Death rides a horse

7/25/2010 – This was the favourite example of yours truly in the tactics section of CBM 131 and also one of the first multiple choice questions. How would you assess the situation after 33...Nc4?
A) White has a beautiful strike, deciding the game in his favour.
B) Black has sufficient resources to fend off the attack, he wins.
C) With best play the game will end in a draw.

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

Dortmund 2010: Ponomariov keeps lead going into final round

7/25/2010 – The game between tournament leader Ponomariov and second-place Mamedyarov was clearly critical for the final standings, and the Azerbaijan was ready to try it all as he unleashed an absolutely astonishing 5.g4 in a QGD. Kramnik on the other hand played a speculative attack against Naiditsch that went south, while Le Quang and Leko played a long nervy draw. Report and analysis.

Caruana leads in Young Grandmaster Biel

7/25/2010 – Going into the seventh round, the Young Grandmaster Tournament in Biel, Switzerland, is not the most exciting event in the world. Italian GM Fabiano Caruana, 17 years old, is in the lead with plus two, behind him five GMs with plus one. In round six most games lasted less than 25 moves, in five rounds 70% of the games were drawn. Pictorial report.

Karpov wowed by Singapore chess fans

7/25/2010 – “Chess is for Everybody in Singapore” is a movement that believes that chess keeps the mind alert and is beneficial to the young, adults and veterans players alike. The organisation and the chess fans of the island country last week were visited by the 12th World Champion Anatoly Karpov, who was in campaign mode for his FIDE presidency bid. Pictorial report.

Ilyumzhinov to resign as Kalmyk President?

7/24/2010 – The Russian newspaper Gazeta is reporting that the leaders of two regions of the Russian Federation (the political one, not chess) will be stepping down. One of them is Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, who has been the President of Kalmykia since 1993. Unfazed, Ilyumzhinov is in full campaign mode for his FIDE reelection, visiting South American and giving interviews. Excerpts and links.

Dortmund 2010: Ponomariov outpaces the opposition

7/24/2010 – In the eighth round, Ukrainian Ruslan Ponomariov came within two rounds of completing what has been a virtuoso performance. While his opponents were unable to gain any momentum out of the starting blocks, he cemented his lead by beating top German Arkadij Naiditsch in a strong game which he concluded with flawless technique. Report and pictures.

FIDE to move Candidates Matches, Topalov threatens boycott

7/24/2010 – The Candidates Matches for the next FIDE World Championship cycle were scheduled to be played in Baku, Azerbaijan. Since one of the candidates, Levon Aronian, is Armenian, and the two countries are de facto at war, FIDE wants to move the matches to Kazan in Russia. To this another candidate, Veselin Topalov, has issued a very sharp protest and threat.

World School Championship – Oh the intensity!

7/24/2010 – There is something very special about children playing chess. Especially when it's many hundreds of them, from scores of different countries. This truly edifying event is taking place in the central Anatolian city of Kayseri (Turkey) and we are lucky to have a dedicated and ambitious photographer at the venue. Enjoy the latest extraordinary pictorial report by Anastasiya Karlovich.

Dortmund 2010: Shak attack

7/23/2010 – After suffering a defeat for wanting more in the fifth round, and then getting hit by the sort of chess blindness every player experiences at least once, after conducting a beautiful game in the sixth round. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov bounces back with a powerful game against Peter Leko, tying him for second and placing him in contention once more. Round seven report.

Sam Shankland US Junior Champion in bidding war

7/22/2010 – Three players tied for first in the US Junior Championship. The playoff mode is unusual: the players secretly bid for the amount of time they would be willing to accept for their games. The lower bid gets that, the choice of colour and draw odds, the opponent has 60 minutes. In the end Sam Shankland triumphed over Parker Zhao and GM Ray Robson. Final report from Saint Louis.

Sixth World School Chess Championship in Kayseri

7/22/2010 – 355 players plus 500 accompanying delegates from 70 different countries have convened in the central Anatolian city of Kayseri (Turkey) to participate in this event, which is being staged under the aegis of the Turkish First Lady, Hayrünnisa Gül. The children are between seven and seventeen, and competing in twelve categories. Big pictorial report by Anastasiya Karlovich.

Dortmund 2010: Round six, a moment of madness.

7/22/2010 – In the sixth round, the players came back rested, but the games all went quietly, ending in draws except for one: Mamedyarov's powerful attack against Naiditsch. After a missed opportunity to go down in glory, the unthinkable happened. During the rest day, however, fans were given a chance to obtain autographs from their heroes. Don't miss the report and beautiful photos.

Sutovsky: Proposal for the Candidates Matches

7/22/2010 – "On July 20 I was invited to meet FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov," writes Israeli GM Emil Sutovsky, "in order to discuss the situation with the Candidates Matches 2011. I was given few minutes to submit my proposal, and it was agreed, that I will publish an open letter on this very important matter." Here is Sutovsky's open letter.

21 years of the Czech Open in Pardubice

7/22/2010 – The Czech Open, an international chess and games festival, is the largest chess open in Europe, with well over 1600 players taking part in the historical Czech town, Pardubice. The event includes a grandmaster tournament, part of the ACP World Series, several opens, and the Under-18 European Youth Chess Teams Championship. See the pictorial overview.

A dose of Anand: What Vishy can teach you

7/21/2010 – The World Champion Vishy Anand is currently in India, in his home town of Chennai. Relaxing with his iPod and iPad – but also talking to journalists and TV reporters. The finance magazine Forbes is carrying one article after another, tech sites are asking him about mathematics and remote astronomy, and the broadsheets are churning out reports and portraits. Samples and excerpts.

43rd Biel Chess Festival: Rounds two and three

7/21/2010 – The second round of Biel showcased the grit and determination of the young players as they refused to accept the cards handed them and continued to press as they may. Some stood fast, while others buckled. In the third round, the fights continued, with Wesley So emerging as clear leader with 2.5/3, followed closely by Tomashevsky and Caruana. Report for rounds two and three.

Kavalek at Huffington: Henri Rinck's Magical Rooks

7/21/2010 – He was one of the most prolific chess composers. His endgame studies were elegant, witty, entertaining, simple and beautiful. Henri Rink's ultimate collection of 1414 endgames was published six days before he died – some 500 of them were without pawns. He was brilliant at using two rooks, and two of his creations are part of today's column by GM Lubomir Kavalek.

Edward Winter's Chess Explorations (44)

7/21/2010 – No famous figure, whether dictator, pope, author, scientist, musician or film star, is safe from having a spurious game of chess attributed to him, and fanciful claims have also been made about world champions. In his discussion of the subject of hoaxes the Editor of Chess Notes includes a bizarre story from the nineteenth century about what was discovered in the brain of a blindfold expert.

Deadly intermediate moves

7/21/2010 – In the rook ending from the game Wang Yue-Nisipeanu, Black may be a pawn down, but his pieces are simply bursting with activity and are well coordinated. The passed pawn on the queenside is effectively supported by the king, and the rook is cutting the white monarch off on the first rank from the rest of the battle.

With Black to move, can you work out an exemplary winning variation? Should the latter begin with 56...b4 or with 56...Kc3? Compare your analysis with the comments by Karsten Müller for ChessBase Magazine Online.

Canadian Open 2010: Magnificent McShane

7/20/2010 – The 2010 Canadian Open Chess Championship ended in an impressive display of steam-roller chess, with English GM Luke McShane taking top prize with 8.0/9. The championship was a great success, complemented by events such as a Chess 960 simul by Shabalov, and a rook ending lecture by Gagunashvili. Read the final illustrated report with photos, quiz, and video.

Dortmund 2010: Three decisive games, Ponomariov leads

7/20/2010 – The fifth round finally lived up to the fighting spirit demonstrated by the players until now, with decisive results in all. Kramnik outsmarted his opponent by locking his rook away for good, while Leko's attempts to force a win ended up backfiring, and blowing up in his face. The two leaders Ponomariov and Mamedyarov met, and the leader's mantle traded hands once more. Games and analysis.

43rd Biel Chess Festival: Round one

7/20/2010 – The 43rd Biel Chess Festival is underway, and this year's invitational event is a tribute to the growing number of junior talents already breaking into the world elite. The list is a veritable who's who of top juniors, all vying to show that they are the ones most deserving of your admiration. Round one brought in a few surprises. See the report and illustrated introduction.

Saint Louis: Irina Krush US Women's Champion 2010

7/20/2010 – IM Anna Zatonskih had been leading the event since round five, but in the last two rounds she conceded two draws, while her main rival IM Irina Krush won both her games to take the title. In the junior section top seed Ray Robson suffered a last-round defeat to make it a three-way tie for first. Armageddon games on Tuesday will decide the winner. Round nine report.

Saint Louis: Krush/Zatonskih, Robson lead

7/19/2010 – IM Irina Krush scored a win in round eight, while her main (and only) rival IM Anna Zatonskih drew her game, so that with just one more round to go both ladies are tied at 7.0/8 points (with 2640 and 2624 performances). In the Junior section top seed Ray Robson leads ahead of surprise runner-up Parker Zhao. Don't miss the final games! Rounds seven and eight reports.