First Women’s Chess Tournament in Berlin
By André Schulz; with picture by Dagobert Kohlmeyer
A large number of spectators had the privilege to witness the rebirth of an old tradition. The newspaper Neues Deutschland initiated and sponsored a chess tournament. In the early days of tournament chess newspapers all over the world were the first chess players and organisers turned to. Every prestigious newspaper had a regular chess column. Thus it was only natural to provide the news to be published by making them happen. Of the all the tournaments in Germany linked to newspapers, the “Eliteturnier“ in 1928 might well be the most famous. It took place from 11th to 29th October in the Café König in Berlin, one of the great chess coffeehouses of that time. The organizer was Jacques Mieses, who staged the tournament for his newspaper, the famous Berliner Tageblatt. The prize fund of 10,000 German Marks and Mieses’ organizational skills attracted a very strong field that made for what we today would call a supertournament.
IM Elisabeth Pähtz 1.5 – .5 IM Inna Gaponenko to win this event.
The full article can be read here.
Elisabeth is a little overestimated – at least in germany – and – to be honest – i do not like her hair dresser – but she is still young – and who knows, somewhere down the road – she will touch down earth again to be what she is: a very talented chess playing young woman – but for sure – without perspectives for being the best …
a nice success anyway!
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I don’t know why Pahtz wants to play this show some cleavage, wear revealing clothes thing. OK many young girls do it for self-esteem and perhaps some evolutionary reasons, but I hope chess girls are not doing it for their chess image. Anyone else getting sick of Chessbase Skripchenko specials? OK she took part in a poker tournamnet, showed us some cleavage (for the 157th time) BORING. There are free porn sites that have 18-21 year old girls, who are much prettier, much fitter and reveal a bit more. 🙂
Serious. What’s this got to do with chess? Anyone remember the Kosteniuk lolita photo shoot out, when she had only just turned 16 (and looked 14)? Then the recent ladies tournament in which Kateryna Lahno (also 16) came to the prize ceremony wearing no bra, just a skintight shirt, literally showing her nipples and you don’t need much imagination for that. See: http://www.chessbase.com/news/2006/lahno05.jpg
Then there’s the chess beauty contests with some flesh on show if you are honest. (Do the girls get paid anything?)
Now, I’m very liberal, not a conservative, nor against pretty young girls wearing provocative clothes if they so please, but does anyone else find this distasteful, cheap and bit revolting in the context of chess?
I have a sense of dignified, honest, intellectual game. The self-publicity should be “sexy” combinations. I think mini-skirts and “buy Kosteniuk beach shoot out only for xxx$” cheapens the game?
OK that’s a long rant, and I hope it’s not deleted. Anyone else feel the same? Have similar feelings?
I don’t see anything wrong with Lahno’s dress. Maybe you americans
are a little obsessed with
nipples ? In europe it’s really not
such a big deal 🙂
By the way : Players like Paehtz
or Kosteniuk usually dress appropriate at chess tournaments.
The ‘revealing’ pictures are made
at other occassions.
Still I see your point, that some
‘chess beauties’ are a little
bit overexposed. But its a long
way from internet porn.
By the way (and a little of topic):
Most people here found it very strange how the american public
reacted to Janet Jackson’s
Nipplegate. So maybe this is a
cultural difference thing ?
your
anonymous2
The fact that this causes so much distress to you (and the fact that you compare it to porn) says more about YOU than about the girls who are dressing in a very normal and ordinary way for their age. If something is “boring”, like Almira’s cleavage, one does not take special note of it and then rail against it on a comment board. “Boring” things are forgotten without making an impression. Yeah, it’s boring, it’s normal, you can see it in any magazine or at any shopping mall. So why even mention it at all. Grow up. There is no controversy here. In fact as you said, it is quite “boring”. If some chessgirl wants to try to look appealing, big deal– she is no different than 3 billion other women on the planet.
When you say they dress that way “for self-esteem or chess or evolutionary reasons”, it just shows you are waaaaaay out of touch with reality. bye.
The fact is if you look close to the Lahno picture she clearly has a bra on. It might just be cold in the room, ever think of that?
Any why are you concerned with her pair… and I am not talking about the bishops.
No. You don’t get the point, or you don’t want to. I’m not comparing it to porn, and I’m probably more liberal than you are, consider the point that the context here is chess. Why is a chess player taking part in a poker tournament interesting or “chess news”? Because she is a so called “chess beauty” who is willing to show us her cleavage everywhere and everytime. Pia Cramling won a strong women’s tournament recently. Anyone noticed?
You say they dress and behave that way because it is only normal for girls their age. That’s partly true, but you are not being honest now. Skripchenko and Kosteniuk have been doing it to advance their chess careers.
What do we want from women’s chess? What is the example we want to set for young girls who play chess? It’s better to be rated 2400 and work on a sexy figure, than be 2550 and dress more conservatively?
I’d say their looks have got Kosteniuk and Skripchenko invitations, column millimeters (or meters even) IN THE CONTEXT of chess. In every discotheque you can see many more beautiful girls.
Their looks get noticed in the context of other female chess players. In a miss French competition Almira would get knocked out in her local qualifier.
“Invitate me, write about me. Look at me I’m more beautiful than the other female chess players (nevermind some of them are stronger chess players than me!). etc.
Chess is chess. Beauty contests are beauty contests. Mix the two and in my opinion it cheapens chess. If Skripchenko 2430 gets noticed ahead of Pia Cramling 2530, and gets invited ahead of her so that you can portray her picture (and cleavage every single time) then it’s that what we desire from chess?
The only thing I find distasteful and revolting are your posts.
“The only thing I find distasteful and revolting are your posts.” Such a bright, substantiated, well thought-out remark. Nothing like offering your arguments, or trying to analyse the topic in question or answering some of the questions (re: Cramling for an example, who is a considerably stronger player than Skripchenko).
Dear anonymous, perhaps you too should take your tits out to appear more intelligent. How about it?
http://www.chessbase.com/news/2006/biel12-tab10.gif
or
http://www.chessbase.com/news/2006/biel19.jpg
which is more important?
How should we view ladies’s chess?
I’d say Pia all the way.
Both is important. The games and numbers isn’t enough. I also like
to know who made these moves and
how they look like. This goes
for women as well as for men.
Looks alone don’t get anyone
anywhere in chess. Or have you
heard anything of the infamous
Maria Manakova lately ?
If Skripchenko was 2300 she
wouldn’t be invited anywhere.
And Kosteniuk is one of the best
players anyhow.
Hey !
Why not letting them play naked ?
😀 I don’t mind having difficulties to concentrate in this case :-p
Seriouly, there’s nothing wrong with theses pics…