Olympiad: just two days to go

7/30/2014 – It starts in just two days, and some of our readers may be on their way already. For those going to Tromsø, and those who just want to feel the atmosphere of the 41st World Chess Olympiad, here is all the information you will need – greetings, schedules, events. You will even be able to watch a special production of the musical Chess – don't miss the video at the end of our report!

Chess on tablets: Analyzing with ChessBase

7/30/2014 – Playing and watching games is certainly fun and relaxing, but what about genuine study and analysis on the go? If you watched a game, or played one, and would like to quickly review your moves from opening to middlegame, the tablet or smartphone is quite capable of helping you. In the following video, you will be shown how this is accomplished in a few easy steps.

Blindfolded in life

7/29/2014 – It is almost impossible to imagine the hurdles a person without eyesight must leap over in life, and one can only commisserate and admire those who do. Meet Lucas de Jong, a 21-year-old young man who attends business school, and who is playing at the NK Open. Every day he comes to the rounds, accompanied by his faithful Okie, who is at his side at all times. An inspiring story.

What it takes to be an Olympian

7/29/2014 – Sometime in April WGM Nino Maisuradze, the reigning French woman champion, learnt that she had not been selected for the French Women's Olympic team. In a state of disbelief she vented her frustration publicly, not expecting the barrage of comments and criticism it provoked. Diana Mihajlova, who knows Nino as a kind, intelligent and dedicated chess player, describes the situation.

The ladies invite to a little dance

7/29/2014 – The rule that pawns that reach the first or the eighth rank can be promoted into a queen is simply wonderful. It adds spice to lots of positions and never fails to fascinate beginners. But before promoting a pawn it sometimes pays to check whether having two queens in the same castle is really such a good thing. Karsten Müller has a striking example.

Adhiban dominates the Biel Masters

7/29/2014 – The main focus of the Biel Chess festival was on the Grandmaster tournament, won by GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. But this was not the only strong chess event held. 84 participants started in the Master tournament, 25 of them GMs. With 8.5/11 GM Baskaran Adhiban from India won convincingly. An illustrated report with deep annotations by GM Adhiban.

Looking back: Biel

7/29/2014 – Even though only one of the players in the tournament was in the top-10 of the official rating list, it is clear that Biel was a top tier event and one of the most exciting tournaments of the year. The combination of youth and talent exhibited at the event made for a close event that was not defined until the very last round. We bring you a comprehensive look at the Biel super-tournament.

British Championship: Howell and Hebden closing in

7/28/2014 – After nine rounds, the venerable British Championship is once more heating up. Jonathan Hawkins started with a 1.5 point lead over everyone else, but three draws later, including those against reigning champion David Howell, and Nicholas Pert, that gap has been reduced to half a point. He still leads with 7.5/9, but breathing down his neck are Howell, and veteran Mark Hebden.

NK Open: a 140-year-old tradition

7/28/2014 – The NK Open, which takes place in Dieren, Holland, between 22 - 31 July dates back 140 years and it has been 46 years since it was held in the current location. It has around 430 players, playing in seven sections; but the GM section gives the opportunity to the Dutch players who place the highest to qualify for the National Dutch championship. A beautiful report by Alina L'Ami.

Recommended: ChessBase Magazine #160

7/28/2014 – "They had written him off and he was treated like a pariah in his own kingdom that he had reigned for years," writes Prof Nagesh Havanur of his compatriot Viswanathan Anand. But then "he staged a triumphant return with first place in Candidates’ Tournament." All of this is part of ChessBase Magazine 160, which brings you a wealth of entertaining and educational material. Review.

The largest chess club in the world

7/27/2014 – The United Arab Emirates has many landmarks that are famous around the world, including the tallest man-made structure, the Burj Khalifa, the world's biggest mall, the Dubai Mall, and the JW Marriott Marquis, the world's tallest hotel. Therefore it should come as a no big surprise that it is now home to the largest chess club in the world. Big illustrated report.

Tromso 2014: Preview and preparations

7/27/2014 – The much awaited Chess Olympiad in Tromso, Norway is just around the corner, with the gong for round one sounding on August 2. After much controversy and nailbiting, the greatest hurdles seem to have been passed, and we can get ready for two weeks of fantastic chess. The teams have been officially published, and the organizers have shared pictures of the preparations and a music video.

Chess on tablets: Playing on Playchess

7/27/2014 – It is one o'clock in the morning and you just wanted a quickie before turning off the light? No problem. You can do it at a desk with a computer of course, but with a tablet you can do it in bed, just as if you were reading a book. Have a fifteen minute break during work? To scratch that chess itch while you sip some coffee or tea, just start the Playchess app. See how in this video.

Best ‘Chess Constructs’ by ChessBase readers

7/26/2014 – Chess constructs are basically an intermediate form of composition or chess problem, lying somewhere between brilliancies from chess history – and artistic chess problems, between real game sequences and traditional award-winning compositions. A month ago Dr Azlan Iqbal explained the concept asked our readers to submit compositions of their own. Here are the winners.

British Championship: Hawkins leads, rivals closer

7/26/2014 – After taking a humongous 1.5-point lead in round six, round seven saw some of the other contenders do a bit of catch-up by closing the gap to 'only' a full point. IM Jonathan Hawkins is still the tournament favorite after seven rounds, but he can not cruise to first with rivals closing fast. One key game was between GM Pert and GM Williams that is annotated by IM Andrew Martin.

Master Class Vol.3: Alexander Alekhine

7/26/2014 – Following up on the popular new Master Class series, after covering Bobby Fischer in volume one, and Mikhail Tal in volume two, here is the next with one of the most creative attackers of all time: Alexander Alekhine. Each phase of his play is scrutinized by a grandmaster, providing thorough and often insightful analysis, with numerous games and excerpts to enjoy. Here is a review.

Olympiad: Terror warning in Norway

7/25/2014 – We don't want to scare anyone, and things around the Olympiad seem fine. But the country is bracing for an attack by ISIS jihadies that "could happen in three, five or seven days – or not at all." Meanwhile heavily armed police are patrolling streets airports, ports, train stations and other transport hubs, and there are extended immigration and border controls. Norwegian press reports.

Grigoriyan wins Sant Marti Open

7/25/2014 – The Sant Marti Open was the third tournament in the Catalonian circuit for our reporter – who fulfilled the final requirements for his IM titel in this event. It was won by a lively young GM from Armenia, 19-year-old Karen Grigoriyan (2592). The atmosphere is as pleasant as could be, with the Spaniards showing everyone how to properly stage a chess open. Big illustrated report by IM Sagar Shah.

British Championship: Hawkins continues to win

7/25/2014 – Six rounds, six points - the British Championship started well for IM Jonathan Hawkins. After winning against GM Simon Williams in round six Hawkins now leads by 1.5 points. But he is not the only one who has fun in Aberystwyth. In round six Chris Ward won a fine game with Black against Marcus Harvey's 1.b3. IM Andrew Martin has the details in his Game of the Day.

Tactics please: Why not?

7/25/2014 – What to do if your opponent just made a move that allows you to snatch a pawn? Assuming he overlooked something elementary, give in to temptation and grab the poor guy? Or do you try to find out if your opponent sneakily wants to lure you into a trap? Calculating some lines might help to find an answer. As the following example from a recent tournament shows!

Gideon Japhet: Svidler wins match 5-3

7/25/2014 – The Second Gideon Japhet Memorial was an unmitigated success with three chess opens and a four-day match between world class players Peter Svidler and Boris Gelfand. Four out of eight games had decisive results, and each day was followed by video recorded player commentary and analysis, but kudos to Gilad Japhet for conducting the very entertaining interviews.

Biel: MVL clinches, Wojtaszek second

7/25/2014 – It's all said and done. Despite a before-last round scare against Giri, MVL was able to play solid chess against Wojtaszek, who finished second, and hoping Hou Yifan didn't win so as to not split first. Hou Yifan indeed did not win and actually lost to Harikrishna. Meanwhile Giri and Motylev made a quick draw as they had little to play for. Last round report.

World Senior Chess Team Championship 2014

7/24/2014 – The World Senior Team Chess Championship had been retired ten years earlier in 2004, but with the growing popularity of the World Senior events, interest in this event was sparked once more. Thanks in large part to the efforts of Donatas Pilinkus, president of the Kaunas Chess Federation, the World Senior Team Championship, held in Vilnius, Lithuania, has risen from the ashes.

Chess on tablets: Playchess broadcasts

7/24/2014 – Smartphones and tablets have impacted our lives like few technologies in the past years, and have evolved from gadgets to inseparables, and yet the very first iPhone, which launched the tidal wave, came out just seven years ago. For chess players, this has been a genuine boon, allowing for a degree of comfort and ease never seen before. Here is an article and video of the experience.