6/3/2010 – Everyone is well aware of the division of a game of chess into three phases: opening, middlegame and endgame. But there is also a so-called fourth phase, which occurs when both sides have promoted a passed pawn. In the rapid game Gurevich-Ivanchuk, played in the World Cup in Odessa, Ivanchuk chose after 58.Ke6 the continuation 58...Rxf6+, and the promotion of both pawns was imminent. What do you think? Was Ivanchuk's decision the correct one or was there a better continuation available to him?  As always, you will find the solution and the analysis by GM Karsten Müller on ChessBase Magazine Online.

6/3/2010 – Last week we published an article, submitted by the Corsican chess organiser Léo Battesti, which drew far-reaching conclusions from the statistics of rated players in different countries. The article was strongly criticised on the Ilyumzhinov campaign site. Now the French Chess Federation sent us its reply to this piece. Here are both articles and the feedback from our readers.

6/2/2010 – It was conducted before his successful World Championship defence, and affords some new insights into the life of India's sporting hero Viswanathan Anand, who touches on the important milestones in his chess career. The most enchanting bit: when Anand is joined by wife Aruna, who asks some of the questions. Like whether it was good for his career always being Mr Nice Guy...

6/2/2010 – With spectator numbers and gate receipts that would turn any chess organiser green with envy, with centers in Los Angeles, London, Berlin and Siberia, chess boxing is becoming a real success story. Recently in London a super-fit boxer managed to knock out his opponent just when he was about to be mated. You'll never guess whom director Iepe Rubingh has been trying to recruit.

6/1/2010 – For – would you believe it? – 23 years GM Lubomir Kavalek ran a respected and widely read chess column in the Washington Post. In 2007 the award-winning column was reduced and last year terminated. Thankfully Kavalek's retirement did not last long. Now the Huffington Post has snapped him up and we can expect extensive commentary every two weeks. Here's his first submission.

6/1/2010 – It is over five years since Kasparov’s dramatic announcement that he was giving up serious chess play. Such declarations, or intentions, are by no means rare, and the Editor of Chess Notes recalls a number of decisions, often surprising and mostly fleeting, by greats of the past: Botvinnik, Capablanca, Euwe, Fine, Harrwitz, Lasker, Marshall, Pillsbury and Steinitz. Retirement.

5/31/2010 – The Fourth ACP World Rapid Cup was a fast-paced event, with action and big surprises. Sergey Karjakin won it by a hair – in the final stages of the final Armageddon game. Around the event there were political meetings and discussions, the prize-giving, and a blindfold event for young Ukrainian talents. Our photographer WGM Anastasiya Karlovich sent us these impressions from Odessa.

5/31/2010 – The tenth edition of the International Computer Chess Tournament in the Dutch city of Leiden saw yet another triumph by the leading chess program Rybka, which scored 8.0/9 points (eight wins, one loss). Behind it were Deep Sjeng, Hiarcs and Deep Shredder. Rybka's success comes just in time: we have received the first shipment of Rybka 4 and are about to announce its sales. Tournament report.

5/31/2010 – The chess engine Rybka has become the touchstone in computer chess. It has won three world championships, and just this weekend came first in the super-strong ICT10 computer tournament in Holland. Rybka 4 is now available and can be directly ordered from ChessBase. But before you go clicking away in our shop you may want to read this interview with author Vasik Rajlich.

5/31/2010 – He was the highest rated and at the same time youngest player in the event: 15-year-old Anish Giri conceded just a single draw to win the 18th annual Sigeman & Co Tournament with a sterling performance. In the final round he defeated his only rival, 19-year-old Norwegian GM Jon Ludvig Hammer. After the game Anish gave us his impressions on the phone. Final report.

5/30/2010 – Odessa, this weekend: Mikhail Guruvich shut out Vugar Gashimov, his second Super-GM in succession. But Gurevich was stopped in the semis by Dmitry Jakovenko. He was joined in the finals by Sergey Karjakin, who had eliminated Alexander Grischuk. All four final games and the two blitz games were drawn. Sergey won the Armageddon. Final report.

5/29/2010 – The youngest player in the tournament – and currently the youngest grandmaster in the world – is on a rampage. Anish Giri has won his third game in a row and is the only player in the event with a perfect score. Today he beat Swedish GM Tiger Hillarp Persson, while GM Pia Cramling lost unnecessarily to Jonny Hector – Pia's third loss in succession. Round three report.