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The Berkeley Chess School holds regular tournaments for youth and adults. It will be the host of the first-ever U.S. Senior Womens Champion this weekend. Courtesy: Berkeley Chess School

Since its founding in 1982, the Berkeley Chess School has overseen several major milestones for women in chess. It hosted the first girls and womens California chess championships, as well as the first regional championships for women in western states.

U.S. Senior Womens Championship, Berkeley Chess School, 2622 San Pablo Ave., Friday-Sunday, Nov. 3-5

The school is poised to add a fourth landmark achievement to its list: It will host the inaugural U.S. Senior Womens Championship, which begins Friday evening and runs through Sunday.

Twelve of the countrys top women chess players over 50 will square off against each other over five intense rounds. The tournament, which will be played using the Swiss system (meaning no one gets eliminated), will be streamed online and can be viewed for free in person at 2622 San Pablo Ave. Spectators watching the tournament live will be asked to place their phones on a designated table in the tournament room as part of an anti-cheating protocol.

I am just so chuffed that I actually was chosen to do it, said Berkeley Chess School founder Elizabeth Shaughnessy, who has long worked to increase recognition of female chess players. Just 14% of the U.S. Chess Federations membership is female, according to the governing bodys website.

The lineup of participants includes the Ukraine-born Anjelina Belakovskaia, who holds the title of Woman Grandmaster and is a three-time U.S. Womens Chess Champion; Chilean-American Beatriz Marinello, who holds the title of Woman International Master and was vice president of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) from 2010 to 2018; and Ukraine-born, Bay Area resident Natalya Tsodikova, who holds the title of Woman FIDE Master and won the California Womens Championship in 2019.

Alexey Root, who holds the title of Woman International Master and who has authored several books on chess strategy and womens chess history, will hold a book signing at 6:15 p.m. on Friday, 45 minutes before round 1 starts.

The senior womens championship cost around $20,000 to organize, with support from the Eades Foundation and U.S. Chess Federation. Prize money totaling $8,000 is split among the top five winners.

Shaughnessy said she embraced the opportunity to host the tournament in Berkeley because she knows firsthand the challenges older women face.

In 1970, she was named the Irish Womens Chess Champion; just three years later, following the birth of her eldest daughter, Orna, she went on hiatus. She returned to competition 25 years later, securing a spot on the 1998 Irish womens team and representing her home country in several Chess Olympiads. But she felt her skills never fully returned to where they were in her youth.

Shaughnessys story is not uncommon among competitive female chess players.

Even the legendary Hungarian chess grandmaster Judit Polgr, the only woman to have ever been a serious candidate for the World Chess Championship (open to both men and women), retired from competition to dedicate more time to her children.

If I can get older women who have raised their children now and are wondering what to do with themselves into playing chess, it would help them see its not just live a long life, but its live with your marbles in place, said Shaughnessy, who is 86 and credits chess for keeping her mind sharp (she still plays chess online daily). Thats the big deal.

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Berkeley to host first U.S. chess championship for women over 50 - Berkeleyside

Sherab Lhamo

Bhutans first ever living chess game will take place at ELC High School, Thimphu on November 11 at 10am.

Living chess or human chess is a form of chess in which people take the place of the chess pieces on a large chessboard.

Living chess was first played in 1454 in Marostica,northern Italy. Then, two noblemen fell in love with the daughter of the Lord of Marostica. They challenged each other to a duel for the daughters hand, but the Lord forbade them from the duel to avoid becoming enemies if one of them lost.

Instead, the Lord decided that the two noblemen to play a chess game, a living chess. The game took place on the square in front of the lower castle in the presence of all the people.

Even to this day, the game is being played, and the tradition has spread across the world.

The small town of Strobeck in Germany is devoted to chess and even has a stone 600 sq.ft chess board in the town plaza. The game is being played yearly.

Jane Hancock, a chess teacher in ELC, the one who brought the idea to Bhutan, said that she wanted to create living chess here in 2019 but unfortunately due to the pandemic she could not.

In September 2022, plans started to slowly evolve to create living chess,she added.

The entire staff is involved in making this possible with 32 students as chess pieces. The chess board is made of strong material of around 600 sq.ft like the one in Germany, according to Jane.

ELC students have been studying chess since September 2022.

The students have been rehearsing for the last two months.

They are extremely prepared for the game, said Jane.

The costumes for the living chess are based on Bhutanese culture; the chess pieces, including the king,queen,two bishops, two knights, and two rooks will be dressed up in traditional attire representing the hierarchy role. The pawns too will wear cultural decorations.

Yangcchen Pelmo and Tshewang Loday, the facility staff, are the designers, who have been working for months on the design aspect of the game.

According to Jane, chess is an important activity for developing students critical and strategic thinking, helping to develop critical thinking and good sportsmanship. Some studies on chess have concluded that chess players tend to have better memory, attention spans, and overall brain function.

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First ever Living Chess game to take place in ELC High School - Kuensel, Buhutan's National Newspaper

News that is dated but becoming more relevant by the moment: Dalton Schoen didnt practice on Tuesday as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers officially began on-field preparations for Saturdays West Final against the B.C. Lions.

That development has had Bomber Nation on edge since late last month.

And now news that could potentially send everyone into full panic mode if nothing changes leading into the weekend: Nic Demski also didnt practice on Tuesday, meaning the club was without its two 1,000-yard receivers five days out from the epic showdown with the Lions and a berth in the Grey Cup on the line.

FYI, Greg McCrae, Brendan OLeary-Orange and Janarion Grant all took turns in the offence on Tuesday and the club also has veteran Markeith Ambles available in the bullpen.

Were OK, began wide receiver Kenny Lawler. A big part of it is trust. Guys will come in if they have to and not skip a beat. Part of it is because we honour each other and trust each other.

Its always the next man up mentality no matter where you go, so the young guys are going to get their opportunity. Theyre taking pride, theyre taking honour in it. Thats what I love about this our young guys, our next man up guys, are ready.

The rest of it is Ive just got to focus on my job. I cant worry about anybody elses job. I can only control me. Ive got to be my best at doing my job 100 percent and then help lift the other guys to do their job at 100 percent.

The Blue Bombers were without Schoen for the the last two regular-season games after he was injured in the win over the Lions in Vancouver on October 6th. His potential absence could be massive as he is coming off a season in which he had 72 catches for 1,233 yards and a league-leading 10 receiving touchdowns. In his two years with the Blue Bombers, he has 142 receptions for 2,674 yards and 26 TDs in just 34 games. Demski was held out of the game in Calgary and is coming off his first 1K season, finishing with 67 catches for 1,006 yards and six TDs.

How do you possibly replace all that production? Good question.

I would say this: Replacing isnt the right word because everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, said Drew Wolitarsky. Thats the game. Its chess. Youve got your rooks, your knights, your bishops, your queen and your pawns, and its how you use these guys to the best of their abilities. A bishop is not going to do the same thing as a rook, so why have him run the exact same way or put pieces in places that wont help you win.

So, its not replacing. Its putting you in different spots and rearranging things to take advantage of our strengths. Thats how you have to restructure when you lose something.

This is an interesting time. Weve had a lot of people have to step up. Its made me step up and work even harder. The young guys coming up weve had a lot of young guys make plays and you can see their growth and confidence.

The Blue Bombers still have two full practices before Fridays walk-through, and dont have to declare their depth chart until the day before the game.

Weve always liked our depth, said head coach Mike OShea in his media session on Tuesday. The coaching staff and the players do a good job of making sure they understand the plays from all different angles and all different positions concepts, rather than just one position. We thrived in the past because guys can jump in and do a whole bunch of different things for us with their versatility and understanding of what the offence is trying to do rather than just knowing their specific job. I dont think thats ever been our recipe here.

Guys have just stepped into those spots, and its never really been an issue. We move guys around all the time and when guys need a break, they go right into teaching mode. Theyre locked in that way and make sure they stay in the practice, in the play, dialled in, by talking to all the guys that are running around.

More notes and quotes from this weeks NEED TO KNOW West Final edition.

We all know how these things can change, but Environment Canadas forecast calls for a high of -1C with clear conditions and an overnight low of -2C.

Obviously you prepare for the elements the best you can during the week of practice, said quarterback Zach Collaros. Weve had cold weather here now for a couple of weeks and weve had cold weather in the past. Everybody knows how to prepare from the game in that respect and try and stay as comfortable as you can and execute the game plan.

Asked if the Blue Bombers have an advantage in practising in these conditions compared to the Lions, Collaros wouldnt bite.

Maybe so. At the end of the day, though, youve got to go out there and execute. Snow is just another element or factor that each team will be having to factor into the game.

The Blue Bombers secondary for much of practice Tuesday featured Demerio Houston and Jamal Parker at the corners, with Winston Roses shadowing both positions Read into this what you will, but the CFL Simulation run by CFL.ca seems like to like the Blue Bombers chances this weekend and beyond The Lions injury report, for what its worth.

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Thats the game. Its chess." - bluebombers.com

by Shahid Ahmed - 09/11/2023

Kashvi Chess School Kundapura invites you to1st Kashvi's Rapid Rating Open 2023. The inaugural edition of this rapid rating open is offering a total prize fund of 2600000. The firstprize is105000. There are 16 prizes which has a prize of 50000 or more. Total 165 prizes are up for grabs. This is the highest everprize fund offered in a two-day rapid ratingopen tournament in India. It is exactly a month away from now. This is a tournament you cannot afford to miss especially if you like rapid rating open events. Entry is FREE for GMs, IMs, WGMs and WIMs. For everyone else, entry fee is 6500 till 20th November. After that, entry fee increases. Check out the article for all information. All tournament info photos are from tournament circular.

Kashvi's 1st Rapid Rating Open 2023 will take placeon 9th and 10th December

The tournament will take place at Indiana Convention Centre in Mangaluru, Karnataka on 9th and 10th December 2023. Check out the image below for tournamentrules and regulations.

Tournament rules and regulations

There will be five rounds on Saturday 9th December and four on Sunday 10th December 2023. Check out the image below for complete schedule of the tournament.

Tournament schedule

The total prize fund is 2600000. The overall top three prizes are 105000, 70000 and 50000 along with a trophy each There are 20 main prizes. Each of the five rating categories including Unrated has ten prizes each. The top three prizes in those categories are 50000, 25000 and 15000 along with a trophy each respectively.Each of the eight age group categories also have cash prizes along with a trophy. There top three prizes are 50000, 30000 and 20000 along with a trophy each. There are also Best Dakshina Kannada, Best Udupi, Best Women (Above 18 years), Specially Abled and Best Veteran (Above 55 years) prizes - they all have cash prizes. Apart from these, there are also special prizes in various age group categories which has a chess clock and trophy as the prize.

Prize details

Check out theofficial and arbiter panel in the image below:

Official and Arbiter panel names

Indiana Convention Centre in Mangaluru, Karnataka is the venue.

Tournament venue

Entry is FREE for GMs, IMs, WGMs and WIMs.For everyone else, entry fee is 6500 till 20th November. From 21st - 30th November, entry fee will be 7500. From 1st to 8th December 2023, entry fee will be 8500. Check out the image below for all information including a selfie contest to win 10000 cash:

Important info about the tournament

IM Manish Anto Cristiano F is the sole confirmed titled player till now

Details

Official site

See the article here:
Kashvi Chess School invites you to highest ever prize fund for a ... - ChessBase India

UCLA coach Chip Kelly is shown during last year's game against Arizona in the Rose Bowl, when the Wildcats handed the Bruins their first loss of the season. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

After a stunning upset over UCLA last season at the Rose Bowl, the Jedd Fisch Revenge Tour rolls back into Tucson on Saturday.

Maybe it was just a coincidence that the Arizona coach wore a shirt reading Its Personal when he met with reporters Thursday. It certainly fed the narrative that there's going to be a little extra motivation when Fisch tries to win another meeting of the game's top offensive minds.

For those who dont recall the full extent of the awkwardness, Fisch was the Bruins interim coach when Chip Kelly was hired in late 2017 to replace Jim Mora. Fisch said shortly thereafter that he had discussions with Kelly about remaining on the coaching staff but suggested there was no role for him with Kelly calling his own plays.

Before UCLA played Arizona in 2021 during Fischs first season with the Wildcats, Kelly said he didnt speak with Fisch about staying with the Bruins. Kelly also disputed Fischs contention that the coaches had once spoken about Fisch joining Kellys Philadelphia Eagles staff.

Is anyone feeling a touch queasy? Wait, there's more.

Read more: No longer standing still, Ethan Garbers is running away with UCLA quarterback job

Kelly was so worried about Fisch and his fellow former Bruins assistants knowledge of his plays that UCLA deployed silver screens on the sideline to prevent sign stealing before the Bruins victory over the Wildcats in 2021.

A year later, Arizona toppled then-No. 12 UCLA at the Rose Bowl, essentially knocking the Bruins out of the Pac-12 title race. Going into their latest matchup, both teams are fringe contenders assuming a rabbits foot finds its way in their back pocket the rest of the season, given all the teams above them in the standings that need to suffer additional losses.

Here are four things to watch when No. 19 UCLA (6-2 overall, 3-2 Pac-12) faces Arizona (5-3, 3-2) at Arizona Stadium.

In just 2 seasons, Fisch has revived a lifeless program.

Arizona has already matched its win total from last season and needs just one more victory to become bowl-eligible for the first time since 2017.

Having just beaten Washington State and Oregon State, the Wildcats are coming off consecutive victories over nationally ranked opponents for the first time since 2014. A victory over the Bruins would give them three straight wins in that department for the first time since 1992.

While Arizona is not nationally ranked, Kelly disputed the notion that the Wildcats had quietly become one of the better teams in the Pac-12.

Were very well aware of what Arizonas doing, Kelly said, but I think a lot of people in the country are too.

Read more: UCLA vs. Arizona: Desert doldrums plagued the Bruins in a rivalry filled with upsets

Both teams have juggled their quarterback rotations.

UCLA has gone from Ethan Garbers to Dante Moore back to Garbers. Arizona has pivoted from Jayden de Laura to Noah Fifita after De Laura hurt his ankle.

Its widely expected that Fifita will make a fifth consecutive start Saturday. That would make him the first Football Bowl Subdivision quarterback since at least 2012 the first year for which data is available to make his first five career starts against opponents nationally ranked by Associated Press.

Kelly said it didnt matter who started for the Wildcats because their offense would essentially be the same.

The play calls dont change, said Kelly, whose team struggled to stop De Laura last season during Arizonas 34-28 victory at the Rose Bowl. Its not like one guys a run-around guy and the other guys not a run-around guy. Both can beat you with their arms and they both can beat you with their legs. And their ability to make plays on the unscheduled plays big plays on the unscheduled plays is a difficult thing to defend and we have to prepare for that.

Garbers is 3-0 as UCLAs starter this season and 3-1 in his career, with the only loss coming against Utah during the 2021 season.

At 6 feet 3 and 205 pounds, J. Michael Sturdivant might be the most physically imposing of UCLAs receivers, but hes been overshadowed by one of the tinier Bruins.

Logan Loya, generously listed at 5-foot-11, has made a team-leading 34 catches for 421 yards and three touchdowns, continuing a years-long trend of Kelly favoring his slot receivers going back to Kyle Philips. Sturdivant ranks second on the team with 24 catches for 407 yards and three touchdowns.

Theres no disputing who will be Arizonas top target: Tetairoa McMillan, who has logged four games with at least 80 receiving yards this season on the way to making 48 catches for 672 yards and six touchdowns. Kelly called McMillan one of the top receivers in the country.

Read more: UCLA football faces a colder introduction to the Big Ten than USC

Sturdy defense has kept the Wildcats and Bruins in every game.

Arizona is giving up just 21 points per game, 15.5 fewer than last season. The Wildcats have held three opponents to 10 points or fewer, including Washington State during an impressive 44-6 road victory.

They tackle well on the defensive side of the ball and keep the ball in front of them, Kelly said, and they dont allow any big plays.

The same could be said for the Bruins, who are giving up only 15 points per game to lead the Pac-12. UCLA also features the nations top run defense after allowing only 63.1 yards per game on the ground, becoming the only team in the country to not give up one rushing play of 20 yards or more.

One statistic that could determine the outcome: Can Arizona, averaging 155.1 yards rushing per game, reach triple digits? The Bruins have won 16 consecutive games when holding opponents under 100 yards on the ground, including all six games in that scenario this season.

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Coaching chess match is among four things to watch when No. 19 ... - Yahoo Sports