Knight issues

12/12/2014 – 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.

The World Mind Games begin

12/12/2014 – On 11th December the World Mind Games began in Beijing, China. One week some of the word's best players compete in Chess, Go, Draughts, Chinese Chess, (Xiangqi), and Bridge. In chess 16 top men and women play rapid, blitz and basque chess. After four rounds of rapid Nana Dzagnidze, Wang Yue, Wang Hao and Alexander Grischuk are the leading mind acrobats.

ChessBase 13 from a club trainer’s perspective (1)

12/12/2014 – If you want to play good “chess” you got to have a strong “base” of knowledge, and that’s where “ChessBase” comes in! The program is well known worldwide as the best chess database management tool. Prathamesh Mokal, an International Master and a top class FIDE Trainer from India, takes us on a trip down the main functions of ChessBase 13. The first part is fairly elementary.

LCC-R2: Kramnik and Giri score

12/12/2014 – Today the number of decisive results doubled, as Vladimir Kramnik played what at least one of the spectating GMs described as ‘the perfect game’ to defeat Hikaru Nakamura, and Anish Giri opened his Olympia account at the expense of the overnight leader. Birthday celebrant Vishy Anand had another fairly uneventful draw, this time with Fabiano Caruana. Round two report.

Qatar Masters and the amazing Doha (2/2)

12/12/2014 – In spite of the overwhelming wealth of Doha, the luxuriousness manages to sidestep any feelings of arrogance as described by Alina L'Ami in the second part of her report. However the conditions were superb attracting an incredibly strong lineup featuring world-class players who rarely step outside the circuit of round robins. That they did made possible the thrilling finish.

London Classic Rd1: Adams fells Caruana

12/11/2014 – When asked about the player he thought would win, Nigel Short hemmed and hawed and admitted he could not point to a favorite. Not only are all the players long-standing members of the elite, but all could point to great runs of form recently. If any seemed unlikely it was lowest rated Michael Adams, but he defied even that expectation as he beat Caruana in round one.

Vishy Anand: a passionate portrait

12/11/2014 – On 11th December Vishy Anand celebrates his 45th birthday. Still very active he is already a chess legend, and since 25 years has been part of the world's elite. In India, nowadays one of the strongest chess nations in the world, he is a national hero and turned chess into a popular sport. Priyadarshan Banjan takes a passionate look at an incredible career.

ChessBase 13 from a club player’s perspective

12/10/2014 – Are you tempted to add ChessBase 13 to their Christmas list but are still undecided. Let’s be honest, people have ChessBase for many different reasons. Some want it just to analyse their own games, some to search for new ideas, some just to enjoy all the games and others want it because it is ‘the latest thing’. But is that a good enough reason? Carl Portman gives us his opinion.

London Classic: Pro-Biz cup, Kasparov, schools

12/10/2014 – Day four of the London Chess Classic featured various various events, involving the super-GMs and personalities from the business community in a novelty event, a Kasparov simul in Westminster, schoolchildren playing a transatlantic match with schools in Florida, USA, and the second round of the festival events, includings the FIDE Open. Big pictorial report.

Qatar Masters and the amazing Doha (1/2)

12/10/2014 – Though the Qatar Masters Open was assuredly covered in detail, and well, a post-scriptum report was sent by our dear globetrotting Alina L'Ami, who sent her impressions of not only the event, but above all Doha, Qatar, and a city that is hotter than hot in more ways than one. It was a festival of exotic markets and boundless luxury cars, such as Lamborghinis and pink Rolls-Royces.

The magic rook and its apprentice

12/9/2014 – 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!

LCC: Adams wins Elite Blitz tournament

12/9/2014 – On Monday all six elite entrants to the London Classic proper took part in a double-cycle round-robin to decide the draw order for the main tournament. The Blitz, which was scored on the 3-1-0 basis, ended in a three-way tie for first between Mickey Adams, Hikaru Nakamura and Vladimir Kramnik on 17/30. The three got the starting numbers 1-3, which means they get an extra white.

Closing Ceremony in Kazan

12/9/2014 – After nine tough rounds, Lysyj took the gold. He led the event most of the way, though he was far from the pre-tournament favorite. In the women's section one of the favorites, Gunina, started the tournament on the wrong foot, but she turned things around and won the tournament. Eteri Kublashvili brings us her impressions of the final round and the closing ceremony from Kazan.

Nakamura wins LCC Super Rapid Play

12/8/2014 – In the final round of the London Chess Classic Super Rapid Hikaru Nakamura had the white pieces against Vishy Anand. They were the only players left who could win the £8,000 first prize. Hikaru opened with 1.b3 – and a fateful excursion to snaffle Hikaru’s h-pawn proved Anand's undoing. The American won first prize with an outstanding score of 9½/10. Report by John Saunders.

Gunina, Lysyj, Russian Champions

12/8/2014 – They took very different routes to get there, but Gunina and Lysyj are the new Russian Champions! Gunina recovered from a bad start, played an incredibly topsy-turvy game in the final round against Galliamova, won and took the title. Meanwhile Lysyj led since the early stages of the tournament, played a solid game and became champion. Analysis of a hard-fought last round.

LCC Super Rapid Play Open day one

12/7/2014 – The London Chess Classic is as much about the development of children’s chess as it is about super-GMs. The tournament started on Saturday with a novelty: pairings of the super-elite players (who will start playing their own closed Classic event on Wednesday) and six under-18 players from the host nation – for the amateurs, rated up to 1000 points lower, a once-in-a-lifetime chance.

Myanmar Open won by Short and Belous (2/2)

12/7/2014 – In the second part of the report on the Zaw Win Lay Myanmar International Open, won jointly by GM Nigel Short and GM Vladimir Belous, we bring you an exclusive interview with the one of the joint winners, Nigel Short, who discusses the tournament, Burma, and eating grasshoppers and worms. There are also player portraits as well as some beautiful pictures of Yangon.

A visit to Hawaiʻi!

12/7/2014 – In the wake of the upcoming Hawaiʻi Chess Festival, we felt our journalistic duty to investigate the island of Oʻahu before giving our full support to the event. After relaxing at Waikiki Beach, hiking Diamond Head, enjoying its magnificent views, shopping in Kalakua Avenue and eating some of the best food in the world, we can say the Hawaiʻi Chess Festival is something you cannot miss!

Rus SuperFinal 08: Exciting Penultimate Round

12/7/2014 – The Russian Super Final is nearing its end, and in the Open section Lysyj continues with a half point lead. All the games were drawn in that second today except for Khismatullin's win a gainst Vitiugov. If Lysyj wins against Grachev tomorrow he will be Russian Super Final Champion! The race in the Women's is between Galliamova and Gunina, both tied with 6.0/8..

Carlsen analyzes the World Championship (2/2)

12/6/2014 – In the second part of Magnus Carlsen's overview of the second match against Anand, the world champion analyzes the key moments and his evaluations of the openings as well as the turning points in the games. He brings up the famous mutual oversight in game six, but as will be seen, Anand would have other opportunities later in the match. See Carlsen's analysis.

Rus SuperFinal 07: Gunina joins leaders

12/6/2014 – Valentina Gunina found herself in a lost position against Anastasia Bodnaruk, but through cunning, good defense and a lot of help from her opponent she managed to win the game and tie for the lead with Alisa Galliamova and Aleksandra Goryachkina, who drew their game. In the open Igor Lysyj was unable to solve a study-like position and to fell victim to Vadim Zvjaginsev.

Viktor Bologan: The Caro-Kann with Black and White

12/5/2014 – The Caro-Kann enjoys the reputation of a solid opening. But in the hands of a player who knows what he is doing it can be very dangerous. Thus, if you play 1.e4 with White you better come prepared. On his new DVD Viktor Bologan recommends to play the Advance Variation against the Caro-Kann. Priyadarshan Banjan had a look at Bologan's take on the Caro-Kann.

Blow number 3

12/5/2014 – Do you know the feeling when you have outplayed your opponent and your position looks won but your opponent refuses to resign and congratulate you, but instead defends stubbornly? He comes up with one only move after the next while you just cannot find the decisive move? Well, after delivering the first and second blow you sometimes have to find the final one.

RUS SuperFinal 06: Leaders cement positions

12/5/2014 – Not the pre-tournament favorites, but the leaders are playing powerful chess. Lysyj in the Open section is performing fantastically at 2924 and his latest victim was Khismatullin. With this win Lysyj leads by a full point. In the Women's, Goraychkina drew Pogonina, but Galliamova was able to turn a bad situation into a tie for the lead.