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CHESS TO FEATURE IN THE OLYMPICS?

Chess Pieces 22june12A fascinating article in the Christian Science Monitor poses the question: should chess be in the Olympic Games?

As the article by Lisa Suhay states, chess has a legitimate claim, this being the 85th anniversary of the game being an officially recognised body of sport by the International Olympic Committee. In 1924 chess nearly became part of the Paris Games, the only hurdle being the distinction between professional and amateur competitors. Instead, the World Chess Olympiad was born in 1927.

A self-confessed “chess parent”, Suhay rightly states that chess has all the features that not only make for great competition, but which please parents. Mind sports such as chess (and poker) exercise the mind with tactics, critical thinking and mental agility. It’s something not lost on Suhay who helps organise chess programmes for inner city children

Will we ever see chess in the Olympic Games? The World Chess Olympiad is bigger than the Winter Games in terms of nations competing. Some 160 countries will take part in the next WCO in Istanbul, Turkey, later this month; the youngest competitor aged just ten. There was even an attempt in 2008 to merge the Chess Olympiad with the Beijing Games. Alas, it never came to fruition.

For now the WCO will remain outside events such as those taking place in London, while remaining a spectacle in their own right.
And poker? Will the likes of Phil Hellmuth, Daniel Negreanu and Phil Ivey ever be seen carrying their nation’s flag into the Olympic stadium? For now the debate will continue.

Read the full article on the Christian Science Monitor website.

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WHO IS CHARLIE NESSON?

Prof Charlie Nesson 13june12

Prof. Charlie Nesson

Harvard University employs 973 librarians and tonight, a good number of them will be playing poker in the Harvard Law School cafeteria with Charlie Nesson.

Charlie Nesson, the William F. Weld Professor of Law at Harvard, is somewhat of an eminence grise at the university at large: the youngest to be hired as a full professor; a defender of Daniel Ellsberg (look up the Pentagon Papers) and others before the U.S. Supreme Court; a famous lecturer on Evidence, and a staunch advocate for the game of poker for teaching life skills.

He holds a poker reading group with his 1-L students, after which there is informal play, and his almost missionary zeal has now spread to the Harvard librarians, who are learning the game with hopes that they might teach captive students and transform their arguably moribund institutions from warehouses of dusty tomes to community centers for intellectual engagement and play.

Indeed, play is the operative word here, as Nesson believes that, aside from the concrete cognitive and intuitive skills involved in sophisticated poker play, the game teaches a sense of self-mastery and dominion, of being a player at the table and in the world at large.

As an adjunct to poker, Nesson aims, through his recently founded Mind Sports Research Network at the Berkman Center at Harvard, to study the essential nature of strategic thinking through the study of all the mind sport games–Bridge, Go, Chess, and Draughts. This is the heart of the symposium, detailed on the IFP News page, that precedes the poker night on 13th June.

Masters of the various games will talk about what makes their sports unique — strategically, culturally, and as metaphor — followed by break-out sessions to deconstruct the elements of the game and begin to define a framework for curriculum study (on-line and in schools). Following a panel conversation, moderated by the Berkman Center’s John Palfrey, discussion will move on to poker instruction in the Langdell Library, before decks of cards are dealt for an informal game.

On hand for the International Federation of Poker will be Anthony Holden, the President of the IFP, as well as Sir Harry Evans; poker author and Professor Jim McManus; and Grandmasters in Go, Chess, Draughts, and Bridge.

It promises to be a lively and ground-breaking event, with news of its outcome on the IFP website in the coming days.

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POKER SKILLS AT 60KPH

Track Cycling Small 6aug12Olympic cycling is just like poker. Well, a little bit.

With track cycling dominating the weekend Olympic schedule, a few analogies came to light as the likes of Britain’s Victoria Pendleton, China’s Guo Shuang and Hong Kong’s Lee Wai Sze raced at tremendous speed around the velodrome on their way to the gold, silver and bronze medals in the sprint competition.

Kitted out in familiar aerodynamic uniforms and specially designed helmets, each rider tried to outwit their opponent, picking the right time to make their move, bluffing one direction before darting past in another just a second later. It made for dramatic scenes for the enthusiast as well as those watching cycling for the first time.

But there was another element to their uniforms, the visor on each rider’s helmet, not simply there to keep the 60kph wind from their faces, but mirrored to hide the rider’s eyes. With the race hinged on so many subtle variations of intent, each rider depends on surprise. The eyes – known to many as the windows to the soul – can easily betray a rider’s strategy, tipping off opponents as to your game plan. Spotting that can change a race entirely.

Noticed any similarities to poker yet?

The booming trade for sunglasses at the poker table is not a fashion statement – well not always. Sunglasses can, particularly for new players, add a defensive layer when in high pressure situations, the eyes often giving away the strength of a hand to a stronger player with a finely-tuned ability to spot weakness.

It’s why many believe there shouldn’t be sunglasses in poker. In fact in the 2011 IFP World Championships, sunglasses were not permitted, much to the surprise of some who have come to count on this little wardrobe accessory (few protested). Instead, their eyes could be seen clearly, putting this important if hard to learn skill back in the game.

So is cycling poker on wheels? Perhaps that’s as far as the analogy goes, although at least one commentator in the women’s Olympic road race picked up on the “poker game” that was the closing stages, when three breakaway riders tried to outwit each other to win gold.

But in many sports such mind games exist. The analogies made to poker are spot on.

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IFP LAUNCHES GLOBAL MEMBERSHIP PROGRAMME

Ifp Imagelogo Bluegreen 700pxThe International Federation of Poker has today launched the first phase of its global membership development programme, agreeing an international media partnership with online sports news and social media service Vavel.The agreement is the first of a series of partnerships with high profile media organisations scheduled to be announced in the coming weeks and months, designed to deliver the IFP’s unique membership offer to audiences throughout the world through recognised and trusted local media brands.

Research suggests that poker is second only to football in global popularity and its tremendous growth has been fuelled by digital technology. Now the IFP is set to harness the power and potential of the online environment to create a new world of poker.

The partnership will see Vavel host the beta version of the IFP’s online platform which enables players to sign-up to play in a variety of online tournaments. Members will eventually achieve international and national rankings; qualify for their national team and the finals of the IFP’s World Championship of Poker, ‘The Table.’

“Our partnership with Vavel is a hugely significant step for the International Federation of Poker and the promotion of our sport,” said IFP President Anthony Holden.

“It is a vibrant and engaging platform which attracts a largely young, technology savvy, knowledgeable and sports focused audience. That profile is a great match for the aspirations of the IFP.”

Vavel WorldVavel is a fast-growing multi-media online sports service which publishes material from thousands of contributing authors and hosts debate and discussion across all sports. Its services specifically target Spain, Latin America, Italy, France and the UK although it is available globally.

Javier Robles, founder and CEO of Vavel said: “We are delighted to be in partnership with the International Federation of Poker. Poker is one of the fastest growing sports on the planet and many of our readers and authors are avid players.

“We fully support the objectives of the IFP and hope that this partnership will play its part in helping build a strong future for poker as a game of skill.”

In addition to registering for tournaments, members who sign-up to the IFP online platform through Vavel, which is free during the Beta phase, will become part of a thriving global poker community. It will offer opportunities to hone poker skills through the IFP Poker University, keep up to date with the latest news and developments from the world of poker and draw on a comprehensive library of poker-related content.

“The IFP online platform is liberating poker and making it possible for everyone to enter for the biggest prize of them all. We will be delighted to see online qualifiers competing with the biggest names in tournament poker at ‘The Table.’”, said Anthony Holden.

To take part in the Beta testing of IFP’s membership offer, visit poker.vavel.com.

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THE WELCOME RETURN OF PHIL IVEY

Phil Ivey 15june12

Phil Ivey

It has been something of a difficult 18 months for Phil Ivey. Known as one of the best players in the game over the past decade, his reputation away from the table rather than at it has caused him to take leave of the spotlight; his involvement with Full Tilt Poker tarnishing his standing following the events of Black Friday in April 2011 and what followed.

It was in light of the Full Tilt fiasco that Ivey sat out the 2011 World Series of Poker, choosing not to flaunt his ability to play, while others with money stuck in frozen bank accounts, were unable to.

But Ivey has returned after this brief hiatus, immediately demonstrating to the poker world that he has lost none of the desire that took him to the top of the game in the first place. Jumping back in at the WSOP, Ivey reached three final tables in the space of a week, the most recent this week in the $5,000 Omaha Hi/Lo contest, where he narrowly missed out on his ninth bracelet, finishing in third.

Ivey lies fifth in the All Time bracelet winners list (one behind the first ever winner Johnny Moss), but like Phil Hellmuth who leads the standings, it’s not about the money or material profit for him, just the bracelet and the opportunity to try and win another.

Few players inspire spectators as much as Ivey, who boasts a unique talent (or would if he did interviews), which is at times masked by a look of indifference as he plays. Like masters of any sport, Ivey makes it look easy, frustrating those seeking to imitate.

Examples of his talent are plentiful though few are as awe inspiring as when he played against British player Paul Jackson in Monte Carlo, a bluff versus re-bluff dance that showed Ivey to be a master of his art, as this clip shows:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=60tWTcHKW_Q

Ivey is gifted player who brings with him an aura of anticipation at any event. With plenty of play left at the World Series, Ivey may yet win that ninth bracelet.