Perpetual Chess Linkfest #29, March 17, 2023
Happy Friday everyone. It was a relatively slow news week, both in terms of professional chess and book reviews and improvement related blog posts to read. At least Mr Dodgy provided a few laughs. The slow news cycle should change soon, at least on the professional front, as the star-studded American Cup kicked off today, and the World Championship (however you feel about it this year’) is only a few weeks away. So on that note, I will leave you with a shorter than usual list of links, and catch you all again next week. Enjoy!
Chess Books
Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam on the Next Generation’s Enthusiasm for Chess Books. “In an hour long YouTube video“The Chess Nerd” tells you which books he acquired that weekend and why they are so special. Zach’s enthusiasm and passion is contagious and the pride he takes in some of the books he found is fully justified” (New in Chess Blog)
GM Jacob Aagaard with an Update on What is Coming soon from Quality Chess Books (Quality Chess Blog)
Chess News
NM Anthony Levin interviews GM Alexandra Kosteniuk on her decision to represent Switzerland rather than Russia in light of the Russian Ukrainian invasion. "We're living in this nightmare. ... We are witnessing quite a tragic situation. ... The [Russian] government decided to accept some laws that wouldn't allow people to go and protest and to say they are against this war and, well, they just putting those who continue doing such stuff in jail, and that's very sad “(Chess.com News)
GMs Sarana, Shevchenko and Dardha won the European Championship. Gelfand, Bacrot and many others qualified for the FIDE World Cup, but unfortunately Ivanchuk did not. (Peter Doggers for Chess.com)
The Playoffs are Set for the Pro Chess League (NM Anthony Levin for Chess.com)
Chess Improvement
IM Junta Ikeda on How to Select Model Players and Model Games in Your Openings. “When you select a player “the way they play chess should inspire you… you should feel: “I want to play like them!”” (Infinite Chess Blog)
Sam Asaka on the Ways that Engines can Deceive You “It was only after many years of recurred beatings at the board, that I could come around to the possibility that there are many scenarios in which the engine’s evaluation actually means very little in a practical setting.” (The Road to Infinity)