Sam Sloan Albian Gambit Video

Chessmaster Sam Sloan has produced a free instructional chess lesson. Sources indicate it covers the Albin Counter Gambit. Here is the link :
http://www.ishipress.com/samchess2.asf

Son of FIDE President Kirsan Ilumzhinov Badly Beaten

MosNewsPolice have badly beaten the son of Kirsan Ilumzhinov, president ofthe Republic of Kalmykia and the head of the FIDE chess organization,Regnum reported Thursday.16-year-old David Ilumzhinov was out street racing with two friends ata deserted airport near Elista, the republic's capital. The cityadministration permits street racing at the airfield.Four policemen, among them the head of Elista's criminal investigationdepartment, Vitaly Elkuev, were off duty and drinking alcohol near theairport, Regnum reports, when they decided to check the teenagers'documents and look in the trunk of their car.The president's son told the policemen his name and asked forpermission to leave, but he and his friends were then beaten up.Afterwards the boys left in their car with the policemen chasing them,the agency reports. As a result of the high-speed chase the boy's carcrashed.In spite of the injuries that the youngsters sustained in theaccident, they were once more beaten up by the drunk policemen. Allthree of them are currently in the hospital.Three of the four policemen have been detained, the republic'sprosecutor, Sergei Khlopushin, told journalists. They are accused ofexceeding their authority, but the severity of the charges now dependson the condition of the victims, which remains unstable, Regnum adds.Kirsan Ilumzhinov became Kalmykia's president in 1993 at the age of30. He was reelected in 1995 with 85 percent of the vote. He has alsobeen the president of FIDE chess federation since 1995.

Welcome Susan Polgar To Blogging!

This is wonderful news for the chess community. Susan Polgar, the legendary four times womens world chess champion, has created her own blog! This is another wonderful outreach program by GM Polgar. Visit her site often and interact with the greatest woman's champion of all time! http://www.susanpolgar.blogspot.com/

MTEL Masters Super Tournament

SIX TOP CHESS PLAYERS AT THE "M-TEL MASTERS" SUPER TOURNAMENT
The competition is part of the "Ten Years of Mobiltel" Anniversary
Mobiltel and Kaissa Chess Management, Agency of Silvio Danailov, Manager of the best Bulgarian chess player Veselin Topalov, are going to organize an international Super chess tournament May 11th - 22nd, 2005 in Sofia.
The event constitutes a part of the festivities on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the biggest Bulgarian mobile operator (www.mobiltel.bg).
The competition will be attended by 6 of the best chess players on the planet: Viswanathan Anand (India), Veselin Topalov (Bulgaria), Vladimir Kramnik (Russia), Ruslan Ponomariov (Ukraine), Michael Adams (England) and Judit Polgar (Hungary).
The tournament belongs to the 20th Category of FIDE. According to average ELO this will be toughest tournament in the world for the current year. The Tournament's Regulation provides for the holding of 2 rounds with seven-hours' time control, classical chess. This way every participant will be able to play two games against the others. If there is a draw at the top, a tie-break will be provided for which has to determine the winner in the Tournament of Sofia.
The venue is the five-star luxury Grand Hotel Sofia (www.grandhotelsofia.bg) where the opening and the closing ceremony of the Tournament will be organized.
During the rest day Grand Master Veselin Topalov will give a simul to chess fans at the garden in front of the National Theater. Mobiltel will provide and set up 10 marble chess play tables in the garden.
For a second year in a row Mobiltel has been sponsoring the best Bulgarian chess player. In February last year the mobile operator organized a demonstration TV match between the rapid chess World Champion Viswanathan Anand and Topalov.