Chess Notes (The Boston Globe at Boston.com)
By Harold Dondis and Patrick Wolff
August 21, 2010
Patrick Wolff's column analyzes Iryna Zenyuk's 8th round game against Irina Krush at the U.S. Women's Chess Championship.
Leonard Barden on Chess (guardian.co.uk)
Saturday 21 August 2010
Chess still struggling to capture imagination of the masses in China
Barden talks about the ascent of Chinese chess players to the elite level in the past 30 years, including GM Hou Yifan who convincingly won the latest Women's Grand Prix in Ulaanbaatan, and briefly analyzes a game from the China v. Russia teach match (in which China spanked Russia, particularly the Russian male players fell flat) between chess femmes Bodnaruk and Tan.
In conjunction with the national French championships, there were many other tournaments hosted by the French Chess Federation, including this one exclusively for "up and coming" female chessplayers:
Championnat de France - Accession Féminine
Belfort
August 10 - 20, 2010
Moyenne : 1985 Pays Elo 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Pts NV
1 mf SASU-DUCSOARA Andreea-Teodora 2227 1 ½ 1 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 1 10 9
2 ff CHOISY Mathilde 2168 0 ½ 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 9,5 9
3 ff BENMESBAH Natacha 2165 ½ ½ 0 1 0 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 7,5 6
4 ff HAUSSERNOT Cecile 1992 0 0 1 0 ½ 1 1 0 1 1 1 6,5 6
5 RIGOLOT Lucie 1902 0 0 0 1 ½ ½ 0 1 1 1 1 6 5
6 NEUHAUSER Salome 2054 0 0 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 0 ½ 1 6 4
7 ARMAS Lara-Maria 1988 ½ 0 0 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 6 4
8 VINCKIER Delphine 1830 0 0 ½ 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 3,5 3
9 BISMUTH Lea 1935 0 0 0 1 0 0 ½ 1 0 0 1 3,5 3
10 GERTOSIO-SERENA Sophie 1810 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 ½ ½ 3 2
11 GRIGGIO Julie 1795 0 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 0 1 ½ ½ 2,5 1
12 BONVALOT Isabelle 1952 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 ½ ½ 2 1
As for the French Women's Chess Championship, final standings:
85th ch-FRA w Belfort (FRA), 10-20 viii 2010 cat. IV (2333)
1 2 3 4 5 6
1. Skripchenko, Almira m FRA 2458 * * ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 1 7½ 2500
2. Milliet, Sophie m FRA 2367 ½ ½ * * 0 ½ ½ 1 1 0 1 1 6 2397
3. Leconte, Maria wg FRA 2337 0 ½ 1 ½ * * ½ ½ 0 1 1 ½ 5½ 2367
4. Collas, Silvia m FRA 2333 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ * * ½ 1 ½ ½ 5 2332
5. Guichard, Pauline wm FRA 2320 0 0 0 1 1 0 ½ 0 * * ½ 1 4 2263
6. Roumegous, Marina wm FRA 2181 0 0 0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 * * 2 2123
Judit Polgar sighting:
Arctic Securities Chess Stars 2010
Mark Crowther - Tuesday 10th August 2010
The Arctic Securities Chess Stars tournament takes place in Kristiansund 28th-30th August 2010. Magnus Carlsen, Viswanathan Anand, Judit Polgar and Jon Ludvig Hammer play in a two stage event. Double Round Robin between the four players followed by finals and 3rd-4th placed playoff on the Monday. 20 minutes + 10 seconds a move.
Arctic Securities Chess Stars 2010 (Kristiansund NOR)
Sat 28th Aug 2010 - Mon 30th Aug 2010 - Official Site
Arctic Stars Prelim (4 players 6 Rds DRR Indiv TC:20m+10spm(1))
Arctic Stars 3rd-4th (2 players 4 Rds Match Indiv TC:20m+10spm(1))
Arctic Stars Final (2 players 4 Rds Match Indiv TC:20m+10spm(1))
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Evidence of Ancient Trade in Mexico
This is an interesting article subject wise, but even more interesting is that all of the archaeologists mentioned in the article are women.
From ArtDaily.org
August 21, 2010
Finding Reveals Contact Between Teotihuacan and Costa Grande Region
MEXICO CITY.- Nearly 6,000 fragments of Teotihuacan-style ceramics, more than 1,400 years old, were found recently in Costa Grande Region, in Guerrero, by specialists of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).
The finding reveals that Prehispanic groups such as Tepoztecas, Cuitlatecas and Tomiles that dwelled the area had relations with Teotihuacan, and not only Mezcala groups as thought before.
“Fragments of vessels and flat bowls with finger support, some of them with the Tlaloc effigy and theater censers of a Teotihuacan style never seen before in Guerrero were found”, explained the archaeologist Rosa Maria Reyna, who explored with Elizabeth Galeana the El Embarcadero Archaeological Site, where the finding took place.
“This finding opens new interpretations about the relations of Teotihuacan people with other cultures, and at the same time, promotes research of cultures and archaeological sites in Costa Grande, one of the less studied regions of Guerrero”, mentioned the archaeologist.
Announced by the archaeologist at the 4th Table “Anthropological and Historical Knowledge of Guerrero”, taking place until August 21st 2010 in Taxco, Guerrero, she remarked that the discovery of these ceramic pieces that date from Early Classic period (250-650 AD) reinforce the few evidence had until now that confirmed that Costa Grande Region had commercial and cultural relations with Teotihuacan since an early age.
“We knew that Teotihuacan maintained economic and cultural interaction with Mezcala culture –settled between 150 and 650 AD- by the greenstone masks found at Teotihuacan, but there was no evidence of interaction with other populations settled in what today is Guerrero”.
After laboratory studies practiced by archaeologist Gabriela Escamilla, it was determined that 20 per cent of ceramics found in El Embarcadero, located in the municipality of Coyuca de Benitez, has a Teotihuacan style not known in Guerrero, “which indicates a very close relation between this coastal settlement and Teotihuacan”.
The Guerrero INAH Center archaeologist commented that in other Costa Grande sites such as Soledad de Maciel and Tambuco, Teotihuacan-style ceramics were found in recent years, but theater censers have only been discovered at El Embarcadero.
She also mentioned that studies also indicate that many of the objects found were not imported from Teotihuacan, but made in Costa Grande following the Teotihuacan style.
Finally, Rosa Maria Reyna pointed out that archaeological explorations conducted until now at El Embarcadero indicate that Teotihuacan influenced the ceramic production but not its architecture, since no monumental structures were constructed.
From ArtDaily.org
August 21, 2010
Finding Reveals Contact Between Teotihuacan and Costa Grande Region
MEXICO CITY.- Nearly 6,000 fragments of Teotihuacan-style ceramics, more than 1,400 years old, were found recently in Costa Grande Region, in Guerrero, by specialists of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).
The finding reveals that Prehispanic groups such as Tepoztecas, Cuitlatecas and Tomiles that dwelled the area had relations with Teotihuacan, and not only Mezcala groups as thought before.
“Fragments of vessels and flat bowls with finger support, some of them with the Tlaloc effigy and theater censers of a Teotihuacan style never seen before in Guerrero were found”, explained the archaeologist Rosa Maria Reyna, who explored with Elizabeth Galeana the El Embarcadero Archaeological Site, where the finding took place.
“This finding opens new interpretations about the relations of Teotihuacan people with other cultures, and at the same time, promotes research of cultures and archaeological sites in Costa Grande, one of the less studied regions of Guerrero”, mentioned the archaeologist.
Announced by the archaeologist at the 4th Table “Anthropological and Historical Knowledge of Guerrero”, taking place until August 21st 2010 in Taxco, Guerrero, she remarked that the discovery of these ceramic pieces that date from Early Classic period (250-650 AD) reinforce the few evidence had until now that confirmed that Costa Grande Region had commercial and cultural relations with Teotihuacan since an early age.
“We knew that Teotihuacan maintained economic and cultural interaction with Mezcala culture –settled between 150 and 650 AD- by the greenstone masks found at Teotihuacan, but there was no evidence of interaction with other populations settled in what today is Guerrero”.
After laboratory studies practiced by archaeologist Gabriela Escamilla, it was determined that 20 per cent of ceramics found in El Embarcadero, located in the municipality of Coyuca de Benitez, has a Teotihuacan style not known in Guerrero, “which indicates a very close relation between this coastal settlement and Teotihuacan”.
The Guerrero INAH Center archaeologist commented that in other Costa Grande sites such as Soledad de Maciel and Tambuco, Teotihuacan-style ceramics were found in recent years, but theater censers have only been discovered at El Embarcadero.
She also mentioned that studies also indicate that many of the objects found were not imported from Teotihuacan, but made in Costa Grande following the Teotihuacan style.
Finally, Rosa Maria Reyna pointed out that archaeological explorations conducted until now at El Embarcadero indicate that Teotihuacan influenced the ceramic production but not its architecture, since no monumental structures were constructed.
"Queen of Inch" to be Reinterred
From BBC Online:
18 August 2010 Last updated at 07:43 ET
Queen of the Inch to be re-interred
A 4,000-year-old skeleton, known as the Queen of the Inch, is to be re-interred in the tiny island of Inchmarnock in the Firth of Clyde.
The grave was found by a farmer in the 1950s as he ploughed a field. Preserved in an ancient cist, the remains included a necklace and dagger.
Despite being examined by archaeologists and reburied in the 1960s, the skeleton was recently exhumed and studied using modern research techniques. Scientists have since been able to determine that the woman lived on Inchmarnock and came from the Clyde Estuary and that she did not eat seafood, despite the fact she lived on an island.
'Spectacular necklace'
Anne Spiers, curator of archaeology at Bute Museum, said: "She must have been a queen or chieftain or something very important in her own right.
"There were plenty of people who lived on the island but very very few were given cist burials and with something as spectacular as the necklace, which obviously she was allowed to keep. It was buried with her. It didn't pass on to anyone else."
The reconstruction of the queen's head and the necklace, which was found to be made of Whitby jet, are now on show at Bute Museum.
The current owner of Inchmarnock Island, Lord Smith of Kelvin, said it was now time for the remains to be reburied. He said: "It right that she goes back. When you speak with the researchers and scientists, obviously they wanted her for a period of time.
"But I was always clear that once they had actually looked at her properly, because we all need to understand what her forebears were like and what they did and so on, she had to go back.
"It's where she belongs and it's where she was buried and that's where she's going back to, to rest for ever."
18 August 2010 Last updated at 07:43 ET
Queen of the Inch to be re-interred
A 4,000-year-old skeleton, known as the Queen of the Inch, is to be re-interred in the tiny island of Inchmarnock in the Firth of Clyde.
 |
| "Model" of the "Queen of Inch" and the actual jet necklace from the grave site. |
Despite being examined by archaeologists and reburied in the 1960s, the skeleton was recently exhumed and studied using modern research techniques. Scientists have since been able to determine that the woman lived on Inchmarnock and came from the Clyde Estuary and that she did not eat seafood, despite the fact she lived on an island.
'Spectacular necklace'
Anne Spiers, curator of archaeology at Bute Museum, said: "She must have been a queen or chieftain or something very important in her own right.
"There were plenty of people who lived on the island but very very few were given cist burials and with something as spectacular as the necklace, which obviously she was allowed to keep. It was buried with her. It didn't pass on to anyone else."
The reconstruction of the queen's head and the necklace, which was found to be made of Whitby jet, are now on show at Bute Museum.
The current owner of Inchmarnock Island, Lord Smith of Kelvin, said it was now time for the remains to be reburied. He said: "It right that she goes back. When you speak with the researchers and scientists, obviously they wanted her for a period of time.
"But I was always clear that once they had actually looked at her properly, because we all need to understand what her forebears were like and what they did and so on, she had to go back.
"It's where she belongs and it's where she was buried and that's where she's going back to, to rest for ever."
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Indonesia Introduces Women-Only Cars on Trains to Avoid Gropers
How about instead spending some money to educate Indonesian Muslim women how to defend themselves from such insulting behavior: grab the hand, then the arm, yank until the man either appears through the crowd or pulls away - you will then be able to see exactly who it is from his reaction. Don't hesitate, while smiling and making eye contact, quickly approach and apply knee to groin - HARD. End to groping. Or, if you're not afraid of AIDS-contaminated blood, just grab the offending hand and bite it as hard as you can. Or, how about just screaming and making a big fricking scene - SOMEONE JUST GROPED ME - IT'S ONE OF YOU - IT WAS YOU, IT WAS YOU, WASN'T IT. Hell, with nearly half the passengers being woman, wouldn't the dudes want to exit the trains in a big hurry then? You betcha, as Sarah would say.
Of course, if the Indonesian government wants to encourage the victimization of women in the 21st century through allowing boorish male behavior to continue toward females who choose not to ghettoize themselves by riding female only train cars, by all means, introduce more "women only" rail cars. And encourage the ladies to carry mini-cleavers with them. Encroaching hand - chop chop, end of problem...
From Yahoo News/Reuters
Jakarta introduces women-only trains to avoid groping
46 mins ago
JAKARTA (Reuters Life!) – Women-only train carriages were launched this week in Jakarta in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, in an attempt to avert groping and sexual harassment on packed commuter trains.
Women can choose to board the female-only, orange and pink-seated carriages at the front and rear of trains in Jakarta, the latest in a growing number of cities to offer women-only services.
The state-owned railway operator, PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI), said it had not received many complaints about sexual harassment but the company had noticed that many women avoided densely-packed trains.
"The women-only carriages are aimed to make women feel comfortable," an official at PT KAI told Reuters Television.
PT KAI is now providing 20 female-only carriages and plans to add more in the next three months.
One female commuter headed for Bogor city was pleased with the new carriages.
"I feel respected. As you may be aware, sexual harassment took place on packed trains," the commuter, giving her name just as Dennisa, told Reuters Television.
The trains, manufactured in Japan, are the only fast public transport service between the four city suburbs connecting Jakarta. Women account for almost half of the 500,000 commuters a day.
Female-only carriages on trains were first introduced in the festive, year-end season in Japan in 2000 as a way to stop sexual harassment. These carriages are now offered in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan's two biggest cities.
Since then the popularity of women-only carriages has spread internationally with countries including India, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brazil also operating women-only carriages.
(Reporting by Reuters Television, Editing by Belinda Goldsmith)
Of course, if the Indonesian government wants to encourage the victimization of women in the 21st century through allowing boorish male behavior to continue toward females who choose not to ghettoize themselves by riding female only train cars, by all means, introduce more "women only" rail cars. And encourage the ladies to carry mini-cleavers with them. Encroaching hand - chop chop, end of problem...
From Yahoo News/Reuters
Jakarta introduces women-only trains to avoid groping
46 mins ago
JAKARTA (Reuters Life!) – Women-only train carriages were launched this week in Jakarta in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, in an attempt to avert groping and sexual harassment on packed commuter trains.
Women can choose to board the female-only, orange and pink-seated carriages at the front and rear of trains in Jakarta, the latest in a growing number of cities to offer women-only services.
The state-owned railway operator, PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI), said it had not received many complaints about sexual harassment but the company had noticed that many women avoided densely-packed trains.
"The women-only carriages are aimed to make women feel comfortable," an official at PT KAI told Reuters Television.
PT KAI is now providing 20 female-only carriages and plans to add more in the next three months.
One female commuter headed for Bogor city was pleased with the new carriages.
"I feel respected. As you may be aware, sexual harassment took place on packed trains," the commuter, giving her name just as Dennisa, told Reuters Television.
The trains, manufactured in Japan, are the only fast public transport service between the four city suburbs connecting Jakarta. Women account for almost half of the 500,000 commuters a day.
Female-only carriages on trains were first introduced in the festive, year-end season in Japan in 2000 as a way to stop sexual harassment. These carriages are now offered in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan's two biggest cities.
Since then the popularity of women-only carriages has spread internationally with countries including India, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brazil also operating women-only carriages.
(Reporting by Reuters Television, Editing by Belinda Goldsmith)
David Shenk on the Lewis Chess Pieces
I saw this at Susan Polgar's blog.
It's an excellent piece giving a clear and concise history of the discovery and subsequent sale of the Lewis chess pieces (dated to about 1150 CE) in the early 1830s.
I am a big fan of David Shenk. His book "The Immortal Game: A History of Chess" is a wonderfully readable work that presents facts of chess history along with the suppositions of various authors on aspects of the ancient history and development of chess, all blended into a move-by-move description of "The Immortal Game" - an actual chess game that took place in the mid-19th century -- a game that, ultimately, changed the way chess was played. Someone with no prior knowledge of the game of chess will be able to read this book and afterward say "wow!"
It's an excellent piece giving a clear and concise history of the discovery and subsequent sale of the Lewis chess pieces (dated to about 1150 CE) in the early 1830s.
I am a big fan of David Shenk. His book "The Immortal Game: A History of Chess" is a wonderfully readable work that presents facts of chess history along with the suppositions of various authors on aspects of the ancient history and development of chess, all blended into a move-by-move description of "The Immortal Game" - an actual chess game that took place in the mid-19th century -- a game that, ultimately, changed the way chess was played. Someone with no prior knowledge of the game of chess will be able to read this book and afterward say "wow!"
Ancient Navigators: A Random Round-up of Recent News
Maritime and marine archaeology has been developing by leaps and bounds the past five-six years and is the new "it" specialty in archaeology. I find each new discovery fascinating, whether an under-water wreck or a new theory on how we got from Point A to Point B 50,000, 100,000 or 150,000 years ago! I still vividly remember reading Kontiki by Thor Heyerdahl in my early teenage years (I believe the report of the expedition was first popularly published in 1950, a year before I was born) - but I'd already been captured by the world of the unexplored and the world of never-ending questions before then.
When I was 11, I declared that I wanted to be a paleontologist and study ancient bones. That desire, which morphed into an interest in geology and a fabulous rock collection, then passed to anthropology, and archaeology, finally settled into a permanent love affair with ancient history. Although I chose a different career path, far away from archaeology, anthropology and ancient history, as you see here I am today, thanks to the internet. As I am now closer to retirement than the beginning of my career, I look forward to the day when I can march down to the Milwaukee Public Museum and enroll in their volunteer docent program.
New ways to chart our maritime past
By combining meteorology and archaeology, scientists may discover old sea routes and mooring sites, and boost our knowledge of ancient maritime culture
Public release date: 19-Aug-2010
University of Stavanger
Archaeologists dive deep for revealing Florida artifacts
Thursday, August 19, 2010
TBO.com Tampa Bay Online
By KEITH MORELLI
The Tampa Tribune
TAMPA - In the pitch-black depths of an isolated North Port spring sits a silt-covered ledge that is revealing secrets about a prehistoric nomadic people, secrets held in murky silence for 100 centuries. Now, with diving gear and artifact-collecting bags, archaeologists with the University of Miami and The Florida Aquarium are sweeping away the muck and uncovering that distant past. This stuff is from 10,000 years ago, when wandering tribes traversed Florida. Their travels included stopovers at what is now known as Little Salt Spring, 90 minutes south of Tampa.
Aug. 19, 2010, 7:01 a.m. EDT
Odyssey Marine Exploration Challenges Claims by Spain in Its "Black Swan" Appellate Reply
TAMPA, Fla., Aug 19, 2010 -- Odyssey Marine Exploration, Inc. today filed its Reply to Spain's Response in the "Black Swan" case, currently pending in the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in Atlanta, Georgia. This is expected to be the last round of written pleadings at the appellate court level. Odyssey's filing is available for review.
Odyssey is appealing the district court's dismissal of the case based on the court's finding of lack of federal jurisdiction. Odyssey's Reply presents the following documented facts that debunk the misrepresentations made by Spain that contributed to the clear error in the district court's earlier ruling and that have been repeated in Spain's appellate Response --
You don't need to be an expert in legal language to get the gist of the arguments being placed for and against the American Company Odyssey Marine Exploration's claim for millions of dollars of gold recovered from shipwrecks discovered off the coast of Spain.
Diver says he found Westmoreland shipwreck
BY ALEX PIAZZA
August 19, 2010
(Traverse City, Michigan, USA)
Ross Richardson set out on yet another search in what had become a series of personal expeditions for one of the Great Lakes' noted shipwrecks. The Lake Ann real estate agent and avid diver traversed the water near the Sleeping Bear Dunes for years, but never tracked down the elusive Westmoreland — a vessel that foundered near South Manitou Island in a Lake Michigan winter storm on Dec. 7, 1854. But on July 7, 2010, that all changed... Check out Mysteries of Michigan for background and photos.
When I was 11, I declared that I wanted to be a paleontologist and study ancient bones. That desire, which morphed into an interest in geology and a fabulous rock collection, then passed to anthropology, and archaeology, finally settled into a permanent love affair with ancient history. Although I chose a different career path, far away from archaeology, anthropology and ancient history, as you see here I am today, thanks to the internet. As I am now closer to retirement than the beginning of my career, I look forward to the day when I can march down to the Milwaukee Public Museum and enroll in their volunteer docent program.
New ways to chart our maritime past
By combining meteorology and archaeology, scientists may discover old sea routes and mooring sites, and boost our knowledge of ancient maritime culture
Public release date: 19-Aug-2010
University of Stavanger
Archaeologists dive deep for revealing Florida artifacts
Thursday, August 19, 2010
TBO.com Tampa Bay Online
By KEITH MORELLI
The Tampa Tribune
TAMPA - In the pitch-black depths of an isolated North Port spring sits a silt-covered ledge that is revealing secrets about a prehistoric nomadic people, secrets held in murky silence for 100 centuries. Now, with diving gear and artifact-collecting bags, archaeologists with the University of Miami and The Florida Aquarium are sweeping away the muck and uncovering that distant past. This stuff is from 10,000 years ago, when wandering tribes traversed Florida. Their travels included stopovers at what is now known as Little Salt Spring, 90 minutes south of Tampa.
Aug. 19, 2010, 7:01 a.m. EDT
Odyssey Marine Exploration Challenges Claims by Spain in Its "Black Swan" Appellate Reply
TAMPA, Fla., Aug 19, 2010 -- Odyssey Marine Exploration, Inc. today filed its Reply to Spain's Response in the "Black Swan" case, currently pending in the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in Atlanta, Georgia. This is expected to be the last round of written pleadings at the appellate court level. Odyssey's filing is available for review.
Odyssey is appealing the district court's dismissal of the case based on the court's finding of lack of federal jurisdiction. Odyssey's Reply presents the following documented facts that debunk the misrepresentations made by Spain that contributed to the clear error in the district court's earlier ruling and that have been repeated in Spain's appellate Response --
You don't need to be an expert in legal language to get the gist of the arguments being placed for and against the American Company Odyssey Marine Exploration's claim for millions of dollars of gold recovered from shipwrecks discovered off the coast of Spain.
Diver says he found Westmoreland shipwreck
BY ALEX PIAZZA
August 19, 2010
(Traverse City, Michigan, USA)
Ross Richardson set out on yet another search in what had become a series of personal expeditions for one of the Great Lakes' noted shipwrecks. The Lake Ann real estate agent and avid diver traversed the water near the Sleeping Bear Dunes for years, but never tracked down the elusive Westmoreland — a vessel that foundered near South Manitou Island in a Lake Michigan winter storm on Dec. 7, 1854. But on July 7, 2010, that all changed... Check out Mysteries of Michigan for background and photos.
New Book on Aspects of Archaeology by a Non-Archaeologist
A book review at the Los Angeles Times. Sounds absolutely fascinating -- and please note the date - it's from 3 days in the future, darlings!
Book review: 'Finders Keepers: A Tale of Archaeological Plunder and Obsession' by Craig Childs
The author explores the 'underbelly of archaeology' and asks the right questions.
By Susan Salter Reynolds
Special to the Los Angeles Times
August 22, 2010
Once upon a time, hiking in the desert, you found an artifact; an arrowhead, a piece of a pot, a fragment of bone. You picked it up, put it in your pocket. Maybe you felt a little twinge of guilt when you moved it, maybe all you felt was the desire to keep that object, to place yourself in the story of which that object was itself only a small part. Whose story? The woman who made the pot? The child whose bone it once was? The man who made the arrowhead? Does it belong to the cultural context — the Pueblo Indians, the Anasazi, the Navajo? Or does it belong to the ecological, geological context?
Book review: 'Finders Keepers: A Tale of Archaeological Plunder and Obsession' by Craig Childs
The author explores the 'underbelly of archaeology' and asks the right questions.
By Susan Salter Reynolds
Special to the Los Angeles Times
August 22, 2010
Once upon a time, hiking in the desert, you found an artifact; an arrowhead, a piece of a pot, a fragment of bone. You picked it up, put it in your pocket. Maybe you felt a little twinge of guilt when you moved it, maybe all you felt was the desire to keep that object, to place yourself in the story of which that object was itself only a small part. Whose story? The woman who made the pot? The child whose bone it once was? The man who made the arrowhead? Does it belong to the cultural context — the Pueblo Indians, the Anasazi, the Navajo? Or does it belong to the ecological, geological context?
Play for Surprise - Not By Rules
I like this column by Bobby Ang - alot! From Business World Online. Of course, the usual caveat applies: In order to break the rules, one must first know what the rules are :)
Posted on 09:46 PM, August 19, 2010
Chess Piece -- By Bobby Ang
Concrete chess
Back in 2007 Garry Kasparov wrote a book on Revolution in the 70s. He makes a lot of sense:
"Glancing through the history of the development of chess thinking, we see that earlier such breakthroughs, beginning with Philidor’s ‘L’analyse du jeu des Echecs,’ were always associated with the names of titans. Steinitz created a theory of positional play and tried to place the playing of the opening onto scientific lines. Tarrasch conveyed Steinitz’s ideas to the broad masses, and Rubinstein brilliantly developed these ideas in practice. The hyper-modernists -- Nimzowitsch, Reti and Gruenfeld -- revealed to the world openings which overturned previous conceptions about control of the center and ‘correct’ pawn structure. And these openings were brought to the fore by Alekhine himself! Then Botvinnik introduced an aggressive conception for Black: instead of the usual struggle for equality, a deliberate disruption of the positional equilibrium and sharp play for seizing the initiative. Finally, Fischer demonstrated the need for the further refining and deepening of opening preparation for both colors."
In the 70 the emergence of the information area had a profound effect on the study of opening play:
"Opening preparation was imperceptibly but rapidly raised to a qualitatively different level. It no longer simply required play move by move, but the development of your ‘own’ variations, and a deep understanding of a whole class of standard positions, arising from different openings (for example, with an isolated d-pawn or ‘hedgehog’-type)."
Kasparov now went into a description of some chess battle formations which were developed in the ‘70s, like the Hedgehog, the Chelyabinsk Variation, Sicilian Najdorf with 6.Be3 (people used to exclusively play 6.Bg5), Caro-Kann with 3.e5, Sicilian 2.c3, and many more.
This modern way of playing the chess openings has already evolved further and now, heavily influenced by the information age where playing engines can check and verify analyses, many of the new wave of laptop carrying chess prodigies have gone into more concrete chess.
It is no longer enough to know the general rules of opening play like:
1. you should open the position if you are more developed;
2. knights before bishops;
3. go for the two bishops;
4. move your pieces in order to control the central squares e4,e5,d4,d5.
5. knights must be developed to f3 instead h3, to c3 instead a3. They must be developed to f6 instead h6, to c6 instead a6 for Black
6. Use rooks to control open and/or half-open lines.
7. Do not attack early. Develop all your pieces before the attack.
2009 World Cup champ Boris Gelfand has written about the new qualities:
"The availability of the information and the means of its processing changes the very process of training, and the chess becomes more intense. The purely practical skills become more important. One can see this in the games of Anand. He has brilliant talent and deep understanding of chess, but he is also a splendid practical player. And this brings the results.
"Nakamura is a player of a new generation. He does not hide, he shows off that he has not read a single book and does not know the end game theory. Instead of studying the works of Tarrasch he prefers to be 24 hours on the ICC. However, he has convincing competitive results. This is a very interesting phenomenon".
The new style is to calculate all the variations.
1. As Nigel Short said, "Modern chess is much too concerned with things like pawn structure. Forget it. Checkmate ends the game."
2. The essence of chess is seeing the move after (Gerald Abrahams)
3. Calculate one move more than you have done (Laszlo Szabo)
4. Play for surprise, not according to the rules (Domenico Ercole del Rio)
Take, for example, the following game.
Rukavina, Josip (2409) -- Hartung, Jerry (2191) [D48]
EU-ch 11th Rijeka (4), 09.03.2010
1.c4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.e3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.d4 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3
This is the starting point of the Meran Variation, an invention of the great Akiba Rubinstein. This line underwent a renaissance in the ‘80s because of the tactical subtleties available to both player. It is not enough to know the "ideas behind the opening." Here calculation and tactical alertness (concrete analysis!) reign supreme.
This game is a perfect illustration of the above. Right here Black has the choice between 8...a6 9.e4 c5, hitting back immediately before White can play e4-e5; or 8...Bb7 9.0-0 b4 10.Na4 c5 11.e5 Nd5. Take note that in both cases a swift ...c6-c5 is essential to the line. What if Black were to mix the lines? You will be surprised at how quickly this can be punished.
8...a6 9.e4 Bb7?
As can be seen from the above note correct is 9...c5. But so what? Can White exploit the mix-up? The answer is yes.
10.e5 Nd5 11.Nxd5 cxd5
[11...exd5 is both unnatural and bad. White will continue 12.Ng5! Bb4+ 13.Kf1 h6 14.Qh5 0-0 15.Bh7+ Kh8 16.Bf5 with tremendous player. The f7-pawn is attacked but after 16...Qe7 White’s attack hits home with 17.Nh7 Rfe8 18.Bxh6! Kg8 19.Bxd7 Qxd7 20.Qg5 f6 21.Nxf6+ etc]
12.Ng5 Bb4+ 13.Kf1 h6 14.Qh5 Qe7
Black can try castling into it with 14...0-0 but White has a 100% score in this line:
1. 15.h4 Qb6 (15...Qe8 16.Bh7+ Kh8 17.Rh3 Be7 18.Nxe6 1-0 Sinkovics,P (2415)-Bex,P (2175)/Biel 1995) 16.Be3 f5 17.Qg6 hxg5 18.hxg5 Rfc8 19.Rh7 Bf8 20.Qh5 1-0 De Souza, M. (2359)-Silva, T./Americana 1999.
2. 15.Nh7 Re8 16.Bxh6! (16.h4 f5 17.Bxh6 gxh6 18.Qg6+ Kh8 19.Qxh6 Kg8 20.Qg6+ Kh8 21.Qh6 Kg8 22.Rh3 f4 1-0 Buitrago,J (2160)-Martinez,J (2251)/Cali 2007) 16...gxh6 17.Qxh6 Bf8 (17...Be7 18.Nf6+ Bxf6 19.Bh7+ 1-0 Horvath, K. (2130)-Tessedik, K. (2010)/Budapest 2003) 18.Nxf8 Nxf8 19.h4 and wins.
15.Nxf7 0-0
[15...Qxf7 16.Bg6]
16.Qg6 1-0
Wesley So once played the following game.
So, Wesley (2254) -- El Taher, Fouad (2468) [C27]
Dubai op 8th Dubai (4), 26.04.2006
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d3 Bc5 4.Nc3 d6 5.f4 Ng4 6.f5 h5 7.Nh3 Ne3 8.Bxe3 Bxe3 9.Qf3 Bc5 10.Qg3 Rg8 11.Rf1 c6 12.Bxf7+ Kxf7 13.Qg6+ Kf8 14.f6 gxf6 15.Rxf6+ Qxf6 16.Qxf6+ Ke8 17.Ng5 Rf8 18.Qg6+ Kd8 19.Na4 Bf2+ 20.Kd2 Ke7 21.Qg7+ Ke8 22.Nh7 1-0
A quick victory, but is White’s opening play sound? Let’s look at it again.
Morano, Angel Mario (2293) -- Alvarez, Jorge Horacio (2271) [C27]
ARG Maestros7 corr Argentina (9), 15.12.1999
1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d3 d6 5.f4
Position after 5.f4
White is now vulnerable to a ...Ng4 followed by ...Qh4 attack. Haven’t you won with Black countless times already? Actually, 5.f4 is a high-level trap. Because after ...
5...Ng4 6.f5! Nf2?! 7.Qh5 g6
[7...0-0? 8.Nf3 Nxh1 9.Ng5 h6 10.Nxf7]
8.Qh6 Nxh1
Too hard to resist. Retribution is swift.
9.Bg5! f6
[9...Qd7 10.Nd5]
10.fxg6! fxg5 11.g7 Kd7 12.Qe6+ Kc6 13.Qd5+ Kd7 14.Qf7+ Kc6 15.Bb5+ Kb6 16.Be8! 1-0
Black resigns, because after 16...Qxe8 17.Qb3+ Ka6 18.gxh8Q Qxh8 19.Qb5#
Posted on 09:46 PM, August 19, 2010
Chess Piece -- By Bobby Ang
Concrete chess
Back in 2007 Garry Kasparov wrote a book on Revolution in the 70s. He makes a lot of sense:
"Glancing through the history of the development of chess thinking, we see that earlier such breakthroughs, beginning with Philidor’s ‘L’analyse du jeu des Echecs,’ were always associated with the names of titans. Steinitz created a theory of positional play and tried to place the playing of the opening onto scientific lines. Tarrasch conveyed Steinitz’s ideas to the broad masses, and Rubinstein brilliantly developed these ideas in practice. The hyper-modernists -- Nimzowitsch, Reti and Gruenfeld -- revealed to the world openings which overturned previous conceptions about control of the center and ‘correct’ pawn structure. And these openings were brought to the fore by Alekhine himself! Then Botvinnik introduced an aggressive conception for Black: instead of the usual struggle for equality, a deliberate disruption of the positional equilibrium and sharp play for seizing the initiative. Finally, Fischer demonstrated the need for the further refining and deepening of opening preparation for both colors."
In the 70 the emergence of the information area had a profound effect on the study of opening play:
"Opening preparation was imperceptibly but rapidly raised to a qualitatively different level. It no longer simply required play move by move, but the development of your ‘own’ variations, and a deep understanding of a whole class of standard positions, arising from different openings (for example, with an isolated d-pawn or ‘hedgehog’-type)."
Kasparov now went into a description of some chess battle formations which were developed in the ‘70s, like the Hedgehog, the Chelyabinsk Variation, Sicilian Najdorf with 6.Be3 (people used to exclusively play 6.Bg5), Caro-Kann with 3.e5, Sicilian 2.c3, and many more.
This modern way of playing the chess openings has already evolved further and now, heavily influenced by the information age where playing engines can check and verify analyses, many of the new wave of laptop carrying chess prodigies have gone into more concrete chess.
It is no longer enough to know the general rules of opening play like:
1. you should open the position if you are more developed;
2. knights before bishops;
3. go for the two bishops;
4. move your pieces in order to control the central squares e4,e5,d4,d5.
5. knights must be developed to f3 instead h3, to c3 instead a3. They must be developed to f6 instead h6, to c6 instead a6 for Black
6. Use rooks to control open and/or half-open lines.
7. Do not attack early. Develop all your pieces before the attack.
2009 World Cup champ Boris Gelfand has written about the new qualities:
"The availability of the information and the means of its processing changes the very process of training, and the chess becomes more intense. The purely practical skills become more important. One can see this in the games of Anand. He has brilliant talent and deep understanding of chess, but he is also a splendid practical player. And this brings the results.
"Nakamura is a player of a new generation. He does not hide, he shows off that he has not read a single book and does not know the end game theory. Instead of studying the works of Tarrasch he prefers to be 24 hours on the ICC. However, he has convincing competitive results. This is a very interesting phenomenon".
The new style is to calculate all the variations.
1. As Nigel Short said, "Modern chess is much too concerned with things like pawn structure. Forget it. Checkmate ends the game."
2. The essence of chess is seeing the move after (Gerald Abrahams)
3. Calculate one move more than you have done (Laszlo Szabo)
4. Play for surprise, not according to the rules (Domenico Ercole del Rio)
Take, for example, the following game.
Rukavina, Josip (2409) -- Hartung, Jerry (2191) [D48]
EU-ch 11th Rijeka (4), 09.03.2010
1.c4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.e3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.d4 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3
This is the starting point of the Meran Variation, an invention of the great Akiba Rubinstein. This line underwent a renaissance in the ‘80s because of the tactical subtleties available to both player. It is not enough to know the "ideas behind the opening." Here calculation and tactical alertness (concrete analysis!) reign supreme.
This game is a perfect illustration of the above. Right here Black has the choice between 8...a6 9.e4 c5, hitting back immediately before White can play e4-e5; or 8...Bb7 9.0-0 b4 10.Na4 c5 11.e5 Nd5. Take note that in both cases a swift ...c6-c5 is essential to the line. What if Black were to mix the lines? You will be surprised at how quickly this can be punished.
8...a6 9.e4 Bb7?
As can be seen from the above note correct is 9...c5. But so what? Can White exploit the mix-up? The answer is yes.
10.e5 Nd5 11.Nxd5 cxd5
[11...exd5 is both unnatural and bad. White will continue 12.Ng5! Bb4+ 13.Kf1 h6 14.Qh5 0-0 15.Bh7+ Kh8 16.Bf5 with tremendous player. The f7-pawn is attacked but after 16...Qe7 White’s attack hits home with 17.Nh7 Rfe8 18.Bxh6! Kg8 19.Bxd7 Qxd7 20.Qg5 f6 21.Nxf6+ etc]
12.Ng5 Bb4+ 13.Kf1 h6 14.Qh5 Qe7
Black can try castling into it with 14...0-0 but White has a 100% score in this line:
1. 15.h4 Qb6 (15...Qe8 16.Bh7+ Kh8 17.Rh3 Be7 18.Nxe6 1-0 Sinkovics,P (2415)-Bex,P (2175)/Biel 1995) 16.Be3 f5 17.Qg6 hxg5 18.hxg5 Rfc8 19.Rh7 Bf8 20.Qh5 1-0 De Souza, M. (2359)-Silva, T./Americana 1999.
2. 15.Nh7 Re8 16.Bxh6! (16.h4 f5 17.Bxh6 gxh6 18.Qg6+ Kh8 19.Qxh6 Kg8 20.Qg6+ Kh8 21.Qh6 Kg8 22.Rh3 f4 1-0 Buitrago,J (2160)-Martinez,J (2251)/Cali 2007) 16...gxh6 17.Qxh6 Bf8 (17...Be7 18.Nf6+ Bxf6 19.Bh7+ 1-0 Horvath, K. (2130)-Tessedik, K. (2010)/Budapest 2003) 18.Nxf8 Nxf8 19.h4 and wins.
15.Nxf7 0-0
[15...Qxf7 16.Bg6]
16.Qg6 1-0
Wesley So once played the following game.
So, Wesley (2254) -- El Taher, Fouad (2468) [C27]
Dubai op 8th Dubai (4), 26.04.2006
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d3 Bc5 4.Nc3 d6 5.f4 Ng4 6.f5 h5 7.Nh3 Ne3 8.Bxe3 Bxe3 9.Qf3 Bc5 10.Qg3 Rg8 11.Rf1 c6 12.Bxf7+ Kxf7 13.Qg6+ Kf8 14.f6 gxf6 15.Rxf6+ Qxf6 16.Qxf6+ Ke8 17.Ng5 Rf8 18.Qg6+ Kd8 19.Na4 Bf2+ 20.Kd2 Ke7 21.Qg7+ Ke8 22.Nh7 1-0
A quick victory, but is White’s opening play sound? Let’s look at it again.
Morano, Angel Mario (2293) -- Alvarez, Jorge Horacio (2271) [C27]
ARG Maestros7 corr Argentina (9), 15.12.1999
1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d3 d6 5.f4
Position after 5.f4
White is now vulnerable to a ...Ng4 followed by ...Qh4 attack. Haven’t you won with Black countless times already? Actually, 5.f4 is a high-level trap. Because after ...
5...Ng4 6.f5! Nf2?! 7.Qh5 g6
[7...0-0? 8.Nf3 Nxh1 9.Ng5 h6 10.Nxf7]
8.Qh6 Nxh1
Too hard to resist. Retribution is swift.
9.Bg5! f6
[9...Qd7 10.Nd5]
10.fxg6! fxg5 11.g7 Kd7 12.Qe6+ Kc6 13.Qd5+ Kd7 14.Qf7+ Kc6 15.Bb5+ Kb6 16.Be8! 1-0
Black resigns, because after 16...Qxe8 17.Qb3+ Ka6 18.gxh8Q Qxh8 19.Qb5#
Malcolm Pein Asks Why Funds Not Being Used for Junior Chess
I just saw Malcolm Pein's chess column online at the Telegraph.co.uk. He asked an interesting question - why are funds that were evidently put into a special Trust to fund junior chess activities not being released and used for those purposes by the English Chess Federation? I do not know the particulars, so there may be valid reasons for not doing so on ECF's part - litigation, for instance. But I think Pein deserves an answer.
Aid our junior chess players
Russia dominated the World Junior, recently completed at Chotowa, Poland.
By Malcolm Pein
Published: 6:03PM BST 18 Aug 2010
Aid our junior chess players
Russia dominated the World Junior, recently completed at Chotowa, Poland.
By Malcolm Pein
Published: 6:03PM BST 18 Aug 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Chess Femme News!
Alisa Maric wants chess to develop in the region, Wednesday August 20, 2010, glassrbije.org
Alisa Maric, VP candidate on Karpov's FIDE slate:
The best Serbian chess player, Alisa Maric, said in Belgrade that her candidacy for vice-president of the World Chess Federation (FIDE) is a recognition for the whole region and, if elected, she will work on the development of chess in the Balkans. This is a remarkable recognition for me and for Serbia, because this acknowledges what Serbia has meant in the world chess, and at the same time, this is a recognition for the entire region. I will be in charge of chess development in the former Yugoslavia, which was a chess superpower," said Maric for the Beta Agency. In Belgrade today, candidate for the President of the Federation Anatoly Karpov has presented the program and Alisa Maric, his candidate for one of two vice presidents. Elections for the President of the FIDE will be held at the congress in late September, during the Chess Olympiad, which will be held in the Russian city of Khanty-Mansiysk in western Siberia.
City to host nat’l women chess meet, Assam Tribune
Sports reporter
GUWAHATI, Aug 18 – The Assam Chess Association is all set to host the 37th National Women Challengers’ Chess Championship which will be held from August 20 at the Shilpgram auditorium here. About 80 players will take part.
U.S. Open, L.A. Times.com, August 15, 2010
Vanessa West was one of 18 (yes, 18) players tied for third place at the 111th U.S. Open with 7.0/9. The event was won by recent Texas Tech and Knight Raiders Chess Team member GM Alejandro Ramirez with 8.0/9. The Texas Tech chess program is run by GM Susan Polgar.
Alisa Maric, VP candidate on Karpov's FIDE slate:
The best Serbian chess player, Alisa Maric, said in Belgrade that her candidacy for vice-president of the World Chess Federation (FIDE) is a recognition for the whole region and, if elected, she will work on the development of chess in the Balkans. This is a remarkable recognition for me and for Serbia, because this acknowledges what Serbia has meant in the world chess, and at the same time, this is a recognition for the entire region. I will be in charge of chess development in the former Yugoslavia, which was a chess superpower," said Maric for the Beta Agency. In Belgrade today, candidate for the President of the Federation Anatoly Karpov has presented the program and Alisa Maric, his candidate for one of two vice presidents. Elections for the President of the FIDE will be held at the congress in late September, during the Chess Olympiad, which will be held in the Russian city of Khanty-Mansiysk in western Siberia.
City to host nat’l women chess meet, Assam Tribune
Sports reporter
GUWAHATI, Aug 18 – The Assam Chess Association is all set to host the 37th National Women Challengers’ Chess Championship which will be held from August 20 at the Shilpgram auditorium here. About 80 players will take part.
U.S. Open, L.A. Times.com, August 15, 2010
Vanessa West was one of 18 (yes, 18) players tied for third place at the 111th U.S. Open with 7.0/9. The event was won by recent Texas Tech and Knight Raiders Chess Team member GM Alejandro Ramirez with 8.0/9. The Texas Tech chess program is run by GM Susan Polgar.
More Statues and Older than the Terracotta Warriors!
From People's Daily Online (English):
Statues older, more numerous than terracotta warriors found in Hunan
16:54, August 18, 2010
A large cache of ancient stone statues outnumbering the Qin Terracotta Warriors was found in the depths of the Nanling Mountains located in Dao County of Yongzhou City, according to the Xiang Gan Yue Gui Archeology Summit Forum held in Yongzhou, Hunan Province on Aug. 17.
Tang Zhongyong, director of the Dao County Administrative Office, said the group of stone statues can be called another wonder of the world. There are a large number of stone statues, unique technologies, a long history as well as abundant content.
The group of stone statues is located at the worship site of Guizai Mountain, which is 1 kilometer to the south of Tianguangdong Village, Xianglinpu Town, Dao County in Hunan Province, and is part of the Nanling Mountains.
The center of Guizai Mountain is 35 kilometers away from King Shun's Tomb at the Jiuyi Mountain. Guizai Mountain gets its name from the nearly 10,000 stone statues in the mountain, since the local people call these stone statues "Guizaizai."
Tang said that the Guizai Mountain site is a large ancient worship site. There are over 5,000 vivid stone statues at the site, covering an area of 15,000 square meters. They are statues of civil officials, military officers, pregnant women and all kinds of common soldiers and their height varies from 30 to 100 centimeters.
In addition, over 90 percent of these stone statues were carved before the Qin Dynasty and some were carved in the Tang, Song and Yuan dynasties. It is a large integration of ancient Chinese sacrificial culture.
Tang added that the Guizai Mountain stone statues are the largest group of stone portraits found in China by far. According to the statistics of the Chinese Stone Sculpture Museum and archaeology experts in Hunan, there are over 5,000 stone statues on the ground and a large number of stone statues buried about two meters below the ground. The number of stone statues is more than that of the Qin Terracotta Warriors, the eighth wonder of the world.
The Hunan Cultural Relics Department also found that the Guizai Mountain stone statues are the group of stone portraits with the longest history found in China by far. Among the stone statues, some were carved in prehistoric times about 5,000 years ago, and some were carved during the Qin, Han, Wei and Jin dynasties about 2,000 to 5,000 years ago. The stone statues carved in prehistoric times account for about 30 percent of all the stone statues, with the longest history in China.
Based on the existing information and field investigations, archeologists deduced that Guizai Mountain with these stone statues was simply a large altar. Prehistoric people chose the site as an altar and placed stone statues on it. The stone statues have a primitive sacrificial or commemorative meaning and have a history of thousands of years.
By People's Daily Online
Statues older, more numerous than terracotta warriors found in Hunan
16:54, August 18, 2010
Tang Zhongyong, director of the Dao County Administrative Office, said the group of stone statues can be called another wonder of the world. There are a large number of stone statues, unique technologies, a long history as well as abundant content.
The group of stone statues is located at the worship site of Guizai Mountain, which is 1 kilometer to the south of Tianguangdong Village, Xianglinpu Town, Dao County in Hunan Province, and is part of the Nanling Mountains.
The center of Guizai Mountain is 35 kilometers away from King Shun's Tomb at the Jiuyi Mountain. Guizai Mountain gets its name from the nearly 10,000 stone statues in the mountain, since the local people call these stone statues "Guizaizai."
Tang said that the Guizai Mountain site is a large ancient worship site. There are over 5,000 vivid stone statues at the site, covering an area of 15,000 square meters. They are statues of civil officials, military officers, pregnant women and all kinds of common soldiers and their height varies from 30 to 100 centimeters.
In addition, over 90 percent of these stone statues were carved before the Qin Dynasty and some were carved in the Tang, Song and Yuan dynasties. It is a large integration of ancient Chinese sacrificial culture.
Tang added that the Guizai Mountain stone statues are the largest group of stone portraits found in China by far. According to the statistics of the Chinese Stone Sculpture Museum and archaeology experts in Hunan, there are over 5,000 stone statues on the ground and a large number of stone statues buried about two meters below the ground. The number of stone statues is more than that of the Qin Terracotta Warriors, the eighth wonder of the world.
The Hunan Cultural Relics Department also found that the Guizai Mountain stone statues are the group of stone portraits with the longest history found in China by far. Among the stone statues, some were carved in prehistoric times about 5,000 years ago, and some were carved during the Qin, Han, Wei and Jin dynasties about 2,000 to 5,000 years ago. The stone statues carved in prehistoric times account for about 30 percent of all the stone statues, with the longest history in China.
Based on the existing information and field investigations, archeologists deduced that Guizai Mountain with these stone statues was simply a large altar. Prehistoric people chose the site as an altar and placed stone statues on it. The stone statues have a primitive sacrificial or commemorative meaning and have a history of thousands of years.
By People's Daily Online
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
More Chess Femme News
From NPR:
A Gender Divide In The Ultimate Sport Of The Mind
by Sean Phillips
August 15, 2010
For our male readers, this article contains a smoking hot picture of Jen Shahade
Krush earned $16,000 in this year's U.S. Women's Championship. That may be less than half the prize collected by the male winner of the overall championship, but it's enough that she can devote her time to chess and be a role model for a new generation of girls.
From Blogher.com
Where Are the Female Chess Players?.
August 17, 2010 10:31 am by Melissa Ford in News & Politics
Wow - I actually subscribed to this tonight just so I could write a comment - I mean, darlings, I NEVER do that! But I thought this was well worth responding to - please read.
A Gender Divide In The Ultimate Sport Of The Mind
by Sean Phillips
August 15, 2010
For our male readers, this article contains a smoking hot picture of Jen Shahade
Krush earned $16,000 in this year's U.S. Women's Championship. That may be less than half the prize collected by the male winner of the overall championship, but it's enough that she can devote her time to chess and be a role model for a new generation of girls.
From Blogher.com
Where Are the Female Chess Players?.
August 17, 2010 10:31 am by Melissa Ford in News & Politics
Wow - I actually subscribed to this tonight just so I could write a comment - I mean, darlings, I NEVER do that! But I thought this was well worth responding to - please read.
Chess News: Padmini Rout, Irene Karisma Sukandar, Gulnar Mammadova, Bobby Fischer
I haven't got time tonight to start the August edition of Chess Femme News or do much posting - here are some links to stories:
From Redif Sports on India's Padmini Rout and her performance at the Girls U-20 World Chess Championship:
Padmini Rout wins Bronze at World Jr Chess C'ship
August 17, 2010 09:49 IST
From The Hindu on Padmini Rout's performance at the Girls U-20 World Chess Championship:
World junior meet: Padmini Rout claims bronze August 17, 2010
From The Jakarta Globe on Indonesia's Irene Karisma Sukandar
My Jakarta: Irene Kharisma Sukandar, Indonesia's Top Female Chess Player
Chloe Hall | August 17, 2010
From Armenia News.az on Azerbaijan's Gulnar Mammadova and per performance at the Girls U-20 World Chess Championship:
Azerbaijani chess player sixth in world championship
Tue 17 August 2010 | 06:20 GMT
And this just in - not on a chess femme but a chess story nonetheless, about the one, the only, the magnificent and the profane Robert James Fischer:
Lawyers: Chess icon Fischer didn't father girl
By JENNIFER QUINN (AP) – 3 hours ago
LONDON — DNA tests have shown that chess genius Bobby Fischer was not the father of a 9-year-old girl from the Philippines, bringing a paternity claim against his estate to a close, two lawyers familiar with the case said Tuesday.
The test result was announced in Reykjavik District Court, said lawyer Gudjon Olafur Jonsson, who represents Fischer's two American nephews in their own claim on his estate.
Fischer's remains were exhumed in July so samples could be taken to determine if he had fathered Jinky Young, whose mother Marilyn said she had a relationship with the chess icon. Jinky, who lives in the Philippines with her mother, flew to Iceland last year to provide her own sample.
"I can confirm that the result of the DNA report excluded Bobby Fisher from being the father of Jinky Young, and therefore the case has come to a close," said lawyer Thordur Bogason, who represents Jinky.
Though the paternity case has ended, the wrangling over Fischer's estate continues. He died aged 64 in Iceland in January 2008, leaving no will.
Jonsson said the elimination of the paternity claim simplifies the case between Fischer's nephews and the woman who was his long-term partner. The case is scheduled to be heard in Reykjavik next month, Jonsson said, adding he hopes for a result by the end of the year.
Padmini Rout wins Bronze at World Jr Chess C'ship
August 17, 2010 09:49 IST
From The Hindu on Padmini Rout's performance at the Girls U-20 World Chess Championship:
World junior meet: Padmini Rout claims bronze August 17, 2010
From The Jakarta Globe on Indonesia's Irene Karisma Sukandar
My Jakarta: Irene Kharisma Sukandar, Indonesia's Top Female Chess Player
Chloe Hall | August 17, 2010
Azerbaijani chess player sixth in world championship
Tue 17 August 2010 | 06:20 GMT
And this just in - not on a chess femme but a chess story nonetheless, about the one, the only, the magnificent and the profane Robert James Fischer:
Lawyers: Chess icon Fischer didn't father girl
By JENNIFER QUINN (AP) – 3 hours ago
LONDON — DNA tests have shown that chess genius Bobby Fischer was not the father of a 9-year-old girl from the Philippines, bringing a paternity claim against his estate to a close, two lawyers familiar with the case said Tuesday.
The test result was announced in Reykjavik District Court, said lawyer Gudjon Olafur Jonsson, who represents Fischer's two American nephews in their own claim on his estate.
Fischer's remains were exhumed in July so samples could be taken to determine if he had fathered Jinky Young, whose mother Marilyn said she had a relationship with the chess icon. Jinky, who lives in the Philippines with her mother, flew to Iceland last year to provide her own sample.
"I can confirm that the result of the DNA report excluded Bobby Fisher from being the father of Jinky Young, and therefore the case has come to a close," said lawyer Thordur Bogason, who represents Jinky.
Though the paternity case has ended, the wrangling over Fischer's estate continues. He died aged 64 in Iceland in January 2008, leaving no will.
Jonsson said the elimination of the paternity claim simplifies the case between Fischer's nephews and the woman who was his long-term partner. The case is scheduled to be heard in Reykjavik next month, Jonsson said, adding he hopes for a result by the end of the year.
Celebrating the Feast of the Assumption, the Orthodox Indian Way
Excerpted from The New York Times:
By PAUL VITELLO
Published: August 16, 2010
WEST SAYVILLE, N.Y. — Without doubt, many more people line the sidewalks to see the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Manhattan than to watch the St. Mary Malankara Indian Orthodox Church’s annual Assumption Day Parade, which began here on Sunday with the usual blowing of the kumbu horn and the dancing of the koladi by the congregation’s teenage girls, dressed in saris and banging sticks.
None of St. Mary’s 100 or so parishioners live in West Sayville, a predominantly white, middle-class community on Long Island’s South Shore where in the last few decades a surfeit of empty church buildings has attracted various religious communities on wheels.
The Indian congregants drive in from Queens, Brooklyn, western Nassau County and even New Jersey and Staten Island, to worship in a former Dutch Reformed Church building they bought in 1992. Inside, they speak Malayalam, the dialect of the Indian province where most have their roots, and they worship according to an Orthodox Christian liturgy that traces its origins to the teachings of the apostle Thomas.
On Sunday, people watched with a mixture of fascination and neighborly nonchalance as the procession made its way around the block, marking the annual observance of Mary’s ascent into heaven. At the front was a float with posters of Mary and Thomas and other saints perched on cottony white clouds. Then came the men playing the Indian kumbu horn and chemda drums, the women keeping time with little brass cymbals called Ilathalam, then the littlest girls in angel wings and then the teenagers dancing.
The congregation’s women followed behind, pastel-colored saris billowing in the breeze as they flung paper flowers of red and blue. Bringing up the rear was a car carrying the Rev. Paulose Adai, the parish priest, whose plaintive singing of the devotional hymns was greatly amplified from a loudspeaker on the vehicle’s roof.
Malankara Christians trace their origins to the first century A.D., when St. Thomas is said to have taken the heavily traveled trade route from the eastern Mediterranean to Kerala, a province on the southwest coast of India where today about 20 percent of the population is Christian. They have had churches in the United States since the early 20th century, but have grown significantly since the 1970s, when immigration policy opened the doors to many nurses trained in the Christian hospitals of Kerala. Nationwide there are about 100 parishes.
Though the churches hew closely to Orthodox Christian liturgy, members also sustain many Indian cultural traditions. Worshipers remove their shoes before entering the church. Men and women sit separately.
Mr. Bodkin, the former councilman, suggested there was an oddity in the move: The Indian Orthodox congregation, with its bells and drums, had taken over what was once an outpost of the strictest Calvinist worship.
There is no Dutch Reformed Church in the United States anymore. It has splintered into several new churches. But Jim Stasny, a former pastor of one of those offspring churches in West Sayville, who now lives in Washington, D.C., said he was pleased that someone was putting the building to good use.
“It would be better, perhaps, if they weren’t honoring saints, of course — we don’t believe in saints, you know,” he said. “But hey, things have changed. We wish those folks well.”
By PAUL VITELLO
Published: August 16, 2010
WEST SAYVILLE, N.Y. — Without doubt, many more people line the sidewalks to see the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Manhattan than to watch the St. Mary Malankara Indian Orthodox Church’s annual Assumption Day Parade, which began here on Sunday with the usual blowing of the kumbu horn and the dancing of the koladi by the congregation’s teenage girls, dressed in saris and banging sticks.
None of St. Mary’s 100 or so parishioners live in West Sayville, a predominantly white, middle-class community on Long Island’s South Shore where in the last few decades a surfeit of empty church buildings has attracted various religious communities on wheels.
The Indian congregants drive in from Queens, Brooklyn, western Nassau County and even New Jersey and Staten Island, to worship in a former Dutch Reformed Church building they bought in 1992. Inside, they speak Malayalam, the dialect of the Indian province where most have their roots, and they worship according to an Orthodox Christian liturgy that traces its origins to the teachings of the apostle Thomas.
On Sunday, people watched with a mixture of fascination and neighborly nonchalance as the procession made its way around the block, marking the annual observance of Mary’s ascent into heaven. At the front was a float with posters of Mary and Thomas and other saints perched on cottony white clouds. Then came the men playing the Indian kumbu horn and chemda drums, the women keeping time with little brass cymbals called Ilathalam, then the littlest girls in angel wings and then the teenagers dancing.
The congregation’s women followed behind, pastel-colored saris billowing in the breeze as they flung paper flowers of red and blue. Bringing up the rear was a car carrying the Rev. Paulose Adai, the parish priest, whose plaintive singing of the devotional hymns was greatly amplified from a loudspeaker on the vehicle’s roof.
 |
| Photo: James Estrin/The New York Times Slideshow (11 photos) |
Though the churches hew closely to Orthodox Christian liturgy, members also sustain many Indian cultural traditions. Worshipers remove their shoes before entering the church. Men and women sit separately.
Mr. Bodkin, the former councilman, suggested there was an oddity in the move: The Indian Orthodox congregation, with its bells and drums, had taken over what was once an outpost of the strictest Calvinist worship.
There is no Dutch Reformed Church in the United States anymore. It has splintered into several new churches. But Jim Stasny, a former pastor of one of those offspring churches in West Sayville, who now lives in Washington, D.C., said he was pleased that someone was putting the building to good use.
“It would be better, perhaps, if they weren’t honoring saints, of course — we don’t believe in saints, you know,” he said. “But hey, things have changed. We wish those folks well.”
Monday, August 16, 2010
e2e4 Uxbridge Autumn International
August 11 - 15, 2010, There was a separate women's event, which Susan Lalic won - good to see Susan in action, I was a faithful reader of her column at Chess Cafe.
e2e4 Autumn Women Uxbridge (ENG), 11-15 viii 2010
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
1. Lalic, Susan K m ENG 2298 * ½ ½ 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 7 2231
2. Steil-Antoni, Fiona wf LUX 2193 ½ * ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 6 2148
3. Andersson, Christin wm SWE 2129 ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 5½ 2110
4. Hegarty, Sarah N ENG 2057 0 ½ ½ * ½ 1 ½ 1 1 ½ 5½ 2118
5. Hoare, Amy ENG 1909 0 ½ ½ ½ * ½ 1 1 ½ 1 5½ 2135
6. Blackburn, Suzie G wf WLS 1916 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ * ½ 1 ½ 1 4½ 2054
7. Horn, Emilia wf SWE 2009 1 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ * 0 0 ½ 3 1919
8. Dines, Sheila J ENG 1931 0 0 ½ 0 0 0 1 * 1 ½ 3 1927
9. Lang, Heather SCO 2059 0 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ 1 0 * 0 2½ 1872
10. Messam-Sparks, Lateefah ENG 1904 0 0 0 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ 1 * 2½ 1889
e2e4 Autumn Women Uxbridge (ENG), 11-15 viii 2010
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
1. Lalic, Susan K m ENG 2298 * ½ ½ 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 7 2231
2. Steil-Antoni, Fiona wf LUX 2193 ½ * ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 6 2148
3. Andersson, Christin wm SWE 2129 ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 5½ 2110
4. Hegarty, Sarah N ENG 2057 0 ½ ½ * ½ 1 ½ 1 1 ½ 5½ 2118
5. Hoare, Amy ENG 1909 0 ½ ½ ½ * ½ 1 1 ½ 1 5½ 2135
6. Blackburn, Suzie G wf WLS 1916 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ * ½ 1 ½ 1 4½ 2054
7. Horn, Emilia wf SWE 2009 1 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ * 0 0 ½ 3 1919
8. Dines, Sheila J ENG 1931 0 0 ½ 0 0 0 1 * 1 ½ 3 1927
9. Lang, Heather SCO 2059 0 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ 1 0 * 0 2½ 1872
10. Messam-Sparks, Lateefah ENG 1904 0 0 0 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ 1 * 2½ 1889
2010 Slovenian Women's Chess Championship
August 7 - 15, 2010. Final standings:
ch-SLO w Ljubljana SLO (SLO), 7-15 viii 2010
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
1. Rozic, Vesna wm SLO 2287 * ½ ½ 1 1 ½ ½ 1 1 1 7 2231
2. Bajt, Indira wf SLO 2189 ½ * 0 1 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 7 2242
3. Krivec, Jana wg SLO 2318 ½ 1 * 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 6½ 2173
4. Stevanec, Lea wf SLO 2129 0 0 1 * ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ 5 2071
5. Kolaric, Spela SLO 1996 0 0 1 ½ * ½ ½ 1 0 1 4½ 2043
6. Novak, Ksenija wf SLO 2200 ½ 0 0 0 ½ * 1 1 1 ½ 4½ 2021
7. Bucar, Natasa SLO 1989 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 * 0 1 1 4 2001
8. Nadvesnik, Maja SLO 1826 0 0 0 ½ 0 0 1 * 0 1 2½ 1896
9. Urbanc, Suzana SLO 1664 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 * 0 2 1860
10. Kralj, Manca SLO 1791 0 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 0 1 * 2 1846
ch-SLO w Ljubljana SLO (SLO), 7-15 viii 2010
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
1. Rozic, Vesna wm SLO 2287 * ½ ½ 1 1 ½ ½ 1 1 1 7 2231
2. Bajt, Indira wf SLO 2189 ½ * 0 1 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 7 2242
3. Krivec, Jana wg SLO 2318 ½ 1 * 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 6½ 2173
4. Stevanec, Lea wf SLO 2129 0 0 1 * ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ 5 2071
5. Kolaric, Spela SLO 1996 0 0 1 ½ * ½ ½ 1 0 1 4½ 2043
6. Novak, Ksenija wf SLO 2200 ½ 0 0 0 ½ * 1 1 1 ½ 4½ 2021
7. Bucar, Natasa SLO 1989 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 * 0 1 1 4 2001
8. Nadvesnik, Maja SLO 1826 0 0 0 ½ 0 0 1 * 0 1 2½ 1896
9. Urbanc, Suzana SLO 1664 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 * 0 2 1860
10. Kralj, Manca SLO 1791 0 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 0 1 * 2 1846
2010 Juniors and Girls U-20 World Championships
WIM Alisa Melekhina finished in 9th overall after a draw in R13. Gold goes to IM Anna Muzychuk, Silver to WGM Olga Girya and Bronze to WGM Padimi Rout. India had a great showing, with Rout in third and Bhatki Kukarni Pradip in 5th. Final standings:
1 1 IM Muzychuk, Anna SLO 2527 11.0 0.00 81.0 27298 2557 0.42
2 3 WGM Girya, Olga RUS 2376 10.5 0.00 75.0 27158 2501 1.88
3 11 WGM Padmini, Rout IND 2275 10.0 0.00 73.5 27433 2477 3.37
4 8 WIM Muminova, Nafisa UZB 2290 9.0 27273.00 69.0 27273 2397 1.93
5 16 CM Bhakti, Kulkarni Pradip IND 2249 9.0 26894.00 64.0 26894 2358 2.01
6 13 WFM Mammadova, Gulnar Marfat AZE 2260 8.5 27516.00 66.5 27516 2382 2.21
7 20 WIM Nakhbayeva, Guliskhan KAZ 2216 8.5 26730.00 62.0 26730 2311 1.83
8 6 WGM Guramishvili, Sopiko GEO 2298 8.5 26706.00 64.0 26706 2319 0.53
9 12 WIM Melekhina, Alisa USA 2265 8.5 26679.00 65.5 26679 2317 0.98
10 4 WIM Severiukhina, Zoja RUS 2341 8.5 26219.00 60.0 26219 2287 -0.77
11 34 WIM Andrenko, Irina UKR 2133 8.5 26081.00 56.0 26081 2251 2.21
12 2 WGM Cori Tello, Deysi Estela PER 2403 8.5 25926.00 52.5 25926 2251 -1.71
13 14 WGM Corke, Anya ENG 2257 8.5 25831.00 59.0 25831 2245 -0.02
14 26 WIM Pavlidou, Ekaterini GRE 2182 8.0 0.00 62.5 26827 progr 2243 1.84
15 5 WIM Ohme, Melanie GER 2326 8.0 0.00 62.0 26466 2283 -0.74
16 10 WGM Nemcova, Katerina CZE 2282 8.0 0.00 56.5 26092 2245 -0.56
17 7 WIM Ziaziulkina, Nastassia BLR 2293 7.5 26610.00 60.0 26610 2248 -0.61
18 18 WFM Kulon, Klaudia POL 2230 7.5 25851.00 56.5 25851 2194 -0.61
19 22 WFM Toth, Sarolta HUN 2207 7.5 25801.00 56.5 25801 2176 -0.31
20 35 WFM Saduakassova, Dinara KAZ 2131 7.5 25704.00 49.0 25704 2168 0.76
21 17 WIM Skinke, Katrina LAT 2237 7.5 25617.00 55.0 25617 2180 -0.94
22 37 WFM Adamowicz, Katarzyna POL 2123 7.5 25568.00 51.5 25568 2145 0.73
23 27 WFM Lach, Aleksandra POL 2179 7.5 25527.00 49.5 25527 2167 -0.17
24 28 WFM Nesterovskaya, Anzhelika UKR 2177 7.5 25478.00 51.0 25478 2163 -0.29
25 9 WIM Ozturk, Kubra TUR 2286 7.5 24520.00 42.5 24520 2090 -2.95
26 70 Jablonska, Sabina POL 1876 7.5 24400.00 40.5 24400 2055 2.89
27 25 WFM Warakomska, Anna POL 2192 7.0 0.00 57.5 25732 2130 -0.51
28 24 WIM Abdulla, Khayala Mardan AZE 2193 7.0 0.00 55.0 26212 2190 0.02
29 44 WIM Heredia Serrano, Carla Sofia ECU 2080 7.0 0.00 54.0 26580 progr 2166 2.07
30 40 Uta, Adeline-Ramona ROU 2099 7.0 0.00 44.5 22445 progr 1970 -1.29
31 19 WIM Butuc, Maria RUS 2220 7.0 0.00 43.5 24719 2052 -2.42
32 41 WFM Iwanow, Anna POL 2097 6.5 0.00 52.5 26322 progr 2117 0.93
33 36 WFM Baciu, Diana MDA 2127 6.5 0.00 50.5 25426 2089 -0.54
34 32 WFM Exler, Veronika AUT 2143 6.5 0.00 49.0 25470 2096 -0.70
35 39 Forestier, Carole FRA 2103 6.5 0.00 49.0 25232 progr 2033 -0.25
36 15 WIM Olsarova, Tereza CZE 2252 6.5 0.00 49.0 24948 2056 -3.13
37 45 WFM Labedz, Patrycja POL 2076 6.5 0.00 48.5 26394 2175 1.66
38 38 WFM Newrkla, Katharina AUT 2105 6.5 0.00 48.5 26061 progr 2097 0.56
39 23 WFM Semenova, Elena RUS 2194 6.5 0.00 47.5 25204 2088 -1.80
40 29 WIM Agrest, Inna SWE 2174 6.5 0.00 46.0 24687 2044 -2.16
41 33 WFM Guadamuro Torrente, Anabel ESP 2137 6.5 0.00 45.5 25099 2067
-1.08 42 51 Zmarzly, Aleksandra POL 2026 6.5 0.00 43.5 25988 2132 1.83
43 46 Pratyusha, Bodda IND 2073 6.5 0.00 42.5 25437 2093 0.37
44 21 WFM Rysbayeva, Aigerim KAZ 2209 6.5 0.00 40.5 24398 2013 -3.09
45 68 WFM Ho, En Huei Danielle SIN 1898 6.5 0.00 33.5 22073 progr 1883 1.07
46 31 WFM Gosciniak, Maria POL 2149 6.0 0.00 52.5 26238 2128 -0.31
47 30 Tsirulnik, Maritsa UKR 2153 6.0 0.00 49.0 25644 2088 -1.11
48 53 Kaya, Emel TUR 2015 6.0 0.00 45.5 25485 progr 2024 1.19
49 54 WFM Petrova, Irina UKR 2014 6.0 0.00 43.0 26104 2127 1.81
50 52 WFM Chierici, Marianna ITA 2016 6.0 0.00 43.0 25917 progr 2057 1.12
51 49 WFM Rysbayeva, Nazerke KAZ 2052 6.0 0.00 43.0 25829 2095 0.71
52 56 Kasperek, Joanna POL 2001 6.0 0.00 41.5 25351 2066 1.11
53 61 Tomaszewska, Luiza POL 1968 6.0 0.00 39.5 25131 2050 1.39
54 43 Mareckova, Martina CZE 2095 6.0 0.00 39.0 24488 progr 1947 -1.88
55 50 Skrzypczak, Anna POL 2028 6.0 0.00 37.5 24174 1964 -1.12
56 42 Edes, Zsofia SVK 2097 6.0 0.00 37.5 23960 progr 1906 -2.58
57 55 Khanamiryan, Ani ARM 2014 5.5 0.00 41.5 25775 2072 0.94
58 62 WFM Guo, Emma AUS 1965 5.5 0.00 39.5 24701 progr 1935 -0.06
59 69 Orehek, Spela SLO 1883 5.5 0.00 38.5 25207 2036 2.40
60 64 Correa, Jaqueline Pamplona BRA 1928 5.5 0.00 38.0 25205 progr 1974 1.40
61 48 Deur, Zrinka CRO 2061 5.5 0.00 37.5 24497 1961 -1.66
62 63 Anu, Bayar MGL 1935 5.5 0.00 36.5 22409 progr 1851 -0.09
63 60 WFM Ursente, Maria-Eugenia ROU 1978 5.5 0.00 33.0 23788 progr 1865 -0.83
64 57 Tonel, Giulia ITA 2001 5.5 0.00 32.5 23940 progr 1877 -1.62
65 67 Lis, Marcelina POL 1905 5.5 0.00 32.5 21458 progr 1778 -0.79
66 58 Unapkoshvili, Nani GEO 1997 5.5 0.00 31.5 21980 progr 1818 -1.51
67 78 WCM Mejia, Salinas Lluvia Angelica MEX 0 5.5 0.00 28.5 23035 progr 1807 0.00
68 47 WFM Osmanodja, Filiz GER 2061 5.0 0.00 42.0 25583 2018 -0.72
69 59 Dragojevic, Marija SRB 1986 5.0 0.00 36.0 21153 progr 1817 -0.37
70 65 Krumova, Ani BUL 1916 5.0 0.00 32.0 20308 progr 1752 -0.65
71 80 Hoek, Adriana RSA 0 5.0 0.00 31.0 21452 progr 1763 0.00
72 72 Vanhuyse, Nele BEL 1779 5.0 0.00 30.5 19413 progr 1683 -0.53
73 66 Misovic, Sanja MNE 1907 5.0 0.00 29.5 22227 progr 1807 -1.20
74 73 Cyboran, Katarzyna POL 1777 4.5 0.00 37.0 25013 1961 2.30
75 71 Lepeskaite, Migle LTU 1801 4.5 0.00 28.0 19850 progr 1694 -1.30
76 75 Oliver, Tamzin L AUS 1737 4.5 0.00 27.0 23118 progr 1761 0.26
77 76 Ferreira, Susana Carolina G POR 1726 3.5 0.00 18.0 18851 progr 1552 -2.07
78 77 Gora, Antonina POL 1579 3.0 0.00 22.0 19639 progr 1577 -0.51
79 81 Pedrak, Paulina POL 0 2.0 0.00 17.0 20804 progr 1433 0.00
80 74 Rykala, Monika POL 1747 1.0 0.00 13.0 2207 2170 0.83
81 79 Bryan-Vissi, Pearl CYP 0 1.0 0.00 11.0 16852 progr 904 0.00
1 1 IM Muzychuk, Anna SLO 2527 11.0 0.00 81.0 27298 2557 0.42
2 3 WGM Girya, Olga RUS 2376 10.5 0.00 75.0 27158 2501 1.88
3 11 WGM Padmini, Rout IND 2275 10.0 0.00 73.5 27433 2477 3.37
4 8 WIM Muminova, Nafisa UZB 2290 9.0 27273.00 69.0 27273 2397 1.93
5 16 CM Bhakti, Kulkarni Pradip IND 2249 9.0 26894.00 64.0 26894 2358 2.01
6 13 WFM Mammadova, Gulnar Marfat AZE 2260 8.5 27516.00 66.5 27516 2382 2.21
7 20 WIM Nakhbayeva, Guliskhan KAZ 2216 8.5 26730.00 62.0 26730 2311 1.83
8 6 WGM Guramishvili, Sopiko GEO 2298 8.5 26706.00 64.0 26706 2319 0.53
9 12 WIM Melekhina, Alisa USA 2265 8.5 26679.00 65.5 26679 2317 0.98
10 4 WIM Severiukhina, Zoja RUS 2341 8.5 26219.00 60.0 26219 2287 -0.77
11 34 WIM Andrenko, Irina UKR 2133 8.5 26081.00 56.0 26081 2251 2.21
12 2 WGM Cori Tello, Deysi Estela PER 2403 8.5 25926.00 52.5 25926 2251 -1.71
13 14 WGM Corke, Anya ENG 2257 8.5 25831.00 59.0 25831 2245 -0.02
14 26 WIM Pavlidou, Ekaterini GRE 2182 8.0 0.00 62.5 26827 progr 2243 1.84
15 5 WIM Ohme, Melanie GER 2326 8.0 0.00 62.0 26466 2283 -0.74
16 10 WGM Nemcova, Katerina CZE 2282 8.0 0.00 56.5 26092 2245 -0.56
17 7 WIM Ziaziulkina, Nastassia BLR 2293 7.5 26610.00 60.0 26610 2248 -0.61
18 18 WFM Kulon, Klaudia POL 2230 7.5 25851.00 56.5 25851 2194 -0.61
19 22 WFM Toth, Sarolta HUN 2207 7.5 25801.00 56.5 25801 2176 -0.31
20 35 WFM Saduakassova, Dinara KAZ 2131 7.5 25704.00 49.0 25704 2168 0.76
21 17 WIM Skinke, Katrina LAT 2237 7.5 25617.00 55.0 25617 2180 -0.94
22 37 WFM Adamowicz, Katarzyna POL 2123 7.5 25568.00 51.5 25568 2145 0.73
23 27 WFM Lach, Aleksandra POL 2179 7.5 25527.00 49.5 25527 2167 -0.17
24 28 WFM Nesterovskaya, Anzhelika UKR 2177 7.5 25478.00 51.0 25478 2163 -0.29
25 9 WIM Ozturk, Kubra TUR 2286 7.5 24520.00 42.5 24520 2090 -2.95
26 70 Jablonska, Sabina POL 1876 7.5 24400.00 40.5 24400 2055 2.89
27 25 WFM Warakomska, Anna POL 2192 7.0 0.00 57.5 25732 2130 -0.51
28 24 WIM Abdulla, Khayala Mardan AZE 2193 7.0 0.00 55.0 26212 2190 0.02
29 44 WIM Heredia Serrano, Carla Sofia ECU 2080 7.0 0.00 54.0 26580 progr 2166 2.07
30 40 Uta, Adeline-Ramona ROU 2099 7.0 0.00 44.5 22445 progr 1970 -1.29
31 19 WIM Butuc, Maria RUS 2220 7.0 0.00 43.5 24719 2052 -2.42
32 41 WFM Iwanow, Anna POL 2097 6.5 0.00 52.5 26322 progr 2117 0.93
33 36 WFM Baciu, Diana MDA 2127 6.5 0.00 50.5 25426 2089 -0.54
34 32 WFM Exler, Veronika AUT 2143 6.5 0.00 49.0 25470 2096 -0.70
35 39 Forestier, Carole FRA 2103 6.5 0.00 49.0 25232 progr 2033 -0.25
36 15 WIM Olsarova, Tereza CZE 2252 6.5 0.00 49.0 24948 2056 -3.13
37 45 WFM Labedz, Patrycja POL 2076 6.5 0.00 48.5 26394 2175 1.66
38 38 WFM Newrkla, Katharina AUT 2105 6.5 0.00 48.5 26061 progr 2097 0.56
39 23 WFM Semenova, Elena RUS 2194 6.5 0.00 47.5 25204 2088 -1.80
40 29 WIM Agrest, Inna SWE 2174 6.5 0.00 46.0 24687 2044 -2.16
41 33 WFM Guadamuro Torrente, Anabel ESP 2137 6.5 0.00 45.5 25099 2067
-1.08 42 51 Zmarzly, Aleksandra POL 2026 6.5 0.00 43.5 25988 2132 1.83
43 46 Pratyusha, Bodda IND 2073 6.5 0.00 42.5 25437 2093 0.37
44 21 WFM Rysbayeva, Aigerim KAZ 2209 6.5 0.00 40.5 24398 2013 -3.09
45 68 WFM Ho, En Huei Danielle SIN 1898 6.5 0.00 33.5 22073 progr 1883 1.07
46 31 WFM Gosciniak, Maria POL 2149 6.0 0.00 52.5 26238 2128 -0.31
47 30 Tsirulnik, Maritsa UKR 2153 6.0 0.00 49.0 25644 2088 -1.11
48 53 Kaya, Emel TUR 2015 6.0 0.00 45.5 25485 progr 2024 1.19
49 54 WFM Petrova, Irina UKR 2014 6.0 0.00 43.0 26104 2127 1.81
50 52 WFM Chierici, Marianna ITA 2016 6.0 0.00 43.0 25917 progr 2057 1.12
51 49 WFM Rysbayeva, Nazerke KAZ 2052 6.0 0.00 43.0 25829 2095 0.71
52 56 Kasperek, Joanna POL 2001 6.0 0.00 41.5 25351 2066 1.11
53 61 Tomaszewska, Luiza POL 1968 6.0 0.00 39.5 25131 2050 1.39
54 43 Mareckova, Martina CZE 2095 6.0 0.00 39.0 24488 progr 1947 -1.88
55 50 Skrzypczak, Anna POL 2028 6.0 0.00 37.5 24174 1964 -1.12
56 42 Edes, Zsofia SVK 2097 6.0 0.00 37.5 23960 progr 1906 -2.58
57 55 Khanamiryan, Ani ARM 2014 5.5 0.00 41.5 25775 2072 0.94
58 62 WFM Guo, Emma AUS 1965 5.5 0.00 39.5 24701 progr 1935 -0.06
59 69 Orehek, Spela SLO 1883 5.5 0.00 38.5 25207 2036 2.40
60 64 Correa, Jaqueline Pamplona BRA 1928 5.5 0.00 38.0 25205 progr 1974 1.40
61 48 Deur, Zrinka CRO 2061 5.5 0.00 37.5 24497 1961 -1.66
62 63 Anu, Bayar MGL 1935 5.5 0.00 36.5 22409 progr 1851 -0.09
63 60 WFM Ursente, Maria-Eugenia ROU 1978 5.5 0.00 33.0 23788 progr 1865 -0.83
64 57 Tonel, Giulia ITA 2001 5.5 0.00 32.5 23940 progr 1877 -1.62
65 67 Lis, Marcelina POL 1905 5.5 0.00 32.5 21458 progr 1778 -0.79
66 58 Unapkoshvili, Nani GEO 1997 5.5 0.00 31.5 21980 progr 1818 -1.51
67 78 WCM Mejia, Salinas Lluvia Angelica MEX 0 5.5 0.00 28.5 23035 progr 1807 0.00
68 47 WFM Osmanodja, Filiz GER 2061 5.0 0.00 42.0 25583 2018 -0.72
69 59 Dragojevic, Marija SRB 1986 5.0 0.00 36.0 21153 progr 1817 -0.37
70 65 Krumova, Ani BUL 1916 5.0 0.00 32.0 20308 progr 1752 -0.65
71 80 Hoek, Adriana RSA 0 5.0 0.00 31.0 21452 progr 1763 0.00
72 72 Vanhuyse, Nele BEL 1779 5.0 0.00 30.5 19413 progr 1683 -0.53
73 66 Misovic, Sanja MNE 1907 5.0 0.00 29.5 22227 progr 1807 -1.20
74 73 Cyboran, Katarzyna POL 1777 4.5 0.00 37.0 25013 1961 2.30
75 71 Lepeskaite, Migle LTU 1801 4.5 0.00 28.0 19850 progr 1694 -1.30
76 75 Oliver, Tamzin L AUS 1737 4.5 0.00 27.0 23118 progr 1761 0.26
77 76 Ferreira, Susana Carolina G POR 1726 3.5 0.00 18.0 18851 progr 1552 -2.07
78 77 Gora, Antonina POL 1579 3.0 0.00 22.0 19639 progr 1577 -0.51
79 81 Pedrak, Paulina POL 0 2.0 0.00 17.0 20804 progr 1433 0.00
80 74 Rykala, Monika POL 1747 1.0 0.00 13.0 2207 2170 0.83
81 79 Bryan-Vissi, Pearl CYP 0 1.0 0.00 11.0 16852 progr 904 0.00
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Baby, Baby, Baby!
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| Some of the ladies at the shower: on sofa left to right: niece-in-law Rachel, my mom (they're looking at pictures), niece Katie, sister-in-law Heidi, sister Yvonne, and Osayo's great-aunt Maria Sophia visiting from Ecuador. |
It's just amazing how much technology has advanced in regard to giving moms all kinds of information on the unborn baby, including its gender (a girl, so I did not get to do my Shaman Jan act with the pencil suspended from a string to predict the sex of the baby), approximate conception date, approximate delivery date, and even how much the baby weighs before it is born!
This is sister Deb's first grandchild and she and the great-grandmas-to-be went all out. What a haul of gifts - I swear the girl won't have to buy a stitch of clothing until she hits puberty :)
Ah, baby showers. Bridal showers, too. Women-bonding rituals. I imagine they originated back in the times when hunter-gatherer culture first began and the women were left to tend, mend, cook, sew, reap, harvest, trap animals and fish, oh - and tame dogs and horses for later use by the male hunters - and keep the family legends straight. We heard some good ones today, let me tell you - NOT! They are for family ears only :)
2010 Juniors and Girls U-20 World Chess Championships
Key games below in PGN. Top player standings after R12:
1 1 IM Muzychuk, Anna SLO 2527 10.0 0.00 25116 70.0 2541 0.31
2 3 WGM Girya, Olga RUS 2376 10.0 0.00 25025 64.5 2533 2.18
3 11 WGM Padmini, Rout IND 2275 9.5 0.00 25030 63.5 2485 3.20
4 8 WIM Muminova, Nafisa UZB 2290 8.5 0.00 24975 60.0 2411 1.92
5 13 WFM Mammadova, Gulnar Marfat AZE 2260 8.0 0.00 25251 58.0 2397 2.20
6 16 CM Bhakti, Kulkarni Pradip IND 2249 8.0 0.00 24771 55.0 2350 1.68
7 12 WIM Melekhina, Alisa USA 2265 8.0 0.00 24419 57.0 2328 0.99
8 6 WGM Guramishvili, Sopiko GEO 2298 8.0 0.00 24416 55.5 2328 0.54
9 26 WIM Pavlidou, Ekaterini GRE 2182 8.0 0.00 24300 54.5 progr 2250 1.95
10 34 WIM Andrenko, Irina UKR 2133 8.0 0.00 23705 47.5 2246 1.91
11 2 WGM Cori Tello, Deysi Estela PER 2403 8.0 0.00 23651 44.0 2255 -1.54
Pairings for the final round tomorrow:
1 [10.0] 1 2527 SLO Muzychuk, Anna - Pavlidou, Ekaterini GRE 2182 26 [8.0] 1
2 [10.0] 3 2376 RUS Girya, Olga - Andrenko, Irina UKR 2133 34 [8.0] 2
3 [8.0] 2 2403 PER Cori Tello, Deysi Estela - Padmini, Rout IND 2275 11 [9.5] 3
4 [8.5] 8 2290 UZB Muminova, Nafisa - Guramishvili, Sopiko GEO 2298 6 [8.0] 4
5 [8.0] 12 2265 USA Melekhina, Alisa - Mammadova, Gulnar Marfat AZE 2260 13 [8.0] 5
6 [7.5] 37 2123 POL Adamowicz, Katarzyna - Bhakti, Kulkarni Pradip IND 2249 16 [8.0] 6
[Date "2010.08.15"]
[Round "12"]
[White "Cori T.,D"]
[Black "Muzychuk,A"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2403"]
[BlackElo "2527"]
[EventDate "2010.08.03"]
[ECO "E10"]
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 c5 4. d5 b5 5. Bg5 exd5 6. cxd5 d6 7. e4 a6 8. a4 Be7 9. Bd3 Nxd5 10. exd5 Bxg5 11. O-O O-O 12. Nxg5 Qxg5 13. axb5 Bb7 14. Nc3 axb5 15. Rxa8 Bxa8 16. Bxb5 Bb7 17. Qd3 Qe7 18. Ra1 Nd7 19. Ra7 Ne5 20. Qe4 f5 21. Qb1 g6 22. Bc6 Rb8 23. h3 Qc7 24. Qa2 Nf7 25. Qa4 Qb6 26. b3 Kf8 27. Nb5 g5 28. Qa1 Bxc6 29. dxc6 Qxb5 30. Qf6 Qxb3 31. Rxf7+ Qxf7 32. Qxd6+ Qe7 33. Qxb8+ Kf7 34. Qb7 Kf6 35. c7 Qe1+ 36. Kh2 Qxf2 37. c8=Q 1-0
[Event "28th WJun Girls"]
[Site "Chotowa POL"]
[Date "2010.08.15"]
[Round "12"]
[White "Guramishvili,S"]
[Black "Girya,O"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2298"]
[BlackElo "2376"]
[EventDate "2010.08.03"]
[ECO "D19"]
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. e3 e6 7. Bxc4 Bb4 8. O-O O-O 9. Qe2 Bg4 10. Rd1 Nbd7 11. e4 Qe7 12. h3 Bh5 13. Bg5 h6 14. Bh4 e5 15. d5 Rfd8 16. a5 Qc5 17. a6 Bxf3 18. gxf3 b5 19. Ba2 Bxc3 20. bxc3 cxd5 21. Bxd5 Rab8 22. Rd3 Qe7 23. Bb7 Nf8 24. Rxd8 Rxd8 25. Rd1 Rxd1+ 26. Qxd1 Ng6 27. Bg3 Nh5 28. Bc8 Nxg3 29. fxg3 Qc5+ 0-1
[Date "2010.08.15"]
[Round "12"]
[White "Padmini,R"]
[Black "Melekhina,A"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2275"]
[BlackElo "2265"]
[EventDate "2010.08.03"]
[ECO "C81"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5 Be6 9. Qe2 Na5 10. Nbd2 Nxd2 11. Bxd2 Nc4 12. Bc1 Be7 13. c3 Bg4 14. h3 Bxf3 15. Qxf3 Nxe5 16. Qxd5 Qxd5 17. Bxd5 O-O-O 18. Be4 g6 19. a4 f5 20. Bc2 Nc4 21. axb5 axb5 22. Re1 Bc5 23. Bd1 Rhe8 24. Rxe8 Rxe8 25. Kf1 Kb7 26. Be2 Nd6 27. Bf4 b4 28. Bf3+ Ne4 29. cxb4 Bxb4 30. Rc1 c5 31. Rd1 Kc6
32. g4 Re7 33. gxf5 gxf5 34. Be2 Ba5 35. f3 Rf7 36. Bc4 Rf8 37. Rd5 h6 38. Kg2 Ng5 39. Rd6+ Kb7 40. Rxh6 Bd8 41. Rg6 1-0
1 1 IM Muzychuk, Anna SLO 2527 10.0 0.00 25116 70.0 2541 0.31
2 3 WGM Girya, Olga RUS 2376 10.0 0.00 25025 64.5 2533 2.18
3 11 WGM Padmini, Rout IND 2275 9.5 0.00 25030 63.5 2485 3.20
4 8 WIM Muminova, Nafisa UZB 2290 8.5 0.00 24975 60.0 2411 1.92
5 13 WFM Mammadova, Gulnar Marfat AZE 2260 8.0 0.00 25251 58.0 2397 2.20
6 16 CM Bhakti, Kulkarni Pradip IND 2249 8.0 0.00 24771 55.0 2350 1.68
7 12 WIM Melekhina, Alisa USA 2265 8.0 0.00 24419 57.0 2328 0.99
8 6 WGM Guramishvili, Sopiko GEO 2298 8.0 0.00 24416 55.5 2328 0.54
9 26 WIM Pavlidou, Ekaterini GRE 2182 8.0 0.00 24300 54.5 progr 2250 1.95
10 34 WIM Andrenko, Irina UKR 2133 8.0 0.00 23705 47.5 2246 1.91
11 2 WGM Cori Tello, Deysi Estela PER 2403 8.0 0.00 23651 44.0 2255 -1.54
Pairings for the final round tomorrow:
1 [10.0] 1 2527 SLO Muzychuk, Anna - Pavlidou, Ekaterini GRE 2182 26 [8.0] 1
2 [10.0] 3 2376 RUS Girya, Olga - Andrenko, Irina UKR 2133 34 [8.0] 2
3 [8.0] 2 2403 PER Cori Tello, Deysi Estela - Padmini, Rout IND 2275 11 [9.5] 3
4 [8.5] 8 2290 UZB Muminova, Nafisa - Guramishvili, Sopiko GEO 2298 6 [8.0] 4
5 [8.0] 12 2265 USA Melekhina, Alisa - Mammadova, Gulnar Marfat AZE 2260 13 [8.0] 5
6 [7.5] 37 2123 POL Adamowicz, Katarzyna - Bhakti, Kulkarni Pradip IND 2249 16 [8.0] 6
[Date "2010.08.15"]
[Round "12"]
[White "Cori T.,D"]
[Black "Muzychuk,A"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2403"]
[BlackElo "2527"]
[EventDate "2010.08.03"]
[ECO "E10"]
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 c5 4. d5 b5 5. Bg5 exd5 6. cxd5 d6 7. e4 a6 8. a4 Be7 9. Bd3 Nxd5 10. exd5 Bxg5 11. O-O O-O 12. Nxg5 Qxg5 13. axb5 Bb7 14. Nc3 axb5 15. Rxa8 Bxa8 16. Bxb5 Bb7 17. Qd3 Qe7 18. Ra1 Nd7 19. Ra7 Ne5 20. Qe4 f5 21. Qb1 g6 22. Bc6 Rb8 23. h3 Qc7 24. Qa2 Nf7 25. Qa4 Qb6 26. b3 Kf8 27. Nb5 g5 28. Qa1 Bxc6 29. dxc6 Qxb5 30. Qf6 Qxb3 31. Rxf7+ Qxf7 32. Qxd6+ Qe7 33. Qxb8+ Kf7 34. Qb7 Kf6 35. c7 Qe1+ 36. Kh2 Qxf2 37. c8=Q 1-0
[Event "28th WJun Girls"]
[Site "Chotowa POL"]
[Date "2010.08.15"]
[Round "12"]
[White "Guramishvili,S"]
[Black "Girya,O"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2298"]
[BlackElo "2376"]
[EventDate "2010.08.03"]
[ECO "D19"]
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. e3 e6 7. Bxc4 Bb4 8. O-O O-O 9. Qe2 Bg4 10. Rd1 Nbd7 11. e4 Qe7 12. h3 Bh5 13. Bg5 h6 14. Bh4 e5 15. d5 Rfd8 16. a5 Qc5 17. a6 Bxf3 18. gxf3 b5 19. Ba2 Bxc3 20. bxc3 cxd5 21. Bxd5 Rab8 22. Rd3 Qe7 23. Bb7 Nf8 24. Rxd8 Rxd8 25. Rd1 Rxd1+ 26. Qxd1 Ng6 27. Bg3 Nh5 28. Bc8 Nxg3 29. fxg3 Qc5+ 0-1
[Date "2010.08.15"]
[Round "12"]
[White "Padmini,R"]
[Black "Melekhina,A"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2275"]
[BlackElo "2265"]
[EventDate "2010.08.03"]
[ECO "C81"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5 Be6 9. Qe2 Na5 10. Nbd2 Nxd2 11. Bxd2 Nc4 12. Bc1 Be7 13. c3 Bg4 14. h3 Bxf3 15. Qxf3 Nxe5 16. Qxd5 Qxd5 17. Bxd5 O-O-O 18. Be4 g6 19. a4 f5 20. Bc2 Nc4 21. axb5 axb5 22. Re1 Bc5 23. Bd1 Rhe8 24. Rxe8 Rxe8 25. Kf1 Kb7 26. Be2 Nd6 27. Bf4 b4 28. Bf3+ Ne4 29. cxb4 Bxb4 30. Rc1 c5 31. Rd1 Kc6
32. g4 Re7 33. gxf5 gxf5 34. Be2 Ba5 35. f3 Rf7 36. Bc4 Rf8 37. Rd5 h6 38. Kg2 Ng5 39. Rd6+ Kb7 40. Rxh6 Bd8 41. Rg6 1-0
2010 Juniors and Girls U-20 World Chess Championships - BIG SHOCK
Upset in R12 of the Girls U-20 - Deysi Cori defeats Anna Muzychuk!
1 [7.0] 2 2403 PER Cori Tello, Deysi Estela 1 - 0 Muzychuk, Anna SLO 2527 1 [10.0] 1
2 [8.0] 6 2298 GEO Guramishvili, Sopiko 0 - 1 Girya, Olga RUS 2376 3 [9.0] 2
3 [8.5] 11 2275 IND Padmini, Rout 1 - 0 Melekhina, Alisa USA 2265 12 [8.0] 3
4 [7.0] 5 2326 GER Ohme, Melanie - Muminova, Nafisa UZB 2290 8 [7.5] 4
5 [7.5] 13 2260 AZE Mammadova, Gulnar Marfat 0.5 - 0.5 Corke, Anya ENG 2257 14 [7.0] 5
6 [7.0] 4 2341 RUS Severiukhina, Zoja - Nakhbayeva, Guliskhan KAZ 2216 20 [7.0] 6
7 [7.0] 16 2249 IND Bhakti, Kulkarni Pradip - Ziaziulkina, Nastassia BLR 2293 7 [7.0] 7
8 [7.0] 34 2133 UKR Andrenko, Irina - Warakomska, Anna POL 2192 25 [7.0] 8
9 [7.0] 26 2182 GRE Pavlidou, Ekaterini 1 - 0 Olsarova, Tereza CZE 2252 15 [6.5] 9
This is interesting! With her win, Girya now ties with Muzychuk at 10.0/12 each. Padmini Rout secures third place with 9.5/12 after defeating Melekhina, who is now out of medal contention. Women's chess proves once again to always expect the unexpected! More later - got to go to a baby shower -- yes, I'm about to become a great-aunt yet again!
1 [7.0] 2 2403 PER Cori Tello, Deysi Estela 1 - 0 Muzychuk, Anna SLO 2527 1 [10.0] 1
2 [8.0] 6 2298 GEO Guramishvili, Sopiko 0 - 1 Girya, Olga RUS 2376 3 [9.0] 2
3 [8.5] 11 2275 IND Padmini, Rout 1 - 0 Melekhina, Alisa USA 2265 12 [8.0] 3
4 [7.0] 5 2326 GER Ohme, Melanie - Muminova, Nafisa UZB 2290 8 [7.5] 4
5 [7.5] 13 2260 AZE Mammadova, Gulnar Marfat 0.5 - 0.5 Corke, Anya ENG 2257 14 [7.0] 5
6 [7.0] 4 2341 RUS Severiukhina, Zoja - Nakhbayeva, Guliskhan KAZ 2216 20 [7.0] 6
7 [7.0] 16 2249 IND Bhakti, Kulkarni Pradip - Ziaziulkina, Nastassia BLR 2293 7 [7.0] 7
8 [7.0] 34 2133 UKR Andrenko, Irina - Warakomska, Anna POL 2192 25 [7.0] 8
9 [7.0] 26 2182 GRE Pavlidou, Ekaterini 1 - 0 Olsarova, Tereza CZE 2252 15 [6.5] 9
This is interesting! With her win, Girya now ties with Muzychuk at 10.0/12 each. Padmini Rout secures third place with 9.5/12 after defeating Melekhina, who is now out of medal contention. Women's chess proves once again to always expect the unexpected! More later - got to go to a baby shower -- yes, I'm about to become a great-aunt yet again!
Cleopatra Continues to Fascinate
Zahi Hawass has an artricle as does Stacy Conradt at Mental Floss. Enjoy!
The Quick 10: Cleopatra
I Still Dream of Cleopatra
The Quick 10: Cleopatra
I Still Dream of Cleopatra
More on the Cyrus Cylinder Extracts Found in China
Our prior post.
From Payvand.com - Iranian news source
08/08/10
China's Cyrus Cylinder extracts spark debate in academia
Source: Mehr News Agency, Tehran
An Iranian archaeologist believes that more studies are needed to prove the authenticity of alleged extracts from the Cyrus Cylinder carved on two bone fragments found in China.
"We should wait patiently for in-depth studies by experts on ancient languages and other laboratory research to confirm the genuineness of the objects," Kamyar Abdi told the Persian service of CHN on Saturday.
"If the objects are proven authentic, the discovery will begin to transform our knowledge about relations between the Near East, especially the Achaemenid Empire, and China during the first millennium, in particular during the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770-221 BC)," he added
The discovery will also extend back the history of relations between China and Iran. Until the discovery, it was believed that political relations between Iran and China dated back to the Han Dynasty (206 BC-221 CE) in China and the Parthian dynasty in Iran.
"The Cyrus Cylinder had undoubtedly been important for the people living under the Achaemenid Empire, but, if the objects are proved authentic, the first question would be how the Cyrus text had been transferred to China and why the text was important enough for the Chinese to copy it," he stated.
Considered the world's first declaration of human rights, the Cyrus Cylinder is a document issued by the Persian emperor Cyrus the Great in the form of a clay cylinder inscribed in Akkadian cuneiform script.
The cylinder was created following the Persian conquest of Babylon in 539 BC, when Cyrus overthrew the Babylonian king Nabonidus and replaced him as ruler, ending the Neo-Babylonian Empire. The text of the cylinder denounces Nabonidus as impious and portrays the victorious Cyrus as pleasing to the chief Babylonian god Marduk. It goes on to describe how Cyrus had improved the lives of the citizens of Babylonia, repatriated displaced peoples and restored temples and cult sanctuaries.
The cylinder was discovered in 1879 by the Assyro-British archaeologist Hormuz Rassam in the foundations of the Esagila, the main temple of Babylon. Today, it is kept in the British Museum in London.
Two fossilized horse bones bearing cuneiform inscriptions, which are extracts from the text of the Cyrus Cylinder, have recently been discovered in China, the London-based Art Newspaper reported last week. The objects seem to be genuine based on research by British Museum specialist Irving Finkel.
The texts inexplicably have fewer than one in every 20 of the Cyrus text's cuneiform signs transcribed, although they are in the correct order, Finkel said.
The bones had been donated to the Beijing Palace Museum in 1985 by deceased Chinese traditional doctor Xue Shenwei, who bought the artifacts in 1935 and 1940. Two years after the donation of the objects, specialist Wu Yuhong realized that the text of the first bone came from the Cyrus proclamation, but the text of the second was not yet identified.
In January 2010, two fragments of a clay tablet with inscriptions of part of the text of the Cyrus proclamation were found in the British Museum's collection. Afterwards, experts hypothesized that the Cyrus proclamation might have been widely copied during ancient times. Thus, Finkel conducted an in-depth study on the pair of Chinese bones to determine whether they might be authentic.
Based on existing photographs, he learned that the text on the second bone was also from the Cyrus proclamation, and requested more information from Beijing. Chinese Assyriologist Yushu Gong provided a much better image of the text and took the photos to the British Museum for a workshop that was held on June 23-24.
"The text used by the copier on the bones was not the Cyrus Cylinder, but another version, probably originally written in Persia, rather than Babylon," Finkel said.
He surmised that it could have been a version carved on stone, written with ink on leather, or inscribed on a clay tablet. Most likely, the original object was sent during the reign of Cyrus to the far east of his empire, in the west of present-day China.
There was some skepticism among the scholars attending the workshop, but Finkel believes that the evidence is "completely compelling". He is convinced that the bones have been copied from an authentic version of the Cyrus proclamation, although it is unclear at what point in the past 2,500 years the copying was done.
... Payvand News - 08/08/10 ... --
My money's on Finkel.
From Payvand.com - Iranian news source
08/08/10
China's Cyrus Cylinder extracts spark debate in academia
Source: Mehr News Agency, Tehran
An Iranian archaeologist believes that more studies are needed to prove the authenticity of alleged extracts from the Cyrus Cylinder carved on two bone fragments found in China.
"We should wait patiently for in-depth studies by experts on ancient languages and other laboratory research to confirm the genuineness of the objects," Kamyar Abdi told the Persian service of CHN on Saturday.
"If the objects are proven authentic, the discovery will begin to transform our knowledge about relations between the Near East, especially the Achaemenid Empire, and China during the first millennium, in particular during the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770-221 BC)," he added
The discovery will also extend back the history of relations between China and Iran. Until the discovery, it was believed that political relations between Iran and China dated back to the Han Dynasty (206 BC-221 CE) in China and the Parthian dynasty in Iran.
"The Cyrus Cylinder had undoubtedly been important for the people living under the Achaemenid Empire, but, if the objects are proved authentic, the first question would be how the Cyrus text had been transferred to China and why the text was important enough for the Chinese to copy it," he stated.
Considered the world's first declaration of human rights, the Cyrus Cylinder is a document issued by the Persian emperor Cyrus the Great in the form of a clay cylinder inscribed in Akkadian cuneiform script.
The cylinder was created following the Persian conquest of Babylon in 539 BC, when Cyrus overthrew the Babylonian king Nabonidus and replaced him as ruler, ending the Neo-Babylonian Empire. The text of the cylinder denounces Nabonidus as impious and portrays the victorious Cyrus as pleasing to the chief Babylonian god Marduk. It goes on to describe how Cyrus had improved the lives of the citizens of Babylonia, repatriated displaced peoples and restored temples and cult sanctuaries.
The cylinder was discovered in 1879 by the Assyro-British archaeologist Hormuz Rassam in the foundations of the Esagila, the main temple of Babylon. Today, it is kept in the British Museum in London.
Two fossilized horse bones bearing cuneiform inscriptions, which are extracts from the text of the Cyrus Cylinder, have recently been discovered in China, the London-based Art Newspaper reported last week. The objects seem to be genuine based on research by British Museum specialist Irving Finkel.
The texts inexplicably have fewer than one in every 20 of the Cyrus text's cuneiform signs transcribed, although they are in the correct order, Finkel said.
The bones had been donated to the Beijing Palace Museum in 1985 by deceased Chinese traditional doctor Xue Shenwei, who bought the artifacts in 1935 and 1940. Two years after the donation of the objects, specialist Wu Yuhong realized that the text of the first bone came from the Cyrus proclamation, but the text of the second was not yet identified.
In January 2010, two fragments of a clay tablet with inscriptions of part of the text of the Cyrus proclamation were found in the British Museum's collection. Afterwards, experts hypothesized that the Cyrus proclamation might have been widely copied during ancient times. Thus, Finkel conducted an in-depth study on the pair of Chinese bones to determine whether they might be authentic.
Based on existing photographs, he learned that the text on the second bone was also from the Cyrus proclamation, and requested more information from Beijing. Chinese Assyriologist Yushu Gong provided a much better image of the text and took the photos to the British Museum for a workshop that was held on June 23-24.
"The text used by the copier on the bones was not the Cyrus Cylinder, but another version, probably originally written in Persia, rather than Babylon," Finkel said.
He surmised that it could have been a version carved on stone, written with ink on leather, or inscribed on a clay tablet. Most likely, the original object was sent during the reign of Cyrus to the far east of his empire, in the west of present-day China.
There was some skepticism among the scholars attending the workshop, but Finkel believes that the evidence is "completely compelling". He is convinced that the bones have been copied from an authentic version of the Cyrus proclamation, although it is unclear at what point in the past 2,500 years the copying was done.
... Payvand News - 08/08/10 ... --
My money's on Finkel.
2010 Juniors and Girls U-20 World Chess Championships
Here are the top pairings for R12. As you can see, many players are tied with 7.0/11. I expect big battles on Boards 2 through 5. On Board 1, Deysi Cori is a fine chess player, but I do not think she can win against Muzychuk who seems unstoppable at this point - she would have to lose Rs 12 and 13 in order for other players to catch up and I don't think that is going to happen! The battle now is for second and third place:
1 [7.0] 2 2403 PER Cori Tello, Deysi Estela - Muzychuk, Anna SLO 2527 1 [10.0] 1
2 [8.0] 6 2298 GEO Guramishvili, Sopiko - Girya, Olga RUS 2376 3 [9.0] 2
3 [8.5] 11 2275 IND Padmini, Rout - Melekhina, Alisa USA 2265 12 [8.0] 3
4 [7.0] 5 2326 GER Ohme, Melanie - Muminova, Nafisa UZB 2290 8 [7.5] 4
5 [7.5] 13 2260 AZE Mammadova, Gulnar Marfat - Corke, Anya ENG 2257 14 [7.0] 5
6 [7.0] 4 2341 RUS Severiukhina, Zoja - Nakhbayeva, Guliskhan KAZ 2216 20 [7.0] 6
7 [7.0] 16 2249 IND Bhakti, Kulkarni Pradip - Ziaziulkina, Nastassia BLR 2293 7 [7.0] 7
8 [7.0] 34 2133 UKR Andrenko, Irina - Warakomska, Anna POL 2192 25 [7.0] 8
9 [7.0] 26 2182 GRE Pavlidou, Ekaterini - Olsarova, Tereza CZE 2252 15 [6.5] 9
Here are the current standings:
1 1 IM Muzychuk, Anna SLO 2527 10.0 0.00 22713 60.0 2638 0.98
2 3 WGM Girya, Olga RUS 2376 9.0 0.00 22727 54.5 2519 1.79
3 11 WGM Padmini, Rout IND 2275 8.5 0.00 22765 54.0 2465 2.71
4 12 WIM Melekhina, Alisa USA 2265 8.0 0.00 22144 49.0 2371 1.48
5 6 WGM Guramishvili, Sopiko GEO 2298 8.0 0.00 22040 47.5 2362 0.93
6 13 WFM Mammadova, Gulnar Marfat AZE 2260 7.5 0.00 22994 50.0 2407 2.20
7 8 WIM Muminova, Nafisa UZB 2290 7.5 0.00 22649 51.5 2379 1.37
8 16 CM Bhakti, Kulkarni Pradip IND 2249 7.0 0.00 22478 47.0 2321 1.12
9 7 WIM Ziaziulkina, Nastassia BLR 2293 7.0 0.00 22300 45.5 2317 0.37
10 20 WIM Nakhbayeva, Guliskhan KAZ 2216 7.0 0.00 22152 46.0 2287 1.13
11 5 WIM Ohme, Melanie GER 2326 7.0 0.00 22096 47.0 2299 -0.38
12 26 WIM Pavlidou, Ekaterini GRE 2182 7.0 0.00 22048 46.5 progr 2215 1.35
13 4 WIM Severiukhina, Zoja RUS 2341 7.0 0.00 21811 44.0 2274 -0.90
14 34 WIM Andrenko, Irina UKR 2133 7.0 0.00 21513 39.5 2217 1.33
15 14 WGM Corke, Anya ENG 2257 7.0 0.00 21341 43.0 2217 -0.48
16 25 WFM Warakomska, Anna POL 2192 7.0 0.00 21258 43.5 2178 0.37
17 2 WGM Cori Tello, Deysi Estela PER 2403 7.0 0.00 21124 36.0 2196 -2.21
A side note: Why is it that India managed to send three young ladies to the U-20 Girls and the USA only mustered one? Azerbaijan, not exactly a rich country, has two young ladies. Mexico, not a hotbed of chess, has one young lady - who came without a FIDE rating! Peru, another poor country, sent Deysi Cori and her brother, Jorge, who is playing in the Juniors and doing well, currently in 18th place with 7.0 out of 121 players.
1 [7.0] 2 2403 PER Cori Tello, Deysi Estela - Muzychuk, Anna SLO 2527 1 [10.0] 1
2 [8.0] 6 2298 GEO Guramishvili, Sopiko - Girya, Olga RUS 2376 3 [9.0] 2
3 [8.5] 11 2275 IND Padmini, Rout - Melekhina, Alisa USA 2265 12 [8.0] 3
4 [7.0] 5 2326 GER Ohme, Melanie - Muminova, Nafisa UZB 2290 8 [7.5] 4
5 [7.5] 13 2260 AZE Mammadova, Gulnar Marfat - Corke, Anya ENG 2257 14 [7.0] 5
6 [7.0] 4 2341 RUS Severiukhina, Zoja - Nakhbayeva, Guliskhan KAZ 2216 20 [7.0] 6
7 [7.0] 16 2249 IND Bhakti, Kulkarni Pradip - Ziaziulkina, Nastassia BLR 2293 7 [7.0] 7
8 [7.0] 34 2133 UKR Andrenko, Irina - Warakomska, Anna POL 2192 25 [7.0] 8
9 [7.0] 26 2182 GRE Pavlidou, Ekaterini - Olsarova, Tereza CZE 2252 15 [6.5] 9
Here are the current standings:
1 1 IM Muzychuk, Anna SLO 2527 10.0 0.00 22713 60.0 2638 0.98
2 3 WGM Girya, Olga RUS 2376 9.0 0.00 22727 54.5 2519 1.79
3 11 WGM Padmini, Rout IND 2275 8.5 0.00 22765 54.0 2465 2.71
4 12 WIM Melekhina, Alisa USA 2265 8.0 0.00 22144 49.0 2371 1.48
5 6 WGM Guramishvili, Sopiko GEO 2298 8.0 0.00 22040 47.5 2362 0.93
6 13 WFM Mammadova, Gulnar Marfat AZE 2260 7.5 0.00 22994 50.0 2407 2.20
7 8 WIM Muminova, Nafisa UZB 2290 7.5 0.00 22649 51.5 2379 1.37
8 16 CM Bhakti, Kulkarni Pradip IND 2249 7.0 0.00 22478 47.0 2321 1.12
9 7 WIM Ziaziulkina, Nastassia BLR 2293 7.0 0.00 22300 45.5 2317 0.37
10 20 WIM Nakhbayeva, Guliskhan KAZ 2216 7.0 0.00 22152 46.0 2287 1.13
11 5 WIM Ohme, Melanie GER 2326 7.0 0.00 22096 47.0 2299 -0.38
12 26 WIM Pavlidou, Ekaterini GRE 2182 7.0 0.00 22048 46.5 progr 2215 1.35
13 4 WIM Severiukhina, Zoja RUS 2341 7.0 0.00 21811 44.0 2274 -0.90
14 34 WIM Andrenko, Irina UKR 2133 7.0 0.00 21513 39.5 2217 1.33
15 14 WGM Corke, Anya ENG 2257 7.0 0.00 21341 43.0 2217 -0.48
16 25 WFM Warakomska, Anna POL 2192 7.0 0.00 21258 43.5 2178 0.37
17 2 WGM Cori Tello, Deysi Estela PER 2403 7.0 0.00 21124 36.0 2196 -2.21
A side note: Why is it that India managed to send three young ladies to the U-20 Girls and the USA only mustered one? Azerbaijan, not exactly a rich country, has two young ladies. Mexico, not a hotbed of chess, has one young lady - who came without a FIDE rating! Peru, another poor country, sent Deysi Cori and her brother, Jorge, who is playing in the Juniors and doing well, currently in 18th place with 7.0 out of 121 players.
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