Rave - Age Over Youth: Viswanathan Anand Oldest World Champion Since Mikhail Tal

According to an article at the USCF, Viswanathan Anand is the oldest player to win the World Championship since Mikhail Botvinnik regained the title in 1961 from Mikhail Tal. I take great comfort in that :-)

Some other interesting "oldest in chess" (courtesy of Bill Wall's Oldest in Chess)

• The oldest world chess champion was Wilhelm (William) Steinitz, who won a world championship match from Chigorin at the age of 56. He was world champion until he lost it in a match with Lasker in 1894 at the age of 58 years, 10 days.
• The oldest qualifier for the World Chess Championship was Vassily Smyslov (1921- ), who became a Candidate by taking 2nd place in the 1982 Las Palmas Interzonal at the age of 61.
• The oldest player to become a master was Oscar Shapiro. He became a USCF master at the age of 74.
• The oldest person to win a national chess championship was Edith Price (1872-1956), who won the British Ladies Championship in 1948 at the age of 76.
• The oldest person to win a state chess championship was Harlow Daly (1883-1979), who won the chess championship of Maine in 1969 at the age of 85.
• Encrico Paoli is the oldest active chess player in the world as of 2004. He is 96.

Chess News - FIDE World Chess Championship 2007 Starts This Week

Just a reminder - the FIDE World Chess Championship 2007 will be held in Mexico City, starting this Wednesday, September 12, 2007, as an eight-player, double round robin tournament. Visit the official site for more information. Live game replay from the official site is here.

Vladimir Kramnik becomes the Unified World Chess Champion!

Quite an exciting finish! I was backing Topalov the Bulgarian. Topalov is more my style. An attacker - even if it means losing some games - or in this case the World Championship. But it is better for Chess that Kramnik won - it puts to rest a lot of potential controversy over the forfeit win that was given to Topalov when Kramnik refused to play game 5. And Kramnik did, when all is said and done, out-play Topalov. For more on the deciding final game see Susan Polgar's commentary.

Bathroom Break Scandal to End World Chess Championship?

You just can't make up this kind of stuff. From the New York Times:

"On a day in which no game was played, Silvio Danailov, the manager of Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria, sent a letter to the appeals committee of the match detailing what he said were an excessive number of bathroom breaks — more than 50 per game — by Vladimir Kramnik of Russia." For the rest of the saga read here.

Topalov showed up for game 5 (with complaints) but Kramnik's demand to have his bathroom unlocked was not met and thus he forfeited game 5. Topalov gains a point so the score is now Kramnik 3 and Topalov 2.

At least the match will now get the media coverage it has been missing! There's no such thing as bad publicity after all :-)

Kramnik Takes a 2-0 Lead Over Topalov

See the Susan Polgar Chess Blog for the best up-to-date coverage of the 2006 World Chess Championship Match and check out her analysis of game one and game two. You can also get live coverage of the match at the Internet Chess Club or official coverage at FIDE.

Hopefully, Topalov will rebound just as Bobby Fischer did when he was down 2-0 back in 1972. I'm pulling for Topalov (Bulgarian) over Kramnik (Russian) simply on the principle that the Russians have dominated chess much too long :-)

What World Chess Championship?

"In what is regarded as the most important match for 13 years, Veselin Topalov and Vladimir Kramnik will face each other across a board for the right to be undisputed world chess champion."

And yet there is absolutely zero coverage by the American media! Fortunately, there are alternatives sources for information on the match - but anyone outside of the world of chess will know nothing about it. How sad.

For those in the know, here at least is a good article on the match at www.timesonline.co.uk.

P.S. Rook has been tied up in a new home purchase - but lots of new material coming soon...

"The Mad Genius of Bobby Fischer" Cable TV Special

PROGRAM LISTING

The Mad Genius of Bobby Fischer - Repeat. "The tactics Bobby Fischer used to become
one of the world's best chess players."

... is showing on the Game Show Network (GSN) ON September, 23rd from 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM EDT. You can find the GSN channel and program guide for your region here.

I probably watch TV less than 98% of the American population - maybe about 4 or 5 hours per week. However, because we have a Microsoft Media Center PC I can search the program guide for the word "chess" - which is how I came across the program when it aired back in August. It is now being repeated if you care to see it.

Needless to say, the show is less about chess than it is about the tragic life of the man himself. However, I did find the show interesting because there was a lot of video of Bobby Fischer playing chess from his early career up to the point when he abandoned serious play. The other great thing about the show is that they interview many famous US chess personalities. After hearing some of these names mentioned for years and years it was nice to actually match their names up with faces.

The 2nd half of the show had a lot of coverage (and video) too but it was less interesting from a chess perspective and probably of more interest to behavioral psychologists.

Whatever one thinks about Bobby Fischer, with all of his appalling behaviour and hateful invective, he did inspire a whole generation to get involved chess and made the game an exciting thing for those of us growing up in the fifties, sixties, and early seventies.

NOTE: The picture above is from the Time Magazine covering the 1972 match - which I still own and treasure to this day.

Listen to the KQED Radio Interview with the Author of the "The Immortal Game"

Michael Krasny discusses the intersection of chess, war, art and science with David Shenk, author of "The Immortal Game: A History of Chess."

Host: Michael Krasny

Guests: David Shenk, author of The Immortal Game: A History of Chess, or How 32 Carved Pieces on a Board Illuminated Our Understanding of War, Art, Science, and the Human Brain

The World Chess Championship 2006 or What Ever Happened to Dr. Zukhar?

Having recently come back to chess, I’m greatly looking forward to following my first major chess championship since 1978. I got a chuckle recently reading an old Time Magazine clipping I saved concerning that match – the one between Korchnoi-Karpov-Zukhar. I of course jest here concerning Dr. Zukhar – but at the time he seemed to be as much a part of the contest as the players themselves.

As a refresher to the 1978 match, let me quote from Wikipedia’s entry on Anatoly Karpov:

In 1978, Karpov's first title defence was against Viktor Korchnoi, the opponent he defeated in the previous Candidates tournament. The situation was vastly different from the previous match, because in the intervening years Korchnoi had defected from the Soviet Union. The match was played in Baguio in the Philippines, and a vast array of psychological tricks were used during the match, from Karpov's Dr. Zukhar who allegedly attempted to hypnotize Korchnoi during the game, to Korchnoi's mirror glasses to ward off the hypnotic stare, Korchnoi's offering to play under the Jolly Roger flag when he was denied the right to play under Switzerland's, to Karpov's yogurt supposedly being used to send him secret messages, to Korchnoi inviting two local cult members (on trial for attempted murder) into the hall as members of his team.

Now I’m not sure this latest match will be as entertaining off the board as that match was, but it does look to be interesting.

Check out the excellent article Who will win the Topalov-Kramnik world championship? at Chessbase.com.

If you read only one article on the match, this should be the one. It presents an excellent background to the match, especially helpful to people like me who have been away from chess or for new players just taking up the game. The article also explains the match format, provides player’s biographies, and even speculates who will win the match. Best of all, it concludes with a complete “Schedule of the World Chess Championship 2006” which you can copy and paste somewhere so you don’t miss a game. Highly recommended.

ABC News: How Chess Can Help Stave Off Alzheimer's

I was glad to see the game of chess getting some good press this morning - or any kind of press for that matter :-) - on the September 4, Labor Day edition of ABC's "Good Morning, America."

The lead in to the segment was "It is one of the most beloved games in the world... and it [may help] to prevent Alzheimer’s disease..."

The interview was with best-selling author David Shenk, who has written a new book on the history of chess titled "The Immortal Game." He has also written a book on Alzheimer's disease. When asked about the connection between the two he responded:

"Everyone in the Alzheimer's community is searching for a way to prevent Alzheimer's and it turns out that one important way - it's not a sure fire way - but you need to use your brain. As you get older, particularly, you need to exercise your brain in any way and the more exercise you get in your brain - it's just like keeping fit and keeping your body fit - the better off you are, the better chance you stand for preventing diseases like Alzheimer's.”

“Chess turns out to be a particularly good brain builder for this..."

Here's an excerpt from the http://www.abcnews.com/ web site:

How Chess Can Help Stave Off Alzheimer's
Writer David Shenk Traces the History of Chess in 'The Immortal Game'

Sept. 4, 2006 — In a wide-ranging examination of chess, David Shenk uncovers the hidden history of a game that was invented in India around 500 A.D. and seems more popular than ever today.

From its enthusiastic adoption by the Persians and its spread by Islamic warriors, to its 21st century importance to the development of artificial intelligence and use as a teaching tool in inner-city America, chess has been a omnipresent factor in the development of civilization.

Research shows that brain is much like the body — it needs continual activity to remain strong and supple and fight off the predations of old age. And researchers have determined that chess is uniquely well-suited to "exercising" the brain. It is simple to play, but offers nearly limitless variation.

It requires memory, problem-solving skills, abstract thought, and creativity. And it turns out that the people who play it regularly in their older years — along with related activities like crossword puzzles — are less likely to develop Alzheimer's and related conditions.

You can read the entire article and an excerpt for Shenk's new book "The Immortal Game" here: How Chess Can Help Stave Off Alzheimer's.

The author's website can be found here: "The Immortal Game"

The book can be ordered here: The Immortal Game: A History of Chess, or How 32 Carved Pieces on a Board Illuminated Our Understanding of War, Art, Science and the Human Brain (Hardcover) by David Shenk

Chess on TV?

Would you, or anyone you know, actually watch a game of chess on TV for entertainment?

ChessBase News has an interesting article that proposes an idea that might work. Hey, if it can work for TV poker why not chess?

ChessBase columnist, Steven A. Lopez, makes the claim "Yes, chess on TV works if you do it right. The whole trick is to engage the audience."

Read the article - I think he might have a workable idea. What do you think?

My Third Chess Tournament - Good Results

Well, after an embarrassing start, I have finished up my first Internet Chess Club tournament with positive score of 2.5 out of a possible 4 - two wins, a 1/2-point bye, and one loss. This was also my first "rated" tournament, the other two tournaments I have played being unrated OTB (over-the-board) beginner tournaments.

I had to take a 1/2 point bye in the first round since I had a scheduling conflict. I then lost the first game by putting myself into a back-rank mate - that just happened not to be on the back rank but along the g and h files. On the bright side, a painful lesson is a lesson well learned. But I played well in my last two games and won both of them.

All in all, I am very happy with how well I played. I am now looking forward to three more tournaments – the September Standard Time Tourney at the Internet Chess Club, another OTB unrated beginners tournament in September, and my first USCF (United States Chess Federation) "rated" OTB tournament (if I am physically up to it) in October.

Hope For Me Yet - At 40, The Brain's Best Years Are Still Ahead!

Need some incentive to take up chess or to reacquaint yourself with the game?

Based on the recommendations from Gene Cohen, M.D., PH.D from a recent article in Newsweek, playing chess accomplishes at least 4 of the five recommendations on his list - 5 if you include "chess boxing." :-D

Research has identified several types of activity that can, if practiced regularly, help boost the power, clarity and subtlety of the aging brain.

• Exercise physically. Numerous studies have linked physical exercise to increased brainpower. This is particularly true when the exercise is aerobic—meaning continuous, rhythmic exercise that uses large muscle groups. The positive effects may stem from increased blood flow to the brain, the production of endorphins, better filtration of waste products from the brain and increased brain-oxygen levels.
  
• Exercise mentally. The brain is like a muscle. Use it and it grows stronger. Let it idle and it will grow flabby. So choose something appealing and challenging—and don't be surprised if, once you start, you want to do more. One of the programs I co-chair, the Creativity Discovery Corps, strives to identify unrecognized, talented older adults in the community. A 93-year-old woman we recently interviewed advised us that she might find scheduling the next interview difficult because she was very busy applying for a Ph.D. program.
  
• Pick challenging leisure activities. Getting a graduate degree isn't the only way to keep your brain fit. An important 2003 study identified five leisure activities that were associated with a lower risk of dementia and cognitive decline. In order of impact (from highest to lowest), the winners were dancing, playing board games, playing musical instruments, doing crossword puzzles and reading. Risk reduction was related to the frequency of participation. For example, older persons who did crossword puzzles four days a week had a risk of dementia 47 percent lower than subjects who did puzzles only once a week.
  
• Achieve mastery. Research on aging has uncovered a key variable in mental health called "sense of control." From middle age onward, people who enjoy a sense of control and mastery stay healthier than those who don't. The possibilities for mastery are unlimited, ranging from playing a musical instrument to learning a new language to taking up painting or embroidery. Besides improving your outlook, the sense of accomplishment may also strengthen the immune system.
  
• Establish strong social networks. Countless studies have linked active social engagement to better mental and physical health and lower death rates. People who maintain social relationships during the second half of life enjoy significantly lower blood pressure, which in turn reduces the risk of stroke and its resulting brain damage. Social relationships also reduce stress and its corrosive effects, including anxiety and depression.
  
  Pasted from <http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10753221/site/newsweek/page/3/>