Garry Kasparov Nigel Short Blitz Chess Match 2011 Trailer Video

Chess blitz match between Garry Kasparov and Nigel Short took place in October 2011 in Leuven, Belgium. The blitz chess match celebrated the 5th jubilee edition of YourNextMove, a Belgian initiative to promote chess and support children between 6 and 12 years old. First Garry dominated, then Nigel fired back, and the decision came in the final game when Garry Kasparov beat Nigel Short 4.5-3.5. 

Kasparov and Short faced each other 18 years after their controversial battle for the world championship in London. In the early 90s they founded the Professional Chess Association (PCA), a rival organisation to FIDE which existed between 1993 and 1996. Nigel Short won the Candidates tournament and became Kasparov's challenger for the PCA World Championship. The match took place in the Savoy Theatre in London, under the sponsorship of The Times. Kasparov won 12.5-7.5 and became PCA World Chess Champion.

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Tal Chess Round 4: Viktorija Cmilyte Explains Win Over Hou Yifan

Here is the chess game in which Lithuania's Viktorija Cmilyte beat reigning women's world chess champion Hou Yifan in Kazan at the ongoing women's chess grand prix during round 4. Thursday was a rest day at the tournament. Elina Danielian of Armenia is leading the event after four rounds. 

Hou Yifan - Viktorija Cmilyte

Live transmission - both of the games and the playing hall - is available daily from India time 4.30 pm at the official website. Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, is hosting the FIDE Women's Grand Prix, part of a series of elite events organised by FIDE and Global Chess from June 9-23. There will be six tournaments over two years in various countries around the world. The winner of each tournament takes home 6,500 Euros, the total prize fund is 40,000 Euros. The overall winner will get a further 15,000 Euros at the end of the series. India's Koneru Humpy is also playing well at the tournament and is placed second with 2.5 points after four rounds.

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Breaking Chess News: Kasparov Committed to Ousting Fide Chief Ilyumzhinov

The legendary
Garry Kasparov

Garry Kasparov has confirmed to Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (news not online yet) that he is firmly committed to push FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov out of office. (The interview was given to Stefan Löffler in Moscow.) The legendary world chess champion said he is likely running himself for Presidency at the next FIDE elections held in Tromsö, Norway, in August 2014, or otherwise, that he will support another candidate. He cites as his main motive the damage done to chess by Ilyumzhinov´s visits to dictators Saddam Hussein, Muammar al Gaddafi and, most recently in late April, to Bashar al Assad.

Having supported Bessel Kok in 2006 and, more strongly, Anatoly Karpov in 2010, Kasparov claims to have learned and is already working hard on a long-term campaign. He considers his worldwide efforts to bring chess into schools as a major part of his strategy and as a lead for FIDE to not just focus on chess as a sport but also to establish chess in the education system.
The story is in today´s (June 14) print edition, but not online (yet).

Link to the chess news break would be updated soon. (Earlier press conference comments in Moscow by Garry Kasparov on the sidelines of the World Chess Championship 2012.)

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Kazan Chess Round 4: Danielian in Sole Lead; Hou Loses to Cmilyte

The Kazan Chess Grand Prix Round 4 saw an upset for Women's World Chess Champion Hou Yifan as she lost to Viktorija Cmilyte. 

Viktorija Cmilyte - Hou Yifan

This is the second loss for the Chinese chess prodigy in the tournament. Meanwhile, Elina Danielian sacrificed an exchange with White and beat Tatiana Kosintseva. Humpy Koneru and Betul Yildiz were both struggling against time when Yildiz lost track and Koneru capitalised to win the point. Alisa Galliamova lost to Nadezhda Kosintseva. Two exciting games with fortunes swinging were played out for a draw by Anna Muzychuk - Katerina Lahno and Alexandra Kosteniuk – Antoaneta Stefanova. 

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Six Lewis Chess Pieces to Go Home to Scotland!

The Lewis Chessmen are one of the most fascinating and oldest chess sets in the world. They are currently houses in the British Museum. But, now at least six of these famous chess pieces would return to the find a permanent home at the new Museum and Archive at Lews Castle when it opens in 2014 after a £13.5m revamp project.

Scotland Western Isles MP MacNeil has called for the return of all the 82 pieces. Some 11 pieces are housed in the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. Former culture minister in Scotland Linda Fabiani had visited London to make a public case for the return of the complete set of the Lewis Chessmen back to Scotland. But, the appeal was turned down as it could trigger further such demands for the return of precious antiques and artefacts.

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Tal Chess Memorial Round 5: Morozevich in Sole Lead; Teimour Tries Scotch and Loses to Carlsen

World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen

Alexander Morozevich - In Sole Lead

The fifth day of game play at the 7th Tal Chess Memorial currently being played at the Pashkov House in Moscow saw two decisive games. Alexander Morozevich capitalised on Aronian's piece sacrifice for several pawns as the latter drifted into a loss. Magnus Carlsen continued with his out-for-a-win attack and won over overnight joint leader Teimour Radjabov. The other games were a draw, but not without efforts by all players. The 7th edition of the Tal Chess Memorial includes 10 players vying for the title over a round-robin format from June 8 to 18. Rest days are June 11 and 15. Time control: 100 minutes for the first 40 moves, 50 minutes for the next 20 moves, and 15 minutes for the rest of the game, with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting from move one. Games can be viewed live online at the official website. The prize fund is 100,000 Euros.

Round 5: Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Alexander Grischuk-Fabiano Caruana 1/2-1/2
Teimour Radjabov-Magnus Carlsen 0-1
Levon Aronian-Alexander. Morozevich 0-1
Hikaru Nakamura-Vladimir Kramnik 1/2-1/2
Evgeny Tomashevsky-Luke McShane 1/2-1/2

Standings after Round 5
1. Morozevich - 4

2-4. Carlsen, Radjabov, Kramnik - 3

5. Caruana - 2,5

6-9. Grischuk, Aronian, Nakamura, McShane - 2

10. Tomashevsky - 1,5

You can view the Carlsen-Radjabov game in our Chess King applet by expanding this post. (Photos by Eteri Kublashvili/Official website.)

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Kazan Chess Grand Prix Round 3: Muzychuk, Danielian Lead

Hou Yifan versus Tatiana Kosintseva
in Round 3 of Kazan Chess Grand Prix

Fighting chess continued at the Fide Women's Chess Grand Prix in Kazan Round 3. There were four decisive games on the third day of play. Alexandra Kosteniuk and Alisa Galliamova lost their games in tough fights against Nadezhda Kosintseva and Viktorija Cmilyte respectively. Viktorija Cmilyte went for fireworks and beat the Russian. Kosteniuk was in a comfortable position and could have pulled off a draw in an entertaining game, but tried a risky line as usual fighting for 78 moves - the longest game of the third round. Elina Danielian lost to Betul Yildiz and Hou Yifan beat Tatiana Kosintseva with black.

Standings after Round 3 
1-3. Anna Muzychuk, Elina Danielian 2
4-10. Viktorija Cmilyte, Nadehda Kosintseva, Antoaneta Stefanova, Kateryna Lahno, Alexandra Kosteniuk, Koneru Humpy, Alisa Galliamova 1.5
11-12. Betul Yildiz, Tatiana Kosintseva 1

You can watch the Kazan Chess Grand Prix for Women Live at the official website daily from India time 4.30 pm.

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