Here is an article about Garry Kasparov's visit to Philadelphia to promote his new book:

 

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/philadelphia/20071020_A_chess_masters_calculated_moves.html

 

I think it is funny how the article says "They barely looked up", referring to when Kasparov arrived. Then the picture in the article shows the chess players involved in games rather than listening to Kasparov.

 

If it were me, I would have taken this great opportunity to listen to Kasparov. There is always time for blitz but that was a one-time opportunity to meet with Kasparov.

A good friend of mine went to Kasparov's appearance. She ran into Jenny Shahade who waiting in line to get three copies of Kasparov's book autographed. Shahade invited her to attend the 1st session of the Philadelphia Girls' Chess Academy (on Sunday, Oct. 28 from 1:00-3:30 pm at the Watermark, 2 Franklin Blvd., 4th floor, between 17th and 18 st. and Vine and Callowhill - according to the brochure she sent me) and which is conducted by Shahade and is open to girls and women with a strong interest in chess.

She said the venue, an auditorium, was small, but full. She wanted to get her vinyl chess board signed by Kasparov, but didn't want to wait in the rather long line, not knowing if he'd sign her board since he was mainly signing copies of his book, How Life Imitates Chess, which she had already read and wasn't buying.

She and I had discussed Kasparov on ocassions and she was never a big fan of his personality. In reading his book, she said she found the chess passages interesting but the business applications of his philosophy (which is what the book is mainly about) rather silly. However, she found Kasparov to be a charming, funny, articulate and interesting speaker.  The audience was very respectful and attentive.

One odd incident she related was that there were many Russian-speaking people in attendance (bodyguards?). The man beside her, who had a strong accent, asked her to point out Kasparov for him. She did, and then, conversationally, asked the man if he was Russian.  He said no, he was Armenian. Kapsparov's mother, of course, is Armenian.

 

At any rate, she enjoyed it thoroughly, but nonetheless wouldn't recommend his book How Life Imitates Chess.

 

 

We need to get Jennifer Shahade to join Chess.com 

I agree, we should get more people like her to join.  Maybe we could even get Kasparov to join.    Just kidding.  It would be cool, though, to have (one of) the strongest player(s) in the world on chess.com, except that he'd probably have 5000 people asking to play him at once, and have him comment on every single move they made.