Swedish Astronaut played Chess from Space
The leading Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter covered a chess game between the
astronaut Christer Fuglesang, who was orbiting Earth in the International Space
Station, and the Swedish public. Fuglesang was transported to the ISS by the
space shuttle Discovery, which blazed into orbit on August 28 with seven astronauts
on board. He returned to Earth on September 11 (Flight Day 15) at Edwards Air Force
Base, California.
Dagens Nyheter covered the game "move by move" in the printed version
of the newspaper. Chess moderators picked out three different moves that the
public, playing black, were able to choose from by voting online. The move that
got the most votes is sent out to space. Two unique prizes awaited Christer
Fuglesang and one lucky reader when the chess game was over. Five World Chess
Champions has signed two chess games on Dagens Nyheter's behalf.
The Fritz 11 and Rybka programs were signed by Garry Kasparov, Anatoly Karpov,
Vladimir Kramnik, Boris Spassky and Viswanathan Anand. One prize, Rybka, was
for Christer Fuglesang and one for a reader who was raffled in a dedicated chess
quiz launched on DN.se. There is a video of the prize-giving.
Watch
the video (in Swedish) here
Christer says that he very much enjoyed the match and that he is glad that
it had so much publicity via Dagens Nyheter. He also says that he felt okay
with his game, as long as he was on earth. At the time he had more time to think
about his moves and work on the positions. When he was in space he was otherwise
occupied and didn’t have so much time for chess. He had to make quick
decisions. After the first blunder (he doesn’t mention when) he felt that
the game went out of control.
Fuglesang,Christer - Dagens Nyheter readers [D23]
ISS-Sweden Zurich, 20.08.2009
1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 Bg4 5.Bxc4 e6 6.h3 Bh5 7.0-0 Be7 8.Nc3
0-0 9.g4 Bg6 10.Ne5 Nbd7 11.Nxg6 fxg6 12.Bxe6+ Kh8 13.f3 Nb6 14.Qb3 c6 15.Ne2
Nfd5 16.e4 Nc7 17.Be3 Nxe6 18.Qxe6 Bd6 19.Qb3 Qe7 20.Qd3 Rae8 21.Nc3 Qh4 22.Qe2
Nc4 23.Bf2 Qxh3 24.Be1 Ne3 25.Rf2 Qg3+ 26.Rg2 Qxf3 27.Qxf3 Rxf3 28.e5
Black (the readers) was a pawn up and had brought tremendous pressure to bear
on White's king. With his last move the astronaut has set a little trap: capturing
the rook on g2 with the knight would have lead to a recapture by the king and
a double attack on the black rook and bishop. So the latter had to retreat.
28...Bc7
29.Rg3? Rf1+ 30.Kh2 Nc2 0-1. [Click
to replay]
Fuglesang shows off the prize with the signatures which he has received
The student Anna Tylleskär won the reader’s prize. She says that
she became interested in chess after continuously loosing against a school friend.
Wanting to beat her friend she joined a club, got better, and started winning.
Christer shows us the Velcro board he had on the ISS. It was necessary to
use it in order to avoid chessmen flying around the space station. The position
on the board is the final one in the game, when he resigned.
The student and the chess playing astronaut with their prizes
There was a brief exchange between the World Champion Vishy Anand and Fuglesang,
before the latter had received his prize. Anand wrote:
Dear Christer,
Wish you a safe return on Thursday (or Friday). I'll be watching on the news
casts. I am following your game with interest. You seem to be in a spot of
trouble. Need some help and advice? I don't know if you can save it, but you
can give them a fight.
Regards
Viswanathan Anand
P.S. You have a REALLY cool job. Maybe we can trade places some
day...
To which the astronaut replied:
Dear Anand,
Thanks for your nice greeting. I guess I could have made good use of your
help earlier, but now it is too late (smiley). I think I put more emphasis
on the job in space than the game, but I anyhow enjoyed both very much. It
is an honor to get greetings from world champions and I have seen the great,
signed prize waiting for me (although I lost). BTW, I was in India last year
with my wife and son and we also stayed in Chennai a couple of days. We very
much enjoyed it!
Best greetings
Christer
The International Space Station as seen from the approaching Space Shuttle
Christer Fuglesang, STS-128 mission specialist, is pictured floating freely
in the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM), temporarily attached
to the International Space Station while Space Shuttle Discovery remains docked
with the station.
Astronaut Fuglesang on extravehicular activity (EVA or "space walk")
Backdropped by New Zealand and Cook Strait in the Pacific Ocean, astronaut Robert
L. Curbeam Jr. (left) and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Christer Fuglesang
participate in the first EVAs.
Christer Fuglesang on the mission's third and final EVA session
During the seven-hour spacewalk, Fuglesang and NASA astronaut John "Danny"
Olivas deployed the Payload Attachment System (PAS), replaced the Rate Gyro
Assembly #2, installed two GPS antennae and did some work to prepare for the
installation of Node 3 next year. During connection of one of two sets of avionics
cables for Node 3, one of the connectors could not be mated. This cable and
connector were wrapped in a protective sleeve and saved. All other cables were
mated successfully.
Previous ChessBase reports
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Astronaut Fuglesang in trouble – in space chess game
09.09.2009 – On August 28 Swedish astronaut
Christer Fuglesang blasted off into space, on the 128th mission of NASA's
Space Shuttle program. He conducted a seven-hour space walk at the International
Space Station, and also continued his chess game against the readers of
a Swedish newspaper. Both the astronaut, who has a tough position, and
his opponents have lovely
prizes waiting for them. |
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Swedish Astronaut to play Chess from Space
21.08.2009 – Remember American astronaut
Greg Chamitoff, who a year ago played chess against the NASA ground
stations. Well, now European Space Agency astronaut Christer Fuglesang,
Sweden, is going to do the same, playing a game against the Swedish
public. Right now Fuglesang is in quarantine awaiting an August 24th
launch. But the game has already started, and you
can take part. |
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Get Ready for Earth vs. Space
26.09.2008 – On Monday, September 29 Greg Chamitoff,
travelling 210 miles above the earth at five miles a second, will challenge
team earth to a ground-breaking Space Match. It is a unique event, pitting
the International Space Station astronaut against the residents of Earth,
guided by a team of schoolchildren. Rate of play is one move per day.
Press
release. |
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Chess in Space: Houston, we have a checkmate
29.08.2008 – How's this for an unusual chess
match: US astronaut Greg Chamitoff, who is currently aboard the International
Space Station, is playing against the Ground Stations. The first game
was won convincingly by Chamitoff, who is a decent amateur player. Now
he is playing six simultaneous games against different Ground Stations.
We have pictures and an indepth
interview with the astronaut.
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