3/23/2018 – Playing 13.Nh2! in the diagram position, White signals his ambitions on the kingside - however, until he finally strikes (on h6!) there a some subtleties left to find. Are you fit for the task?

3/23/2018 – Fabiano Caruana had to face his most persistent pursuer in Berlin, Shakriyar Mamedyarov, in the tenth round with the black pieces. Both players wanted to win the game and thus take a huge advantage into the remaining games, but ultimately played to bare kings. The tournament is still completely open at the top. On the other end of the standings table, Vladimir Kramnik staged a small comeback after several bruising defeats, by winning against Levon Aronian. Both the remaining games, Ding Liren vs So and Grischuk vs Karjakin were drawn. | Photo: Niki Riga

3/22/2018 – When we are kids we are mostly taught to play 1.e4, and the first mate we see is the one with Bc4, Qh5 and Qxf7++. It looks like chess theory is turning back to its roots when the move 3.Bc4 was much more popular than 3.Bb5. Nowadays all top tournaments are full of Italian games and the focus of the battle is transposed from the opening to the middle game which requires from both sides good knowledge of typical plans and ideas. Let Victor Bologan be your guide...

3/22/2018 – Chesthetica, an automatic chess problem composer, has been capable of composing all sorts of puzzles using the Digital Synaptic Neural Substrate (DSNS) computational creativity approach for some years now. I feel compelled to remind readers that this new approach has nothing to do with machine learning or artificial neural networks. Creativity is typically not something that can be ‘taught’ or ‘learned’. It also has nothing at all to do with ‘deep learning’. | Graphics: Sample additional Deviant Art images used in the DSNS composing approach

3/22/2018 – Chess is a mind game. When you sit at the board, it is just you, your thoughts and your emotions. In such a scenario having the right psychology is of utmost importance to serious tournament players. You may polish your opening knowledge, endgame skills, combinational abilities endlessly, but if you are not able to get in the right frame of mind then improving at the game is very difficult. With this in mind, Dr. Shrirang Joshi, a well-known psychiatrist and counsellor gives us three tips which can help us before, during and after the game. These are simple directives which are easy to understand, but quite difficult to implement. | Photo: Chess Directory

3/21/2018 – People are generally worried about draws, which are often considered “boring”, where games may last up to six hours. To the common viewer (non-chess player), this may seem dull, and many believe this has led to a decline in sponsorship. But what do the statistics tell us? Using data now available, Qiyu Zhou, a remarkably young scientist has undertaken a thorough study of the numbers and provides a paper on her findings.

3/17/2018 – The fifth round of the Candidates Tournament in Berlin brought the first round of all draws, but Levon Aronian missed a huge chance against Alexander Grischuk. Friday was a day full of surprises: Vladimir Kramnik overplayed his hand against Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and was dealt a painful loss, while Wesley So managed a fantastic comeback against Aronian, whose confidence looks shaken. Fabiano Caruana played a double-edged game against Grischuk and now shares the lead with Mamedyarov. | Photo: World Chess

3/16/2018 – When 26-year-old Vishy Anand got married to Aruna, his career was at a very delicate juncture. He was one of the top chess players in the world, but had not yet become a world champion. If the marriage didn't suit him well, he would have bled a lot of rating points. However, the marriage worked like a charm. Within a few years Vishy not only reached the number one ranking in the world, but also became multiple time World Champion. If there was one person who would get the major credit for all of Vishy's successes, it has to be his wife and manager Aruna Anand. Today being the Women's day, there could be no better time to acquaint you with the Iron lady of Indian chess, the Tigress of Madras - Aruna Anand.

3/16/2018 – One of the keystones to improving our understanding of the endgame is the endgame tablebase, a sort of oracle that first came into existence over 40 years ago. This revolutionary technology, that first saw light in the chess world thanks to computer scientist and pioneer Ken Thompson, has evolved a great deal since then. Here is a look at its beginnings and what each generation brought.

3/16/2018 – Black's king has the queen at its side, while the knight c8 is also ready to join the defence. And yet in the diagram position the case is crystal clear: White to play and win!

3/15/2018 – The strong "Reykjavik Open Robert Fischer Memorial" was won by the Indian grandmaster Adhiban Baskaran. The 13-year Nihal Sarin gave Indian fans even more to cheer about: he made his second GM norm. The best woman in the field was Deimante Cornette. | Photo: Gerd Densing

3/15/2018 – The outstanding players in the history of chess were dominating their eras in their very individual styles, which was also reflected in the way they tactically concluded their games. Now you have the opportunity to follow in the world champions’ footsteps - with this unique collection of combinations!