2008's WCL Grand Prix: The Final Days

Last Chance for Grand Prix Points

Believe it or not, the 2008 World Chess Live Grand Prix will soon be all but history--and a very confusing history at that, as the United States Chess Federation sorts through a year's worth of Grand Prix results to determine an official winner, traditionally by April. (They're making a list--and checking it twice.)

The last day for officially earning points, however, is December 31. That's why these upcoming weeks are critical in the Grand Prix race. If you're looking to get in some last-minute GP points yourself, now would be the time to enter one of our weekly Thursday or Sunday online Grand Prix tournaments.

So how is the race shaping up? Currently, long-time Grand Prix favorite GM Sergey Kudrin is pulling away with a score just a fraction off of 270 points. It has taken an entire year of dedication to American tournament chess to get Kudrin this far, and GM Alexander Ivanov may well stand a chance to take him down if he can strike over the Christmas holidays. In the meantime, IM Alex Lenderman is off the pace for first place--but with 218.517 points he is holding on to his third-place position ahead of GM Julio Becerra. Be sure to check out the new WCL Grand Prix home page for all your Grand Prix countdown news.

WCL Website: Events Page Added

As I mentioned last week, World Chess Live is undergoing a project to revamp its website. This week, we made the bold move of putting the weekly schedule back on the web! Of course, I would also point out that you can always find it at the bottom of the WCL Newsletter. Or, if you're super-adventurous, you could even find the WCL Newsletter in our new archives section and then scroll to the bottom for the weekly schedule. It's your choice!

Grade Level Nationals

From December 12-14, hundreds of elementary, middle school, and high school students matched wits and competed in the yearly National K-12 Grade Level Championships. In a closing tournament report by Elizabeth Vicary, the New York City coach discusses the various rule controversies that came up during the tournament in the lower grade level sections. If you're a coach or a chess teacher of young children, this article is a must-read! Otherwise, sit back, grab some popcorn, and prepare to be more amused than you have been by a tournament report in a long time. As my father always used to say when I was little, "Kids say the darndest things!"

KibBlitzing with WFM Abby Marshall

One of the Grade Level National's stars this year was 11th-grade co-Champion Abby Marshall, who rebounded from a tough second-round loss against improving player Steven McLaughlin of Pennsylvania. A famous chess journalist herself, it is small wonder that Marshall agreed to do our next KibBlitz. Marshall, still enthused about her trip to China, talks about her experiences there. She also gives the most mysterious answer yet to our staple question about Kramnik's thoughts on a chess player's wardrobe. Stay tuned next week--we're hoping to get together an audio clip from this fascinating chess personality.

Chess.FM Update

This Week: John Watson interviews Malcolm Pein

This week, returning to join IM John Watson on Chess Talk will be IM Malcolm Pein, a chess entrepreneur and one of Britain's leading chess journalists. Malcolm writes about chess for The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Telegraph, two of Britain's top national newspapers. He is also Executive Editor and owner of Chess Monthly and Executive Director and proprietor of The London Chess Center. His expert views on the game are often sought for radio and television. So listen now!