JAPFA: Where everyone knows your name (part one)

6/5/2017 – Enjoying the deep cultural history that Indonesia has to offer, and the passion for chess where you do not need to be an international celebrity to be recognized. The JAPFA tournament was held once more in Jakarta with hospitality to put most organizers to shame. Here is the illustrated report by Alina L'Ami.

Study of the Month: Dancing bishops

6/5/2017 – That's the subject of this month's pick by our study expert Siegfried Hornecker. He introduces us to three prolific Soviet composers, each of whom had created around 110 studies. While researching the background for his article Siegfried hit upon a coincidence involving the number 110. It involves the Canadian Master Zoltán Sárosy, and we have included a lovely interview with him at the end of the article. Can you guess what the coincidence was?

European Championship Rd5: Swings and surges

6/4/2017 – The 4th and 5th rounds of the European championship saw expected, yet exciting developments. After five rounds, four players stand at the top with 4.5/5: Cheparinov, Melkumyan, Kuzubov, and Fridman. All got there in slightly different ways, but all playing strong gritty chess. They are trailed by a huge pack of 27 players with 4.0/5, but with six rounds to go, the tournament is barely at the midway point. Report and analysis by GM Elshan Moradiabadi.

Grischuk vs Yu: the Signing Ceremony

6/3/2017 – On June 1 2017, the signing ceremony of Jiayuguan·2017 China-Russia Chess Grandmaster Summit Match was held in China Qiyuan (China Chess Academy). This match between Russian GM Alexander Grischuk and Chinese GM Yu Yangyi will held during July 19 to 25 in the city of Jiayuguan, a very important city of the silk road economic belt in China's "Belt And Road" strategy. The players will battle over four classical games. Here is the opening report.

Memory Techniques: Memory Palace, from Roman times to today

6/3/2017 – The Memory Palace is a name that has grown steadily into the mainstream of thought and culture. What not many realize, is that this system dates back over 2000 years and was written about in detail by intellectual giants such as Cicero, who was an enthusiastic proponent. In this first part on the Memory Palace, you will be introduced to what it is and its history (and how it can eventually be used with chess).

European Championship Rd3: Speedy Gonzales or Swiss Gambit

6/2/2017 – In an open tournament, the earlier rounds play as crucial role as the last rounds. Although, one can argue that every game has a point and one should remain focused and try to make the best of every round, we should accept that in a ‘giant swiss’, luck and turn of events play an important role in one’s result. The question becomes one of either giving a little to gain a lot, or trying to sprint ahead. Report and analysis by GM Elshan Moradiabadi.

Americans dominate Spring Classic

6/2/2017 – The Saint Louis Chess Club continued its quarterly strong GM invitational with three sections: the lowest with an average rating of 2530, the highest with 2640. These were created so strong grandmasters could test themselves against talent from around the world, and learn from the experience. In the top group, Akobian won convingly, in the C group Sevian cleaned out, but the true story was Awonder's annihilation...

Vlastimil Hort: Remembering Paul Keres

6/2/2017 – Paul Keres was perhaps the best of all the top players who never became World Champion. For decades he was among the world's elite and he was also an excellent commentator and renowned theoretician. Vlastimil Hort remembers his encounters with the great Estonian.

Hat-trick

6/2/2017 – 19.d6! Bxd6 in the diagram drags the bishop into the focus of the major pieces in the d-file, 20.Bxf6! gxf6 rips open the king's position, and then all White needs is... power move no. 3 which forces Black to resign. Have you spotted it already?

Mihaela Sandu replies to FIDE Ethics

6/2/2017 – When Mihaela Sandu was given the results of the investigation by the FIDE Ethics commission on her complaint, the verdict seemed quite good: punishments were to be handed out to all the signatories casting doubt on her integrity. The problem is that even the most severe sanction, a 3-month ban, was a suspended sentence, not to be carried out. At best, this was a symbolic slap on the wrist. Mihaela Sandu protests in this letter to FIDE.

Charity Chess: Using Chess to Help Others

6/1/2017 – When fifteen grandmasters pledge their support to a chess tournament, chess players pay attention. The first Charity Chess Championship promised a tournament of epic proportions: a typical quad tournament, a tandem simul with GMs Robert Hess and Marc Arnold, a Grandmaster Blitz tournament, raffles, and silent auctions. Organization costs aside, all the proceeds went to a nonprofit called Band of Parents, which funds treatments and therapies for neuroblastoma at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the tournament was truly a charitable cause. | Photos: Vanessa Sun

June 2017 Ratings: Majestic Mamedyarov is 2800

6/1/2017 – There can be no question it was a busy month overall. Consider that no fewer than 29 of the Top 100 experienced swings of 10 Elo or more. The biggest winner was unquestionably Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, who has had an amazing run, winning the Gashimov Memorial, scoring later 4/4 at the Russian League, and 2nd at the Moscow GP to finally reach 2800. Of note also was 14-year-old prodigy Awonder Liang, who earned 33 Elo and is now 2521. Report, stats, and more.

Speelman's Agony #53: Agony, Ecstasy and "Irony"

5/31/2017 – This week's games are by Romain Bernard, a Belgian in his late twenties. Born in Liège in 1990 (the same year as Magnus, but a month earlier), he began playing chess while in the second year at university, studying physics and engineering. and since February of this year has worked for Prevor as a junior material engineer. Breaking somewhat from tradition, Romain sent three games instead of two, with the third being described as 'Irony'.

European Championship Rd1: Surprises and upsets

5/31/2017 – It is all one could hope for in such a mega event as the European Individual Championship. Held in Minsk, Belarus, it is a field that is so strong that even the no. 50 in the starting list (GM Romain Edouard) is rated 2640. The top seeds are David Navara and Dmitry Andreikin, but incredibly both suffered a reversal in the opening round, and they were not the only ones! Illustrated report with plenty of analysis by GM Elshan Moradiabadi.

Royal support

5/30/2017 – It is well known that pawns are the soul of chess. And sometimes they are surprisingly strong. Particularly so when the king supports them.

Memory Techniques: An Introduction

5/30/2017 – Have you ever read about some genius who seemingly had a memory reserved for movies or fiction? Have you ever wished you had some of that, even if you have a good memory now, or can barely remember the number of your mobile phone? The fact is that these seemingly impossible feats are well within the grasp of anyone, if they learn some basic techniques of memorization. Here is an introduction.

Introducing Komodo 11

5/29/2017 – The latest and greatest chess engine is here, Komodo 11, helping chess players analyze and understand games and positions with ever greater skill and knowledge. That said, while there is no question the engine is an essential part of the equation, when you buy Komodo 11 at Chessbase, you get a series of other benefits such as a 6-month Premium subscription to ChessBase Account. Learn what’s new in Komodo 11 and why you should not delay in adding it to your stable.

Chess Informant Jubilee Tourney

5/29/2017 – Older readers will remember it well: for decades the Chess Informant – Šahovski Informator – was a lifeline for serious chess players. Two, later three issues per year provided a selection of games and top-grade analysis. Garry Kasparov, Anatoly Karpov, Vladimir Kramnik, and Viswanathan Anand have all said that the Informant was central to their tournament preparation. Now, after 50 years of publication, we are treated to a Jubilee Tournament of chess studies, which we bring you with the kind permission of Tourney Director Yochanan Afek.

Yermolinsky on Kupreichik: a chess eulogy

5/27/2017 – The unforgettable Viktor Kupreichik passed away a few days ago at the age of 68, and with him one of the greatest creative minds in chess passed away as well. Alex Yermolinsky readily admits he was one of his fans from an early age, and later had the chance to face him over the board. Instead of trying to neutralize Kupreichik's wild play, he invited it, leading to a game he explains "is so insane I can't even annotate it properly." Have fun!

Altucher podcast with Garry Kasparov

5/27/2017 – James Altucher is an American hedge fund manager, entrepreneur, bestselling author, venture capitalist and podcaster, founder of more than 20 companies. Also a chess master, Deep Blue trainer. His fondest wish was to play Garry Kasparov, which he recently did, during a podcast with the Champion. A one-hour discussion that provides unique insights into Kasparov's career, his match against Karpov, his training with Botvinnik, and a lot more. Miss this incredible discussion at your own peril.

ChessBase Magazine 177: Arsenal for the aspiring player

5/26/2017 – An issue packed with rich material. Four Great events, Women’s World Championship, Tata Steel (Carlsen overtaken by Wesley So) Gibralter and FIDE Grand Prix. 2284 OTB games, of which 149 are annotated. Commentators include Wesley So, Levon Aronian and Mihail Marin among others. Eleven opening surveys, ranging from the Sicilian to the Slav, to surprise your opponent! Exercises in opening traps, middle game tactics and endgame technique. DVD lessons by Rainer Knaak, Rogozenco, Simon Williams and Karsten Müller plus a live commentary by Danny King. CBM 177 offers both an armory and ongoing course for ambitious players. Review by Prof. Nagesh Havanur.

Blitz knockout

5/26/2017 – Sometimes a single well-placed piece can suffice to hold a game - like for example Black's magnificent knight in the diagram position. Yet here the case is different. White wins thanks to his space advantage on the kingside, marked by pawns on the 5th rank ...

Paul Morphy: how good was he really?

5/24/2017 – Did you ever wonder who was (or is) the best player of all time? Who would win if all 16 World Champions, plus Philidor, Labourdonnais, Anderssen and Morphy could play against each other in a tournament? How would Steinitz, Lasker or Capablanca cope against the best players from today? Such questions have no answer, of course, but are hotly debated.

Botvinnik and the Pirc/Modern

5/24/2017 – Continuing his look at how champions began to include new openings later in their careers, the tireless student of the game, GM Alex Yermolinsky, looks at Mikhail Botvinnik, 'The Patriarch', and his employment of the Pirc-Modern defense. He also shares his first encounter with the great player as a junior, speculates on what a Botvinnik-Fischer match would have looked like, and even mentions his secret match with Gata Kamsky when he was 14. Enjoy this great article!