Chess on the Strip

1/10/2005 – Normally you go to Las Vegas for other things than to play chess. But at the end of December about 500 people congregated there, 20 of them GMs, to do just that. Our reporter Ilya Krasik started off with a $500 blackjack debacle and ended his stay at the receiving end of a thoroughly indecent proposal.

Highlights of Cracovia 2004

1/9/2005 – From December 27 to January 4 there was an interesting Chess Festival in the historical Polish city of Cracow, with a total of 400 participants in four groups. We were contacted by one Karol Olko, who sent us pictures and information and, with great journalistic instincts, pointed out the highlight of the event. You are going to want to remember the name Kamil Tomsia.

Indian Ocean Tsunami, Brunei Open

1/8/2005 – On December 26 a very strong earthquake occurred, 100 miles west of Sumatra. It spawned a Tsunami, a tidal wave, which hit the coasts of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand, taking the lives of at least 175,000 people. Here's a letter from the organisers of the Brunei Open and our special Tsunami report.

Prasad and Tram win Asian Junior

1/6/2005 – The 27th Asian Junior Chess Championship 2004 was held in Bikaner, India. Victory in the boys' section went to 16-year-old S. Arun Prasad of India, and in the girls' section to Hoang Thi Bao Tram, the Vietnamese Sub Junior Girls Champion. The host nation clinched a total of five medals. Here's an illustrated report by Manmohan Harsh.

Fritz & Chesster 2 gets five-star review

1/6/2005 – Our children's chess teaching program is out there, generating thousands of new chess players. Like no other chess software "Fritz & Chesster" has scaled the mail-order lists, landing on the top of the Amazon top-sellers. Now version two is out and getting rave reviews.

GM Arnold Denker, 1914–2005

1/5/2005 – In his heyday he was a prize boxer and one of the most aggressive chess players. Arnold Denker used his tempestuous style and slashing assaults on the world's top players, drawing five world champions in his career. Now the former US Champion (1944) and great chess promoter has died at the age of 90. Here's a portrait.

Radjabov: Kasparov is obstructing my career

1/5/2005 – We've heard this before: players who are not receiving the attention they feel they deserve, or who have been left out of a tournament (Linares?) it is traditional to blame it on Kasparov. Which is what Garry's "clone", the ex wonder boy from Baku, Azerbaijan, is now doing, in an interview on the web site Day.Az. We bring you a translation.

Shirov, Nielsen win Drammen

1/5/2005 – Alexei Shirov outplayed Bartlomiej Macieja in a Classical Sicilian to clinch first place on tiebreak in the Smartfish Chess Masters in Drammen, Norway. Peter Heine Nielsen, who had been leading most of the way, conceded a quick draw to share points and prize with Shirov. Here's an extraordinary illustrated report.

Smartfish sensation: Carlsen defeats Shirov

1/4/2005 – Here's the situation: a 14-year-old boy has to play a tournament game against one of the most dangerous players in the world, one of the top ten no less. But it is firebrand Alexei Shirov who succumbs to the ferocious attack and relentless pressure of his youthful opponent. Illustrated report.

Topalov overtakes Kramnik in FIDE rankings

1/3/2005 – For almost a decade we have grown used to three players topping the world chess rankings: Kasparov, Anand and Kramnik. Now Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria has taken over place three. Kasparov barely managed to keep above the 2800 mark, with Anand is just 18 points behind. Details...

Slugfest in Amsterdam

1/3/2005 – In this year's first Playchess.com lecture Dennis Monkroussos shows us his favorite sort of game: a tactical slugfest between two exceptionally creative players: David Bronstein and Bent Larsen. It happened at the 1964 Amsterdam Interzonal and was key to both players' path to the world championship. See you Monday night!

International Chess Tournament Vienna 1882

1/3/2005 – 122 years ago a great tournament ended. In round three Wilhelm Steinitz drew after 36 moves, the first time he had conceded a draw in nine years. The first world champion ended the 18-player double round robin with 24/30, equal first with Szymon Winawer. Read all about it in this article from ChessBase Magazine 103.

Gelfand wins in Pamplona, Kuzubov in Groningen

12/31/2004 – That veteran GM Boris Gelfand should win a category 16 tournament a full point ahead of the field is impressive, but hardly surprising. That a 14-year-old should triumph in the Harmonie Chess tournament in Groningen, to climb to 2573 on the rating scale, is nothing short of mind-boggling. Read all about it in our end-of-the-year tournament wrap-up.

ChessBase Database tricks - part one

12/30/2004 – There are a lot of new features in ChessBase 9 and many aren't readily apparent unless you do a little digging first. ChessBase Workshop columnist Steve Lopez broke out the pick and shovel over the holidays to excavate some useful new items available in the database list. Read all about them in the latest column.

Forging friendship, renewing ties

12/30/2004 – Chess players have no winter breaks. While the Northern Hemisphere is enjoying tournaments in Norway, Pamplona, Hastings and Groningen, there was a tradition-filled event taking place on Christmas and Boxing Days over in Kuala Lumpur. Here is an extensive illustrated report on the Malaysia-Singapore Chess Challenge.

Caro-Kann Panov Attack

12/29/2004 – Steve Lopez doesn't just hate the Panov Attack; he loathes it. Steve would rather undergo oral surgery without anesthetic than face 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 as the player of the Black pieces. But a recent Air Post package saved him a call to the dentist. Here are his impressions of IM Zoran Petronijevic's new ChessBase Training CD in the latest installment of ChessBase Workshop.

The talented Miss Golubenko

12/28/2004 – She is 14 years old and 16-time champion of Estonia in various age categories. Valentina's trainers are her parents, both strong players. But the three Golubenkos, who live in Kohtla-Jarve, Estonia, are Russian citizens, and so Valentina cannot play in Youth World Championships. We bring you the story and a picture album of Valentina's chess career.

Smartfish starts with a bang

12/28/2004 – The Smartfish Chess Masters, part of the Drammen Chess Festival in Norway, is billed as a meeting between generations (age difference between the youngest and oldest GM: 60 years) and sexes (men and women's world champions playing). Here's a report with some marvellous pictures by Rune Elven.

Power, Intelligence, Spirit, Glamour

12/28/2004 – As you know, the Chinese women's team won Gold at the 36th Chess Olympiad in Calvià. It was their fourth consecutive Olympic victory, and the dream team was afforded a hero's welcome when they returned to Beijing. Posters and stamps commemorate their successes. Pictorial report...

The American Chess Gladiator II

12/26/2004 – In this week's Playchess.com lecture Dennis Monkroussos concludes his series on American prodigy Hikaru Nakamura, taking a closer look at his last-round war with Ildar Ibragimov in the U.S. Championship and at the concluding game of his match with Sergei Karjakin. Enjoy!

Looking for some chess?

12/26/2004 – Most people spend the Christmas holidays in the circle of their families. Not so chess players, who roam the globe in search of chess tournaments. We bring you the most exciting of these end-of-the-year events. In one Viktor Korchnoi will face a grandmaster who is 101 years younger than a previous opponent. Here are the details...

China wins Petrosian Memorial

12/25/2004 – They entered the nominally weakest team (average rating 2590), but China managed to beat Russia (2688), France (2627) and Armenia (2626) in this double round robin Internet tournament. The Chinese did not concede a single match, with the weakest player Wang winning the final game to clinch it for his side. Results and games.

Vladislav Tkachiev: the blitz revolution

12/23/2004 – What must we do to pull chess out of the doldrums? To make it a mainstream sport like golf and tennis. A reunification of the world championship title would be good, a rapid chess grand prix may also help. But there is one solution, one magic wand to solve all the problems, to really popularize chess. Read all about it in this remarkable interview...

Most and least aggressive world champions

12/23/2004 – Which world champion played the largest number of quick draws? Petrosian, Spassky, Kramnik? Who was the champion with the greatest fighting spirit? Fischer? Alekhine? Kasparov? And finally who showed the least willingness to fight in his younger years? There are some surprising answers in this statistical analysis by Johannes Fischer.