Seeking a Creative Outlet

The BBC World Service doco, "Seeking the Endgame" was aired yesterday and for those who didn't hear it, you can listen to the podcast here. In it, we hear GM Ian Rogers say the following:

Well, for me it's an avenue for creativity. If on your day you can create a game that will be published around the world that people will look at and admire, I mean I haven't had too many days like that in my career, but one or two I've played a game where I'm really happy with and I know that its gonna make anthologies and be published around the world. I can't paint or write novels or anything like that so chess is for me an outlet like that.

GM Rogers is being a bit too modest, of course, for I'm sure he's produced many a masterpiece over the years. Who can forget this, for instance?

1992 Manila Olympiad
Rogers, Ian
Milos, Gilberto
A41

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d6 3. Nc3 Bg4 4. e4 e6 5. h3 Bh5 6. Qe2 c6 7. g4 Bg6 8. Bg5 Be7 9. Bxf6 Bxf6 10. h4 h6 11. O-O-O Nd7 12. Kb1 Qc7 13. Rg1 h5 14. g5 Be7 15. d5 e5 16. Bh3 O-O-O 17. Nd2 Kb8 18. Nc4 Nb6 19. Nxb6 Qxb6 20. Rd3 Ka8 21. a3 Rdf8 22. Bf5 Bh7 23. Rgd1 g6 24. dxc6 bxc6 25. Bd7 Qc7

Position after 25...Qc7

26. Bxc6+ The second time this bishop forsakes itself. The first time it was turned down, but now Milos has no choice. 26...Qxc6 27. Nd5 Bd8 28. Rc3 Qb7 29. Rb3 Qc6 30. Rdd3 Ba5 31. Rdc3 Bxc3 32. Qa6 1-0 Because 32...Qxa6 33. Nc7#

Actually, there's an interesting side story to this one. The game was in contention for the brilliancy prize that Kasparov ultimately won for his victory in Kasparov - Nikolic. If you pull up that game in Chessbase, it's hard not to agree that Kasparov deserved the prize. Problem was Kasparov himself was a judge! And, if you believe the chatter on chessgames.com about this little controversy, there may have been some other shenanigans going on, too.

Kasparov, the Freedom Fighter

Nearly missed this one. It's Kasparov appearing on CNN just a few days ago. Kasparov: "Fighting for freedom in my country is the most important thing now".



If the video doesn't appear in this post, just click here instead.

Kasparov: Chess in a Tragic State

Macauley has an interesting interview with Kasparov post the K-K Match in Valencia. Here's a bit I managed to transcribe of Kasparov speaking.

At the end of the day I think the match is a success, not only for me personally but mainly for the game of chess.

Chess is really in a tragic state now because while 25 years ago, even 15 years ago we saw chess being played in the big cities and still being followed by the mainstream press, now it's quite an obscure game. And it's a fault primarily of FIDE and also of the leading players who did nothing to promote the interest of chess.

Listen to the audio recording here on the Chess.FM site.

Kasparov - Karpov Match Video

Last month I posted on the "rematch" between legends Karpov and Kasparov. Now, thanks to Chessvibes, I've just seen this well-made "official video" that promotes the event.


I'm really looking forward to this match-up, but I think GM Kasparov will have this in the bag.

By the way, if you ever find yourself in Valencia (which I visited last October) - make sure you have some of that local brew, Agua de Valencia, and enjoy some tapas over at Boatella Cafe. There you'll have the best garlic prawn tapas you'll ever have in all of Spain!

Lessons From Chess

As we head out today for the 2009 Sydney International Open, I thought it rather nice to remind ourselves of the important things in life. But here, I depend on the words of ex World Champion GM Garry Kasparov. At the recent SuperNationals, in Nashville, Tennessee in the United States - Kasparov told his mostly young audience:

For most of my life, my life was chess. That will not be the case for most in this room. What is important is to take chess, and what chess teaches you, everywhere for the rest of your life. The enjoyment, the concentration, the work ethic, the pride, the friendship - all are more important than rating points or the ability to find a mate in four. But for a few, chess is like a native language, as beautiful as any music, as any work of art. And maybe it will become as special to you as it was, and is, to me.

That quote is courtesy of GM Lubomir Kavalek's chess column in WaPo (registration may be required, but it is gratis). The former world number one also happened to celebrate his 46th birthday last Monday, 13 April. Happy belated birthday GM Kasparov.

Kasparov Caught in Revolt

Did you know this? Well, I didn't know this! Gary Kasparov is the subject of a doco entitled, "In the Holy Fire of Revolution" by film maker Masha Novikova. Apparently it was screened last month in Amsterdam for the International Documentary Festival (IDFA). Geoffrey Macnab writes a brief review in The Independent:

In the Holy Fire of Revolution plays like a downbeat Russian version of The War Room, the documentary on Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign to become US President. Whereas Clinton had a well-oiled election machine, with strategists and publicists smoothing over scandals and using the media to their advantage, the Kasparov campaign seems doomed almost from the start. The cameras capture rallies that are sabotaged by the security forces. We see Kasparov's doughty minders, who look like nightclub bouncers, talking of their loyalty and affection for him. Campaigners share shocking stories about how they have been intimidated and threatened.

The film provides a record of a political campaign that is never allowed to move out of first gear. There's no upbeat ending that Novikova can impose on her material. After all, Kasparov was eventually obliged to drop his presidential bid.

Read more in Kasparov's movie: from chess to politics.

Not Putin's Pawn

Garry Kasparov talks to The Independent:

Does chess – a cerebral, individualistic pursuit if ever there was one – really help solve real problems? Yes, says Kasparov: "I talk about strategy, tactics, achieving your potential, decoding the complexity of life, so it's mainly about the big picture. I feel I have enough experience to pull these things together."

From Garry Kasparov: The master who won't be Putin's pawn.

Why can't this guy just get off his political butt for a while and come to Dresden? He'll be more relaxed, I think.

Garry's Dangerous Game

The ex-World Champ Garry Kasparov writes a special web exclusive for Newsweek magazine. On what else but Russian politics.

I was fully aware from the start that our chances for success were terribly slim, and that I was one of the few Russians who could run away from the dangers. It has never been my style, on the chessboard or in life, to back down from challenges when the odds are against me or when there is a safer option. When there is a moral imperative at stake, you don't calculate the odds. It may sound strange coming from a chess player, but some decisions we don't make with our heads. We make them with our hearts.

In A Dangerous Game.

Kasparov: Russian Elections a Farce

Russia has a new president: Dmitry Medvedev. For Gary Kasparov, the whole election process that took place on the weekend was a farce. Will, he'd say that, wouldn't he?

Kasparov: Rely on Intuition

Quite an interesting interview of Gary Kasparov by Newsweek's Steven Levy. The ex-champ talks about his same-old-same-old battles with Putin, life after chess and still accuses IBM of cheating.

Levy: You also urge people to act on intuition.

Kasparov: That was one of my greatest advantages at the chessboard. My intuition was wrong very few times. You have to rely on your intuition. It's like a muscle; you must use it. In fact, we are not doing it all the time. I believe that people, especially now when there is so much information available, are trying to find a very scientific way of resolving problems. But because everybody has access to this kind of information, you have to rely on your personal instincts rather than on information available to everybody on the Internet.

From Newsweek's Q&A section, Life After Chess.

Kasparov Makes Comeback

Not quite, but the former World Champion will be in the Czech Republic for a simul. From ChesssDom.

Kasparov Resigns From Prez Race

News wires are reporting that Gary Kasparov will drop out of next year's Russian presidential race. He is quoted as saying, "My electoral campaign finishes tomorrow".

From Forbes:

While Kasparov's move might grab headlines in the West, it is likely to cause no more than a flicker in Russia, where his defeat, like that of all other opposition parties, is a virtual given. Medvedev, Putin's successer as presidential candidate for the United Russia party is expected to sweep to victory in March, a win made all the more certain by last week's parliamentary elections.

See also a report from the BBC.

Kasparov with Fox News

The ex-Champion's publicity keeps rolling on. Last Sunday, he appeared on Australia's channel 9. Now, he's just recently spoken to James Rosen of Fox News.

Here's Rosen: "Now you said earlier today that there is a dangerous misconception that the Russian people are too immature for democracy. But are there not some national characteristics of the Russian people that inhibit them from making strides toward democracy, and that cannot be blamed exclusively on Putin, such as continuing anti-Semitism?"

And Kasparov:

I think that trying to find natural characteristics that might inhibit the nation from joining democratic club could lead us nowhere. I'm sure if, if, if the same characteristic were applied in 1945, Germany and Japan would never, would never make it to the club of the democratic nations. As for anti-Semitism, I think that Germany or Austria, and even France, they could easily compete with Russia on this very sad, sad record. I also think that the current history of democratic development on the global scale proves that there are no nations that are immune from democracy or nations that are doomed to stay under dictatorships. Korea: the same country, divided by two. One is the most brutal dictatorship, another one is flourishing democracy and market economy. China! You have China and Taiwan. So, in my view, you know, if you look around, so — we understand that it's not about traditions. It's about the willingness of the ruling elite and also the international situation and pressure that helps countries and nations move in the right direction.

The whole transcript can be read here.

Waking Up to Kasparov

This morning, I woke up to the ABC's Newsradio announcing Garry Kasparov's candidacy for the 2008 Russian presidential elections. I thought nothing of it as Chessbase already featured the same last week.

Then, much later while enjoying my morning caffeine fix and as I was reading my first ever copy of Portfolio, on page 174, completely unexpectedly, I came upon Roger Lowenstein's review of How Life Imitates Chess.

If retired jocks can write inspirational books, I see no reason to ­exclude ­retired chess luminaries from the field of management advice, and perhaps ­executives will find Kasparov’s prescriptions useful. He has plenty of combat experience to draw on, such as his single most humbling moment at the chessboard, when he lost his title to Vladimir Kramnik. Kasparov blames the loss on his overconfidence; he warns executives against believing they can do no wrong and, especially, against surrounding themselves with lackeys to validate their opinions.

From Portfolio, an interesting business magazine from the Conde Nast stable. See also this story on the Eclipse 500 - one former tech exec's vision of affordable jet aircraft. But for now, I think I'll stick to my current obsession of one day buying one of these.

Kasparov Warns Australia

Holding about 50 percent of the world's uranium deposits, Australia stands to cash in billions from uranium exports. And so in just the past few days, the Howard Government committed to a controversial decision to sell uranium to nuclear-capable India. Naturally the Labor opposition party is worried that this could prove problematic with India's neighbour, Pakistan.

However, the deal with India looks set to be upstaged by a potentially bigger sale. Also under consideration is a deal for Australia to sell uranium direct to Russia. And who should be firing off warnings down our way but none other than anti-Putin campaigner, Gary Kasparov.

Kasparov has reportedly told Australia's Bulletin magazine: "Should Australian uranium end up in the wrong hands… Australia will not be able to act innocent or to claim ignorance". This is being reported here, by ninemsn, and here by the Bulletin.

The Liberal

I happened to be at the newsagent this morning, flicking through some magazines, and there in the "current affairs" section was The Liberal, a publication about poetry, politics and culture. A familiar name appeared on the front cover, Garry Kasparov. No surprise really, he was on and on again about Russia under Putin. I'm sad to say that there is no free content available on the net so interested readers will have to purchase the magazine. I think it's about AUD$12.00

However, I did spot a poem, in the mag's online pages, that I thought was quite apt given our post about yesterday Sochi. "Near Sochi", by Robert Conquest.

Kasparov: I have no life

If he's not careful, the guy could very well make that statement a physical reality. Well, the high powers forbid and all that. Speaking to Jordan Timm, Kasparov once again gives another of his many interviews covering his anti-Putin activities, his vision of a new Russia and, of course, takes time to briefly talk about his latest book.

I have no life. It’s terrible, it affects my family. Daria [Kasparov’s wife] is from St. Petersburg and if she goes there for a few days, I have to send bodyguards. In Russia we’re always under this stress. We know that bodyguards won’t save you from state assault, but there’s so many provocations, we have to be vigilant all the time. That’s why we decided that [having Daria] give birth in Moscow might not be a good idea. I can’t put a bodyguard in the hospital.

Read more in Macleans.

Deep Blue Programmer Interview

In this 10th year anniversary special of Deep Blue's win over Kasparov, Murray Campbell, the guy who moved the pieces (and one of the programmers), gives an interview to Wired.

Wired: What are Deep Blue’s roots, and on what technological principles did its forebears operate?

Campbell: Claude Shannon, the famous computer scientist and mathematician proposed that chess was a grand challenge for these new things called computers -- if you could get a computer to play chess at the world champion level, you had done something really special.

There was a turning point in the '70s when it was realized that, if you let computers do what they do best -- that is, search through as many possibilities as they can as quickly as they can -- and stop the pretense of trying to emulate how humans play, you actually got better performance.

And so, from that day on, computers, including Deep Blue, tended to be focused on searching through as many possible chess moves as they could in the amount of time that was available for a computation.

Read more in A Decade After Kasparov's Defeat, Deep Blue Coder Relives Victory.

Q&A With Kasparov

As previously noted, there are daily news items pertaining to Kasparov, but most are not very interesting - just talking about some rally or the ex world number one's latest run-in with the Russian police. This one, however, with Canada's CBC is passable.

The Other Russia movement you lead is diverse. It includes economic liberals, nationalists and Communists. Is that diversity a weakness in the long term?

Technically speaking, in the long term it might be a problem, but nobody is trying to create a political party here. This is a combination similar to what was created in Chile at the end of the 1980s, when all groups — Christian Democrats, Communists — got together to fight Pinochet in the referendum.

After winning the referendum they began promoting their own political and social agenda. Here in Russia we have a similar situation. We have one common ground based on our beliefs that we have to restore democratic processes in the country.

There is a program of national unity being worked out, and soon it will be published, and we agree on the sweeping political reforms of this package and even certain political and economic measure to cure this unbearable gap between rich and poor.

Taking Kasparov Seriously

Hardly a week goes by these days that you don't see at least one news item on Kasparov's political ambitions in the news feeds. Here's one last week, another one earlier today and finally this appearing just 30 minutes ago (with a near unbelievable quote: "Kasparov's problem is that no-one under the age of 30 really knows who he is").

So you'd think, well, OK this guy is right into his politics. Good luck to him. Yet it still surprises me that, though now retired from OTB play, except for a special appearance at the Credit Suisse Zurich Blitz last year, the ex-world champion still takes time to make money out of the game. This week he stopped over in England for a series of media engagements. Plus there are his recordings for Chessbase and a regular column in NIC. I just can't help thinking: is this guy really serious with his politics?