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Are any other members of your ministry interested in chess like you are?

You know I'm addicted to documentaries, and I found out recently that there's an argument among current Muslims with regard to interpreting whether or not "chess" is allowed by Sharia Law.

There appear to be three positions:

It's a major sin and cannot be played. It's a venial sin and can be played. It's not a sin of any kind and can be played.

With regard to Christianity and the Bible, I know that chess was proscribed by some of the Puritans during Cromwell's revolution. But so was everything else that was fun, including other games, flowers, the theater, you name it.

FIDE have released the 1st round pairings of the Candidates Matches in Kazan, 3rd-27th May 2011.

Topalov (BUL) - Kamsky (USA)

Kramnik (RUS) - Radjabov (AZE)

Aronian (ARM) - Grischuk (RUS)

Gelfand (ISR) - Mamedyarov (AZE)>

Reactions were mixed among his colleagues and chess fans.

Some support him, and hate FIDE's guts.

Some think he shouldn't have withdrawn, and hate FIDE's guts.

I wonder what those meddling kids at chess.com will say about this historic victory.

Possibly they will pretend it didn't happen.

But it did!

You know there's nothing wrong with having "a little Bobby" in you or even a lot.

Whatever his motives were, what he did helped every chess master after him.

It's partly because of Bobby that the elite players make a lot of money today.

Certainly much, much more than before Bobby.

Personally, I'm with Carlsen on this.

Someone has to stand up to FIDE every so often.

Do you know who died in absolute poverty?

Steinitz, Lasker, and Alekhine that's who.

Four years ago, with <branko>, they in fact had what may have been a winning advantage in one of their losses against Fritz.

He changed everything and is not given credit for doing so.. notwithstanding the beauty of his art.

Persia was invaded by the Muslims in the late 7th century, and it took almost 300 years to convert 50% of the population to Islam. By then chess was popular in Persia.

This is just my guess, but I think any Islamic animus to chess probably stems from the period of Persian history in which the Muslims were trying to stamp out the Zoroastrian religion.

keep your moose (meese?!) together with these great moose watchers!

Mules! yes!! it's a little known secret that Mules make great watchmules! and boy do they pack a great kick if anyone tries to use your moose without you knowing it!

If opening books and end game tablebases are programmed in, the engines simply are not playing chess. Chess is an exercise in decision making. The average person is shocked to discover these fantastic chess playing machines really aren't acting on their own. And I think the average person is right.