Mediaeval chess sharks

3/25/2003 – Where do you think first chess "professionals" turned up? We are talking chess masters who craftily lose to strangers, only to win the decisive final game by "pure luck". The Café La Regence you say? Wrong. It was in the Caravansarays on the Great Silk Road, the ancient trade route which is synonymous with adventure, mystery and wonder. Jamshid Begmatov tells us the story.

An historical picture

3/24/2003 – Do you know why the tournament in Monaco is called "Melody Amber"? When the first blindfold-and-rapid event was held there? Who won it and who won the subsequent tournament? We give you the results, games and pictures of round eight of this year's edition (Kramnik lost both games!), and then answer the above questions. Check it out here...

Black and white American queens draw match

3/24/2003 – Modern art on the walls, wine and cheese on the table, wigs on the players, and 25 minutes on the clock for two games. Irina Krush and Jennifer Shahade played a two-game rapid match at a New York City art gallery. An audience of chess lovers and art lovers watched them split 1-1. Our intrepid reporter braved the formidable buffet to bring you this report.

Wrong board game, John!

3/23/2003 – Round seven of the Melody Amber tournament in Monaco saw Peter Leko drop a point and the lead to Alexander Morozevich. Boris Gelfand picked up one against Evgeny Bareev to move into second, half a point behind Vishy Anand, who cruised along at the top by taking a point against Shirov. Meanwhile John Nunn was playing something completely different. We bring you results, standing, games and pictures.

Looking for a friend?

3/23/2003 – People who own Fritz 8 (or the interface compatible Shredder 7) will probably have seen an unusual message when they logged on to the Playchess.com server. The request would have been to upgrade the program, a process which involves a few "yes" clicks and a couple of minutes of your time. Here's a list of all the great new functions you get.

Leko, Anand lead in Monaco

3/22/2003 – At the 12th Amber Tournament, a combination of blindfold and rapid chess games, sponsored by Dutch billionaire J.J. van Oosterom, Peter Leko and Vishy Anand are in the lead with 8/12, half a point ahead of Kramnik and Gelfand. Our regular reports will resume on Monday, in the meantime after the half-way point we bring you standing, games and pictures.

Linares, Linares! – All over again

3/20/2003 – Why does Vassily Ivanchuk have trouble praying when he is thinking of God? Was Gata Kamsky's orange juice really poisoned? Was it a coincidence that general Juan Perea's son got married on the day Manolete was killed in the Linares bullring? Nadja Woisin searches for the answers in her review of a remarkable book by Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam.

And on the fifth day they rested

3/19/2003 – How much hotter can Peter Leko get? Right on the heels of his Linares win, the Hungarian is leading the Melody Amber tournament in Monaco. He tops the combined standings in a very tight field with 5.5/8. Kramnik leads the blindfold and is part of the large pack of players chasing Leko after four rounds. More..

The Too Tough for ChessBase Trivia Contest

3/18/2003 – How could anything be too tough for ChessBase readers? If you can answer all 15 of these questions correctly, it will prove that nothing is too tough! Beat Lasker on his birthday? Father preferred dominoes? Orange juice? Bears in trees?!? Win a copy of Shredder, a book signed by Kasparov, or training newsletters. Good luck! More..

Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Meeting 2003

3/17/2003 – The organizers of Dortmund are so organized that they sent out their March 17th press release on March 16th! When you have a tournament this good, you want to get the word out asap. It's a Linares-style double all-play-all with six players: Kramnik, Leko, Anand, Naiditsch, Bologan, and Radjabov. It runs July 31 to August 10. Full press release here.

Iceland: Mikhail Gurevich wins clear first in Edda Rapid

3/16/2003 – Russian-Belgian GM Mikhail Gurevich used the French to finish a point ahead of an all-star field in Reykjavic, Iceland. His 8/9 score put him out of the reach of big names like Shirov, Adams, and Topalov. His reward was not having to share any of the $10,000 first prize. Results and a selection of games for download and online replay here.

Melody Amber Blindfold and Rapid Tourney Begins

3/15/2003 – Many of the world's top players are in Monte Carlo, Monaco for the 12th Melody Amber tournament that runs March 15-27. Seeing top GMs sitting in front of computers staring at boards without any pieces is enough to make you think you've gone mad. Which is what some people say playing blindfold chess will do. More..

This year just bring your brains, gentlemen

3/12/2003 – The 16th Ciudad de León, June 5–9, will not be an Advanced Chess tournament (like the previous five), with the players using computers during the game. This year they will use their brains and nothing else. But at least these are of very high caliber. The participants are Topalov, Ponomariov, Vallejo and Karjakin, with Elos ranging from 2743 to 2547. Details are to be found here...

Grandmaster Ludek Pachman dies at 78

3/12/2003 – He was an icon of the times, a great chess player and a political activist, who after the Soviet invasion of his native Czechoslovakia was tortured almost to death in a Prague cellar. After this harrowing experience Ludek Pachman moved to Germany and started a successful career as a chess columnist and author. He was also one of the first GMs to play a game against a computer. Read all about it in our farewell to Ludek Pachman.

Kasparov's outburst over beauty prize in Linares

3/11/2003 – Justice should be blind, but should beauty? At the closing ceremony the prize for the most beautiful game went to Kasparov-Radjabov. The teen's win over the #1 was a landmark moment, but Radjabov had a losing position and it took a "??" move from Kasparov to create the upset. Kasparov erupted at the ceremony and went after the journalists who had voted. Who was wrong? Everybody...

Not long before the end

3/11/2003 – Here at chessbase.com we receive a lot of mail. Usually it is about general subjects and topical news. Occasionally we receive very personal messages from people asking for assistance. Today there was a message in our inbox from a very depressed grandmaster. We share his poignant missive with you. Perhaps someone out there will find some words of reassurance.

Ivanchuk slept here

3/10/2003 – No, not in the house on the right – that's where the dogs fall off the cliffs! In her closing report from Linares Nadja Wittmann finds proof that her room in the Anibal hotel was previously occupied by Vassily Ivanchuk, describes the unforgettable taste of fresh olives and shows you the banners Spanish mayors are putting up on their town halls. Curious? See it all in this remarkable picture gallery from Linares.

Hungary Rejoices! Leko Beats Anand to Rejoin Lead

3/9/2003 – It's all about the Leko in Linares. The former Schlechter Award winner bounced back from his loss in round 12 to defeat none other than Vishy Anand for the first time ever and moved back into a tie for first with Kramnik. Anand fell to a tie for 3-4 with Kasparov, who was held to a draw by Vallejo. Kramnik-Leko in the final round! More..

Kramnik-Leko, Anand-Kasparov Drawn. Leko Takes Title

3/9/2003 – According to the traditional Linares tiebreak system of 'fewest draws,' Peter Leko has won his first title of Linares champion! His game with Kramnik was a solid draw and both players finished with 7/12. Anand and Kasparov drew and finished 3-4 with 6.5/12. Ponomariov won against Vallejo. Report and games here.

It's in the news: teen beats Kasparov

3/8/2003 – It happened two weeks ago, but now the news has suddenly broken in the broadsheets: the world's strongest chess player Garry Kasparov was beaten by a mere teen! "The duel of David and Goliath – culminating in Kasparov's failure to shake Radjabov's hand afterward – was a highlight of the Linares Chess Tournament," more than a dozen newspapers wrote. You will find a click-list of them here...

Anand Moves Back Up, Leko Back Down

3/8/2003 – Just two more rounds to play in Linares and there has been another shake-up in the standings. Co-leader Leko lost to local player Vallejo to drop to +1. Anand beat Radjabov to rejoin Kramnik, who is still sitting on +2 like a mountain. Can anyone topple him? Ponomariov-Kasparov was a steady draw. Report, photos, and analysis here.

The Winner of Wijk

3/8/2003 – Before the super-tournament in Wijk aan Zee we asked you to predict who would win and how certain players would fare. We got hundreds of answers, many veritable essays on the strengths and weaknesses of the individual participants. We asked the wife of the Wijk aan Zee winner to select a recipient, and her husband dutifully commemorated the prize with his signature. Check quickly if you were the lucky winner.

Doesn't Anyone Want to Win Linares?

3/7/2003 – With three days to go the standings have remained unchanged for three consecutive rounds. The draw percentage in the tournament has now gone over two-thirds after three more piece treaties were signed today. Kramnik-Anand was the liveliest of the trio. Kramnik and Leko still lead with +2, Kasparov and Anand are right behind at +1. Who has a finishing kick? More..

Peace Now! At Least in Linares

3/6/2003 – We're out of draw jokes, but for the second round in a row all games finished without a winner. The organizers were checking their watches. Over so soon?! Leko was in a mess against Kasparov but solved the puzzle to draw. Radjabov abandoned the French and it almost paid off against Ponomariov. Vallejo-Kramnik gets the round's pollo award for lasting just 13 moves. More..