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 It’s been some time since chess was considered central to America’s sense of itself; the 1972 Match of the Century, when Mr. Fischer defeated Boris Spassky, thrust chess forward as a Cold War metaphor, and chess stars in those days had a national celebrity. In the years since, chess has flourished in schools and clubs, according to the United States Chess Federation, which says it is witnessing robust participation in the sport among both boys and girls. Yet interest has languished at the highest levels. The byzantine world of competitive chess makes it a tough sell as a spectator sport, and champions are perceived as esoteric talents without much relevance in the real world.
But that may be changing, at least partly because of Magnus Carlsen. The 23-year-old Norwegian, the reigning world champion, is blond and square-jawed; from certain angles, it’s as if you’re looking at Matt Damon. He has modeled for a clothing label, G-Star, in print ads (shot by Anton Corbijn, co-starring Liv Tyler) and television commercials (co-starring Lily Cole). And he has been aggressive about embracing new technologies. Mr. Carlsen has 85,000 Twitter followers and recently released an app, Play Magnus, that lets fans challenge simulations of him at different ages, from 5 to 23. And, now, in Mr. Caruana, he has the kind of foil that chess fans think could make their sport electric again. Mr. Caruana is young, like Mr. Carlsen. He is immensely talented. He projects a certain image — bookish rather than fashionable, though his adherents say that doesn’t pose a problem. “The nerd is the new celebrity,” Mr. Kuhn said. “Think of the rise of Benedict Cumberbatch and the Jack Dorseys of the world. Smart is the new handsome.” See NY Times article.  After that move, Sevian picked up his pace. When he eventually claimed the victory, he became a grandmaster, a title based on a formula of ratings and results. Once attained, the title is kept for life.
“I was, of course, really happy,” said Sevian, who began playing chess competitively at 5. But Sevian also acknowledged a tremendous sense of relief. “I had to win,” he said. That was a frank admission for Sevian, who generally keeps his innermost thoughts and feelings private, even from his parents, Armen and Armine. Despite his reserved nature, Sevian, who turned 14 on Dec. 26, has gathered a sizable collection of friends in the chess community, communicating regularly with many of them via Skype. Those relationships are a byproduct of his lifestyle. Sevian, who lives in Southbridge, Mass., is home-schooled, a circumstance made necessary by the amount of time he spends on the road competing. See NY Times article.  Q: How old were you when you learnt to play chess?
A: I learned the moves at about seven but studied my first chess book at the age of twelve. I started my first tournament at the age of 13. I was pretty serious already at 13. Q: I’m a patzer [weak player – editor] but (when I used to play) I found that if I went over tactical problems before or during a tournament, I was sharper and more likely to find tactics in my games. Is this still relevant at your level? Do you try to solve tactical problems while you’re training? A: Yes this is always good. I solve combinations to sharpen up just before the tournament. Q: How much use of computer software do you make in your preparation? Do you make effective use of large games databases and programmes like Chessbase? A: Chessbase is a must for any chess player in our time and generation. I use chess software quite extensively. See Interview.  At a tournament completed early yesterday, at the Manhattan Chess Club, the smooth-cheeked sophomore from Erasmus Hall HS won the United States Chess Championship with a score topping 13 of the very best players in the country.
With the junior championship won last July in San Francisco and the open championship garnered in August in Cleveland, Bobby today is undisputed king of the ancient sport, and probably the only player to have held all three titles at one time. Although Bobby was not announced winner until well after midnight and he did not get back to his home at 560 Lincoln Place until 2 A.M., he attended school as usual yesterday, apparently unruffled by his unparalleled achievement. Bobby’s next step is the world championship to held in Yugoslavia next September. Bobby and another member of the American team will make the trip if sufficient funds can be raised to cover their expenses. Read the NY Daily News article.  Parviz Gasimov, a 14-year-old from Azerbaijan, has managed the incredible feat of going from a 1949 rating in October 2014 to 2517 in the first rating list of 2015 – no less than a leap of 568 points in three months. Spanish IM David Martinez takes a look at how this “miracle” occurred.
It’s important to note that for juniors aged up to 18 with a rating below 2300 the “K factor” is 40, so that every point they gain beyond the expected result based on their rating is multiplied by 40 (before the changes approved by FIDE over the summer it was only 15). In Batumi Parviz scored 5.27 more points than expected, which when multiplied by 40 gives that remarkable 211 points. See article. |
Coach AndyThis blog reports the achievements of my students (current and recent). 
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