FIDE President Congratulates Alexandra Kosteniuk, Valentina Gunina at Special Function in Moscow

A special ceremonial felicitation ceremony was held in Moscow on May 8 to congratulate Women's World Blitz Chess Champion Valentina Gunina and Women's World Rapid Chess Vice-Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk. Chess Queen Kosteniuk missed the gold in the Rapid by half a point and a medal, also by half a point, in the Blitz. FIDE president, officials of the Moscow Sports Committee and Moscow Chess Federation felicitated both the talented chess players. The Women's World Rapid and Blitz Championships held in Batumi (Georgia) on June 1-5. Valentina Gunina has recently grown as a strong chess player with creative chess ideas. 

The 12th Women's World Chess Champion, Alexandra Kosteniuk, has always been known for her non-compromising, very attacking, and entertaining chess games since she was a kid. Kosteniuk's Chess Blog is also the #1 chess blog in the United States and her Chess Queen blog is her personal 'diary' that gives fans an insight into the life of a world chess champion.

Fide president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, Moscow Chess Federation president Vladimir Palikhata and first deputy chairman of Moscow Sports Committee Nikolay Gulyaev congratulated the chess players.

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Sharapova Wants to Play Chess

Russia's Maria Sharapova has beaten Italy's Sara Errani to lift her first French Open tennis title. Check out an old entry on Maria Sharapova's FB page:

Here is what I was doing while in Stuttgart...no no, not playing chess, just taking walks in some of the parks and pretending like I knew what I was doing with a chess board. Would be nice to learn...perhaps it will help my patience. - Maria Sharapova

Chess is always the big sports star!

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Saturday #Chess Puzzle Level Difficult

Saturday #Chess Puzzle with level 'Difficult'
E. Saavedra (after G.Barbier), Glasgow Weekly Citizen, 1895
White to play and win (Use arrows in flashplayer to see solution).

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World Chess Rapid & Blitz Qualifier: You Can Play if Rating 2300+

The World Chess Championship for Rapid and Blitz qualifiers will be held in Astana, Kazakhstan from July 1-5. The qualifiers are open to all players who have a rating of at least 2300. Applications have to be sent by the national federations only.
Participation fees
2300 - 2399 –100 USD
2400 – 2499 – 60 USD
2500 – 2600 - 35 USD
Above 2600 – no fee
Applications for participation are accepted before June 20, 2012.

The Rapid Chess Qualifier would be held as a nine-round Swiss chess tournament with the following time control: 15 minutes + 10 seconds. The top three winners will get free hotel accommodation costs and plane tickets to the world chess championship. Hotel costs and plane tickets for the world chess championship in the blitz section are free for the first three winners of the qualifier. 

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