Coffee Break ChessGM Alexander Baburin's online newsletter |
The last month was incredibly busy for me and hence some delay with this issue. But on the bright side, there are lots of news to share with you, so I will try to catch up with them now and in CBC-22.
The chess auction, which took place on the 16th of January in Dublin, was a huge success - most (54 out of 62) lots were sold and in many cases prices went much above the estimates. There was a lot of interest among chess collectors and many took part in bidding. Our business idea is very simple: sellers send us their stuff (books, sets, memorabilia, etc.), we describe their items properly and make sure that many potential buyers see them. Sellers receive the hammer price less 12.5% commission. Buyers pay the hammer price plus 12.5% commission (as well as postage). Our next auction will be in April 2000, so if you have anything to offer or just want an evaluation, please don't hesitate to contact me. For more information please visit the Web site of International Chess Auctions: chessauction.tripod.com
One of the most important developments in chess on the Web is the launch of Kasparov Chess www.clubkasparov.com. This is a very ambitious project (as everything Kasparov does!) and it has great potential, taking into consideration the number of strong players, who are involved in it. However, at the moment there are various technical problems with the site, some of which I experienced too.
Personally, I feel that the likes of TWIC http://www.chesscenter.com/twic/twic.html and the Chess Cafe www.chesscafe.com, as well as many others, will remain popular, as they offer valuable content to players. But as we will all benefit from the emergence yet another great site, I wish Kasparov Chess every success and hope that they will overcome their technical problems soon.
One curious finding - recently I saw an ad on newsgroups, offering a chess Web site for sale. I don't know whether it did sell, but if it's still available, it may be your lucky chance to grab some space on the Web - for mere $21,000! :-) As for me, I can't afford it and thus have to develop my own site - ababurin.tripod.com. Among recent additions there you can find a very curious Bishop vs. Knight endgame, article about chess in Japan by Akira Watanabe and some photos.
Coffee Break Chess in Italian
There is good news for those CBC readers whose first language is Italian - CBC is now available in that language at: www.messaggerie.it.
In January I played 3 games in BL (2 draws and 1 win) and in 4NCL (1 win and 1 loss). In UK my team Wood Green is in the second position freespace.virgin.net/nigel.chess96/4ncl/4n-m-idx.htm, while in Germany my team Delmenhorster SK is in third place, after the mighty teams of Porz and Solingen. Recently Porz beat Solingen (4.5-3.5) and now it looks likely to win the event. More information on BL can be found at: www.schachbund.de/schachbl.
Reading Chess Life recently, I was surprised to see some unusual names for tournaments: 'GM Gufeld Open', 'David Bronstein Tuesday Open' and 'John Watson Open'. The latter is a fundraiser to cover medical expenses of IM Watson, which is a good idea. But it's interesting to know why other 'personalised' opens emerge. If this trend continues, be prepared to play in the 'Baburin Open' in Dublin! :-)
On the serious side, I am considering to host a chess workshop in Dublin. The idea is to combine the popularity of Dublin as a fashionable tourist destination with some chess. You can study chess in the morning and afternoon and then enjoy social life of Dublin (its famous pubs, for example) in the evening. I can help by providing list of hotels and B&Bs in Dublin. Dublin is only 1 hour & £50 away from UK and probably 5-10 hours and $300 away from US. So, if you are interested in combining a trip to the Emerald Island with some chess study, please e-mail me. Such workshop might take place around Easter holiday or in May, depending on the response I'll get. Once I hear from interested people, I will work out the details. I am sure that some Irish players will be interested in the workshop too.
Meanwhile, I plan to play in the USA in March. I realise that a lot of CBC readers live in the US, so if you would interested in hosting a lecture/simultaneous exhibition in your chess club, please contact me. My US chess tour might commence in early March and last till early April. I might be also available for individual and group lessons while in the USA.
Today I am flying to Italy, where I will play in the St. Vincent Open. You can follow the tournament at www.netvallee.it/scacchi.
Two Grandmasters died recently. I briefly met Mr. Koltanowski in San Francisco in 1997. He was in a very good form for his age and was still involved in chess. Koltanowski became famous for his blindfold simultaneous exhibitions. He also travelled a lot with lectures and simuls and wrote a number of books. Native of Belgium, he contributed a lot to chess in the USA.
I did not know Alexey Vizhmanavin well enough, but played him 3 times (lost two games and won one). At his prime he was a very strong GM with an active style of play. His best years were in the late 80s and early 90s - he won Moscow championships in 1984 and 1986 and USSR championship in 1987. He represented Russia at chess Olympiad in Manila in 1992. I believe that he had serious problems with drinking, which got worse when his marriage broke down. In last years he did not play much. Here I would like to show two of our games:
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Vyzhmanavin (2555) - Baburin (2415)
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Baburin (2520) - Vyzhmanavin (2580)
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A good weekend to all my readers - I'll be back soon!
I am very grateful to Igor Yagolnitser for his help with this project. For assistance regarding CBC, please contact Igor at: MOHCTP@ix.netcom.com
Alexander Baburin, Dublin
ababurin.tripod.com
chessauction.tripod.com
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