Anand Easy Meat for Carlsen

www.chessbomb.com/arena/2019-grand-chess-tour-tata-steel/07-Carlsen_Magnus-Anand_Viswanathan

Viswanathan Anand was easy meat for Carlsen in Round 7 at the Tata Steel Rapid Chess in Kolkata today.

Having been following his games of late, I could see Anand is unable to think beyond one move or two moves, blundering away with rookie-style chess without showing any glimpse of a five-time world champion.

Anand was not just positionally down for most of the game, but even materially, which is uncommon when champions meet.

Anand has lost three games so far in the Rapids and salvaged a draw against Vidit Santosh Gujarathi in Round 8.

Incidentally, Vidit and Harikrishna drew with Carlsen in the tournament after having the World Champion on the ropes midway through the games.

G Joslin Vethakumar

Ram Raj or Ravana Raj?

www.ndtv.com/india-news/maharashtral-governor-acted-as-amit-shahs-hitman-congress-has-10-questions-2137472

Is this Ram Raj or Ravana Raj by religion-centric party?

If India comes out of the grip of majoritarian fanaticism, this will be the beginning of the end of Modi Raj. I may be dreaming!

G Joslin Vethakumar

Congress Missing Chidambaram

This clown (Ahmed Patel) is an MP because of master strategist Chidambaram. 

By virtue of being Sonia’s bigggg buddy, Ahmed Patel has the freedom to take the Congress to a point of no return. 

Without Chidambaram’s services, the Congress is doing everything possible to fade into oblivion. 

Like the BJP, the Congress too hates intellectuals and relies on mediocre people to gain support for the Sonia clan. 

Priyanka Gandhi, with husband Robert Vadra by her side, was part of the reason the party was given a drubbing in the last election, while imagining she will be its trump card. Vadra is enough to stop that from happening.

G Joslin Vethakumar

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Will challenge politically and legally: Ahmed Patel on Maharashtra drama – https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/will-challenge-politically-and-legally-ahmed-patel-on-maharashtra-drama/articleshow/72197085.cms?utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=iOSapp&utm_source=email

Trump is Right on China

www.nytimes.com/2019/05/21/opinion/china-trump-trade.amp.html

U.S. President Donald Trump is right on China and this New York Times columnist is fairly precise with his assessments on the trade war. 

Taken as a metaphor, the “human wrecking ball” allusion to Trump need not be viewed as a pejorative expression even if it appears to verge on abuse of freedom of speech in the U.S. Perhaps, Thomas Friedman is a fan of singer Miley Cyrus.

Protectionism, forced technology transfers, IP thefts, cheating on trade rules, subsidies,  aspiring to be a First World economy without giving up on Third World benefits and running trade deficits in excess of US$ 400 billion — how long more will the U.S. and the stupid West have to put up with China’s evil ways?

G Joslin Vethakumar

Strategy, Agility and Disruptive Thinking – As in Chess, So in Business!

Weigh up chess in mind and inescapably it will bring up how strategic planning is key to (grand)masterly play. It is a game where thinking deep ahead for perceptive execution is critical for a winning strategy. It is played out as much in business environs as on a 64-square board.

Chess is a combat platform where mental agility for a calm aggression (I don’t mean it in an oxymoronic way), and a clear line of attack come into serious play with disruptive thinking. Cutting into the competitor’s turf while strengthening one’s own defences for a crisp finish is central to the game.

In chess, a pawn can make deep inroads into a rival’s territory and become a Queen, stunning the opponent King into submission. Just as in business where new-generation innovators crush legacy market leaders and where Market Provenness trumps hype!

XaaS – From AI to the Cloud and Digital Execution for Convergence

With the idea of providing everything as a service (XaaS) all pervasive in the on-demand world of business, chess too has moved into the cloud with engines and programmes hosted there for purposes of analytics and playing, such as the one here: http://fritz.chessbase.com/?lang=en

In fact, chess had embraced automation and digital environs long before Artificial Intelligence (AI) became the chant that it is today.

It was in 1997 when Deep Blue, the IBM-designed chess computing platform, defeated the then reigning world champion, Garry Kasparov, in what was not a huge shock given that the human brain cannot process positions for counter-play as fast as machines can.

Surpassing Humans in Complex Cognitive Tasks

Much later, Kasparov acknowledged in his book, Deep Thinking, that “Deep Blue was conclusive proof that machines could surpass humans in complex cognitive tasks that we had long assumed were unique to our developed brains.”

He, however, offered a contradiction of sorts by going on to state that: “The human brain is an unmatched analogy engine, finding useful patterns to leverage our lifetime of experience to make decisions.”

He was perhaps driving home the message of Blended AI, where automation and a human touch combine to deliver a rich Customer Experience (CX).”

As-a-Service Offerings

While such offerings as  Software as a Service (SaaS) and Contact Centre as a Service (CCaaS) are going mainstream there are some deliveries that may have inherent vulnerabilities and complexities.

For instance, API-based Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) offerings may call for application of a robust endpoint security mechanism, with its openness prone to breaches. Just as in chess where a full-throttle offensive may weaken the king-side defences. It may even negate simplicity with the need for system programming as opposed to the ease of use with applications that require no more than configuration.

• I am not even talking about why CPaaS vendors did not figure in the Magic Quadrant ranking this year.

Deeper Machine Learning Evolutions

Back to the chess analogy, if the Deep Blue represented the Machine vs Man contest that captured the world’s attention, even years before that there were chess software programmes that gave players the ability to analyse moves and even compete against them on computers.

• During my active chess-playing days I had used those tools for deep analytical purposes involving gambits and defences to get a grip on opening variations.

While Deep Blue has since been retired, with the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC as its home, it has paved the way for deeper machine learning evolutions, including knowledge base systems.

Yet, without a well-conceived and executed strategy, whether in chess or in business, winning will prove elusive.

G Joslin Vethakumar

Singapore Must Guard Against Foreigners with Political Agenda

Foreign interference in Singapore’s internal affairs is anathema to the Government, rightly so. It is quick to take firm action against it aimed at not allowing political and communal mischief to fester!

I, however, feel it hesitates to show the same fervour when it comes to foreigners (and even citizens with their affinity lying elsewhere) with a political agenda in Singapore.

One professor pampered by the media in Singapore even used foul language against Rahul Gandhi, calling him a clown in a Tweet and mocking the Congress leader when the latter addressed a gathering here recently.

Foreign-Origin People Spreading Hate in U.K., U.S.

For instance, it is not difficult to discern that Indian nationals here and India-origin Singaporeans are politically aligned with the divisive government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi promoting majoritarianism.

Reckless Liberalism: The poison is being shamelessly spread in the U.K. and the U.S. by their citizens with Indian roots. That said, reckless liberalism has already put those countries at the mercy of aliens. Singapore, overflowing with foreigners, must guard itself against going the way of the U.K. and the U.S.

Recently, British Indians came out openly calling for voting against the Labour Party there just because the latter was critical of Modi’s actions in Kashmir.

In Singapore, it is dangerous for the Government and its India-origin Ministers to lean towards Modi, taken in by the latter’s anti-minority vehemence.

It must be remembered that Singapore is a multiracial country surrounded by neighbours of different faiths.

Modi fanatics in Singapore, not excluding journalists with The Straits Times, may be silently and subtly fomenting anti-minority sentiment. There could even be tensions at the workplace where Indians of different races work.

Let Singapore not be lax in dealing with communal and politically motivated aliens in the country and invite trouble.

G Joslin Vethakumar

Singapore Needs Transformational, Not Templated, Governance

Singapore has been a well-governed country since Independence in 1965. But signs of faltering are showing even as 4G leadership is set to be ushered in next year.

Recently, a report in The Straits Times highlighted how some firms in Singapore appeared to unfairly favour foreigners when hiring. The rationale for actions taken against such firms was worse. They were meant to ensure a level-playing field for Singaporeans.

Singaporean-First Mandate Essential: This “level-playing field” argument is plain trash. Singaporeans must have the edge in all hiring, without having to contend with aliens for jobs. If even this privilege is not available for them, there is no meaning in holding Singapore citizenship.

A Singaporean-first mandate is essential for both jobs and entry into prime STEM courses in educational institutions.

Even as foreigners were getting an unfair advantage there was another report in The Straits Times that was lobbying for easing restrictions on their hiring. Its pitch was that Singapore’s number-one ranking in terms of competitiveness masks some weaknesses such as curbs on hiring of foreigners.

Foreigner-Local Ratio Thinning: The foreigner-locals ratio in Singapore stands at 40:60. That is, 40% of the population comprises foreigners. Without easy hiring of aliens, how could this have happened?

If only the workforce is considered, it will perhaps be 50:50. This is only conjecture at this stage, but even a 40:60 ratio ought to be unacceptable. In large countries such as the U.S., foreigners make up only around 20% of the population.

Resentment among the citizenry started a few years ago when it unveiled a roadmap to grow its population by a couple of millions to seven million residents by 2030. It was taken to mean that Singapore was preparing to widen the entry points for foreigners to crash into the country.

4G Template: As Singapore is preparing itself for 4G leadership, expected by next year, Singaporeans can also look forward to templated governance. The identified 4G leaders appear to have been groomed for templated governance.

Some current ministers appear to be harping on the past without understanding the import of transformational governance.

Ministerial Disconnect: One minister, Iswaran, was recently quoted as saying that: “Staying open and being inclusive has underpinned the Singapore story and our journey thus far. I believe these values will endure as our cardinal points as we work with our partners from around the world, to navigate the path towards a digital future rich with opportunities and possibilities for our people.”

This even as Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong says that Singapore must be ready for a very different future.

There appears to be a disconnect among Ministers and the Prime Minister, though there is every possibility that Singapore will have templated governance when the 4G leadership takes control next year.

Singaporeans indeed will have to prepare for a very different future, as PM Lee has pointed out, and stay alert to policies that can compromise their interests.

One silver lining is that per a report in The Straits Times today that local tech graduates are growing in numbers and can be expected to plug gaps in the sector.

However, one nagging thought is that the country has failed to build a strong talent pool, particularly in the STEM area, to rein in reliance on international mediocrity in the name of “Foreign Talent”.

G Joslin Vethakumar

Cut-and-Paste Syndrome: From Bids to Governments and the Judiciary

The cut-and-paste syndrome, rather a menace, is common among sales and bid teams. In their pursuit world, customers care only about price with quality pushed to the backburner.

An obsession with boilerplate, tossing aside the value of customer-focused proposals, often ends with a compromise on quality, massively impacting the win rate.

In this instance, paragraphs from an old, unconnected case had wound their way into the Delhi High Court order rejecting bail to former Finance Minister of India, P. Chidambaram, in an Enforcement Directorate corruption case.

The howler does not appear to be a one-off instance, as a similar cut-and-paste job had surfaced a few months ago as well involving the same case.

Lifting paragraphs from an earlier petition and not even taking the extra effort to change names and other inaccurate details is a poor reflection of all parties in the case. With judgments often running into around a 1000 pages, I can empathise with the challenges confronting judges. But that can be no justification for pronouncements that sacrifice quality and betray haste.

If Governments and the judiciary have misplaced priorities, their integrity takes a big hit and brings in shame for the country internationally. When venerable institutions slip into mediocrity or, worse, toe the Government line, It will only be seen as demonstration of the decay that has seeped into the system.

When the Government becomes a customer of the judiciary, or vice versa, it only showcases an unhealthy state of affairs in the country.

Businesses, governments and the judiciary can ill-afford to rely on boilerplate for their submissions as a lot is at stake beyond mere embarrassment.

Incidentally, Harvard-educated Chidambaram comes from a super-affluent family of luminaries. His grandfather was a philanthropist and founder of Annamalai University (as well as some big financial institutions) and was referred to as the Raja of Chettinad. The family had also founded the Indian Bank.

G Joslin Vethakumar

Manic 11:11 Buying

Selling at Amazon and Lazada Just Hyped-up Events?

Phenomenal! I am unable to think of a better word to describe the success of Alibaba at the 11:11 sale, the Asian version of Black Friday, yesterday – with revenues exceeding US$38 billion on a single day on Singles Day yesterday. Record-smashing selling!

I am not certain how the likes of Amazon and Lazada performed, their revenues will perhaps be a fraction of what Alibaba realised.

I was carried away by the frenetic advertising for the last more than a week, with promises of discounts of up to 90%, and thought I could pick up some items I had in mind at bargain-basement prices. I was checking Amazon Prime, Lazada and a few other online sales portals for a few days in the run-up to the much-puffed event.

I was considering buying a Samsonite laptop bag and had narrowed down my preferred models to two – Samsonite Sefton Bailhandle Briefcase and Samsonite OpenRoad Business Briefcase. Amazon did not have Sefton but OpenRoad was available at a price of S$175 against a normal price of S$300.

Lazada had Sefton, but the price was not a penny less than the showroom price of S$270/S$310.

Since both the models were largely identical (perhaps Sefton is a little lighter), I decided to go with OpenRoad at Amazon. But when I added it to the cart and clicked on Checkout, I was given three shipping options – with the lowest being S$58.42 for delivery two weeks later. That will have made the price S$233.40. It was available at the House of Samsonite for S$210.

I moved from Amazon to the Samsonite online store where I was able to get a much better deal with a 11:11 promotional price of S$178.50 to be delivered within five days without any shipping fee.

Moreover, I can be certain that what I will get from Samsonite direct will be a brand-new product. In contrast, the online portals offer both old and new options and we will seldom know whether we get the right order.

My conclusion: These overhyped online sales events are not always what they are touted to be.

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/11/10/tech/singles-day-sales-alibaba/index.html

G Joslin Vethakumar

Wesley So, First Fischer Random World Champion

American Wesley So trounced Magnus Carlsen of Norway to win the Fischer Random World Championship title convincingly yesterday.

Carlsen had recently lost to China’s Ding Liren too even while not hiding his ambitions of becoming the greatest chess player ever.

None can displace Fischer from the perch he occupies.

G joslin Vethakumar

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Wesley So needed only six out of the twelve scheduled games to take down Magnus Carlsen at the final of the Fischer Random World Championship in Bærum. The final score was a resounding 13½:2½ in favour of the American, who thus became the official world champion in this format. In the match for third place, Ian Nepomniachtchi got the better of Fabiano Caruana after recovering from his painful loss against So in the semis. | Photo: Lennart Ootes / frchess.com
— Read on en.chessbase.com/post/fischer-random-wc-2019-final-day-3