World champion and mother-to-be

3/30/2006 – We learn that Chinese WGM Xu Yuhua, who recently won the women's world championship title in Ekaterinburg, was in a late stage of pregnancy when she did so. This is a first for the women's chess title. Xu arrived in Beijing on Wednesday to a warm welcome. Meanwhile her predecessor Zhu Chen appears to have problems with her federation. News reports.

Inspiration – taken from the stars

3/29/2006 – Our Playchess lecturer Andrew Martin drew his early inspiration from the games of great players. For this he gives us some "unfriendly" examples – Spassky's devastating win over Smyslov in a Leningrad Nimzo, and the violent battle between Baburin and Nunn in a friendly Irish tournament. Well, at least the competition puzzle is peaceful. Tune into the the Playchess airwaves.

Watch the total eclipse – in Antalya or with Fritz

3/29/2006 – You may have heard that there will be a total eclipse of the Sun on Wednesday, March 29th, 2006. The shadow of the Moon will sweep across Brazil, the Atlantic Ocean, the Sahara, the Mediterranean, Turkey, the Black Sea, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia. If you do not happen to be located in one of these places you can still watch the eclipse, live on Fritz.

Irina Sudakova wins Mediterranean Flower

3/28/2006 – No, not a prize blossom. What the Russian WGM won was a ten-player women's round robin event, held in Rijeka, Croatia, the sixth of its kind in this beautiful location. Second was Valentina Golubenko, who made her final WIM and her first WGM norm in the process. Valentina's father Valery sent us a big illustrated report.

New Fritz 9 training modes

3/27/2006 – The new Fritz9 program is chock full of new features for developing chessplayers. Among these are three new training modes designed to help you increase your "board vision". We show you how to use Attack, Defense, and Check Training in the latest ChessBase Workshop.

Tigran Petrosian – an acquired taste

3/26/2006 – He was a brilliant calculator with a tremendous imagination, but rather than displaying his skills a la Tal, Petrosian's gifts operated in the service of a prophylactic approach – typically the opponent found himself strangled by a slow-motion, python-like squeeze. Our Playchess lecturer Dennis Monokroussos will illustrate in his Monday night lecture.

Monaco: Morozevich leads, Anand in second place

3/25/2006 – With 5.5/7 Alexander Morozevich is doing very well in the blindfold game at the €216,000 Melody Amber tournament in Monte Carlo, Monaco. In the rapid chess section Anand is in the lead. If you count both together Morozevich leads overall with 9.5/14, with Anand trailing by half a point. With four rounds to go only Vallejo and Leko have real chances to catch up. Round seven report.

Xu Yuhua is the eleventh Women's World Champion

3/25/2006 – After winning her first game and drawing the second, Chinese WGM Xu Yuhua today took the title at the Women's World Chess Championship by defeating her opponent, IM Alisa Galliamova of Russia, with the black pieces. According to our calculations this makes Xu the eleventh champion, since Vera Menchik first won the title in 1927. Congratulations Xu!

Alekhine's death – an unresolved mystery?

3/25/2006 – In 1946 Alexander Alekhine, the fourth world champion, was penniless and ailing, ostracized by the chess community. Then, on March 23, the British Chess Federation informed him that preparations for a title match against Botvinnik were completed. The next day Alekhine was found lifeless in his hotel room. There are still questions about his death.

Garry Kasparov launches – a new search engine

3/24/2006 – For the initial launch it was former US President Bill Clinton who took center stage. This time Accoona, a search engine company that has set itself the goal to challenge the supremacy of Google, asked former world chess champion Garry Kasparov to do the honours. Kasparov introduced what he called this new hitchhiker's guide to cyberspace.

Xu Yuhua wins the first game of queens

3/24/2006 – The Russian hosts were understandably a bit upset. Alisa Galliamova, finalist at the Women's World Championship in Ekaterinburg, showed great resolve and a determination to win. But in the queen ending she did so at the cost of weakening her position, which Chinese WGM Xu Yuhua used to take a critical lead in the match.

Vasily Smyslov reaches 85

3/24/2006 – Today, 85 years ago, Vasily Smyslov was born. In the fifties this player was the strongest in the world, ahead of Botvinnik, from whom he wrested the title for a year in 1957. He was also an accomplished baritone singer, and only took up chess when the Bolshoi Theatre rejected his audition. We congratulate Vasily Vasiliyevich on this great anniversary.

Freestyle tournament: Vvarkey wins with 7.5/8

3/24/2006 – The first leg of the second PAL/CSS Freestyle Chess Tournament, which carries a prize fund of $16,000, was won by an unknown player with the Playchess handle Vvarkey. He scored 7.5 points from 8 games (before the last round his score was 7/7). Six other players qualified for the final behind him. For the final, eighth place there will be a tiebreak tournament tomorrow. Details.

Viktor Korchnoi, still going strong at 75

3/23/2006 – On Wednesday Captain Kirk celebrated his 75th birthday, on Sunday it is Dr Spock's turn. In between, on Wednesday, it is one of the defining chess players of our time: the indomitable Viktor Korchnoi. Born on March 23 1931 this chess legend is still going strong, taking part in the highest levels of international chess. We wish him a happy anniversary.

Alisa Galliamova and Xu Yuhua in the finals

3/22/2006 – After both games on day one of the semifinals had ended in tough draws, the decision fell on day two, when both the white players prevailed. Alisa Galliamova of Russia beat Viktorija Cmilyte of Lithuania, while Xu Yuhua of China won a queen and pawn ending against Russian WGM Svetlana Matveeva. The finals begin on Thursday. Report.

Stay off the roads!

3/22/2006 – Go to your homes. Lock all doors. Switch on the computer. Tune into Playchess. Listen for all messages about the Andrew Martin Radio Show. Starring Shirov, Bologan, Ju Wenjun, Chiburdanidze, Malweld and Movsesian; all games played in the last two weeks. The radio show waits for no man.

Spanish School Championships – like to play?

3/22/2006 – On March 30, from 16:15h to 18:00h, the Madrid Chess Federation (FMA, “Federación Madrileña de Ajedrez”) will stage a giant students tournament and an international Open on the Playchess server. It consists of seven rounds, with five minutes for each player per game. The organisers are keen to get international students to participate. An ideal opportunity to make new friends. Instructions...

Melody Amber rapid and blindfold tournament

3/21/2006 – This traditional and very unusual tournament is being held for the 15th time, from March 18 to 30, in Monte Carlo, in Monaco. The players are of the highest calibre and include Topalov, Anand, Svidler, Aronian, Leko and Ivanchuk. They play two-game mini-matches against each other, one game of rapid chess, the other blindfold. Total prize sum is €216,000. Round three report.

Kasparov's aide badly beaten in Moscow

3/21/2006 – Marina Litvinovich, aide to Russian opposition politician Garry Kasparov and a former head of the electoral headquarters of the liberal SPS party, was badly beaten on a Moscow street on Monday evening. Litvinovich was hit over the head from behind as she was leavind her office. This is not the first attack on United Civil Front activists.

Two Russians in, two Georgians out

3/20/2006 – The women's world championship has traditionally been a battle between the Russians and Georgians, which the latter normally tended to win. In the quarterfinals in Ekaterinburg the remaining players from Georgia, Chiburdanidze and Khurtsidze, were eliminated, while Russians Galliamova and Matveeva went through. Cmilyte and Xu Yuhua are also in. Illustrated report.

Kasparov vs Korchnoi: the 'shameful' game

3/19/2006 – Normally our Playchess lecturer Dennis Monokroussos shows us great games, beautifully executed and devoid of errors. Not so this Monday night. We get a game of which both sides were not proud, but which in spite of the mistakes is a riveting battle. Watch it unfold.

Malta vs Curaçao – a big step forward

3/19/2006 – A week ago the islands Curaçao and Malta, separated by 8,600 km of ocean, played a chess match against each other (Curaçao also against the city of Utrecht in the Netherlands). The whole event was conducted on the Internet, using the Playchess server. Thus, say the organisers, begins an interesting new era in competitive chess.

Ratmir Kholmov passes at 80

3/17/2006 – He was not well known in the West, but as a dangerous attacking player Ratmir Kholmov was able to embarrass generations of world champions, beating amongst others Keres, Tal, Petrosian, Spassky, Fischer and Kasparov. He was also known as the "central defender" for his defensive skills. Now he has passed at 80. We bring you his last interview.

Freestyle tournament: advice from an expert

3/16/2006 – Are you one of the over 150 participants that have registered for the second $16,000 PAL/CSS Freestyle Chess Tournament, starting this weekend? Do you have your computer assistant or your GM advisor booted up and ready to play? For novices in computer assisted play we have some tips and tricks by correspondence chess GM Arno Nickel.