Category: Culture

  • Købermagergade’s Falafel House sadly gone

    Together with my son, Christian, I visited my favorite shawarma spot, Falafel House, on Købmagergade in Copenhagen, only to discover that disaster had struck. The best shawarma house in town was suddenly gone! I have been a regular visitor since the very beginning of Falafel House – the start of the shawarma era in Denmark. Hands down, Falafel House made the best shawarma in town. The quality was always top-notch. People were always treated with warmth and hospitality, and regulars were treated like family. The employees were joyful, and the place was always lively, colour, and filled with conversations on every topic. We shared personal stories with one another, and I often received a little extra treat with my order.

    Falafel House opened back in 1982 and was only the second shawarma bar in Denmark (Enthusiasts will know that the first is Shawarma Grill House from 1980, located on Frederiksberggade).

    According to the brokerage firm Kornerup Bang & Partner, which handled the sale of Falafel House, the owner has decided to retire, and therefore, Berlingske reports that a Gasoline Grill will soon take its place at this location.

    A small piece of Copenhagen history is now part of the past. I tip my hat to Falafel House and its employees.

    Det her har været en af mine favoritretter i over 30 år, Berlingske.

    KØBMAGERGADE 23, 1150 KØBENHAVN K, Kornerup-Bang & Partnere

  • Garg Aradhya plays the pants of Mighty Magnus

    In a recent Pro Chess League match between the Norway Gnomes and the Delhi Dynamite a young Indian player named Garg Aradhya rated 2315 played the mighty Magnus Carlsen. More than 500 rating points separated the two players. This is normally decisive without question. But in this match the rating difference did not matter. It seemed that Garg Aradhya literally played the pants of Magnus Carlsen. Unexplainable Garg Aradhya lost the time scramble in a winning completely winning position with a piece up. Before that he even could have ended the game with a simple win. All in all Garg Aradhya played brilliantly against the world champion.

    The online game with live commentry.

  • My river runs to thee

    Blue Sea – Wilt welcome me?
    My River wait reply.

    Oh Sea – look graciously!

    I’ll fetch thee Brooks

    From spotted nooks – 

    Say Sea – take Me?

    Emily Dickinson (1830–86).

  • The Wolf Grischuk leading the pack in Petrosian Memorial 2014

    In this amazing fighting chess game in the third round of Petrosian Memorial GM Grischuk demolishes GM Morozevich. Alexander Grischuk, who is famed for his attacking chess, found a sharp variant of the Slav QGD for the game vs Morezevich. Both parties are walking on thin ice right out of the opening. Morezevich should have taken with the rook instead of the bishop in move 19. to equalize. On move 24. Morezevich was obliged to play Qf6 but he apparently fell through the thin ice with the wrong steep e5?! Grischuk missed a great opportunity to punish this weak move immediately when and he played 25.Bd2!? Morezevich would have drowned much faster with 25.Qh4! The last chance for Morozevich to hold on to an ice floe was 25..Rf8 but he missed it with 25..Rf6?! Then only ice cold water… 🙂

  • Magnus Carlsen in the lead 4-2 in Chenai

    Today Magnus Carlsen won “a look a like” drawn rook endgame in the Fide World Chess Championship against the current World Chess Champion Vishy Anand. Magnus play is in general that of a true World Chess Champion. It seems that Magnus took good advantage of the win yesterday by pressing Vishy. Magnus is now in the lead with 4 points against 2 with only 6 more games to go!

    In move 29. Magnus could have gone straight ahead with exd4 to pressure the pawn on e4!

    Vishy’s decision with 38. Qg3 to trade a pawn for piece activity in a difficult rook ending for withe seems inaccurate in retrospect. Deep HIARCS also suggest to stay put with 38. Kg1!

    Vishy’s plan with 43. h4 and 44. h5 to create a double pawn to slow down the movement of blacks pawns was good idea! And Magnus apparently did’t see this he said on the press conference in Chenai after the game.

    The decisive mistake is properly 60. Ra4? 60. b4! apparently creates the necessary counter play for the withe pawns and should at least be equal! A tough decision to make in the heat of the moment. “The best way to defend, is to attack”!

    62. But Anand’s plan with 62. c4 and 63. Ra3+ is to slow an antidote against the ambitious black pawns. White cannot prevent the queening of the black pawn without losing his precious rook.

    And the withe King from India most rest his case in this battle of minds.

    A game like this shows the unbelievably high standard of chess from both sides. Even computers will testify to this fact. But against the Mozart of Chess even the slightest inaccuracy is punished mercilessly!

    Analysis by GM Daniel King:

    Excellent in depth analysis by IM Christof Sielecki:

     

     

  • Chineasy fun with visual Chinese

    You can find more info about Shaolan Hsueh’s “Chineasy” free and creative visual learning of the Chinese written language on chineasy.org and on FB: www.facebook.com/ShaoLanChineasy

  • Choice, happiness and spaghetti sauce

    The author Malcolm Gladwell tell a wonderful story of new science.

    Malcolm Gladwell books

  • A riddle for your fiddle

    Here is a litte riddle for your imagination. What is the image representing?

    riddle

  • Realising our full potential

    Realising our full pontential

    Realising our full potential – Saturday 18th May – Day Course Retreat

    To achieve true happiness, we must understand what is holding us back and learn to develop the mind to achieve its full potential. In this day course retreat we will look into our life purpose and learn practical methods to overcome obstacles and to achieve our deepest wishes. Kelsang Tubchen will teach and Kelsang Lobon will guide the meditations.

    Please book in advance – Thank you!

    The Clear Light Kadampa Buddhist Centre
    St. Kongensgade 40H, st. tv.
    København K
    Denmark

    Details, price and booking:
    Realising our full potential meditateincopenhagen.org

    NB! Guest teacher Kelsang Tubchen who is the principal teacher in Oslo will also be in Copenhagen on the 17th. of May for the evening event “Food for Thought” which includes a meditation and meal in a peaceful and open environment!

  • Revival of Kings Gambit

    The romantics of chess has reason to rejoice. There has been a revival of the Kings Gambit in modern chess. GM’s like Hector, Short and Nakamura plays the Kings Gambit from time to time.

    Here is a wonderful example of the Kings Gambit from Reykjavik Open 2013 were white, S. Jensen, with a mere 1909 in rating, plays IM Urkedal, with a rating of 2474. S. Jensen demolishes IM Urkedal in 21 moves! The rating difference is 564 rating points.

    Links:
    Kings Gambit Accepted chessgames.com

  • Who was he? Shakespeare!

    Michael Wood explores the world of William Shakespeare. Title: In Search of Shakespeare

  • Short demolished in Bangkok

    GM Nigel Short was thoroughly outplayed by the young leading indian IM Roy Saptarshi in Bangkok Chess Club Open 2013.

    Bangkok Chess Club bangkokchess.com

  • Magnus on Mount Everst in Chess

    I have followed the young Mozart of Chees, Magnus Carlsen, since he entered the world of chess 10 years ago. Magnus is now 22 and he is currently the world number in chess. In january 2013 the young Chess Grandmaster received  a staggering 2861 in rating. This is an all time rating record. Beating Garry Kasparov long time old record of 2851. There is more than 50 points between number one and two on the FIDE rating list! To put this perspective  there is only a handful of players who has been above 2800 in chess history. The the current world champion in Chess, Viswanathan Anand,  has mere 2772 as in rating as number 7 on the list.

    In 2012  in Bilbao Masters Magnus Carlsen demolished Viswanathan Anand in the following game:

    Update:
    Magnus Carlsen further clear in February FIDE Ratings theweekinchess.com

    Links:
    Homepage of Magnus Carlsen magnuscarlsen.com
    Magnus Carlsen wikipedia.org
    FIDE Rating list january 2013 fide.com

    Magnus Carlsen is going to play 5 of the top 10 players of the world in The 75th Tata Steel Chess Tournament: 11 – 27 January 2013 in Wijk aan Zee