A Friday post in March titled Leonardo da Vinci Played Chess, should have ended with a question mark: Leonardo da Vinci Played Chess?. As one Leonardo scholar put it, 'There is not an earthly chance of [the drawings] being by Leonardo': Historical Stalemate: Chess Book May Have Leonardo Illustrations (or Not) • 'Reported discoveries of lost works by Leonardo da Vinci are almost as common as, well, images of the Mona Lisa. The latest attribution to be proposed involves the design for the illustrations in a chess book from around 1500.' [NYTimes.com]

A feature post from a few weeks ago titled Catching Up with Kasparov only caught up with the 13th World Champion through the death of the 11th Champion Bobby Fischer in January. Other newsworthy stories have appeared during the intervening months.

• Life After Chess • 'Former champ Garry Kasparov still sees the world in terms of pawns and kings -- and thinks you should, too.' [Newsweek.com] • Life After Chess -- Kasparov in Newsweek • 'Recently Garry Kasparov wrote a eulogy for Bobby Fischer in Time Magazine. This week the former world chess champion and author of general life strategy books is featured in a Newsweek article, conducted via Skype call. Other stories tell of Kasparov's detention on a trip to Sochi, his lawsuit against a pro- Kremlin youth organisation and his question to US Presidential candidates.' [Chessbase.com; also links to 'Other stories']
  
  
• LN: Czechs to pay 100,000 crowns for a game with Kasparov • 'The fee for a chess game with former Russian world champion Garri Kasparov is 80,000-100,000 crowns at the "commercial chessboard," Adolf Cervinka from the GPA agency that stages a simultaneous exhibition at the castle Hluboka nad Vltavou, South Bohemia, told the paper Lidove noviny out Wednesday.' [PragueMonitor.com]
  
  
• Kasparov attacked with smoke flare in central Moscow • 'Moscow police detained two students accused of throwing a smoke flare at opposition leader and chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov, a police spokesperson said on Thursday.' [see links to 'other articles'] • Garry Kasparov appeals ruling in favor of Kremlin youth group • 'Russian opposition leader Garry Kasparov appealed on Tuesday against a court ruling that rejected his charges of slander against a Kremlin-backed youth group, an opposition coalition spokesman said.' [both Rian.ru]
  
  
• Russian inflation overshadows May Day demonstrations • 'Thousands of people across Russia attended May Day demonstrations Thursday, with worries about soaring prices overshadowing official calls for unity a week ahead of President Vladimir Putin's departure from the Kremlin.'
  
  

How much is 80,000-100,000 crowns? We calculate around 5,000 US$!