2011 Women's World Chess Championship Match

Hola!  Game 3 was today and as Eugene Wee promptly advised me, GM Hou Yifan, who had the black pieces today, defeated GM Koneru Humpy, who had a slightly better position out of the opening behind the white pieces.  The game was not a long, drawn out battle.

Perhaps it just wasn't Humpy's day today, or maybe she had something uncorked on her that she wasn't prepared for, or maybe she tried something and it didn't work and her plan went down in flames.  Don't know.  The match is 10 games, so I'm not going to downplay a loss with white, but it does happen and fine players overcome such things during the course of a match.  So, I'll see what happens tomorrow.  I can't speak as to how other chessplayers react, but when I have the black pieces I tend to play better, and if I have black and I'm feeling outgunned and outnumbered, I fight back as ferociously as I know how. 

The start of Round 3.  Humpy in a stunning outfit and Yifan
in her comfort faux-fur hoody.  At least, I hope it's faux-fur!
Humpy Koneru. Photo © Anastasiya Karlovich with kind permission of FIDE
(from The Week in Chess coverage)

Coverage at Susan Polgar's Chess Blog:
November 17, 2011:  Game 3: Hou Yifan Takes the Lead
November 16, 2011:  Costly Time Pressure  (ahhhh, time pressure - I've never had a problem with that, for the simple reason that I usually don't get that far into games before going down in flames)

I would like to see some analysis as the games progress by GM Susan Polgar, who has been there, done that, with her own Women's World Champion title.

Official website coverage.  I don't know how the streaming live coverage is working since I've been ver busy at the office and haven't had a chance to try it.  But the official website by the organizers of the match is clean, crisp and clear.  I like it.

The Week in Chess:
November 17, 2011:  Hou Yifan Takes Women's World Championship Lead With Win in Game 3
Nice photos and game analysis, play-through game with board. 

Koneru, Humpy - Hou Yifan
WCh w Tirana ALB (3), 2011.11.17

1.d4 e6 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5 h6 7.Bh4 c5 8.e3 c4 9.Be2 g5 10.Bg3 Ne4 11.Rc1 Qa5 12.Ne5 Bxc3+ 13.bxc3 Nc6 14.O-O O-O 15.Bf3 Nxg3 16.fxg3 Nxe5 17.dxe5 Be6 18.Bh5 Qxa2 19.Rf6 Qb2 20.Rxh6 Bf5 21.Rf6 Be4 22.Bf3 Bd3 23.Qe1 Rae8 24.Bxd5 Rxe5 25.e4 Kg7 26.Rf2 Qb6 27.Qd2 Rd8 28.Qb2 f5 29.Qxb6 axb6 30.Bxb7 fxe4 31.Rb2 Re7 32.Bc6 Rd6 33.Ba4 e3 34.Re1 e2 35.Bc2 Rf7 36.Bxd3 cxd3 37.Rd2 Rdf6 0-1

Chessdom is offering live coverage of the games.

Chessvibes is also featuring up to the minute coverage. 

2011 Women's World Chess Championship Match

Hola!  Today was a "day off" for reigning champion GM Hou Yifan of China and challenger GM Koneru Humpy of India in their World Championship Match.  So - I have a chance to look at Game 2 that took place yesterday.

Today, evidently, the ladies were taken on an escorted tour to some mountains or other, when I'm sure they'd much rather be resting in their hotel suites and going over strategies with their coaches!  What were those organizers thinking?  Obviously only about photo opportunities, and not about the actual needs of the players themselves.  Doh!

Game two, with Humpy behind the black pieces, ended in a draw.  Again, I see this as an auspicious sign for Humpy. 

Now that I've got my first official chess "lesson" under my belt, I paid more attention than usual to the moves of this game. Those things that my coach showed me during Lesson 1 - many of them showed up in this game, including several moves that "broke the rules" too.  Well, that's how I play.  I break rules left and right, but it's always been by the seat of my pants and on instinct, not because I actually knew what I was doing.  Very very interesting, this glimmering of light on the distant horizon.  Oh Caissa, I've got soooo much to learn...

Before Monday night "controlling the center" was a concept that I knew about, but didn't really understand, viscerally.  Not sure I do - yet - but I'm fast developing a new appreciation for this "simple" concept...

Developing the knights and the bishops, castling, getting the rooks centered, the queen in a ready position and the king protected - also concepts I knew before, and sometimes even tried to deploy in my chess games.  Now, new found appreciation for what those concepts could actually mean.  Whether I can execute or not - I've got some homework to do...

Back to Game 2 of the WWCCMatch -- I won't say that I was astounded to see certain moves unfold, but I certainly do see the sense and sensibility behind at least a few of them now, where I did not, before.  Oh, I felt some of those moves, some times, that they were brilliant or the best thing or the only (sudden death speeding toward you at 100 MPH) move you could make to try and hang on, but didn't really know why I thought they were so good before.  Oh, listen to me rambling on, like I'm suddenly an expert after one official chess lesson.  LOL!  Like I said, I'm at the merest glimmering of sunrise on the horizon.

Humpy, I love how you play chess!

Again, this match is being followed closely at several major chess websites/blogs around the internet.  I just happened to visit The Week in Chess first tonight for its coverage of Game 2.

GM Koneru Humpy, behind the black pieces in Game 2.
Serene, contemplative, and determined. Nice outfit, too.
Photo © Anastasiya Karlovich and Anna Burtasova with
kind permission of FIDE.   | http://www.wwcc2011tirana.com

Now I know this has absolutely nothing to do with chess, darlings, but I'm really liking Humpy's tunic-top outfit, and I'm really not liking the slacks (trousers) that Hou Yifan wore, although her top (blouse or shirt), was really cute.  I like lumberjack checks and I liked the black/white theme of both of the ladies' outfits, but the checked slacks Hou Yifan wore are awful.  They do not match the top at all.  Colors are off, pattern scale is off.  Hou Yifan, what were you thinking?

Round 2, Hou Yifan with white pieces and awful outfit, Koneru Humpy with
black pieces and really cute outfit.
Hou Yifan against Humpy Koneru. Photo © Anastasiya Karlovich and Anna Burtasova
with kind permission of FIDE. http://www.wwcc2011tirana.com/

Okay, now I know this is going to sound really really silly, but I think the blue chair looks much  more comfortable than the red chair, even though I prefer the red chair's color.  I like the color red over blue (does that say something about me, psychologically?)  - although I have to admit I'm partial to cobalt blue, especially cobalt blue glass with sunlight shining through it.

Oh yes -- the game.  Sorry!  Here it is in standard PGN:

WCh w Tirana ALB (2) 15th Nov 2011
Hou Yifan
Koneru, Humpy

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Nc3 Nxc3 6. dxc3 Be7 7. Be3 O-O 8. Qd2 Qe8 9. O-O-O Qa4 10. Kb1 Nc6 11. h4 Be6 12. b3 Qa5 13. Nd4 Nxd4 14. cxd4 Qxd2 15. Rxd2 d5 16. h5 h6 17. Bd3 a5 18. a4 Bb4 19. Rdd1 Bc3 20. Rh4 c6 21. Bc1 Bd7 22. Bb2 Bb4 23. Ka2 Rfe8 24. Rhh1 b5 25. c3 Bf8 26. axb5 cxb5 27. Rde1 Bd6 28. Ba3 Rxe1 29. Rxe1 b4 30. Bb2 a4 31. bxa4 Bxa4 32. Kb1 bxc3 33. Bxc3 Rb8+ 34. Ka2 Ra8 35. Kb2 Kf8 36. Ra1 Rb8+ 37. Kc1 Bf4+ 38. Bd2 Rc8+ 39. Kb2 Rb8+ 40. Kc1 Rc8+ 41. Kb2 Rb8+ 42. Kc1 Rc8+ 1/2-1/2

At the bottom of TWIC's Round 2 coverage, is a board and the Round 2 game that you can play through, move by move, by clicking on any move -- it will instantly bring up the positions of the pieces on the board at that move no matter what move you click on.  A nice tool for those of us who don't know diddly squat about how to play the game...

2011 Max Euwe Tournament

There's a report with some photographs and games at The Week in Chess.  The ladies are kicking some chess butt :)

WGM Jennifer Shahade giving a lesson/simul to children
at the 2011 Max Euwe Tournament.

16 November 2011:  14:00-16:00 – simultaneous display by Jennifer Shahade Jennifer Shahade will play against all junior chess players (from 8 years and above) that want to play in this exciting chess simul. Jennifer Shahade is an American chess player, artist and writer of a book on chess for girls: Play like a Girl. She learned to play from her father when she was 6 years old and now she is a professonal chess player with the nick name Super Jen. She is a women’s grandmaster and was ladies champion of the USA twice. Jennifer will also give a demonstration of hulahoop chess and you can try it out yourself too. On her website you can find a fun video clip!

Ranking

Group 1

Nr	Name	Rating	1	2	3	4	Score
4	GM Peng, Zhaoqin	2379	x	1	½	½	2.0
2	GM Olafsson, Fridrik	2428	0	x	½		0.5
3	GM Van Der Sterren, Paul	2514	½	½	x	0	1.0
4	GM Cramling, Pia	2495	½		1	x	1.5

Details group 1

Group 2

Nr	Name	Rating	1	2	3	4	Score
1	GM Socko, Monika	2479	x	1	1	½	2.5
2	GM Conquest, Stuart C	2521	0	x		½	0.5
3	GM Arakhamia-Grant, Ketevan	2443	0		x	0	0.0
4	GM Van Kampen, Robin	2558	½	½	1	x	2.0

Details group 2

View the pairings

Mark Chesnutt: It Sure is Monday!

I couldn't make that name up!  Yep, that's the correct spelling:  C-H-E-S-N-U-T-T.  Go figure - oh, my aching head...

2011 Max Euwe Tournament

It's the women v. the chess dudes!  I have so enjoyed these matches over the years.

Women:
GM Keti Arakahamia (SCO)
GM Pia Cramling (SWE) - She, Susan Polgar and Judit Polgar all earned their GM titles within months of each other
GM Zhaoqin Peng (NED)
GM Monica Socko (POL)

Men (generally older players who established their street cred years ago):
GM Friðrik Ólafsson (Iceland - forgetting the abbr. at the moment)
GM Paul van der Sterren (NED)
GM Stuart Conquest (ENG)
GM Robin van Kampen (born 1994 - a teenager!) (NED)

Note:  Ratings for the individual players weren't given, only their dates of birth!  But make no mistake, the chess is very serious.  Looking forward to seeing some male chess butt kicked.  Yeah!

PACKERS LEADING VIKINGS BY 3000 POINTS.  ONLY KIDDING.  PACKERS LEAD BY FOUR TOUCHDOWNS.  That makes my poor aching head feel so much better - that, and several glasses of wine :)

21st World Senior Chess Championship - Women

"Seniors" are playing chess, as are the "youth" - continents apart, at the same time two young women are battling for the title of Women's World Chess Champion.

Official site - it's not a dedicated website so you'll have to hunt and peck for news of the Seniors Championships, and eventually it will just disappear altogether.  The games begin tomorrow.  Here is the line-up for the ladies.  Ladies have to be age 50 or above to play in this event:

Starting rank list

No.		Name	FED	Rtg	sex
1	GM	Gaprindashvili Nona	GEO	2360	W
2	WGM	Fatalibekova Elena	RUS	2285	W
3	WGM	Kozlovskaya Valentina	RUS	2281	W
4	WIM	Strutinskaya Galina N	RUS	2277	W
5	WGM	Saunina Ludmila	RUS	2274	W
6	WIM	Fomina Tatyana	EST	2215	W
7		Zaitseva Tamara	RUS	2183	W
8	WGM	Khmiadashvili Tamar	GEO	2166	W
9	WIM	Miednikova Swietlana	RUS	2165	W
10	WIM	Thipsay Bagyashree Sathe	IND	2152	W
11	WIM	Bilunova Rimma I	RUS	2151	W
12	WIM	Titorenko Natalia I	RUS	2143	W
13	WIM	Sorokina Tamara	RUS	2131	W
14	WFM	Bogumil Tatiana	RUS	2115	W
15	WFM	Melashvili Nino	GEO	2106	W
16	WIM	Mira Helene	AUT	2098	W
17		Chernova Natalja	RUS	2095	W
18	WFM	Lopatin Olga	GER	2091	W
19	WFM	Kuznetsova Luba	RUS	2087	W
20	WFM	Dotan Valeria	ISR	2083	W
21	WFM	Komysheva Margarita	RUS	2081	W
22	WFM	Khropova Larisa	RUS	2069	W
23	WFM	Battsengel Shirchin	MGL	2068	W
24	WFM	Kierzek Mira	MKD	2023	W
25		Abdikasova Panu	KAZ	1978	W
26		Kabanova Irina	RUS	1959	W
27	WFM	Shushpanova Nina	RUS	1946	W
28		Blagonadezhnaya Ideya	RUS	1898	W
29		Lein Marina	RUS	1890	W
30		Chireykina Natalia	RUS	1853	W
31		Kapelkina Galina	RUS	1841	W
32		Khalturina Tatiana	RUS	1840	W
33		Hoose Hannelore	GER	1764	W
34		Rakipov Natasa	CRO	1763	W
35		Shmyreva Tatiana	RUS	1755	W
36		Jayashree P Sankpal	IND	1710	W
37		Abramyan Anatolya	RUS	0
38		Berezovskaya Vera	RUS	0
39		Milashevskaya Valentina	RUS	0
40		Richardson Charlotte	USA	0
41		Savostina Larisa	RUS	0

2011 Women's World Chess Championship Match

It seemed it would never come about, but then, a date was set.  And then, the date is here.  NOW. 

Holy Cow!  No offense, Goddess.

The first game of the WWCC match took place today between GM Koneru Humpy of India, the challenger, and GM Hou Yifan of China, the reigning Women's title holder.

It was a draw.

You know what - I see this as - a good thing, actually.  Maybe I'm just not thinking straight right at the moment, I've got a booming pounding headache. I think I really do need to buy a good bottle of whiskey and one of brandy, too. So I can down a shot - neat - when necessary, for purely medicinal purposes.  Like, to knock me out fast when my eyeballs feel like they're going to pop out of my skull at any second.  Hmmm, maybe I should turn the web cam on and capture some photos.  Maybe I can star in my own horror picture show...  Back to why I think this could be a good sign for Koneru -- it's because she's had the damn yips the last year plus when playing Hou that, under normal circumstances, I believe she would have managed to lose this game. Yep, you read that right.  This is a good thing, because I think this is signalling that Koneru has got over her Hou yips.  We shall see.  Yeah, she was pissed off that she couldn't convert to a win.  But hey, give Hou credit.  She's not easy

I'm sure there's coverage of the opening, etc. all over everywhere, and I'm way late with this besides.  Oh well.  My two cents worth:

From The Week in Chess
From Susan Polgar's Chess Blog
Of course, The Times of India will be following this particular match extremely closely! 
Official website is overloaded right now, will try later
Chessdom coverage of Game 1
Chessvibes coverage - oh, I like those photos!
Game in PGN - also, you can play through it move by move at The Week in Chess - I'm not even gonna try that tonight. GREEN BAY SCORES AGAIN!  Woooo wooooo!  We're playing the Vikings.  I HATE the Vikings!  I HATE the Vikings almost as much as I HATE THAT TRAITOR BRETT FARVE.  Packers lead by 24 about half-way through the 3rd quarter.  As in 24 Packers, ZERO Vikings.

Okay - back to chess:

GM Koneru, Humpy (2600) - GM Hou, Yifan (2578)
WCh w Tirana ALB (1), 2011.11.14

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Be7 5.Nf3 O-O 6.O-O dxc4 7.Qc2 a6 8.Qxc4 b5 9.Qc2 Bb7 10.Bd2 Be4 11.Qc1 Bb7 12.a4 b4 13.Bf4 Nd5 14.Bg5 Nd7 15.Bxe7 Qxe7 16.Ne5 Nxe5 17.dxe5 a5 18.Nd2 Ba6 19.Nc4 Qc5 20.Ne3 Qe7 21.Rd1 Rad8 22.Nxd5 exd5 23.Qc6 Bxe2 24.Rxd5 Rxd5 25.Qxd5 c5 26.Re1 Bg4 27.Rc1 Rc8 28.Qc4 h5 29.Bd5 Qd7 30.Re1 Rd8 31.e6 fxe6 32.Bxe6+ Bxe6 33.Rxe6 Qf7 34.h4 Rf8 35.Qe2 Qf3 36.Qxf3 Rxf3 37.Re5 c4 38.Rxa5 Rb3 39.Rc5 Rxb2 40.Rxc4 Kf7 41.Kg2 b3 42.Rb4 g6 43.Kf3 Ra2 44.Rxb3 Rxa4 45.Re3 Kf6 46.Re4 Ra3+ 47.Kf4 Ra2 48.f3 Ra5 49.Rc4 Rf5+ 50.Ke3 Re5+ 51.Re4 Ra5 52.Rf4+ Kg7 53.Rc4 Ra6 54.Rc5 Kf6 55.Rd5 Ra3+ 56.Ke4 Ra6 57.Rd4 Re6+ 58.Kf4 Ra6 59.Rb4 Rc6 60.g4 hxg4 61.Kxg4 Rc5 62.Rb6+ Kg7 63.Re6 Kf7 64.Re4 Ra5 65.f4 Ra1 66.Re3 Kf6 67.Rb3 Rg1+ 68.Rg3 Ra1 69.Rg2 Rb1 70.Rh2 Rg1+ 71.Kf3 Kf5 72.h5 gxh5 73.Rxh5+ Kf6 74.Ra5 Rf1+ 75.Ke3 Re1+ 76.Kf2 Rb1 77.Kg3 Rg1+ 78.Kf3 Rf1+ 79.Kg4 Rg1+ 80.Kf3 ½-½

First Chess Lesson Completed

Oh darlings, what a day, what a day.

It started out fine, including some mild weather for this time of year in Wisconsin, happy to have it!  Things started going downhill with the noon Team Meeting.  The firm has implemented a number of changes this year, all geared toward enhancing our "brand" and embracing a "green footprint."  Unfortunately, the people who made the decisions didn't ask for an input from the staff, who actually have to implement these policies on a day to day basis.  Many issues have arisen, including the new stationery being too thick for our printers to process efficiently, the new font that the firm wants used that violates the rules of the 7th Circuit District Court (Federal), and I could go on and on.  I was not looking forward to this Team Meeting, and I was right.  I was hungry, but the food that was offered was not anything I wanted to eat.  Only the desserts looked good but I don't eat desserts generally -- too much sugar. 

And so, while the entire Team was seated around me chowing down, I sat there with a rumbling stomach.  The meeting didn't end until 2 p.m. -- I made a quick trip to Cousins but then was scarfing down the sub-sandwich in between bouts of frantic work.  Not exactly conducive to proper digestion or stress reduction.

Then, issues arose with the high speed scanner, oh, I'm not even going to go there!  I left the office about 3 minutes behind schedule and I knew, I just damn well knew, I was going to miss the bus to take me to the shopping mall where I was to meet the chess coach shortly after 6 p.m.  That bus, my regular bus, would have delivered me to the door of the mall just before 6 p.m. As it was, I had to wait for the 5:16 - that is, the bus leaves the depot at the end of the route at 5:16 and a full hour later deposited me at the mall.

What I look like after I remove my make-up.

So, there I am, no cell phone (don't ask), even if I had a cell phone no way to call the coach because I didn't have his cell phone number on me.  I didn't think I'd need it and if I did, it was in my email which I have access to at the office, of course, but not on a street corner with no cell phone that can tap into a wireless network, assuming one was available!  My head, which had already been pounding, began to throb in earnest.  I'm sure my eyelids were twitching too.  I must have looked dangerous.  Or strange.  Maybe both.  People did not stand close to me - a good thing.  I can't stand the smell of cigarette smoke and without fail, there are always three or four people who light up right next to me while waiting on the bus.  Also without fail, they always seem to somehow position themselves so that no matter where I walk to try to escape from the gagging odor of cigarettes, I can't get away from it!  Also without fail #3, they ALWAYS STAND UPWIND FROM YOU, INSTEAD OF BEING CONSIDERATE AND STANDING DOWNWIND AWAY FROM YOU. 

Now, you know, Wisconsin recently passed a concealed carry law.  All I have to do is take 4 hours worth of training and clear a criminal background check and I can carry a gun around and pop anyone I want whenever I get pissed off, just as long as I have a good enough reason to convince a jury that it was just cause to kill that person.  Or maybe now, with the current nut cases in control of my formerly sane state, I don't even have to have a good enough reason.  I'll just start killing smokers who stand too close to me and are not wise enough to stand downwind - oh the folly of not seeing that power-mad look in my eyes, bwwwwaaaaahhhhhaaaaaaa......

So, the 5:16 finally arrived at my corner and, sure enough, I've got Mr. Pokey as a driver.  He could have delivered me to the mall at least 10 minutes earlier, but that would blow up the schedule.  Isn't it uncanny how the only time bus drivers seem to adhere to "the schedule" is when you absolutely need to get somewhere in a big hurry?

Fortunately, Tom was still waiting for me in the food court when I blew in as fast as my short legs could carry me, about 6:20.  I had confirmed to him the night before that I would be there shortly after 6 p.m.

Poor man!  Not exactly an auspicious beginning.

I have some things to practice, but not tonight.  My head hurts too much.  I shouldn't even be doing this, but I've neglected the blog of late, and in the meantime the Women's World Chess Championship Match between GM Koneru Humpy and GM Hou Yifan has crept up on me.  I'm having a hard time dealing with the fact that I seem to have misplaced most of my summer.  When did that happen?  People put up CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS in the subdivision this weekend.  OY!

A few encouraging signs during the first chess lesson.  We went through my two longest games from Challenge XIV and I made some good moves.  I also really really really need to either buy one of those damn Monroi thingies to keep track of my moves or I need to - I don't know what.  I wrote several moves down wrong, like moving a queen in one game to a square where I already had a pawn parked.  Oh, my head...

Rock circles linked to ancient Indian site

Hmmmm, I think I posted a story about this location a week or two ago...  Yep - found it:  Virginia Site Reveals a Bit of Paleo-Indian Past, October 25, 2011. 

From Native American Times online, nativetimes.com

10 November 2011 VAL VAN METER, The Winchester Star   

BLUEMONT, Va. (AP) – Rock circles on a spit of mountain land along Spout Run may be the oldest above-ground Paleoindian site in North America, according to Alexandria archaeologist Jack Hranicky.

He will deliver an address about the site – which he dates to 10,000 B.C. – to the Society for American Archaeology next April in Memphis, Tenn.

The site could put Clarke County “on the Paleo map,” Hranicky said.

The set of concentric circles drew the attention of landowners Chris and Rene White as they were planning to create a medicine wheel on their 20 acres south of Va. 7 on Blue Ridge Mountain.

After talks with his spiritual elder in Utah, Chris, a descendant of the Cherokee people, and his wife, from the Lumbee tribe of North Carolina, decided to open their property to spiritual leaders of Native American peoples who have business in the Washington area.

The area including the rock circles was the location that drew Chris White in.

When he was building his house, White said, he would often walk by the creek to take a break.

There, “a still, small voice said, `This land is important.' I didn't know what it meant, but I took it to heart,” he said.

As White prepared to put his medicine wheel on the site, he realized that a circle of stones was there – actually, several concentric circles.

“From my experience as a contractor, I knew that was not natural,” he said. “I realized something was already here.”

Someone suggested that White contact Hranicky, who had studied five other Paleoindian sites in Virginia.

He said he saw the pattern in the rocks as soon as he arrived at the site, noting three concentric circles at the western edge, which he believes was a ceremonial area. The inner circle could outline a bonfire space, he said, while the outer ring may have been an area for participants in the ritual to sit or stand.

To the east, touching this area, is another circle that Hranicky calls the observatory.

Here, rocks on the edge of the circle align with features on Blue Ridge Mountain to the east.

From a center rock, over a boundary rock, a line would intersect the feature called Bears Den Rocks on the mountain. Standing on that center rock, looking toward Bears Den, a viewer can see the sun rise on the day of the summer solstice, Hranicky said.

To prove that point, White and his wife took pictures of the sunrise last June 21, he said.

To the right of this rock around the circle, another lines up to Eagle Rock on the Blue Ridge, and with sunrise at the fall equinox (around Sept. 22-23), he said.

Yet a third points to a saddle on the mountain where the sun makes its appearance at the winter solstice (around Dec. 21-22).

“These are true solar positions,” he said.

A dozen feet east of the summer solstice rock is a mound of boulders, piled up, which Hranicky designates as “the altar.”

Hranicky, 69, a registered professional archaeologist who taught anthropology at Northern Virginia community College and St. Johns High School College, has been working in the field of archaeology, for 40 years.

“I had to wait 70 years to find a site like this,” he said.

Dating the site took some digging.

Hranicky was convinced that it was a Paleoindian site, based on the configuration of the concentric circles, the solstice alignment and the altar he has seen at other such sites. But he wanted an artifact.

He picked a five-foot-square area to dig, carefully numbering every rock and setting it aside, to be replaced later.

The reason for that, Hranicky said, is that in the future better methods may be available for dating sites, and he wanted to disturb as little as possible.

His test pit turned up three artifacts. One was a thin blade of quartzite. The second was a small piece of jasper, a type of quartz rock and an important find, Hranicky said.

Jasper was prized by Paleoindians for making tools. It was hard and durable, but could still be worked by Stone Age methods. They traveled miles to find sites where jasper nodules protruded from native rock, and quarried the stone to make projectile points and tools.

The third artifact was the most important. It was a tiny piece of jasper, no bigger than the end of a thumb, but this rock had been worked, Hranicky said. It was a tool, a mini-scraper.

“You don't know how thrilled I was when we found that little bitty tool,” he said.

Jasper on the site ties what Hranicky believes was a ceremonial and heavenly observation site to another proven Paleoindian site just to the south of Clarke County in Warren County – the Thunderbird site.

William Gardiner of Catholic University excavated that site for several years. Indians camped on the east bank of the South Fork of the Shenandoah River and quarried jasper for tool making from bluffs on the west bank.

The Thunderbird site is dated to 10,000 B.C.

Hranicky's theory postulates that Paleoindians, searching for jasper for tool-making, followed the Shenandoah River from the Atlantic coastal areas some 12,000 years ago.

This coincides with the Younger Dryas period, when the climate turned abruptly colder and drier.

Jasper, Hranicky said, can't be “knapped” as easily in cold weather, so it would make sense for Indians traveling to find the stone to do so in the summer months.

An Indian “priest” would find it an advantage to know when summer offered the best work climate, marked by the summer solstice, and when the season was drawing to a close and cold weather was on the way (the fall equinox).

A leader who noticed how points on the mountain marked these calendar moments and could predict, with a rock “clock,” these dates, would be a “genius” to his tribe, Hranicky said.

Such times would be natural days for social celebrations of some type, he added. “They visited this place for a reason, like going to church.”

The visitors would have lived on the west bank of the river, a mile away, where it would be easier to find food, he suggested.

White noted that, to Native Americans, stones are considered “grandfathers.”

“If you see all these grandfathers, that makes it a place of wisdom.”

Water, he added, is a symbol of life. Spout Run, which ends in a sizeable waterfall at the Shenandoah River, would be both eye-catching and significant, while things that emerge from the underground, such as the springs that feed Spout Run, are a sign of rebirth.

All these characteristics could make the spot of the concentric circles significant to native people, White said.

Hranicky is applying to have the Whites' stone circles added to Virginia's list of archaeological sites.

“It will be recorded,” said state archaeologist Mike Barber.

Barber said several ceremonial observatories across North America are attributed to Paleoindians.

“Jack has recorded several of these types,” he said. “The real problem is proving what these things are. We haven't arrived at that level yet.”

Barber said he has received a preliminary report on the site from Hranicky, and is trying to schedule a time to visit it.

Is the Clarke County site an ancient solar observatory for early Americans?

Barber is cautious.

“I'm not to the point where I can say that this is one of them.”

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Information from: The Winchester Star, http://www.winchesterstar.co

Bullock Cart Found in Udupi

Udipi?  Where is Udipi?
According to this map, it's on the west side of India, in a province, or county or state of Karnataka.

Nice of them to clean the stone up and show it to us totally out of context.  Perhaps that is actually what the article headline is referring to - ...causes ripples in archaeological circles.  Damn right!  So here is this bullock cart being presented to us as a brand new discovery.  But, it is cleaned up, not shown in context while being excavated -- To put a PERIOD to it, it could have come from anywhere, including the local producer of "antiquities" who lives down the block from where the photograph was taken.  Just saying...

Udupi: Ancient Sculpture Causes Ripples in Archaeology Circles

Udupi: Ancient Sculpture Causes Ripples in Archaeology Circles Hemanath Padubidri Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (RD/CN) Udupi, Nov 8: A rare stone sculpture depicting a bullock cart has been found by professor and students of Government First Grade College, HD Kote. The sculpture is assumed to be of the Punnata era. Punnata was an ancient kingdom of Karnataka. There are various references to several naval expeditions sent by the rulers of Egypt from V and VI dynasties to the distant and mysterious land of ‘Punt’. This reference of Punt is identified as ‘Punnata’ by some scholars. Ptolemy called it ‘Pounnata’. An inscription from 300 AD says it is adorned by the rivers Kaveri and Kapini. Punnata rulers had matrimonial alliances with Kadambas and Gangas. All these evidences indicate the antiquity of Punnata. Keerthipura or present day Kittur was the capital city of Punnata. But a major portion of Kittur was submerged in the Kabini back water. [What is the Kabini back water???]  Ravirameshwara Temple of Kittur is the only monument that survives there today. The temple is supposed to have been built during the time of Punnata ruler Ravidatta, and was called Ravirameshwara. “On the left side of the road, which leads to the temple, an interesting and a rare sculpture of a bullock cart has been found,” says Professor T Murugeshi, department of ancient history and archaeology, MSRS College, Shirva, in a press release. The cart with two bulls is made of granite and is about two feet in height. We have seen bullock carts and chariots from the Shatavahana period, but as panel figures. This one is an independent sculpture, simply displaying the person who is controlling the cart with ‘chavati’ or a whip in his right hand and holding the reins in his left hand. The wheels of the cart have an arch-shaped covering. Even today, similar carts are widely used in weddings and festivals in villages. Professor Murugeshi and Dr B Rajashekharappa date the cart to the 10th century, but Dr A Sundara holds that it was a kind of memorial figure datable to the Vijayanagar period. [Meaning - what?  Give us some dates!]  Though there are differences in dating the image, it was unanimously agreed that it is a rare sculpture. Professor Ushadevi, Savitha, Shekar, and students of history of the Government First Grade College, HD Kote, are responsible for this notable discovery from Punnata. For more information, contact: Professor Murugeshi, head of department of archaeology, MSRS College, Shirva, at 9482520933 / 2532808.

Enduring Belief in the Supernatural

Let's take a look at popular television shows on commercial (does not include Cable or Satellite television) today and in the not too distant past:

The Vampire Diaries
Once Upon a Time
Grimm
Supernatural
The Circle
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Beauty and the Beast (fairy tale - see Grimm and Once Upon a Time, above)

These are shows that came readily to mind; I'm sure there are lots more!

I am absolutely fascinated with the reality that today, more than ever, there are such shows being broadcast in prime-time.  All these shows - and we've got the Tea Party religious freaks trying to roll us back to the 18th century - pre French-Revolution!  I think to myself that this is just another form of "escapism" from today's really crappy world -- bad politics, bad economy, USA sinking into third world status, etc. etc. -- but - what the hell is really going on?  I mean - what does this mean? 

Minerva (online) has an interesting synopsis that probably dates to around Halloween (October 31, 2011), on witches -- it doesn't have a date on it, but I suppose it doesn't have to.  A disgraceful episode in American colonial history.  And, unfortunately, "witches" are still being hunted and killed today, all around the world.

The Witching Hour approaches

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Abundant textual evidence in the medieval and post-medieval period attests to the practice of witchcraft. Perhaps the most celebrated case is the Salem Witchcraft Trials of 1692. Archaeological evidence pertaining to witchcraft is understandably thinner on the ground than historical testimony given its secretive practice. A recent discovery in Tuscany may alter this perspective.

Archaeologists have recently discovered the skeleton of a woman from the early 13th century at Piombino. The bones were associated with 13 nails apparently driven into the jaw of the deceased. Lack of material evidence indicates that the woman's body had not been interred in a coffin or wrapped in a burial shroud as was customary in the medieval period.

Alfonso Forgione, based at the University of L'Aquila who is directing the excavation, believes that the unfortunate individual was executed for practising withcraft. Other nails were found surrounding the skeleton that had been nailed into items of clothing and the unorthodox characteristics of the burial lead him to his conclusions: 'This indicates to me that it was an attempt to make sure the woman even though she was dead did not rise from the dead and unnerve the locals who were no doubt convinced she was a witch with evil powers.'

In 2009 a female skull was found near Venice with a stone driven into its mouth. Contemporary superstition implemented such a technique to prevent vampires rising from the grave. Forgione believes that the nails driven into the skull of the woman in Tuscany had a similar intent. Interestingly, another female skeleton was recovered from the same site in Venice surrounded by 17 dice – an unlucky number that was associated with death in medieval times. It is curious that the number 17 can be arranged to create the Latin 'VIXI', meaning literally 'I have lived', in other words, 'I am dead'.

A possible contention against Forgione's hypothesis is that the discoveries outlined above were interred in consecrated ground in churchyards. He refutes this by suggesting 'that perhaps both women came from influential families and were not peasant class and so because of their class and connections were able to secure burial in consecrated Christian ground'. Whatever the truth to this hypothesis it makes a chilling and topical story as we approach the witching hours of Halloween at the end of October. Mark Merrony

Smooth Jazz: Keiko Matsui "Dreamwalk"

Ooohhhh, I like this, I like this.  I can see myself dancing out on my deck in the moonlight on a summer's night to this song...  I want to learn how to play the piano like this - one of the things on my "Bucket" List.  Starting another thing on my "Bucket" List tomorrow night after work - my first lesson with a chess coach.  EEK!