You could be almost anywhere doing almost anything when chess makes its appearance. Whether on a rolling ship exploring the South Pole or from a New York City cab waiting at a taxi stand, your eye often catches two combatants in deep thought.
And nowadays, you can witness speed games where the playing pieces can suddenly start flying about a chessboard in a player’s desperate attempt to beat an opponent’s time on an often battered clock.
And here we are at the elegant and beautiful Cipriani Grand Ballroom for the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championships North American debut.
December 26th through the 31st, the championship begins with three days of 15-minute (plus 10 seconds per move) Rapid Chess, a Conference Day on the 29th, and two days of 3-minute (plus 2 seconds per move) Blitz chess.
Giving a VIP a game on Conference Day: (W) Grandmaster Keti Tsatsalashvili
On the theme of elegant, beautiful, and talented, hostess and Women’s Division Grandmaster Keti Tsatsalashvili announced the proceedings. So I popped the question, the chess question that is, as many players worry that Al and computers will restrict chess players to computer-approved openings and play.
She responded that she believes computers will open more exciting lines previously considered inferior, moves her past coach would have scolded her for trying.
Overall, everyone seemed to be having a pleasing and pleasant evening of chess and networking. Of course, not so pleasant, and there is always one, as my Colombian friend would say, “What kind of a buffoon is that?”
Some unhinged person got into the event, refused to leave, plotted himself at a table and shouted to security, “Shut the F— up.” But what is any event without a “touch” of colorful New York?
The Conference Day
“The Wall Street Gambit will take place on December 29 at Cipriani 55 Wall Street, this unique conference will bring together two of the world’s most challenging arenas-chess and finance-for a day of strategic thinking, competition, and high-level networking. The event will feature some of the most renowned chess legends, who will be joined by leading figures from the financial and tech worlds, including Boaz Weinstein, D. Sculley, and Kenneth Rogoff.
The day will begin with a chess tournament for the conference participants, offering a chance to showcase their chess skills while setting the tone for the insightful discussions ahead.
After the tournament, the conference will transition to keynote speeches from some of the most influential names in chess, finance, and AI, who will explore the intellectual parallels between the worlds.
D. Sculley, CEO of Kaggle, will deliver a keynote titled “Predicting in the Face of Incomplete Knowledge: Chess, Finance, and Other Challenges for AI.” Kenneth Rogoff, economist and chess grandmaster, will speak on the topic “Chess, AI, and Economics.”
One of the most exciting highlights will be the opportunity for VIP attendees to play blitz games against Magnus Carlsen, Viswanathan Anand, or Fabiano Caruana.
“This rare chance to test your skills against two of the greatest players ever is sure to be a thrilling experience for all involved. As the day winds down, there will be a photo opportunity and awards ceremony, followed by a networking cocktail hour – an ideal setting to connect with leaders from both the chess and financial sectors.”
Chess In The Schools
The Future of Chess
There is speculation that THE GAME may soon be solved and Random Chess will be the next road ahead. But until computer chips are inserted into a person’s brain, no human player can match the calculating ability required to solve the complexities of chess, no less remember all the variations if a computer could solve the game.
Outside of computers as chess trainers, from a competitive perspective, chess players have nothing to worry about.
Also, there is some comfort in that computers have removed a degree of hubris from the game, humbling players despite even those with the most narcissistic tendencies.
When you watch the computer evaluation bar swing up and down after every move during a game, not only between Grandmasters but with the analyzing and commenting of puzzled Grandmasters unable to discover the best move forward, one realizes that in the game of chess, Alph Zero or Stockfish make “potzers” of us all.
Queens Chess Crew at Panera where Win or Lose everyone gets an orange scone.
So meanwhile, on a cold night across the East River in Queens, coffee-sipping aficionados play chess and keep abreast of the tournaments. But perhaps, the real value of the game lies not on the big playing field but in the everyday pastimes, a time shared among friends centered around the chess board.
