A documentary on blind chess

8/18/2015 – In India a group of boys dream of becoming chess masters. But this is no ordinary chess and these are no ordinary players. Algorithms is a documentary on the thriving world of Blind Chess. Filmed over three years, it travels with three talented boys to national and world championships, documenting their struggles, anxieties and hopes. Preview tonight in Mumbai, premiere on Friday.

The magic of Madagascar (1/2)

8/17/2015 – Among the many African nations, Madagascar is certainly one that both fascinates and remains elusive, sharing no borders with any of its neighbors. Having barely left Angola, globetrotting photographer and player, WGM Alina L'Ami jumped on the opportunity to play in a tournament made possible thanks to the Madagascar Federation and the Kasparov Chess Foundation Africa.

Viktor Bologan: Caro-Kann Advance Variation

8/17/2015 – The Caro-Kann enjoys the reputation of a solid opening that is difficult to crack. In his DVD on the Caro-Kann Advance Variation GM Viktor Bologan recommends a repertoire that is based on 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5. Davide Nastasio had a look at the DVD, learned a lot about strategic patterns, was inspired, and "grateful to have such a good teacher".

Superfinals 7: Tomashevsky, Kosteniuk, Goryachkina

8/17/2015 – The seventh round of the Russian Superfinals in Chita brought a number of interesting games and a change at the top - at least in the men's tournament. E. Tomashevsky won against I. Khairullin to become sole leader with 5.0/7. In the women's tournament A. Kosteniuk and A. Goryachkina both won their games and continue to share the lead. Games and analyses.

A unique chess prodigy

8/17/2015 – Have you ever seen a GM move his rook in the second move of a game – not in a simultaneous exhibition or against a patzer, but facing a strong opponent in the final crucial round of an international tournament? GM Aravindh Chithambaram did exactly this, echoing his last year's defeat of Alexei Shirov with 1.b3. This 15-year-old super-talent is clearly on his way to world class.

Gata Kamsky dominant in Washington

8/16/2015 – For the fourth year, the Washington International was held by the Maryland Chess Federation, and once more was a resounding success if one is to judge by the lineup. At the very top was five-time US Champion Gata Kamsky, far from the only GM, but in the mix was a very large number of juniors on the rise, seeking a chance to outshine their peers.

Visiting Vlissingen

8/16/2015 – After a few years in the US on a strict regime of study or its frenetic opens, GM Elshan Moradiabadi explains the bliss of not only some deserved rest, but also a change of pace with a classic one-round-a-day as he visited Vlissingen, Holland. With 240 players the lineup included names such as GM Baadur, Loek Van Wely, and more. Here is the report with analysis by GM Moradiabadi.

Russian Superfinals 6: Three and two leaders

8/15/2015 – The Superfinals reached the half-way-mark and promise an exciting end. In the men's tournament E. Tomashevsky, V. Artemiev, and N. Vitiugov lead with 4.0/6 each. In the women's tournament Aleksandra Goryachkina and Alexandra Kosteniuk share the lead with 4.5/6 each. Goryachkina won against Ovod, Kosteniuk defeated Kateryna Lagno. Analyses.

Corr 2015 - Fearless games, fantastic gambits

8/15/2015 – When one talks about the highest quality of chess, and games, the usual knee-jerk response is the world champion or anyone in the top ten. However, there is usually one source of games that go beyond even that in sheer depth and quality of analysis: correspondence chess. These are games defined by fearlessness, openings exploration, and fireworks. Here is an update to the ultimate collection.

Thinking blockade

8/14/2015 – Tactics can seem deceptively simple, particularly when seeing an engine analysing grandmaster games. Strange, however, how difficult it is to find the right move and to calculate variations properly when playing yourself. It is easier if you solve tactical puzzles regularly. In the ChessBase Magazine and his tactics column Oliver Reeh helps you to do so.

Superfinals Rd 5: Peaceful men, fighting women

8/14/2015 – The men were rather peaceful in round 5 of the Russian Superfinals - only Ivan Bukavshin won against Ildar Khairullin, the other games were drawn. The women were less peacefully inclined - they did not play a single draw in round 5. And Anastasia Savina managed to stop Aleksandra Goryachkina who had to suffer her first loss. Report and analyses.

2015 North American Junior Championships

8/14/2015 – This event was staged in the multicultural city of Kitchener, Canada from July 26 to 30, and attracted 65 players from around North America to compete in the open section and girls section. Neither of the top seeds placed with a medal. One of them, Qiyu Zhou, sent us a lovely report. We dug into her background and pulled up some inspiring material that left us speechless. | Photos: John Upper and Penny Yu

90th French Championship starts in style

8/13/2015 – The French Championship is now in its 90th edition, and much like the very appropriate saying 'like good wine, it only gets better with age', the massive event brings together no fewer than eight competitions with 597 players. In spite of the excellent lineups, it is not the numbers that warrant that description, but the lengths to which the organizers went to set a standard.

Superfinals: Goryachkina leads

8/13/2015 – Aleksandra Goryachkina, born 1998, is the number one on FIDE's August rating list for girls. At the Russian Superfinals she shows her talent. In round four she won against Anastasia Bodnaruk and now leads with 3.5/4. In the men's tournament Vladislav Artemiev won his second game in a row and now leads together with Evgeny Tomashevsky. Report and analyses.

The Max Euwe Center in peril

8/13/2015 – He was the only amateur chess player to become World Champion – the fifth in chess history. After his death in 1981 the city of Amsterdam established a Center with a museum and a modest library containing Euwe’s chess inheritance and books. Now, after 24 years, the city is threatening to withdraw it subsidy. World class players are protesting. Can the Max Euwe Center be saved?

Tomashevsky leads Superfinals

8/12/2015 – With a fine mix of quiet and aggressive play Evgeny Tomashevsky won against reigning champion Igor Lysyj in round three of the Russian Superfinals. He now leads the field with 2.5/3, half-a-point ahead of four players. In the women's tournament top seed Valentina Gunina showed her tactical skills and won her second game in a row. Report and analyses.

Magnus Carlsen proposes changes in WCh

8/12/2015 – Just over a week before the start of the Sinquefield Cup, Magnus Carlsen dropped a small bomb on his Facebook page when he commented, "I felt it important to share with you something I have been thinking about a great deal: the World Championship cycle format." He then follows by advocating a knock-out system as used in the past. What do you think?

2015 Russian Youth Team continues tradition

8/11/2015 – Although the higher echelons of chess are certainly more cosmopolitan nowadays, Russia still has a clear edge when it comes to breeding grandmasters faster than rabbits. This is very much due to the heavy investment in youth programs such as the all-Russian Youth Team championships, which included master classes by Alexander Nikitin, Garry Kasparov's former trainer.

The far-reaching bishop

8/11/2015 – Every week ChessBase magazine author and renowned endgame expert Karsten Müller presents a remarkable or particularly instructive endgame in his blog. A click on the diagram opens a larger board. Test your endgame skills, improve and have fun!

Jonathan Hawkins is British Champion 2015

8/11/2015 – At the start of the tournament three-time British Champion David Howell was favorite. In the middle of the tournament Nicholas Pert and Daniel Gormally led the field. In the penultimate round everything seemed to be set for a play-off. But in the end Jonathan Hawkins emerged as the sole winner of the British Championship 2015. Report and analyses.

Things heat up in the Russian Superfinals

8/10/2015 – After a quiet first round things heated up in the Russian Superfinals. In round one Karjakin was the only player to win a game, in round two three games were decided, and now four players lead with 1.5/2. The players in the women's tournament were fiercer. In the first round three games were decided, in the second round four. Goryachkina and Girya lead with 2.0/2.

Turkish League hits midway point

8/10/2015 – After seven out of thirteen rounds, the Turkish Super League has reached the midway point and offers the only rest day of the tournament. Deniz Su Aquamatch, the team in which Wesley So plays, is leading with a perfect 7.0/7 followed by Besiktas, the team of Mamedyarov, just behind. This event also represents Wesley So's last games before Sinquefield.

Lake Sevan 2015: A player’s perspective (2)

8/10/2015 – In this final part of his articles Vidit Gujrathi tells us about his experience of playing at this exciting event. His favourite game was a crazy battle with 14½-year-old chess phenom Samuel Sevian! Vidit has annotated it with great enthusiasm, giving us insights into the thinking of 2600+ player. His report includes pictures, personal experiences and Bollywood music in this huge report.

Basics of Winning Chess 2.0

8/10/2015 – Have you ever wondered at the words "and the rest is a matter of technique" as if there were some magical formula that will take a winning position and inexorably end it in your favor? We often think of these words as applying only to top players, but IM Andrew Martin disagrees with this and proposes to not only show what technique is about, but how to develop it at all levels.