February Preview / This month in Chess Life and CLO Editor’s Letter: Striking an Attitude
If I paid more attention to the position on the board than the position the player was sitting in, perhaps I wouldn’t be mired in the 1500s. But it is the players who sit at the chessboard who interest me just a little bit more than the latest theory. When I covered the 2002 K-12 Championship for this magazine’s May 2003 issue, I described a time scramble to decide the championship between Kazim Gulamali and Tatev Abrahamyan:
“Abrahamyan appeared almost bored throughout the tournament, right up to the moment when she sat down across from Gulamali. However, the last- round struggle took everything she had, and during the last few minutes, she was sitting straight up, chin cradled in thumb and forefinger, ankles crossed, and her left foot shaking rapidly. When Gulamali resigned, Abrahamyan appeared overcome with emotion and her face flushed as she held both sides of her head to regain some equilibrium.”
Perhaps Tatev’s position jumped out at me because it is identical to the one my father would assume at the board. When I think of my father today (he died in the early 1980s), the first image that usually jumps to mind is his chessboard posture. I know I am not alone in being intrigued by this aspect of our endlessly enriching game. Paul Hoffman, who worked with me as a consultant redesiging this magazine in 2006, related to me his fascination watching GM Alexndar Ivanov at the chessboard, where the 1995 U.S. Champion will often crane his neck back and stare straight towards the ceiling while he is calculating.
While Ivanov’s chiropracter’s dream may be unique, there are many other postures that appear again and again. Betsy Carina Dynako has put together a gallery of these images (with some support from Chris Roberts) that you can see beginning on page 36. You may have some addditional themes in mind or better descriptions than we came up with; if you have a photo or a suggestion, please send to us at
letters@uschess.org. Here’s to your chess life. -Daniel Lucas, Editor
CHESS LIFE ONLINE PREVIEW: FEBRUARY
Winter Chess Parties The four Amateur Team Championships, held in three locations over President’s Day weekend (the North is held the following weekend), are some of the most-awaited events of the year. Look for coverage on CLO of the South in Norcross, Georgia, the West in Santa Clara, Califonia and the North in Schaumburg, Illinois. The biggest of the four, the U.S. Amateur Team East or World Team Championship (see page 47), will feature special guest FIDE Presidential candidate Garry Kasparov (photo, left). Find U.S. Chess Scoop video coverage from the East on CLO or at our YouTube channel at “USChess- Federation.”
KIDS IN CALIFORNIA Look for photos and games from the rapid National event, the U.S. Junior Chess Congress (February 28 through March 2), held this year in Southern California, just a month before the National High Schools heads in the same direction to San Diego.
GRANDMASTER IN GIBRALTAR Recently crowned Grandmaster Irina Krush will be hosting commentary at the popular Gibraltar Tradewise Chess Festival (January 27 through February 6) this year. Look for Krush’s photos and updates on the event on CLO.
SOCIALIZE Join us on
facebook.com/ uschess and
twitter.com/uschess to share your thoughts on CLO stories and experiences at the U.S. Amateur Team Championships..
GM IAN ROGERS This month’s Cover Story is by our globe-trotting frequent contributor, the first Australian grandmaster.
DR. ALEXEY ROOT, WIM The UTD GM Invitational is reported by the author of six books, including Thinking with Chess: Teaching Children Ages 5-14 (Mongoose Press, 2012). She teaches college credit courses, available worldwide via UT Dallas eLearning, about chess in education.
DAVID DANA-BASHIAN Strategic Timing is by a USCF life member and a U.S. Master Solver.
PETE TAMBURRO Our Ben Franklin in Philadelphia author has been writing for Chess Life since 1973 and for Chess Life for Kids since its inception. He is the author of Learn Chess From the Greats and his book Openings for Amateurs will come out in 2014. He is a newly retired teacher of AP U.S. History and a former high school and college basketball coach.
www.uschess.org
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CONTRIBUTORS
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