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2007 U.S. Open (Cherry Hill, New Jersey)
The 108th version of the U.S. Open began on July 28th with four schedules. Amon Simutowe is currently on 4-0 in the traditional schedule. Hikaru Nakamura and U.S. champ Alexander Shabalov are expected to play in the 5-day schedule. The U.S. Open is not the premier U.S. tournament and many of the…
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Ending Laboratory (Fischer vs. Taimanov)
Fischer-Taimanov, 1971 Following is a beautiful ending played in Bobby Fischer-Mark Taimanov match in 1971 in Vancouver, Canada. Of course, Fischer crushed Taimanov 6-0 and here he shows his superior technique in the ending. Sit back and enjoy! [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAW16O4fLIQ[/youtube]
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Ngubeni analyzes Africa’s Top 20!
Comments: The African Top 20 presents an interesting perspective of the continent’s chess masters. The list shows four Grandmasters, there are in fact five. GM Slim Bouaziz (2338) of Tunisia, does not make the top 20 club due to his low fide rating. Also GM is WGM Tuduetso Sabure…
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Is Chess a Sport?
Today I read an article by Andrew Goodman in the New Jersey Herald titled, “That’s Absurd: Golf isn’t a Sport.” He goes on stating that golf isn’t a sport because it does not involve a host of athletic activities that are characteristic of football, soccer, baseball, cricket, basketball or even rope…
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Helping our Drum Majors!
Clockwise from top left: IM Emory Tate, IM Amon Simutowe, IM Robert Gwaze IM Watu Kobese, GM-elect Pontus Carlsson, IM Stephen Muhammad After Emory Tate’s near-miss of a GM norm in Curaçao and with Amon Simutowe current challenges to earn his last norm, I thought, “What could be done to…
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Tate battling at Curaçao Festival!
Emory Tate with the look of a predatorPhoto by Ard van Beek IM Emory Tate is in Curaçao battling the likes of U.S. Champion Alexander Shabalov along with four other GMs. The 2007 Curaçao Festival also has frequent Drum news subjects Jomo Pitterson of Jamaica and Barbadian legend FM Philip…
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Ending Laboratory (Rook)
Zambia’s FM Nase Lungu had a stellar tournament at the 9th All-Africa Games. He is a veteran who has represented his country in Olympiad tournaments for almost 20 years. In the position below, Lungu holds five menacing pawns against a lone rook. We are taught that five pawns equals a rook, but in…
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9th All-Africa Games: Give us your Reflections!
This post is to entertain reflective comments from those who attended the 9th All-Africa Games in Algiers, Algeria. We want to hear about your experiences and observations. Tell us about the atmosphere and perhaps about the conditions there. If you have personal stories or if you know of…
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2007 CMMB Caribbean Chess Carnival (Port of Spain, Trinidad)
The Trinidad Chess Foundation is hosting the CMMB Caribbean Chess Championships on August 8th-11th. Edison Raphael has been publicizing this event and an announcement was made on The Chess Drum last month. I am scheduled to be in attendance and possibly IM Amon Simutowe. While there, I hope to be…
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Checkers solved… Chess next??
A report has been released that a computer scientist from the University of Alberta has solved the game of checkers (8×8 version). The venerable game which has been a source of entertainment for families has now joined the ranks of tic-tac-toe. This is what Professor Jonathan Schaeffer claims on his…
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