And the Winner Is...

Wait, wait, hold on! Even though the 2008 World Chess Live Grand Prix is closed does not mean it's over. The contestants, fans, and prizewinners must wait patiently while the United States Chess Federation makes its final tally. For the moment, however, it looks like "dark horse" IM Alex Lenderman may well have succeeded in passing up front-runner GM Sergey Kudrin to make Grand Prix history.

Aged just 19 years, 3 months, and 7 days when the Grand Prix closed at midnight on December 31st, the precocious math student at Brooklyn College might be the youngest player ever to win the Grand Prix. Lenderman himself is currently predicting the final tally to read 298 for him to Kudrin's 287. If you're looking for the up-to-the-minute standings, however, you may have some difficulty: at the moment, only 2009 standings are available! Lenderman leads those as well, with a whopping 5 Grand Prix Points. For more on the confusion, see the Grand Prix Home Page. Possibly, however, by the time this newsletter goes out the problem will already have been fixed!

"Audio Alex!" -- Clips from IM Alex Lenderman

To get the full scoop on Lenderman's probable triumph, I decided to call him at his home in New York. In the editing phase, I went a little overboard when I decided to engage in heavy experimentation with sound graphics and special effects. The resulting 4-minute audio interview is my new life masterpiece, just like this week's picture header now reflects my highest possible capabilities in the arena of arts and crafts. So please, listen and enjoy the interview, and savor the flavor of my low-resolution graphic masterpiece above.

The Final Four of College Chess

The Pan-American Championships are over, with the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) "B" Team having taken top honors. Now, the next big event on the college chess calendar is the "Final Four" showdown between the Pan-Am's top four finishers.

Of course UTD and UMBC made it into the competition, which will be held this April. But who were the other two colleges that made it into this exclusive tournament of champions? Not surprisingly, one was from Texas: the University of Texas at Brownsville, which boasts IM Daniel Fernandez and WIM Luciana Morales, author of the UTB Blog. But can you guess which top American institution of higher learning took the fourth spot, even though it finished in fifth place? Read the article on Chess Life Online and find out. Or, visit the Final Standings page.

Chess.FM Update

This Week: GM Boris Alterman's Gambit Guide

The Bird's Opening with 1.f4 can take on the positional characteristics of a reversed Dutch Defense. But rather than that, Black has the sharp option of 1...e5!?, From's Gambit, named after the Danish player Severin From (1828-1895).

White can then transpose into the King's Gambit with 2.e4. If he prefers to stay in the Bird's Opening, play can continue 2.fxe5 d6, where White must play very precisely to squelch Black's attacking chances. Now, in his latest Gambit Guide series, GM Boris Alterman looks at the From's Gambit as an ideal antidote to the Bird's Opening--and doubly so if Black is a dedicated 1.e4 e5 player. So listen now!