Novi Sad: Azerbaijan wins Gold – by one rook move

10/31/2009 – Daniel Stellwagen had fought bravely for 69 grueling moves. On move 70 the Dutch GM played the only rook move that lost him a drawn position. Azeri Vugar Gashimov seized the chance and won Gold for his team. Russia was second and Ukraine third. In the women's section it was Russia ahead of Georgia on tiebreak points. Here, too, with Ukraine took Bronze. Final report.

The desperado rook

10/30/2009 – What usually happens is that extra forces help the besieging army storm fortresses. But there is also the opposite case, when the presence of extra material actually saves the defending side, as in the present situation. If he did not have his rook, Black would be totally lost in the duel between White's remaining rook and the black bishop. But White simply cannot force the exchange of rooks:

Analysis Spoelman-Najer

Novi Sad: Russia and Azerbaijan lead

10/30/2009 – With one round to go in the European Team Championship Russia and Azerbaijan are leading, two match points ahead of five teams in the follow-up group. In the women's section Russia and Georgia are leading, three points ahead of any other rivals (best performance: Alexandra Kosteniuk). Playchess will broadcast the two exciting struggles for Gold. Round seven and eight reports.

World Junior Chess Championships 2009 in Patagonia

10/30/2009 – Puerto Madryn is a city on the east coast of southern Argentina, in a geographical region known as Patagonia. In this remote place, where right whales and dolphins congregate, 84 of the most talented young players – under twenty years old – are playing for a prestigeous title. The girls's section has 45 contestants. The official web site is unfortunately comprimised, but we have results and games.

An intermediate move...

10/29/2009 – ...can completely change the evaluation of a position in one single moment. Here 34.Nc4xe5 had just been played,, and now Black inserted 34....g3 (diagram) in an attempt to deflect White's queen and prevent his pawn d4 from being taken. What do you say on this? A) good idea, 35.Qxg3 fxe5 is forced, reducing any black disadvantage to a minimum; B) White has a trick with a discovered attack in the e-file; C) Black jumps out of the frying pan into the fire since d4 is falling anyway. The solution is here, but first ponder over it with a  larger version of the diagram.

Krush in China – adventures of a chess player

10/28/2009 – Last month we reported on the Women's World Team Championship in Ningbo. An exciting event in a remote place. While most players just flew in and out, one, IM Irina Krush, first board of the US team, took time to look around. Irina travelled from Shanghai to Ningbo, Hangzhou and Guilin, enjoyed the countryside, met the people, tried the food and sent us a remarkable photo documentation.

Developing Chess Talent – Chess and autism

10/27/2009 – Chess is a suitable sport for many children and adults with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Scientific research on this subject is lacking, also on an international level, but experience indicates that chess stimulates social, emotional and cognitive development. A new book, "Developing Chess Talent", by Karel and IM Merijn van Delft, uses case histories to illustrate this assumption. Excerpts.

Novi Sad: Azerbaijan leads by two points

10/27/2009 – The Azeris, led by Teimour Radjabov, have won five matches and drawn one to take a two-point lead in the European Team Championship. In the women's section Russia has caught Georgia, with both teams sharing a 10.0/12 point lead. The best performance so far in this event is by a Norwegian teenage grandmaster – and no, it is not Magnus Carlsen. Report on rounds four to six.

Wednesday night training on Playchess

10/27/2009 – First, at 20:00h CET, IM Merijn van Delft, the author of a new book on chess training, begins with a series of lectures on recent grandmaster games. At 9 p.m. ET (02:00 a.m. CET) FM Dennis Monokroussos takes a look at "high-level chess at its worst – real lowlights of the professional chess scene, with moves and other screw-ups you expect from club players." Free for Premium members.

Conquer the Kings – a four-way variant of chess

10/26/2009 – Here's a new angle on our beloved game: four players, who can strategically vary their starting position, and then play independently or join forces to capture the enemy kings. "Last man standing" is the winner. Originator Johnny M. Wahl says that this game is friendlier and more easily digestible than regular chess. He has enthusiastic videos to bear this out. Illustrated report.

Edward Winter's Chess Explorations (29)

10/26/2009 – The Editor of Chess Notes investigates a further batch of discrepancies arising from game-scores. Three of them involve Capablanca (against S. Coleman, F.J. Marshall and T.H. Tylor), and two concern Alekhine (against R. Réti and F. Reinfeld). For instance, regarding the famous game Réti v Alekhine, Baden-Baden, 1925 three versions of the score have been found. Can the truth be established?

Yazici runs for President of the European Chess Union

10/26/2009 – For twelve years now Boris Kutin has ruled over the ECU. Now he is being challenged by a new candidate, the very dynamic President of the Turkish Chess Federation Ali Nihat Yazici, who will be up for election next year during the Olympiad in Khanty Mansiysk, Russia. "ANY" outlined his goals and presidential intention at his editorial campaign launch in Novi Sad.

Humpy replies to Sundar – issues open challenge

10/25/2009 – "The situation is warming up and I’m getting excited!" writes GM Koneru Humpy, the world's second strongest female player. "I know that Mr. Sundar is an old hand at playing chess, especially off the board. He has made his move, which was to be expected. But to my surprise he started with a gambit!!" Humpy replies to the press release of AICF President with a public debate challenge.

Novi Sad: another loss by ringtone

10/25/2009 – Once again modern communications technology struck: in the match Bulgaria vs England GM Alexander Delchev's cellphone went off, leading to an immediate forfeit of the game (watch it on video!). Earlier a player had lost because he was not present at the board for the start of the game. After three rounds of the European Team Championship Serbia leads. Round three report.

Tiviakov takes Univé Hoogoveen with a single win

10/24/2009 – Certainly an unusual four-player double round robin. In this "Crown Group" all games but one were draw, so that the winner of that game, Dutch GM Sergei Tiviakov, came in first, and the loser, Judit Polgar, last. Vassily Ivanchuk and Anish Giri scored 50%. In the Univé Open English GM Steward Haslinger was first by a full point. Final report.

Chess in Paradise: the Ravana Challenge in Sri Lanka

10/24/2009 – GM Mikheil Mchedlishvili of Georgia won it, but more relevantly this GM Open was staged in a luxurious five star hotel, the first of its kind in Sri Lanka, with accommodation to the GMs provided in the hotel itself. And there was the free day pleasure trip to Kandy, a world famous tourist spot, where the players got to meet the Indian Ocean and a bevy of friendly elephants.

Indian chess champ on city streets

10/24/2009 – She is thirteen, rated 2132, and won the Asian U-14 title in Delhi last month. With her chess career she has made her country proud. But Saranya's childhood is anything but a bed of roses. Her father deserted the family five years ago, and her mother sells small items made of plastic and mud on the pavement of Thiruvottiyur (near Chennai) to eke out a living. Someone must help this girl.

Sundar: Imagination and half truths

10/23/2009 – "I saw GM Koneru Humpy’s letter on your website," wrote D.V. Sunder, Honorary Secretary of the All India Chess Federation. "You normally seek the reaction of the other side, as you have earlier agreed that there is always the other side of any episode." Indeed there usually is. We bring you in full what we received from the AICF: a letter of clarification.

How Vodovod promoted into first Serbian division

10/23/2009 – Last September the League of Central Serbia took place in Vrnjacka Banja – one of the second divisions of the country, but with twelve GMs and many IMs and FMs (even the fifth and sixth boards have 2300-2400 rated players). The winner qualifies for the highest Serbian division, while the last one was relegated from the group. GM Dejan Bojkov reports.

17th European Team Championship in Novi Sad

10/22/2009 – The first round of this massive event – 38 men's and 28 women's teams, with four boards per round each – brought a number of surprises: Croatia held Russia, Italy defeated Bulgaria, Switzerland beat Ukraine. In the women's section Russia, Georgia and Ukraine won convincingly. We bring you results, games, photos and video reports by Europe Echecs.

The hanging bishop...

10/22/2009 – ... was only one of White's problems here after 21... Qxg2, since Black not only threatens 22...Qxe2, but also to take the whole kingside apart.
What is the best continuation for the first player?
A) 22.Nxe6
B) 22.Rd8
C) 22.Bf1

The solution is here, but first ponder over it with a  larger version of the diagram.

Astronaut Fuglesang receives his prize

10/22/2009 – After returning safely to Earth from the 128th mission of NASA's Space Shuttle program, during which he played a game of chess against the readers of a Swedish newspaper, the astronaut Christer Fuglesang was given a prize (in spite of losing the game). It was a Rybka program, signed by five World Champions. One of his reader opponents received a similar prize. Illustrated report with videos.

World number two female player protests

10/22/2009 – "I am very unhappy to inform that I have withdrawn my participation in the Asian Indoor Games 2009 to be held at Vietnam due to some nasty circumstances caused by Mr. D.V. Sundar, Secretary, All India Chess Federation." That is the start of a press release sent to us by Koneru Humpy, the second strongest female player in the world, and the second to cross the 2600 rating mark. Humpy's protest.

Online qualification for VIII Festival in Benidorm

10/22/2009 – December is cold and wet in most of Europe. In Spain it is warm and sunny – very nice to spend a few days playing in an interesting Open. Here's your chance: take part in our special qualifier on the Playchess server this Sunday and win accommodation and participation in the VIII Benidorm Chess Festival. In addition there are valuable software packages to be won. Give it a try.