It’s Saturday Open Forum. The European Championship is taking place right now. The very strong Spanish rapid takes place this weekend and so is the Foxwoods Open. Many other things are going on in the world of chess. What would you like to discuss?
It’s Saturday Open Forum! The forum is yours! Please keep it clean 🙂
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
What happened with the Chess Jokes Contest?
A panel of 5 is voting on it. I hope to give you the name of the winner this weekend.
Best wishes,
Susan Polgar
http://www.PolgarChess.com
what do you think about Ivantschuk’s and Mahmedyarov’s short handed decision, to skip the Euro 2007 in Dresden (as highest rated players!) without any comment, just to play the (obviously better donated!)rapid chess tournament in spain?
i’m really disappointed, because i have tickets for dresden – and i like “chucky” a lot, … but – nah – better i do not broadcast my real thoughts here …
:(( greetings from germany – Vohaul
vohaul, I do not know of the circumstances. However, as for me, I always keep my words. Professionalism is very important to me.
I fully support the organizer in Dresden. I know them and they are very good for chess.
Best wishes,
Susan Polgar
@susan – finally one real professional… thx for “licking my wounds”!
i’m going to offer my tickets on ebay and hope for the olympiad next year.
… btw – will you stay at Dresden during the next chess olympiad?
greetings and thx!
I will not play in the Olympiad. However, there is a good chance I will come to Dresden to help the organizer in some fashions.
Best wishes,
Susan Polgar
http://www.PolgarChess.com
Recently, I have been following with interest the progress of Hikaru Nakamura. I am wondering what your thoughts are about the mixed results he has, especially in international events. Is this due simply to his youth (chess “growing pains”) or his style, or is there some tangible weakness in his game, or ?
Do you think you are to womens chess what Pat Summitt is to womens basketball? How about those Tennessee Lady Vols winning their 7th national champinship this week?
Hikaru is very talented. He has the ability to be a top 5-10 player. He is also fearless. However, if he wants to be a top 5-10 players in the world, he has to accept training. It is a very big handicap to work alone.
Best wishes,
Susan Polgar
http://www.PolgarChess.com
Ed, Pat is a legend. It is not up to me to judge myself. It is up to the chess fans to judge me and what I have done with my career as well as what I have done to improve our industry.
Best wishes,
Susan Polgar
http://www.PolgarChess.com
Susan, I took a look at the recent picture you posted of you and your sisters and I thought I’d ask you these interesting quetions.
1. What is the current average rating of all three of you?
2. Even more interesting, what is the estimated average rating of your entire family, Mum and Dad included. (I know your Mum’s inclusion will hurt a bit. Lol)Rough estimates will be fine.
Thank you for your reply. I did not know that Hikaru works alone.
Nice picture of my favorite 3 lovely women.
When will the votes be cast for the new board members and can any member vote?
All USCF members over the age of 16 can vote.
Best wishes,
Susan Polgar
http://www.PolgarChess.com
>>A panel of 5 is voting on it. I hope to give you the name of the winner this weekend.>>
Do the members of this panel have a sense of humor? I’d test each one by going up to them and saying “Take my wife, please!” If any of them laughs, kick ’em off the panel.
You recently asked what chess books people are reading. Years ago I bought almost every chess book in the catalog. It was easier to buy books than it was to read them. I read a lot of the books I bought but I didn’t study them. When I dropped out, I gave them away.
Thinking it over, I believe that it is best to study a few books well than it is to read a lot of books superficially.
I got Fred Reinfeld’s 2 books on tactics (1001 Winning Chess Sacrifices and Combinations and his 1001 Checkmates). I got Silman’s Reassess Your Chess and Watson’s Mastering the Chess Openings. Also Silman’s Endings Book.
Game Collections are Tartakower’s 500 Master Games, and Bronstein’s 1953 Candidates Tournament book.
That’s all I intend to buy for a long time. I figure if I master these books, I will be good to go. What do you think of these choices?
Hi Susan, When will the election be held?
Jack, excellent choices!
cfdincle, I believe the election ballots will be in the June Chess Life!
This election is the most critical in recent USCF history. We cannot afford to put people with conviction records who chase away sponsors and supporters in the position to destroy the USCF in the next 4 years. Enough damages have been done!
Best wishes,
Susan Polgar
http://www.PolgarChess.com
The people who endorsed and elected a convicted felon like Sam Sloan to the board now endorse Joe Lux and Stephen Jones. What does it say about their choices?
I don’t know what it means. The voters just have to make up their minds on that one.
Best wishes,
Susan Polgar
http://www.PolgarChess.com
When will they send our ballots for the USCF election? Will they send it in an issue of chess life.
Is anyone else watching the exciting live game with Shabalov and Izoria? It is fantastic to see Shabalov defy all sense of logical moves to obtain his positions!
The election ballots will be in the June Chess Life!
Best wishes,
Susan Polgar
http://www.PolgarChess.com
I’ve been enjoying the games of Nepomniachtchi. E.g., check out this curious, simple, surprising combination to win a pawn at Aeroflot against Sargissian:
r1b2rk1/p3qpb1/2pp1np1/1p2n1Np/4PB1P/2N3Q1/PPP1BPP1/2KR3R w – – 0 14
14. Rxd6 Qxd6
15. Bxe5 Qd8
16. Bc7 Qe8 and the rook is trapped. Key to the combination is that black really had no alternative but to back the queen into e8. It can’t go to e7 because of the skewer threat, can’t stay on the d-file b/c white can move Rhd1, can’t enter the white square diagonals h3-c8 and a2-g8. That leaves only black squares b4 and c5 in the same diagonal as the rook, so the bishop could fork!
He had several entertaining and creative games at Corus B last winter too. This kid is the real deal.
Hello,
Can anyone tell me where to find results of the “very strong Spanish
rapid” ? The official site is just horrible, i cannot find words to describe it.
Even http://www.europe-echecs.com doesn’t give any results, which they normally always do.
Thank you,
Steven
I do not think ‘all USCF members over age 16’ can vote. Voters have to be resident in the USA.
A US citizen abroad can vote for US President, but not for USCF board members.
The draws in the top 5 boards of Foxwood during the EARLY rounds is really disappointing.
They should be highlighted and sarcastically analyzed to death in a public forum like this. Maybe people can be embarrassed to play more than 5-10 moves in such a tourney.
I sort of understand a draw in the last round if you don’t have any chances and are tired, or whatever. But not in the early rounds.
I´m a Life member of the USCF and travel from Europe to play in US tournaments 2-3 times a year.
Why can I not vote and what is going to be done to help people like me win voting rights?
sofia polgar looks the prettiest, and i hear that she was most talented as well.
Susan,
1. Have you accepted ANY invitations to play in any (strong) tournaments this or next year? I would love to see you whip up on some GMs.
2. Do you know how many hours a day or week Judit trains to keep her high rating?
3. Is everyone aware Judit is playing this weekend?? Susan, can you get Judit going on her own blog so I can have twice as much to read about Polgars?
Thank you,
Pal
I am your average uscf member. I play no over the board games(no time) but i still enjoy the magazine. But these elections are really getting on my nerves. Cant the board members just get along? Voting seems to be a waste of time. Every year its the same thing!
What happenned to the proposed Chess960 tournament?
how can i find site where judit is playing this weekend
No, I have not accepted to play in any event. It is not the #1 priority on my list. Cleaning up and fixing the USCF is now my #1 priority.
No, I can’t tell you about Judit’s training regiment and schedule. It’s up to her to reveal it.
No, I also do not believe that Judit has the time to have her own blog. She’s busy focusing on the candidate’s match and beyond.
—
I am sorry the election is getting on your nerve but there is no other solution. There will be an election a few months and no many of us cannot accept the fact that a convicted felon was elected to the Executive Board. In addition, so much damages were causes to the USCF due to his many reckless and complete disregard for the rules and laws.
Best wishes,
Susan Polgar
http://www.PolgarChess.com
It is getting on my nerves because none of this helps chess. But i see your point. A felon cannot serve on the USCF board. He should have resigned. I Voted for him. I cannot now. Please if you are elected get some kind of rule that states instant termination if convicted of a felony. Such a rule would save alot of embarrasment
Hello,
Happy Resurection Day and Easterholidays.
Regards
Pony
Why Sofia quit chess?