Threat or no threat?

9/25/2015 – 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.

Baku 5.2: Eljanov, Giri advance

9/25/2015 – It's the end of the road for the last 2800 remaining in the tournament: Nakamura was simply unable to create any real chances to win against Eljanov today and he gracefully exited the tournament. The Ukrainian, now number 14 in live-rankings, is one of two people already in the semis. The other is Giri, who managed to outplay MVL in a long endgame.

Daniel King analyses Eljanov's win over Nakamura

9/24/2015 – Pavel Eljanov's win against Hikaru Nakamura was the only decisive game of the first round of the quarterfinals in Baku. Now Eljanov needs only a draw in his second game with Nakamura to advance to the semifinals. With 8.0/9 from his classical games in Baku Eljanov is also close to a historical record. Daniel King takes a look at this crucial game.

Welcome to Qatar Masters Open 2015

9/24/2015 – When top players like Anish Giri, Vladimir Kramnik, Wesley So, Sergey Karjakin and other 2700+ giants play in a tournament, the best we can do is watch them in action. If on the other hand you have always wished to play in the same event and cross swords with them, then Qatar Masters Open 2015 is your big chance. It is world’s strongest Open with a total prize sum of $130,000!

The world's smallest chess engines

9/23/2015 – In the world of chess computing, the actual records that are sought after usually deal with the chess engine 'arms race' for the highest Elo. After all, it is the easiest thing to measure. However, until recently there was another record that had stood the test of time for decades: the world's smallest chess engine. The new champions are as small as three Twitter messages.

Baku 5.1: Eljanov!

9/23/2015 – The man seems to be unstoppable. After winning his first six classical games and cruising through the first three rounds, he managed to eliminate Jakovenko in in the tie-breaks. And now Eljanov is going for even further glory: he was involved in the only decisive game of the day as he took down World #2 Nakamura. Eljanov is half a point away from the semi-finals.

Simon Williams: The English Opening Vol. 1

9/23/2015 – Simon Williams knows the English Opening - and loves it. After all it helped him to get his titles. He likes that you do not have to know much theory to play the opening and that White often can claim a space advantage. In his two DVDs about the English Williams now offers White a good, solid repertoire. Davide Nastasio looked at the first volume and was happy.

Baku Rd4 TB: Pure adrenaline

9/22/2015 – The title really says it all. Karjakin and Andreikin saved the excitement for the tiebreaks, and ended in Karjakin's favor. Anish Giri had little trouble stamping his authority on Wojtaszek, while Eljanov continued his great form and beat Jakovenko cleanly. The most exciting match by far was Wei Yi against Ding Liren with wild complications and playing with only one second on the clock!

Komodo 9 odds matches against GMs

9/22/2015 – Mismatches make great spectacles if done right. Watching Harry Houdini trapped underwater, wrapped in chains and fighting for his life to escape is thrilling. Will he escape or drown? It's a riveting question, because the odds are well-balanced and the great Houdini’s powers are pushed to the limit. In a similar vein, Komodo gave material odds to grandmasters.

Beautiful chess pieces

9/22/2015 – For centuries artisans have used chess pieces to show their craft and to portray people and events from history. Chess pieces reflect the history, culture and thought of the times they were made in. They also show the skills of the artists who created them. When Yamil Duba visited a museum in Paraguay he met Don Quixote, Christoph Columbus, and others.

When a queen is not stronger than a pawn

9/22/2015 – 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. Today on the playchess server, 4 pm: Endgame Magic with Karsten Müller and Victor Bologan!

St. Louis University offers chess scholarships

9/21/2015 – Rolling on the crest of the wave of chess in the United States, Saint Louis University partners with the St. Louis Chess Club to announce the university's first-ever collegiate chess program. For the first time in its nearly 200-year history, SLU will offer competitive scholarships and recruit top-tier chess players from around the globe.

World Cup 4.2: Giants sent home

9/21/2015 – Three of the top-10 players in the World were sent home today as they lost their matches in Baku. Svidler knocked out Topalov, giving a draw in a probably winning position after the Bulgarian made a series of mistakes. Caruana was unable to win against Mamedyarov and the tournament is over for him. Wesley So was also elminated: a big mistake led to a difficult endgame that MVL converted.

Chess in the clouds

9/21/2015 – Today it is easy to play chess in the cloud. At least, in the virtual world. But chess organiser Pavel Matocha who again and again comes up with ideas for unusual and attractive chess events had something more old-fashioned in mind and organised a chess match in a balloon. Martin Petr and Petr Neuman decided to take their game to new heights.

Antipov and Buksa are World Junior Champions

9/21/2015 – The prestigious World Junior Championships 2015 witnessed intense fights right to the end. Duda and Abdumalik were leading in the open and girls section respectively for majority of the tournament, but thanks to a dramatic finish Mikhail Antipov and Nataliya Buksa snatched the titles. We have an interview with Antipov, and he also sent us a meticulously annotated game.

Baku 4.1: Eight battles, Four winners

9/20/2015 – Already four players are in serious danger of going home: they must win tomorrow to keep their chances alive! In the Chinese derby, Ding Liren overtook Wei Yi. Nakamura outplayed Adams in fine positional style. After a series of mutual mistakes, Svidler checkmated Topalov. Finally, the news of the day for the Azerbaijanis is that Caruana was blown off the board by Mamedyarov!

Eight battles, tough predictions!

9/20/2015 – Our predictions in round three of the World Cup 2015 were a mixed bag - eleven out of the sixteen were correct. Some of the double edged forecasts which were accurate: Andreikin beating Kramnik, Jakovenko defeating Ivanchuk, Tomashevsky losing to Vachier-Lagrave, and Karjakin defeating Yu Yangyi. We continue predicting the outcomes of this extremely unpredictable format.

Nepomniachtchi cries foul on Armageddon

9/19/2015 – It was the final match of the day, and the cliffhanger of cliffhangers. After tying their standard and rapid games, Nakamura and Nepomniachtchi each survived must-win situations to push the match to sudden death. After a dramatic game, the American prevailed and it was all over. Or was it? To the astonishment of all, the Russian filed an appeal demanding the result be nullified.

Baku 3.TB: Nail biters!

9/19/2015 – Another exciting round of tiebreaks. Several of today's matches actually finished during the rapid portion of the tiebreak. Andreikin got his sweet revenge on Kramnik, while MVL, Svidler, and Topalov passed. Le Quang Liem was unfortunate enough to mate himself against So. Adams and Dominguez went all the way to 5+3, where the Brit prevailed. Meanwhile Naka-Nepo ended in Armageddon!

Baku 3.2: Plenty of results

9/18/2015 – Just a bit over half of the matches today finished in a victory for one of the players. The biggest name to go home is Grischuk, as he lost again to Eljanov. The Ukrainian now has an amazing 6-0 score in classical games in the World Cup! Ding Liren and Wei Yi are through and will guarantee a Chinese in the quarter finals... they play each other!

"Bundesliga": The new season begins

9/18/2015 – Club chess is strong in Germany. About 90.000 players are organised in the German Chess Federation and play from autumn to spring in various leagues for their clubs. The best teams start in the first league, the so-called Bundesliga. It is very strong, very traditional, and very international. This weekend the new season begins but the favorite remains the same.

Thinking further

9/18/2015 – 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.

Rogoff on the Fischer movie "Pawn Sacrifice"

9/18/2015 – Harvard professor Kenneth Rogoff is a world famous economist – and a chess grandmaster. He thinks that in the Hollywood movie actor Toby Maguire portrays Fischer with remarkable authenticity "indeed, pitch-perfect for those of us who met Bobby in his prime" (as Rogoff did). In his review Ken speculates how Fischer would not be Fischer in today's world.

Baku 3.1: Couple of Miracles, Many draws

9/17/2015 – 4/16 of the games today finished in decisive results, but a few of the games did see very tense drama unfold, especially close to time pressure. Lu Shanglei can count his lucky stars as he survived against Topalov basically down a piece. In Grischuk's topsy-turvy time trouble against Eljanov, it was complicated, then totally winning, then lost. And now he must win with black tomorrow to survive.