The enigma of the Lewis chessmen

9/11/2010 – In 1831, in Edinburgh, Scotland, a collection of chessmen found on the Isle of Lewis was displayed for the first time. These 12th century handcrafted pieces made from walrus tusks and whale teeth have since become iconic examples of our lasting love for wargames. Their origins, however, is one of theory and controversy. Here is an illustrated article on the world's most famous chess set.

Chess legend Bent Larsen dies at 75

9/10/2010 – The best Danish chess player of all time, Bent Larsen, died yesterday, Thursday September 9th, 2010, after a short illness. He had suffered for a number of years from diabetes, but it is not yet known whether this was the cause of his death. In the latter part of his life Larsen resided in Buenos Aires with his Argentinian wife Marta. He will always be remembered.

Shanghai Masters: Kramnik joins Shirov for Grand Slam final

9/9/2010 – The last round had promised to be a tense affair with both Kramnik and Aronian tied for second/third, and only one spot in the final up for grabs. On paper, Kramnik's chances seemed preferable, but neither he nor Aronian were able to break the deadlock. This left it to a two-game blitz playoff, which also went the distance, and only after the Armageddon, did Kramnik prevail. Final report.

Tomorrow in New York: Magnus vs the World

9/9/2010 – The countdown is under way: on September 10th, at 12:00 noon, in New York City, the current number one ranked chess player in the world – will take on the world. The match will take place online, and you can watch it on the special RAW World Chess site and on Playchess.com. The drawing of colours gave Magnus white. Yesterday he stopped in Amsterdam for an appearance on Dutch TV.

Ilyumzhinov resigns as President of Kalmykia

9/7/2010 – We informed our readers in a July report that this could happen. Now Kirsan Ilyumzhinov has, in his own words, "requested not to be considered for another term as head of the Republic of Kalmykia" – where he has served as President since 1993. From now on he wants to devote his attention fully to FIDE, which he has served since 1995. Statements and press reports.

Formula One: the Abu Dhabi Chess Festival

9/7/2010 – This annual Festival of mind sports is held as a Ramadan event, with the games starting at 10 p.m. at night, in keeping with the traditions of the holy month where Muslims fast from sunrise until sunset. The venue is Abu Dhabi with its super-luxury buildings, hotels, and the most expensive Formula One racing track in the world. Which the participants visited. Big pictorial report.

Shanghai Masters: Kramnik, Shirov win with black

9/7/2010 – The fifth round was one of decision and indecision. Shirov managed yet another miracle win against Wang Hao, sealing both their fates, and a ticket to the grand final in October, while Kramnik pulled off a flawless technical win against Aronian, tying him for second/third, leaving the last spot to be decided in the last round. Though the draw favours Kramnik, their fates are in their hands.

FIDE Election: Anatoly Karpov on the campaign trail

9/6/2010 – In our previous report we brought you up-to-date on the activities of the incumbent Kirsan Ilyumzhinov in the FIDE Presidential election. Today we turn our attention to the challenger, 12th World Champion Anatoly Karpov, whose campaign site has many very critical articles. We have also received a travelogue. In addition there is some potentially explosive breaking news.

Shanghai Masters: Shirov beats Kramnik to take the lead

9/6/2010 – After seven dry years, Shirov beat Kramnik in a serious game, and in style. Their Nimzo-Indian with four deeply advanced pawns was certainly odd. Kramnik took so much time preparing his perfect moment, that it had passed before he or even any chess engine realized. He kept it a fight, but succumbed in the end. Aronian pressed against Hao for 50 moves, but drew. Impressions from Shanghai.

Chess and Astronomy – live discussion tonight

9/6/2010 – One of the most ardent users of Global Rent-a-Scope, a network of remotely operated astronomical telescopes, is chess grandmaster Dr John Nunn. On August 8th a live interview on AFM chat was planned – but had to be postponed due to illness. You can listen in tonight at 18:00 UTC/GMT. Visitor participation is welcome and you have a chance to win telescope time.

Shanghai Masters: Shirov wins, catches Aronian

9/5/2010 – There is nothing quite as bittersweet as a missed opportunity and that was the tale of round three. After a blunder by Shirov, Wang Hao came within a hair's breadth of winning, but then returned the favor and was never himself again. Kramnik played a rare line of the Slav against Aronian, wittingly or unwittingly following original analysis from the Rybka4 opening book. All this in an empty hall?

Shanghai Masters: both games drawn, Aronian leads

9/5/2010 – The score after two rounds in the Final Chess Masters 2010 in Shanghai, China, is 4-2-2-1, with Armenian GM Levon Aronian leading at four points and Wang Hao at the bottom with one. That is because of the "Bilbao scoring system" that is being used. Traditionally it would be 1½-1-1-½. We bring you both the fairly interesting round two drawn games with annotations.

FIDE Elections: 'Is Chessbase Being Fair?'

9/5/2010 – That was the headline of an article on the Ilyumzhinov web site, which came to the conclusion that we were not, since we had not published a reply to a reply to an article by that site on support of the Cyprus Chess Federation. You may have noticed that we have cut back radically on the FIDE Election reports, for very specific reasons. But on this Sunday you are going to get a good dose of it.

Hévíz Tournament in Hungary

9/4/2010 – Hungary has long been a berth of chess events, from the Budapest Spring Festival to the famous First Saturday tournaments a cornerstone of aspiring masters and grandmasters. Diana Mihajlova brings an intimate perspective on the Hévíz tournament, held at Lake Hévíz, famed as a spa area with waters that never drop below 25° C., even in winter. Detailed colorful report.

The annoying pressure...

9/3/2010 – ... on his position Black finally wanted to shake off in this game from the Spanisch Team Championship. What do you think, what should be the first step in this direction?
A) 17...Kh8
B) 17...f5
C) 17...Qb6+ 18.Kh1 and then 18...f5

The solution is here, but first ponder over it with a larger version of the diagram.

Shanghai Masters: Aronian wins first game

9/3/2010 – Aronian, Kramnik, Shirov and Wang Hao are playing in this classical double round robin, originally intended as a summit of the winners of selected Grand Slam tournaments. Magnus Carlsen disrupted the system by winning most of them, so other players had to be invited "on the basis of their sports merits". Aronian beat Wang Hao with black in round one. Annotated games, video impressions.

Magnus vs the World in the RAW Chess Challenge

9/2/2010 – He has just topped the latest FIDE rating list, for the fifth time in succession. Now Magnus Carlsen, 19-year-old chess phenomenon from Norway, is taking on the world. On Friday, September 10th, as part of his fashion promotion for G-Star, he will play a one-day match in New York against registered users, who are coached by three top international players – and Garry Kasparov. Info and videos.

Maurice Ashley: The Secret to Chess

9/2/2010 – This is one you really do not want to miss. Star international trainer and commentator Maurice Ashley reveals a secret he discovered on his way to becoming a chess grandmaster. It is a simple idea that anyone can understand – something that you can use immediately to improve your game. Maurice's entertaining style and great clarity make this a first class DVD. Here's a sample lesson.

His fifth samovar – Morozevich wins 64th Moscow Blitz

9/1/2010 – Many were worried about his recent absence from the chess circuit. The very volatile GM Alexander Morozevich, who has dropped from number two in the world (July/October 2008) to 37th in the current list, was in great form in the yearly Moscow Blitz Championship, taking first place with 14.0/19 points. We bring you lots of interesting portraits in this pictorial report by WGM Yana Melnikova.

Kavalek at Huffington: A Vodka Escape

9/1/2010 – When in 1968 the Warsaw pact armies invaded Czechoslovakia, one of its strongest GMs managed to bribe his way into the West with a crate of vodka. He had been playing a simultaneous exhibition in Wroclaw or Breslau, the birthplace of Adolf Anderssen, one of the strongest players of the 19th century. Lubomir Kavalek remembers his escape with two beautiful problems by the great German player.

Carlsen beats Anand, wins Arctic Securities Rapid

8/31/2010 – It was a dream final: The World Champion vs the number one rated player in the world. Vishy Anand had scored a near-perfect 5.0/6 victory in the preliminaries, Magnus had finished at 3.5/6. But in the final the Norwegian worked over the Indian GM from the queenside to the kingside, winning the first game and the event. Jon Ludvig Hammer beat Judit Polgar to take Bronze. Final report.

Fischer's DNA – still no final closure

8/31/2010 – The DNA test in a paternity lawsuit filed by Marilyn and Jinky Young was negative for the claimants. The Icelandic representative declared the case closed, but Philippine lawyer Samuel Estimo is demanding that DNA samples of the former World Champion be verified against Fischer's blood relatives. He sent new pictures. Meanwhile chess correspondent Bobby Ang has published additional details.

FIDE ratings September 2010: average ratings up, up, and up...

8/31/2010 – The FIDE ratings lists for September 2010 are out, and though there were few cataclysmic changes, some statistics do stand out: the average rating continues to rise, and the top 100 now average 50 Elo more than eight years ago. How about FIDE title requirements? We also took a look at the biggest Elo gains over the last 12 months. Can you guess who and by how much? Read all, see all.

Miskolc 2010: Gelfand beats Leko 4.5:3.5

8/30/2010 – He tried everything, including a super-sharp line employed by his opponent. But in the end it was top Israeli GM Boris Gelfand who had scored two wins to local hero Peter Leko's one. The event is very popular in the eastern Hungarian city, where it is hosted in the National Theatre by the Lord Mayor. We bring you pictures and GM analysis in our final report.