Every chess player blunders. Even the brains of the very best in the world sometime take a day off. We are humans, and errors are an inherent part of human nature. And yet, few things in chess are as discouraging as losing a good game after a silly mistake. Sometimes, one blunder spoils an entire […]
Monthly Archives: December 2022
Among the numerous powerful new features in Chessbase 17, one of the most striking has to be the introduction of the Buddy Engine in the panoply of engine tools. This innocuous named tool is the lynchpin in the new engine data shared with users, effectively innovating on a standard that has changed very little in […]
Following Daniel King’s recap of ‘Novotny’ patterns, Jon Speelman could not deny himself the pleasure of analysing the game played by Vasyl Ivanchuk which motivated the theme’s resurgence. Speelman writes of Ivanchuk: “Of all the players that I’ve ever faced over the board, I’ve always considered Ivanchuk the most talented, with no exceptions”. | Photo: […]
Two young rising stars claimed titles in the blitz section of the Tata Steel Chess India event. Arjun Erigaisi and Vaishali Rameshbabu made their country proud as they got clear victories in the 18-round tournaments organized in Kolkata. The Indians outscored top-notch opposition on their way to memorable triumphs at the imposing National Library of […]
In 1968, the American magazine Chess Review introduced Michael Basman as “another bright B” in the tradition of famous British chess players represented by Bird, Blackburne and Burn. “Basman would never be the brightest chess star in this constellation of Bs, but he became the most doggedly extra-terrestrial of all of them,” writes Jonathan Manley […]
After Nihal Sarin and Anna Ushenina claimed titles in the rapid tournaments of the Tata Steel Chess India event, the 2-day blitz section kicked off on Saturday. The women’s tournament saw Mariya Muzychuk having a blasting start, as she scored 8/9 points to grab a commanding lead. In the open, meanwhile, Arjun Erigaisi tops the […]
Judit Polgar of Hungary, the strongest female chess player of all time, will be inducted into the World Chess Hall of Fame during the 6th Annual Strategy Across the Board Gala hosted by the Saint Louis Chess Club and World Chess Hall of Fame (WCHOF) on Saturday, December 3 in Saint Louis, Missouri. | Photo: […]
It’s too expensive. It is overpriced. The complaints are as widespread as they are common. We hear it all around us, we have said it ourselves. So how does one handle this when on the fence? Some thoughts on the decision process.
Aleksandra Goryachkina broke the deadlock in Pool B of the Women’s Candidates, as she defeated Alexandra Kosteniuk with the black pieces in game 3 of their match. Meanwhile, Tan Zhongyi held a draw in a rook endgame a pawn down against Kateryna Lagno — their confrontation is still tied. The fourth and final games of […]
There has been little change at the top of the FIDE world rankings. Magnus Carlsen leads ahead of Ding Liren and Ian Nepomniachtchi. The best woman player is Hou Yifan and the best juniors are Alireza Firouzja and Zhu Jiner.