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| International
chess Master Mikhail Nepomnyashchiy wowed a crowd of
chess enthusiasts in Hickory Saturday, with 36 victories out of 38 games played simultaneously. Hosted by the Hickory Chess Club at their usual Tuesday meeting place in the Foundation YMCA Miller Teen Center, meeting room A, 701 1st St. NW, Hickory, the May 5th simultaneous exhibition was proceeded by a lecture on chess tactics by Nepomnyashchiy. In addition to the 38 people playing the master, the event was enjoyed by about 15-20 spectators. In a simultaneous exhibition, a chess master moves from board to board inside a circle of tables, making a move at each. Challengers have time to consider their own move while the master cycles back to them. About ten years ago, then-World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov was featured playing a simul in a national television commercial. A ten year-old boy, thanks to research on internet search engine "Ask Jeeves", made a move so good that Kasparov had to pull up a chair to think. A simul is the only chance most chess players will ever have to beat a master, while his attention is divided. With so many games to keep track of, most masters simply size up the position on each board as they come to it, and move accordingly. Only the strongest players can expect to win most of their games against all comers under such conditions. The oldest player in the simul was Larry Robinson, age 78, of Hickory, who founded the founded the club in 2000, served as its president until last year, and was chief organizer for the exhibition. The youngest player was William Campbell, age 8, who took on the International Master flanked by his father, Dalton, and 13 year-old sister Grace, all of Statesville. The Campbells are considered chess prodigies by many in the club, frequently beating adults. Some call Will "Young Fischer" after former child prodigy, World Chess Champion and American, Bobby Fischer. Winning their games side by side against the 2442-rated Nepomnyashchiy were John Thomas of Boomer and Mark Gragg of Lenoir. Thomas is rated 1530, over 900 points lower than IM Nepomnyashchiy in chess strength, while Gragg is a 1782 rated player, giving up almost 600 points. Thomas, who has been teaching and coaching chess in the Caldwell County school system for over 25 years, organizes and directs several chess tournaments a year. His next tournament is the State High School Championship, Saturday, May 12, at Newton-Conover High School. Gragg was one of Thomas' students in the Hibriten High School chess club in 1991-1994. Both men were said they were surprised at the outcome. "I feel very fortunate," Thomas said. Nepomnyashchiy played all 38 games in about three hours. The end of the last game was met with applause. "39 men and women, ages eight to 78, of varied ethnicities, from four countries and around the US came together to play chess today. It was a wholesome, harmonious family event in a world that can use both," said club secretary Jack Shaver, one of the event's organizers. Mikhail Nepomnyashchiy was born on January 30, 1949 in St. Petersburg, Russia (Leningrad of the former Soviet Union). He learned chess at age 7, and studied at Leningrad's Creative Youth Palace. His chess accomplishments are considerable. He became a National Soviet Master in 1970, and has been an International Master since 1995. "I have participated in many championships and in biggest tournaments in St. Petersburg, Russia and Europe. I have a long and successful chess experience in Soviet Union, Russia, and Europe," Nepomnyashchiy said "I am a champion of St. Petersburg in scholastic section in speed chess and in blitz," he said. "Right now St. Petersburg has 20 international grandmasters: Alexander Halifman, Peter Svidler, Konstantin Sakayev, Vladimir Epishin." From 1996-1999 he was vice editor for "Chess in St. Petersburg". With a rating of 2442, he is one of the strongest players in North Carolina, appearing on the national top 100 list in previous years. He has long-term and successful coaching experience in Russia and the US. He emigrated from Russia in January 2000 as a refugee. Currently he lives in Greensboro, NC. Next up for the Hickory Chess Club is a tournament on May 26, also in the Foundation YMCA Miller Teen Center's, meeting room A, open to all members of the United States Chess Federation. See hickorychessclub.org for more information about the tournament and the club. "Chess is good for you," Shaver added. |