Elsewhere on the Web : 2005 FIDE World Cup - The Players
The 128 players competing at the
FIDE
World Cup in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia,
(for more about the event, see Elsewhere on the Web2005 FIDE World Cup - Introduction,
19 November 2005)
qualified in many different ways.
Some were successful in previous World Championship events, others were successful in regional qualifying events, some were chosen because of their high standing in the world rating system, while others were handpicked by the organizers.
Let's look at the different ways that players earn the right to play in the World Championship cycle.
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One of the best moves to meet the Nimzo Indian Defense (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4) is 4.e3. Many authorities call this the 'Rubinstein Variation'. Unlike other moves, 4.e3 doesn't attempt to refute Black's setup. White builds a strong center and aims for flexible development. One idea is to continue Ng1-e2, recapturing with the Knight if Black plays ...Bxc3+.
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In
Titles for life?,
we copied an email message from a correspondent who asks, 'Should GM (IM, IA, etc.) titles stay for life?'
Your Chess Guide expands on the topic and asks, 'Aren't titles a little old fashioned? They were introduced before ratings were used.'
What do you think?
Elsewhere on the Web : 2005 FIDE World Cup - Introduction
The 2005-2007 cycle of the FIDE World Chess Championship kicks off 26 November in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, with the FIDE World Cup opening ceremony.
A total of 128 players have qualified to start the seven round knockout tournament.
The format and the importance of the event are not the same as the five previous FIDE World Championship knockout events, where half of the players were eliminated in each round and the World Championship title was at stake.
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The chess terms 'problem', 'puzzle', and 'study' are sometimes used interchangeably. Although they all have something to do with finding the best move in a given position, they have different meanings. Do you know the difference between the three terms?
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See also
Two Books by Burt Hochberg about Chess Problems,
our review of 'Award-Winning Chess Problems' and 'Outrageous Chess Problems'.
Most chess players can only dream about sitting at the board with a former World Champion challenger and learning the secrets of chess.
The Guardian's Stephen Moss has been doing just that with the publication's newest chess columnist, GM Nigel Short.
After beating Anatoly Karpov, himself a former World Champion, in the qualifying matches, Short faced Garry Kasparov in a memorable 1993 title match ('My opponent is Short and the match will be short', quipped Kasparov) that was more exciting than the 12.5-7.5 result would indicate.
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Our annual list of holiday gift ideas concentrates on chess sets. It starts with two sets designed to teach newcomers how to play the game, then moves on to lots of suggestions for theme sets. For good measure, we also mention a couple of fashion accessories.
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In
Google Print,
your Chess Guide says, 'I hate to use the word awesome, but this is awesome'. Here are hundreds, maybe thousands, of complete books about chess. Online!
The publishing houses are grumbling about copyright violation. Here today, gone tomorrow?
Women's chess is back in the spotlight.
The publication of 'Chess Bitch : Women In The Ultimate Intellectual Sport' by Jennifer Shahade
(Compare Prices)
is getting attention from chess and non-chess quarters alike.
Shahade, U.S. Women's Champion in 2002 and 2004, is often introduced as 'the strongest American-born female chess player of all time'.
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