Ask your questions to Kasparov!

Had you the chance to pose a question to Garry Kasparov, what would you ask? Russian opposition leader and former chess world champion will come to Milan in two months: he will be one of the 100 guests of “La Milanesiana”, a great cultural event to be held in the main city of Northern Italy. Seven Nobel prize and two Pulitzer winners are also awaited. Kasparov will take part in a discussion about “Competitions” at Dal Verme Theater (2, San Giovanni sul Muro street) on June 30 (start at 9 p.m.) and will be the special guest of an “Aperitif with the author” at Sala Buzzati (3, Balzan street) the next day (start at 12 a.m.). I obviously will go to Milan for those two events: it is just 40 minutes by car from Bergamo, where I live. I hope I will have the chance to ask some questions to Garry: I will try to pose the most interesting among those suggested by you. I already have some ideas, anyway :-)
Today the Italian rapid championship was played in Arvier, Aosta Valley. Surprise winner was candidate master Dario Pedini from Fano (but living in Milan), who scored 8 points out of 9; GM and Elo favourite Michele Godena placed second, IM Sabino Brunello third. 110 players competed in the event. Official site www.scacchivda.com; final full standings are not available yet :-(
Bulgarian GM Ivan Cheparinov has already won the 15th Sigeman & Co. tournament, which will end tomorrow in Malmo (Sweden). Cheparinov leads by one point and a half (undefeated) with only one round to go: whatever will be the result of his last game against Dutch GM Jan Timman, he is the winner of the competition (official site: http://www.sigeman-chess.com/). Cheparinov is well known for being Topalov’s second (with whom he share the manager, Silvio Danailov) since 2005, but he is a strong GM himself, as this and other results confirm. Born on November 20, 1986, in Asenovgrad (Bulgaria), Cheparinov started playing chess at the age of 5. Seven years later he won the junior chess title of Bulgaria. In 2000 he claimed the third place on Wijk an Zee, working up the IM norm, then in 2004 he became national champion of Bulgaria and received the GM status in October the same year. On the April 2007 list Cheparinov reached his highest rating: with a 2646 Elo he is currently 64th in the world. In the recent Euro champ he placed fifth after tie breaks, sharing the first place with 8 points after the 11 “regular” rounds.
His win over Greek GM Vasilios Kotronias in the Sigeman & Co. tourney is a tipical example of his sharp style (quite similar to Topalov’s).

Cheparinov, I (2646)-Kotronias,V (2570) [B65], Malmo 23.04.2007
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 Be7 8. O-O-O O-O 9. f4 Nxd4 10. Qxd4 Qa5 11. e5 dxe5 12. Qxe5 b5 13. Rd3 Ng4 14. Qe4 f6 15. Rh3 g6 16. Qxa8 fxg5 17. Bxb5 Nf2 18. Nd5 exd5 19. Qxd5+ Kh8 20. fxg5 Qb4 21. Qe5+ Kg8 22. Rc3 Ng4 23. Qd5+ Kg7 24. Rc4 Qd6 25. Qxd6 Bxd6 26. Ra4 Bc5 27. Rf1 Bf5 28. Rc4 Be3+ 29. Kb1 Bxg5 30. Rc7+ Kh8 31. Bd3 Nxh2 32. Rh1 Bxd3 33. cxd3 h5 34. Rxa7 Nf1 35. a4 Rf4 36. a5 Nd2+ 37. Kc2 Rf2 38. a6 Be3 39. Ra8+ Kg7 40. a7 Nc4+ 41. Kb3 Nb6 42. Rb8 1-0