Monokroussos on the Match

10/15/2008 – The World Championship has started, and our weekly Playchess lecture is scheduled for the night after game two. From now until the end of the match Dennis Monokroussos plans to go were the action is and do recaps of the games. If you missed them – or even if you didn't – be there and watch. Nine p.m. ET.

WCC R02: Anand plays 1.d4, game drawn after 32 fighting moves

10/15/2008 – Vishy Anand surprised his opponent Vladimir Kramnik – and the world – with the move 1.d4 in his first white game of the World Championship in Bonn. The position became complicated and Anand started pressing for a win. However in time trouble the Indian GM decided to accept his Russian opponent's draw offer. Full illustrated report with comments by Levon Aronian and Malcolm Pein.

WCC R01: Golden Book, drawing of colours

10/14/2008 – Before the start of a World Championship there are certain social and technical matters to attend to. Like the entry in the Golden Book of the host city, a reception with the Lady Mayor, welcome speeches and the drawing of colours. And violin recitals. All this took place on Monday, twenty hours before the start of the first game. Photo report and video.

Moscow: Svidler loses, Alekseev, Timofeev lead

10/14/2008 – After leading the event alone for eight rounds Peter Svidler lost his ninth-round game against Artyom Timofeev, who took over the lead together with Evgeny Alekseev, who beat Konstantin Maslak in the same round. Top seed Alexander Morozevich lost in round eight to Evgeny Tomashevsky but beat Alexander Riazantse in the next round to take sixth place. Games and results.

World Championship in Bonn – checking the playing venue

10/13/2008 – Just two more days to the start of the World Championship match between Vishy Anand and Vladimir Kramnik. On Saturday the two players, who have taken up quarter in the former German capital, inspected the playing site and the technical facilities. After checking the lights, testing the chairs and picking the chess set they even sat down for an informal game. We have the moves.

WCC Bonn: Press conference before the event

10/13/2008 – On Sunday, just two days before the start of the World Championship, the two players attended a press conference and answered questions from journalists who had already arrived at the playing site. World Champion Vishy Anand and Challenger Vladimir Kramnik were in a relaxed mood and their responses were often in a light-hearted vein. Highlights and photographs.

The Great Burn (1848-1925)

10/11/2008 – With Amos Burn currently the subject of much interest, we look at two of his spectacular wins from Richard Forster’s volume published by McFarland: a neglected miniature, played at odds, which James Mason described as one of the most brilliant breakdowns on record, and a fine sustained attack against Ossip Bernstein. From over a century ago, enjoy some highly entertaining chess.

Moscow: All games drawn, then three white wins

10/10/2008 – After a round with four decisive games, round six produced six fighting games but all ending in draws. In round seven there were three white victories. Peter Svidler still leads the Russian Championship Super Final by half a point, ahead of Alekseev, Timofeev and Vitiugov, followed by Morozevich and Jakovenko. Draw average in this event: 57%. Report after round seven.

Nigel Short wins Commonwealth Championship 2008

10/10/2008 – This event took place in Nagpur, a 2.5 million city smack in the middle of the Indian sub-continent. There were almost three hundred players, with eleven rounds of play in nine days. Top seed Nigel Short started off badly, but then went on to win his last six games and take the title. Afterwards the Commonwealth Champion spoke to us and gave us some interesting insights.

The beauty of Daniel King's 'Power Play' DVDs

10/9/2008 – We all know the feeling of being lost in a sea of information. That is why we often need guidance from experts and that is why there is that famous "Power Play" series by GM King. "That's my kind of DVD", says Steve Goldberg in his review of vol. 6 at chesscafe.com.  Once again Daniel King has managed to limit the scope and deepen his coverage of the subject. Buy it now or read more.

Four games decided in Russian Super Final

10/9/2008 – After a round in which all six games were drawn, and then a rest day, the participants in the Russian Championship Super Final in Moscow returned to the boards in fighting spirit. Only two (fighting) draws, but four decisive games, one a black victory by the mercurial Alexander Morozevich. Peter Svidler still leads the field by half a point. Round five report.

A quick pre-match interview with Vladimir Kramnik

10/9/2008 – Next Tuesday is the day, the first move in the World Championship match between Vishy Anand and Vladimir Kramnik will be executed in the State Art Gallery in Bonn, Germany. This week the players have arrived and taken up quarters with their teams. We took the opportunity to do a phone interview, in which the Challenger reveals some but not all of his secrets.

Edward Winter's Chess Explorations (10)

10/8/2008 – Our quiz invites readers to identify ten chess figures, and the good news for entrants is that all the pictures can be found in Chess Notes. The main prize is a copy of Richard Forster’s monumental book Amos Burn. In Bonn next week, it will be personally inscribed to the winner by both Anand and Kramnik, as well as Forster himself. An unmissable opportunity for all readers.

ChessBase 10 trees - part 2

10/8/2008 – In our last ChessBase Workshop column we had a "refresher" on the basics of viewing opening books/trees (the terms are interchangeable) in the ChessBase program. In the second Workshop we look at the new tree features to be found in ChessBase 10, and some tweaks you may find very useful. Learn more in the latest Workshop.

Getting ready for the World Championship

10/7/2008 – The Anand-Kramnik match is just six days away. Last week our Playchess lecturer Dennis Monokroussos looked back at a career highlights of challenger Vladimir Kramnik. This Wednesday he will take us through a delightful game by World Champion Viswanathan Anand. Sit back and enjoy.

Peter Svidler leads in Russian Super Final

10/7/2008 – In round four he took a 14-move break, but after winning the first three games Saint Petersburger GM Pjotr Svidler is in the lead in the Russian Championship, with 3.5/4 points and a performance of 3028. He is followed by Alexander Lastin with 3.0 points. Top seed Alexander Morozevich (there are three Alexanders in this tournament) is in 5-8th place with 2.0. Report after round four.

Alexandra Kosteniuk wins Women's Blitz in Beijing

10/7/2008 – The 1st World Mind Sports Games is currently taking place in Beijing, close to the venue of the 2008 Olympic Games. It features five mind sports: bridge, chess, go, draughts and xiangqi. In the chess section there are blitz, rapid, team and mixed competitions. Alexandra Kosteniuk won the Women's Blitz, in the men's section young Ukrainian GM Martyn Kravtsiv was successful. Report from Beijing.

Garry Kasparov Plays in Harlem

10/7/2008 – Recently, the gaze that used to make top grandmasters shake was focused on grade-school kids. The Harlem Children's Zone and the Kasparov Chess Foundation brought the best local players and the former world champion together in an unforgettable event. Hundreds of people came to watch Kasparov's simul and to participate in the First Harlem Children's Zone Chess Festival.

Rybka wins World Computer Chess Championship

10/6/2008 – The US program Rybka won the 16th World Computer Chess Championship that was held in Beijing, China, a full point ahead of its nearest rival, the British program Hiarcs. Third, a point behind, was the Israeli program Junior, followed by Cluster Toga and then Shredder. The hardware used in the event ranged from a 40-core system to a Nokia cell phone. Final report.

Gopal leads in Banja Luka

10/5/2008 – It is a famous tournament site, in the capital of the Republic of Srpska (an entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina). From September 28 to October 9 ten GMs are battling it out – quite literally, since there was only one "saloon draw" in the first four rounds. Indian GM Geetha Narayanan Gopal, rated 2548, leads, with 77-year-old Viktor Korchnoi in hot pursuit. Report from Banja Luka.

Svidler, Lastin lead in Russian Super Final

10/5/2008 – The Russian Championship, which for some years now has been called the "Super Final", is taking place as a 12-player round robin from October 3-15 in the Moscow Central Chess Club. After two rounds Peter Svidler and Alexander Lastin lead, each having won both his games. Svidler scored a fine black win against top seed Alexander Morozevich. Round two report.

The Great ChessBase Simul Hunt (3)

10/5/2008 – The third instalment in our series the Great ChessBase Simul Hunt has games played by Ftácnik, Andersson and Polugayevsky against readers in the United States, Sweden and Switzerland. The German master Karsten Müller provides annotations to the games, all of which were played in the early 1990s. Replay and enjoy the games.

Rybka, Hiarcs lead in Computer Championship

10/3/2008 – The 16th World Computer Chess Championship is being held in Beijing, China – as part of the Computer Games Championship, with 28 different games. After five rounds two programs are in the lead, with 4.5 points: Rybka (USA) and Hiarcs (England). The hardware being used by the participating programs ranges from a 40-core system to a Nokia cellphone. Report, results and games.

Reb Fountain's Chess Boxing single

10/3/2008 – It sounds unlikely: a Kiwi singer who makes "soul music that is real and heartfelt and pure and connects with people because it sounds good and feels great," has been inspired in her new album by – chess boxing. "It is quite beautiful, people boxing and then coming to the chessboard bleeding profusely. I like the idea of that." Video report.