Double rooks and double threats

9/30/2014 – Chess enjoys the reputation of being a logical game, one reason why the cold calculating power of the computer prevails against the human mind. However, in chess 1+1 does not always equal two. For instance, in double rook endgames the two rooks often can create more threats in one game than one rook could in two. Dangerous double threats!

Isenegger Memorial Study Tourney

9/30/2014 – The Swiss composer Samuel Isenegger, who died 50 years ago, specialized in the David vs. Goliath theme of pawns fighting pieces. To commemorate his anniversary the Dutch-Flemish endgame study society ARVES staged a tourney with this motif. The composition judge Yochanan Afek has kindly sent us the entries of the winners – wonderful chess compositions from which we can all learn.

Album 61

9/29/2014 – In 2012 Boris Gelfand reached the peak of his career by playing against Anand for the World Championship. He narrowly lost the match in the rapid-tie-break. Gelfand's father has meticulously recorded the career of his son in 61 photo albums. These pictures inspired the documentary "Album 61" which now is shown at the Filmfest Hamburg in Germany.

WYCC 2014: The sprint to the finish

9/29/2014 – For one player, Dinara Saduakassova, the gold is decided, as she crushed her Girls Under-18 rivals a round in advance, but for others, it will all be decided in the final round. Some will be between two or three dominant forces, and others will be a mad sprint to the end, such as the Boys Under-16 where six have claims on the gold. Once more we bring a wonderful pictorial.

Shirov overpowers Sveshnikov with 5.5/6

9/29/2014 – It was a match that had been discussed over twenty years ago, but never came to fruition, which is a pity since the match was great fun despite neither being in his prime. Shirov was always the stronger of the two, and time did Sveshnikov no favors despite his great fighting spirit. Still, for those who accompanied the games live, there was no shortage of entertaining chess.

Hartmann – choosing a chess engine

9/28/2014 – Three chess programs today dominate the scene, with new versions supplanting each other in the computer rating lists. Currently Komodo is leading, and conveniently is released as a brand-new ChessBase engine. But is it really the one that ambitious chess players should use (or switch to)? Chess book reviewer John Hartmann offers some very useful advice.

Jayalalithaa Jayaram sentenced in Bangalore

9/28/2014 – She was a famous actress and singer, the "heart throb of Tamil movies". Then she became Chief Minister of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Yesterday she was arrested in a disproportionate assets case originally filed against her 18 years ago. Jayalalithaa was sentenced to four years in prison and a one billion Rupee fine. Why do we report this? There is a chess connection.

Museum of Chess inaugurated in Moscow

9/27/2014 – It was six years in the making, but the highly anticipated Museum of Chess in Moscow was finally inaugurated to great fanfare. Behind its doors, fans and players will find chess sets, many of which are the envy of collectors, rare books that quicken the heartbeat of seasoned bibliophiles, and trophies won by the Russian and Soviet chess players at the most prestigious tournaments.

Shirov-Sveshnikov match starts

9/27/2014 – A friendly match between two famous GMs from Latvia, Alexey Shirov and Evgeny Svshnikov, is taking place in Riga from September 26 to September 28. It is a match the two wanted to play 25 years ago, but issues prevented it from happening then. Now the two legendary Latvians meet at the board in a match where their reputations alone promise fun games, and the two do not disappoint.

WYCC 2014: Nobody is perfect

9/27/2014 – The World Youth Chess Championship continues to unfold in Durban, South Africa, and it has been dramatic for the many top-seeds, some of whom are past champions or huge favorites. The fighting over the boards has been so intense, that no player has been able to maintain a perfect 100% score. The coverage has included live video, as well as a slew of great pictures.

Premature Relaxation in Bilbao

9/26/2014 – Two of the top tournaments of this year have finished in Bilbao. There are many lessons to be learned for everybody, and one of the recurring ones is a problem that affects all chess players, no matter what strength they are: Premature Relaxation! Guest commentator Cristian Chirila brings us his insights in two key games of the ECC and pictures from the closing ceremony.

Nisha Mohota wins Indian National Challengers

9/26/2014 – Chess in India is booming. And in the Women's National Challengers tournament, in which the eight best qualified for the Premier, where the Indian National Champion is crowned, India's top women players fought for victory and qualification. The race was close and two players finished with 9.5/11. Sagar Shah sends an illustrated report.

Guess who?

9/26/2014 – How good is your chess knowledge? If you see a position from an old or a modern classic do you know immediately who played? And what about recent tournaments? But knowing the facts of a game is one thing, finding the crucial variations is another. Oliver Reeh gives you a chance to test how broad your chess knowledge is. With three questions.

Yamie Chess simul with Jennifer Shahade

9/26/2014 – Recently at the Gen Con held in Indianapolis, two-time US Women chess champion and Yamie Chess creator Jennifer Shahade played a group of school children in a simul on Yamie Chess sets designed to bring more awareness to the math game. Children and parents had a great time approaching the game from a very creative perspective, with crayons, coloring books, and cartoons.

Just Checking: Parimarjan Negi

9/25/2014 – The Dutch "New in Chess Magazine" is considered to be one of the best, if not the best chess magazine in the world. And "Just Checking" is one of the magazine's most popular columns. In the current issue Indian grandmaster, Scotch opening expert and ChessBase author Parimarjan Negi get's checked. But he is up to the task. More than just.

Zhang Zhong has comeback win in Malaysia

9/24/2014 – After five rounds, one thing seemed clear: top-seed Zhang Zhong would be denied his due after a disaster draw and loss, but the resilient player showed his exemplary fighting spirit with a great comeback. He won all the way until the end, including a crucial last round victory over former compatriot Zhao Jianchao. Once more the Malaysian Chess Festival lived up to its name.

Chess City St. Louis

9/24/2014 – St. Louis is a good place to be. Much more so if you are a chess player. And definitely if you are a serious chess player. Thanks to the Chess Club and Scholastic Centre, founded by Rex and Jeanie Sinquefield, and the World Chess Hall of Fame St. Louis developed into a veritable chess mecca. Sabrina Chevannes visited the city and caught impressions.

Komodo 8: the smartphone vs desktop challenge

9/24/2014 – After hearing two strong players argue that the only real progress in chess engines in the last ten years was due to faster computers a special match was played to challenge this idea. Komodo 8 ran on a smartphone while a top engine of 2006 used a modern i7 computer that runs 50 times faster. This is the difference between Usain Bolt and the Concorde. Guess what happened?

Monastir – the chess hub of Tunisia (Part 2)

9/23/2014 – It is one of the most active chess nations on the African continent, and the game has an important place in the cultural and sport activities of the country. In the recent GM and IM tournaments in Monastir we encounter players who are not so well known on the European circuit, but who play a leading role in the Magreb chess scene. Diana Mihajlova reports on a beautiful chess festival in Tunisia.

World Youth starts in Durban

9/23/2014 – The 2014 World Youth Chess Championship has started, and is being hosted by the South African Chess Federation in Durban, South Africa. About 1000 children and youths have come to compete in the massive competition, hoping to inscribe their names into history. It has been tough going for the top seeds as many have already suffered early setbacks, though it is still early days.

Grandmaster Clash in Slate Magazine

9/23/2014 – "One of the most amazing feats in chess history just happened, and no one noticed," writes Seth Stevenson, in a most-read article posted recently on Slate Magazine. It is long but definitely worth a read. Seth puts the sheer magnitude of Fabiano Caruana's performance in perspective, and also provides a wealth of background information on the players and the event. Don't miss it.

Holes in the Fence

9/23/2014 – Every week ChessBase magazine author and renowned endgame expert Karsten Müller presents a remarkable or particularly instructive endgame in his blog. This week he chose the game Berkes-Castellanos Rodriguez. A click on the diagram opens a larger board. Test your endgame skills, improve and have fun!

Karelle Bolon's chess enterprise in Cambodia

9/22/2014 – Sometimes you encounter a project that absolutely screams for public support. Here is a former child chess star, now a fashion designer working in Cambodia, who wants to start a course of chess lessons in a bush school. In order to pay for the equipment she has started a Ulule crowdfunding page to raise the very modest sum of 430 Euros. Let us get this for her by the end of the day.

Daniel King: "Time to look at a chess game"

9/22/2014 – Rain or shine, during the Chess Olympiad GM Daniel King entertained ChessBase viewers with daily reviews of the round and quickchats. After Tromsø he took a break but now "autumn has arrived and it feels like the right time to look at a chess game." Good for us: In his PowerPlay Chess Show King presents fine efforts from Fabiano Caruana and Vishy Anand.