Interview with Magnus Carlsen by Der Spiegel Online !

The German news magazine- Der Spiegel  did an interesting interview with World Chess no.1 player - Magnus Carlsen. (photo right)

Below is an interesting excerpt from the article regarding Carlsen opinion about his chess coach and former World Champion - Gary Kasparov

Carlsen - ...`In terms of our playing skills we are not that far apart. There are many things I am better at than he (Kasparov) is. And vice versa. Kasparov can calculate more alternatives, whereas my intuition is better. I immediately know how to rate a situation and what plan is necessary. I am clearly superior to him in that respect`....


You can read the interview at chessbase.com here

2K 2009 (Kasparov-Karpov)

Former World Champions - Gary Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov will play two exhibition match this year in Valencia and Paris. The first match in Valencia will start from 21st-24th September 2009 and the second match in Paris will be held on 11th-13th December 2009. Both of the tournament will consist 4 rapids and 8 blitz games.

I think the quick time control was chosen because nowadays both veteran players will find it hard to concentrate in longer time control especially after being inactive from quite some times. As you all know, Kasparov 46 has retired from competitive chess since 2005. He has occasionally play simultaneous and blitz games so he must be a little bit rusty. However recently he has train with Norwegian chess prodigy and no.4 on the world list - Magnus Carlsen for six month which would probably sharpen back his once fearsome chess ability.

Kaparov opponent- Anatoly Karpov 58, who is also seldom play this days will had a tough time considering his age disadvantage ( Karpov is 12 years younger then Kasparov * Correction- Kasparov is 12 years younger then Karpov!). Furthermore his terrible results recently didn't help much but psychologically however Karpov won the latest duels against Kasparov (2002) in New York!

All in all, i think this exhibition match will show whether Kasparov still have his old "touch" and if he does, probably we can expect a comeback from this guy...especially after his unsuccessful attempts to be the Russian President!

I read about Karpov on Chess Notes, which quote Karpov opinion about Kasparov in the book- Karpov on Karpov: Memoirs of a Chess World Champion :-

‘But Kasparov and I have nothing in common. We were formed in different eras, I in the year of social renaissance and the emancipation of the populace’s soul, and he in a time of stagnation. I came from the simple people and for a long time I remained one of them. He was singled out in childhood; elitism became an essential part of his world. For me chess was the end, for him it has merely been the means.’ (page 184)

The official site for the first match in Valencia is here (in Spanish) but i found one site that has better information and articles about the match here (in English).

The official site for the second match in Paris is not available yet but you can refer at europe-echecs.com (in France)

You can "break" the rules if...you are the... World Champion !

I just going trough one of Kasparov's masterpiece in Linares 1994 from the book Fighting Chess 1993-1998 by Tibor Karolyi and Nick Aplin. The 9th round game against a super GM - Gata Kamsky must have been analyzed troughly by other chess books , magazines or in the Internet but i loved to share an interesting theme that can be learn from this game which is how the world champion ( ex champion actually - Kasparov retired in 2005) can "break" a numbers of opening rules and still winning ! In fact, the so-called moves that was not "approved" by general opening rules was consider brilliancies ! Lets have a look.

Garry Kasparov (2805) - Gata Kamsky (2695) [B17]
Linares 12th Linares (Round 9), 1994

1.e4 c6 Kamsky choose the Caro Kann Opening 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7 5.Ng5

According to the books, this move was introduced by a Ukraine Women Grand Master Lidia Semenova in 1983 - who said women doesn't contribute in opening theory? I bet that at that time, her coach must probably be the first person who didn't want to take any resposible of this move... because as we were generally thought - don't move the same piece twice before developing other piece and before you castle ! 5...Ngf6 If black think the move is just a bluff..he is teriblly wrong because after 5...h6? White have the unexpected 6.Ne6! Qa5+ (6...Qb6 7.Nxf8 Nxf8 Black will lost the bishop pairs early in the opening without any compensation. Furthermore black have to spend many tempo castle kingside or play a risk if he choose to castle queen side.) 7.Bd2 Qb6 8.Bd3 fxe6 (8...Ngf6 9.Nxf8 Nxf8 Black lost the bishop pairs.) 9.Qh5+ Kd8 10.Ba5 Ngf6 11.Bxb6+ axb6 And black simply lost his queen 12.Qe2 6.Bd3 e6 6...h6? Once again this move is still forbidden. 7.Ne6 Qa5+ a) 7...Qb6 8.Nxf8 Nxf8; b) 7...fxe6 8.Bg6# (or if you decided to play an extra move, choose 8.Qh5+ Nxh5 9.Bg6# :)) ; 8.Bd2 Qb6 9.Nxf8 Nxf8 7.N1f3 Bd6 7...h6?! Okay guys , actually i don't have to tell about the history of this move. Many of you should already know about it. Anyway just in case u still don't know, this move was play by Kasparov himself ( as black) in his famous last round game against IBM supercomputer - Deep Blue in 1997. Kasparov lost the final game and eventually the match with the score 2.5-3.5. After the match, IBM cowardly dismantle the computer after Kasparov demand a rematch. 8.Nxe6 Qe7 (8...fxe6 9.Bg6+ Ke7 10.0–0) 9.0–0 fxe6 10.Bg6+ Kd8 11.Bf4 And white have a very strong intiative. Deep Blue eventually won the last game against Kasparov in 19 moves ! 8.Qe2 h6 9.Ne4 9.Nxe6 fxe6 10.Qxe6+ Qe7 11.Bg6+ Kd8 12.Qxe7+ Bxe7 9...Nxe4 10.Qxe4 Qc7 10...Nf6 Is another important line. Of course 10...0–0?? is simply a blunder because 11.Qh7# checkmate 11.Qg4 g5 12.Qh3

The queen has traveled a long journey just to be on h3 ? Did Kasparov forget what his coach teach him when his was a kid that don't move your queen too early in the opening. Kasparov in fact have moved the queen 4 times in the first 12 moves! 12...Rg8 Threatening 13...g4 forking the white's queen and knight. 13.Nd2 More or less force because after 13.Qxh6 Bf8 14.Qh7 (14.Qh5 Nf6 15.Qh3 g4) 14...Nf6 15.Qh3 g4 13...Bf8 A good chess student should have obey his/her coach instruction which is to castle here with 14.0-0 or else he will surely get scold after the game... but who want to scold a world champion for delying castling ?

14.Ne4 Bg7 15.0–0 At last the World Champ castle eventually but... at a cost of giving a free pawn ? 15...Bxd4 16.Be3

16...Be5 16...Bxe3 17.Qxe3 (17.fxe3! Advice for chess coach...don't show this game to your pupil.... White wilingly let black create a "horrible" looking isolated pawn on e3 after 17...f5 18.Rad1! fxe4?? A blunder because black will be mate in 9 move ( maximum) ! 19.Qxe6+ Kd8 20.Qxg8+ Ke7 21.Rf7+ Kd6 22.Be2+ Kc5 23.Rf5+ Qe5 24.Rxe5+ Nxe5 25.Qf8+ Kb6 26.Qd8+ Kc5 27.Qd4#) 17...Qe5 18.Qh3 17.Rad1 Nf6 18.Nxf6+ Bxf6 19.Bh7 Rh8 20.Qxh6 Be7 21.Qg7 Rf8 22.Rd3 Bd7 23.Bxg5 Bxg5 24.Qxg5

A pawn down with a king stuck in the centre and no counterplay ... Kamsky should have resign immedieatly. 24...Qd8 25.Qe5 Qe7 26.Qc7 Bc8 27.Qa5 b6 28.Qe5 Brilliant queen manuevering by Kasparov have lead into a weakening of black queenside. Now black king have no chance at all to castle queenside. 28...Ba6 29.Be4 Rc8 30.c4 Rg8 31.b3 Bb7 32.Rfd1 Ba8 33.c5 bxc5 34.Rd6 c4 35.bxc4 c5 36.Bxa8 Rxa8 37.Qxc5 Rb8 38.g3 Qb7 39.Qd4 Kf8 40.Qf6 1-0 And Kamsky resign. Possible continuation would be 40...Qe7 41.Rd8+ Rxd8 42.Rxd8+ Qxd8 43.Qxd8+

Kasparov meet Bush...updated!

24.9.08 - Gary Kasparov (left) and others dissidents participate in a photo session yesterday in New York with George W. Bush (centre) - The president of USA . photo by eric draper

23.9.08 - Former World Champion - Garry Kasparov will meet US President - George W Bush today...not for a chess game, but in a lunch host by Bush for a political dissidents . Read it here

Kasparov Attack By Flying *&%$#

As we all know, former World Champion- Garry Kasparov has quit chess and involve with his new career - Politics. His success in politics is far from being proud off compare to his chess glory.
Furthermore, his politics activities is often disturb by Pro Kremlin demonstrator. The recent one as reported, Garry Kasparov was attack by a flying @#$%& in one of his politics events. (see video above)

In the past, his political activities has always interrupted by this kind of protester. (see photo below)

Boys throwing darts at.....

Kasparov potrait!

Mok Tze Meng draw GM Cerdas Barus

So far basically i've been annotating and concentrating on Malaysian IM Mashafizul Helmi games and excellent performances in Tarakan. Another Malaysia representative FM Mok Tze Meng (left) "suffered" less coverage probably because of Malaysia latest chess project (officialy or unofficially?) which is to produced it first ever GM. Mashafizul which with his talent and proven ability including beating some top GMs like Victor Korchnoi and Ian Rogers were selected as he is generally considered to be the "only" realistic chance for Malaysia to get the GM title in short term.

To be fair to Mok however, here is his best performances so far in Tarakan which is a draw with Indonesia top GM Cerdas Barus. Cerdas Barus 48 years old GM from Indonesia is well known as a chess player who manage to get the GM title although he suffer a communication inability - stammering ,a speech disorder in which the flow of speech is disrupted by involuntary repetitions and prolongations of sounds, syllables, words or phrases, and involuntary silent pauses or blocks in which the stutterer is unable to produce sounds.

FM Mok Tze Meng (2346) - GM Cerdas Barus(2479)
ASEAN Masters Chess Circuit Round 3, 10.01.2008

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7 The Modern Line of the Caro-Kann 5.Bd3 Ngf6 6.Ng5 e6 with hindsight 6...h6 7.Ne6 Qa5+ 8.Bd2 Qb6 9.Nxf8 is better for white 7.N1f3

7...Bd6 7...h6 The famous game of Deep Blue - Kasparov 1994 saw Kasparov played the "proven" weak move probably thinking that the beast will not considered sacrificing a piece without clear compensation. Actually without that move, the entire variation favors Black. Unexpectedly, the computer played it anyway 8.Nxe6! Qe7 (8...fxe6 9.Bg6+ Ke7 10.0–0 white have tremendous compensation for the sacrifice piece) 9.0–0 fxe6 10.Bg6+ leads to a dangerous attack 8.0–0 h6 9.Ne4 Nxe4 10.Bxe4 0–0 11.c3 c5 12.Re1 Qc7 13.h3 Rd8 14.Qe2 Nf6 15.Bc2 b6 Fritz opening book suggest 15...cxd4 16.Nxd4 Bh2+ 17.Kh1 Bf4 18.Nb5 Qb8 19.a4 Bd7 20.Bxf4 Qxf4 21.Nd4 16.dxc5 Qxc5 17.Be3 Qh5 18.Bd4 Bb7 19.Ne5 Rac8 20.Ng4 Qg5 20...Nxg4 doesn’t give black any clear advantage 21.Qxg4 Qxg4 22.hxg4 21.Nxf6+ gxf6 22.Be4 Bxe4 23.Qxe4 f5 24.Qf3 Rd7 25.Rad1 Rcd8 26.Be3 Qf6 26...f4!? is an interesting try but i think the position is more or less equal after 27.Rxd6 fxe3 28.Rxd7 exf2+ 29.Qxf2 Rxd7 27.Bf4 Bxf4 Why not 27...e5!? 28.Rxd7 Rxd7 29.Qxf4 Kh7 30.h4 Qd8 31.Re2 With no clear weakness in white position, GM Cerdas Barus agree to split the point with FM Mok Tze Meng. ½–½

Source : wikipedia

http://www.sinarharapan.co.id/berita/0211/13/ola03.html

Kasparov Released!

Garry Kasparov was released from a Moscow jail Thursday after serving his five-day sentence for leading a protest march. Kasparov was arrested by Police on Saturday after a demonstration with thousands of opposition protesters ended in clashes and dozens of arrests. In a trial that follow, Kasparov was convicted of leading an illegal march that , hanting anti-Putin slogans and resisting arrest.







Read my previous article here

What Chess And Boxing Have In Common?

According to the Associated Press (AP), Garry Kasparov, former world chess champion are sentenced to five days in jail by a Moscow court for leading an opposition protest.
“The former chess champion was forced to the ground and beaten, his assistant Marina Litvinovich said in a telephone interview from outside the police station where Kasparov was held.”Read full news here


I don’t know if there is a proper record for World Chess Champions sentences to jail but i think Kasparov were the second one after Bobby Fischer famous arrest in Japan a few years ago !

Bobby Fischer (left) "former" World Chess Champion was arrested on July 2004 at Narita Airport in Tokyo, for attempting to leave the country on an invalidated.



And if i'm not mistaken, chess and boxing is the only sports that have their World Champions being jailed-twice. Boxing has Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali and chess- Bobby Fischer and Garry Kasparov!


Muhammad Ali (right)- former three-time World Heavyweight Champion was famously stripped of his title in 1967 and jailed after refusing to be drafted into the US army to fight in Vietnam .





"Iron" Mike Tyson (left) was arrested in July 1991 for the rape of Miss Black Rhode Island, Desiree Washington, in an Indianapolis hotel room. Tyson was convicted on the charge on February 10, 1992.He was given a sentence of six years and was released on March 1995 after serving three years.



What a coincident , I just write an article here about chess boxing-a new hybrid sports invention . Now both game show they are equal in term of how many times their World Champions been sentences for jail!

Garry Kasparov : A queen Down!

As we all know, Garry Kasparov (photo left) former World Champion has retired from chess and is now busying running for the Russian Presidency for next year election . He will compete against Putin candidate and I think Kasparov has little chance of victory against whomever receives the backing of the outgoing President, Vladimir Putin

Vladmir Putin (photo right) the incumbent President can’t contest for the post because of the constitution rules that prevent anybody from standing for a third consecutive term . I think Kasparov will have a herculan task to win and to compare with chess , I think he is a queen down in material !.

Putin graduated from the International Branch of the Law Department of the Leningrad State University in 1975 and was recruited into tKhe KGB. At the University he also became a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, and has never formally resigned from it.

I meet Putin life in 2002 during The OIC Summit in Putrajaya, Malaysia. He was invited to comes as an observer country. I was assign as a liason officer for the President of Sierra Leone back then . Putin is really a charimistic figure. You can fell the aura around him. May be all Russian President should have that … if not, how they would be a President of the largest country in the world!

To promote himself in world scene, Gary has appeared in many show, interviews in the western country including the US. He use all the opportunity he got – as what he does in chess – to express his political view ! I think he has done a great job so far because it’s seems that all his show so far was successful. Watch Kasparov video in Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO recently. Watch it here