The Queen’s Gambit

In an interview with Jesús J. Boyero for MARCA Sport Weekend of October 31, 2021, all-time No. 1 woman Judit Polgár said that chess has changed much “especially since the last decade, and even more during the pandemic. It’s the only sport that can actually be played online. The Champions Chess Tour and other online super-tournaments have made a fantastic contribution, especially for pros. The Internet gave chess a completely new dimension”. There is no doubt the Internet saved many lives — quite possibly millions — from the worst effects of the pandemic responses. Furthermore, it was also the only way to avoid a global draconian media dictatorship, even if probably not enough to free mankind from its New Normal. Quite definitely but less importantly, it changed the nature and direction of most (if not all) abstract strategy games, which — luckily — weren’t Olympic sports, but sinusoidal mindwaves to be surfed on the screen. Hence chess is not the only one, but only one out of the many possible strategy games capable to augment its reality with holographic projections generated by a computer — chess and/or chess960, 围棋 (Go), Checkers and/or Draughts, 象棋 (Xiàngqí), 将棋 (Shōgi), Reversi, and so on till another game is suggested. Just beware of the Squid Game, so as not to confirm what they always say that reality overcomes fiction.

Hit

A Canadian chess documentary which was thus reviewed by the all-time women’s No. 1 Judit Polgár (who, not incidentally, is one of its protagonists): “Interesting recap on nurture vs. nature. My superb table tennis skills also appear in this short film”.

B-Four

A group of people playing chess in a public park in Tehran, Iran on Sunday, August 2, 2020. Photo: Ahmad Halabisaz/新华社 (Xīnhuá News Agency).

Anastasia on Her Own

As guest star of the 3rd International Chess Festival “Black Pawn” held from November 1–3, 2019 at Brest Athletics Arena in Brest, Belarus, in the morning of Friday the 1st, 15th Women’s World Chess Champion Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk played an exhibition blitz game against the Belarusian chess robot Anastasia. Of course, all’s well that ends well, and at last Muzychuk — who was playing White — won, even though not without pathos, as at first the robot seemed to gain the upper hand. In any event, “It was an interesting experience that I’d like to repeat”, Muzychuk finally said. Photos: Valeriya Korol/Газета “Заря” (Zarya Gazette).

Anastasia Goes to a Party

15th Women’s World Chess Champion Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk (pictured above) will be the guest star of the 3rd International Chess Festival “Black Pawn” to be held from November 1–3, 2019 at Brest Athletics Arena in Brest, Belarus. On November 1, at 10,00, Ukrainian Grandmaster will play an exhibition match against the chess robot Anastasia concurrently with the opening ceremony of the Festival. Photo credit: BrestCITY.com.

The Man Who Plays Accordion Music

Ekaterina Sekenova (‏@katya_sekenova)

Russian Go Federation (@GoFederationRu)