Chess: the ultimate invisible game

8/23/2007 – Chess is mostly an invisible game, in which the spectator sees very little happening. But that, of course, is only the tip of the iceberg. The overwhelming part of activity lies underneath the surface. This can be felt when you try to visualize a game without a board or pieces. Christian Hesse, a professor for mathematics, shows us a brilliant example and gives us a task in blindfold chess.

Bobby Fischer – the man with the clean-cut strategic style

8/22/2007 – Many of us think of Bobby Fischer's chess as especially sharp. Yet our Playchess trainer Dennis Monokroussos prefers to classify him as more of a "positional" player, closer to Capablanca, Smyslov or Karpov than Alekhine, Tal or Kasparov. This he proves with a game from 1968 in his Thursday night lecture.

How about: Montpellier and Saint-Affrique 2008?

8/22/2007 – There are few places on earth that are more charming than the southern part of France, with its rivers, mountains, bridges, pétanque, couscous, cheese and wine. And chess. You can take part in the Open in Montpellier and, a few days later, join an international tournament with hundreds of players in Saint-Affrique. Meri Grigoryan tells us all about it in a big pictorial report.

Mainz 2007 – Navara wins the Ordix Open

8/21/2007 – With 762 players it is one of the biggest Rapid Chess Opens in the world. You will find a GM on place 188 in the final standings. At the top, after a long, nerve-wracking fight, was Czech Champion David Navara, who survived the final strech Indian onslaught of Harikrishna and Sasikiran to win the Ordix Open with 9.5/11 points. Big pictorial report.

Michael Adams wins the Staunton Memorial

8/21/2007 – As is only appropriate in a tournament dedicated to the memory one of England's greatest players, the Fifth Staunton Memorial in London ended in a victory for another British chess all time great, Mickey Adams. In the final round, he drew with Black against Ivan Sokolov to reach an untouchable 8.5/11. Sokolov finished a point behind. Illustrated report.

NH Tournament: Rising Stars vs Experienced Grandmasters

8/21/2007 – It starts tomorrow, with five highly talented young chess players pitted against five older and highly experienced colleagues. The games will be played, and the players will stay in the NH Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky in the heart of Amsterdam. Why not combine the NH Chess Tournament with a visit to the Rijksmuseum, where you can take in a Rembrandt or two. Chess and culture.

Mainz 2007 – Anand wins Rapid Final

8/20/2007 – Vishy Anand won the Grenke Leasing Rapid World Championship, defeating Levon Aronian in the last game of their four-game match. Rustam Kasimdzhanov and Etienne Bacrot drew their match for third place, with each player winning one game. The Ordix Open was won by David Navara. We bring you an updated report with pictures from the Gourmet Club.

Mainz 2007 – Anand and Aronian in the Rapid Final

8/19/2007 – Rustam Kasimdzhanov made a brave effort to catch Levon Aronian in the preliminaries of the Rapid Chess Championship in Mainz, but in the end the Armenian held fast to qualify for the Sunday evening encounter, where he meets with Vishy Anand. The Ordix Rapid is under way with a record-breaking 761 participants. Big report with pictures and video impressions.

Vladimir Kramnik: My Path to the Top

8/18/2007 – Breaking news for all chess lovers. World champion Vladimir Kramnik invites you to join him on a trip through his outstanding chess career. All stations are spotted, starting from his childhood in the Soviet Union up to the recent match with Topalov in 2006.Watch his brilliant games and get to know the reigning world champion as a person. Buy ‘My Path to the Top’ now or read more.

Viktor Korchnoi wins Banja Luka 2007

8/17/2007 – Many years ago – in 1979 to be precise – the Soviet Chess Federation sent a 16-year-old boy to play in this world-class event, thinking it was a youth tournament. The unrated lad went, saw and conquered, setting the tone for a world championship career. This year's tournament was won by the oldest player in its history. While Korchnoi took the points, the younger GMs went rafting.

Mainz 2007 – Anand leads in Rapid World Championship

8/17/2007 – With the Chess960 play finishing – Victor Bologan won the FiNet Open – the players at the Mainz Chess Classic return to regular unshuffled chess. In the Rapid Championship Vishy Anand used the Ruy Lopez to take a solid lead (2.5/3) ahead of his colleagues Levon Aronian, Etienne Bacrot and Rustam Kasimdzhanov. Big pictorial report with results and games.

Kasparov: 'Putin's System works like the Stalin regime'

8/17/2007 – In an interview with the influential German magazine Capital Garry Kasparov, opposition leader of The Other Russia, takes the regime of President Vladimir Putin to task. The ex-world chess champion also accuses the West of being accomplice to the decline of democracy in Russia. In spite of the constant danger of assassination he lives with his family in Moscow. Full interview.

Mainz 2007 – Aronian wins Chess960 world championship

8/17/2007 – It was an exciting day, which ended a few minutes before midnight: Vishy Anand and Levon Aronian went all the way to the finish line, with the regular Chess960 Rapid games ending in a 2:2 draw. In the blitz tiebreak it was the Armenian GM who won. In the morning the FiNet Chess960 Open started, with a sterling array of world-class GMs. Big pictorial report.

Eduard Gufeld and his 'Mona Lisa' in chess

8/16/2007 – The Ukrainian GM, a colorful and controversial figure, was one of the strongest players of his day, having beaten the likes of Tal, Spassky, Smyslov, Korchnoi and Bronstein. But Eduard Gufeld considered his 1973 victory over Vladimir Bagirov his greatest work. In his Thursday night lecture our Playchess trainer Dennis Monokroussos tells us why.

Anand: 'It is pointless fighting against the impossible'

8/16/2007 – In an interview with a German newspaper on Tuesday the world's number one ranking chessplayer has criticised the world chess federation for haphazardly breaking and changing its own rules. Usually to favour Kramnik or Topalov, who get extra chances at the title. "At some stage you become sick of all this and decide to just play chess," says Anand bitterly. Summary.

Ács, Harikrishna, win György Marx Memorial

8/16/2007 – Actually the big story was the collapse of Viktor Korchnoi, who had been leading the event after the first half, with 3.5/5, but only got one point in the five games of the second half. In the last round Korchnoi lost mysteriously (with white) to Peter Ács, who thus joined India's Pentala Harikrishna on the top of the final table, and beat him on the tiebreak. Big photo report.

Mainz 2007 – Aronian and Anand qualify for Chess960 Final

8/16/2007 – Today one of them will win the world championship title – in Chess960, with shuffled pieces. Both the hot favourites Levon Aronian and Vishy Anand dutifully qualified, knocking Rustam Kasimdzhanov and Etienne Bacrot out of contention. The final will take place on Thursday, Aug. 16, at 6:30 p.m. local time (= 12:30 p.m. NY, 10:00 p.m. Chennai). You can watch it on Playchess.

Harikrishna leads in Paks, Groszpeter wins GM B

8/15/2007 – One round before the end of the 5th György Marx Memorial in Paks, Hungary, Indian GM Pentala Harikrishna is in the lead, half a point a head of two Hungarian rivals. The GM B group is already finished and was won by Hungarian GM Attila Groszpeter, a point ahead of his nearest rivals. Indian WGM Tania Sachdev came seventh with a 2404 performance. Big pictorial report.

Mainz 2007 – Levon Aronian leads in Chess960

8/15/2007 – At the start of the Chess Classic in Mainz four world class GMs – Anand, Aronian, Bacrot and Kasimdzhanov – are battling it out in an extraordinary form of the game: Chess960, a Fischer Random variant where the pieces are shuffled at the start. But what are the rules and how can you replay these games? We answer both questions and give you a free Chess960 player.

The chessboard killer of Moscow

8/14/2007 – Distasteful news: Alexander Pichushkin, a 33-year-old park chess player, faces charges of serial murder – he told police after his arrest he planned to kill 64 people – one for each square on a chess-board. He was arrested last year at a count of 49 to 63 (depending on different sources) and went to pre-trial hearings yesterday. The international press is full of this story.

Grand Slam 2008 in Bilbao with 400,000 Euro prize fund

8/14/2007 – It has been discussed for a year now, with periodic meetings between potential participating organisers. Now apparently things have come to fruition. The Grand Slam tournament, with the winners of Linares, Mtel Sofia, Corus Wijk Aan Zee and Ciudad de Mexico (plus two invitees) will be staged in the Spanish city of Bilbao in September 2008. Put it in your planner.

Edward Winter presents: Unsolved Chess Mysteries (12)

8/14/2007 – This new selection from Chess Notes focuses on José Raúl Capablanca (1888-1942). The chess historian Edward Winter, who wrote a book about the Cuban genius in the 1980s (published by McFarland), discusses a miscellany of unresolved matters about him, including games, quotes, stories and photographs. Readers are invited to join in the hunt for clues.

Top Dutch and British GMs lead in Staunton Memorial

8/13/2007 – The Fifth Staunton Memorial tournament in London is taking place from 7-18 August at its traditional home, Simpson's-in-the-Strand in Central London. The event is sponsored by Dutch chess maecenas Jan Mol and brings together a field of six Dutch and six British players. After six rounds the lead is shared by Dutch and British number ones Loek van Wely and Michael Adams. Illustrated report.

Chess Classic Mainz 2007 – Schmitt speaks out

8/12/2007 – The 14th Chess Classic will be held from 13 – 19 August in the Rheingoldhalle in Mainz. The biggest rapid chess festival in the world will once again offer top level chess – rapid and Chess960 (a Fischer Random variant). Before the start of the event organiser Hans-Walter Schmitt gave a giant interview on the Chess Classic 2007 in particular and about the chess world in general.