White to move and mate in two. Solution to Problem No. 2,906: R-B3 (Rc3). Congratulations to the solvers!
Who is really the world's chess champion?Dutchman Jan Timman has cast doubt on the credibility of Anatoly Karpov's world title after losing an exhausting eight-week struggle with the Russian in Jakarta, Indonesia, last week
Timman, 41, was defeated 121/2 points to 81/2 by Karpov in the official title match, which was constantly upstaged by the rival contest between Gary Kasparov and Nigel Short in London.
Timman told Ian Rogers of Reuter News and other reporters, "Karpov is not the world's No. 1. Kasparov has proved himself the best in tournament and match play. Karpov is the official world champion, but I am not sure what that really means."
Karpov is ranked second in the world to Kasparov of Russia, and his ranking will not improve as a result of his unexpectedly narrow victory over Timman, ranked 31st.
Kasparov, 30, was stripped of his official title in April by the World Chess Federation (FIDE) for refusing to play his title defense against England's Short under the auspices of the federation, which has become quite efficient in taking world titles away from top players, first Bobby Fischer of the United States and now Kasparov.
Kasparov claims to be the only legitimate world champion and has tried to set up an alternative world title system, the Professional Chess Association (PCA).
After hearing Timman's comments, Karpov was reluctant to compare himself with Kasparov, who won an unofficial world title defense against Short, 28, in London.
"It's not a sensible question," said Karpov. "There are now two systems and two world champions." He was the undisputed world champion from 1975 to 1985 until Kasparov wrested the title from him in three different matches.
"Of course, we should have only one world champion," Karpov added. "I don't think the breakaway (by Kasparov and Short) was good for chess."
Timman agreed, saying, "There was no good reason for the breakaway, otherwise I would have supported it."
Karpov and Timman doubted if Kasparov would be able to set up a fair qualifying system for the world title.
"Kasparov's world championship qualifying tournament offers really quite poor financial conditions," Timman said.
"In any case, I did not receive an official invitation to play in their tournament," he added, hinting he might have been blacklisted by organizers with connections to Kasparov.
Timman believes the division in the chess world could worsen, but some world grandmasters are saying that if one can't win the championship from one organization, one can try for the other.
World chess champions since the title became official:
1866-1894 - Wilhelm Steinitz, Austria
1894-1921 - Emanuel Lasker, Germany
1921-1927 - Jose R. Capa-blanca, Cuba
1927-1935 - Alexander Alek-hine, France
1935-1937 - Max Euwe, Netherlands
1937-1946 - Alexander Alek-hine, France
1946-1957 - Mikhail Botvinnik, Soviet Union
1957-1958 - Vassily Smyslov,Soviet Union
1958-1959 - Mikhail Botvinnik, Soviet Union
1960-1961 - Mikhail Tal, Soviet Union
1961-1963 - Mikhail Botvinnik, Soviet Union
1963-1969 - Tigran Petrosian, Soviet Union
1969-1972 - Boris Spassky, Soviet Union
1972-1975 - Bobby Fischer, United States
1975-1985 - Anatoly Karpov, Soviet Union
1985-present - Gary Kasparov, Soviet Union/Russia
- CHESS MATES - When Henry Eisenhardt first heard that many Seattle grade-schoolers could not "add two and six without an adding machine," he took a chess set and a good idea to the city's superintendent of schools.
"Chess," he said, "is a game of strategy that teaches young ones math and discipline and allows them to think critically."
Five years later, Eisenhardt is the supporter of 17 after-school chess teams he founded - the largest has 90 members.
Over the years he has donated about 400 chess sets to schools, using more than $13,000 of his own money. A year ago he formed the non-profit "Chess Mates Foundation" when he could no longer support the venture by himself. Currently the foundation is expanding the program into other communities in Washington and Oregon.