Bill Hook: The Oldest Olympian

An Octogenarian at the Olympiad

In last week's Thanksgiving Special, I advised readers to be on the look-out on the Chess.FM Blog for a video interview I did with octogenarian Bill Hook at the Olympiad in Dresden. Well, this week the video is out! This was my first attempt at doing a video interview, and although I certainly have a long way to go before I become the next Macauley Peterson, I certainly did catch a few remarkable quips and fascinating stories in this approximately six-minute segment. For instance, I started off by giving Mr. Hook an introduction on camera: "So you're Mr. Bill Hook..." To my surprise, he responded immediately, "I know that!"

Anyhow, if you are interested in hearing about the time this player from the British Virgin Islands--a veteran of the Chess Olympiads--locked himself out of his house while in the eye of a hurricane, you can watch the video! John Watson's interview with Hook for Chess.FM has also recently be released to the public, probably in honor of his book "Hooked on Chess".

As a closing note, I have to say I've been quite impressed with the quality of the new Chess.FM Blog, which was launched just a few weeks ago in mid-November. My opinion may be a bit biased because I wrote a few pieces for it while in Dresden (you can find them all easily by just typing "Hilton" into the search box at the top), but nonetheless, I find myself checking the blog at least once a day now for new chess news. Some of the audio pieces are put together in simply spectacular fashion; I think my favorite so far has been the dual interview with English players Jonathan Speelman and Malcolm Pein, who talked about the late Bob Wade.

Grand Prix Smorgasbord

It's been a Grand Prix Smorgasbord over the past week or so, with lots of tasty Thanksgiving tournaments on the menu. You can find reports on the American Open (200 WCL GP Points) in the West and the National Chess Congress (150 WCL GP Points) in the East on the Chess Life Online homepage. With over 350 points at stake in one weekend, there was simply mind-blowing Grand Prix action.

KibBlitzing with the Jester of Chess

We've done a lot of really great things with our KibBlitzes, from KibBlitzing with Grand Prix stars like GM Sergey Erenburg to up-and-comers like IM-elect Sam Shankland. Along the way, we've stopped in with champions and charities alike. It's been a great ride; and, in celebration, I had decided to all but take the week off from KibBlitzing for this edition. Yet, it was not to be.

Some of you may remember that, way back in September, I issued this ad requesting readers send in their own ideas for KibBlitzes. Well, many moons ago, a young man named Jack Edelson responded by saying he indeed had interest in the KibBlitzes--and, in fact, he would be available to try his hand at one himself!

Mr. Edelson soon convinced me of his wit and cunning. When, during a tough spot in his chess career, he decided he might even quit the game, he bought himself a $1,000 USCF Life Membership. To this day, he is still an active tournament player. "I want to get my money's worth, now," Jack Edelson told me.Well, this week, Jack Edelson--or, the "Jester of Chess", as he will henceforth be called--will have his dream of being featured in a KibBlitz realized. Whether you choose to read it or not is, of course, up to you. I can guarantee, however, that Jack's comments are just as funny and insightful as those of players who outclass him by several hundred rating points.

Chess.FM Update

This week, we have GM Joel Benjamin's Game of the Week, an exciting game from our own Olympian GM Hikaru Nakamura:

GAME OF THE WEEK

Nakamura-Vachier
Cap D'Agde Rapid
A57 Benko gambit

Learn why
GM Joel Benjamin says that, in Rapid Chess,

"Nakamura commands respect."