Posted on 04/16/2005 9:09:22 PM PDT by LibWhacker
MOSCOW (AP) - Garry Kasparov, the world's former No. 1 chess player who quit the professional game last month to focus on politics, said Saturday he had been hit over the head with a chessboard in a politically motivated attack.
Kasparov, an outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin, was not injured Friday when he was hit with the chessboard after signing it for a young man at an event in Moscow.
A spokeswoman for Kasparov, Marina Litvinovich, said the assailant told the chess champion: "I admired you as a chess player, but you gave that up for politics."
She said the unidentified attacker - who did not reveal his political allegiance - tried to hit Kasparov again but was hauled away by security guards.
"It was a fairly nasty incident, it was not very pleasant psychologically," Kasparov told the private NTV television.
The 41-year-old Kasparov, a brilliant and aggressive tactician regarded by many as the greatest chess player of all time, has been ranked No. 1 in the world since 1984.
He retired last month, saying he planned to focus on politics and do "everything in my power to resist Putin's dictatorship." He plays a leading role in the Committee 2008: Free Choice, a group formed by liberal opposition leaders.
Putin has been accused of stifling democratic freedoms by placing national television under effective state control and centralizing power by boosting Kremlin control of parliament and country's regions.
"Fritz, Fritz, Fritz
Use what the GM's use.
Great tactical analysis, not quite as great in positional situations, but still better than 95% of the people you could find to evaluate your position.
Just search on the web. It's out there."
I haven't played in years, and was never really THAT good. Thanks for the tip about Fritz and the websites. One of these days when, I get better, I may stop in there.
"Depends on the meaning of "good". ; )
Good in being "adjustable" to the specific user or good in the complexity and sophistication of the programming? Pawn's a good starter engine.
Pawn"
Just what I was looking for! Now that I have found how to lower the skill level, it is a lot of fun. Thanks. By "good" I meant stable and not a resource hog. Now I need to figure out how to (I think they call it) castle. I see the opposing side switch the king and castle around, but I can't seem to be able to do it.
Maybe Fritz has that option. I'm gonna keep an eye out for it.
"The pieces between the King and the rook must be clear, having moved them to alternate positions, and the king must not be in "check" when you attempt it."
And neither the king nor the rook can have previously moved. To actually make the castling move, grab the king and move it 2 squares toward the rook, the engine will complete the move.
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