FIDE to Kasparov: one more week

1/20/2005 – The world chess organisation has reacted to Garry Kasparov's withdrawal from the reunification cycle, stating that the bank guarantees Kasparov had demanded would have been in place on January 25. It is impossible, says FIDE, to secure high prize funds without the necessary time, and when the participants demand excessive financial guarantees.

Corus 04: Kramnik, Adams, Short win

1/18/2005 – A good day for the Brits: both Michael Adams and Nigel Short won their games, beating Topalov and Morozevich respectively. Vladimir Kramnik also won his game against Ivan Sokolov after the latter lost the thread in the end. The overall drawing statics in Wijk are very positive: this is a fighting tournament.

Kasparov to FIDE: Enough is enough

1/18/2005 – After over two and a half frustrating years and four postponed or cancelled matches, Garry Kasparov announces his exit from the 2005 FIDE world championship. "It is time to reclaim my life," Kasparov said, as he halted negotiations with FIDE over his match with Rustam Kasimdzhanov – after more deadlines had passed. Here is Kasparov's statement.

Taking a closer look at Vishy

1/17/2005 – In his Playchess.com lecture Monday night Dennis Monkroussos appropriatey takes a look at a spectacularly game of last year Wijk aan Zee winner, Vishy Anand. "In it I found one of the most most beautiful variations I have ever seen," writes Dennis. Tune in and be amazed!

Bobby Fischer – six months in jail

1/17/2005 – On July 13, 2004 he was arrested at Narita Airport in Tokyo, for attempting to leave the country on an invalidated. Since then the greatest hero of Western chess has been languishing in a Japanese detention facility, now physically exhausted and suffering from dizzy spells. His Icelandic friends, who are offering him refuge, have launched another appeal to the authorities.

Corus 03: Leko, Ponomariov, Grischuk win

1/17/2005 – Once again there was blood on the sand in Wijk aan Zee, with a second victory in succession for Peter Leko (against Peter Svidler), and wins for Alexander Grischuk against Alexander Morozevich and Ruslan Ponomariov against Ivan Sokolov (both with black). We bring you an updated illustrated report.

Corus 02: Shocker in Wijk – top seeds in trouble

1/16/2005 – GM Teimour Radjabov, watching the games on the Playchess.com server, speculated that the massive sunspots might be responsible. Both favourites in Group A in Wijk aan Zee lost their games, Kramnik to Topalov, who now leads (picture), and Anand to Leko. Judit Polgar lost to Ponomariov, and Morozevich to Adams. Full report.

Corus 01: Judit Polgar, Topalov win first round games

1/15/2005 – The world's strongest female player, who took a 15-month maternity leave, returned to the tournament scene today with a bang, defeating Russian GM Peter Svidler in 30 moves. Bulgarian GM Veselin Topalov outplayed former world champion Ruslan Ponomariov. Anand and Kramnik drew pragmatically with black, Peter Leko fought hard but failed to win. Updated report.

Menashe is no longer in Gambit

1/15/2005 – The New Year started sadly for the chess community in the Netherlands. Within a short period it lost four prominent and colourful figures. FM Micha Leuw, 36, died in a diving accidend in Thailand; chess talent Roy Dieks and trainer Rob Brunia passed away, as did Menashe Goldberg (picture) of the famous Gambit Café. Yochanan Afek reports.

Corus 05: Wijk aan Zee Super-GM begins

1/14/2005 – This Saturday, at 13:30 hours European time, the 2005 edition of the Corus Chess Tournament begins. The Super GM Group A has players ranked 2-9 in the world and an Elo average over 14 players of 2721. Group B averages 2564 and 23 years of age. Here's your ChessBase guide to Wijk.

Why Judit Polgar was not on the ratings list

1/14/2005 – Our report on the FIDE rankings of January 1st 2005 brought consternation and distress to a large number of readers. Where was Judit Polgar, the strongest female player in the history of the game? Should she not have been in the top ten of all players? We did a bit of research and can, with great pleasure, tell you the full reason.

Kasparov IV opens in London

1/13/2005 – Volume four of Garry Kasparov's My Great Predecessors, which concentrates on Bobby Fischer, has sold 9000 copies in its first three weeks – and that's just the English edition. Last weekend the author visited the London Chess Centre to lecture and sign copies for his fans. We bring you a report, pictures and videos.

Chess in the Times

1/13/2005 – When chess makes it to an extended article in the venerable New York Times, that is news. Dylan Loeb McClain summarizes the state of chess in an age of computers, making Garry Kasparov "responsible for the widespread adoption of electronic aids by chess players". Excerpts...

Anand: 'Chess is alive and kicking'

1/12/2005 – Just before the tournament in Wijk aan Zee (14-30 January 2005) the world's number two player Vishy Anand spent a week in his native India. As a national superstar he was naturally hounded by the news media, to whom he spoke quite candidly. Amongst the many articles and interviews is a remarkable public flirt with wife Aruna.

From Glasgow Chess Radio: the Rilton Cup

1/11/2005 – On their Wednesday evening lecture live on Playchess.com our Glasgow Chess Radio commentators will discuss the Rilton Cup in Stockholm, won by Gleizerov, Volkov and Berg. Tune in and enjoy.

Men get hammered by machines

1/11/2005 – It was billed as "one of the more spectacular chess events in 2005, a first ever Man vs Machine chess shoot-out". Two GMs and two FMs against the strongest programs available: Fritz, Shredder, Junior and Chessmaster. The result was a disastrous 14.5-1.5 defeat for the humans.

A recipe for facing Fort Knox

1/11/2005 – The late Tony Miles was one of the world's strongest and most creative players, a soul able to win both sharp Dragon Sicilians and endgame grinds with equal facility. In his Playchess.com lecture Monday night Dennis Monkroussos a Miles Slav encounter with German great Robert Huebner. Note: due to a missed flight the lecture has been postponed to Tuesday night!

Blood-curdling, X-rated, kinky

1/10/2005 – Over the Christmas season Nigel Short's sometimes outrageous but always entertaining Sunday Telegraph column included stories involving blood-curdling, X-rated games and kinky self and reflex-mates. Even the Turkish government saw it fit to react to his provocations. Here for the curious are excerpts from his recent articles. Children, avert your gaze...

Chess on the Strip

1/10/2005 – Normally you go to Las Vegas for other things than to play chess. But at the end of December about 500 people congregated there, 20 of them GMs, to do just that. Our reporter Ilya Krasik started off with a $500 blackjack debacle and ended his stay at the receiving end of a thoroughly indecent proposal.

Highlights of Cracovia 2004

1/9/2005 – From December 27 to January 4 there was an interesting Chess Festival in the historical Polish city of Cracow, with a total of 400 participants in four groups. We were contacted by one Karol Olko, who sent us pictures and information and, with great journalistic instincts, pointed out the highlight of the event. You are going to want to remember the name Kamil Tomsia.

Indian Ocean Tsunami, Brunei Open

1/8/2005 – On December 26 a very strong earthquake occurred, 100 miles west of Sumatra. It spawned a Tsunami, a tidal wave, which hit the coasts of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand, taking the lives of at least 175,000 people. Here's a letter from the organisers of the Brunei Open and our special Tsunami report.

Prasad and Tram win Asian Junior

1/6/2005 – The 27th Asian Junior Chess Championship 2004 was held in Bikaner, India. Victory in the boys' section went to 16-year-old S. Arun Prasad of India, and in the girls' section to Hoang Thi Bao Tram, the Vietnamese Sub Junior Girls Champion. The host nation clinched a total of five medals. Here's an illustrated report by Manmohan Harsh.

Fritz & Chesster 2 gets five-star review

1/6/2005 – Our children's chess teaching program is out there, generating thousands of new chess players. Like no other chess software "Fritz & Chesster" has scaled the mail-order lists, landing on the top of the Amazon top-sellers. Now version two is out and getting rave reviews.

GM Arnold Denker, 1914–2005

1/5/2005 – In his heyday he was a prize boxer and one of the most aggressive chess players. Arnold Denker used his tempestuous style and slashing assaults on the world's top players, drawing five world champions in his career. Now the former US Champion (1944) and great chess promoter has died at the age of 90. Here's a portrait.