Fritz & Chesster Part 3

12/2/2006 – Forget Fritz and co. The really big seller is Fritz and Chesster, a remarkable piece of children's software that can teach toddlers and grownups how to play chess using entertaining subgames. Now the long awaited part three is out, with new games and adventures. All young beginners (and their parents!) should have a copy for Christmas. Order it now!

Chess Cheating conference in New York

12/2/2006 – On Monday a “Chess Cheating Town Meeting” at the historic Marshall Chess Club in New York will bring together some of America’s leading chess authorities in a panel discussion about ways to head off computer-assisted cheating in organized chess competitions. The subject has turned hot in recent years and the conference is well worth visiting.

Kramnik vs Deep Fritz – a mega media event

12/2/2006 – Rumors of its demise have been greatly exaggerated – the "Man vs Machine" contest still draws the attention of a wide audience, world-wide. And in Germany, where it is all happening, it is simply a mega-event. The press and television coverage is unprecedented, with reports in all channels. We bring you links and a video report.

Back to the King's Indian Defense

12/1/2006 – It has been a while since our Playchess lecturer Dennis Monokroussos delt with this most entertaining of openings. He will rectify the omission over the next few weeks, starting on Saturday (to make up for Monday’s postponed show) and on this upcoming Monday. Details.

Kramnik vs Deep Fritz: Game four a tough draw

12/1/2006 – Facing his computer opponent and 1.e4 with the black pieces world champion Vladimir Kramnik chose the solid Petroff Defence, but Deep Fritz (which you can buy) played very well to get a clear advantage. But then Kramnik showed his defensive skills by setting up a fortress the computer could not penetrate. The game ended in a 54-move draw.

Blunders in chess – Kramnik wasn't the first

12/1/2006 – Still mystified by Vladimir Kramnik's blunder in game two of his match against Deep Fritz? After our attempts at an explanation of this extraordinary blackout we return to the subject (with apologies to Vladimir) with opinions by our readers and with a collection of drastic blunders by other world champions and top players. Take comfort.

Andrew Martin – Catastrophe in Bonn

11/29/2006 – When was the last time the reigning world champion overlooked mate in one? In his Wednesday night Playchess lecture Andrew Martin checks out game two from the Big Match and talk a little about the unique pressure exerted on the human in a man vs machine duel. Come watch it on the server.

Deep Fritz 10: it is a question of speed

11/29/2006 – Fritz 10 is already a beast, one of the most powerful chess playing entities on the planet. In its multi-processor version, Deep Fritz 10 runs almost twice as fast on the modern dual core computers, giving you not just additional playing strength, but also the critical seconds you need when analysing with the computer. You can order it now or read more details here.

How could Kramnik overlook the mate?

11/29/2006 – On Tuesday Vladimir Kramnik played a great game against Deep Fritz (order it now!), coming very close to victory with the black pieces. However, in this situation the world champion overlooked a simple mate in one. How is that possible, is there a reasonable explanation? To attempt one we have to delve into cognitive psychology. Report and video.

Kramnik vs Deep Fritz: Game three drawn

11/29/2006 – The third game in the National Art Gallery in Bonn, Germany, saw Deep Fritz playing some surprisingly strategic moves. These included a pawn sacrifice for initiative in an inbalanced position on the black side of an Open Catalan. In the end the computer was pressing for a win, but Vladimir Kramnik defended well and the game ended after 44 moves in a draw. Full report.

Seirawan on Kramnik vs Deep Fritz game one

11/27/2006 – Did the computer miss a sure-fire draw early in the game? Did Vladimir Kramnik miss a clever win in the ending? Twenty-four hours after the first encounter in the Man vs Machine duel ended in a draw match commentator GM Yasser Seirawan provides us with his thoughts and analyses the course of the game. Interesting and original analysis.

Man vs machine shocker: Kramnik allows mate in one

11/27/2006 – Vladimir Kramnik played another wonderfully profound game, piling the pressure on Deep Fritz on the black side of a Queen's Gambit Accepted, and taking the computer to the edge of defeat. As usual the computer defended tenaciously and by move 34 Fritz had equalised and the game was clearly drawn. And then Kramnik overlooked mate in one!

Presenting – Kramnik vs Deep Fritz in Bonn

11/25/2006 – The much-awaited match between the human world champion and the nine million position machine begins on Saturday. On the day before the event tradition dictates a presentation ceremony, press conference and the drawing of colours. And a gala dinner with the FIDE President. Photo report with tumultuous scenes and interesting news.

Kramnik-Deep Fritz: First game ends in a draw

11/25/2006 – Game one finished in a draw after Deep Fritz defused the opening danger to reach a roughly equal endgame. Kramnik paid Fritz the compliment of using the same Catalan opening he played against Topalov in their recent world championship match, but although White was in control it was never quite enough to tip the balance. Express report.

Coming soon: Bonn, Wijk aan Zee and Morelia/Linares

11/23/2006 – Suffering withdrawal symptoms after the Elista World Championship and the Tal Memorial? The next big events with all the superstars you can take are already looming. This weekend we are going to see a Man vs Machine spectacular in Bonn, Germany. And in the first two months of 2007 there will be two Super-GM events. Preview.

'Blind Chess World Duel' Topalov-Polgar

11/23/2006 – From December 7–9 the Basque city of Bilbao, on the northern coast of Spain, will pay host to a blindfold match between former FIDE world champion Veselin Topalov and the greatest female player the game has know, Judit Polgar. Earlier this week the event was introduced with a blindfold simul by Topalov. Picture and video impressions.

First ND Women’s Tournament in Berlin

11/23/2006 – Last week the German broadsheet Neues Deutschland revitalized the old tradition of "Newspaper Chess Tournaments" and, in cooperation with the chess magazine Schach, the Lasker Society, and ChessBase they organized a chess tournament with four talented young ladies. It was well visited and provided the spectators with gripping chess.

The last man vs machine match?

11/23/2006 – Three chess grandmasters have done battle with the program “Deep Fritz”: Robert Hübner, Vladimir Kramnik and Garry Kasparov. All three could only draw their matches. On Saturday world champion Vladimir Kramnik once again faces the machine – perhaps the last chance for humans to withstand the calculating power of the machine? Big article in Spiegel Online.

Kramnik: 'Fritz punishes you immediately'

11/23/2006 – The Stern, which means "star" in German, is one of the biggest news magazines in Europe, reaching almost eight million readers. In this week's edition there is an interesting interview with world champions Vladimir Kramnik, who speaks about his training for the match against Deep Fritz, his experience with computers, but also about the scandal in Elista. We bring you excerpts in English.

The Mating Patterns of Daniel King

11/21/2006 – Anyone can see a checkmate when it is on the board, and someone tells you it is there. But can you recognise the early outlines of mating patterns in a normal game? It is a vital skill that you can train systematically, when you have GM Daniel King's latest DVD: Order Powerplay I now or read about it first.

Andrew Martin – Down and Dirty on the Grid

11/21/2006 – In his Wednesday night Playchess lecture Andrew Martin shows us two games from the Sicilian Grand Prix Attack, one with the sleeping Petroff, and a virtuoso endgame performance from his old friend Bruno Carlier. The puzzle is one in which your chess engine cannot help. See you on the server.

A chess master's poker tour

11/20/2006 – What's a nice girl like Almira Skripchenko doing in a gambling den in Las Vegas? Taking part in the Ladies World Poker Championship, that's what. Like so many other chess players the former European women's champion is flirting with poker and taking part in national and international tournaments. Almira tells us how she got to go to the poker championship and Vegas.

The man who beat Mikhail Tal

11/19/2006 – On the 70th anniversary of the great Mikhail Tal’s birth our Playchess Monday night lecturer Dennis Monokroussos takes a look at... one of Tal’s regular conquerors. Viktor Korchnoi? No. Lev Polugaevsky? Wrong again! It is a mysterious figure who managed to accumulate a hefty 4-1 career score against the 8th World Champion. Meet Rashid Nezhmetdinov.

XiangQi – an alternate to Western Chess

11/19/2006 – Are you frustrated by chess? Disillusioned by realizing that you may never be good enough to make it to the top – no matter how hard you work? Well, here's a remedy: before you throw away board, books and pieces, why not try XiangQi – chess Chinese style. You can even take part in a world championship. Dr. René Gralla explains.