Maxime Vachier-Lagrave wins Biel 2009

7/31/2009 – At 14 years and four months he was the ninth youngest GM in history. Today, at eighteen, he is rated 2703 and number 29 in the world. The French GM was leading after nine rounds, and with all three games from round ten being drawn he retained his half-point lead to take sole victory in the tournament. Alexander Morozevich and Vassily Ivanchuk took Silver and Bronze. Final report.

2009 Villarrobledo Rapid Tournament: Naiditsch edges the field

7/31/2009 – The annual rapid tournament of Villarrobledo, Spain, concluded a few days ago, with good news for German fans. GM Arkadi Naiditsch finished clear first, with a solid 7.5/9, leaving the likes of GMs Alexei Shirov and Alexander Grischuk in his wake. Though an impressive showing, the victory was not without some serious adversity. Illustrated report.

Biel 2009: Morozevich beats Ivanchuk, Vachier leads

7/30/2009 – Alexander Morozevich continues his roller coaster play with a win over tournament leader Vassily Ivanchuk (who essentially dropped a rook). The Russian GM has single-handedly contributed to the low 63% draw ratio in this event, having drawn only two games in nine rounds. French GM Maxime Vachier Lagrave drew his game against Boris Gelfand and is now alone in the lead. One round left.

Chess Classic: Nakamura's comeback

7/30/2009 – On the first day of the Chess960 World Championship in Mainz a somewhat jet-lagged Hikaru Nakamura had scored a disappointing 1.0/3 points. On the second day the American GM fought back, winning all three games and bringing Levon Aronian into the danger zone of not qualifying for the final. But the Armenian did and Thursday will bring a clash between the two.

Chess Classic: Aronian dominates in Chess960

7/29/2009 – It is a form of chess, originally proposed by Bobby Fischer, in which the position of the pieces – not the pawns – is shuffled randomly before the start of each game. This eliminates deep opening preparation and fosters a new form of creativity. Armenia's top GM appears to have plenty of that. After the first day he leads with 3.0/3 – after a 40-board simultaneous display. Illustrated report.

Monokroussos analyses Topalov-Kramnik, Wijk 2008

7/29/2009 – In a recent poll on the Russian website chesspro.ru they picked their ten best games of 2008. The winner was Topalov-Kramnik, from Wijk aan Zee – an explosive game between two mortal enemies. This game is the subject of Dennis Monokroussos' Playchess lecture this week. If you don't know it, you'll love it; if you do, you'll enjoy a second, closer look. 9 p.m. ET.

Biel 2009: Vachier Lagrave and Ivanchuk lead

7/29/2009 – After eight of ten rounds two players are in the lead by a full point: French GM Maxime Vachier Lagrave and Ukrainian perennial Vassily Ivanchuk. Russian GM Alexander Morozevich has been doing a roller coaster, with Caissa frowning on him in round six, smiling in round seven and frowning again in round eight. Illustrated round seven/eight report.

6000 chess players took part in our beauty contest

7/29/2009 – We recently conducted a test: you had to choose a number between 0 and 100, and could win prizes if your number was closest to 2/3 of the average of the numbers given by all participants. The experiment is known as the "Beauty Contest" and goes back to John Maynard Keynes, one of the most influential economists who ever lived. Did chess players score above or below average?

Simple positions...

7/28/2009 – ... can actually be full of venom, particularly when they feature a weak back rank. Here White had just attacked the enemy rook with 34.Bxa5 and now Black had the choice between three moves: 
A) 34...Ra6
B) 34...Rb7
C) 34...Rxb3.
What would you advise? Only one continuation doesn't lose!
The solution is here, but first ponder over it with a larger version of the diagram.

Rating inflation – its causes and possible cures

7/27/2009 – Thirty years ago there was one player in the world rated over 2700. Fifteen years ago there were six. Today there are thirty-three. What is the cause of this "rating inflation". A general improvement of chess skills? A larger number of players in the rating pool? The way the initial ratings are conducted? In this clearly written article statistician Jeff Sonas addresses these questions. Must read!

US Junior Championship: IM Ray Robson, 14, victorious

7/27/2009 – The US Junior Invitational Championship was hosted by Milwaukee, Wisconsin on July 12-17th. The top seven American juniors under the age of 21 were joined by last year’s Junior Open champion for this eight-person round robin event. The tournament drew one of the strongest fields ever with one GM, three IMs and three FMs. It was won by a 14-year-old, with a 2751 USCF performance!

Biel 2009: Alekseev beats Morozevich, Ivanchuk leads

7/26/2009 – Talk about mercurial and unpredictable: after winning the first two games in the Biel Chess Festival Alexander Morozevich lost in round four to the youngest participant, Fabiano Caruana, and in round six to Russian GM Evgeny Alekseev. "Moro" is now at 50%, together with three other players. Vassily Ivanchuk leads with 3.5/6 points. Round six report.

Giri on a rampage at the Dutch Open Championship

7/26/2009 – The Open Netherlands Championship is taking place in Dieren, Holland. Jan Timman is playing here for the first time in several decades – he was Open Champion in 1970, when still a junior! But the talk of the town is Anish Giri, just turned fifteen, currently the world's youngest grandmaster. Anish has won every game in the first five rounds. His performance: a stunning 3164!

GM Chao Li gunning for a historic win next month!

7/26/2009 – Of all the events in the Asia-Pacific region, the IGB Dato' Arthur Tan Malaysia Open is establishing itself, not only as an annual tradition, but as a location for chess tourism and tough over-the-board battles. For those looking for a reason to take part, consider the tourist options, and the strong contingent of players converging on the area. Pictorial report by Edwin Lam.

Aronian on Mainz: I wish chess could always be like this

7/26/2009 – The 2007 Chess Classic starts on Monday, with a simul on 40 boards by GM Levon Aronian. The Armenian Olympic Champion and world number four goes on to defend his Chess960 title and then play in the Rapid World Championship against World Champion Vishy Anand. What does he think about the Mainz event? Levon clearly thinks it is great fun. Light-hearted interview.

Chess and cars in Ukraine – presentation by Mercedes

7/25/2009 – Chess, as we all know, is a magnificent game. It is also a great promotional tool. Banks, insurance companies, law firms – everyone seems to use chess motifs these day. Even car companies, and even in the Ukraine. Earlier this month German auto manufacturer Daimler presented two new Mercedes models, and invited WGM Natalia Zhukova to star in the event. Pictorial report.

Biel 2009: Caruana beats Morozevich in round four

7/25/2009 – In 2006 a 15-year-old lad scored a double victory over Alexander Morozevich in the Biel Tournament – which in spite of this the Russian won. That was Magnus Carlsen. This year another chess prodigy, Fabiano Caruana, has defeated Morozevich in the first half of the double round robin. At halftime Ivanchuk and Morozevich lead, with 3.0/5 points. Report after round five.

Five years of the ACP: results and development

7/24/2009 – On January 1st 2004 the Association of Chess Professionals took up operations. Today it has 250 members from 44 countries, and has organised eight tournaments with a total prize fund of over 400,000 Euros. Five years is long enough to draw some conclusions about the activities, and to develop directions for the years to come. ACP Secretary Olena Boytsun reports.

Canadian Open: Friendly Faces Congregate in Edmonton

7/23/2009 – This edition of the Canadian Open concluded with GM Mark Bluvshtein and IM Edward Porper clearing the field. We make a brief return to the scene of the crime to shed light on some of the lesser known faces around the tournament hall. Unsurprisingly, the Canadian contingent was large and noticeable, perhaps striking fear into the hearts of the foreign top-seeded players. Pictures by MonRoi.

Biel 2009: Ivanchuk beats Caruana, Morozevich leads

7/22/2009 – At Elo 2703 the 40-year-old Ukrainian Vassily Ivanchuk may be only the fifth seed in the 2009 Biel International Chess Festival, but everyone knows that he is one of the best players in the world (number three in the January 2009 list). In round three he showed his expertise in a rook and bishop ending to grind down the youngest participant Fabiano Caruana. Report and correction.

Tromsø 2009 – the Arctic Chess Challenge

7/22/2009 – The city of Tromsø, located within the Arctic Circle in Norway, has become a hot-bed of chess. Not only is Tromsø bidding for the Chess Olympiad 2014 – every year they stage a very attractive chess tournament in this beautiful location. This year the Arctic Challenge will be staged from August 1st to 9th, with 132 entries and lots of title holders – an ideal opportunity to make norms.

Judit Polgar – how to play the anti-Najdorf

7/22/2009 – Judit Polgar burst on the scene in the late 80s and early 90s as a great attacking player and tactician. But the strongest female in the history of the game can, when necessary, maneuver and utilize the strategic advantages in a position. She proves it a game against Vishy Anand that is the subject of this week's Playchess lecture by Dennis Monokroussos. Be there to watch at 9 p.m. ET.

A cornered king...

7/22/2009 – ... with the opponent already controlling one long diagonal and about to occupy the second usually means red alert. Here White has played 30.Qe5 holding a pistol to Black's head. What do you think about that?

A) A real knockout blow, forcing immediate resignation;
B) Not bad, but a surprising trick lets Black escape into an endgame;
C) The move is rubbish, throwing away White's entire advantage.
The solution is here, but first ponder it with a larger version of the diagram.

Biel 2009: Morozevich starts with a 2-0 score

7/21/2009 – The mercurial Russian GM Alexander Morozevich, 32 years old, Elo 2751, ranked 10th in the world, seems to mean business: he has scored two victories in the first two rounds of the 2009 Biel International Chess Festival, defeating last year's winner Evgeny Alexeev and top seed Boris Gelfand. Morozevich is a full point ahead of the field. Round two report.