By

RODNEY MUHUMUZA Associated Press

February 16, 2020, 4:10 PM

2 min read

KAMPALA, Uganda -- A Ugandan student who played a memorable role in a 2016 Disney film about a local chess prodigy has died at the age of 15.

Nikita Pearl Waligwa died on Saturday at a hospital near the Ugandan capital, Kampala. The cause was a brain tumor, according to the girls' secondary school she had attended since 2018.

She was "a darling to many, Gayaza High School said on .

Local media reported that Waligwa had been in and out of hospital with a recurring brain tumor and had previously received treatment, including surgery, in India.

Tributes were coming in for her on social media as Ugandans expressed sadness and recalled her role in the 2016 movie directed by Mira Nair and filmed in Kampala.

Queen of Katwe follows the rise of Ugandan chess prodigy Phiona Mutesi as a chess player amid grinding poverty in the Kampala slum of Katwe, with her single mother barely able to support her and her two siblings. Mutesi falls under the spell of an unassuming chess teacher who encourages the teenager to learn the game despite the skepticism of her mother, who warns her not to dream big because you will be disappointed.

The film was received favorably in Uganda, where young people with no acting experience shared the limelight with stars like Academy Award winner Lupita Nyongo. One of those Ugandans was Waligwa, who played Gloria, a chess player younger than Phiona who memorably said in the movie that in the game of chess the small one can become the big one.

Top Stories

Young Ugandan who featured in a Disney chess film dies at 15

Feb 16, 4:10 PM

Woman Calls Trump a 'Racist' in New Hampshire Diner

Jan 12, 3:35 PM

Barr blasts Trump's tweets: 'Impossible for me to do my job': ABC News Exclusive

Feb 13, 11:11 PM

Driver complained of autopilot issue before fatal Tesla crash: NTSB

Feb 12, 6:16 PM

Transcript of Attorney General Bill Barr's exclusive interview with ABC News

Feb 14, 2:40 AM

More here:

Young Ugandan who featured in a Disney chess film dies at 15 - ABC News

Young Chess Maestros from Soweto just came from representing the country in the nationals just a few weeks ago and one of them will still go further to play chess against the greatest minds in the world as she is going to play in an International Chess Tournament.

The thrilled coach Linda Makhubela expressed gratitude to the parents and guardians who have been hands-on in supporting the children participate in the classy and elegant game of chess, the chess club that meets in Diepkloof and Pimville has been diligent in participating in the game that is rarely played.

Knight Riders Chess Club (KRCC) went to play at the nationals against all the young great thinkers from the nation and coach Linda was excited and happy with his clubs performance and the resilient and determined spirit the children in his club bear.

[also read] Orlando Piratess Lorch finding his form

Makhubela said, I am so proud of the young ones in the club because they never let their spirit get damp because of being short of resources sometimes, whenever we go out to play, we try to take our A-game even though we often dont have that much support, we always strive to positively represent our country and our people.

The five-year-old Nokukhanya Chauke may be very young and tender, however, players in the chess fraternity already notice her as she will be representing South Africa for various upcoming chess tournaments.

Nosipho Chauke, Nokukhanya Chauke, and Noluthando Ntshalintshali.

Makhubela said, We are so happy for Nokukhanya and we know and trust that she will not disappoint us.

The coach further went to exclaim how his club also has a few kids who have qualified for the South African Junior Closed Championships.

Follow Us Here:

Catch the latest news by visiting our other platforms:

Here is the original post:

Soweto young Chess maestro to compete in an International Chess Tournament - Soweto Urban

Indian Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi maintained a one-point lead after settling for a draw against Nikita Vitiugov of Russia in the sixth round of the Prague Chess Festivals Masters category.

He has 4.5 points and is ahead of Vitiugov and top seed Jan-Krzysztof Duda of Poland, both on 3.5 points.

The 25-year-old India No 2 opted for a London opening in his game against the Russian GM and had to sign the peace treaty in 39 moves late on Tuesday.

Gujrathis compatriot Pentala Harikrishna had to be content with his fifth draw in six games, against lower-rated Spanish GM David Anton Guijjaro.

Harikrishna, who chose a Catalan opening against Guijjaro, shared the point in 30 moves. The India no.3 now has 2.5 points after the conclusion of six rounds.

Gujrathi and Harikrishna will meet in an interesting clash in the seventh round later on Wednesday.

All the five games in the sixth round ended in draws with American Sam Shankland and Markus Ragger (Austria) being involved in a 76-move marathon.

Results of Round 6:

P Harikrishna (IND) 2.5 drew with David Anton Guijjaro (SPA) 3; Nikita Vitiugov (RUS) 2.5 drew with Vidit Gujrathi (IND) 4.5; Alirez Firouzja (Iran) 3 drew with David Navara (CZE) 2.5; Markus Ragger (AUT) 2.5 drew with Sam Shankland (USA) 2.5; Jan-Krzysztof Duda (POL) 3.5 drew with Nils Grandelius (SWE) 2.5.

See the rest here:

Chess: Indias Vidit Gujrathi draws sixth-round game to stay on top at Prague Masters - Scroll.in

Have you ever lost a winning position in time-pressure? I am sure the answer is a resounding yes! Every chess player has lost winning or equal positions in their games due to time trouble.

Imagine a situation:

Does this story sound familiar to you? If this happens once in a while, maybe its not that big an issue but if it happens game after game then it is high time to do something about it. Unless, of course, you enjoy playing under time pressure and find reasonably good moves without too many errors even in the most complicated of the positions. If this is the case, then, congratulations! You are the next Grischuk!

Alexander Grischuk the time trouble specialist | Photo: Grand Chess Tour

On a quick note, the above-mentioned situations are not fictional, it happened with me when I was a young upcoming player. Well not just once, many times!

In the book secrets of practical chess, John Nunn writes:

The clock is just as much a part of the game as the board and pieces and losing because of time-trouble is no different than losing because of weak play its still zero point on the scoresheet.

Remember, the clock is a very important part of the game nearly as important as the position on the board!

Getting into time trouble in every game is a serious sin and I committed this sin many times in my childhood. Back then I was not self-reliant enough to resolve this problem in detail. But in my journey towards excellence as a player and a coach, I read a lot of books and that helped me to understand many things on how to avoid time trouble. To be honest even today I still find myself in this situation in a few games but the percentage has gone down drastically.

Before finding a cure to any problem its first important to understand the problem. So why do players get into time pressure regularly after all? Dont they know getting into time pressure is bad for practical results?

We all know but it becomes a habit unknowingly. A habit which is difficult to break but is not impossible. If I can do it so can you.

Let us see a short video clip (watch the first 2 mins 20) of one of the fastest chess players in the world right now Ian Nepo who shares his story of how he improved his time trouble problem which he faced in his childhood.

Ian Nepomniachtchi on how he solved the time pressure issue

Nepomniachtchi:

When I was 10 or 11years old, I used to have time trouble in every game. At some point mycoach told me that you playas if you have one hour instead of two hours on the clock! (laughs) In the end it worked! There is also a funny story of Grischukplaying against Malakhov.The game began at around 6 p.m. and Malakhov had his last train back to Moscow at 8 p.m.! So while Grischuk thought for his moves and played, Malakhov was simply rushing. He had only 10 minutes for his game!

Asyou can see from Nepo's examples sometimes you have totry and bringabout the change, sometimes the outside factors force you to play faster!

Assuming every position as criticalI feel the major reason why players get into regular time-pressure is that they assume every decision that they make throughout the game is equally important. This is not the case. The decisions they make in the critical moments in the game, are far more imperative than the decision they make in the positions where there are several alternatives of more or less equal strength.

Self-doubtSometimes we intuitively feel that a certain move must be good because position demands it! But in order to prove ourselves right (because we are afraid of missing something even better), we calculate and calculate and calculate! After a while, we end up playing the same move but after losing unnecessary time on the clock.

Playing perfect chess Some of us want to create a masterpiece, play a perfect game of chess. Such games rarely exist! Even in top-level games, there will be some inaccuracies here and there. If you spend time finding perfect moves from the early stages of the game, you may end up playing horrible moves towards the end due to shortage of time.

ProcrastinationSome players do not make decisions, not only in chess but also in real life, until they are forced to by external circumstances. This results in a delay of simple decision making process over the board because there is no pressure until of course, the time-pressure arrives!

Bad opening preparationYou may lose a lot of time in the opening phase of the game itself if you have no idea how to continue after 7-8 moves into the game. Figuring out everything from the very start creates pressure and in return you lose a lot of time which may be difficult to cover later on.

Lack of concentration Some players may suffer setbacks due to a lack of concentration during the game. Their mind is flooded with sometimes unrelated thoughts/ideas which distract them from focusing. The result loss of valuable time.

So once we have understood the reasons of time pressure lets dive into the solutions to overcome this.

1. Understanding the critical moments in the gameBasically spending the right amount of time and energy is a mark a strong practical player. On the surface, such players may not look like playing the best moves every time. But they will find accurate moves when important moments of the game come. Of course, finding accurate moves also depends on the strength of a player but they are able to find simply because they have time to think when it matters! How to identify which moments are critical and which are not, is an entirely different topic and I will cover this topic in future articles.

World-famous chess author and coach Jacob Aagaard has written an insightful chapter on decision making in his amazing bookThinking inside the box. You can refer to this book to know more about critical moments in the game.

2. Dont doubt yourself on every decision Stop doubting every move you play. Your intuition always has insights to offer in any given position. Trust them more often, except in positions where accuracy is the key!

3. There is rarely a perfect game of ChessSpending loads of time on every move to find a perfect one is like driving a car in the second gear to avoid even the slightest of bumps on the road. If you play in the second gear from the start and when suddenly you feel the time pressure, you anxiously switch to the top gears and that is exactly where you drive into the unknown territory. Always aim for perfection in the critical moments of the game, not when simple decisions have to be made. Go ahead and play the moves that seem logical and obvious to you.

4. Dont wait for outer reasons to force youPlayers suffering from delaying decisions on the board for no apparent reason should examine if they do the same in other matters of their day to day lives. Many times our character reflects in our play in chess. Practise taking simple decisions faster in your daily life and it may help you in taking decisions faster on the board.

5. Improve your opening knowledgeIf you find yourself thinking from the very early stages of the game you need to improve your opening preparations. When you already know the opening lines inside out, you automatically play faster and better moves thus saving a lot of time on the clock for the future.

6. Meditate if you have problems with concentration If you face problems in concentrating during the game, it makes sense to work on this weakness on a daily basis. There are many ways to improve your concentration. Meditation is an ageless, proven way of doing it. Focusing on your breathing during the game can also be helpful. I will go in detail about this in future articles.

My last two suggestions are specifically for ambitious players. I have personally used these in my playing career too and also recommend my students who are facing issues related to time-trouble.

1. Use your opponents time Most of the players have the habit of getting up from the board after playing the move and roaming around the hall. If the position is complicated and you have not yet figured out what reply you will make on some of the opponent's most obvious moves, then it is better you stay on the board and use your opponents time to calculate and figure things out. By this way, you will already have a lot of information about the position when the opponent actually makes his move as you have already calculated at least a few variations in your opponents time.

2. Record time after each move This is a very important thing that you can do to improve your time-management during the game. After the first 5-6 moves are over, record the time shown on your and your opponents clock after each move on your scoresheet. In this way, you will get an idea of how much time you spent on each move. Keep the scoresheets safely or take a picture of your scoresheet and after the tournament, once you are back home, you can discuss with your coach or think for yourself why did you spend so much time on this particular move. You will get a lot of insights into your thinking process during the game. This habit has helped me a lot in improving my time-management and I have seen other friends of mine who are now world-class players use this method as well.

Once you have noted down the time for yourmoves on your scoresheet during the game, it is a good idea to store them in ChessBase after the game as well.

When you open a board in ChessBase 15, you go to "Home" and then click on "Input Mode

Click on "Move Time"

Put the amount of time you took for a move.

Say for the first move 1.e4, youtook two minutes during the game.

It comes like thisright next to the move in the notation and can be a useful reference point

You can start using the feature if you already use ChessBase 15.

ChessBase 15 - Starter Package

The entry into the chess cosmos. ChessBase 15 program + new Big Database 2019 (7.6 million uncommented games). Plus 3 issues ChessBase Magazine and CB Premium membership for 6 months!

The truth is, in spite of doing all of this, you will still find yourself in time-pressure every now and then. So...

Relax calm down This is easy to say but difficult to apply. But if you get tensed in time-pressure then there is a strong chance that you may miss something. Tell yourself to relax and focus on the game.

Be tactically alert Most of the misses in time-trouble are usually of tactical nature. Be tactically aware and be ready for some quick calculations. It would be great if you train your tactical vision and quick calculation skills at home.

It could be one reason or a combination of two or more reasons that results in a habit of time pressure. The journey to turn it around into a good habit starts with first acknowledging that time pressure is bad for our practical results and second to take firm steps to resolve this problem once and for all. It would be very naive to expect that after reading this article or after taking steps you would never come into time-pressure again. Habits good or bad once formed take time to be changed. It is important to be patient and trust your abilities to overcome it.

You may try to play faster but make bad decisions in a game or two, get into a worse position and lose the game in the end. But that is OK. When you try to change something that has become your second nature (in this case playing slowly in every game) results never come as quickly as we expect them to. When you lose games by playing faster, remember that this is a just a step-back in your journey towards your goal. Remind yourself how many games you have lost by blundering or missing moves in time-pressure. A better way to look at your mistakes when you play faster is to investigate why you played that bad move, how can you improve your understanding of that position so that you can make better moves in similar positions rather than trying to go back to your old ways of playing very slowly.

I hope this article has helped you to understand the issue of time-trouble and gave you insights as to what are the steps you can take to improve this bad habit of time-pressure.

Good luck!

See the rest here:

Grandmaster tips on how to fight time-pressure - Chessbase News

Rohan Ahuja is a member of the UMBC Chess Team, which placed ninth at the 2019 Pan-American Intercollegiate Team Chess Tournament. Photo by Marlayna Demond, courtesy of the UMBC Chess Program.

Most students have walked by the plethora of trophies that overlook Commons Mainstreet, but few probably realize that they are the work of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County Chess Team. This past winter break, the team added to their accomplishments by placing ninth out of 63 teams at the 2019 Pan-American Intercollegiate Team Chess Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The competition, which took place from Dec. 27-30, is the most important and competitive intercollegiate team chess championship in the Americas, said Rohan Ahuja, a junior computer science major on the team. Teams from universities, colleges and community colleges in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean gather together for four intense days of chess.

The tournament operates in a six-round Swiss System. Each team is made of four players and up to two alternates. In each match, four members from each team play each other, Ahuja explained. Teams get one point for winning a match, half a point for a tie, and no points for losing a match. Each match takes anywhere from three to four hours. The four highest-scoring teams advance to the Presidents Cup, or the Final Four.

Ahuja said that the UMBC team only narrowly missed qualifying for the Presidents Cup. Still, the team finished ahead of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania and other strong chess schools. However, this years success is not new to the UMBC team. UMBC has won the Pan-Am championship a total of 10 times, and qualified for the Presidents Cup 15 times.

The team members usually prepare for tournaments individually, said sophomore psychology major Mai Narva, noting that each team member has their own style of playing. Narva said that for smaller tournaments she forgoes any extra preparation, choosing to go and give [her] best. But for competitions like Pan-Am, she puts in extra effort.

Narva studies chess between three to seven hours each week in addition to practicing with her individual coach. She and her teammates also participate in a number of individual chess tournaments throughout the fall semester. In September, UMBC students are invited to compete in the UMBC Championship, an annual competition that helps the A and B teams select their members. Other individual tournaments occur throughout October and over Thanksgiving break. One weekend before the Pan-Am tournament, team members competed in the Maryland Action Rapid tournament in Rockville, Maryland. All of [the team members] tied for first place, Ahuja said. After the Rockville tournament provided much-needed playing practice, the teams were ready for Pan-Am.

This semester, the team will hold the 2020 Alvin S. Mintzes UMBC Open tournament in the Commons from March 7-8.

When the team is not gearing up for their next competition, they participate in chess-related community service. Team members hold chess lectures and partner with local schools for after-school chess initiatives. Im glad to share my chess knowledge that Ive developed over the years to motivate and teach children who enjoy the game, Ahuja said. UMBC also offers individual coaching sessions through the UMBC Chess Academy for community members to learn from the team.

Whether the team is representing UMBC at a tournament or in the community, Narva says the university has a reputation for its love for chess. The UMBC Chess Team hold[s] the chess flag of UMBC high, Narva said.

See the rest here:

UMBC Chess Team places among top chess teams in Americas - The Retriever

Tuesday, February 18, 2020 | 11:00 PM

Northern Tier Regional Library

Northern Tier Regional Library is at 4015 Dickey Road, Gibsonia. For more information about the library or to register for a program, call 724-449-2665 or email [emailprotected]

From 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. Feb. 25, Achieva will host a class on infant massage. This event is for caregivers and their babies. Experts will guide participants through massaging techniques for babies. Registration is required.

From 9:30 to 1 p.m. March 14, Northern Tier will be the site of the 47th Annual Library Chess Tournament. The competition has two levels: A Junior Division for grades K-4, and a Senior Division for grades 5-8. The winner in each division will represent the library in the Allegheny County Chess Tournament in late March. Registration is free.

This years annual used book sale will be from April 2 to 6. Volunteers are needed to help make this event a success. Anybody interested in helping in any capacity is encouraged to inquire at the library.

Visit link:

Northern Tier Library hosting used book sale, chess tournament, more - TribLIVE

Harold's Cabin hosts Chess Challenge with Charles Lee this Thurs. Feb. 20 Can you defeat a prodigy? Posted by Priscilla Vanartsdalen on Tue, Feb 18, 2020 at 10:03 AM Harolds Cabin hosts a Chess Challenge with Charles Lee, a long-time member of the Harolds Cabin family, this Thurs. Feb. 20 at 6 p.m.

Lee never turns down the opportunity to learn from a master or take on a challenger so he is welcoming all lovers of chess this week.

Many customers know Lee, nicknamed Charles in Charge, but do not know that he is a chess prodigy who began playing the game at the age of 11. During the challenge this Thursday Lee will play up to three opponents at once within a 20 minute time limit. Harolds Cabin will award a dinner for two to any player that can beat him.

Those interested in challenging Lee can contact Harolds Cabin at (843) 793-4440 for details on the event.

247 Congress St.

Downtown

Charleston, SC

(843) 793-4440

Mon.-Fri. 4-10 p.m. Sat. & Sun. 9 a.m.-10p.m. Brunch & dinner

American and Bar

Tags: Harold's Cabin, chess, Charles Lee, chess challenge, chess prodigy, Image

See the article here:

Harold's Cabin hosts Chess Challenge with Charles Lee this Thurs. Feb. 20 - Charleston City Paper

Hilarious and heartbreaking solo show 'First Time' comes to The Dukes, Lancaster tonight and tomorrow

Award-winning HIV+ theatre-maker Nathaniel Hall brings his show First Time to The Dukes in Lancaster this week, fresh from his critically acclaimed Edinburgh Fringe debut.

First Time is a hilarious and heartbreaking solo show about growing up positive in a negative world.

The show will be performed in Moor Space, The Dukes second site further up Moor Lane tonight and tomorrow.

Taking place in LGBT history month, First Time is crucial for raising awareness of HIV. Its both educational and moving, wearing its heart on its sleeve for all to see.

Tickets start at 8 form http://www.dukeslancaster.org.

Inspired by artworks in the Artful Line at The Harris, explore different techniques and media to create imaginative compositions you can take home. Theres two sessions, 11am for ages five to seven and 2.30pm for ages 12-16. Book via http://www.eventbrite.co.uk.

Chipping Local History Society

Chipping Local History Society meet tonight in St. Marys Community Hall at 7.45pm. Sir Peter Openshaw will be speaking on The dreadful murder of Anne Walne at the Joiners Arms, Ribchester in 1865. Visitors welcome. Call 01772 864289.

Chorley and District Gardening Society

Join Chorley and District Gardening Society tonight as speaker Gordon Malt presents a talk on Climbers. They meet from 7.30pm at Chorley Cricket Club on Sandringham Road, visitors 3 including refreshments. Call 01257 270371 for more.

Escape the February brain fog and exercise your grey matter with Lancaster Chess Club. They meet every Tuesday until early May, 7.30pm at the Reform Club, Great John Street/Stonewell, in Lancaster. Call 01524 884327 for more details.

Read the rest here:

From drawing to gardening, local history to chess, here's five things to do today... - Lancashire Post

UP-APO Patinikan sa Chess begins on February 24

By Marlon Bernardino PhilBoxing.com Wed, 19 Feb 2020

The biggest chess competition in the Philippines this year - the University of the Philippines-Alpha Phi Omega-Patinikan sa Chess (Invitational Tournament)-gets underway on February 24, 2020 (Monday) at the Magno Hall, UP DMST Ylanan Road, UP Diliman Campus in Quezon City.

This was announced in a statement issued on Tuesday by Project Director Raymond Linsangan.

"We expect this year's competition to be just as successful," Linsangan said, a former director of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP).

"University of the Philippines-Alpha Phi Omega-Patinikan sa Chess is a chess cup dedicated to the memory of Brother Francis C. Cantre, 74-C, E Pluribus Batch. Brod Francis was a lawyer and expert level chess player," added tournament director International Master Ronald Bancod.

Coming off a winning performance at the Hong Bao Rating Tournament 2020 (Open division), at the Singapore Chess Federation Conference Room in Bishan, Singapore last January 25 to 27, 2020, Grandmaster Darwin Laylo is looking to follow-up that victory.

He also won the January edition of Asean Chess Academy (ACA) Rapid Chess Tournament last January 5, 2020 at the Bukit Timah Shopping Centre in Singapore.

Laylo, is one of the top players of multi-titled Philippine Army chess team playing under the banner of Usec Lieutenant General, AFP (Ret.) Arthur Tabaquero (AFP Presidential Adviser on Military Affairs) and Col. Dexter Macasaet (Director, SSC, IMCOM, PA).

Other Filipino talents expected for the contest in the Open category include 13-times Philippine Open champion Grandmaster Rogelio "Joey" Antonio Jr., International Masters Hamed Nouri, Ronald Dableo, Roel Abelgas, Yves Ranola, Rolando Nolte, Chito Garma, Daniel Quizon, Michael Concio and Eric Labog, Fide Masters Alekhine Nouri, Christopher Castellano, Leonardo Carlos and Randy Segarra, National Master Nick Nisperos, United States Chess Master Jojo Aquino and Candidate Master Christopher Rodriguez.

Country's youngest Woman Fide Master Antonella Berthe "Tonelle" Murillo Racasa, 12 year old and a grade 6 pupil of VCIS - Home School Global is heading the list of participants in the women's section.-Marlon Bernardino-

Click here to view a list of other articles written by Marlon Bernardino.

Excerpt from:

UP-APO Patinikan sa Chess begins on February 24 - PhilBoxing.com

Nirvana Travel & Tourism announced today that it has signed on to be a sponsor for the 90th International Chess Federation (FIDE) Congress that will be taking place in Abu Dhabi from February 26 to March 1, 2020.

Mr. Alaa Al Ali, CEO of Nirvana Travel & Tourism stated We are delighted to co-sponsor the 2020 edition of the congress in cooperation with the Asian Chess Federation. As a strategic partner, Nirvana Travel & Tourism will harness its organizing capabilities to catapult this global event to success, while also highlighting the UAEs role in supporting the sport on an international stage.

Al Ali praised the efforts of the Asian Chess Federation headed by Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa bin Shakhbout Al Nahyan for organising the event. He added, I would also like to appreciate the contributions of Dr. Abdullah bin Salem Al Wahshi, CEO of the Asian Chess Federation for arranging a world class sports conference in the capital, as part of a strategy to develop the sport and for facilitating the resources required for its growth.

The event will mark Abu Dhabis debut in hosting a chesscongressofthis scale, one that will bring together delegations from more than 194 countries. The 90th FIDE Congress in Abu Dhabi is a qualitative leap for the future of chess in Asia. Moreover it confirms that Abu Dhabi is transforming into a global destination for sports, festivals, and specialized conferences, a feat attributed to the citys advanced infrastructure, quality services, and characteristically safe environment, concluded Al Ali.

See more here:

Nirvana Travel & Tourism Announced as Sponsor of the 90th International Chess Federation Congress in Abu Dhabi - Al-Bawaba