Asian Cup: China wins women's event

5/29/2014 – It was a perfect performance by the Chinese women as they completed a rout in the standard event, while India took silver and Iran-A bronze. Iran's double result against India in both the Open and Women event stood out as the last-minute draw in the women secured their medal, while the Indian men lost their lead after a win by Iran's Moradiabadi over Adhiban changed everything.

French Team Ch: Clichy and Bischwiller share lead

5/29/2014 – In Saint Quentin, France, eleven teams are fighting for the title of best team in France, bringing a roster of top grandmasters such as Vachier-Lagrave, Ivanchuk, Wojtaszek and many more. One thing that separates this event from others is that it runs for eleven days straight instead of spread out over the year. GM Alejandro Ramirez has annotated a couple of fantastic attacks.

1.e4 or 1.d4 – which is the better move?

5/28/2014 – We all know that 1.e4 is an attacking move, producing explosive, decisive games. 1.d4 is muted, leading to closed positions that are more likely to end in draws. But is this impression rooted in fact? Ioannis Halkias, a physicist and mathematician from Spoa-Karpathos, Greece, – himself a 1.e4 player – has some very original arguments that may come as a big surprise. What do you think?

Kavalek: Chess Champions in America

5/27/2014 – Gata Kamsky, at 39 the oldest participant in this year's US Championship, he needed help to retain his title. Only a draw between his main rivals, Varuzhan Akobian and Aleksandr Lenderman, kept his chances alive by drawing their game. One particular move in the critical game caught GM Lubomir Kavalek's eye. The Huffington Post columnist uses it in a trip down memory lane.

Asian Cup: India beats China and takes lead

5/27/2014 – It was a cataclysmic day as both men's and women's competitions saw the leaders, China and India, meet head on for a possibly decisive battle. In the women's section, the Chinese had a significant rating advantage overall, and were able to make it count as they beat India, but the men's section was another matter and India has now taken the lead after scoring a fantastic victory.

Alina in Iasi: more chess and more players

5/26/2014 – Our reporter in Romania, WGM Alina l'Ami, sent us three well-received reports on the International Chess Festival Iai Open. Previously she dealt with the winners, but they were not the only ones who produced chess jewels, as we see today. We can also present you with a lot of great pictures of lesser-known players and participants, in this final report for you to enjoy.

Dragoljub Velimirovic, 1942–2014

5/26/2014 – He was noted for his attacking style and possessed a great gift for visualizing sacrificial possibilities. Whilst spectacular chess made him popular with onlookers, each game required a great effort and this handicapped his quest for international success. Dragoljub Velimirovi died last Thursday. In his eulogy Andrew Martin honors the Master of Attacks with a beautiful annotated game.

Mystery revealed: it was chess at the South Pole

5/26/2014 – A week ago we published a picture of a masked man holding up a ChessBase logo. He was, we said, in the process of playing two correspondence chess games – under unusual circumstances. We asked our readers to guess the location of the player. A surprising number got it right – perhaps because the solution could be found on our Facebook page?! Here now is the full story.

Asian Cup: China leads, Iranians shine

5/24/2014 – After the Rapid competition, the standard event began, qualifying the winners to the World Team Championships later this year. In the Open section, the top seeds are China and India, though the Chinese have taken off in the lead. In the women's section, the top seeds are the Chinese again, but have met serious resistance by their rivals. Still, in both events Iran has top performers.

Dharamshala: an Indian (chess) paradise

5/24/2014 – Chess players travel to some wonderfully exotic places in the world, but it is not uncommon for them to come back having seen nothing at all. The game is so engrossing that it becomes much more significant than the medley of trees, mountains and rivers around them. IM V Saravanan, who played in the 52nd National Challenge, sent us impressions he captured of the Himalayan city.

2014 Asian Nations Cup starts

5/23/2014 – The 2014 Asian Nations Cup has started, and brings teams from several countries duking it out in blitz, rapid, and standard time control competitions. It is being held from May 20-30 in Tabriz, Iran, with notable players such as Ding Liren, Le Quang Liem, Yu Yangyi in the open competition, as well as Ju Wenjun and Harika Dronavalli in the women's. Report on the rapid.

Anand delights in Corsica

5/22/2014 – Vishy Anand visited Porto-Vecchio in Corsica where he played a small exhibition match against local masters, as part of a children's chess festival that brought in over 600 children to participate. Anand enthralled the young players with his friendly accessible demeanor, and remained completely at the disposition of his fans, never turning a single one down.

Iasi – a Romanian chess city

5/22/2014 – Iasi (pronounced YAsh) is one of the largest cities in Romania, candidates for the very much sought after title of the European Capital of Culture. The first edition of the Iasi Open was held there, from May 10 to 18. But before she really digs into the chess, our reporter WGM Alina l'Ami, who hails from the city, tells us what it is like to live in a place that is in the process of being reborn.

XV Karpov-Poikovsky: Morozevich takes clear first

5/22/2014 – With a no-nonsense start, with fantastic ones by some, and disastrous ones by others, the course of the tournament seemed clear, but life had its own plans. Alexander Morozevich did indeed take first, but Ivan Saric collapsed and his runnerup status was grabbed by Dmitry Jakovenko. As to Viktor Bologan with his 0.5/4 start, he finished with 4.0/5 and more wins than anyone else.

National Challengers Dharamshala: nine qualifiers

5/21/2014 – The final round started with eight players on 9.0/12 points, and eight more at 8.5/12. They battled it out for the nine places reserved in the forthcoming National Premier Championship, where they are joined by the five highest rated playes in India. The Challengers brought some very exciting chess, even before the final round, as Sagar Shar describes in this final report.

US-Ch 2014: You were expecting someone else?

5/21/2014 – The playoffs started with Armageddon games: Varuzhan Akobian beat Aleksandr Lenderman, while Tatev Abrahamyan drew Anna Zatonskih with black and thus progressed to the final. There Gata Kamsky beat Akobian 1½-½, while Irina Krush did likewise to Abrahamyan. Gata is US Champions for the fifth time, Irina has won her sixth Championship. Full report with pictures.

Fressinet wins 22nd Sigeman Tournament

5/20/2014 – French GM Laurent Fressinet remained without defeat and won two of his five games to take first place in this round robin event. Meanwhile 27-year-old IM Axel Smith, who similarly had two wins and no losses, spoilt his chances with an unfortunate king move in his final game. But Axel finshed second with 3.0/5 points and a gain of 14 rating points. Final report from Malmö.

Wesley So with 2826 performance in Cuba

5/20/2014 – He was the eighth youngest chess grandmaster in history, and now at twenty he is soaring towards the very top. With his +3 score in a Category 19 event he has added thirteen points to his rating and is now number 15 in the world. Cuban GM Lazaro Batista Bruzon also gained twelve points with his +1 result, while Leinier Dominguez, numer ten in the world, lost eight. Final report.

US Ch. Rd11: Six player still fighting for titles

5/20/2014 – The two leaders, Aleksandr Lenderman and Varuzhan Akobian, drew their game against each other, while Gata Kamsky won his to join them on top of the scoreboard (all have 7.0/11 points). Similarly Irina Krush and Anna Zatonskih drew in the women's championship, while Tatev Abrahamyan caught them with a win. The playoffs are on Tuesday will be positively nerve-racking.

US Ch. Rd10: Six player fighting for two titles

5/19/2014 – After Lenderman and Akobian both drew their round ten games, and Sam “the Spoiler” Shankland put an end to Josh Friedel's apsirations, it is Lenderman, Akobian – the two play each other – and Kamsky who will fight for the title on Monday. In the women's championship things will be settled between Krush, Zatonskih and Abrahamyan. It's going to be an incredibly exciting finish.

The archæology of chess positions

5/19/2014 – There are many basic motifs in chess, such as the knight fork of king and queen, the bishop sacrifice on h7, the back-rank mate, the pin. They are well known and may be found more or less obviously on the surface, thus standing out from the position. Or they may lie as yet undiscovered at some archæological level. Prof. Christian Hesse uncovers some entertaining examples.

US Ch. Rd9: Everything wide open again

5/18/2014 – What a round! Leader Varuzhan Akobian was downed by the dangerous and unpredictable Sam Shankland, while his main rival Aleksandr Lenderman pulled off a miracle win to catch him at the top of the score table. And in the women's section Irina Krush won a must-win game against Anna Zatonskih to join her at the top. Things in the two championships are getting really, really close.

Axel Smith leads Sigeman Chess Tournament

5/18/2014 – He is the rookie, the only IM in a field of three international players and three rising stars. But after three rounds 27-year-old Axel Smith leads (together with Laurent Fressinet) at 2.5/3. The 22nd Sigeman Tournament is taking place in the Hipp Theater in central Malmo, Sweden. You can watch the two final rounds on live video feed and on Playchess. With entertaining commentary.

National Challengers in Dharamshala

5/18/2014 – It is one of the most important open tournaments in the Indian Chess circuit, extremely strong – 14 GMs and 22 IMs taking part, 56 players above Elo 2200 – with a weirdly low prize fund ($3,300). The 52nd National Challengers Championship 2014 is being held in the mesmerizingly beautiful city of Dharamshala, home to the Dalai Lama. Illustrated report with analysis.