10/21/2009 – The endgame Carlsen-Wang Yue, which was presented last week by GM Karsten Mueller for ChessBase Magazine Online, one variation ended in the diagrammed position with two knights against two pawns. This position is won for the knights' side although, as is well known, two knights alone can't force checkmate. Pivotal for victory is on which square a remaining pawn has to be blocked, determining the so-called Troitzky line.
Since this has led to many requests, Karsten Mueller will explain the subject once more in detail in the following.

10/21/2009 – Viacheslav Ragozin, who passed away in 1962, was one of the trainers of Mikhail Botvinnik. He became famous for blowing smoke into the legendary World Champion's face in order to steel the non-smoker for opponents who did the same. In his Wednesday night Playchess lecture Dennis Monokroussos shows us Ragozin at his best against Andor Lilienthal. Be there at 9 p.m. ET or 3 a.m. CEST.

10/21/2009 – Behind the kings of the chess world, there’s a crack team of knights – or ‘seconds’, as they are called. They work day and night, and spend months together locked up, and once in a while they want to break the tension. In the team of World Champion Viswanathan Anand Coldplay is staple music, but "the guys now also listen to Tamil music." Jaideep Unudurti reports on Outlook Business.

10/20/2009 – It used to be known as the Essent Tournament, but the 13th edition of this chess festival has a new sponsor, the Dutch insurance company Univé. There are a number of sections, including a strong international Open. Of greatest interest is the Crown Group, a four-player double round robin, with Vassily Ivanchuk, Sergei Tiviakov, Judit Polgar and 15-year-old Anish Giri. Round two report.

10/19/2009 – If an author himself plays what he is writing about, this is certainly an advantage. If on top of that he has been employing a variation for almost 20 years successfully against the strongest opponents, then anything he has to say is a revelation. Michal Krasenkow is the greatest specialist of the King's Indian with 6.h3. In his three-part article (CBM 132-134), he lets you in on plans, ideas, variations and secrets of this somewhat underrated system against the King's Indian. Here is the complete Part 1 which deals with lines without 6...e5. The DVD of CBM 132 contains eleven further opening articles. Krasenkow: King's Indian with 6.h3

10/19/2009 – Johan Golden is a Norwegian TV host and a colorful figure in the country's comedy, musical and political scene. In his show Golden Goal he recently had a special guest: Magnus Carlsen, Norway's chess wonder and one of the greatest sports heros the country has had. A light-hearted trademark Golden exchange (in Nowegian) ensues. We bring you a video and English transcript.

10/14/2009 – Women make up about 10% of the World Chess Federation's estimated one million members. The caliber of the top female players is rising dramatically, yet FIDE persists in the "anachronistic and demeaning practice of awarding separate titles for women at lower levels of accomplishment." Time to drop gender-segregated titles for women, says Barbara Jepson in the Wall Street Journal.

10/14/2009 – In an earlier report we brought you a series of new pictures of the reclusive World Champion Bobby Fischer, during his 1973 visit ot the Philippines at the invitation of President Ferdinand Marcos. Today we have screen shots of the same visit from a second video that appeared on YouTube, together with one of an earlier (1967) visit for a "Beat Bobby Fischer" match. Again: strangely moving.

10/13/2009 – AMP is an energy drink distributed by PepsiCo under the Mountain Dew brand. The makers have launched a campaign where a person wearing an AMP can costume challenges athletes to a game of whatever they are good at. Recently it was chess, in a well-known hustler's paradise. The AMP can man – obviously a disguised grandmaster – gave a ten-board simul. Anyone know who he was?

10/13/2009 – A Renaissance château on the banks of the River Loire, with splendid gardens and stately rooms. The owner a great chess enthusiast, as well as a music aficionado. The participants: two young French players and two from China. The event: a friendship match which includes a "mixed double". And on the side: a concert of Chinese and French classical music. We have pictures and videos.

10/13/2009 – Born in Poti, Georgia (USSR), Nana learned chess at the age of four. At ten she started formal lessons and within six months became the girls’ champion of Tbilisi. By the age of twenty she had won the USSR Women’s Championship three times. Traumatically she missed becoming World Champion by tiny margins, but devoted her life to promoting women's chess. Today Nana Alexandria turns sixty.

10/12/2009 – With his 8.0/10 score at the recent Pearl Spring tournament 18-year-old Magnus Carlsen will certainly go into the record books. But how does his result fit among the all-time great performances? Using a new formula that takes the length of a tournament or match into consideration, chess statistician Jeff Sonas evaluates Magnus' Nanjing performance and puts it into historical perspective.