1/31/2024 – Today is the 100th anniversary of the death of Curt von Bardeleben. A wealthy privateer, he was one of the best German chess players in the 1880s and 1890s. He lost his fortune during the First World War and fell seriously ill. On 31 January 1924 he fell to his death from a window.

9/18/2023 – Thirty years ago, the World Championship match between Garry Kasaprov and Nigel Short was played in London. The match was not organized by FIDE and divided the chess world in two. The match was very one-sided. Dagobert Kohlmeyer was there. | Photos: Dagobert Kohlmeyer

9/5/2023 – 1993 was a particularly memorable year in chess history. Short and Kasparov had decided to leave FIDE and organise their World Championship match on their own, and FIDE, with its then President Campomanes, then organised an alternative World Championship match with Karpov and Timman. But this was not under a good star. During the opening ceremony pyrotechnics set fire to a banner on the stage.

2/2/2023 – Today, chess legend Svetozar Gligoric, who passed away in 2012, would have turned 100 years old. In World War II he fought as a partisan against the Germans, and after the war he became one of the world's best chess players. He was very popular among his peers and even managed to be friends with Bobby Fischer. Dagobert Kohlmeyer remembers the King's Indian expert. | Photos: Dagobert Kohlmeyer

10/6/2022 – 20 years ago, on 4 October 2002, a very special duel began in Manama, in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The reigning World Champion Vladimir Kramnik played against a PC chess programme - Deep Fritz. Dagobert Kohlmeyer followed the match in Bahrain and shares memories of this remarkable event.

9/8/2022 – 20 years ago today, on September 8, 2002, the match Russia vs. The Rest of the World began in Moscow. It was a rapid match with the world's best players at that time. The Russians wanted to follow up on the USSR vs. the World matches from 1970 and 1984, but things did not go as desired. Dagobert Kohlmeyer was in Moscow in 2002 and now shares memories of a better time. | Photo: Evgeny Bareev, Vladimir Kramnik and Garry Kasparow wonder what's going. | Photo: Boris Dolmatovsky | All other photos: D. Kohlmeyer

3/28/2021 – Vasily Smyslov became the seventh World Chess Champion in 1957 after his victory over Mikhail Botvinnik — he would later lose the return match. Symslov had a deep understanding of chess and was part of the absolute chess elite for many years. As late as 1984, he contested a Candidates match against Garry Kasparov. This past week we celebrated the 100th anniversary of Smyslov’s birth. | Pictured: Smyslov with his cat Belka. | Photos: Dagobert Kohlmeyer

2/18/2021 – 15 years ago, on 18 February 2006, the Russian-Soviet grandmaster Ratmir Kholmov died in Moscow. Kholmov was a sailor and during World War II he was taken prisoner by the Japanese. After the war he became one of the best players in the Soviet Union though the Soviet again and again hindered his career. But in the course of his career Kholmov still won against players such as Mikhail Botvinnik, Tigran Petrosian, Boris Spassky, Robert Fischer and many more strong players. Dagobert Kohlmeyer remembers. | Photo: Kholmov-Vaganian, Moscow 1975 (chespro.ru)

11/2/2020 – Lubomir Ljubojevic is a living legend. In the 1970s and 1980s he was one of the world's best players, who famous for his creative, daring and brilliant attacking chess. Today, November 2, 2020, Ljubojevic celebrates his 70th birthday. Dagobert Kohlmeyer remembers highlights of a remarkable career. | Photos: Dagobert Kohlmeyer, Dutch National Archive, David Llada

10/21/2020 – Sixty years ago, the 14th Chess Olympiad began in Leipzig. It was a great international festival with the best players in the world. The tournament was presented in the German Democratic Republic in a very dignified manner. For many, it was an unforgettable experience. Dagobert Kohlmeyer spoke with some of the witnesses. | Photo: Bundesarchiv

9/23/2020 – In memory of chess legend Wolfgang Uhlmann, who sadly passed away a month ago, we translate the interview he gave to Dagobert Kohlmeyer earlier this year. In the 1960s and 1970s, the grandmaster from Dresden was one of the absolute top chess players in the world. | Photos: Dagobert Kohlmeyer

9/3/2020 – Lev Polugaevsky was one of the best players in the world and a leading expert on the Najdorf Variation of the Sicilian in the 1970s and 1980s. A sub-variation is named after him. Last week was the 25th anniversary of his death. Dagobert Kohlmeyer pays tribute to the Soviet grandmaster.

5/1/2020 – In the middle of the 20th century Alexander Tolush was one of the best Soviet players but was rarely allowed to play abroad. He was famous for his combinations and his brilliant attacking play but he is best remembered as a coach. He was trainer of Paul Keres and Boris Spassky and helped Spassky to become World Champion. Today, May 1, 2020, Tolush would have celebrated his 110th birthday. | Photo: Alexander Tolusch, right, in a game against Fridrik Olafsson

5/27/2018 – On May 10, 2018, Evgeni Vasiukov died in Moscow. In his prime, he was one of the best players in the world and amongst other things he won the prestigious Moscow Championship no less than six times. Later he was a renowned coach, second, and organiser and achieved a number of successes in senior tournaments. An obituary by DAGOBERT KOHLMEYER.

1/6/2018 – Twenty years ago this week, on January 2, 1998, Viswanathan Anand and Anatoly Karpov began their match for the FIDE World Championship in Lausanne, Switzerland — under peculiar circumstances. Anand had qualified for the match by winning the knock-out tournament in Groningen but then had to go immediately to Lausanne to play for the title — without a break or time for preparation.

12/10/2016 – From December 1 to December 24 we invite our readers every day to open a door in our advent calendar. Click and enjoy a little chess treat. Advent calendar, door 10.

11/28/2016 – Today, Mark Taimanov died at the age of 90 in his hometown St. Petersburg. The Russian Grandmaster was one of the greatest personalities in the history of chess and a man with many talents. After being a filmstar when still a child he later formed a famous piano duo with his first wife, and was one of the world's best chessplayers though he lost his most famous match 0-6 against Bobby Fischer. Obituary...

11/9/2016 – Today, 9th November 2016, Mihail Tal would have celebrated his 80th birthday. Tal is one of the most popular World Champions though he reigned only for one year. But this short time on the chess throne was enough to secure him a special place in the history of chess. Not only because of his magical games but also because of his kind and modest nature. His opponents feared the magician from Riga, his fans admired him. The German chess journalist Dagobert Kohlmeyer knew Tal well and shares memories.