World Chess Championship 2012

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World Chess Championship 2012

Post by DNS »

Not totally Dhamma related, but I know there are some others out there who are also interested in chess.

The World Chess Championship is going right now in Moscow, Russia between defending champion Viswanathan Anand of India and Boris Gelfand of Israel. The prize fund is 2.55 million US Dollars.

There have been several past champions and grandmasters of Jewish ethnicity, but this is the first time an Israeli citizen has competed in a World Championship match. Gelfand is originally from Belarus and immigrated to Israel in 1998.

Anand is the first World Chess Champion from India in modern times.

After 3 games, they are currently even at three draws. The match is 12 games.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Ches ... nship_2012" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: World Chess Championship 2012

Post by DNS »

Forgot to mention in my post above: today is the 64th anniversary of the [modern] state of Israel (May 14, 1948). Gelfand did not pull off a victory for his country on this Independence Day.
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Re: World Chess Championship 2012

Post by Modus.Ponens »

I'm rooting for Mother India.
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Re: World Chess Championship 2012

Post by DNS »

Modus.Ponens wrote:I'm rooting for Mother India.
Me too. :)

I might be Jewish by tribe but my Buddhist religion trumps ethnicity in this case. And the game originated in India just like Buddhism, so was very happy when Anand first won the title and every time he defended it.
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Re: World Chess Championship 2012

Post by Yana »

wooooo I Love Chess!!!!My father taught me how to play it when i was young and we use to play it every night.Now that i've moved away i stopped playing a bit but i want to get back into the habit!!grrr!..hehe :tongue:

May the Best Man win!!!
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Re: World Chess Championship 2012

Post by DNS »

Here is the official website of the Championship match:

http://moscow2012.fide.com/en/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It has links to all the games where you can play through each game and see each move and board position.
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Re: World Chess Championship 2012

Post by DNS »

http://moscow2012.fide.com/en/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Click on 'Fourth Game' if you have the time and interest. Gelfand and Anand arrive about 4 minutes early for the game. Both must wait the four minutes before making their first moves. Gelfand (Israel) is seen fidgeting around, very restless, perhaps nervous. He is looking around, takes a drink of water, scratches his face and ear. Anand (India) on the other hand looks calm and collected; he appears to even be meditating as he stares at the chess board (no move has been made).

Exciting times for me. :ugeek: This is when some of the best chess ever is played. But as my wife says, "sorry if I don't enjoy this 'excitement' with you". :tongue:
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Re: World Chess Championship 2012

Post by DNS »

FIDE president (International Chess Federation) meets with Dalai Lama and other senior Tibetan officials and monks.

http://www.fide.com/component/content/a ... hinov.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And he plays chess with one of the officials:

http://www.fide.com/component/content/a ... shala.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Excellent news about Dalai Lama winning the Templeton Award and using the funds for charity, mostly to help children in India. The World Compassion Champion :) as Bhante noted here:
http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=12441" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: World Chess Championship 2012

Post by DNS »

Game 5:

About 1 hour, 35 minutes
27 moves

Anand playing white

Result: Draw

Match so far:

5 games, 5 draws

2.5 to 2.5

I thought Anand might have pulled off a win with this one a few moves back, but I guess Gelfand would have been too tough in the end game that Anand knew it wouldn't happen.
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Re: World Chess Championship 2012

Post by DNS »

Game 6:

29 moves
Another draw

6 games so far (half-way through the match) and 6 draws.
3-3

Image

Boris Gelfand is exhausted. And who says chess is not a sport. :tongue:
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Re: World Chess Championship 2012

Post by Modus.Ponens »

If that's the picture of the end, how is it a draw?
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Re: World Chess Championship 2012

Post by DNS »

Modus.Ponens wrote:If that's the picture of the end, how is it a draw?
:D

It wasn't at the end and suspect just from exhaustion, but possibly frustration too. Gelfand was playing white and at this level of play white has a very slight advantage (moving first), so this is one of the few chances to pull off a win and he couldn't do it.

It's interesting to see the body language. If you watch a whole game you will see both of them getting up to walk around in what appears to be an almost walking meditation during the game (several times).
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Re: World Chess Championship 2012

Post by Kim OHara »

David N. Snyder wrote:Who says chess is not a sport. :tongue:
All the TV news programmers who have totally ignored this match in favour of local and international football, tennis, motorcycle racing, ... etc.
:juggling:

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Re: World Chess Championship 2012

Post by David2 »

Kim O'Hara wrote:
David N. Snyder wrote:Who says chess is not a sport. :tongue:
All the TV news programmers who have totally ignored this match in favour of local and international football, tennis, motorcycle racing, ... etc.
:juggling:

Kim
I would claim that chess is too complicated (too much to think) to be watched by the majority of people.

The majority of people prefers easy-to-watch-no-thinking stuff (I am not saying that this is a good thing).
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Re: World Chess Championship 2012

Post by DNS »

Good points, Kim, David.

I am always amazed at how the championships of chess rarely makes the news or if it does, it is on the back-burner. It seems people are interested in the no-thinking contests and the more violent contests of rugby, American football, boxing, etc.

Such physical contests while admirable are not what makes humans great. A simple house cat could probably out-run the fastest sprinter. An ant can lift about 5 to 7 times his body weight where a human can barely lift one to three times their weight and three times only at the Olympic level.

Chess is art, science, sport; requiring creative strategies, mathematical-scientific skills and knowledge of potential combinations and probabilities of outcome, and good physical shape to keep the mind alert and attentive. But people prefer the mindless contests some of which can be just as "boring" for example soccer (football), baseball, etc. (in my opinion). :tongue:
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