7/14/2010 – "One single square can make a big difference in a chess game," writes GM Lubomir Kavalek in his latest Huffington Post column. "It helped me to launch one of my longest combinations against Anatoly Karpov in Caracas 40 years ago." Karpov was at the time the reigning world junior champion. Kavalek brings extensive analysis of their game plus solutions to the Independence Day puzzles.

7/14/2010 – This is an excellent chance – a special offer: the 3rd Mediterranean Boys and Girls Chess Championships will be held from 31st August to 8th September 2010 in Crete, Greece. The players will stay in the beautiful five-star Hotel Cavospada, with one male and one female participant from each federation getting full board free of charge. Nominations before July 21!

7/14/2010 – Irina Krush and Anna Zatonskih are the clear favourites in the US Women's Championship 2010. The two are just six rating points apart – 2476 to 2470 – but 150 points ahead of the rest of the field. Every single games of the tournament had been decisive until the two met in round three. After four rounds the two lead, with Parker Zhao on top in the Juniors. Big illustrated report.

7/14/2010 – After learning how to install and configure your Mega Database 2010 as a reference database, and why, we bring you the next part of the tutorial, and now teach you how to set up an account so that your database is always up-to-date with the latest games from ChessBase's professional update service. The instructions were designed to be as easy as possible. Don't miss Part 2.

7/13/2010 – Remember the Karpov fund-raiser in New York? A similar extravaganza will take place in London, in the famous Simpson's-in-the-Strand, where 19th century intellectuals, sitting on comfortable divans, discussed politics and played chess. Steinitz, Morphy, Lasker and Zukertort were regulars. On Sept. 8th you can join forces with Kasparov, Adams, Short and McShane in exhibition games. Invitation.

7/13/2010 – The Paris Championship is the oldest French Open – Abraham Baratz won the first edition in 1925. The leading players in this year's event included GM Tigran Gharamian (2650), GM Alberto David (2622) and GM Sébastien Feller (2611). The Open Tournament took place from July 3rd to 11th, 2010. It was a nine-round Swiss, FIDE rules, 40 moves/1h 30 + 30 sec then 30 mn + 30 sec. Pictorial report.

7/12/2010 – We bring an interview with GM Pavel Eljanov, fresh off an impressive win at the FIDE Grand Prix in Astrakhan, which rocketed him to 8th in the world rankings. He is currently the number one Ukrainian, ahead of stars such as Ivanchuk and Karjakin. He describes his impressions on the Sofia rules, his development as a player, and reveals his fashion consultant. Here is the pictorial profile.

7/12/2010 – Two of the most prestigious tournaments in the country, the 2010 U.S. Women's Championship and the 2010 U.S. Junior Closed Championship, are taking place July 9-20 at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis. IM Anna Zatonskih is looking to defend the crown which she won two years in succession. In the Junior section Ray Robson is the top seed. Report after two rounds.

7/12/2010 – ... is always a good idea was White's reasoning here when he played 37.Re1-e3, covering the threat against f2 while getting the rook into position on the third rank. How is the position to be assessed after this?
A) White wins, his king is safe and there is nothing against the threats 38.d6 and Qh8+;
B) Black can land an immediate counterstrike;
C) Black gets the advantage by also combining attack with defence.
The solution is here, but first ponder over it with a larger version of the diagram.

7/11/2010 – A week ago we broke the news: tissue samples had been taken from chess champion Bobby Fischer's grave, on the order of the Icelandic Supreme Court to settle a paternity dispute. Most news sources reported that the body had been "exhumed", and our version – a hole dug in the ground next to the grave – was disputed. Now the Pastor in charge of the procedure provides clarification.

7/10/2010 – The Karpov campaign for FIDE president has made good its promise to launch a court case against the FIDE administration of Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, who is running to retain his post. The international law firm White & Case has sent out a terse statement declaring that it is initiating a request for arbitration. What does it all mean? The New York Times has some details.

7/10/2010 – The Editor of Chess Notes discusses the unusual brilliancy by Capablanca against Kevitz at New York, 1931, on the basis of the loser’s notes in a letter written many years later. The game has been described as ‘a delightful gem with a piquant finish’ and with ‘a problem-like move’, but is the exact game-score certain? And, above all, has the Cuban’s play been over-praised?