Been a bit busy with the aftermath of the Krush-Skripchenko match and the beforemath of Kasparov's arrival in NY. Meanwhile, the remnants of some hurricane or other has arrived here in Brooklyn and it's getting biblical out my window. Okay, it's not exactly what happened in Florida or Jamaica, but I'm still not going outside.
Some Dirt from in and around the Accoona match. As mentioned below, today there is an event with Susan Polgar facing Anatoly Karpov in Kansas. It was originally announced they would play blitz, rapid, and advanced chess (computer assisted). The advanced chess was later changed to shuffle chess (aka Fischerandom). From the press release: "Due to the current situation of Bobby Fischer, both World Champions agreed to change the format to include 2 Fischer random chess games instead. This is to show support and respect to their fellow World Champion Bobby Fischer for what he has accomplished over the chess board."
The word is that Karpov freaked out when he heard it was advanced chess, at which the veteran is predictably horrible. He was massacred in that format by ChessBase whiz Anand 5-1 in Leon in 1999. So it was hastily changed to Fischerandom. To show respect to Fischer they could have just had some sushi. Or played to 10 wins, draws not counting! I don't know how much Polgar has been training in private, but Karpov has been playing the worst chess of his life in the past year.
Of the four or five noise interruptions during the Krush-Skripchenko match, two were caused by Accoona employees. One with a cell phone ringing three meters from the board, another yelling across the room downstairs. But the worst was a restaurant worker, as mentioned in my onsite photo report on the match. The video of Irina waving at arbiter John Fernandez will be priceless.
Speaking of, as I pointed out to my chess-newbie friend Ann LePore, a video artist who was there to film the match for ChessBase Magazine, no matter what countries the players represent, the post-mortem is always in Russian. It was. See below for photos and a caption contest.
The post-game analysis
Ann LePore in action
An apple a day doesn't keep arbiter John Fernandez away
Post your own caption to this one below. Best one gets fame and fortune.
Almira is saying, "I'll give you $5 in the morning if you make me forget this match"
$34 prize fund!! What a deal!!
For the record, that is thirty-FIVE dollars! (Or else I still owe her a buck.) For proof:
http://www.chessninja.com/images/35bucks.jpg
"I wonder what the exchange rate really is?"
Here is the reason all you kids out there should start putting in 4-6 hours a day studying chess! One day you too might earn enough money for a cab ride home after taking second place in a chess tournament!
I've had several cranberry vodkas... let's go to Washington Square Park!
or
Mig just paid me to cut his hair!
Mig finally paid his ACP dues!
If you guess how many black spots I have on my dress, you get the money.
who says there's no money in chess?!
"I have just won all the money that was invested in chess for the last 5 years!"
"I gave this much to Krush. But, still, she beat me :("
or
"Krush gave me this much to lose the match" :)
Skripchenko resorts to offering money in her attempts to make nookie with chess journalist Mig Greengard.
Is this enough money to buy one of those crazy outfits that Kosteniuk wears?
Hey! I found Shirov's money!
A dollar is like an euro, only 20% cheaper.
Oh yes, and you need to leave a 20% "tip" here or you could go to jail. (http://www.wnbc.com/money/3729682/detail.html) Don't you love this country ?
A 'fan' consoling Schripchenko after the match.
Woo hoo! I just tied for 50th in the U1600 section of the World Open! This ought to cover my hotel, gas, entry fee... never mind.
Ha, Mig should have never bet that he could slurp more jello than me.