The real threat

12/24/2015 – 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.

Qatar 2015 R05: Carlsen leads, eight follow

12/24/2015 – It was one of the most entertaining days at the Qatar open with some great masterpieces of contrasting nature for the fans. While Magnus Carlsen won a brilliant attacking game against the Chinese GM Li Chao to emerge as the sole leader with 4.5/5 points, Vladimir Kramnik displayed his usual endgame expertise to squeeze out a win from what looked like a completely drawn position. Express report.

Qatar Masters R4: Duda vs Carlsen

12/24/2015 – The leading players, Giri and Li Shao, of the tournament played each other in round 4 and drew. Three players caught up: So, Matlakov und Carlsen. Magnus Carlsen played with black against Duda. They played a Najdorf. Daniel King shows this game in his round report. Click here for the video...

Chess on the volcano

12/24/2015 – From 4th to 8th December the Hotel Bicancaneve in the small, picturesque town of Nicolosi, Sicily, hosted the 2nd edition of the Etna chess festival. The field was good and four GMs took part: P. Prohaszka, J. Werle, B Gundavaa, and ‘the still going strong’ O. Romanishin. And to play in the shadow of the still active Etna volcano was a unique experience.

Qatar 2015 Rd4: Five stars and one dark horse

12/23/2015 – It is no surprise to see stars such as Magnus Carlsen, who won a brilliant game today, Anish Giri, Li Chao, Wesley So, and even Maxim Matlakov in the lead with 3.5/4, but in sixth place leading an all-star group with 3.0/4 is the complete unknown and untitled Xu Yinglun with a fantastic 2856 performance. That is what opens are all about. Illustrated report with commented games.

Qatar R03: Chess and football in Doha

12/23/2015 – After three rounds at the Qatar Masters we are down to just two leaders – Anish Giri and Li Chao. They are followed by a pack of 14 players on 2.5/3, including World Champion Magnus Carlsen. We have a lot of highlights and game analyses for you. The great Spanish footballer Xavier Hernandez was the chief guest of the round! Illustrated third round report from Doha.

Sagar Shah: Learn from the Classics (1)

12/23/2015 – How often have you heard the above advice – coaches exhorting you to study the ABC of chess: games of Alekhine, Botvinnik and Capablanca. But just sitting back and enjoying them does not do much for your own playing strength. In this DVD Sagar Shah tells us how to go about absorbing the classics, as he did, and using the ideas in your own games.Review by IM Nisha Mohota.

Qatar Masters R3: Mamedyarov vs Lenderman

12/22/2015 – After three rounds only two players are on 100%: Anish Giri and Li Shao. 14 players are behind with 2,5/3. Amongst others Magnus Carlsen and Wesley So. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov is also on 2,5/3 and faced Alexander Lenderman today. Daniel King shows this game in his round report. Click here for the video...

Qatar 2015 Rd3: Brilliancies and great escapes

12/22/2015 – If there was one thing that stood out in the third round, it was the unrelenting fighting spirit exhibited in the third round. This manifested itself with games that punctuated by strokes of genius, brilliant attacks, to miraculous saves that would leave mere mortals in a state of despair. Another highly entertaining round. Express report with games.

Giant slalom

12/22/2015 – 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. Test your endgame skills, improve and have fun!

Qatar 2015 round two: Nine players on perfect score

12/22/2015 – The second round of Qatar Masters was filled with high quality chess as strong GMs clashed against each other. Magnus Carlsen finally won his first game in an open tournament after a gap of eight years, Giri won a fine Sicilian against Grandelius and So carved out a beautiful positional victory over Naroditsky. In the evening there was a football match. We have exclusive pictures and game analysis from Doha.

Carlos Torre Open: Excess in moderation

12/22/2015 – After a hectic stint in the San Salvador Open, taking a luxury bus to Guatemala, and braving its dangers with no jewelry, armed only with her camera, Alina L'Ami finds her way to Merida, Mexico where the Carlos Torre International Open was taking place. Once again showing that winter chess options in the sun need not take place in the desert.

Qatar Masters R2: Video analysis by Daniel King

12/21/2015 – It's the second day at the Qatar Masters and 9 players are leading with 2/2. Amongst these players are the likes of So, Giri and Yu Yangyi amongst others. After a draw yesterday, Magnus Carlsen comforted himself today with a win over Aravindh. In an Anti-Sicilian Carlsen got a pleasant position out of the opening. Daniel King shows this game in his round report. Click here for the video...

Qatar 2015 Rd2: A bit of everything

12/21/2015 – Once again, it was an action packed round with a large number of notable results. On center stage, even if not board one, was Magnus Carlsen facing Indian junior Chitambaram Aravindh, whom he dispatched in a strange game. Kramnik dropped a half point, while Giri played a superb game to become one of nine leaders with 2.0/2. Here is the Express report with results and games.

Qatar 2015 round one: A day of surprises

12/21/2015 – Usually the initial games at Open are smooth sailing for the top seeds – but not in the Qatar Masters Open 2015. There were so many upsets. Magnus Carlsen drew his game, and amongst the 2700+ players, so did Harikrishna, Jakovenko and Ivanchuk. Wei Yi and Nikita Vitiugov were two super GMs who went back with a nil on the scoreboard, while GM Pavel Tregubov lost to an untitled 12-year-old Iranian. Giant illustrated report from Doha.

Summer in San Salvador (part two)

12/21/2015 – Finishing the vivid illustrated report on the San Salvador Open, the photographing/reporting/globetrotting player headed off to bright sunny Mexico, but instead of a plane hop, took a bus that took her through Guatemala, where she took some time off to enjoy it and share her impressions. Here are the further photographic impressions by Alina L' Ami.

Qatar Masters R1: Video analysis by Daniel King

12/21/2015 – The Qatar Masters is probably the strongest open in chess history. A lot of surprises happened in round 1. The World Champion Magnus Carlsen only drew his game against Batsiashvili. Anish Giri on the contrary won a nice game today against a young IM from India. Daniel King went on to use that game as his game of the day. Click here for the video...

Interview with David Howell, British KO Champ

12/20/2015 – David Howell has once again proved that he is a force to be reckoned with in British chess. After adding another British title to his belt, David Howell is now £20,000 richer and closer to his goal of being back in the top 30 in the world. The inaugural British Knockout Chess Championships just took place in Kensington, London and seeks to revolutionize British chess.

Qatar 2015 Rd1: Surprises, upsets – what a start!

12/20/2015 – In a massive open with many of the best players in the world, upsets are expected, but even the most jaded viewers were left gawking in round one. The first and foremost was Magnus Carlsen held to a draw with white by IM Nino Batsiashvili. While that stood out, so did 11-year-old Abdusattorov’s draw against GM Sam Shankland. Express report with all results and games.

Summer in San Salvador (part one)

12/20/2015 – Enjoying a much needed relief from the below freezing temperatures in the northern hemisphere, Alina L'Ami travels to Latin America where the sunny climate reigns. First on the list was San Salvador, where the second San Salvador Open took place, won convincingly by Evgeny Romanov with 8.0/9. In the hectic schedule, time was found to visit ancient pyramids.

Qatar Masters starts on Sunday

12/20/2015 – It is one of the biggest events of the year 2015. We count 77 GMs, with top stars like Magnus Carlsen, Vladimir Kramnik, Anish Giri, Wesley So, Vassily Ivanchuk at the top. The average rating of the entire field of 141 players is 2526. The Opening dinner took place on Saturday and we bring you some candid pictures of the players and of Doha, captured by Amruta Mokal.

Hou Yifan dismantles Evgeny Najer in Shanghai

12/19/2015 – The Chinese Chess Association and the Russian Chess Federation jointly hosted the Russian-Chinese ‘Match of Friendship’ on December 13-15 in Shanghai. It included an exhibition rapid-and-blitz match between the 2015 European Champion GM Evgeny Najer and the world’s strongest female player Hou Yifan. The Chinese super-talent won it 9.5-4.5. Big pictorial report.

2015 Ukrainian Ch: Comebacks and Cinderella

12/19/2015 – It was a tight race to the end for the Ukrainian Championships, with nothing decided in either the Men’s or Women’s event until the very last round. Andrei Volokitin snatched the title in the 11th hour for his second title in 11 years. In the Women’s Championship, Anastasia Rakhmangulova, the second lowest rated in the field, took sole first in a Cinderella win.

Huffington: Carlsen Wins Grand Chess Tour

12/19/2015 – Many chess fans complained about the cumbersome tie-breaking rules of the Grand Chess Tour. The three-way tie for first in London was decided by a playoff in which Vachier-Lagrave beat Anish Giri, but then a single loss to Carlsen decided the tournament and an overall Tour victory. In his Huffington Post column GM Lubomir Kavalek analyses key games and tells us how the Chess Grand Tour points could have been simplified.