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Working Overtime! Print E-mail
By Glenn Petersen, Editor, Chess Life for Kids   
October 25, 2008
thumb_283173main_exp18dockpic226x170.jpgUndoubtedly that's what Astronaut Greg Chamitoff had to do when preparing for the departure of the Soyuz capsule that returned his two fellow Expedition 17 cosmonauts Sergei Volkov and Oleg Kononenko back to Earth after more than six months aboard the International Space Station.  The Soyuz flight also saw the departure of Greg's fellow American gamer, computer game industry pioneer Richard Garriott, designer of Ultima and Ultima Online, who paid a reported $30 million to travel into space for twelve days.  (Back on Earth, Garriott was reunited with his father, American astronaut Owen Garriott - a veteran of SkyLab and shuttle missions for NASA - at Soyuz' landing site in Khazakhstan.  Fittingly, Garriott's return flight was under Sergei Volkov's command; Volkov is the only other second-generation spaceman in history, cosmonaut Alexander Volkov.)

It was only then that Chamitoff was able to send his next move, 9.Qd2.
  
But our kids from Stevenson Elementary School were not above working a little overtime themselves!  After school on Friday and on Saturday morning, they sent in their choices for Earth's response. Your choices are listed in the right margin and all Earthlings are encouraged to VOTE NOW!
  
As USCF Correspondence Director Alex Dunne says: "Greg could have played to demonstrate that superior development is often worth a Pawn.  After 9. bxc4 Qxc3 10. Rb1 White has mobilized all his forces while Black, with an extra Pawn, has only his Queen developed, isolated deep in enemy territory.  That would have been an interesting fight and a fair one.  Now the battle changes."

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Greg Chamitoff vs. Earth (after 9.Qd2)

This is a critical juncture in the game and now we need you to put in a little O.T. yourselves. 

Voting will close at 3 PM ET (noon PT) on Sunday.


Reminder: Don't miss a moment of this historic match - add our RSS feed to keep up with the latest developments, as articles and moves are posted here, and as voting periods occur.
 
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Earth vs. Space Chess Match, 2008-09

Astronaut Dr. Greg Chamitoff has sent 46.Kxa2 and his resignation and congratulations to the Stevenson stars and Earth's voters.
 
Use the Java chess viewer (below) to review and analyze this historic game and read game commentary.

Explore the game in our Chess Viewer

(Click here for help with Java or the chess viewer, or click here for a move list.)

The Final Position:
Greg_move_46_150.jpg
(after Greg's 46.Kxa2)

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Read NASA's announcement about this game.

If you don't know all the rules of chess, and would like to learn, click here.
 
Media Contacts:
NASA - Kelly Humphries
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
kelly.o.humphries
@nasa.gov


USCF - Glenn Petersen
732-252-8388
[email protected]

Stevenson Team -
Coach David Hendricks
WA State Scholastic Coordinator
425-868-3881
425-269-7949
DavidCHendricks
@comcast.net


Match Director -
Hal Bogner
650-284-5062
[email protected]