BLINDFOLD KING Blindfold King Chess Festival Las Vegas. GM Timur Gareyev

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1 BLINDFOLD KING GM Timur Gareyev 2016 Blindfold King Chess Festival Las Vegas

2 GM TIMUR GAREYEV Timur Gareyev is a chess grandmaster originally from Uzbekistan. He has held the rank of 3rd highest rated chess player in the US and top 100 players in the world with a peak USCF rating of He is best known for his exceptional ability to play Blindfold chess. Gareyev has participated in thousands of blindfold chess games in classic simuls, online events and practice games. His personal record is playing 35 games. Winning 33, drawing 2 and losing only 1. Gareyev made history by setting a new world record for playing Tandem Blindfold Chess in 2015 with the current Blindfold Chess Champion, Marc Lang. In September 2016 in Iowa, Gareyev broke the world record for rapid blindfold chess. He played 64 rapid consecutive games blindfolded beating Kotanowsi s 56 and Marc Lang s 60 world records. His current goal is to break the world record playing 47 SIMULTANEOUS games of chess blindfolded. His training will consist of thousands of hours of preparation. Gareyev is currently on a World Blindfold Chess tour in preparation for this event. Gareyev has created a new spin to playing Blindfold Chess. He has found that his focus and stamina improves while in motion. He is the first to be seen playing Blindfold Chess while on a bicycle or stability ball, preferably a spin bike. Gareyev has an adventurous spirit and is a licensed sky diver and BASE jumper. He enjoys traveling and meeting new people. He stays fit by hiking and practicing yoga. Gareyev is active in schools and has chess academies in Las Vegas and Kansas. He serves as a consultant for the Karpov International School of Chess and has created a Virtual Chess instructional program that is being offered to schools all over the US. Gareyev has authored a Chess Tactics workbook called C.A.T. Tactics and is working on a new book titled Get Off the Couch and Play Chess.

3 The Blindfold King GM Timur Gareyev is known in the chess community for pushing limits and thinking outside the box. Timur is not stereotypical in any way. He is a nomadic warrior with an adventurous spirit facing any challenge put in front of him. His sense of rebellion, spontaneous energy and thirst for new experiences is inspiring and he always leaves a lasting impression. Although Timur spends his time on the road traveling as he trains for Blindfold Chess, he considers Las Vegas his home.

During the early 20th century, playing simultaneous games of blindfolded chess against multiple opponents became a fetishized skill in the chess world.

4 What is Blindfold Chess Blindfold chess is a form of playing the game of chess where the player has no sight of the board or pieces. This forces the player to maintain a mental model of the positions of the pieces. Moves are communicated verbally through chess notation. During the early 20th century, playing simultaneous games of blindfolded chess against multiple opponents became a fetishized skill in the chess world. In 1947, an Argentinian grand master named Miguel Najdorf set a world record by playing 45 simultaneous games in his mind. It took him 23.5 hours, and he finished with a record of 39 wins, 4 losses, and 2 draws. He was unable to fall asleep for the next 3 days. While blindfold chess has been recommended in moderation by many sources as a method of increasing one's playing strength, simultaneous blindfold exhibitions were officially banned in 1930 in the Soviet Union as they were deemed to be a health hazard. Blindfold players have reported that it is more tiring than regular play, even if faster time controls are used. GM Timur Gareyev states that playing Blindfold Chess is meditative. The current record is held by German chess master Marc Lang. He played 46 games. Gareyev plans to beat this record playing 47 games and winning 80%. Presentation by Jennifer Vallens (818) jennifer@blindfoldking.com

Memory Study A team of researches at UCLA headed by Dr.

Gareyev will be conducting a 10 person blindfold chess simul at the Society of Neuroscience conference in

5 Memory Study A team of researches at UCLA headed by Dr. Jesse Rissman, along with students Micah Johnson and Nicco Reggente, are investigating how Gareyev s unique profile of brain activity and connectivity may give rise to his exceptional ability to maintain, visualize, and flexibly update memory representations of so many chess boards. Gareyev will be conducting a 10 person blindfold chess simul at the Society of Neuroscience conference in San Diego Saturday, November 12 at 6:30-10pm. Dr. Rissman and his team will reveal their findings at the conference. Dr. Risssman to give a presentation at the Blindfold King chess festival

2016 Blindfold King Chess Festival Mission: to provide a fun and unique experience for the local community to witness the extraordinary ability of the mind as GM Timur Gareyev plays 47

Side Events: looking to run several side events that include; brain/memory games and puzzles and hands on activities and speakers on related gaming topics.

6 2016 Blindfold King Chess Festival Mission: to provide a fun and unique experience for the local community to witness the extraordinary ability of the mind as GM Timur Gareyev plays 47 chess games simultaneously blindfolded while promoting chess education. Main Event: GM Timur Gareyev will face 47 chess games blindfolded simultaneously while on a spin bike! Side Events: looking to run several side events that include; brain/memory games and puzzles and hands on activities and speakers on related gaming topics. Date: December 3-4, 2016 Duration: The event will begin at 9am on Saturday, December 3 and conclude by 2am Sunday, December 4. Sponsors: We are seeking sponsorship from local business to provide financial or in kind support.

7 Blindfold Chess Challenge Participation Chess players will make up 47 board participants. Participants can be made up of individuals or teams Donation based entry fee All level players welcome Teams would be set up in a relay style of 2-4 players. Each individual would play a segment of the same game Teams may collaborate on their game Individuals can play multiple boards (up to 5) Possibility for players to participate in simul online

Basic Event Needs Location: One large quiet room to accommodate main overnight event, one side room to allow for participant breaks during event (maybe include a few stationary bikes for participants

8 Basic Event Needs Location: One large quiet room to accommodate main overnight event, one side room to allow for participant breaks during event (maybe include a few stationary bikes for participants to get blood flowing between moves) near food and hotel lodging accommodations Food & Beverage: Water, coffee, tea and snacks available to participants during event 1 spin bike Chess Boards (would be great to make up custom chess boards) Audio/Visual: DGT boards preferred or Monroi devices to record games in PGN for live streaming, 1 mic and projection screen to show games in break room 2-3 movers in shifts (person to move pieces for GM Gareyev) Videographer/Photographer to capture event for documentary Signage (posters, step and repeat banner, program guide and event t-shirts) Secure players for event Performance fee for GM Timur Gareyev

9 Side Event Ideas CSN psychology department to run interactive brain exercises and challenges. Las Vegas Chess Center to teach beginning chess UNLV Gaming Research center to run library research workshop Student health center to do health screenings and give flu shots Campus Recreation to provide group exercise class Speakers to present on chess, memory, gaming, fitness, government or other topics of interest Vendor area for local businesses Possibilities are endless..

offering event technical help to stream games live Create custom event chess boards Create event t-shirts and posters Promote your

10 Get involved ways to support event Become the title sponsor and cover costs for basic needs Be our food and beverage sponsor Be our spin bike sponsor and provide a spin bike on loan for event Be our audio / visual sponsor by covering costs for DGT boards and/or offering event technical help to stream games live Create custom event chess boards Create event t-shirts and posters Promote your product or service as a side event Sponsor a team or individual player Donate to CAT (Chess Academy of Timur) to further chess education

11 Key Benefits to our sponsors Contribute to history making event Worldwide exposure and inclusion of logo on event website, media coverage, merchandise and all other marketing collateral Support chess in Las Vegas Opportunity to stream event live providing online presence and links to company website Promotional opportunities prior/during and after event Be a part of a creative, fun and interactive event Get local community involved in a family friendly, educational and unique event. Further promote the royal game of chess

Chess Facts Chess Life Magazine has a circulation of 41K. They have plans to do cover story on Gareyev after he sets the new world record for Blindfold Chess.

The film depicts the life of Phiona Mutesi, a Ugandan chess prodigy who becomes a Woman Candidate Master after her performances at World Chess Olympiads.

12 Chess Facts Chess Life Magazine has a circulation of 41K. They have plans to do cover story on Gareyev after he sets the new world record for Blindfold Chess. US Chess (formally the US Chess Federation) has 110K active members. September 30, Disney releases the film Queen of Katwe starring David Oyelowo and Lupita Nyong'o. The film depicts the life of Phiona Mutesi, a Ugandan chess prodigy who becomes a Woman Candidate Master after her performances at World Chess Olympiads. The film is produced by Walt Disney Pictures and ESPN Films, and set for general theatrical release on September 30. The World Chess Championship will be in the US this year. It is scheduled for November in New York. The match is expected to reach a global online and tv audience of 1 billion fans. Chess is currently being taught in schools in roughly 30 nations across the globe. With the new Common Core standards, the US is seeing benefits of teaching critical thinking and starting to adopt more chess in the classroom. Also with the onset of the internet, we are seeing a huge increase in scholastic players in the US.

BLINDFOLD KING Blindfold King Chess Festival Las Vegas. GM Timur Gareyev

BLINDFOLD KING Blindfold King Chess Festival Las Vegas. GM Timur Gareyev BLINDFOLD KING GM Timur Gareyev 2016 Blindfold King Chess Festival Las Vegas GM TIMUR GAREYEV Timur Gareyev is a chess grandmaster originally from Uzbekistan. He has held the rank of 3rd highest rated