 Magnanimous Magnus on ICC!
Do You Want To Play Magnus Carlsen on the Internet Chess Club (ICC - www.chessclub.com) and help raise money for a good cause? You may remember last year that World Champion Vishy Anand raised $10,000 on ICC for a charity that was close to his heart? Well, this year young rising Norwegian star Magnus Carlsen has magnanimously agreed to do a similar fundraising simul at ICC, with 100% of the monies raised going to help a young fellow grandmaster in need of urgent medical treatment.
Serbian GM Dusan Popovic tragically took ill earlier this year and diagnosed with chronic kidney failure and now is in urgent need of a transplant. You can read more about Dusan's plight here at
http://www.chessdom.com/dusan-popovic.
Magnus Carlsen will be giving of his time to help a fellow player in his hour of need.by hosting a simultaneous exhibition on ICC on Monday, August 11, with matches beginning at 2pm U.S. Eastern Daylight Time (7pm in the U.K. (BST) and 8pm in Norway and central Europe (CET)).
You can PLAY! You can HELP!
Internet Chess Club is offering on eBay 18 seats to play in the simultaneous exhibition with Super-Grandmaster Carlsen. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play whom many believe will soon become the world #1 and world champion - and at the same time help towards a good cause. Twelve seats will be sold in a Dutch Auction, and six seats are offered in this listing at a fixed price. To view or bid for a seat in the Dutch Auction, where as of going to press the top bid is $35, please go (and bid!) to: http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZinternetchessclub
The six people who donate $500 each for these special fixed-price seats (three of which have already gone!) will receive a two-year subscription (or two-year renewal) to ICC; a downloadable copy of the latest version of Junior, the three-time world champion chess engine; and a one-year subscription to the world's leading chess magazine, New In Chess—for a total value of about $250!
Your winning bid will earn a seat to play Super Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen on ICC. The time control will be 90 minutes with a 5 second increment. Seats will only be available to players under the rating of 2200 and they will play with the black pieces.
Notes: All payments must be made by PayPal or credit card within 24 hours of the close of the auction in order to allow time to properly prepare for this event. You need not be an ICC member in order to participate; you will receive instructions via email upon payment.
ICC members can also pay a modest sum of 5 chekels (or donate more to the cause) to play in two online qualifiers (Saturday, 9 August, 5pm ET and Sunday, 10 August, 4pm ET) with six seats up for grabs - the top two from each qualifier, plus the two players with the highest accumulated scores playing both qualifiers winning through to play in the Magnus Carlsen Simultaneous. To play, a 5 chekel donation "help chekels" can be donated with: "c-offer Donation 5 for tourney" on ICC. You can also send $5 USD donation to the cause via paypal, to ICC@chessclub.com. For more information, please see http://www.chessclub.com/groups/DusanFund.
Please remember that ALL 100% of the proceeds raised will go directly to GM Dusan Popovic's medical fund for his kidney transplant - please give generously to his cause.
The Magnus Carlsen Simultaneous takes place Monday, August 11th with matches beginning at 2pm U.S. Eastern Daylight Time (7pm in the U.K. (BST) and 8pm in Norway and central Europe (CET)).
Anand Support
Message of support (and donation of $750!) from World Champion Viswanathan Anand:
I was really saddened when I first heard of GM Dusan Popovic's plight. At such a young age, he has to confront a serious health condition that needs a lot of courage and persistence to combat. I wish him all the best. As a chessplayer, we all know what it is to fight. I am sure he will use these fighting skills he would have honed over the chessboard.
While I know Dusan will be receiving unstinting support from his family and friends, I congratulate Magnus Carlsen in stepping forward in his hour of need with his spontaneous and magnanimous gesture to play on the Internet Chess Club to help the cause.
It is also nice to see the next generation coming together for a cause that is far greater than the game itself. It is, as Dusan himself states, to be a "game of life" and I am sure the whole chess community will come together as one to participate and contribute to the fundraising efforts on ICC. For my part, I personally pledge $750 to the fund and urge everyone to contribute what they can on the day.
My prayers, thoughts and best wishes are with Dusan and his family during this time and I am sure, like me, the chess community would all wish to see his return to active duty at the chessboard as quickly as possible.
Regards,
Viswanathan Anand
August Membership Special!
The dog days of summer are with us, but this time it comes with a special membership offer here at ICC that you just can't pass up. Now is your chance to SAVE $60 while at the same time turbo-charging ICC Dasher with the innovative World Champion "Junior" chess engine. Junior FAQ: http://www.chessclub.com/help/Junior
We are offering Junior for FREE all of this month with a purchase of a three-year ICC membership, new or renewal. At just $149.95 for three years, you already save $30 compared to the to the regular one-year price, while Junior would normally cost an additional $29.95 at our exclusive members-only price, saving you a total of about $60!
All you need to do is sign up or renew online at the three-year rate during the month of August and then download Junior 10.1 (the latest version of this engine) using Purchase Junior Engine from the Dasher Web menu. If you prefer, you also have the option of purchasing Deep Junior for just $20 (the normal difference for members).
Junior integrates with ICC Dasher, allowing you to analyze your games or "Play vs. Computer" offline. This is also the only UCI-COMPATIBLE version of Junior on the market, so you can run it in your other favorite chess programs in addition to Dasher.
So what are you all waiting for -- Save $60 and get Junior now!
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NM Dan Heisman "Improve Your Chess"
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National Master Dan Heisman is a
name that is synonymous with excellence in chess coaching
and teaching.
Over the years, Dan has produced
many winning students and scholastic teams - and now
he can help you, too! In this series of five instructional
videos for ICC Chess.FM, Dan brings you his innovative
teaching methods on how to play better chess - and
all packed with sound advice from the maestro himself. |
1. Introduction to Safety and Counting
(below 1500) -- Watch
now
2. Introduction to Time Management (all players)
3. Introduction to Thought Process (800-1800)
4. Common Evaluation Misconceptions (1000-2200)
5. Is It Safe? (below 1900) - this video is a follow-up
to "Introduction to Safety and Counting"
These 5 videos are available exclusively
for ICC members - but as a special launch promotion, non-members
can view for free Dan's
first video in full. To view the other four video in
the series, sign
up for membership!
Mondays: GM Ronen Har-Zvi "New Ideas
in the Petroff's Defense"
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The Petroff Defence (sometimes
called the Russian Defence, and named after Russia's
Alexander Petrov, 1794-1867) is considered as one
of Black's most reliable and solid methods of meeting
the king's pawn opening. It is easy to play and an
excellent choice for someone looking for an alternative
to the Scotch Opening, the Italian Game and the ‘Spanish
torture’ of the Ruy Lopez.
Until a few years ago, the Petroff was an opening that was favored by only a few top Grandmasters, including Anatoly Karpov and Artur Yusupov. However, the last few years have seen a dramatic rise in its popularity, and it now provides battlefields for many top clashes of the modern elite players, including Anand, Kramnik, Leko, Topalov, and Shirov. And in the latest of his "New Ideas in..." series, GM Ronen Har-Zvi, takes a closer look under the microscope at the solid Petroff. |
Click here for a free 5 minute preview of Ronen's latest video. To
listen to the full videos, sign
up for membership!
Tuesdays: Chess Talk with IM John Watson
 Tune-in
for Chess Talk with IM John Watson on ICC Chess.FM. John's
weekly 60+ minute show (members only) will feature an interview
with leading chess personalities. All shows run on demand
for members after airing.
This week (Tue., 29 July), joining IM John Watson on Chess Talk is English IM John Cox (a.k.a. octavia on ICC). A former British junior champion, John has made a name for himself as an author of four clearly-written and praised opening books for publishers Everyman Chess: Starting Out: Sicilian Sveshnikov, Starting Out: Alekhine's Defence, Starting Out: 1 d4, and Dealing with d4 Deviations
Chess Talk will be on its summer break throughout August - but John Watson will be back in early September for a new season of his show with lots of new guests!
Find below a selection of free 5-minute
previews of the latest shows. To listen to the full shows, sign
up for membership! |
Wednesdays: Attack with LarryC!
 New
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 - so, sign
up for membership!
Thursdays: Ask the Renaissance Man
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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. So, all the more reason to become a member now and get to listen each week to all the shows on ICC Chess.FM!
Thursdays: Boris Alterman's Gambit Guide
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"
 Three-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 -- so if you want
to get ahead of the game, get ready to tune-in! By popular
demand and requests from members, ALL
of Joel Benjamin's GOTW videos are available. Enjoy! |
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5 0 Blitz Championships to Begin Saturday!
Qualifiers are about to begin for this year's 5 0 Blitz Championship. They will be held every day from Aug 9-14 at various times. Each qualy will be 9 rounds of swiss. The top 5 finishers in each qualifier will advance to the final along with the next 3 best from the total series of qualys. They will be joined by last year's champion, DreadHead. Join up and see how you match up against ICC's best!
Click Here for qualy times.
League of Losers!
Every Thursday at 20:00 server time and every Saturday at 13:00, the best wild 17 players all head for Wildone for the League of Losers! Two losers tourneys are played each day. The first is a 7 round 1 0 swiss and the second is a 5 round 3 1 swiss. You'll run into some of the tougher losers players around, and it's always a fun time, so join us on a Thursday or Saturday for the League of Losers!
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Atomic (Wild 27) Championships!
Qualifiers will be held from Aug 15-20 in two different time controls. There will be a 1 0 Bullet section and a 3 0 Blitz section. The blitz section will have 7 round swiss qualifiers, while the bullet section will be 12 rounds of swiss. The top 3 finishers in each qualifier will move on to the final. Also the next 4 best finishers in the series will go through. Who has what it takes to dethrone last year's champions, MoltenThinker and Tipau?
Click Here for qualy times.
 Tourney
Tip: What do I do when there's no tourney running?
Our managers do their best to keep tourneys rolling, but hey... it happens sometimes. Don't get stressed! Just make your request in channel 221 for whatever type of tourney you're looking for. For example: Tell 221 Please can we have a blitz elim? Our friendly managers are standing by to help get as many tourneys as possible going, so make your requests in a polite manner and enjoy!
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Starting Out: the Modern - Nigel Davies
 The
Modern Defence is a dynamic, ambitious and universal
opening, one that can be used against virtually every
system White can play. Black's provocative strategy
is based upon allowing White to construct an imposing
pawn centre in the anticipation that a well-timed
strike will bring about its downfall. Both sides can
play for high rewards, albeit at some risk: White
can hope to succeed with a direct attack or to squash
Black with a space advantage, while Black will aim
to destroy White's centre and mop up the remains.
All in all this can lead to intriguing battles in
which one slip from either side is often fatal. In
this book, Nigel Davies studies the Modern by going
back to basics, introducing the key moves and ideas,
and taking care to explain the reasoning behind them
- something that has often been neglected or taken
for granted.
192 pages, soft cover.
Price: $23.95 -  Buy now!
Zuke'Em! The Colle-Zukertort Revolutionized - Dave Rudel
 For decades, the chess world has run down the reputation of the Colle-Zukertort (a.k.a. the Rubinstein Attack) as an unassuming opening, claiming it did not exact the full measure of pain from Black in the quest to equalize.
If such is the case, why do strong players (as Black) avoid the Zukertort? Instead, they opt to play any of several pet defenses rather than deal with the constriction and onslaught from the main line.
In Zuke ‘em: The Colle-Zukertort Revolutionized, David Rudel explains the basics of the Zukertort and then provides plenty of new ideas to address these various pet defenses that cowardly opponents may choose.
256 pages, soft cover.
Price: $25.00 - Buy
now! |
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Test Your Chess IQ Grandmaster Challenge - Livshitz
 Recently re-issued by Everyman - this is a reprint of the classic title that first appeared in 1993.
There is no better way to improve your tactical ability than by working out winning combinations in positions taken from Grandmaster games.
In this final - and most challenging! - part of his best-selling three-volume course in chess tactics, Russian chess teacher Livshitz provides a wealth of test-yourself positions identified under recurring combinational themes such as diversion, interference, X-ray attack and many more!
Solving these positions will stretch your imagination to the full and enable you to test and assess your Chess IQ.
134 pages.
Price: $19.95 - Buy
now!
Roman's Lab 57: Man vs. Machine 4-4
 In Volume 57:
Man vs. Machine 4-4
Roman vs. Rybka (3100+)
The Strongest Chess Program Ever
GrandMaster Roman is one of the world's top players against computers.
On this DVD Roman will cover games he played in his match with Rybka as well as games played in a tournament with Rybka with other G.M.s and other chess computer programs. Roman describes how this next generation program plays flawless chess. Rybka has the ability to evaluate positions better and faster than any other chess program making it a near perfect opponent.
Over one hour of instructional video
Over one hour of instructional video.
Price: $19.95 - Buy
now! |
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