Opinion/Editorials
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Checkers solved… Chess next??
A report has been released that a computer scientist from the University of Alberta has solved the game of checkers (8×8 version). The venerable game which has been a source of entertainment for families has now joined the ranks of tic-tac-toe. This is what Professor Jonathan Schaeffer claims on his…
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Simutowe examines the Science of Chess
Perhaps it would serve us more as chess players if we paid attention to psychology, statistics and probability more often. We simply play chess. The aforementioned details… no matter how small, matter a great deal… at least at master level. ~IM Amon Simutowe ~ Zambian International Master Amon Simutowe penned…
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Is The Chess Drum a Racist Website?
Over the years, I have gotten tons of e-mail from chess players all over the world. The Chess Drum has been visited in nearly 200 countries and territories and has peaked at about 200,000 visitors monthly, a lot for a niche site. Most of the traffic outside of its American…
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The $50,000 Game
U.S. Chess Life online ran a story about IM Greg Shahade who was in Las Vegas for the World Series of Poker. His sister WGM Jennifer Shahade had won $8,000 and both Greg and father FM Michael Shahade were on the tables. After the WSOP, Greg was contacted by “Danny”…
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Interesting interview with Jesse Kraai
GM-elect Jesse Kraai was featured on the cover of the July 2007 Chess Life magazine. I remember reading a story on Kraai who was reputed to be a neighborhood troublemaker in his youth. When asked why he chose chess, he said it was the most violent game he could find.…
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Michigan’s answer to violence: Hip Hop Chess?
Another version of “Hip Hop Chess”? After a spate of killings in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area, the city is looking for ways to channel the energy of the youth during the summer months. Darlene King has devised an idea that she dubs “Hip Hop Chess.” Sound familiar? When I…
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Touching Article on R.O. Mitchell
Two days before R.O. Mitchell’s memorial service ran a very touching article in the Memphis Daily Helmsman by Stephanie Morton. The article revealed a side of Mitchell the chess world would not know. Oftentimes as chess players, we do not get to know the real person behind the board. It…
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Chess Wife Becky Covington redefines ‘Help Mate’
Charles Covington with his “helpmate” Becky Covington in 2006. Oftentimes one can look at a successful person and believe that their success is due to sheer initiative and self-determination. While there is some truth to this, a supporting cast is often needed to invoke confidence, motivation and moral support. Charles…
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Chess Thought and Self-Actualization
Chess is an intimately introspective activity. It involves an exercise of expression within a structured space with limited rules. When a person is confined in such a way, his/her personality and ego becomes a factor in this expression. Chess is interesting vehicle for expression because it encourages a deeper need…
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