent you coming? Ray asked me. For what? To organise the match. So we left the Board meeting.

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To learn all the machinations about raising the money and finding the players, read Docklands Encounter USSR v The World, by Raymond Keene with David Goodman and John Groser.

Campomanes joined us. I had got to know him quite well in 1983. Campo and Ray were discussing FIDE. I said I wasnt a politician. They looked at each other and said, Then FIDE isnt for you. One of my first tasks was to find somewhere for the players and other people to stay for an event starting five days later. It was the same period as Wimbledon tennis, which makes hotel rooms difficult to come by in London. Eventually I tracked down a hotel which had just reopened after a refurbishment and thus was available. But how to contact Ray; he wasnt at home. It took me one phone call. Remember, it was before the days of mobile phones. The secretary said he was busy in a meeting. I told her to interrupt it. Stewart Reuben has to speak to him urgently. It was then all tied up rapidly. What a secretary, to take instructions from a complete stranger! But we hadnt yet seen the venue! I was speaking to some people and said, Next, they will ask us to organise the Chess Olympiad at one days notice. Jill Triggs said, No, well need at least three days to do it properly.

Eddie Oliver, the Financial and Administrative Director of the LDCC said that the match was the first time anybody had written anything positive about the whole redevelopment project. The USSR won by 21-19.

You were an eyewitness to the controversial Kasparov vs Short match. Tell us about it.

In 1992 Nigel Short beat Karpov USSR in the semi-final of the Candidates matches. He followed that up with beating Jan Timman in the final in 1993. In retrospect, those are his greatest over-the-board achievements. That qualified him for the World Championship Match against his good friend Kasparov.

The FIDE idea under the guidance of David Anderton was that the match would take place in Manchester. A venue was selected. Richard Furness from Manchester and I went to see it in Manchester. They would have to play in a glass box. The noise outside the playing hall would otherwise probably be too distracting. We could not confirm that the venue would be acceptable to both players. Quite probably, yes, because a similar venue at the World Trade Centre was used for the Kasparov Anand Match in 1995.

But another problem lurked. Nigel arrived back in London after the match against Jan. I arranged a celebration party in a hall above the Chess and Bridge premises. But, to my surprise, Nigel declined the invitation. This made me feel uneasy because he usually liked such occasions. The party went ahead, but I didnt want to say why we were celebrating. There were no speeches. Then the bombshell was dropped. The contestants intended to take the match away from FIDE. The match was organized under the auspices of the Professional Chess Association (PCA) of who, initially, there were just the two members. Bidding was reopened and The Times Newspaper, under the guidance of Ray Keene, their chess columnist, won; the event to take place in London, with the agreement of the contestants.

Naturally the Northern chess players were very upset. They felt snubbed by Nigel who, after all, grew up in the area. It was clear to me problems had been created which it was unlikely would be resolved that century. Ray brought in David Levy, his brother-in-law, as technical manager. I did not feel offended. After all, we were all good friends and David and I had often worked together. Ray asked me to provide a document listing various side-shows that could take before and during the match. I dont have a copy any more, but it was used as an inspiration for a chapter in the third edition of my book, The Chess Organisers Handbook; Peripheral Events. That came to very little as The Times found the costs were running away from them and, during the match, fewer tickets were sold than had been hoped for. I failed to point out that the sale of tickets for public chess events had always improved as the event went on, such as London 1986. But surely Ray must have noticed this.

The match was held at The Savoy Theatre, virtually next door to Simpsons Restaurant in The Strand. The theatre had recently undergone refurbishment and thus was available at short notice. Some rooms in the restaurant were used for the match, such as press. Yuri Averbakh was appointed Chief Arbiter. Both ITV and BBC were covering the match, as in 1986. But the BBC had no room inside The Savoy Theatre. They conducted their interviews outside the venue.

I was asked by fellow poker players what were the odds on the match. I responded, there is no bet. I was convinced Garry would win. I didnt place a bet in case I got more seriously involved with the admin. And, in that case, it would have been improper. I should have looked at the price the bookmakers were offering. 1/2 on Garry would have been tempting, 1/3 might also have been tempting. But, it is hard to bet in favour of an outcome which you want the reverse of.

I occasionally did earphone commentary for the audience, usually when the professionals had yet to arrive. I was sitting in the audience for the first game in the Dress Circle. Garry stood better and Nigel was running short of time. But then the World Champion made a mistake and Nigel stood a bit better. Then the game stopped. Ray turned around to me and asked, What happened? I was also mystified. Yuri came to the front of the stage and explained that Mr. Short had lost on time. It was a calamity. Normally Nigel is a very resilient player. But this shook his confidence badly. The flag on the clock was of a rather unusual design and may have confused the Englishman. He quickly went even further behind. The match, from the viewpoint of the casual spectators, was virtually over.

The TV viewing figures went down and some years later finished. The viewing figures dropped and a few years later it was over. After the showdown was over, there were several days for which people had already bought tickets. Very attractive events were organised. The best one I remember was a consultation match. Kasparov + Short against the commentary team: Ray Keene, Jon Speelman, Danny King and Cathy Forbes. There was a lot of TV footage of the game. Naturally, I didn't have all of it. Some were broadcast while I was watching the match live. I have a large collection of English-language chess on DVD, including feature films, some of them copied from television. When I moved in 2021, some of it went to the Hastings Chess Club and some to De Montfort University, where the ECF book collection is now housed. However, it may still have the largest collection in the world. I believe you can still find the catalogue on the ECF website.

IA/IO Stewart Reuben

In response, FIDE stripped Kasparov and Short of their ratings.

David Anderton was a member of the FIDE Presidential Board. As a lawyer, he found the lack of due process totally unacceptable. They had no opportunity to present their side of the arguments and were not represented in the decision-making process. David said to the Board, I cannot live with that. It is entirely possible that this was not understood. One has to be careful with English usage when communicating with people for whom English is not their first language. The result was that David resigned from the Presidential Board and ceased to be our FIDE Delegate.

The FIDE General Assembly took place in Curitiba in Brazil in 1993. I had never been to South America before and took the opportunity that year. Although I had no official position with either the BCF or FIDE then. David Jarrett became our FIDE Delegate. Of course, the whole matter of stripping Kasparov and Short of their ratings was a major topic. David Jarrett gave a very clear and cogent view of why the FIDE decision had been wrong. Many other people spoke. Possibly at the end I should have said, The FIDE Presidential Board has made a mistake. We all make mistakes. Were the Board to agree, I would applaud them. If the vote goes against them and the ratings are reinstated, I would be happy to support a proposal of confidence in the Board. But I didnt, and I doubt it would have made any difference. Many of the delegates come from totalitarian societies. Also, it is unrealistic to expect to run on purely democratic principles when people are so far-flung and there are communication problems. Remember the internet and emails were not so advanced then.

However, in his professional life the practice and promotion of poker is not far behind, so how did he divide his time and energy between the two passions?

I returned to England in April 1965, found a new laboratory-based job and rejoined Islington Chess Club. In my absence, they had won the London League at their first attempt a magnificent achievement. Several members of the club and I were playing poker more seriously now. In particular, at the En Passant, a chess salon in The Strand nearly opposite Simpsons Restaurant where the Immortal Game was played in 1851.

Ted Isles was the main organiser and a stronger chess player at his best than I ever became. He had played in the British when it was a 12 player all-play-all and scored about 50%. He also played for Islington. In October 1965, we were playing poker. In between hands he said, Islington Club can have use of the premises for one weekend. I immediately said, Then well run a weekend Swiss. And so it came about in December 1965, the first Islington Open and the first weekend Swiss in Europe. 24 people played.

I also played poker at lunchtime in my company. Eventually I was winning about $15 a week, adding about 10% to my net pay per month. One day, a very pleasant, intelligent member of staff, threw his cards on the table, exclaiming, Im quitting, hes so lucky! It obviously hadnt occurred to him that I was the better player.

The second year I rented a one-bedroomed flat in Chelsea. It was cheap to live in NY at that time. They still had rent control, a hangover from the Second World War. I started a poker game there, mostly for young chess players but not Bobby. Walter Bowne was about 14 at the time, but clearly a future GM and we thought nothing of his joining in and going home on the subway late at night, by himself. Chess society seldom worries about age differences.

For my summer holidays I went to LA, San Francisco, Vegas and the Grand Canyon. I played in the National Open in Vegas. It is still run there. I found myself appointed to the Appeals Committee, for the first time in my life. Sam Sloane nominated me, and I remain friendly with him to this day. I suspect my being a member of the committee got me an adjudicated draw from a decidedly inferior position. One day I overslept and arrived 50 minutes later. But I didnt need to worry, it was my opponents clock that was ticking, not mine!

I did OK in the tournament. I also played some poker in Vegas, but did no good at all. I probably hadnt realised what a large sum they took from the small games. Decades later I was on a cruise and some of us discussed playing poker in the casino. I asked the staff what rake they took from the game. I did well in the tournament. As I said, in 1979 I separated from my job. I needed more time to play poker, run and participate in chess events. It was at that time that I took the plunge and made a living from poker. No one ever encouraged me to become a money-making chess administrator. Maybe, if I had been given the push, I could have moved in that direction. But professional chess administration was not part of the British culture at that time.

After I quit in 1979, I went to Las Vegas for the summer and made $2,000 a day for about three weeks. But I had to return to England because the Lloyds Bank Masters was starting at the end of August. My bank manager finally showed interest when I deposited most of the money with them. A law had been passed that was intended to allow good causes to collect money from lotteries. It was poorly drafted and resulted in unregulated casino gambling. It was at that time that I became a professional poker player and a school teacher. After retiring from that, I never had a job again, making most of my money from poker, a little bit of chess management and a little bit of writing about poker and chess. I retired from poker in 2010. I felt I was making too many mistakes.

You are considered a leading author of chess and poker content. You have written Pot-Limit & No-Limit Poker (1999), Starting Out in Poker (2001), How Good is Your Pot-Limit Omaha (2004), How Good is Your Pot-Limit Hold'em (2004), An Introduction to Poker (2005) and Poker 24/7: 35 Years as a Poker Pro (2005). Also, in this area, you talk about Reuben's Rules, can you give us an overview of what they are?

I have already stated that I played poker in Las Vegas, but it did not go well. I probably didnt realise how much money they were taking from small games. Decades later, I was on a cruise ship and some of us talked about playing poker in the casino. I asked the staff what commission they took from the game. They answered and I thought to myself. Nobody can win at this game. That was the end of it. I wanted to play, but what can you do? You have to obey Reubens Rules of the Game, although at that time they had not been formulated. These are: Never, ever gamble with money you cannot afford to lose; know the rules of the game; know the cost of the transactions; always have an edge; never play when upset, tired or unwell; and run your profits and cut your losses.

The chess organisers handbook (1998)

Interestingly, the only time (in Britain) a game of chess has ended with a 0-0 result was when Antony Miles and Stewart Reuben agreed a draw without making any moves to secure the top places. The arbiter decided to award 0 points to each player instead of a draw.

Let us now turn to more personal matters. I have learned that our life rests on four fundamental pillars: health, work, relationships and spirituality. At 84 you look healthy, clear-headed and very active. Tell us about the first of these pillars, your health.

When I was about 57, I went for a private check-up of my body. The doctor asked me why I was there. I answered because my father died of a heart attack at 59. He said, thats a good reason. I had an exhaustive series of tests. On my return, the first question he asked was the worst I have ever had. Dont you have any symptoms? What are the symptoms? I asked. Youll know when you have them. This wasnt correct. I started getting short of breath, but no pain across the chest, which I thought was the typical symptom of angina. That was my ignorance, you can have one without the other. In due course I had angioplasty.

In 1998 I contracted pneumonia just before Christmas and was unable to attend the congress in Hastings. Since then I have not helped out at the congress. It is too cold for me at that time of year. I am still a member of the committee, although I dont think I am very useful. But I am the oldest member of the committee and that may prove valuable sometime.

One evening in 2002, I was playing bridge with a nice American girl in Bermuda. Afterwards I had dinner with the chess players at the hotel, who were attending an important international event. In the evening, in my room, I suffered my first and, so far, only heart attack. In the morning I called Carol Jarecki (a very competent chess arbiter), who took me to the hospital. I stayed in the hospital for a few days, was made comfortable and was flown by air ambulance to a hospital in Miami. I had an angioplasty on an untreated artery. It was successful and I convalesced in a hotel in Miami. It was the ideal place. It wasnt too hot and I could walk on the flat.

While recovering there I taught one of the nurses how to play chess and wrote some articles about poker for which I was later paid. My friend George Wheeler said I was the only person he knew who could make money from such experience, I also spent some hours rewriting the Title Rules. They have not been drastically modified since then.

Later that year, in May, I suffered a stroke. It took me six months to recover. I gave myself about ten years to live and consequently started spending my money. Here I am, 20 years later, in reasonable health.

Incidentally, on my return to England after the stroke, I contacted the insurance company and asked how much it had cost them so far. Because it's interesting. The sum was 45,000, and remember that was in 2002.

In 2006 I conducted the opening ceremony of the Gibraltar Chess Congress. After the guest of honour politician gave his speech, I was standing there talking to people and I fainted. In 2009 I had pleurisy, which forced me to have a defibrillator. So I never run anywhere.

Regarding the second pillar, work, what is your educational background and job performance?

From 1961-1963 I worked for the British Oxygen Company as a laboratory scientist. Then from 1963 to 1965 I worked in a consultancy, also in the laboratory, in Manhattan. In 1965 I returned to London and worked in science until 1967. That same year I stopped being a scientist and became a science teacher until 1979.

Your most notable books on chess include: The Chess Scene (1974) with David Levy), Chess Openings: Your Choice! (1995), The Chess Organiser's Handbook (1998) and London 1980, Phillips and Drew Kings Chess Tournament (2010) with William Hartston. Any pending publishing projects?

Once Gibraltar and my time at the Standards Commission were over, I had relatively few other tasks. Of course, writing this account has taken me considerable time.

I have also finished my work on A History of the Laws of Chess, which I hope will be published in time for the FIDE Centenary in July 2024. This is a collaboration with Alex McFarlane and Sheun Press. I contracted them partly because I feared I would not be able to complete the work and partly because of the magnitude of the task. They are also good friends.

And do you have a particular tournament project?

Also, there are some projects that I would like to see materialised. For example ... A Swiss in which you play two games with each opponent, one with white and one with black; one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The World Family Championship. To compete in this open Swiss, another member of the family would also have to play. Family members would not be paired together, regardless of their score. The All-Inclusive World Team Championship. Each team would have six players and six categories. Male, Female, Boy, Girl, Senior, Disabled. I am too old to think about organising any of these events on my own. But I would like to be included in the programme and still be useful.

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Stewart Reuben: My edge was that I got to play Bobby Fischer - ChessBase

Vanni Sartini would play chess, not checkers, and definitely not poker, since hes never been one to hide his emotions.

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The Vancouver Whitecaps coach is tactical and cerebral, but isnt one to avoid risk when it comes to choosing his lineups, having platooned some unconventional lineups against Los Angeles FC in the past. So how is he going to approach Saturdays MLS playoff game against L.A. at BMO Stadium?

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For example, LAFC played against us in the same way for four games with the same kind of system, same kind of lineup, same kind of ideas and they were very hard to beat.

Even if you know (Golden Boot winner Denis) Bouanga is very good, Bouanga scored anyways.

In the Whitecaps first trip to L.A. to take on the Black and Gold this year, Aprils CONCACAF Champions League game, Sartini readily admits his choice of starting 11 and formation was more plinko than chess. The Caps were down 3-0 in the aggregate two-leg series, and needed a massive performance to beat L.A.

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Nov. 9, 7 p.m., BMO Stadium

TV: Apple TV. Radio: AM730

Two months later, the Whitecaps were back at BMO Stadium for a regular-season visit. Again, the offbeat lineup was straight out of a Nathan Shelley notebook Ryan Gauld as a left wingback beside Pedro Vite, ball-moving defenders Luis Martins and Mathias Laborda bracketing Ranko Veselinovic on the backline.

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This time, the queens gambit worked, with the Caps taking home a 3-2 victory the first in MLS team history over LAFC on the road.

Sartini says he wont unveil some madcap formation or lineup, or maybe he will, when kickoff rolls around at 6 p.m. on Saturday.

We are rooted in our identity, he said. But our identity doesnt mean that you have do the things in the same way every time. The last two games we played in Seattle with three guys up top Junior (Hoilett), Brian (White) and Ryan (Gauld). We played against LAFC with two guys. We can still make some little tweaks in who play with.

So the most important thing is to be true to our principle and the choice that well make about the lineup and about the system will be only a part of the strategy.

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The last time the Whitecaps made the playoffs, it came down to a dramatic Decision Day result that was only made possible by a remarkable turnaround that saw them lose just twice in their final 22 games.

Im glad the game is in two weeks, because tonight were getting so drunk, we cannot play, he said after the teams 1-1 draw with Seattle that put them through to the post-season.

But it was back to earth in Kansas City, where Sporting blindsided them by switching up their high-press tactics in favour of a low block, confounding and frustrating the Caps in a 3-1 win. Sartini made himself accountable for the result, and wished hed made adjustments earlier in the game, but it was a growth experience not just for him, but also for the players.

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When we went to the playoff in 2021 was we felt it like it was a miracle. We did an enormous celebration, the day that we went to the playoff it was like winning the league, he said. So I think we arrived at the playoff game actually a little bit deflated. And Kansas City was much more used to playing that (type of) game instead of us, approached the game probably the better way than us.

This time I think theres much more awareness that we are not here because its a miracle, but because we deserve (to) and are a playoff team.

LAFC isnt a team that needs to switch styles or strategy, because theyre simply that good. Its the same 4-3-3, the same wide wingers isolating players in one-vs.-ones, attacking through speed and transition, that Sartini has seen from them 99 per cent of the time this year.

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He expects to see the same thing Saturday, just amped up even more for the playoffs.

I have to expect something different than last Saturday I think expect (LAFC) to be even more aggressive. Yesterday, you saw Red Bulls-Charlotte, Sartini said of the Eastern Conference play-in game, handily won 5-2 by New York over expansion Charlotte.

I think its a classic game between a team thats played the playoffs 14 times in a row, and a team in the playoffs for the first time. We need to know that the playoffs are different animal and we need to approach it (turning) up a notch on the quality and intensity of the game that we have.

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MLS playoffs are a chess match; so what gambit does Whitecaps coach Vanni Sartini have up his sleeve? - Prince George Post

Modified Oct 21, 2023 19:19 IST

The Chess Board Easter Egg is a puzzle in Warzone 2's Vondead The Haunting event. This chess puzzle is located outside the Museum POI, where all 32 pieces are arranged properly except for one. A black Knight piece from the board is nowhere to be found, and it's up to the players to find this piece and bring it back to the board to complete it. Doing so will reward them with a few in-game items and a secret cosmetic.

The puzzle is pretty straightforward, provided one knows where to find the missing piece. This guide will highlight all the locations on Vondel where the Knight can be found easily.

The following are all the locations where you can find the Knights to complete the Chess Board Easter Egg in Warzone 2's Vondead The Haunting event:

It is worth noting here that the Knight will not simultaneously spawn in all of the abovementioned locations. It is spawned in only one location per match. Hence, if you cannot find it in one of the spots mentioned above, proceed to the next and repeat until you locate the piece. Since Vondel is not a big map, this shouldn't take long.

Once located, the Knights eyes will turn red, and every time you look away, it will try to catch up to you. If it does, the piece will reset its location, and you'll be stunned. You must take advantage of this mechanism and guide this piece to the chess board's missing Knight square. Once it reaches its place on the board, its eyes will turn green, signifying that the Chess Board Easter Egg is complete.

Upon completion, you'll be greeted with a "Secret challenge completed" message and be rewarded with an Advanced UAV Killstreak, a Haunted Box, some cash, and a Bloodseeker Grenade. But that's not all, you will also unlock a secret Knight weapon charm for use with all firearms in the game.

That covers everything that there is to know about completing the Knight Chess Board Easter Egg in Warzone 2's Vondead The Haunting event. The puzzle on its own is quite easy. However, what makes it difficult are the enemy players. Hence, it is advised to go in for this puzzle only when the Museum area is far from the first safe zone.

Follow Sportskeeda's Call of Duty hub for the latest news about Modern Warfare 2, Modern Warfare 3, and Warzone 2.

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All locations of the Knights in Chess Board Easter Egg in Warzone 2's Vondead The Haunting event - Sportskeeda

Siddharthas Intent, founded by the revered Bhutanese lama, filmmaker, and author Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche, has announced that the ongoing Dzongsar Monlam and Siddhartha Festival 2023* in Bodh Gaya, northern India, will showcase the Siddhartha Festival Art Show, organized as part of the Siddharthas Intent Art Project and running from 2529 October under the theme Sahaja (Skt: spontaneous enlightenment).

The Siddhartha Festival Art Show features approximately 80 Buddhist-inspired works by 18 international artists, Siddharthas Intent shared with BDG. Our aspiration is that this be more than a simple exhibition of art, but also an offering to all those present at the seat of Buddhas enlightenment. May artists and potential artists be inspired to express and share the Dharma through their work, and may all those who view it be further drawn to Buddhas wisdom.

Siddharthas Intent is an international collective of Buddhist groups supporting Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoches Buddhadharma activities by organizing teachings and retreats, distributing and archiving recorded teachings, and transcribing and translating manuscripts and practice texts.

The Siddharthas Intent Art Project was born from the aspiration to create a central place for Buddhist artists to be seen and supported, and for art lovers to enjoy and be touched by these artists creations, Siddharthas Intent explained. It is our pleasure to invite you to our first in-person exhibition at the Siddhartha Festival being held at the holy Buddhist site of Bodh Gaya, India, from 2429 October.*

Organized by Dzongsar Khyentse Chokyi Lodro Institute, the Dzongsar Monlam will run from 1827 October. It was first held in 2006 and has been conducted biennially at the place where the Buddha attained enlightenment: under the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya. The Siddhartha Festival, which will celebrate the life of the Buddha and his teachings, centers on a two-day program of talks, chants, dance, and more, from 2829 October.

In addition to the Siddhartha Festival Art Show, the festival will feature appearances from numerous special guests, including: renowned Japanese monk, musician, and composer Kanho Yakushiji of the Rinzai school of Japanese Zen Buddhism; Parvathy Baul, a practitioner, performer, and teacher of the Baul tradition from Bengal, India; Dr. Prachi Jariwala, a trained Indian classical dancer; and Lucid Mantra, a producer and multi-instrumentalist based in the northeast Himalayas.

Since the time of the Buddha, art has always played a significant role for Buddhists, serving as both a medium for expressing religious ideals and for teaching, inspiring, and communicating with practitioners, Siddharthas Intent noted. The online gallery, which currently features a new artist each month, was created . . . to extend the impact of the works and to lay the groundwork for a cooperative, mutually supportive community. Our community forum provides a dedicated area for artists and art lovers to connect online and exchange ideas.

Born in Bhutan in 1961, Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche is the son of Thinley Norbu Rinpoche and was a close student of the Nyingma master Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche (191091). He is recognized as the third incarnation of the 19th century Tibetan terton Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo (18201892), founder of the Khyentse lineage, and the immediate incarnation of Jamyang Khyentse Chkyi Lodr (18931959).

In addition to Siddharthas Intent, Rinpoches projects include: Khyentse Foundation, established in 2001 to promote the Buddhas teaching and support all traditions of Buddhist study and practice; 84000, a non-profit global initiative to translate the words of the Buddha and make them available to all; Lotus Outreach, which directs a range of projects to ensure the education, health, and safety of vulnerable women and children in the developing world; and Lhomon Society, which promotes sustainable development in Bhutan through education.

Rinpoche is the author of several books, including:What Makes You Not a Buddhist (2006), Not For Happiness (2012), The Guru Drinks Bourbon?(2016), andPoison is Medicine: Clarifying the Vajrayana(2021),and has garnered renown inside and outside of the global Buddhist community for the feature-length films he has written and directed:The Cup (1999), Travellers and Magicians(2004),Vara: A Blessing(2012),Hema Hema: Sing Me a Song While I wait(2016), and Looking For A Lady With Fangs And A Moustache (2019).

* Siddharthas Intent Announces 2023 Dzongsar Monlam and Siddhartha Festival in Bodh Gaya (BDG)

Siddharthas Intent Siddharthas Intent India Dzongsar Khyentse Chokyi Lodro Institute Dzongsar Monlam & Siddhartha Festival (Siddharthas Intent) Siddhartha Festival 2023 (Siddharthas Intent) Art Gallery (Siddharthas Intent)

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Sahaja: Siddharthas Intent Announces Buddhist-Inspired Art Show in Bodh Gaya - Buddhistdoor Global

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All locations of the Knights in Chess Board Easter Egg in Warzone 2’s Vondead The Haunting event – Sportskeeda

Sahaja: Siddharthas Intent Announces Buddhist-Inspired Art Show in Bodh Gaya – Buddhistdoor Global

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