Playing a simul against strong grandmaster is usually a celebration for amateur chess player. There are some grandmasters in the category of legends and most chess players would like to play against them. I mean grandmasters like Kasparov, Karpov or… Korchnoi. If you will spend days in the middle of October somewhere in the Czech Republic, Europe, you have a chance!

There will be a weekend event called Chess Classic held in Spa Hotel Vráž. Two top grandmasters from older generation will participate. And as the title of this post speaks those players will be gentelmen Viktor Lvovich Korchnoi and Vlastimil Hort.

They will play two exhibitional games and on Saturday (October 16th) they will play a simul against interested chess amateurs. And (I must add) amateurs willing to pay about 2.000 EUR for a simul game against GM Korchnoi or 1.200 EUR for a simul game against GM Hort. The number of boards is limited – 6 for Mr. Korchnoi and 30 for Mr. Hort.

Do you play chess simul against strong players? Who was your most interesting opponent and what was the result your game?

And additional question – would you pay money for playing a simul against GM?

Photo source: Wikipedia

It is the end of working week so you may forgive me a bit gossip post. Am I right? What if the chess genius of Bobby Fischer is still live in his newly discovered daughter? The remains of chess genius Bobby Fischer will be dug up to determine whether he is the father of a nine-year-old girl.

Lawyers fighting Jinky Young’s case, who had requested the dig, described it as a “last resort” to prove she is his daughter after searches for his blood samples above ground had failed.

The youngster is in line to inherit his estate if the paternity test shows a match with Fischer, whose defeat of Russian rival Boris Spassky in 1972 gave the US a symbolic PR victory during the Cold War.

Iceland’s Supreme Court authorised the exhumation of the US-born player, who made the country his home for three years until his death, aged 64, in January 2008.

“If she is confirmed as the daughter of Bobby Fischer, then by Icelandic law she is his legal heir,” Ms Young’s lawyer said.

You can rest the rest of article on Sky.com

The oldest living chess grandmaster Andre Lilienthal died yesterday. He passed away at the age of 99.

He played and won games with several chess champions like Emanuel Lasker, Capablanca, Alekhine, Euwe, Botvinnik, Smyslov and the first women champion Menchik. Lilienthal received the title of chess grandmaster in 1950, where the first group of chess players was awarded by this title.

Andre Lilienthal was born in 1911 in Moscow, Russia into the Hungarian family. They moved to Hungary soon and he lived there until 1935 when he emigrated “back” to Soviet Union. In 1976 he returned back to Hungary.

In 1940 he tied first place in the Soviet Championship, which was probably his biggest chess success. Later on he was a trainer of Tigran Petrosjan or the second of Vasily Smyslov during his matches against Botvinik for the crown of the world chess champion.

SAINT LOUIS, April 27, 2010–Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura, the reigning U.S. Champion and the highest-rated American player, announced today he will be moving to Saint Louis following the U.S. Championship, which is scheduled for May 13-25.

The two-time U.S. Champion is relocating to Saint Louis from Seattle because of the support the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis has provided for American chess, particularly at the top level. The Chess Club’s creation of a burgeoning chess scene in Saint Louis also factored into Nakamura’s decision.

“It feels like what’s happening in Saint Louis, both at the top level and the scholastic, grassroots level, is something I want to be a part of, and I feel like this is the one area of the country where things are really happening,” Nakamura said.

Nakamura’s tournament schedule will not be affected as he plans to continue to compete in elite events throughout the coming year. Between travels, Nakamura will conduct periodic lectures and simuls, participate in special events and provide occasional content for the club’s website, www.saintlouischessclub.org.

Currently, the reigning U.S Champion is preparing to defend his title at the 2010 U.S. Championship, scheduled to be held at the CCSCSL May 13-25.

“That’s my main focus right now,” Nakamura said.

Nakamura traveled to Saint Louis in April for the Bill Wright Saint Louis Open, an event that brought out seven GMs and a number of other titled players. The trip turned out to be fortuitous for both Nakamura and the CCSCSL as it sparked his decision torelocate.

“It feels like all of the events that are being held here are organized so professionally, and I’m really excited about being a part of it,” Nakamura said.

CCSCSL Executive Director Tony Rich said Nakamura’s decision will benefit not just Saint Louis, the club and the American chess scene as whole, but Nakamura as well.

“We hope that the support Nakamura will receive in Saint Louis will help him reach his full potential,” Rich said. “He has achieved so much in just the past year, it is impossible to predict how far he could go. Nakamura’s appearance and success on the world stage can help promote American chess at all levels.”

Nakamura’s recent results on the world stage have proved that he ranks among the very best players in the world. At the 2010 World Team Championship in Bursa, Turkey, Nakamura earned a gold medal for his board one performance and also led the U.S. team to silver medals. Along the way, he defeated reigning World Cup Champion Boris Gelfand in a no holds-barred attacking game, a perfect example of his uncompromising chess style. Nakamura is currently rated 2735, #17 in the world. The 2010 World Team squad was sponsored by the Chess Club Scholastic Center of Saint Louis, which helped to develop Nakamura’s relationship with the club.

The 22-year-old Japanese-American is used to winning tournaments and breaking records. Born in Osaka, Japan in 1987, Nakamura was raised in New York, just outside of Manhattan. At the age of 10, he became the youngest American master in history, and when he was 15, he broke Bobby Fischer’s record as the youngest ever American GM (which was since broken by Italian-American GM Fabiano Caruana and GM Ray Robson, who became the youngest GM ever to play for America.) Nakamura is also a legendary blitz player, and author of “Bullet Chess: One Minute to Mate.”

Bookmark the official site so you don’t miss any of the action as GM Nakamura defends his title at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis from May 13-25.

Celebrate the inextricable relationship between chess and art with 9 Queens! On May 1, 9 Queens will partner with the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tucson and the Downtown Tucson Partnership to present the Dia De Los Ninos 9 Queens and Kings Chess Tournament. This free chess tournament is part of range of family friendly activities held throughout the day in downtown Tucson. Come by the newly renovated MOCA home located at 265 South Church Avenue at 10:00 am to sign in for the tournament or stop by throughout the day for a pick-up game.

Players of all ages and quality are welcome at the tournament!

You can see the official program on this URL: http://9queens.org/2010/04/22/chess-and-art-at-moca/