Hurricane Kasparov makes landfall in Germany

Garry Kasparov in Hamburg

A quick breakfast: Garry discusses the program on Saturday with ChessBase CEO
Rainer Woisin, who organised most of the event in Lüneburg on Saturday

"... and then, after the Playchess match against the school in South Africa, a public
stage discussion with the Minister for Culture on the subject 'Chess in Schools'"

Yes, everything is great, the programme Rainer has set up suits him just fine

But before the recording session there is some business to be attended to...

We would like to mention that we – well actually Frederic Friedel – knew Garry before the advent of cellphones and global communications. Fred likes to tell about the time when you had his full attention for hours at a time. Of course those days are long gone, and now you have to share him with the rest of the world – which he contacts pacing the floor with an iPad and headphones. Sigh.

At last we have him in the ChessBase recording studio, where Pascal Simon helps
him find and load the games he is going to be showing

They are from his book "Kasparov on Kasparov" and stretch from childhood to 1985

Just before the start of recording – this is going to be a DVD you can look forward to!

The Kasparov puzzle

Garry brough us a little puzzle he had encountered during his visit to the Chess Olympiad in Istanbul. It comes from FIDE Vice President Israel Gelfer, who had done a bit of research on the question: which chess player has recorded wins over the greatest number of World Champions. Gelfer had included the FIDE knock-out and tournament world champions – Khalifman, Ponomariov, Kasimdzhanov, Topalov – but Garry decided that was unfair to the older players. So the search was narrowed down to the fifteen classical World Champions: Steinitz, Lasker, Capablanca, Alekhine, Euwe, Botvinnik, Smyslov, Tal, Petrosian, Spassky, Fischer, Karpov, Kasparov, Kramnik and Anand.

So the question is: which chess player has beaten the greatest number of the above fifteen World Champions? In classical chess, and not necessarily when they were reigning, of course. Not the number of times they defeated a world champion, but the number of world champions they defeated. And naturally the world champions themselves are not excluded. We also want to know who comes second, third, fourth, etc.? We want the names of the players and the world champions they have beaten. Please send in your answers using our feedback link on the left of this page (or here). You must enter "World Champions" in the subject line, otherwise your feedback may go unnoticed.

Garry has also offered to sign three of his ChessBase DVDs for three winners, who will be drawn at random from all correct submissions. If you want the prizes to be personally dedicated you should include your full name.

Kasparov in Lüneburg

On Saturday, September 22, Garry Kasparov will take part in a big event in the North German city of Lüneburg. If you are in the vicinity you are welcome to come – it is open to the general public.

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The Chess Event in the North – "Ten against Lüneburg"

With Garry Kasparov

Patron: Cultural Minister Dr. Bernd Althusmann

Saturday, 22nd of September, 2012

Schedule

10.00 Beginning of the event with Garry Kasparov

• Opening with Helmut Pfleger and young Tigran
• Kasparov Greeting
• Interview with Garry Kasparov, Helmut Pfleger and Karol Lalla
• Rope Skipping by MTV
• Blitz games with 4 young children / Moderation: Björn Lengwenus
• Fritz&Chesster-Game: Black-Eye-Chess
• Internet Match: Lüneburg vs. Johannesburg

11.00 Tournament opening by Patron Cultural Minister Dr. Bernd Althusman and Garry Kasparov with a first move

11.30 – 12.30 Public stage discussion "Chess in schools" with

• Garry Kasparov
• Patron Cultural Minister Dr. Bernd Althusman
• Björn Lengwenus (Author of Fritz&Chesster)
• Claudia Marschewski (Teacher in Lüneburg)

13.00 h – 13.45 h Public Show-Training : Garry Kaspariov & Till Schreiner

• Moderation: Helmut Pfleger & Frederic Friedel

15.00 h – 15.30 h: Autograph Session: Garry Kasparov, Helmut Pfleger, Björn Lengwenus

15.30 h – 16.30 h: Public stage discussion "Chess in schools" with German trainer, federations etc.

• Moderation: Jörg Schulz (German Chess Federation)

17.00 h – 18.00 Town hall: Garry Kasparov signs the Golden Book of Lüneburg.
18.30 h “Bodega Compania” Welcome with the players, sponsors….
19.30 h Restaurant Bergström: Dinner with Karol Lalla, Frederic Friedel and some VIPs

• Official web site (in German)

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