by scribe | Feb 11, 2013 | current news, endings, games, tournaments
Yesterday. at Mike Splane’s latest chess party, Uyanga Byambaa showed an endgame that could have come straight out of The Walking Dead. But actually the whole game was very interesting, not just the endgame. She told us, “This is the toughest game...
by scribe | Jan 26, 2013 | games, openings, people, positions, tournaments
I could write about my own recent games, but it’s so much more fun and interesting to write about Cailen’s adventures in the Class A section of the Golden State Open. First, I’d like to show you just the beginning of his last-round game. He went into...
by scribe | Jan 15, 2013 | 2012 world championship, endings, games, off-topic, people, ruminations, tournaments
I had to miss a few days because of work, specifically a math conference in San Diego where I was invited to give a talk and do a book signing for The Universe in Zero Words. Unexpectedly, at the book signing I met a fellow chess player! I’ve mentioned Simon...
by scribe | Dec 23, 2012 | current news, people, ruminations, tournaments
Well, I didn’t do my job as a reporter — I can’t tell you who won the open section of the Winter Open. I can tell you who impressed me the most. That would be Kesav Viswanadha, who I think has had a breakthrough of sorts, as his rating is now well...
by scribe | Dec 22, 2012 | chess clubs, current news, endings, games, positions, tournaments
This weekend I’m playing in the Winter Open at the Bay Area Chess Center. This is the first time I have been to their new headquarters (the bigger tournaments are usually at hotels). It’s a pretty nice place, except for the fact that there is only one...
by scribe | Dec 13, 2012 | people, ruminations, tournaments
Consider this: A little kid walks into a scholastic chess tournament in St. Petersburg one day. He’s unrated, so he probably plays on one of the bottom boards. He loses two games and then goes home. According to the tournament report he finished second-to-last,...
