The Week in Chesss

One of the great online chess resources "The Week in Chess" has just turned 22 years old. I used to subscribe to it when it came it as an email service, and it was a vitally important when Paul Dunn and I produced a weekly radio show on chess in the late 1990's and early 2000's.
It has always been a free service,  getting by on sponsorship and donations. Currently there is a donation drive going on, and it does have an added bonus. If you donate 30 pounds or more, Mark Crowther, (the man behind TWIC), will send you a copy of the entire TWIC database. The is contains around 1.9 million games from the last 22 years, and it is worth getting if you need to keep your reference databases up to date. Having made a recent donation I was delighted to get my hands on this file, which even included some of my efforts from various chess olympiads, including the following game, which was the first one I ever played at this level.


Press,Shaun - Bagheri,A (2409) [B16]
34th Olympiad Istanbul TUR (1), 28.10.2000

A new Australian Chess Magazine

With the closing of Australasian Chess there has once again been a gap in the local chess magazine market.

But like previous gaps, this one has been pretty short, as there is a new chess magazine on the scene.
"50 Moves" is an electronic magazine produce by a group of young Australian chess players. The first issue is being launched on the 1st of August and is covering the lead up to the 2014 Olympiad. After that there will be an issue every two months and it promises to cover all the major Australian events as well as providing a smorgasbord of other chess related content.
The magazine also has its own website, 50movesmagazine.com where you can subscribe, as well as seeing a preview of what the magazine will look like.
On of the contributors is FM (and soon to be IM) Junta Ikeda, who is handling Studies and Problems. One of the problems featured in the first issue is the one shown in the diagram. It is White to play and win, and like any good study, what is both the winning move, and the winning line is immediately obvious.

It is a tough business

News that 'Australasian Chess' will cease publishing at the end of this year is sad, although not unexpected. The magazine has been running since 2003, but a decline in subscribers has made it uneconomical to continue. Brian Jones has put in a big effort over the last decade in producing a quality chess magazine, but he can hardly be blamed for bowing to economic reality.
As with a lot of print media, the challenge posed by newer methods of content delivery has caused difficulties, as a lot of news (chess or otherwise) can be found online. Of course the flipside to this is that it also cheaper to produce content, although how you 'monetize' this is still a big question for content providers. As chess has a fairly small market (in Australia certainly), relying on online advertising revenue probably does not work.
Of course one option is to produce and distribute free content. However this reminds me of an old computer saying 'Linux is only free, if your time has no value'. Essentially, to produce a quality product does take time, time that is often taken up by other activities.
So for now Australia Chess (OTB at least) will be without a print magazine. Of course the CCLA still produces their quarterly publication (of which I am the editor), but as it deals with a different market, I can hardly see a rush of subscribers heading our way.

(Disclaimer: I am a paid contributor to Australasian Chess)

A CCLA Give-away

The Correspondence Chess League of Australia (CCLA) recently switched web addresses, and to help spread the word, the CCLA is having a (small) give away. If you visit the new site at www.ccla.net.au and click on the link 'Australian Correspondence Chess Quarterly' on the left hand menu, you can download a free copy of the ACCQ from August 2011. This is an exact copy of the magazine that CCLA members get every 3 months, in PDF format. And if you like what you read, then feel free to join the CCLA by clicking on the 'Subscribe' button on the right hand side of this blog.

Position Available

The CCLA (Correspondence Chess League of Australia) is looking for a new Games Editor for its magazine Australian Correspondence Chess Quarterly (ACCQ). The magazine is published 4 times a year, and is sent to all members of the CCLA. The job of the Games Editor is to select and annotate games for the magazine. These are usually games played in Correspondence events, although some OTB (Over The Board) games do get included as well.
If you want further details about the position feel free to contact me (Shaun Press) at shaunpress@gmail.com

The new New in Chess

Change is sometimes difficult to cope with, especially where chess players are concerned (try changing a venue for an established tournament and see how many fail to cope). So it isn't surprising that the current issue of New in Chess contains a number of letters complaining about the changes to the last issue of New in Chess.

For those who don't subscribe (shame on you!), the magazine simply changed size and now is in a larger format. The change makes it slightly harder to keep in your pocket, but on the plus size, the bigger layout makes it far easier to read. Along with the size change a couple of extra features have been included, but otherwise it is essentially the same magazine. So overall I like the change, and think the publishers have made the right move.

The Season of Quizzes

Just about every blog I read seems to be running some sort of Xmas quiz. Annoyingly, at least for those who are loyal members of the Free Internet Chess Server, the prizes on offer are yearly memberships of another, very naughty, chess server.

Now while this blog does not do quizzes of this sort, I actually do a quiz every year in the magazine Australasian Chess. It is always 10 chess problems of varying degrees of interest, difficulty and evil. There are prizes on offer for the players with the best score (normally GM David Smerdon btw) which are provided by Australian Chess Enterprises.

But the reason I'm pointing this out now, is while the quiz has appeared in the latest issue of Australasian Chess, the editor forgot to include the information on the prizes. So after talking with him here are the details: Australian Chess Enterprises are offering book prizes to the two highest scorers in the 2010 Xmas Quiz. Entries can be sent via email to info@chessaustralia.com.au or by post to Australian Chess Enterprises PO Box 370 Riverstone NSW 2765

(Disclaimer: I am a paid contributor to Australasian Chess)

Are they comparable?

With the rise and rise of Magnus Carlsen, it is inevitable that he will be increasingly compared to Bobby Fischer. Both age and style are points of comparison, although Carlsen has already stated that he is unlike Fischer in some important areas (obsession and mental stability).
With Carlsen doing a feature interview with Time Magazine, I'm sure there will also be comparisons between his style and the somewhat notorious utterances of Fischer in print. If you wish to make some comparisons yourself, a trawl thorough the archives of Life Magazine (courtesy of google) may assist you. I picked up one story from 1971, where the author had a chat with Fischer. The article is here, and there are a few others if you search.

Kingpin

The satirical chess magazine Kingpin is always a good read, if I could ever find out when the next issue is appearing. According to those in the know, the magazine usually appeared "when the editor felt like it". Fortunately Kingpin now has a web presence www.kingpinchess.net
If you have ever read Kingpin it is worth visiting the website to catch up with old articles. If you have never read it before you may instead be confused, as the articles (drawn from back issues) are not dated, and seeing an article titled "Has Karpov lost his marbles" by Tony Miles came as a bit of a shock (if only because Miles passed away in 2001).
I'm not sure how complete a record of the magazine the website intends to be (and clicking on the archive link throws up a 404 error) but as a sampler of what is a very clever magazine, it is well worth a visit.

A sneak peek at the next issue of ACCQ

I've been trying to get Australian Correspondence Chess Quarterly ready for the printers over the last few days, and hopefully I'm almost finished. As with all the chess magazines I have edited, the more articles I have to contribute, the later it often is.
Here is a game that will appear in the next issue, played by NZ Master Mark Noble in the Aus/NZ v Portugal Friendly.

Noble,M (2478) - Salvador Marques,C (2424) [B97]
Australia/New Zealand vs Portugal ICCF, 17.11.2008

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd2 Qxb2 9.Rb1 Qa3 10.e5 h6 11.Bh4 dxe5 12.fxe5 Nfd7 13.Ne4 g5 [ 13...Qxa2 14.Rb3 has long been considered inferior for White, although this assessment was based on Korchnoi - Tolush, from as far back as 1958. 14...Qa1+ 15.Kf2 Qa4 16.Bb5 axb5 17.Nxb5 Bc5+ 18.Nxc5 Qxh4+ 19.g3 Qd8 20.Qd6 Nxc5 21.Nc7+ Qxc7 22.Qxc7 Nba6 23.Qb6 Nxb3-+] 14.Bg3 Qxa2N 15.Rd1 Qb2 16.Qe3 Nc6 17.Nxc6 bxc6 18.Be2 Qxc2 (D) White has jettisoned his third pawn, but of course has a lead in development to show for it. Even the normally materialistic computer kibitzer regards this position as equal! 19.0-0 [ 19.Rxd7 is a suggestion of Fritz 9. 19...Bb4+ a) 19...Bxd7 20.Nf6+ Ke7 (a) 20...Kd8 21.Qb6++-) 21.0-0 is winning for White.; b) 19...Kxd7 20.Qd4+ Kc7 21.0-0! c5 22.Rxf7+ Kb8 23.Qd8 Qb1+ 24.Bf1 Ra7 25.Rxa7 Kxa7 26.Qxc8 Qxe4 27.Qxa6+ Kb8 28.Qxe6+-; 20.Rd2 Bxd2+ 21.Nxd2 Qc1+ 22.Bd1 Bb7 according to Fritz this is the only move. ( 22...0-0 23.h4! leads to a winning attack.) 23.Qb3 0-0-0 24.Ne4 Rxd1+ 25.Qxd1 Qe3+ 26.Qe2 Qc1+ 27.Qd1 Qe3+=] 19...Bc5 20.Nxc5 Qxc5 21.Rd4! Obviously White wishes to avoid the exchange of queens. 21...0-0 22.Rc1 Qb6 23.Rcd1 Rb8 24.h4 c5 25.Rd6 Qd8 [ 25...Qb2 26.hxg5 Rb3 27.Bd3 c4 might look good for Black but 28.gxh6 Kh8 29.Rxd7!! Bxd7 ( 29...cxd3 30.Qg5+-; 29...Rxd3 30.Qg5+-) 30.Qg5 Rg8 31.Qf6+ Rg7 32.Qxg7#] 26.hxg5 Qxg5 27.Bf4 Qg6 28.Qh3 Qf5 29.Qxh6 [ 29.Qxf5 exf5 30.Rxd7 Bxd7 31.Rxd7²] 29...Rb1 30.Qh2 Re8 [ 30...f6 31.Rxb1 Qxb1+ 32.Rd1 Qh7 33.Bh6 Rf7 ( 33...Re8 34.Rd3+-) 34.Bh5+-] 31.Qg3+ Kh8 32.R6d3 Rxd1+ 33.Bxd1 Qh7 34.Bg5 Rg8 35.Bc2 1-0

The Niche Publication

In amongst my collection of chess magazines, I have a July 1995 copy of Blackmar-Diemer Gambit World. Just from the title you can correctly surmise that it is a specialist publication, dealing with the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit (although it does lead off with an odd joke about OJ Simpson!). It must have been a popular magazine, as the issue I have was numbered No. 69, although I have no idea if it is still in production.
It has the usual collection of brilliant wins for the BDG, and analysis of some of the more topical variations. I've grabbed a game from the issue to show, but rather than the usual BDG I've picked one that contains an idea that can be used as a weapon against the Caro-Kann.

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Bc4 Nf6 5.f3 exf3 6.Nxf3 Bf5 7.0-0 Nbd7? (D)
8.Bxf7+ At least one game ended in resignation at this point 8. ... Kxf7 9.Ng5+ Kg6 [ 9...Kg8 10.Rxf5] 10.Rxf5! h6 [ 10...e6 11.Nxe6 Qe7 12.Qd3;
10...Kxf5 11.Qd3+ Ne4 12.Qxe4+ Kf6 13.Qe6#] 11.Qd3 hxg5 12.Rxf6+ Kxf6 13.Ne4+ Kg6 [ 13...Ke6 14.Qb3+ Kf5 15.Qf7+ Nf6 16.Ng3+ Kg4 17.Qe6+ Kh4 18.Qh3#] 14.Nd6+ Kh5 15.Qh3+ Kg6 16.Qf5+ 1-0

Finishing the jigsaw

Putting a chess magazine together is a lot like doing a jigsaw puzzle. Probably the biggest difficulty (apart from having enough copy for each issue), is to lay it out in such a way that every page is filled, without unsightly white spaces (the "white space" problem). While experience has taught me some tricks, I dream of an automated layout feature becoming available for Open Office.
For readers of the Australian Correspondence Chess Quarterly, you will be pleased to know that I've finished the February issue (albeit 2 weeks late) and it should be in the post later this week.

Cannot find chess books!

While holidaying in England has been pleasant, the one thing I've missed is finding second hand chess books. A planned trip to Hay-on-Wye failed to eventuate, and now that I'm 'oop north', I haven't seen many second hand bookshops.
Instead I've been reduced to reading through Rupert Jones' chess collection. One interesting volume was a bound set of British Chess Magazine from 1920. As a past chess magazine publisher I can sympathies with the editorial team who were extremely worried about the magazine finances, and the level of subscriptions (at one stage as low as 500, although it was soon after World War I).
There were a number of reports from British chess, as well as mention of events like the Victorian State Championship, and a Melbourne Chess Club v a Sydney Club telegraphic match.
At random I've picked a short game where Black tries the Philidor Counter Gambit and quickly becomes unstuck.

Mlotkowski,S - Perry,E [C41]
1919

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5?! 4.exf5 e4 5.Ng5 [ 5.Qe2!] 5...Bxf5 6.Nc3 d5 7.f3 Nf6 8.fxe4 dxe4 9.Bc4 Now white is winning. 9...Bg6 10.0-0 [ 10.Ne6 would also be effective.] 10...h6 11.Ne6 Qe7 (D)
12.Rxf6!! Setting up a nice finish. 12...gxf6 13.Nd5 1-0

Writing with Open Office

These days I do all my chess writing/editing/type setting with Open Office. I find it just as easy to use as Word, and most importantly, I'm not locking my data into a proprietary format that may become redundant at some future time.
However there are a couple of gotcha's that are worth noting if you plan to shift away from the evil empire that is Microsoft.
The first is spell checking. You can specify which language you are writing in, including English(Australian). However if there isn't a dictionary that matches the language (and I haven't been able to find an Australian dictionary), the spell checking doesn't work. You need to choose English(British) instead. And more importantly, in the tools->options->language settings->writing aids section, make sure you leave the "Check in all languages" unchecked, otherwise the program grinds to a halt while checking words in Swahili, Esperanto etc
The other trap is page numbering. If you want to start page numbers from something other than 1 (which I often have to do with ACCQ), the obvious "Page Offset" when formatting your page number fields doesn't work as advertised (it does something completely different). Instead use the Format->paragraph->text flow option on the first paragraph of the document and insert a page style. This does the trick.

A Century of Informata's

Not all email spam I get is bad. The publishers of Chess Informant have sent me information about the Chess Informants 1-100 CD. It contains all the games from the first 100 editions (over 101,000 games in total), in various data formats, and includes games annotated by Euwe, Fischer, Botvinnik etc
Of course such quality doesn't come cheap, as it has a list price of 221.50 GBP, which is about $550 Australian. But apparently I'm a valued customer and they are willing to negotiate a special price, "just for me".
You can check out the details here.

(Usual disclaimer: I have no commercial interest in this product)

Hang on to your chess magazines!

Contributor Milan Ninchich has found that old issues of various Australian chess magazines are selling on eBay for a bomb. A bound set of Australasian Chess Review 1932 went for $US 416.34 while the 1931 volume sold at $US 685.36
Even single magazines (eg Australasian Chess Review March 1920) went for as much as $US 73.00
The 1933 volume of Australasian Chess Review is currently selling for the relatively cheap price of $US 51.00 but I'm sure that the price will jump as the auction comes to a close.

Australian Correspondence Chess Quarterly - August 2007

The August 2007 issue of Australian Correspondence Chess Quarterly has just been posted and should be in the hands of subscribers today. (Note: I am the editor of this magazine).
The current issue contains an article by David Flude called "Don't Get Slimed" as well as part 2 of the Structure Your Chess series. It also contains the most comprehensive games section of any Australian chess magazine, with a full 20 pages of coverage and analysis of the latest Australian correspondence games.
To subscribe simply join the Correspondence Chess League of Australia. There is a link on the left hand side of this page, or you can join via paypal (button at the top right).

Instant Membership

One of the difficulties people face in joining a chess association, or subscribing to a magazine, is actually getting around to it. Writing a cheque or getting a money order from the post office, and then having to address a letter, followed by actually posting in it, is often too much like hard work. And I'm just as bad as the next person.
So of course it would be much easier if you could just click a button and transfer the money directly.
That is why I've added a button that allows you to join the Correspondence Chess League of Australia (CCLA). All you need to do is click on the "Subscribe" button in the top right corner and fill in the payment details. Most importantly put your postal address in the "billing address" details so the CCLA know where to send the quarterly magazine. The system (managed through Paypal) accepts both Paypal payments, as well as credit card payments.
Now the point of this isn't to make money (as I get nothing from the transactions) but to see whether ease of payment is a contributing factor in membership rates. One of the objections for a direct membership scheme to the Australian Chess Federation has always been the mechanism for collecting payments. Assuming that people can now pay directly, this objection can probably be dispensed with.

Writing for Chess Magazines

Usually hard work, especially for the reward.
At the moment I write for one magazine, Australian Chess, and I write and edit another magazine, Australian Correspondence Chess Quarterly (ACCQ).
For Australian Chess I usually write a regular column, Open and Shut, and the occasional feature. The current issue of Australian Chess contains both, although the fact that I had written a feature (on the Doeberl Cup) did come as a surprise to me. The magazine editor Brian Jones had quite skillfully put together my posts from this blog on the Doeberl Cup (click on the archive link for the originals) into a full report on the tournament! If only all my articles were so easy to write.
As for ACCQ this is still hard work. If you are anxiously waiting for the May issue, I can tell you it is at the printers and will be sent out shortly. Meanwhile, here is a game that came from an article on the Danish Gambit which I wrote for the current issue.

Bird,H - Lasker,E [C21]
Newcastle upon Tyne, 1892

1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Bc4 cxb2 5.Bxb2 Qg5 6.Nf3 Qxg2 [As the text move leads to an almost forced loss, the following may be Blacks most sensible choice. 6...Qg6 7.0-0 d6 (7...Qxe4?? 8.Re1) 8.Nc3 Bg4? (8...c6 preventing the knight from reaching d5 appears to be Blacks best choice, although the lack of development must be a worry. 9.Nh4 is one way that White can strive for an advantage, inviting the following plausible, but flawed continuation. 9...Qg4 10.Nf5 Qxd1 11.Raxd1 Bxf5 12.exf5 d5 looks good at first glance but now White simply crashes through. 13.Bxd5!! cxd5 14.Nxd5+-) 9.Nd5±] 7.Rg1 Bb4+ [7...Qh3 8.Bxf7+] 8.Ke2! Qh3 9.Bxf7+ Kd8 [9...Kxf7 10.Ng5+] 10.Bxg7 Ne7 11.Ng5 Qh4 12.Ne6# 1-0