Chess

[mancunianfox]

Conspiracy theory here but I am not sure Hikaru was trying all that hard against Alireza.

 

The opportunity to clown Hans Niemann face to face, in front of the crowd, was too much for him to miss out on and he knew there was no way Hans was going to win in the semi. What Magnus and Hikaru did to Hans on back to back days was savage.

[The Bear]

3 hours ago, mancunianfox said:

Conspiracy theory here but I am not sure Hikaru was trying all that hard against Alireza.

 

The opportunity to clown Hans Niemann face to face, in front of the crowd, was too much for him to miss out on and he knew there was no way Hans was going to win in the semi. What Magnus and Hikaru did to Hans on back to back days was savage.

It's a good theory. 

 

I watched Hans' interview with GothamChess from before the tournament and the bloke is deluded and arrogant. Magnus subtly alluded to the fact in his post match interview too. 

[Zear0]

12 minutes ago, The Bear said:

It's a good theory. 

 

I watched Hans' interview with GothamChess from before the tournament and the bloke is deluded and arrogant. Magnus subtly alluded to the fact in his post match interview too. 

I saw it too and assumed it was parody as it was laughable how much of an absolute pudding he came across.  Sadly, I'm not sure it is given what Kramnik posted after the Hikaru battering.

[The Bear]

4 hours ago, Zear0 said:

I saw it too and assumed it was parody as it was laughable how much of an absolute pudding he came across.  Sadly, I'm not sure it is given what Kramnik posted after the Hikaru battering.

Ah I haven't seen the Kramnik response. I try and avoid him and his "everybody's cheating" nonsense. 

[Sly]

I haven’t played Chess for 20+ years.

 

I’ve just downloaded the chess.com app.

 

I’ll let you all know how this goes! 

[Stadt]

8 minutes ago, Sly said:

I haven’t played Chess for 20+ years.

 

I’ve just downloaded the chess.com app.

 

I’ll let you all know how this goes! 

It was really humbling getting spanked by everyone when I first got it. Do the lessons 

[Sly]

23 hours ago, Stadt said:

It was really humbling getting spanked by everyone when I first got it. Do the lessons 

I’m currently played one human, beat one human. 

 

I’m not convinced they were not a terrible bot.

[Sly]

I’m rocking this from game 1 as well! 

[Spiritwalker]

On 10/08/2024 at 14:31, The Bear said:

I watch a lot of chess content and mainly play puzzles on chess.com (rated 2000 at those). Online rating is around 1100 but I very rarely play games unless it's against friends. I reckon I could get to 1300-1400 if I actually played a bit more. My knowledge of openings is very poor. Bit of Caro-Kann, Vienna Gambit and Italian/Spanish. 

 

Tactics is my strong point due to the regular puzzles. 

I much prefer puzzles to games, I play around 1300, to play any higher I would have to learn openings

and I just lose the will to live every time I try.

[The Bear]

1 hour ago, Spiritwalker said:

I much prefer puzzles to games, I play around 1300, to play any higher I would have to learn openings

and I just lose the will to live every time I try.

Same here. I've played a couple of mates once or twice and also a few bots. Currently at 1159 rating but I reckon I could get up to 1500 with a bit of solid play for a few weeks. I know the Caro-Kann and Vienna Gambit openings quite well. 

 

I do puzzles every day though pretty much. My rating would probably be a bit higher but I tend to rush and move on instinct rather than sit there calculating multiple lines as I can't be arsed when I'm doing it for fun!

 

 

 

 

[ozleicester]

5 year old has discovered the joys of chess... ...
 

[Zear0]

2 hours ago, ozleicester said:

5 year old has discovered the joys of chess... ...
 

It's all sweet and joyful until they beat you.

[Zear0]

Fairly wild (in Chess)

[The Bear]

What the hell? 

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c15pz8vpjp9o

 

Gutted. 

 

I hope it wasn't suicide. If so Kramnik has a lot to answer for. 

 

I saw a GothamChess video last night called RIP Daniel Naroditsky but I just assumed it was some clickbait title about him doing poorly in a tournament so I never clicked on it. 

Edited 21 October 2025 by The Bear

[Zear0]

58 minutes ago, The Bear said:

What the hell? 

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c15pz8vpjp9o

 

Gutted. 

 

I hope it wasn't suicide. If so Kramnik has a lot to answer for. 

 

I saw a GothamChess video last night called RIP Daniel Naroditsky but I just assumed it was some clickbait title about him doing poorly in a tournament so I never clicked on it. 

Also saw the same video where I learnt of it. Really sad to hear. As from Kramnik, he's a piece of work and just needs ignoring. 

[mancunianfox]

1 hour ago, The Bear said:

What the hell? 

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c15pz8vpjp9o

 

Gutted. 

 

I hope it wasn't suicide. If so Kramnik has a lot to answer for. 

 

I saw a GothamChess video last night called RIP Daniel Naroditsky but I just assumed it was some clickbait title about him doing poorly in a tournament so I never clicked on it. 

I found out from the video last night and have never wanted a title to be clickbait as much as that one. Danya was the best chess teacher on the internet and his commentary was brilliant too. 

 

Very sad news - he has really struggled since becoming an obsession of Kramnik and it is hard not to put two and two together. That is an even more awful situation to comprehend though so I hope the reason is something else.

[The Bear]

This is worth doing IMO. I've just donated a small amount.

 

https://givebutter.com/naroditsky

 

Charlotte Chess Centre and his family are setting up a Daniel Naroditsky Memorial Fund to have an annual ove-the-board blitz and rapid tournament, plus a scholarship program. 

 

All donors become Founding Donors, permanently recognized on the digital donor wall on the Charlotte Chess Center Foundation's website.

 

Pawn Circle (Under $250)

* Name on digital donor wall

* Digital Founding Donor certificate

 

The Naroditsky Memorial Blitz & Rapid Championship

An annual over-the-board tournament to be held over-the-board in Charlotte, North Carolina. The event aims to attract the world’s top players, including those ranked within the top ten globally, while also welcoming hundreds (even thousands!) of amateur participants. Daniel often spoke about his wish to see more over-the-board blitz and rapid events. This tournament will bring that vision to life, and stand as a celebration of the type of chess he loved most. The Charlotte Chess Center will oversee all aspects of the event, including invitations, organization, and logistics, ensuring it becomes a highlight on the international chess calendar. 

 

The Naroditsky Fellowship

A scholarship program supporting talented young chess players pursuing excellence at the highest level. Daniel deeply valued students who were serious about reaching their full potential, and took pride in guiding them on that path. The Fellowship will reflect those values by providing financial support, resources, and opportunities to high-achieving students who aspire to play chess professionally. It will focus on talented players in Charlotte, as well as other promising students across the United States.

 

Every dollar raised during this initial campaign will go directly toward this endowment. Once this founding period concludes, the opportunity to become an original contributing founder of the Naroditsky Memorial and Fellowship will be gone.

Edited 19 November 2025 by The Bear