The Chess Drum
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Sevian takes 2017 Chicago Open!
A total of 984 players showed up at the 2017 Chicago Open causing the organizers to scramble to arrange proper space. Having been edged out by a wedding, the tournament converted a skittles room into a playing hall and certainly created initial chaos, but the tournament was able to adjust.…
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Review: Active Pieces by IM Jay Bonin
On the plane to Africa reading“Active Pieces: Practical Advice from America’s Most Relentless Tournament Player”by IM Jay Bonin While on my 15-hour flight for a four-country African tour (actually five), I read through Jay Bonin’s Active Pieces: Practical Advice from America’s Most Relentless Tournament Player, a book about his chess…
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DC Girls City Championship
Robin Samson has been running the DC Girls Chess Club for several years and has brought the joys of chess to girls and young women. On April 15th, she hosted the 2017 DC Girls Citywide Tournament with a 1st prize of $1,000. Amanda Loseff of the Alice Deal School won…
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Championship shows changing face of U.S. Chess
The recently-ended 2017 U.S. Championship was quite an exciting affair with Wesley So and Sabina Foisor winning their respective titles. There were quite a number of unexpected results as veterans Alexander Onischuk and Varuzhan Akobian scored some crucial victories to put themselves in position to win the tournament. Akobian lost…
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2017 Africa Tour with IM Makoto
IM Rodwell Makotoaddresses students in Nairobi, Kenya IM Rodwell Makoto is the latest Master to participate in the African Tour sponsored by the Paul Allen Foundation and organized by the Kasparov Chess Foundation and MiniChess Kenya. He follows GM Kenny Solomon who visited Kenya in February. GM Pontus Carlsson and…
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Anand to visit Kenya during 4.2 subzonal
Viswanathan Anand remains one of the few world champions in history and perhaps the only sitting champion, to visit the continent of Africa. “Vishy” Anand visited South Africa, Botswana, Tanzania in the past and he will return to Africa when he visits Kenya next week for a gala dinner during…
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2017 U.S. Chess Championship (St. Louis)
The U.S. Championship is set for its 9th edition at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis. With three of the world’s top ten players, five-time champion Gata Kamsky, three-time champion Alexander Shabalov, 2006 champion Alexander Onischuk and the reigning World Junior Champion, Jeffery Xiong, the tournament continues…
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Blitz Battles at Chicago’s Lion’s Paw!
Chess is poppin’ in the Windy City. Despite the negative media attention surrounding crime in the city, chess is creating positive vibes on the south side. While the Chicago groups frequents the McDonald’s on 95th and Halsted, they also host other events at the Lions Paws Martial Arts School. Daniel…
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Philly hosts “Triple Exclam” book party
Showing brotherly love for “ET” by Bruce Cox The Moon shone bright on a cold night in North Philadelphia. A lonely light cast a long shadow on the corner of 21st and Cambria, as the icy wind cut to the bone. Inside though, it was heated, as battle raged. WAR…
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Johnson (chess-coach.net) treks to Italy!
Frank Johnson set out for the World Amateur Championship and found out that communicating with locals in Italy was not easy. He was also skittish about his “lamb” dinner. Such are “pain points” of traveling and this is Johnson’s third World Amateur event in Europe. Since 2009, he has run…
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