Interview with GM Alisa Maric

Alisa Maric was introduced to chess at the age of four, together with her 21 minutes younger twin sister Mirjana Maric. Alisa and Mirjana are the only twins with grandmaster titles in the history. She is considered to be the best Serbian female chess player ever and best American-born female chess player ever. She was World's U20 Women's Champion in 1985 and Yugoslavian Women's Champion in 1986. At 20, she was third ranked female player in the world!

Alisa Maric has done Ph.D in Economics and she's working as Marketing professor at Megatrend University in Belgrade. She is co-author of students book “Principles of marketing“. She is also a member of Presidential Board of Serbian Olympic Committee. Many times, she was anchor of TV chess shows such as “Alisa in the Wonderland of Chess”.In this interview with Alisa Maric, she talks about managing sports as well as academics career, chess in schools, Judith Polgar, role of glamour in chess etc. In the end she has a special message for Indians!

Aronian wins Amber Blindfold and Rapid Championship 2009

In the eleventh and final round, Levon Aronian drew in both the games against Topalov to win the 18th Amber Blindfold and Rapid Tournament. The Armenian grandmaster, survived scary moments in his blindfold game against Veselin Topalov and next comfortably drew the rapid game to take the title. Report with games and videos.

Second place was shared by Vishy Anand and Vladimir Kramnik. The World Champion defeated Wang Yue 1½-½, while his predecessor routed Peter Leko 2-0.In the blindfold competition three players shared first place. Magnus Carlsen, who had long dominated the competition, lost his last game and this allowed Levon Aronian and Vladimir Kramnik to catch up with him.The rapid competition also ended in a three-way tie for first. This year the best rapid players were Vishy Anand, Levon Aronian and Gata Kamsky.

Amber Blindfold and Rapid 2009 : Anand defeats Kramnik, takes sole lead

In the key encounter of the 8th round of the Amber Blindfold and Rapid Tournament World Champion Viswanathan Anand defeated Vladimir Kramnik 1½-½ with a fine win in the blindfold game. Three rounds to go the Indian grandmaster is in the sole lead half a point ahead of Levon Aronian and Magnus Carlsen, and full point ahead of Kramnik. Report with games, pictures and videos.

The 18th Amber Blindfold and Rapid Chess tournament, organized by the Association Max Euwe in Monaco is taking place from 14 - 26 March at the Palais de la Mediterranee, located on the famous Promenade des Anglais in Nice, France. The total prize-fund is € 216,000. This year’s field is stronger than ever with all the world’s best players taking part. Every day four sessions will be played, two blindfold sessions and two rapid sessions.

Tatiana Kosintseva won the European Women's Chess Championship 2009

Russian IM Tatiana Kosintseva, who beat IM Lilit Mkrtchian won the 10th European Individual Women's Chess Championship. Lilit Mkrtchian won the silver medial while for the bronze medal there was a seven-player tiebreak, won by WGM Natalija Pogonina of Russia. Report with games, pictures and videos.

The 10th European Women Chess Championship will take place from March 7 - March 21 at Saint Petersburg . The playing time will be 90 minutes for 40 moves plus 30 minutes for the rest of the game with an increment of 30 seconds per move, starting from move one.

Evgeny Tomashevsky Won European Chess Championship 2009

In the final tie-break game, Russian Grandmaster Evgeny Tomashevsky won against Vladimir Malakhov to claim the title of 2009 European Chess Championship. After winning the first game, Tomashevsky forfeited in the second game in drawing Rook endgame. In the final game, Malakhov achieved a winning position but then he blundered the rook and lost the game.

From the group of players who tied with 7.5 points, Meier Georg, Nijboer Friso, Fedorchuk Sergey A, Timofeev Artyom, Sjugirov Sanan, Bartel Mateusz and Mamedov Rauf have qualified for the World Cup 2009.

Amber Blindfold and Rapid 2009 : Kramnik takes lead

In Round 4 of the 18th Amber Blindfold and Rapid Tournamentm Vladimir Kramnik has taken the sole lead. Winning both the blindfold and the rapid game, the Russian grandmaster defeated the luckless Wang Yue 2-0. Kramnik said that so far he was particularly satisfied about his blindfold play in Nice. After four games he tops the blindfold standings with 3½ points. Report with games and videos.

The 18th Amber Blindfold and Rapid Chess tournament, organized by the Association Max Euwe in Monaco is taking place from 14 - 26 March at the Palais de la Mediterranee, located on the famous Promenade des Anglais in Nice, France. The total prize-fund is € 216,000. This year’s field is stronger than ever with all the world’s best players taking part. Every day four sessions will be played, two blindfold sessions and two rapid sessions.

AICF may take action against Grandmaster G.N. Gopal

Indian Grandmaster G.N. Gopal’s decision to skip the 46th National ‘A’ chess championship may prove costly. The All India Chess Federation (AICF) is planning to take disciplinary against the player.We contacted Grandmaster G.N. Gopal on this issue, he said, "As of now I haven’t received any official communication from the All India Chess Federation (AICF).

Hence I will explain the whole issue immediately after receiving the same."The All India Chess Federation (AICF) has decided not to recommend Grandmaster G.N. Gopal - who had skipped the last National ‘A’ championship despite being warned by the federation - to represent India in any official tournaments for a year with immediate effect. That, in effect, puts the Kochi-based player out of any official Indian team for one year. He is, however, free to play in tournaments for which he is personally invited. Playing abroad

The decision was taken in Chennai at the AICF Central Council meeting, which found his reasons for staying away from the last National ‘A’ championship held in Mangalore last December, and playing in a tournament overseas instead, not satisfactory."The AICF had asked him to play in the National ‘A’ championship, which is the qualifying event for the Indian team for various international tournaments, but he chose to play in an event abroad," the AICF Secretary, D.V. Sundar told The Hindu newspaper.

arjay meeegs

ALL SET FOR “BATTLE OF GM’S”

ONE of the most-awaited chess events of the year – the “Battle of GMs chess championships – finally comes off the wraps on March 24-31 in Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte.

An annual undertaking of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) under president/chairman Prospero “Butch” Pichay and secretary--general Mayor Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, the week-long tournament will be held this year in cooperation with the Dapitan City government thru Mayor Dominador Jalosjos and secretary to the Mayor Alemalrou Dagpin.
Venue of the competition is the Pavilion Hotel in Dapitan City.

Twenty-four of the country’s top male and female players, led by newly-crowned Corus champion GM Wesley So and Asia’s first GM Eugene Torre, and Dresden (Germany) Olympiad veterans Catherine Perena and Cheradee Chardine Camacho, are seeing action in the prestigious tournament which offers a guaranteed cash prize of close to P1-million.

So, the country’ s highest-rated player with an ELO of 2627, and Perena, the highest-ranked female player with an ELO of 2184, are the top seeds in the tournament.
Torre is seeded second with an ELO of 2560 while newly-minted GM John Paul Gomez is ranked third with an ELO of 2539.

Other notable players seeing action are newly-crowned Gov. Umali Cup champion GM Mark Paragua, fourth with an ELO of 2537; GM Rogelio Antonio Jr., fifth with an ELO of 2519; GM Darwin Laylo, sixth with an ELO of 2504; GM Buenaventura “Bong” Villamayor, seventh with an ELO of 2471; and GM Jayson Gonzales , eighth with an ELO of 2466.

Completing the men’s field are GM-candidates Richard Bitoon (ELO 2473), Julio Catalino Sadorra (ELO 2439), Rolando Nolte (ELO 2488) and Ronald Dableo (ELO 2342).
So, Gomez, Villamayor, Gonzales and Laylo represented the country in the recent 38th World Chess Olympiad in Dresden, Germany. Torre served as non-playing team captain.

Perena is top seed in the women’s division with an ELO of 2184, followed by Camacho with ELO of 2166.

Joining Perena and Camacho in the female division are Shercila Cua (ELO 2155), Sherily Cua (ELO 2143), Daisy Rivera (ELO 2094), Rulp Ylem Jose (ELO 2054), Beverly Mendoza (ELO 2045), Christy Lamiel Bernales (ELO 2043), JEdara Docena (ELO 2001), Kimberly Jane Cunanan (ELO 1991), Jan Jodilyn Fronda (ELO 1970) and Rida Jane Young (ELO 1957).

Perena, Camacho, Rivera, Cua and Bernales all saw action for the RP team in the Dresden Olympiad.