Dannemann: Peter Leko catches up

10/2/2004 – After getting nothing in two 1.e4 games, challenger Peter Leko switched to 1.d4 and a quiet line of the Queen's Gambit, something that the title defender Vladimir Kramnik likes to play. Going into the ending a pawn up Leko showed fine form to win the game and equalize in this championship. Video report now up.

Playchess lectures with Alterman and Monokroussos

10/2/2004 – Lecture time on Playchess.com. On Sunday GM Boris Alterman presents a great weapon against the King's Gambit: the Falkbeer Counter Gambit. Monday night Dennis Monokroussos shows us a fine attacking game by Artur Jussupow. Don't miss them...

Database basics - part 6

10/1/2004 – In the latest ChessBase Workshop, we explain the purpose of "medals" used to mark games of special interest and show how to search for them using Fritz8. Read all about it here. Workshop...

Dannemann: A bungy jump in Brissago

9/30/2004 – Not by the players, by secret agent James Bond, who took the plunge in the spectacularly beautiful landscape around the world championship site. In the match itself game four ended in a hard-fought 43-move draw, after Peter Leko pressed for a win and almost lost to title defender Vladimir Kramnik. Now with a full video report.

Kasparov's Predecessors get personal

9/28/2004 – Language by language, city by city, the "My Great Predecessors" book series by Garry Kasparov is becoming a publishing phenomenon. It is being translated and distributed at a rate usually reserved for best-selling novels. Part 3 on Tigran Petrosian and Boris Spassky is now hitting the bookstores and #4 with Fischer is coming soon. We have an exclusive interview with the author.

Dannemann: Third game drawn in 23

9/28/2004 – Game three of the classical chess world championship in Brissago ended in a draw. A novelty by Vladimir Kramnik with black on move 17 had challenger Peter Leko stumped. After a 40-minute thought the game continued with a flurry of exchanges and an inevitable draw. Here's updated report with video and analysis.

Like a fine wine

9/27/2004 – Who’s the greatest baseball player of all time? Basketball? We chess players ask the same questions about chess champs. This week Playchess.com trainer Dennis Monokroussos looks at a smashing attack by a veteran against a youngster in his Monday night lecture.

Learning chess with Casablanca and Rotty

9/27/2004 – Why pay $50 for a program when you can get it for four buck? It may be illegal, but tempting if you have to get by on $100 per month. Apart from the moral aspect, are there any technical downsides? Denis Markov bought a pirated copy of Junior in Russia. Here is his disheartening report.

Dannemann: Kramnik holds his lead

9/26/2004 – "I decided to play a double-edged opening and see whether Vladimir was feeling frisky," said a spirited Peter Leko in the press conference after the game. Kramnik wasn't, and the very sharp game on the board ended in a 18-move draw. Here's an updated pictorial and video report...

Database basics - part 5

9/25/2004 – In the previous installment of ChessBase Workshop we began an examination of the "Position" dialogue in Fritz8's search mask. Today we finish with the remainder of the dialogue and look at some interesting shortcuts.

Dannemann: Kramnik wins first game with black

9/25/2004 – It can't get any worse than losing the first game with white, but that's what challenger Peter Leko will have to overcome if he is to take the title. In a tremendous game Vladimir Kramnik sacrificed his queen and then squeezed a win in a difficult ending. Directly from Brissago: the game, pictures and video reports!

McShane masters the Masters in Lausanne

9/24/2004 – England's Luke McShane has made the most of his last years of eligibility for the Lausanne Young Masters in Switzerland. He repeated his 2003 victory ahead of seven other of the world's top under-21 players. In the final KO round he defeated Mamedyarov for the title. Pics and report.

Dannemann World Championship: Road to Brissago

9/24/2004 – It took us nine hours to get there, but it was worth it. We have now taken residence on the banks of the magically beautiful Swiss Lago Maggiore, where the match between Vladimir Kramnik and Peter Leko is about to begin. Here is an illustrated report, including video footage, of the venue and the openings ceremony.

Kasparov runs in Pamplona

9/23/2004 – When Garry Kasparov stopped in the Spanish province he was received like royalty. For three days the world #1 was front page news. He was honored by the mayor, met a local sports star, and of course there was some chess. And we know you're just dying to know how many times he adjusted his tie during a simul.

World Champion Dr GM GM John Nunn

9/22/2004 – That is the appropriate form of address, after the British GM won the World Chess Solving Championship in Halkidiki, Greece, and also made his final GM norm in problem solving (he became a regular chess grandmaster back in 1978). John is the third person ever to gain both over-the-board and solving GM titles. Here's an illustrated report...

Polgar vs Karpov: chess fever in Little Sweden

9/21/2004 – The Clash of the Titans this weekend in Lindsborg, Kansas, began with a magnificent chess parade and ended with a 3:3 score between the two former world champions. The town was gripped by chess fever, and nationwide about ten million people were exposed to the event. Here's a magificently illustrated report by Paul Truong...

Database basics - part 4

9/20/2004 – The latest installment of "Database Basics" examines position searches. You'll learn how the "board" radio buttons and the use of piece "wildcards" can help you refine your position searches in this week's ChessBase Workshop.

Playchess lectures with Alterman and Monokroussos

9/19/2004 – Weekend is lecture time on Playchess.com. On Sunday GM Boris Alterman talks about the immensely dangerous Alekhine-Chattard Attack in the French Defence. Monday night Dennis Monokroussos takes a look at two sharp games between Kramnik and Leko. Don't miss them...

Aiming for 2800: Vishy in India

9/19/2004 – Where is Vishy Anand? Many chess fans have been waiting for news from the world's number two player. After a meticulous search we located him, on a peripatetic good-will tour of his native India, giving interviews and simuls. He says he is aiming for a reunification match and a new rating record. Here are some interesting articles to read...

Guess who came to the party

9/19/2004 – This week Playchess.com celebrated it third birthday. It is the fastest-growing chess server in the world, with over 100,000 registered accounts and 120,000 games played per day. One of its most prominent proponents happened to be in Hamburg on its birthday. Between recording sessions Garry Kasparov took time off to play some internet chess...

The richest open tournament in chess history

9/18/2004 – Welcome to the HB Global Chess Challenge, to be held in Minneapolis from May 18–22, 2005. It is the brain-child of GM Maurice Ashley, who revealed yesterday that the prize fund would be an unprecedented US $500,000 ($50,000 in cash for the winner). You can register today. We bring you all the details...

Krush takes the Accoona trophy

9/18/2004 – After two hard-fought rapid games, American Irina Krush used the home-field advantage to beat Almira Skripchenko for the Accoona French-American championship. It was quite an event with the Russian Samovar restaurant filled with chess VIPs and fans. We have an onsite report, game analysis, and plenty of entertaining photos.

It's a matter of seconds

9/17/2004 – Actually around 700,000, before the Dannemann world chess championship between Vladimir Kramnik and Peter Leko starts on September 25th. But we are talking about the seconds who look after the players and whose identities have now been revealed. Kramnik and Leko have given short interviews to get us in the mood.

Tiger Lady at the Moscow Blitz

9/16/2004 – Last week we reported on the 2004 Moscow Blitz. Now our roving reporter WIM Anna Dergatschova has returned from her trip to the city of her birth, bringing with her a bunch of new pictures and stories. Her report includes a shot of a world famous chess star and stunning images of a new friend she met in the park. Enjoy...