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Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 2 (ANI): The first-ever Chess Olympiad Torch Relay reached Maharashtra today and travelled through prominent locations of Nagpur and Pune.

The Torch will reach Mumbai from where it will depart from Maharashtra to Goa on Sunday.

As India is celebrating its 75th year of independence, the Chess Olympiad torch is being taken to 75 cities of the country before reaching Chennai, the host city of the 44th FIDE Chess Olympiad from July 28 August 10, 2022.

The Torch relay reached Nagpurs famous Zero Mile, the geographical centre-point of India, from Daman at 6 a.m. Grand Masters Raunak Sadhwani, Divya Deshmukh and Sankalp Gupta received the Torch. NCC Cadets of the 20th Maharashtra Batallion, Nehru Yuva Kendra and District Sports officials and other sports enthusiasts gave a grand welcome to the Chess Olympiad Torch Relay.

Later, the Grand Masters took the Torch forward in an open jeep to various locations. The rally passed through the main square of Nagpur city through Sanvidhan Chowk, All India Radio, Maharaj Bagh, Law College, Ravi Nagar Chowk, Wadi T Point, Hingana Link Road or GH Raisoni Institute of Engineering and Technology, Shraddha Park, near MIDC Police Station, Chhatrapati Square and Hingana Wadi Link Road. Later, the Torch was taken to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport, Nagpur at around 8 AM for its onward journey.

Grand Masters Isha Karwade and Abhijit Kunte, Representatives of Maharashtra Chess Association, Officials of Department of Sports received the Torch at the Pune Airport.

The Torch was carried by the Grand Masters to Amanora Township in Hadapsar at around 12 noon where it was greeted with a grand reception. State Sports Commissioner Om Prakash Bakoria, Commissioner, Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority, Dr Suhas Divase, Pune Municipal Commissioner Vikram Kumar and office bearers of Maharashtra Chess Association were also present on the occasion.

After the grand reception the flame was taken on a road journey to prominent locations in the city, including the historically significant Shaniwarwada, before commencing its road journey towards Mumbai.

The Torch is expected to reach Mumbai at 6:30 p.m where it will be received by Grandmaster Pravin Thipsay. Grandmasters Abhijit Kunte and Soumya Swaminathan will also be present. A grand reception for the Torch has been organised at Wankhede Club at around 7 p.m.

India has been the first-ever country to start the Chess Olympiad Torch Relay as per the Olympic tradition. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the historic torch relay at Indira Gandhi Stadium, New Delhi on June 19, 2022 and handed it over to Grandmaster Vishwanathan Anand

Since its launch, the torch has travelled to iconic locations including Red Fort in Delhi, Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh, the Attari Border in Amritsar, the Taj Mahal in Agra and the Vidhan Sabha in Lucknow and Dandi in Gujarat among others.

Hosts India is fielding 20 players at the Olympiad being held at Mahabalipuram, near Chennai. With 188 countries registered for the Olympiad, India is set to witness a huge congregation of nations for a sporting event for the first time on Indian soil.

Chess, as we know it today, traces its origin to the Indian game of Chaturanga, dating back to the 6th century CE. The game spread throughout Asia and Europe over the coming centuries, and eventually evolved into what we know as chess around the 16th century. (ANI)

This report is auto-generated from ANI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.

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The first-ever Chess Olympiad Torch Relay travels through prominent locations of Nagpur, Pune - ThePrint

Has there been a plot to sabotage Nigel Short s prospects of becoming President ofFID,the governing body of world chess? Already Vice-President, England s greatest ever chess player and chess politician since the days of Howard Staunton would, as I hoped, take the logical next step, identify a Ukrainian running mate, and stand for election to the supreme post in the elections due later this month, to coincide with the Olympiad in Chennai. With the incumbent President Arkady Dvorkovich a Russian, hardly conceivable in the current climate after Putins violation of Ukraine , I believed that Nigel would be a shoo-in for the top job.

Instead, Short has become enmeshed in a scandal that has resulted in his being censured and suspended by the FID Ethics Commission. Coincidence or a blatant and politically motivated example of that pithy Antipodean formulation, the Tall Poppy Syndrome?

This syndromeis a cultural phenomenon in which detractorscriticise or sabotage those who have achieved notable success in one or more aspects of life, particularly in intellectual or cultural arenas; cutting down the tall poppy describes a push towards mediocrity and conformity.It will be recalled that when Nigel Short (pictured above, in 1976) first stood for high office in FID, four years ago, that the English Chess Federation pulled out all the stops to frustrate his ambitions and in fact made it pellucidly clear that they would cast their vote for the Greek rival candidate, Makropoulos, rather than support their compatriot Nigel.

Instead of fighting his corner, Nigel has instead, and to my dismay, now resigned. I had hoped that he might soldier on, but I also fully respect, understand and sympathise with his presumed sentiment : If they don t want me, after all I have done for them in promoting chess globally,then I want nothing to do with them!

Dvorkovich himself has not stepped down, thus leaving FID as the only international body of anyprominence still led by a Russian. Indeed, Dvorkovich will stand again and probably win, due to the master stroke of recruiting Viswanathan Anand, the Indian former World Champion as his running mate, for an election to be held in India.

Dvorkovich s tears at Shorts resignation struck me as singularly crocodilian. This is his statement:

I learned with deep regret about Mr Short s decision to resign from the position of Vice President today. I would like to note that all these years, Nigel has worked tirelessly to promote chess on all continents. Thanks to his efforts, the FID family has been expanded by several new federations.

Often the fruits of his dedicated work were to be appreciated only years later. As an example thanks to his efforts, the long-standing conflict in the Pakistani Chess Federation began to be resolved, ending with legitimate elections in June 2022.

I am sincerely glad that in 2018 Nigel agreed to accept my nomination as the Vice President of FID. Several more candidates from his 2018 ticket currently work in the FID Council and make a significant contribution to our common duties.

I would like to highlight Nigel s organisational and leadership abilities, as well as to reiterate that his intentions have always been consistent with the mission of FIDE.

Nigel s decision is open and sincere, perhaps even a little emotional and related to the decision of EDC, but I believe that Nigel will continue his mission and agree with my proposal to find the right format for our joint work for the benefit of chess.

Arkady Dvorkovich,FID President

If the Presidents conscience remains clear, I would like to take this opportunity to draw his attention to the words of that great Roman historian Tacitus, which seem astonishingly relevant to the war in Ukraine.

Tacitus Agricola (c. 98 AD)recounts the life of Gnaeus Julius Agricola, an eminent Roman general and Tacituss father-in-law. It also covers, briefly, the geography and ethnography of ancient Britain. Tacitus favourably contrasts the liberty of the native Britons with the tyranny and corruption of the continental Empire. The book contains eloquent polemics against the greed of Rome, one of which(thatTacitus claims is from a speech bythe native chieftain, Calgacus, at the Battle of Mons Graupius in Caledonia) ends with the celebrated assertion: Auferre trucidare rapere falsis nominibus imperium, atque ubi solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant. To ravage, to slaughter, to usurp under false titles, this they call empire; and wherever they make a desert, they call it peace.

Nigel Shorts resignation as FID Vice President appears to have been the result of losing a FID Ethics Commission case, involving his trip to a Caribbean island where theMerovingianly fain ant official federation had provoked the formation of a rival organisation, now claiming to be legitimate.In that context pleasesee this link to the bloviatingly self-important concoction of typographically challenged diatribes from fides quasi judicial kangaroo court.

Were FID insuch a hurry to get the censureout thatthey forgot to proof read it? This shambles involved a cornucopia ofrickety legal arguments, through whichany competent BritishQCcoulddrive through not one, but several coaches and horses, had Nigel felt motivated to go down that route.

Thus,in a British civil contract case (Peabody Trust Governors vs.Reeve [2008]), The Court decided that the clauses didn t make sense, rather they contradicted one another. On that basis, the Court was obligedto interpret the agreement in the[respondent s] favour.

This invalidity of a self-contradictory clauseis certainly evident in the case ofArticle 4.10 of the FID Charterwhich ostensibly proposes to bestrictlynon-judgemental whilesimultaneouslyinthe definitive process ofexercising a judgement. It is thus invalid and should be struck out.

Everybodys playing the game But nobodys rules are the same Nobodys on nobodys side Better learn to go it alone Recognize youre out on your own Nobodys on nobodys side.

Tim Rice/ ABBA(malehalf) Chess the Musical.

Let us close the curtain with a potpourri of games across a decade, from the tall white poppy of modern British chess, up against a rather good former Russian world champion.

Short vs. Karpov (SWIFT Blitz, 1987) Short vs. Karpov (Linares, 1989) Short vs. Karpov ( 1992 Candidates semi-final , Caro-Kann) Short vs. Karpov ( 1992 Candidates semi-final , Sicilian, Richter-Rauzer Attack) Short vs. Karpov ( 1992 Candidates semi-final ,Ruy Lopez, Worrall Attack 1) Short vs. Karpov ( 1992 Candidates semi-final ,Ruy Lopez, Worrall Attack 2) Short vs. Karpov (Dortmund, 1997)

As Nigel withdraws from chess politics, he has staged a resurgence as a player in the winning England squad which late last month triumphed in the World Senior Team Championship held in Italy. Remaining members of the victorious World Over 50 team were Micky Adams, John Emms, Keith Arkell and Mark Hebden.England also won the Womens Over 50 and the Mens Over 65 titles a triple gold medal triumph.

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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Tall poppy cut short: Nigel Short and the politics of chess - TheArticle

These accolades take the game's impressive achievements even further, which already include the People's Toy of the Year (TOTY) Award, a Webby Award in the Games: Family & Kids category, ASTRA's Best Toys for Kids and TIME 100 Best Inventions. Since 2020, the game has been awarded 19 times.

"Story Time Chess has got to be one of the most awarded board games ever," said Tom Hodgkins, CEO of Game On! International, a toy industry veteran with 25+ years of experience bringing some of the most successful toys to market across the globe. "The game has been recognized across industries, from toys to creative, to education, and has received some of the most prestigious awards, including ones from the ultimate critics and Story Time Chess super fans: moms, dads and kids."

Story Time Chess won the Platinum Hermes Creative Award in the Individual's Specific Project Achievement Category as "the most awarded board game ever." Hermes Creative Awards is an international competition for creative professionals that recognizes outstanding work. It is administered by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP), which consists of thousands of marketing, communication, advertising, PR, digital media production, and freelance professionals.

The game also received the Creative Child Awards' Game of the Year. Story Time Chess was tested, reviewed and scored by moms, educators, and early education professionals. The awards program is administered by Creative Child Magazine, a national monthly parenting magazine and resource for parents that provides originality and spontaneity to nurture children's creativity.

Story Time Chess was also chosen for the Good Toy Guide, a trusted resource for parents and gift-givers to find truly Good Toys. The guide is created by the Good Play Guide, an independent, expert accreditation service for children's products. After undergoing reviews by kids, child psychology and user experience experts, Story Time Chess earned the accreditation with the highest ratings across skills development, ease of use and fun/level of engagement.

Story Time Chess is available now on StoryTimeChess.com for $49.99 MSRP and is for ages 3+.

About Story Time Chess

Story Time Chessis based on a chess teaching method, established by New York City-based tutoring company Chess at Three, that has been utilized and perfected over the last 12 years of successfully teaching more than 100,000 children how to play chess through storytelling. The same story-based curriculum is used by more than 1,000 schools across the U.S. The board game compresses a decade plus' knowledge from teaching young children into a beautifully designed game that can teach anyone ages 3-103 how to play chess through fun, engaging stories and exercises.

Media Contact:

Linda KrebsLKPR, Inc.[emailprotected]646-824-5186

SOURCE Story Time Chess

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STORY TIME CHESS CONTINUES ITS WINNING STREAK, NAMED "MOST AWARDED BOARD GAME EVER" BY HERMES CREATIVE AWARDS, "GAME OF THE YEAR" BY CREATIVE CHILD...

WICKLOW County Council intends to install outdoor chess tables at locations in each Municipal District, with two tables already in place at Wicklow town and one in Greystones.

hess players have been enjoying playing alfresco at the Riverwalk and Bachelors Walk in Wicklow town and at Burnaby Parkin Greystones. Additional tables are also due to be installed in Bray, Blessington, Baltinglass and Arklow.

This latest initiative from the Council is designed to encourage more outdoor activity as we emerge from the COVID pandemic. Chess is an increasingly popular activity, heightened by the critically acclaimed Queen's Gambit series recently shown on Television. The chess tables have been specially designed to the Council's specification and are accessible to all.

Welcoming the installation of the chess tables, the Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council, Cllr Tommy Annesley, paid tribute to the Community Cultural and Social Development Directorate for coming up with the idea of the tables and added that this initiative, together with others such as the recently completed dog parks, will allow everyone to enjoy the outdoors.

Chief Executive Brian Gleeson acknowledged the funding from the Department of Rural and Community Development under their Community Enhancement Funding Scheme and added his congratulations to the Council staff in the CCSD Directorate. He encouraged existing chess players and those wishing to take up the sport, to make full use of the tables.

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Council makes all the right moves with outdoor chess tables for each District - Independent.ie

Amateur players seldom defend well. Why? Well, the process of defending is often unpleasant, stressful, and exhausting. And amateurs mostly play for fun. So why would they concentrate on what is boring and stressful, instead of focusing on the cheerful aspects of the royal game? The result of such a mindset is logical: non-professionals are usually much more skilled in attacking than defending.

With professionals, things are rather different. They play chess for fun, but also to pay the bills. They simply need to achieve good results, and to get these, they need to master all the chess skills, even the unattractive ones.

So, let us in this article open the gate to the world of professional chess. I would like to show you four different defensive methods, and maybe also change your mind a bit. Perhaps we will find out together, that the art of defence is not entirely uninteresting.

.

This is the 14th game of the Kramnik-Kasparov London match, in which Kramnik became the World Champion. Just imagine being Kramnik here: You have a nice 2-0 lead in the match, and you are only inches away from the chess crown.

However, you misplayed the opening and are worse against one of the most dangerous players in the entire chess history. If he wins this one, the following day you will be Black and have to defend against Kasparov full of new energy and optimism.

So, what would you play? How would you defend yourself?

Kramnik-Kasparov, World Championship Match (14), London 2000, White to move:

Kramnik understood that Black has got a positional threat of Rc8-c5, with a long-term pressure against the weak c4-pawn. Defending such a position would be exhausting and difficult. Therefore, he decided to pull a handbrake, using the first method of defence: simplification.

He sacrificed a pawn with 29.c5!?, and after 29Rxc5 30.Rxc5 Bxf6 31.Qxf6 dxc5 the position has simplified into a bearable endgame:

Ok, Black is a pawn up. However, both White's heavy pieces are very active and there are several weaknesses in Kasparov's camp: the a-pawn, the c-pawn and most notably the king. Kramnik played a nice prophylactic move 32.Kh2!, preparing a rook lift, and drew the game without much effort.

Here's the complete game:

Another much used method of positional defence is creating a fortress. Fortresses do sometimes occur in closed middlegame positions, but they are much more common in endgames. Why? The reason is simple: with less pieces on the board, there are less attackers trying to get into the fortress, and therefore even shaky and thin walls might do the job.

In the following position, I had to solve a difficult problem: How should I stop the White king to enter my camp via the queenside while controlling the b-pawn?

Zilka-Markos, Slovak Team Championship 2020, Black to move:

Black's main difficulty lies in the fact, that his d6-knight is taking away an important square from its own king. The black monarch belongs to c6. But how to get there? Firstly, we need to find a new spot for the knight. I played 54Nb7!, and the game continued 55.Bc8 Nc5 56.b7 Na6!. At the first glance, a6 far away from the centre is a poor place for the knight. However, more important is that the way to c6 is now free. So after White's possible try 57.Kd3 Kd6 58.Kc4 Kc6 the fortress is impregnable (see the diagram below.)

Zilka-Markos, line

In the game, Zilka played 57.Kf3 and tried another forty moves to break my defences, but my minimalistic fortress withstood all his efforts.

Let us have a look at the third defensive method, perhaps the most enjoyable one: counterattack. Usually even inexperienced players do not have many problems with finding counterattacking possibilities. After all, a counterattack resembles a "normal" attack to some extend, and we all love to be active in chess, dont we?

However, sometimes counterattack might be organised in unexpected situations. Let us have a look at Aronian-Carlsen, Sinquefield Cup 2014, White to move:

White is a pawn down in an unpleasant rook endgame. I bet that most of the club players would put the rook behind the pawn and then simply wait. After all, what else could be done here, with so few pieces on the board?

Well, Aronian found a nice counterattacking possibility. He played 52.Kg2! with the plan of attacking the black pawns with a king march g2-h3-h4-g5-f6, as soon as the black king moves to the queenside.

Against lesser mortals this idea would easily hold the draw. However, Carlsen showed his miraculous technique again, confused his opponent later in the endgame and won.

Here is the complete game:

The last defensive method is almost unknown to majority of the club players. It does not even have a proper name yet. In our book Secret Ingredient, co-authored by David Navara, we named it sabotage.

Sabotage is not the same thing as counterattack. The defender is not trying to come up with his own activity. Rather, he tries slowing down the attacking pieces, usually by creating micro-problems. Sabotaging means pouring sand into the attacking mechanism of your opponent.

Let us have a look at a superb example:

Ding-Vachier Lagrave, Candidates tournament 2021, Black to move:

Vachier-Lagrave's position is rather unappealing. His king is very vulnerable and White's heavy pieces are well placed in the centre. The direct threat is Re5-e6, followed by a deadly queen check on g6.

However, there is a way hot to slow down White's attack. The Frenchman played the spirited 51Rf7!, attacking the vulnerable f3-pawn. Now 52.Re6?? is answered by a counterblow 52Rxf3+, and therefore White needs to find new, slower attacking ideas.

After fifteen more moves, the situation has almost repeated itself:

Again, Ding is threatening to invade the black camp. This time, the main threat is Qe4-b7+, followed either by a quick mate, or by major material gains. And again, Vachier-Lagrave comes up with an only move. This time, the Black monarch itself becomes the saboteur!

Black played the courageous 66Kf6!, disrupting the harmony of the white army. The rook is hanging, and after both 67.Qf5+ Kg7 and 67.Rf5+ Kg7 68.Qb7+ Kh8 there is no direct win. The game ended peacefully after 88 moves.

.

I know, defending is tough. Sometimes, it is boring and exhausting as well. But you might fall in love with it. After all, it is an important skill that will bring your game to an entirely new level.

I hope that after reading this article, you have a better idea about available defensive methods. I always advise my pupils to ask themselves: "Which method I should defend with in this position? Shall I simplify, build a fortress, go for a counterattack, or organize a sabotage?" Once you pick the correct method, it will be much easier to find the suitable moves as well.

Of course, these methods might (and often should!) be combined in a single game. Karpov was the one who was able to "change gears" in defence very skilfully: he mixed patient defensive play with unexpected counterattacks, and he especially loved to simplify into awful but holdable endgames.

However, even strong players sometimes lose the thread when it comes to picking up the correct defensive method. We will have a look at such "defensive mishaps" in the next part of The Winning Academy.

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The Winning Academy 11: The Most Important Skill of a Chess Professional - ChessBase