The Royal Path

7/27/2016 – Every week ChessBase Magazine author and renowned endgame expert Karsten Müller presents a remarkable or particularly instructive endgame in his blog. A click on the diagram opens a larger board. Test your endgame skills, improve and have fun.

Jon Speelman's Agony Column #12

7/27/2016 – Errors, mistakes, blunders - sometimes this seems to be all that chess is about. Particularly so if you regularly analyse your games with an engine. But sometimes you happen to play a seemingly magical game in which everything falls into place and all your pieces work together to create a wonderful harmony. Games that fuel and continue the passion and the love for chess.

What chess history teaches us

7/26/2016 – While history might indeed teach us that history teaches us nothing, studying chess history is more rewarding. It helps to understand chess better and to play better. It is fun and helps to score more points. No wonder the renowned American author, coach and critic IM John Watson liked reading "The Big Book of World Chess Championships" by ChessBase editor André Schulz.

Biel live: Video and games

7/26/2016 – Yesterday, Peter Svidler and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave drew the first game with classical time-control of their match in Biel. The Juniors, however, played two decisive games. Today, Svidler and Vachier-Lagrave play their second game with classical time-control and the Juniors will try to win again or take revenge. The games began 14.00 CEST, on 17.00 CEST Daniel King starts his daily live-show.

Biel: Masters draw, juniors score

7/26/2016 – On Sunday Peter Svidler and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave played the rapid part of their match in Biel. Vachier-Lagrave won 2.5-1.5. On Monday the masters changed pace and played the first of four games with classical time-control - a draw. But the "Junior Challenge" brought two decisive results. In his video summary Daniel King provides an overview of the day, presents highlights and interviews the players. Video, impressions, games...

Eye of the Tiger: An Interview with Nigel Davies

7/26/2016 – Currently, Grandmaster Nigel Davies, author of 40 DVDs and 17 books, does not play in tournaments. But he attends them, as parental support for his 14-year-old son Sam. In this interview, Nigel discusses chess improvement, the concept of being fully engaged, martial arts and fighting, chess parenting, and why he and Sam are in different chess federations.

The 1st Stars Cup in Iran

7/25/2016 – Iran has been especially active in chess of late, organizing events such as the FIDE Women Grand Prix in Tehran, to the International Khazar Cup. Nevertheless, one of its most interesting was the recent First Stars Cup pitting a team of international grandmasters such as Nigel Short, and more, against a team of Iran's best players. The top performer was 15-year-old Maghsoodloo.

Gajewski succeeds in Najdorf Memorial

7/25/2016 – Miguel Najdorf was a successful businessman, a colorful personality, a man with a passion for chess and one of the best chess players of his time. He was born in Poland but when the Second World War broke out during the Chess Olympiad 1939 in Buenos Aires he decided to stay in Argentine. But Poland still honors him with a memorial that year after year attracts strong players. This year Grzegorz Gajewski won.

Alexander Grischuk wins match against Ding Liren

7/25/2016 – From 19th to 22nd July the Chinese number one Ding Liren, with a rating of 2778 currently number eight in the world, and Russian grandmaster Alexander Grischuk, with a rating of 2747 currently number 18 in the world, played a four-game match in Wenzhou, China. Grischuk won the first game from a worse position and Ding Liren did not manage to equalise the score in the following three games. Grischuk won the match 2.5-1.5.

Biel live: Video and games

7/25/2016 – The most illustrious event of the International Chess Festival Biel is the match between Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Peter Svidler. Yesterday's rapid games were entertaining and made one wish for more. Now follow four games with classical time-control interrupted by a rest day after two games. But one should not forget the strong A-Open. Daniel King comments the most interesting moments in a daily live-show.

49th Biel Festival starts with rapid action

7/24/2016 – The 49th International Chess Festival Biel has just started and will go from Saturday, July 23 until Wednesday, August 3 2016. Of great interest is the Masters Challenge, an eight-game Rapid and Classical match between Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, currently World number two, and Peter Svidler, number 14. Here is the illustrated report with video and games.

Daniel King's video analysis: Magnus Carlsen vs Anish Giri

7/23/2016 – Players in Bilbao got 3 points for a win, 1 for a draw, and 0 for a loss. Magnus Carlsen won the "Masters" with 17 points from 10 games, or, should you prefer the traditional 1-point-per-win-count, with 6.5/10. He won four games, lost one, and drew five. The game that secured Carlsen's tournament victory was his win against Anish Giri in round nine - the first time Carlsen could beat the Dutch in a game with classical time-control. Daniel King takes a closer look.

Bilbao Rd. 10: Three draws, Carlsen is first, Nakamura second

7/23/2016 – The tenth and final round of the "Masters" in Bilbao ended with three draws. Wesley So and Magnus Carlsen quickly had opposite-colored bishops on the board and drew after 38 moves. Sergey Karjakin and Wei Yi needed only 26 moves for a peace treaty and Anish Giri and Hikaru Nakamura drew after 48 moves. Carlsen won the tournament with 17 points from 10 ten games, Nakamura finished second with 12 points. Results and games...

Terror strikes near home

7/22/2016 – In a world that seems to have gone mad, it was yet another act of terror that has almost left us numb after so many in succession. Gunmen had entered the Olympia mall in Munich, killing eight. The laws of probability said that even chess might someday become a casualty and today seemed like that day might have come as a massive chess event took place right there expecting over ten thousand children.

Bilbao, Rd. 9: Carlsen beats Giri and wins tournament

7/22/2016 – Before Bilbao 2016 Magnus Carlsen had never won a game with classical time-control against Anish Giri. But in round nine of the "Masters" in Bilbao he finally did. This win must have been particularly sweet because it helped Carlsen to win the tournament with one round to go. Hikaru Nakamura and Sergey Karjakin drew and so did Wei Yi and Wesley So. Before the last round Carlsen now has 16.0/9 and is full five points ahead of Nakamura.

Tricky

7/22/2016 – Tactics can seem deceptively simple, particularly when seeing an engine analysing grandmaster games. Strange, however, how difficult it is to find the right move and to calculate variations properly when playing yourself. It is easier if you solve tactical puzzles regularly. In the ChessBase Magazine and his tactics column Oliver Reeh helps you to do so.

Daniel King analyses Carlsen vs Karjakin and So vs Giri

7/22/2016 – In round eight of the "Masters" in Bilbao Sergey Karjakin and Magnus Carlsen drew after only 19 moves. In his video analysis of the game Daniel King wonders whether Carlsen could have trapped Karjakin's queen instead of repeating moves. He also takes a look at the endgame that Wesley So won against Anish Giri - Wesley So's first win in the "Masters" and the only decisive game of round eight.

Bilbao, Rd. 8: Two draws and So beats Giri

7/21/2016 – In round eight of the "Masters" in Bilbao Magnus Carlsen and Sergey Karjakin played a last time against each before they will meet in the World Championship match in November. However, it was hard to get excited about the game which quickly ended in a draw through a repetition of moves. The games of the other players offered more, particularly the encounter between Wesley So and Anish Giri, which So won after being worse. With two rounds to go Carlsen continues to lead the field.

Uncompromising Chess Battles in Jerusalem

7/21/2016 – The third international tournament in memory of Gideon Japhet was concluded last weekend. It was the highlight of a spectacular summer chess festivity in Jerusalem throughout the first half of July, starting with the National Cup Games played in the first country’s railway station compound followed by a simul at the foot of the Tower of David. Pictures, videos, and great shots!

Johan Salomon is new Norwegian Champion

7/21/2016 – IM Johan Salomon is one of the greatest Norwegian talents. But in the National Championship 2016 he had a slow start - scoring only 2.5/5. But then he won the next four games and with this strong finish he managed to win the tournament on tie-break after a nerve-wrecking last round. Thomas Robertsen sends a report with lots of chess and lots of pictures.

Daniel King's video analysis: Magnus Carlsen vs Wei Yi

7/21/2016 – Round seven of the "Masters" in Bilbao saw three draws. The longest game of the round was Magnus Carlsen vs Wei Yi, in which the World Champion tried hard to create winning chances in the endgame. But did he have real winning chances at any point during the game? Did he miss something? And could have Wei Yi played better? In his video analysis Daniel King takes a closer look.

The duel: Magnus Carlsen vs Sergey Karjakin

7/21/2016 – Today, 21st July 2016, 16.00 CEST, Magnus Carlsen and Sergey Karjakin will meet in the eighth round of the Bilbao Masters. It is the last game these two will play before their World Championship match in November and it will be their 21st game with classical time-control. The current overall score favors Carlsen: He won 4 games, lost 1, 15 were drawn. All five decisive encounters were examples of brilliant modern chess. Here they are again – with comments by Mihail Marin, Sergey Karjakin and Magnus Carlsen.

Double the fun in Cardiff (2/2)

7/21/2016 – With classic castles, highlands, and breathtaking vistas, players coming to the South Wales Open might feel the chess is almost secondary, but chess was there too, and gritty with a nice selection of grandmasters and masters to keep interest up. In this second part of the illustrated report you will find plenty of games and exercises.

Bilbao, Rd. 7: Three draws on fianchetto day

7/20/2016 – Round seven was fianchetto day in Bilbao: in all three games White fianchettoed the king's bishop. The two Catalans of Hikaru Nakamura vs Wesley So and Anish Giri vs Sergey Karjakin were drawn without much excitement and Magnus Carlsen and Wei Yi eventually also split the point. Perhaps the game between Nakamura and So was the most interesting of the round - their heartbeat was measured during the game.