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M. Night Shyamalan was right about Josh Hartnett. Beneath that inviting smile and puppy dog eyes lie the black heart of a killer. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter about his recent appearance on The Bear, Harnett made nice. He talked warmly about the sweet Taylor Swift concert he took his daughters to, the magical carbonara in Lake Garda, Italy, and the psychological warfare his character is conducting on his future wifes former spouse. Yes, chef. This guys a sicko.

Three memorable moments from the 81st Golden Globe Awards

In the season three episode Violet, Hartnett appears as Frank, the new fianc of Riches ex-wife. When Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) drops his daughter, Eva (Annabelle Toomey), off at Franks for the weekend, Frank corners Richie with the intent of torturing his poor, stupid rival. Apologizing to Richie for not giving him the heads up about the whole marrying his ex-wife thing, Franks awkward demeanor is a ruse performed to make sure Richie saw the fucking nail polish adorning Franks fingers.

Hartnet explains that he loves working with Ebon because hes very reactive, but his character needs to feel like this is all above board and that Richie wont resent Frank for marrying his ex-wife. Hes genuinely in love with Tiffany but doesnt want to make anything difficult for his new stepdaughter, or for his wife, or for himself, Hartnett says. This is a really tricky thing to navigate. Its very high stakes, all set to Taylor Swift.

And with the magic words Taylor Swift, like Adrian Veidt launching a giant squid 35 minutes before Dan Dreiberg could reach him, Hartnett reveals the mastery of his plan. There were a few things I did to maximize how intimidating he would be to Richie, he says. Like the nail polish.

Eagle-eyed Bear watchers undoubtedly clocked the multicolor nail polish adorning Hartnetts delicate digits. Richie sure did. My girls are constantly painting my fingernails and I thought, thats something Frank would be proud of as a stepdad, Hartnett says. And Richie would see it and be like, Oh, this makes me feel terrible. I also wanted it to look like even though he has this big beautiful house, that hes been working on it himself.

How can Richie compete with a guy who works on the very house he owns and allows his future stepdaughter to paint his nails? If the paint is dry, maybe he could consider ripping Richies still-beating heart from his chest. Richie has been replaced. As usual, the point goes to Hartnett.

Read more here:
Cold-blooded Josh Hartnett played 4-D chess with nail polish on The Bear - The A.V. Club

Enschede, Netherlands DGT, the manufacturer of chess sets used in the Tata Steel Chess Tournament is being accused online of changing the Queen piece to have a man jaw.

DGT recently revealed their newest set and a contingent of players in the Chess community are furious over what they are calling a man jaw

This is an atrocious tragedy and a blatant attack on our game, posted Twitter user WhitePiecePower. I always figured our game was safe from DEI and ESG garbage but I guess I was wrong. They took our beautiful, sexy, and feminine Queen and gave her a blocky and defined man jaw. This is a pathetic move to appease the woke overlords and we must fight back.

Why would they do this, posted KingMe69. The Queen in the old set was an iconic sex symbol. She had poise and grace, a nice soft face. Now shes much more striking with a defined square jawline like a man. Are they trying to make us gay?

DGT has defended the new Queen piece and claims there is no woke conspiracy nor do they think the piece has a man jaw.

To be honest we have no idea what these complaints are, said Dirk Jansen, a piece designer at DGT. When we first heard them we thought it was a prank but apparently these people are serious. We wanted to update our pieces and we thought this new Queen design was more striking but equally sexy. There are tons of real-life women we based this design on. Nobody made us change the Queen piece and weve never heard of this Sweet Baby Inc. we keep getting threatening messages about.

Online personality Pawwnz, who is leading the charge against the new Queen piece believes that DGT isnt telling the entire truth.

Theres something they arent telling us, most likely because they cant. Theres simply no way they willingly made this change without being strong-armed by some DEI ESG overseer demanding them to make the Queen masculine and ugly. I will get to the bottom of this and we will get the Queen changed back to the sexy woman she should be and the best way for you to support this cause is to become a paid subscriber to my account.

At press time, Pawwnz and the other players have moved on from the Queen piece and have begun complaining about the use of the black pieces in the marketing of the new set

Read this article:
Chess Developers Accused of Giving Queen a "Man Jaw" - Hard Drive

Press release

More than 15,000 people are expected to descend on Londons Trafalgar Square on Sunday, July 7, for ChessFest 2024, the UKs biggest chess event.

The festival, now in its fourth year, will draw chess enthusiasts from across the country, including many of the countrys top grandmasters, for a day of fun suitable for every level of player. It is organised by the charity Chess in Schools and Communities (CSC) and will take place from 11am to 6pm.

This years star turn will be nine-year-old Harrow schoolgirl Bodhana Sivanandan, England's first world youth champion in 25 years.

CSC can also reveal today the prodigy has been picked for Englands 2024 Chess Olympiad womens team. When she competes in Budapest this September, we believe she will be the youngest sports star ever to play in a full England team.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Bodhana

Bodhana said:

"ChessFest is such a fun event, I had a great time last year. I'm so pleased to be picked for England, it's a great honour and I'm looking forward to being partofateam."

With the support of our main sponsor, XTX Markets, Westminster Council and the Mayor of London, ChessFest is expected to attract even more than last years 15,000 people, as the whole of the iconic square will be taken over for a day of free and fun family-friendly chess activities.

So why not come on down to Trafalgar Square everyone is invited, no need to book just turn up on Sunday 7th July for a full day of free chess fun!

England selector and chief executive of CSC Malcolm Pein said:

"It's wonderful to have Bodhana, England's first world youth champion for 25 years, coming to ChessFest. We can announcetoday that she has been selected to play for Englands Womens team at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest this September. At nine years of age, she must surely be the youngest to be selected to represent England in any international sporting competition.

You can challenge Bodhana on Sunday in Trafalgar Square where she'll be playing 20 opponents simultaneously as part of ChessFest, a free chess festival for all the family.

The chess craze in the UK triggered by NetflixsThe Queens Gambithas created millions of new players and, a golden generation of emerging talent, that includes Shreyas Royal (15), Ethan Pang (9) and Supratit Banerjee (9). They will also be at ChessFest taking on all-comers on Sunday at speed chess."

So why not come on down to Trafalgar Square everyone is invited, no need to book just turn up on Sunday 7th July for a full day of free chess fun!

Youll be able to:

This years ChessFest theme is Alice Through the Looking Glass, the wonderful 19th century childrens fantasy tale by Lewis Carroll that features dramatic chess games.

Will the Red Queen triumph over the White King on our living chess board? Will the March Hare overcome Tweedledum & Tweedledee?

Youll be invited to take part and cheer on your favourite characters as our professional troupe of 32 actors play out the roles of the chess pieces and bring this famous story to life for a 21st century audience.

You can also take part in live linkup challenge matches between ChessFest participants on Trafalgar Square and our sister ChessFest event in Hull.

All the action from the live chess games and challenge matches will be broadcast on a giant screen at the foot of Nelson's column.

So, whether youre coming along with family & friends, your school or local chess club, everyone will find fun activities to take part in.

For a flavour of what to look forward to at ChessFest, you can watch a video of the inaugural ChessFest here.

Please spread the word about ChessFest to your friends, family, school and workmates we look forward to seeing you there!

Everything you need to know about ChessFest 2024 is at: https://chess-fest.com

You can also follow us social media at:

About Chess in Schools and Communities (CSC):

Chess in Schools and Communities is a UK-wide charity founded in 2009, whose mission is to improve childrens educational outcomes and social development by introducing them to the game of chess. We run over 1,000 projects in schools, libraries and prisons and a world-class tournament, the London Chess Classic, each December.

About XTX Markets:

ChessFest is supported by XTX Markets, a world-leading algorithmic trading firm delivering quality liquidity across financial markets.

See more here:
Sunday, July 7: Great Chess Fest in London - Chess News | ChessBase

British chess sensation WFM Bodhana Sivanandan continues to make chess history. Now the nine-year-old prodigy is set to become the youngest player ever to represent England in an international sporting competition.

Sivanandan is one of five players selected for England's women's team in the 2024 Chess Olympiad, that takes place in Budapest, Hungary from September 11-22. She will play alongside veterans IM Jovanka Houska, IM Harriet Hunt, and WGM Katarzyna Toma, all in their 30s and 40s, while WGM Yao Lan is 23.

Im so pleased to be picked for England. Its a great honor and Im looking forward to being part of a team," Sivanandan said.

Teammate Houska commented, "I've had a lot of players say to me they're terrified of playing her!"

According to the Guardian, she is likely the youngest to ever represent England in any international sporting competition. England selector and chief executive of Chess In Schools & Communities IM Malcolm Peincalled her inclusion entirely justified.

Bodhanas success at European level includes victories over many established players, and her fearless style of play and immense focus on the board has already caused a sensation in the chess world, he told the Guardian.

Her fearless style of play and immense focus on the board has already caused a sensation in the chess world.

Malcolm Pein

Sivanandan will be part of a powerful England team, whose open representativesGMs Nikita Vitiugov, David Howell, Michael Adams,Gawain Jones, and Luke McShane, are the country's top-five on the rating list and potential medal contenders.

While Sivanandan is set to become one of the youngest participants in the 2024 Chess Olympiad, she won't be the youngest ever. In 2022, eight-year-old Randa Sedar played for Palestine. Other youngsters have also played for smaller nations.

Sivanandan has stunned the chess world and made headlines all over the world with her record-breaking performances. Last year she became England's first World Youth Chess Champion in 25 years, winning a historic triple gold medal by scoring an incredible 33/33. She followed up by sensationally winning the woman's prize in the European Woman's Blitz Championship, beating an IM and drawing a GM along the way.

Her rise continued this year, jumping 327 rating points to 2185 and positioning herself as the world's second highest-rated player under nine, only rivaled by compatriot Ethan Pang. She recently earned the WFM title and is edging closer to the woman international master title as well, becoming the youngest ever to earn a norm.

Sivanandan has also caught the attention of the greatest female player in history, GM Judit Polgar. Earlier this year, Bodhana met the legend in her home in Budapest, getting a masterclass that was filmed by Chess.com. A video of the meeting is set to be released this month.

Bodhana will next be in action on July 7 at the annual ChessFest at London's Tragalgar Square, while she will also play in Chess.com's Kids vs. Stars on July 16, where she will compete against Houska and WGM Nemo Zhou in a fun series of matches.

Go here to see the original:
9-Year-Old Bodhana To Become England's Youngest Ever Olympian - Chess.com

A fourth day full of draws means that GM Fabiano Caruana, who played GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabutoday, goes into the final round of the Superbet Chess Classic Romania with a half-point lead. The longest game of the round, between GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov and GM Bogdan-Daniel Deac, lasted almost six hours.

The other draws occurred in GM Alireza Firouzja vs. GM Ian Nepomniachtchi, GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave vs. GM Wesley So, and GM Gukesh Dommaraju vs. GMAnish Giri.

The final round starts Friday, July 5, at 7 a.m. ET / 13:00 CEST / 16:30 p.m. IST.

Superbet Chess Classic Romania Round 8 Results

Superbet Chess Classic Romania Standings After Round 8

On what was Independence Day in the U.S., voting day in the U.K., GM Alexei Shirov's birthday, and Alice in Wonderland Day, there were some festivities in Bucharest as well. The Olympic chess torch passed through the city on its way to Budapesta tradition that was started ahead of the 2022 Olympiad in Chennai.

However, celebrations among the tournament players will have to wait until the final day, as once again, we saw five draws and no changes in the standings. Caruana will defend his half-point lead tomorrow as Black against Giri, who is still looking for his first win.

Abdusattorov - Deac

Abdusattorov was visibly disappointed when he agreed to a draw after five hours and 55 minutes and 84 moves. Apparently, he felt that he had been very close to scoring a win today, but that was likely some sort of optical illusion. With a knight and a rook vs. a rook and bishop, his side was more pleasant to play but never clearly better.

The opening was the topical Open Ruy Lopez and had a nice theoretical twist. Deac's move 11...f6 had been played only once before, all the way back in 1888(!) in a game by the three-time Dutch champion Arnold van Foreest, GM Jorden van Foreest's great-great-grandfather.

Check out annotations by GM Rafael Leitao below:

Caruana - Praggnanandhaa

This was the biggest game of the round on paper: the tournament leader against one of the three players in second place. The Indian GM could take over the lead with a win, so he must have been happy to reach a double-edged middlegame position.

"Its a fighting line that I chose, its not like White is better but Im playing with a very imbalanced structure so I get an extra central pawn, he gets space with d4 but the d4-pawn is potentially a bit weak," noted Caruana.

On move 14, a series of trades started, simplifying the position considerably. Caruana was perhaps still hoping for a slight edge, having a bishop against a knight, but it was nothing. "Maybe I didnt have any real chances," he said. Hes a very stable player; hes very accurate."

Gukesh - Giri

This one had the potential to become a very exciting game. Around move 24, Caruana felt that Giri was taking over a bit; he liked the knight on h4. "It looks like Anish is playing a good game so far," he said.

It was quite the anticlimax when the players suddenly repeated moves then and there. "I dont really have an active plan," Giri explained. "White has all these options with f5 or Bxf6 and Nh5 and I am just waiting and reacting, so from my perspective its fine to repeat."

Gukesh, however, told his opponent after the game that he thought both the f5 and Bxf6 ideas didnt work and that he didnt see a move. In other words, neither player really liked their position.

"I think its a position of dynamic equality of sorts," Giri summarized.

Firouzja - Nepomniachtchi

Firouzja and Nepomniachtchi, on the other hand, had quite an interesting game today that started with the London System. Although the queens were traded as early as move 14, there was still enough to play for. That was especially the case for Nepomniachtchi, who had slightly better chances with an active rook on the second rank. Why he didn't want to play the position with an extra pawn was puzzling, though.

Vachier-Lagrave - So

Apparently not in the mood for another Berlin Endgame, Vachier-Lagrave went for the Italian against So. At first, it looked like Black equalized in the middlegame, but after the queens were traded, it turned out that So still had to be a bit careful, and he was.

The 2024 Superbet Chess Classic Romania is the second leg of the 2024 Grand Chess Tour. The event is a 10-player round-robin with classical time control (120 minutes for the entire game, plus a 30-second increment per move). The tournament runs June 26-July 5 and features a $350,000 prize fund.

Previous coverage:

See the rest here:
Superbet Chess Classic Round 8: Caruana Remains Favorite In Bucharest After Another Day Of Draws - Chess.com