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The Cincinnati Bengals may have been a secret last year, but the cats out of the bag in 2022, as the targets are on their backs in the AFC. One of the teams looking for a redemption this season, oddly enough, are the always-competitive Pittsburgh Steelers.

Though they made the playoffs last year, the 2021 Steelers were a shell of other powerhouse teams weve seen up-close-and-personal in recent years. Who better to help us talk about the 2022 Steelers than a two-time Super Bowl Champion with the team in defensive back Ike Taylor, as well as his tag-team partner who has excellently covered the team for years in Mark Bergin?

Well, both join us for a chat this week, courtesy of the BLEAV podcast network. Larry Ogunjobi signed with the Steelers this week, so we cover that, as well as providing another Remember When...?.

Our thanks to those who joined us for the live recordingif you didnt you can now get it on your favorite audio platform!

Of course, go check out the great show from Mr. Bergin and Mr. Taylor on the BLEAV podcast network. The BLEAV in Steelers podcast can be found here!

If youre unable to join us live here at Cincy Jungle or YouTube for every episode, all of our podcast content is available here on CJ, the Stitcher, Spotify, iHeart Radio and Google Play Music apps, our Orange and Black Insider YouTube channel, as well as through Megaphone and, as always, on iTunes! Thanks for listening and go subscribe to our channels to be notified when were going live and when new episodes are available!

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The Orange and Black Insider Bengals podcast: Chess match on the Riverbanks - Cincy Jungle

The44th edition oftheChess Olympiad will be held inMahabalipuram, near Chennai, from July 28 toAugust 10. Today Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off thefirst-ever torch relay fortheChess Olympiad!

With animpressive ceremony attheIG Stadium inNew Delhi, India welcomed chess players andthechess fraternity from around theworld tocelebrate thevery first torch relay inaChess Olympiad. According tonews9live, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich handed over thetorch tothePrime Minister who gave it tothelegendary Viswanathan Anand.

Thetorch will be taken to75 cities inaspan of40 days before arriving inMahabalipuram, andatevery location, chess grandmasters ofthestate will receive thetorch. Theceremony started with thetraditional dances ofIndia depicting the64 squares, andduring theshow, thehosts showcased thehistory ofchess, its origin, andits evolution.

The44th edition oftheChess Olympiad was initially scheduled totake place inRussia. However, with thewar-like situation between Russia andUkraine, FIDE began searching fornew hosts andinvited new bidders. Thestrong efforts from thefederation andAll India Chess Federation Secretary Bharat Singh Chauhan brought theimpossible toreality asFIDE granted India therights tohost theOlympiad which has been taking place forthelast 95 years. So, innearly 100 years ofthehistory oftheChess Olympiad, its thefirst time that India will be hosting theprestigious event.

We are proud that thesport rose from its birthplace andhas made its presence felt all over theworld. We are delighted tosee chess return toits birthplace andcelebrate its success intheform oftheChess Olympiad. PM Modi said, adding: InIndia wrestling, kabaddi, malkhamb were played toremain fit andforanalytical skills, our forefathers invented chess. Chess traveled tothewhole world andbecame popular. Today chess has become aneducational tool, chess players are becoming problem solvers!

With 188 countries registered fortheOlympiad, India is set towitness ahuge congregation ofnations forasporting event forthefirst time on Indian soil.

Find more about the44th edition oftheChess Olympiad attheofficial website.

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The first-ever torch relay for the Chess Olympiad - World Chess

Chess can be a nearly silent game when two people are in the zone. Green felt quietly brushing against plastic or stone; perhaps a clock clicking back and forth as the time dwindles down.

But around New York City, chess often draws a rowdier audience. Trash-talking takes place above the sounds of funk, soul and rap songs that blast from portable speakers.

On Monday night, as a song ambled on about hustlers who were ready to play from night til day cause all of them wanted to win, the chess players of Union Square were talking commuters and tourists into playing a game or five.

Want to play some chess? a man whos known in that corner as Johnny the loser asked anyone who lingered there for a second too long. Ladies can play chess, too!

Another man, Alfred, did a lap several minutes later as a Roy Ayers song floated through the air, offering to teach people how to play. How long has he been playing, you may ask?

Longer than youve been alive, he said as he sized up me and a photographer, both in our twenties. Combined.

John Hill, 61, sat at his table in a track jacket and a beanie, bantering back and forth with a man named Adam.

Why are you trying to fight me? Mr. Hill asked his opponent as pieces got picked off the board.

Why are you trying to fight? Adam replied.

Because I know how, Mr. Hill said as he held court at his table. I know how; Im a bully.

Nearby, as Michael Jackson and Marvin Gaye sang about grooving and being in love, Russian Paul, 58, sat at his table decimating one opponent after another.

First I think about the money, he said. But because I have skills, I dont have to worry about losing money.

Paul said that he stayed with a friend who lives nearby, and hed sometimes stop by the Trader Joes on 14th Street to grab a lime-flavored sparkling water to mix with some vodka. Though he plays chess in the park nearly every day, how long hes there and how much he makes fluctuates.

Theres no good days or bad days, he said. Sometimes it could be $10, sometimes it could be $200, $300 or $400.

I dont have an ego, he added. I come here and money is number one.

Once darkness had settled over Union Square, chess and backgammon players began to depart. After the music stopped and only Paul remained, he walked several blocks away to lock up his table and folding chairs.

Closer to midnight in Washington Square Park, the sounds of Thelonious Monk were floating from the stone chess tables in the southwest corner.

Pete Quainoo, 34, nervously shuffled his red Puma slides under the table while a man who called himself Eric from the park calculated his next move.

Checkmate, man, Mr. Quainoo said more than 20 minutes into the game.

I got to give him a rook! Eric said, before affirming to himself, No, its not checkmate I got this.

Youre going to take the rook, and then Im going to be out of all this trap, Eric continued, narrating how he hoped the rest of the game would play out. How are you going to take it? With the queen? Thank you. Thank you very much. Its the nicest thing that anyones ever done for me. Better be careful. You understand me?

Soon enough Eric won, but Mr. Quainoo kept his eyes fixed on the board, asking to replay the last moves so he could figure out where he went wrong.

Several blocks away on Thompson Street, players at the Chess Forum also stayed late into the night to battle over the sounds of WQXR, New Yorks classical music radio station.

Classical music is playing because it sets the mood to play, said Sebastian Montalvo, 22, who posts videos of many of his games around the city on his TikTok. If you were to play like, dubstep here, itd be really hard to focus.

Mr. Montalvo, who started playing chess at 18, said that he became obsessed with the game after a friend brought a chess board to school.

He completely destroyed me, Ive never been so embarrassed, he said. Id never lost like that.

Soon he got into the rhythm of playing games at Union Square, Washington Square, Bryant Park and the Chess Forum.

Ive never been as obsessed with anything in my life other than chess, Mr. Montalvo said. And you meet so many people. The people you meet, you never would have thought of.

Jim Ferraiuolo, 71, was playing against Jason Puello, 27, on one side of the narrow room while Luke Scarpa, 30, and Michael Bloom were playing each other on the other side.

These guys are my cronies, Mr. Ferraiuolo said as he gestured to Mr. Scarpa and Mr. Bloom. Weve been playing together for years.

Mr. Ferraiuolo said he learned to play chess while on the road as a touring musician and started coming to the Chess Forum about 20 years ago. He said hes also a member at the nearby Marshall Chess Club on 10th Street.

Mr. Bloom said hes usually at the Chess Forum eight days a week, and Mr. Scarpa joked that theyve only played 3,000 or 4,000 games.

Mr. Scarpa said that the space, which feels like someones endearingly cramped living room, is a great place to find camaraderie, as well as a few celebrities.

You know J. Cole? I saw him here once, I played with him, Mr. Scarpa said, referring to the rapper who famously went platinum with no features. He wanted to play with a white dude.

Mr. Scarpa later discovered that the other man was another rapper who goes by Logic.

Really nice, very into the game, Mr. Scarpa said before adding: That guy did not know how to play.

A few tables over, Jacqueline Black, 29, and Calil Arguedas-Russell, 23, were playing chess and drinking a bottle of wine.

Mx. Arguedas-Russell, who uses they/he pronouns, said that they play chess every day.

I play chess with a person over the board four days a week at least, they said. And then I play online every day, like multiple times.

They said that sometimes theyll play with the Bushwick Chess Club at Nook, but the Chess Forum is where Mx. Arguedas-Russell usually ends up.

Even on my days off Ill come play, Mx. Arguedas-Russell said, adding that they spent Christmas Day at the Chess Forum. The chess-obsessed dont care.

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Chess in the park in NYC - The New York Times

ChessBrainiac is a talented young chess player who's aiming for the NM title in the near future, with a current USCF rating of 2121. Just over a year ago, he started streaming his chess journey on Twitch, reaching milestones like a 2700 blitz rating and gaining over 6,000 followers in the process. We spoke to James (his real name isnt Brainiac, believe it or not) to find out more about his stream, his community, and how to make a positive impact on the world by streaming chess.

Chess.com: How long have you been streaming chess, and what made you decide to start?

ChessBrainiac: I started streaming around 15 months ago. I was watching a lot of streams and just loved being on Twitch in general. I was also a big fan of Arena Kings, and loved watching people playing it.A few seasons later I realized that there was a new requirement: if you were going to play in Arena Kings, youd have to stream it. So I thought, okay! I can combine streaming with a tournament that I love, so let's try it out.

I had to wait until I was 13 before I started streaming I was definitely considering streaming before that, but obviously, I couldnt (due to Twitchs terms and conditions)!

Whats your favorite thing about streaming?

I definitely love building my community up, and enjoy slowly seeing more and more people coming in and chatting. The social aspect of it is amazing; I love how you get to engage with your viewers, have fun, and have a conversation with them.

If youre just playing chess by yourself, it can sometimes get a little boring! Streaming things live really adds another dimension. I feel like sometimes you just need to find fun in chess, and streaming can definitely provide that. I love sharing my passion for the game; I started playing when I was around six years old and have basically been hooked since then.

Who are some of your own personal favorite chess streamers, and why?

Before I started streaming I was almost exclusively watching Levy and Hikaru. They definitely inspired me to start streaming. Seeing the collaboration between them was great. Levy wasnt that big of a streamer, but they had great collabs and he grew insanely. That inspired me to start! I thought: Hey, I could get similar growth.

Now I actually still watch a lot of streamers, but since then Ive expanded my list. Nowadays I regularly watch the Chessbrahs, Hikaru still, and Daniel "Danya" Naroditsky. Those would be my top three favorite streamers at this moment in time.

Every streamer's sub-community is unique. How would you describe your community?

Great question! We mentioned Levy I feel like sometimes my community is a bit similar to his, in that they definitely like to have fun at my expense occasionally! Thats kind of what Twitch is about though. My community definitely has that aspect to it, but on the other side of it, it can be very wholesome.

I have some younger viewers as well as some members of the older generation watching, who are very supportive and kind. They definitely pick me up when I'm feeling down. Im very grateful for my community, and honestly wouldnt change a thing about them. I just have a lot of fun engaging with them; they make the streaming aspect so much fun.

Youre currently 14 years old. Thats quite a bit younger than most chess streamers! How do you think its different streaming as a 14-year-old vs. streaming as someone whos older?

One thing about being 14 is that I grab a lot of the younger audience. I feel like I have a lot of friends my age who just encouraged me to start streaming, and theyve been supporting me for a long time. So lots of people around my age or even younger are watching.

Most of Levy or Hikarus audience can be a bit older; being part of the younger generation does help me attract more people my age to the stream. My community has lots of young, strong chess players, which I really enjoy. But I do feel like I have balanced support from a lot of different age groups and people!

Whats the most memorable or exciting moment youve had on stream so far?

When I started streaming, I made myself a goal: while I was building my community, I wanted to get raided by Hikaru. I remember it very vividly, it happened probably about five months into streaming. I think Id just finished an Arena Kings stream and I remember being in an intense blitz game and not even looking at the chat, but just trying my best to win.

When I finished the game, I glanced over and realized I was being raided by Hikaru! I remember pinching myself just to make sure I wasnt dreaming. That was definitely one of the most exciting moments so far.

... I was being raided by Hikaru! I remember pinching myself just to make sure I wasnt dreaming.

Whats the craziest bet or challenge youve received while streaming?

My community is definitely into challenges! I watch the Chessbrahs a lot, and I've definitely had a lot of help from them and raids from them, so my community and theirs have merged together a little bit. And as you know, the Chessbrah community loves some crazy bets!

Nothing tops a bet by a user called Aksinha24, who you might know if you watch GothamChess. He came to my stream and offered 100 subs every time I completed one of his chess challenges; hed be like Okay, win a game without a queen and a knight and Id try it. That went on for quite a long time! At the end of the day he gifted around 300 subs! That was quite something. It was a very exciting day of streaming and has to be the craziest bet or challenge Ive gotten, for sure.

Your channel is constantly growing. Can you tell us a bit about the future of your stream? Do you have any milestones youre aiming for, or fun plans/ideas?

With streaming, I've always been a big believer of not focusing on the numbers too much in the beginning. But now that my stream has gotten a bit bigger, I find that I have to focus on the numbers to motivate myself to go forward!

A big milestone for me is definitely 10,000 followers. Its a goal I've had in the back of my mind. In terms of streaming in general, I'm basically just trying to build my community. Recently Ive been on the rating grind and hit 2700 in Blitz. My aim is just to keep improving, create a positive environment, and make it fun for everybody to watch the stream. Numbers come and go, but if you continue to build and focus on that, I feel like at some point the numbers will follow.

By the way, congrats on qualifying for the Chess.com Global Championship! I think you were actually one of the first streamers who qualified. How did your games go?

So if Im not mistaken, I was indeed the first streamer to qualify! I ended up qualifying in the second qualifier; the first time I came very close. That was kind of exciting if I was THAT close to qualifying the first time, then I definitely had to try again.

I started the second attempt and was doing pretty well: I was on 7/7 points, and yet I had some very stressful games at the end! The viewership and level of support was insane, a lot of people were rooting for me and cheering me on. It was a great experience and I was very happy when I qualified. It was fun for me as well as the viewers! I think the next phase will be considerably harder, but it should be a lot of fun. Im definitely looking forward to that.

Imagine you could do a chess-based collab on your stream with anyone in the world. Who would it be, and why?

Thats a hard question! Something Ive always loved watching and wished I could do is chess commentary. I always watch Chess.com streams, it doesnt really matter what the event is. As a result, Ive watched a lot of commentary over the years.

I would really just love to do commentary with Hikaru, or as part of a Chess.com broadcast. But obviously, Im just too young to legally work! Maybe in a few years that could be an option.

I dont think I necessarily have one person in mind that Id love to collab with, but it could be any one of those three streamers I mentioned earlier (Hikaru, GothamChess, Daniel Naroditsky). Id love the chance to do some commentary with them.

We havent mentioned one important thing about online chess: the memes. Whats your favorite chess meme?

So some of my favorites are actually in this article! LulaRobs also has some great memes on her Twitter, shes really good at those. It takes so much creativity to make them!

Your Twitter profile says: Im here to make an impact on the world. Aside from that, chess expert, professional streamer. What impact would you like to make?

I think just being a good person is important. If you think about it, streaming, in general, is very dependent not necessarily on you, but on the community and the support and love you get from them.

Streaming has made me understand that I have to do my part as well. I wouldnt be here if it wasnt for my community and the people who supported me along the way. I realize that at 14 years old, its hard to make an impact on the entire world, but I can do my part. Just being kind, helping others, and being positive in general can go a long way. You have to put others first sometimes.

Somebody from my community was going through a rough period of his life, and he told me hed just recently found my stream and felt welcome and recharged by the community and all the positivity going around. A few days ago he just got a new job and everything is going back to normal for him, and Im really grateful to have a community that can make a positive difference for people. Im glad I can help people out in some way.

I realize that at 14 years old, its hard to make an impact on the entire world, but I can do my part.

And finally: what advice would you give to aspiring chess streamers? What are some of the lessons youve learned?

1) Dont overthink it. If you want to stream, just start! It takes courage; not everybody feels comfortable speaking to an audience, but if you have that desire, just go for it. Dont allow yourself to be fearful of it; I feel like I definitely had to overcome that in the beginning.

2) Be very consistent. I feel like thats one of the most important things. When I started, I streamed every day for around a month. Your viewers want to watch a streamer who streams! Having that consistency is key, whether youre starting out or if you're someone like Hikaru.

3) Focus on having a positive environment. At the start, I had a lot of trolls, and a lot of negativity and mean people in general. You have to set the tone and not encourage it. If someone is mean or annoying, ban them, and others are less likely to do the same thing. Ive had one or two mods from the beginning who understood this and have helped keep a nice environment to this day!

Catch ChessBrainiac live on his Twitch channel. Is there anyone you'd like to see as the next Streamer of the Month? Let us know in the comments below!

Previous Streamer of the Month winners:

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The 14-Year-Old Leading A New Generation Of Online Chess - Chess.com

A new book brings to mind two quotations from great minds, one a chess Grandmaster, the other one of the greatest of satirists.

AronNimzowitsch once wrote:Ridicule can do much, for instance embitter the existence of young talents; but one thing is not given to it, to put a stop permanently to the incursion of new and powerful ideas. Nimzowitsch, it will be recalled, formed the inspiration for much of Marcel Duchamps love of chess.

Meanwhile, the following (probably apocryphal) quotation is attributed to the philosophe and wit Voltaire (pictured above): I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.

The book, written jointly by the English International Master MichaelBasmanand the Dutch expert, Gerard Welling, isU Cannot Be Serious! AvantGardestrategy in Chess,published by Thinkers Publishing. It amounts to an anthology ofBasmansbest games, featuring the extraordinary flankstrategies whichhe has developed. His illustrious victims include Grandmasters John Nunn, Jon Speelman, Tony Miles, Dragoljub Velimirovic, Vladimir Savon, UlfAndersson, Alban Planinc, Henrique Mecking, Jonathan Tisdalland James Plaskett.

I say that I recall the two quotes, since on the one hand I doubt the ultimate soundness of Basmansmore extreme concepts, yet, on the other, I absolutely defend his right both to deploy and explain his outr ideas.

Indeed, amongst much contumely heaped uponBasmanseccentricities, I am mentioned in despatches in the book as a lone voice crying in the wilderness, lauding his adventurous spirit. (See my article Basmaniaat the Benedictine in the journalModern Chess Theory, 1982.) Co-author Welling refers to this article but sadly no link is available since I wrote it in the Cretaceous period of chess evolution.

Here is how Welling describes the intervention of iconoclasm into the theory of chess openings:

Modern chess is getting to be more and more a young man s game. Over the last decades, with the growth of internet and the development of chess engines, high quality chess material has become readily available. And the young generation knows how to put these opportunities into effect, the result being a much larger pool of strong players than the aged authors have ever witnessed in their respective primes. Openings are researched and tested with the strongest computer programs; this has led to a revival of concrete evaluation of positions and the good old intuition being pushed towards the background. Contemporary chess is lively and we see experimental approaches, but in general backed up with accurate calculation.

When a player has the impertinence to open a game with 1. h3 and follows up 1 e5 2. a3, howls of protest descend from the internet forums. The least practised players especially backed up with their Stockfish engines are quick to abuse the player who had the impudence to sin against their feeling of what correct chess is supposed to be. It is easy enough to attack a skilful player of an experimental inclination, shielding oneself behind the back of the champions (and their supposed opinions on chess matters) or the negative balance in fractions of pawns (!) that an engine indicates. But is it fair to attack a player who plays a couple of unusual moves when the critic does not understand what is happening on the board? It is easy to demonise a move, but it is the underlying idea that should be understood, before it can be contradicted.

Michael Basman has been an avant-garde strategist on the chessboard from his early days as a tournament player and has collected his share of ridicule and scorn throughout the years. But he has also been fairly successful, so we can ask ourselves: who has been right, the master or his critics? Former world champion Mikhail Botvinnik saw through the facade of experimental play and named Basman a creative and talented player.

But on the British player s home turf, there was often sharp rejection of his way of playing chess. Interesting wins were more than once described as lucky, and losses as the natural consequence of sins against chess. Even in the late 1970s, when Mike Basman was a household name in British chess, British Chess Magazine was still writing he was handicapping himself by his unfortunate opening choices. An interesting exception to this trend was Grandmaster Raymond Keene, who back in 1982 wrote an extensive article on Basman s games from the Benedictine Masters in Manchester. He praised the strategical ideas but criticised the implementation. And he finished his article with an example of how these ideas could have found a place in one s own strategic arsenal.

Of course, as a kind of counterweight, avant-garde chess has a cult-following of players that catch the spark of inspiration, study the examples and often copy the ideas. Co-author Gerard Welling was an example of a player that borrowed some ideas from Michael Basman, and even went so far as to play 1. Nf3 h6 in a decisive match in the semi-finals of the Dutch Championship 36 years ago (he won, and qualified). The study of experimental players can widen your horizons and give you new ideas. Even a celebrated chess trainer like Mark Dvoretsky has given this advice. So be critical, but keep an open mind!

Basmanis, indeed, one of the most original thinkers on the current chess scene. He specialises in almost mystical pawn sacrifices and edge-of-the-board strategies, which can confuse the strongest of opponents.

This week I give some spectacular tactical wins byBasmanarising from hiscunning flank encroachments.The first game was played inBasmans debut appearance in the Hastings Premier, where he completely outplayed the Red Czar of Soviet Chess, the great Mikhail Botvinnik. Botvinnik was extremely lucky to escape with a draw.

The most impressive game has Basman playing Black against Grandmaster Henrique Mecking. The Brazilian Mecking was the outstanding prodigy of the day, who went on to become a world championship Candidate. It is enthralling to see howBasmanencroaches from both flanks and then strikes downMeckingsking.

For anyone who mistakenly believes that all chessstrategies have been discovered,Basmans and Wellings book is a blast of fresh oxygen. We might well say, with Hamlet, that there aremore things in heaven and earththan are dreamt of in your philosophy. The most amazing development is that even the reigning world champion, Magnus Carlsen, and other leading grandmasters are now resorting to openings which would have had Capablanca, Alekhine and Botvinnik revolving in their sarcophagi. It must now be apparent, even to one afflicted by the most egregiously struthonian ultracrepidarianism , that there is something in the Zeitgeist which is justifying even the wilder shores of Basmaniac iconoclasm.

Basmans draw v BotvinnikBasmans win v Mecking Basmans win v John Nunn Basmans win v Speelman Carlsen s win against Maghsoodloo

Raymond Keene s latest book Fifty Shades of Ray: Chess in the year of the Coronavirus , containing some of his best pieces from TheArticle, is now available from Blackwell s .

We are the only publication thats committed to covering every angle. We have an important contribution to make, one thats needed now more than ever, and we need your help to continue publishing throughout the pandemic. So please, make a donation.

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Was Basman right? Iconoclasm, ridicule and chess - TheArticle