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For anyone interested, Dr John Nunn is setting his Christmas Puzzles for 2006. See
http://www.chessbase.com/puzzle/christmas2006/index.htm

I've worked out the first 2, but I think they normally get more difficult each day.

onigoroshi:
I had a chance to check my library and the exact title of the Aagard book is "Excelling at Combinational Play". It has nice tactical exercises plus detailed explanations about them in the solutions area. Paata Garindashvili also wrote a good tactics book called "Imagination in Chess". Both of these should be in print and being published by Everyman and Batsford Presses should not be too hard to obtain. Being a library director, and an old reference librarian before going to the administrative level, it is always nice to be able to recommend books.

Yes and Colonel Crockett, just keep the play and study up. You are young enough and if you want that Master title you should obtain it. When I was in my early 20s it was one of my passions as well and I used to spend easily 3 or 4 hours a day on chess study, and more if you consider all the correspondence games. However I was the bookish sort and book study isn't necessarily the best way for chess improvement, although it suited my personality.

panzerschiff: you're right of course, I was beating my friends and even performing simul exhibitions before I even played in tournaments and my first rating was a whopping 1068. Today it is much higher just as yours (although admittedly lower than yours, panzerschiff). It is difficult to state simply what is the difference between the master and the amateur, I still consider myself an amateur just because I don't have any Title other than "High Class B" which isn't brag-able like "master" or even "expert". judging by recent successes and failures my hard work is paying off (I train about an hour a day on average). I can't wait for that day when I can say, "I'm a Chess Master". I'm still going to lose an unprecedented number of games but I'll be losing to Titled players and not feel so bad. ;)

onigoroshi:
I think somebody between 1400-1599 could win practically all their games against an average player off the street. Even as a youngster in Jr. High School, I could give many of my friends big odds like that of a Rook or even Rook + Knight after reading and studying chess literature for about a year. At that time I could not have been much more than a 1200 level player. My first USCF rating wasn't until I was a Freshman in High School and that was in the mid 1400s. The rating went higher later, but that of course took a lot of time and effort, maybe more than I should have put into it!

There are quite a few modern tactics books out there beyond Reinfeld. Jacob Aagard did one in his series of five instruction books. I personally think playing through complete games is also helpful and any game collection of aa famous chess player from Morphy to Kasparov would be helpful. "The First Book of Morphy" might be a good place to start. The games of older players are a little easier to understand and the mistakes often were a bit more obvious before defensive technique became more refined.

onigoroshi: My BKR in chess is 993 yet until joining brainking I had never lost a game. The people on here are a lot beter then the average player. Once I get more time(unfortunetly probably not for another 2 years when I finish school) I plan to read every book on chess i can find and improve my BKR.

onigoroshi:  I think as far as BKR is concerned, you need to hover around 2000 (1800-2000) for average.  I could be wrong.  Judging from your other BKRs, I'd say you'll likely get to that level easily.  Send an invite and I'll play a few with you and we'll see where you are and where you need to go. ;)

hi all! I have a few questions. What minimum BKR would you guess it would take to be somewhat assured that you could beat any average person (i.e. someone who doesn't play regularly or is not a club player, etc.)

Also, what books would you recommend to get to this level?

Also, what openings/systems would you recommend?

I play Japanese Chess and Go and love board games but haven't really got into chess. I have a few chess books with problems that I enjoy working and have a decent success rate (One Thousand and One Winning Chess Sacrifices and Combinations by Fred Reinfeld and Winning Chess Tactics for Juniors by Lou Hays and Sharpen Your Tactics by Anatoly Lein, Boris Archangelsky).. I love working problems and would like some direction on where to go next.

rabbitoid: This should be interesting....

emmett: done. Though with a 7 days timeout I don't expect to live long enough to see the 2nd round :)

We need ONE more person to join this monumental 128-player chess tournament!

B L I T Z M E:

Kasparov
Fischer
Alechin

I'm going to start a new thread, everyone post your opinion on the top 10 chess players from every era. You can also explain/debate your choice if you want.

1. Kasparov
2. Karpov
3. Morphy
4. Fischer
5. Capablanca
6. Lasker
7. Botvinnik
8. Petrosian
9. Tal
10. Spassky

unikum: I would absolutely say No he is not a computer user when he plays here. Program users usually have true beginner to mediocre skills in the respective game they are programming...

Grim Reaper has 2100-2200+ performance in 3/0 (3 minutes for whole game) blitz chess, and he said it was his first time playing the 3/0 timer. He said he played 5/0 blitz chess, but not since he was a young adult.

So he has 2100-2200+ performance in his first week playing 3/0 chess.

Any doubt of Grim Reaper's credibility should be shunned.

BlitzMe: You mean he is a computer user when he plays chess here?
He wont be the first, i am sure i have played several

Scratch the 5-2, one of this timed losses was going to be his win. So closer to a 5-3 score.

I completed my blitz games with Grim Reaper. The final score says Kurnik is 7-2-0 in my favor. Though, 1 or 2 of his losses by running out of time were draws. So it probably around 5-2 with some draws.

You can view all the games here: http://www.kurnik.org/intl/en/stat.phtml?gid=ch&uid=bk_grimreaper&sk=2

I won the match by forfeit. Grim Reaper is too scared.

I challenge Grim Reaper to a Blitz(3 Minutes timer for whole game) Chess Match of 12 games at Kurnik.org.

panzerschiff: great tournament. Im seeing the italian is going to end 4th... Not surprising, as his game with Ed was already lost many moves before... Maybe he was expecting ED to lose by time out...

The Grim Reaper, a.k.a Ed Trice, has scored an impression 5.5 out of 6.0 in the Mir Malik Sultan Khan Memorial tournament here on BrainKing. Congratulations Ed and considering you opponents were all over 2300 rated a nice performance in that final. Nice to see you back in competition on this site!

Now that you are back in action maybe I can talk you into a game or two of Janus Chess.....

Tournament reference added ... WQ

Check it out! . . .

http://www.writingup.com/blog/colonelcrockett

This is all true. It is too bad that we have cast a bright light upon this whole, silly, pock-marked, touristed conversation. Chess is a great game between two players... over coffee, over wine...
Over politics, over ego, it remains a puffy, weak male response to that echo, that reverberation which insinuates that the game implies some wisdom. The game is just a game. Please, everyone, try to find a way to make some friends. It is time to open some windows and breathe....

gambler104: Yes, Kramnik won the match twice in the end. 3 wins to 2 at classical chess, then 2.5 to 1.5 at rapid chess. The great news for the chess world now is that no-one can really argue about who is the champion anymore.
Now that Topalov has lost I find it easier to forgive him for his team's behaviour. It is a shame for him too. He played the more attacking chess (IMO) and if he had just kept his nerve at the vital moments he could have been ahead in the match after the first 2 games. He blundered later on too didn't he? I think he played so much better in San Luis.

gambler104: Number 435152 is well known at IYT for posting nonsense.Just because he likes Topalov,he thinks Kramnik is not as good.

435152: I don't see how you can claim that the better player did not win. Kramnik won despite the fact that he forfeited a game. I think he deserved to win.

Kiry:
your man won the wwc title.
i am disappointed that a better player did not win.
i should quit in this chess discussion board.

swordswisher: Not sure if this has gone to air yet but the intended games (if they eventuate) would be of a 10x8 chess variant not of "standard" chess. The one trying to organise this tournament has been around this site over the years but less so of late. If you hear more of this torunament please post it in the 10x8 forum.

WQ :)

435152:
www.VESELINTOPALOV.net simply supports the player it is devided to and I think sponsored by.

according to www.veselintopalov.net Topalov was not treated equally
The day before game 12
.....last night the six guards of Veselin Topalov's villa have been found sleeping while being on duty. The guards have been caught by a patrol car. The news was reported by Zhivko Ginchev for the Bulgarian website topsport.bg. At the same time the villa of Kramnik is guarded by three times more professional guards from the Russian army.
other news
Presidential airplane not allowed by Russian authorities:
On Wednesday Bulargian president Georgi Parvanov chartered a flight for Veselin Topalov. The plane was to take off for Bulgaria immediately after the championship finished, reported focus-sport.net. Authorities, however, did not allow the plane to enter Russian territory. No reason was given.
" This is a scandal," Mr. Silvio Danailov said,"nobody explained why the plane was not allowed to land in Russia." At the same time, a plane will come for Vladimir Kramnik and is granted full access to the airport in Elista.

swordswisher:
it is hard to believe that Fischer will play Karpov, both are over the peak chess player, Fischer didnot play him when he was at his peak, and forfeited the match to Karpov, after more than 30 years later they are willing to sit down face each other on the chess board? what is prize fund for this match? who is the sponsor?

Followed some links on rec.chess looks like Fischer-Kaprov will be on chess.fm tonight!

http://groups-beta.google.com/group/rec.games.chess.misc/browse_thread/thread/0cf23977299e6b1f/274063715e1311bd#274063715e1311bd

http://www.chessclub.com/chessfm

435152:
Fisher can say many different things. Not all of them is truth.
The 12 game is draw. So on board 3:2 Kramnik wins.
But due to unfair decisions of the first appeals committee the score is equal.
If doping test will show nothing, i think that Kramnik has all reasons to say:
"I will not recognize Mr Topalov as World Champion under these conditions" as he promissed to do after game 11.

Kiry:
Fischer also once said that Kasparov is a liar.
lets talk about the WCC match, now the last (12) game is under way, i look into the position Black is in a better position to win.
it is funny that all 12 games are played with d4, and most of the time, Kramnik was playing defensive, i will say it is the pawn pushing game, Topalov pushed pawns forward and Kramnik just kept his pawns at the last 3 ranks on the board.

435152:
Fisher has his own opinion:
"all the Russain chess players are not trustfull"
I want to say that it's only Fisher's opinion,
not truth in the last instance.
And Kasparov did not agree with it, as I think he does not approve 911.

according to www.veselintopalov.net
The day before game 11(updated).Oct 9,06:58PM
......At the same time not much informatio has been released about Kramnik's rest day. However, strange news was reported by Zhivko Ginchev. He said that Kramnik refused to make a doping test after game 9. The test has been requested by the chief of the medical commission Iana Belin, as reported by topsport.bg. "Everything here is very strange, but what can we do about it," commented Silvio Danailov for the Bulgarian newspaper Novinar. From the Bulgarian delegation also find it strange that such a test comes after the two consecutive victories of Topalov.

also from the Press conference game 11- Oct10,05:25PM
...............
................
- Veselin, are you disappointed by today's result? This was your last White...
- The result is okay. Of course, I always want to win, but the result is appropriate. I did not have sufficient advantage to talk about winning seriously.

-Now you have to play your last game as Black...
-There is a rest day, and I will be preparing for the game 12. Right now I am happy to have passed the doping test easily! I'll start thinking about the final game tomorrow...
----------------------------------------
Kramnik also passed his doping test? i do not know

I have not seen any open letter supporting FIDE Champion Topalov published on ChessBase.Com until today, there are two open letters on Topalov side , one from the " famous Bulgarian grandmasters" the other one is from the President of Bulgaria

first read what the ChessBase.com try to defend that their position was neutral.
from Chessbase.com:
"...We did not leave a single letter written by grandmaster or title chess player in support of Topalov unpublished. Below, incidentally, is the first we found-and it took some trouble locating it"

from "famous Bulgarian grandmasters" open letter called "Hand off from the World Champion!"
.....the high point of this dirty aggression was reached with the open letter of Russian grandmasters Peter Svidler and Evgeny Bareev. What a moral position do they represent, since they are demonstrably part of the Challenger's staff? of what do you, dear sirs, accuse Topalov ? That he fights and does it openly and honestly?
from the President of Bulgaria:
"... It is no secret the representatives of the match organizing nation often have certain advantages, I firmly stand the idea that political games must not influence situation on the board...."

Kiry:
Fischer has his own opinion about the 911, think it this way, if all women are beautiful there will be no beautiful woman.

I think that the rules of all serious tournaments should be restricted.
1. Drag test for all players.
2. Players should be isolated from other people during the game.
It is strange that under the screen that isolates players from spectators Topalov does not shows his famouse tactic abilities.

435152:
I agree with Kasparov's opinion.
For example Fisher approved Trade Centre attacks on september 11. I think only strange man can do that.

Kasparov was interviewed in the Wall Street Journal:
" Mr. Fischer may have been difficult and unstable, but he was a sportman whose complaints were based on principle and a sincere desire to improve the standards of the chess world. Tournament conditions and prize funds improved immeasurably thanks to his efforts."
Kasparov does not understand Fischer who always accuses the Russian chess players cheating.

Fischer will request an urine test. he never trust the Russian chess players.

i still believe an urine test from both players is the right thing to do.
Kramnik is a suspect to take drug, people are talking about just computer assistant cheating.

Kramnik won't continue the tie-break match then FIDE has a decision to make, who is the champion?

From later games we know that Topalov is a very strong tactic player. But in the match with Kramnik he does not see mate in two in second, makes loosing move in tenth.
What is the cause of this mistakes?

435152:
I think that Fisher made a mistake.
Korchnoy have said the same things
20 years ago, and now he is sending
letter to support Kramnik.

435152:
I think that people and sportsmans from
other countries would behave themselfs
the same way in the same position.

WhisperzQ:
Ok, let's try without "personal attacks".
But I don't think that moderated letters
(except one, sorry) contain them...

I have deleted a few posts are they are considered personal attacks and do not add substance to the debate. They have not been copied to their owners. If this goes the same way again ability to post will be retricted (and for some withdrawn).

This is an interesting debate, please keep it there.

WhisperzQ