Friday, August 10, 2018
Thursday, August 9, 2018
Fabiano Caruana in "WSJ Magazine"
WSJ MAGAZINE
A Day in the Life of Chess Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana
After a 46-year drought, the United States finally has a player to rival Bobby Fischer
By Mickey Rapkin July 25, 2018 9:53 a.m. ET
THE BEST CHESS player in America is a 26-year-old wunderkind from Brooklyn who loves Game of Thrones and David Lynch movies. In November, Fabiano Caruana will travel to London to face off against his archrival, Norwegian Magnus Carlsen, for the title of World Chess Champion; he is the first American to advance to the championship since Bobby Fischer in 1972. Chess may not dominate the nation’s gossip columns, but this matchup is pure drama. Rabid fans online have already dubbed his clash with the blond Norwegian as “Captain America vs. Thor,” and there’s more than $1 million in prize money at stake. While Caruana may not have Captain America’s shield to protect him, he’s got his own armor, courtesy of Thom Browne (whose PR sent him an Instagram DM with an informal offer to dress him). This is how it goes in chess. Whenever a young American player makes waves on the international stage, the press is quick to call him the next Bobby Fischer. But in this case, the comparison may hold. “It would be huge [to win],” Caruana says. “And probably a huge relief after the match is over—just to be done with the pressure.”
Caruana’s entire life has been building to this moment. Born in Miami, he was discovered at age 5 at an after-school chess program in Park Slope, Brooklyn. By 10, he had beaten his first grandmaster (a title bestowed on the best players by chess’s governing body). At his father’s urging, the family relocated to Europe two years later so he could train in earnest. “I didn’t go to school after seventh grade,” Caruana says. “I just worked on chess.” In 2015, Caruana returned to the States and in 2016 settled in St. Louis—home to the U.S. Championship tournament—where his training regimen includes weightlifting and core work. And yes, players are tested for doping.
“Fabi” (as his friends call him) earned the right to challenge Carlsen, 27, after winning the Candidates tournament in Berlin in March; this fall, he will begin preparations for London’s 12-game match. When asked about his chances, Caruana says plainly, “I feel optimistic.” The two players have faced off numerous times before, with Carlsen deft at the long game and Caruana more aggressive. Caruana’s not just studying the Norwegian’s moves on the board, it seems; he’s also paying attention to his business savvy. Carlsen has been exceptionally adept at branding himself. He’s modeled for G-Star Raw and even played himself on an episode of The Simpsons. To up his own profile, Caruana recently brought in a management team. There’s no bad blood between the two players, per se, but only one man can wear the crown. When pressed, Caruana will only admit: “We’re definitely not buddies.” Your move, Thor.
Caruana by the Numbers
46 years: Time since an American has competed in the World Chess Championship.
€95,000: The prize money Caruana won at the Candidates tournament in 2018; it’s the largest amount he’s ever taken home.
12 tournaments: The average number he competes in annually.
35+ moves: The number of moves Stockfish, the computer chess simulation program Caruana trains with, anticipates.
450 minutes: The longest single chess match he’s played.
€1,000,000: Prize money at stake in November’s World Championship match (winner takes 60 percent; runner-up snags the rest).
14 years old: Age at which Caruana became a grandmaster, then the youngest in U.S. history.
4–7 hours: His chess practice time each day. “If you’re hunched over for weeks at a time, you can get shoulder pain and tightness,” he says.
$12,953.85: Price of Caruana’s high-speed desktop, Titan X499, which is used to run complicated chess software.
A Day in the Life of Chess Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana
After a 46-year drought, the United States finally has a player to rival Bobby Fischer
By Mickey Rapkin July 25, 2018 9:53 a.m. ET
THE BEST CHESS player in America is a 26-year-old wunderkind from Brooklyn who loves Game of Thrones and David Lynch movies. In November, Fabiano Caruana will travel to London to face off against his archrival, Norwegian Magnus Carlsen, for the title of World Chess Champion; he is the first American to advance to the championship since Bobby Fischer in 1972. Chess may not dominate the nation’s gossip columns, but this matchup is pure drama. Rabid fans online have already dubbed his clash with the blond Norwegian as “Captain America vs. Thor,” and there’s more than $1 million in prize money at stake. While Caruana may not have Captain America’s shield to protect him, he’s got his own armor, courtesy of Thom Browne (whose PR sent him an Instagram DM with an informal offer to dress him). This is how it goes in chess. Whenever a young American player makes waves on the international stage, the press is quick to call him the next Bobby Fischer. But in this case, the comparison may hold. “It would be huge [to win],” Caruana says. “And probably a huge relief after the match is over—just to be done with the pressure.”
Caruana’s entire life has been building to this moment. Born in Miami, he was discovered at age 5 at an after-school chess program in Park Slope, Brooklyn. By 10, he had beaten his first grandmaster (a title bestowed on the best players by chess’s governing body). At his father’s urging, the family relocated to Europe two years later so he could train in earnest. “I didn’t go to school after seventh grade,” Caruana says. “I just worked on chess.” In 2015, Caruana returned to the States and in 2016 settled in St. Louis—home to the U.S. Championship tournament—where his training regimen includes weightlifting and core work. And yes, players are tested for doping.
“Fabi” (as his friends call him) earned the right to challenge Carlsen, 27, after winning the Candidates tournament in Berlin in March; this fall, he will begin preparations for London’s 12-game match. When asked about his chances, Caruana says plainly, “I feel optimistic.” The two players have faced off numerous times before, with Carlsen deft at the long game and Caruana more aggressive. Caruana’s not just studying the Norwegian’s moves on the board, it seems; he’s also paying attention to his business savvy. Carlsen has been exceptionally adept at branding himself. He’s modeled for G-Star Raw and even played himself on an episode of The Simpsons. To up his own profile, Caruana recently brought in a management team. There’s no bad blood between the two players, per se, but only one man can wear the crown. When pressed, Caruana will only admit: “We’re definitely not buddies.” Your move, Thor.
Caruana by the Numbers
46 years: Time since an American has competed in the World Chess Championship.
€95,000: The prize money Caruana won at the Candidates tournament in 2018; it’s the largest amount he’s ever taken home.
12 tournaments: The average number he competes in annually.
35+ moves: The number of moves Stockfish, the computer chess simulation program Caruana trains with, anticipates.
450 minutes: The longest single chess match he’s played.
€1,000,000: Prize money at stake in November’s World Championship match (winner takes 60 percent; runner-up snags the rest).
14 years old: Age at which Caruana became a grandmaster, then the youngest in U.S. history.
4–7 hours: His chess practice time each day. “If you’re hunched over for weeks at a time, you can get shoulder pain and tightness,” he says.
$12,953.85: Price of Caruana’s high-speed desktop, Titan X499, which is used to run complicated chess software.
Wednesday, August 8, 2018
Tuesday, August 7, 2018
NJ Player Youngest Ever U.S. Master
Nine-year-old Abhimanyu Mishra [pictured] of New Jersey is the youngest ever U.S. chess master.
Monday, August 6, 2018
Marshall Sunday Game/50 8/5/2018
On Sunday, I drew this game in the tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.
Round One: Budapest Gambit, Fajarowicz Variation
Wesley Hellner (USCF 1881) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 8/5/2018
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ne4 4.Qc2 Bb4+ 5.Nc3 d5 6.e3 Nc6 7.Nf3 Bf5 8.Bd3 Bg6 9.O-O Bxc3 10.bxc3 O-O 11.Ba3 Re8
12.Rfd1 Nxe5 13.Nxe5 Rxe5 14.cxd5 Rxd5 15.f3 Nf6 16.Bxg6 hxg6 17.e4 Rxd1+ 18.Rxd1 Qe8 19.Qb3 Rd8 20.Rd4 b6 21.Qc4 c5 22.Rxd8 Qxd8
23.g3 Qd1+ 24.Kg2 Qd2+ 25.Kg1 Qe1+ 26.Kg2 Qd2+ 27.Kg1, draw.
Round One: Budapest Gambit, Fajarowicz Variation
Wesley Hellner (USCF 1881) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 8/5/2018
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ne4 4.Qc2 Bb4+ 5.Nc3 d5 6.e3 Nc6 7.Nf3 Bf5 8.Bd3 Bg6 9.O-O Bxc3 10.bxc3 O-O 11.Ba3 Re8
12.Rfd1 Nxe5 13.Nxe5 Rxe5 14.cxd5 Rxd5 15.f3 Nf6 16.Bxg6 hxg6 17.e4 Rxd1+ 18.Rxd1 Qe8 19.Qb3 Rd8 20.Rd4 b6 21.Qc4 c5 22.Rxd8 Qxd8
23.g3 Qd1+ 24.Kg2 Qd2+ 25.Kg1 Qe1+ 26.Kg2 Qd2+ 27.Kg1, draw.
Sunday, August 5, 2018
Marshall Saturday Game/50 8/4/2018
On Saturday, I won this game in the tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.
Round Two: Larsen's Opening
Jim West (USCF 2200) - Wesley Hellner (USCF 1888), Marshall Chess Club 8/4/2018
1.b3 d5 2.Bb2 Nc6 3.e3 e5 4.Bb5 Bd6 5.f4 d4 6.fxe5 Bxe5 7.Nf3 Bg4 8.exd4 Bf6 9.O-O Nge7 10.c3 O-O 11.Be2 Nd5
12.h3 Bh5 13.Nh2 Bg6 14.Bf3 Bh4 15.Bxd5 Qxd5 16.Nf3 Bg3 17.c4 Qe4 18.d5 Nb4 19.Nc3 Qd3 20.Ne2 Bd6 21.Ne1 Qe4 22.a3 Nc2 23.Nxc2 Qxc2 24.Qxc2 Bxc2 25.Nd4 Bc5 26.b4 Bxd4+ 27.Bxd4 Bd3 28.Rfc1 Rfe8
29.Rc3 Be4 30.Re1 Bg6 31.Rce3 Rxe3 32.Rxe3 a6 33.Re7 Rc8 34.Be5 Bd3 35.Bxc7 Bxc4 36.d6 Bb5 37.d7 Bxd7 38.Rxd7 f5 39.Rd8+ Rxd8 40.Bxd8 Kf7 41.Kf2 Ke6 42.Ke3 Kd5 43.d3 Kc6 44.a4 b6 45.Kf4 g6
46.h4 b5 47.a5 Kd5 48.Bb6 Ke6 49.Kg5 Ke5 50.g3 Ke6 51.Kh6 Kf6 52.Kxh7, Black resigns.
Saturday, August 4, 2018
Friday, August 3, 2018
Thursday Night Action 8/2/2018
On Thursday, I finished with a score of 1-1-2 in the tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.
Round Four: English Opening, Symmetrical Variation
Daniel Halpern (USCF 1913) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 8/2/2018
1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 Nc6 5.Nc3 e6 6.e3 Nge7 7.O-O O-O 8.d4 cxd4 9.exd4 d5 10.cxd5 Nxd5 11.Nxd5 exd5 12.Be3 Be6 13.Rc1 Qb6 14.Qd2 Rac8 15.h3 Qa5
16.Qxa5 Nxa5 17.b3 Nc6 18.Rfd1 Nb4 19.a3 Nc2 20.a4 Nxe3 21.fxe3 h5 22.Kf2 Bf6 23.h4 b6 24.Bf1 Rxc1 25.Rxc1 Rc8 26.Rxc8+ Bxc8 27.Bb5 Kf8 28.Ne1 Ke7 29.Ng2 Bg7 30.Nf4 Be6 31.Bd3 Bh6
32.b4 Bxf4 33.exf4 a5 34.bxa5 bxa5 35.Ke3 Bd7 36.Bc2 Bf5 37.Bxf5 gxf5 38.Kf3, draw.
Thursday, August 2, 2018
Wednesday, August 1, 2018
Photographer Andres Kudacki
On Monday afternoons in the summer, I give private chess lessons to Eric Dluhos at Hamilton Park in Jersey City. On Sunday, Eric tied for first place in the beginner tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.
During Eric's lesson on July 30th, professional photographer Andres Kudacki (who lives nearby) paid a visit. As a young boy in Argentina, Andres once played against Garry Kasparov in a simultaneous exhibition. The current issue of New York magazine features a cover photo by Andres.
[photo by Andres Kudacki]
[photo by Eric Dluhos]
[photo by Eric Dluhos]
[photo by Jim West]
After having our pictures taken with Andres, my student and I tried to talk Andres into visiting the Marshall Chess Club. Who knows? Maybe one day Andres will stop by the historic club in Greenwich Village to play chess or do a photo shoot!
During Eric's lesson on July 30th, professional photographer Andres Kudacki (who lives nearby) paid a visit. As a young boy in Argentina, Andres once played against Garry Kasparov in a simultaneous exhibition. The current issue of New York magazine features a cover photo by Andres.
After having our pictures taken with Andres, my student and I tried to talk Andres into visiting the Marshall Chess Club. Who knows? Maybe one day Andres will stop by the historic club in Greenwich Village to play chess or do a photo shoot!
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