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itit World Championship Special!
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ICC Weekly Newsletter Vol. III - Issue XLI October 10, 2008it
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Win More Games World Championship Special!

Win More Games

Are you ready for the Battle of Bonn? We're only days away from the eagerly anticipated $2m Anand-Kramnik match - and ICC Chess.FM will have unrivaled coverage throughout, with new prize competitions and guest commentators for this showdown.

The full schedule for our coverage is as below. Please note that due to Daylight Saving Time ending on different dates in Europe and in the USA, Games 1-8 will start at 09:00am ET (3:00pm local CET), with Games 9-12 starting at 10:00am ET (3:00pm local CET).

Game 1: Tuesday, October 14
Game 2: Wednesday, October 15
Game 3: Friday, October 17
Game 4: Saturday, October 18
Game 5: Monday, October 20
Game 6: Tuesday, October 21
Game 7: Thursday, October 23
Game 8: Friday, October 24
Game 9: Sunday, October 26
Game 10: Monday, October 27
Game 11: Wednesday, October 29
Game 12: Friday, October 31
Tiebreak (if needed): Sunday, November 2

Joining host Mig Greengard for our live coverage each day will be some of his regular GM sidekicks such as Joel Benjamin, Larry Christiansen, Nick de Firmian and Ronen Har-Zvi, not to mention some top-flight surprise guest commentators such as Jan Gustafsson, Jonathan Rowson, Jon Speelman and Peter Svidler! Also in Bonn reporting for Chess.FM will be American Chess Journalist of the Year, Macauley Peterson, who will be giving us his unique video spin of all the action.

During our live broadcast each day, ICC members will get the chance to take part in three exciting competitions to win major chess prizes!

- There's the ever-popular New In Chess Trivia contest, where each day you could win ICC membership extensions and the top prize of a one year subscription to the best chess magazine in the world, New In Chess!

- Game of the Day will also now include a daily trivia contest sponsored by The House of Staunton, where each day an ICC member will win the Reykjavik chess set, an exact reproduction of one of the most famous sets ever produced, the set used for the legendary Fischer-Spassky 1972 World Championship Match.

- And also there will be the Everyman Chess World Championship Call-In, where ICC members can leave their questions on Skype, with the best ones aired during the show, and each day a signed copy of the latest book in Garry Kasparov's series on Modern Chess, Kasparov-Karpov 1975-1985, going to the best question!

And to get you in the mood below, we have a special two-part Anand-Kramnik preview video by GM Ronen Har-Zvi, including audio and film content and editing by Macauley Peterson. So get ready for the Battle of Bonn right here right now by following all the action at ICC Chess.FM - sign up for your free trial membership today

One Year Ago
Video -- World Championship Preview -- Click to Play

From London To Elista A Corus of Approval!

Corus Chess TournamentEveryone knows that the annual Corus Chess Tournament in Wijk aan Zee, the Netherlands, is not only one of the most famous but at the same time unquestionably the biggest and best chess festivals in the world.

Where else can you play under the same roof as all the world's top elite grandmasters? Where else can you rub shoulders with world champions? And where else can you soak-up that rich chess tradition? But each year without fail though, the hard-working Corus organizing staff have more and more players looking to get their start by playing in the Corus 'C' Group. Rather than just pick one (and which one at that, from all the good candidates?) of the final spots, Corus has entrusted ICC to run a series of special invitational qualifiers!

Coming next week, you will see details emerge of an exclusive ICC qualifier (invitational only, sorry!) featuring 16 titled players. They will play a 'gladiatorial' knockout rapid event (with an independent proctors in each location to ensure fair-play for all) for that final spot in the Corus 'C' Group - and you can watch it all unfold here, only on ICC!

The prize for the winner will be a round-trip ticket to Wijk aan Zee provided by ICC, and from Corus the invitation, Hotel & Breakfast and $1,300 appearance fee on arrival.

 2008 Book of the Year Award

From London To ElistaMore opulent than the Oscars! More glamorous than the Grammys! Yes, it can only be the announcement of the English Chess Federation 2008 Book of the Year Award, arguably the most prestigious publication prize in the chess world!

And the winner is....From London to Elista by Evgeny Bareev and Ilya Levitov, published by New In Chess. And with superb timing on the eve of the Anand-Kramnik match in Bonn, this is the definitive behind the scenes book on what really went on during Kramnik's title matches 2000-2006 - as he took the title from Kasparov, and then defends against Leko and Topalov. In-depth analysis, photographs, gossip, anecdotes, strategy, stress and psychology involved in the fight for the world crown - it's all here and much, much more in this 400-page must-read book!

From the judging panel of R. B. Edwards, J. Farrand & D. Friedgood: "London to Elista gives a unique insight into world championship chess. Without doubt this is one of the most original and interesting books to have won the Book of the Year award."


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ICC Chess.FM
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Mondays: GM Ronen Har-Zvi's "Unusual Queen Pawn Openings"

Ronen - Unusual Queen Pawn Openings

In his “New Ideas in....” regular video series for ICC Chess.FM, GM Ronen Har-Zvi investigates the latest developments and trends in those downright annoying and unusual Queen Pawn openings that avoid the main battle-lines with 2 c4.

Are you searching for a quick-fix against the Colle-Zukertort, Torre Attack, London System, QB Attack with 2 Bg5, Stonewall Attack or perhaps the King's Fianchetto Attack with 1 d4 2 Nf3 3 g3 (without c4)? Then look no further as Ronen gives you an easy-to-play antidote to all those annoying 1 d4 openings.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

To view all the videos in full, sign-up for your free trial membership today!

Tuesdays: Chess Talk with IM John Watson

John Watson Show Tune-in for Chess Talk with IM John Watson on ICC Chess.FM. John's weekly 60+ minute show will feature an interview with leading chess personalities. All shows run on demand for members after airing.

This week (Tue., Oct 7), joining John on Chess Talk is the Czech-American IM, Vasik Rajlich, the brainchild behind the award-winning Rybka software program.

In 1999, the MIT-trained computer scientist opted to take a six-month time-out from his work in military research in pursuit of the grandmaster title. Three years later(!), he realized this was an unobtainable goal - but did have his 'Eureka moment' in using his expertise in computing science and chess to create the top grandmaster-playing software, Rybka, which last weekend won the 16th World Computer Chess Championship in Beijing, China.

Wednesdays: Attack with LarryC!

Attack with LarryCNew at ICC Chess.FM - Attack With LarryC! A weekly 30 min+ show on Wednesdays at 15:00 EDT (and available on-demand thereafter for members), featuring three-time U.S. Champion Larry Christiansen, one of the most dangerous and respected attacking players of his generation.

Larry is a feared competitor and attacker who authored two popular books that showcase his aggressive style: Storming the Barricades and Rocking the Ramparts. And each week on his show, Larry will feature various attacking motifs and themes and showing you how best to play for mate.

Click "Play Video" for a free 5 minute preview of Larry's latest video. By popular demand from members, we are now archiving previous Attack with LarryC shows. This video is just one of the many benefits of being a full member of ICC. To view all the videos in full, sign-up for your free trial membership today!

Thursdays: Ask the Renaissance Man

Heisman  

Tune-in for "Ask the Renaissance Man" with National Master Dan Heisman every Thursday at 21:00 EDT. You send in the questions and Dan provides the answers every week on his Q&A show. Questions on tournament rules, opening play, chess books, chess politics, current events, and more!

Click "Play Video" for a free 5 minute preview of Dan's latest show. To listen to the full show, sign up for membership!

And this week for non-members, you can listen to the full show for free by clicking here. To listen to all the shows in full, sign-up for your free trial membership today!

Thursdays: Boris Alterman's Gambit Guide

Boris Alterman  

In his weekly video lecture series for ICC, Boris Alterman's Gambit Guide, Boris investigates gambits old and new and show that, while some may not be actively played on the grandmaster circuit these days, they are all exciting to play and at the same time instructive as they teach us all about natural development of the pieces and tactics in chess. GM Boris Alterman has just opened his official blog where, among other things, he'll be discussing some of his choices for his Gambit Guide.

Latest Show Previews:
Two Knights Chigorin Gambit Part 1   Part 2   Part 3  Part 4
Albin Countergambit Part 1

To view all the videos in full, sign-up for your free trial membership today!

Israeli GM Boris Alterman is best known as a leading chess advisor for the multi-title winning chess software program (Deep) Junior, where he specialized in developing its opening book.

Fridays: GM Joel Benjamin "Game of the Week"

GM Joel Benjamin Game of the WeekThree-time U.S. Champion GM Joel Benjamin starts his weekly show every Friday at 15:00 Server Time. Click "Play Video" for a free 5 minute preview of Joel's latest show. To listen to the full show, sign up for membership!

Joel is regarded by many as one of the best commentators and analysts' we have in the game today, and each Friday he will be giving us his insight and spin with his selection of Game of the Week.

This not-to-be-missed weekly video series is exclusive for ICC members only. To view all the videos in full, sign-up for your free trial membership today! By popular demand and requests from members, ALL of Joel Benjamin's GOTW videos are available. Enjoy!

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Streetfighting Chess - Andrew Burnett

ICC StoreIt is very important for the practical player to train his or her ability, understand when to rely on intuition, rules of thumb and more general positional considerations, when to try to solve the problems by calculating variations to the end, and how to manage time to avoid time pressure. With these goals in mind, Dvoretsky's Analytical Manual delivers a lot of excellent, high quality training material and many exercises. The author discusses every problem from the perspective of the practical player, gives many general guidelines and investigates psychological aspects in depth.

This book takes its place next to the author's classic work on endings, Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual, as being one of the great chess books of the modern era, a book from which the serious student may take his or her knowledge and understanding of complex middlegame ideas to the next level.

420 pages, soft cover

Price: $32.95 - it  Buy now!

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My 60 Memorable Games - Bobby Fischer

ICC Store A rare window into the mind of a chess icon, My 60 Memorable Games is perhaps the most inspirational and influential chess book ever written. First published in 1969, it contains Bobby Fischer's objective, honest and self-critical annotations to games he had won, drawn and even lost in the period from 1957 to 1967 but from which he had also learned valuable lessons. Reading Fischer's intensely personal commentaries is like going back in time and watching live coverage of his over-the-board battles with the leading players of his day. Soon he would become the greatest of them all.

In contrast with the previous edition of this book, no alterations have been made to the text other than the conversion of moves into algebraic notation, making this an updated yet accurate reflection of the original book.

Price: $27.95 - it  Buy now!

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Secrets of Opening Surprises Volume 9 - Bosch

ICC Store Brings you a wide variety of unusual opening ideas. They may seem outrageous at fi rst sight, but have proven to be perfectly playable.

An SOS deviates very early from the regular lines in a mainstream opening, usually even before move six! That is why it is so easy to actually bring the variation on the board. You will baffle your opponent without having studied large quantities of stuffy theory.

144 pages, soft cover

Price: $20.95 - it  Buy now!

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Genius and the Misery of Chess, The - Zhivko Kaikamjozov

ICC StoreZhivko Kaikamjozov is a Bulgarian chess master, organizer, trainer, referee, journalist and author. This is his 33rd title!

47 Chess Greats are briefly described in an unusual fashion. Focus is not only on their glorous feats but also on their misery, which unfortunately many of them suffered from. Kaikamjozov writes about As-Suli the Exile (880-946), Greco, Morphy, Walbrodt, Noteboom, Breyer, Junge & Stolberg (both perished in WW II), Petrov, Fischer, Kasparov, Koneru, Carlsen and many many other stars.

224 pages, Published by Mongoose Press

Price: $18.95 - it  Buy now!

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