Ashley in Guadeloupe – Caribbean Chess Tour of a GM

11/28/2011 – GM Maurice Ashley, who in 1999 was the first African-American to attain the coveted title of International grandmaster of chess, has become an ambassador of the game. On his Caribbean Chess Tour, after visiting Martinique, he went on the incredible tropical island of Guadeloupe – and found a similar amount of enthusiasm for the game there. Here is his pictorial report on the trip.

5th Aquaprofit - Polgar Chess Day

11/28/2011 – For the fifth straight year, Aquaprofit sponsored the Polgar Chess Day, a giant chess bonanza designed to promote chess through many activities, with a focus on children, celebrity presences and massive media coverage. The event is spearheaded by Judit Polgar herself, with the collaboration of her sisters Susan and Sofia. With pictures and videos here is the report by Diana Mihajlova.

A funny thing happened on the way to the tournament hall…

11/27/2011 – Vassily Ivanchuk’s recent mugging in Sao Paulo shocked the chess world but it’s far from being the only mishap to befall a chessplayer on the way to or from work. It reminded Steve Giddins of some other off-board misfortunes in the past, from fire on the board (literally) to dog attacks and shootings. It's all in the latest issue of CHESS Magazine's Top Ten Greatest Chess Tournament Mishaps.

Samuel Reshevsky would have turned 100 today

11/26/2011 – On November 26, 1911, in a town near Lódz, Poland, little Sammy was born. He learnt chess at four and at eight was supporting the family, which had moved to the USA, with simuls and games against masters. Samuel Herman Reshevsky went on to a professional chess career spanning seventy years, and was considered by his arch rival Bobby Fischer one of the greatest of all time.

Hou Yifan: The World Champion title did not change me

11/26/2011 – At 14½ years she became the youngest female grandmaster in history; at seventeen she has already played in three world championships, losing one and winning two. She admits to a burning desire to become stronger in chess, but does not want the game to dominate her life. A day after her match in Tirana she the old and new world champion gave our colleagues this indepth interview.

Fritz 13 and Let's Check at the Women's World Championship

11/25/2011 – What do the players in a world chess championship do immediately after their games? Rush off for dinner? No. Check their game with the computer? Warmer. Actually in Tirana the two GMs used, for the first time in such an event, the new feature of Fritz 13, "Let's Check", to see what spectators from all over the world had found in their games. Here's how it is done.

Tal Memorial R9 – Aronian, Carlsen tie for first; Carlsen wins on tiebreak

11/25/2011 – Levon Aronian's dramatic win yesterday made serious ripples, as Vladimir Kramnik tried to cash in on what he expected to be a fragile Peter Svidler, but instead ended up losing. Magnus Carlsen once more showed his stuff when under last-minute pressure by beating Hikaru Nakamura in an opposite-colored bishops ending, snatching first on tiebreak. Final report with GM commentary.

Perpetual?

11/25/2011 – White has given two pieces to expose the enemy king and secure perpetual check. In the diagram position Black's 21...Kh5 wins against both 22.Bd1+ and 22.Qh3+. After 22.Qg7, however, ...
A)... the tables are turned in White's favour;
B)... Black wins anyway;
C)... nothing has changed - drawn!

ChessBase Magazine, larger diagram and solution.

Brand new: Tiviakov – Scandinavian with 3...Qd6

11/24/2011 – The Scandinavian (or Center Counter) Defense is an opening characterized by the moves 1.e4 d5. The game normally continues 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3. Here a very dynamic continuation was pioneered by Dutch GM Sergei Tiviakov: 3...Qd6, who has produced a new Fritz-trainer DVD containing everything you need to know on the subject. Try it out and surprise your opponents.

Tal Memorial Rd8 – Aronian takes lead with brilliant win

11/24/2011 – After no fewer than nineteen draws in the last twenty games, the first draws of round eight had spectators antsy, wondering when the genius, the players are obviously capable of, would start to shine through. The answer came from Aronian, who held an endgame advantage against Svidler, only to uncork a brilliant knight sacrifice, and won in style. Illustrated report with GM analysis.

WWCC R08: Draw, Hou Yifan retains World Championship title

11/24/2011 – The eighth game was the third Ragozin in this match. Challenger Humpy Koneru, in a must-win situation, came out of the opening with a small advantage, which she started to lose around move 22, after which her opponent took control. A draw was agreed on move 29, which means that Chinese GM Hou Yifan is the old (though just 17) and new World Champion. Congratulations Yifan, great show!

Daniel King: 'Catch it before it catches you!'

11/24/2011 – "Tonight I'm going to be examining a very tricky opening idea," says GM Daniel King, "the so-called Torre Attack. It is has a bit of a stodgy reputation, but there was a recent game that contained a very, very tricky opening idea, which I would like to examine tonight." The show, which starts at 8 p.m. CET (7 p.m. UK, 2 p.m. NY) is free for Premium members of Playchess.

Tal Memorial Rd7 – Ivanchuk breaks the gridlock

11/23/2011 – After three rounds of draws all-round, even the most patient spectator was beginning to wonder when the dry spell would end. It is true the players were all clearly playing for the win, but an actual one and zero somewhere would be nice for a change. Ivanchuk broke the gridlock after Nakamura appeared in subpar form, and subsequently lost as a result. Illustrated report with GM analysis.

WWCC R07: Hou Yifan wins again, now has three-point lead

11/23/2011 – This is very bitter for the Indian challenger, GM Humpy Koneru, the second highest rated player in the history of the game. In game seven she lost to the World Champion (and world number three) GM Hou Yifan, who is all of 17 years old. With three games to go the score is now 5:2, which means Humpy must win them all to draw even. Illustrated report with GM commentary.

Ashley in Martinique – GM bearing gifts

11/23/2011 – In 1999 Maurice Ashley was the first African-American to attain the coveted title of International Grandmaster of Chess, and he has become an ambassador of the game, especially in the Caribbean area. Recently he embarked on a Caribbean Chess Tour, where his first stop was Martinique. He motivated local school children with simultaneous games and gifts from the ChessBase shop.

Computer survival guide for chess players

11/22/2011 – After a top player claimed chess software had killed his machine, careful analysis agreed this was probably true, just not in the way he believed. A chess engine uses 100% of the computer's resources, and a pro usually has his computer running day and night. This can lead to an early death of your computer if measures are not taken. Here is a computer survival guide by Albert Silver.

Tal Memorial Rd6 – All drawn again, though not all dull

11/22/2011 – One would be forgiven for bemoaning a third straight round with all draws, but those who were watching were anything but bored. Not all games were equally exciting, it is true, but the early queen sacrifice by Karjakin against Nepomniachtchi and the nerve-wracking struggle between Svidler and Carlsen were alone worth the price of entry. Round six report.

Euwe Memorial 2011 – Peng takes Group One; Van Kampen Group Two

11/21/2011 – The 2011 Euwe Memorial just took place, and was a fitting tribute to the Dutch legend. Aside from two tournaments, the event also saw the release of ex-Candidate Paul van der Sterren's biography, and simuls by Jan Timman and Jennifer Shahade. 13-time Dutch Women's Champion, Zhaoqin Peng, won Group One, and Group Two was taken by 17-year-old Van Kampen. Reports and pictures.

Passed pawn duel

11/21/2011 – Facing White's trump on d7, Black had just mobilized his own passed pawn with 26...e4-e3. After the reply 27.Rd1-f1 (diagram) he now can ...

A)... resign;
B)... liquidate into a roughly balanced position;
C)... win on the spot.

ChessBase Magazine, larger diagram and solution.

Aeroflot Open – Invitations, regulations, events and prizes

11/21/2011 – The Aeroflot Open Chess Festival, one of the most popular tournaments in the world, will be held in from February 6 to 17, 2012 in a new venue: the Hotel Cosmos, one of the largest in Moscow, located in a beautiful park area 20 travelling minutes from Red Square. The total prize fund is 150,000 Euros, and it includes qualification places for the Dortmund Super Tournament. You can register now.

WWCC R06: Hou Yifan wins, takes two-point lead

11/21/2011 – The sixth game of the Women's World Championship ended in time trouble. The Challenger Humpy Koneru was pressing in a basically equal position, but with time running out for both players it was the 17-year-old champion Hou Yifan who, in spite of a violent stomach-ache the night before, had the better nerves. With four games left she now has a commanding 4-2 lead. Full illustrated report.

CBM training: Principle of one diagonal, the cut-off and the back door

11/20/2011 – As you know by now every issue of ChessBase Magazine has a wonderful endgame section, with practical lessons taken from current tournament play. The trainer is GM Karsten Müller, who also gives us weekly sessions on the news page. You can study Dr Müller's analysis on our JavaScript boards or download the games for later review. Look, learn and enjoy.

Tal Memorial R5 – All games drawn, with firework displays

11/20/2011 – For some time it seemed that the black pieces would again dominate a round. Nepomniatchtchi, Aronian and Carlsen all had a significant edge. However they were all unable to best their opponents. The five draws again do not betray the fireworks that occurred during the round. And speaking of fireworks, the only "short" draw of the round, Karjakin-Svidler, had enough of those to light up a stadium.

WWCC R05: Draw, Hou Yifan remains in the lead

11/20/2011 – The fifth game in the Women's World Championship in Tirana, Albania, ended after four hours and 43 moves in a draw, with the 17-year-old World Champion Hou Yifan, who didn't have a tangible advantage, pressing anyway on the white side of an Open Ruy Lopez. Meanwhile, in an extraordinary feat of investigative journalism we were able to at last solve the mystery of the silver pot.