Computer World Chess: Komodo wins Stage 2; Stage 3 Begins Today

The chess engine Komodo is the winner of Stage 2 of the world’s strongest computer chess championship TCEC. Komodo, the engine by Don Dailey and Larry Kaufman rated 3084 elo, achieved 14,0/19 to edge the solid opposition. Second place is for the new Stockfish 4, by M. Costalba, T. Romstad and J. Kiiski. The 3098 rated engine collected 13,5/19 and what deprived it of the first place was probably the direct match loss against Komodo.Third place is for Gull 2.2 by Vadim Demichev with 12,0/19. It started as 8th seeded, but showed spectacular ability outplaying all lower rated competitors and getting a full point against the winner Komodo....

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Russian Chess Superfinal 2013: Peter Svidler, Valentina Gunina Champions

Peter Svidler and Valentina Gunina have won the Russian National Chess Champion 2013. Svidler wins the title for a record seventh time, while Gunina wins it for the second time. Svidler beat Ian Nepomniachtchi in the tiebreak. In the last round, Ian Nepomniachtchi was able to capitalise on a blunder by Vladimir Kramnik to catch up with Svidler as the latter drew a game with Sergey Karjakin.  (From top left) Peter Svidler, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Nikita Vitiugov, Alexandra Kosteniuk, Valentina Gunina and Natalia Pogonina. Photos: Boris Dolmatovski Svidler and Nepomniachtchi then faced each other in a 15-minute rapid playoff which...

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Sunday Photo Chess Trivia: Name the Girls Challenging Magnus Carlsen

Here are two photos of the very talented World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen across the chess board with two very interesting (and talented young ladies). Can you name the girls? The first photo is by Espen Agdestein (World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen's manager) and the second photo is by Tata Steel Chess Press from the tournament earlier this year. For the answers, just select with your cursor (horizontally) the white space after this colon:  Liv Tyler and Hou Yifan.  Hope you are also following our special articles at www.worldchesschampionship2013.com on the 2013 World Chess Championship Match Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen coming...

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Anand on the Mystery of his Name, Indian Talent and More (NDTV Video)

NDTV Video @25 Walk The Talk: Chess Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand speaks to Shekhar Gupta about his successes and failures and his journey to the top of the game. For full coverage of the 2013 World Chess Championship 2013 between Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen visit www.worldchesschampionship2013.com. ...

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3rd Indonesia Chess Open R3: Avetik Grigoryan, Ivan Ivanisevic Lead

After the intense battles of the first two days of Indonesia Open 2013, round three was seemingly a relatively peaceful affair, but even if there were draws amongst the leaders on the top four boards, all were not with fights. GMs Alexander Moiseenko, Vaibhav Suri, Nigel Short, Vadim Malakhatko, John Paul Gomez, Aleksey Dreev, Gundavaa Bayarsaikhan, and Surya Sekhar Ganguly were therefore joined by GMs Antoaneta Stefanova and Igarza Renier Vazquez who had the only really quick draw and Hoang Thanh Trang who held off Jaan Ehlvest on 2.5/3. On board five GM Ivan Ivanesevic won against GM Darwin Laylo and on board eight the unfancied, but very...

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FIDE Elections: Kasparov's Team

Former World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov of Russia held an event in Tallinn, Estonia, to announce his candidacy for the presidency of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and to introduce the other members of his ticket. Here is the press release announcing Kasparov's team.Tallinn, Estonia – Monday, October 07, 2013Garry Kasparov today announced his candidacy for the presidency of the International Chess Federation, known by its French acronym FIDE. He plans to unseat 18-year incumbent Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, also of Russia, in the election that takes place in August 2014. Kasparov became the youngest world champion in the sport’s history...

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GM Simen Agdestein Wins Oslo International Chess 2013

Top three in the GM Group (from left) GMs Simen Agdestein, Evgeny Postny, Andrei Istratescu.  GM Simen Agdestein of Norway has won the GM-group ahead of GM Evgeny Postny of Israel and GM Andrei Istratescu of France at the Oslo Chess International (renamed Håvard Vederhus' memorial) that was held from September 29-October 6.  IM Benjamin Bok of the Netherlands made a GM-norm, while WFM Raghavi Nagarajan of India fullfilled her WIM-title by passing 2200 in elo. Also playing was India's B Adhiban who finished tenth with a fine showing. The elo-group was won by Norwegian junior Jens Hjorth Kjølberg.  Talented Indian...

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