Fihankra Chess Collective
Wednesday, January 28, 2004
Local news: The 3rd annual MLK Memorial Scholastic Chess Tournament on January 19th has been completed and went over well. I couldn't do better than Dr. Daaim Shabazz at the Chess Drum. Learn about the results at this link or go see what else you are missing at The Drum. The photos by Frank Johnson are beyond price.
Tuesday, January 27, 2004
Prosperity to you! I am very pleased in my hunt for "A GREAT CHESS PAGE" to find Palamede's EnPassant pages
and the "Find the Move" --combinations and engame studies for students of the game to quiz themselves by using PalView to shift and study pieces around. I invite you to go here and send a thanks to Eric Bentsen and the the Norresundby Chess Club for the well-thought-out site.
Sunday, January 25, 2004
My game of focus for the week is Mikhail Chigorin versus Wilhelm Steinitz, 1892, Evans Gambit--go visit www.chessgames.com to play through it or go see my game collection there. I will be using it to document my viewing of some games online to stimulate discussion and form a "game of the week" club, akin to "book of the month"--Dr. Daaim Shabazz from The Chess Drum encourages annotation of games by well-practiced players, to digest and understand and internalize the ideas put forth by great players. The mirror exercise, analyzing your own games, is inferred by this practice, so the average player has something to compare to his own games and ideas. Do it. Watch yourself improve--watch your board vision increase. You will be more aware of what is possible.
As another entrepreneurial spirit has said, "Excelsior!"
Welcome to this day, chess friend. Local news of mention:
Emory University's chess team, led by sophomore Slavik Gabinsky, scored well in their division in the Pan-American Collegiate Chess Tournament in Miami, Florida recently from December 27-30th. You can read about one of Atlanta's representatives in Christina Casadonte's article at the Emory Wheel Online today. Also for a solid digest of chess news I invite you to go to The Week in Chess by Mark Crowther or subscribe to Chessville news--where I read this quote from Grandmaster Nigel Davies in a recent issue:
As for the principles of how to improve your game, they can be stated very simply:
a) Immerse yourself in chess culture
b) Analyze your own games, avoiding self deception
c) Play in the best tournaments you can get
And that's it.
Take it with a grain of salt, then do it, and PLAY THE GAME!
Looking for a new perspective? go to a site called the Chess Portal (in English, that is) : www.schackportalen.nu/English/eschacknytt.htm and get some ideas on the many links and newssites for chess nationally and internationally, and go read about the best of these. Exploring new sites cleanses the palate of old information, making all of it fresh again. A mental massage of sorts--
Go and do well.
Wednesday, January 21, 2004
I was reviewing a celebrated site for my students in anticipation of a chess outing in March, and I feel compelled to speak of it here. Chessgames.com is an archive of games from major tournaments, games from masters of the last century, studies, and offerings from the site's fans. It is a very workable site, and registration is free. I played through a game from the Wilbert Paige Memorial Tournament from 2001, covered by The Chess Drum's Dr. Daaim Shabazz, from International Master Stephen Muhammad versus fellow IM Amon Simutowe. Click here to see this game and more of my favorite games posted at ChessGames.com.
Then go and PLAY THE GAME!
Monday, January 05, 2004
Looking for chess equipment at good prices? I have gone to Cajun Chess for several items, and I have gotten a good deal for good products. Let'em know you heard good things from Fihankra Chess. Log on to their website and look around. They also have some archives of some well-played games from historical chess greats.
CAJUNCHESS
Saturday, January 03, 2004
Happy new year to you all. This writer resolves to make the energy of his thoughts match the energy of his actions, and it is my hope that this declaration comes to sit on your shoulders as well.
The East Point Library is hosting a Chess Night on every Second Tuesday of the month from 6-8pm. For instance the next one will be on the 13th of January, followed by the 10th of February 2004. Come and PLAY THE GAME! Contact persons are Mr. David Thrash or Mr. Derek Wilson at (404)762-4842, or contact M.J. Farris at 1(800) 965-7978 for details.
Also, for those who do not travel, there is a way to get great play from great players who also love the FIDE variant of this great game. What is considered "the Standard" today can be played at FICS--The Free Internet Chess Server, connecting chess players all over the world. There are also several mirror sites, mentioned at Steven Pribut's Frequently Asked Questions on Chess page, for internet fans. His Chess Pages are helpful for the beginner, and has great links for young student and parental student alike.
One note for scholastic fans: The 3rd Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Tournament for Scholastic Chess is coming up on Sunday, January 18, 2004 at the MLK Recreation Center, 90 Boulevard Avenue, NE, Atlanta, GA 30312. Interested players must be USCF registered (goto www.uschess.org for details) and play will last from 10:00am to 5:00pm. It is a 4-round Swiss System.
Trophies will be awarded to the top 1/3 in each of four sections. Contact Kay Umeakunne at (770) 482-9344.
The registration forms are available online. See www.georgiachess.org for details.
Prosperity!
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