The Chess Drum’s Highlights of 2017!
The year 2017 was an interesting year showing that chess is becoming more universal with the steady rise of China and India. Viswanathan Anand won the World Rapid and took 3rd in the World Blitz, a sign that he is still a force to be reckoned with in the upcoming Candidate’s Tournament. If this is his last stand, then we should be effusive in our praise as Anand has been an ultimate statesman.
Thanks everyone. Mildly put, I am very pleased with my play! Happy 2018. Now family time till Wijk. This picture is for my wife, she has asked me to bring the medals back very safely. This is proof! pic.twitter.com/zkwE41tanm
— Viswanathan Anand (@vishy64theking) December 31, 2017
Behind Anand comes some talented players such as Vidit Santosh Gujrathi (2721 ELO) and prodigies 13-year old Nihal Sarin and 12-year old Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu. We will see what progress they make in 2018. In this Olympiad year, we will see more stars come out from diverse places.
Speaking of diverse places, The Chess Drum was able to make a presence in South Africa and presented the club with a copy of the book, “Triple Exclam.” In addition, there was a photo essay done to capture the beauty of the continent. It’s about time we staged more tournaments there. The continent just produced its first 2700 player in Bassem Amin. Progress!
![Reuben Salimu and Daaim Shabazz](https://www.thechessdrum.net/newsbriefs/2017/NB_photos/Reuben-Daaim.jpg)
Reuben Salimu and Daaim Shabazz
at Claremont Chess Club in Cape Town, South Africa
In the U.S., there was some buzz pertaining to the blitz battles that were being staged by the Chicago Chess Blitzers. They staged three team matches with (Memphis, Cleveland and St. Louis) and a number of cage matches with Daniel X Jones as one of the main blitzers. In the coming year, fans are awaiting the Chicago vs. New York showdown. Nathan Kelly has done a fantastic job in promoting the events.
The 2017 saw the launch of the aforementioned Triple Exclam!!! The Life and Games of Emory Tate, Chess Warrior in March. The book was well-received and was featured on a broadcast during the U.S. Chess Championships. The book is still available through The Chess Drum and paperback version will be available in a few weeks.
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There were a couple of controversies with the 2017 Women’s World Championship being held in Tehran leading to “hijabate” boycotts by a few players including the U.S. Women’s champion. Despite the controversy, the event was well-run and Tan Zhongyi won the crown. Sadly, she has made no effort to maintain her activity since winning.
In other news, the other finalist Anna Muzychuk protested the 2017 World Rapid and Blitz held in Saudi Arabia last week because of human rights concerns. The other issue was the refusal of visas to the Israeli players due to political sanctions.
World Champion Magnus Carlsen made a statement in the Norwegian media, “If the world Chess championships are to be played in Saudi Arabia again they MUST allow all players from all countries to participate.”
Here was my take…
The same has to be said for other countries as well. We have a tendency to be quiet when western nations impose travel sanctions on specific countries… either through technicalities or for political reasons.
— Daaim Shabazz (@thechessdrum) December 31, 2017
In the World Rapid and Blitz, Viswanathan Anand defied odds to win the Rapid segment while Ju Wenjun of China took the women’s competition. In the Blitz competition, Magnus Carlsen defended his title by winning in convincing style, crushing the competition on the second day with 9/10 and ending on 16/21. Nana Dzagnidze won the women’s tournament with 16.5/21. There was a controversy when Russia’s Ernesto Inarkiev tried to claim a win against Carlsen for saying Carlsen made an illegal move. He didn’t. The problem was Inarkiev was the one who made an illegal move! Here is what happened…
Here's what happened in the game between @MagnusCarlsen and Ernesto Inarkiev in the first round of the World Blitz. #RiyadhChess #controvesy #rules
Video courtesy @FIDE_chess / @Chesscast64 pic.twitter.com/A8PcfJBMut
— ChesscomNews (@ChesscomNews) December 29, 2017
Arbiter told Inarkiev to play on after which he refused and appealed. He lost the appeal and the game. Carlsen went on to have fantastic result. If Inarkiev had gotten away with an obvious fraud, it could’ve changed the nature of the tournament. Carlsen’s win was a sort of “poetic justice.”
Forgot to mention that another World Champion was blitzing when Garry Kasparov played in the St. Louis Rapid & Blitz tournament in August. The Chess Drum covered the event and while it was difficult to get an interview with the 13th World Champion, others were conducted with Grandmasters Levon Aronian, Leinier Dominguez and Elshan Moradiabadi.
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Interviewing Levon Aronian after he won the 2017 St. Louis Rapid & Blitz
Photo by Peter Doggers
The Chess Drum takes pride in covering interesting and/or unheralded chess personalities and this year we covered several who earned acclaim: Deborah Richards-Porter (chess entrepreneur), FM Justus Williams (3rd IM norm), Tom Murphy (blitz impresario), Frank Johnson (World Amateur-Italy), Lawyer Times (state champion), Phiona Mutesi (college), IM Adham Fawzy (brilliancy), and Baraka Shabazz (former prodigy).
Unfortunately, there were a few deaths reported by The Chess Drum including Kenneth Clayton a few days ago (obituary). Also joining the realm of the ancestors as Charles Kuwaza of Zimbabwe (obituary), Everest Tucker of the U.S. (obituary) They left their respective legacies and in this next year we will make new ones. Following are the memories from 2017. Enjoy!
December
- The Chess Drum’s Highlights of 2017! (31 December 2017)
- “Triple Exclam” wins joint honor for “Best Author” (31 December 2017)
- Webster’s New York chess crew makes history (31 December 2017)
- Kenneth Clayton, chess pioneer (1938-2017) (31 December 2017)
- Revisiting Baraka Shabazz (25 December 2017)
- Will there be a FIDE election in 2018?? (23 December 2017)
- 2018 WCC logo design creates firestorm (22 December 2017)
- Deborah Richards-Porter at 2017 Zonals! (12 December 2017)
- 2017 London Chess Classic (London, England) (3 December 2017)
- Chicago-St. Louis rivalry on chessboard! (1 December 2017)
November
- What is the Emory Tate Gambit? (30 November 2017)
- 2017 Cote d’Ivoire Team Invitational (24 November 2017)
- Seattle Chess Youth love Officer Cookie! (18 November 2017)
- African Junior Championships in Togo! (16 November 2017)
- Everest Tucker, Jr. 1949-2017 (15 November 2017)
- Egypt’s Bassem Amin breaks 2700! (2 November 2017)
October
- DeJesus tops Jones in thrilling Blitz Match 11-10 (31 October 2017)
- Cage Match! Daniel X Jones vs. Jeff DeJesus (27 October 2017)
- 2017 Jamaica International Chess Festival (21 October 2017)
- Queen of Katwe adjusting to College Life (17 October 2017)
- The Legacy of Emory Tate continues (17 October 2017)
- After 2017 World Cup win, Aronian gets his chance (3 October 2017)
September
- Carlsson presents, “GM Secrets” webinars (29 September 2017)
- Ashley to host Jamaica Chess Festival! (29 September 2017)
- Triple Exclam on “Talking with Authors” podcast (26 September 2017)
- 2017 World Chess Cup: Finals (23 September 2017)
- FM 2017 World Cup Final Four… big guns locked and loaded! (19 September 2017)
- FM Netherlands’ Sebastian Halfhide marking a mark (17 September 2017)
- FM Shane Matthews win Jamaican Seniors! (10 September 2017)
- Martinez rallies, beats Jones 8-6 in NYC-CHI blitz (10 September 2017)
- Blitz Battles in the Brooklyn! New York vs. Chicago (9 September 2017)
- Oquendo is 2017 Florida Champ (9 September 2017)
- 2017 World Chess Cup (Tblisi, Georgia) (7 September 2017)
- Drum Interviews @ St. Louis 2017 Rapid & Blitz (3 September 2017)
August
- Chicago vs. NYC blitz will be epic! (31 August 2017)
- Egypt’s Adham Fawzy slays Modern Defense (29 August 2017)
- “Why We Play”… Documentary on Detroit Chess (29 August 2017)
- Reflections of 2017 St. Louis Rapid/Blitz (29 August 2017)
- Kasparov’s return ignites, but Aronian shines (23 August 2017)
- MVL is the MVP in Sinquefield 2017! (14 August 2017)
- “Hip Hop Chess Day” in the Bronx (9 August 2017)
- Chicago crushes Cleveland 293-157 in ‘Midwest Showdown’ (7 August 2017)
- 2017 Sinquefield Cup (St. Louis, USA) (5 August 2017)
July
- Daniel X Jones… Chicago’s Chess Warrior (30 July 2017)
- Blitz Rivalry on Tap! Chicago vs. Cleveland (24 July 2017)
- Amin tops Africa, Lake Sevan… closing on 2700 (23 July 2017)
- Carlsson, Nakamura on Perpetual Podcast (19 July 2017)
- Chicago southside chess… back in business! (9 July 2017)
- Murphy’s Law: Holding Court in Chess (9 July 2017)
- 2017 World Open receives Triple Exclam! (9 July 2017)
- Zimbabwe’s Mandizha gets 2nd GM norm! (8 July 2017)
- 2017 World Open (Philadelphia, USA) (8 July 2017)
June
- Chicago blitzes Memphis in chess battle, 130-70 (28 June 2017)
- Zimbabwe chess takes hit after Kuwaza’s death (22 June 2017)
- Lawyer Times, 2017 Massachussetts Champion (22 June 2017)
- Detroit-Chicago blitz battle excites chess scene (20 June 2017)
- International Chess Educators Tournament! (18 June 2017)
- Kofi Tatum’s “Snapping Pieces” in Los Angeles (17 June 2017)
- Beauty of Africa through a Chess Lens (17 June 2017)
- 2nd Emory Tate Memorial (Chicago, Illinois) (13 June 2017)
- Help send Zambia’s Kennedy Shane to India (4 June 2017)
- 2nd Emory Tate Memorial in Chicago June 10th! (1 June 2017)
May
- Sevian takes 2017 Chicago Open! (31 May 2017)
- Review: Active Pieces by IM Jay Bonin (26 May 2017)
- Triple Exclam touches down in Africa (15 May 2017)
- DC Girls City Championship (6 May 2017)
- Filmmaker to document chess in Cuba (5 May 2017)
April
- 2017 CARIFTA Championships (Kingston, Jamaica) (30 April 2017)
- ‘Triple Exclam’ @ U.S. Championships! (21 April 2017)
- FM Colas earns 3rd and final IM norm! (18 April 2017)
- Championship shows changing face of U.S. Chess (17 April 2017)
- 2017 Africa Tour with IM Makoto (16 April 2017)
- Anand to visit Kenya during 4.2 subzonal (15 April 2017)
- 2017 U.S. Chess Championship (St. Louis) (8 April 2017)
- Blitz Battles at Chicago’s Lion’s Paw! (8 April 2017)
- Philly hosts “Triple Exclam” book party(6 April 2017)
- Johnson (chess-coach.net) treks to Italy! (2 April 2017)
- Jamaican Chess launches 10-year plan (2 April 2017)
March
- Chess & Community Conference on April 1st! (31 March 2017)
- Elliott wins Red Scorpion Blitz Battle! (29 March 2017)
- Was there a coup d’etat within FIDE? (28 March 2017)
- Ashley hot in the media (24 March 2017)
- Tate’s bio “Triple Exclam” making moves (19 March 2017)
- Detroit chess champs prepare for 2017 Supernationals (13 March 2017)
- Emory Tate’s bio, “Triple Exclam” is here! (11 March 2017)
- Chess finds its way to Gambian village (6 March 2017)
February
- 2017 Women’s World Championship: Finals (27 February 2017)
- 2017 African Tour with GM Carlsson (26 February 2017)
- 2017 African Tour with GM Solomon (26 February 2017)
- Creating Black History in Chess (26 February 2017)
- 2017 Women’s World Championship: Semifinals (23 February 2017)
- Justus Williams earns 3rd IM norm! (22 February 2017)
- 2017 Women’s World Championship: Round #4 (20 February 2017)
- Colas, Williams @ St. Louis IM Winter Invite! (18 February 2017)
- 2017 Women’s World Championship: Round #3 (17 February 2017)
- 2017 Women’s World Championship: Round #2 (16 February 2017)
- 2017 Women’s World Championship: Round #1 (14 February 2017)
- The Chess Drum is 16 Years old! (11 February 2017)
- 2017 Women’s World Chess Championship (Tehran, Iran) (11 February 2017)
- Despite #hijabgate, Iran ready to host women’s championship (9 February 2017)
- No #millionairechess for 2017… hopeful for 2018 (5 February 2017)
- Nakamura three-peats at 2017 Gibralatar! (5 February 2017)
- TCD in “Best of U.S. Chess” 2016 (2 February 2017)
January
- Wesley So wins 2017 Tata Steel! (31 January 2017)
- ChessBase with Neil deGrasse Tyson (28 January 2017)
- Deborah Richards-Porter making mark (28 January 2017)
- Botswana’s Maruatona to end six-year reign (27 January 2017)
- 2017 Zanzibar Open (27 January 2017)
- WBL launches new theme album! (21 January 2017)
- 2017 Tata Steel Chess (Wijk aan Zee) (15 January 2017)
- Somalia ushers in “Chess in Schools” (11 January 2017)
- Microsoft co-Founder and KCF launch “Chess Masters for Africa” (11 January 2017)
- 4th Multi-City Site Tourney in three cities! (3 January 2017)
- Hope Arthurine Anderson: Jamaican Legend (2 January 2017)
![Happy 2018!!](https://www.thechessdrum.net/headlines/HappyNewYear.gif)
![Happy 2018!!](https://www.thechessdrum.net/headlines/HappyNewYear.gif)
Hello Daaim, Thank you for all of your time and effort in keeping The Chess Drum up and running. I’ve recently moved to Los Angeles and i’m looking for chess teachers in our community for my son and wife. Do you know of any out here? I’ve talked with Train of Thought and they are not conducting any private classes at the moment. Your help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Unfortunately, I don’t have any contacts out there in LA. I would check Kofi Tatum who knows the scene quite well. He no longer lives in the the area, but he can point you in the right direction. Check out this story I did on the scene out there.
https://www.thechessdrum.net/blog/2017/06/17/kofi-tatums-snapping-pieces-in-los-angeles/