Chess Fundraiser Success
May 17th, at the Karpov 2010 fundraiser in NYC. From left to right, Richard Conn, Anatoly Karpov, Alan Trefler, Magnus Carlsen, and Garry Kasparov. Photos courtesy of Karpov2010.org
The event was amazing -- getting widespread coverage with 29 original articles/blogs yielding 95 media placements including Associated Press, The New York Times, The Moscow Times CBS News, Forbes, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Newsday, San Francisco Chronicle, MSNBC, The Guardian, etc… (Now we just need to get BPM into the mainstream media, a challenge I am happy to say, Pega is making good progress on.)
A personal highlight resulted from winning the charity auction (together with Boaz Weinstein -- a chess master and prominent Wall Street personality) to play with -- and then against -- both Garry Kasparov and Magnus Carlsen in a pair of 15-minute matches. Enthusiastic play-by-play coverage was provided by chess grand master Maurice Ashley.
Though called "consultation games", the play really has the members of each team independently playing alternate moves – leaving the lesser players (Boaz and myself) with the persistent fear we were missing what our partner's previous move had intended. Game one (below) started well with Garry and I playing white with a queen's pawn opening and winning a piece – only to have yours truly be overcome by mental cobwebs to miss a passed pawn that sealed our fate.
Myself and Garry Kasparov playing Magnus Carlsen and Boaz Weinstein
For the next game, Magnus was my partner (see below) and as black we found ourselves defending the Advance Variation of the French Defense. My cobwebs had begun to clear and we were able to launch a devastating counterattack against our opponents disjointed pawn structure and then drive out their king to win. Despite the rough first game, the experience was a blast.
Alan Trefler and Magnus Carlsen at Karpov 2010 Fundraiser
If you are interested in learning more about the event, and the movement to put chess back into the mainstream, be sure to check out www.karpov2010.org as well as coverage of the event. I recommend the NY Times Chess Blog and the NYTimes City Room Blog.
Alan Trefler
Alan Trefler is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Pegasystems. He also serves as Chairman of the Pegasystems Board of Directors.
Alan was named The American Business Award's “Software CEO of the Year” for 2009. He was also named “Public Company CEO of the Year” in 2011 by the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council. Alan has frequently presented to international audiences, written for major publications, and consulted extensively in the use of advanced technologies and work automation. In 2011, Alan was a keynote presenter at the Baron Funds Conference. He has been profiled in national print and broadcast media including CNBC, Fox Business News, Fortune Magazine, Inc. Magazine, Forbes, The Boston Globe, The New York Times, Bloomberg Television, Barron’s, Reuters, and Investor’s Business Daily. Alan has also been named the inventor of five issued US patents and several US and international patent applications for Pegasystems' distinctive Inherited Rule-Based Architecture, which provides the framework for Pegasystems' rules-based Business Process Management (BPM) solutions.
Alan’s interest in computers originates from collegiate involvement in tournament chess, where he achieved a Master rating and was co-champion of the 1975 World Open Chess Championship. His passion and support for chess and the game’s community and current champions continues to this day. Alan holds a degree with distinction in Economics and Computer Science from Dartmouth College.