Teplice Open 2015 – impressions and reminiscence

7/3/2015 – In Part I of our report on the Teplice Open we gave you descriptions of the tournament and of the top three finishers. In part II we bring you pictures of the other top players, with impressions of the gorgeous Czech city and of the sandstone mountains surrounding it. Also we look back at the 1922 Schachkongress and an annotated brilliancy played by the great Savielly Tartakower.

Rank problem

7/3/2015 – 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.

Sumptuous simul in Versailles

7/2/2015 – Simuls are a time-honored way for amateurs to play a strong player, and to help promote the game to a wider audience. While ever-popular, it is hard to innovate on the formula, yet the Chess Club of Versailles did their best to do just that. With the help of IM François Vareille, a simul was organized in the great Versailles palace with participants dressed in era costumery.

Knight battles

7/2/2015 – There is no question that no player since Anatoly Karpov has done as much to promote endgames as Magnus Carlsen. The positions that seem so deceptively simple and that combine art and science fascinate the more one looks into them. Here is an knight endgame played in the Russian Higher League, analyzed by GM Karsten Mueller in instructive depth.

Erwin L'Ami: The modern Two Knights

7/2/2015 – The Dutch Grandmaster Erwin L'Ami recently won the strong Reykjavik Open and soon after that the Blitz Marathon in Rabat. Before he went to Reykjavik he recorded a ChessBase DVD: "The modern Two Knights". Coincidence? Davide Nastasio saw the DVD and liked it. A fine, funny and enjoyable presentation of interesting material. Obviously it helps your chess.

Stefansson wins Teplice Open (1)

7/2/2015 – It is a town in the Czech Republic that is fraught with chess history: Rubinstein, Réti, Tarrasch, Spielmann and Tartakower played there. The Tenth International Teplice Open in June saw 150 players, some of them world-class GMs and theoreticians, participating in an impeccably run tournament, with some exciting battles for the top spot. Big illustrated report with game analysis.

Dortmund 04: Kramnik, Caruana win

7/1/2015 – Two decisive results today in Dortmund, though in two very different ways. Caruana played a great positional game against Naiditsch, putting pressure all over the board and eventually crashing through the German's defenses with his passed pawns. Meier had another great position, this time against Kramnik, but again he erred and the Russian took the full point. Kramnik now ties for the lead.

Children's Day held at Russian Higher League

7/1/2015 – A Children's Day is traditionally held during major chess events under the Chess in Museum program. Thanks to these master classes and simuls, young chess lovers can network with their idols in an informal setting, measure themselves up against renowned grandmasters and perhaps even beat one of them. This year the children were shown great exhibits, tours, and enjoyed lots of goodies.

July 2015 ratings: Anand, Topalov, Nakamura

7/1/2015 – The talk can only be about those three players, in spite of Carlsen’s disastrous campaign in Norway, begging a comment. After sneaking past 2800, Nakamura stormed to 2814, a magnificent result, yet only good for world no.4! Incredibly, the 'old guard' shows they are not ready to retire as Anand comes at world no.2 with 2816, tied with Topalov, whose 2816 is a personal best at age 40!

Wesley So at Summer Chess Camp

7/1/2015 – Metropolitan Chess and the American Chess Academy is staging its 2015 Summer Chess Camp from July 22-26 at the Hilton Hotel in Glendale, California. A number of well-known teachers will be there, but it's the head instructor that is of special interest: World Top Ten GM Wesley So. Going by our recent encounter with the US-Filipino player the students in Glendale are in for a treat.

Dortmund 03: Strange chess

6/30/2015 – It seems that some of the topsy-turvy play in Dortmund continues, even after the rest day. Both Caruana and So played bad games, but one of them managed to win his bout! Meier confused himself in a winning position against Caruana and dropped a full point. Naiditsch was not so kind and proceeded to demolish So. Kramnik tricked Nepomniachtchi, while Nisipeanu held on against Yifan.

2015 Russian Higher League: Sapere Aude!

6/30/2015 – The Russian Higher League is underway, bringing many of the strongest players in Russia to not only fight for a part of the five million Ruble prizefund (USD 90 thousand), but also one of the five coveted spots in the Russian Superfinal. The tournament is being held in Kaliningrad, home to Immanuel Kant, where Eteri Kublashvii has been providing lovely pictures and impressions.

The one diagonal principle

6/30/2015 – 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. Test your endgame skills, improve and have fun!

ChessBase's Tactics Training revisited

6/30/2015 – Among the various new free Web apps created by ChessBase, the Tactics Training is probably the one that promises the most immediate benefit for your play, whether you’re a master or an amateur. Since it first came out, it has undergone several refinements, making it a must for any student of the game working seriously, or just for fun, automatically calibrating the difficulty.

Capablanca Memorial won by Yu Yangyi and Kunin

6/29/2015 – It was a sign of the Chinese player’s superb form, that in spite of a loss in round six he never slowed down, and won the Capablanca Memorial Elite group, a round in advance, finishing with 7.0/10 and a 2860 performance. German-based Vitaly Kunin also dominated the Premier group with 6.5/9 a point and a half ahead. Report with Yu Yangyi’s attacking chess.

Tal in Memoriam

6/29/2015 – The 28th June happens be the death anniversary of Misha Tal. Few players in chess history have been loved and adored as much as this charismatic figure. Nagesh Havanur pays a tribute to this legendary player, recalling a rare encounter with Garry Kasparov. The second is a hussar-style duel with elegant tactical play throughout. Sheer magic!

No mail today

6/29/2015 – The German post is on strike. For weeks now. Long enough to make this no longer news in the German news. But letters and parcels still arrive. 80% of them, claims the "Deutsche Post". Still, you start to wonder: do I get no letters because I write none? And where is the ChessBase DVD I ordered? And what to do to improve the situation - and one's chess?

2015 Commonwealth: interview with Humpy

6/29/2015 – "Nobody believes Humpy" was a typical headline in national newspapers, after top female GM Koneru Humpy, who was leading with 3.0/3, withdrew from the event. Like her colleague Tania Sachdev, Humpy had forfeited a winning game after misunderstanding the time control rules. Sabrina Chevannes, who is on the appeals comittee, interviewed Humpy to find out exactly what happened.

Dortmund 02: Nisipeanu early leader

6/29/2015 – Some scintillating chess by the black pieces today in Dortmund. The match between two of America's finest, Caruana vs. So, was not a very precise game but it was full of emotion. So took it in a long endgame. Kramnik demolished Hou Yifan brilliantly, while Meier held Nepo to a nice fought draw. However the story of the day is that Nisipeanu already has a one point lead!

Viktor Bologan: the Queen's Indian Defense

6/28/2015 – Once ranked world no.18, Viktor Bologan continues to share his extensive opening knowledge without restrictions, and in his latest work, the Moldovan grandmaster casts his eye on the reputable Queen's Indian Defense. IM Narayan Srinath, an experienced player in the opening, looked at it, and says that had he known the DVD before his results would have been even better.

Dortmund 01: Germans excel!

6/27/2015 – The Dortmund Super-Tournament has started, and it was a great day for the German players as they almost swept their opponents 3-0. Naiditsch won convincingly against Kramnik... and with the black pieces! Meanwhile Nisipeanu welcomed So to Germany with a crushing attack. Hou Yifan can count her blessings that she did not fall to Meier. Caruana and Nepomniatchi split the point.

2015 Commonwealth: Gupta leads; Humpy protests

6/27/2015 – World Champions are always closely watched by the chess world, which follows their example at the board. The current World Champion Magnus Carlsen is no different, in that he has started a trend of… players losing on time! The 2015 Commonwealth Chess Championship witnessed top Indian woman players, GM Humpy and IM Sachdev, losing on time for not knowing the time control.

Wesley So in Hamburg

6/26/2015 – While travelling from Prague to Hamburg, GM Wesley So took the opportunity to visit the ChessBase headquarters in Hamburg. There he met the ChessBase family, was able to see the offices and studio, and enjoyed some one-on-one instruction with resident experts to finetune his understanding of the indispensable program. He also popped in the studio and kibitzed on the Norway games.

FIDE ACC statement on Sandu affair

6/26/2015 – Readers will recall the shocking letter in the European Women Chess Championship, which fifteen players signed, regarding their ‘concerns’ for cheating by WGM Michaela Sandu. Even the most superficial analysis showed the utter lack of evidence to support this. Finally, FIDE’s Anti-Cheating Commission has issued a statement on the matter.