6/21/2017 – We celebrated his longevity just two weeks ago. It is with regret that we now share the passing away of Zoltan Sarosy, who died at the very ripe age of 110, making him not only the oldest man in Canada, but easily the oldest chess master ever. Born in Hungary in 1906, and learning chess at the age of ten, the lifelong aficionado effectively played it for 100 years, still playing in his 100s, which helped him maintain an astonishingly healthy brain until the very end.

6/21/2017 – Day four saw a few astonishing results in the Open section that none could foresee. The Turkish team, which came as one of the lowest rated in the field, faced Poland, hitherto resting on a perfect 3/3. The Turks had done excellent, drawing two top teams, but in round four, they defeated Poland in a big upset. Still, the biggest surprise had to be India’s crushing 3.5-0.5 win over the USA with some inspired chess. Here is the illustrated report with GM analysis.

6/20/2017 – "I had the pleasure of first meeting Nihal in Stockholm at the end of last year," writes John-Paul Wallace. "He looked even younger than his tender age of 12, but it was immediately clear that he was a powerful chess player. A few days after this event I conducted a Skype interview with Nihal. As I think you will see, he is a very humble young man and undoubtedly he has a fantastic future ahead of him. I wish him all the best!" Interview in the June issue of CHESS Magazine.

6/20/2017 – Tonight at 5pm UK time Lawrence Trent goes on air on Playchess.com. In his show Lawrence Trent will be dealing with the latest trends, games and combinations from the elite chess tournaments. This week is all about Norway Chess. And one example from the American Continental Championship...

6/20/2017 – Today (June 20) is World Refugee Day, and we have a heart-warming story to support it. For over a year the city of Mosul, a major city in northern Iraq, has been under siege by the Iraqi army, which is trying to dislodge the militant forces of ISIS. The civil population is suffering unimaginable horrors, with 100,000 currently trapped in the final assault of the Old City. To help refugees overcome trauma and grief the British NGO AMAR arranged a three-day chess encounter with two Azerbaijani grandmasters in Dohuk, less than 75 kilometres from Mosul. AMAR now has plans to promote chess across the country.

6/20/2017 – If you are in trouble it often helps to look for hidden tactical possibilities. E.g. for a perpetual. Particularly so in the endgame.

6/15/2017 – It was a very tense round with so much at stake. Not only the top spot, which is still open to be challenged, but the world no.1 spot was under assault. Magnus Carlsen played a topsy-turvy game against Sergey Karjakin in which anything could have happened, but fortunately for him and his legion of fans, he won, and staved off disaster. Vladimir Kramnik was also visibly pressured by the possibility and lost to MVL. Full report and analysis by GM Alex Yermolinsky.

6/14/2017 – My, oh my, what a round. If these words sound like an echo of several of the previous ones, it is for good reason. Once again chess fans were treated to exciting chess, and tremendous drama. Who would have thought to see Magnus Carlsen not only lose his second game, to Kramnik, but also be tied for dead last. On the other hand, Aronian continues his streak, beating Karjakin and taking sole lead. Report with GM analysis by Alex Lenderman and Daniel King.

6/13/2017 – Wei Ming Kevin Goh is an International Master from Singapore who works full-time but still has the ambition to become a Grandmaster. He definitely has the enthusiasm it takes. On his chess.com blog he recently reviewed Vidit Gujrathi's DVDs on the Caro-Kann - with passion, an independent analytical mind, and a good eye for details. After some criticism he concludes that "this DVD is a must for anyone rated above 1800 who wishes to study the Caro-Kann from both sides" and "you will not regret buying" it.

6/13/2017 – The pawnless endgame rook and knight vs rook is usually a draw. Things change, however, when pawns are on the board. But an extra-pawn is not necessarily good for the defending side.

6/13/2017 – It happened eight years ago: in the third round of the Mayor's Cup 2009, 19-year-old Sagar Shah was pitted against the strong Russian grandmaster Vladimir Belov. A product of the Russian chess school, Belov was stronger than the Mumbai boy by nearly 400 Elo points. Sagar's confidence had reached rock bottom. He left for the round from his home with a mentality of already having lost the game. On the way to the playing hall, a miracle occurred! Check out the article to see what transpired.

6/13/2017 – Though it was not the only result of the day, it was certainly the most significant one. The opening went well for Aronian, and very quickly things soured for Kramnik who was lost after just 22 moves. A huge win for the Armenian who also rejoins the 2800 club. Anand broke out of his rut as he soundly defeated Caruana with black, while Giri will be kicking himself as he squandered a won game against So. Illustrated report with GM analysis by Daniel King and Tiger Hillarp-Persson.