A remarkable team: The “Chess Family” Peglau from Germany
by André Schulz
12/23/2022 – With nine chess playing members, the Peglau family from Dippoldiswalde, a small town in Germany, is probably the world’s largest chess family. But it definitely is one of the strongest. As the successes of the Peglaus at the recently finished European Blitz and Rapid Championships show.
Markus and Adelheid Peglau have seven children, six girls and one boy – and they all play chess, including their parents. With nine players, the family can easily field an entire team, and that’s what they do, with their own club, Schachzentrum Seeblick Dippoldiswalde, near Dresden. In the Second Women’s Bundesliga West, the team occupies a position in the middle of the field.
During the recent US Chess Championships hosted by the St. Louis Chess Campus Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan
mentioned something about Alexander Shabalov
wanting him to consider playing for the US team at the World Senior Championship. Yasser said he did not want to spend the untold hours it would take studying openings, but that he would consider playing in a Fischer Random, aka Chess960, type tournament because a player must create his own theory. From the interviews of the young players participating in the US Chess Championships it was obvious they come prepared with computer program generated lines that extend into the middle game. There is no longer any human creativity in Chess. The human players simply copy what the strongest computer Chess programs create.
I never understood what is called “Fischer Random Chess.” The game begins with a position chosen by a COMPUTER. I would prefer “Armchair Warrior Random Chess.” The game would begin with two players facing each other behind a board with only pawns on the second rank of each side of the board. White would make the first move, the Black would answer with the next two moves. Then it would continue with White placing a piece, followed by Black placing a piece until all the pieces have been placed on the board. The best thing about AWRC is there is no need for a computer to determine the initial set-up of the pieces. Think about it…the power goes out and you can still play some kind of random Chess.
Hikaru Nakamura Wins 2022 Fisher Random World Championship
What, exactly, is Naka holding? The first thought after seeing the above picture was of something my friend, Ron “Lieutenant Shoulders” Sargent said about performing when the game is on the line and “that little lump of shit gets caught in your throat.” Whatever it is, a sculpture made of lava stone says the article, congratulations to Hikaru Nakamura on his deserved World Championship, because in many ways it is more meaningful than the actual World Chess Championship, at least according to GM Yasser Seirawan, and this writer.
The following comment by Brian Lafferty was the first one published at Chessbase in reply to the article, Wall Street Journal:Niemann ‘likely cheated’ more than 100 times
ChessSpawn Vermont The mantra of Niemann cheated online is wearing very thin because a) it has no demonstrable relevancy to the otb game at issue in St. Louis and b) Carlsen has not presented any factual proof that Niemann cheated otb in St. Louis (factual proof as in factually detailing HOW Niemann cheated against him otb).
Given the corporate business dealings between Chesscon and Carlsen, the innuendo raised by Danny Rensch and Chesscon is suspect. Chesscon and Danny Rensch have a business motive to support Carlsen and his bald otb cheating accusation against Niemann knowing full well that online cheating is far easier to accomplish than otb cheating at a tournament like the one at issue in St. Louis.
Carlsen has made an accusation that Niemann cheated against him in a specific otb game in St. Louis, but has thus far offered NO proof to support his accusation. As the one leveling this serious charge, Carlsen and Carlsen alone has the full burden of proving the charge. Niemann has no obligation/burden whatsoever to prove that he did not cheat otb against Carlsen in St. Louis. Contrary to Carlsen’s false and self-serving claim that he has asked Niemann to allow him (Carlsen) to present his evidence, Niemann has no such obligation and Carlsen does not need Niemann’s permission to present clear and convincing proof of how Niemann cheated otb in St. Louis.
the man who defeated the Play Magus Group (https://playmagnusgroup.com/), decided to publish his latest salvo in the late afternoon prior to the beginning of the United States Chess Championships. This was a reprehensible act for which only Mr. Rensch can explain. The AW is calling you out, Rensch! You are welcome to leave a comment at this blog post explaining why you chose to publish your screed the day before the US Championships were to begin. If you decide to leave a comment please explain how you came to the decision to “rain on the US Championship parade.” In addition, please answer the question on the minds of many, “Why have you decided to destroy Chess?” While you are answering questions concerning your questionable behaviour, how about publishing the name of each and every player you suspect of having cheated at your website, Chess.com. How widespread is cheating at Chess.com? What percentage of players cheat at Chess.com? What is the total number of players you consider to have cheated at Chess.com? Why not “let it all hang out?” You, sir, need to “come clean” because your actions have been those of a dirty, rotten, scoundrel.
Congratulations are in order for GM Aleksandr Lenderman
GM Aleksandr Lenderman (Hartmann)
on his outstanding performance in winning the 2021 US Open with an almost perfect score. Alek is small of stature but big of heart. The following was fired at the AW, scoring a direct hit I might add, by an impeccable source, a gentleman, and scholar, in addition to being a USCF pooh-bah for decades, Michael Mulford, aka, Mulfish on the USCF Forum.
“I’m watching the USO broadcast now, but mostly following Lenderman’s game. A word about him. He’s a Castle instructor and one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. I’ve had a few pleasant chats with him. When he teaches, he usually goes over GM games. Sometimes he was a participant, but in those cases he usually chooses games he lost. He’s the most humble GM I know. Last night, he won a long game to go 8-0. I don’t know when it finished. What I do know is that on Facebook he sent me birthday greetings at about 2-3 am his time. But right after clinching a tie for first, this guy gets on Facebook, sees it’s my birthday and posts birthday greetings on my page? What other GM would do that? Yeah, I’m rooting for him. I’d love to see him go 9-0, but I would think he’d take a draw at any time if offered. Since his opponent needs a win to tie for first, I don’t think you’ll see any Berlin draws or Double Bongclouds.”
I, too, was following the Gledura vs Lenderman game, but another game vied for my attention, but more on that game later…This post concerns GM Lenderman, who will be playing in the US Championship this year, if it is held. This is a wonderful thing because Alex was shafted by the USCF in 2015. The following was posted on this blog many years ago concerning GM Lenderman not being invited to the US Championship.
Post: #289601 by sunmaid on Wed Feb 04, 2015 10:58 pm Last year Kamsky, Akobian and Lenderman tied for first place at the US championship and it was only through a very unfair playoff system that Gata Kamsky was ultimately crowned champion. Since Kamsky and Akobian are in, I think it would have been a wise decision to give the wild card entry to Alex Lenderman. Sam Sevian is an exciting young player, but he will get his chance in many years to come to play in this tournament. http://www.uschess.org/forums/viewtopic.php&f=24&t=21044
The question I would like you to ask yourself is, “What if Chess were like the ancient oriental game of Wei Chi, or as is more popularly known in the English speaking world, Go, and the offer of a draw were anathema?” The game would have been played to a conclusion, with White soon resigning, and Alek Lenderman would have won the US Open with a Bobby Fischer like score of 9-0. This would have garnered headlines all over the world, and not just on Chess websites, and publicity is good, GOOD! Just sayin’… Instead this was the lead at Chessbase early today while having my morning cuppa Joe, and it is still the lead tonight before bedtime:
Chess Cafe changed format and I stopped visiting. Imagine my surprise upon discovering GM Ree was still writing the column! I began reading and did not stop until unable to access the archives. This prompted an email to Russell Enterprises.
Michael Bacon <xpertchesslessons@yahoo.com>
To:INFO@RUSSELL-ENTERPRISES.Com
Sun, Mar 15 at 4:31 PM
To whom it may concern,
I have been unable to access the archives of Dutch Treat before 2019, Why?
Regards,
Michael Bacon
The reply came in promptly:
info@russell-enterprises.com
To:’Michael Bacon’
Sun, Mar 15 at 5:06 PM
Hi Michael:
Thanks for your message. There indeed seems to be a problem with the Dutch Treat Archives.
We will look into it and see what needs to be done to correct it.
Thanks for bringing it to our attention.
Regards,
Hanon Russell
Michael Bacon <xpertchesslessons@yahoo.com>
To:info@russell-enterprises.com
Sun, Mar 15 at 7:21 PM
Thanks Hanon!
It was only recently I learned the DT was at your website. If I had known I would have been reading every month these last few years. I will probably mention it on the blog.
All the best to you and yours during these arduous daze…
Armchair Warrior
info@russell-enterprises.com
To:’Michael Bacon’
Tue, Mar 17 at 12:17 PM
Hi Michael:
The links have been corrected. There may be one or two that do not work, but I am told that is because the underlying page cannot be found. We are working to find it (talk about a needle in a haystack!).
Perhaps you might mention to your blog readers that our facebook page is about to become more interesting. We should be releasing the 2021 International Chess Calendar in a few weeks. Beginning April 1, we will feature a brief blurb based on the calendar entry for the day. Perhaps you could ask them to “like” the Russell Enterprises facebook page.
Arkady Dvorkovich in the pre-sanctions list of the US Treasury: New problems for FIDE?
Jul 26, 2018
After the inclusion of its former president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov in the sanctions list of the US Treasury, the banking problems of FIDE seem to never end.
According to our sources, this week one more European financial institution, LHV Bank with branches in London and Tallinn, refused to open an account for FIDE although it is now public knowledge that Kirsan Ilyumzhinov is not running.
Facing the reality of Ilyumzhinov not getting re-elected after the infamous Glen Stark scandal, Russia replaced him with another candidate: the former Russian deputy prime minister Mr. Arkady Dvorkovich.
Armchair Warrior 