Computer chess pioneer Mikhail Donskoy passes on

1/16/2009 – He was the first world computer chess champion, winning the title in 1971 in Stockholm, with his program Kaissa, running on a ICL System 4/70. Already in the seventies Mikhail Vladimirovich Donskoy and his Kaissa team implemented chess algorithms that are cutting edge today. He died on Tuesday at the age of 60. Misha will be remembered for his intelligence, kindness and humour. In memoriam.

Warming up for Wijk – or regaining one's drive

1/16/2009 – There are plenty of super-GM tournaments these days – so many, in fact, that even the most enthusiastic chess fans may start to lose their natural enthusiasm. But there are a few that never fail to interest, and one of them starts on Saturday, in the windswept Dutch seaside town of Wijk aan Zee. We will provide full and spectacular coverage on Playchess. Steve Giddins gets us in the mood.

First Asian Club Cup – chess in the Garden City

1/15/2009 – The city of Al Ain, with its 600,000 population, is the fourth largest in the United Arab Emirates. It is known as the "Garden City", because of its many parks, tree-lined avenues and decorative roundabouts. Al Ain was host to the First Asian Club Cup, which was duly won by the Al Ain Chess Club A. We bring you a final report By IM Ravi Kumar, with pictorial impressions and annotated games.

Handedness, practice and talent in chess

1/15/2009 – How are handedness and chess skills related? Is there a critical period for learning chess? How long does it take to reach 2200 Elo points? Prof. Gobet and Dr. Campitelli have found that there are fewer right-handers in the chess population, that one should start devoting time to chess no later than the age of 12, and that it takes on average about 11,000 hours of practice to reach 2200. Interesting read.

Edward Winter's Chess Explorations (15)

1/14/2009 – We travel back in time to the golden age of Hollywood and, in the words of the Editor of Chess Notes, to ‘the only screen goddess lucky enough to marry a FIDE President’. But there is also a walk-on part for Errol Flynn, as well as some chess politics, a photograph gallery and, even, a game won by Akiba Rubinstein. Glamour, nostalgia and some surprises.

Kasparov gets personal – in a remarkable BBC interview

1/14/2009 – This is the former world champion as you have seldom heard him before. Interviewed for BBC Radio 4 by Fergal Keane, Garry Kasparov speaks about his youth, his parents, his heritage, ethnicity in the Soviet Union and Russia, his political struggle and whether he thinks he will survive it. This interview will go offline in six days. Catch it while you can.

Efim Geller – winning past your prime

1/13/2009 – The career of Efim Geller (1925-1998) was drawing to a close. And yet, in 1979 he won the Soviet Championship in Minsk, with an undefeated 11.5-5.5 score, ahead of Yusupov, Balashov and (a very young) Garry Kasparov. In our Playchess lecture Dennis Monokroussos shows us an instructive example of Geller's deep chess understanding in this tournament. Wednesday at 9 p.m. EST.

Hetul Shah, nine-year-old grandmaster slayer

1/13/2009 – This has to be one for the records. At the Parsvnath Open in New Delhi the nine-year-old Hetul Shah defeated an experienced grandmaster, with the black pieces, in a regular tournament game with FIDE time controls. His opponent was 31-year-old Kasakh GM Nurlan Ibrayev, rated almost 600 points higher than the lad, and now probably the world's most embarrassed GM. Games and pictures.

ChessBase 10 taken for a tour in The Atlantic

1/13/2009 – Not the ocean, the monthly magazine known for its visionary articles. In December The Atlantic took a look at the ChessBase 10, the "beefier new version of the database program that is the tournament player’s gold standard." The reviewer, Edward Tenner, concludes: "New chess software makes it easier for younger players to reach the top of their game - and harder to stay there." Rook dreams.

First Asian Club Cup in Al Ain

1/12/2009 – Everybody knows that Asian Chess is on the rise, but people tend to concentrate on China and India and ignore upcoming federations like Iran, Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam. The United Arab Emirates hosted the first Asian Club Cup in Al Ain, with a total of 30 clubs with 27 grandmasters, representing 24 Asian countries. Report by GMs Adrian Mikhalchishin and Georg Mohr.

Viktor Korchnoi honored in Berlin

1/11/2009 – The Emanuel Lasker Society was founded in 2001 to preserve the legacy of the great German World Champion. The weekend activities started with Viktor Korchnoi, multiple world championship challenger, becoming an honorary member. Part of the festive evening was a Playchess game between the former FIDE world champion Rustam Kasimdzhanov and the visitors. Photo report.

Rybka's shared analysis

1/9/2009 – Shared Analysis -- what is it? Is it two players conspiring in the tournament hall rest room? Maybe Allwerman's back with a new computer? Try neither -- it's a new analysis mode in the Rybka3 packages which involves a pair of "twin" chess engines analyzing simultaneously. You can learn more about it in the latest ChessBase Workshop.

Chess in Schools – the Shevah-Mofet Academy in Tel-Aviv

1/8/2009 – In many countries the education system is in crisis, with academic scores dropping. Some schools are discovering that chess lessons dramatically change the attitude of students, and develop intuition and experience in modulating most practical solutions for similar tasks in their real lives. An elite school in Israel has set up a Chess Academy run by a grandmaster. Boris Alterman reports.

Chess in Turmeric Town Sangli

1/8/2009 – If you wonder how India keeps churning out those child prodigies, head to Sangli. A spacious town (a rarity in India), nestled 400 km to the south east of Mumbai, Sangli stakes a claim for being the largest trading hub for Turmeric in Asia. The town derives its name from Saha Galli, which means Six Lanes in Marathi, the local language. Here from M. Jagadish a pictorial report of chess at the grassroots.

Blindfold Chess – history, psychology, champions, records

1/8/2009 – Just occasionally a new book on our game turns up which is likely to be of widespread interest throughout all parts of the chess world. Blindfold Chess by Eliot Hearst and John Knott (McFarland, 2009), hot off the press, is definitely a volume not to be missed, as it is by far the most detailed study ever made of this fascinating subject. We take an early dip into it.

Learning from the greatest – Paul Keres

1/7/2009 – The Estonian chess genius was born on January 7, 1916 – 93 years ago today. Though he never became world champion, very few players came as close to the throne as he did. In our Playchess lecture Dennis Monokroussos shows us a remarkable game Paul Keres played against Efim Geller at the 1962 Candidates – a game that is worthy of appreciation and emulation.

Ni Hua wins Reggio Emilia 2008/2009 with 1½ points

1/7/2009 – Last year Zoltan Almasi or Hungary took first place in the traditional Italian tournament, scoring half a point more than Ni Hua. This year the Chinese grandmaster came to the event with a 69-point higher rating, while Almasi had dropped by 28 points. The result: Ni Hua took first place with 7.5/9 and a 2840 performance, while Almasi came a distant second with 6.0/9. Illustrated report.

Ivanchuk defeats Leko in Mukachevo

1/7/2009 – For a second time in a year and a half Ukraine's top GM Vassily Ivanchuk has defeated Hungary's top GM Peter Leko in the south western Ukrainian town of Mukachevo. Their six-game match ended in a 3.5:2.5 win for Ivanchuk, with five draws and a single victory in round five. It was, however, deserved, as GM Mikhail Golubev tells us in his big illustrated report.

Handicapping Rybka 3

1/7/2009 – Chess programmers have for many years been finding unique means of "handicapping" their chess engines to make them play a weaker chess game should the human user desire one. The reason for this should be obvious: not everyone enjoys getting his or her head torn off by a 2700+ Elo player on a daily basis. Learn all about Rybka's handicap playing features in the newest ChessBase Workshop.

ITMA? No it is not – it's Igor Kurnosov

1/6/2009 – Going into the final round of the 2008/9 Hastings Masters, Valery Neverov, who had won the tournament a record-equalling three times, needed a win over tournament leader Igor Kurnosov to get a new record fourth successive title. But "it wasn't that man again". The 22-year old Russian GM Kurnosov drew with the black pieces and finished as outright winner. Final report by Steve Giddins.

Vladimir Kramnik on the World Championship Cycle

1/5/2009 – With the chess world in upheaval, and the world championship cycle in doubt, FIDE President Ilyumzhinov chaired an Internet press conference with top players, on December 27th, to find out what they thought. One was missing: former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik. In a surprise call on December 28th he told us why he couldn't take part (and what he would have said). Be pleasantly surprised!

Peter Svidler wins Aker Chess Challenge in Gjøvik

1/5/2009 – The first game in the final between Peter Svidler and Magnus Carlsen, a Ruy Lopez Berlin, ended in a draw after 20 moves. That gave Carlsen the chance to go for a win with the white pieces in the final game. But it was the grandmaster from St Petersburg who took first prize with a fine victory against his Norwegian opponent. Hikaru Nakamura of the US beat Kjetil Lie to take third. Final report.

Carlsen and Svidler qualify for final in Gjøvik

1/4/2009 – Magnus Carlsen beat Peter Svidler in round five, both Svidler and Hikaru Nakamura beat the luckless Lie in rounds five and six, and in the end three players tied for first. In the tiebreak round robin blitz Carlsen won both games, while Svidler beat Nakamura. On Monday at Nakamura plays Kjetil Lei for third place, and at Carlsen plays Svidler for first, at 13:00h and 14:20h. Watch it on Playchess!

Svidler leads in Aker Chess Challenge in Gjøvik

1/4/2009 – That's in Norway, where the Gjøvik Chess Club is celebrating its 100th anniversary with a semi-open Swiss with six 2600+ grandmasters and a rapid chess special with Magnus Carlsen, Peter Svidler, Hikaru Nakamura and Kjetil Lie – a double round robin on Friday to Sunday, with final matches for first and third on Monday. After four rounds Peter Svidler leads with 3.0/4. Illustrated report.