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The Washington Commanders' 2023 NFL Draft selections have caught many people's eyes, with some criticizing the direction Ron Rivera went down.

In a tweet from NBC Washingtons Insider JP Finlay, who had been speaking to Eric Nathan from Barstool Sports, it left no doubt how many felt the Washington Commanders approached their 2023 NFL Draft selections.

"We drafted like a team that is a perennial super bowl team that just had to fill out the depth chart...Maybe that's a good thing, maybe its a bad thing. I didn't hate it but I understand people that look at it and go, 'what is this?'"

The Commanders' 2023 draft selections garnered a lot of different grades from different people. For example, The Ringer's Danny Kelly gave Washington a B+ for their choices.

While on the other hand, Yahoo Sports' Charles McDonald gave them a whopping D+ for their efforts.

While the grades may differ, it does not change the fact of who they selected and when the prospects were taken within the given draft. But when looking at the choices collectively, did they just fill out the depth chart or move the needle?

To answer the question, it is somewhere in between.

When you look at the first-round pick of Emmanuel Forbes, it makes sense. During the 2022 season, the Commanders ranked 26th in the league in total takeaways with 18 and they were ranked 28th in interceptions (9).

Forbes was a ballhawk at Mississippi State, attaining 14 interceptions throughout his collegiate career. He has the ability to be a factor when the ball is in the air.

However, when comparing the body of work of Forbes and Christian Gonzalez of Oregon, the latter was the better athlete, the more complete cornerback between the two, and a Day 1 starter.

So, when the New England Patriots drafted him immediately after the Commanders, it felt like a gotcha moment. However, only time will tell on that matter.

Their offensive line selections of Arkansas's Ricky Stromberg in the third round and Utah's Braeden Daniels in the fourth round felt like depth picks, which is fine.

The Commanders have struggled across their protection for multiple years, so depth was necessary. But not addressing the tight end position in a draft where the pool was deep raised more than a few eyebrows.

Logan Thomas will be 32 years old once the 2023 NFL season starts and has not had a productive season since 2020. Though in 2021, he only played six games due to injuries.

This year would have been a good one to upgrade the position. But again, time will tell as to whether ot ot this was the correct call.

Speaking of skill positions, head coach Ron Rivera did not need to select another running back in this draft. Especially considering that Kentuckys Chris Rodriguez Jr. is a power runner.

The Commanders' backfield is already loaded with running backs in the form of Antonio Gibson and Brian Robinson Jr. Recently released J.D. McKissic was a pass catcher, but I do not see Rodriguez taking this role, which leaves one to scratch their head on the selection.

The fifth-round selection of Clemsons K.J. Henry was a valid pick. He was seen as a sleeper choice and considering the Shaka Toney suspension, it made sense for the team to potentially replace him.

On numerous occasions, Rivera has gone on record saying he "feels confident" about the roster. Yet outside of the 2020 campaign, has not been able to get this team to the playoffs in consecutive seasons.

Teams like the Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles made moves to further build on their playoff rosters, such as trading up for Georgias Jalen Carter and moving up for promising tight end Dalton Kincaid.

Although the glaring difference between those teams and the Commanders is that they have their franchise quarterback. Something else they did not address during the draft.

The jury is still out on quarterback Sam Howell, but there is a lot to be said about the team going into the new season.

Is Rivera playing chess or checkers? We'll find out next season.

Read more from the original source:
Chess or Checkers? The Washington Commanders puzzling 2023 NFL Draft - Riggo's Rag

New executive committee formed for session 2023- 2026

Jamshedpur, May 7: The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Seraikela-Kharsawan District Chess Association was held at a hotel on NH-33 on Sunday. Secretary of the Association presented the annual report which was unanimously approved by all the members. After AGM the committee for the session 2023- 2026 was elected. Unanimously all the members nominated the offices bearers. Industrialist and social worker Manoj Kumar was appointed the President of Seraikela-Kharsawan District Chess Association. Ajay has been named the general secretary of the association.

Vikram Kumar has been made the treasurer of the district Chess Association. Raju Choudhary, Shailendra Kumar, Vinod Kumar Singh, Raj Kumar Singh were appointed the Vice Presidents. Milan Kumar, Sunil Kumar Das and Abhishek Sharma were selected for the post of Joint Secretary.

Dheeraj Kumar Jha, Himanshu Kumar, Sumit Kumar, Shreya, Kumar Abhishek, Mukund Prasad and Anmol Sharma were unanimously elected the executive members of the association

Kulwant Singh alias Raja Singh has been made the Patron-in-Chief of the Association while Nand Kumar Singh, Rajeeb Verma and Dr Mintu Akhouri were unanimously appointed as the patrons of the Association. Manish Kumar, general secretary of the All Jharkhand Chess Association (AJCA) was present as an observer.

Later, addressing a press meet at the same venue, secretary of the association informed that Seraikiela-Kharsawan District Chess Association will host the 36th Under-9 Open and Girls National Chess Championship from 2 to 08 November, which is a matter of pride for our district and the state.

President Manoj Kumar said that National Championship will be held in Hotel Wave International, in which more than 450 players along with their parents from all across India willbe present. District Chess Association will make all arrangements lodging and fooding for around 1200 persons. Raja Singh, owner of Hotel Wave International and Patron-in-Chief of the Association said we will provide all possible help to the association in making the championship a success.

Tribal kids to get free chess training

Jamshedpur, May 7: In order to connect with the tribals of the region and to ensure their participation in national chess event, it was unanimously decided in the meeting that children will be given free six months training in five government schools in the rural areas of the Seraikela-Kharsawan district to prepare them to participate in the national event.

Secretary of All Jharkhand Chess Association congratulated the new executive committee for taking such an initiative.

FIDE Arbiter Vishal Kumar Ming was also present on the occasion.

Read more from the original source:
Seraikela to host National U-9 Open and Girls Chess Championship - Avenue Mail

When the Rockets' quest to identify the 16th head coach in franchise history set sail, it was clear what they were looking for: a defensive-minded coach who could take command in a locker room. And based on the list of candidates, the Rockets made it a point of emphasis to expand the criteria to coaches that had been a part of a championship run.

The early rumblings were that former Los Angeles Lakers coach Frank Vogel was the frontrunner, while rumors had been circulating that the franchise held Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse in high regard. What complicated matters on the Nurse front was the fact that Nurse hadn't officially been terminated when the Rockets' search got underway, as he and the Raptors hadn't yet decided whether he would be back in the fold, after a disappointing season in which the Raptors seemingly regressed.

The Rockets continued on with their search, irrespective of the situation regarding Nurse, and added former Celtics coach Ime Udoka to the fray. Udoka had been linked to Toronto, as he and Raps President of Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri are known to have a good relationship.

But the Raptors couldn't interview Udoka until they had made a decision on Nurse, and although the Rockets reportedly liked Nurse, they decided against waiting for him. In the end, the Rockets hired Udoka before Toronto announced that Nurse wouldn't be returning, leaving Toronto grasping at straws, as they had missed out on someone they held a high degree of interest in, as long-time NBA insider Marc Stein explained.

"League sources say that the Raptors were indeed hoping to make Udoka part of their search to replace Nurse but were likewise determined to commission a broad search process that would feature numerous candidates and stretch well into May. When the Rockets moved quickly by presenting him with a four-year offer that, according to The Houston Chronicle, is valued at $28.5 million, Udoka took the job in front of him."

The Rockets had to pay Udoka a steep salary (roughly $7.1 million annually), as the Gregg Popovich disciple could very well have opted to hold off on accepting any offer until he interviewed with Ujiri and the Raps, in hopes of a better offer. And the Raps were slated to pay Nurse $8 million in 2023-24, so they wouldn't have had a problem giving him a number that he was comfortable with.

Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta was aggressive to get a guy in Udoka who he really coveted and the franchise moved swiftly to prevent the Raps from even remotely having a shot at the 45-year-old Udoka. This level of urgency from ownership should bode well to a fanbase that's largely questioned whether ownership was committed to winning.

Read more from the original source:
How the Rockets won a masterful chess match against the Raptors - Space City Scoop

There are many passionate Elden Ring fans, but one particular fan has created an incredible chess set inspired by the popular action adventure RPG. The unique artwork is sure to impress many players of Elden Ring; even gamers who have yet to experience the game.

It's no secret that Elden Ring is one of the hottest games around right now. The action adventure RPG developed by FromSoftware is hailed by many gamers as one of the greatest titles in the genre, and critics have praised the game just as much as players. Despite only being out for a little over a year, many have named it a masterpiece. With that kind of passion behind it, Elden Ring has grown a die hard fan base, and it only continues to keep growing as new players journey to the Lands Between every day. Having such a large and passionate community means that sometimes those fans choose to pay homage to a game in unique and creative ways, like one player recently did.

RELATED: Elden Ring Trick Gives You Huge Advantage When Fighting Trolls

A Reddit user known on the platform as GreenyRepublic shared their incredible hand-painted chess set inspired by Elden Ring, featuring several prominent characters that a lot of fans will recognize. Even if one doesn't play chess, it's impossible to overlook GreenyRepublic's amazing work and dedication to completing this artwork.

Some of the featured characters on the board include Marika and Rennala as opposing queens and Turtle Pope standing in as the bishop, naturally. Additionally, Godfrey and Radagon are the kings of the set while the Tree Sentinel is the knight. For those who are interested in the possibility of owning a set like this, GreenyRepublic's work is unfortunately one of a kind since it was made as a gift for a very lucky friend. Although there's no chance of owning this amazing Elden Ring artwork, the fact that it's the only one of its kind makes it incredibly special.

There are many talented Elden Ring fans, and this chess set is an amazing addition to the long list of fan art within the game's community. Since Elden Ring is one of the best modern games around, it's no surprise that some players want to pay tribute to the RPG in such incredibly unique ways. Whether it's through drawing, crocheting, or painting, each new piece of artwork that is made by fans is just further proof of what a special game Elden Ring is, showcasing how much it means to many gamers.

Elden Ring is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

MORE: Elden Ring: Best Great Spears

See the rest here:
Elden Ring Fan Creates Incredible Hand-Painted Chess Set Based ... - GameRant

ASTANA Kazakhstan is focused on advancing chess in the country, aiming to double the number of chess players in the nearest future, said President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during a May 2 meeting with new World Chess Champion Ding Liren, runner-up Ian Nepomniachtchi and President of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) Arkady Dvorkovich, reported the Akorda press service.

President Tokayev with Ding(L) and Nepomniachtchi(R). Photo credit: Akorda.

More than 200,000 people play chess in the country. This figure should at least double with the help of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation and FIDE. Chess will see significant growth in the country, said Tokayev.

The President congratulated Ding on becoming the world champion in a close chess battle and expressed his respect to Nepomniachtchi for his mastery.

Chinas grandmaster Ding thanked Tokayev for the invitation. Photo credit: Akorda.

Chinas grandmaster Ding thanked Tokayev for the invitation.

We are very pleased to meet you. I am thrilled to win and participate in this tournament. I enjoyed the game a lot, he said.

Russias grandmaster Nepomniachtchi noted the great interest in chess in Kazakhstan.

Russias grandmaster Nepomniachtchi noted the great interest in chess in Kazakhstan. Photo credit: Akorda.

I thank the organizers of the match, and thank the country. I see that the countrys interest in chess is constantly growing. With the new leadership of the federation, you are moving in the right direction, he said.

Dvorkovich expressed gratitude to the Kazakh President for the warm welcome, noting the effective development of chess due to state support and financial assistance.

Over the past seven months, Kazakhstan held five world championships. We see the popularity of chess in Kazakhstan. The numbers are impressive and will be even higher, said Dvorkovich.

Dvorkovich expressed gratitude to the Kazakh President for the warm welcome, noting the effective development of chess due to state support and financial assistance. Photo credit: Akorda.

According to Dvorkovich, FIDE plans to host the first-ever World School Championship in Kazakhstan this summer, in which representatives from at least 80 countries are expected to participate.

Following the meeting, the President wished the chess players luck in reaching new heights.

Ding became the new world chess champion after he defeated Nepomniachtchi in the FIDE World Chess Championship final game of the tiebreak on April 30.

See the rest here:
Kazakh President Meets with World Chess Champion and Runner ... - Astana Times