Chess Femme News!

(1) From The Huffington Post:

Phiona Mutesi, 17-Year-Old Ugandan Chess Player, Challenged By Bill Gates (VIDEO)

The Huffington Post By Krystie Yandoli Posted: 03/20/2013 10:47 am EDT | Updated: 03/20/2013 4:14 pm EDTMy Note: Comments to this article are interesting. A range of, er, diverse opinions, to say the least, har! Seriously, I find myself constantly flip-flopping on the issue of all-female events, which consistently have been relegated to "steerage class"(or worse) status in the chess world.  Sigh.   (2) From Chessbase.com:1st Chess and Science Festival for girls

21.3.2013 - Many parents still believe that science, business and mathematics are for men and their daughters should not compete in these areas. It’s sad, but it is true – girls are encouraged to go into music, art, teaching… and stay away from the areas currently dominated by men. Three-time US Women's Champion WGM Anjelina Belakovskaia wants to do something about this – with a Kickstarter project. (Will be held in Tucson, Arizona -- coincindence that Tucson is the home of 9 Queens???) 

My Note:  Monetary contributions are needed for this event planned for April 13, 2013.  While the initial goal of $1,000 has been reached, more contributions mean more funds for monetary prizes for players.  If you can help, no matter how small your contribution, please consider making a donation.  (3) Elizabeth Vicary Spiegel, the Quiet Chess HeroineOkay, that's my own made-up title for this article from English online newspaper, The Telegraph.  She is one of my chess heroines.  She is an ongoing miracle producer in a world that is far short of them, and she is doing it daily, teaching "her kids" how to play chess for all the right reasons.  Elizabeth Vicary (now Spiegel) won the very first Goddesschess prize offered at a U.S. Women's Chess Championship, in 2007.  I've followed her chess/teaching career ever since.  Here's the actual title and byline for the article:Mini masters: the hard-up Brooklyn school producing chess championsBy Celia Walden
7:00AM GMT 22 Mar 2013


Not sure if this means the women will be playing the country's version of "traditional chess" or - something else.  But interesting, nonetheless:

(4) Myanmar to hold traditional chess event in Yangon 
English.news.cn

2013-03-21 14:34:28

YANGON, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar will hold traditional chess women's singles tournament at Aung San Stadium this month, according to sports circle Thursday.

Jointly organized by Sports and Physical Education Department under the Ministry of Sports and Myanmar Chess Federation, the chess event is scheduled to take place from March 24 to 29.  Myanmar traditional chess event will be included in the 27th SEA Games to be hosted in Myanmar in 2013.


(5) Interesting turn of events on the March 18, 2013 broadcast of The Amazing Race.  In Vietnam, the detour challenge was -- play a game of Chinese chess on a giant board with live people representing the pieces, or go to a local open-air market and buy the exact ingredients for a traditional chicken dish.  Wonder how many will choose to play the chess game?  LOL! 

This week's Detour then asked teams to "Make a Move" (playing Chinese chess on a giant board with human players) or "Make a Meal" (grab two empty baskets and another two filled with live chickens, then head to a market and get ingredients for the traditional Vietnamese dish pho, picking up exact weights for the ingredients on the shopping list).

I did not watch this episode (I watch other programs on Sunday night) but judging by the comments following this article, there was a LOT of controversy about some events that occurred in the episode, including - according to the comments - some (or all?) of the Amazing Race contestants "praising"' the Communist Vietnamese government???  Well, that's sucky, for sure.  I wonder - how many of those irate posters will actually follow through and never watch CBS again?  Easier than peeing to say you're going to do this or that; it is another thing entirely to follow through and actually do the actions your big mouth said you were going to do...


(6) Dylan McClain presents an interesting perspective on the recently concluded FIDE Women's World Team Chess Championship, and had high praise for the performance of IM Irina Krush, current U.S. Women's Chess Champion:

Ukraine Wins Women’s Event Skipped by Many Big Names
By DYLAN LOEB McCLAIN Published: March 16, 2013