Mainz on Fire

6/29/2004 – From August 4th to 8th, three days after the Chess Meeting in Dortmund, the city of Mainz in Germany will host a new edition of their Chess Classic. This includes a rapid chess match between the world's number two Vishy Anand and number 14 Alexei Shirov, and a "Chess960" match between Peter Svidler and Levon Aronian. Details...

Computer clash in Israel

6/29/2004 – Once a year on an average many of the best chess playing computers in the world meet to play in a world championship. From July 4–12 the 12th World Computer Chess Championship will be held at the Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel. 14 programs are registered, at least two on very fast four-processor systems. Full details...

FIDE WCC R4-2: Favorites march on

6/28/2004 – Their baseball players may be leaving, but Cuba still has some fine chessplayers. The spirit of Capablanca was done proud when Lenier Dominguez (photo) upset Alexei Dreev. The 2700-club of Topalov, Adams, and Grischuk all moved on. Underdogs Nakamura and Kozul finally ran out of gas. Report, games, photos, and updated odds.

Postcards from Tripoli

6/28/2004 – You last saw writer Paul Hoffman on ESPN. No, not playing shortstop for the Mets or winning the world's strongest man competition. He joined GMs Maurice Ashley and Yasser Seirawan in the Kasparov - Fritz TV coverage, playing the roles of science expert and straight man. Now he's in Tripoli and you won't believe what he's gotten up to this time.

You could win $8,000 or more...

6/28/2004 – ...if you are Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu and can go back in time. This is the spam-like title Dennis Monokroussos gives to his Monday night lecture, which describes how the strong Romanian player got eliminated in the FIDE world championship by not knowing the theory of a rook ending. Come for the Schadenfreude and stay for the endgame lesson.

FIDE WCC R5-1: Can anyone stop this man?

6/28/2004 – Nine games, eight wins. That's Veselin Topalov's record so far in Tripoli. The number one seed is playing like a Bulgarian possessed. His latest victim was Kharlov in the first game of the quarterfinals. Adams, Dominguez, and Kasimdzhanov also won. All four games were full-bodied battles with white winning every game! Games, results, photos and report now up.

FIDE WCC R4-1: A black day in Tripoli

6/27/2004 – Heavy favorites Topalov and Adams confirmed their status by winning with black. Kasimdzhanov notched the third full point of the day when Almasi blundered. The other games were drawn. So far in Libya only one player has lost the first game with white and gone on to win the match. Will there be another tomorrow? Report, games, and photos.

FIDE Championship odds after round three

6/26/2004 – The favorites are still the favorites, says Jeff Sonas. He has calculated the odds of each player in the sweet sixteen winning the event. Nakamura's 122 to 1 doesn't look so good, unless you placed your bet back when he was at 785 to 1! Plus, what is the best qualifying tournament system for a world championship?

FIDE WCC R3-2: Another favorite exits

6/25/2004 – But it wasn't a victorious Teimour Radjabov. Vassily Ivanchuk became the second 2700 to leave the field in Libya, ko'ed by Kasimdzhanov. Other top seeds Topalov, Adams, and Grischuk moved on. America's Nakamura is becoming quite a story as the teen moved into the fourth round. See our report on who else made it into the sweet sixteen.

Alterman on the Philidor Defence

6/25/2004 – In the 18th century chess was dominated by the Italians. Players would gladly give a pawn for a single tempo, relying on pure tactical strength to win the game. At that time a mild-mannered musical composer revolutionized chess. GM Boris Alterman looks at an opening line named after Francois-Andre Danican Philidor. Visit his Sunday night lecture and simultaneous exhibition.

FIDE WCC R3-1: Topalov wins five in a row

6/24/2004 – The top seeds (except for the unlucky Nigel Short) are all coasting towards the final of FIDE's knockout world championship. But you should also watch out for some dark horses, like 16-year-old Hikaru Nakamura and Croatian Zdenko Kozul, whose performance so far has been an incredible Elo 3002. We bring you games, results and pictures.

A Grandmaster's impressions of Tripoli

6/24/2004 – Sergei Tiviakov was one of the 128 participants of the FIDE knockout world championship in Tripoli. He went through to round two, but was knocked out by Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu. Before his departure from Libya Sergei went on a sight-seeing trip through the city and sent us his photographic impressions of Tripoli.

Monokroussos on Fischer vs Reshevsky

6/23/2004 – Normally Dennis Monokroussos holds his lectures on Playchess.com at 9 p.m. US East Coast time. That translates to 03:00 hours – the middle of the night – for European visitors. This Friday he will lecture at 9 p.m. European time, on a rich and instructive game between Fischer and Reshevsky. Don't miss it.

FIDE WCC R2-2: 14 games in four days

6/23/2004 – It is a gruelling enterprise. After two classical games come the tie-breaks: two rapid games, two blitz and one sudden death – the latter at 01:00 a.m. Chinese player Ni Hua went through the maximum number in both rounds. Top seed Nigel Short fought valiantly but lost out to Michal Krasenkow. Here's our round two illustrated report.

Revised statistics for FIDE championship

6/22/2004 – A week ago we published full statistics for participants of the world championship in Libya. After the first round the odds have changed significantly, due to a number of factors – especially the non-appearance of #2 seed Morozevich and the release of FIDE's July rating list. Jeff Sonas has recalculated the odds.

Madame Ojjeh blasts the FIDE championship

6/22/2004 – With the Knockout World Championship in full swing the negative stories keep pouring in. The Syrian-French chess sponsor Madame Nahed Ojjeh has sharply criticised FIDE and the Libyan tournament hosts. Her chess club, which recently won the European Club Championship, is boycotting the world championship on its web site. Here is her press release...

FIDE WCC R2-1: A Grecian tragedy

6/22/2004 – Imagine what this must feel like: in round two of the FIDE knockout world championship Super-GM Nigel Short outplayed his opponent on the white side of a Sicilian, then spent 79 moves nursing an exchange advantage towards victory. Finally, on move 121, fate struck a devastating blow... We have found a possible explanation...

Vladimir Kramnik: ‘Chess is so deep, I simply feel lost’

6/21/2004 – How has chess influenced his life? What does it mean to be world champion? How does he train? And what advice would he give to George W. Bush? Classical World Chess Champion Vladimir Kramnik, who is scheduled to defend his title against challenger Peter Leko at the end of September, spoke to the German news portal “Spiegel Online”.

FIDE WCCh: top seeds win through

6/20/2004 – They expected 128 players, only 124 turned up, giving four players a comfortable bye in the first round. All the top seeds won their games, there were only two minor hiccups (Azmaiparashvili and Bologan lost). FIDE is offering comprehensive coverage, including video interviews. We bring you a report, games and pictures.

The Traxler Counter Attack – play 5.Bxf7!

6/20/2004 – Last week Boris Alterman showed us the Traxler Counter Attack, and how White can get into a lot of trouble by trying to win quickly with 5.Nxf7. Instead Alterman advocates taking with the bishop, which leaves White a pawn up but with some tempo problems. Visit Playchess.com for GM Boris Alterman's lecture and simultaneous exhibition.

Searching for the future chess queen

6/20/2004 – Last month at Chicago’s Adler Planetarium the National All-Girls Chess Championship took place, with 200 participants aged five to eighteen. The tournament starred former world champion Susan Polgar, who is probably doing more for women's chess than all her predecessors put together. Pictorial report...

FIDE WCC R1: Youngest and oldest falter

6/20/2004 – The youngest player of the tournament, GM Magnus Carlsen, is 13 years old. The oldest, Rafael Vaganian of Armenia, is 52. Both were stopped in round one of the FIDE knockout world championship in Tripoli. Two other youngster GMs also dropped out. Meanwhile all of the top favourites coasted through. Here's a report, pictures and games.

Better Homes and Gardens – and chess anyone?

6/20/2004 – "Think of chess as push-ups for developing brains", writes Better Homes and Gardens – one of America's most widely read magazines. Chess can improve reading habits and teach children lessons they can use in everyday life. One of the best ways to get you kid started is by picking up "a copy of the excellent computer training program Learn to Play Chess with Fritz & Chesster.

Chess is King and People are Pawns

6/20/2004 – Back in the days of the Silk Road caravans people might have thought it was a mirage – a huge glass dome, rising from the parched brown steppe. The Chess City of Elista is a "shimmering vision is a monument to the power of ego over nature." Read about it in this extensive New York Times article.