9/26/2009 – "So we have four games played and White could not win a single game yet," noted match commentator Klaus Bischoff. "Today we will see Nigel's last try with the white pieces." Try he did, and in fact pulled off a fine victory to take a 3.0-2.0 lead in this match (with one game to go). Not a single game so far has been unfought or boring. Report with GM analysis.

9/26/2009 – This Category 16 event, billed as the "highest rated international invitational tournament in U.S. history", is named after its founder, former Women's World Champion Susan Polgar. After six rounds GMs Kuzubov, Andreikin and Hammer lead, but Group B (Cat. 11) is also interesting, since 14-year-old IM Ray Robson is trying to pick up his final GM norm. Illustrated report.

9/25/2009 – ... is a continuation which immediately springs to mind in a position - if, for example, a piece can be developed to an active square in the opening with tempo. In the diagram, playing 16.Rad1 White occupied the d-file with his rook and at the same time attacked the opponent's queen. What is your judgement on this?
A) simple and strong, the move maintains a powerful initiative;
B) here nature is against White, Black gets the advantage; 
C) neither nor, with a precise reaction the position is kept in balance.
The solution is here, but first ponder over it with a larger version of the diagram.

9/25/2009 – Everyone expected an easy win by Kasparov, but their eight-game blitz encounter started with a shock loss. Karpov drew first blood, Kasparov took a "deep breath" 17-move draw to clear his head, and then went on to score five wins in a row. The final game was a draw, leaving Kasparov winning the blitz with 6.0:2.0 and the match with 9.0:3.0 – exactly as their ratings predicted. Illustrated report.

9/24/2009 – Day two of the commemorative rapid chess match saw Anatoly Karpov win a fine game against the man who dethroned him as World Champion 25 years ago. In the final game Garry Kasparov only needed a draw, but put on the pressure until Karpov crumbled and lost – again – on time. The final score of 3.0:1.0 is exactly what the ratings predicted. Illustrated report with videos.

9/24/2009 – "Enjoy your free day," our commentator GM Klaus Bischoff imagined the arbiter saying, though Bischoff assumed both players would spend it in front of their laptops. Not quite. Nigel Short went on an outing to Mukachevo Castle, located at the dizzying height of 68 meters, where he made a number of new friends, some of flesh and some in bronze. After that the fourth game was drawn. GM analysis.

9/24/2009 – He was a much-loved member of the Uzbek national team, playing in numerous Olympiads, Asian and World team championships. He was a gentleman and a chess altruist, who never hesitated to share his home preparations with teammates. He was the loving father of two girls and a boy. Shukhrat Safin died on 20 September of blood cancer. Eulogy by Jamshid Begmatov.

9/23/2009 – Four and a half years ago, at the 2004 Dubai Open, GM Evgeny Vladimirov suffered a stunning defeat against a 13-year-old. The former Kasparov trainer was so impressed that he predicted that young Magnus Carlsen would one day be the number one in chess. In his Wednesday night Playchess lecture Dennis Monokroussos looks at this astonishing game. Nine p.m. ET on the server.

9/23/2009 – Twenty-five years and still going strong: Garry Kasparov started his commemorative match against eternal rival Anatoly Karpov with two quick wins. The first game was over in 24 moves, when Karpov overstepped his time; and the second ended in 28 moves after a flashy kingside attack by Kasparov. The international press is reporting extensively, and we have some interesting video documents.

9/22/2009 – At the Grand Slam Masters in Bilbao Alexander Grischuk took second place behind Levon Aronian. Whereas he had good results with white and won two of those games, he had to submit to two defeats as black. GM Karsten Müller has annotated for ChessBase Magazine Online Grischuk's pretty endgame success against Alexei Shirov from round two. In it, it is once again the bishop which triumphs over the knight.
Analysis of the ending Grischuk-Shirov
Endgame DVDs

9/22/2009 – Nobody watches long interviews on the Internet any more – Google and YouTube have satiated us pretty much. But sometimes you have to make an exception. Here are Garry Kasparov and Magnus Carlsen talking about their cooperation to make the latter the number one in chess. The discussion on Norway's NRK Nett-TV talk show is charming and insightful. Video and full transcript.

9/22/2009 – Exactly 25 years after their first encounter – the World Championship match in Moscow – the perennial opponents Anatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov are playing a twelve-game rapid and blitz match in the Spanish city of Valencia. The rounds start on Tuesday at 19:00h CEST (21:00h Moscow, 1 p.m. NY), with two days of rapid games and one for blitz. Watch it on Playchess.