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Norways Magnus Carlsen is the worlds best chess player, but the World Chess Championship title currently belongs to Ding Liren of China.

Ding, who won the title in April after a grueling 14-game match with Russias Ian Nepomniachtchi, has been absent from the chess world since May. Ding will make his return on Sept. 10 in the first round of Chess.coms annual Speed Chess Championship (SCC), the websites flagship tournament. The event is entirely online.

Despite winning the world title in classical chess, Ding has slid to No. 4 in the world by classical rating, according to 2700chess.com. Its debatable whether hes even the second-strongest in the world.

Ding opened as a -250 betting odds favorite in his first-round match in the SCC against Indias Arjun Erigaisi, just 20 years old. Ding, 30, appears slightly past his peak strength at this point in his career. Arjun, part of a new crop of juniors surging up the rankings, is only improving. Hes currently No. 29 in the world by classical rating.

Oddsmakers at Bwin, a BetMGM-affiliated sportsbook, have Arjun as a +180 underdog.

The event is a 16-player single-elimination bracket.

Matches consist of three parts, two blitz and one bullet.

Matches start with 90 minutes of 5+1, followed by 60 minutes of 3+1 and 30 minutes of 1+1. The chess grandmasters earn one point for a win, 0.5 points for a draw and no points for a loss. The player with the most cumulative points at the end advances to the next round.

The format has been well-suited for American GM Hikaru Nakamura, winner of the past five events. Nakamura is the third-best chess player in the world by classical rating.

Despite the streak, Nakamuras +125 odds to claim another SCC title are longer than Carlsens (+110). GM Alireza Firouzja of France (world No. 5) is third on the odds list with +500.

No other player has tournament winner odds, but you can bet on the rest of the field at +1400.

Heres the full list of competitors:

The Ding-Arjun match is among the most interesting to kick off the event.

Ding could have some ring rust due to taking the summer off from competition, but he could also be fresh and well-rested for the tournament.

Meanwhile, Arjun has been playing a lot. He went deep in last months FIDE World Cup, a weeks-long knockout tournament held over the board. Arjun lost in a nail-biter nine-game match to fellow Indian GM Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, the eventual runner-up. Arjun has played nearly 20 games against top-level competition since his World Cup exit.

Riding the wave of youthful energy, Arjun appears to be in great form this summer.

The -250 odds for Ding to prevail over Arjun appear to assume the former will be in his best form. We believe its too big of a gamble to bet Ding at that price.

We can rule out Ding for a wager, but is Arjun worth a punt at +180?

According to 2700chess.com, Arjun and Ding have played just three games together. All three were draws. Theres not much to go on there.

On Chess.com, Arjun and Ding have virtually identical ratings under their official accounts. However, Arjun plays far more often on the site, which could help him in the match. Lets look at their stats.

Arjun

Ding

Based on the information we have, this online match appears to be a toss-up.

If this match is roughly 50-50, the +180 price on Arjun is worth a wager. Arjuns odds imply that he has a roughly 35% chance of winning, which we think is too low.

Miguel Pereira/Getty Images

Excerpt from:
Chess World Champion Returns To Competition As (Overpriced ... - Forbes

Five rounds have been already played at the European Youth Chess Championship 2023 in Mamaia, Romania, and only four rounds left to be played before the announcement of the Winners. Most of the categories still have the shared lead with the open battles for the throne, but a few players emerged as the sole leaders of the event.

Scoring perfect 5/5 points, Artem Kucher (UKR) and Andria Jakhaia (GEO) tie for the top of the Open U8 section. They are followed by eight players who tie for the third place with 4 points, each. In the same age category in the girls competition, Mehriban Ahmadli (AZE) and Daria Kravchuk (UKR) tie for the first place scoring 4.5 points each. A group of six players follow them scoring 4 points each.

The top-seeded player of the Open U10 category, Marc Llari (FRA, 2029) emerged as the sole leader of the Championship with the score of 4.5 points. As many as 12 players tie for the second place scoring 4 points each. Veselow Zoe (ENG), Maria Anistoroaei (ROU) and Asnad Bakhshizada (AZE) score 4.5 points each to tie for the top of the Girls U10 section.

Scoring 4.5 points, three players share the lead in the Open U12 section: Pau Marin Ferragut (ESP, 2193), Tyhran Ambartsumian (ARM, 1877) and Gabriel Gabadadze (GEO, 1732). WCM Saadat Bashirli (AZE) is the sole leader of the Girls U12 section with the maximum 5/5 points, while Sara Maria Sunea (ROU) holds clear second with 4.5 points.

FM Benik Agasarov (ARM, 2321) won all five games to be the sole leader of the Open U14 competition, and Rustam Rustamov (AZE, 1995) trails by half a point with a score of 4.5 points. Mariam Tsetskhladze (GEO, 1842), Alexia-Andrea Iordache (ROU, 1827) and Lala Huseynova (AZE, 1847) tie for the top of the Girls U14 category with 4.5 points each.

Three players co-lead the Open U16 section: FM Diego Macias Pino (ESP, 2438), Jan Malek (POL, 2422) and FM Jakub Seemann (POL, 2422) scoring 4.5 points each. In the same age category, girls competition, WFM Agnesa Stepania Ter Avetisjana (LAT, 2080) scores perfect 5/5 points and has the sole lead in the event. Klara Szczotka (POL, 1961) follows her with 4.5 points, while three players tie for third with 4 points each.

IM Elham Abdrlauf (NOR, 2541) and IM Timothe Razafindratsima (FRA, 2450) tie for the top of the Open U18 category with the score of 4.5 points each while eight players follow them scoring 4 points. WFM Zeynep Ciftci (TUR, 2111) scores 4.5 points to be in the sole lead of the Girls U18 tournament, and WFM Ayan Allahverdiyeva (AZE, 2169), WFM Martyna Wikar (POL, 2136), WFM Sofia Blokhin (EST, 1917) and Astghik Hakobyan (ARM, 1841) follow with 4 points.

All results, rankings and pairings can be found here.

Today is the free day and the games will continue tomorrow starting at 15:00 (local time). The top boards of each age section are broadcasted live and the coverage can be followed through Chess24,ChessBase,Chess.com,Followchessetc. Live video coverage from the event including the video from the playing venue can be followed through theRomanian Chess Federation Facebook pageor through theRomanian Chess Federation twitch channel

A rich photo gallery is available on the RCF Facebook page.

More here:
European Youth Chess Championship 2023 is halfway through - European Chess Union

Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout — who was released last year from U.S. custody in a prisoner swap — this week criticized politicians who “play chess” with detainees.

“I feel really sorry when this wheel of destiny go[es] through somebody else[‘s] li[fe] ruining it,” Bout, who was exchanged for WNBA star Brittney Griner, said in an interview with ESPN.

He added that people like Griner, or himself, sometimes “pay a price” because politicians try to “play chess, on this big chessboard which they call geopolitics.”

Bout, more commonly known as the “Merchant of Death,” also revealed that he told Griner “good luck” during their prisoner exchange last year. Griner spent 10 months detained in Russia for bringing vape cartridges with hashish oil with her.

“I said … ‘I wish you good luck, and, you know, and we both went to our, you know, planes,” he said.

The Biden administration has faced criticism from Republicans for the swap deal. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) called the exchange “a gift” to Russian President Vladimir Putin at the time.

“Negotiations for release of wrongful detainees are often very difficult, that’s just a reality,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in response to Republican criticism.

Bout had been sentenced to 25 years in 2012 for charges related to trafficking weapons and conspiring to kill Americans. Because of Bout’s dealing background, Fox News’ Peter Doocy said Russia got a better deal in the wake of the swap because Griner is a professional athlete.

“The professional athlete is also an American citizen, let’s not forget that,” Jean-Pierre pushed back. “The president felt that this was an opportunity to bring Brittney home.”

Bout in the recent interview was asked about the criticism, and he said it was similar to how the Russians felt when he was detained.

“Well, think of this, that the same outrage was in Russia when I was sentenced to 25 years. Many people would say, ‘For what? Just for talking? Are you serious?’ he told ESPN.

“There is not even a proper translation to Russian of the crime of conspiracy,” Bout continued. “We don’t have such even the legal term, So, this is this same kind of outrage in Russia about my case and about many other cases.”

Continue reading here:
Viktor Bout decries politicians that play chess with detainees like himself, Griner - The Hill

Come and show your support for the chess enthusiasts participating in Chess in the Park.

This is an annual, free chess tournament that welcomes players of all ages and skill levels. The games take place at Bethesda Fountain in Central Park. If you'd like to participate, make sure to register by September 12th, and if there's room, on-site registration may be available.

Exciting prizes such as chess sets, trophies, medals, and more will be presented after the final round. Besides the main tournament, you can enjoy a diverse range of chess-inspired entertainment and brain-teasing activities, including a thrilling Grandmaster Speed Chess Match and challenging chess puzzles to put your skills to the test.

Check-in:8:30 AM10:00 AM

Opening Remarks:10:45 AM

Rounds:11:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 1:00 PM, 2:00 PM, 3:00 PM, and 4:00 PM

Awards Ceremony:4:30 PM

(SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

Youth Unrated:Open to unrated players under age 12

Adult/Teen Unrated:Open to unrated players ages 13 and up

Novice:Open to players rated under 900

Reserve:Open to players rated 900-1299

Intermediate:Open to players rated 1300 to 1699

Open Championship:Open to players rated 1700 and above

For more information visit Chess in the Schools

Original post:
Chess in the Park Rapid Open 2023 | NYC - Centralpark.com

The 2023 FIDE World Women's Team Championship begins today, September 6, in Bydzosgcz, Poland, with teams representing 12 federations competing over the six-day rapid event.

The format of the team championship which is similar to previous World Team Championships begins with the teams divided into two groups of six. Each team plays the other five teams in its group, with the top four teams from each group advancing to single elimination matches in the quarterfinals. The group stages will take place over three days, with the knockout matches taking place September 9-11. September 11 will also feature a third-place match.

Image Caption

Members of Team USA at the opening ceremony (courtesy Michael Walusza/FIDE)

Team USA enters the tournament as the highest rated team in Group B, led by FM Alice Lee and IM Anna Zatonskih. WGM Tatev Abrahamyan, IM Annie Wang, and WGM Atousa Pourkashiyan round out the roster. This will be Pourkashiyan's first championship representing the U.S.

Image Caption

Coach GM Melikset Khachiyan at the drawing of lots during the opening ceremony (courtesy Michael Walusza/FIDE)

Group B also features a promising young team from China, a German team led by GM Elisabeth Paehtz, and a Bulgarian team led by former Women's World Champion GM Antoaneta Stefanova. With four players playing each round, it will be interesting to see what decisions coach GM Melikset Khachiyan makes in upcoming rounds.

All matches will be played at the time control of 45-minutes per player with ten-second increment beginning from move one. Tiebreaks (in knockout matches) will be played at the blitz time control of three-minutes per-player with two-second increments.

A new look for WGM Tatev Abrahamyan (courtesy Michael Walusza/FIDE)

The anticipated encounter between German GM Elisabeth Paehtz and FM Alice Lee ended peacefully (courtesy Michael Walusza/FIDE)

WGM Atousa Pourkashiyan is representing the U.S. in an international match for the first time (courtesy Michael Walusza/FIDE)

At the time of writing, USA already defeated Germany in the first match of their group stage thanks to Zatonskih's win over up-and-coming WGM Dinara Wagner.

Live commentary can be followed here, with games broadcast onChess.com. Round two of the group stages begins at 11 a.m. CDT, with play resuming Thursday, September 7, at 8 a.m. CDT.

See the article here:
2023 FIDE World Women's Team Championship Kicks Off | US ... - uschess.org