Monthly Archives: December 2011

Thursday’s chess puzzles

December 15, 2011 By in Uncategorized

SPRAGGETT ON CHESS

Good morning Thursday! Are you ready for another Kasparian composition? These studies are definitely not simple! Usually each study has atleast 2 critical moments when you really need to be inventive and alert. Today’s puzzle has multiple themes: stalemate, Queen sacrifice (to avoid stalemate) and domination of the Queen by a Bishop. Wow! That Kasparian really knew how to throw a party!

White to play and win. Good luck!
Solution later today

Kasparian (1910-1995)
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TODAY’S CHESS COMBOS

(FROM THE GAMES OF GM OSSIP BERNSTEIN)
Solutions

1

Bernstein vs Eugene Znosko-Borovsky, St Petersburg, 1909
WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN

2

Bernstein vs Isidor Gunsberg, St Petersburg, 1914
WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN

3

Bernstein vs Adolf Staehelin, Bern, 1932
WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN

4
Bernstein vs Oskar Naegeli, Bern, 1932
WHITE TO PLAY AND MATE IN 5 MOVES

5

Bernstein vs Gideon Stahlberg, Zurich, 1934
WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN

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Ossip Bernstein (1882-1962)

Ossip Bernstein was one of those players who lived and thrived in troubled times. A successful financial lawyer, grandmaster calibre chess player, world traveller and a very cultured individual, his career(s) crossed with the Russian revolution, two world wars, the great depression and meeting every great chess champion of his time. In his tumultuous life he lost his fortune not less than 3 times!

From Bob Wall: Link
–Ossip Samilovitch Bernsein was born on September 20, 1882, in Gitomir (Zhitomir), a small town in the Ukraine. Ossip Bernstein came from a rich family of Jewish heritage.
–He took up chess in 1901 at the age of 19, while studying law in Germany. In matches, he defeated Carl Carls and Szymon Winawer.
–He almost earned the Master title in his first tournament. He finished 2nd in the Hauptturnier A section of the 13th German Chess Federation at Hanover in 1902, behind Walter John.
–In 1902, he earned his Master title from his second tournament. He won the first tournament of the General Chess Federation of Berlin in 1902.
–In 1902-03, he took 1st place at the Jubilee Tournament of the Berlin Chess Association.
–In 1903, he came second after Chigorin in the 3rd All-Russia championship at Kiev.
–In 1903-04, he tied for 2nd-3rd with Spielmann in the Berlin City Championship, behind Caro.
–He was a prize winner at Coburg in 1904. He tied for 4th-5th.
–He was a prize winner at Barmen in 1905. He tied for 4th-5th.
–He took 4th-6th at Ostend, Belgium in 1906. Schlechter won the event.
–He tied for 1st with Schlechter in the International Masters Tournament of Stockholm in 1906.
–In 1906, he obtained a doctorate in law at Heidelberg, Germany. He then established a law practice ion Moscow.
–In 1907, he tied for first with Rubinstein at Ostend. 29 masters participated.
–In 1907, he married a lady named Wilma and they had two sons. They were married for 54 years.
–In 1909, he played in the Chigorin Memorial at St. Petersburg and took 5th place. Lasker and Rubinstein tied for 1st.

Ossip Bernstein is sitting directly to the left of E.Lasker

—In February-March, 1911, he played in San Sebastian and tied for 8th-9th. Capablanca won the event.

San Sebastian 1911. Ossip Bernstein is the 4th person from the left.

(Note: the San Sebastian 1911 tournament, contrary to popular belief, was not held at the Casino, but was held in a now demolished hotel some 200 meters from the Casino. In those days there was a loud band playing 18 hours a day outside the Casino (which was world class) , and hence it was too noisy to play chess.-kbs)
–In March, 1911, he won the Moscow championship.

–In 1912, he took 2nd at Wilno (now Vilnius), behind Rubinstein.

–In 1914, he played at St. Petersburg. He tied for 6th-7th. Capablanca won the event.

–In 1917, he lost his fortune in the Russian revolution. In 1917, he was arrested in Rostov, but released because of his chess reputation. They later moved to Kiev, then to Odessa.

—In 1918, in Odessa, he was arrested and imprisoned in the Cheka (Bolshevik secret police). Bernstein’s crime was his role as legal advisor to bankers. There was no court trial. A minor official had a firing squad line up Bernstein and a number of other prisoners against a wall to be shot. A superior official appeared and asked to see the list of prisoners’ names. Discovering Ossip Bernstein on the list, he asked Bernstein if he was the famous chess master. Bernstein said yes. The official then made Bernstein play him a game of chess to prove it. When Bernstein won, the official release Bernstein.

–In 1919, the British government sent several ships to Odessa to help some of those escape who were in special danger of being killed. The Bernsteins were permitted to board one of the ships. The ship sailed to Serbia where Bernstein left and went to Belgrade. He then went to Vienna and to Oslo, Norway.


—In 1920, he settled in Paris where he became a financial lawyer. One of his first duties was to go to New York to take care of some financial matters for some clients. His chess reputation helped him get a visa right away and he made the trip to New York. Once on New York, the law firm he visited refused to turn over any documents to an unknown like Bernstein. However, a member of the Manhattan Chess Club that was also well known in the banking circles vouched for Bernstein, and he was able to complete his transaction. In 1920, he became a French citizen.

—In 1929-30, he lost his fortune again during the financial crash.

–In 1932, after an absence of 18 years, he took up chess again. He played at Bern in 1932.

–In 1933, he drew a training match with Alekhine (+1 =2 -1) in Zurich.

–In 1934, he played at Zurich.

—In 1940, he lost his fortune again when Paris fell.


–In 1940, he fled to Spain. When he reached the Pyrenees, he and his family had to walk over mountain roads at night, hiding in caves during the daylight hours to avoid the Germans. After two exhausting nights. he reached Spain. However, Bernstein had a heart attack and was unconscious. The Spanish frontier guards arrested the family and placed them in separate prisons. Through the intervention of some influentual friends in Spain, his family was released and was allowed to stay in Spain.

–After World War II, he returned to Paris in 1945. Their Paris home was completely robbed by the Germans. They did find their son again who had been a prisoner of war in Germany for 5 years.

–In 1946, Ossip’s son was an interpreter for the United Nations. He was able to speak almost every language in Europe.

Bernstein playing the young Spanish prodigy Artur Pomar
–In 1946, he played at Groningen at the age of 64. He took 15th place out of 20.
(photo to the right: Bernstein watching Vidmar vs Tartakower; Groningen 1946)
–In 1946, he took 2nd in London.
–In 1948, he drew a game against Fine at a cable match between Paris and New York.
–In 1949, he won at the Mandrake Club in London.
–In 1950, he was awarded the International Grandmaster title.
—When President Eisenhower went to Europe to meet Kruschev, Bernstein’s son was selected to accompany him as interpreter.
–In 1954, he played Board 1 for France in the Amsterdam Chess Olympiad. He was 72. His score was 5 wins, 5 draws, and 5 losses.
–In 1954, he played at Montevideo and won a brilliancy prize for his game against Najdorf. Bernstein took 2nd place, behind Letelier.
–In 1956, at the age of 74, he played in a small tournament at Ostend. He played there 50 years earlier. He took 5th place.
–In 1956, he went to Moscow with the intention of playing for France in the Olympiad. But he fell ill before he could play a game.
–In 1961, he played in the IBM tournament in Amsterdam,
–In 1961, he retired to St. Arroman, a small town in the Pyrenees.
–He died in his sleep on November 30, 1962 in a sanatorium in the French Pyrenees.
SPRAGGETT ON CHESS

Losing the war on drugs….

December 14, 2011 By in Uncategorized

SPRAGGETT ON CHESS

If you are like me, then you have never experimented with drugs.  Not because you thought that they are wrong, or simply because they are illegal or immoral. But because you just weren’t interested.
However, this attitude is not shared by something like 50 million Americans who consume, daily,  illegal drugs. They have created a demand that has in turn has produced a market that only the arms-producers can brag about being bigger!  A parallel market that does not pay taxes or contribute to society because the government labels them criminals.
A war was declared on drugs 40 years ago.  This war is lost.  The drug producers now operate in small countries where there is no real democracy or if there is , then the institutions are too fragile to go up against the corruption and violence that this parallel market flexes.
Cato Institute: Opposing the War on Drugs

Today’s chess quotation

December 13, 2011 By in Uncategorized

SPRAGGETT ON CHESS

The website chessbase has often been criticized–sometimes unfairly– in the chess press and amongst chess players for portraying a chessworld that is too elitist , at times even fictional.  Slanted by political bias and often serving little more than the personal agenda of its owner(s). On focusing too much on items far removed from its core business….
HOWEVER, sometimes–not often enough, perhaps– chessbase actually produces something truly great: today’s interview with the chairman of the Russian Chess Federation (RCF) Ilya Leviton is a must read for any serious fan of the game.  Leviton is asked some very direct questions and in return he provides some insightful responses…
Making chess interesting…

(On the topic of chess and television, Leviton talked of creating a product–a 15 minute video summary of a turnament–as a means of promoting chess.)
Question:   Will you be able to sell it to them?
Leviton:  I don’t think so. Moreover, I am sure we won’t. TV will not buy chess. However, the important thing is for chess to be on TV.
Question:  Sorry, I would still like to clarify one issue; on what terms are you prepared to give your product to the TV officials?
Leviton:  On any terms at all. It’s highly important that they take it, the terms don’t matter at all.
Question:  So, you just want to be on TV?
Leviton:  Yes, that’s one of the goals we are pursuing, not the main one though. But I must admit, we do want to be on TV….We want to show the most exciting, memorable episodes of the tournaments accompanied by very clear and understandable explanations, without going into complicated and hardly comprehensible details. Our aim is to demonstrate the most beautiful bits.
Question:  Will it be interesting to the TV viewers in your opinion?
Leviton:  I really don’t know! I have never done it before. We’ll do it and see if it works, evaluate the result.
Question:  Is your goal to make chess spectacular?
Leviton:   Not in the slightest. Chess is not spectacular by definition. Football, tennis, even curling – in fact, any action is spectacular. Chess is not as it hasn’t got a moving picture. Our ultimate aim is to make chess interesting.


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SPRAGGETT  ON  CHESS

Kramnik finishes year on top

December 13, 2011 By in Uncategorized

SPRAGGETT ON CHESS

Russia’s top ace, Vladimir Kramnik, emerged the winner of the London Chess Classic, with an undefeated score of 6 points out of a possible 8.  Congratulations!

2011  LONDON CHESS CLASSIC
Carlsen was also undefeated but scored a half point less.  Nakamura was third , but with the same number of points as Carlsen.  The Englishman McShane was top Brit with 5 points (only one loss, but he massacred the other 3 Englishmen!)  World Champion Anand had another dismal performance with just 50%, but more importantly: he played lack-lustre and boring ”computer” chess. Aronian started slowly and never seemed to find his rythm.   Short, Howell and Adams defended the backdoor with enthusiasm , and will soon try to forget this tournament!

It has been a difficult year for Kramnik, despite his finishing on top in the London tournament.  Vlad (as his fans call him) is not reluctant to give his sincere views and perspectives on what goes on around him, and I am certain that he will consider his London victory more a prize for persistence  than for brilliance or other chess qualities.  (You can find his website here)  Indeed, in the last couple of months Kramnik’s results were such that the former world champion was already talking about retirement!

2011  TAL MEMORIAL

2011   RUSSIAN CHAMPIONSHIP

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So Kramnik finishes the year , perhaps, as ”first amongst equals”.  But is he?  What about the young Norwegian Carlsen?  His consistency is quite remarkable: he usually finishes first or second, while Vlad rarely finishes first and sometimes (recently)  finds himself dangerously close to the bottom of the x-table!

2011  St.Paulo/Bilbao  Gran Prix

It very much seems to me that Carlsen is the player of the moment. In a few years time he should be reaching his peak and by that time he will very likely be dominating every tournament that he plays in. UNLESS, of course, another youngster comes up and steal’s his thunder…

It is quite another thing, however, to talk of Carlsen as becoming the World Champion. Would that be a promotion to his present-day status or a demotion? It likely would not add to his achievements in anything other than mere symbolism… It seems to me that that title has been losing prestige ever since Short and Kasparov broke away from FIDE in the early 1990’s.  It took years to re-unify the title, and when it was finally achieved, the title never regained its worth and value as the top prize in the chess world.

That being said, HOWEVER, to me it is clear that the title is meaningless without FIDE first establishing unchanging rules and allowing for several unbroken cycles to take place without political interference.  As it is at present, FIDE’s leadership is fickle and the rules seem to be  made of rubber (they can and are bent at the drop of a dime).

There is some doubt that having India’s Anand as current World Champion might also be an impediment to the Title regaining its former glory.  Anand may have benefited from the political fickleness of FIDE’s re-unification efforts and the lack of permanent, unbending rules.  True, he has defeated both Kramnik and Topalov (his challengers) in matches, but the ugly off-board tactics of Anand’s fans that plagued the championships –creating at times a very vocal whirlwind of hatred and hysteria in the chess press towards Kramnik and, especially, Topalov–may have contributed to their poor play.

IN ANY CASE, Anand is but a shadow of his former self.  There is no doubt in my mind that the Indian superstar can not support the weight of the title of world champion, and it seems that with each appearance in tournaments he is more happy with making a draw than in playing the type of chess that he was so able to play in his youth.  In this respect he reminds us of Tigran Petrosian’s reign as world champion.

That being said, perhaps the whole chess world does not deserve better than what now exists at the top.  Are we now seeing the same type of stagnation in chess as existed in the world in the late 1960’s, before the arrival of Bobby Fischer? 

But what if there is no Bobby Fischer to save the chess world this time?
SPRAGGETT ON CHESS

Most intense Tae Kwon-Do fight scene ever ?!

December 12, 2011 By in Uncategorized

SPRAGGETT ON CHESS

Tae Kwon Do is one of the most physically demanding of the martial arts, emphasizing power, kicks and punches.  I took a course on Korean Tae Kwon-do in the middle 1970’s , soon after the Bruce Lee and the Kung-fu series (Caradine) became  a staple of North American pop-culture.  
I stayed with it for a while, but it was brutal! I later switched to Aikido and Tai chi, much less physical and demanding.  However, I never lost respect for Tae Kwon-do.
Below is a video that you will get a kick out of!  It features two young children fighting it out in a real-life training session  in the gym. What do kids of this age really know of the art, other than by watching others fight it out?  Sort of reminds me of the prevalent attitude towards Scholastic chess in North America these days: the parents’ and coaches’ deliberate pretending and role playing …  and the kids ONLY having fun. Anyway… Enjoy this video!

A picture is worth a 1,000 words

December 12, 2011 By in Uncategorized

SPRAGGETT ON CHESS

Chess reaching new levels?

The late John Schleinich (r) on top of Grizzly Peak soon after his 75th birthday.  John was an active chess organizer in Alberta.  He organized the 1975 Canadian Open and the 1975 Zonal in Calgary, where I was a young participant.  John passed away in 2004 and now a memorial tournament is named after him. Check out the link to find out more.
SPRAGGETT ON CHESS

Kramnik set to win London tournament

December 12, 2011 By in Uncategorized

SPRAGGETT ON CHESS

All Kramnik needs to do is draw tomorrow with the White pieces against Aronian and he will be mathematically uncatchable in the race for first prize.  It does not even matter whether Carlsen wins with Black against Short…such is the tie break.

The tournament has been excellently organized and run.  It has been a pleasure to follow it: the live games and the animated –and often  colourful commentary–have worked miracles.  John Saunders’ daily reports were both informative and entertaining.  Well done, folks!
But whatever happens tomorrow, this tournament is a big disappointment for the english fans: Adams has been having the worse tournament of his life; Howell is learning that getting invited to super-tournaments is not always what it seems; and Nigel Short is just embarrassing himself!  Simply put: Nigel should have remained the commentator instead of also moving the pieces….
SHORT:  UNRECOGNIZABLE

Nigel’s failure has been, however, Luke McShane’s success. The youngster has been fighting for first prize and a win tomorrow will be enough to register the best result by an English GM in almost a decade.
The 7th round encounter between Nigel Short and Luke McShane featured a Kings Gambit that seemed to go wrong for White right from the beginning.  I really enjoyed Korchnoi’s naked commentary on Nigel’s play in the this game (video below).
POSITION AFTER WHITE’S 7th MOVE (7.g3?!)
McShane
Short
”Nigel Short is playing like a beginner…”
Viktor Korchnoi, commenting on this move

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