GM Nigel's Radio Revs – here to answer you questions

5/22/2008 – Once a week grandmaster Nigel Davies gives live online training on the Playchess server, from 11 p.m. to 12 a.m. UK time. That means it starts at midnight CEST, 6 p.m. New York or 08:00 a.m. Sidney. This week the subject is ways to avoid theoretical duels and gambit lines. Send in your questions.

Invitation to the 38th Chess Olympiad in Dresden

5/22/2008 – Attention all chess federations and national teams. Attention FIDE officials and dignitaries. Attention chess fans. The 38th Chess Olympiad will be staged in the city of Dresden, Saxony, Germany, from November 12 to 25, 2008. During the time a FIDE Congress will also be held. For those wishing to participate or attend here are all the most important details.

Dominguez Perez wins the 43rd Capablanca Memorial

5/22/2008 – It was the 43rd edition of a great and prestigeous event, and was won by Cuba's top GM Lenier Dominguez Perez, who took clear first with 6.0/9 points. Unfortunately no games are yet available from Havana, Cuba, where the event took place. But: we have received splendid pictures and impressions from one of the players. Enjoy part one of Sergey Tiviakov's pictorial report from Cuba.

World Championship in 145 days – book your tickets now

5/21/2008 – The first round of the World Championship match between the reigning title holder Viswanathan Anand and challenger Vladimir Kramnik starts on October 14th 2008 in Bonn, Germany. Tickets are now on sale and cost 35 Euro (= US $54.80) per round. Special VIP tickets are also available, at 280 Euro (US $438) per round. Here is everything you need to know.

Evgeniy Najer wins President's Cup in Baku

5/21/2008 – The ninth seed finished in undivided first place, with 7.5/9 points, to win the $7000 prize. Evgeniy Najer was followed by eight GMs with 7.0 points each. We bring you the final standings and games, and lots of great pictures by Farid Khayrulin. Twelve were originally of unidentified players, but within hours our readers provided their names. Spectacular pictorial report.

2008 US Championships: Shulman and Zatonskih lead

5/20/2008 – GM Yury Shulman leads the 2008 Frank K. Berry US Championship by a full point, with three rounds to go. Shulman has wins against GMs Gregory Kaidanov, Boris Gulko and Sergey Kudrin. IM Anna Zatonskih is leading the Women’s section, with a perfect 6.0/6 score, half a point more than her main rival IM Irina Krush. Illustrated report.

The Great Draw Debates summarized: definitions, causes, effects

5/20/2008 – Over the past weeks we have received well over 300 letters from readers about the draw issues in chess, and more continue to arrive. Ironically, as the letters have accumulated it has become increasingly unclear exactly what the potential draw problems are in the first place, if any. In today's article we categorize and interrelate the best new and old letters we have received. Is there consensus?

Kramnik beats Navara 5.5:2.5 in Prague Rapid

5/19/2008 – Former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik took a decisive 3.5:0.5 lead in the first half of the eight-game CEZ Chess Trophy. After the rest day David Navara fought back, losing a game and almost winning two himself. In one he let his opponent escape with a draw, and the last one ended in victory. Of the five wins in this match two were with the black pieces. Pictorial report.

MTel R10: Ivanchuk wins Sofia by 1½ points

5/18/2008 – Ivan Cheparinov threw everything at him, but Vassily Ivanchuk defended coolly and scored a final black-piece victory to clinch the 2008 MTel Masters, with 8.0/10 and a performance of 2977. Second was Veselin Topalov, who drew Radjabov to end at 6.5/10, with a 2839 performance. We bring you a final report with commentary, pictures and more great videos by Europe Echecs.

Tweaking Fritz - PART 3

5/18/2008 – Our ChessBase Workshop series on "Fritz11 tweaks" finishes the settings contained under the "Game" tab, specifically the Coach settings and the list of "on/off" toggles at the bottom of the dialogue. Discover more ways to configure your Fritz in the latest Workshop.

Edward Winter's Chess Explorations (2) – now a prize quiz

5/17/2008 – The positions presented by the Editor of Chess Notes have proved so intriguing that the feature is now transformed into a prize quiz, with two positions added. The sender of the best solutions will receive a copy of Vishy Anand’s book My Best Games of Chess, personally inscribed to the winner by the world champion. There are signed consolation prizes too. Let battle begin.

MTel R9: Bu beats Topalov, Ivanchuk leads

5/17/2008 – Bulgaria's top grandmaster Veselin Topalov, rated 2767, had won three of his last four games; Chinese GM Bu Xiangzhi, 2708, had lost three of his last four encounters and was languishing at the bottom of the table. Today they met head-on, and Bu won the game! With a round to go Vassily Ivanchuk is a full point ahead and playing "goal-keeper". Illustrated report with videos.

MTel R8: Topalov and Radjabov win

5/17/2008 – Veselin Topalov had little difficulty beating his second Ivan Cheparinov, while Levon Aronian blundered one move before the time controls (see his round seven interview) to throw away the full point against Teimour Radjabov. Meanwhile Vassily Ivanchuk was lucky to survive against tail-ender Bu Xiangzhi. Full report with a simultaneous exhibition and interview with Boris Spassky.

Najer leads in the President's Cup in Baku

5/16/2008 – 180 players, GMs as far as the eye can see. Korchnoi, Timman, Short and Beliavsky. In the lead is Evgeniy Najer, GM from Russia, who has won all of his first five games. The Third President's Cup is under way in the capital of Azerbaijan, with the stars playing in the Open and separate groups for children and seniors. We bring you standings, games and pictures by Farid Khayrulin.

MTel R6: Topalov and Cheparinov win, Ivanchuk draws

5/15/2008 – The shocker of round six: Vassily Ivanchuk only drew his game against Teimour Radjabov, the first time he has dropped half a point in this tournament. His performance has dropped to a dismal 3155. Both Bulgarians, Cheparinov and Topalov, won their games and are in second and third place. A prominent visitor was Boris Spassky, who commentated for the spectators. Full pictorial report.

'Hao shi duo mo!' – Wang Yue on the Grand Prix in Baku

5/15/2008 – This is something new: a blog report by a top Chinese GM, describing the course of a Super-GM tournament. Wang Yue talks about the circumstances surrounding the First FIDE Grand Prix, which he won last week in Baku (together with Gashimov and Carlsen). Of course in Chinese, but thankfully translated by one of our readers. Thanks also to "Big Sister", who forced him to write it.

MTel R7: Ivanchuk and Topalov draw, Bu loses to Radjabov

5/15/2008 – The summit match between top seed Veselin Topalov and tournament uberplayer Vassily Ivanchuk ended in a hard-fought 49-move draw. Ivanchuk continues to lead Topalov by a full point, while the Bulgarian is a point and a half ahead of the next-best players. Teimour Radjabov beat the luckless Bu Xiangzhi, who has 1.0/7 and a performance of 2427. Full report.

Vladmir Kramnik dominates CEZ match against Navara

5/15/2008 – Their rating difference is just 116 points. But former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik is dominating the rapid chess match against top Czech GM David Navara. Kramnik won the first three of eight games, drawing the fourth for a halftime stand of 3.5:0.5. A big gala event kicked off the CEZ Chess Trophy, with blindfold chess and (you believe it) hacky sack displays. Illustrated report.

Topalov vs Kamsky – and the remarkable Mr Chernenko

5/15/2008 – Russian chess journalist Yuri Vasiliev has now confirmed that the semifinal Candidates Match between Veselin Topalov and Gata Kamsky will take place in Lvov, Ukraine, for a prize fund of US $750,000. On the web site ChessPro Vasiliev tells of a lengthy conversation he had with the initiator, Gata Kamsky's manager (and diamond trader) Alexander Chernenko. Must-read interview.

Karpov as an attacking player

5/14/2008 – He is known foremost as a positional player and endgame specialist, but hardly as a master of attack. Yet 12th World Champion Anatoly Karpov was (and is) capable of beautiful attacking play. In Wednesday night's Playchess show Dennis Monokroussos shows us a particularly impressive example against Hungarian GM Gyula Sax in Linares 1983. See you on the server.

Thrilling courses

5/14/2008 – Former world-champion Rustam Kasimdzhanov has proven a highly entertaining author in the Fritz trainer format. He recorded several DVDs and regularly contributes to ChessBase Magazine. John Elburg, chess reviewer for more than ten years now, watched his DVDs on 'Anti-Moscow Gambit' and 'Strategy'. Conclusion: Simply thrilling! Buy them now or read this review with samplers.

GM Nigel's Radio Revs – here to answer you questions

5/14/2008 – Once a week grandmaster Nigel Davies gives live online training on the Playchess server, from 11 p.m. to 12 a.m. UK time. That means it starts at midnight CEST, 6 p.m. New York or 08:00 a.m. Sydney. This week the subject is how to neutralise tricky opening lines and gambits. Send in your questions.

Looking back and forward to Baku

5/13/2008 – The FIDE Grand Prix in Baku ended a week ago. Now another big event starts in the capital of Azerbaijan: the Third President's Cup. Two rounds have already been played. Before we receive and publish first reports from this tournament we take a look back at the Grand Prix, with a round-up report by Zahir Ahmadov and some spectacular photography by Farid Khayrulin. A visual feast.

Devil's Advocate: Viswanathan Anand on mind games

5/13/2008 – World chess champion Viswanathan Anand is set for his title-defending match against challenger Vladimir Kramnik in October. Anand says Kramnik's challenge and taunts don't bother him because he believes "the main thing" is to win. "My own tendency is to just ignore him," Anand told Karan Thapar on Devil's Advocate in CNN-IBN Live. Videos and transcripts.