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Tuesday, 31 March 2015

Cruelty abounds

I was doing a quick audit of my chess book collection, and I came across a couple of interesting things. Firstly, I seem to own 8 copies of Play Better Chess by Leonard Barden, and secondly, I really need to read more of the books I have.
One book I should revisit is 600 Endings, by Portisch and Sarkozy. It contains a number of interesting and practical positions, and I quickly discovered that cruelty can abound
One example is the diagrammed position, which was in fact the first one I looked at. In the book it is given as Black to play and draw, and is another example of how cruel chess is (see my previous column on this topic). White is 3 pawns up but in the following line the game is still drawn. 1. ... Kh8 2.g7+ Bxg7 (2. ... Kxg7? 3.h8(Q)+ +-) 3.f6 Bxf6 4.Kxf6 = There is a little side play on offer to make it interesting. 1. ... Bc3? 2.h8(Q)+ Kxh8 3.f6 Kg8 4.Ke7 Bb4+ 5.Ke8 Bc5 6.Bd5+ Kh8 7.g7+
There is an even meaner trick, not given in the book, where White tries to force Black into Zugzwang, but that fails, albeit in a slower way. 1. ... Kh8 2.Bd3 forces the Bishop to move, but now any push of the f pawn allows Bxf6= White can dance around with the King and the bishop, but as long as the Black bishop stays on the long diagonal, there is nothing to worry about. (For some extra fun, put this position into you chess engine and see what it thinks)

Monday, 30 March 2015

Chess week in Canberra

Without it being planned this way, the next week (and the last few days) has been a kind of unofficial chess festival in Canberra. Last week saw the ACT Junior Chess League's Interschools Championships get underway, with the Primary Girls North and South Zones being held (Congratulations to Caroline Chisholm, and Tuner for winning their zones). On Saturday the ACTCA then had a stand at the Connect and Participate Expo, while Sunday saw 77 junior players take part in the Autumn Allegro event (won by Thomas Johnston).
On Tuesday there will be a chess event in the Canberra City, in Garema Place, from 11 to 2pm. The big pieces will be in action at the giant chess board, while you can drop in for some casual (and not so casual games). WIM Heather Richards and FA Alana Chibnall are organising this event, which will bring chess to the city.
Wednesday night sees the Pre-Doeberl blitz at the ANU Chess Club. This is a free event which starts at 7pm, at the Asian Studies Building at the ANU.
Then on Thursday the O2C Doeberl Cup itself begins at University House. Round 1 of the Premier starts at 1pm, with the second round starting at 7pm. No charge for spectators, so even if you are not playing, come and down and see the Grandmasters in action.

Sunday, 29 March 2015

It can be a cruel game

Today's Street Chess saw a number of interesting games, some of which highlighted how cruel chess can be. In the diagrammed game, White is two pawns up and under normal circumstances this would be a straightforward win. But the poor position of the White rook allowed Black to force a draw, by using the threat of mate to drive the White king into a position where it could not escape the checking rook. 1.Kf1 Kf3 2.Ke1 Ke3 3.Kd1 Kd3 4.Kc1 Kc3 5.Kb1 Rh2! was the first part of the dance. In the actual game White then moved the rook, allowing the draw after Black checks on h1 and h2. But even after 6.a4 Black still draws with 6. ... Rh1+ 7.Ka2 Rh2+ 8.Ka3 Rh1! where the theme is repeated, just this time while turned 90 degrees. 9.Ka2 is forced when 9. ... Rh2+ leads to a repetition.

Saturday, 28 March 2015

Falling a long way from home

During the week I helped run a couple of local interschool events in Canberra. As with a lot of these events the quality of play can vary, but on the upside, you get to see a lot of positions that probably have not occurred in 500 years of organised chess.
In one game I saw a Black King on a1, being checkmated by a white queen on h8, despite the board still having a reasonable amount of material on it. Wondering how common this might be, I did some searching of my database, but came up empty handed. Even with colours reversed (WK on h8) I found nothing, so I thought I would simplify my search.
Looking for White kings mated on h8 I came up with a few examples, mainly between lower rated players. But I did find one gem, from early in Gary Kasparov's career. It looks as though it was played in a simul, but in this case Kasparov was not giving the simul. He was playing Oleg Romanishin, and after around move 20 he was already winning. With his king exposed, Romanishin tried to use it as a fighting piece, but instead it was dragged up the board to h8, where it was mated in good junior fashion, with an 'electric fence' checkmate.

Romanishin,Oleg M - Kasparov,Garry [A03]
Romanishin-Junior sim Leningrad, 1975

Thursday, 26 March 2015

If this is a trap ...

I had an interesting experience during my game at the local club last night. Having played the first 9 moves of Marshall Gambit theory I was surprised by my opponents 10th move. 10.d4 seemed slightly odd, but at first I could not decide whether it was good, bad or just different. After taking the pawn I was then surprised by my opponents 12th move, when he took of d5 rather than d5. For a brief moment I thought I had been tricked, as the bishop on e7 hangs after Qxd5. But then I thought to myself "If this is a trap I would have heard of it before". The Marshall is a well established opening, and I have been playing it for 30 years, so a surprise like this would have come to my attention long ago. Armed with this knowledge it did not take me long to realise that Qxd5 was more than fine, as Bb7 threatening mate on g2 holds everything together.
It even turned out the the whole idea was worse for White than I or my opponent realised. After White played 14.f3 I decided to try and trap the rook with 14. ... Ne6 and eventually I won the exchange. But 14. ... Qc5 is even stronger hitting the rook on e7 and threatening all sorts of discovered attacks. So there is a trick in this variation, but it is a trick for Black, not for White.

Cunningham,Cam - Press,Shaun [C89]
ANU Challengers, 26.03.2015

2015 ANU Masters - Litchfield wins

Eighteen year old Fred Litchfield is the 2015 ANU Masters Champion, after a final win over Harry Press. The last round saw 4 players still with a chance to win the tournament, but the win by Litchfield, and a loss by Victor Bragine saw Litcfield win the tournament by a full point.
Tied for second were Braguine, Miles Patterson, and Alana Chibnall, on 4 points. Braguine, who lead the tournament for the first 6 rounds, was beaten by top seed Andrey Bliznyuk, who finished the tournament on 50%. Patterson looked like he was winning against Adrian De Noskowski, but a perpetual check saved De Noskowski, who finished the tournament with 5 draws from 7 games. Chibnall reached +1 with by beating Jeremy Reading, who ended up tied for 6th place with Press and De Noskowski.
In the supporting Challengers event, Brian Butler defeated Michael Reading to finish on 5./7, qualifying for next years Masters.

Litchfield,Frederick (1994) - Press,Harry (1965)
2015 ANU Masters Canberra AUS (7.1), 25.03.2015

Tuesday, 24 March 2015

2015 O2C Doeberl Cup - places filling fast

If you haven't entered this years O2C Doeberl Cup, and are still planning to, you better enter as quickly as possible. The last week has seen a big rush of entries, and as a result a number of events are near capacity. Surprisingly it is the Major (Under 2000)  that has filled up first, with only 1 place left (and that was after the the limit was increased!). The Premier still has 15 spots open (although 80 is the hard limit for this one), while the Minor (Under 1600) has 13 spots open. The Under 1200 still has plenty of room, but with only a maximum 50 players in this event, entering sooner rather than later is the smart thing to do.
At last count there were 209 entrants across the 4 events, around 50 short of the maximum the venue can hold. With the new venue (University House, ANU) we hope to avoid the crowd issues of the last few years. There is plenty of space outside the venues, and there is a large bistro and bar located downstairs. Even if you are not planning to play, it is a very good setup for spectators who simply wish to spend a day watching chess.
Tournament information, including online entry, is available at the tournament website www.doeberlcup.com.au

(** I am a paid official for this event **)

Monday, 23 March 2015

The bigger they are

An interesting story buzzing around the net for the last few days concerns mathematician John Urschel. He recently published a joint paper titled 'A Cascadian Multigrid Algorithm for Computing the Fiedler Vector of Graph Laplacians' The fact that he published such a paper is not that suprising really, as he does hold a masters in Mathematics.
Slightly more interesting is that he is also a chess player. According to one bio I saw he played in the Under 1700 section of the 2015 Pittsburg Open, scoring 3/5. Of course that does not make him that special, but neither maths or chess is his current day job.
The real reason why his paper has attracted so much attention is that when he isn't writing papers or studying chess, he is an offensive linesman for the Baltimore Ravens NFL Team. An odd mix of career  (although not completely unknown) but one he is comfortable with for know.
More background on both his paper, and his sporting career can be found here.

Sunday, 22 March 2015

2015 Dubbo Open - Day 2

The 2015 Dubbo Open ended with Harry Press and Dragan Granjis tying for first place with 5/6. Half a point behind were David Lovejoy and NSW Country Champion Fritz Vander Waal.
The second day started with David Lovejoy half a point in front, and he kept his lead with a draw against Alana Chibnall. He was joined by Harry Press, who beat Oskar Hellmann, and they played in the 5th round. After a lot of manoeuvring in the Ruy Lopez, Press found a breakthrough on the kingside and went into the last round with a half point lead. Close behind Press were Dragan Granjis, who had beaten Chibnall in round 5, and Vander Waal, who had beaten Malachi Odonoghue.
In the final round Press drew with Vander Waal to guarantee at least a share of first place, where he was joined by Granjas, who beat top seed Don Keast. In third place were Vander Waal, and David Lovejoy, who beat tournament organiser Alexander Aich, to reach 4.5.
Rating prizes were shared by Aich, Col Parsons, Hellmann and Bill Egan (Under 1700), while John Sumner won the Under 1300 prize. Nikhil Rajesh was the best junior player.
While the field was a little smaller this year it was still an enjoyable event for all who took part. The make up of the field meant that all the games were hard fought, and there were no easy draws. Press and Granjas went through the tournament undefeated, as did Fritz Vander Waal. Full standings from the tournament can be found here.

Lovejoy,David - Press,Harry [C90]
2015 Dubbo Open, 22.03.2015

Saturday, 21 March 2015

2015 Dubbo Open - Day 1

The first day of the 2015 Dubbo Open saw the day end with a number of players still in contention for the title.  The top end of the 25 player field were seeded reasonably close together so it was no surprise that each round saw a number of close games.
Upsets started as early as round 1 when top seed Don Keast was held to a draw by former winner Bill Egan. Jonathon Harding also had a good start, beating Pertti Sirkka in a rook versus pawns ending.
Given the makeup of the field, it was no surprise that the third round of the day saw a number of hard fought draws. In fact 5 of the top seven games ended in draws, all hard fought. As a result David Lovejoy was the only player to finish with 3/3, although there are four players half a point behind.
This evening also saw the popular Time Handicap Blitz. Alana Chibnall won for a second year running, with 4.5/5, just ahead of Harry Press on 4 and Shaun Press on 3.5
Results from the event can be found at tournaments.streetchess.net and are updated after every round. Tomorrow sees David Lovejoy play Alana Chibnall on the top board, and the winner of this game will be well placed to win the tournament.

Friday, 20 March 2015

When small children break your database

In preparation for from trip to the Dubbo Open tomorrow, I decided to have a look at my past games from the tournament. From way back in 2003 I noticed I had played IM John-Paul Wallace and not remembering how the game went decided to have a look. The first moves looked ok although the choice of 2.Qd3 by Wallace seemed a little surprising. I wasn't sure whether this was an interesting opening experiment, or just a Carlsenesque attempt at livening up things.
However once I played a few more moves it suddenly became clear. At some point in the past my son Harry, had been playing around with my chess database. This was when he was around 5 or 6 and well before he became a 1900+ chess player. It seems he inserted a number of random moves into the game, and then saved it to my database. There was at least one other game similarly affected, although I am yet to do a complete audit to determine the full extent of the damage.
I'm pretty sure the result is recorded correctly (a win for J-P) but sadly it seems the correct record of the game has long been lost. So all I have left to show is a game that never took place, containing moves that don't make sense.

Wallace,John-Paul - Press,Shaun [E92]
Dubbo Open Dubbo (5), 16.03.2003

Working hard or hardly working

I am a little bit reticent about showing this game. While it has some historical interest, in that Ian Hosking and myself have been playing against each other for 30 years, the quality of the play isn't that great.
For the last few times we have played, I have used the Closed Sicilian, but for old times sake I went back to the Grand Prix Attack, which I used a lot 20 years ago. The only problem with it is that it no longer works as well as it did, as most Sicilian players have worked out what to do against it. And so it was in this game, where my bold pawn sacrifice just left me down a pawn. Then to compound matters I got my bishop trapped and all I had were some cheap tricks based on hitting the Black queen. However Ian miscalculated a combi starting with Nxg4 and I suddenly had some chances to salvage something from the wreckage. Nonetheless it still took some bad moves from both sides to end up in a drawn position. Along the way we both missed wins (29 .. Kg8, 31.Kf2) so a draw might have been a fair result, although 0-0 (the score, not the move) would have been more accurate.

Press,Shaun - Hosking,Ian [B23]
University Cup, 17.03.2015

Thursday, 19 March 2015

2015 ANU Masters - Week 6

Round 6 of the 2015 ANU Masters could be described as one of missed opportunities. Each of the games saw assessments change dramatically with at least one ill judged moved, in some cases turning wins into losses, and then losses into wins.
Fred Litchfield tried an ambitious exchange sacrifice against Adrian De Noskowski, but sensible defence seemed to give D Noskowski a clear advantage. De Noskowski even returned the exchange, but just as he reached an almost winning position, he allowed a perpetual check, which Litchfield immediately took.
Harry Press inflicted Victor Braguine's second loss of the tournament in a game that could well have had a different result. Press won a piece after Braguine's queen ventured too far from home, but then had to fend off Braguine's remaining pieces. In attempting to simplify Press missed a trick from Braguine that should have turned the tables. However Braguine missed the correct followup and Press was able to reach a winning rook and pawn ending.
Alana Chibnall played the offbeat 2.Qe2 against Miles Patterson's French Defence, but ended up with a slightly worse position. However she was able to build a strong attack against Patterson's King and reached a double rook ending where she should have had a big advantage. But missing an obvious pawn recapture restored material equality and a draw was agreed a few moves later. Jeremy Reading defeated Andrey Bliznyuk in yet another game where the result was unclear for quite a while. After a complicated middlegame, the players reached a 2R v R+B+N ending. Advanced pawns helped Reading's rook control a lot of the board, so Bliznuk gave up a knight to eliminate as many pawns as possible. Once a RvB pawnless ending was reached a draw seemed likely, but Bliznyuk's king caught on the edge of the board Reading was eventually able to combine mate threats with attacks on the bishop to bring home the point.
With 1 round to play Braguine and Litchfield lead on 4/6, followed by Patterson on 3.5 and Chibnall on 3. Depending on last round results, the winner could be anyone from this group, and a 4 way tie is even a possibility.

Bliznyuk,Andrey (2004) - Reading,Jeremy (1894)
2015 ANU Masters Canberra AUS (6.2), 18.03.2015

Tuesday, 17 March 2015

DIY Chess Robot

There is so much good in this story of a home built chess robot.  Apart from the chess bit, it uses an arduino to control the robot, and python scripting for software. Throw in a few under the board sensors and the ability to work with any UCI enabled chess program, and you soon see that the whole thing is full of win.
It is the work of 17 year old Oriol Galceran, and he built it as part of a school project! Click on the above link for an overview of the project, and if you want to know more, click on the links in that article.

Monday, 16 March 2015

2015 Womens World Championship

It looks as though Sochi has replaced Khanty-Mansiysk as the "goto" venue for FIDE events. The FIDE Women's World Championships begins tonight in the city that played host to last years World Championship match.
The event is a 64 player knockout, with the winner replacing Hou Yifan as World Champion, after she chose not to take part. However, as the winner of the last Women's Grand Prix, Hou is entitled to a match against the winner of this event, so she may only be relinquishing her crown briefly.
Tonight is the opening ceremony, while play begins tomorrow. Humpy Koneru (IND) is the top seed (by rating), while Oceania is represented by IM Irina Berezina. If you wish to follow the games, you can do so at the tournament website.

Mis-adventures in the Dutch

As part of a 2014 New Years resolution I abandoned the Grunfeld Defence and switched to the Dutch Defence as my main answer to 1.d4 While the experiment has not gone that badly, I am starting to run into a common problem, which is how to avoid drawish positions. I suspect some of my regular opponents have done a little research and have wheeled out some lines that are a little tough to crack. Usually the games have ended in draws, but while I don't mind splitting the point, in the main it is against lower rated opponents.
But I shouldn't cry so much, as it could be worse. In the current Reykjavik Open, GM Alan Stig Rasmussen played the Dutch, only to be demolished in 19 moves. His opponent offered a pawn on move 9, and it only took a couple of missteps after that for his position to be in ruins.

Hauge,Lars Oskar (2380) - Rasmussen,Allan Stig (2532) [A80]
Reykjavik Open 2015 Harpa (3.14), 11.03.2015

Saturday, 14 March 2015

A neat little trick

It is always worth having a bag of tactical tricks up your sleeve, as it can save a lot of time and effort when you need it to.
An example of this occurred today at Street Chess. William Booth had the black pieces, and was trying to work out whether he was attacking, or defending against Dillon Hathiramani. In the end he tried to have it both ways, starting with an attacking move, but following it up with a defensive one. As a result he got into a muddle, ended up down a rook, but still collected the point when his opponent resigned just before running out of time.
To the crowd of spectators watching the game this was all very exciting, but at least some of them spotted a far quicker win in the given position. For those that know the trick it is is pretty straightforward, but if you don't, it might be worth working it out and using it in the future.
Black to play and win (Hint: the first black move is an obvious one)

Friday, 13 March 2015

2015 Dubbo Open - 21 & 22 March 2015

The 2015 Dubbo Open is fast approaching. This NSW Country event is always well organised and attracts a field ideal for the aspiring chess player who wants some good friendly competition without running the risk of being too outclassed.
Over the years the winners list has contained players like GM Zong Yuan Zhao, IM George Xie or IM Gary Lane, but on the same list are players like Bill Egan, Alana Chibnall or Don Keast. But the reason most players play is not for prizes and glory, but instead for 6 competitive games over a pleasant weekend in a nice country town.
The details for this years event are

  • Venue: Dubbo RSL Club , Cnr Brisbane & Wingewarra St, Dubbo
  • Dates: 21st and 22nd March 2015
  • Rounds: Sat 1030, 1330, 1600, Sun 0930, 1200, 1430
  • Registration: Sat 0930
  • Entry Fee: $45, $35 concession, $25 junior
  • Prizes: $350 1st guaranteed, other prizes based on entries
  • Rate of play: 60m+10s
  • Arbiter: IA Shaun Press
The club also host a dinner of the Saturday night, followed by a 5 round handicap blitz event.
If you wish to play, you can enter on the day or visit the Dubbo Chess Club website for contact details

Thursday, 12 March 2015

The shrinking chess column

It is a sad fact of life that most modern newspapers do not carry chess columns (at least in Australia). Those that do either syndicate their columns from another source, or squeeze it into the section left over after Sudoku's and Easy Crosswords are laid out.
One notable exception (up until now) has been the Canberra Times Chess Column, written by GM Ian Rogers. This, and the Bridge column, have been allocated a reasonable amount of space, which allowed both coverage of international events, as well as local news and tournament results. Unfortunately the paper has decided to change the layout of these columns, and has reduced them both in size and importance.
I fear that this is of course a precursor to eliminating the columns altogether. The long running Sydney Morning Herald chess column did not survive the death of Peter Parr, and the trend is to dispense with such 'niche' features altogether. In the case of the SMH, their stated reason was that not enough people complained about the columns absence, and so there was no need to keep it.
Hopefully this will not happen here in Canberra. If you are a regular reader of the column, you can register your concerns to the Canberra Times through their feedback page. If you do give them feedback, please make it relevant and respectful

2015 ANU Masters - Week 5

Victor Braguine continues to lead the 2015 ANU Masters, bouncing back after his loss last week. against Jeremy Reading he waited until Reading overextended himself while looking for an attack that wasn't there. Eventually Reading had too many pieces under attack and was forced to surrender material.
Fred Litchfield held on to second place, beating Alana Chibnall in an old fashioned Italian Opening. As in her first round game, Chibnall's position was not as bad as she thought, and she had drawing chances up until the last few moves. However she missed the best continuation and resigned when faced with a lost ending.
New ACT Champion Adrian De Noskowski had a clear advantage for a lot of the game against Harry Press. But Press was able to whip up counterplay despite being a pawn down, and after the exchange of most of the pieces, a drawn position was reached.
In the longest game of the night Miles Patterson and Andrey Bliznyuk drew after reaching a complicated ending.  With a Queen and 3 minor pieces each both sides were looking for a winning breakthrough but eventually the point was split.
With two rounds to play, Braguine leads with 4/5. Litchfield is second on 3.5 and Patterson third on 3.

De Noskowski, Adrian (1708) - Press,Harry (1965)
2015 ANU Masters Canberra AUS (5.1), 11.03.2015

Wednesday, 11 March 2015

Good eating = Good chess

The Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) featured chess in an article the other day, looking at the link between good health and good chess. A number of Australian players were quoted, including GM Zong Yuan Zhao and FM Manuel Weeks.
One player featured in the story was GM Gawain Jones, who is always a popular visitor to these shores. In an attempt to improve his result Jones had a change of diet, which meant dispensing with the familiar English cuisine of battered fish and beer. Apparently this was a successful move as under the new diet, his results improved.
Personally I am yet to see similar improvements for myself, having become a semi-regular bike rider (around 30 km's a week). However, as I tend to try and keep my games as short as possible, (either through finding some trick, or taking a draw), my improved stamina probably has yet to find the right moment to shine.
The article, titled "Grandmasters of bodies as well as minds" can be found here, at the ABC website.

(Thanks to Stuart Fancy for sending me the link)

Monday, 9 March 2015

2015 ACT Championship - Final day

After 7 hard fought rounds, Adrian De Noskowski is the 2015 ACT Champion, after beating Jeremy Reading in the final round of the tournament. Reading went into the final round on 5.5/6, after drawing with Alana Chibnall in the morning round, while De Noskowski had beaten Victor Braguine to reach 5/6.
The Reading v De Noskowski game started with an early draw offer from Reading, but De Noskowski declined it, knowing that only a win would deliver him the championship. At one stage Reading was a pawn to the good, but De Noskowski kept looking for counterplay. Reading tried to shut down De Noskowski's play with a temporary piece sacrifice, but this rebounded when De Noskowski set up a mating net. The win allowed De Noskowski to claim the title by half a point, and relegate Reading to second place.
Alana Chibnall finished in outright third after drawing both her day 4 games. She was worse for quite a while against Dillon Hathiramani but a fairly generous draw offer allowed he to finish on 5/7. Bill Egan had a good tournament, drawing with Harry Press in the final round and picking up a share of the Under 1700 prize. Along side him were Thomas Johnston and Joshua Lee, all on 4.5. Indis Danaswara was the best Under 1100 on 4/7 (including a win over De Noskowski in round 1), while Benjamin Woo was the Best Under 800 on the same score.
Final standings plus all the games from the tournament can be found here.

Reading,Jeremy (1960) - De Noskowski,Adrian (1851)
2015 ACT Championship Canberra, Australia (7.1), 09.03.2015

2015 ACT Championship - Day 3

With 2 rounds the play, Jeremy Reading leads the 2015 ACT Championship with 5/5. He started that day with a win over joint leader Harry Press, before beating CM Bill Egan in the afternoon round. A point behind Reading are Alana Chibnall and Adrian De Noskowski. Chibnall players Reading in round 6, while De Noskowski is up against Victor Barguine.
The Reading Press pairing resulted in an exciting game, with Press on the defensive for a lot of the game. However he held Reading at bay, and at one stage reached a nearly winning position. However he missed a strong knight fork, and allowed Reading to reach a win rook and pawn ending. The loss for Press had a knock on effect, as he then blundered his queen on move 8 against Adrian De Noskowski  in the 5th round to end the day on 3/5.
Chibnall had two reasonably quick wins, beating Tim Pearce and Brian Butler. Curiously Butler resigned after he decided the move he played was a blunder, thinking Chibnall was winning his queen. Turns out that he could have block that threat, but the move that Chibnall was going to play was in fact winning.
Going onto the final day Reading is the clear favourite to capture the title, but a loss the Chibnall would throw the tournament wide open. Even a draw would create chances for the chancing pack.
Results and games from the tournament can be found here.

Reading,Jeremy (1960) - Press,Harry (1898)
2015 ACT Championship Canberra, Australia (4.1), 08.03.2015

Saturday, 7 March 2015

2015 ACT Championship - Day 2

Jeremy Reading and Harry Press share the lead in the ACT Championships, with 3/3 after today's 2 rounds. Reading had a very tough second round against Thomas Johnston, with the game reaching R+B v R after 70 moves. While the ending is usually drawn in theory, it is hard to defend in practice, and this is how it turned out. Reading had a more direct victory in the third round, beating James Satrapa with an attack on his king.
Press defeated Indis Danaswara in round 2, before beating Brian Butler in a hard fought third round game. Press and Reading will meet in tomorrow mornings round, with the winner well placed for overall victory.
A couple of other tournament favourites had a tough time in today's round. Tim Pearce beat Victor Braguine in round 2, but was in turn upset by Bill Egan in the third round. Despite losing to Press in the 2nd round, Danaswara bounced back to beat Thomas Johnston in the third round, while Saffron Archer scored a good win over Albert Winkelman.
Full tournament results can be found here (chess-results.com). You can also play through the games from the event by clicking the games link.

2015 ACT Championship - Thrills and spills

The 2015 ACT Chess Championship began tonight, and the first round saw a number of upsets. While the tournament is missing the absolute top tier of ACT chess, there field was still quite strong by Canberra standards.
But once the first round started it seemed the form guide went out the window. The first higher rated player to fall was Matt Radisich who lasted 13 moves against unrated Neetash Mathur. Even more surprising, was Adrian De Noskowski getting mated in 16 moves against Indis Danaswara. Looking up from my arbiters desk I saw them resetting the board and simply assumed it was a routine top half v bottom half win. It was only when I entered the game that I discovered otherwise.
After that some semblance of order was restored, with the higher rated players picking up points. Then in the junior clash between Dillon Hathiramani and Albert Winkelman, a single miscalculation by Hathiramani in a winning position cost him a whole rook, and the game. And in the final ame to finish, Ziqi Yuan drew with Alana Chibnall, after holding an advantage for a lot of the game.
With so many upsets it is already possible to say that this years event is a wide open one. With no clear cut rating favourite, the title is likely to go to the player who can keep their head when all around are losing theirs.
Results from the tournament can be seen at chess-results.com. Most of the games from the first round can also be download from this link. *NB Players can still enter this tournament, with a half point bye for the first round

Danaswara,Indis - De Noskowski,Adrian (1851) [B30]
2015 ACT Championship Canberra, Australia (1.5), 06.03.2015

Thursday, 5 March 2015

Somewhere over the ... horizon

In the early days of computer chess, the "horizon effect" was an ever present danger to programs. Essentially, the horizon effect was when a program was faced with an unstoppable threat it would sometimes play a move that pushed the threat to beyond the depth of its search, making it disappear. The problem with this is that the threat would still exist, popping up after the next move, and the move that delayed the threat might be a bad one anyway ( eg White is going to lose a queen by force in 5 moves, so the program sacrifices a pawn to delay it by one move, and beyond its search depth).
Eventually the problem was "solved" by both the increase in search depth, as well as improvements in search techniques (ie capture extensions).
However it still happens these days, but often in another way. There are a number of positions where even strong engines get the evaluation wrong due to not being able to see far enough. It isn't that the engine is pushing the threat further down the road with bad moves, just that the winning idea takes quite a number of moves to execute. For humans, spotting the key idea can be quite simple, and our more abstract thought processes then allow us to recognise the eventual outcome well before a computer does.
In fact an example of this occurred last night at the ANU Chess Club. Mark Hummel (someone who has written his own chess engine btw) decided to be a little adventurous and sacrifice his queen in return for a charging passed pawn. Eventually the pawn was halted at d2, and the material balance crystallised as R+B v Q. The problem for White was that the pawn was blockaded by the queen, and any move away just allowed Black to queen. Feeding this into the computer, the engine kept returning 0.00 as the evaluation for quite a while. It was only when the program spotted the idea of protecting the pawn with the bishop (freeing up the rook) did it finally realise that Black was simply winning, something that Hummel spotted a number of moves earlier.

Hathiramani,Dillon - Hummel,Mark [C56]
ANU Challengers, 04.03.2015

2015 ANU Masters - Week 4

Week 4 of the 2015 ANU Masters saw 3 drawn games, and one significant victory. Miles Patterson chanced his arm with a kingside attack against Victor Braguine, and was rewarded with the full point. Patterson allowed Braguine to capture a few stray pawns on the queenside, while improving the attacking placement of his own pieces. Braguine tries to defend by swapping off a centrally placed knight but this allowed Patterson's queen to enter the game with devastating results.
Both the Bliznyuk - Litchfield and Chibnall - De Noskowski games were fairly solid draws where the point was split when an equal endgame was reached. The Press - Reading game was also drawn, but in a somewhat more dramatic fashion. Reading had a clear advantage in the middlegame, with a rook and extra pawns for two knights. Press tried to whip up an attack but ended up dropping a piece to end up an exchange down. However he did end up with a protected passer as compensation and suddenly Readings rooks were getting in each others way. Even the exchange of a pair of rooks did not help reading, but just when he was looking lost, he found a line which was good enough to draw. He eventually gave up the rook for a pawn, but was able to remove the remaining pawns to leave K+N v K.
Despite his loss, Braguine still leads the tournament on 3/4. Patterson, Chibnall and Litchfield are half a point behind, while Bliznyuk is the only other player on 50% or above.

Braguine,Victor (1729) - Patterson,Miles (1842)
2015 ANU Masters Canberra AUS (4.2), 04.03.2015

Tuesday, 3 March 2015

The language of chess

The Vice website has a regular feature "The Hidden Language" which looks at the specialist words and phrases used by people taking part in a particular activity. Recently they looked at the hidden language of chess, interviewing well known chess coach Bruce Pandolofini.
The interview is fairly brief, but they did cover some of the more common terms.  Up front Pandolifini pointed out that what is the common usage of stalemate in the media (ie "negotiations have reached a stalemate") really should be replaced by Zugzwang, or even "Squeeze", which is slang for mutual zugzwang. Some of the more derisive terms also get a run, such as Patzer and Fish. There is also more run of the mill terms such as promotion and checkmate, while "A pawns lust to expand" is one of the more obscure phrases (although well known to anyone who has read Nizowitsch)
Reading the article brought back memories of my chess playing youth, when such phrases peppered my own speech. While I am more polite these days, patzer, shmuck and putz were all good yiddish words that I used on occasion. (Note, if you want some slight NSFW fun, look up the meaning for putz). And at times it seemed that there was a competition to see who could use the most obscure slang, including sentences like "I had a queen side pawn majority, but with a strong outpost on f5, I was able to find a pawn break on the e file, double my rooks, and crack him with my g pawn. Shafted by the plastic man!"
I'm not sure what language young chess players speak these days (is it all about centi-pawns?) but I really do think that the education of the well rounded chess player should always include a course in chess terms and idioms.

Monday, 2 March 2015

2015 ACT Championship

The 2015 ACT Championship is being held over the Canberra Day long weekend, from the 6th to the 9th of March. The tournament will be a 7 round FIDE rated swiss played with a time limit of G90m+30s per move. The schedule is 1 round on Friday 6th at 7:30pm, then 2 rounds a day, at 10:30am and 2:30pm.
The tournament is being held at Campbell High School, Trealor Crescent, Campbell (next to the War Memorial). Entries will be taken before the first round at the venue, from 6:30pm. The entry fee is $65 ($45 for concession) and membership of the ACTCA is required.
This year sees the event trialling a 7 round single (long) weekend format. For the last few years the event has run over 2 weekends, but scheduling difficulties, as well as a preference for a shorter event from some players, has led to a look at the shorter format. At this stage the entries are around the 20 player mark, but this is expected to grow over the next few days.

Quick CC Wins

Conventional wisdom is that quick Correspondence Chess (CC) wins are a thing of the past ("it's all computers innit"). However not everyone uses computers to play CC, and unlike OTB chess, other kinds of accidents are possible. I have had games end abruptly due to misentered moves  (an opponent once left a queen en-pris) and there was the famous "conditional" game which went 1.e4 b6 plus the reply "On any white move 2. ... Bb7". White sent 2.Ba6 Bb7 3.Bxb7 by the next post.
Looking back through my own CC games the shortest proper win I've had (as opposed to opponents just not moving early in the game) has been 9 moves. And even then, the first 4 moves were supplied by the organisers,  as it was a Traxler Thematic with the game starting on White's 5th move. Fans of the Traxler may find it slightly underwhelming, as I was following theory up until move 8, when my opponents TN on move 9 simply allowed a mate in 1.

Xorb - Press,Shaun [C57]
Traxler Thematic, 07.2008

Sunday, 1 March 2015

The worlds largest chess set

I'm not sure what the record for the worlds largest chess set is (real life elephants maybe) but a set made by Toyota would go close. It consisted of various models of Toyota Cars, and board was a floor of a stadium in Japan.
If you look at the video contained in the new story here, you will of course notice that are not actually playing chess, but Shogi (Japanese Chess). However I am still going to include it under the "chess" heading, as the games are quite similar, and more importantly, one of the players was Habu Yoshiharu. I have covered him in previous posts, but he is both a FIDE Master in chess, as well as being one of the strongest Shogi players in history.
And for those that are familiar with the rules of Shogi, I'm pretty sure that did not play the game exactly according to the rules, as it would have been difficult to turn the pieces over to signify a promotion being made!


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102. Column Shafts Ornamented

In almost all modern buildings cast-iron columns are used, not only for their strength in the support of the superstructure, but as a means of decoration, being ornamented to suit the style of the building and the taste of the architect.

The shaft of the column is cast without capitals, bases and other ornaments, these being cast separately and fitted to the shaft when the column is turned off, or fitted to the column when placed in the building. The plain and moulded bands if not undercut are frequently cast with the shaft, serving as a good guide and rest for the other ornamental parts.

103. Capitals

The capital of column if ornamented with leaves, etc., as Fig. 2, is constructed of a 3/16-inch-thick shell bell; the leaves are cast singly and screwed to the bell.

The abacus B is cast in two pieces or halves 3/16 inch thick. The entire capital is fitted up completely at the works and taken apart in halves, and placed over and secured to column when this has been set in place.

The shaft of column above neck moulding C, Fig. 3, should be from 3/8 to 1/2 inch less than the diameter of body, to admit of the bell being placed on it without showing any bulging of the bottom of capital.

To give a rich bold relief to the ornamentation on Fig. 1, the work will require to be well undercut.

104. Cast-Iron Column Connection

For connecting with the floor beams and with each other cast-iron columns make the simplest, cheapest and best finished connections for buildings. The single beam has for its bearing a small bracket at D, and for connection a lug at C, with a stiffening web (E) at side.

104 Cast Iron Column Connection images/ArchitecturalIronAndSteel01 22104 Cast Iron Column Connection images/ArchitecturalIronAndSteel01 23104 Cast Iron Column Connection images/ArchitecturalIronAndSteel01 24

For the double-beam girder a lug separator is cast on the column, fitting closely to the webs and flanges of same.

104 Cast Iron Column Connection images/ArchitecturalIronAndSteel01 25

Fig. 3 shows another kind of lug, but one not so good as the former, for the reason that if there is any tendency to pull the girder from column, the bolts will be apt to bend at distance F.

The lugs and brackets should not be less in thickness than the body of column; and allow 5 to 6 inches projection for brackets and 4 inches for lugs, with not less than two bolts in each lug.

105. Holes Drilled

It is better practice to drill all holes in flanges and lugs. Oval holes in lugs are of no use when a good tight connection is required.

In connecting the columns of a story with those of the one below, the floor line should be considered; otherwise the bolt heads would appear above the floor, unless a large shell base be required. In that case it would be well to make the joint of columns at the finished floor level, especially if floor beams are connected to the columns on all sides; otherwise there would be little flange left for bolts.

As shown in plate, the upper column has brackets to reinforce the flange; the lower column is made thicker on the inside, to bring the body of metal in the column below under that of the column above. But plates between flanges serve a better purpose. The flanges and plates should be planed true and columns set plumb, as shimming (by placing small thin plates to make up difference) or wedging (by driving wedges under flange) may cause a rupture in column by the concentrated weight which would naturally pass to the point of column bearing.

106. Column Flanges

Circular and square flanges are used for connecting columns together. The diameter of bolts and heads often determines the projection of flange. If squarehead bolts are used, the flanges should project not less than three inches from shaft.

If hexagon-head bolts are used, the flanges may project a trifle less than three inches.

107. Fire-Proof Column

Fire-Proof Column is a supporting column of cast iron, with a cast-iron shell covering, and an air space of one to three inches, sometimes filled with some incombustible material, but more frequently left entirely clear.

The inner column should be of sufficient strength to alone sustain the weight to be imposed.

In connecting and resting an upper on a lower column, a plate should be placed between the two as shown at Fig. 2; a floor beam or girder also being shown below the connection, secured to a lug and resting on a bracket cast on the column.

If a small beam, with a light load, is to be connected, a bracket cast on the outer shell will be sufficient for its support, a 3/4-inch-thick shell being as light a column (over 9 inches in diameter) that should be cast for supporting any weight.

107 Fire Proof Column images/ArchitecturalIronAndSteel01 26

108. Dowel Columns

For buildings where the floor beams and girders are of wood, the columns for their support are cast as shown. The portion of column at girder is cast similar to the dowel A; the girder being cut to this shape with 2 inches at least on each side of the flat portion of dowel, and resting on a cast-iron plate made the full width of girder, with additional lips on each side for holding the girder in place.

108 Dowel Columns images/ArchitecturalIronAndSteel01 27

This manner of connecting columns is not an example of good construction, as the upper column is prevented from moving from its position only by the wooden girder and the raised socket cast on the plate and entering the dowel. For a better and safer connection with wooden girders, see "Flitch-plate Girders".

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CHICAGO (CBS) Archie Panjabi is one of the most intriguing characters on primetime television. She stars as a take-no-prisoners investigator in “The Good Wife.” She has been critically acclaimed for the role. CBS 2’s Kate Sullivan had the pleasure of meeting her and finding out if she is as intriguing off-screen as she is on-screen.

“She had guts. She was strong and intelligent. I felt like she would be such a great character to play,” said Archie Panjabi, about her role on “The Good Wife.”

Good decision — for her and for us. Archie Panjabi has been a working actress for years, gaining attention for her breakout role in the film, “Bend It Like Beckham”; as well as the Angelina Jolie film, “A Mighty Heart.”

But no character has been met with as much attention as Kalinda Sharma, a razor sharp investigator in “The Good Wife”; a role that just won her an Emmy.

“That was probably the best experience of my life, and such a surprise,” said Panjabi.

With an Emmy in her bag and a hit TV show, Panjabi made her first trip to Chicago and was eager to talk about the role that has her star on the rise.

It is rare to find a good, strong role for a female in Hollywood, never mind for a person of color. Yet, color is not an issue and it’s never brought up that she is Indian.

“I think it’s great that you have a character where people are so interested in her, about who she is, what her sexuality is, the mystery behind her,” said Panjabi. “People have not asked questions about her ethnicity.”

Panjabi seems very shy and modest, compared to Kalinda.

“I’m probably being on my best behavior because you’re interviewing me and it’s my first impression I’m going to make to Chicago,” said Panjabi. “I guess in every character that you play, you bring a little bit of yourself.”

Panjabi brings her reserved British-Indian background and her own sense of sarcastic wit to a character that very much pushes the envelope, with her contained personality, ambiguous sexuality and skin-tight clothing.

“I’ve never had to wear such tight clothes, but she’s also respected for her intelligence,” she said. “Complexity is definitely one thing that’s challenging about Kalinda. So much is not known about her. There’s so much I’m learning about her and coming to terms with.”

As the second season gets underway, Kalinda’s personal life takes center stage; specifically, her relationship status. It’s never addressed that she is a lesbian, but it’s hinted at.

“People are suspecting that she could be bisexual,” said Panjabi. “I can reveal that it will be either confirmed or refuted in a few episodes.”

So, a lot more intrigue to come. “The Good Wife” airs every Tuesday night at 9 p.m. on CBS. The show is loosely based on the political sex scandal of Gov. Eliot Spitzer.

Watch & Listen LIVE


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CHICAGO (STMW) – A man was shot dead in the Fuller Park neighborhood Tuesday afternoon on the South Side, police said.

The 26-year-old man was shot multiple times about 4:05 p.m. in the 5400 block of South Wabash Avenue, said police News Affairs Officer Darryl Baety, citing preliminary information.

The man was initially taken to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, where he was pronounced dead at 4:55 p.m., police said.

Area Central detectives are investigating.

© Sun-Times Media Wire Chicago Sun-Times 2012. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Watch & Listen LIVE


text:
By Adam Hoge-

SOLDIER FIELD (CBS) While Sunday’s 28-10 win over the Vikings was keyed largely by the return of Jay Cutler, the Bears starting quarterback got another outstanding performance from his No. 1 wide receiver.

Brandon Marshall continued his big season Sunday by catching 12 passes for 92 yards, putting him over the 1000 yard mark on the season. It’s been 10 years since a Bears receiver went over 1000 yards as Marshall is the first to do so since Marty Booker in 2002. Booker also holds the Bears’ record for most catches in a season — 101 in 2001 — a number Marshall is quickly closing in on. Marshall has 81 catches for 1017 yards and eight touchdowns on the season.

More Coverage:
Bears Rebound With 28-10 Win
Hoge: There’s Hope For The Bears Offense After All
Bernstein: Bears Survive Brutal Afternoon
Hoge’s Grades: Coaches Deserve Credit

“In the third quarter I leaned over to Jay (Cutler) and said, ‘That catch puts me at 1000 yards for six seasons in a row’ and he looked at me and said, ‘You’re disgusting.’ So yes, I’m aware of it,” Marshall said.

The Bears wideout gave credit to his Twitter followers for his knowledge of Bears receiving records, saying they let him know every day what he is closing in on. Those followers will be happy to know that Marshall intends on breaking those records and hopes to end his career in Chicago.

“I hope this is the last place that I catch 1000 yards,” Marshall said. “I’m really proud to be a Bear and when I look back on my legacy as a football player, I want it to be as a Bear. This is a great opportunity for me, my family, and I just need to continue to work. I’m not there yet, on and off the field. I have to do a better job and I understand that.”

Getting Some Help

Marshall was quick to give credit to his fellow receivers who found a way to get open Sunday. That has not often been the case this season, but Cutler completed passes to eight different targets in the game, including Earl Bennett, who emerged with four catches for 45 yards.

“The thing I loved today was Earl Bennett got us started making big plays and Kellen Davis making a big catch for us. That’s what I want to see and that felt good out there seeing those other guys involved early. When they do that it’s just a matter of time before I get going.”

Matt Forte, Evan Rodriguez, Eric Weems and Michael Bush also caught at least one pass in the game. Tight end Matt Spaeth — not exactly known for his receiving abilities — made an outstanding 13-yard touchdown catch too.

A Costly Win

Sunday’s win came at a hefty price as the injuries piled up for the Bears.

A cliché of an NFC North game, Sunday’s matchup was as physical a game as the Bears have played all season. It was so bad that Bears head coach Lovie Smith admitted he had to write down the injuries on a piece of paper before addressing the media so he didn’t forget them.

Five significant Bears starters left the game with injuries and did not return, while three players total — two Vikings players — suffered concussions.

The worst of the injuries may have come on the offensive line, where right guard Lance Louis — widely regarded as the Bears’ best offensive lineman this season — went down with a knee injury. He appeared to take a big blow to the head by Vikings defensive end Jared Allen, but the Bears were looking at his leg when he went to the sideline and diagnosed him with a knee injury. Meanwhile, left guard Chris Spencer, taking over for Chilo Rachal who left the team this week, also suffered a knee injury. He tried to come back into the game, but quickly left again and did not return.

As for the concussions, Devin Hester was the first to go down with a head injury, while Minnesota safety Harrison Smith and tight end Kyle Rudolph followed.

The Bears also lost cornerback Charles Tillman and running back Matt Forte to ankle injuries, although Tillman spent a large portion of the second half itching to get back in the game, often running part way onto the field in-between plays. It’s possible the reliable corner would have returned had the Bears not had a sizable lead.

As is normal protocol for the Bears, Lovie Smith did not provide any details as to the extent of the injuries.

Turnover Margin

It’s something the Bears always preach and rarely win without: a positive turnover ratio. After losing the turnover battle the last two weeks in losses to the Texans and 49ers, the Bears got back to forcing takeaways Sunday.

They forced two Adrian Peterson fumbles, recovering them both, and picked off Christian Ponder once. They also turned the Vikings over on downs twice in the fourth quarter.

“In order for us to win, that’s a base part and it’s not a good defensive game unless we’re able to take the ball away,” head coach Lovie Smith said. “We got back on track today.”

For more Bears coverage throughout the season, follow Adam on Twitter at @AdamHogeCBS.

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Blackhawks' Slump Continues With 3-2 Loss To PredatorsRyan Ellis scored the go-ahead in the third period and added an assist and the Nashville Predators beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 on Tuesday.
Blackhawks Head To Nashville To Tame PredatorsThe Blackhawks head to Nashville to take on the Predators and remember the playoff excitement from defeating them in the quarterfinals. If the Blackhawks win, this would be the Predators' fifth straight loss at home.
Blackhawks And Predators, Playoff Rematch

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text:
Heart Attack Survival Rates Raise With CPR Training ProgramsIf you have a heart attack away from the hospital in the city of Chicago, your chances of survival have gone up.
Could Naked Mole Rats Hold Key Lesson For Heart Attack Treatment?Naked mole rats are infamous for being ugly little creatures, but they could point the way toward improvements in treatment of heart attack victims.
Notre Dame Fan Had Heart Attack At Michigan Game, Survived To Watch EndA Notre Dame fan from Bay City, Mich. reportedly had a heart attack at last weekend's game at Michigan Stadium, but survived to watch the end of the game from his hospital bed.
U Of I Professor To Climb KilimanjaroA 79-year-old Illinois man is hoping to go where former tennis pro Martina Navratilova could not – the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro.

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Finish the Last Mile of the Journey-The Story of a Village Child Welfare Director

录入时间：2013-05-27 14:31　来源:儿童福利网

Finish the Last Mile of the Journey

The Story of a Village Child Welfare Director

Time goes by, and things all change. But the hard work of the 120 village Child Welfare Directors of the Child Welfare Demonstration Project never stops. As the last mile implementers of the child sensitive social welfare policyand external support, these village child welfare directors strive to care and support vulnerable children in remote and impoverished areas. Day after day, they nourish the lives of these children like the spring rain.

Let us listen to the storytold byJiajia Wang, one of the village Child Welfare Directors.

I am Jiajia Wang, Child Welfare Director fromYahe Village,Tuojue Township, Butuo County, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, of Sichuan Province. I am proud to be one of the first Village Child Welfare Directors, but at the same time, I feel the enormous responsibility on my shoulders.

Most of the time, I don’t need to worry too much about the 305 children in our village. But there are still some children, including 26 with single parent, 27 orphans, 3 without caregivers, 2 disabled, 41 with parents living with HIV, and a child living with HIV, of whom need extra care and support.

Typically, besides household visits and organizing activities for the kids, my job is reporting children’s needs to the local government in Tuojue Town and the county Bureau of Civil Affair. For example, 105 children in our village had no birth registration. With support from the village committee and the township government, now there are only 11 childrenin the village, including newborns, without birth registration.

Riha (not his real name), already 2 years old, was one of the unplanned births. Her father died 2 months prior to her birth. Withassistance of the village committee, fund-raising from multiple sources to pay for the social maintenance fee, and the help from a lot of people, the girl finally got her birth registration on May 12th, 2012.

Shazuo (not real name) was about to drop out of school after 9th grade. Her parents died when she was 6. She finished the 9 years of compulsory education completely relying on external donations. Since her parents had not entered their residency information into the information system before they died, and neither does she have any document to show that her parents died, she was not able to receive the orphan assistance. I helped her obtain the necessary certificates and got her entered into the orphan registration system, so that she could receive orphan allowance. She is now a 10th-grade student at Zhaojue High School. When she entered the school, she was placed into the regular class. After her hard work, she got into the advanced class. Now she is turning 18 soon, and might no longer be eligible for the orphan allowance. I really hope that she could get external support to pay for her schooling.

Ziri (not real name) has an elder brother who goes to school in the town and only comes home on weekends. On weekdays, the boy is home alone. He is still young, and a lot of things are too difficult for him to do. I would always come and visit him, trying to do as much as I can for him. His father is in prison, and his mother went missing. No one works in the family so there is no income. I led the villagers to help him, and tried to find him a caretaker. Now, an elderly lady with no children is looking after the boy.

Yecong(not real name)’s father has died, and his mother is living with HIV. His mother remarried after his father’s death. His family is poor, and I often see his eyes shedding tears. I feel really bad to see him suffer, so I had him checked up in the better hospitals in Xichang on my own expenses, and applied for medical assistance from the Civil Affairs Bureau.

Rize (not real name)also lost his father and his mother disappeared.  He had a serious hearing problem. When I took him to Xichang for examinations, he was diagnosed with severe hearing impairment. He would have lostall his hearing if he had not started using hearing aids.

On weekends, I play movies and facilitate educational games at the village child welfare service centre.

We used to have 17 children who dropped out of school before 16 to work. Most of them are now back to school, after the Bureau of Civil Affairs and the local government’s hard work on persuading them. Some older children with little education participated in vocational training programs, such as Bureau of Civil Affairs’ subsidized driving lessons and training on sewing machine.

Thanks to the communication activities on postponement of marriage and childbearing,now there are no more early marriages at the age of 15 or16 in our village.

I havealso assisted the Bureau of Civil Affairs on 18 of the 29 children’s registration as double orphans, 15 of which are now receiving monthly allowance of 600 CNY. In addition, I learned that none of these children had winter clothes, thus I reported this issue to the Bureau of Civil Affairs. As a result, every child got a set of winter clothes before winter, and 20 vulnerable children each received a bed, a quilt, a desk, and a chair.

After thorough survey on dilapidated houses in the village, I reported the houses that need to be rebuilt to Tuojue Township. As we are undergoing a government supported Yi Housing Project involving 76 households, I helped children from single parent families without enough money for reconstruction to get the village committee’s guarantee for loans from the credit union.

In theproject-supported family income generation by raising livestock, I mobilized villagers to help poor families with repairing sheepfolds and pigpens, and with getting the vet to come and help.

In short, I am willing to do everything I can for these children. No words can describe the kind of challenges I encountered, but nothing will stop me from carrying on. I believe that in a country with 1.3 billion people, as long as we unite forchildren, these children will grow up healthy and happy.

In each of the 120 Child Welfare Demonstration Project pilot villages in Yunnan, Henan, Xinjiang, Sichuan, and Shanxi, there is a village child welfare director like Jiajia Wang, responsible for taking care of every child for their survival, development, protection and participation, and for delivering the support of government social welfare policy and external support to the village. They strive to keep every child covered by the social safety net, and provide timely support to children who may have fallen through the cracks.

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MobileIron for Windows 8.1

MobileIron for Windows 8.1

MobileIron for Windows 8.1

Managing Windows Mobility in the Enterprise

With Windows 8.1, Microsoft takes a giant step forward in their journey to power Mobile First enterprises. This is the first version of Windows to support an open Mobile Device Management (MDM) architecture, meaning that enterprises can secure and manage Windows 8.1 laptops and tablets whether they are domain joined or not. These capabilities, when combined with an enterprise mobile IT platform, will make it much easier for enterprises to adopt the Windows platform.

Please register to download this data sheet.

Windows Phone 8.1

Click on the link to download the datasheet.

download MobileIron for Windows 8.1


text:
Shenandoah Orthodontics

Shenandoah Orthodontics is a fast-growing Dentistry and Orthodontics practice with two locations. Their website was outdated and no longer reflected the stature of the company as it grew. They contracted The Scylla Group to design and develop a new site, built on WordPress. Analytics were included in the rebuild and demonstrated the need for a mobile site as more and more individuals began looking for the site on mobile devices. An additional, fluid theme was built specifically for mobile viewers.


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Freemason Bible (Complete – Fully Downloadable)

Freemason Bible (Complete – Fully Downloadable)

Here’s an interesting find. A Freemason Bible. The idea of a Freemason Bible is strange in itself because Freemasons do not claim to have a religion, they only require that you believe in a ‘higher power’. But this is a King James red letter edition of the Bible. Well, it is a Bible after a very lengthy section that’s all about the Freemasonry. I’m sure this is only the “for public viewing” version and that much darker secrets are kept in their lodges, but there is still a lot of interesting information here. This is a large document (300MB) so it won’t allow you to preview it online. You’ll need to download it. Thanks to YouTuber, ‘Dr Doom’ for finding this!

Check it out: Freemason Bible

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Saturday, January 23, 2010

Love-ly Valentines shirt and headband Tutorial

Here's what you need:
An old t-shirt. Pink, red or white would be cute
2 squares of felt, in different colors. To coordinate with shirt.
matching ribbon, any kind. Mine was a thin grosgrain
glitter puffy paint in matching color

Start by drawing a free hand heart. This one will be the inner heart, mine was 1 1/2" across.
Cut that one, and use that as your template for the rest. I had 3 stacked on top of each other, so alternate between colors of felt and make each one slightly bigger than the next.
It should look like this.I did this one and one smaller. So Draw your first heart smaller then cut the rest.
Start in the center top point and sew around the inner heart.Repeat for the next one. You can position these anywhere you'd like.
It should look something like this
Next, ( and sorry about the pictures, my camera was acting up again) cut small slits, (you don't want them any bigger than your ribbon) around the neckline. 1/2" down from ribbing, 3/4" apart.
Then weave your ribbon through the slits.You want to start from coming up under the first one and end in one at the opposite side, but not all the way across, let it hang about 5" Then repeat on the opposite side. This side should have only gone through a few of slits.Sew down just at the tops of Ribbon.
Next add your glitter to the center of hearts, and let dry.
To make headband. Cut small felt hearts, just like before, but smaller. And I only used 2 hearts together instead of 3. Sew together with an X in the center.
Put a dab of glue on the bottom of headband and start wrapping your ribbon around, being sure to not leave any space between to let the plastic show through. Apply more glue as you go. Finish by adding the hearts to the band with glue. Anywhere you like:).
And this is what it looks like complete

Ready for Valentines

  1. Lovely! That head band is too cute it's killing me! I think I'm going to make Paige one today! If I can squeeze it into a post I'll link to you! Take care!

  2. Oh well this is a completely necessary thing to do in my life now! How absolutely LOVELY!!!

  3. that is so cute! makes me wish my teenage daughter was a little girl again, so i could make her one too.

  4. Love this! I added it to our link luv roundup today.
    Send me an email at and I will email you the code for our "featured on luvinthemommyhood" button.
    Thanks for sharing :)

  5. Well, thanks to Disney I had to come check out your blog ... what, was I under a rock or somethin'? I will definitely be a full time stalker ... err, follower, now! LOVE the tut today, ty!

  6. I LOVE this Vday outfit! So fun to find your creative blog.
    I'll definitely be featuring soon!

  7. what a cute headband! my daughter would love that...i might just have to try this:-)

  8. Hey Christina! Oh my gosh, that is ridiculously CUTE! love it all! Thanks for joining in on the surprise v-day party today. The code for my party button should be fixed now, so stop by and grab one for your post :)
    happy crafting!

  9. Love this! As the sewing contributor for Making The World Cuter, I am featuring this in a Valentine's Day Roundup posting soon. :)

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What helps reduce vomiting during pregnancy

You what helps reduce vomiting during pregnancy Ontarians

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A little boy goes to his father and asks "Daddy, how was I born?"
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Switching to lumateperone improves weight gain, schizophrenia symptoms

12 Sep 2017
Intra-Cellular Therapies recently announced data that indicated improvements in weight gain and cardiometabolic, endocrine and schizophrenia outcomes after switching from standard antipsychotic care to lumateperone with no dose titration in individua...

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Better cancer treatments coming

Caution is hope's conjoined twin for people with cancer. One is always attached to the other.

The promise carried by reprieves from nausea and other chemotherapy misery is countered by medical prognoses that are at best vague. Five-year survival rates have escalated to about 61 percent, yet are compromised by the fear of what happens to the other 39 percent. Lingering remissions are offset by the way some oncologists still recoil from the word "cure," as if they were in Alcoholics Anonymous.

But in a world where some people evaluate themselves through the level of confidence they'll see the next day, new breeds of medication are inspiring predictions that within a decade most cancer will be viewed as just another condition that can be managed and survived.

"A generation ago, a diagnosis of cancer was a death sentence," said Dr. Judith Gasson, director of UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center, one of the nation's leading research centers. "Today, we have a 60-40 chance. I think we'll get to a point where you say, 'Oh it's only breast cancer."'

UCLA is researching drugs such as Herceptin and Avastin in clinical trials. The first medication, already approved for some patients, uses a protein's antibody to control a strain of breast cancer. The latter views a malignancy as a vampire, barricading tumors from the blood needed to grow.

An already approved drug, Gleevec, reacts to molecular mutations in leukemia and has generated enough dramatic remissions to become the champion of cancer treatment.

People with aggressive cancers view the revolution with a reserve learned from other glimmers of hope that have been eclipsed. Even those apparently benefiting from new medications have no way to measure the success and no idea if their good health will last.

But they are alive and, at least temporarily, free of the vomiting, diarrhea, baldness and other side effects triggering the joke that cancer treatment is worse than the disease. And though its cautionary guard is still present, hope is at least beginning to metastasize.

Every Monday at her oncologist's office in Thousand Oaks, Calif., Gail Crawford sits in an easy chair and reads a magazine as Herceptin drains intravenously into her body.

The drug contains the antibody to a protein called HER-2/neu that whips some breast cancers into frenzied growth. Already available for Crawford and other patients with Stage 4 cancers - Stage 5 means death - the medication is being tried on less advanced cases in clinical trials.

Crawford, who lives in Moorpark with her husband and their 14-year-old son, assesses the drug's purpose with the bluntness of someone who learned she may have about a 15 percent chance of living three years.

"I hope it is killing the aggressive cancer cells that are killing me," she said. "I'm counting on my Herceptin to change the statistics. It's my brass ring."

Though undetected by a mammogram, the cancer in her right breast was the size of a baseball when diagnosed 16 months ago. It had infected surrounding lymph nodes so that when Crawford stroked her neck, it felt like a string of pearls.

A vice president for a high-powered automotive accessories company, she was so sure of her imminent death she cleaned out her desk. At home, she went through her newest clothes, playing with the idea of returning anything with a price tag.

She went to bed wondering if she would wake the next morning.

Herceptin isn't her only trip to the cutting edge. During a 21-day stay at the UCLA Medical Center, the blood was pumped out of her body, flushed of the bone marrow stem cells that produce immunities, and then returned. She went through a week of especially toxic chemotherapy aimed at destroying the cancer. The stem cells were transfused back in hopes of regenerating her body's defense systems.

The chemotherapy left her bald, looking puffy and gray, her eyes devoid of life.

Herceptin, which she has taken without accompanying chemo for about nine months, has relatively minimal side effects. Today, Crawford looks vibrant. Her hair has grown back curly. She has the energy to take weekly golf lessons and has joined a badminton club.

Whether because of the stem-cell transplant, the Herceptin or both, her cancer is undetectable at the moment. Crawford understands the reason doctors haven't told her she is in remission is that they don't know if her cancer is diminishing or simply dormant - a bear waiting for spring.

She struggles with anemia, a lung capacity nearly half of what it once was and the still daunting pall of uncertainty.

But something has changed and Herceptin has helped, along with the emotional medication provided by a Wellness Community support group.

A year after doing a morbid inventory of her bedroom closet, Crawford is again buying new clothes. She and her husband talk about retirement plans. She worries about three years from now but has gained confidence about her immediate whereabouts.

"I know I'm going to wake up tomorrow and that's really good," she said.

Of the about 400 cancer drugs being researched in clinical trials and other studies, dozens hone in on unique characteristics of specific cancers.

Like Herceptin, they may consist of an antibody to an especially aggressive protein. As with the Avastin drug being used in clinical trials for colorectal and breast cancer, they may be growth inhibitors designed to stop a protein involved with creating blood vessels through which a cancer grows. Such drugs are aimed to keep a tumor the size of a pinhead in hopes accompanying chemotherapy can wipe it out. Larger cancers may be induced into shrinking by being blocked from their food supply.

Other new drugs invade cancerous cells and disrupt proteins that represent biochemical growth messages. Already approved by the Food and Drug Administration, Gleevec has used such a scrambler strategy to bring remissions to people with early stages of a form of leukemia called chronic myeloid.

The medications offer striking contrast to standard chemotherapy and other treatments that use drugs to strafe an infected region with a wide range of success depending on the type cancer, in some cases deteriorating not only the malignancy but healthy tissue nearby.

"It's the difference between throwing a hand grenade and using a smart bomb," said Gasson, of UCLA, noting the new drugs are available only to patients with very specific forms of cancer. "If we can do it for these cases, there's incredible optimism that we can find the molecular targets in the most common forms of cancer."

No one labels the new drugs as cures. Dr. Cary Presant, a researcher and oncologist who is past president of the California branch of the American Cancer Society, envisions the new medications being used with standard treatments and a growing emphasis on medication, nutrients and lifestyle changes focused on prevention. He thinks that within a decade, three of four cancer patients will survive cancer.

"I think that's very big," he said. "Do I think it's the end of improvement? No, not at all. Progress is being made on an hour-to-hour basis."

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Sunday, June 1, 2014

Visiting Author: Jon Keys with Crossfire

I’m glad to get a chance to visit your blog, Cia! I’m really enjoying visiting with other authors. Crossfire is part of the Men in Uniform anthology from Torquere Press and a story I really like. But before we get to the good stuff, I thought I’d talk a little about why I made the jump from reader to writer. I’m a relative newbie at the whole writing thing, but I’ve been reading on-line fiction since it first appeared. I’ve been on the Internet since Netscape and GOPHER (for those of you who weren’t born then, go Google it. Go ahead, I’ll wait.). My first programming class was in Fortran and we used punch cards. Okay, now I feel really old.

So, why did I start writing. Well, I really like rural/country settings. I grew up on the small ranch in Oklahoma, so that was pretty much my world for the first half of my life. But I would read through most of the stuff I was finding and thought ‘those guys sound dumb. Not everyone who lives in the country is a stupid redneck’.

At first I just ignored those stories, but after a while it started bugging me. Eventually, I decided I could do better than that, and started hammering out the first story. In the beginning I had no intentions of doing more than a few chapters of two guys falling for each other. I wrote the first chapter, and waited. I was pretty terrified of what people would say about the writing. I could just imagine being ripped to shreds. But after a week or so, I worked up enough courage to punch send.

Well that was the first chapter of Wrangler Butts, which still exists on Gay Author, Nifty, and Literotica. I didn’t get roasted for those first rough chapters. I got words of encouragement and support. Other people could relate to what I had written. Score! So that first hopelessly head hopping chapter was the beginning of what is a three “book” series and soon to be fourth when I continue the saga as part of my Wednesday Flash series titled Double Trouble.

I owe a lot to those early supporters. They were the first to plant the thought of being published. But I did think about it and finally decided I wanted to take the next step. Crossfire is the first in 2014, but over the next year I have contracts for the release of another short story, two novellas and two novels. Things have changed over the past few years.

So that’s a short explanation of why I started putting my ideas down on paper. I hope everyone enjoys Crossfire as much as I loved writing it. ~ Jon ~

Buy Links:   Torquere Press       Amazon       All Romance

Cover for Crossfire ebookStory Synopsis: Rick Anthis, a forty-five year old veteran of the Colorado State Police, and his husband, Gabriel Thorkelson, a deputy sheriff in a nearby county, enjoy the peace of their suburban Boulder home. Until three gunshots rip through the tranquil neighborhood and Rick witnesses the kidnapping of his buddy, eight year old Jacob.

The clues are sparse until Gabe reminds Rick of something Jacob had said. Rick has a starting point. He and his CSI team locate the remote hideout, only to find the the kidnappers are gone, and Gabe is missing too.

Story Excerpt: Rick dried the last dish and handed it to Gabriel to put away. Gabriel settled the last plate into the white cabinets. He loved their house and the quiet, older neighborhood it was in. He hoped Mark and Rachel could work out their issues, keeping Jacob in the forefront.

Rick put his hand around Gabriel's slender waist. He's as sexy as he was in college. Damn just being next to him makes me randy. Releasing Gabriel, Rick folded the dishtowel carefully and laid it beside the sink. "Supper was great. You're a damn fine cook."

Gabriel snickered and spun to pop Rick with a wet towel. "It should taste good. Your mother gave me herbs from her garden the last time we visited."

"Mom's just trying to fatten me up. I'm kind of skinny for a forty-three year old Greek man."

The towel snapped against Rick's butt again and he grabbed at it. Gabriel danced away, his face lit with delight. "Where does that leave me?"

Rick swept Gabriel up and kissed him. "It leaves you in my arms, just where you should be."

Rick paused as he remembered the note in his pocket. Leaving his hand on the small of Gabriel's back he reached in his shirt pocket and fished out a small piece of yellow paper. He gripped it between two fingers and dangled the sheet in front of Gabriel.

"Speaking of, I found another note in my lunch."

Gabriel studied the symbols on the page as if he'd never seen them. "Huh, what do you think that means?"

Rick smiled. "I know what it's meant the last dozen times I found one in my lunch."

"Really? And what was that?" "It meant I was going to be exhausted the whole next day."

"You don't say. Let me see that." Gabriel took the paper from Rick's hand and appeared to study the content. "Looks like Native American symbols. Hmm, maybe 'bear' and 'hunt'." He smiled at Rick with a glimmer in his eyes. "Are we going on a bear hunt this fall?" Gabriel reached up and tugged on the short hair coming from the top of Rick's T-shirt. The slight touch shifted his libido into high gear.

He nuzzled his face against Gabriel's throat and sighed at the spicy fragrance that curled through his nostrils. Rick slid his hand under Gabriel's shirt; the rub of his chest hair on Rick's palm ignited his desire. "What's the sign for otter? Because I think I need to hunt one of those little furry things." I still can't believe Mom gave Gabe my Eagle Scout pictogram project.

Author Bio Jon Keys’ earliest memories revolve around books; with the first ones he can recall reading himself being “The Warlord of Mars” and anything with Tarzan. (The local library wasn’t particularly up to date.) But as puberty set in he started sneaking his mother’s romance magazines and added the world of romance and erotica to his mix of science fiction, fantasy, and comic books.

A voracious reader for almost half a century, Jon has only recently begun creating his own flights of fiction for the entertainment of others. Born in the Southwest and now living in the Midwest, Jon has worked as a ranch hand, teacher, computer tech, roughneck, designer, retail clerk, welder, artist, and, yes, pool boy; with interests ranging from kayaking and hunting to painting and cooking, he draws from a wide range of life experiences to create written works that draw the reader in and wrap them in a good story.

Author Links
Twitter: @Jon4Keys

  1. Bought it, read it, loved it. I have all Jon Key's published works and always enjoy them.

  2. I loved the guest post, it's always fun to hear why authors start writing. :D
    ruralmom08 (at)

Please feel free to comment about my stories or blog. Flamers will be laughed at!


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Silver Wrx fields ertle!

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#1 firefight2440

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Posted 06 February 2016 - 01:57 PM

Spotted a older Wrx silver
Gold wheels
Anyone here?
Took the wife's car no cards to pass out!!!

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Kimberly Claffy

Center for Applied Internet Data Analysis
University of California San Diego
Kimberly Claffy

Kimberly Claffy (“KC Claffy”) is founder and director of the Center for Applied Internet Data Analysis (CAIDA), a resident research scientist of the San Diego Supercomputer Center at UC, San Diego, and an Adjunct Professor in the Computer Science and Engineering Department at UC, San Diego. She leads CAIDA research and infrastructure efforts in Internet cartography, aimed at characterizing the changing nature of the Internet’s topology, routing and traffic dynamics, and investigating the implications of these changes on network science, architecture, infrastructure security and stability, and public policy.

Her research interests span Internet topology, routing, security, economics, future Internet architectures, and policy.

She has been at SDSC since 1991 and holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from UC San Diego.


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Member of CIT

IMI was founded in 1999 primarily as a management development company. IMI offers its professional services through three main different business divisions: Training & Development, HR Outsourcing, and Consulting Services. IMI includes various sub-segments under its training division. The training division encompasses three core activities, namely: corporate training, public courses and programs, and language institute. Moreover, IMI has the HR division, serving both companies and individuals, offering full body leasing, recruitment and payroll services and finally a consulting division for which internal capacity is being built.


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Tag Archives: Yasmin Sewell

Style inspiration… Yasmin Sewell

I’ve seen a lot of her photos during the fashion weeks, but I didn’t know anything about her!!! I decided to correct this mistake. Yasmin Sewell is a fashion consultant and adviser, trend forecaster, but I know her as a person with a perfect personal style. I love that her every outfit is effortlessly perfect, she makes a statement with her each and every look. She is an extraordinary person with so many talents….What do you say?

Photos from http://wikifashion.com, twentythirtyforty.net, http://brigadeirochoc.blogspot.com, http://artofwore.com, waynetippetts.com, stylistsmuse.com


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Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Diary of John Beauchamp Jones: March 24, 1863

Judge Lyons has granted an injunction, arresting the impressment of flour by the Secretary of War, and Congress is debating a bill which, if passed, will be a marked rebuke to the government.

Notwithstanding the wishes of the Secretary of War, the President, and Gen. Rains, Lt.-Col. Lay is still exempting Marylanders, and even foreigners who have bought real estate, and resided for years in this country, if they have “not taken the oath of domicile.”

In Eastern Tennessee, 25,500 conscripts were enrolled, and yet only 6000 were added to the army. The rest were exempted, detailed, or deserted. Such is the working of the Conscription Act, fettered as it is by the Exemption Law, and still executed under Judge Campbell's decision. Gen. Rains has the title, but does not execute the functions of Superintendent of the Bureau of Conscription. The President has been informed of everything.

SOURCE: John Beauchamp Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate States Capital, Volume 1, p. 279

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This Vermont Heating Season, Stack Wood Like a Canadian or Maybe a Scandinavian

Heating season is nearly upon us here in Vermont. And no matter what the Eye-On-The-Sky guys on VPR say about the warm weather forecast today, fall weather is inevitable! For many of us, heating season means wood heat. More than 30% than of Vermonters heat their homes partly or entirely with wood.

Home heating is the second leading cause of home fires in the US. According to the US Fire Administration, heating fires account for 36% of residential home fires in rural areas every year. The most common wood stove-related home fire is a chimney fire. Most chimney fires are caused by creosote build up. Using algebra, it pays to keep your chimney clean.

Creosote is the product of wood smoke and moisture. Burning unseasoned or wet wood contributes to creosote build up. Once creosote build up reaches about an inch thick, it becomes an ignition hazard. Properly dried wood can often prevent this hazard. Good firewood stacking is a huge part of good firewood drying.

So, should you stack your wood like a Canadian or like a Scandinavian? If you have ever driven across the border, you know that our neighbors to the North are expert woodstackers. Canadian wood piles are the hospital corners of the arboreal world. Their wood piles are perfectly straight and trim and go on for centuries.

Scandinavian woodpiles, on the other hand are circular. Some might find this blasphemous, but the Scandinavians have been heating with wood for millennia, so their technique is worth some consideration for this post and for my woodpile this year. Stacking wood in the round takes less time, topples over less often, and sheds water better, thus keeping your wood off the ground and dryer longer.

Arka puinen kartuttaa! (Finnish for “Nice wood pile!”) Trevlig trä stapla! (Swedish) Whatever method or language you choose, make sure to leave space for good air ventilation. According to Martha Stewart’s website, you should leave enough room for a mouse to run through, but not enough for the cat chasing him. She’s Scandinavian in origin, right?