World Cup R5: Malakhov and Karjakin in the semifinals

12/4/2009 – In two games the players were obviously quite content to leave everything to the tiebreaks: Jakovenko-Gelfand and Gashimov-Ponomariov were both drawn in 15 moves. Peter Svidler tried a King's Indian against Vladimir Malakhov but got nowhere; Shakhriyar Mamedyarov missed a clear chance against Sergey Karjakin, so he and Svidler were eliminated. Illustrated report.

A knight on a weakened central square...

12/4/2009 – ... usually means a strong positional trump. However, sometimes this alone is not enough to win the game. Here Black was facing the question whether closing the queenside with 20...b3 21.a3 (diagram) would be beneficial for him. What do you think? A) this enhances Black's spacial superiority, but doesn't yield anything concrete; B) it is a powerful continuation, considerably increasing his positional advantage; C) it's not good, White has one worry less and will be able to successfully defend himself in the centre and on the kingside.
The solution is here, but first ponder over it with a  larger version of the diagram.

World Cup R5: Malakhov and Karjakin take the lead

12/3/2009 – Gelfand vs Jakovenko was a wholly uneventful 18-move draw; Ponomariov played well against Gashimov but was not able to clinch it when the opportunity came around; Shakh Mamediarov survived some shaky moments against Sergey Karjakin, only to blow it in the end; and Peter Svidler had a brilliant win against Vald Malakhov that was marred by a little point in the end. Full illustrated report.

World Cup R4: Youngsters out, experience rules

12/2/2009 – The three youngest players – the darlings of chess fans – were knocked out in the tiebreaks in Khanty-Mansiysk. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, 19, lost to Boris Gelfand, 41; Fabiano Caruana, 17, was eliminated by Vugar Gashimov, 23; and Wesley So, 15, lost all three games to Vladimir Malakhov, 29. Jakovenko knocked out Grischuk, and Ponomariov Bacrot. Interviews with Grischuk and Shirov.

World Cup: Interviews with Fressinet and Onischuk

12/2/2009 – The organisers in Khanty Mansiysk, FIDE, are providing us with great material. Apart from live coverage, prompt delivery of results and games, they are also doing regular interviews with the players. Today Laurent Fressinet tells us that his wife Almira Skripchenko is the main breadwinner in the family; and Alexander Onischuk has a solution for punctual appearance at the game. Interesting ideas.

Wednesday night training on Playchess

12/2/2009 – Joseph Henry Blackburne (1841-1924), nicknamed “the Black Death”, learned the game late, at the age of 19, but just two years later defeated Wilhelm Steinitz in a tournament game! In this week's Playchess lecture by FM Dennis Monokroussos looks at a classical win against Emanuel Lasker. Before that IM Merijn van Delft discusses current games. Be there and watch.

Edward Winter's Chess Explorations (31)

12/1/2009 – The Editor of Chess Notes reports on a stunning new book about Emanuel Lasker – a 1,079-page hardback whose contributors include Robert Hübner and Victor Korchnoi. The editors, Richard Forster, Stefan Hansen and Michael Negele, have kindly allowed a selection of rare illustrations to be presented here, and we now whet readers’ appetite for one of the great chess books of all time.

World Cup R4: Svidler, Mamedyarov and Karjakin through

12/1/2009 – Peter Svidler and Shak Mamedyarov drew their games and went through against Alexei Shirov and Viktor Laznicka after yesterday's victories. Sergey Karjakin, who (would you believe it?) at 19 has been a grandmaster for seven years, defeated Nikita Vitiugov with black to join the two in round five. The other boards finished without decisions, so that tomorrow will see five tiebreak pairings.

World Cup R4: Svidler and Mamedyarov win with black

11/30/2009 – That's a good way to start the fourth stage of the World Cup in Khanty-Mansiysk: win the first game with the black pieces. And if you manage it, as Peter Svidler did, against firebrand Alexei Shirov, who was going after your king, so much the better. A number of the other games were drawn without a real fight. But good news: everyone arrived on time, nobody was forfeited. Big illustrated report.

Ivanchuk: Sorry, I am not quitting chess

11/30/2009 – In a recent FIDE interview in Khanty-Mansiysk Vassily Ivanchuk, devastated by a loss to 16-year-old Filipino GM Wesley So, announced that he was giving up professional chess. We received a lot of feedback on this decision, some urging the great chess player to reconsider, other calling him a sore loser. Now Ivanchuk has acted, and it will please the first set. Feedback and retraction.

Quiz: where will the sixth Grand Prix be held?

11/30/2009 – The FIDE Grand Prix was envisioned as "a series of six tournaments in leading world cities." Many experts predicted its imminent collapse, but the first five were successfully staged, with some difficulty and change of venues. It was just the "leading world cities" bit that did not quite work. Maybe for the sixth edition? You are invited to go on a seek and find mission for the host city.

World Cup R3: Two Chinese players default – for smoking

11/29/2009 – After the first rapid chess tiebreak game Wang Yue and Lie Chao went to the smoking area. An arbiter warned them that their games were starting in three minutes, and then again a minute before the starting gong. But the two arrived two minutes late at the board and lost their games by forfeit. Both were subsequently eliminated. Results, pictures, games and interview.

'Snowdrops and Old-hands' in Marienbad

11/29/2009 – We take the nomenclature from the organisers on the official site. Czech Coal is staging a match between "chess legends" (Korchnoi, Timman, Hübner, Hort) and young "grandmistresses" (Humpy, Muzychuk, Lahno and Jackova) in the famous chess town of Marianske Lazne (Marienbad). After two of eight rounds the "Snowdrops" are leading 4.5:3.5. Big pictorial report with videos.

World Cup R3: Kamsky eliminated by So

11/29/2009 – That was the shocker on day two of round three: 16-year-old Wesley So held Super-GM Gata Kamsky to a draw and eliminated him from the World Cup in Khanty Mansiysk. Other players knocked out: Sakaev, Motylev, Tomashevsky, Wang Hao, Yu Yangyi. Ten tiebreaks on Sunday – you can watch them from 11:00 a.m. CET on Playchess. Illustrated report plus an interview with Gata Kamsky.

Oslo Blitz – Nakamura beats Carlsen in the final

11/29/2009 – This low-key blitz event took part on Saturday, November 28th in Oslo, Norway. Ten players were invited and divided into two groups, insuring that the two designated finalists, Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura, would meet in the final. We have with difficulty managed to get some of the games in PGN. We also have a special visual treat for you: front-seat videos of the final.

World Cup R3: So strikes again – beats Kamsky with black

11/28/2009 – Wesley So turned 16 just seven weeks ago. He is a grandmaster and a apparently a Super-GM killer. In round two in Khanty-Mansiysk he knocked out Vassily Ivancuk; and in the first game of round three he outplayed Gata Kamsky with the black pieces. Gelfand beat Polgar and Navara beat Karjakin. Full report with pictures, commentary and an interview with Wesley So.

Advancing pawns in front of your own king...

11/27/2009 – ... is certainly no exception anymore in modern opening lines (here Ruy Lopez/Moller Variation 5...Lc5), yet it should always be treated with care. Here Black was facing the question whether he could expand even further with 18...g4, trying to win White's central pawn d4. What do you think?
A) Black gets the advantage, thanks to his strong Nf5 he keeps firm control; 
B) this backfires, the position is weakened too much; ; 
C) White can equalize with precise play.
The solution is here, but first ponder over it with a  larger version of the diagram.

World Cup R2: no more upsets

11/27/2009 – None of the top players left in the tiebreak matches faltered: Peter Svidler disposed efficiently of upstart Tomi Nyback; Ponomariov ground down Akobian; Eljanov and Karjakin were successful; and Alexei Shirov won all three games. Maybe one small surprise: Fabiano Caruana eliminated Leinier Dominguez, the highest rated player to drop out today. Pictorial report.

Ivanchuk threatens to quit professional chess

11/26/2009 – He lost in round two of the World Cup against 16-year-old Wesley So of the Philippines. Vassily Ivanchuk, one of the all-time greats of chess has taken it to heart and announced that he no longer considers himself a professional player. "Chess will become hobby for me from now on – I will just be a chess fan," said the heart-broken Ivanchuk. FIDE interview.

Selected attacking games

11/25/2009 – Games full of tactical ups and downs and mating motifs rightly charm every chess fan, and so it will come as no surprise that a successful attack on the king always represents a dainty morsel for all chess lovers. We have selected and annotated two attractive attacking games from the Russia Cup in Saint Petersburg. In the first of them (diagram) we see how Ian Nepomniachtchi sets about an uncastled Sicilian king. In the second game, a Ruy Lopez, Alexei Fedorov managed to reduce to rubble the castled position of the black monarch. IM Michael Kopylov for ChessBaseMagazine Online.

World Cup R2: three super-GMs knocked out

11/25/2009 – That would be fourth seed Alexander Morozevich, who lost 0-2 to Czech GM Viktor Laznicka; fifth seed Teimour Radjabov, who went down against Konstantin Sakaev, and Vassily Ivanchuk, who was eliminated by 16-year-old Wesley So. Top seed Boris Gelfand had a narrow scrape against Farrukh Amonatov, and Peter Svidler equalised against Tomi Nyback. Impressions by GM Peter Heine Nielsen.

World Cup R2: Svidler, Radjabov, Ivanchuk, Morozevich lose

11/25/2009 – A very shocking day: Peter Svidler and Teimour Radjabov lost their games with the black pieces, Alexander Morozevich and Vassily Ivanchuk with white, making a comeback in the return round on Wednesday even harder. We have to go down to board eight to see a favourite (Grischuk) actually win. We bring you a full updated report with highlights and pictures by Galina Popova.

Wednesday night training on Playchess

11/24/2009 – After Bobby Fischer and before Magnus Carlsen, the "Best in the West" was the Dutch grandmaster Jan Timman. He played many games against Anatoly Karpov – including two title matches – beating the former world champion no fewer than eleven times. One remarkable game is the subject of this week's Playchess lecture by FM Dennis Monokroussos. Be there and watch.

World Youth Championship in Antalya

11/24/2009 – A total of 1324 participants from 90 countries took part in six age groups, for boys and girls, at this World Youth Championship in Turkey. A great success for the host nation was the bronze medal for local talent Kübra Öztürk in the Girls U18 section. A protest has been submitted by the Israeli Chess Federation because no anthem was played for the winner of the Girls U14 section. Results and games.