Category Archives: Chess Engines

Make tracks to rail fun

The Columbus Area Railroad Clubs monthly open house rolls around Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. at the Johnson County Park headquarters building adjacent to Camp Atterbury near Edinburgh. For more information, visit the Columbus Area Railroad Club Facebook page.

Kids and teens

BARTHOLOMEW COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY, 536 Fifth St., Columbus. Scheduled: Teen Games at Mill Race Park, 3:30 p.m., Aug. 17; Teen Dungeons and Dragons, 3:30 p.m., Aug. 17; Tween Stitch Camp, 3:30 p.m., Aug. 18; Teen Pizza Party Society, 3 p.m., Aug. 19; Pokemon Club, 4 p.m., Aug. 21; Toddler Time, 9:15 and 10 a.m., Aug. 22, 29, Sept. 5; Storytime, 11 a.m., Aug. 22, 29; Teen STEAM: Irwin Gardens Tour + Chickens, 3:30 p.m., Aug. 22; Watch-It Wednesday, 3:30 p.m., Aug. 23, 30; Library Babies, 10 and 10:30 a.m., Aug. 24, 31, Sept. 7; Tween Game Time, 3:30 p.m., Aug. 24, 31, Sept. 7; Teen Pokemon Go Meetup, 3:30 p.m., Aug. 24; Exhibit Columbus Read In, 9:30 a.m., Aug. 26; Teen Thursgame, 3:30 p.m., Aug. 31; Kids Art Studio, 11 a.m., Sept. 2; Preschool Storytime, 11 a.m., Sept. 5; Guided Hike at Tangeman Woods, 1 p.m., Sept. 5; Whatever the Weather, 11 a.m., Sept. 6; Family Storytime, 1 p.m., Sept. 7; Sing and Play with Allie Jean, 4 p.m., Sept. 7; Fill the Bus, 3 p.m., Sept. 8; The Disassemblers, 1:30 p.m., Sept. 9.

TRAIL LIFE, 5:30 p.m., Aug. 24, Garden City Christian Church, 3245 Jonesville Road, Columbus. Come join the Trail with Trail Life troop IN-0110! Trail Life USA is a Christian outdoor adventure program for boys, rooted in character building and leadership development while attaining skills and emphasizing Biblical principles. The troop welcomes families with boys ages 5-18 to join.

Music and theater

LIVE COMEDY SHOW, 8 p.m., Sept. 1, YES Cinema, 328 Jackson St., Columbus. Yes Comedy Showcase starring Mike Armstrong. Opener is Blind Stein. One show only! Rated PG-13. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Advance tickets available at yescinema.org or at YES Cinemas Box Office, call 812-379-1630.

PRAIRIE CREEK, 6 to 7 p.m., Sept. 1, Bartholomew County Public Library, 536 Fifth St., Columbus. Join us on the Library Plaza for a concert by Prairie Creek. Prairie Creek will play classic rock and just a light sprinkling of outlaw country from the 60s through the 90s. Prairie Creek aims to play what we and our crowds like and get everyone to their feet. Bring your own chairs. This event can also be viewed live at facebook.com/mybcpl.

Sports, exercise, wellness

FALL ICE SKATING & HOCKEY CLASSES, through Oct. 7, Hamilton Community Center and Ice Arena, 2501 Lincoln Park Drive, Columbus. Classes include Snowplow Sam 1 & 2 (ages 4-6) for beginning skaters, Basic 1-6, Novice Club, Speed Skating, Adults Class, Beginning Hockey Basics, and Advanced Hockey Basics. Classes are on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Visit columbusparksandrec.com/programs-and-events/ice-programs/group-ice-skating-hockey/ for more information. Register at cbusinparks.com/ice-and-hockey by Aug. 14.

LEARN TO PLAY HOCKEY, 4:15 to 5:15 p.m., most Saturdays through Oct. 7, Hamilton Community Center & Ice Arena, 2501 Lincoln Park Drive, Columbus. A noncompetitive environment in which children ages 4 to 10 can learn the basic skills of hockey without distractions that are often associated with an overemphasis on winning. Free equipment is available to use. Cost is $5 per child. Arrive 30 minutes early to get fitted for equipment.

GIRLS DROP-IN HOCKEY, 5:45 to 6:45 p.m. Mondays through Oct. 9, Hamilton Community Center and Ice Arena, 2501 Lincoln Park Drive, Columbus. Are you a girl interested in hockey? Drop in to learn the fundamentals and basic skills of the sport in a girls-only environment. Visit cbusinparks.com/HockeyPrograms to register or for more information.

BLACKWELL PARK STORYWALK, Blackwell Park, 1550 Whitney Court, Columbus. Enjoy some fresh air while strolling the Bartholomew County Public Librarys StoryWalk. Together with the Columbus Parks and Recreation Department, the library is excited to feature Schools First Day of School by Adam Rex in August. The StoryWalk is located along the People Trail near the Pollinator Park in Blackwell Park.

SWIMMING FOR EXERCISE, Foundation for Youth, 405 Hope Ave., Columbus. Lap swimming, water aerobics and public swim are available. You must preregister for current swim sessions. Information: foundationforyouth.com.

Miscellaneous

BARTHOLOMEW COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY, 536 Fifth St., Columbus. Scheduled: Music with Valerie, 10:30 a.m., Aug. 18; Dementia Friendly Bartholomew County Kickoff Event, 10 a.m., Aug. 19; Hooks and Needles Workshop, 12:30 p.m., Aug. 19, 26; Chair Yoga, 1 p.m., Aug. 22, 29, Sept. 5; Reading with Friends, 9:30 a.m., Aug. 23; Author Talk, 8 p.m., Aug. 23, 2 p.m., Aug. 30, all day, Sept. 7; Exhibit Columbus Read In, 9:30 a.m., Aug. 26; Poetry Workshop, 6 p.m., Aug. 28; Adults Reading YA Book Club, 6 p.m., Aug. 26; All Bookd Book Club, 5:30 p.m., Aug. 29; Lessons Ive Learned on the Appalachian Trail, 6 p.m., Sept. 6; Fill the Bus, 3 p.m., Sept. 8.

COLUMBUS FARMERS MARKET, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Saturdays, through Sept. 16, behind City Hall, 123 Washington Street. Food, crafts, gifts, entertainment and more. More information: columbusfarmersmarket.org.

FIRST SATURDAYS AT UTOPIA, 1 p.m., Sept. 2, Oct. 7, Utopia Wildlife Rehabilitators, 18300 E. County Road 200N, Hope. Join Utopia for a presentation with animal ambassadors at 1 p.m., followed by a tour of outdoor enclosures. The event is weather dependent.

SUMMER ART SHOW, 5 to 7 p.m., through Aug. 25, Perceptions Yoga, Mindfulness & Art, 139 E. State Road 3, Vernon. Trinaty Scroggins artwork will be featured in August. Scroggin is a graduate of Jennings County High School and has been creating art for most of her life. A closing reception will take place on Aug. 25 from 5 to 7 p.m.

DINNER ON A STICK, 4:30 to 8:30 p.m., Aug. 25, Bartholomew County Humane Society, 4415 E. County Road 200S, Columbus. Pick up dinner, to fetch it home or sit and stay and enjoy some live music! Dinner will feature chicken or vegetarian tacos and choices of street corn flavors. Beverages will be available. Free will donations benefit the Bartholomew County Humane Society.

MOTORCYCLE SHOW, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Aug. 26, Keepsake Village of Columbus, 2564 Foxpointe Dr., Columbus. Motorcycle show fundraising event for Walk to End Alzheimer. There will be food, raffles and giveaway items. All proceeds from the event benefit the Alzheimers Association. No RSVP and no admission fee are required, but donations are welcomed.

ELKS LODGE BINGO, 6:30 p.m. Fridays and 12:30 p.m. Sundays, Elks 521 Lodge Bingo Hall, 4664 Ray Boll Blvd., Columbus. Doors open at 5 p.m. on Friday and 11 a.m. on Sunday. The first game is at 6:30 p.m. on Friday and 12:30 p.m. on Sunday. Open to the public. Information: 812-379-4386.

VFW POST 1987 BINGO, 215 N. National Road, Columbus, Mondays and Wednesdays from 5 to 9:30 p.m. (doors open at 5 p.m.), and the second Saturday of each month from 2 to 6 p.m. (doors open at noon). Open to the public.

AMERICAN LEGION BINGO & KARAOKE, American Legion Post 25, 2515 25th St., Columbus. Bingo is on Tuesdays starting at 6 p.m. Karaoke is on Wednesdays starting at 6 p.m.

COLUMBUS CHESS CLUB, 5 to 9 p.m., Thursdays, Lewellen Chapel, corner of Middle Road and Grissom Street, Columbus. Equipment is furnished. Open to chess players 16 and older. Information: 812-603-3893.

COLUMBUS AREA RAILROAD CLUB OPEN HOUSE, noon to 4 p.m., Aug. 19 and the third Saturday of each month. Trains will be operating layouts in four scales HO, N, O, and On30. The club is located at the Johnson County Park headquarters building adjacent to Camp Atterbury. Information: Greg Harter, 812-350-8636, or on Facebook at Columbus Area Railroad Club.

GRACES TABLE FREE MEAL, 5 p.m., Sept. 10 and the second Sunday of each month, East Columbus United Methodist Church, 2439 Indiana Ave., Columbus. Free meal in the youth center as well as music and storytelling. Enter the church parking lot on Indiana Avenue.

AMERICAN SEWING GUILD, 9 to 11 a.m., Oct. 7 and the first Saturday of each month. The American Sewing Guild is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to people who believe sewing is a rewarding and creative activity. Our neighborhood group welcomes sewing enthusiasts of all skill levels and walks of life. We meet monthly to learn new sewing skills, network with others who share an interest in sewing and participate in community sewing projects. If you are interested in attending, please email Marilyn at [emailprotected] for meeting location.

COLUMBUS STAR QUILT GUILD, 9:30 a.m. to noon, Sept. 7 and the first Thursday of each month, First Baptist Church Columbus, 3300 Fairlawn Drive, Columbus. Each gathering consists of a short business meeting, followed by a quilting lesson/program, along with show-and-tell of finished projects. Augusts featured speaker is Claudia Lash, owner of Presto Avenue Designs, providing new ways to create your own quilt designs. Members participate in various service projects. New and experienced quilters are invited to attend. Membership dues are $15 per year. For additional information, visit starquiltersofcolumbus.weebly.com.

EVENING STAR QUILT GUILD, 5:30 to 7 p.m., Sept. 12 and the second Tuesday of each month, Mill Race Center, 900 Lindsey St., Columbus. The Evening Star Quilt Guild is a group of women who enjoy creating traditional and modern art quilts while learning new methods. For more information, check out the website: starquiltersofcolumbus.weebly.com.

FRIENDS DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB, 1 to 4:30 p.m., every Thursday, St. Pauls Episcopal Church, 2561 N. California St., Columbus. Bridge club open to the public.

Galleries, museums, exhibits

BARTHOLOMEW COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, 524 Third St., Columbus. The museum is open Tuesday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. BCHS hosts two permanent exhibits that share the history and heritage of Bartholomew County. Learn about our county through interactive, hands-on exhibits that include a map table, notable people, county timeline, Then and Now, Did You Know, early industrialists and videos of Reeves steam engines. The historical society also hosts rotating exhibits throughout the year featuring items from their extensive collection. Admission is free, with a donation suggested. Information: 812-372-3541, bartholomewhistory.org.

GALLERY 506, Columbus Indiana Visitors Center, 506 Fifth St., Columbus. Open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

YELLOW TRAIL MUSEUM/VISITOR CENTER/RESEARCH CENTER, west side of Hope Town Square, 644 Main St., Hope. The museum is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 to 5 p.m. and Saturdays noon to 4 p.m., or by appointment. The Research Center is open Mondays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or by appointment. Contact the museum at 812-546-8020. Follow Facebook page Yellow Trail Museum/Hope Visitors Center for updated information.

ATTERBURY-BAKALAR AIR MUSEUM, located at Columbus Municipal Airport, 4742 Ray Boll Blvd., Columbus, is open Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are accepted to help with ongoing costs of operation. Special tours may be scheduled by calling 812-372-4356. The museum preserves the history of the former Atterbury Army Air Field, later named Bakalar Air Force Base. Visit the museum online at atterburybakalarairmuseum.org and on Facebook.

T.C. STEELE STATE HISTORIC SITE, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday, 4220 T.C. Steele Road, Nashville. Staff is offering special indoor tours each with a limited number of people. Tours are included with site admission, but preregistration is recommended by calling 812-988-2785. Information: indianamuseum.org/tcsteele.

TRI-STATE ARTISANS, 422 Washington St., Columbus. Handmade retail gallery of more than 60 local artisans. Unique gifts, fine art, art classes for youth and adults, youth art programs, art parties and home parties. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. Information: tsartisans.com.

JENNINGS COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND MUSEUM, 335 Brown St., Vernon. Museum hours are Wednesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. or by appointment. Information: 812-346-8989, jenningscounty.org.

BROWN COUNTY ART GUILD, 48 S. Van Buren St., Nashville. Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. Summer Stroll: Historic Collection Exhibit through Sept. 3, and Guild Artist Exhibition and Fine Art Sale through Nov. 3.

THE REPUBLIC BUILDING GALLERY, 333 Second St., Columbus. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

411 GALLERY, 411 Sixth St., Columbus. 411 is a community arts gallery and cultural space for exhibitions, events and collaborations with Columbus arts and cultural organizations. The galley is open Thursday and Friday from noon to 6 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Learn more about the current exhibition and artists at artsincolumbus.org/411.

HOOSIER ARTIST GALLERY, 45 S. Jefferson St., Nashville. Hoosier Artist Gallery is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Information: hoosierartist.com.

BROWN COUNTY ART GALLERY, 1 Artist Drive, Nashville. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Information: 812-988-4609, [emailprotected], browncountyartgallery.org.

CHARLENE MARSH STUDIO & GALLERY, 4013 Lanam Ridge Road, Nashville. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Mondays, noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. For more information, please call the studio/gallery at 812-988-4497 or visit charlenemarshstudio.com.

Ongoing

FABULOUS FIRST FRIDAYS WITH MISS POLLY, 12:15 p.m., the first Friday of each month. Viewpoint Books, 548 Washington St., Columbus. Information: 812-376-0778.

FOUNDATION FOR YOUTH BOYS & GIRLS CLUB, 405 Hope Ave., Columbus. The Boys & Girls Club is open to children ages 5-18. Information: 812-372-7867.

KIDSCOMMONS, 309 Washington St., Columbus. Ongoing activities are all free with museum admission. Information: 812-378-3046.

Here is the original post:

Go! Guide Aug. 17 - The Republic

Performance ratings struggle to deal with perfect scores. Some online calculators will simply add 400 points if you win all your games, but that is incorrect. The performance rating should be infinite. To see why, we have to understand how the Elo ratings work. In a game between a 1600 and a 2400, there is a normal distribution centered at 1600 and another centered at 2400. Of course, the 2400 is the heavily favored to win. However, there is still some overlap in the graph, which means that there is a small chance of an upset. Thus, even a 2400 would not be expected to get a perfect score against 1600s; someone who achieves that would have a performance rating above 2400. Only a player with an infinite rating would be expected to win all their games.

So perfect score = infinite performance rating. However, this leads to unrealistic results. That amateur tournament where I went 3.0/3 isnt better than Caruanas 2014 Sinquefield Cup. A perfect score against amateurs is less impressive than a plus score against super GMs, and I developed MinStrength to reflect that.

A performance rating asks, "Who would be expected to score as well as you did?" Caruanas performance rating was 3100 at the 2014 Sinquefield Cup. For any human, that is extraordinary, but for a 3100 player, it would just be an average tournament. They would not gain any rating points.

MinStrength asks, "Who would not be expected to score as well as you did?" Consider a 1500 player. Sometimes they have a bad tournament and play like a 1300. But there are other times when they perform at the 1700 level. But even in their best tournament ever, they dont perform at the 2700 level and earn a GM norm. That is outside of their range. How low would your rating have to be for a result to be outside of your range? That is your minimum strength, or MinStrength.

Lets go back to the 2014 Sinquefield Cup. A 2830 would have an expected score of 5.4/10. With some math (methodology: http://e4stat.blogspot.com/2023/03/minstrength-methodology.html), we can calculate the range. 95% of the time, a 2830 should score between 2.3/10 and 8.5/10. Caruana was at the upper end of that range, so his MinStrength was 2830.

MinStrength has several desirable features. Perfect scores result in an infinite performance rating, but not an infinite MinStrength. According to MinStrength, scoring 3.0/3 against amateurs is much less impressive than Caruanas 2014 Sinquefield Cup. MinStrength also rewards consistency. For example, consider the Candidates match between Fischer and Larsen (2660). Suppose that after winning Game 1, Fischer got into a dispute with the organizers and quit. His performance rating would still be infinite whether he scored 1.0/1 or 6.0/6. But 1.0/1 against a 2660 would be a footnote in chess history; 6.0/6 is legendary. Fischers MinStrength was 2426 after winning Game 1. It rose to 2737 after Game 6. If we combine it with his 6.0/6 against Taimanov (2620), Fischers MinStrength is 2838.

If you want to find your MinStrength, check out the calculator on my website. Here are the results for some selected tournaments. Rating inflation may affect the results. However, Ken Regan argues that there has been no rating inflation. Using chess engines, he and his co-author show that 2500s in the 1970s played about as accurately as 2500s in the early 2000s. Their results were similar for other ratings. If there is no rating inflation, then historical MinStrengths can be compared with modern ones.

1. Caruana, 2014 Sinquefield Cup. The highest MinStrength of all time: 2830. Caruana scored 8.5/10 and his average opponent was rated 2802.

2. Carlsen, 2009 Nanjing. He scored 8.0/10 and his average opponent was 2762. MinStrength = 2755.

3. Fischer-Larsen, 1971 Candidates Match. Fischer won 6-0 against a 2660. His MinStrength was 2737.

4. Karpov, 1994 Linares. His 11.0/13 is very impressive, but his average opponent was rated 2682, which is lower than in modern super tournaments. His MinStrength was 2736.

5. Topalov, 2005 San Luis. He had a terrific start, scoring 6.5/7 in the first half. Then he made 7 draws to clinch the World Championship. Overall, his 10.0/14 against 2731-rated opposition leads to a MinStrength of 2699.

6. Fischer-Taimanov, 1971 Candidates Match. Fischer won 6-0 against a 2620. His MinStrength was 2697.

7. Kasparov, 1997 Linares. He scored 8.5/11 and his average opponent was 2693, so his MinStrength was 2668.

...

The Author, That Amateur Tournament Where He Went 3.0/3. Though my performance rating was infinite, this result is not in the same league as the others. My average opponent was 1796 FIDE, and my MinStrength was 1753.

References

Regan, Kenneth Wingate, and Guy McCrossan Haworth. "Intrinsic Chess Ratings." In Twenty-fifth AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence. 2011.

Methodology [Published on my blog]

In a game between Players A and B, there is a normal distribution centered at As rating and another centered at Bs rating. The standard deviation is 200. In the Elo system, the expected score for Player A is the probability that a random number from As distribution is higher than a random number from Bs. This seems to ignore the possibility of draws there is a 0% chance that both random numbers are equal but that will be addressed later. The expected score can be approximated with the logistic function:

Next, I model a tournament as n games against your average opponent. This is an approximation (the expected score isnt a linear function, so a game against an 1800 followed by a game against a 2000 is slightly different from playing two games against a 1900). With this assumption, your score follows a binomial distribution. The mean is np and the variance is np(1-p), where p is your expected score against the average opponent. The issue with this binomial distribution is that there is no accounting for draws. However, the binomial distribution converges to a normal distribution, so I use that as an approximation. The normal distribution is continuous, so scores such as 8.5 are possible. This means that we arent ignoring draws.

If you pull a random number from a normal distribution, there is a 95% chance that it will be within 1.96 standard deviations from the mean (np). The standard deviation is the square root of the variance, so that will be (np(1-p))1/2. Thus, the upper end of the 95% range is np + 1.96(np(1-p))1/2. Therefore, your MinStrength is the rating such that score = np + 1.96(np(1-p))1/2

Read more from the original source:

MinStrength: An Alternative to Performance Rating - ChessBase

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Chess engine developed by Chess.com

Mittens is a chess engine developed by Chess.com. It was released on 1 January 2023 alongside four other engines. The engine became popular in the chess community due to exposure through content made by chess streamers and a social media marketing campaign.

Mittens was released on 1 January 2023 as part of a new year's event on Chess.com. It was one of five engines released, all based on cats.[1][2][3] The other engines released were Scaredy Cat, rated 800; Angry Cat, rated 1000; Mr. Grumpers rated 1200 and Catspurrov, a pun on Garry Kasparov,[4] rated 1400.[5]

Mittens was conceptualized by Will Whalen, a college student at Hamilton College.[6][2][7][8] Appearing as a cat, the engine trash talks the other player with a selection of voice lines: these lines include quotes from Robert Oppenheimer, Vincent van Gogh, Thanos[7] and Friedrich Nietzsche.[8][6][9][10] The engine's "personality" was devised by a team headed by writer Sean Becker.[6][2][4]

In terms of software, Chess.com has not disclosed any information about the software running the engine. It may be based on Komodo Dragon 3.[9][10][11] Mittens' strategy is to slowly grind down an opponent, a tactic likened to the playing style of Anatoly Karpov. Becker stated that the design team believed it would be way more demoralizing and funny for the engine to play this way.[6] According to Hikaru Nakamura, Mittens sometimes misses the best move (or winning positions) in some situations.[9][12]

On Chess.com, Mittens has an ELO rating of one.[1][3] However, the engine's playing style and tactics evidence that it is much stronger than that; Mittens is able to beat or draw against many top human players. Estimates of Mittens' true rating range from an ELO of 3200 to 3500, because it can beat bots of around that level.[9] An upper bound of the engine's rating was found after Levy Rozman (GothamChess) made Mittens play against Stockfish 15, a 3700 rated engine.[9] Mittens lost the two games that the engines played.[1]

Against human players, Mittens has won 99% of the multiple millions of games it has played.[10][11] Skilled chess players such as Hikaru Nakamura, Benjamin Bok, Levy Rozman and Eric Rosen have struggled against Mittens. While Rozman and Rosen both lost against the engine, Nakamura and Bok were both able to make a draw.[1][10][11][12] In particular, Nakamura's game against the engine lasted 161 moves; he was playing as white.[3][13] Rozman later went on to win against Mittens with engine assistance.[14] Magnus Carlsen has publicly refused to play the engine, calling it a "transparent marketing trick"[12] and "a soulless computer".[13]

Against other engines, Mittens participated in Chess.com's Computer Chess Championships as a side act. Mittens played against an engine inspired by the film M3GAN and won overall. The engines played 150 games to decide the winner.[4]

Mittens became popular with the chess community due to its concept and design, helped by the social media exposure created by Chess.com. Chess streamers like Rozman and Nakamura helped cultivate this through creating content around the engine.[15] A video by Nakamura entitled Mittens the chess bot will make you quit chess gained over three and a half million views on YouTube.[3][8]

On 11 January, Chess.com reported issues with database scaling due to record levels of traffic: 40% more games had been played on Chess.com in January 2023 than any other month since the website's release.[6][8] According to the Wall Street Journal, the popularity spike was more than the similar surge following the release of The Queen's Gambit.[6] The popularity of Mittens was cited by Chess.com as a reason for this instability.[16][6][13][2][3] The problems continued throughout January;[17] Chess.com stated that they would have to upgrade their servers and invest more in cloud computing to solve the problems caused by the website's popularity surge.[18]

More:

Mittens (chess engine) - Wikipedia

In 2017 the chess world was shaken to its core when Stockfish (the world's strongest chess engine) was defeated in a one-sided match. It was not defeated by a human but by an unknown computer program that seemed to be otherworldlyAlphaZero.

Let's learn more about this powerful chess entity. Here is what you need to know about AlphaZero:

AlphaZero was developed by the artificial intelligence and research company DeepMind, which was acquired by Google. It is a computer program that reached a virtually unthinkable level of play using only reinforcement learning and self-play in order to train its neural networks. In other words, it was only given the rules of the game and then played against itself many millions of times (44 million games in the first nine hours, according to DeepMind).

AlphaZero uses its neural networks to make extremely advanced evaluations of positions, which negates the need to look at over 70 million positions per second (like Stockfish does). According to DeepMind, AlphaZero reached the benchmarks necessary to defeat Stockfish in a mere four hours.

AlphaZero runs on custom hardware that some have referred to as a "Google Supercomputer"although DeepMind has since clarified that AlphaZero ran on four tensor processing units (TPUs) in its matches.

In December 2017, DeepMind published a research paper that announced that AlphaZero had easily defeated Stockfish in a 100-game match. AlphaZero would go on to defeat Stockfish in a second match consisting of 1,000 games; the results were published in a paper in late 2018.

Unfortunately, AlphaZero is not available to the public in any form. The match results versus Stockfish and AlphaZero's incredible games have led to multiple open-source neural network chess projects being created. Leela Chess Zero, Leelenstein, Alliestein, and others try to emulate AlphaZero's learning and playing style. Even Stockfish, the conventional brute-force king, has added neural networks.

In 2020 DeepMind and AlphaZero continued to contribute to the chess world in the form of different chess variants. When DeepMind and the AlphaZero team speak, the chess world listens!

From the moment it stepped onto the scene, AlphaZero has changed chess by spawning a new generation of neural network chess engines, by contributing to chess variants, and through its transcendent games.

As mentioned, AlphaZero defeated the world's strongest chess engine, Stockfish, in a one-sided 100-game match in December 2017 (scoring 28 wins, 72 draws, and zero losses). The public was given 10 example games from this match, and the chess world's reaction was borderline disbelief.GM Peter Heine Nielsen likened watching AlphaZero's games to seeing a superior species landing on earth and showing us how to play chess:

Other grandmasters shared Nielsen's sentiment, including the legendary GM Garry Kasparov, who told Chess.com, "It's a remarkable achievement.... It approaches the 'Type B,' human-like approach to machine chess dreamt of by Claude Shannon and Alan Turing instead of brute force."

Others questioned the results because of the disparity of hardware used in the first match. Some also found it unfair that Stockfish was not allowed to use its opening book and its endgame tablebase.

GM Hikaru Nakamura stated: "I don't necessarily put a lot of credibility in the results simply because my understanding is that AlphaZero is basically using the Google supercomputer, and Stockfish doesn't run on that hardware; Stockfish was basically running on what would be my laptop."

Roughly one year after the first match, DeepMind published a new paper that announced an updated version of AlphaZero had defeated Stockfish in a 1,000-game match. This time, the current version of Stockfish (version 9 at the time) was used, Stockfish was able to use a strong opening book in many of the games, the time controls were adjusted (with Stockfish having large time advantages), and Stockfish was run on the same type of hardware used in the Top Chess Engine Championships (TCEC).

The results didn't change muchAlphaZero defeated Stockfish again with a score of 155 wins, 839 draws, and 6 losses.

In 2019 and 2020 GM Vladimir Kramnik was able to spend some time with AlphaZero and the DeepMind team to explore chess variants andco-wrote a paper with DeepMind about the exploration of new chess variants, including sideways pawns, no castling, torpedo chess (where pawns can always move forward one or more squares).

In September 2020 Chess.com hosted a roundtable discussion with Kramnik and members of the DeepMind team where they discussed variants and other topics. You can watch the full video here:

Many of these chess variants (and more) have been added to Chess.com. This article outlines the new chess variants and how to play them. If you want to check out any of these variants for yourself, simply head over to Chess.com/variants or hover your mouse over the "Play" button in the menu bar and select "Variants":

After you select "Variants," you are directed to the Chess Variants Page. All you have to do is select a variant and press "Play."

In this first game example, we see some of the magic that AlphaZero shocked the world with in the first match. AlphaZero gambits a pawn in the opening and immediately goes on the attack. After 19...Kxh6 Stockfish is up a piece, but the king is not safe, and the entire queenside is undeveloped:

AlphaZero keeps up the pressure, but its compensation for the piece is mostly unclear to us mortals. Only in hindsight can we tell that a couple of Black's pieces (most notably the a8-rook and queen's knight) will never really be part of the game. After 36.Qe6, the position has crystallized, and AlphaZero wins convincingly:

This second game example is from the second AlphaZero-Stockfish match. AlphaZero puts on a positional clinic and tortures Stockfish with the bishop pair in the endgame after 45. Bxe4. Here is the full game:

In the following video, GM Robert Hess covers this fantastic game in great detail:

You now know what AlphaZero is, what it has accomplished, and more. If you are interested in seeing what you can learn from AlphaZero's play, check out this great series of video lessons by Chess.com's IM Danny Rensch.

Read more:

AlphaZero - Chess Engines - Chess.com

The third round of the 2022 U.S. Championship featured three decisive games. All were won by White, and White was the higher-rated player in all three of these games.

Image Caption

courtesy SLCC / Austin Fuller

GM Christopher Yoo defeated GM Elshan Moradiabadi in an interesting Open Catalan where Yoo employed a novelty on move 14. After some inaccuracies, Moradiabadi had his chances, but lost his way in a complex tactical position.

Despite being the youngest player in the field, Yoo continues to earn respect with his second consecutive win.

The game between GM Awonder Liang and GM Aleksandr Lenderman was an interesting Slav Defense, although Liang admitted in the post-game interview that he was not very familiar with the line!

Despite being in new territory, Liang handled the middlegame tactics well and earned his first victory.

GM Fabiano Caruana and GM Dariusz Swiercz contested a Berlin Ruy Lopez with the quiet 4.d3.

Image Caption

courtesy SLCC / Austin Fuller

The game went back-and-forth and Swiercz had a good position, but he ran low on time and went astray to give former Champion Caruana his first victory. On the broadcast Caruana was critical of his own play and noted that he should have exerted himself more in one of the critical positions.

The other four games were drawn, but they all had their share of excitement. GM Sam Sevian and GM Levon Aronian played a topical Queens Gambit Declined with Bf4. Sevian had an advantageous endgame with an extra pawn and appeared headed for his second win, but as usual Aronian defended very well and was able to split the point. On the Saint Louis Chess Club broadcast GM Cristian Chirila noted that the chess engines liked Whites position, but it was not so easy to convert, and this turned out to be true.

GM Wesley So defended a Queens Gambit Accepted against GM Jeffery Xiong. Playing White, Xiong won a pawn in the middlegame at the cost of allowing opposite-colored bishops, and the game quickly resolved into a draw. GM Sam Shankland employed a new idea in the Nimzo-Indian against GM Hans Niemann, but after the White novelty, Niemann was able to neutralize the threats and hold the draw in an interesting endgame. The game between GM Lenier Dominguez Perez and GM Ray Robson was a Berlin Ruy Lopez featuring the main line with 4.0-0 Nxe4. The always well-prepared Dominguez Perez had a new idea in the opening, but Robson defended well and the opposite-colored bishop endgame resolved into a draw.

The third round of the Womens Championship also featured three decisive games, and just like the Open Championship, all were won by White, and all three winners were higher rated than their opponents.

FM Ruiyang Yan defeated WFM Sophie Morris-Suzuki in a Sicilian Najdorf, English Attack. Yan obtained a positional advantage of a good knight versus a bad bishop and brought home the full point.

WGM Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova versus FM Rochelle Wu was a Sicilian Defense, Grand Prix Attack.

Image Caption

courtesy SLCC / Austin Fuller

Both sides went astray in the complex middle game tactics, but Tokhirjonova displayed good technique to win an opposite-colored bishop endgame with an extra pawn.

Image Caption

courtesy SLCC / Austin Fuller

In our featured game, WGM Tatev Abrahamyan played the White side of a Giuoco Pianissimo. Abrahamyan won a central pawn and then crashed through with a decisive kingside attack.

The other four games were drawn. WGM Sabina-Francesca Foisor tried an Exchange variation of the Queens Gambit against IM Anna Zatonskih. Foisor developed some pressure with a minority attack on the queenside, but Zatonskih defended well to split the point. WIM Megan Lee and GM Irina Krush played a Sicilian Defense where Krush sacrificed an exchange and obtained a superior endgame, but Lee defended well in a pawn endgame to hold the draw.

In the matchup between FM Ashritha Eswaran and IM Nazi Paikidze, Eswaran had the bishop pair but was unable to generate anything versus Paikidzes well-centralized pieces and a draw was agreed. The game between FM Thalia Cervantes Landeiro and FM Alice Lee featured the Slow Slav variation of the Slav Defense. An opposite-colored bishop middlegame ended in a draw by repetition.

Image Caption

courtesy SLCC / Spectrum Studios

After three rounds in the Open there is a four-way tie for the lead among GMs Caruana, Niemann, Sevian, and Yoo all at 2/3. Five players are half a point back with one and a half points, and four players are at 1/3. With only one point separating the entire field, everyone is still in it and anything can happen.

On the broadcast GM Yasser Seirawan noted that the wide age distribution of players in the field has led to some very interesting games so far hopefully this trend will continue. Round 4 has some exciting pairings including So playing White versus Shankland, and Niemann playing White versus Caruana in a big test for the teenager.

Aronian RobsonSwiercz Dominguez PerezNiemann CaruanaSo ShanklandMoradiabadi XiongLenderman YooSevian Liang

Image Caption

courtesy SLCC / Spectrum Studios

There is a two-way tie for the lead in the Womens Championship with the Lees FM Alice and WIM Megan at 2/3. Three players are a half-point back, and the next group of four players (including GM Krush) have an even score. Co-leader pairings are A. Lee versus Yan, and Zatonskih versus M. Lee, so we shall see if we have a single leader after four rounds of play.

Yu Morris-SuzukiA. Lee YanWu Cervantes LandeiroPaikidze TokhirjonovaKrush EswaranZatonskih M. LeeAbrahamyan Foisor

YouTubeTwitch

Main pageFieldPairings and results

Main pageFieldPairings and results

LichessOpen|Women

Chess.comOpen|Women

Chess24Open|Women

Annotated games from Chess Life Online

See original here:

2022 U.S. Chess Championships, Round 3: Earning Respect! | US Chess.org - uschess.org

Kids and teens

BARTHOLOMEW COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY, 536 Fifth St., Columbus. Scheduled: Library Babies, 10 a.m. and 11 a.m., Oct. 13, 20, 27; Storytime, 1 p.m., Oct. 13; Teen Thursgame, 1 p.m., Oct. 13; Game Time, 3 p.m., Oct. 13, 20, 27; American Sign Language chat/practice, 5:30 p.m., Oct. 13, 20, 27; Messy Art!, 11 a.m., Oct. 14; Teen Cozy Read-In, 1 p.m., Oct. 14; Origami Workshop, 4 p.m., Oct. 14, 28; Homeschool Hangout, 11 a.m., Oct. 17; Guided Tour of City Cemetery at Donner Park, 5:30 p.m., Oct. 17; Storytime, 6 p.m., Oct. 17; Toddler Time, 10 a.m., Oct. 18, 25; Storytime, 11 a.m., Oct. 18, 25; Patio Playdate, 11 a.m., Oct. 18, 25; Storytime with Megan, 4 p.m., Oct. 18; Teen STEAM: Geocaching, 4 p.m., Oct. 18; Storytime with Megan, 5 p.m., Oct. 18; Movie Night: The Nightmare Before Christmas, 6 p.m., Oct. 18; Whatever the Weather Storytime & Playdate, 10 a.m., Oct. 19, 26; Quiet Storytime, 11 a.m., Oct. 19; Kids Yoga Ages 5-8, 3:30 p.m., Oct. 19; Teen Watch-It Wednesday, 3:30 p.m., Oct. 19; Storytime with Megan, 5 p.m., Oct. 19; Teen Anime Club, 3:30 p.m., Oct. 20; French Storytime, 4 p.m., Oct. 20; Teen Template, 3:30 p.m., Oct. 21; Teen Pizza Party Society, 3 p.m., Oct. 22; Teen Spooky Book Club at Viewpoint, 4:30 p.m., Oct. 24; Family STEAM Night-Pumpkin Science!, 6 p.m., Oct. 24; Kids Yoga Ages 2-4, 10 a.m., Oct. 25; Teen STEAM: Flying Tea Bags and Tea Lead Readings, 4 p.m., Oct. 25; Fall-oween Festival, 5:30 p.m., Oct. 26; Teen Fall-O-Ween Fete, 5:30 p.m., Oct. 26; Storytime and Playdate with the Historical Society, 1 p.m., Oct. 27; Teen One-Shot RPG: Monster of the Week, 3:30 p.m., Oct. 27; Teen NaNoWriMo Information Session and Workshop, 4 p.m., Oct. 28; Teen DIY: Zombie Dolls.

Music and theater

PRAIRIE CREEK, 6 to 7 p.m., Oct. 14, Bartholomew County Public Library, 536 Fifth St., Columbus. Join us on the Library Plaza for a concert by Prairie Creek. Bring your own chairs. This event can also be viewed live at facebook.com/mybcpl.

ELVIS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING, 5:30 p.m., Oct. 14, 15, 21, 22; 12:30 p.m., Oct. 16, 23, Willow Leaves of Hope, 326 Jackson St., Hope. When the Colonel needs Elvis to perform a private show to get his Vegas debts forgiven, Elvis is nowhere to be found. What happens next is an accidentally hysterical plan to ensure the show will go on even though Elvis has left the building. Tickets are $35 and include meal with drink and dessert plus show. Friday and Saturday shows: doors open at 5:30 p.m., meal at 6 p.m., and show at 7 p.m. Sunday shows: doors open at 12:30 p.m., meal at 1 p.m., and show at 2 p.m.

FALL CONCERT, 2 to 4 p.m., Oct. 16, The Commons, 300 Washington St., Columbus. Fall concert by the Columbus City Band. Free admission.

ORGAN CONCERT, 7 p.m., Oct. 21, St. Paul Lutheran Church, 6045 E. State St., Columbus. Organ concert by organist Daniel Mau, playing the Dobson Pipe Organ. Free and open to the public.

[emailprotected]: Robert Cart, 7 to 9 p.m., Oct. 21, First United Methodist Church, 618 Eighth St., Columbus. Robert Cart (flute) and Starla Raley (piano) will perform a free concert including works by Lili Boulanger, Luis Barroso, Valerie Coleman, Eugene Ysaye, and Aaron Copland. Donations are encouraged. For more information, contact the church office at 812-372-2851.

THE ANDREWS STRINGS STUDIO FALL RECITAL, 6 to 7 p.m., Oct. 27, Bartholomew County Sheriffs Department, 536 Fifth St., Columbus. Join us for the fall recital with the students of Laura Andrews, with The Andrews Strings Studio. Presenting solos and group music. Youth of all ages.

YESFEST, 5 to 8 p.m., Oct. 28, 29, 30, YES Cinema, 328 Jackson St., Columbus. Shorts, documentaries, feature films and more at the venue supporting nonprofit Lincoln-Central Neighborhood Family Center. Information and tickets: yescinema.org and yesfilmfestival.com

Talks, lectures,

classes

JULIANE WOLF, 6:30 to 8 p.m., Oct. 20, The Republic Building, 333 Second St., Columbus. Free lecture open to the public by guest architect Juliane Wolf of Studio Gang in the auditorium. Visit studiogang.com/people/juliane-wolf for more information about Juliane Wolf.

SENIOR PROJECT-KNOWLEDGE IS POWER AGAINST DRUGS AND ALCOHOL, 7 to 8:30 p.m., Oct. 25, YES Cinema, 328 Jackson St., Columbus. Dr. Lou Profeta (www.louisprofeta.com) is a nationally recognized speaker on the topic of drug and alcohol abuse. He will speak at YES Cinema to help educate our community on these dangers. He recommends juniors, seniors or older to attend. Tickets are available now. Email [emailprotected] if you would like to attend.

Sports, exercise,

wellness

PRINCESS TEA, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Oct. 13, Hamilton Community Center and Ice Arena, 2501 Lincoln Park Dr., Columbus. Princesses age 4-12, dress as your favorite Disney princess, have tea and cookies and skate with Hamilton Centers princess. $20, limited to 15 princesses. To register, call (812) 376-2686 or visit columbusparksandrec.com.

SLED HOCKEY DROP IN, 5 to 6 p.m., Tuesdays through Oct. 25, Hamilton Community Center and Ice Arena, 2501 Lincoln Park Dr., Columbus. Sled hockey is an adaptation of ice hockey which uses an open frame sled for players to sit on and move around the ice. Players use two smaller sticks instead of one long stick. Sled hockey is a sport for youth and adults with physical disabilities. Join us for this weekly drop-in, learning the basics of sled hockey. No experience is necessary and all equipment, including helmets and gloves will be provided. Cost is $10.

POLIDOR 5K RUN/WALK, 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., Oct. 29, St. Bartholomew Church, 1306 27th St., Columbus. Annual 5K Run/Walk held to raise money for the ALFA program in Northern Haiti. This is a partnership project between the Friends of Haiti from St. Bartholomew Parish and our friends in Limonade, Haiti. This effort helps equip market women and peasant farmers in Haiti with the tools to improve their lives and give them the dignity that every human being deserves. A meal of rice and beans will be served after the race. Sign up at runsignup.com/Race/IN/Columbus/ThePolidor5KRunWalk.

BLACKWELL PARK STORYWALK, Blackwell Park, 1550 Whitney Court, Columbus. Enjoy some fresh air while strolling the Bartholomew County Public Librarys StoryWalk. Together with the Columbus Parks and Recreation Department, the library is excited to feature Amaras Farm by JaNay Brown-Wood in October. The StoryWalk is located along the People Trail near the Pollinator Park in Blackwell Park.

SWIMMING FOR EXERCISE, Foundation for Youth, 405 Hope Ave., Columbus. Lap swimming, water aerobics and public swim are available. You must preregister for current swim sessions. Information: foundationforyouth.com.

Miscellaneous

BARTHOLOMEW COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY, 536 Fifth St., Columbus. Scheduled: American Sign Language Chat/Practice, 5:30 p.m., Oct. 13, 20, 27; Bartholomew County Writers Group, 6 p.m., Oct. 13; Dr. Chris Walker Discusses Civil War Markers, 10 a.m., Oct. 15; Cbus Chess Crew, 2 p.m., Oct. 15; Guided Tour of City Cemetery at Donner Park, 5:30 p.m., Oct. 17; Columbus Viewfinders, 6 p.m., Oct. 17; Movie Night: The Nightmare Before Christmas, 6 p.m., Oct. 18; Adults Reading YA Book Club, 6 p.m., Oct. 24; All Bookd Book Club, 5:30 p.m., Oct. 25.

IMPRINT FALL FESTIVAL 2022, 1 to 4 p.m., Oct. 15, Mill Race Park, 50 Carl Miske Drive, Columbus. Free family event. Bringing families with children of all abilities together for a refreshing fall day at the park. Bounce houses, petting zoo, hayride, cotton candy, games, face painting, and El Taco Azteca food truck.

HALLOWEEN FALL FEST, 4 to 7 p.m., Oct. 22, Donner Park, 739 22nd St., Columbus. Join Columbus Parks and Recreation at Donner Park for a family fun and take a trip down the Donner Trick-Or-Treat Trail. Think your costume is the best? Stick around for our annual costume contest for a chance to win fabulous prizes! Register at the Parks and Rec Booth! Also, dress up your furry friend and join us for the costume contest! There will be prizes for the top 3 furry friends who look the best strutting their stuff during the pet parade.

ELKS LODGE BINGO, 6:30 p.m. Fridays and 12:30 p.m. Sundays, Elks 521 Lodge Bingo Hall, 4664 Ray Boll Blvd., Columbus. Doors open at 5 p.m. on Friday and 11 a.m. on Sunday. The first game is at 6:30 p.m. on Friday and 12:30 p.m. on Sunday. Open to the public. Information: 812-379-4386.

VFW POST 1987 BINGO, 215 N. National Road, Columbus. Mondays and Wednesdays from 5 to 9:30 p.m. (doors open at 5 p.m.), and Oct. 8 and the second Saturday of each month from 2 to 6 p.m. (doors open at noon). Open to the public.

AMERICAN LEGION BINGO & KARAOKE, American Legion Post 25, 2515 25th St., Columbus. Bingo is on Tuesdays starting at 6 p.m. Karaoke is on Wednesdays starting at 6 p.m.

COLUMBUS CHESS CLUB, 5 to 9 p.m., Thursdays, Lewellen Chapel, corner of Middle Road and Grissom Street, Columbus. Equipment is furnished. Open to chess players 16 and older. Information: 812-603-3893.

COLUMBUS AREA RAILROAD CLUB OPEN HOUSE, noon to 4 p.m., Oct. 15 and the third Saturday of each month. Trains will be operating layouts in four scales HO, N, O, and On30. The club is located at the Johnson County Park headquarters building adjacent to Camp Atterbury. Information: Greg Harter, 812-350-8636, columbusarearailroadclub.com, or on Facebook at Columbus Area Railroad Club.

AMERICAN SEWING GUILD NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING, 9 to 11:30 a.m., Nov. 5 and the first Saturday of each month, Bartholomew County REMC, 1697 W. Deaver Road, Columbus. Each monthly meeting focuses on learning a new sewing/creative skill or group sewing on a philanthropic project. Sewing enthusiasts of all ages and skills are welcome. Contact Marilyn at [emailprotected] with questions.

GRACES TABLE DRIVE-IN FREE MEAL, 5 p.m., Nov. 13 and the second Sunday of each month, East Columbus United Methodist Church, 2439 Indiana Ave., Columbus. Drive-in free meal as well as music and storytelling. Enter the church parking lot on Indiana Avenue. Tables are available for walk-ups.

Galleries, museums,

exhibits

BARTHOLOMEW COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, 524 Third St., Columbus. The museum is open Tuesday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. BCHS hosts two permanent exhibits that share the history and heritage of Bartholomew County. Learn about our county through interactive, hands-on exhibits that include a map table, notable people, county timeline, Then and Now, Did You Know, early industrialists and videos of Reeves steam engines. The historical society also hosts rotating exhibits throughout the year featuring items from their extensive collection. Information: 812-372-3541, bartholomewhistory.org.

GALLERY 506, Columbus Indiana Visitors Center, 506 Fifth St., Columbus. Open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

YELLOW TRAIL MUSEUM/VISITOR CENTER, west side of Hope Town Square, 644 Main St., Hope. The museum is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. or by appointment. The Research Center is open Mondays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to noon or by appointment. Contact the museum at 812-546-8020. Follow the Facebook page Yellow Trail Museum/Hope Visitors Center for updated information.

ATTERBURY-BAKALAR AIR MUSEUM, located at Columbus Municipal Airport, 4742 Ray Boll Blvd., Columbus, is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Special tours may be scheduled by calling 812-372-4356. The museum preserves the history of the former Atterbury Army Air Field, later named Bakalar Air Force Base. Free admission. Visit the museum online at atterburybakalarairmuseum.org and on Facebook.

T.C. STEELE STATE HISTORIC SITE, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday, 4220 T.C. Steele Road, Nashville. Staff is offering special indoor tours each with a limited number of people. Tours are included with site admission, but preregistration is recommended by calling 812-988-2785. Information: indianamuseum.org/tcsteele.

TRI-STATE ARTISANS, 422 Washington St., Columbus. Handmade retail gallery of more than 60 local artisans. Unique gifts, fine art, art classes for youth and adults, youth art programs, art parties and home parties. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. Information: tsartisans.com.

JENNINGS COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND MUSEUM, 335 Brown St., Vernon. Museum hours are Wednesday through Friday from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. or by appointment. Information: 812-346-8989, jenningscounty.org.

BROWN COUNTY ART GUILD, 48 S. Van Buren St., Nashville. Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays.

THE REPUBLIC BUILDING GALLERY, 333 Second St., Columbus. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

411 GALLERY, 411 Sixth St., Columbus, noon-4 p.m. Fridays or by appointment. 411 is a community arts gallery and cultural space for exhibitions, events and collaborations with Columbus arts and cultural organizations. Learn more about the current exhibition and artists at artsincolumbus.org/411.

HOOSIER ARTIST GALLERY, 45 S. Jefferson St., Nashville. Hoosier Artist Gallery is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Information: hoosierartist.com.

BROWN COUNTY ART GALLERY, 1 Artist Drive, Nashville. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. COVID-19 protocols are in place, with masks required. Information: 812-988-4609, [emailprotected], browncountyartgallery.org.

CHARLENE MARSH STUDIO & GALLERY, 4013 Lanam Ridge Road, Nashville. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Mondays, noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. For more information, please call the studio/gallery at 812-988-4497 or visit charlenemarshstudio.com.

Ongoing

FABULOUS FIRST FRIDAYS WITH MISS POLLY, 12:15 p.m. the first Friday of each month. Viewpoint Books, 548 Washington St., Columbus. Information: 812-376-0778.

FOUNDATION FOR YOUTH BOYS & GIRLS CLUB, 405 Hope Ave., Columbus. The Boys & Girls Club is open to children ages 5-18. Information: 812-372-7867.

KIDSCOMMONS, 309 Washington St., Columbus. Ongoing activities are all free with museum admission. Information: 812-378-3046.

See original here:

Go! Guide Oct. 13 - The Republic

Whats Going On is a listing of activities taking place throughout the Downriver community. To submit an event, send an email to downriverlife@thenewsherald.com. List the time, date, location, cost and contact information. Submit announcements at least two weeks prior to the event. For a complete listing, visit http://www.thenewsherald.com/things-to-do/

October 17-22: Adult Craft Kits at the Bacon Memorial District Library, 45 Vinewood, Wyandotte will be available in the Main Library on an endcap. For more information, 734-246-8357.

Lego Club: Taylor Community Library, Taylor. Oct. 17 and 24, from 6-7 p.m. Do you love Legos? Join our Lego Club. Every Monday we will challenge you to make something relating to that weeks theme. We will display your creation for one week and will tear them apart at the next event. This event is open to kids, tweens, teens, and parents. No registration is required, just stop in and build. For more information, call 734-287-4840

Baby Buddies Storytime (Ages 0-1): Taylor Community Library, Taylor. Oct. 18 and 25, from 3-3:30 p.m. Weekly story time is aimed toward parents with infants (ages 0-1), older siblings are welcome. We will have lap time and read several books together. At the end, there will be time for creative play and parent conversation. For more information, call 734-287-4840.

A Night with Detroit Paranormal Expeditions: Taylor Community Library, Taylor. Oct. 19, from 6-7 p.m. Join us as DPX (Detroit Paranormal Expeditions) share their experiences, evidence, and tips for doing your own paranormal investigations. The group investigates reported hauntings at places ranging from small historic buildings to larger, more well-known locations. For more information, call 734-287-4840.

Assistive Device Drop-In: Taylor Community Library, Taylor. Oct. 20, from noon-2 p.m. Assistive technology makes it possible for individuals with a wide range of disabilities to perform functions that might otherwise be difficult or impossible. Drop in on ADDI for information or personalized help with popular technology in accessibility. For more information, call 734-287-4840.

True Crime Book Club: At the Bacon Memorial District Library, 45 Vinewood, Wyandotte, Saturday, Oct. 22 at 10:30 a.m. This Month we are reading Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Keefe. For more information, 734-246-8357.

Trunk or Treat: Saturday, Oct. 22, from 5-7:30 p.m., at Metro Jui-Jitsu, 13555 Eureka, Southgate. Candy, prizes. Pre-register at trunkortreating.com

Missing Mummy Mystery: At the Bacon Memorial District Library, 45 Vinewood, Wyandotte, Oct. 24-29. Dr. Hal O. Ween, a renowned archeologist, delivered an ancient sarcophagus with the mummified remains of an unknown Egyptian ruler to Bacon Library. Every morning the librarians discover that the mummy has moved to a new location in the house. This mummy is getting trickier and trickier to find and we need your help to unwrap the mystery of the moving mummy. We have a special treat for any budding archeologist who can find our missing mummy. While on your search through the Bacon House, stop to craft four projects and select one book to keep. Visit at your convenience. We would love to see your costumes but they are not required. For more information, 734-246-8357.

Books & Bites Book Club: Taylor Community Library, Taylor. Oct. 24, from 6-7:30 p.m. Books & Bites is a monthly book club that reads and discusses Young Adult books. Anyone who is a fan of this genre can attend. If you cant make it in person, and for general bookish talk, send us a request to join our Facebook group. This months book is Horrid by Katrina Leno. For more information, call 734-287-4840.

Friends of the Library Meeting: At the Bacon Memorial District Library, 45 Vinewood, Wyandotte, Monday, Oct. 24 at 4:30 p.m. Join this dedicated group of volunteers to enhance the library experience! New members are always welcome. For more information, 734-246-8357.

VIP Support Group (Visually Impaired Persons): Taylor Community Library, Taylor. Oct. 26, from noon 1 p.m. In Person, Virtual, or Call-in. VIP Support is a monthly support group for people experiencing vision loss and their caregivers. Each month, we meet to discuss important topics and connect over shared concerns. Call 712-775-7031, Access Code: 965803 or join virtually by visiting bit.ly/TCLbtbcall. For more information, call 734-287-4840.

Surprise Reads: Pickup begins Saturday, Oct. 29 at the Bacon Memorial District Library, 45 Vinewood, Wyandotte. Each Surprise Book Bag will contain one library book related to the monthly theme and a few treats or a craft to go along with the theme. Check out the book, keep the themed swag/treats then return the library book. Treats/swag will be aimed at older teens/adults. High school or adult level books can be chosen! registration required. For more information, 734-246-8357.

Film Screening: Lincoln Park Historical Society & Museum is hosting a screening of the 1957 science fiction movie Invasion of the Saucer Men on Oct. 30 at Lincoln Parks Memorial Park Band Shell building, 3240 Ferris Avenue. Prior to the movie there will be a Best Alien Costume Contest. Entrants will be judged and awarded prizes in three categories: most creative, best overall, and the best costume recreating-1950s-movie-aliens. All those in attendance can vote for their favorites in each category. Just prior to the film, a short video bio of Lyn Osborns career will be shared. Osborn appears in the movie and is a Lincoln Park resident. Refreshments will be available on site for a donation as well. More information can be obtained from the Lincoln Park Historical Society & Museum at 313-386-3137 or at lpmuseum@gmail.com; website: http://www.lphistorical.org; or at the museums Facebook page.

Fall Reading Challenge: Taylor Community Library, Fletcher Park, Taylor. Through the month of October. All ages. Get your challenge sheet and log your reading during the month of October. Read or listen to 10 books or, read or listen for 10 hours of books to win a prize in our fall challenge. Prizes are available while they last, and participants are limited to one entry for the month. More information can be found on our website at https://taylor.lib.mi.us/fall/, or by calling 734-287-4840.

Storywalk for October: Taylor Community Library, Fletcher Park, Taylor, located between Pardee and Racho Rd., and Northline and Eureka. Permanent exhibit. Octobers featured book is Are We There Yet? by Dan Santat. Community members can follow the path throughout the park to read a book in its entirety presented on 16 individual panels. Each panel hosts a set of pages which include activities and questions to help your little ones engage with the story in meaningful ways. For more information, call 734-287-4840.

Bacon Book Club: At the Bacon Memorial District Library, 45 Vinewood, Wyandotte, Nov. 2 at 6:30 p.m. This month we are reading Home for Erring and Outcast Girls by Julie Kibler. Read along with us or better yet meet with us and share your thoughts. We meet on the 1st Wednesday of each month. If you would like us to reserve a copy of the book for you, call 734-246-8357.

Grosse Ile Nature and Land Conservancy annual General Membership Meeting: At 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 12. Grosse Ile Golf Country Club, 9339 Bellevue, Grosse Ile. Open to All GINLC Members and the General Public. Topics include State of the Conservancy, Accomplishments, Conservationist of the Year Award, election of board of directors, and guest speaker. For more information, email GINLC.education@gmail.com.

Owl Prowl: Educational Event for the whole family sponsored by the Grosse Ile Nature and Land Conservancy from 6-8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 12 at Centennial Farm, 25797 Third St. Grosse Ile. These are awesome birds of prey. Well learn about the owls in our area and their characteristics. Well end the night with a hike to attempt to find some owls. This is one of our most popular events. For more information and to register, email GINLC.education@gmail.com.

Downriver Genealogical Society Meeting: Wednesday, Oct. 19 at 7 p.m., at the Copeland Center, 2306 4th Street, Wyandotte. Speaker will be Tobin Buhk, author, and he will speak on Michigan True Crime Murder Mayhem Michigan, and he will be selling his book. More info on this program can be found at downrivergenealogy.org. Open to the public, for more information, call 734-365-9815 or 313-382-3229.

Computer Class: Internet Basics: Taylor Community Library, Taylor. Oct 20, from 1-2 p.m. This class is designed for those with little or no experience with the Internet. You will learn how to navigate the internet, perform basic searches, use websites, search engines, and what various domains mean. Class size is limited to 8 participants on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more information, call 734-287-4840.

Fall Festival of the Arts: Enjoy an artistic journey supplied by the talents of artists at their 18th annual Fall Festival of the Arts Fine Art Show and Sale, through Oct. 20. This is a free event hosted at Downriver Council for the Arts, 81 Chestnut Street in Wyandotte. Everything from classical oil paintings, watercolors, acrylics,photography, sculpture, woodcarving, ceramics and jewelry will be highlighted at this show along with smaller works and some crafts. The show kicks off Oct. 7 at 6 p.m. with an Opening Reception where you are invited to meet the artists. There will be Door Prize Baskets and light refreshments. There will be art demonstrations on Oct. 9 and Oct. 16, from noon to 4 p.m. Art show hours are Tuesdays, 9 a.m. 1:30 p.m.; Wednesdays, 11 a.m. 2:30 p.m.; Thursdays, noon 7 p.m.; Saturdays, 9 a.m. 2:30 p.m. For more information, contact Maureen Keast at 734-777-6109 or Jackie Walock at 313-570-6919. Visit creativeartsociety.org

Resale Shoppe: Our Lady Of The Scapular Parish, St. Stans Site 266 Antoine, Wyandotte. New and previously loved treasures and a daily savory food menu. Preview Thursday, Oct. 20, 4-7 p.m., $5 admission. Free admission on the following days: Friday, Oct. 21, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 22, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 23, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 28, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 29, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 30, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (Last day specials $5 fill the bag). New this year, fill the boxes, $10 and $20. For more information, call 734-284-9135.

OUT Nature Hike: The Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge and the SUDDs Coalition are partnering to create OUT in Nature hikes for the LGBTQIA+ community. On Oct. 22 from 9-11 a.m. The group is hosting an adult hike at the refuge located at 5437 W. Jefferson Ave in Trenton. We are also hosting a youth hike on the same day, from 1-3 p.m. For more information, call 734-365-0219 or email detroitriver@fws.gov or visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/out-in-nature-tickets-423648192147

Halloween offering: Invasion of the Saucer Men a 1957 film featuring Lincoln Parks own Lyn Osborn; Bandshell building indoors on Sunday, Oct. 30. Hosted by the Lincoln Park Historical Museum. Free admission, doors open at 5:30 p.m. For more information, call 313-386-3137.

Nature of Halloween: Educational Event for the whole family sponsored by the Grosse Ile Nature and Land Conservancy from 1-3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 30 at the Airport Natural Area, 28820 East River Rd, Grosse Ile. Join us for this spooktacular program as we learn about the natural history of the plants and animals that are associated with Halloween. For more information, email GINLC.education@gmail.com.

Lincoln Park Farmers Market: Sundays through October, from 11 a.m. 3 p.m, at Mellus Park, east side of Fort Street, between Arlington & OConnor, Lincoln Park. Farmers/vendors with produce, plants, specialty foods and crafts. Cash, EBT, P-EBT, Double Up Food Bucks, WIC Project Fresh, Senior Project Fresh, Credit/Debit accepted. For more information, call 313-427-0443 or email lpfm@inbox.com.

Hike in Airport Natural Area: Sponsored by the Grosse Ile Nature & Land Conservancy, enter at 28820 East River Rd, Grosse Ile, from 1-4 p.m. Event runs through Sunday, Oct. 30. GINLC hosts will be available to open the trails of the Airport Natural Area every Sunday from May to October. Spend a few hours enjoying the trails, ponds, bays, lookouts, and woods of this hidden gem. For more information, email GINLC.education@gmail.com. All GINLC programs are free to the public, but donations make them possible. Visit http://www.ginlc.org.

Poets and Playwrights: At the Bacon Memorial District Library, 45 Vinewood, Wyandotte, Nov. 1 at 6 p.m. For more information, 734-246-8357.

Fish and Shrimp Dinners: The Flat Rock Elks, located at Vreeland and Telegraph roads, will be serving our Famous Atlantic Cod fish and shrimp dinners first Friday of the month through January, February through Good Friday every other week. Nov. 4, Dec. 2, Jan. 6, Feb. 3, Feb. 17, March 3, March 17, April 7 (Good Friday). Thats nine hot, fresh and wonderful drive-thru meals from the safety and comfort of your heated vehicle. Hand Battered Atlantic Cod Dinners are $15 and Pacific Ocean Jumbo Shrimp Dinners are $15. Ask about our Family Style Dinners and save an additional $4. Cash only, exact change appreciated. Dinners served 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Dinners also include French fries, cole slaw, hush puppy, dinner roll and condiments. Cash only.

MARSP meeting (Michigan Association of Retired School Personnel): Thursday, Nov. 27 at noon at Crystal Gardens, 16703 Fort Street, Southgate. Speaker: Michael Murphy, District Manager I Field Association. Topic: Benefits through MARSP. Cost: $18. RSVP to Kim Zeppa. For more information contact Kim Zeppa at kimzeppa@hotmail.com 734-834-1237 or Ethel Carver at ethelc@hotmail.com 734-675-5008.

Take it outside Photo Contest: Sponsored by the Grosse Ile Nature and Land Conservancy. Entry deadline is Thursday, May 11, 2022 at 5 p.m. Open to high school students within Wayne, Washtenaw and Monroe Counties. We are searching for photos captured locally (within Wayne, Washtenaw and Monroe Counties) that inspire us to appreciate and steward our environment: air, water, land, wildlife, resources, and ecosystems. Categories are Dawn to Dusk; Fur and Feathers; Bark and Blooms. Total of $445 in prize money. For more information, visit see https://www.ginlc.org/photo-contest

Genealogy Research: The Downriver Genealogical Society Library, located at 28639 Division Street in Flat Rock, is free and open for genealogy research Tuesdays from 9 a.m. 1 p.m. and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The society began in 1980 and for the past 42 years has been collecting information on the people and cities of the downriver communities, most taken from local newspapers. There are also resources from the surrounding areas and for other states and other countries. Volunteers are available to help those wanting to begin researching their own family. Information on the society, holdings and publications can be found at downrivergenealogy.org. For more information, call 734-535-6530.

Salvation Army Weekly Events: Golden Agers Bingo, Mondays, 10 a.m. to noon, $1. Downriver Music, Tuesdays, 4:30-5:30 p.m., kindergarten and older. Downriver Youth, Tuesdays, 5:30-7:30 p.m., kindergarten and older. Downriver Bible Study, Wednesdays, 5-6 p.m., 16 and older. The Salvation Army Downriver Corps Community Center is located at 1258 Biddle Ave., Wyandotte. For more information, call 734-282-0930.

Mental Illness Support Group: For relatives and friends of the mentally Ill in the Downriver area meets the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church of Dearborn, 600 N.Brady, in Mitchell Hall. Another support group meets on the 3rd Wednesday of each month, starting on July 20, at 10 a.m., at the Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospitals Rehabilitation Bldg. on the 2nd floor, room 232. Wear a mask and enter the hospital at the main entrance for a Covid-19 check. Then you will follow the letter A on the wall signs and take the Allen elevators to the 2nd floor. From the elevator exit, turn left and immediately right to follow the hallway to room 232. For information, call 313- 292-3324.

Al Turner Drop In Chess: Every Thursday 5:30 p.m. at the Bacon Memorial District Library, 45 Vinewood, Wyandotte. Kids and adults of all ages can meet challenging new players every Thursday @ 5:30 pm. For more information, call 734-246-8357.

Job Assistance: The SEMCA Michigan Works! in Southgate, 15100 Northline Rd, Room 103, is offering help with job searching. Free services may include career assessment and guidance; GED preparation, basic skills assessment & enhancement; resume and interview assistance; and job search assistance. Stop in to register and ask about the next orientation session. Connect with a Career Coach and return to work faster. Reasonable accommodations will be made upon request. For more information, call 734-362-3448 or visit SEMCA.org.

Toiletry Pantry: Rockwood First Congregational Church, 22600 Mather Street Rockwood, hosts toiletry pantry, which provides personal hygiene items, cleaning products, gently used clothing and some food products. The pantry will open from 1- 3 p.m. on the last Monday of each month. If that Monday is a holiday, the pantry will be open the previous Monday. For more information, call 734-379-3711 or fccrockwood.org

Local Wyandotte History: Looking for an obituary? Need information on your home or any other burning Wyandotte history questions? The Bacon Memorial Library, 45 Vinewood, Wyandotte, can help. Visit, http://www.baconlibrary.org/local-history-request

Teen Advisory Group: Taylor Community Library, Taylor. Online Virtual Event. Wednesdays, from 4-5 p.m. Teen Advisory volunteers help plan, implement, and promote ways to improve services offered at Taylor Community Library. Joining our group builds your resume, earns you volunteer hours and recommendations for jobs or college, and gives you a chance to be heard! To join, apply to become a volunteer today! For more information, call 734-287-4840.

1000 Books Before Kindergarten: Sponsored by the Bacon Memorial District Library, 45 Vinewood, Wyandotte. This free program encourages you to read 1,000 books with your child before he or she enters school a goal experts say helps children learn to read. Yes, it really is possible. Read one book to your child every day and before you know it, you will have read over 1,000 books in three years. Reading together helps develop important pre-reading skills that provide a solid foundation to school and learning success. Plus, sharing stories together is fun. For more information, call 734-246-8357 or visit http://www.baconlibrary.org/1000books

Seamstresses Needed: Seasons Hospice and Palliative Care is seeking volunteer seamstresses to help with the making of memory bears. Memory Bears are made from the clothing that once belonged to a loved one and can bring comfort and peace for grieving family members. All materials are provided. Seamstresses work in the comfort of their own homes using a simple four-piece pattern. For more information, contact volunteer coordinator Mary Biber at 800-370-8592. For more information about Seasons Hospice and Palliative Care, visit http://www.seasons.org.

Palliative Care Volunteers Needed: Seasons Hospice and Palliative Care is seeking compassionate people to provide volunteer support to terminally ill patients and their families. We provide virtual, yet comprehensive, training that fits easily into busy schedules. Opportunities are exible, based on your availability and comfort level and always close to home. Activities may include: offering companionship or friendly visits to homebound patients, reading and letter writing, providing relief for caregivers, participating in activities with dementia patients, veteran to veteran companionship, and sewing Memory Bears. For more information, contact volunteer coordinator Mary Biber at 800-370-8592. Visit http://www.seasons.org

Taylor Garden Club: Meets the 3rd Thursday of the month September through June. Meetings are held at Taylor Senior Activity Center. Hospitality at 6 p.m., meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. Guests are welcome to attend once for free. Membership fee is $15 per year. You do not have to live in Taylor to join the group. For more information, contact Nancy Smith at 734-287-6851 or by email at smithnan88@yahoo.com.

The Ecorse Community Events Committee: Meetings are held every 3rd Thursday of the month excluding holidays and/or inclement weather. The ECEC meets from 6-7 p.m. at the Albert B. Buday Civic Center, 3869 W. Jefferson Ave., Ecorse 48229 on the 2nd floor in Conference Room B. For more information, call 313-407-6332 or visit website https://www.ecorseevents.com or email ecorseevents@gmail.com or visit the Ecorse Community Events Committee Facebook page. All are welcome to attend, volunteer and participate in community event planning.

AAUW scholarships: The AAUW Wyandotte-Downriver Branch offers several scholarships annually to female undergraduate students at Baker College, Henry Ford College, Lawrence Technological University and Wayne County Community College District. Interested students can pick up an AAUW application at their schools counseling office. Candidates must have earned a minimum of 12 credits, be a United States citizen and a resident of the Downriver area. An essay is required. For more information, contact rjhart720@yahoo.com or visit downriver-mi.aauw.net.

The Ecorse Historical Society: Meetings are held every 3rd Saturday of the month excluding holidays and/or inclement weather. The EHS meets from 1-2 p.m. at the Albert B. Buday Civic Center, 3869 W. Jefferson Ave., Ecorse on the 2nd floor in Conference Room B. All are welcome to attend, volunteer and participate in EHS meetings and planning. Ecorse residents are invited to bring their family histories to add to the collections and archives which will be exhibited at the Ecorse Public Library. Exhibit dates and times to be announced. For more information, call 313-386-2520 Ext. 4 or visit /www.ecorsehistorical.org Email ecorsehistoricalsociety@gmail.com or visit the Ecorse Historical Societys Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/ecorsehistoricalsociety/

Brownstown Historical Museum Hours of Operation: The Brownstown Historical Museum, 23451 King Road, Brownstown is open for tours every 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month from 1-4 p.m. Summer business hours are every Tuesday from noon-3 p.m.. Stop in to join the Brownstown Historical Society or renew your membership, volunteer or get information on the Brownstown Community Brick Paver fundraiser. For more information, call 248-318-5297.

Lincoln Park Preservation Alliance: The group is looking for new members to promote Lincoln Parks historic sites through education and advocacy; for information on meetings and events, call Leslie Lynch-Wilson at 313-598-3137.

Knit and Crochet Club: From 1-3 p.m., Tuesdays. Meet, mingle and trade inspiration with local knitters and crocheters. Bring your own projects and have fun with a like-minded group. This is not an instructing class; however, you are welcome to ask others to share their knowledge and help. Cost: $3 donation to the DCA. Downriver Council for the Arts, 81 Chestnut, Wyandotte. (734) 720-0671 or visit http://www.downriverarts.org

Huron River Fishing Association: Holds general membership meetings at 6:30 p.m. the first Monday of each month at the Flat Rock Community Center, 1 McGuire St., Flat Rock. The group holds fly tying classes at 6:30 p.m. on the 3rd Monday of the month at the FRCC. For more information, visit huronriverfishing.com or email FISH@huronriverfishing.com.

The Ecorse Historical Society: Meets the third Saturday of each month at:City of Ecorse, Albert B. Buday Civic, 3869 W Jefferson Ave., Ecorse. Meeting is held in Conference Room B from noon to 1 p.m. Call 313-386-2520 Ext. 4.

Heart to Heart Hospice Volunteers needed: Heart to Heart Hospice is looking for downriver community members to join the groups team of volunteers, who will visit with patients on a weekly or bi-weekly basis to help increase their quality of life during their finals days. Visits can provide friendship, compassion and distraction from their prognosis. Activities that clients might enjoy are being read to, watching television together, talking about who and where theyve been, their families, hearing about your day, playing cards, and so much more. Most importantly, we are looking for volunteers to provide their time, talent, and to have compassion and empathy. Heart to Heart serves Allen Park, Canton, Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Southgate, Taylor, Westland, Ypsilanti and beyond. Volunteers should contact volunteer coordinator Randi Williams, at 734-282-0209.

Great Lakes Steel Salaried Retirees Club: Meets every third Monday at Crystal Gardens, 16703 Fort St. Southgate. Doors open at noon. Lunch promptly at 1 p.m. Cost $12 for members, $13 non-members. Door prizes and 50/50 raffles. Open to any salaried retiree of Great Lakes Steel. For more information, contact Desta Pulter at 313-842-0385.

See the rest here:

Events, sales and more things happening Downriver The News Herald - Southgate News Herald

The chess world was recently rocked when five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen decided to quit the $500,000 Sinquefield Cup after losing a game to 19-year-old American Hans Niemann. While Carlsen himself refused to divulge details of the reason he quit, only sharing a cryptic post on Twitter a video of Jose Mourinho saying, If I speak I am in big trouble. Big, big trouble other top players suggested that he quit because he suspected Niemann of cheating.

Niemann gave an explosive interview on Tuesday saying hes prepared to play naked in order to prove his innocence while also admitting he has cheated in the past as a 12-year-old and 16-year-old.

Players speaking out against Niemann without any real proof saw him being uninvited from Chess.coms global chess championship and also being removed from their website.

While Niemanns case will take some time to die down, cheating/colluding has never been alien to chess. The sport has a long history of it and it kind of amplified with the advent of online chess.

Cheating over-the-board

Before tournaments came up with stringent rules to counter cheating in over-the-board chess tournaments, an effective method of cheating was to hide a device on ones person. Whether it was hiding chess engines in ones shoes or other apparel, it was done.

One of the easiest methods of cheating is to receive visible assistance. Whether its a coach, someone from the family, or a friend, the person stands behind different boards to communicate moves through non-verbal cues.

Its also possible to develop an inconspicuous code to transmit moves.

A very creative way of cheating was used by a former mayor of the northern town of Buccinasco, near Milan. Loris Cereda was subsequently banned for allegedly using dark glasses that had been fitted with a hidden micro camera at three tournament games. The glasses sent live images of his opponents moves to a powerful chess software programme that then dictated through a secret earpiece the correct counter-move to make.

Another issue is players using bathroom breaks in between moves. While bathroom breaks cannot be limited, there have been instances of players receiving assistance while on these breaks.

In over-the-board games, though cheating does occur, the fact that players sit face to face makes it much easier for an arbiter to detect any sort of hanky-panky.

Collusion, a form of cheating

Over the years, there have been many accusations of collusion, either of players deliberately losing, or of players agreeing to draws to help both players in a tournament.

During the Cold War, Soviet players were accused of colluding with each other by setting up easy draws with each other so that they could focus their attention and preparation on matches against non-Soviet players, or outright resignations if a favored player played a lesser player. The most famous alleged instance was at the 1962 Candidates Tournament for the 1963 World Chess Championship, where the three top-finishing Soviet players finished with draws in all their matches against each other.

Cheating in online chess

The most common way of cheating while playing online is using a chess engine. Programmes, which power chess engines, can help a player play accurately and quickly.

What can also happen is that players can also get a prompt from others on an electronic device. Its tough to detect cheating online as the game is being played over a screen.

Ways of countering cheating in online chess

Since cheating in online chess is becoming a real menace, different tournaments have come up with effective ways of countering it. Players are asked to go into screen sharing mode during play, which would be viewed by the chief arbiter. Tournaments also mandate that webcam have to be focused on each player and additional recording cameras at different angles were to be operational. Players arent allowed to keep any other software open on the computer.

Go here to read the rest:

Chess cheating drama: What are the different ways to cheat in chess? - The Indian Express

Max Verstappen appears unstoppable. The Red Bull superstar won last week's Dutch GP and has now won four consecutive races and is well on his way to his second consecutive championship. His dominance has taken the wind out of the sails of his competitors: He now holds a commanding 109-point lead in the Drivers' Championship standings over both Sergio Perez, his Red Bull teammate, and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who are tied on points. Red Bull also leads Ferrari and Mercedes in theConstructors' Championshipas F1 heads to Monza for Ferrari's home race, the 2022 Italian Grand Prix.

Meanwhile, F1 megastar Lewis Hamilton placed fourth last week, while George Russell, his Mercedes teammate, placed second. Hamilton remains in sixth place in the overall standings, while Russell has moved up to fourth.

Can Leclerc grab some wins to push Verstappen at the top of the standings? Will Hamilton be able to help Mercedes overtake Ferrari for second place in the Constructors' Championship?

The Italian Grand Prix airs today, Sept. 11, at 8:55 a.m. ET (5:55 a.m. PT) on ESPN 2.

Those looking to follow all the drama will need access to ABC, ESPN, ESPN 2 and ESPNews to catch every second of the action all season long. The entire race weekend, including practice sessions and qualifying, will be shown in the US on ESPN's family of television networks.

No single provider has exclusive rights to the network, so there are plenty of ways to get ESPN and watch the races without cable. We've broken down everything you need to know in order to stream today's race, and all the other F1 races this season.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen looks to take a stranglehold on the Drivers' Championship.

What is F1 and how is it different from IndyCar?

Both IndyCar and F1 are open-wheeled, single-seater racing formats. This means that the cars can only fit one person and have uncovered wheels that protrude from the body of the vehicle. Despite their basic similarities, F1 and IndyCar offer very different experiences.

In F1, there are only 10 teams, with two drivers apiece for a total of 20 drivers. Most races must go for 305 km, which is about 190 miles. Each driver needs to use two different tires in the race, so a pit stop is mandatory, though cars are not allowed to refuel. Races average around two hours in length and are held at venues all over the world.

Teams spend hundreds of millions of dollars each year developing their cars. All cars must have certain elements -- for example, gearboxes must have eight gears plus a reverse and last for six consecutive races -- but teams have leeway to tweak and change some parts of their car, including their engines, in the pursuit of speed.

In contrast, the cars featured in IndyCar are more standardized. They all have the same aerodynamic kit and chassis and can only be powered by one of two engines -- either a Honda or a Chevrolet. That said, teams are allowed to develop some of their own parts, like dampers and some of their suspensions.

IndyCar races occur on a wide range of tracks, from fast ovals to road and street courses. The length of the races also varies, with some, like the Indianapolis 500, lasting 500 laps and taking over three hours to complete. Not surprisingly, refueling during pit stops is a big part of the strategy during IndyCar races. Teams can field more than two cars, meaning that the amount of drivers on the grid fluctuates from race to race.

IndyCar is mostly considered an American sport and does not have the same level of money and glamour associated with it compared to the globe-hopping F1 circuit.

Why should I care about F1?

F1 races might best be described as a sort of action-packed chess match that takes place while drivers are throttling around a track at close to 200 mph. Teams need both strategy and skill to compete against some of the best minds in motorsports.

F1 is also full of strong personalities. The Netflix documentary series F1: Drive to Survivefollows many of the teams and drivers over the course of a year and has helped raise the profile of the sport in the US. Released in March, season four of the series chronicles last year's tight championship race between rivals Verstappen and Hamilton. It also focuses on the internal battles between drivers on the same team, while giving viewers a peek into the tense, pressurized world of elite racing.

Does F1 stream on ESPN Plus?

ESPN does not air any F1 coverage on its ESPN Plus streaming service. If you want to watch the practices or races you will need a television provider of some kind or to pay for F1's $80 per season TV Pro subscription.

Races are held on Sunday and are usually spaced two weeks apart. Here's the entire schedule, all times ET:

Race weekends normally start on Friday with multiple practice runs and continue on Saturday with qualifying. The races themselves take place Sunday. ESPN typically airs practices and qualifying on a mix of ESPN 2 and ESPNews, while the races tend to air on ESPN. F1 events in North America often land on ABC.

Here are some of the best ways to catch the entire race weekend without cable.

You can catch the entire race weekend with a subscription to YouTube TV. ABC, ESPN, ESPN 2 and ESPNews are all included in the package, which means you'll have all the channels you need in order to watch every second of the action.

Read our YouTube TV review.

Hulu Plus Live TV is a little more expensive than YouTube TV, but it also offers all the channels you need to watch every second of race weekend. As an added bonus, Hulu Plus Live TV comes with the rest of the Disney Bundle, which includes a subscription to Disney Plus, as well as ESPN Plus. F1 races don't air on ESPN Plus, but the service offers a ton of other content for die-hard sports fans.

Read our Hulu Plus Live TV review.

Sling TV's $35 Orange plan might be a good choice for F1 fans who are primarily looking to just watch the races on Sundays. This plan is one of the cheapest ways to get access to ESPN and ESPN 2. Those looking for ESPNews will have to opt for the $11 Sports Extra ad-on. Sling TV lacks ABC, which could be a problem for fans hoping to catch the F1 races in North America.

Read our Sling TV review.

FuboTV costs $70 per month and includes ABC, ESPN and ESPN 2. The base package lacks ESPNews, but you can add it for an extra $8 a month with the Fubo Extra Package or pay for the $80-a-month Elite streaming tier that includes Fubo Extra. Check out whichlocal networks FuboTV offers here.

Read our FuboTV review.

DirecTV Stream is the most expensive live TV streaming service. Its cheapest, $70-a-month Plus package includes ESPN, ESPN 2 and ABC, but you'll need to move up to the $90-a-month Choice plan to get ESPNews. You can use itschannel lookup toolto see which local channels are available in your area.

Read our DirecTV Stream review.

For gearheads looking to get every angle on the action, F1 offers its own streaming service. F1 TV Pro costs $80 per season and gives fans access to all races from F1, F2, F3 and Porsche Supercup. You'll be able to livestream every track session from all F1 grand prix and have access to all driver onboard cameras and team radios. You'll also be able to watch full on-demand races, replays and highlights, along with F1's historic race archive.

F1 also offers a TV Access Plan for $27 per year, which only gives you on-demand access to races once they have been completed. Users will still be able to view all F1 onboard cameras, along with full replays of F1, F2, F3 and Porsche Supercup. It also includes the historic race archive.

Read the original post:

Formula 1 2022: How to Watch the Italian Grand Prix Today - CNET

CRISTINA QUICLERGetty Images

On September 6, 1522, a Spanish carrack named Nao Victoria arrived in the coastal waters of Sanlcar de Barrameda, Spain. Although carracks were a common sight on the Atlantic, the Victoria was one-of-kind because it had done something no ship had ever achievedit had traveled the entire globe.

Of the original five ships that set out from Spain three years earlier under the command of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, only the Victoria survived the journey. Even Magellan, who originally set out to find western sea routes to Indonesia, didnt live to see his home country again. It was the Basque navigator Juan Sebastin de Elcano who finished what Magellan had started.

The daring adventures and harrowing dangers of the Magellan-Elcano expedition were just a prologue for the next 500 years of exploration, as humans dreamed up new ways to traverse the entire planet, whether by land, sea, air, or beyond. Although all these globe-trotting treks took place in different eras and circumstances, they all required the same three ingredients: bravery, willpower, and unbelievably impressive engineering.

More From Popular Mechanics:

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

For a ship of legend, the Nao Victoria is of humble origins. Originally built as a maritime commerce ship traveling between England and Spain, the aging ship underwent a major retrofit for its globe-trotting journey. The Victoria was very old and patched up, a Portuguese consul said in the summer of 1519. I should be ill inclined to sail in them to the Canaries. However, the Victoria did have one thing going for itit was a carrack, one of the most important designs in shipbuilding history.

The multi-mast carrack derives from the single-mast cog that dominated European seafaring in the Middle Ages. The Victoria was built with a carvel-planking method (as opposed to the clinker method) wherein wood planks were laid side-by-side rather than overlapping to increase the ships strength. Because of this construction, as well as its larger size, the Victoria could haul men and cargo while remaining stable in the open ocean, a perfect combination for a globe-trotting vessel. Eventually, carracks evolved into the more nimble galleons of the 16th century. In fact, the next circumnavigation of the globe, nearly 60 years after Victorias journey, took place aboard Sir Francis Drakes English galleon named the Golden Hind.

[Extra Credit: America Once Experimented with Building Concrete Ships. Heres Why It Didnt Pan Out]

For 300 years, many more explorers, captains, and crew circumnavigated the globe under various flags, but all those voyages had one thing in common: they relied on the winds. That all changed with the Royal Navys HMS Driver, a 1,058-ton, 180-foot-long paddlewheel sloop that traveled the globe from 1842 to 1847. Inside the ships bowels was a 280-horsepower direct action steam engine named Gorgon (because it was first fitted to the HMS Gorgon in 1837) and boilers that were each fed by a mechanical stoking apparatus.

The HMS Driver was the first steamship to ever visit the Land Down Under, and when Australians first spotted the ship in December 1845, they thought it had caught fire due to its billowing smoke. The following year, during a trip to New Zealand, the local Mori gathered to watch the ship driven by fires sail against the wind and tide. The HMS Drivers biggest shortcoming wasnt its engine, but the coal needed to feed it because bunkering stations in the mid-19th century were few and far between. Due to its voracious diet of combustible rock, the HMS Driver arrived back in England on May 14, 1847, and the Age of Sail came to an end.

[Up Next: Why Herons Aeolipile Is One of History's Greatest Forgotten Machines]

Little more than two decades after Orville Wright flew the worlds first airplane some 180 feet, the U.S. Army Air Service wanted a plane to circumnavigate the globe. The winning design brought together two legends of aviation when industrialist Donald Douglas offered a modified version of his DT bomber with the help of aircraft designer Jack Northrop. Called the Douglas World Cruisers (DWC), the four floatplanes were outfitted with more everythingmore wingspan, more cooling capacity, and more fuel. For comparison, the original DT bomber held about 115 gallons of fuel, whereas the DWC could haul 644 gallons thanks to six fuel tanks stored in its wings and fuselage.

The Douglas World Cruisers took off on their historic, round-the-world flight on April 6, 1924, from Seattle, Washington. One of the planes crashed in the Alaskan mountains weeks later (thankfully the crew survived) and a second plane had to be swapped out in Nova Scotia. After flying 27,553 miles, the remaining three DWCs landed in Seattle on September 28 with the entire trip lasting 175 days with 74 stops in 28 countries.

[Blast From the Past: The Age of Aerial Monsters: PM Meets the DC-4 in 1938]

Only five years after the Douglas World Cruisers completed their trans-global flight, a completely different kind of aircraft attempted the same feat. Although the worlds longest airship (at 776 feet) when it was built and a demonstration of the amazing airships to come, the LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin wasnt optimally aerodynamic or structurally effective due to size limitations imposed by the physical dimensions of the hangar in Friedrichshafen, Germany. The airship was constructed with girders made from Duralumin (an early kind of aluminum alloy), 17 lifting gas cells, 12 fuel gas cells, and five 550-horsepower engines.

Newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst sponsored the round-the-world trip, and the Graf Zeppelin began its historic journey on August 7, 1929. Beginning in Lakehurst, New Jersey, the zeppelin traveled to Friedrichshafen to Tokyo to Los Angeles and then finally back to Lakehurst. The entire journey lasted only 21 days.

[Read This Next: Why the Return of the Airship Makes More Sense Than Ever]

During the 1920s and 30s, airplanes and airships vied for aerial supremacy, but after World War II, the victor was clear: planes were the future of airpower. Four years after the Allied victory, the U.S. decided to show off to a rising Soviet Union that its aerial might could reach anywhere in the world, and what better way to do that than pulling off the worlds first nonstop circumnavigation? The plane selected for the job was a B-50 bomber named Global Queen, but after experiencing engine trouble, the understudyanother B-50 Superfortress named Lucky Lady IIwas tasked with making history.

After being outfitted with an extra fuel tank in its bomb bay, the B-50 set off from Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth, Texas, on February 26, 1949. Its name, Lucky Lady, was prescient because in order for the mission to succeed, the B-50 needed to perform eight refueling operations (a procedure thats even dangerous today) at four separate locations. Each operation involved KB-29M Superfortresses stationed around the world to meet up with the Lucky Lady II to top off its fuel tanks. On March 2, after a 94-hour-and-1-minute flight, Lucky Lady II landed safe and sound at Carswell a full two minutes ahead of schedule.

[Nerd Out: The 30 Most Important Planes of All Time]

In 1950, adventurists Ben and Elinore Carlin set out to drive across the world. There were a few reasons why no one had ever attempted the herculean task, but the big one was that it was physically impossible as large stretches of water kept any vehicle from attempting the journey. But that didnt stop the Carlins, who in the late 1940s spent $900 to buy an amphibious vehicle nicknamed the Seep, which was a seaworthy version of the General Purpose Willysthe automotive workhorse behind the U.S. military in World War II. Carlin then outfitted the dash with aircraft navigational equipment, added a two-way radio, and hid auxiliary fuel tanks in the bow and rudder. The vehicle, appropriately named the Half-Safe, could now transport 220 gallons of fuel (instead of the usual 12 gallons) and weighed upward of three tonsall with only a puttering 60-horsepower engine.

The most harrowing leg of Carlins journey was crossing the Atlantic from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Azores off the coast of Portugal. After seven attempts, the Carlins finally made it and then continued eastward. Although Elinore bailed on the journey once they reached Australia, Carlin kept on, crept up to the Aleutian Island chain, and finally arrived in Montral in May 1958. The entire trip had lasted eight years, crossed 11,000 miles of sea, nearly 40,000 miles of land, and cost about $35,000. To this day, its still the only circumnavigation completed by an amphibious vehicle.

[Bonus: Watch This Badass Tribute to the Armys Legendary Humvee]

During the Cold War, the U.S. and Soviet Union played a decades-long game of technological chess, and in the spring of 1960, the U.S. Navy scored a major point with the first submerged circumnavigation of the globe. Much like Lucky Lady IIs nonstop flight, the USS Tritons trip to sea, known as Operation Sandblast, was also a demonstration of the U.S.s advanced military capabilities. However, the Triton had something the Lucky Lady didnt: two nuclear reactors. This twin nuclear propulsion plant gave the Triton a top speed of around 35 miles per hour when submerged and also meant that the sub didnt need refueling. At the time of its construction, the USS Triton was the longest and largest U.S. submarine ever built.

The Triton put out to sea on February 15, 1960, and sailors were only told that theyd likely be offshore for longer than usual. It wasnt until they reached Brazil that the crew was finally let in on the historic nature of their mission. From there, the Tritons path mostly followed the Magellan-Elcano expedition chartered four centuries earlier, but instead relied on nuclear fission rather than winds to get them home. On May 10, 1960, after 60 days and 21 hours at sea, the submarine reemerged near Groton, Connecticut, having completed the worlds first submerged circumnavigation.

[Dive Deeper: 60 Years Ago, a Submerged Submarine Circled the Globe for the First Time]

For centuries, circumnavigation was a completely terrestrial effort, but that all ended on April 12, 1961, when a derivative of the R-7 rocket launched cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin and Vostok 1 into Earths orbit. Vostok I had a near spherical cabin with three portholes and external radio antennas. The life-support system, instrumentation, and ejection seat were also located in the cabin, according to NASA. Attached to this cabin were chemical batteries as well as orientation rockets for when the spacecraft was safely in orbit. Unlike previous globe-spanning adventures, this journey required no actual navigation as ground crews controlled the spacecraft the entire flight.

After completing one orbit, Vostok 1 plummeted toward Kazakhstan, and when the spacecraft reached an altitude of 4.3 miles, Gagarin ejected and safely returned to Earth via parachute. What had once taken European explorers years to achieve, Vostok 1 and its R-7 rocket pulled off in just 1 hour and 48 minutes.

[Stay Up-to-Date: 50 Years Later, the Soviet Unions Luna Program Might Get a Reboot]

When it comes to human exploration, Apollo 11 receives a lot of attention. But eight months before Neil Armstrong took his one giant leap for mankind, Apollo 8 was the first mission to ferry humans beyond Earth orbit and complete the first circumnavigation of the Earth-Moon system. As a dress rehearsal for NASAs ultimate objective of placing a human on the moon, Apollo 8 crucially tested NASAs trans-lunar injection plan (the method for successfully entering orbit around the moon).

On December 21, 1968, the Apollo 8 crew, perched atop the powerful Saturn V rocket with its 7.6 million pounds of thrust, launched toward the moon and entered lunar orbit three days later. The astronauts orbited the moon ten times before setting course for home and splashing down in the Pacific on the morning of December 27 with all mission objectives achieved. Within just six days, astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and Bill Anders traveled 234,474 miles, or roughly ten times the number of miles needed to circumnavigate the Earth.

[History Lesson: The Oral History of Apollo 11]

Helicopters are amazing machines, but theyre not exactly known for long-distance endurance. This fact didnt dissuade 23-year-old Ross Perot Jr., son of the famous third-party presidential candidate, from trying to pull off the feat. Perot opted for a Bell 206L LongRanger II helicopter, painted it in bright colors for extra visibility, removed all nonessential gear, and added safety and navigation equipment along with a 151-gallon auxiliary fuel tank. This extra fuel storage allowed the helicopter, named the Spirit of Texas, to fly roughly eight hours without refueling (though a C-130 cargo plane still trailed the helicopter with extra fuel and supplies).

On September 1, 1982, Perot and his co-pilot Jay Coburn lifted off from Fort Worth, Texas, and headed east. The flight went mostly according to plan, though Perot was forced to make a dice-y landing during a powerful storm on top of a container ship in the North Pacific. After 29 days, the chopper returned to Texas, having traveled 26,000 miles through 26 countries and refueling a total of 54 times. Today, the Spirit of Texas is on display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

[Extra Credit: The 15 Most Important Helicopters of All Time]

As technology progresses, circumnavigating the world seems less and less impressive. But try to do it without using fuel, and suddenly the spirit of exploration is born anew. The first foray into this new, green future belongs to the Solar Impulse 2, which in the summer of 2016 became the first solar-powered aircraft to travel across the globe. With a wingspan of 235 feet (thats wider than a Boeing 747), the Solar Impulse 2 packs 17,000 solar cells on its wings that charge its onboard batteries, which take up a quarter of the planes 5,511-pound weight. The aircraft can fly for six days without needing to land, cruising at 29,000 feet during the day before dropping to 5,000 feet at night to conserve energy. As for drawbacks? It only travels at around 45 miles per hour.

That middling speed is why it took pilot Betrand Piccard 505 days (23 days of actual flight time) to circumnavigate the Earth. But Piccards goal wasnt to make a feasible aircraft to replace gas-guzzling jumbo jets by tomorrow, but to display the possible power of solar and other renewable energies and to help propel humanity into a greener future. After all, in less than 500 years, humans went from storm-tossed wooden ships to spacecraft capable of traveling beyond the embrace of Earths gravitational pull.Who knows where the next 500 years might take us.

[Before You Go: This Solar Tower Can Transform Water, Sunlight, and Carbon Dioxide Into Jet Fuel]

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Read this article:

The Machines That Made 500 Years of Circumnavigation Possible - Popular Mechanics