Archive for December 23rd, 2009

• Review of Zuke ‘Em, Expanded Edition
  
• Interview with David Rudel, Author of Zuke ‘Em

An article in the Indian newspaper The Telegraph set off a flurry of excitement in news pages and chess blogs. “Magnus Carlsen will be one of my seconds [in Sofia],” World Champion Vishy Anand was quoted as saying. A misunderstanding, since Magnus, who is a great friend and will surely root for Anand, will not be assisting him in at the 2010 World Championship. Details.

Good news. Boosted by the world number one place of Magnus Carlsen, the Government of Norway has just released the sum of NOK 70 million ($12 million) to support the bid of Tromsø, an island city in the Arctic Circle, to host the 41st Chess Olympiad in 2014. It would be a great place for chess players to go, as we have shown in many past reports. Today we add to these with a whale of a story.

A novelty on move 36, one which nobody can refute? That happened not with the
help of a contemporary sixteen-core machine, but back in the Orwellian year of 1984, in a
game from the Soviet Championship. The beginning of the end of chess? No, as
Dennis Monokroussos shows us in this week’s Playchess
lecture. The resolution came from GM Mihail Marin in March this year. 9 p.m. ET.