This isn't a still from a Jean-Luc Godard film; it's a photo from French GM Jean-Luc Chabanon's Facebook gallery. (Chabanon must be the only player wearing boxing gloves in his FIDE profile photo.) Looks like a victory dinner for Evry Grand Roque, the team that finished atop their French League group stage thanks largely to the pictured dynamic duo of national champions on the top boards, USA's Hikaru Nakamura and Russia's Peter Svidler. As covered here, the rest of the team put up very impressive scores as well. Nothing like some Bordeaux hooch to wash down a team success.
Open thread, topic suggestions, bonus points for gratuitous French references.
Silly chess ad: ("Club Social vs. The Hunger")
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSoP5PUoC8E
and,
has this Alburt's book cover ever been commented here?
http://www.amazon.com/Chess-Training-Pocket-Book-Important/dp/1889323144
That's a cool photo.
I feel that Hikaru is really ready to make an entrance in, and impact on, the world's elite.
Book covers are the least of it. Lev rolls with a posse of ladies that would make a Jay-Z video envious. I've always been amused by chess catalog photos with young women stroking the pieces and such.
The french women... they do not shave aaaaaaaaaah
Nakamura is also a strong rapid player. I'd like to see him get an Amber invite. Is he invited to the next one, Mig?
well its not as if people outside of france havent celebrated victory in france before
can you give some examples?
@John:
Nakamura will play the NH Rising Stars Vs. Experience tournament in Amsterdam (www.nhchess.com), starting August 19th. If he gets the high score among the youngsters he nabs the invite to Amber. The remaining invitations won't be made until the end of the year, but Amber goes strictly for the Top 10-20 with few exceptions.
-Macauley
Nakamura really stepping it up the elite schedule this year
Coming tournament with Svidler, Pono and company.
Rising stars (Aug)
London Super tournament (Dec)
"Amber goes strictly for the Top 10-20 with few exceptions."
This seems to be a recent policy? Formerly, Loek van Wely got invited - possibly because he is Dutch, and so is the sponsor [of course not altogether inconsistent with Macauley's statement as he mentioned 'few exceptions'].
I always loved the ads in Chess Life that showed Alburt with a hot woman (or two) and said "FEEL YOURSELF GROW AS A PLAYER." That works on so many levels.
If you insert a judicious comma the meanings expand even more.
So Lev Alburt has mad game, eh Mig? That settles it - I'm only playing Alekhine's Defense from here on out.
Look like a pair of cereal killers.
@Thomas As recent as 2009, when Kingloek was "dropped" for the first time. Karjakin was the only player not in the top 20 this year but he was (15th) at the moment of inviting.
Nakamura will be in Mainz at the Chess Classic (July 27 - Aug 02) and play the Chess960 Rapid World Championship with Aronian, Bologan and Movsesian. He will also play the ORDIX Open to qualify for the Rapid World Championship 2010.
Well, often, the author has very little input as to
the graphics that will adorn their work. That is usually decided at the publishing house. But, sometime and somehow, the author will know and he
will have the opportunity to object or approve.
More often than not, the publisher's decision prevails. This brings to mind GM Leonid Shamkovich
who, it was told, was very unhappy with the title given to one of his books, obviously decided by the publisher, which went like, A Terrorist Guide to Chess---something like that. I don't remember
exactly. That was a bad idea but Shamkovich had no say in it.
If Alburt approved on that cover, well, it's his book. Personally, I think that cover can be grouped with those car or motorcycle ads that have women all over the hood or handlebars. Trashy.