A play based on Kasparov vs Deep Blue

8/17/2013 – It's called The Machine and it played in July in Manchester. If you live in America you can catch it at the Park Avenue Armory in September. And maybe you are going to have to, since it appears to be a well-made, dramatically compelling stage production that captures the atmosphere of the monumental battle between man and machine. Allan Beardsworth caught it in Manchester – here's his review.

World Cup 2.3: Dubov, Hammer qualify in tiebreaks

8/16/2013 – 17-year-old Daniil Dubov went all the way against former FIDE world champion Ruslan Ponomariov, with eight draws and then a stunning victory in the Armageddon (Daniil actually played 1.b3??!). The Norwegians cheered as Jon Ludwig took down the much higher rated David Navara. The top seeds all went through in two rapid chess tiebreak games. Tiebreak report with pictures.

The infamous 1999 ChessBase Christmas Puzzle

8/16/2013 – Way back in the previous century – millennium actually – we started publishing a series of puzzles which gained a lot of popularity. They were set in static HTML and could not be incorporated into our new content management system. Rather than have them disappear forever we have decided to revive the best puzzles for our younger readers. We start with the most famous example.

World Cup 2.2: fifteen matches still undecided

8/15/2013 – Caruana, Grischuk, Nakamura and Gelfand are through to round three, while Alexei Shirov was sensationally taken out by 14-year-old Chinese GM Wei Yi, as was Peter Leko by the Peruvian GM Julio Granda Zuniga. Gata Kamsky lost a traumatic game against Alexandr Shimanov, who thus equalised the score. Almost half the matches go into the tiebreaks on Friday. Round two game two report.

Tromsø 2.1: World Cup Snapshots

8/15/2013 – There was plenty of high drama in the second round of the FIDE World Cup in Tromso – lots of points were missed and gained. This was pointed out in the Wednesday issue of Chess Today, a subscription-based online publication that is delivered daily to our mailbox. Its editor Alex Baburin provides highlights from four interesting games, and also illuminates the controversy surrounding draw claim.

Karsten Müller: endgames from Tromsø

8/15/2013 – Today's endgame lessons by GM Karsten Müller are taken from the first rounds of the Grand Prix that is taking place in Norway. It features instructive examples from games by Nakamura, Robson, Areshchenko and Jakovenko. Our ChessBase Magazine endgame expert uses them to teach you techniques that can prove invaluable in your tournament games. Don't miss it.

World Cup 2.1: A great day for White

8/14/2013 – The day came to a close with a fantastic score for the white players, including Dominguez's win over Onischuk and Julio Granda over Peter Leko. White won ten games to black's two, with the other twenty games ending in draws. Notable exceptions today were Ivanchuk's win over Robson and Vachier-Lagraeve's win over Isan Ortiz. Report of a fighting round.

A chess tournament in South Africa – part 2

8/14/2013 – The event had 14 participants, all of them with international titles: six GMs, four IMs and four FMs. It was duly won, a point ahead of the field, by our roving reporter GM Alexander Ipatov, the second seed. Alex used his time in Cape Town well: he gave a simul, held a lecture, went diving for great whites, met pro wrestlers and took flying lessons in a small plane. You know, just the usual stuff GMs do.

World Cup 1.3: tremendous action in the tiebreaks

8/13/2013 – Gata Kamsky struggled against Lou Yiping, but managed to beat him in one accelerated rapid game; Peter Svidler was given a run for his money by Anna Ushenina, but in the end won both rapid games; Adams and Morozevich went through; Shirov lost his first rapid game but then won three against Hou Yifan; and Ramirez went all the way to the Armageddon before losing to Tomashevsky. Tiebreak report.

Talking about the weather: Vlissingen in Summer

8/13/2013 – It's a beautiful seaside resort in the south-west of Holland, a fishermen's hamlet that came into existence in the seventh century. Bathed in bright sunshine it is an ideal location for a chess open. 250 players participated – it would have been more if the playing hall had been able to take them. Once again we bring you a beautiful pictorial report by our playing and roving reporter WGM Alina l'Ami.

World Cup 1.2: Polgar, Nepo out, Ushenina still in

8/12/2013 – The big upsets of this round: Judit Polgar drew her game against Cuban GM Isan Reynaldo Ortiz and was knocked out, while Anna Ushenina beat Peter Svidler to equalise and stay in the World Cup. Ian Nepomniachtchi was knocked out by 14-year-old Wei Yi. Alexander Morozevich fought back against Bator Sambuev and forced the Canadian GM into the tiebreaks. Round one game two report.

A chess tournament in South Africa

8/12/2013 – "I’m on my way from Cape Town to Istanbul," writes GM Alexander Ipatov. "There is a large selection of movies and songs on board the Turkish Airlines flight, but I have decided to open my laptop and write this article. Why now and not when I arrive home? Because Cape Town and people whom I met left a huge mark in my heart. I want to share my impressions while they are still fresh." Part one.

World Cup 1.1: A few surprises in Tromsø

8/11/2013 – Gata Kamsky drew in 41 moves against Chinese IM Lou Yiping, 257 points below him on the rating scale; Chinese IM Liu Qingnan drew GM Wang Hao, 247 points above him; Canadian GM Bator Sambuev beat Alexander Morozevich, 215 point above him; Judit Polgar lost against Cuban GM Isan Reynaldo Ortiz, 90 points her inferior. Round one game one report with pictures and videos.

FIDE World Cup in Tromsø begins today

8/11/2013 – The players have arrived in the Arctic Circle, all of them, as far as we can tell. On Saturday there were chess public activities in Tromsø, and in the evening the opening ceremony. The games of round one begin at 15:00h CEST (17:00h Moscow, 9 a.m. NY) on Sunday. We start our coverage with some lovely pictures from Norway and the pairing of all 64 boards of the first round.

British Championships: Howell wins with 9.5/11

8/10/2013 – A 44-move draw against the other top seed, Gawain Jones, officially gave 22-year-old GM David Howell the title for 2013 British Champion, which had been clear after the penultimate round. He finished one and a half point clear of the field, with a 2768 performance. In equal second with 8.0/11 were Jones, Stephen Gordon and Mark Hebden. Here's our final report with special thanks to the organisers.

Kavalek in Huffington: Chess Feast in Norway

8/10/2013 – From August 10 till September 5, 128 chessplayers will descend on the Norwegian city of Tromsø to contest the FIDE World Cup. Only two of the best players will be missing: the world champion Vishy Anand of India and his challenger Magnus Carlsen of Norway. Huffington Post columnist GM Lubomir Kavalek describes two of his encounters with Norwegian players. Highly entertaining.

British Championships: David Howell wins title

8/9/2013 – David Howell, playing with the black pieces, defeated IM Ameet Ghasi, to finish the round at 9.0/10 points (and a 2807 performance). That is one and a half more than his nearest rivals Gawain Jones and Mark Hebden. With one round to go they cannot catch him. In today's historical review we look at Stuart Conquest's 2008 win in a playoff between two 40-something GMs.

NEW: ChessBase Magazine 155 – download sample!

8/9/2013 – If 50% of all White players fail to find the best continuation on move four, everything indicates that Black chose a line with excellent practical chances. 3...Na5 against the Rossolimo-Variation in the Sicilian is such a line. In the new CBM 155 GM Leonid Kritz takes a close look at this move. And you can download his article for free! More...

Russian GM Igor Kurnosov dies in car accident

8/9/2013 – Tragic news: the chess grandmaster was crossing Komsomolsk Avenue in Chelyabinsk on the night of August 8, at 2:45 a.m. local time when he was hit by a Ford Fiesta car, driven by a 20-year-old girl. He died at the scene of the accident. Igor was an honest, kind, positive person; a great friend; and a chess professional who had a true passion for the game (Poginina web site). Rest in peace!

British Championships: Howell closer to the title

8/8/2013 – David Howell defeated Danny Gromally, while his main rival Mark Hebden drew in round nine. That puts the younger GM a full point ahead of Hebden, with eight players following up half a point behind. With two rounds to go things are looking very good for David. In today's historical review we look at another very young champion, actiaööy the youngest ever. Recognise him in the thumbnail?

Looking back: Harikrishna won the Biel Masters

8/8/2013 – We gave the GM tournament in Biel, which provided fighting games, extraordinary coverage. But in the process we neglected the Masters, won by Indian GM Pentala Harikrishna, and the Main tournament, which were held concomitantly. WIM Ioana Smaranda Padurariu played in the former, and also found time to photograph the event and the city in which it was held. Here her big pictorial report.

FIDE World Cup in Tromsø begins on Sunday

8/8/2013 – Currently 128 of the world's best players are making their way into the Arctic Circle, not to view the midnight sun but to play in a giant knockout tournament, with the winners qualifying for the Candidates Tournament of the next World Championship cycle. Aronian and Kramnik are playing, Carlsen and Anand are not. The event lasts from August 10 to September 3rd. Here are all the details.

British Championships: Howell inches towards title

8/7/2013 – David Howell won his round eight game with the black pieces against Simon Williams, raising his score to 7.0/8. But his main rival Mark Hebden also won and remains just half a point behind. Six players are in striking position with 6.0/8 points. Expect some exciting action in the last three rounds. In our historical review of past champions we look back at the ten-time winner Jonathan Penrose.

British Championships: Howell continues to lead

8/6/2013 – Round seven saw a 57-move struggle between David Howell and Mark Hebden. It ended in a draw, while GM Stephen Gordon got mated by Simon Williams in 30 moves. This means that Howell still leads, with 6.0/7 points and a 2734 performance. Four players follow half a point behind. In our historical review of past champions we look back at York 1959, where Rowena Bruce won the first of eleven titles.