Fihankra Chess Collective
Wednesday, December 17, 2003
History fans: In this time approaching the winter solstice, and the festivals of light that accompany it, I wanted to hold up a light I just saw today, courtesy of ChessPhotos.com and Frank Johnson--The Brotherhood Fraternity of Chessplayers. Read about this powerful Chicago-based collective, and then imagine what you can do in your area to duplicate this aspect of genius. To extend the motion of the season, look up "Kujichagulia", and you will see these brothers at work!
And for my fellows at the Collective who may not have shared your good fortune with others, remember to invite people to see what Russ Mollot and his team are doing for club life from out of New York with the Magnificent(!) Chess Express. If anyone is performing above the curve, it is him and his group, who are making strides towards giving local clubs access to regulating their own tourneys and events, whether USCF or not, without the often-discouraging high USCF fees. It is more easily updated and maintained--for standard time controls or for King-Of-The-Hill events. People can see the results more readily, and they can talk about it the next day. Self-determination at its best. Goto www.chess-express.com to see more of what you are missing.
Interested in the local chess community here in Atlanta? Go see the Georgia Chess Association's webpage and get a calendar of events, state competitions, access to the Chess Library, rating lists, and local club times/dates/locations. Now that you have been revved up, put yourself in drive and
PLAY THE GAME!
Tuesday, December 16, 2003
International Master Amon Simutowe, from Zambia, is back on the American shores playing in the Carlos Torre Memorial International tournament in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. Currently aiming for the top of the competition, the contest will be complete on the 20th of December.
Send him your thoughts for success and clarity. See updates at The Week In Chess by Mark Crowther and associates--a great site for general chess news and competition results. (To learn about Carlos Torre Repetto, or some of his game ideas, look here.
People want to improve their game OTB (over-the-board) and I agree--"it is with fire we test the gold" both on and off the board. Also some degree of analysis after the game, in the manners and traditions of Shogi, a first cousin of chess, is an important element as well. It would do the chess community well to instill in young players the respect of the opponent to go back over the game, as some Shogi players generously offered me at an Internet Shogi Dojo and I was introduced to a concept I have often wished my American opponents would also incorporate into their games--that of "Kenso-sen", or as I would call it, "Ujima". It is a discussion about the ideas raised in the game, and how the variations could have developed. The process allows for learning on both sides of the board, and builds respect between the players. An instructor there, Mr. Habu, often takes more time for the Kenso-san than for the game itself. Both over-the-board and on the Internet, Shogi manners dictate that until the Kenso-san is over, the game is not over. What a powerful idea it is to incorporate the learning into the game itself, as part of the process, not just a courtesy IF TIME PERMITS. "If you do not make time, you will never have time", as it has been said.
In other news, for those who have not pursued the Correspondence Chess avenue, here is a news item that may catch your eye. Consider--what if a Master/Grandmaster level player took it upon himself to play a top-level machine in a correspondence game, with both sides allowed to analyse as deeply as possible with a time control of 10 moves/40 days? The tactical advantage the computer has is lessened, and the human ingenuity is allowed to equalize the battle. It is currently happening. See the progress of man the toolmaker versus man the innovator at Chessfriend's website and make your own opinons. It is a novel development. We wish GM Nickel the best. As of this writing they are on move 20 and have been in combat since October 1st, 2003. Good hunting!
We who live do so with enthusiasm, "in the spirit".
Expand your horizons with a game from a person across the globe. Goto the Internet Email Chess Group and play an honorable game with some competition worth your time. Also look at their newsletter and see what is available. Currently they have a championship running, and the preliminaries are moving along well.
Quote of the week: "Failure is the key to success. Each mistake teaches us something." --Morehei Ueshiba, The Art of Peace.
Monday, December 08, 2003
Know your history: In 2001, Pontus Carlsson(SWE) played Amon Simutowe (ZAM) in the Junior Championships in Athens, Greece --here is the gamescore for you to study, for all you Reti fans. This is an example of capturing space and maintaining the advantage.
Music to play to: "Blue" by Norman Connors, 1972, from Dance of Magic. Feeling cosmic? PLAY THE GAME!
Of recent note: Columbian native, Swedish resident IM Pontus Carlsson has completed a televised competition against Grandmaster Evgenij Agrest Thursday, December 4 and Friday, December 5. This Swedish brother is one of the strongest blitz players in the region, having twice won one of the world's largest chess tournaments, with as many as 1000 chess players, master and amateur alike. The televised match is meant to promote chess in the region (Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark) and may be the first of a series of matches. Send good energy that brother's way. At 20 years of age, this young man is doing things. Do it, brother.
Friday, December 05, 2003
Peace and prosperity to you, chessfans. We would like to direct your attention to the dedication of a local great, Frank Johnson, who is moving to do great things in the chess community. His efforts with the "Let's Do Downtown" were very well received, where he displayed his chess talents taking on all comers from May-September, 5 days a week, in downtown Atlanta, to encourage chess play with sound players. Giving away prizes--books, boards and pieces--and DOCUMENTING the events with photographs and newspaper coverage was a boon to Black chess in Atlanta. In the spirit of Gil Scott-Heron's classic song "And I Think I'll Call it Morning" we are celebrating the best of what we as a community can do. Go get your sister, your brother, and
PLAY THE GAME!
Thursday, December 04, 2003
Peace and power to you, Chess Rockers International.
We are moving forward with our game of life, and we wish to bring to light some important news about our youth.
Stephanie Ballom and Medina Barrilla are representing the youth well with their successes on and off the board. I encourage you to go and read the fine article on them at The Chess Drum and also look at the section "The 65th Square" to read about Black Women in Chess.
Also I mentioned the power of looking at the game from different perspectives--and here are two: the Japanese game of Shogi and its variants, and the original game of Chaturanga. To know where you are going, you must know from where you have come. Many professionals and semi-professionals reach a plateau from where they do not rise, akin to writer's block, and their play becomes crystallized. To feed freshly from the fountain will keep your game fresh, dynamic, and innovative, which is what the chess community needs. To begin with joy, and end with joy, will vivify the community, bring new perspectives to the game, and expand the interest level of the people. We want it at Fihankra Chess Collective, and we will have it; the new relationships we build on and off the board take root and bear fruit. Now, go and
PLAY THE GAME!
Monday, December 01, 2003
THIS JUST IN: Our friends at Chess Express have just sent us some spectacular news! This powerful ratings service, a proud sponsor of The New York Masters Tournament (the longest running tournament in America) has made it possible to use CXR with USCF-rated tournament games. Please contact me to read my copy of the newsletter for this month. It was only a matter of time--the more powerful idea always rises to the top!
Find out more at www.chess-express.com and sign up!
The true power of this is that Fihankra Chess Collective, a CXR affiliate, will be able to organize tournaments for our players here and strengthen ourselves and also use our USCF games to make a clearer picture to enhance our strengths and take focus on and reduce our weaknesses. EXCITING!
Two items of note: We at Fihankra Chess Collective are bringing chess ideas forward to stand beside other popular icons--the sports foremost in the minds of the youth are there because someone put the ideas in front of them. If an idea is accessible and close at hand, entertaining and workable, its energy expands.
I am reviewing Chess Highlights of the 20th Century by Graham Burgess, which aligns major events of the times with major chess events. The format makes good use of media photos and headlines to paint a picture of each year, such as could be done. Political perspectives aside (I am still moving through the book), the format is intriguing and engaging. I would like to see something like this format done for Black chess players; the setup is clean and easily referenced; it is very visual--it is basically a textbook for chess. Imagine one following the development of Black Chess Players, inside and out of the Diaspora. EXCITING!
For those who are interested in International Chess News, check out the article about Vladimir Kramnik, current world champion, concerning the increased precision of top-level chess, Kasparov, and the world Championship. It is an interesting article. It gives insight into his attitudes about attacking chess and the strength that playing Fritz, Junior, Blue, Tiger, and other top-playing machines has given to the human player. Then go and PLAY THE GAME!
Literature: Every student should be reading something related to their favorite subject every week. We do homework directly related to chess, but chess players should always be bringing other subjects to the table, so as to become a well-rounded player. Style comes out on the chessboard, so the development of good character will balance you. The instructor has a list of books directly related to chess, but poetry, philosophy, business management, personal development, martial arts, biographies, and music are also heavily encouraged.
