Canada is perhaps not one of the classic big chess countries, and it may have come as a surprise to some that the Candidates Tournament and the Women's Candidates Tournament, have been awarded to Canada. This has a lot to do with one of the main sponsors of the Candidates, the Scheinberg family, which is based in Toronto, Canada. And Canada has a long and rich chess history.

The Canadian Chess Federation

Organised chess in Canada dates back to 1844, when Canada's first chess club was founded in Montreal. In 1894 Montreal was also one of the venues for the world championship match between Wilhelm Steinitz and Emanuel Lasker. However, most of the games of this match were played in the USA.

A Canadian Chess Association was founded in Hamilton in 1872 to organise Canadian national championships. This was replaced in 1932 by the Canadian Chess Federation (CCF), in which for the first time all the major cities of the country were represented with their clubs. In 1945 the Federation was renamed Chess Federation of Canada. This was to avoid confusion with the "Co-operative Commonwealth Federation" (also CCF). The Canadian Chess Federation is based in Ottawa and has published the bimonthly magazine "En Passant" since 1979.

Tournaments

In addition to the closed Canadian National Championships, there have also been open championships since 1956. The 13-year-old Bobby Fischer was one of the participants in the first of these tournaments, but still had a lot to learn.

Over the years, Canada has hosted some outstanding tournaments and matches. In 1957, the World Junior Championship was held in Toronto. Fischer's friend and mentor Bill Lombardy won. In 1967, to celebrate Canada's centennial, an invitational grandmaster tournament was held in which Bent Larsen and Klaus Darga finished shared first. In 1971, Bobby Fischer defeated Mark Taimanov 6-0 in their legendary candidates' match in Vancouver. An outstanding super tournament was also held in Montreal in 1979, with Anatoly Karpov and Mikhail Tal as the winners. Another major tournament, the World Chess Festival, was held in St John in 1988. During the festival Kevin Spraggett won his Candidates match against Andrei Sokolov. The following year Spraggett was beaten by Artur Yusupov in Quebec.

Players

One of the outstanding personalities in Canadian chess history in the middle of the last century was Daniel Abraham (Abe) Yanofsky (1925 - 2000). Yanofsky was born into a Jewish family in Brody, which at the time of his birth belonged to Poland and is now in western Ukraine. The family emigrated to Canada when Daniel Yanofsky was eight months old and settled in Winnipeg.

Yanofsky learnt chess when he was eight years old. By the age of 12, he had already won the Manitoba provincial championship and participated in the Canadian national championship. In 1939 he was a member of the Canadian national team at the Chess Olympiad in Buenos Aires - at the age of 14. With 13.5 points, Yanofsky achieved the second-best result behind Miguel Naidorf (Poland) on board 2. But he did not win a medal for this result because Canada had only reached the B final, where the team finished second, 17th overall.

Yanofsky took part in ten more Chess Olympiads until 1980, until 1970 he played on board one. After the 1964 Chess Olympiad he became a Grandmaster. Yanofsky was the first Grandmaster of his country and even the first Grandmaster of the entire British Commonwealth.

Daniel Yanofsky (left) with Edward Lasker (Photo: British Columbia Chess History)

During the war, Yanofsky had won several tournaments in Canada and the USA and after the war was one of the participants in the first major international post-war tournament, the Staunton Memorial in Groningen in 1946.

The Canadian finished tenth and was one of two players to beat tournament winner Botvinnik. The other was Najdorf. Yanofsky received the brilliancy prize for his victory.

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Yanofsky also played in two interzonal tournaments, in 1948 and 1962, and won the British National Championship as a Commonwealth participant in 1953. Yanofsky played most of his tournaments in Canada and some in Israel. In the 1968 Netanya tournament, Yanofsky finished second behind Bobby Fischer. He drew against Fischer. Between 1943 and 1965, Yanofsky won the Canadian National Championship eight times, a record he shares with Maurice Fox. Yanofsky played his last tournament games in 1989.

Yanofsky was never a professional chess player, but worked first as a research assistant at the University of Winnipeg and then as a lawyer with his brother Harry in their joint law firm. He was also active in politics and held various offices in Winnipeg. Yanofsky received several awards and honours for his achievements in various fields.

Yanofsky's contemporary Frank Andersson (1928-1980) was also a very strong player, but suffered from chronic rheumatism, which severely limited his career as a tournament player. Otherwise he would probably have become a grandmaster.

Canada's second Grandmaster was Duncan Suttles. Born in San Francisco in 1945, he came to Canada at the age of eight when his father took a job as a professor in British Columbia. At the age of 15, Suttles was a participant in the 1961 Canadian Championships. In 1965, he played in the Under-20 World Championships and won the B final, finishing ahead of players such as Raymond Keene and others.

(Photo: British Columbia Chess History)

Between 1964 and 1984 Suttles took part in eight Chess Olympiads with the Canadian team, three of his last four appearances on board one. He was awarded the title of Grandmaster by FIDE in 1972.

In addition to his professional work as a mathematician, first at university and later in industry, Suttles played in a number of tournaments. He won the Vancouver Open in 1981, beating Anthony Miles and Yasser Seirawan. A follower of Nimzowitsch, Suttles cultivated an eccentric style of play, with a penchant for unusual openings and tactical skirmishes. His last international appearance was at the 1984 Chess Olympiad.

Canada's third grandmaster was Peter Biyiasas, who was born in Athens in 1950 and grew up in Vancouver. He won the Canadian National Championship in 1972 and was a member of the Canadian team at four Chess Olympiads from 1972 to 1978.

Peter Biyiasas(Photo: British Columbia Chess History)

In 1972 he won the individual bronze medal on board 4, in 1976 he won bronze on board 2 and in 1978 silver on board 1. In 1978 he became a Grandmaster. In 1980 Biyiasas changed federations and started to play for the USA.

Legend has it that in 1981 Bobby Fischer, who was in hiding, stayed at Biyiasas' place for a while. During this time they once played a blitz match which Fischer won 17-0. Biyiasas retired from tournament play in 1985.

Kevin Spraggett, born in Montreal in 1954, is the fourth Canadian who became a Grandmaster and the first who was born in Canada. Spraggett is regarded as the best Canadian player in history.

Kevin Spraggett

He began playing tournament chess in the early 1970s and became a professional chess player in 1980. He achieved a number of notable successes, including winning the US Open in 1983 and the Commonwealth Championship in 1985. Between 1984 and 1996, Spraggett won the Canadian National Championship five times and the Canada Open eight times. Between 1986 and 2002 Spraggett represented Canada in eight Chess Olympiads.

Another important player in Canadian chess history was Alexandre Lesiege. Born in Montreal in 1975, he started playing chess at the age of six. At the age of 14 he won the Canadian Junior Championship in 1989 with 10 wins and one draw. In 1992 Lesiege became the second youngest Canadian national champion after Yanofsky.

Alexandre Lesiege

In 1993, he took part in the Interzonal Tournament in Biel. In 1992, 1998, 2002 and 2016, he was a member of the Canadian team at the Chess Olympiads. FIDE awarded him the title of Grandmaster in 1998.

Immigrants, emigrants and streamers

After World War II, several strong players from Eastern Europe emigrated to Canada - the best known names are Fyodor Bohatirchuk, Paul Vaitonis and Geza Fuster - and enriched the Canadian chess landscape.

Fyodor Bohatirchuk

The Ukrainian Bohatirchuk was one of the strongest players in the Soviet Union in the 1920s and came to Canada via West Germany in 1949. He represented Canada at the 1954 Chess Olympiad.

In 1980, Soviet Grandmaster Igor Ivanov used a stopover in Gander on a flight from Havana to Moscow to escape. Within a short time, Ivanov was Canada's top player. He won the Canadian championship in 1981, 1986 and 1987. In the 1981 World Championship match against Anatoly Karpov, Ivanov was one of Viktor Korchnoi's seconds. At the 1982 and 1988 Chess Olympiads, Ivanov played on the first board of the Canadian team. In 1990 he moved to Utah and joined the US federation.

Former U16 world champion Evgeny Bareev emigrated from Russia to Canada in 2006 and lives in Toronto. Bareev also joined the Canadian Federation in 2015 and is number one in the Canadian rankings ahead of grandmaster Eric Hansen. Together with fellow Canadian grandmaster Aman Hambleton, Hansen runs the video streaming channel "Chessbrah".

In women's chess, Zhou Qiyu ("Nemo") and Vancouver-based Alexandra and Andrea Botez have achieved a high profile, particularly through their activities on social media. The Botez family traces its roots to Romania. The sisters were born in Dallas, USA.

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Kevin Spraggett has been mentioned as the strongest Canadian-born Grandmaster. In fact there was a Canadian-born Grandmaster who was probably even better. Joel Lautier was also born in Canada. The family emigrated to France when Lautier was nine years old. Lautier became the best player in France. However, he retired from chess a long time ago.

Paul Keres

Paul Keres plays a special role in Canadian tournament history. He visited Canada several times.

Paul Keres at a simul in Quebec 1975

On his return journey from the 1975 Vancouver Open, which Keres had won, the Estonian and Soviet top player died during a stopover in Helsinki. Since then, a memorial tournament has been held regularly in Canada in Keres' honour.

This is Keres' last tournament game, played at the Vancouver tournament 1975.

The man who was Dr. Zhivago

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Chess in Canada: Great tournaments, impressive personalities - Chess News | ChessBase

BOSTONAfter 19 years as the Boston Bruins Play-by-Play broadcaster on New England Sports Network (NESN), Jack Edwards has announced his retirement following the 2023-24 postseason games on NESN. As a New England native and University of New Hampshire graduate, Jack retires from a 45-year career through sports journalism and play-by-play, culminating with what he described as his dream job with NESN and the Boston Bruins.

I grew up a Bruins fan, and who had more fun than us over the last two decades? said Jack Edwards. In collaboration with Bruins and NESN leadership, I recently decided that the time has come for me to finish my shift as the voice of the Boston Bruins. I am no longer able to attain the standards I set for myself, to honor the fans, the players, the Bruins organization and NESN with the best they all deserve.

I retire from broadcasting not with a heavy heart, but gratefulness for a 19-year-long joyride, Jack continued. I owe my career, my own pursuit of happiness, to the love and support of my family. I thank every member of the Bruins and NESN for your loyalty, helping me to achieve and live out a lifetime goal, high above the ice.

Jack began his play-by-play career with NESN in 2005. After holding several reporter and anchor positions in New Hampshire and Providence, Jack came to Boston in the 1980s as a sports anchor and reporter at both WCVB and WHDH. He also worked as a reporter for ABCs Wide World of Sports and Olympic coverage on both ABC and CBS. He joined ESPN in 1991 as an anchor and reporter for SportsCenter and won an Emmy award for his ESPN reporting. He has also done play-by-play for ESPNs coverage of hockey and soccer, including the 2002 World Cup finals, and the Little League World Series. Jacks Bruins passion and knowledge has educated decades of fans. With unique phrases such as tumbling muffin and high above the ice, his iconic style has set him apart in the league and all of sports broadcasting.

I join the Bruins organization, NESN and hockey fans everywhere in congratulating Jack on an incredible career, said Charlie Jacobs, CEO and Alternate Governor of the Boston Bruins. Jacks voice has been the soundtrack for generations of Bruins fans that have experienced so many incredible moments. His presence has been felt around the globe and he will forever be a part of the Bruins legacy.

Jack will continue calling games for the reminder of the 2023-24 season through NHL playoffs. The Boston Bruins and NESN will conduct a nationwide search for the next play-by-play voice to join Color Commentator Andy Brickley for the 2024-25 season.

Congratulations to Jack on a remarkable career of calling Boston Bruins hockey on NESN, said Sean McGrail, President and CEO of NESN. Jack brought a distinctive and colorful personality to our broadcast that was unmistakably his own. Id like to join everyone at NESN in thanking Jack for his contributions over the past 19 years.

In addition to honoring his career tonight during the pregame ceremony, the Boston Bruins and NESN plan to further celebrate Jack Edwards and his impact during the 2024-25 regular season. More information will be shared at a later date.

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Jack Edwards, Voice of the Boston Bruins, Announces Retirement at Conclusion of 2023-24 Season | Boston Bruins - NHL.com

You can quit work, but you can quit retirement?

You can quit work, but can you quit retirement? Many people are. Why? The answer is about more than money and may surprise many people who are working hard to plan their dream retirement.

Pulling out of the driveway, my chatty rideshare driver volunteered that he retired a few years ago from the hotel that I had just checked out of.

I just had to quit, he said. Somewhat confused, I ask, Quit what? Working at the hotel?

Looking back at me in his rearview mirror, eyes twinkling, he responded briskly, No, retirement! I just couldnt do it anymore.

While accelerating onto the highway, he explained, It was becoming the same ole same ole. I just had to quit.

You can certainly quit a job but you can also quit retirement, at least in the classic sense of retirement. Psychologists refer to what my driver describes as habituation, when people become accustomed to or no longer react to a situation or stimulus. In short, even retirement, like decades of work before it, can lose its excitement and become what my driver craftily refers to as the same ole, same ole.

In fact, after about a year, nearly 2 in 5 people retire from retirement, at least part time. Its not that people are unhappy in retirement; it is just that they do not anticipate how much time there is in retirement. In my previous Forbes article, I argued that for people in relatively decent health, retirement life might be 8,000 or more days a full one-third of adulthood. Moreover, the big and small things many believed would fill their retirement days either didnt, or their routines became as tedious as the morning and evening commute they toiled for decades and came to loathe when working.

My driver could tell I was somewhere between baffled and amused. He volunteered why he went back to work. He shared, I enjoyed my time away from work for a while but found that I fell into a boring routine. I missed talking to people, meeting new people, and having a reason to go out for other than buying groceries or going to the coffee shop to see the same faces every day.

MassMutual recently released its 2024 Retirement Happiness Study, which reports the perceptions and self-reported behaviors of pre-retirees age 40-plus and people already in retirement. According to Matt DiGangi, Head of MassMutual Strategic Distributors Annuity Distribution, MassMutuals research on retirement happiness underscores the importance of managing expectations and preparing for retirement both financially and emotionally. The happiest retirees invest not just in their financial futures but also in their social circles, pastimes, passions, and physical health long before retirement. MassMutuals data indicate that 77% of pre-retirees believe they will feel happier on any given day in retirement compared to 67% of current retirees who say they are happier.

And what do people anticipate doing in retirement? What activities do they think will make them feel happier? Most (55%) pre-retirees do not see retirement as the end of work. Instead, 38% of pre-retirees view retirement as shifting focus to a new type of work or fulfilling purpose, while another 17% see retirement as simply working less.

The study findings further report that while many retirees had a plan or developed activities to keep them engaged, many were like my driver; they began to suffer from the same ole, same ole. When asked if they experienced more or less boredom, 38% of retirees reported being about as bored as anticipated, and another 16% discovered they were more bored than expected. Of those who returned to work, 83% did so as a choice, not a financial necessity.

The most revealing findings are what people think they will do in retirement versus what they report doing as retirees.

Travel is always a big and stated goal in retirement planning. A full 79% of pre-retirees said that travel was how they planned to spend their free time; instead, 55% of retirees actually reported traveling.

Likewise, 61% of pre-retirees said they will spend more time pursuing hobbies. Retirees are a little less excited about their hobbies in retirement; 52% report they are painting, gardening, and more.

Half (50%) of pre-retirees anticipate getting outside and exploring nature as a pastime; the data show that only a quarter (27%) of retirees actually seek out flora and fauna retirement.

Even volunteering drops from relatively high anticipation to modest participation. Of pre-retirees, 44% expect to volunteer, but only 22% of retirees report volunteering to fill their free time.

So, what are people doing in retirement? In fairness, more than half (56%) of pre-retirees say they plan to watch movies and television. Clearly, the entertainment and advertising industry sees ratings when they see retirees. A full 8 in 10, or 83% of retirees, report spending their free time watching movies and television.

Retirement planning is focused primarily on ensuring financial security. In contrast, longevity planning is about financial security and overall well-being which demands a holistic approach to ensuring enough money and preparing for what to do with the vast wealth of free time found in retirement. Here are four steps to managing the chances of retirement years becoming the same ole, same ole. These steps should begin decades before when you believe your last day of work will be.

A decade or more before retirement, begin noting and discussing with your partner or significant other places and activities that spark your interest and curiosity or simply make you smile.

Years before retirement, translate inspirations collected over time into specific activities, places, and social groups you may wish to pursue. You can begin forging connections to grow your social circle and become familiar with organizations you find interesting for future part-time and even full-time work or volunteering.

As retirement approaches, revisit and review your shared interests with your significant other and how they have evolved over the years. Compare your shared aspirations, expectations, and hesitations.

It's not easy but take retirement out for a test drive. Find time to volunteer, even work part time, or try out a gig job on weekends. If you are thinking you might move in retirement, use some of your banked-up vacation time to experience where you might live. Dont choose a resort hotel but consider renting a home where you might live and do the daily, often boring, life tasks, for example, cooking, cleaning, and shopping. Identify and visit where you might meet new people. Participate in activities that may confirm or negate what you believe today will contribute to a happy retirement tomorrow.

I parted company with my driver at the airport. He smiled as he handed me my bag and said, I think I will find another ride or two, go home, see what the missus is up to, and maybe go back to work for an hour. I work and do what I want on my time now. Its better than being retired.

More here:
4 Steps To Take Decades Before Retirement To Keep It From Getting Old - Forbes

An influential voice in a new generation of Buddhist teachers, Owens is respected for his work focused on social change, identity and spiritual wellness.

ROME, Ga (AP) Instead of traditional maroon and gold Tibetan Buddhist robes, Lama Rod Owens wore a white animal print cardigan over a bright yellow T-shirt with an image of singer Sade, an Africa-shaped medallion and mala beads the most recognizable sign of his Buddhism.

Being a Buddhist or a spiritual leader, I got rid of trying to wear the part because it just wasnt authentic to me, said Owens, 44, who describes himself as a Black Buddhist Southern Queen.

For me, its not about looking like a Buddhist. Its about being myself, he said at his mothers home in Rome, Georgia. And I like color.

The Harvard Divinity School-educated lama and yoga teacher blends his training in the Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism with pop culture references and experiences from his life as a Black, queer man raised in the South by his mother, a pastor at a Christian church.

Today, he is an influential voice in a new generation of Buddhist teachers, respected for his work focused on social change, identity and spiritual wellness.

On the popular mindfulness app Calm, his wide-ranging courses include Coming Out, Caring for your Grief, and Radical Self-Care (sometimes telling listeners to shake it off like Mariah Carey). In his latest book, The New Saints, he highlights Christian saints and spiritual warriors, Buddhist bodhisattvas and Jewish tzaddikim among those who have sought to free people from suffering.

Saints are ordinary and human, doing things any person can learn to do, Owen writes in his book, where he combines personal stories, traditional teachings and instructions for meditations.

Our era calls for saints who are from this time and place, speak the language of this moment, and integrate both social and spiritual liberation, he writes. I believe we all can and must become New Saints.

But how? Its not about becoming a superhero, he said, stressing the need to care for others.

And its not reserved for the canonized. Harriet Tubman is a saint for me, he said about the 19th century Black abolitionist known for helping enslaved people escape to freedom on the Underground Railroad. She came to this world and said, I want people to be free.

Owens grew up in a devout Baptist and Methodist family. His life revolved around his local church.

When he was 13, his mother, who owns a baseball cap that reads: Gods Girl, became a United Methodist minister. He calls her the single greatest impact in his life.

Like a lot of Black women, she embodied wisdom and resiliency and vision. She taught me how to work. And she taught me how to change because I saw her changing.

He was inspired by her commitment to a spiritual path, especially when she went against the wishes of some in her family, who like in many patriarchal religions believed a woman should not lead a congregation.

Im very proud of him, said the Rev. Wendy Owens, who sat near her son in her living room, decorated with their photographs and painted portraits.

He made his path. He walked his path, or he might have even ran his path, she said. Dont know how he got there, but he got there.

A life devoted to spirituality seemed unlikely for her son after he entered Berry College, a nondenominational Christian school. It didnt deepen his relationship with Christianity. Instead, he stopped attending church. He wanted to develop a healthy sense of self-worth about his queerness, and was dismayed by conservative religious views on gender and sexuality. He felt the way that God had been presented to him was too rigid, even vengeful. So, in his words, he broke up with God.

His new religion, he said, became service. He trained as an advocate for sexual assault survivors, and volunteered for projects on HIV/AIDS education, homelessness, teen pregnancy and substance abuse.

Even though I wasnt doing this theology anymore, what I was definitely doing was following the path of Jesus: feeding people, sheltering people.

After college, he moved to Boston and joined Haley House, a nonprofit partly inspired by the Catholic Worker Movement that runs a soup kitchen and affordable housing programs.

There, he said, he met people across a range of religious traditions from Hinduism to Christian Science to all the denominations of Christianity, Buddhists, Wiccans, Muslims. Monastics from different traditions, everyone.

A Buddhist friend gave him a book that helped him find his spiritual path: Cave in the Snow, by Tibetan Buddhist nun Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo.

The British-born nun spent years isolated in a cave in the Himalayas to follow the rigorous path of the most devoted yogis. She later founded a nunnery in India focused on giving women in Tibetan Buddhism some of the opportunities reserved for monks.

When I started exploring Buddhism, I never thought, Oh, Black people dont do this, or maybe this is in conflict with my Christian upbringing, Owens said. What I thought was: Heres something that can help me to suffer less. I was only interested in how to reduce harm against myself and others.

At Harvard Divinity School, he was again immersed in religious diversity even a Satanist was there.

What I love about Rod is that hes deeply himself no matter who hes with, said Cheryl Giles, a Harvard Divinity professor who mentored him and who now considers him one of her own teachers.

When I think of him, I think of this concept of Boddhisatva in Buddhism, the deeply compassionate being who is on the path to awakening and sees the suffering of the world and makes a commitment to help liberate others, said Giles.

And I love, she said, that hes Black and Buddhist.

Through Buddhism, mindfulness and long periods of silent retreats, Owens eventually reconciled with God.

God isnt some old man sitting on a throne in the clouds, whos, like, very temperamental, he said. God is space and emptiness and energy. God is always this experience, inviting us back through our most divine, sacred souls. God is love.

His schedule keeps him busy these days appearing in podcasts and social media, speaking to college students and leading meditations, yoga and spiritual retreats across the world.

So much inspires him. He wrote his latest book listening to Beyonce and thinking about the work of choreographer Alvin Ailey. Theres Toni Morrison and James Baldwin. He loves Tony Kushners Angels in America. And pioneering fashion journalist Andre Leon Talley of Vogue magazine, who he says taught him to appreciate beauty.

I want people to feel the same way when they experience something that I talk about or write about, Owens said. Thats part of the work of the artist to help us to feel and to not be afraid to feel. To help us dream differently, inspire us and shake us out of our rigidity to get more fluid.

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Lama Rod Owens describes himself as a Black Buddhist Southern Queen. He wants to free you from suffering - AOL

Myo-jang, president of the Korean Buddhist Foundation for Social Welfare, poses for a photograph at Jeondeung Temple, South Korea's oldest Buddhist monastery. (Jean Chung / For The Times)

Three monks, a horde of reporters and 20 singles looking for love walked into a Buddhist temple.

The singles sat on gray mats in the center of the temples study hall, visibly tense because the two dozen reporters crammed in the back were causing a small scene.

An irritated cameraman snapped at a competitor: Can you get out of my shot?

The three monks of the Jogye order South Korea's largest Buddhist sect, with around 12 million followers looked on with placid smiles.

So began the third edition of Naneun Jeollo or To the temple a matchmaking event launched last year by the Korean Buddhist Foundation for Social Welfare to fulfill the religions commitment to fostering social cohesion.

One of the organizers reminded the participants of the weekends stakes: nothing less than the future of the country.

Im sure all of you have noticed how that day-care center in your neighborhood has one day turned into a nursing home, he said, pulling up a computer slideshow titled Aging Society.

Read more:Inside Japans miracle town, where the birth rate is soaring amid a demographic crisis

It showed that over the last two decades the number of babies born each year had been halved and that by 2050 the elderly would make up roughly 40% of the total population, straining the countrys welfare systems and deepening labor shortages.

The singles took in the figures with polite yet stony expressions.

For the sake of the low birthrate, the presenter concluded in an upbeat tone, all you have to do today is actively participate and find a good partner.

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The Buddhists modeled the weekend after a matchmaking reality TV series called I Am Solo, which has produced eight marriages and gained a nationwide following.

This along with the unusual premise of celibate ascetics taking on the challenge of worldly romance has given the Buddhist version its own viral fame, which the foundation hoped to maximize by opening it to the press.

We want to spread the word, said Myo-jang, the monk who leads the foundation. Were hoping one day there will be an edition for every Buddhist temple in the country.

The participants 10 men and 10 women had been told to expect some media, but not the film sets worth of cameras that followed them into a courtyard for formal introductions.

My mind is going blank, said one of them, a 30-year-old who works in finance. I thought there would be at most one TV crew. I feel like someone who just committed a huge crime.

The name on his badge Seong-hun was a pseudonym drawn from a pile, just like on the TV show.

He was one of 147 men and 190 women who had applied to participate in the April weekend, held at Jeondeung Temple, the oldest Buddhist monastery in the country.

Read more:Looking for a date? In Taiwan, the government is here to help

We screen the participants very carefully, Myo-jang said. We want to make sure that there arent people looking for one-off flings.

The weekend was free and open to all religions. Applicants were required to submit employment records and a personal essay, and age and geography were taken into account to maximize the chances of long-term coupling. But Myo-jang said one factor was the most important: yearning.

Only those who hungered for true love, like Seong-hun, had made the cut. Since his last serious relationship in college, Seong-hun had discovered finding love to be difficult. He disliked dating apps, but large social gatherings sapped him. His mother had been telling him to take dating lessons.

At some point in the relentless struggle to find financial stability, life had begun to feel like a perpetually half-full glass that just wouldnt fill up all the way.

Ive gotten too cautious in my 30s, he said. When I was younger, pure attraction was all I needed, but now, I find myself getting hung up on little doubts way too early in the relationship.

What exactly he was looking for, he didnt know.

I think what Im drawn to is someone whos tough on the outside, but soft on the inside, he said.

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After the singles had changed into their uniforms a traditional Buddhist garment consisting of a magenta vest and wide-fitting navy pants Shim Mok-min, the professional emcee hired for the event, gathered them around him.

Shim, who was dressed in a baby blue suit, estimated he had done about 50 events like this one. Most of them were hosted by local governments as part of a national effort to bring the countrys nosediving fertility rate the number of children the average woman has over her lifetime closer to the 2.1 needed to maintain a stable population.

The soaring cost of homeownership, poor work-life balance and the fracturing of traditional gender roles have continued to push South Koreans away from marriage and reproduction.

More than half of those between the ages of 30 and 34 are unmarried, and last year, the countrys fertility rate already the worlds lowest fell to 0.72.

Some of the matchmaking events Shim hosted had storybook endings, like one held by the city of Yongin that produced a marriage. The mayor officiated the couples wedding, and Shim emceed their childs first birthday party.

But far more often, they ended up turning into a game of survival.

Ive seen the women being swapped out with each new group while the men stay the same, round after round, Shim said. One event I did had two women and 18 men.

The games he was now moderating were icebreakers designed to tease out any early attractions and encourage small acts of physical contact.

At events where everyone is new to this format, you have to push them a bit, he said. The ultimate goal is to direct traffic so that participants have clear paths they can pursue later on.

Shim had the singles take turns answering questions from the rest of the group.

Your hair is so nice, one of the men told Ji-su, a 33-year-old policewoman. What do you use on it?

Ji-su cracked a smile and mumbled an answer.

By the time the group moved on to team bingo, any initial shyness had been replaced by a total commitment to winning. With every point scored, the singles screamed and high-fived one another.

Shim frantically reminded them why they were here.

You are here to find your other half, he said. The games are just a means to an end!

A round of speed dating, in which the men and women took turns having short conversations with one another, wrapped things up.

Read more:Korea's army of senior citizens ready for battle. 'I dont remember the rifles being so heavy'

For dinner at the temple cafeteria, the singles would split off into pairs. The women with the highest game scores were given first pick, and a program organizer led them outside, one after another, to a laptop displaying head shots of the men.

That was tiring but fun, said Seon-jae, who was picked fifth by a 31-year-old dental hygienist.

He didnt know if he liked her back yet.

I guess Ill have to talk to her and find out, he said.

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After dinner, the group convened for one more round of games.

Shim turned down the mood, leading the group in a meditative chant, instructing the singles to hold hands and gaze into each others eyes.

Empty your minds, Shim said.

Knees were now being touched, whispers shared and heads drawn together.

Bring your mats closer together, Shim said.

Seong-hun talked animatedly with Yu-jin, a 33-year-old real estate consultant whose sister had met her husband at a Buddhist temple.

Ji-su, the policewoman, was in a quiet conversation with her partner looking charmed, until one of the reporters walked over and stuck his camera about a foot from her face, making her recoil.

For the evenings final act, everyone took a short walk to the teahouse for a romantic cafe outing, but with rotating partners. After a few hours of conversation under the soft yellow lights, couples would choose their dates for the next mornings nature walk.

The participants will text us who they like the most later tonight, said Kong Ji-yu, one of the organizers. If theres a match, the two will be paired together for the walk. For the rest, well partner them with someone we feel suits them.

Last years event had produced two matches, with one of the couples reportedly still dating. The organizers, observing the proceedings from the lobby, were now hoping for three.

Read more:They earn nearly $200,000. Can they afford to have kids in SoCal?

The singles sipped fruit tea at the wooden tables, looking relaxed and sleepy. Camera-wielding reporters zipped through the narrow aisles like bees, zooming in on faces and hands.

After a few rotations, Yu-jin, the real estate consultant, went to the counter to refill her lemon tea, looking up to see a reporter in a long trench coat pointing his handheld camera at her.

The reporter, who was filming a news documentary for national broadcaster KBS, fed her a line.

Say I want to meet a good partner through this program, the reporter said. Just once, really quickly.

Yu-jin reluctantly obliged.

: :

Seong-hun went to bed early that night feeling contemplative.

Here he was trying to escape the casualness of dating apps, only to feel like he was cheating every time his conversation partner changed.

I realized I need to start by figuring out what exactly Im looking for, he said. Maybe Ive just been overcomplicating things in my head.

The next morning at the courtyard, Kong, the program organizer, looked pleased.

There were four matches last night, she announced.

To avoid hurt feelings, she added, the details of who picked whom wouldnt be revealed to the group.

Seong-hun had asked the organizers to pair him with someone at random. He sat with his assigned date at one of the tables outside the cafe and dived into a conversation about lifes malaise, while a camera drone buzzed overhead capturing the strolling couples posing for photographs by the cherry blossoms.

Huddled together a few tables over with an air of weariness was a group of four calling themselves the failed couples. They had dropped any pretense of romance and skipped the walk.

What's more, the participants were fed up with the reporters from KBS. One of them tricked me into an interview by asking me to just sit down for a second, said Chae-won, a 32-year-old gym teacher.

Would events such as these and their steady contribution of new couples help reverse South Koreas fertility crisis? The group was skeptical.

What really needs to be addressed is the cost of living and housing prices, Chae-won said, as the rest of the group nodded along. Right now, I already have my hands full just from looking after myself.

Even if she ended up getting married, she would think twice before having a baby.

I see colleagues getting the stink eye for having to take a day off because of their child, she said. Things have supposedly gotten a lot better in that regard, but thats still how it goes.

Later, the matched couples would be encouraged to pursue their relationship beyond the temple walls, under their real names.

And at the closing ceremony, Yeo-am, the temple's abbot, offered some parting words of wisdom.

Relationships, he said, were made not from a burning love but quietly accruing affection.

My sense is that there are another three or so potential couples in this group, he said, pointing to the two singles nearest to him. Why dont you two try seeing each other?

The two laughed awkwardly.

When the abbot began taking questions, Seong-hun raised his hand.

How do I get rid of this emptiness, this feeling that Im missing something important in life? he asked.

The abbot told him to begin every morning by performing exactly 108 bows, a meditation exercise in Korean Buddhism. And for all the weekend's emphasis on finding a partner, the abbot's advice was a reminder that some journeys in life must be made alone.

Thats something you must resolve on your own, the abbot said. No other person can save you from it.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Inspired by reality TV, Buddhist monks become matchmakers - AOL

Recent reports indicated that Binance [BNB] has made significant strides in recovering from its recent challenges.

According to data by CCData, Binance has attracted the highest spot and derivative volume in the last three years. Additionally, its native token, BNB, has managed to maintain its position among the top five assets.

Per the report, combined spot and derivatives trading volume on centralized exchanges surged by 92.9% to reach a new all-time high of $9.12 trillion in March.

Specifically, trading volumes for derivatives reached unprecedented levels, soaring by 86.5% to $6.18 trillion.

The report highlights that Binances spot trading volume surged by 121% to $1.12 trillion in March, marking the highest spot volumes on the exchange since May 2021.

Similarly, derivatives trading volumes experienced a significant increase, rising by 89.7% to $2.91 trillion, achieving its highest levels since May 2021.

This recent data represented a positive development for Binance, which faced challenges to its dominance following regulatory scrutiny from the U.S. Department of Justice.

AMBCryptos analysis of BNBsprice trend showed an eventful month. On the daily timeframe chart, BNB surged to the $500 price region in March and even traded above $600 at certain points during the month.

At the time of this writing, it was trading at around $586, which marked one of its highest points in history, despite its recent decline.

BNB maintained its bullish trend, which began in February, with the Relative Strength Index (RSI) hovering close to 60 at the time of writing.

Additionally, its Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) analysis suggested that the BNB trend is moderately strong.

Realistic or not, heres BNBs market cap in BTCs terms

According to data from CoinMarketCap, Binance retained its position as the fourth-largest cryptocurrency asset.

At the time of this writing, its market capitalization was over $87 billion, despite experiencing a price decline.

Read more:

Binance: All the factors that helped BNB find its footing in 2024 - AMBCrypto News

Sebastian Vettel has made the headlines in recent weeks after admitting that a Formula 1 comeback could be appealing for 2025. But how many other drivers have ended their retirements to return to the sport over the years and, more importantly, how did they fare? Weve put together a shortlist

Niki Lauda initially called time on his F1 career at the 1979 Canadian Grand Prix, where he told Brabham team boss Bernie Ecclestone that he no longer wanted to drive in circles instead ploughing his energy into getting his own airline business off the ground.

READ MORE: 10 of the most remarkable injury comebacks in F1 history

But a few years on, McLaren and sponsor Marlboro dangled the carrot of an F1 return and the chance to add to the two world titles he had achieved with Ferrari in the 1970s in front of the Austrian, and it was an opportunity he grabbed.

After a brace of wins in 1982 and a couple more podiums in 1983, McLaren delivered the rapid, Porsche-powered MP4/2 for 1984, in which Lauda managed to pip team mate and rising star Alain Prost to the title by half a point.

Lauda continued for one more season, taking his 25th and final win at the 1985 Dutch Grand Prix, before embarking on a range of consultancy and managerial roles with Ferrari, Jaguar and most recently Mercedes, where he remained until his passing in 2019.

Alan Jones made his F1 debut in the mid-1970s and, some five years later, had reached the heights of title glory with Williams becoming only the second Australian driver to achieve the feat after triple world champion Jack Brabham.

Having come close to doubling up in 1981, placing third in the standings behind team mate Carlos Reutemann and Brabhams eventual title winner Nelson Piquet, AJ decided that hed had enough of travelling around the world and announced his retirement.

BEYOND THE GRID: 1980 World Champion Alan Jones on racing and winning for Williams

Victory in his then final race at Caesars Palace was a fine way to bow out, only for Jones to return to action little more than a year later with Arrows, despite breaking his leg in a horse-riding accident. However, when sponsorship money failed to materialise the two parties went their separate ways, having started just one Grand Prix together.

Some three years later, Jones returned full-time with Haas, but the regular podiums and wins from his initial stint in F1 were swapped for regular retirements a P4 finish in Austria and P6 result in Italy the two highlights from an otherwise painful 1986. He retired again thereafter.

Nigel Mansell realised his long-held ambition of becoming F1 world champion with Williams and their all-conquering FW14B in 1992, but no sooner had the Briton put his hands on that coveted prize, he departed the team and the sport as a whole.

Indeed, after falling out with team chiefs Frank Williams and Patrick Head over the terms of a new deal, and the impending arrival of Prost (with whom hed experienced a tense relationship at Ferrari), Mansell opted for a move to America and the Indy Car World Series.

READ MORE: 5 bold F1 driver moves that paid off and 5 that didnt

A year later, and with the CART title also under his belt, Mansell returned to F1 and Williams following Ayrton Sennas death, making several appearances through 1994 and scoring a pole position/victory double at the season finale in Adelaide only for Williams to give David Coulthard a full-time drive alongside Damon Hill in 1995.

Mansell subsequently headed to another legendary British team in McLaren, but having struggled to fit into the narrow MP4/10B and missing the start of the season, he could not get to grips with the car when he eventually sat behind the wheel and permanently retired after two challenging race weekends.

After Brawn GPs sensational title double in 2009, it was all change at the Brackley team for 2010 as German automotive giant Mercedes bought the operation and signalled their full-time return to F1 competition with a view to emulating their success from the 1950s.

Neither Jenson Button (heading to McLaren) nor Rubens Barrichello (moving to Williams) would represent the marque, though, with team bosses instead signing an all-German line-up of Nico Rosberg and returning world champion Michael Schumacher.

READ MORE: Today was a little present to myself The story of Michael Schumacher's 91st and final F1 win

Schumacher, who had racked up a pair of titles with Benetton in the 1990s and five with Ferrari in the noughties, was keen to add another chapter of success to his F1 story, but while a three-year spell with the Silver Arrows brought plenty of points, it yielded just one podium finish.

Schumacher was, however, credited with helping to lay the foundations for Mercedes success in the turbo-hybrid era that followed the team winning eight constructors titles and seven drivers titles from 2014 to 2021.

While it was not officially announced as a retirement at the time, Kimi Raikkonen stepped away from the F1 grid at the end of a challenging 2009 season with Ferrari, despite having a contract to race with the team who signed Fernando Alonso in his place through 2010.

Over the next couple of years, the Finn dabbled in his passion for mixed-surface competition with outings in the World Rally Championship and also sampled the world of NASCAR, but the F1 paddock remained interested in his services and he returned with Lotus for 2012.

WATCH: I just did whatever made me happy Take an animated trip through Kimi Raikkonens stellar career

A brilliant victory and radio message followed at that years Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, before he kicked off the 2013 campaign with a similarly impressive win in Australia. After bagging several more podiums, Raikkonen soon found himself heading back to the squad he had left in Ferrari.

While Raikkonens next spell at Maranello was not as successful as his first, which included a run to the title in 2007, he added plenty more trophies to his cabinet and took a very popular 21st and final victory at the 2018 United States Grand Prix, before embarking on a farewell stint with Alfa Romeo.

Alonso came agonisingly close to winning the title with Ferrari after replacing Raikkonen but with the top prize remaining elusive across a five-year spell in red he made a return to McLaren for 2015, where matters went from bad to worse thanks to an ailing Honda power unit.

Alonso patiently waited for progress across three seasons powered by the Japanese manufacturer, and another when Renault stepped in as their replacement, but with no sign of the race and title-contending form he had been craving, the Spaniard walked away from F1.

READ MORE: From Hungary 2003 to Spain 2013 Ranking Alonsos best wins from 10 to 1

Like Raikkonen, Alonso tried a host of different categories in the years that followed, with highlights including a pair of victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the overall World Endurance Championship title, alongside outings in the IMSA SportsCar Championship, the Dakar Rally and the Indianapolis 500.

Alonso was then tempted back to F1 by Alpine, or Team Enstone, where he won his pair of world titles in 2005 and 2006, with a move to Aston Martin and a move up the grid soon following as his quest for that third championship continues.

What's more the Spaniard has just signed on at Aston Martin through to 2026, with chapters of his F1 journey still to be written.

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The drivers Vettel could follow by coming out of retirement - Formula 1

MOUNT JACKSON Centering herself with a deep breath, yoga instructor Jessie Caffery said her philosophy for the ancient practice is simple: Get out of your head and get into your body.

Caffery, who began her yoga journey in 2017 after attending her first class, quickly found herself enthralled by the practice. After completing 200 hours of teacher training, the minimum requirement, she is now sharing her knowledge and passion with beginners.

You can never stop learning, said Caffery, owner of Moon Child Yoga, who is in the process of completing her advanced teacher training, where shes learning more difficult postures and techniques as well as more mythology behind the practice.

Now Im standing on my head and flipping upside down, the yoga instructor said. Anyone who reads this article and knows me is not going to be surprised.

Her main focus as a yoga instructor is to get her students out of their heads and into their bodies.

We move through this crazy thing called life at warp speed, she said. Were all busy, including myself, so yoga is a great way to ground yourself, a great way to come back to who you are, where youre at and be able to relieve any unwanted stress or anxiety built up in the body.

Once a gym rat, Caffery participated in her first yoga class with her daughter on her birthday. From that moment on, she needed more.

I built my practice at home because I was on a very strict budget, Caffery explained. I couldnt really afford to pay for anything, but I knew I wanted to learn as much as possible. I went home and looked up as much as I could on YouTube.

A couple of years went by and Caffery found herself working in a hospital with older patients who could benefit from the movements of yoga. Using her knowledge, Caffery helped them perform similar yoga postures she had once learned, but modified the poses for their various ailments.

Long story short, I got the opportunity to come to a Q&A (in 2019) for a potential teacher training through the same gentleman that I had first practiced with," Caffery said. "He was guest teaching at this studio and while I hadnt gone to any other classes since the first one, I knew I wanted to practice with him again.

Her chance would come when she was asked to provide an email at the end of her class. A couple of months later, she received an email inquiring about her interest in teaching. Expected to start in March 2020, Cafferys class was pivoted to an online class during the pandemic.

Looking back, Caffery said her life changed all because of one instructor, who at the time, didnt even know Caffery was completing her certification.

The universe is putting me where Im supposed to be, said Caffery while explaining her first teacher reached out in December, asking her to teach at his studio.

Teaching at various locations during the week, Caffery is never in one spot long. Three times a week she teaches yoga in her upstairs studio at A New You Salon & Spa. Other days shes in Martinsburg, West Virginia, at Lovin Light Yoga.

Anyone who has a body can benefit from yoga, she said. But not every day is the same.

A little advice Caffery likes to share with those who dont know or havent practiced before is a willingness to be patient.

You might be more tired or you might not feel well. Sometimes just closing your eyes and focusing on your breath is enough intention.

Caffery changes her sequences weekly. Sometimes they revolve around the phases of the moon and sometimes they focus on a specific body part, such as the hips.

For a recent morning class, Caffery had students close their eyes and focus on their breath. A sense of calm moves through the room as students find their center.

Then I suggest that students set a goal of releasing tension from the hips and then we physically do it too with various poses such as standing postures, depending on the theme of the week, she said.

Following a moment of peace, students shift into the more intense portion of the hour-long class and then end with a cool down.

Caffery often takes her classes outdoors if students are willing. She also scouts out unusual locations like the Woodstock Tower or local Airbnbs for their views as days become longer and light is more abundant.

I would practice outside all the time if I could, she said. Teaching outdoors youre looking for certain environmental factors like a flat space, the challenge of grass and the amount of space.

Caffery teachesbeginner yoga and hot yoga, where the temperature in the room reaches over 95 degrees to help the body release toxins, and keeps her classes small with just three to five students.

Yoga, she said, is not intimidating. Yoga at the core is physical movement. Any level of physical movement, even in a chair, is a form of yoga. Youre doing it even if youre just sitting, being quiet and breathing.

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Yoga is a 'great way to ground yourself,' instructor says - Northern Virginia Daily

Uniquely Unlucky

In this article I'm sharing a selection of exceptional blunders. In the process of looking for great moves, while browsing through a huge database of games played online, there is an abundance of blunders to be found. Massive amounts of blunders are played all the time by millions of online players. Most blunders are as stupid as they are predictable. However, in this huge pile of stupid moves, occasionally youll find an unexpected move that is unbelievable as well as devastating.

In general, I dont feel sorry for people when they blunder, because that happens to every player often enough. Especially with common positions, I dont really care for players that blunder. But there is an exception.

One a kind blunders

When a move is terrible, unnecessary and also illogical, no sane person should play it, ever. Thats why I find it interesting whenever I discover such a crazy move being played anyway. Theres something fascinating about knowing that somewhere in the world exists an unlucky soul that had to live through the experience of playing that move. Thats why I save positions like this whenever I find one.

Practically, it just means that these blunders are only made by one player, according to openingtree.com. Its a tool that uses the Lichess games database for all games played at a 1600 rating or higher. When looking at all Lichess games and also including all games on chess.com, its likely there will be more players falling for the same traps, but as it stands, they are still unique.

The selection

# 1 Hillbilly Attack (Schaeffer Gambit)

Setup

The Hillbilly Attack is not a strong opening and this specific variation is fairly speculative, but it can be dangerous for players that aren't familiar with it. White is threatening mate very early in the game.

Key Moment

Black missed the threat and plays Nd7, blundering a mate in one. But that's not the part that interests me.

It's the one white player that lost the game from this position!

#2 Successful Pirc Trap

Setup

Thanks to my friend Kevin who shared this idea with me recently.

After blacks plays Nxf4 the game is over, white has a forced mate in 2 after Nxc7+ Kf8 Rd8#. In 7.6k games (99.3%) of all 7.7k games in the database white plays Nxc7+, only 57 players (0.7%) blunder and play Nxf4. After Nxc7+ around 1,000 black players resign and the other 6.7k players are forced to play Kf8.

Obviously, white's trick worked and the game is essentially over and black can safely resign, like the thousand players that did so on the previous move. But there's a reason people keep saying "never resign". And even in a desperate position like the one after Kf8, there's always hope. In this position 2.3% of players will not see the mate in one. Mostly because their greedy eyes are distracted by the free Rook. Only 13 white players (0.2%) are oblivious to both the checkmate and the free Rook, and will simply play a move like Nf3 or g3.

Key moment

My heart goes out to the player that played Rd7, arguably the worst possible move white can play, perhaps literally the worst move. Everything went according to plan, with finish in sight, all they had to do was drag the Rook a 7 square distance towards the enemy back rank. So close!

#3 Is this even Legall?

Setup

This one is not a mouse slip. This one is just a player being stupid.

It's hilarious that there are 825 players that go for the free Queen (5. Bxd1), but that's nothing special. Thousands of players have fallen for this trap or one of the many variations of the same tactic.

Key Moments

Again, there's one unlucky player that missed his opportunity to win and went on to lose the game even.

This one is worse. Playing Bxf7+ to force the King to e7, only to play Kxd1 anyway. This player was lucky enough to save some dignity and win the game.

#4 Caro-Kann Pawn Tactic

Setup

This a fairly common position in the Caro-Kann Botvinnik-Carls Defense. White makes a mistake in response to Qb6 and black can win the pawn on d4 after removing the defender.

Key moment

We can only speculate on what happened here, my money would be on a misclick.

That's All!

Thanks for reading.

Originally posted here:

One of a kind blunders - Chess.com

Only a select few in the annals of chess history have broken into the world top-five before their 20th birthday. GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov has now joined that prestigious list, and shares his insights with Chess.com on his rise from prodigy to chess superstar.

The latest FIDE ratings for April, released on Sunday, once again see GM Magnus Carlsen at the top. The Norwegian maestro holds a comfortable lead of 27 points over GM Fabiano Caruana, with another 14-point gap to GM Hikaru Nakamura in third place.

However, stealing the spotlight is Abdusattorov, who not only breached the top-10 for the first time, but takes it one step further to make the top-five, climbing from 11th to 4th. While there is a gap of 24 points up to Nakamura, the young Uzbek is three points ahead of World Champion Ding Liren.

Abdusattorov's entry into the elite circle follows a 17-point gain after he tied for first placein the 2024 Tata Steel Chess in January. He then added another 15 points by winning the Prague Masters with a round to spare in March.

Research conducted by Chess.com reveals the rarity of Abdusattorov's achievement, attained at a historically very early age. In fact, only five players have previously made the top-five before turning 20: GMs Garry Kasparov (1982), Alexei Shirov (1992) and Vladimir Kramnik (1994) achieved the milestone in the 80s and 90s, while Carlsen (2010) and GM Alireza Firouzja (2021) round out the exclusive group.

Noteworthy mentions include Caruana who reached seventh as a 19-year-old, GM Gata Kamsky hit eighth at a mere 16, GM Veselin Topalov eighth at 18, while GM Vasyl Ivanchuk was sixth before his 20th birthday.

Speaking to Chess.com in an exclusive interview, Abdusattorov responds with a smile when informed about the feat:

"I am pleasantly surprised to hear that. I didn't know. It's a great achievement, but at the same time, it's a big responsibility for me as it's a totally new level. I am really happy to be there."

Abdusattorov calls it an important step forward in his career, and feels that his jump from 2720 and breaking into the top-10 was a "huge breakthrough." However, he has always remained firmly grounded, acknowledging that he is just getting started. Nothing is taken for granted:

"I will try my best to push even more, but it will take some time."

Abdusattorov has been eating such records for breakfast for quite some time in his short career. The highlight is becoming the youngest-ever world champion by winning the 2021 World Rapid Championship as a 17-year-old, ahead of the entire world elite.

The Uzbek also holds the record as the youngest-ever 2400-rated player, a feat he achieved at the age of just ten-and-a-half. As an 11-year-old he set a record by becoming the youngest player to enter the top-100 juniors.

Youngest Players To Break 2400

Responding to the question of whether he pays attention to such records, he says with a smile:

"It's been some sort of competition. I have always wanted to break records. It gives me motivation and it's also a very tough challenge. But if you set a goal, you have to motivate yourself with a tough challenge. When I was a kid, I set myself a goal to become the youngest grandmaster at the time. After I became a grandmaster, I set myself a goal to reach 2700. Then you set new goals every time, and that becomes a motivation."

It's been some sort of competition. I have always wanted to break records. It gives me motivation and it's also a very tough challenge.

Nodirbek Abdusattorov

Abdusattorov's record-breaking journey started when he became the Under-8 World Youth Champion in 2012. Only two years later, at the age of nine, he caught the attention of the entire chess world by beating two grandmasters in a single tournament.

His win against 2600-rated GM Andrey Zhigalko at home in Tashkent in 2014, makes him the fifth-youngest player to defeat a grandmaster in classical chess of all time. However, his achievement is perhaps the most impressive of all considering his opponent's strength.

"It was a very special feeling as it was the first time I played against a 2600-grandmaster. I think it was my first open tournament as well, so I had never had a chance to play against s strong grandmaster. And the first time I play against a 2600-rated grandmaster, I managed to beat him. I couldn't believe it myself! I didn't understand what I did at the time. It was a special achievement."

I couldn't believe it myself. I didn't understand what I did at the time. It was a special achievement.

Abdusattorov on his victory against a 2600-rated GM as a nine-year-old

He reveals an amusing story about how he at the time had just discovered who the world number one since 2010 was, one he would later be competing against and even defeating.

"I didn't know Magnus at all. I hadn't heard about him. First time I heard about him was in the 2013 Candidates. I was like eight years old. At the time I found out that he was the world number one. I just knew the world champion, Vishy, and I only knew Magnus as a famous player. When I found out that Magnus is much stronger and higher-rated, I was kind of surprised."

"After the match against Vishy, Magnus was clearly stronger and much better. I was just so impressed with him. He was my idol at the time."

I was just so impressed with him. He was my idol at the time.

Abdusattorov on Carlsen in 2013

Just two years later, in 2015, Abdusattorov had quite the breakthrough. He catapulted from 2263 to 2465 in a matter of a month. That same year he participated in the Qatar Masters, rubbing shoulders with some of the world's biggest chess stars for the first time.

Eight years later, he has a confession to make: "I was looking at each player and seeing them for the first time with an open mouth. It was so exciting!"

In Qatar he also got to show off his skills, such as incredible pace and determination on the soccer (football) pitch, as this reporter witnessed first-hand. "I remember I scored a goal," he says smilingly, adding that he is still a keen player.

He ended up taking a picture with Carlsen, who won the tournament. "I did not talk to him. I was just happy to get the picture!"

Abdusattorov has the memory fresh is his mind when now he has become a star himself and fans are chasing after a selfie with him instead. The young Uzbek's rise has been meteoric. He was barely 13 when he became a grandmaster, the sixth youngest in history, and 15 when he crossed the 2600 barrier. He faced Carlsen for the first time in the 2019 World Blitz Championship, where he held a draw as Black.

In the 2021 World Rapid Championship he won a key game against Carlsen that sensationally secured him the title. After defeating him in their first classical encounter in Tata Steel Chess 2023, Abdusattorov remains the only top player with a plus score against the Norwegian in classical chess.

"After that event, it was obvious that I was going to reach the very top very soon. My childhood time had passed, and I had to grow and take it seriously from that point. Now it's very, very serious."

"Looking back at the time, it was my dream to play even one classical game against him. After some time, I am almost playing against him in every big tournament. It is changing in a very straightforward and unexpected manner. It's a very pleasant feeling to play against him. I enjoy it, but at the same time it's some kind of competition."

Abdusattorov has a clear warning for the world number one.

"Now it's obvious that Magnus is... despite being the best player in the world, our generation is coming for him. It's going to be very tough for Magnus."

Our generation is coming for him. It's going to be very tough for Magnus.

Nodirbek Abdusattorov

Carlsen himself said he feels the youngsters, including Abdusattorov, still have some way to go before they are at his level.

"For the moment, I don't think any of them are close to being at my level. That doesn't mean that it's always easy," Carlsen said in the recent Sjakksnakk podcast.

The former world champion has previously praised Abdusattorov's concentration and discipline, and abilities to defend inferior positions, calling him "extremely impressive." However, the former world champion rates Firouzja higher.

"There's no doubt that Alireza is a bigger talent. Whether he is a more likely pick to have a better chess career than Abdusattorov, I am not sure. But I am not 100 percent convinced by Abdusattorov, still. I am talking in terms of being a clear number one, not whether he is going to be a perennial top player, obviously. But it's still hard to say," Carlsen said.

Whether Abdusattorov will make it to the very top one day remains to be seen, but he certainly seems to be in a good place.

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Abdusattorov Enters World Top 5 Before Age 20: 'I Always Wanted To Break Records' - Chess.com