Monday, May 16, 2011

Select Pieces of Recent News

I've got an awful headache, so bear with me...this is to make up for last Thursday.

A Harvard economist played chess - http://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/Top-economist-warns-of-dangers-in-US-debt-fight-1381881.php

Deaf athlete relates NBA to chess - “And so you learn to be a visual player. And you're out there, you're playing chess. You have to rely on strategy and intelligence and not just brute force and athleticism all the time." - Lance Allred - http://www.3news.co.nz/Nuggets-look-to-new-gold-to-reverse-their-fortunes/tabid/415/articleID/211185/Default.aspx

New 'Gangsta' and 'Shorty' chess pieces? - http://www.thenewsgrind.com/news/world-news/chess-chiefs-hit-back-at-scrabble-with-introduction-of-two-extra-pieces/

Hip-Hop Chess Federation unites chess and rap - http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Rappers-Play-Chess-to-Help-Kids-121711299.html

"Queen to Play" chess movie - http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/movies/2014974549_mr06queen.html?prmid=head_main

To make elementary school chess compulsory or not? - http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/katharinebirbalsingh/100087302/compulsory-chess-lessons-in-every-school-now-thats-radical/

3D Standing Chess - http://www2.tbo.com/news/community-news/2011/may/11/BRNEWSO37-live-chess-teaches-math-problem-solving--ar-206028/

Artificial Intelligence (chess and computers) - http://www.i-programmer.info/programming/artificial-intelligence/2437-the-paradox-of-artificial-intelligence.html

The Importance of Defense (Susan Polgar) - http://lubbockonline.com/columnists/2011-05-16/importance-defense-chess

Quiet Moves in Endgames (Ronan Bennett, Daniel King) - http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/may/10/chess-ronan-bennett-daniel-king

Alex Beach, 12, chess master & genius despite autism and partial blindness - http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/05/13/blind-autistic-12-year-old-headed-college/

Book claims that genetics determine success more than "tiger parenting" - http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/arts/the-author-of-a-new-book-says-genetics-rather-than-chess-lessons-have-a-bigger-effect-on-success/story-e6frg8nf-1226056760390

Chess according to Sheldon on "The Big Bang Theory" - http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2011/05/06/not-quite-a-checkmate-on-the-big-bang-theory/

(NOTE: These are just some of the many articles online. You may wish to use them to get ideas & research further :) I try to include a broad selection of news for this purpose, rather than specific articles about tournaments alone.)

Marvelous Monday - Would You Rather?

Five "Would You Rather?" Questions - my answers next weekend

1. Would you rather learn an opening from a top grandmaster or from a player the opening is named after (assuming you are learning an opening named after a person, such as Petroff, Philidor, etc.)?

2. Would you rather win a game with a queen sacrifice or with a 10-move forced combination?

3. Would you rather go on vacation to play in a large chess tournament or go on vacation without a chess board in sight (but come back to chess after the vacation!)?

4. Would you rather participate in a chess camp/event or be an instructor at a chess camp/event?

5. Would you rather play chess against the Prime Minister of Canada (Harper) or the President of the U.S. (Obama)?