So far, this has been a disappointing World Cup. However, that doesn’t mean I haven’t seen great performances from certain players of different countries. I decided to make a list of the best players I have seen thus far in this tournament. So, who made my list? Cristiano Ronaldo? Kaká? Lionel Messi? Wayne Rooney? Fernando Torres? Think again! These players left, or are leaving, much to wish for with their dismal performances. This list is of the players who proved the gems that they are.

1. Mesut Özil- Germany

This is, in my view, the best player of the world cup. His speed, his dribbling ability, and vision to create an attack has been excellent for this attacking midfielder throughout the tournament. I can’t imagine anyone in Germany missing their star, Michael Ballack (who missed the cup do to an injury), since Özil, a 21 year old youngster of Turkish descent, is filling Ballack’s role magnificently. With his dazzling display and the consistency he has shown so far, he will quickly be bought from his current German club, Werder Bremen, as soon as Germany’s World Cup ends. He is no longer worth 4.3 million Euros as his stock has risen. I look forward to seeing him play in a better team, in either the English Premier League or the Spanish La Liga. A great break-out star!

2. Javier “Chicharito” Hernández-Mexico

The Mexican sensation didn’t disappoint in the World Cup. Chicharito (Spanish for little pea) managed to score two tremendous goals for Mexico in a total playing time of 169 minutes (less than 2 complete games). His first was a jaw-dropping goal against France where he broke the offside trap and ran towards the French goalkeeper, Hugo Lloris, at an amazing 19.97 mph (the fastest player of the tournament according to FIFA), easily feinting him and scoring the crucial opening goal. Against Argentina, he netted a great consolation goal as Mexico succumbed to Argentina 3-1. England’s Manchester United was smart enough to buy this recently turned 22 year-old before the cup, saving money and beating several European clubs for his services. On July 1, 2010, Chicharito will become Manchester United’s first ever Mexican player and Red Devil fans are looking forward to see this ambidextrous striker take some goal-making burden from Wayne Rooney.

3. David Villa-Spain

The prolific goal scorer from Valencia, where he scored 107 goals in 166 games, has recently been bought by Barcelona to accompany Messi in the attack. Villa is Spanish magic, his speed and abilities to shake off defenders on the pitch make him one of the world’s most dangerous strikers. He has scored 4 goals in this World Cup and it seems he will score more as Spain just entered quarter finals. His total tally for the Spanish national team is 42 goals in 62 Games. He looks set to be Spain’s legendary hero if they win their first ever World Cup. Definitely one of the most exciting strikers to watch.

4. Bastian Schweinsteiger- Germany

What?! Another German on the list? Well, yes. This midfielder, who plays regulary for Bayern Munich, is a Field Marshal on the pitch. He sets order and is the switch which sets up Germany’s tempo on the field. He is a player that pursues every ball, fighting for the rebounds and quickly filters passes out to Podolski, Klose, and Özil. This 25 year-old shows much maturity and coolness in the most nerve-racking moments and is fun to watch. His football skills are very, very impressive.

5. Luis Suárez- Uruguay

Everyone thought Uruguay was a one-man team, Diego Forlan’s team, but fellow striker Luis Suárez proved everyone wrong. The striker for Ajax, one of the top teams in the Netherlands, has scored 3 very important goals in this tournament. What makes him special? His speed and intelligence of moving to the right place, at the right time. The world expected Forlan to shine, but he has been overtaken by this 23 year-old as Uruguay’s fan favorite. Clubs all over Europe are now going to be after his services due to such a good performance in this World Cup. Uruguay still is alive in this tournament and I look forward to seeing him play more.

6. Keisuke Honda- Japan

You read right, a Japanese footballer is on the list! Honda not only is a great car manufacturer but also the last name of Japan’s most distinguished football player. In fact, he is so good, that according to FIFA, he is one of the players that incurred the most faults. Defenders have no way to stop him and resort to faulting him. He scored two goals this World Cup, helping Japan reach the Round of 16. Unfortunately, Japan got disqualified in penalty shootouts. Honda will serve as inspiration for future players in the Asian region as they, along with South Korea, have demonstrated that their football has improved drastically.

7. Alexis Sánchez- Chile

Fast, excellent ball control, and the ability to get by defenders as if he was covered in oil, Alexis Sánchez used this World Cup to show his qualities to the football world. “The Wonder Boy” helped an imposing Chilean team to advance to the Round of 16 where they, unfortunately, were humbled by Brazil. Teams, such as Manchester United, have expressed interest in obtaining his services. His ability to create attacks will certainly be noted by European clubs hungry for his outstanding play, and if Udinese of Italy is smart, they will sell him for a large amount of Euros to the bigger clubs. One of the most exciting wingers/attacking midfielders at this cup!

8. Michel Bastos- Brazil

No list is complete without at least one Brazilian present. Bastos is not as flashy as Ronaldinho or a prolific goal scorer as Ronaldo, but when you see him play– one sees magic. He can wiggle his way past defenders and his crosses are some of the best I have seen. He never gives up and he runs the whole game, looking for opportunities to wreak havoc on the opposing team. This 26 year-old winger/left back who plays for Olympique Lyonnais in the French league truly plays from the heart and sweats his country’s jersey. Prior to the World Cup, I had never heard of him but seeing his style of play, he is the Brazilian to watch, along with Luis Fabiano. Brazil is my bet to reach the finals, with only the Netherlands as the sole serious opposition from being in the finals. Will Bastos continue his assists and keep shining?

9. Eduardo dos Reis Carvalho- Portugal

The finest goalkeeper I have seen thus far in the Cup. The 27 year-old Eduardo did not concede a single goal until Spain’s David Villa scored against Portugal. In the game against Spain, Eduardo stopped many venomous shots from Villa and Fernando Torres but it took a single goal to knock him and all Portugal from reaching quarter finals. His saves reminded me of Oliver Khan’s brilliant performances in 2002.

10. Arjen Robben- Netherlands

I have always liked the Netherlands national team, they always seem to be a clockwork orange and are like a well-lubricated machine. Though they have won all their games in this World Cup, they still have yet to show us beautiful football. Robben has only played 2 matches in this tournament, due to starting the cup with a recent injury, but he has quickly shown the quality of player he is. Despite not being 100% fit, his presence on the pitch automatically improves Holland’s game drastically. On his first match in the tournament, one of his strikes bounced off the goal post and rebounded to a fellow Dutchman, allowing an easy score. He also was responsible for scoring a great volley against Slovakia in the Round of 16, showing off his speed and powerful left kick. Robben has impressed since last World Cup. Can he do it against Brazil?

There are people who play poker, people who play dominoes, people who play Uno, people who play Counter Strike… and then there are people who play chess. I am one of the latter. Chess is my favorite board game of all time. Why? Because it is a mental war game! It requires deep thought, focus, and creativity. Opponents have to prepare both a defense and an attack and must endeavor to outwit each other… aiming for the precious capture of the enemy king… the checkmate! I learned to play chess when I was 13 years old and have been hooked ever since. I would be lying to you if I were to tell you that I have always played throughout the years. In fact, it is a hobby that I leave and come back to from time to time. This is because in my social circles, hardly anybody knows how to play chess… and if they do, they usually aren’t good at it. It is not that fun to play with someone who only knows how to move the pieces, the game requires the strategy of a knowledgeable opponent to make it interesting. I used to think I was a strong player in my teens and in my early 20s. That was until I started playing with a 40 year-old co-worker named Victor. Oh, my God… the guy annihilated me so bad that I still have nightmares! He would even give me odds of a knight and a bishop! It hurt my ego so I started reading chess books and opening theory. I learned tips and tricks and used them accordingly against him. It took weeks but then he would only give me a pawn… and soon we started our games on equal terms. I must have played over a hundred games with him! I did manage to beat him about 40% of the time eventually. Whatever I learned, he would learn from me during our matches, so I was only making him stronger! I started employing the Queen’s Indian Defence, the Caro-Kann, the Grünfeld Defence and the Queen Gambit’s Accepted! Sadly, I changed jobs and never saw him again. I still miss our grand chess games during our breaks and lunch hour.

Since Victor was a strong player by my standards I decided to read chess books… to become a better player. However, with school and other work (and the fact that nobody at home wanted to play chess), I walked out on my hobby. I just recently returned in full force! I bought a large, hand-carved wooden chess set made in Bethlehem worth $300 and I also bought Garry Kasparov’s book, On My Great Predecessors. It is part one of a 5-part series in which the 13th world champion, Kasparov, analyses the games of the early masters and tracks the evolution of chess to modern times. Kasparov is actually considered one of the greatest players to ever play the game, with a peak FIDE (the mafia that organizes chess tournaments) Elo rating of 2851 in addition to him being World Chess Champion from 1985-2000. The book is a compilation of masterpieces played by the best players both before and after the World Chess Championship was established and includes select games from the first four official world champions: Steinitz, Lasker, Capablanca, and Alekhine. It is interesting to note that there were several “unofficial” world champions… Philidor, Le Bourdannais, Staunton… and most notably Adolf Anderssen of Germany and the great Paul Morphy of America. These players were vastly ahead of their time. Anderssen dazzled everyone with his combination play in which he often sacrificed a rook, a bishop, even a queen to checkmate his opponents! He was the strongest player in Europe with no equal… that is, until “The Pride and Sorrow of Chess”, Paul Morphy, obliterated all opposition in both the New and Old Worlds.

Paul Morphy is actually my favorite chess player of all time! I would like to tell you about him. As Kasparov states in his book, Morphy was a “super-genius”. He was the epitome of a child prodigy. Born in New Orleans in 1837, he always surprised his family with his intelligence and acute memory. He learned chess from his father and his uncle, who valued chess as a family past-time. He learned just by looking at his father and uncle play, and upon their finishing a certain game, Morphy pointed out that his uncle had missed a “checkmate”. They were in shock since they did not even think he knew how to move the pieces, much less know any tactics. Morphy even arranged the chess board and demonstrated how his uncle had missed the checkmate! Naturally, his family encouraged him to play at the local chess club and at home, and soon, he made everyone his bitch… General Winfield Scott, while camping in New Orleans, asked his aides to bring him the town’s strongest chess player for an evening’s game. The general thought of himself as an extraordinary player and felt insulted when his aides brought him a 9 year-old Morphy, he thought it was a prank but his aides told him that everyone said the young Morphy was the strongest player around. Needless to say, Morphy vanquished the General not once, but twice. The General refused further games with him and preferred to go to bed! Sometime later, Löwenthal, one of Europe’s distinguished masters, visited New Orleans and consented to play with a 12 year-old Morphy… a few moves into the very first game and he knew he was facing a chess monster… he swiftly lost 3 games during his visit. Morphy went to get a law degree by the age of 19, and legend has it that he memorized all of Louisiana’s penal codes! However, he had to wait until he was of 21 years of age to practice law, so he decided to return to chess in the meantime. The rest is history. He easily became national chess champion by beating Paulsen, a very strong chess player. He then set off in 1958 to England in search of a match with the great English master, Staunton. He easily beat all the top English masters and Staunton, out of fear, refused to play him. Also, he beat Löwenthal yet again (+9 -3 =2)! However, Morphy was nice enough to buy his defeated opponent furniture with the prize money. Not satisfied, he crossed the channel into France. There, he beat all the top French players! Still not content, he challenged the awesome Adolf Anderssen to a match. Anderssen was not a coward like Staunton and accepted if only Morphy would wait until Christmas vacations since he had teaching duties. Morphy agreed and even pledged to pay Anderssen’s travelling expenses! While he thus waited for the German master, he kept busy crushing all opposition in grand style, even playing blindfold games with multiple opponents as exhibitions! He crushed two strong amateurs, the Duke of Brunswick and Count Isouard, who consulted with each other as to what to move during an opera, the well known “opera game“. Morphy, perhaps irritated because he wanted to see the performance, quickly destroyed his opponents in a mere 17 moves. When December arrived, Anderssen finally made it to Paris. Anderssen was given the title of ‘chess romantic’ and no one could match his combinations on the board. However, combinations, in which emphasis was placed on attacking as the best type of defense was to prove useless with the advent of positional theory, in which small advantages by position could render combinations ineffective. Paul Morphy, though also a combination genius, was the forefather of modern chess because his positional play was here to stay. Later, Steinitz would publish the first positional theories and made them known to the world. Reckless combinations were to become a thing of the past for the most part. Upon Anderssen’s arrival, Paul Morphy was very ill from an intestinal infection and was being treated with leeches. Morphy, subsequently, lost the first game against Anderssen, then forced a draw on the second game, and then won five in a row! The final score was +7 -2 =2 (Seven wins, two losses, and two draws)! Needless to say, he was a celebrity and Paris hosted a banquet in his honor, he was crowned ‘World Chess Champion’ (It is a pity that the official event of World Chess Championship was not established yet, so Morphy will always be “unofficial” world chess champion in the books). Upon returning to America, Morphy was hailed as a hero and was given a grand reception. In a short two years, he did something never before seen. Unfortunately, Morphy gave up serious chess competition forever upon his return. With the start of the Civil War, he was unable to practice law adequately and people sought him more for chess matters than for legal affairs. As it is with certain geniuses, Morphy started to exhibit signs of mental disorder. The disease progressed and he began to lose his grasp on reality, walking the streets of New Orleans everyday, disoriented and without purpose. He died of a stroke at the relatively young age of 47, in 1884. However, he will always be a chess immortal and many world champions since still regard him the best of them all.