Yesterday, I had a chance to speak to Henrik Carlsen, Magnus’ father. He is visiting NY City and I am very glad that he contacted me. I must say that as much as I am impressed with Magnus, I am even more impressed with his Dad.
After speaking with Henrik, I understand better why Magnus is very well liked. Even with the “Superstar” Dad status, he was polite, professional, courteous, kind and humble, very typical of Scandinavians. He does not seem to be one of those overbearing, egotistical and intense chess parents. He raised Magnus to be a “normal” boy who loves chess and is good at it and he supports his son any way he can.
I told Henrik that I am very impressed with his son in many ways. He obviously has talent. He is also willing to learn and improve. There are many top young players with a lot of talents. The willingness to be coached and the intangibles are the things that will separate the best from the “could have” been.
I wish Magnus the best. I hope he will have a very bright future not only on a personal chess level but perhaps he can inject the new kind of excitement into our game. I also told his father that I will help them in any way I can.
It is your Saturday Open Forum. Ask what you wish and I will try to answer as many as I could. I am on the road in Maryland right now. Therefore, it may take just a tad longer for me to respond to the questions but I will try my best 🙂 
Why did you chose to come to the US and promote chess here instead of settling down anywhere else in the world?
How can a club player, without a lot of time to study and practice, prepare most efficiently for a weekend Swiss tournament?
Hi Susan, thanks for the Open Forum.
Very nice comments about Mr. Carlsen…he is wise to contact you for your thoughts.
Question: I just saw your post about your up-coming DVD titled “Opening: The Colle-Zukertort System”. Does that mean it will only discuss the Zukertort b3 line and not the Koltanowski c3 line? Do you recommend the b3 line over the c3 line? Thank you.
Hi! Thanks for the opportunity to ask a question. This may be a bit off of your usual question. I’m a chess fan and play just for fun with friends – not worried about getting a higher rating. I’d like to appreciate chess more. Combinations and clever tactics are fun but what should I do to learn to appreciate positional chess or other aspects of chess more?
Thank you again for helping to keep chess alive and active in the US.
Susan,
Do you encourage kids to write onto their scoresheet the move they are considering BEFORE they make a move on the board, or do you discourage it?
Some people (including me) discourage it, saying it constitutes “note taking”, especially if they ever erase and write a different move (all before moving on the board). The feeling is – “The scoresheet is for what has happened, not for what might happen”.
Others say writing and erasing moves (before moving on the board) cannot seriously be interpreted as “note taking”. They see prohibitions against pre-writing moves as harping on a technicality at best. And they say that pre-writing moves helps kids ramp up into playing chess, and into keeping a scoresheet in the first place.
The USCF Delegates recently passed a rule that more clearly prohibits pre-writing moves (which matches FIDE’s policy).
One consideration may be the practical fact that pre-writing has been tolerated for so long the rule may initially be widely violated.
What do you think?
Thanks.
Gene Milener
CastleLong.com
x
sorry please ignore my first post.
my question for you susan is. do you think rapid chess has a chance of ever returning to tv, espn, etc? i certainly remember the glory days of the grand prix events on espn and i think it would be great for chess if it came back. thanks.
What do you think about Siamese chess? I know that kids love to play it.
Anonymous said…
x
I agree with anonymous
Who do you rank as the top ten Chess Players of all time?
Hi Susan
I like very mutch of your blog. I’m curious about the time the players spent to studying chess…2 hours a day is suficient to be a IM?
This is my portuguese blog, what you think about it?
http://peaodobrado.blog.com/
(Jerry MacDonald said…
Why did you chose to come to the US and promote chess here instead of settling down anywhere else in the world?)
I came to the US after I was married. It was an unfortunate mistake on my part. The marriage ended in 2001. But because my children are born here, I decided to do something for the US.
(gad said…
How can a club player, without a lot of time to study and practice, prepare most efficiently for a weekend Swiss tournament?)
Do a lot of tactics and study more rook and pawn endgames as well as King and pawn endgames. Good luck!
(Question: I just saw your post about your up-coming DVD titled “Opening: The Colle-Zukertort System”. Does that mean it will only discuss the Zukertort b3 line and not the Koltanowski c3 line? Do you recommend the b3 line over the c3 line? Thank you.)
Because this is one of my specialties 🙂
(Anonymous said…
Hi! Thanks for the opportunity to ask a question. This may be a bit off of your usual question. I’m a chess fan and play just for fun with friends – not worried about getting a higher rating. I’d like to appreciate chess more. Combinations and clever tactics are fun but what should I do to learn to appreciate positional chess or other aspects of chess more?)
Take a GM game at critical moment and continue it on your own. Play for win with the better side and hold for draw on the worse side. This way, it will help you come up with the right plans to play for win or draw. Good luck!
(Anonymous said…
Susan,
Do you encourage kids to write onto their scoresheet the move they are considering BEFORE they make a move on the board, or do you discourage it?
Some people (including me) discourage it, saying it constitutes “note taking”, especially if they ever erase and write a different move (all before moving on the board). The feeling is – “The scoresheet is for what has happened, not for what might happen”.)
Personally, I would never teach my children or my students to write the moves first. If others want to teach kids that, it is their choice. I think it is silly because you are costing these kids time on their clocks. I teach make a move, press the clock then record the move.
(Anonymous said…
my question for you susan is. do you think rapid chess has a chance of ever returning to tv, espn, etc? i certainly remember the glory days of the grand prix events on espn and i think it would be great for chess if it came back. thanks.)
I think it will. Either that or longer games with good editing. It was silly of ESPN to show a 7 hour live game.
(Pedro said…
Hi Susan
I like very much of your blog. I’m curious about the time the players spent to studying chess…2 hours a day is sufficient to be an IM?
This is my portuguese blog, what you think about it?)
2 hours a day may make you an expert or master. Perhaps even FM. But not IM unless you are very talented 🙂
(MayanKing said…
Who do you rank as the top ten Chess Players of all time?)
The undisputed names in no particular order: Kasparov, Fischer, Karpov, Capablanca, etc.
People like to debate about others 🙂
(Anonymous said…
What do you think about Siamese chess? I know that kids love to play it.)
Anything that helps kids think and focus is great 🙂
Best wishes,
Susan Polgar
http://www.PolgarChess.com
We all make mistkaes, it’s how we deal with them that makes us who we are. Obviously you have excelled at many things and many people are greatful you set roots here.
… and my mistake is spelling!
Well I am very grateful that Susan is here helping us out. we really need her help.
it is amazing what we do for our children.
I no longer consider that getting a divorce is making a mistake in the marriage.
my marriage was terrible. I suffered so much. it took me years to recover. but today I embrace my old marriage. it was the best thing for me. it helped me immensely to change myself. I am a different person today because of all that I went through. I am very grateful for all the the pain I went through because I am in such a good place today.
I was divorced in 1976 and it took me a very long time to make the transition to embracing the old marriage as being good for me.
In many ways, the United States, and its culture remains an enigma to those from Old World cultures—Europe, Asia, and the Orient. Some note, and delight in finding different preferences, taboos, as well as social norms that change frequently, sometimes to polar opposite, versus rigid norms in their native homelands. In this vein, being adaptable to change becomes critical in America. On the other hand, as many of the baby-boomers retire, many authors suggest an almost European resurgence of complacency and normalcy.
Who knows what twists fate and fortune brings? Better still, recall that “hindsight is 20/20” and “ ‘tis better to have tried, struggled, and failed than to never have tried and forever be lost within whimsical longings.”
That said, Susan, it’s certain that the two handsome young men at your side are glad you came to America. Likewise, countless thousands of young American women see you as a leader, as well as a role model. Susan rest assured that many, many American men also respect you for your efforts on the chess board and off: scheduling, training, and promoting chess to America’s youth; and what’s more, love your spirit of fair play.
More importantly, in the time-honored male-dominated sport of chess—and world, you are a role model to women everywhere, showing them time and time again that women can compete on an equal footing with men. Likewise, that your successes, as well as your misfortunes and mistakes in the past only add to your growing wisdom in life, and not to bitterness.
Perhaps most importantly, Susan, you show that without question, beauty and mental acuity can, and do coexist in the same woman.
Susan wrote:
:I came to the US after I was married. It was an unfortunate mistake on my part. The marriage ended in 2001. But because my children are born here, I decided to do something for the US.:
>
You are still very beautiful women Susan.
Many would rate you as “MILF” in that respect.
Hopefuly ,you will find one day a soulmate who will fill you both emotionally and physicaly.
Best wishes,
GK
GK, you know what MILF stands for right?
I know what it means jerry macdonald.
And I stand behind what I said!
You see ,that was compliment to Susan Polgar..
Very refined, “0pen Forum” misreed?
I don’t see how saying you would like to have sex with her while referencing her motherhood is a compliment, but whatever.
Hmm,I didn’t know so many gays visit this blog.