by scribe | Oct 26, 2017 | chess clubs, games, positions, translations
In 1978, I was an exchange student for a semester in what was then called the Soviet Union, studying Russian language at what was then called Leningrad State University in the city then known as Leningrad. One of my biggest goals for the semester was to participate in...
by scribe | Sep 27, 2017 | current news, people, translations
Today Levon Aronian won both of his 25-minute playoff games against Ding Liren to become the first two-time winner of the World Cup. (He also won in 2005. I’m not including the two earlier World Cups that were held using a different format and only 24 players.)...
by scribe | Jan 14, 2016 | games, off-topic, ruminations, translations
It’s interesting how you can learn so much about your own language by learning another language — or by hearing a non-native speaker speak your own. This entry is inspired by a lecture at chess.com by grandmaster Alex Yermolinsky, called “1. e4...
by scribe | Jun 2, 2013 | chess clubs, endings, games, openings, positions, translations
Last night I played in the first round of the June Saturday Knight Live Marathon at Bay Area Chess. Compared to most tournaments, I would describe this one as… intimate. There were only twelve players on six boards, split into two sections. If you do the math,...
by scribe | May 30, 2012 | 2012 world championship, Crestbook, current news, games, translations
In today’s series of four 25-minute games, Viswanathan Anand defeated Boris Gelfand 2.5-1.5 to retain his world championship crown. Grandmaster Sergey Shipov commented on all four games at www.crestbook.com, and you can find Colin McGourty’s translations...
by scribe | May 19, 2012 | 2012 world championship, games, literature, ruminations, translations
On a free day for the chess match, some musings about translation… If you ever want to think deeply about a language (even your own language, or perhaps I should say especially your own language), you should try translating something into it or out of it. The...
