Rybka 3.0 – Not just the strongest chess program in the world

7/18/2008 – Developed by IM Vasik Rajlich, Rybka is the shooting star amongst chess programs. It won the 2007 world championship and leads easily in all computer rating lists. Now it is available in the dramatically improved version 3.0 and under the ChessBase-Fritz interface. It includes exciting new analysis functions you will not find in other programs. You can order it now.

Times of India on 'Kramnik's psychological warfare'

7/17/2008 – Recently Vladimir Kramnik spoke about the world championship title which Anand won last year. His interview, says one of India's most prestigious newspapers, is full of salvos against the title holder. "Kramnik’s stance smacks of double standards and selective amnesia," editorialises the newspaper, which goes on to deliver its own salvos against the challenger. Let the hostilities begin.

Four players tie for first at Karpov Poikovsky tournament

7/17/2008 – The event, named to honour its patron Anatoly Karpov, saw firebrand Alexei Shirov take the sole lead after seven rounds, only to lose fairly traumatically to Vugar Gashimov, a soon-to-be 22-year-old grandmaster from Azerbaijan. All other games were drawn, as were all five games of the final round. In the end Rublevsky, Jakovenko, Gashimov and Shirov shared first. Results, games and statistics.

Benko (of 3...b5!? fame) turns eighty

7/16/2008 – Pal Benko, grandmaster, author, and composer of superbly imaginative endgame studies and problems, was born in France but was raised in Hungary (where he is known as Benkö Pál). He is most famous for the eponymous Benko Gambit, 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5, which is the subject of tonight's Playchess lecture by Dennis Monokroussos. Tune in for the grand Benko Birthday Show.

Edward Winter's Chess Explorations (5)

7/16/2008 – We launch a major innovation: the ChessBase Simul Hunt. The aim is to save from oblivion as many games as possible played by readers in simultaneous displays. The Editor of Chess Notes invites all readers to submit their wins, draws and losses for inclusion in a special database. The best games will be annotated at ChessBase by a guest master. We look forward to your contribution.

Chess 960

7/16/2008 – Have you tried Chess 960 yet? It's a chess variant (devised by Bobby Fischer) which is steadily growing in popularity. In fact, you can even play Chess 960 in Fritz 11 and analyse it with ChessBase 10. In his latest column, our ChessBase Workshop correspondent shows you how. Workshop...

Rublevsky, Jakovenko, Shirov lead in Karpov tournament

7/15/2008 – The name of the town, located just east of the famous – in chess circles – is Poikovsky, but you will need to search for "Poykovskiy" to find the one we want in Google. The tournament is a ten player category 18 with an average rating of 2691. After six of nine rounds there are three players with 4.0 points. Draw average so far: 63%. We bring you results and games.

Chess in Iran: Premier Women's League

7/15/2008 – In a patriarchal country like Iran women did not have fair opportunities to prove themselves, but since a few decades, thanks to the devoted efforts of feminists and activists, Iranian ladies have had better chances to demonstrate their abilities, and they have evinced themselves in different fields. So too in chess. Meet the Iranian women players in this richly illustrated report by FM Arash Akbarinia.

Everything you wanted to know about Ukrainian chess

7/14/2008 – It is one of the super-powers of chess, but somehow there have not been that many great events in Ukraine. Until very recently, that is. This year, which is just half over, has already seen the ACP World Cup, the Aerosvit tournament, the Pivdenny Bank rapid and recently the Life:) chess match in Kiev. WIM Olena Boytsun visited the event and sent us some great pictorial impressions.

IV Torneo Internacional Abierto de Ajedrez “Alajuela 2008”

7/14/2008 – We ask you: is it polite to belch sulfurous steam, smoke and ash behind a strong grandmaster? Well that is what Volcan Poaz, just a few meters higher than Sergey Tiviakov's Elo rating, did in Costa Rica, where the the Alajuela chess event was held. We don't have all the games, but we did get some spectacular images, including GM Tiviakov's impressions of tropical Central America.

How to tease your opponent in move two or three

7/13/2008 – Colle, Torre, and London System – all these are d4 openings that you will hardly find a black player who feels happy about. While their general reputation is rather bad, there is simply no refutation. Moreover, they all have been played by world champions. Let Nigel Davies show you why and give you good reasons to rebuild your repertoire without much ado. Buy his QPO-DVDs now or read more.

Kramnik: 'My task is to play the very best chess'

7/12/2008 – Shortly after his rapid chess match against David Navara in Prague Vladimir Kramnik gave Czech journalist Pavel Motocha an indepth interview on Navara, chess ethics, the world championship title, his upcoming match against Anand and Garry Kasparov's political activities in Russia. An English language translation has appeared on the Kramnik web site. Here are the highlights.

Chess helps hostages in Colombian jungle

7/12/2008 – Here's a harrowing and uplifting tale. Three Americans had spent more than five years as hostages of the FARC rebel group in the jungles of Colombia. Last week they were rescued in a daring mission. They carried with them a metal lock, a bullet and – a chess board made of cardboard. One of the captives had carved the pieces with a a broken machete. The game helped them survive. CNN video report.

Archiving databases

7/11/2008 – Data corruption -- it's a heartbreaker and can strike without warning. The best defense is to be prepared by making backups of your important database files. Learn how to create compressed database archives in the latest ChessBase Workshop.

Would you like a blindfold?

7/11/2008 – Blindfold chess has a long and colorful history. But did you know that blindfold chess isn't just for public exhibitions and special grandmaster events anymore? You can play blindfold chess in the privacy of your own home, as you'll learn in the latest ChessBase Workshop.

Ashley on CNN: 'I just knew I would be a great chess player'

7/10/2008 – Maurice Ashley is the first black chess grandmaster in history. He is also one of the games finest ambassadors, an ardent spokesman and advocate of the intellectual and character building effects in young people for over 15 years. In a short CNN report, part of the series on "Black in America", he speaks about the driving forces in his life and his career. We bring you Maurice unsquished.

Women's World Championship in Nalchik

7/10/2008 – The Women's World Chess Championship will be held from August 28th to September 18th 2008 in Nalchik, a city in the Caucasus region of southern Russia and capital of the Kabardino-Balkar Republic. 64 top qualified players take part in the knockout event for the highest title. Nalchik is not very well-known, but it is located in a hotbed region for chess. You can convice yourself by clicking on our map.

The Russians are coming – in chessboxing

7/9/2008 – Having enjoyed recent success in soccer, basketball and ice hockey, Russia is now also able to boast a world champion in the little-known sport of chessboxing. Russia's Nikolai Sazhin, a 19-year-old mathematics student from the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, defeated light heavyweight defending champion Frank Stoldt, a 37-year-old policeman from Germany, to lift the world chess boxing title.

Kiev Life Rapid: Karjakin beat Short 7.5:2.5

7/8/2008 – They worked together in Nigel's home in Greece, and almost got themselves killed in a traffic accident. But Sergey Karjakin, 25 years younger than Nigel Short, completely outmatched him in the rapid chess match in the Academic Puppet Theatre in Kiev, Ukraine. On the final day the youngster won both games to finish with a five-point lead. Illustrated report.

Viktor Korchnoi vs the King's Indian Defense

7/8/2008 – Few players have been as implacably opposed to a major opening as Viktor Korchnoi has been to the KID. For at least five decades he has been in the vanguard of those combating this opening, developing countless new ideas in the struggle to prove an advantage for the white pieces. In his Playchess lecture Dennis Monokroussos shows a milestone example from 1987. Learn and enjoy.

ChessBase 10 – you don't need to wait!

7/8/2008 – It's been a couple of years in the making, but now the latest chess database program is in production, a product from the company that pioneered the the technology. ChessBase 10 provides you super-fast access to an online database with the latest chess games, kept topical and up-to-date by ChessBase. the perfect preparation tool you cannot afford to miss. Order now.

Putting chess through the satirical grinder

7/7/2008 – Uncyclopedia is a satirically themed encyclopedia, formatted as a parody of Wikipedia. Its logo is a hollowed potato that serves as a spoof of Wikipedia's globe logo. Uncyclopedia has a longish article on chess, with many links to satirical subarticles. Funny or not, you must decide. You can also compare it to the 'best short humorous chess sketch ever written’

Tweaking Fritz - PART 9

7/7/2008 – In the final installment of the ChessBase Workshop series on tweaking the various general settings in Fritz, we explore the ins and outs of the "Design" tab settings. Find out more in the latest Workshop.